Speaking of creative transformation, weremages are also able to apply this to any creature in their canon. This allows them to alter the coloring, shape, and sometimes even the substance of any acquired creature. There are many useful applications of such a technique. For example, weremages who specialize in combat will often increase the size, stature, and resilience of their favored battlefield forms. For example, Instructor Jia from the Academy favored the shape of a bear, but she increased its size until it stood twice as tall as an adult human, and she could turn its claws as hard as steel, so that they could turn enemy blades in battle. But by far the most common use of creative transformation is the assumption of a false identity. This is a talent shared almost universally by weremages across Underrealm, though some specialize in it almost exclusively—such as many spies among the Mystics, or the weremage Auntie in the city of Cabrus.
As has been said, a weremage must study and acquire another person to add humans to their canon. But once the first human has been acquired, creative transformation may be applied to the form in order to assume virtually any shape. It is best if a weremage can study a target and learn their habits and mannerisms, and thus form a more complete mental picture of the person. But if the weremage is very skilled, even an hour’s study can be enough for a transformation that would fool all but close friends or family.
In Lan Shui, for example, Kaita was able to acquire the form of the boy Pantu after only a few brief meetings. And of course, much has been written elsewhere of the weremage Auntie, who acquired the shapes of not only Loren of the family Nelda, but also many Mystics who accompanied her, and who then used these forms to terrible effect.
When creative transformation is applied to acquired forms, it is sometimes referred to as “modified” transformation. This is a discrete subject of study, with most scholars being particularly interested in the limitations of modification. A common example for beginning students in this field is the problem of the blue jay and the cardinal.
Imagine that a weremage has acquired a blue jay. Then the weremage sets about modifying the transformation. First, they turn all their feathers red. That is a simple modification, and a casual observer might then mistake the modified blue jay for a cardinal. But anyone very familiar with birds would recognize the incorrect shape and size of the beak, the claws, and the overall build. The weremage might then try to modify the transformation further, compensating for these defects, but this would require an almost impossible level of concentration and focus.
This extreme height of power can become dangerous in some cases. Like all magic, a weremage’s transformation requires concentration to maintain. The more the transformation is modified, the more concentration is required. If the weremage were distracted even slightly while flying in the modified form, they might suddenly revert back to their natural human form, and find themselves plummeting towards the ground from a dozen paces or more in the air.
The study of this property of weremagic has given the academia of Underrealm a great preoccupation with taxonomy, which as a result is a far more codified field than many other scientific pursuits. The concept of species differentiation, for example, is quite exactingly understood and constantly studied. It is well known that an animal may be easily modified within its own species, but it requires great effort to modify it to mimic another species entirely. This lends us further understanding of weremages’ ability to assume other human forms so quickly, since all humans are, of course, the same species.
This particular detail is a greater problem to the wealthy and powerful of Underrealm than it is to the commonfolk. Impersonation of some wealthy merchant could be used to disastrous effect, at least as far as the merchant’s coffers are concerned. A mimicked king, or even a lesser noble, could start a war. Though of course, only a particularly foolish (or desperate) weremage would impersonate a king. If such a scheme were ever discovered, they would suffer a long, slow death at Mystic hands—the same penalty leveled at any wizard attempting to sit a throne.
This is one reason that lords, monarchs, and other powerful figures of the nine kingdoms—particularly the High King herself—do their best to stay removed from all but their closest family and advisors. If a weremage cannot spend enough time with them to study their appearance, it becomes quite difficult to mimic them effectively.
As an extra precaution, most among the nobility, particularly kings, scarify or tattoo themselves with a distinguishing mark in a hidden place. Only a very small circle of trusted allies, always kept close by, are allowed to know of the mark’s location and shape. A weremage would not, of course, know to create the mark. Therefore, even if they were otherwise able to assume the noble’s form, the noble’s inner circle would quickly be able to uncover the ploy.
The last subject of high import that should be discussed here is a weremage’s transition from one form to another, without first reverting to their natural human form. This is a very powerful and difficult technique, and not every weremage is able to learn it.
When acquiring a creature, the weremage must envision a bridge between their body and the desired form. The same thing must be done to turn from one form to another: they must envision, and then craft in their mind, a bridge from the first form to the second. This requires immense
