1st Body Art: Fluid Form

Novice Level Body Manipulation Spell

Created & Written by Khali A. Crawford

Fluid Form is a specialized technique within the First Body Arts, offering mages unique non-combat applications, stealth, and evasion capabilities. By consuming a Deep Sea Pearl—a powerful magical component derived from shelled Komainu mollusks—a mage can unlock the ability to transform their body into a liquid substance. This spell requires exceptional mental fortitude and concentration to master, as its maintenance relies less on magical energy and more on mental control. Fluid Form is prized for its flexibility, allowing a mage to completely liquefy their body or only partially transform, depending on the situation.
Unlike more conventional body manipulation spells, Fluid Form is not merely a means of avoiding harm; it allows for advanced magical utility, offering unique advantages in environments such as water or when evasion is required. However, the spell also comes with its risks and demands, particularly for novices who have not yet mastered its mental requirements.

Effect

When Fluid Form is cast, the mage and any objects they are wearing or holding dissolve into a fluid state. The liquid substance that the mage becomes is under their full control, allowing them to move and flow through tight spaces, slip through cracks, or evade attacks that would otherwise target a solid form. Mages can opt to fully liquefy or take on partial transformations, where only certain parts of their body—such as an arm or a leg—are turned to liquid. Alternatively, they can assume a semi-fluid state, where their entire form is gelatinous but not completely liquid.

• Full Transformation: In this state, the mage and their possessions melt into a highly mobile liquid. This fluid can spread across surfaces, move through obstacles, and escape detection.
• Partial Transformation: Mages can transform specific parts of their body into a liquid, allowing for creative and tactical maneuvers, such as slipping a hand through a locked door or transforming legs into liquid for enhanced mobility.

Fluid Form offers more than just evasion. When a mage is in liquid form, magical energy flows more efficiently throughout their body. Normally, spells must bypass internal magical gates (points in the body where energy can be blocked or restricted), but in Fluid Form, these gates are effectively bypassed. This allows for the free movement of magical energy, enabling the mage to cast more powerful spells without straining their body. Similarly, magical attacks directed at the mage are diffused throughout the fluid, spreading the damage across their entire form rather than concentrating it in one area, thus reducing its impact.
One of Fluid Form's greatest strengths is its utility in water or other liquids. Mages in Fluid Form can move rapidly through water, propelled by the latent magical energy present in the environment. This movement is passive and requires minimal magical expenditure, making it an excellent option for underwater exploration, evasion, or infiltration.

Side/Secondary Effects

Unlike many spells that require a direct effort to activate, Fluid Form functions more as a state of "letting go." The real challenge for mages is maintaining their focus to prevent themselves from fully dissolving into liquid without control. It is not so much the magical energy cost but the mental fortitude required to remain cohesive. For experienced mages, this becomes second nature, but novices may find themselves constantly willing their body to hold together to avoid slipping into an uncontrollable puddle.

• Novice mages should avoid large bodies of liquid, such as oceans or rivers, where they risk "losing" themselves. Without sufficient mental concentration, a mage in Fluid Form can accidentally merge with the surrounding liquid, leading to a loss of sentience and identity, potentially resulting in the mage becoming a part of the water itself.
• Similar to other body transformation spells, Fluid Form also causes the mage’s presence to radiate within the astral plane, making them more visible to astral entities and beings who can perceive such energies.

As Above So Below As Within So Without Logo by Khali A. Crawford

Grandmaster SixPathsSage

Khali Crawford

   

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Material Components

Fluid Form can only be learned after a mage consumes a Deep Sea Pearl, a rare and magical object formed within the soft tissue of a living shelled Komainu mollusk. Komainu are magical creatures tied to the Eudotree of their world, drawing their power from its magical roots. Shelled Komainu mollusks, which produce Deep Sea Pearls, are exceptionally large and powerful, acquiring these pearls a dangerous task.
Obtaining a Deep Sea Pearl is seen as a rite of passage among mages, as the mollusks are reluctant to part with their pearls and will fiercely protect them. Some mages choose to buy Deep Sea Pearls through specialized merchants, but many view obtaining one by their hand as a mark of honor. Consuming the pearl grants the mage not only the ability to learn Fluid Form but also enhances their overall magical capacity.

• Pearl Consumption: A Deep Sea Pearl can be consumed raw, swallowed whole, or prepared by boiling with magical fire to soften it. The pearls are rich in magical energy, and some mages create elixirs, such as Komainu Pearl Tonic, by boiling several pearls. This tonic is a potent magical energy restoration drink, providing immediate replenishment of lost energy when consumed.

Related Discipline

The 1st Body Art

Related School

Alchemy