#which is how there's certain common height patterns between shapeshifters | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

iniquity-fr · 5 years

Text

i said i would elaborate on my thoughts/lore i guess re: dragons n shapeshifted (humanoid) forms and like.. social rules and whatnot around all that.... and then i wrote a ridiculous amount of notes abt the whole thing, oops.

separated into key sections but still very rambly and stream-of-thought overall, bc, when do i not type..... weird. words are eternally difficult for me and thoughts are a struggle to articulate, but i hope any of this.. makes sense? obviously this is largely abt my own clan/dragons/headspace/etc and not like. headcanons about other ppl’s stuff in general or anything like that haha. this is a LOT to read thru so if u actually go thru the whole thing a) wow thank u so much wtf b) perhaps give it a like so i know how u feel. not required but very very appreciated. :^) also deep apology to anyone for whom the read more breaks or something, oh god.

a tl;dr/basic overview

everyone can shift to humanoid/gijinka/person-shaped forms, differing based on their actual look as a dragon

most day-to-day life within the clan is in shifted forms, partly bc of Convenience, partly bc there’s a lot of Social Rules abt being on relatively equal footing w/ one another and keeping things fair and whatnot

using your dragon form to hurt not-dragon form people or even using it to harm smaller dragons is considered a terrible crime, and harming others while they’re mid-transformation is considered the ultimate taboo.

shifting 101:

everybody can shift between dragon/humanoid (gijinka.. however u wanna word this.... yall know what i Mean) form w/ different results--some more dragon-looking and/or generally monstrous, some looking fairly normal/basically like People, But In Rainbow Colors And With Horns. some may keep tails and/or wings or other things like that, but that isn’t especially common

smaller breeds tend to be shorter, bigger breeds tend to be taller, but there are exceptions & outliers!

shifted forms tend to be pretty 'set' for most dragons, all obviously dependent on their looks as an actual dragon. their shifted form reflects their dragon form, and they can't make drastic changes to their form like changing entire facial structure/shape or body type or overall coloring. however, dragons with stronger magic abilities/connections/powers/etc usually tend to have more freedom of their own form and may be able to change certain features at will--not entire faces or body shapes, but things like hair, nails, sometimes even patterns from genes (esp. tert genes)

dragons that are like, deity level or otherwise some sort of not-entirely/not-actually-a-dragon all-powerful creature or w/e usually have MUCH more freedom to change their form completely, if they so choose.

transformation is at will (and cant be done or undone unconsciously... ie a sleeping-in-shifted-form person is Not gonna turn back into dragon form in their sleep) and happens fairly quick for most, usually no long&slow weird animorph-esque thing, though it isn't all in a flash either--usually! once again on the "dragons with More/Better Magic Skillz" concept, a very magic-powerful dragon can usually shift much quicker than others. a "finger snap puff of smoke boom you're done" level of speed is Very Rare, but not unheard of. dragons who are either very young or simply not very talented w/ magic may take longer than others. the largest & smallest breeds also take a bit longer due to having to shrink down/size up every time. all this said, it never takes more than like, 15-20 seconds at Most, and even that range is considered Very Slow. it’s a short window, generally!

things like injury or sickness can make shifting difficult, but typically only like........... basically if you're literally dying you're probably not gonna be able to do it. having a broken leg or the flu shouldn't impact ability much, but bleeding out in the boneyard? ain't gonna make it work, buddy.

idk how clothes work lmfao. they just shift with the dragon i guess? sure. let's go with that. all clothes are magic now. i don't think EVERYTHING through, ok?

ok cool but Why Shift:

shifted forms make for much easier living-together-in-a-big-clan, especially in situations (like my own clan itself) where everyone lives in, y'know, buildings. houses and castles and churches and whatnot. it takes a lot more effort and resources and whatnot to build a house big enough for imperials to comfortably live in in dragon form than it does to just build a regular-sized house that a spiral & a ridgeback both can settle into & live comfortably in in shifted form or smth, yknow. it’s easier to accommodate people than dragons!

communication & relationships can also be easier to deal with if you are all Relatively Close to the same size range. less leaning down or flying up to try and talk to your friend/coworker/partner/rival/whatever. part of this is also influenced by The Rules About Being On An Even Playing Field We Will Get To In A Moment

for many dragons its just easier to do things like art, music, crafting, writing, or working w/ small & delicate things, etc etc when you have proper hands and lot funky dragon claws. much of the more mundane reasons for these forms is just For Convenience's Sake!

that said, obvs. certain things are easier/preferred to stay in dragon form to do--traveling, for one, since, y'know, Dragons Can Fly, Usually. hunting & gathering is usually done in dragon form as well, though not 100% of the time. maybe u want to be a big and powerful dragon to go take down wild animals for food but just like, chill out w ur buds in person-shape to go have a relaxing fishing trip by the lake. it's up 2 u really.

sometimes dragon forms are preferred for fighting in general, esp against beasts, or if you are a lone dragon trying to protect yourself from threats, etc. in the case of smaller breeds especially, they can also be preferred for making a quick escape instead! (sometimes this is seen as Cowardly to do, but yknow, it’s an Option.)

aaaaaaand now we can get to The Rules which is where things become less abt convenience & common sense and more about my own........... we can call it lore? i guess? sure. it's lore. ok.

The Rules:

all the "for convenience" reasons aside, there are many largely unspoken but VERY important social rules regarding shifting and when you "should" or "should not" be in which form. within my clan/characters/headspace/etc etc it's all just sort of a known thing/smth ur raised knowing, there isn't like, an actual rulebook or smth anyone has to figure out.

much of these rules are about being on an equal playing field, both socially & in battle. the social rules are much more important & strict within clan living areas, ie. the walls of cities and whatnot. things can get more loose & informal if ur like, out travelling thru the wasteland or wilds or whatever.

it's considered VERY rude to enter/generally be inside buildings in dragon form, usually, unless you're just like... popping in real quick to deliver smth or say hi or whatever.. and you can fit inside said building... and know the ppl there and whatnot... etc...... if you dragon out while already inside somewhere that's usually seen as like, a threat of some sort. due to how much construction & architecture & living spaces are shaped and whatnot, it's deemed unnecessary to bother with dragon forms inside the clan's walls in general, but especially within buildings, bc jesus christ dude ur gonna hit the ceiling or break stuff with your wings or something. be polite.

social interaction in general, esp. when Formal or in work/work-like settings, is seen as something usually meant more for shifted forms... some dragons who are very close, ie family & mates, can be fine in dragon form around each other, bc of the mix of informality & Trust. typically, if you want to have a conversation with someone and Not be seen as impolite or even hostile, shifted form is key. this falls back very much to the fact that dragons come in such VASTLY different sizes, from imps down to faes, and it's seen as unfair and often threatening to present oneself as a giant monster to whom others have to talk to, or as a tiny little creature either down on the floor or flitting around the room. shifted forms have about as much height/size variance as we do as humans, which can be A Lot, and some individuals can be even smaller or bigger than regular people bc Hey Its Fantasy, but generally speaking no People-Shaped height difference is going to be as crazy as dragons' can be.

basically, if you walk into the throne room or the church or anywhere Important & Protected and you're not in shifted form, you WILL be seen as either physically threatening the leadership or as an extremely arrogant & disrespectful fool. walking into shops/businesses in general as a dragon makes you look like you're trying to like, rob the place or smth. even just moving about the streets of the town as a dragon is weird, rude, and will make people uneasy. not to mention it’s potentially destructive!

everything comes back to the idea of being relatively similar in size/shape, in being close enough to equal in ability, strength, weakness, etc, barring the obvious difference that yes some people are stronger/more trained than others, some better at magic, etc etc. it's all about fairness!

this is all MOST IMPORTANT when it comes to FIGHTING........ bc obviously a very large dragon can just squish the bones of a very tiny dragon like nothing...... things like formal duels etc everyone knows OF COURSE this meant for shifted form, it's just an inherently known thing. if u fight with honor u fight shifted.

this even extends to the point that outside city walls, if someone's going to pick a fight with you, you Should still be duking it out in shifted form. it's such an important & revered rule that it's even usual for bandits and such out on the roads to attack travelers while in their own shifted forms. only the worst of all criminals cross the line--from the average petty thief & pickpocket up to professional hitmen and honorable assassins, it's rare to see even career rulebreakers break these rules. it’s That Serious

using your dragon form to attack someone who's shifted is seen as like, a completely horrifying and heinous thing to do, a sign of true cruelty and mercilessness. using your dragon form to escape from people is often seen as a cowardly and weak thing to do, unless ofc ur just like, small and afraid and get fuckin jumped by some big tuff dudes, yknow. being in a real & honorable battle means fighting in your shifted form.

the Ultimate Taboo however is hurting--especially killing--someone while they're mid-transformation, due to the fact that the process--while, as stated previously, is Very Short--leaves someone completely vulnerable and unable to defend themselves. transformation takes focus and action, and you can't really attack or dodge or anything while changing from form to form. the strength and speed and complete lack of hesitation required to end someone's life in the small window of time that it takes to shift is a terrifying thing to behold. killing someone midshift while in your own shifted form is especially weird & scary and means everyone is going to be afraid of you forever, basically, because. dude. holy fuck. how & WHY did you do that.

obviously the Normal reaction that Nice & Good dragons feel knowing someone who has crossed that particular line is, yknow, fear and resentment and seeing them as someone who is heartless and completely evil and terrible. to be avoided at all costs, if not outright arrested and executed for such a thing, in other places where ppl are like. ultimately good & caring abt one another and whatnot. but that ain't my clan babey!

aaaaaand finally a wrap-up w a lil bit abt my clan full of shitty devil babies and how these rules impact their lives hehehe

though the clan is VERY strict abt the larger social rules regarding shifted forms vs. dragon forms, thats more for formality's sake & a part of the clan's entire thing of being like........... full of/ruled by morally bankrupt weirdos and villains and chaotic neutrals mostly And Yet all putting on the show & appearance of being honorable high-status nobles & academics and whatnot. among the court in particular it's all Very Important bc everyone has to behave like stuffy uptight formal folk very often. also their section of the clan home is like, a very compact city w/ narrow streets and stuff, so obviously no one Can just. walk around as a big giant dragon.

a few examples of dragons Breaking The Rules in more 'minor' ways include: -outlaw, who has absolutely 0 issue using the small size of his spiral form to break into houses & businesses and steal shit, or using it to slip away from authority figures and zip off and fly outta there. or to just be able to hide from authorities more easily. -fissure, one of the kings, a guardian, will occasionally use his dragon form as a threat display if anyone shows too much hostility towards his clan. threaten him and his people and he WILL threaten you back big time. -silhouette, royal guard captain, also a guardian, will do the same thing, though she reserves that for people found along the outskirts of the city walls. -sepulcher takes things the other way around--he enjoys the challenge of fighting&killing things 100x his size and if a dragon tries to harm him when he's in his shifted form he gets VERY excited!!!!!

the 2 worst culprits confirmed so far are the high priest, leader of the clan, scary rotten plague cult wyrmwound-worshipping bastard himself, fhtagn......... and the friendly, chatty, fashionable tailor, needle.

the skull mask fhtagn wears is fashioned from the skull of a half-transformed dragon. to have not only crossed the line of killing a dragon mid-shift but to wear a part of them as one's most striking attire that they're never seen without is a truly terrifying sight to behold for most... those of kinder hearts than this clan would see him for the disgusting & dishonorable bastard he is because of that alone, but the clan members--especially the church, of course--revere him for this. fear & horror go hand in hand with love & adoration among the congregation, so of course they love their mercilessly masked priest.

needle does not allow too many people to get a good look at his "trophy room" but it is... certainly something to behold. stitched & stuffed bodies of people killed mid-shift make up his favorite taxidermy collection, and he likes to think of this as.. some form of art. though very private about it, he's still fiercely proud of his collection. go out and bring him such a body yourself for him to work on and he'll love you forever!

anyway that’s it for now. this post is fucking long. i never write this much what fucking possessed me.

if u made it this far i wuv u. thank u :’)

#cool lore tag #i uhhhh dont rly................... want to put this in main tags i dont think haha its a Lot of Words #i never type words in ways that rly make sense to begin w but any excess of typos/grammar errors etc u can blame on #the fever ive had all morning hehehehe #also i typed all this out and then didnt really do any like. editing/correction LOL OOPS #ANYWAY HERE'S ALL THIS. I REALLY REALLY REALLY HOPE IT MAKES SENSE HAHAHAHA #long post

36 notes · View notes

cyanityinsanity101 · 2 years

Text

ok i finally got some actual description i thought of for cy's shapeshifter side of their species and even came up with a name for their species of shapeshifter finally- so get ready for some infodumping about cy's shapeshifter half!

ok, so cy's shapeshifter side's species name is the oborotens, the species often look humanoid as a default, but with differences to differenciate their species from humans [ such as longer limbs, different facial features like extra eyes or off color pupils, or even extra details like wings or tails ] even their own hearts/souls will look different from a normal human heart/soul [ like having patterns or looking more odd such as having fake eyes, spikes, and anything else you can think of ]

usually they don't require a partner to have a child, they just have to take their heart, chip a little piece of it off, and wait a certain amount of time until the chipped piece becomes it's own little heart that eventually results in an oboroten kid. although if it's touched by a human while still in the chipped piece phase, it can result in a human oboroten hybrid. [ which of course is what happened in cy's case ] human oboroten hybrids don't have anything that hinders them that much, the only thing that usually makes them different from a non-hybrid oboroten is that they can't control their shapeshifting, it's often tied to emotions if they're half human. the type of shifting can vary between hybrids [ ex. one could change colors depending on their emotions and another could change heights depending on their emotions ]

oboroten have similar anatomy to a human, however when they shift their bones will become more like a stretchy rubber in order to prevent breaking while shifting, in some cases even more like a clay if they have to stretch while shifting. even then, if they do break, oborotens rarely feel large amounts of pain, so if a limb falls off it's often the same as bumping into something for them and can simply pop it back on [ the same goes for half-oborotens too ] the only time oborotens feel a large amount of pain is if they're in a state of panic, which causes their heart to go haywire and not process pain properly, resulting in more pain than would be experienced in a non-stressed state. the only thing that can't actually be harmed is their heart, as it's often incredibly indestructable. the only time that it allows the oboroten to actually die is either if something is injected into the heart or by natural causes such as age. although one thing that is common with both half-oborotens and oborotens, they will shift between forms when under immense stress. [ ex. an oboroten under extreme mental stress could switch from looking like their default form to a completely different form and a half-oboroten could shift one of their body parts to be something else under stress ]

oborotens' default physical appearance often depends on what they're exposed to as a kid. [ ex. an oboroten that is raised around a town with a lot of cats could have cat-like features in their default appearance like ears or just the eyes, or an oboroten that's raised with a lot of horror's default appearance could look more scary like long limbs or sharp teeth ] and usually the age it's considered a default appearance is when they're around a teen. half-oborotens also can have default forms but they're often just because of the human dna they have, regardless of how a half-shapeshifter is raised their default appearance is considered to be random.

0 notes

hingan-higanbana · 5 years

Text

Looking for contacts - 🦊Mitsuko Aikawa🦊

▰▱ The Basics

Age: Appears to be in her early twenties, is rumored to be much older.

Birthday: Unknown

Race: Kitsune, Zenko

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Pansexual

Marital Status: Single?

▰▱ Physical Appearance

Hair: Being of a shapeshifter race, her hairstyle and colour changes at will. Her common hairstyle reaches down past her butt and stops at her ankles, normally kept flowing freely. Her hair is immaculate and free from damage despite her rarely wearing it in braids, a marker of the inhuman beauty she is. Usually cut into a traditional hime-style, decorated with all manner of jewelry and usually seen as snow white transitioning into blood red tips. Eyes/face: Large almond-shaped eyes with long healthy lashes house piercing blue irises surrounded by bright blue limbal rings. The pupils are slitted. They seem to hold an ethereal glow to them, especially in low light. Her face is delicate and fair, like flower blossoms.

Height: 4'6"

Build: Petite, very doll-like but lightly curvy in the right places and partly underweight from often forgotten meals. Her skin is incredibly pale, reflecting a long life spent mainly indoors and a clear marker of her noble blood.

Distinguishing Marks: In glamoured form, she retains her digitigrade fox paw feet which she hides beneath long kimono, yukata and skirts. She also wears red lip paint and red eye makeup in the style of Amaterasu Ookami.

Common Accessories:

Throwing daggers tucked into various places upon her person.

Two intricately decorated fans that contain hidden blades for use as a weapon when not used to fan herself. She keeps them poking up out of her obi when not in use.

Silk purse of Hingan design with enough gil to afford various expensive wares.

A long staff is carried wherever she goes, decorated with bells and Shirakawa style shide. Several white tails hang from it as well, their tips blood red and almost seeming to writhe at times. A curious item indeed!

A traditional Kitsune mask, often worn to cover her face but sometimes it will be tilted to the side of her head.

A small white ball, that hangs from a fine silver chain around her neck, decorated with intricate gold patterns that she is suspiciously protective of.

There is also another item in her possession that she is highly protective of, a small black flask of curious design that is normally tucked into the folds of her kimono right over her heart.

She also carries a small kiseru with which she smokes an unusual substance that smells oddly sweet, she refuses to say what it is.

▰▱ Personal

Profession: Shrine maiden/Songstress as a front, deadly ninja assassin in secret.

Hobbies: Reading, Training, Singing, Dancing, Magick, Flower arrangement.

Languages: Hingan/Doman, Common Eorzean, Basic Xaelic/Old Auri.

Residence: She owns a sizeable estate that was built and designed with Hingan aesthetics in mind, there is a small workshop in the basement where she designs and builds automatons for sale and her own personal use. There is also small shrine house in her care, located in a small forest in Hingashi that is said to be cursed and haunted with many types of yokai.

Birthplace: Unknown forest.

Religion: Strong believer in the Kami and Far Eastern superstitions.

Patron Deity: O-Kami-sama

Fears:

Most Omniyoji/Onmyōdō, unless they prove to not be actively hunting her to capture her for their own uses.

Being abandoned by those she cares for.

Most Garleans.

▰▱ Relationships

Children: None

Parents: Her father is dead but her mother lives on somewhere.

Siblings: Unknown, but she has heard rumors that they are out there.

Other Relatives: Nil

Pets:

A fox kit named Hanako

A blue dragonet automaton

An Allagan Accompaniment node.

▰▱ Traits

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

▰▱ Additional information

Smoking Habit: Nil

Drugs: Never unless prescribed

Alcohol: Rarely outside of rituals

▰▱ RP Hooks

❀🦊 Blooming; Once a month, the fair flower maiden will 'bloom' not unlike that of a flower, during this time her cherry blossom scent and the pheromones lacing it will become strengthened tenfold, her lust increasing just as much. During this time, when she is bedded, cherry blossoms and spider lillies appear upon the surface of her soft porcelain skin as if she is being painted.

❀🦊 The natural scent that she emits is similar to Spider Lilies/Higanbana, and curiously imprints a certain strong attachment in those that are attracted to women. Those affected by her scent are said to at times become violent in their need to keep her attention to themselves, even if it means killing a person. She used it to assist her in her 'hunts' when performing her assassin work, as it makes it easier to get closer to her quarry.

❀🦊 Magick; Being what she is, the Lady Kitsune could be approached for all means of extremely powerful spells and even curses. Both good and bad, she will be happy to offer you and your loved ones protection! She even utilizes her spellwork in her dance and performance to help her express the stories they tell. She can even offer healing work for those that are sick and injured.

❀🦊 Kitsunebi; The kitsune seems to always have at least one or two flame-like balls floating about her person, crackling softly in all their tiny reddish-blue glory. They seem to have a life of their own, drifting away from her at times to circle about people in her presence. Rarely, they are seen to shift into the form of a twin tailed fox to further toy with those that interact with the mysterious little white vixen. Another thing to note about her kitsunebi, is that she can form them into extra ‘tails’ that are reddish and crystalline in texture, increasing her tail number even up to eight or nine. She can then utilize these tails to give herself a temporary boost in magical abilities and strength.

❀🦊 Wandering yokai; At first glance, it is very obvious that she isn't just a plain Raen woman. Her eyes glow faintly and reflect the light like some kind of demon, the pupils slitted. There would also be the occasional sight of two longer than normal eyeteeth/canines, one could mistake her as being half miqo'te. But that isn't the truth, there is an unnatural and ethereal beauty to her appearance and in the graceful way she holds herself, two tails as long as she is tall doing nothing but accentuating it. A curious creature indeed.

❀🦊 An old friend ; On her travels, Mitsuko has come to befriend many a soul and one would find that her path would cross theirs time and time again.

❀🦊A distant relative ; Perhaps you are a son or daughter of the elusive yet beautiful fox known by some as 'Tsukiko', an illustrious woman of long black immaculate hair and piercing red eyes. I am always on the lookout for more potential family members for Mitsuko to discover after the recovery efforts of Doma.

❀🦊 Nature ; The Shirogitsune feels her strongest when out in the wilderness where she can let down her illusion magic to be herself, she is likely to be found in all manner for forests and the like, basking in the power nature grants her.

❀🦊 Quiet bookworm_ ; Mitsuko is, for a lack of a better term, a book hoarder. Everywhere she goes, she will likely have a rare book or two to read. She will also jump at the opportunity to get her little paws on something new, especially if it's about technology or spellwork.

Science! (Machinery, experiments, etc.)

▰▱ Contact Information

Country: Australia

Timezone: GMT+11

Playtimes: Almost everyday, from 10:30am-midnight Sydney time granted I'm not busy or pulled away from the game by my illnesses.

Contact info: I mainly roleplay using discord or google documents, but I sometimes do it ingame too. It all depends on how I'm feeling at the time. Discord: DM me for it. RPC Wiki

#ffxiv rp #crystal data center #ffxiv crystal rp #kitsune

0 notes