Therianthropy

Therianthropy is the ability to transform into the shape of an animal or other being at will.
Unlike Lycanthropes, this is an ability one is born with rather than the result of a supernatural curse.
Through intense training, Therianthropes, more commonly referred to as ‘Thropes’, can learn to control and use their power to their advantage.

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Religion and Cultural Representations

Historically, it has been a widely held belief, particularly amongst purist followers of the Twelve, that therianthropic magi inherited their metamorphic powers from an ancient source of divine magic. That the Eternal Mother, Ethera, gifted this magic to a worthy few, chosen to serve as her missionaries and tasked with spreading her message across the land, the skies and the oceans.
The rarity of Therianthropic abilities amongst the peoples of Astaeria has only entrenched this belief of exclusivity and virtue.
To the indigenous tribes of Elvara, referred to collectively as the Sepricae, Thropes are divine beings and true children of the continent’s namesake, goddess Elvara.
According to Ancient Legend, the hunter goddess often appears to her followers in several forms. As a consequence, artwork dating back to the Era of Enlightenment depict her as a variety of creatures such as elk, bears and wolves. Several other members of the pantheon, including Silvana, Ogarr and Belanir, are also thought to have possessed Therianthropic abilities.

Magical Science

The Bridgeport Guild of Scholars has many published writings concluding that Thropes can yield such power because of their intuitive ability to manipulate the elements. In theory, this means Therianthropes belong to the Orthodox school of magic. Being able to morph the essence of their inner creation and entwine it with substances from the world around them, is what gives them the ability to transform into tiny creatures, humongous creatures, and anything in between.

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According to Embari legend, the famous sorceress Kalina, who lived around 500 BE, was able to transform into a dragon at will. For many Thropes, this would result in instant death. Even if their body was able to withstand the transformation, it would take an immensely powerful being to transform back, and a strong constitution to withstand the sickness that would occur as a result

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Power and Limitations

Theoretically, with levels of power and training aside, a Thrope can transform into the shape of any animal they are able to hold a detailed image of in their mind’s eye. However, the more departed the animal’s form is from that of the individual’s, the more painful the transformation.
To morph into even a similarly shaped being is sheer agony. The individual’s organs tear, their bones shift and their skull cracks before their body can be reformed and born anew. Therefore, the more departed the creature the more the individual’s body has to change, subjecting the individual to a tortuous transformation and a greater healing time afterwards.
This is why many Thropes choose to adopt the form of similar sized, four limbed, mammalian creatures because of the similarities in physiology.