SCALBRANER MANC:

Ozzkrin

This is a Manc that transforms a person into an animal. The Mancer using this Manc must know the animal they intend to become, know how it behaves, its typical lifestyle and habitat. The animal form can be any animal except birds as this is a different Manc. Even insects and fish may be animals chosen to transform into.

Once transformed, the Mancer retains their intellect, knowledge and abilities, but may not be able to utilise them if the animal form is inappropriate. For example, a form of fard, could still read or write, if the transformed person could read or write. They could not do so if they became a worm for example, as they would have neither eyes to see the writing, nor hands to write with. When in the animal form, they also have many of the abilities that animal has. Running ability, climbing, swimming, leaping and so on. They also gain any special abilities the animal has, such as venoms, web-making, shooting quills and so on. They may remain in the animal form for a long time, dependent upon their level and the type of animal transformed into. For example, if they transformed into a mayfly, they could fly to where they wished and see what the mayfly sees, but as mayflies tend to live but a few hours, at the time of its natural death the transformation would end, with the transformed person back to their normal form. The transformed person can also return to their natural form by returning to the place of the ritual or completing some course of action set out in the transformation Manc. This could be a destination reached, some specific person found or at a specified time of day. Powerful Mancers, such as those over level 4 can transform back to normal at will.

The size of the animal determines the pain caused by the transformation, the time it takes to complete and the ultimate form of the animal transformed into. A very small insect, would be incredibly painful and would take possibly up to a Turn to fully transform into. The insect would also be a rather large specimen, but not unnaturally so, and if colour is important, it would be an average specimen. If it was a very large creature, such as a great horn beast, then the transformation may be as long as a Turn, extremely painful as the size is immense, and the skin would be typical colour for that animal, as would its horn size, the transformed animal, would be a slightly small average size however. Transforming into something relatively the same size, such as a Serevmen transforming into large wolf, would take an average time of a few moments, suffer some pain, and would probably be of completely average size. The only give away for a transformed person into an animal is their behaviour, their intellect, and for those sensitive enough to notice, their spirit.

When in the animal form, should any damage or death occur as a result of outside influences or accidents, the transformed person also has the same level of wound, and a similar wound if appropriate. A Serevmen transformed into a fish, losing a fin may lose an arm, hand, foot or whichever is most appropriate, while someone transformed into a madwinn losing one of its six legs, may not lose a leg, but sustain a great wound on another part of their anatomy. The only constant is the level of the wound.

Once transformed into an animal, other individuals of that animal will realise something is different about the transformed individual, but only if it is normal for that creature to do so. Even so, other animals that do not have the sentience or intellect to detect a difference, such as insects, generally do not treat the individual any different, except they will tend to be totally neutral to it, neither repulsed or attracted. Low-intellect animals may spend a little time trying to identify the transform individual, but will feel it is neither a threat nor a friend, but something in-between. This allows the transformed individual to mix freely with all animals up to sentient animals. The transformer will find that the sentient animals, such as allent, can not be transformed into, even though they resemble normal animals in many respects. animals that are not of the same kind as that transformed into, will treat and believe the animal to be just as any normal animal of that kind. This means that when the transformed person roams the wilds they must be weary of the predators that hunt those animals whose form they have taken.

The Ritual consists of the Darsha sitting in a position in mantra and meditation. A symbol, some dropped part of the animal, or even a dead specimen, may be used as a focus for the transformer, unless they are twice the power level of that needed to perform the ritual at its lowest level, where they may simply focus and meditate with no need for any further components. The performer of the ritual may then take some part of the animal and flick themselves with it over their body, or they may eat a piece of the animal and take the masticated remains and paint a symbolic face painting of the animal over their own face. Once the feeling of focus is gained, and they are truly in-tune with their animal they must throw off any clothes or jewelry, unless made from the animal in its entirety. This may mean fur, from the animal, fish scales sown with fish skin cord, or hundreds of insects tied together with their own legs or antennae. They then eat some of the food the animal may eat, or drink some liquid the animal may drink, and sing a prepared chant concerning the animal focused upon. They then begin to feel strangely numb before transforming into the animal chosen. If the ritual is performed upon a different person than the performer, then only the performer, or another performer who is of greater power than the first, may transform the person back to their normal form. It has been used as a punishment by some.

The unguent must be made from plants, earth or foodstuffs the animal consumes or lives near. Riverbed silt, small fish fry or worms, may be suitable for a fish, while berries, grass or fruit may be suitable for a boar. The unguent must also be made from blood from the transformer, mixed with a bone from the animal or if the animal has no bone suitable, then any bone, with a piece of the animal, such as fur, fins, or teeth fixed to it somehow. The mixture must be made with fat, from what creature it matters not, as long as the fat is not harmful to the transformer's skin, as the unguent must be completely smeared over the person to be transformed. This mixing of the ingredients must be performed at the time of day that the animal is most alert and must be performed for two days consecutively at the same time both days. The unguent may then be stored until needed and its fat content will easily keep it almost indefinitely. Once a simple mantra has been said as the unguent smeared over the naked body, the person to be transformed must then lay down on the floor, or if to be made into a water creature then in shallow waters, and the transformation begins. It takes little more than a few moments for the transformation to take place. To return to normal from the unguent, the person must either return to the unguent and rub it into themselves, or else they must remove the unguent from their animal form and will themselves back to normal. This requires great intellect and endurance to perform, but is very painful, as the person's very body is transformed as quickly as they can focus on the return to normal. Should their focus be distracted, or they fall foul of some attack, they may be horribly disfigured and mutated in mid-transformation. The easiest way to return to normal is to wait for the unguent to wear off, as it dries and its power wanes. This can take a long time, with water creatures, and those that have little contact with dry or windy conditions. On average it takes between 2-5 days for the unguent to wear off enough to return the wearer to normal. Worn off unguent causes far less pain as the returning transformation begins. 

The potion is a far lengthier process of creation than any of the other means, but is possibly the most straight-forward and most methodical of the other means. First the ingredients must be gathered. These ingredients often consist of herbs, animal products, ground crystals or rocks, and odd other items. As a rule of thumb, the larger the animal in relation to the transformer, the more of each ingredient needed. Having less than the correct amount of ingredients incurs a penalty of -2 to the success chance. The ingredients gathered are individual to each creature and are instinctive rather than defined to that animal. Once gathered the ingredients must be placed in a particular order into the vessel that is to brew them. The order is dependent upon the season, the animal to be transformed into and the quality of each ingredient. Exact quantities are not important as long as ratios are roughly observed. Failing to observe this order of adding the ingredients reduces the success chance by -1. The vessel to brew the potion is then filled with as crystal-clean water as is possible. This may mean filtering through skins or using other Manc to clean the water. Even blessing the water aids in this spell, if the blessing comes from the creator's deity. Above average clean or pure water gives a bonus of +5 to the maximum chance of success and a bonus of +2 to the success chance. Using poorer quality water reduces the maximum chance by -5 and the success chance by -5.

Once all is prepared the fire to brew the potion must be lit with traditional methods, not Manc, nor oil, nor another flame. It must be made using simple methods, using natural tools and perhaps the calling of a fire spirit. Once lit, a small piece of the animal, or the animal type, wishing to become must be burned or placed into the fire. A similar piece must be placed into the brew also. Failing to not add this piece of the animal invokes a penalty of -5 to the success chance. The fire must be kept burning for the duration of the brew, or else the brew fails. The fire must not rage, but it must be enough to keep the brewing vessel hot and the brew simmering. A lid may be placed over the vessel if wished. Once the brew has been reduced by one half, a thin slice of skin from the transformer or the creator must be placed into the brew along with 1-4 Tarse crushed leaves, the leaves should be crushed into a fine powder. Tarse leaves give a bonus to the success chance of +3 per leaf used up to a maximum of +12, any more than this and the success chance is reduced -4 for each extra leaf added. Copper or gold dust will also suffice if Tarse leaves are not available but only give a bonus of +1 to the success chance per ounce of ground metal. Do not use both metals and Tarse leaves or they will cancel each other out and ruin the brew.

The brew must then continue to reduce until enough is made for the potion, which should be no more than three pints, and no less than half a pint. To this may be added some mint, or rosemary, or any plant the animal is known to consume, conferring a bonus of +3 to the success chance. Also a small handful of the element connected with the animal, adding a bonus of +5 to the success chance and a bonus of +2 to the maximum chance. This ingredient is respective of the animal as it is held in regard by the creator or the transformer. For example the Scalbraner regard both the pike and the water floater to be of the water element, but the frog to be of the earth, while many other Serevmen consider the frog to be of the water also. What is important is the belief of the transformer or the creator.

Once the brew has continued for a further while, but not long enough to reduce it further, it must be removed from the heat and poured into a clean, different vessel. This vessel should be marked with symbols or pictures of the animal to be transformed into. Once bottled, the container should be closed with natural materials, such as leaves and gut, or wood and animal grease, or even mud. Using material that are a product from the animal gives a +1 bonus to the success chance. The potion in the container should then be allowed to cool naturally and then is ready to drink and transform the drinker into the animal specified throughout the process. Unlike the other forms of ozzkrin, this form only allows a definite period of transformation and once the duration has ended the transformation back is rapid. This is also the second least painful way to transform.

The duration for this ozzkrin is dependent upon the transformer's age and physical well being. Also the ultimate success chance influences the duration of transformation. The transformed person remains in the animal form until the duration ends. The duration in Passages equal to the result of the following:-

• 25 + Transformer's age if over 80 Deodecates

• 25 - Transformer's age if under 20 Dodecates

• + STR÷10

• + INT÷10

• + success chance ÷10

• - Transformer's Manc saving throw

During creation of the potion, this duration can be reduced by adding an opposing element to the animal to the brew at the stage of removing from the heat. For each small handful or ounce of opposite element added the duration is reduced by 20%. note that adding too much of this can reduce the duration by over 100% and thus causing the transformer to suffer the change in excruciating pain but reverting back midway through the transformation. This cause the transformer excessive pain and causes 1D8 random location damage (roll on the damage location table and roll for each location plus the damage taken. It is possible for transformers to die this way.

The skin painting is an image of the animal, painted in materials that are found naturally, and can be illustrations or full-colour works of art. Usually the animal skin painting is painted on a part of the body that is somehow linked with the animal. Usually animals that have hands, bears or fards for instance, are painted on the arms or hands. Those animals known for their running or leaping, such as ston or deer, are painted upon the legs, whilst other animals such as fish or snakes will be painted on the torso. This placement is not essential but seems to reduce the pain caused by the transformation into the animal. Sometimes, however, the placing has more to do with ease of use than with pain reduction.

The painting is almost always done by another, simply because it is easier. The ingredients for the paints must be gathered at certain times of the day or season and once prepared can be used at any time, as long as they have not ruined through contamination or through decomposition. Usually ground stones, animal products or plant materials are used for pigments, but blood from the wearer, sacrifice, soil, metals and other substances may be used from time to time. Painting is done using a brush, pointed stylus, or any other device, even fingers, as long as the finished product is clear and obvious to both painter and wearer. The skin location of the painting must be kept clean before the painting begins. Scrubbing with stones or rough grasses is often used to ensure a clean and new surface on which to paint. Painting on dirty skin is possible but reduces the success chance by 1-10% dependent on the amount of dirt.

The success chance is equal to the Artistry: Painting success result as a %. (I.e. An Artistry: Painting rating of 45 that rolls 30, has a 45-30 = 15% success chance, while the same roll for an Artistry: Painting rating of 75 would give a 75-30 = 45% success chance.) Both paint and cleansing materials are chanted over before use, the animals name is used in the chant to bind the painting with the animal.

The painting, or ozzkrin, may be a short or long process, but it must be of a certain size in relation to the duration the change will take. Small ozzkrin last a limited time, while whole limb ozzkrin are usually infinite, and a force of will is used to return to normal form instead.

Ozzkrin skin painting is a ritualistic affair, with the painter often chanting mantras and the animals name, while focusing on the spirit of the animal in their mind. The painter often stops to blow sacred dusts or wave prepared sacred fur or skins around the wearer to imbue them with the ozzkrin Manc. Once finished the wearer must focus on their inner spirit and that of the animals in an attempt to unite them and bind the animal image to the skin painting. the wearer knows if the ozzkrin has taken, as they feel and smell the animal they have painted on them. there will be an irresistible urge to transform immediately, but this is a test. The wearer must not use their ozzkrin until they have rested well and a Movment has passed at least. Transforming earlier than this causes much pain and may cause the wearer to remain trapped in the new animal form for its natural life (60% - wearer's Manc saving throw). There are few Manc rituals that can return these hasty wearers back to their normal forms.

Each wearer may have only so many ozzkrin upon their bodies at any one time, dependent upon their endurance, level and Manc Saving Throw ( (END ÷ Manc Saving Throw) + Level ). Having more than this number results in the transformations taking longer, more painful transformations, and the success chance of each ozzkrin being reduced after the total allowed has been reached. Each animal ozzkrin extra causes the transformation of all ozzkrin to double in its time to transform the wearer, not on transformation into the animal, but to revert back to normal form, and thus extends the pain, as well as increasing the pain to actually cause physical wounds. The success chance is reduced 5% for each extra ozzkrin beyond the maximum.

Each ozzkrin, usually has a limited time, or life, before wearing off. This is partly luck and partly the amount of times used. The more an ozzkrin is used, the more likely it is to be smudged or worn off. also general living and water can make the ozzkrin run or fade, depending upon the materials used. Generally as a rule of thumb, each ozzkrin has a cumulative 5% chance of being rendered useless after the last use, each time it is used, to a maximum of 90% chance. Once damaged, the painting loses its ozzkrin ability and is simply the remains of a painting. Of course the wearer may remove the ozzkrin by rough scrubbing, washing (dependent upon the painting materials used), or by being cut or wounded in the ozzkrin. Being damaged in the ozzkrin causes the duration to end prematurely and immediately, and thus that is why smaller ozzkrin are generally sued than large ones.

To use an ozzkrin skin painting, the wearer must focus upon the transformation and touch the skin painting with their fingers or to their foreheads, while muttering the name of the animal. Their body then starts glowing with an aura that partly represents the animal's nature and partly that of the wearer's nature. The glow becomes brighter and seems to consume the wearer as they are physically transformed into the animal. As the animal form is taken the glow recedes and the animal is all that remains where once the wearer stood. To return to normal form, there wearer must either await the duration to end, or else use their will to return, if the skin painting is a large one. The ozzkrin may also be activated by the skin painter touching the ozzkrin with their fingers and muttering the name of the animal. The return to normal form is done in the same fashion, by the skin painter touching the area that represents that of the wearer's ozzkrin and saying the wearer's name.

The table below shows the form the Manc takes. The Level, if applicable, needed to create the form before the Manc can be attempted; this may be either a Manc level (Mancers etc.) or a class level (Ranger etc.). The time the form needs to be fully completed. Components required to attempt the Manc. The base success chance of the Manc working as wished. The maximum chance this Manc has of working assuming typical and average conditions, modifiers to this will be mentioned in the applicable text for that form. Minimum duration is the shortest length of the Manc working once successfully attempted, of course it may be ended by the summoner at any time observing any principles set out for that form.