Arderian Wings

[Cachinnus]

This is going back to the original card game, but I have a question on the Arderian ability to remove their wings.

Is it a manner of removing them from the physical plane so that they can fit in tighter spaces, or do they remain in the physical plane, but are simply concealed so that they still get in the way when walking through a tight doorframe? Haha, did that make any sense at all?

Also, do different mechanics apply if these wings are broken?

One other thing I was wondering was if we ever got a chance to see the process of how Arderians "earned their wings" so to speak.

[blackdaggr]

Arderians have a limited shape-changing ability (as do some other races of MN). They can simply cause their wings to disappear. Arderians rarely do so, since growing wings is a prestigious thing. On the other hand, Orotheans learn to shapechange between their marine forms (fishy tails or whatever) and legs at a fairly early age. This allows them to interact with the rest of the MN races.

Among the other races, the only one that (at least in the background material) also has limited shapechanging is the D'Reshi - some of the more experienced ones can turn into an amorphous sand shape.

[Cachinnus]

Ok, cool! So then they should be able to fit in tighter spaces, if they're actually shapeshifting.

Did we ever get to see the method of Arderians earning their wings? For some reason I'm thinking it's something akin to a Novice becoming an Aes Sedai in the Wheel of Time series, where after some trials and tribulations they all gather around and a lot of magic goes on and then poof! Out sprouts the wings.

[blackdaggr]

As far as Arderians earning their wings, there are no winged/non-winged versions of characters (at least that I can remember). Arderians' wings were discussed in BoA 6 (as well as in the online mailing lists which have sadly vanished). The same holds true for the D'Reshi. The Orotheans, on the other hand, DO have a concrete card example - Bria is shown with legs on Spirit of Orothe. And Aula, Mindseeker (an Arderian) learns how to shapechange into a (winged) marine form when she becomes a Dual-region magi.

[Cachinnus]

Ooh, I was never able to get any of those Books of Ages. What specifically did they say about Arderian Wings, or do you have all that information in your D20 site?

I remember a picture of O'Qua having legs, but wasn't it that Orotheans had more incentive to learn their shapeshifting ability than Arderians, what with the elemental boundary? Makes me wonder if they're born with fins or legs. Hmmm….

I think the matter of no winged/non-winged versions of characters was simply because they were never drawn in a position where it was conducive to hide their wings. I would have loved to see Shimmer grow a pair, though, what with her advancement to Arderian Adept. That would have been pretty swank.

So if d'Reshi can shapeshift as well, this means this is an ability native to all Moonlanders, although dormant for most races because they've lost the need for it. How interesting.

I'm asking all these questions because I write an Arderian character and I'm getting to how she received her wings. I'd like to check with the canon before I start making things up for myself, but it seems as though I've got free reign here….

[blackdaggr]

The article on the Arderians is in the PDF-only Book of Ages 6. It mentions that the wings are definitely optional, and not all Arderians choose to grow them. It doesn't really describe the process, but we discussed the process somewhat on the mailing list at one time. Basically, some - particularly warriors - grow wings as a status thing. Once grown (it takes some effort for Arderians to manifest wings for the first time), they are reluctant to remove them.

As you mention, Orotheans have a much higher incentive to learn to shapechange at an early age. In fact, Orothean parents strand their young on a beach so they learn to handle dry land (in an inversion of the Sink-or-Swim method to learn to swim). Its not clear whether Orotheans are born with legs or in their mer-shape. But all Orotheans likely know how to shapechange by the time they're an adult (probably much earlier).

[Cachinnus]

Hmm … this process. I was kind of envisioning something akin to a lot of studying and training, culminating into a sort of "trial" that's held before a collection of elders who will determine whether or not the individual deserves the wings, but now I'm thinking it's something that the individual has to make happen themselves. I like the idea of studying and training, but it seems like the efforts will all go into how to grow wings, and not necessarily completing a task so that the ability will be "given" to them.

So it's a matter of physically growing the wings, which apparently is an appendage waiting to be unleashed, kind of like learning how to ride a unicycle (if we think of this appendage waiting to be unleashed like an ability waiting to be learned).

… or something.

[marhawkman]

Actually there are some other examples. When a character becomes/leaves being a Shadow Magi their appearance sometimes changes drastically.