Malformity

Introduction

From the advent of the mortal races, the Mark of Malformity has always existed within their societies. It was at first a tribal practice, the privilege of Azunath's cult-like flock, those who lived in the woods and were suspiciously believed to be devourers of men. It has always been common practice among wildland apostates, but like with its mages, the usage of the magic has transformed through time and across millennia it has become more and more adaptive and diverse.

Malformity is the art of shifting into animals; from one form to another, with the mage as their anchor. It is also a magic of understanding an animal's anatomy and behaviors through living and experiencing, mastered only by those with a will to understand and adopt the things they learn. Perhaps for this reason, Malformity mages often live harmoniously with nature, and tend to reject the encroachment of industrialism. It is popular among the wildest of people, still, and in many places continues to be reviled by those who claim civility.

Foundations

Synchrony: Synchrony is the base skill necessary to use Malformity effectively. After Imprinting on a new species and adding it to their list of possible forms, a mage has to achieve Synchrony with that form in order to be able to access its full range of abilities. Synchrony is defined as the ability to function within an animal form, acquired through procedural learning and stored in the Malformist's procedural memory; that is, the implicit knowledge necessary to use an animal shape naturally. Because each species is different, it's necessary to achieve Synchrony separately with each form the Malformist has access to. New to a body, a mage with low Synchrony will find that form harder to control and will feel weakened, clumsy, less reactive and mentally unstable. As they gain Synchrony, those symptoms will gradually disappear. By achieving complete Synchrony, an Malformity user becomes as dexterous in their new shape as they are in their original form, their mind focused and their senses sharp.

Immersion: Immersion is the Malformist's method of learning a new form's biology to increase Synchrony. In order for a practitioner of Malformity to transform into an animal, they must first immerse themselves into the lifestyle of the animal they wish to mold into. They need to understand the animal's functions well enough to replicate them, and mere study does not offer the practitioner the necessary information. True immersion with a living being is mandatory, and typically one that requires some level of empathetic understanding of the animal and the reasons for their actions. When a mage understands the day-to-day lifestyle of an animal and how it corresponds with their behaviors and anatomy, they will find themselves more capable of molding into that creature. Poor immersion - hastily done or without proper reference - will result in low synchrony if not flawed transformations, dramatically reducing the efficacy of the Mark.

Ethology: A mage's personality and mindset affects their ability to reach Synchrony with different species, since their psychology might not always be compatible with the mage's own. The larger the affinity, the easier immersion becomes and thus the likelihood of high Synchrony is increased. If they lean towards incompatibility, Synchrony becomes much harder to reach. For example, an aggressive man with very impulsive tendencies might have easier times shifting into a honey badger, while a tortoise might pose a large challenge.

Mass: You are incapable of becoming something that varies too much from your original size. This is because even with ether, your body cannot be morphed infinitely beyond or below its own limits without destroying the integrity of your form, risking the decimation of your original self and therefore the anchor of your Mold. Upper limits will be written into the progression tiers (Novice-Master) and the Doppelganger, allowing the mage to mold increasingly large animals as they progress. On the lower-end, no Malformity mage can become smaller than a ruby-throated hummingbird through the use of the magic.

Rules

1. An Malformity mage cannot, until becoming a Doppelganger (Ascendant), turn into or replicate another person. In addition to this, an Malformity mage cannot become a monster: they can only become animals. For an animal to be considered an animal, few true conventions have been adopted, but it must be genuinely alive, not be a member of the sentient races, obtain nutrition from external sources, follow laws of survival and be able to reproduce.

2. A molded (transformed) Malformity mage cannot reproduce with another animal outside of their natural form; all molded forms are sterile.

3. All wounds dealt upon a molded form are transferred to the mage if a corresponding limb or section of the body exists, though to a significantly lesser extent. Blood loss also translates, though again, to a significantly lesser extent.

Initiation

The Mark of Malformity appears, in shape, to be similar to that of a dreamcatcher, only one that depicts animal shapes welded into one's flesh, and with the surroundings of the Mark appearing to be a collection of fangs, scales and other features blended together to perform a perverse ring. The Mark must always be drawn with the blood of an animal, and it will always appear to twist and writhe upon one's skin once it is fully drawn, until it settles comfortably. When it does, the initiate will gradually begin to lose their awareness, receding into a feral state. This experience can be horrific and even traumatic, and is often described of emptying or suffocating. The trance will last for a period no shorter than two days, and sometimes as long as a week. During this time, the initiate will begin to develop animal traits; they may grow hair, scales or feathers, sharp claws or strange alterations to their eyes. Weak, brittle wings, or perhaps changes to the pigment of their skin. In a violent manifestation of the initiate's newfound ability to integrate feral traits, they will do so frequently and beyond their own control.

When this period finally ends, the initiate will shed these new features or adjustments, returning to their original appearance... most often. The few grim exceptions that come about tend to quickly result in death, either from their mutilation, overstepping, or the taking of one's own life by shame.

Often, initiates are put into cages to contain them during this period, as accidents are otherwise common. Many mages believe this makes an Malformity mage weaker however; less connected to the primal nature of the magic, too sheltered to properly immerse with the world's fauna. Whatever the case, initiates are vulnerable to death during this time, as they will intensively seek to grasp at and understand the world around them from a curious and primitive perspective. They will gradually, or quickly, expend ether in an attempt to imprint onto the things they see; animals and even the sentient races, sometimes resulting in their overreach, and the death or severe consequences that may follow.

Mutations

Like the animals Malformity users mold into, the mutations of the magic are stunningly diverse and can be derived from any number of the magic's core themes. Often, mutations can derive from specific classifications of animals, such as predators or prey, nocturnal or diurnal animals, sea creatures or land dwellers, animals from a specific class or genus. Or these mutations do not need to derive from any of these characteristics and can involve how one performs Imprinting or Immersion, or unique alterations to one's molding. The possibilities with Malformity, again, are very broad.

Overstepping

The drawbacks listed below do not always come in pairs, and certainly not simultaneously. Some may come and others may not.

Lesser: Nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, dehydration

Moderate: Severely increased aggression, panic, severe muscle spasms, spontaneous allergic reactions, internal bleeding

Severe

Depersonalization: The Malformist will, upon severely overstepping, completely lose their self-identity and will feel as if they are peering through the wrong eyes. They will not recognize their own body as natural, regardless of what form they take, and will often violently assault themselves as if trying to 'escape' their wrongful mold.

Stagnation: The Malformist can no longer change their mold once this effect is triggered, and they will be stuck in their present form. This can sometimes last for weeks or, in extremely rare cases, even months. When Stagnation first occurs it is paired with incredible pain, weakness and fatigue, as well as confusion. If the mage attempts to mold into a different form, they will face violent backlash and may break their bones or worse.

Atrocity: This is the worst of Malformity' overstepping penalties, and is equivalent to death. Atrocity occurs when an Malformist has withered their soul so severely by overstepping that it begins to fragment, becoming little more than a collapsing shell. It forces the Malformist into a horrific blended state of all of their forms, including their natural state, limbs and organs strewn across their body, forming a sort of chimera. Their sentience and intellect are forever lost, and they will freakishly flee for the remainder of their often short lives, attacking and killing whatever they perceive as a threat.

Abilities

Imprint: Gained at Novice, Imprint is the base ability to Malformity and the only strictly necessary to use all others. Through Imprint, the Malformist forms a temporary link with an animal (which doesn't necessarily require the animal's cooperation, though it does help), copying its species' genetic template and integrating it into their Mark.

Imprinting is performed over roughly half a minute usually, though the more calm and willing the animal is, the faster the process will be. Unwilling creatures might take up to a minute, and the Imprinting process requires the Malformist being in his original form, proximity (up to 100 ft) and strict, unbroken focus on the creature. This makes it it hard to complete if one's being attacked or the specimen is constantly fidgeting, so restraining the creature is advisable.

After the transfer is complete the stored template becomes a permanent fixture, allowing the mage to use all of Malformity' abilities on that particular species. The Malformist's dexterity limits the number of templates their Mark can store, though Immersion is required to actually transform into the species, as well as to achieve proper Synchrony. Imprint costs a moderate amount of ether to perform, though as it is virtually never performed during combat, this rarely factors.

Integrate: Learned at Novice, Integrate, or Integration, is an ability of partial transformations. What this means is quite broad; it can mean molding limbs over your own, to adding new limbs, to changing the texture of certain parts of your body (such as growing fur or feathers), to changing or adapting pigment, and finally to adopting senses and unique traits or abilities native to an animal that has been at least partially gauged by immersion. Integrate is obviously a creative ability, one that continues to be used even as one masters Malformity. In the beginning it is difficult to even Integrate one partial limb, while later on it can be used to morph the body into a variable palette, though it is always limited to pulling traits from the same species into the mage's original form. As a note, external organs are easier to Integrate than internal ones, due to the complexity of shifting the mage's internal anatomy - particularly without grave consequences. Each individual usage of Integrate does not expend much ether, and so it can be used fairly frequently in comparison to other abilities.

Mold: Acquired early at Apprentice, Molding allows the mage to fully transform into another creature. Many delay the execution of this ability until far later, however, as Molding is a dangerous and gruesome act. It is also, when an Malformity mage is first introduced to it, excruciatingly painful, though this pain lessens over time as one improves their mastery. Mold begins with swelling on one's skin, quickly followed by the bulbous expansion and contortion of muscles, the twisting of one's physique to allow for its reconstruction. The ability is named 'Mold' for what it does; it redesigns the form of the mage, molding them into the shape acquired through immersion. It does so impatiently and viciously, effectively destroying their form in the process, realigning bones and shifting muscles, every aspect of them reformed by ether. This ability, the core of Malformity alongside Imprint, is frequently spoken of with awe in that it does much of what Necromancy seeks to do in quick fashion, and for a skilled practitioner, little risk is associated.

In order to move through any transformed state, one must Mold. To become your previous state, they must Mold again, though the original point always acts as an anchor; often as one moves from one non-human form to another, onlookers will notice that for a brief moment they appear to re-integrate their human characteristics. This is not inherently designed within the magic: Molding is often learned partially through Integrate, as the mage learns how to grow and adopt animal characteristics. As such, many learn Molding by reconstructing themselves, rather than moving through animal forms, fluidly twisting their shapes into that of a distinctive other.

To begin with, perhaps because of this flawed if relatable method of learning, Malformity mages often require several minutes to shift from one shape to another and these minutes are often grueling and taxing on the mind. Migraines often follow, as even when the throbbing pain subsides its impression is left within the mage's recent memory, a sort of short-term trauma. The trauma can become long-term through any manner of visualization; viewing their own violent decimation and subsequent reformation into another being, one not wholly themselves, can cause complications upon the mind of a mage. Sometimes, even just imagining this process can have a similar result. For this reason, Malformity is often considered the reserve of the brave.

As a Malformity mage progresses, they will learn to mold more effectively, integrating larger or more complex forms and expending less time and ether. There are also abilities designed to make transformations more effective, though they always utilize Molding as a base. Molding expends more ether depending on the Tier - or power - of the form being molded into, with this increase exponential.

Chimerism: Acquired at Journeyman. Chimerism is the expanded form of Integrate, and with distinct differences. To begin with, Chimerism allows the mage to blend multiple different species with the form they currently hold, dramatically increasing the versatility of the Malformist. Chimerism allows the Malformist to Mold into a fully formed being that already has blended characteristics, integrated from multiple other forms; however, it can't be used to form additional parts, only shift them. Additionally, Chimerism can be used to simultaneously blend multiple traits with the mage's present form, whereas Integrate must be used on an individual basis. While the ability is limited by the expertise of the Malformist using it, even early on it is an ability that allows forms to maximize lethality and effectiveness, combining animal traits together to craft formidable molds. Considering Chimerism often includes several "integrations", and of diverse limbs and traits, it can expend a significant amount of ether quickly if over-used.

Embodying: Acquired at Journeyman, Embodying is used by Malformed to speed up their transformations. Whether Molding or any other partial transformation, Embodying is used in situations where the change needs to be completed quickly, though at an added ether cost. The Malformist can regulate the speed of the transformation by infusing different amounts of ether into it: a near-instant transformation, for example, costs roughly an additional half of the base ether consumption. The added cost can be significant and the fact that the transformation is accelerated only makes the pain more focused and sharper, but in urgent situations it ends up being worth the cost.

Therianthropy: Learned at Journeyman, Theriantropy is a highly specialized ability, halfway between Molding and Integrate. Therianthropy allows the Malformist to adapt a species' body to their humanoid shape, adding limbs (such as wings or tail) if necessary. Preserving humanoid dexterity and bipedal form while adding the gifts of an animal species, Therianthropy is a useful skill in situations where a certain balance is required. Therianthropy tends to consume a moderate amount of ether, capable of causing overstepping if used several times before the mage can recover.

Warging: Acquired at Journeyman, Warging is a strange ability among Malformity' retinue of powers. It is not an ability that, to any degree, relates to transformation directly. Instead, Warging allows the Malformist to view through the eyes of an Imprinted animal by entering into a deep, meditative trance. They cannot control the animal whatsoever, but by doing this they can drastically improve their 'Immersion' over time, allowing them to function better while assuming that animal's form. It also proves to be a useful ability for the purposes of recon, though again this ability allows no level of control, meaning it might only prove useful if the animal in question is one intelligent and loyal enough to perform reconnaissance for the mage in the first place.

Vectoring: Acquired at Expert, Vectoring is one of the most subdued skills Malformity can offer. In spite of this, a truly skilled mage can make Vectoring the most powerful skill in their set, as it's used to transfer magical and natural emission skills from one form to another. Those substances or skills are directly transferred, with minimal physical transformative basis such as microscopic glands or etheric channels. For example, a Malformist Molded into a tiger could emit the electric shocks of an eel or the icy aura of an Icewing Eagle using Vectoring. Vectoring's expenditure varies on the complexity of the ability transferred, generally determined by the power of the animal it is being drawn from (its tier). It can cost a fairly insignificant amount of ether, or considerably more.

Catabolism: Gained at Expert, Catabolism is the ability that sets apart animals and Malformed. By infusing their own ether into their acquired forms, they can slightly boost one of their forms' natural abilities into overdrive, allowing them to break the natural limits of the species for a brief burst. Because the number of species available is so wide, Catabolism offers nigh-endless possibilities in its applications: boosting muscle strength for speed or jumping, producing large amounts of toxins, marking armored parts briefly more durable, amplifying magical abilities... However, the more complex the skill, the more tasking Catabolism becomes: the higher the animal's tier the larger the ether expenditure is. Tier 1 animal parts can easily be boosted at lower costs, while Tier 5 animals make a decent dent in the mage's ether threshold and can't be used more than a few times in battle.

Devolve: Acquired at Expert, Devolve is the most independently effective way to Mold, but with limitations. Devolve works with short-term memory and what mages describe as a feeling of resettling into a prior form, forcing the body and Mark to recognize a recently taken form as the 'correct' one and demanding the mage's soul to reconvert to it. Perhaps due to the way it functions however, only the previous (or most recent) mold taken by the mage can be Devolved into, effectively acting as a form of reversion. This cuts down the cost of transformation to around half (a third at Master) of what it normally expends in terms of ether, as well as requiring seconds at the most for full-body transformations, so long as they are relatively similar in overall mass.

Upon acquiring Devolve, most mages will begin to entirely change the way in which they use Malformity. They will carefully construct their transformations based on utility, strategically choosing each mold based on how they coincide with this ability. Devolve allows one to frequently shift back and forth between forms, weaving transformations in-between actions. While at Expert this forces the mage to Devolve back effectively into their original state if used twice - bird to man, man to bird - at Master, Devolve allows one to take a step back down the line of transformations, allowing for further strategic structuring. It also allows one to Devolve into previous integrations, weaving less total shifts into their actions and allowing for a fluid diversity of employed limbs.

Adjoining: Obtained at Expert. Adjoining seems to be a fairly simple ability, but the fact that it allows to breach the natural limits of the imprinted forms the mage makes it very complicated in practice. Adjoining allows the mage to add additional body parts from any of their imprinted species to any of their forms, whether original or Molded. Since this includes additional neuronal connections and different body coordination, it takes practice before one can comfortably use Adjoining. Besides, controlling too many additional body parts can become tasking and lead to poor coordination and excessive ether expenditure. Adjoining's expenditure tends to depend on the power and complexity of the limbs being adjoined, and can expend a small or moderate amount of ether as a result.

Banish: Learned at Expert. Banish, or the Banishing ritual, is used by the Malformist to delete one of the templates gained through Imprint in order to leave space for new templates. However, the process is not fast nor easy, since the template has become part of the Mark itself. In order to eliminate the Imprinted form, the Malformist must focus on its template and make ether flow through it slowly but steadily, washing it away. The process lasts more or less three hours of full focus and continuous magic use, and the Malformist feels a tolerable but sharp pain until the template is completely eliminated, making space for a new one. After completing the ritual rest becomes necessary for another few hours in order to replenish physical and magical stamina. The lost template can be regained again through Imprint if necessary, and all Immersion knowledge and Synchrony achieved is usually mantained, preserved in the mage's memory.

Scale: Acquired at Master, Scale is a simple ability in theory, though with an array of potential uses. It allows the Malformist to shift the mass and proportions of their current form, or a particular section of that form, or even individual limbs. This is a rapid shift, and does not tend to expend much ether, with more dramatic changes in mass requiring more expenditure. As an example, Scale can be used to shift small talons into a destructive rake, or to make small integrated wings large and strong enough to suspend a proportionately larger body. The expenditure of Scale rapidly becomes exponential when attempting to exceed Malformity' size limits. As one becomes larger and larger (or vice-versa), the cost of this ability will go from nearly immaterial to considerable. While this can be used to press beyond the magic's stated boundaries, it quickly becomes suicidal to do so.

Amalgam: Amalgam, learned at Master, is perhaps the most powerful ability in the Malformist's arsenal. It is activated and deactivated at will, and rather instantly, allowing for it to be used in a plurality of ways. Amalgam allows the mage to fluidly shift between forms and integrations, allowing for them to add, subtract or move between limbs and shapes to their original form, as well as half or fully transforming into other shapes in a fluid manner that does not leave them vulnerable. While only learned molds can be integrated into this ability, the adaptability and quick-thinking allotted to the mage in this state is deadly.

Amalgam continuously drains ether while it is active, but considering it can be activated or deactivated quickly, it can be used multiple times in a fight in short bursts before significantly draining the mage. However, the kept form is not permanent, and once Amalgam is deactivated the user will transition back into the form they used Amalgam with over a period of around ten seconds. During this time, they will be able to fight and move as normal, though their mold will regress over time. For this reason, rather than utilizing Amalgam to permanently transition between forms, Amalgam should be used tactically. Amalgam is meant to be used in particular moments where transitioning between forms and unpredictability hold weight, and over-using it can easily lead to Overstepping. Regardless, the lethal efficiency allowed by blending multiple forms into a perpetually shifting state is well worth the investment.

Novice

Just introduced to the discipline, the novice Malformist has just started to grasp the basics of Malformity. Inexperienced, they've just begun to experience Imprinting and the basics of Immersion, but in a rather partial way. Not skilled enough to delve deep into Malformity, they tend to practice limited Integration as a form of understanding the mechanics and the inner biological changes separately before learning how to Mold properly. Novice Malformed can only Imprint on Tier 1 fauna and their lack of expertise only allows them to store two different templates.

Apprentice

The apprentice Malformist is beginning to understand the depths of Immersion and achieves the ability to completely Mold into his animal forms. They slowly begin to understand the implications of shifting back and forth, getting used to the pain and the strange sensations that go with the change. The fractional understanding of each part of their templates is condensed into the complete form. Becoming able to capture the essence of more complex beings, they're now able to imprint onto Tier 2 creatures and fit up to 6 different templates within their Mark.

Journeyman

The journeyman Malformist has reached a good understanding of the foundations of Malformity and is able to apply the principles of immersion to reach a better performance; however, they're still prone to struggling with incompatible ethologies. They become able to manipulate multiple templates at once and speed up their changes, making the journeyman ready for faster action and quick adaptability. They become able to Imprint Tier 3 Fauna, and they're able to store up to 10 templates within their Mark.

Expert

The expert Malformist has reached finesse in its knowledge of the magic; they're now able to create minimal shifts with maximized effects and breach the limits of common biology. This implies a deep knowledge of the abilities offered by Malformity and their own imprinted forms. Experts flawlessly switch forms and integrate them into their skillset rather naturally, making them highly versatile mages. They can Imprint on fearsome Tier 4 fauna, and their template limit increases to 14.

Master

At Master, the Malformist has conquered the limits of animal form. They become able to fluidly shift between forms with a wide array of options and blur the limits between species to extract the maximum amount of potential from each form. Their Synchrony nears perfection and their control makes their Molded forms second skins, no matter the power or the complexity. Masters of Malformity can, when given the opportunity, Imprint on the apex forms of Tier 5 animals, and are able to store 18 templates within their Mark.

Ascension: The Doppelganger

The Doppelganger is the apex of Malformity, allowing the Ascended mage to not only transform into the most powerful of beasts, but to assume the forms of other women and men. Among all Ascensions, the Doppelganger is one of the most formative, allowing the mage the chance to truly migrate and fluctuate between lives. When a Doppelganger becomes a member of another race, they sincerely become them, leaving no detail imperfect or unfinished. Unlike with their animal shapes, they are capable of reproducing in this form, and even wield the racial abilities of the other people they become. A man who becomes a Velsign can truly fly, a woman who becomes a Hyr'Norai can emanate light, and perhaps she might even choose to make the form she shifts to a new home for her identity. Mastering the forms of the other sapient races is unsurprisingly easy, requiring little practice, being that the bodies they shift to tend not to be too different from their own.

Doppelgangers are rare beings, but they are also dangerous and exceptional. There are no shortages of conspiracies regarding them, claims of Kings becoming corrupt not due to avarice or a loss of their ideals, but a monarch conveniently killed and replaced by a Doppelganger with ambition and vice. Of course, the implications with what can be done with such an ability are endless, particularly in the hands of a skilled actor and deceiver. But the Doppelganger is not limited only to this monumental power.

A Doppelganger can become the most powerful animals on Atharen. They are able to shapeshift into Tier 6 beasts, and can Imprint on any animal instantly, though they must go through the same process of Synchrony and Immersion for each form. Still, this allows them exceptional versatility in their forms, and the ability to expand - though not master - their roster with improved haste. Doppelgangers can also transform into Atharen's legendary Dragons, providing many of them with a truly supreme form through which to engage in combat. While taking on the body of a Tier 6 beast is truly draining, threatening overstepping if used more than infrequently, each such change can be so monumental as to defy fear and risk.

The innate form of a Doppelganger, unlike with other Ascensions, does not change. If they choose to keep their original body as their premier identity, few will find any difference in their appearance or demeanor, a factor that makes them all the more covert. Interestingly, no matter what form the Doppelganger takes, they will always live for as long as their original body might allow. A human who becomes an Elf will likely still die within their first century of life, while an Elf may be able to roam in the form of an Orkhai without succumbing to age for centuries. This can affect aging and development significantly, which has proven - historically - to be a tell when it concerns Doppelgangers, if they are assuming a race not equivalent in lifespan to their own.

For more information, see: The Ascendant.

Restrictions

• The ether costs of abilities that modify, add or enhance the limbs, functions, natural abilities, etc of an animal are increased based on the Tier of the animal being manipulated. This even minorly increases the expenditure of Amalgam, increasing the drain based on the form being transitioned into.

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