Turnskins. Mages that specialize in altering and transmuting their form.

Turnskins are mages that specialize in altering and transmuting there form. They control the threads of magic to add or change there very shape. Turnskins are primarily from the rationalizer guilds and schools in the Grand Alliance of Imperial Powers or the central nations. Turnskins are made of students that studied the manipulation of matter in the school of meta-physical Engineering and alteration. The more a turnskin changes into there altered form the more humanity and identity they lose, they also find it harder and harder to turn back into there original mortal forms. This eventually leads to a condition where they take on physical characteristics of there altered state. If they continue to shapechange they eventually lose all sense of self, all memories, their past, and the ability to reason and empathize like mortals can, and they no longer retain the ability to change back into there mortal forms. This is largely do to the Paradox of mind and body where in the more they turn into there altered form the more there minds see that as there true original form. Turnskins were largely used in the Wars of Mind and Body also known as the Imprinter Wars. The Imprinter nations saw them as a necessary sacrifice to protect there way of life and to ensure future developments. The idea was if they turned beastly behind enemy lines they then can serve as great distractions as well as a threat that needed to be put down. Today these once bright mages are now a scourge on the world and are mercifully put down by hunters.   Turnskins altered forms are aberrant twisted unnatural things. Their forms are specially designed to allow them to have more utility and lethality compared to normal soldiers and men in battle. Turnskin casters normally focus on three areas when crafting their altered forms. Those being lethality, mobility, and durability. Most casters choose to have a heavy and highly lethal ground form which allows for maneuverability and granting them high lethality due to their weapons claws, fangs and blades made up of somethings similar to bone but harder and more durable when used to slash prey apart. Many other's choose to create a flying altered form created for speed and agility. Normally light weight to allow for flight they are largely deployed from airships allowing them to attack enemy airships or defend their or allied airships. These forms normally use range weapons allowing for engagement at a distance. These weapons are things like barbs made of bone like material, acid or other substances which are either thrown or spit at targets. Some use claws or a barbed spiked tail as weapons when performing flyby attacks. The smallest group in the turnskins is that of casters who use a form for aquatic environments. This is likely because the oceans and seas are dangerous places full of huge underwater life forms and other hazards. Though turnskins are not stuck to one altered form and have the ability to change aspects of their altered form if they choose to. This increases the likely hood that they become feral because it blurs the lines of their normal mortal form with those of their many different altered forms. This is why a lot of turnskins only stick to one altered form. When in there altered forms turnskins lose some of their ability to think an reason. This is likely why many though not all turnskin casters lose the ability to focus on and express other weaves(spells). Though their remaining intelligent's allows them to be smarter and deadlier then normal beasts.   Mechanics: