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The Encyclopedia Arcane
On the Forms of Magimorphosis

On the Forms of Magimorphosis

From Appendix A of “Utilizing Magimorphosis to induce health benefits”, a research project from Ithular Academy

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The following is a semi-comprehensive list of known magimorphic changes documented to Stage 3 or 4, which sorcerers and archsorcerers are liable to undergo from extreme internal exposure to a focused form of magic. Any active effects usually end when a part of the body is removed or upon the subject’s death, but some manifestations (usually beginning in Stage 3 or 4) involve actual transmutation of a body part, in which case the change persists. Note that while none of these are assured to happen, and may be halted by the individual, these are the most common effects for anatomy type A species:

Air

Stage 1: The subject’s iris shifts to a light gray or sky-blue color. Breathing may begin to sound faintly like a distant wind, and on rare occasions hair and clothing may be momentarily moved as though by a faint breeze.

Stage 2: Eyes which became gray during stage 1 take on the appearance of storm clouds, and close examination will reveal them swirling and blowing even in real time. Eyes which shifted to or were blue will instead gleam in even the faintest light, and white, cloud-like spots are likely to drift across them. Hair, fur, tails, and clothing will usually have the appearance of being moved by a faint breeze.

Stage 3: The subject’s sclera will take on the pattern and coloring of the iris, and the changes described in Stage 2 become even more pronounced. Their voice is always clear regardless of (nonmagical) wind level and is usually accompanied by the sound of a rushing wind. They are surrounded by a magical, albeit light breeze, even indoors, which buffets but rarely displaces light objects such as papers. Winged fliers report that this functions as a buffer to any main winds.

Stage 4: The individual is constantly enveloped by winds, which with sufficient practice some subjects have been able to utilize as additional appendages. It also serves as a substantial aid to flight, particularly winged flight.

Earth

Stage 1: The subject’s irises shift to match the color of the earth or stone they most commonly manipulate, and their body becomes more solid and defined akin to a statue.

Stage 2: The subject’s body becomes substantially bulkier and more sculpted, gaining the approximate appearance of a painted statue. Their pupils become a deep black, and sclera become white with faint marbling patterns, even if it was not already white.

Stage 3: The subject’s eyes physically transmute to become composite gemstones. The gem in question, oclite, has not been found anywhere else, but is expressed in a multitude of colors. Often, the sclera either becomes clear or turns completely white with no marbling, and the pupil becomes pure, opaque black. The iris can become any of a number of colors, but frequently corresponds to the eye color developed during Stage 1 or the eye color of the subject prior to that.

Stage 4: The body becomes physically made of stone, but only becomes slightly denser. Hair fuses into a contiguous mass and ceases to grow, as do fingernails, horns, and fur. Despite this, biological function remains the same as in other Type A creatures, though the affected individual usually becomes substantially less susceptible to environmental conditions, infections, and some illnesses.

Fire

Stage 1: Eyes become slightly orange, yellow or reddish (or closer to the color of their non-mana flames), and reflections within eyes show flames instead of their normal surroundings. The body becomes warm to the touch as though the subject were constantly experiencing a fever (they can still develop a fever but it is rarer, and can still suffer from heatstroke). Type A4 species no longer need external heat to regulate their temperature while at rest.

Stage 2: Eyes glow in a flickering manner, and the flame reflected in them becomes more obvious, shedding light themselves. Eyes and other distinct markings become fully red, orange, or yellow with a ‘flicker’ in sync with the variation of the eyes’ glow. The subject’s body becomes warmer, and only rarely do the subjects develop fevers. Furthermore, they become mostly immune to mundane heatstroke. In some subjects, hair begins to fall ‘upward’ and often turns fully or partially red or orange. Horns may have flames lick across their surface periodically, and wings usually resemble a flame’s silhouette.

Stage 3: Irises often take on the appearance of literal flame, and often even emit heat. In some subjects, hair, horns, and feathers literally become fire (most subjects suppress heat given off by it). In other cases, a flamelike glow begins to emanate from ‘cracks’ or from beneath the subject’s scales and feathers.

Stage 4: Eyes become literal balls of fire, heads become wreathed in manes of flame, and substantially larger areas on the body either turn into fire or have fire dancing across it. The individual becomes almost entirely immune to the kinds of high and low temperatures found in the mortal realms.

Water

Stage 1: eyes become blue/sea-green and begin to reflect rivers, oceans, springs, rivers, or other aquatic phenomenon, scales begin to feel permanently damp to the touch, and occasionally the subject’s voice may echo with the sound of waves or rain.

Stage 2: Hair begins to float in the air as though submerged, the subject usually feels damp to the touch (scales become consistently wet), and irises usually appear to have water within them that sloshes around in accordance with movement.

Stage 3: Hair may begin to develop a bluish tinge, and begin to coalesce into a semi-liquid, semi-contiguous mass. Scales shift as though they were ripples on a pond, and horns become very smooth. In some cases, mist may begin to collect around the subject’s eyes.

Stage 4: Scales lose individual cohesion, taking on an appearance akin to skin or hide while retaining their full strength. Horns change to be the shape of a drop of water, stream, or wave. Clothing drifts through the air as though it were water similar to hair.

Radiance

Stage 1: Eyes whiten or turn slightly gold, they always reflect something apparently very bright (but shed no light themselves).

Stage 2: Eyes begin to glow, and while the body does not properly radiate light, neither do shadows land upon it or exist within it. Notable markings, focus tattoos, and in some cases veins begin to glow.

Stage 3: Significant parts or the entire body begins to glow slightly, eyes become mostly-uniform brightly glowing orbs.

Stage 4: Parts of the body begin to turn into hard light, usually eyes, feathers, and wings, but if the subject had been missing any appendages they may regain a hard light equivalent.

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Shadow

Stage 1: Irises shift to dark colors or outright turn black. Shadows landing upon the body seem slightly deeper, and hair and scales tend to darken.

Stage 2: Subjects never appear to be in direct light, their shadow often gains a silhouette disconnected from the subject, eyes continue to darken. Any shadows cast upon the subject obscure substantially more than normal (an effect most pronounced with hoods, but also makes all parts of the subject’s body look substantially more defined. Hair and scales usually appear black.

Stage 3: Eyes become wholly black and seem to absorb light (a slight ring of light occasionally manifests around the pupil). The subject’s shadow usually becomes independently mobile, and even in the brightest of light they appear to be in shadow. Hair is permanently very black and seems to absorb all light which falls upon it. Scales may have this appearance as well, or remain somewhat glossy.

Stage 4: Tangible shadows roll off the subject, pooling on the ground around them. The subject may appear as an indistinct shadowy figure or as something akin to a living silhouette. Portions of the body may become composed of shadowstuff, though the degree of tangibility varies.

Ice

Stage 1: Hair becomes white or blond, eyes may become light blue and reflect drifting snowflakes. Skin becomes chilly to the touch and the subject gains increased resistance to colder environs.

Stage 2: Subject becomes mostly immune to mundane frostbite, and their body cools substantially, their breath possibly creating slight frosting on some surfaces they breathe on.

Stage 3: Subject’s skin is cold enough to attract condensation and even frost. Scales often have faint buildup of ice in their grooves, horns attract a layer of ice, and hair becomes brittle and caked in snow and ice.

Force

Stage 1: The sclera gains a faint silvery sheen which seems to shine (but emits no light)

Stage 2: The body appears to be a single object, with no clothing, hair, tails, or ornamentation lagging behind. Subjects gain a strong resistance to whiplash, and note that while their actual strength remains unchanged, they are substantially more capable of holding themselves still for long periods of time.

Stage 3: Appearance, including clothing, becomes immaculate and immobile. Shirts will not ruffle, long hair will not blow back in the air, and items held become almost completely impervious to minor external forces (the subject is fully capable of affecting their own self), thoughas it provides minimal defensive utility. They also gain the ability to hold themselves in almost any position which they are physically capable of for an indefinite amount of time.

Stage 4: The subject gains full control over their own body as though it were one of their own spells (enabling them to levitate or even fly), and their stasis becomes substantially stronger to the point of protecting from most nonmagical hazards. Most of their body glistens with a faint magical sheen.

Illusion

Stage 1: Eye color begins to flicker erratically, and reflections within the eye never show their actual surroundings in lieu of the subject of the last illusion cast.

Stage 2: The subject’s hair becomes illusionary, changing style and color either randomly or according to the subject’s whims (reports vary), scale patterns undergo a similar situation, and the subject’s face becomes slightly ‘blurred,’ all of their features becoming less distinct.

Stage 3: The subject’s entire body becomes indistinct, blurry, and incoherent, overlapping in a manner reminiscent of a poor illusion, obscuring the subject’s original appearance in a way immune to most anti-illusion magics.

Nature

Stage 1: Eyes become brown or green if they were not already, or become more vibrant if they were. In some cases, pupils shift in shape to more closely resemble the preferred animal of the subject (if they have one).

Stage 2: Hair becomes more green, and the subject’s voice becomes distinctly reminiscent of their favored animal if they have one, or akin to the creaking of a tree if they do not. The individual gains increased empathy and understanding of all plant and animal life.

Stage 3: Scales shift to take on the appearance of leaves, skin becomes the texture of tree bark, horns to take on the appearance of wood. If the subject has a preferred animal, their build and appearance shift dramatically and causes them to begin to resemble a partially-transformed Shifter.

Stage 4: Leaves begin to grow within the subject’s hair, or their scales. The subject’s body changes more fully to match their preferred animal, and many gain the ability to wholly transform into their animal akin to a Shifter. Shifters gain no additional benefit from this.

Storm

Stage 1: The subject’s eyes drift towards a gray-blue color with flecks of yellow or white, and storm clouds are often reflected within them.

Stage 2: The subject’s sclera become shot through with lightning, which casts light wherever it strikes. Eyes take on the appearance of storm clouds, and darken or lighten in accordance with the individual’s mood. Hair becomes slightly misty and may begin to drift into the air slightly. Wings attract clouds and may begin to look a bit like solidified clouds.

Stage 3: Hair and wings take on the appearance of clouds, often complete with faintly crackling lightning. Mist cascades off of the subject, and actions they undertake are often accompanied by faint thunder. Slight lightning may snap from the subject to what they touch.

Death

Stage 1: A cold light the color of the individual’s magic awakens behind the pupil, replacing the normal reflection, but shedding light in accordance with magical power. This manifests even in the absence of physical eyes and may instead occur in the back of the subject’s mouth.

Stage 2: The body becomes emaciated and generally unhealthy. Hair loss is not uncommon, but the subject becomes exceedingly thin and gains the normal symptoms of malnutrition.

Stage 3: The body begins to waste away, flesh rotting as it is overexposed to death energies. Eventually, the entire body will be rendered nonviable. The subject usually survives this process, but loses a substantial number of health benefits as they do so. The light which first manifested in Stage 1 often gives the appearance of the subject’s skull being lit by some internal flame.

Stage 4: The body becomes a fully self-sustained undead. The type of this undead depends on any preparations made by the subject in Stages 2 and 3, but if none were made a skeleton of some form is most probable.

Life

Stage 1: Minor blemishes on the skin vanish and the subject rarely looks tired or exhausted. Eyes begin to gain a slight sheen and appear mostly flawless, but do not change color.

Stage 2: The subject appears to be in excellent biological health, their body rarely suffers from drowsiness after waking up (assuming adequate sleep), and minor physical blemishes are fixed (such as faulty vision, but not full blindness). Negative effects from age are diminished sharply.

Stage 3: The subject gains a physique similar to that of trained athletes with even minor physical stimulation, and the amount of sleep required for full function is reduced by approximately one-third. Low-grade poisons, including most alcohols and drugs, become quite ineffective on the subject.

Stage 4: The subject becomes biologically immortal, and becomes swiftly able to heal from most injuries. Sleep requirements are reduced to one-half normal. Poisons and diseases are strictly curtailed as well, and the body gains the benefits associated with being bathed in a constant low-grade healing spell.

Divination

Stage 1: The pupil of the eye takes on a color appropriate to the user’s method of divination, most commonly a light blue or silver (for farseeing and mirror-gazing respectively).

Stage 2: The entire eye gains a faint sheen the same color as the pupil, and begin to glow slightly from the pupil. Senses begin to shift more to magical effects rather than being tied to any biological organs.

Stage 3: The iris and sclera both take on the full color of the eye’s pupil and glow brightly. The subject gains a constant, weak form of arcanoception if they do not already possess such, and frequently begin to see additional colors in their surroundings. Senses which have been lost are regained at this point. It is at this stage in which the biological organs responsible for senses may begin to wither as they become redundant.

Stage 4: A slight shimmer in the air in front of the subject’s eyes manifests, their arcanoception sharpens, and the amount of colors they can perceive expands again. Furthermore, some report being able to see temperature. Senses become fully magical in nature, and usually shift in accordance with what the subject desires.

Void

Stage 1: The subject’s eyes cease to reflect anything, and they find it substantially harder to be properly satisfied, leading to intense cravings.

Stage 2: The iris becomes void-black and the body begins to waste away, the subject losing significant body mass. They no longer have a scent, and are quieter when moving about.

Stage 3: The subject’s eyes become wholly void-black, color leaches from their skin or scales, and most of their body mass wastes away, leaving them as skeletal figures. However, attention to this fact is similarly removed, making this paradoxically the least-noticeable Stage 3 magimorphic symptom.