Fleshwarping

An irnakurse fleshwarp.

Fleshwarping is the violent transformation of a creature's body into a completely new form. Creatures created through this process are commonly known as fleshwarps.

History

During the Age of Darkness, the demon lord Haagenti gifted the secrets of fleshwarping to mortals, who then iterated upon and improved those processes over the ensuing ages.

Fleshwarping was practiced in ancient Thassilon, namely in the production of sinspawn and fleshdregs; the survivors and descendants of such experiments live in the Darklands layers of Nar-Voth and Sekamina beneath Varisia. Thassilon's modern re-emergence as New Thassilon has also reintroduced sin magic-related fleshwarping practices there. It is openly practiced and researched in Nex, where massive fleshforges produce willing fleshwarps, and to a lesser extent in Ustalav. Cults of Haagenti and Yamasoth also practice fleshwarping upon victims as part of their unholy rites.

Environmental hazards and disasters have also spontaneously created fleshwarps, such as the in Mana Wastes or by drinking toxic Numerian fluids.

Fleshwarps

Victims of fleshwarping are known as fleshwarps, of which there are numerous forms. Examples include slug-like grothluts and tree-like irnakurses.

Fleshcrafting

A fleshcrafted antennae.

Some followers of Haagenti create temporary modifications, such as the claw of a scorpion, the fangs of a spider, or the chitinous shell of a centipede. Temporary physical alterations via a fleshcrafting poison provide enough of an advantage for most short-term goals. More permanent alterations involve the terror of fleshwarping and offer larger benefits, but come with numerous drawbacks. All permanent alterations run the risk that the procedure will result in death.

Fleshwarpers

Fleshwarper refers to the alchemist-butchers and Haagenti worshipers who perform fleshwarping rituals. Haagenti's fascination with magical concoctions and unnatural experimentation upon living creatures is legendary, and he imparted his knowledge to mortals so they can both aid in his research and reap the benefits of his work. Fleshwarpers have very little regard for life outside of their twisted curiosity and perverse need to experiment.

Fleshwarping laboratories are filled with all manner of surgical devices, some of which bear more resemblance to torture implements. Scalpels, forceps, spreaders, and other more specialized equipment are common in a typical laboratory. All are meticulously sterilized before slicing, poking, or otherwise exploring the skin of a subject—though they care little for their patients, they hardly want infection to set in after they are done and destroy their work.

Fleshwarpers are craftsmen at heart. They see themselves as drow who specialize in taking inferior individuals and modifying them until they become useful again.

References

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