Pretty much as the title says. Is the Visage form simply an illusion or is it a full shape change like a Worgen?
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I’m under the impression it is a shape-change. Were it a simple illusion overlay, dragons would likely not be able to fit into mortal dwellings and manipulate objects or interact with others appropriately, which we have examples of them doing. Onyxia/Prestor and Nefarion both needed to transform back into their draconic forms to use their natural powers for the most part (Slightly inconsistent regarding whether they can use a breath attack in visage, etc), so they did have a physical presence, so its not a projection.
This would also be why simpler magical countermeasures doesn’t reveal them and why Stormwind needs to do some more work on figuring out a countermeasure against infiltrators using their Draconic visage forms.
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Never thought about that, Meirneth. Of course they couldn’t go into buildings if it was simply an illusion! Brilliant! Never even considered that.
Of course, now that I’ve finished Azure Span this does need a qualifier, as Kalec can apparently project mirror images of his visage form while doing battle in his draconic form, and can project multiple copies of this mirror image which do have the ability to interact with physical objects (using them to search the archives when first met in the zone).
These are all clearly labeled as mirror images however, so I’d still stand by my original statement that visage form, in and of itself, is a shape-change.
Silly Kalec, still hasn’t outgrown his comic book induced power creep.
I’d say a bit of both, but Meirneth has hit the crux of it. There is definitely physical alteration as a major- even critical component of Visages. However, I believe it’s also partly an illusion, in part because of the few book descriptions I’ve seen. There seems to be a capacity to partly warp the visage itself, typically as an intimidation tactic.
Although, take this interpretation with a grain of salt, because A) it was typically Deathwing doing this, and B) a reasonable alternative explanation is actually just the other person’s perceptions being warped by fear and anxiety, rather than any illusions or magic.
Unfortunately, I’d need to dust off some really old books to get any exact descriptions. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read about the dragons in any capacity.
Imagine wanting to look like an elf with a skin condition instead of our glorious true forms.
It’s a full shape change. Unlike Dragons however who can have a whole closet full of Visages, Dracthyr are limited to one.
Not all Dracthyr have Visages though, only Evokers seem to have the ability.