After leaving the unsheathed Light of Nala in a similar chamber, Tulani was brought to this one and told to change into a simple gown that the attendant handed to her before leaving. After thanking the attendant, the Sylvanian Sphynx quickly changes out of her clothes, which are swiftly folded and set to the side of the room, out of the way. Left by herself, she cant help but fidget a bit as she waits the arrival of the mages to begin the examination, looking upwards curiously at the crystal set in the ceiling.

It is a short wait afterwards until the wizards began to arrive – one of them carrying a stool. Rather than sporting the traditional pointy hats of Sylvanian magic users, these fellows had pointy hoods. Their robes were all black with gold and silver embroidery, but only their hands and the tips of their noses were visible. Those clues and their stature hinted that they were likely all Skreeks.

The stool is set in the center of the chamber, and Tulani was gestured to sit on it while the mages set to work drawing an intricate and artistic pattern on the floor around it in colored chalk. They use a lot of swirls and arcs in the design, which doesn't have anything like the sharp geometry or arcane runes used by College trained mages. Tulani dips her head respectfully when the robed figures begin to enter the room, and shuffles over towards the center as directed.

Taking a seat upon the offered stool, Tulani is very careful not to tread upon or disturb any of the designs being traced out on the floor, keeping her feet very still to avoid scuffing any of the marks. She is also careful not to let her wings brush the ground either. Almost hypnotized with interest, she watches as the mages work, admiring the rather organic nature of the patterns forming around the stool…

"Is there anything you need me to do other than remain seated?" the young woman asks of the nearest mage after an endless moment of wrestling with the desire not to potentially disturb their work.

The nearest robed figure looks up from the floor (although how he can see with the robe draped over his nose like that is anyone's guess) and says, "Mama Baba will be here to examine you shortly. I understand that there is a scar that is to be looked at." The Skreek fishes through a few pockets, finally producing a small knife, which he offers to the Sphynx. "If you could cut away the gown so that it is exposed, it would be greatly appreciated."

"Ah… " Tulani murmurs in her throat as the Skreek explains, accepting this information quietly. She hadn't really had much time in her life (thankfully) to spend underground. Sure, she had been underneath recently, when retrieving the Light of Nala, but thinking about any prolonged period of time without being able to see the sky was rather disturbing…

After several more minutes of working on the circle, the various wizards retreat to the edges and sit down. Each one begins chanting, although no two of them seem to be using the same words or phrases. Not long after they start, a new figure enters the room. This one is wearing a white version of the wizards' robes and leaning heavily on a stout staff. Pulling the hood back, she reveals herself to be an elderly Skreek, her fur gone gray and white. Her eyes are also white from cataracts, making it a wonder that she can see to get around at all.

The Sphynx sits quietly at the center of the elaborately designed circle, half-turning to see the portion behind her as it is finished. It was all rather complicated looking, but the chanting of the robed mages certainly made an interesting background to listen to. Tulani finds her ears unconsciously attempting to untangle the sounds and words circling around the room. She nods slightly to the new figure entering, but stops when she realizes the Skreek may or may not be able to see the gesture. Instead, the sphynx remains quiet, not wanting to disturb anything unless spoken to.

Nobody else in the chamber seems to move a muscle over the next hour. And then the chanting stops abruptly. The white Skreek begins to walk around the circle of mages, muttering as she goes.

Tulani just tries to keep herself from twitching or reactively turning in her seat in an attempt to track to white robed figure circling the room. Instead she concentrates on her breathing and examining the edge of the circles pattern in front of her feet. Things like this were always a little unsettling, especially when they focused on you.

Looking at her feet causes Tulani to not notice the Skreek's movements until she's practically toe-to-toe with the Sphynx. "I am Mama Baba," the woman announces, in a raspy, old-person voice. "You are Tulani, yes?"

The black and white sphynx blinks and looks up quickly at the seemingly sudden question, a bit surprised, "Oh! Yes, that would be me. Pleased to meet you Mama Baba." she answers pleasantly taking a minute to examine the Skreek a bit better now that the woman is closer.

Baba has a few tufts of hair behind her ears (and more inside her ears) but is otherwise covered in short fur and lots of wrinkles, as if her head had shrunk and left behind too much lose skin. Her hands are spotty where they clutch the staff, and up close her eyes seem more disturbing, looking almost boiled. "Is this the scar left by the enchanted amulet?" the old woman asks, poking at Tulani's chest with a bony finger.

Suppressing a slight shudder at the old Skreeks creepy gaze, Tulani nods automatically before catching herself. "Yes, that would be it." the Sphynx replies, looking down at the scarred patch on her chest when poked.

The old sorceress says a tongue-twisting word, and then presses the flat of her hand against the scar. A pulse of heat ripples outward from the mark and causes Tulani to feel like she's about to burst out of her skin. Once the pulse reaches her extremities, though, it returns back as a chill that undoes the feeling, until it collapses back into an icy knot in the center of her chest.

This time Tulani does flinch sharply and then shudder as she feels the energy ripple outwards, shift and retract back. "What was that?" the Sphynx asks automatically asks after taking a shaky breath or two.

"The dragon is inside you still," Baba says, her grin showing lots of gaps. "I just poke it a bit, see if it wants to wake up. But only you can wake it up, eh?"

Tulani rubs the scar on her chest with the flat of her hand for a moment, "Ah, I had been wondering if it was still there… Err… how am I supposed to wake it up, do you know?" She asks with a tone of slight embarrassment.

"Mmmmm, no, I don't," the old witch says, smiling wide for some reason. "How did you wake it up before?"

"Uhh… " Tulani taps the side of her face for a moment thinking, "… I stared a dragon in the face and… then I caught on fire… " the Sphynx answers slowly, feeling rather stupid at not having a deeper or more well put together thought on the matter, "… Then bang, there was the dragon."

"Oooo," coos Mama Baba, tilting her head to and fro to bring her bad eyes closer to the scar. "Mebbe you need another dragon to trigger it, then."

The Sphynx pauses for a minute to think on this… she should talk to Kaira about this… but would that work? She was a spell wasn't she? Did she still constitute as a dragon? Out loud Tulani murmured, "Maybe… dragons aren't something you see every day… I wonder if there's something else… " The young woman tries not to think of the countess and her own 'dragon' for the moment.

"You have the Light of Nala in the other chamber," Baba reminds Tulani. "Maybe that can help? Stab the scar with it, or something," the old crone suggests.

Tulani almost jumps at the suggestion, "Ah… I'd rather not go so far as stabbing the scar since it is kind of attached… but maybe the sword might be able to help somehow." the Sphynx moves to get up and then suddenly stops, "Um. would it be alright for me to just get up and go get it?" she asks of the aged Skreek.

"Best wait," Baba advises. "You're friends are in there with it now, the dark Eeee and the white one, practicing magic. The Countess may be able to advise you though, she knows the most about dragon-halves."

The Sphynx quickly resettles herself on the seat nodding, "Alright. If the countess has the time to talk to me later, I wouldn't want to be a disturbance to her though." Tulani sits there for a moment, closing her eyes and trying to remember what it felt like when she had turned into a dragon in front of Vorgulremik.

"Where you afraid when it happened the first time?" Baba asks.

"Oh yes… I think it's reasonable to say I was absolutely terrified, if I'm remembering right. A little difficult not to be when your standing right in front of something that could burn you to a fried crisp at any moment if it decided to." the Sphynx answers with a trace of dark humor, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she thought about it. "But I don't know if just being scared was what did it… "

"It may be several factors," Baba says, nodding. She reaches out to touch the scar again, but it doesn't cause a pulse. Instead it simply glows with silver light. "We can attempt a more thorough divination, if you do not mind sitting here for another few hours."

"Oh, I don't mind, its always good to know more. I'll be happy to sit here if you think you can find anything else out. I promise I'll try not to twitch to much." Tulani states with a wry smile.

"Alright then, dearie," Baba says, and gives Tulani a pat on the knee. "Just let us know if you get too cold or anything."

"Alright, just let me know if you require me to do anything." The Sphynx replies as she arranges herself into a relaxed position she thinks she might be comfortable holding for a while.

The advanced ritual has had a lot of strange effects on Tulani over the hours. First there were just tingles in various places, and the occasional sharp pain or dull aches as old wounds were probed. Sometimes the chamber would feel like it was closing in on her, causing a mild sense of panic. Every so often, a robed Skreek with a measuring string would approach and take measurements of her arms, legs, neck and head.

Tulani sits very still at first, but as time wears on and hours pass, she takes to shifting periodically in her seat, changing positions when it seems like it won't be an interruption. The Sphynx really surprises herself when it came to the odd sensations that occurred over time … especially when she didn't reactively jump up when the walls started to close inwards.

Though curious as to the reasons for the measurements, Tulani can't seem to bring herself to ask about it just yet, instead asking the next Skreek that comes near her if it would be possible for her to stand up and stretch for a moment?

The next wizard to approach does think it would be okay for Tulani to stretch – if she'd kindly hold the end of his measuring string so he can get the distance between her outstretched hands and toes.

The Sphynx obligingly takes the string as she stands. Stretching all the way up onto the tips of her toes, arms held above her to work out a few kinks in her shoulders, Tulani, holds the position for a minute before settling back down.

"Wait!" Mama Baba calls, and strides over to Tulani. The wizard with the measuring string nearly drops the tablet he was recording the measurements on. "When you stretched just now, there was an odd fluctuation," the crone explains, and places here hand on Tulani's scar once more. There's a familiar tingle from the contact, and then Baba says, "Stretch again, but this time… try to stretch past your body's boundaries."

The Sphynx freezes, taking but a moment to nod in confirmation to the call. "Alright, I'll try. Now let's see," she murmurs to herself. Relaxing, Tulani attempts another stretch, concentrating on each muscle as she slowly lifts up onto her toes once more. Her legs, hips, stomach, back, shoulders, and arms all tensing and stretching, one after another, until she starts to feel an odd sensation within, like a new muscle that hadn't been noticed before, just waiting to be used.

So she stretches it, just a bit at first, until she begins to feel that odd tingling spreading through her chest, and up from the bottoms of her toes. It feels oddly pleasant; tension just draining away, replaced by a growing cool sensation.

As the temperature of the air directly around Tulani starts to drop, a thin layer of frost begins to form upon her fur, tinting it a misty white; knitting it together and solidifying into a fine sheathing of scales. The disposable gown she wore quickly begins to freeze under the change in temperature, cracking and brittle as she moves.

And still the shifting woman stretches, the motions just seemed to keep going; her back and neck arching and flexing in ways that shouldn't be possible, as the change progresses faster. Her body grows slightly as muscles rearrange themselves.

When the last of the quick frozen gown finally crumbles away it leaves behind a dragon of misty blue-white coloration. A pair of back curving ivory colored horns grows just above her brows. Wispy tufts of fur adorn the edges of Tulani's forearms and legs, and a similarly colored mane trails across her forehead, sweeping down to just above the shoulder blades.

A few small features belonging to the original form of the Sphynx did remain however: sapphire blue eyes, the scar embossed on her chest and the diagonal slash of color crossing her face, though the two marks appear to have inverted in color, becoming darker as opposed to lighter.

Tulani herself hasn't seemed to notice her new state yet. Indeed, she just keeps stretching in long, sinuous curves, slipping to all fours in order to better arch her back, and making small contented rumbling noises.

Baba Mama gasps in surprise, having take several steps back to make room for Tulani's larger form. Once the ice settles, the Skreek wizards rush forward with their notebooks and lengths of string to busily measure and record the transformed Sphynx's new dimensions. "Are you still in there, Tulani?" Baba asks the dragon.

The newly formed dragon turns about, circling like a cat where it had stood as a Sphynx just moments ago, and giving several of the robed Skreeks need to either duck or step back to avoid getting bumped by the creatures tail, or clipped by its wings as they stretch wide, before relaxing as it crouches back comfortably in its chosen spot. The dragon yawns widely, showing off sharp rows of pearly white teeth… It then tilts its head to peer at Mama Baba curiously.

"I certainly hope so It would be quite disappointing if it turned out I wasn't … " 'Tulani' replies in a slightly different, deeper voice after a moment of apparent thought.

"Well, that is… good," Baba says, a bit nervously. "How do you feel? Are you experiencing any strange urges?"

I feel… cool… Tulani states calmly. The dragon slowly swivels her head to look at each of the other Skreek wizards in the room… "Urges? Like desiring to devour young maidens and small children?" she replies blandly to Mama Baba, leaving a tense pause before grinning toothily and letting out a liquid chuckle, Not really anything like that, but I wouldn't mind some ice to gnaw on. This feels rather new, a bit different.

"Ice? Very well," Mama Baba says, and sends one of the apprentices off to fetch a bucket of ice. "Now, are you ready to try changing back yet?" she asks.

The dragon ponders this question for a moment, "Give me another moment or two to finish adjusting first?" Tulani suggests, not looking quite ready.

"Alright," Baba says, smiling nicely to the dragon. "Was there anything you wanted to try first?"

"Just moving around a bit. I didn't have a lot of time to adjust the first time this happened, or to think about how everything worked… " the dragon replies as she slowly stands and then looks down at her 'hands' flexing all the fingers. Tulani then arches her head over her shoulder, watching as she curls her tail… "Hmm… this is more flexible than my old tail… "

Wizards scatter to the walls of the chamber to give Tulani room.

Tulani walks carefully from one end of the room to the other, wings tightly folded to keep from smacking anyone. On reaching the other end she slips to all fours, slinking around to get used to the position, reaching out with her tail to try to tickle one of the wizards as she passes… "I'll need to try this out in flight at some point, but I think it will work." the dragon asserts to herself before returning to sit at the center of the room.

The apprentice returns with the bucket of ice, nearly tripping as he runs into the chamber in wide-eyed fear. The reason comes in just behind him: a blue dragon about the same size as the transformed Sphynx. This one, though, is familiar to Tulani at least. "Hi there," Kaira says to the wizards. "I don't suppose my new student and I could have some privacy?" she asks Baba. The Skreek considers it for a moment, then claps her hands and shoos the wizards outside. "I'll be by the door," she notes, before taking her leave.

Tulani eyes the ice brought in by the apprentice and quickly retrieves it from him, popping a frozen chunk in her mouth and chewing thoughtfully for a moment as she watches Kaira enter. "Hello Kaira. I thought you might turn up. " she says pleasantly enough.

"Well, I couldn't have you succumbing to the Virtues without some guidance," Kaira notes, lying down in front of Tulani. "Besides, I'd already finished scrubbing Alptraum's back. I hope your transformation wasn't painful?"

Tulani settles comfortably, tilting her head to examine Kaira for a moment, "Not particularly, it was actually rather pleasant in some ways." she replies in a mildly pleased tone.

"Good, good," Kaira comments with a nod. "Now, down to the important stuff you need to know about while in dragon form," she says. "The most critical being that dragons are a morphic archetype, which means they all share certain characteristics. Some of these may conflict with your normal personality, so you need to be ready to deal with them. With me so far?"

"Makes perfect sense, I felt a bit of that when it first happened I think. it was strange." Tulani says, nodding thoughtfully before motioning for Kaira to continue.

"Draconic behavior is largely determined by the Seven Draconic Virtues: Lust, Paranoia, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, Envy and Pride," Kaira explains, ticking the list off on her fore claws. "They are a bit broad in their interpretation, but you should get the general gist of them."

The paler dragon chomps down another lump of ice as she listens "Interesting… I've never heard of those being thought of virtues… well, not stated directly as such anyways." she echoes back, looking curious.

"Well, they're Virtues for dragons," Kaira notes. "Lust can be any obsessive desire that guides ones actions. I'm sure you're familiar with Vartan 'shiny lust', yes? It can be like that, only more… intense. Everything is pretty much more intense for dragons. You may find yourself lusting after combat, or a particular kind of food, and so on. It will be something that brings you pleasure, and not necessarily anything that can be shared."

"Ahh, yes, that's understandable… and all these other virtues would have a compelling effect of their own correct?" Tulani assumes, looking to Kaira for confirmation and perhaps further elaboration.

Kaira nods, and says, "Lust is probably the least disruptive. Paranoia, however, can have consequences you won't care for. It is basically an amplification of a dragon's already impressive sense of self-preservation. It can lead you to abandon your friends in a tight situation if you aren't careful. While it can be incredibly useful at times, it also leads to unnecessary stress. It is one of the primary reasons dragons are… difficult… to trust."

"Yes, I will have to watch out for that one." Tulani says with a bit of a frown, looking a bit disturbed by a thought and peering narrowly at Kaira,… "And these Virtues would also be one of the reasons dragons don't trust each other, Correct?… because they all know that they share these traits in common. Yes?" she suddenly reasons.

"Oh, certainly," Kaira says. "Dragons are cunning and manipulative. Greed is simply the willingness to better your own situation at the expense of others, and plays in with Paranoia quite well. It's how Vorgulremik got you to go after the sorcerer, for instance. The longer you are in dragon form, the more you will begin to think of people, items and situations in terms of what benefit they can be to you."

"Ah, well, that clarifies things. Certainly makes sense so far, I'll try not to stay in this form too long… please continue." Tulani replies and swallows a bit more ice, emptying the bottom of the bucket.

"Gluttony," Kaira says next, noting the now-empty bucket. "Is fairly harmless. You'll find yourself tending to do things you enjoy to excess. So long as it isn't biting the heads off of babies, it probably won't mess with your head all that much. Envy, on the other claw, will seriously screw with you and your relationships. It's more than just wanting what someone else has; it melds with Paranoia to create the belief that others are deliberately keeping things from you. It makes sharing difficult, at the very least. And you will begin to feel that others are envious of what you have, as well."

The paler dragon looks distinctly unhappy at the concept, but nods acceptingly, "I will try to keep an eye out if I start to drift heavily in that direction… I'll trust you and the others to let me know if I do… "

"I probably wouldn't notice," Kaira admits. "Wrath is a big one too – I'm sure you know just how destructive an angry dragon can be. This might manifest as an overblown sense of insult over relatively minor slights or embarrassments, even to the point of plotting revenge against the perceived perpetrators. It can be addictive, too, leading to destroy-the-village-for-not-having-good-beer syndrome. Dragons are feared for this more than for anything else, and it is the base of the draconic aura."

Not one usually quick to anger, Tulani looks genuinely a bit confused at the idea of forming a 'wrathful' outlook on things, though she could certainly see how it could apply… Vorgulremik certainly seemed the type…

"Pride is… well, natural," Kaira says. "In the hierarchy of Important Beings, dragons would place themselves just below gods – but still above angels and demons, since those are, after all, minions of higher powers. It might lead to misunderstandings or feeling insulted at times – and can lead you to be a little bit condescending also. I am apparently guilty of that myself now and then, although the idea of 'guilt' is a bit fuzzy for dragons anyway when trying to apply it to themselves. We feel above such things, normally. Pride is also the Virtue that is most likely to 'leak' across to your mortal self over time."

"You certainly do, every now and then." Tulani says with a grin obviously showing humor at the suggestion… before sobering, "I have the feeling this is going to prove to get difficult." she says more seriously.

"Well… yes, quite likely," Kaira notes. "You want to use your dragon form for combat, pretty much. And while you did okay against Vorgulremik, you were still lucky to survive. Without practice and discipline, your draconic nature could take over during battle, in which case you could end up hurting bystanders and friends as well as making a greasy mess of your opponent. Learning to control that elemental rage will go a long way towards mitigating the other Virtues as well. So that's what we're going to work on."

"Well, I am certainly glad to have your assistance Kaira. I'd hate to make a mess of this." Tulani says and sighs, stretching, "So, how exactly do you propose to work on this?" the pale dragon arches a brow questioningly.

"Well, the first step, of course, is to make you lose control," Kaira says, smiling. "Bring out the beast, so that you will recognize it when it tries to take over. It'll be fun!"

Tulani groans and scratches lightly at the base of one of her horns, "Somehow, I don't quite see it… I guess… but if I lose control, how do I get it back again? If this is as compelling a state as you make it sound, I don't think willpower alone is the only thing involved… "

"Usually you just tire out," Kaira says. "This transformation is magical in nature, but the longer you stay a dragon the faster the energy will drain off, until you're either really hungry or ready to collapse. I'm pretty sure you will change back to a Sphynx if you lose consciousness. Oh! That reminds me; you should not transform into a dragon if you're pregnant. Just in case."

"I'll try to keep that in… What??" Tulani blinks once, twice, and then a third time before gathering her thoughts, "Err, yes, alright, I'll keep that in mind."

"I don't honestly know if a Sphynx can get pregnant, except by another Vartan perhaps," Kaira muses, rubbing her chin. "But dragons can be compatible with other dragons regardless of origin. So if you meet a big handsome drake, be careful."

Tulani quirks an eyebrow, "Alright, I certainly will then… Somehow I don't think I'm going to be meeting that many other dragons… but who knows… " The pale dragon looks rather uncomfortable… "But as for this whole, 'releasing the beast' attempt you're talking about, what would I do? just try thinking really angry thoughts?" she says, quickly switching the topic back. She doesn't look like she believes it could be that simple.

"I figured on just brining Arkold down to pinch your tail a few times," Kaira says, grinning. "Or I know someone else that can get your blood boiling. Although it might be better to try and restore your natural form first without resorting to violence. Your choice."

"I think I'd better make sure I can get back to normal and back before we start any experimenting." Tulani quickly replies, rolling her blue eyes at the mention of Arkold's tail pinching habits.

"Alright, I think your scar is the key," Kaira says, pointing to the mark on Tulani's chest. "Do you remember breathing frost during you fight with Vorgulremik? Did it feel like a ball of energy growing in your chest?"

"Yep, that's an apt comparison." Tulani quickly admits, "I was a little surprised my tongue didn't go numb."

"Given everything else going on at the time, I'm surprised you even had time to think of that," Kaira notes with a chuckle. "Inhale and build up that ball of energy again, only this time try to push it out through your scar instead of exhaling."

Nodding, Tulani sits up a little straighter, scales rustling, and tries to concentrate on the sensation of the energy she had felt massing inside when she had fought Vorgulremik.

It's there, just behind her breastbone: a cold spark of energy, like a snowball ready to roll downhill and grow into a snow-boulder.

The pale dragon quickly concentrates on gathering the energy up, rolling it into a mass and concentrating on attempting to press it through her scar… a bit like pushing a small avalanche through a sieve.

As Tulani pushes at the energy, trying to press it out through her chest, starts to feel an almost painful tingling in the tips of her fingers, toes and tail, like when your feet go numb and are just beginning to wake up. The energy in her chest builds and builds until it is almost hard to breath and then over flows in a rush…

Mist rolls of Tulani's body as the pair of backswept horns recede into her scalp, the pale colored scales melt away, carving little rivers in the loosening fur of the quickly reforming sphynx… Tulani's entire form visually takes on a momentarily hazy, liquid-like texture as the shift back occurs, leaving behind a rather damp, startled, and naked Sphynx.

"Hmm, have to do something about that dampness," Kaira comments, and gestures to where Tulani's clothes are kept. "Bad enough you have worry about your clothes, but now you need to carry a bath towel as well. Don't let Arkold see. Or those wizards. They'd probably get heart attacks trying to figure out how wet you were or something."

Tulani squeezes a bit of the dampness out of her fur before heading over to her clothes and returning a bit of modesty to herself, "Jeeze, I can just hear the jokes from Arkold… something about a wet cat certainly… " the Sphynx grumbles, but not in an unpleasant way. "We'll see how things work out, I certainly don't want to turn out wet every time."

"Well, it was your first time, there's bound to be some uncomfortable fluids involved," Kaira notes. "I'll get your rage practice organized. Won't tell you when it will happen of course. Better to be surprised!"

"Gah! What is it with surprises?… " Tulani exclaims, though she smiles a bit… "I should probably let those wizards know were done for now… " the Sphynx suggests, heading over to the rooms door.

"Ask them about a drying charm, or something," Kaira suggests… and then just fades away.

Tulani looks at where Kaira stood a moment ago, then down at the small puddle she had been standing on earlier… with a sigh she pokes her head out the door and asks, "Would any of you happen to know a drying charm?… Or perhaps have a towel handy?"