Vensh

## History

Removed from any other known grouping of races are the Vensh, the skin changers. Recorded in history as monsters and regarded by most as extinct or non-existent the Vensh lack a proper form, taking on the appearance of others or perhaps creating an entirely new one.

Illusive as any species could be it comes as little surprise the history of the Vensh is one revealed only in erratic and conflicting reports dating back to before the Death of Magic. Of what little can be pieced together it seems the Vensh arrived surreptitiously on Tessanis, hiding in plain sight alongside the hundreds of other innocent migrants that once journeyed through the worlds many gates. Given the lack of any clear recorded date for this event it seems their arrival, unsurprisingly, went unreported. However it can be imagined to have happened some one to two centuries before the Death of Magic, as it was in this period the first reports of skin changing monsters began to surface.

Almost unwaveringly it seems the first Vensh ruthlessly sought positions of power, and in doing so made certain their eventual discovery. After a number of lords throughout the land were discovered to have been replaced by what for all intents and purposes seemed to be magical doppelgangers the first official recognition of the Vensh was as soulless and mindless beasts preying on mortal life.

After that report what remaining records exist tell of the Vensh being hunted unrelentingly, thousands apparently having been discovered and burned alive as was befitting such an abomination. Indeed it seems until the fall of magic the hunts continued, with fewer and fewer Vensh being found each time. Given their supposed nature as purely magical beings and the ferocity of the hunts in decades before the fall most modern scholar consider the Vensh extinct, or even a legend birthed from a number of failed magic experiments.

In reality, and unknown to the world at large, the Vensh live on. Perhaps in times past their ability did draw in some part from magic, but now they persist as long lived, but mundane creatures. Far removed from their ancestors the post fall Vensh take every precaution to remain a dead species, out of sight and firmly out of mind.

## Biology

The Vensh enjoy the ability to mimic the physiology of nearly any species, but in some ways are limited by the laws of basic biology. The simplest of these limits is the reality that a Vensh cannot create mass, though some say in the days of magic this too was within the realm of possibility. Nevertheless in the current day a Vensh is bound to their own mass, and while they may be able to morph from a halfling into a full grown man they would almost certainly have to grow enormously fat as a halfling. This reality has made many Vensh unwilling to morph into species greatly differing from humans in size, as any reduction in scale is extremely difficult to recover from and any increase involves a great deal of work.

Another such limit would be the necessity of entering a cocoon state during transformations. The state usually lasts for a day, occasionally more in certain cases, and during this time leaves the Vensh within utterly defenseless. As such transformations are often done in secrecy and isolation. In earlier times individuals transforming in caves unfortunately furthered the idea of the Vensh being mindless beasts.

However, while the Vensh may suffer restrictions due to unavoidable circumstances they also gain enormously from their innate physical make up. While a Vensh appears as another species it is that species for all intents and purposes, and is subject to the same rules of age and decay. A Vensh however and merely change form when they grow old in one body, effectively negating their age from the rejuvenating process of the metamorphosis. It is unknown even to the Vensh if they are effectively immortal or if one day they’ll grow unable to shift forms, but it is clear enough that a Vensh can be killed any way that their current form can be.

### Physical Appearance

The Vensh lack a unique physical appearance, though the white and velvet cocoon they enter when changing appearances can be inferred to be the closest thing they have to a unique feature.

### Common Traits

One clear trait of all Vensh exploited in the hunts before the death of magic was the telltale marking the metamorphosis process leaves on the neck of any given Vensh. Often taking the form of a raised ring on the skin with a purplish tinge the marking has been found on every Vensh known to have been discovered.

### Psychology

An interesting aspect of the Vensh psyche is an individual's tendency to deliberately brand themselves with a common marking, regardless of their appearance. An identifying scar or tattoo can almost be guaranteed to persist on the skin of a single Vensh no matter how many times they change their skin; much like a fingerprint these markings can consistently identify a single Vensh individual. To the Vensh these markings serve as a reminder of singular identity and for a Vensh to forgo them would be the same as it rejecting its own personality and individuality.

### Reproduction

The first step in Vensh reproduction is, as with most creatures, the location of a mate. Such is a difficult proposition among a species so rare, however it is far from an impossible task. Whether an original trait or an adaptation reinforced by those subjected to the hunts decimating their population, all modern Vensh are able to detect one another through the presence of a pheromone. Being able to shift forms easily sex matters more as a preference to the Vensh and such details are usually worked out after a pair has located eachother. Beyond that a species is chosen for both mates to take on the form of and the act is performed as one would expect for said species. From there a pregnancy normal to the form the mates have chosen is carried to term and a child of the assumed species is born. Once the child is born its parents generally care for it until it reaches maturity for the species it was born as, at which point its abilities manifest and force a first change much like a new muscle instinctively demanding it be flexed. After a successful first metamorphosis the family unit parts ways.

## Character Sheet Details

Racial Traits: 30+ Impersonation or Persuasion
Special Abilities: Metamorphosis (The ability to change forms), Rejuvenation (At the cost of additional time spent in a metamorphosis cocoon many illnesses and wounds can be cured)