Editing Weremustela (section)

==Appearance==
The four phenotypes of weremustela are very similar in appearance, but a trained observer can tell them apart in their secondary or tertiary aspects. In their primary aspects, of course, all weremustela appear to be normal [[human]]s (or, rarely, [[gnome]]s or [[halfling]]s), though they often exhibit subtle features that hint at their natures, such as lithe bodies, small ears, and toothy grins. In secondary aspect, they resemble normal animals appropriate to their pheonotype: ermines, minks, polecats, and weasels. In tertiary aspect, weremustela present a bizarre, frightening image indeed. Their bodies become longer and suppler, covered with a coat of soft fur. Their arms and legs shorten, ending in paws equipped with wicked little nails. A weremustela’s hands retain full manipulation capabilities in tertiary aspect. A short, furry tail emerges from the base of the spine. The weremustela’s snaky neck becomes nearly continuous with its torso and wedge-shaped head. The head resembles the creature’s phenotype, complete with beady eyes, small ears, and a mouth filled with sharp teeth.

Wereermines stand about five and a half feet tall in tertiary aspect. They are deep chocolate brown on their back, flanks, and outer limbs, with white on the underside and a black-tipped tail. During the winter months, their entire coat becomes snowy white, except for the tail. Wereminks stand around six feet tall in tertiary aspect. Their fur—which tends to be shorter than in other weremustela—is reddish brown to dark cinnamon, with ocassional white markings on the chin, chest, or throat. Werepolecats are about six feet tall in tertiary aspect, though they tend to be on the taller side of the wereminks. They are brown to black in color, with pale yellow underfur and silvery markings behind the eyes. Wereweasels are the smallest weremustela, standing only four and a half feet tall in tertiary aspect. They are generally colored the same as wereermines, and likewise change color in the winter, though they are shorter and slimmer.

Weremustela normally speak whatever human tongues are spoken in the region where they dwell. They also have their own bizarre language filled with hisses, shrieks, and squeals, which is common to all four phenotypes. Like most werebeasts, weremustela can communicate with the normal animals of their phenotype.