| Term |
Definition |
D
|
|
| DAE |
Medical shorthand for "double above elbow" ie, people who have lost most of their arms up to or just above the elbow. Usually applied to amputees. |
| Day / Daylight |
The rising of the sun is used as a trigger, causing transformed subjects such as werewolves to change back to normal. Other creatures, such as vampires, cannot stand the light of day and perish when exposed to it. |
| Demi- |
A prefix indicating "Half". It is usually applied to minor gods, although some Furries have used the term "demi-human" to indicate a non-specific furry type. |
| Demons |
Demons and other dark spirits are sometimes portrayed with shape shifting abilities to aid them with their plans. While these transformations are usually out of their 'natural' forms, and into more human forms, some demons in stories have been shown to be quite the transformation artists. |
| Density |
A sort of transformation, usually used as an ability. Altering one's molecular density allows them to either be able to pass through solid objects (see Phasing) or to become very hard and virtually invulnerable. In most cases, their appearance does not change. A DC Comics hero with this ability is the Martian Manhunter (See entry). |
| Devolve |
See Devolution. |
| Devolution |
1. The rapid transformation from an advanced state to a less advanced state. Stereotypically, a human becomes a caveman, then an ape, then a monkey, and on down to primordial slime. 2. What you see over the course of any political campaign. |
| Dick-Girl |
A Japanese and Far Eastern term for a girl with male genitals, usually just portraying a penis. Japanese censorship though usually causes the display of such art to be obscured in the genital regions. See also Hermaphrodite. |
| Dictionary |
1. A collection or words and definitions such as this sorry mess pretends to be. 2. In transformation tales, a magic dictionary is sometimes used as a plot device to add, delete or redefine words. So if a person deleted the word "dog" all dogs would vanish in the story; if they redefined "Dog" to mean a sort of plant, there would suddenly be a lot of barking plants (presumably dogwoods) barking in the story. Such stories try to examine the "What if" aspect of things. See also Fate. |
| Dionysos |
In Greek mythology, the god of wine and all altered states- drunkenness, acting, etc, and physical transformations as well. One of the few gods who was mortal, he traveled around as male or female, or as an animal - usually a bull or a lion. Like all gods of myth, he could transform mortals as well, and since he was more often on the mortal plane, he was more apt to do it. His followers included the male Satyrs and the Maenads or "Mad Women". To the Romans he was known as Bacchus. In both cultures he had a number of popular festivals dedicated to him. See also the entry on Midas, King. |
| Divine Acts |
Most cultures have creation myths where humanity was created by a God out of something inanimate, usually clay or mud. Later literary works of these assorted cultures attribute transformations caused by the gods usually as a reward (the transformation into a Constellation of stars for instance) or a punishment (the transformation of Lot's wife into a pillar of salt). In any case, it is probably a good idea to stay on the good side of someone calling themselves a 'god' and displays the supernatural powers to prove it. |
| DNA |
The building blocks of life as we know it. They can be altered by mutation or engineered to create a new life form. |
| Donkey |
A stubborn horse like animal also called an ass, burro, and jackass. These stubborn qualities have lent themselves to people being compared to the animal, and sometimes transformed into one. It was used as an early transformation topic in "The Golden Ass" a story written by Apuleius in the second century AD about a man who is changed into an ass and his misadventures; Shakespeare had Puck transform one of his characters into a man with an donkey's head in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"; Pinnochio was nearly turned into a donkey in his adventures; cartoons of the 1930's and 40's often have characters 'turning into' a jackass when they realize how foolish they are- partly since the spoken word would not have gotten by the censors of the day, while the image would. |
| Dragon |
Generally, a large lizard-like creature, with many subtypes. A few sentient dragons have been portrayed in stories with shape shifting abilities, usually the ability to change into a human form. The origins of dragons apparently comes from the discovery of dinosaur bones. Such "dragon" bones are prized by oriental medicine for use in remedies. In Europe and the Middle East, such dragons are usually portrayed as destructive monsters. In the Orient, notably China, they are generally portrayed as benevolent entities and guardians of certain areas. |
| Dreams |
A fantasy land constructed by sleeping minds. Since it is fantasy, all the rules go out the window until the sleeper awakens. In some cases, the dream is a reality where the dreamer has to take part in the adventure, perhaps changed into a different, better suited form for their adventure. See Sleep. |
| Drider |
A term that is sometimes applied to spider-centauroids; also called Spitaurs or Spidaurs; they are human from the waist up, and have the body of a spider from the waist down. |
| Drugs |
A sort of potion used to trigger a transformation, but is based on "Science" rather than "Magic". Among the first tale of this sort of transformation was "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" where a mild mannered doctor takes a drug and is transformed into the beast-like Mr. Hyde. A more modern rendition of this is the movie "Altered States". In most cases these drugs are addictive, and destructive, just like in the real world. |
| Dryad |
A tree spirit, which generally resides in a tree, but is able to transform or manifest itself in a human form (usually female) See also Nymph. |
| DSD |
Medical Shorthand for "double shoulder disarticulate" - ie, people without arms. Usually applied to amputees. |
| Durlaan |
A species of shapeshifting aliens featured in DC Comics. Initially introduced via the hero "Chameleon Boy" of the Legion of Super Heroes in the 1950's these shapeshifters are fairly powerful and are able to combine and reshape their forms in a collective fashion to create larger structures than a lone Durlaan could. See also Composite Man. |
| Dust |
In many funeral rituals, part of our final state and transformation ("Ashes to ashes, dust to dust"). Dust is a fine powder that is sometimes used as a transformative agent in stories. |
