Magical Talents

About 50% of magical persons are born with one or more talents. However, almost all inborn abilities can be learned. With dedication, they can even become indistinguishable from their natural counterparts.

Some common magical talents include:
 * Appearance alteration - the ability to change one's features at will, but limited to the human form.
 * Known holders: Ingrid Blackvale, Vivian Gray, Cora Blackvale, Adrian
 * Learned by: Winston, Bastion (to achieve Sebastian Vale in the non-magical world)
 * Trivia: Some appearance alterers can change (or lose) color with various emotional states.
 * Full shapeshifting - a rarer step above appearance alteration, enabling the person to take on any form or appearance. Magical persons with truly inherent shapeshifting derive this talent from a substrate integrated with their bodies before birth, most commonly the Neihgaughkraighe substrate.
 * Known holders: Vlad Vectorvale (Volvakov substrate), Norm (Neihgaughkraighe substrate), Diego Sandoval (Neihgaughkraighe substrate)
 * Learned by: Adrian, Varo Vectorvale, Wendell Wilmington
 * Trivia:
 * The forms that come most naturally to some shapeshifters are thought to be associated with situations around or prior to their birth. It's hence anecdotally no surprise that Ivan Gray and Petra honeymooned in Neihgaughkraighe.
 * "Wrongborn shapeshifters" are natural shapeshifters who were not born into their most comfortable human form, similar to (and/or overlapping with) being transgender in the non-magical world.
 * Entropaean shapeshifters can register full or part-time identities in the Entropaean Registry of Forms. Nora finally does this for Norm when he takes his first council position. Later, Norm registers himself full-time.
 * Inborn substrate shapeshifters usually own a small vessel to contain themselves in while in their substrate forms. Norm has a mason jar, while Vlad Vectorvale had a bottle.
 * Entropaean shapeshifters have a stronger subculture than most other talents, and even their own code of etiquette:
 * Keep your eyes their natural color when mimicking other human beings, especially your friends
 * Only form close relationships in your registered forms
 * Do not impersonate others for serious or dedicated deception
 * Do not impersonate others for your own ends
 * Avoid intentional uncanny valleys
 * Take pride in your forms and work to refine them
 * If you deregister a form, inform the people you care about
 * "Substrate Starvation" is a seldom talked about suicide method by which an inborn shapeshifter locks (usually via a powerful hex) their substrate form in a containment vessel away from external assitance or knowledge. It is thought to be painless, as the substrate form does not have sensory perception or cognitive capacity in the first place.
 * Most inborn shapeshifters have a hard time describing how the substrate form feels, or how they even get out of it at will, given its lack of human thought. Most say it is extremely comforting, though.


 * Vocal alteration - great for impressions and common among hobbyist arena announcers, like Basil Sherwin and his son Adrian.
 * Known holders: Basil Sherwin, Adrian
 * Magical Polyglotism - the ability to automatically speak and understand any human language.
 * Known holders: Katherine Vectorvale, Natalia Vectorvale, Bastion
 * Learned by: Adrian
 * Enhanced physical strength
 * Known holders: Sandoval, Norm, Lucian
 * Learned by: Varo Vectorvale
 * Mind reading
 * Known holders: Varo Vectorvale
 * Learned by: Adrian, Winston
 * Illusion creation
 * Known holders: Felix Fitzroy
 * Raw power
 * Known holders: Vlad Vectorvale, Winston, Norm, Lucian, Winston Gray (formerly), Varo Vectorvale
 * Learned by: Adrian, Garamond Gray, Winston Gray (later)
 * Magical mimicry  - the ability to rapidly adapt and perform another's spell from observation
 * Known holders: Vlad Vectorvale, Waldemar VI (limited), Lucian
 * Magical deflection - the ability to instantaneously shield oneself or others from the effects of a spell
 * Known holders: Waldemar Sherwin III
 * Learned by Adrian, Winston
 * Healing
 * Known holders: Waldemar Sherwin III
 * Learned by: Adrian, Varo Vectorvale, Norm