The focus of this post is WHAT makes up forms, because it's slightly complicated.
It isn't just the body of the form a contract takes. A contract includes everything on that person's body, too, including clothing, weapons, etc etc. And when a Morphila shifts into that form, those things are included as well--as part of their real body.
Forrr example, if a Morphila took up a contract with a Human, they would get the naked body, the clothes, and the mask (if those last two are on the body, anyway). If, when shifted into that specific Human form, the Morphila's clothing ripped, it would be considered actual damage to their real body. They wouldn't bleed from that clothing, since it is literally just fabric, but if they were to shift back into their true form there would be bleeding. Or, if one of the lenses of the mask was smashed in, shifting back into their true form would result in, likely, orbital fractures and a smushed eyeball.
They can fix these damages, though! Mending the clothing would heal up the possible injuries to the true form, and repairing the mask would revert most of the possible damages done to the eye.
However, the usual way Morphila deal with this issue is by removing the clothing from the contract. They can do this two ways: the unpleasant way, and the meditative way. The unpleasant way usually includes torture of some kind 😬 The meditative way is the way taught to most kids: contract negotiation happens... telepathically? Sort of. There is no actual conversation going on inside their heads, but every Morphila is taught how to control what they keep with their contracts, which is done through meditation.
(I do think it's important, at least for any that are reading my fic, to note that some aspects of a contract cannot be gotten rid of. An Iau Hegadan form's wings, for example, or a Transportau form's floaters. This includes Human masks. None of these could be removed for the negative health consequences that would occur. I'll get into that later, I should think.)
Drawing Morphila (or just their appearance vs. Humans, lol)
Morphila are one of the humanoid species on L'vari. There will be more on them in the future, but the basics are that 1) froggy and 2) shapeshift! This post is a soft-launch of them, I suppose, focused on the plain, naked physical appearance (literally; I'll get to clothing later, because there's a lot to unpack in that regard).
image quality tanked for some reason :/
Anyway, here's the text in case you can't read my handwriting (top to bottom, left to right)
bigger eye sockets (bigger eyes)
I usually represent this with lil lines next to the mouth
can like. unhinge their jaw. for fun.
slanty nose things
(I'm actually not sure of the evolutionary reasons/physiological difference; I just like the look of it o7 )
thighs and calves remain the same length
bridge/midfoot elongated
floor contact at balls of foot
idk digitigrade stuff
I made this bc I was drawing a Morphila and got ticked that I kept switching up how I drew the legs, and figured I might as well share this since I'm at it!!
Because of their legs, Morphila in their true forms (true forms being the froggy bodies; other forms are bodies they can shift into since they're shapeshifters) prefer to be crouched down rather than standing all the way up. They can balance while standing, certainly, but crouching puts less strain on the joints (and most tasks can be done crouched as well as any task done by someone standing). Therefore! I frequently draw Morphila in their true forms crouched down instead of standing when doing scene drawings. (Character design drawings are often standing, and I will attach some of these to this post.)
Byyy the way: no ears. I don't know the evolutionary reasons for the way our ears look, either, but I'm pretty sure frogs, like fish and lizards, have internal ears! (I have not researched this, and do not plan to, sorry amphibian-lovers, lol.) Where their ear would be is a lil circly-oval section that does the auditory/vibration processing procedure.
They have green skin, black/dark hair (so no blond Morphila), and typically green or brown eyes. There aren't many visual disparities between regions of Morphila, especially in the Midizlanz Islands (where a majority of Morphila live), but areas with more solid land (like the North or South of the nation based in the Midizlanz Islands) tend to have more color splotches (like vitiligo if it was dark green, and changed mainly due to excessive sun exposure instead of autoimmune responses and genetics).
Here's a drawing of Morphila in their true form!
It's got most of the things I've described above: green skin, wacky legs, big eyeballs, slanty nostrils. I know the clothes are weird--we'll get to that eventually. I'll get into the history and reasoning of that. Here, I just wanted to focus on the body.
all the academic parts that are required of the Field students are things all students should learn according to the Standard Education Association. Zlanzgard, alongside the Boulevardians, many Sekratuan nation-states in Lower Saizena, Dole-Krinee, and a few Sekratuan nation-states on the east coast of Upper Saizena, is a part of this association! as the name of the association implies, they come up with the academic/intellectual standard each kid should be at in each level of development.
(also, just for ease of understanding, Guardians are the adults responsible for raising the kids. there are Carehouse Guardians, whose jobs are to be parents and be the center of the kids' home life; and there are Academics Guardians, whose jobs are to teach. the majority of Morphila never meet their birth parents; their parents are their Guardians.)
Home school
for ages 1-4! it's toddler care, lol. they learn how to pay attention when someone is speaking/giving instructions, basic social etiquette, and start learning how to read and count. mostly a lot of playtime and learning appropriate speech, though.
2. Primary school
for ages 5-8! Basic schooling—learn your letters, numbers, colors, ect, when they’re younger, get into reading and basic (basic) mathematics. when they're older, get into complex readings, interpretation, and more complicated mathematics (fractions and long division and whatnot).
for Intelligence and Medical students, their academic coursework is more rigorous. it's basically like taking Advanced Placement or Honors classes.
3. Secondary school
for ages 9-12! In terms of generic learning, the kids would read more advanced books, dive into history, learn math things that would be useful for the future. they learn the most crucial academic things for everyday living.
once again, Intelligence and Medical students experience a more rigorous academic schedule than those in Field. they're also learning the crucial academic things for everyday living, but also the crucial academic things for their possible future job. think pre-calculus, anatomy and physiology courses, more conceptual science classes, deeper literary analysis, etc etc.
here is where they learn everything they need to know about living in society. there are more classes specifically on social etiquette/how to behave appropriately in the army. (reminder: army =/= military!) they learn how to apply for transfers on their own (without help from their Guardians), they learn Base manners, they learn about other cultures in-depth, many learn the basics of another language, they learn about how to apply for various extraneous contracts, etc etc. (what they DON'T learn is how to retire. or how to survive as a retiree. I'll get into the retirement culture in Zlanzgard eventually :D )
secondary school is also when PT is required and basic military customs (addressing superiors by “sir” or their rank, saluting superiors, etc) are introduced. there are new rules in chores and in cleanliness standards for bedrooms and whatnot, and Guardians are expected to be much more strict with the kids.
most kids also find extracurriculars during this time. it’s mostly like martial arts things or high-contact sports or music/dance clubs, but the nerds might pull together something like a chess club or book club. basically this period is “encourage the kids to get as busy as possible, and get used to it”.
4. Graduation school
for ages 13-16!
all of the academic things learned here are busy work. at this point, they should be able to do what they would need to get by in society--at least academically. they don’t really go beyond basic geometry and algebra in math, learn essential sciences (like baby physics, baby chem), learn literary literacy/media literacy, be able to make simple speeches or essays, and understand history (context, actions, consequences, etc etc). they repeat things they did the year before, they’re graded harshly, and they always have at least 3 assignments. just keep 'em busy af.
some do learn more complex things! even in the Field Branch. but that's mostly for those in Espionage. some teachers chose to teach their kids more theoretical math or literary analysis with less obvious practical application--but that's just another “what’s the point? follow my instructions, that’s the point” thing. grad school really is just to beat into these kids a deference for authority, get them to understand their rung on the latter.
once again, the Ints and Med students get no break. this is the calculus and statistics, advanced and practical science, labs and seminars and whatnot. basically college for these guys, for whatever their probably career will be.
they begin basic firearms training, learn more military history, customs, structure, and laws, and (for more future-officers-oriented schools) leadership skills. they’re driven through rough physical conditioning, through combat training, obstacle courses, and endurance tests. this is even for Ints and Med students, and students that plan to go on to work on-base. this training is for everyone.
Carehouse life is basically bootcamp. rooms are changed into barracks, inspections are done with a militaristic precision and specificness, the kids get “leaves” or “passes” that they lose if they mess up, the Guardians pretty much act like drill instructors, most of the time. some Guardians who stick through a group until they graduate, rather than sticking with one age group, are a bit kinder in this stage, but there is a certain expectation of Guardians to be firm.
all kids have to be enrolled in some extracurricular, too. if they can’t decide (which isn't something that happens frequently), martial arts is the go-to.
5. Bootcamp
idk if this technically counts as school, since they are officially in the army, but from 17-18yrs they aren't sent out into their actual jobs. for Field conscripts, it's usually some hands-on training/apprenticeship. for Ints, it's internships and apprenticeships. for Med students, there's something similar to residency/post-graduate training. Med students usually don't leave their "bootcamp" until the end of their first contract!
extra stuff under the cut :)
here, I'd like to point out that although the kids are automatically sent to one school or another in infancy, they always have the option to switch schools. there are tours of other schools, career fairs, shadowing opportunities--even as early as primary school. also, Guardians are constantly assessing their kids to move them to a place that would benefit/interest them more.
also, even once they've graduated (and finished their first work contract) they can go back to school, if they do the proper paperwork for it. if a Field enlistee decides they want to go into the Medical Branch, they can apply to transfer. these sorts of transfers are pretty much always accepted, since morphs are going to be the most productive and willing to do work that they want to do; keeping one in a job that they went through the effort of applying to get out of would be counter-productive.
however, if one decides to transfer to the Intelligence Branch or Medical Branch, it's required that they back to school for--at minimum--two years (could be longer; there are placement tests they have to take before officially transferring), and then do whatever bootcamp is typical for someone in that field. so it's a lot more work, in either case of transferring while still in school or after their conscription, but it is possible and encouraged! :)
overall, this is a education system that tries its best to prepare the kids for 1) functioning appropriately in society and 2) working well even under extreme stress. the requirements are pretty clear--as are the goals of the Guardians' actions. the kids can get annoyed or tired of it, and that is the point. idk. the kids would hate it, but I don't think many look back and believed they learned something for nothing (aHEM American high-school system...).
anyway, I think this is cool, and I hope you do too! see ya!
like. military structures. but these structures are the same for any job in Zlanzgard, not just for military jobs.
everyone is considered to be jn the "army". being in the army, here, only means being in the official work-force.
the branches are the same that I mentioned before: Field, Intelligence, and Medical.
the corps are the same that I mentioned before: Land, Aquatics, and Espionage.
Naming the rest:
Divisions are numbered 1-10
Regiments are described for purpose (Central Sanitary infantry, Mack infantry, West Sea infantry, etc) and given a number for their division (1-9)
Battalions are numbered 1-8
Companies are code-named and given short, memorable words (i.e. Easy or Dog for E Co. or D Co.) (Typically A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
Troops are given color codenames (i.e. Red, Yellow, Blue, White, Black)
Platoons are number 1-5
Squads are numbered 1-4
EXAMPLE of someone saying what they’re part of: “1st squad of Easy Blue's 2nd platoon, 2nd battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Land corps.” (Squad, company + troop, platoon, battalion, division + regiment, corps.) (aHEM can you see what fandom I'm part of...)
the company + troop part can be shortened, too. sometimes instead of saying the whole thing, they'll say the first letters of their company and troop. you'll be understood, but usually it isn't needed; the company and troop namings are already short and easy to say.
unless it's specifically requested morphila remain in their teams (and, if there needs to be some shuffling, it typically only happens within a troop). it's very possible, and common, for inter-company or wider transfers to happen, but it requires a lot of paperwork. not paperwork that's difficult to get approved, but still a lot of it.
but yeah! teams are super close-knit, since transfers become more and more rare after bootcamp.
these are Zlanzgard's "states". yeah, there are over a hundred of them 😬 they were made, pretty much, by pre-existing territories that they took over when Zlanzgard was being established. (some of them, like Base 103, was created amidst some domestic conflict!)
Base 00 is also referred to as Headquarters. And the common short-hand for Bases is "B-#". For examble, Base 20 could also be called B-20.
Cities/towns have actual names. Plenty of them are like "Patton's Post" or "Roman's Stronghold", but there are just normal town names, too. For example, the structure of an address would be "Patton's Post, Base 22, Zlanzgard" (like NYC, New York, USA).
There can multiple islands to one Base. In which case there'd probably be an extra line in the address for the island's name. Example: "Patton's Post, Stratford Island, Base 25, Zlanzgard".
hope this was interesting!
(to those coming from my fic: I also hope this is helpful in determining the locations of the boys throughout the war!!)
when a Morph feels considerable pain, they automatically shift back into their true forms. no matter whether their preferred form is a Hilalots or a Iau Hegadan--if they get really hurt and they can feel it, it's an automatic shift. shifting into anything does take work, despite how little energy it takes for them, and when they feel hurt that work isn't dedicated to maintaining an odd form, but instead to fighting against whatever is causing the pain.
this includes body parts that aren't part of the normal Morphilan form! IH-Morph's wings get cut off? OW! automatic shift, automatic gouge in their back. Itsus-Morph breaks their tail? OW! automatic shift, automatic broken leg bones.
some can more easily handle pain, so they can prevent automatic shifts if they're thinking about it, but most of the time if there's a lot of pain, the Morph shifts.
and, slightly more morbid but still on-topic, all dead Morph bodies are in their true form. even Morphila that die relatively peaceful deaths shift back into their true forms the moments before death, if they somehow weren't already true-form shifted.
this was more of a sad one, but i hope it was interesting!!
so! every form comes with its perks and disadvantages, because each form comes with the same physical changes as the species they pose as. Here's a listy list :)
Human
they still need their masks, and those masks need to be functional. if they didn't, their vision would get a little bad (though never completely blind) and they would get vvvery sick, resulting in an automatic shift back into their true form.
Sekratua
purple skin, black eyes, lines, etc
no rkcinltaul stuff. They do have an increased sense for liars, though.
no rlaikanm stuff either!
Itsus
the tail + ability to breathe underwater
more energy from the sun!!
but they have to eat more than any real Itsus
Iau Hegadan
wings!!!
but they can't fly with them :(( they can glide, but not fly on their own
no future-telling stuff, either
Turakurtz
advanced senses! (hearing, smelling, etc)
no magical empathy though
Transportau
floaters
but the floaters don't got no souls
can't teleport, neither, but they are generally taller/lankier than everyone else (longer legs = faster travel)
Pyra
ashy hands, red eyes
no fire powers :( however! they do naturally run warmer than everyone else with no consequence
no fire immunity :((
no hallucinations!! :DD
Hilalots
can live just as long as any real Hilalots! they rot the same way
although, their true form still takes on whatever damage their Hilalots form takes. so. pretty much after a few decades of using the form it's a danger to shift into any other form
no magic, too :(((
some may be cooler than others, some are lamer than others, but overall I think it's a good balance. if there are any questions feel free to send them to my asks :DDD hope this was interesting at least!!
random Morphila drawing! I just like their froggy legs.
oh! might as well talk about gender in Zlanzgard :) this is gonna get into some history and other cultures, so I'll put the simple stuff before the cut :D
let's start with our lil shapeshifters. since Morphila are shapeshifters, and are therefore not constrained by absolute body forms, they wouldn't assign any kid a gender when they’re born. a sex, maybe (though even that wouldn't be accurate, but that's something I can get into later), but they all go by they/them in their true form. in any other form, they would be called according to the species involved.
the Itsus are sexless (and they speak Old Revnenge, which is a genderless language), so Morphila in Itsus forms go by they/them, too. Pyra also speak Old Revnenge, and therefore Pyran-Morphila go by they/them.
then, onto the stuff easy for our little brains to comprehend: gender based on appearance. the Iau Hegadan do this (speaking an IH-specific version of Revnenge, which has gendered words)! based on some familiar secondary sex characteristics:
noticeable breasts (feminine) vs unnoticeable breasts (masculine)
wide hips (feminine) vs narrow hips (masculine)
higher voice (feminine) vs deeper voice (masculine)
and feminine folks go by she/her; masculine folks go by he/him.
Hilalots are odd. when they're young, they go by the above system. the South Pole Hilalots go by they/them when they're super deep into their rot (aka many bodily features aren't very distinguishable), but the North Pole Hilalots continue going by whatever pronouns they'd been going by before. Hilalots forms usually don't get very rotted (for reasons I'll get into eventually), so the they/them vs. old pronouns thing isn't something they have to deal with frequently, but it is still a thing they do, regardless of where the form originally came from.
Sekratua are the last and most odd. so, all Sekratua, until a few hundred years ago (around the fifteenth century) lived in the northern-most Saizena. for even more years before that, they spoke the same Revnenge the Itsus speak (so no gendered language). they had the concept of sex, obviously, but the commonly accepted social custom in terms of identifying someone was their sociability. Sekratuan communities, even back then with all the people around, weren't much larger than a hundred people.
so, generally, Sekratuans didn't identify someone based on their hair or clothing or role in the family, but instead on whether they're a people-person or not. the words in Old Revnenge are "rilia" (meaning "an extrovert") and "rulua" (meaning "an introvert"). (I can definitely make this its own post eventually, lol.) even when Upper Saizena was coerced into speaking Eviclon, the Sekratua managed to keep this custom and--eventually--rulua went by he/him, rilia went by she/her.
Morphila respect the above custom, and generally do the same thing! "masculine presenting", to Sekratua, means being introverted and self-isolated. "feminine presenting", to Sekratua, means being extroverted and community-based. the Morphila follow those customs for all Sekratua forms, too :)
idk if the extrovert/introvert -> gender/pronouns makes any sense. but.... I mean, makes no more sense than the arbitrary binary we have irl, imo! I considered doing a lot more wacky gender things bc it's fun, but ultimately decided messing around with one species was enough, lol.
hope this was interesting at the very least!!! <3
(Note for anyone coming here from my fic: these pronouns ideas are actually a big thing I've ignored whilst writing. Hoosier, if I did do this, would go exclusively by they/them, and plenty of background characters would have odd pronouns too. I decided to ignore this aspect of my worldbuilding for this fic, which I don't mind :) )
