Art

Art is a set of magical methods for manipulating a living creature's physical form, introduced to the Variation medics by Hask during the Velosadapter siege of Anger.

Methods
The application of Art is an intimate process, not dissimilar to massage. Before it can begin, the Artist needs to paint symbols on the recipient of the Art, which will direct the rest of the process. To initiate the magical parts of the process, special plants need to be burned. The Artist and subject can continue to work as long as they breathe the smoke.

The artist then works with their hands to craft new organs and otherwise change their subject. The precise sensations experienced by the subject during this process vary greatly, but most Artists are careful to avoid causing pain and irritation (as this can often persist after they finish).

Capabilities
With the right preparation and a skilled Artist, almost any biological structure can be created and integrated seamlessly, regardless of taxonomic distance. Biological structures can also be removed. 'Uplifting' an organism to sapience with Art may be possible, but if it is, it's extremely difficult; so far, it hasn't been done. The physical properties of an organism can also be substantially modified by Art - in particular, large animals often need to be made much lighter before they can be given wings.

Changes introduced by Art are hereditary, and a creature modified by Art can still create viable offspring with a non- or differently-modified creature of the same species. The interactions between different modifications created by Art can be very complicated, frequently creating entirely new organs not present in either parent.

It's not clear whether the grass-footed Variations were created using something like Art or some other magic known only to Hask.

Limitations
Art cannot affect a sapient creature without their active consent, and the subject can stop the process at any time (although, in the case of half-finished Art, this might have disastrous consequences). By 'active' consent, I mean that the subject must consciously consider, and choose to allow, any change before it can be applied. This means Art cannot be effected on an unconscious person, limiting its ability to treat injuries. There are rumoured to be Artists who can bypass this limitation, but if they exist, they keep this secret to themselves.

Art is physically tiring for both Artist and subject. Substantial changes are usually created over several sessions, with lots of food available between.

Some of the herbs burned in Art are quite rare, and difficult to cultivate manually. Respected Artists often employ many gardeners to maintain their supply of such plants.

History
Hask secretly introduced Art to medical workers treating the sick and injured in the inner wall of the fortress Anger. These Variations used it to cure diseases and mitigate hunger, and soon found ways to use the new Art to grant the surviving Variations new ways to fight, such as the ability to spit acid.