Mutations

Temporary illusory images left behind when an elnin walks. Phantom step can appear to be illusory very small critters (mice, insects/butterflies, small fish, small birds, etc.) or flora (flowers, grass, plants, leaves) or other fx (Fire, water puddles, clouds, pawprints, etc.)

Toggle Minimize Trait Examples

Phantom Critters

Phantom Leaves

Phantom Fire fx

Details:

• Illusions must stay near the elnin's paws/ground. If any are near an elnin's tail/trailing behind a little, it is assumed that the tail is on the ground where it is near the illusion rather than the illusion being far from the ground near the tail.
• Illusions will accumulate over time if the elnin is standing still. Over a long enough period this illusion can cover their body in phantom images. This larger illusion is dispelled immediately when nin begins to move again.
• Any critter-like illusions should be no larger than an elnin's paw and simple/have little detailing and few colors per illusion. (3 colors tops per small illusory shape, not counting black or white, on a single mouse or butterfly. Individual butterflies could vary more in color. Like 1 pink and purple butterfly, one yellow and blue, another green and orange, etc. as long as they are kept simple.)
• Illusory critters should be smaller than an elnin's paw not just larger animals scaled down. (For example no hawks but a tiny hummingbird would be fine. No whale sharks but tiny goldfish would be ok, etc.) If you're pondering acceptable size comparisons it would have to be an real life critter compared to a cat paw.
• Illusions should not vary in type. So if the phantom step is butterflies you would not see a mix of birds and butterflies or puddles and frogs.
• All illusions (critter or otherwise) should not appear to be interacting with anything physical (ie. No touching/carrying any physical objects or braiding fur strands). The elnin may interact with the illusions they've created, such as looking at them or pretending to shoo them away as the elnin manifests the illusion. The illusions themselves would not interact with the elnin visually if the elnin's not an active participate/paying attention. Illusions would also not be able to touch the elnin aside from maybe laying next to or on a tail resting on the ground if the elnin pauses for a stride. These are non-sentient/non-living illusions and for that reason they do not think at all.

FX/Critters/etc. Not Allowed for Phantom Step:

(The following list is not all inclusive and may be expanded upon at later time.)

• Vertical lines (typically associated with mana bleed)
• Black/shadow-like appearances like flat black or near black 2D silhouettes.
• Mythical creatures. All critters for phantom step must have a reasonable world earth counterpart that's referencable for sizing as smaller than a cat paw even if it's just generic. For example a critter doesn't have to be a specific species of hummingbird/color use so long as the shape and size is the same.

Please Note: The above information is a rough guideline for the phantom step. As this mutation has a lot of variability, much like some higher tier crowns, approvals for this trait will be responded to on a case by case basis. The team may need to cross check if something strays far from confirmed examples of this mutation, or exceeds expected levels of complexity, etc. We highly recommend running sketches/ideas past the team alongside a design approval if you have this trait. Visuals will be required for examples/related questions.

Please be patient with us as we see how these updated guidelines go. There will be things we have not thought of but that does not necessarily mean everything will be allowed without question given the illusory nature of this trait.

Lore:

• Phantom step can be hidden at will. It's just shrunk out of existence consciously by the elnin. For masterlist art the phantom step mutation has to be visible but for prompts/general lore purposes then it is fine to turn it off.