The Worlds of Katherine Kurtz

I keep thinking...does shape-shifting change the physical shape, or just what others see? What sort of shadow does one cast? Can dogs and horses be fooled by shape-shifters? What happens if, say, someone like Christian in my stories-- 5'9, with an archer's build --tries to shape-shift into Alaric Morgan, who's 6'1 and built on a very different frame? What would others see?

Quote from: Bynw on July 10, 2025, 02:35:06 PMFor another example. I don't recall the names as I type. But the Camberian Council takes a page or squire for I believe Rhys-Michael when he is King and replaces this squire with Camber's grandson. Of course initially his is Blocked and shape changed into the form of the kidnapped page/squire.

So the human boy is already known to the royal household and his own family. Are there dogs that already know and like the boy?

Then he is kidnapped and replaced by a Blocked Deryni under a shape change. How do those dogs react? The Blocked Deryni can't use his powers until later on when he's more established and is unblocked.

It's just a fascinating concept on what Shape Change really does or doesn't do ...
 

For another example. I don't recall the names as I type. But the Camberian Council takes a page or squire for I believe Rhys-Michael when he is King and replaces this squire with Camber's grandson. Of course initially his is Blocked and shape changed into the form of the kidnapped page/squire.

So the human boy is already known to the royal household and his own family. Are there dogs that already know and like the boy?

Then he is kidnapped and replaced by a Blocked Deryni under a shape change. How do those dogs react? The Blocked Deryni can't use his powers until later on when he's more established and is unblocked.

It's just a fascinating concept on what Shape Change really does or doesn't do ...
 

I'm not sure that Stefan/Rhydon would be the best example to use in this case, since Stefan was Deryni (otherwise he could not have served on the Camberian Council), so he would easily be able to use his Deryni gifts to calm any canine animosity towards a stranger. And of course, once the dogs were used to the newcomer's smell, no matter what he looked like, he would no longer be a stranger to them, so they wouldn't feel any need to bark at him after the first encounter or two.

(Re: your dogs barking at strangers even if they can't smell them, it's possible that they can smell them, even when just seeing them through a window and from a distance. A dog's sense of smell is much keener than ours. Though I'm not sure if barking would be the best indicator of non-recognition anyway. Some of the dogs I grew up with would bark if someone arrived at the door even if that person was well known to them and had been for years. Sometimes a bark just means "Hi! I'm excited to see you! Hey, there's someone at the door! Maybe he has food!"  )

A topic came up in our game chat and I think it deserves a wider range of community involvement and thought. So the question concerns Shape Changing.

Deryni Magic clearly tells us that Shape Changing is both a combination of illusion and physical changes.

The subject must be roughly the same height and build in order to change into someone known. You cannot shape change a tall man into a dwarf. And there is no canon reference of any Deryni using Shape Change to take the shape of an animal or object.

These are the known limitations in the use of this fantastic power.

We can deduce that it changes the voice of the user as well. Otherwise everyone would have noticed that Alister sounds exactly like Camber. Or that Brother John sounded exactly like Evaine.

The question was raised, what about dogs? Dogs and other animals recognize people as friend or foe based on smell. (Some like crows and some insects due use sight to recognize others so they could be fooled.) But could a dog be fooled?

We have nothing in canon that states one way or the other. On this question. Now was it left out because dogs too are fooled or was it left out because the author didn't want to bother with it.

"Historically," we know that the time period presented across the novels did have a lot of dogs in use. Humans and Deryni kept dogs for hunting and guarding their homes. My dogs bark like crazy when they encounter someone that is not known to them. Even if they can't smell them.

We know that a Deryni wouldn't have any problem dealing with an animal that smells them as their true-self even though they look like someone else. A little rapport and the dogs will be eating out of your hand.

But we know that there have been cases when a Deryni has placed a Shape Change over someone else. A human or a blocked Deryni. Neither of these would be able to easily convince the dog.

Let's take for example Stefan Coram. He chanced on the opportunity to take the memories and shape of Rhydon of Eastmarch. And lived as him for many years. But when he first took the man's shape. He would have to go "home" to Eastmarch.

Did the Eastmarch dogs react to him as they would to their master Rhydon? Or did the smell an unfamiliar person and reacted negatively to him? Likewise, the same question arises when Stefan/Rhydon goes to Torenth and Wencit. Wencit's dogs may know the scent of Rhydon but does Stefan smell like Stefan or does the magic make him smell like Rhydon or nothing at all?

These and similar questions popped up the other day in chat and are now presented to the full community to discuss.

There is one .... at https://rhemuthcastle.com/index.php/board,196.0.html

Yes-- I'd love to see a section of memes!

Memes are always a welcome addition! I throw a few in on the discord where I feel they might be useful. A dedicated part of the forum might be even better.

Quote from: tmcd on July 02, 2025, 06:40:02 PMIs it possible to insert an image from your own hard drive, or do you have to upload it to a site like Tumblr and then use "Insert an image" (which appears to accept only a URL)?

i found that i had to host it elsewhere and use the url!

Is it possible to insert an image from your own hard drive, or do you have to upload it to a site like Tumblr and then use "Insert an image" (which appears to accept only a URL)?