Kirt
From Mizahar Lore
| Familiar | |
 | |
| Major features | Made of self-reshaping metallic ore, cold, heavy |
|---|---|
| Abilities | Reshaping, camouflage, eat rock and metal |
Kirt are a Familiar type from the Darkface of Fyrden. They are a mixture of many metallic ores and can take on a number of forms, using their composition to quickly change colors as needed. They feed upon rocks and metals to heal damage and are generally considered among the smartest Familiars. However, they often employ their cunning to enslave their wizard companion to their will. Because of this tendency, Kirt are sometimes given the pejorative moniker of "imps". They are certainly one of the most challenging Familiar types to control, and probably the most difficult of all Darkfacers.
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Appearance
Kirt are made of rock with significant metallic contributions. Most metals that would be found on Mizahar's crust are present in a Kirt's body, except those liquid at room temperature (that is, mercury) and those heavier than lead. A Kirt in its natural form is a jagged stone without a definite shape, usually potato-like in appearance. A cross-section examination reveals that the metal ores are not randomly positioned, but are actually organized in layers. When the creature is not camouflaging, the lighter elements are closer to the surface, with a predominance of bauxite (aluminum) in the outermost layer, followed by iron, copper and progressively heavier ores, with gold and lead residing in the core. It is said that the coexistence of the most and least valuable metals in the Kirt's "heart" is the reason for its sharp intellect and lack of morals, but there is no proof to the statement.
A metamorphosed Kirt is a convincing replica of an animal or person, albeit on a smaller scale. They are better at reproducing skin with marble tones than hair or fur, so they frequently pick hairless forms. They will crumble when hit with violence and have no flesh or blood.
Personality
Kirt, like their Pascid counterparts among the Lightfacers, were once rated as Critical difficulty bondmates by pre-Valterrian wizards. 'Got a Kirt on your mind?' was a popular form of address to indicate that the listener was looking pale or otherwise debilitated. It is not that Kirt are inherently evil - they are, however, inherently amoral. What sets them apart from other Familiars is that they are unlikely to learn morals along the way; in fact, they are unlikely to change at all. In addition, they are overall very intelligent and use their cunning any way they can.
A Kirt is out for itself first, and for the wizard when his survival is endangered. It should be noted that a Kirt cares for the wizard's life, but not for his quality of life. If cutting off his legs and arms makes the wizard more controllable, the Kirt might consider doing so. Driving the wizard insane is a more frequent and convenient avenue. This rarely happens right away; more often, the Familiar spends time learning about his master's personality and finding weak points to break through. In ancient Alahea, wizards with a Kirt Familiars were subject to a sanity check every other year to check for sign of personality changes.
A Kirt is a moodswinger, a refined speaker and a pathological liar. Anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt. They can switch from cheerful to passive-aggressive over a single phrase. While a Kirt mirroring the abilities of its master is a force to be reckoned with, only the most strong-willed should consider one as their Familiar.
Abilities
A Kirt has the best grasp on metamorphosis among all Darkfacers. Only the Pascid rival the Kirt's abilities, with their faster quicksilver reshaping, though the Kirt have them beat in the toughness department. They are capable of reproducing virtually any color thanks to the ability of shaping and recombining ore on the fly. For example, copper alone can look red as cuprite and green as malachite. A Kirt is very skillful at blending with its surroundings. They don't stay perched on the wizard's shoulder all the time, also because they are on the heavier side of the Familiar scale.
A Kirt can be smashed to pieces and will die if it takes enough damage. To counter this, they can regenerate by eating rock and metal. They will refuse to consume elaborate alloys and will prefer ores, but can eat a small metal object such a key given a little time.
Lifecycle
A Kirt's lifecycle is the same as their Familiar brethren. They grow in size throughout their lives by absorbing material and radiations from Fyrden's environment. When their bodies grow too large, they fracture into two or more "children". These spawn-siblings, as they are called, are entirely new creatures and inherit some of the parent's knowledge, including language, but not necessarity its personality. This accretion/spawning process is halted once they are bonded with a Mizaharian wizard.