07.02: Sufficiently Advanced

[Joshua]

"Sorry, I was more surprised you hadn't heard the word before. Usually, there are at least tales of such things." He takes a breath, "One fo the benefits of walking with pattern is that we can choose our circumstances. This is a druid or animal spellcaster who has taken an oath to help those who walk between worlds." he smiles, "We get to be that specific."

He raps on the oaken door.

It opens and an elderly old man answers, he's dressed in animal leathers with strange teeth adornments. Very savage-faire... (savage-sheik?) "Oberon! Good to see you again. Come in!" He gestures for all of you to enter. "Yes, I know the other one wasn't exactly you, but you're all plainswalkers."

The inside of the hut looks like a cross between a medicine lodge and the cluttered storage shed some of your odd relatives might have.

[misfit]

(OCC: Sorry for the delay throwing sequence off a little.)

When Sadie nuzzles Nuall's hand he reaches down to pet her. He's still a bit too clueless to make the telepathy thing work yet. Still, he looks down and says "Thank you. I will be fine. It has just been a...rough day. Shall we go see what this druid has to tell us?"

[Sadie]

Sadie starts sniffing around to see what her nose tells her. There are lots of new scents in this place. If he offers his hand, she sniffs that too. People are often very ignorant of how much information their hand can tell a dog... Especially when they don't wash it much... and by the look of him, well...

She does feel bad about knowing the word druid though, and several different versions of it as well. Is glad it's the fantasy type and not the human sacrificing ones though. Not that she's a human of course... or a goat, since they get sacrificed a lot for some reason... Still her friends are human and she wouldn't like to see them sacrificed. Besides, if he is that kind of druid, she'll know soon enough. The nose tells all.

[Joshua]

"So, Oberon, tell me, what can I do for you today?"

Oberon gestures towards Sadie. "We have a companion we are having trouble talking with. I thought your magic might be helpful."

The druid nods, "Animals are my specialty. Were you looking for something short term, or long term?"

[coldcandor]

Solten has been avidly watching the changes while travelling and is now curious to see how Sadie reacts to this whole adventure. He remains silent for the time being.

[Sadie]

After sticking nose into something that causes her to sneeze, she looks up at the druid curiously. Then pokes it with her nose and sneezes again. She then, deciding she's found nothing to indicate the druid is a threat, decides to walk up in front of the druid and sit with a look that says, stop yammering you two and magic me already.

[Joshua]

Oberon shrugs. "Walking too far will make it wear off either way, so... whatever will last a few days and is easiest."

The druid nods and starts collecting herbs and mistletoe. He draws forth a silver kris (a type of dagger), and makes some preparations for a ritual. "For a few days... something to allow her to talk will be easiest. That way it's only one spell to maintain. She seems intelligent enough, so awakening isn't needed. Just something to give her the ability to communicate. A human tongue..." he pulls out what appears to be a jar with a small tongue in it. "Or one from an animal that can make human speech."

The druid settles down and starts the incantation... (Sadie, feel free to make up details. Your'e lucky today.)

[Sadie]

I will split this into two parts so it makes sense. Yes I know people aren't mind readers but it will make more sense this way.

Sadie thinks to herself... "Well a human tongue isn't exactly enough for human speech, nor is it even required. It's the advanced vocal apparatus humans possess. Such as superior vocal cords, ect. Sure you need a tongue, about any tongue that can be manipulated will do as long as the rest is there."

The druid puts the tongue into a pot.

"But then again this is magic, so maybe it's some symbolic thing representing the entire whole of the spell. Magic does seems to involve symbolism. Then even if a tongue allowed speech, that can't be all."

The druid adds some herbs and other miscellaneous natural stuff to the pot to brew a potion. Why a potion? Because when it wears off it can be reapplied without the caster present by drinking more of the potion.

"There are too many nuances to human communication. I mean, sure I can mimic many human expressions, it's not the same thing though and a lot gets lost in translation. Also human use their bodies to communicate, far more than many realize they are even doing."

The druid winces slightly, says something about the final components, and pricks his finger with the dagger adding it to the potion.

"Well ok, that makes more sense than the tongue, and fits with the other... Why is he coming over to me with both the dagger and the pot"

He then takes her paw and gently pricks it over the potion. She manages to contain a yalp.

"Good thing I regenerate, I walk on that foot. You know."

He then sets the pot down, draws several runes and such around it, as well as a simplistic primitive symbol of both a man and a dog.

"That must be where the magic comes in. Man and dog, makes sense. I'd need some of both or I'd lose the ability to truly communicate as a dog. Am really interested to see how this combines together. Let's see, will need my tail and nose... Well enough that I don't lose my sense of smell anyway. My ears are a definite, need those too, humans don't move their ears for communication anyway. I need mostly human hands, enough to do anything a human can do. Human arms and legs. A human face, and a human body to go with the arms and legs. I'm female so definitely should have a feminine figure. I'm a beautiful dog, or I'm told quite frequently I am anyway, therefor I should be an attractive human, only makes sense. Magic is symbolic after all. Besides humans place a lot on appearance and being attractive improves an individuals ability to communicate. People are more likely to listen it seems. Ok, I'm getting the idea now, I think I can picture this. Will be interesting. Too bad it'll only be temporary. Could you imagine Murphy's face if he saw me like that?"

During this time the druid is chanting and the runes and symbols move around the floor all merge into one and disappear. The potion in the pot glows slightly the same color as the writing and then fades back to a normal color. Though the solid bits have become as liquid as the rest. He then puts it into various potion vials, and pours some into a saucer which he puts down on the ground for Sadie to drink.

"Smells terrible, but, hey the ability to walk on two legs and use my arms and make human speech will be worth it." She then laps up the potion.

[Sadie]

Upon drinking the potion, she begins to transform, it's clear to everyone but her, who seems transfixed by the the act of changing, that the look on the druids face says, this should not be happening.

Most of her fur starts shrinking into her body and starts growing out the top of her head into long luxurious black hair, as the now bare skin acquires a Caucasian pigmentation (For those wondering about the pigmentation, Murphy and most of her owners have been "white" so subconsciously it's what she pictures.) Her limbs stretch and form human arms and legs with the proportions of an attractive athletic female with long slender though webbed fingers and toes. Her nails, however, remain that of a canines, though proportioned for her now humanish hands. Her now hairless body, loses the multiple mammaries of a canine and acquires well proportioned breasts as well as the torso of an attractively athletic female. She has a human female's genitalia and backside but retains her canine tail. Her snout starts to shrink and she acquires a human face that would be considered attractive by most. Right kind of symmetry, full lips, and big attractive eyes. Her eyes are unusual though in that the whites are barely there, instead having larger dark brown irises. Her otherwise human nose ends in a subtle black dog like tip and nostrils. And her ears, while acquiring their proper place on the human head, also remain that of a dogs ears.

As the change comes closer to finish, she stands, stumbling for only a half a second before adapting to the new musculature. Upon Finishing, standing before you is what can best be describes as an athletic attractive, and unashamedly fully nude dog girl. Who's first act is to hold up one finger in a shush gesture, with a stern you better give me a second glare. Completely ignoring any embarrassment you all may be demonstrating as she she seems to be preoccupied. She then starts making a bunch of gibberish sounds and funny faces, while her eyes are rolled up in concentration and her head nods from side to side with each new sound, shushing you, and waiving anyone away that tries to get close with a glare that says I will bite if you don't let me finish. Subtext: To all you amber psyche's out there, she's figuring out how her mouth works and what makes what sounds.

After a bit she says to herself in the same fashion which while still sounding like gibberish is clearly formed and sing songy, "Ooh eeh ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang" After which she smiles to herself, and finally looks to everyone with a huge toothy grin, revealing her still dog like canines, and her tail wagging furiously. "Ok, I think I got it now. Never got to do this before so... Hello everyone, I am Sadie and it's a pleasure to finally be able to introduce myself... And um... Why do you all look so uncomfortable?" Tilting head in a completely innocent confused fashion.

OOC PS: I'm guessing the spell was supposed to allow her to use human speech in dog form. Which means it's still doing something, just completely unnoticeable as she's not in dog form anymore. She misunderstood the effects, thinking like a dog where body language is an integral part of what they consider meaningful communication and thus believing she would shape shift, did so without realizing it was not the spells true intent. This also ended up working as it gives a good explanation for why her avatar self image is not quite fully human. Oh and to anyone curious there have been updates to her appearance page.

[misfit]

"Uncomfortable my Lady? Nay, merely surprised. I am after all unfamiliar with the workings of magic. I had not anticipated this outcome at all. It is wonderous indeed."

Nuall smiles broadly and bows deeply. "I am most gratified to meet you for the first time...again."

"In the future though you may wish to consider wearing clothing. For those of us without fur things can get a bit...drafty...otherwise."