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Full Resolution NSFW Version: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ql2o9hbbweuj9v9/Ceylon-A%27Me...
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Full Resolution SFW Version: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zgb19uqox27eyy5/Ceylon-A%27Me...
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NSFW Version - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/20763053/
SFW Version - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21027104/
This submission will eventually go to Scraps so I can use it as an ID picture (Seriously, why is that a thing?)
This time I wanted to do something fun but simple. Different but the same. Last time I gave a full breakdown of Ceylon's history from birth to ascension and beyond into his life as one of the Dalonian Gods. This time I'm doing a bit of biology.
There is some overlapping detail and tales from the NSFW version, but I think it bears repeating.
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Ceylon A'Merone – Dalonian Godfather of Transformation
\tNow that we've established Ceylon as a character, with their past, history, and relationships, I thought the SFW version of this reference sheet may come with some details about the character's biology, capabilities, and the skills that this chimeric gryphon has absorbed from the other Gods of Dalon. As mentioned in the NSFW ref, Ceylon first learned to imitate the look of a mare when housed in a stable with horses. Though Ceylon was born a gryphon – of oairan and jysarian parentage – his early onset transformation skills allowed him to shift his flesh to be as he wanted to. He could emulate features of equines and canines both quite well, and did so throughout his life. He also adopted snake-like elements throughout.
\tAs the Dalonian Godfather of Transformation, Ceylon has spent much of his life learning, adapting, and acquiring a litany of different features from those he felt to be his closest friends. Like discussed in the NSFW tales, Ceylon's experiences with wolves and horses helped to morph and shape his genitals, feeling that a combination of stallion, mare, sire, and bitch was an ideal blend of the best of all four worlds. However, there's a lot more that he's acquired in his years, each with their own detailed biology, chemistry, and mentality behind it.
\tStarting with his form when at birth, he was made of avian and feline. The entire front half, starting at his ribcage and going up towards his beak, was avian. He had a black beak, red maw, white feathers, black speckles, and golden brown highlights around his neck and shoulders like an ornamental necklace. A dual strip of black feathers gave him a mask starting at his beak and going over his blue eyes around his skull, meeting up at the back of his neck to merge into one strip that went down his spine. As it went down his spine, it kept up until the very tip of his tail, remaining a strip of feathers despite the feline half taking over on his lower end. His wings were a blend of black and dark golden brown on the back and white on the underside, dotted with gray speckles. His ears were thin and small, like a feline's. His forearms were pure jet black, with harder avian talons and black claws at the end.
\tHis feline end, on the flip side, was a bit simpler. He had a long, thin tail starting a bit thicker at the base with a little bit of a bulge-lobe at the tip. HE had soft, dark gray or black stripes wrapping around his haunches and over his spine, and around his tail starting at the spine. Around his midsection, the splotches of his avian half shifted and solidified into the black stripes. His paw pads were black, his rump and vulva flesh were black, and his inner flesh was a bright, ruby red or cherry pink depending on time of the month.
\tHowever, as time went on he adopted those elements of various other species into his form. The magic and transformational enchantments that he possessed allowed him to emulate features of any species or race, resulting in a chimeric gryphon who's outside elements looked like avian and feline, but were filled with elements of serpent, equine, and canine. The ears were a blend of natural wild wolf and feline, his genitals a blend of equine and canine, and his tail influenced by a snake.
\tPerhaps the most prominent and yet underutilized of all his features is his tail maw, an absorbed feature that was inspired by the naga he would eventually call his mate, Lady Leera Ssevarine.
\tHer history was spotty and full of violence and strife, so she spent many years trying to put that chapter of her life behind her. When she met Ceylon, he was the only one who was willing to deal with her at her worst, and in return she granted him the kindness and passion of her at her best. One of the ways Ceylon was able to properly empathize with her was to adopt some of the traits her tribe suffered through, in an attempt to feel her pain and find a solution to her violent urges.
\tThe naga tribe that Leera was a descendent of had two different ways they fed. The first was a simple way of consuming food, swallowing it whole and letting it digest. The other way was to feed on fear, by harming, torturing, or scaring victims. Without a constant drip of aggressive dominance at the expense of their prey - in addition to the nutrients that their bodies would offer - a naga would slowly descend into a feral state, their mind warped and their sentience peeled away one layer at a time. If a naga from Leera's tribe wasn't fed the fear, they would lose themselves to the desires that kept them sane; as a result, dozens of generations had passed with a culture bred into a society that literally and figuratively fed on fear.
\tThe way this had come to pass was that, like a mammalian reproductive cycle, they had a digestive cycle that generally rotated every forty-eight days. Of that cycle, three quarters (thirty-six) days had their digestive tract lined and filled with breathable biological fluids that would allow the prey to remain alive, fearful and thrashing about in the belly to feed the naga's need for fear. Then, when that part of the cycle concluded and the remaining twelve days were initiated, the digestive system would flush itself out, replacing the breathable fluid with natural digestive fluids, which would dissolve the prey.
\tCeylon was able to emulate that cycle in a similar way. After conducting a series of tests on Leera to learn how this digestive cycle worked, he recreated it within his body, adjusting for his avian/mammalian biology. Like her, he was able to manually create a digestive cycle that was at his control, able to flip the switch between digestive and safe. However, unlike a naga - who only needed to eat once every cycle - Ceylon required constant fuel in the form of prey and other foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains. For this reason, he had to find a way to emulate her cycle and the associated urges without sacrificing his own sustenance.
\tThat's when he used all of his skills to create his tail maw. In an effort to recreate Leera's biology and chemistry to the best of his ability, the lobe at the end came to be three jaws, each the same as a snake's upper jaw with four rows of needle sharp teeth. The esophagus was made of incredibly malleable flesh and went from the maw, through the tail and into Ceylon's womb, with nerves and pleasure centers lining the gullet walls from maw to uterus. This womb quickly became a mainstay in Ceylon's body whether male or female. When male, the tail maw would swallow prey and keep it entombed in the womb, which was always secreting the breathable fluids that filled the naga's digestive system during the 'safe' period of their cycle. During Ceylon's time as a female, the uterus would actually have two separate cervixes, one to the birth canal and one to the tail, and all associated passages would secrete the breathable fluid that would keep 'prey' alive while also being slick and viscous for mating purposes as well as lubricating the throat.
\tA key element of this adoption of Leera's digestive cycle was also her hungers; both of them. While it was initially meant as a way to empathize with her on a surface level, it was also intended as a scientific way to experience her hunger for aggression and dominance so he could find a way to help curb her desires without sacrificing her sentience. Early experiments had her faking or limiting her safe consumption of prey, but she always started to devolve into a feral state until she was permitted to do the cruel things her body needed.
\tSoon after Ceylon adopted her hunger by emulating her chemical and biological functions, he was able to find a somewhat effective way to keep her violent urges at bay. Ceylon was able to submit himself to her as her prey, with the assurance that, once he was consumed in her safe time, she's regurgitate him before the cycle restarted and became inhospitable within her. The key was that she was permitted to constrict and consume him while he was in true pain, which he allowed because he knew his powerful magics could halt or even reverse any damage she did. By being the one who she could hunt over and over again, it helped to grow their bonds to the point of near symbiosis.
\tOnce the two of them had mutually found a solution that made both happy, they were able to further expand on the natural biology and skills until they could reintegrate into society. Leera had been plucked from the lands of Klyneth for years to live in the mountains that the Cradle of Dalon rested in until the science had been fully understood.
\tIn the end, Ceylon had absorbed much of Leera's biology into himself, including the digestive cycle that he was able to fully control, as well as the tail maw that led to his womb. Later, he used this tail maw and his own female biology to help others to transform. For many years, his transformation magic only worked on him, internally; he was able to grow or absorb parts on himself, altering his skeletal system, muscles, organs, and gender, but that changed after Leera's biology was incorporated into his body. After that, he was able to take prey into his womb, and with the prey completely encapsulated within him, could transfer his enchantments into them. Any prey - or subject, depending on who you ask - could be altered, transformed, or invigorated within Ceylon as though Ceylon was altering himself, which he used as a business to help fund his endeavors with the other gods.
\tA more efficient way to transfer a full body transformational enchantment into prey was to swallow them through the tail, keep them inside the womb, encapsulate them in a magic-lined egg, and lay them - or birth them - to let the enchantments alter them within said egg over the course of a week or two. Of course, when female, one could enter the womb via birth canal or tail maw, depending on the person's preferences.
\tNow, Ceylon uses this on his friends, or occasionally gifting agens (the term for normal, non noble or immortal people of any race in Dalon) with the transformation needs they desire. Born male but identify as female? There's a good chance your prayers will be heard by Ceylon, who will happily use her womb to give you the rebirth as the person you feel you should have been born as. Curious to grow a pair of wings? Ceylon might offer you that.
Just be careful. If Ceylon's inner flesh is purple or mauve, that might mean he's hungry for your body. If cherry pink or red, it's completely safe!
\tThis is, of course, only one of Ceylon's many features, and probably his most unique as a blend of specific naga traits and his own partially avian traits mixed with his skills with transformation. Furthermore, Ceylon's ability to mimic, recreate, and experience the lives of others has also made him a powerful mage in many ways, and able to assimilate himself into virtually any culture. Though his flesh and gender were the first to change, he was able to assume other forms soon thereafter before emulating Leera's digestive cycle. As such, he quickly adopted the following alterations to his form:
\t1 - The Quadruped/Biped dichotomy: Ceylon can, through an initially painful procedure, twist and reconfigure his bone structure to stand on two legs. At first, early in life, this was unpleasant and he had absolutely no grace despite being partially feline. In time, he was able to freely shift between the two forms with ease and without pain. The process - which involved relocating muscle and snapping bone - can take mere seconds without pain thanks to his powerful magics. Quadruped is his natural form, and he spends a lot more time on all fours than standing up straight. He can use his front talons for manipulating objects with the help of his beak, but oftentimes it's more utilitarian to be biped for many things in modern culture. Still, despite the biped form being the more useful, Ceylon still prefers being quadruped.
\t2 - Male/Female fluid Gender: Though born genderless, Ceylon was able to assume the male or female role by using transformation magic to emulate either/both genders. This is not a dichotomy, though, as there is a broad spectrum of genders from male to female, a mix, neither, both, and asexuality. Basically anything you can imagine, Ceylon can emulate depending on mood. Early in his life, he found that he had a female menstrual cycle that would dictate his gender; when in 'heat', he would assume the role of a female, but when in 'rut' he would assume the role of a male, balancing the two in equal measure. Though able to assume a gender role anywhere on the spectrum, Ceylon often choses one of three options, Male, Female, or Genderless. He freely shifts between them based on what makes the most sense to him from a cultural perspective, or what will give him what he needs without further coercion.
\t3 - Winged/Wingless: A far more simple difference determines whether Ceylon has wings or not. When a quadruped - Ceylon's natural form - he is almost always winged since they can fold up on his back. When biped, he's almost always wingless, since there isn't much room on his back to hide them and they just get in the way.
\tCeylon's natural form is his quadruped, asexual winged form. Though asexual is what he was born with, he freely shifts between genders based on need.
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\tHis abilities are quite varied. From a hatchling, Ceylon was born with innate magic that had him at least slightly influencing the elements around him, which is the simplest and most basic of all magic. Ademane - the fluid within that influences the world remotely - has a direct influence on energy transferal, so the temperature, electric, and kinetic energies are the simplest to manipulate. Virtually all agens dalon-wide have at least some ability to use elemental magic, from heating to cooling, shocking to nullifying, speeding up and slowing down. Through this, one can conjure and manipulate fire, create ice, control the flow of electricity and harness the power of bolt, and influence the flow of water and air. This is what helped him survive the attempt on his life while still a hatchling.
\tIn the world of Dalon, Magic works via a fluid called Ademane, which flows through the body in a series of veins, arteries, and glands in a similar fashion to the cardiovascular system. Oftentimes, large reservoirs and glands can be found in the wrists, neck, chest, ankles, back of the head, in between the temples and eyes, and in the inner thighs where hip meets leg. There are also smaller ones lining every vertebrae from the base of the skull to the tip of the tail, multiple per finger and toe, and in some cases at the base of horns or antlers.
\tThis fluid is able to emit from a person's skin, creating a teal mist that can influence the energies around a person to instigate the four kinds of magic – elemental, curative, physical, and mental. To most, this teal mist is completely invisible, or so faint that it's virtually clear.
\tDifferent races have different banks of ademane on their bodies, and are able to utilize it in different ways. For example, the Dragon subspecies of the race Saurossin have by far the largest reserves of ademane in their system, with huge lungs full of it for igniting when breathing fire. They use a lot of it and produce it at a faster rate than the others, even if it's not the most potent. The avian race, on the other hand, have relatively small concentrations of the fluid, but their mind is able to utilize it to the greatest potential.
\tUse of ademane does speed up the body's aging process, hence the trope with old wise mages being old and wise and also mages, whereas the physical fighters tend to be well defined, glistening, and youthful. Two combatants of the same age, one physical the other magical, could look twice as old or half as old. That's why it's important to use magic in moderation while also keeping a balanced diet and good exercise regimen. If either side is neglected or overused, it could lead to an early death.
\tThat's also why some nations and some religious sects ban the use of magic except by their priests or monks.
\tThe first step of magic use is simply to feel the energies flow within, much like the practice that comes from flexing a muscle or doing exercises. Continued use of a spell or series of spells will greatly improve the economy of ademane usage, but at the expense of the physical form. Again, balance is key.
\tThe next step of magic control and enchantment came from within, wherein an agen could ignite and activate the ademane that flowed through their body to concentrate energy on wounds for healing. This sort of body enhancement could close wounds, halt the flow of blood, regulate the body's tissues and organs, or even heal sickness by extracting the harmful tissues or viruses. For this reason, sickness is rarely fatal and cancers are nigh unheard of except in the races that have very low ademane concentrations or forbid the use of magic. On the flip side, there are sicknesses that target the ademane system, making one's body lose control of its magic, which can be even more dangerous.
\tThe third step of magic is physical magic, which is a blend of telekinesis and alchemy. By controlling physical objects from afar, one can remotely lift or manipulate matter in all of its forms, even going so far as to create chemical reactions within. Some say that, by compressing and applying the right magics, you can even turn lower metals like lead or iron into gold and silver! Of course, only the Gods have ever been successful in doing so, but the myths persist among commoners.
\tThe most challenging form of magic to master aside from specific, combined magics like transformation, was telepathy and other mind-controlling skills. Things like mind control, thought-speech, and reality/perception distortion were by far the hardest to use without scrambling the minds of those involved. Only a very, very small fraction can speak telepathically, control minds, or create illusions, and Ceylon learned from one of the first and best, Valencia.
\tTransformation magic itself was a blend of elemental, physical, and curative magics all at once, perfectly combining the energies of elemental magic, the shifting and deformity of physical magic, and the curative magics to put it all back together while it's being altered. Other such combined magics require a precise series of energies applied in just the right ways. In time, one's ademane would grow in charge, potential, and volume, allowing for more powerful magics, greater endurance while using magic, and faster energy recover times.
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\tCeylon's transformation magic has basically created a very interesting loophole in magical biology. See, since magic use ages a person and weakens their body, it's fair to assume that magic takes a toll. The magic that Ceylon concocted in his early life actually used magic to reverse the process of aging, effectively nullifying its only downside. In response, they were able to – with proper energy consumption and infusing – create an infinite loop of limitless power and eternal life.
\tAnd thus, the gods were granted immortality.