Shape-Based Shaod (Elantris Spoilers)

[Nethseäar he/him]

The focus of Selish magic, as I understand, is form-based. So, with that (and not much else), I have a theory -- or, more of a hope, really -- that:

The Shaod happens when some change occurs in the body, such that some part of the body is shaped like an Aon.
 

This is attractive to me because 1) it ties back into Aons and form-based magic, and 2) if it were true, one could be surgically altered to become an Elantrian.


And now some reasons why this is almost certainly not the case:

 

>

There appear to be three requirements (1) have some Aonic ancestry, (2) be within a certain geographical region, and (3) be particularly devoted to someone or something.

 

(1) could potentially fit; perhaps those of Aonic ancestry have some genetic predisposition to natural, practically undetectible, Aon-related body distortion (yeah, it's a petty big stretch), but (2) and (3) don't fit well at all.

Besides which, Dakhor monks already access the Dor by surgical(?) modification. Why repeat the concept?

And, finally, the Shaod is very similar to Mistborn's Snapping (which, notably, has nothing to do with metal). 

So, there's a theory some wishful thinking, somewhat checked. What do you think?