Breakdown: Shapeshifting

Basic
Shapeshift is your first learned ability. You will Later learn Multishift. Shapeshift allows you to transform into a creature you've seen. By seen, you must have followed the reference guide to log new creatures into your transformation library. For now, you can only reference creatures that are the same size as or smaller than you, but you will learn how to do more later on. Your IC will have already learned some creatures they've seen a lot in their childhood. Part of IC element training is camping out in the forest to observe many animals at once.

A shapeshift takes 2 emotes. You must include the start of the transformation in the first emote, and you must incluude the completion or failure of the transformation in the second emote. Although a shapeshifter can move while transforming (with practice), transformations can be interrupted by other abilities or by abrupt force. You will learn how to make 1-emote transformations later. Part of IC element training is learning how to protect yourself while transforming.

While shapeshift is active (for the duration of emotes that you are not completely in your true form), 5 corruption will be drained for each of your emotes. Keep track of this corruption -- you will get it back once you revert to your true form! The easiest way to keep track is to wait until you revert back to your true form, then count how many emotes you were using the ability for and multiply it by 5. If you're low on corruption, it may be wise to count each emote as they're posted, but you will be able to judge your corruption use much more accurately once you practice. Later on, you may learn an ability that makes it so Shapeshift does not drain corruption over time.

The customization of your Shapeshifting forms rely on the individual creatures you've referenced. If you haven't referenced black rabbits, you cannot turn into a black rabbit just by using Shapeshift. Since most animals can't speak, neither can you. When using Shapeshift or Multishift, your transformations MUST resemble the creature you studied. If not, you must use additional abilities to modify your form to your desire. This is why it's important to plan ahead for what forms you want to be using the most rather than making up their appearances on the spot.

Once your transformation is complete, you can further alter it with other adjustments. You can do this at the same time as the transformation is happening, or you can wait until they're needed. When using multiple abilities to modify/transform yourself at the same time, you can simply overlap their cast times. Since most cast times are 2 emotes, there isn't much of a difference.

You can further encance the transformation by applying a scent with Musk, a pelt re-color with Mottle, or a new skin texture with Chameleon. ​​​​​​​You must stick to your references when using Musk and Chameleoon, but will only need to observe a color on a creature once to use it with Mottle. Each time you change something using one of these abilities, you will drain the amount of corruption they require. So it's a good idea to decide what form you want to use in a situation and stick to it! Part of IC elementraining is learning the full potential of each animal and knowing how to make effective, quick decisions about shapeshifting into the right animal for the task.

​​​​​​​Worldly
Worldly was added to give characters the opportunity to interact with other factions. However, your IC's first Worldly form will most likely be their own species until they're old enough to travel away. Wordly is much like shapeshift, however it bypasses size restrictions. You can use any species trait from real characters that were observed, the only exception being that you must have OOC permission to look exactly like another character. Smell and language are automatic when using this ability, allowing for a nearly indistinguishable member of the species. Changing your favorite species is as simple as studying your desired species from a moon. For now, you can only choose from the main faction species or from Ashens, Hollows, and Corrupted Wolves. Later on, you may be able to take on a second Worldly form and choose a favorite rare species.

​​​​​​​Part of IC element training is learning how to study highly intelligent creatures well enough to copy them exactly. This will most likely be your own species because it allows you to learn Transmogrify at the same time. Wordly is meant to be a 'main' ability for young shapeshifters, but you can choose to main in another shapeshifting form. It's recommended that you choose one or the other to specialize in.

Self-Healing
Shapeshifting also includes being able to 'feel' your own insides, allowing you to sense when something is wrong. At mid-level IC training, you will learn how to control the insides of your own body to some degree, stimulating scabbing, clotting, etc. Clotluck allows you to create clots and scabs using 12 corruption per injury. The healing cycle takes 4 emotes.. meaning you must include that the character is healing over a period of 4 emotes. If interrupted, the healing will fail. Part of IC training is learning how to stay out of combat during self-healing. Most importantly, if your character already has Rookie Tier Blood Primary, your clotted injuries will not revert back to their original state if interrupted.

Later on, you may learn an improved self-healing ability that allows you to expell foreign objects from the inside, contain internal poisons, and reinforce breaks or injuries with growths of muscle fibers and other tissues.

Advanced
Later on, you will learn a new type of shapeshifting: Multishifting. You can use Multishift as an alternative to shapeshift when transforming in order to make advanced body modifications. Unlick Shapeshifting, which only allows you to take the exact appearance of a referenced creature, Multishift allows you to resize, combine, and add additional parts from your reference library.

You can create a 'new' from with Multishift using the parts from your creature references, but you can also adjust these modifications any time after transformation. You can also use multishift to adjust a shapeshift form while the transformation is taking place or any time afterwards. Each ability uses 24 corruption to activate, which is the sum of the 6 sections of the body, so you can use either when performing a transformation, remember that you can ONLY use Multishift for an entire body transformation if you are using one of the ability's additional modifications at the same time. Therefore, you should only use Shapeshift when you are taking on the form of a reference entirely. You should use Multishift if you are altering its natural size, modifying individual sections of the form, speaking while in animal form, or only transforming a small section of your body.

Multishift is limited by your size. You can only make your transformation as big as your natural form's mass. Mass means that, if the form is, say, a snake, it can my much longer than your natural form so long as it 'appears' to take up the same volume in space. Later on, you may learn the ability to reference creatures that are much larger than you.

One of Multishift's most appealing features is the ability to transform partially. Selfish Genes (which you may learn later) allows you to sustain half of your interrupted transformation due to your Multishift ability. Keep in mind that if attempting to exploit this feature, you must be able to OOCly state what the full transformation would have been if it wasn't interrupted and, if Multishift was being used, the full transformation must include one of Multishift's other features.

Multishift also allows you to add (or subtract) extra parts. Unlicke Mutate, these parts may only be added at points they would naturally grow out of (EX|| hind legs can only grow from the pelvis area, arms can only grow from the shoulder area, etc.) Additional heads will not have separate minds from their original. Mutate, which may be learned later on, allows you to make forms from imagination, non-organic or conceptual forms, add parts to any area on the body, and stretch parts to strange forms.

Its wise that, if using Multishift to create a complex transformation, that you pick specific transformations to use often. This way, you don't need to calculate Corruption every time and can just focus on what adjustments are made to the form.

Twisted Shifter
This ability allows you to make a copy of yourself that can also use any elemental abillity. This is extremely useful outside of the Shapeshifting element; this is much like having an extra user of any element you have that shares your corruption. It has its own cast times and corruption use, but it draws from your corruption. If your Twisted shifter is injured, its injuries will transfer to your original body at half damage when merging. However, if it dies before it merges, you will be unable to gain back the corruption it spent for 2 days (unless using tier 4 Animaniac's feature).

Ascent
This element's ascension is designed to make shapeshifting act more broadly and use less corruption. Wild Beast allows you more shapeshfiting options, while Animaniac focuses on less corruption usage.

Ascending Wild Beast allows you to:

Speak the language of multilingual shapeshift forms, shapeshift quicker, sustain interupted shifts, use a species ability in Wordly Form or pick a rarer species for your Wordly Form, log a new creature reference with only one observation, learn forms larger than you, learn a form that uses Mutate (if you don't have mutate), make multiple adjustments in quick succession, and learn instant forms.

Ascending Animaniac allows you do:

Re-attatch recently severed parts, absorb corruption from corrupted prey, use less corruption in Twisted Shifter moves, learn a better self-heal, add non-lethal toxins to shapeshift animals, remove dedicated corruption from most shapeshifting abilities (allowing for permanent transformations), use instant froms for free, and add a shapeshift form to a pet which gives it consent rights for 3 rounds of combat.