Daji

The profession is called after the first Elven wizard to have become known for it and to bring this magical craft to the attention of other magi at large. The profession is also known as Magum Factorem, spawner, and monster maker. The pursuit of this style of magic is to use spells, potions, and other arcane means to create new creatures or creatures more capable of violence. Normally these creatures are trained before the magical work begins and then training is continued as the magical changes are applied. Or the creature is raised being trained from birth making them easier to handle.
Sorcerers tend to take creatures that are already inclined in one way or another and then change them with plane touch exposure. Dogs that are exposed to the plane of earth may have stone or metallic fur, others may have an inclination to heat and be turned into creatures that seem to be made of fire. Wizards usually 'enchant' magics into the animals being or use spell after spell to slowly change the animals innards to that of a new creature. Witches permanently visit the nature of other creatures on the subject over and over until it's own nature permanently changes. Alchemists may just tattoo spells into the creature or just change it outright with potions and powders. Bards for whatever reason don't seem to be inclined to this path of magic and necromancers of course just make undead.
In the Kingdom of Halmar, practicing Daji arts no matter the type of magic you are wielding is illegal. The wizard Kent Floros was a Daji, making a good reputation for the creation of guardian beasts for the protection of homes and vaults. He would also take in creatures that were plane touched accidentally and either give them a home or train them and then sell them to new owners once they were safe. Floros lived a long time for a halfling, consistent use of magic extended his life as it does with all magic users but died at the grand and respectable age of seven hundred. The issue was that when he died all of the various locking spells and magical barriers that kept his various monsters in their pens, special rooms, or magical containers... Broke down and vanished. Some creatures where kept behind more powerful wards and barriers and so they were the last to leave and the most dangerous were also the hungriest when they finally escaped his home. The tide of magically enhanced creatures and specially bred monsters most of which weren't properly trained or safe for handling went on a rampage.
As one could easily understand you need only lose a single village to the monsters that came from Floros' home before illegalizing the practice that caused so much damage. The art of the Daji was never well looked upon and isn't in most places but the ability to require a guardian that has supernatural powers and is unlike anything an intruder could have come across before is a strong draw.

Career

Qualifications

The ability to train a wide variety of animals as well as magically alter them.

Career Progression

This path doesn't always start out with an apprenticeship. It sometimes starts with a book like so many things magi do and a small easy to control creature like a mouse or frog. As the Daji gains more experience in handling animals and working the magics that change them into something new they move on to bigger and more capable creatures.

Payment & Reimbursement

A well crafted, capable, and trained monster/creature can be worth thousands. Merchants always have to wonder about the guards who watch over their moneys. Not so with a trained animal. Now if that animal comes with a one time high cost... but then only needs to be fed ever after. Well the math is simple. Daji who are good at their craft can make a years worth of funds on a single creature. Lesser Daji who are still learning the trade can still make a small fortune while producing cats that can catch more mice and dogs that wont be stopped by the size of the predator that is coming for the herd they are watching over.