Duhlark's animerge

Duhlark's animerge was an arcane alteration spell that combined two different creatures into one being.

Effects
This spell fused two different creatures into a single unique form, combining traits of both into the new form. This spell would not function, and often killed, creatures that possessed any magical abilities. Transmuters who cast this spell could "design" the combined creature to their liking, but the results were random when the spell was cast by any other kind of wizard.

Both subject creatures needed to be within of each other when the spell was cast and the new creature would appear where the larger creature was standing. There was a good chance that the magic of the spell would kill one or both creatures, resulting in the spell's failure, but the spell would function properly if both creatures survived the casting. There was a higher chance that the spell would fail if one of the creatures was warm-blooded and the other was cold-blooded. Creatures possessing intelligence higher than that of an animal were likely to have their mind shattered during the casting, resulting in an uncontrollable wild creation. The resulting creature was likely not able to breed successfully unless the animerge was sealed with a permanency spell.

The new creature was a permanent creation unless undone by the reverse of this spell, Duhlark's separation.

Components
In addition to verbal and somatic components, this spell required as material components the two target animals to cast.

History
This spell was developed by Duhlark Kolat, a powerful mage from Waterdeep. Wicked spellcasters used this spell to create broken ones.

A copy of Duhlark's animerge was stolen, amongst other magics and secrets, from Kolat Towers on the orders of Hlanta Melshimber before being fenced to an apparently reputable dealer. Under a new name, join animal, this spell was sold to Nestor Podgin in the and would become a key part of his business, Monsters Made to Order, and the creation of the russet owlmonster.