Skögskic Transformation

"Skögskic Transformation is, to put it bluntly, a blanket term for a manner of transformations that we Skögska can undergo. We have the flight-bound Solöska, which is a blessing, the rodentian Måntöska, which is neutral, and then me: the grotesque, shape-shifting Jordöska, which is a horrible curse."
---Comment from a Vampir with the condition: Decker the Vast

Transmission & Vectors

Skögskic Transformation (or Vampiric Transformation) is a genetic anomaly associated with the coding molecule BNA, a mutated version of RNA that allows a host to transform. In the Vampir, this manifests as minor structural changes-- and for some, its experience may be exacerbated due to the situation.

Culturally, they are known by the following names:

1. The Blessing of Sol: associated with the Solöska, and independently triggered;
2. The Gift of Mån: associated with the Måntöska, and triggered by day/night cycles; and
3. The Curse of Jorm: associated with the Jordöska, and triggered by stress.

Further details will be outlined below, including the type of transformation, the specific parameters for these transformations, and all potential complications associated with each specific transformation.

Symptoms

Blessing of Sol

This route of transformation allows a Vampir to grow wings from their arms, stretching out their fingers and extending the skin membrane. Due to this, their fingers are cartilaginous to facilitate the transformation, instead of being made of bone.

The main drawbacks of this Blessing is the fragility of the Vampir's hands and wing membranes. If injured, the Vampir is forced to remain in their wing-shifted form, which makes maneuvering around sapient society difficult: if they don't, then the skin may regrow abnormally, making it painful or even impossible to take flight once again.

Gift of Mån

This route of transformation allows a Vampir to shift into a smaller, more rodent-like form during the twilight hours. This transformation can be suppressed if the Lune is in any phase that isn't full: on New Lunes, it is relatively easy to, but the more Sol lights Lune, the harder it is to prevent the transformation.

Similar to the Vampir with the Blessing of Sol, a Vampir with the Gift of Mån has a largely cartilagenous skeleton to facilitate the shift into a smaller size. This means that their skeletal structure isn't as sturdy as one made from bone. The broken cartilage of a Vampir takes a relatively longer time to heal, but thankfully they heal best when in their non-shifted form.

Curse of Jorm

This route of transformation allows a Vampir to bulk up considerably, as well as gaining a sharper sense of hearing and visual contrast at the expense of their color vision and mental sharpness. Not only that, their faces stretch, their teeth sharpen, and their claws lengthen, giving them a ferocious appearance. Tritanopia, a rare type of blue-yellow colorblindness, makes the Vampir's vision look almost bloodied, which somewhat facilitates the sort of mental state this transformation puts a Vampir into.

In a sapient world, where sociality is a main driving force of success, many Vampir find this transformation to be mentally debilitating. As their transformation is a response to strong amounts of stress, this can cause the Vampir to damage relationships with other, non-Vampir sapients. Most Vampir with this condition use mood-stabilizers, and those who commute to the sapient cities almost always have a therapist appointed to them.

Affected Groups

All Skögska experience this anomaly, as it is literally baked within their genetic coding. How it manifests, and when it manifests, may change depending on the type of condition, but all cases are known to be present from at least adulthood, and until death. Generally, Vampir are born in their transformed states, and with age "regress" into a more humanoid shape.

With crossbreed Vampir, however, they may lack BNA altogether (with their genetic structure adopting the typical RNA that Humans are used to). In the case that they have BNA, and are a crossbreed, their specific transformation is usually-- but not always-- determined by the birthing parent. It is incredibly rare, but plausible, that a child may be born with two or more, but the likelihood of that child surviving to adulthood are slim to none.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Mutated

Cycle

Chronic, Congenital

Rarity

Common

Affected Species

• Skögska