A stumper of a question (TF discussion)

[wandering_spirit]

While doing a bit of RP with a friend, I came across something particular. It's as much a question as it is food for thought: Imagine that there's a potion out there that when taken by a person transforms the said person in such a way that it shows his or her true colors. What would happen if people drank it?

The idea here is TF on two levels: physical and psychological. In the story, my character was born looking human, but she is half-dragon and her heritage is locked in her body. If it were unleashed, she would transform.

Now, what do you think would happen if people willingly took such a potion? What do you think would happen to you?

[kattphive]

so, what, you're thinking that every person has a spirit animal that would be released,
or
that a 'normal' person would become what they want the most, so like a musician, racecar driver, world class chef. etc?

[TF-Viewer]

Someone drinks it and they turn into Vince McMahon and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNgxyL5zEAk

[RayO_ElGatubelo]

Isn't that the plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

[Crash Ichimonji]

Originally Posted by RayO_ElGatubelo

Isn't that the plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

My thoughts exactly.

And define 'true colors'. Are we talking about things they keep to themselves, like snide comments? Or is it more of a case of one's deepest, darkest, subconscious thoughts and feelings that (if ever) manifest themselves only in a nightmare or weird dream?

[Xanderfox]

Originally Posted by RayO_ElGatubelo

Isn't that the plot of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

Close but no Mr Hyde is Dr Jekyll's evil said, Jekyll's formula was meant to remove all evil from a person but instead split him into two halves.

A potion to bring out you "true colors" I think would have different effects on different people. In some it would simply enhance their talents, in others it would cause them to openly display behaviors and opinions they keep hidden. People would become animals, beautiful beings, and monsters as well. It would be different for everyone

[Crash Ichimonji]

Originally Posted by Xanderfox

Close but no Mr Hyde is Dr Jekyll's evil said, Jekyll's formula was meant to remove all evil from a person but instead split him into two halves.

A potion to bring out you "true colors" I think would have different effects on different people. In some it would simply enhance their talents, in others it would cause them to openly display behaviors and opinions they keep hidden. People would become animals, beautiful beings, and monsters as well. It would be different for everyone

What if someone was delusional to the point of thinking they were a god? If Caligula took it would he have become Zeus? Would any pharaoh who took it become Ra?

Would Jack Dawson become King of the World if he took it?

[Sunstrider]

Originally Posted by Xanderfox

Close but no Mr Hyde is Dr Jekyll's evil said, Jekyll's formula was meant to remove all evil from a person but instead split him into two halves.

A potion to bring out you "true colors" I think would have different effects on different people. In some it would simply enhance their talents, in others it would cause them to openly display behaviors and opinions they keep hidden. People would become animals, beautiful beings, and monsters as well. It would be different for everyone

Isn't this how Hulking-Out works in Marvel Comics?
The transformation turns the affected into overexaggerated versions of who they always wanted to be, like the mousy and shy Jen Walters transforming into She-Hulk; a sexy, confident, green amazon.

[wandering_spirit]

Well, I'm glad this question led to so many other questions.

As stated in the first post, one of my original characters - Lady Xera - was born a half-dragon, but she physically shows no sign of such a heritage. The potion in question is meant to awaken that side of her.

During the story, the only one time where she has achieved a full dragon transformation, the result showed her as a wiser, more confident being than she is in her human form, but the change only lasted for a short lapse of time and took far too much mana to do again. Lady Xera's consort, a dragon could take a human form, believes that by awakening her heritage, she can unite the people and dragons of her land.

I don't know if this clarifies anything, but that's my answer for now.

[darkkol]

Well looking at the posts, I thought of the Mask with Jim Carrey. He was a love addicted but suppressed guy that loved cartoons. The Mask brought out his true self but made it a extreme version of it since it was tricksters gods mask.

You could have a item or potion due the same but if you wanted to take it to extreme dragons in a lot of stories tend to be arrogant and very conceited. They are wise usually but in a extreme version would not share that wisdom as normal people are all small insects not worth her time or effort to talk to or in the case of evil dragons a quick a tasty snack.

[wandering_spirit]

Originally Posted by darkkol

Well looking at the posts, I thought of the Mask with Jim Carrey. He was a love addicted but suppressed guy that loved cartoons. The Mask brought out his true self but made it a extreme version of it since it was tricksters gods mask.

You could have a item or potion due the same but if you wanted to take it to extreme dragons in a lot of stories tend to be arrogant and very conceited. They are wise usually but in a extreme version would not share that wisdom as normal people are all small insects not worth her time or effort to talk to or in the case of evil dragons a quick a tasty snack.

I'm not saying I'd push it to the 'extreme version'. And as for who Lady Xera is, she was raised in an orphanage and left it to join House Amber (one of the Houses of the island-city - this one refers to adventurers and mercenaries). She was helped by a man who allowed her to train, and after six years of it, she avenged the orphans that were mistreated by the orphanages' patrons by killing the two who mistreated them. After escaping the law and thinking back on what she had done, she tried to end herself... only for her suicide attempt to fail and leave her memories completely shattered.

Saved by a group of adventurers, she was given refuge in the House of Glass - the poorest district in the city. Though some of her memories returned, she decided to focus all of her energy into giving back to people who had nothing. Her rise to noble status was due to her father's inheritance - which is also the reason for her dragon's blood.

[Xanderfox]

Originally Posted by Crash Ichimonji

What if someone was delusional to the point of thinking they were a god? If Caligula took it would he have become Zeus? Would any pharaoh who took it become Ra?

Would Jack Dawson become King of the World if he took it?

I think they would find that ironically the life of a God s a lot harder than they think it is. I doubt the cosmos would let them shirk their responsibility, they would face a life with NO free time at all. They'd find they where now the cosmic janitor/repairman and work is 24 Hours day, 7 days a week with no vacations. Add to that I think if you became the god of a Pantheon then the rest of said Pantheon would become real too. Becoming King of the Entire world? That would rapidly become hell on earth, having to deal with every problem from mundane bureaucracy to international politics? What person could be sane or happy being that?