Shifters

in: Races

## Introduction

A race that has two forms, one animal form and one human form.

## The Basics

* **Other Names:** Skinwalkers, Beast Souls, Hidden Beasts
* **Appearance:** In their human form they often have glowing eyes and some minor animalistic traits. From their eyes, to elongated fangs, and even the coloring of their hair or eyes closely resembling their animal form.
* **Lifespan:** 200 years
* **Height:** 170 cm (5'7") - 190 cm (6'3")
* **Regions Found:** They are hidden amongst any human regions.
* **Culture:** They follow the Order of the Hidden Beast and the culture of the region they are form.
* **Architecture:** Dependent on their culture, usually though they have a shrine to the Beast King in their homes, sometimes hidden.
* **Common Character Roles:** Mercenaries, Fighters, Healers, Farmers, Usually something that allows them to move around and or better infiltrate so cities and take care of their own within.
* **Common Allies:** Centarii, Simiku, Beastkin
* **Common Enemies:** Jazirans, Witch Hunters, Slavers
* **Religion:** They worship the Beast King, though will also pay homage to other gods if the culture they are from is very religious to help hide them from others.
* **Views on Magic:** Magic is a part of them, just as their soul form is, however the darker magics they are wary of especially anything that can mess with their minds.
* **Abilities:** Shapeshifting, Nightvision
* **Weaknesses:** Mind Manipulation, Binding Restrictions
* **Quirks:** Shapeshifters in their human form often have quirks resembling their animal form.

## Appearances

Shifters were created from humans and they are born as humans with the Fae magic locked away in their blood. They do not have animal parts, and can not partially shift parts of their body to create animal ears or tails. Though their coloring tends to be the exception, having eye, skin, or hair coloring similar to the animals they can turn into. They are able to shift their eyes and their nails into claws, but beyond that they are only in a fully human form or a fully beast one. Once the magic in their blood has been activated with their coming of age ritual their bodies run warmer than that of a normal human. Their eyes even seem to glow, some with a more animalistic look to them from the magic, but that is the extent of how different they are from humans. Until they go through the ritual however, they are simply human in nature with the only difference being their Fae sweetened blood.

Many shifters take on the personalities of their soul animal, to the point they often speculate what animal will be revealed to be their soul form when they go through the ritual. It is not uncommon to find a tigress shifter quick to anger, while a cat shifter can easily blend in with those around them. Though, there are times where their personality and their animal side do not seem to mix at all. A loner wolf shifter who does not feel comfortable in a pack, or a bunny shifter who is too clumsy to even land a jump.

## History & Culture

Shifters exist in the world for two reasons, the folly of the Nienne and the madness of the Fae. Born from dark experiments carried out on humans to please the Made Fae King in his desire for more beings like the Nienne their blood has forever been tainted from the experiments. The King, fascinated by the creation of the Nienne when they ripped open the veil between the mortal realm and their world, wanted more subjects to bend and use to the Fae’s whims. As the Nienne that had been captured began to die off, the Fae quickly found out that whatever wild magic surge that had created the Nienne from elves was not an easy thing to replicate. Fae were sent into the newly accessible mortal realm to gather more elves but they found the elven bodies were resistant to magic and before any change could be made they died from the torture. However, in their excursions to elven subjects the Fae quickly came upon humans who were both easier to catch and experiment on. Giving up on creating more Nienne the Fae decided to simply make their own version of the creatures. Thus, many humans were ripped from their home through the vale and experimented on as they were easier to capture and more abundant than the elves.

With so many humans the Fae found themselves with an abundance of test subjects. It is during this time that changelings and eventually the Fae-touched came to be as well as the shifters. Unlike the changelings a different set of experiments was carried out on those who would eventually become shifters. Shifters were meant to be the pets, guards, and servants from the Fae and less care was put into their creation. As the Fae experimented attempting to give them the ability to shift and change into animal forms, hundreds of humans died. Many ripped apart by the magic as it attempted to change their form. Others simply giving into the pain and suffering they endured, their bodies no longer capable of going on from the torture. Finally, one managed to survive the excruciating pain as their body reformed into that of an animal. Having grown up from childhood in the experiment prison of the Fae, and having to watch so much slaughter, he vowed to do whatever he could to help others survive the experiments and shapeshift just as he had. Volunteering for more experiments himself to help the Fae study and learn the proper way to implement the magic and change their bodies. Eventually he even began helping the Fae with their experiments on the other humans till the proper “formula” to create shifters was finalized. A torturous experiment with a low survival rate for the humans, but high enough for the Fae, lead to the birth of the shifters. It was no longer till all of the imprisoned humans were able to survive being able to shapeshift. The magic that now flowed through their body and made their forms able to contort and change to that of another animal, also made their minds more open to becoming persuaded by mental magics. The man who had first survived the experiment became known as the Beast King for all that he had done. While he had helped the Fae with their experiments he helped the humans survive, and held the hands of all who did not make it. Seen as the savior to the shifters and the one who led them from death and destruction to survival and growing he became seen as a god amongst them. The one who watched over the shifters, when all others abandoned them when they were still human.

Though the Beast King did not stop at simply helping his people survive, for to him survival was only half of the battle. He continued to learn all that he could about the new race of people that he now leads. This eventually led him to discovering their children were born as humans, but that the Fae magic that led to their abilities was present laying dormant inside of them. Realizing the suffering would continue for his people he once again subjected himself to the mental tortures of working with the Fae and their experiments. Those who had survived were no longer human, but the Fae wanted pets that could reproduce amongst each other. So, to help save his people he once again helped eventually create the ritual to unlock the magic that lay dormant inside the blood of their children. Through gruesome years of experiments eventually they discovered the best time to unlock the Fae magic in their children's blood was near the end of puberty, when their human bodies had nearly finished developing.

The Beast King was not content with helping his people survive life under the rule of the Fae as famed pets. Finding that he and those of his kind lived longer than when they were human he found more time to plan. Over the course of the next century he helped his kind escape the clutches of the Fae to return to the mortal realm and restart their lives amongst the humans they were once descended from. Life was not easy from the Shifters upon their return to the mortal realm however. The Fae experiments that allowed them the power to change into a bestial form forever separating them. Their blood forever altered it was not long till others sought to find use for their blood. No longer considered human for their abilities, many were hunted down for their blood. Many of their kind were tortured and killed, their flesh turned into mantels to allow someone to steal their animal form. It was later discovered that writing a transmutation spell with their blood upon hide would allow someone turn into the animal of that hide instead of the animal form the shifter turned into. Still creations of the mantels lead to the death of many of them and them to be hunted and enslaved, nearly drained of all of their blood to create more mantels. Many of them were also hunted and killed simply for either not being human, or their Fae blood. Others were instead enslaved, many finding they made easily controlled slaves with mind magics. After all they were created to be the new pets for the Fae after the Nienne's creation.Realizing they were not safe they formed their own society that lies mostly hidden in the shadows of human cultures. Many of them decide to choose to live in villages hidden deep within the woods, while others choose to blend in with the various cities and towns across the land. While some have managed to find cultures that they are allowed to live with both of their forms out in the open, mostly in the Simiku and Muulari cultures. Some have even decided to simply live in their animal form only returning to their human form when they absolutely must, or when they become gravely injured or die. It is due to their ways of living though that the race is referred in legends and myths as the Order of the Hidden Beasts. They have also spread the religion of the Beast King amongst the people they live with. Leading many to adopt the teachings and follow him.

## Government

Shifters tend to follow the Order of the Hidden Beasts societal nature along with the governing power of the culture they reside in. Seen in the similar vein to the dual nature of the shifters. Outwardly they follow the social structures of the cultures that they reside and have infiltrated, doing their best to blend into the societies around them. All the while having secret meetings to ensure protecting their own kind within that society. It is the leader of the Order of the Hidden Beasts in the group that they follow more than the actual government. There are a few exceptions, most noticeably in the Simiku and Muulari cultures of the world. Where shifters have found a place to be counted equal amongst the humans for their abilities. In these societies they tend to live openly and while they still mostly follow the Beast King and the Order of the Hidden Beast they do so alongside their tribes, not in secret from them.

## Religion

Over the centuries shifters have talked up the monstrous experiments caused by the Mad Fae King that created them. Though while they talk of the evils of the Fae they refer to the Beast King as the one who ended the torture for their race. Helping them to unlock their soul form and take shape with their body. Often times, since they are usually hidden amongst others, they wear a necklace of the Beast King (Represented by a Jhebbal Sag Necklace) to denote their true religion. The Beast King is believed to be the first of their kind who was able to unlock his true soul with the help of the Fae. It is through him the ritual to help save them from the horrible death that preceded the full creation of their race. For this shifters will worship the Beast King for helping their ancestors survive. They also believe that their animal form is the manifestation of their soul, unlocked with a coming of age ritual that shifters go through near the end of their puberty. As the animal form is their soul brought out to reality, it is believed that if you die in your animal form your soul is also gone, unable to continue to the next life. They also believe in not letting animals die in vain, often eating the meat of animals to allow the animals soul to continue on.

Shifters will also follow the other religions of the culture they grow up in, influenced by the societies and people they are around. It is not uncommon to find shifters who worship and follow multiple religions.

## Shapeshifting

The experiments that were conducted to create the Shapeshifters held no thought or care for the humans that were being used. After all, while the Fae strove for protection they did not care if the process was easy on the humans or not. Being seen as simply just disposable creatures the magic that was developed within the humans that lived was rudimentary at best. Because of this shapeshifting, while quick, is extremely painful. Their bodies break and rip apart quickly shifting from the form of a human to that of their soul animal. Due to the pain of this it is impossible for shapeshifters to be only partially shifted. The magic to create new shifters is only able to be performed by pure Fae creatures, however those born from shifters still have the ability to change in their blood. Though it is extremely dangerous to go through the ritual if both of the parents are not shifters.

When a shapeshifter is born, they are born as humans with the magic to shapeshift laying dormant in their blood. Growing up just as any other human child with the only difference being their Fae sweetened blood. Parents are often protective of their children as they are allowed at least eighteen years before it is deemed the best chance they have to survive the ritual to unlock the power within their blood.

Not all who undergo the ritual survive gaining the ability to shapeshift. Those who are considered pure blooded shifters have the highest survival chance, but it is not a guaranteed chance. If one parent is a normal human their risk of dying is nearly guaranteed, and any with no sure trace of shifter in them is sure to die. The coming of age ritual is referred to as their soul reunion, the time when a shifter must meet their soul form.

The Soul Reunion is performed by the leader of the shifter group, a strictly guarded secret for the Order of Hidden Beasts. After all, if it got out many would attempt it not realizing that the Soul Reunion simply unlocks the magic already inside of them and thus many would die to the ritual. The ones who undertake the ritual say goodbye to their loved ones before performing the ritual, knowing full well they will return a fully realized shifter, or never see their family again.

It is a painful process the first time their power is unlocked and they attempt to shift. The Fae magic within them unleashing and taking over every cell in their body. The ritual is often held far away from civilization and usually somewhere that the sounds of screams of agony can be muffled. The shifter undergoing the ritual having to mentally survive the torturous pain as their body begins to tear itself apart and rearrange it into an animal form. Those who are unable to keep their mind together during the shift end up dying in agony as their body rips and pulls itself apart. Their bones misaligned and their mind unable to figure out where their organs should go and their flesh should wrap around they are often left in hideous piles of flesh and bone dying slowly as the others who do survive come to grips with the pain of their own transformation.

However, once they recover both mentally and physically from surviving the ritual they will have found their bodies now run warmer than that of a human. Not only that but they gain the ability to see in the night and will find their body has slowed its aging process, with them often living twice as long as humans. Having grown up learning to talk to they also have the ability to say things in their animal form. Though it is usually only one or two words they are able to form at a time. Using the vocal cords of their animal form to mimic human words. Since they are only mimicking the sound of human worlds, and that their animal form is essentially a spell they are concentrating on, they are unable to cast spells while in their shifted form.

Shapeshifting is also something that can not be done when bound by anything, be it clothes or other things. Many have speculated that it was something specifically added into the magic in their blood that allows them to shapeshift. As such most shifters wear clothes that easily break away for quick transformations. Often finding ways to carry their clothes in bags or stashing them till they can shift back. Since they are unable to wear clothes when their body is physically transforming they are naked when they return to their human form.

## Racial Traits & Weaknesses

### Shapeshifting

A shifter is able to turn into one animal form. They can not shift when bound by anything and can not cast spells in their shifted forms.

PVP & Skirmish Rules for Shifted Forms:

*Intent/Join:* Shifters in their shapeshift form must OOC shift the moment PvP drops no matter their join status but may utilize a basic, grey ToT model in lieu of their actual human form and have OOC Shifted in their RPR Status until downed during PvP. If downed, they must remove the status and revert to their actual human form for cons. If they win the fight they are allowed to switch back to their animal form and the RP carries on as if they stayed in their animal for them entire time. However, if they are forced to shift back naked like they would have been ICly when downed in the intent and injured. Due to the forceful shift of being downed in their animal form their injury timer is doubled (8 hours instead of 4) and they are unable to shift back to their animal form till the injury timer is over.If the shifter joins the intent to stay by the side they are allowed to remain in their animal form.

*Flee/Surrender:* Shifters are allowed to Flee or Surrender without shifting back. Flying forms are not allowed to fly away when fleeing.

### Night Vision

The Fae magic in their blood allows them to see in the night, as they were originally created to be guardian pets for the Fae.

### Mental Weakness

Shifters are weak against mental magic and most noticeably they can be turned into familiars (information on familiars is found in The Marked).

### Bound Form

A Shapeshifter cannot change forms if they are bound by anything, from clothes to collars and other bindings. Even a snake shifter finds themself unable to change and slither out of the bindings. Certain magic items will resize and remain on a shifter no matter what form they are in. Specifically, any sphere warding necklace, Belt of Giants, and the Collar of Binding will alter to remain in place on a shifter.

## Attachments & Kit Items:

The items listed in the kits below are made with the Season 6 modlist. They have been updated as of **14th December 2023**.

*Expand for Shifter Racial Kit*

 Pointy Fangs [A]
 Racial Nightvision

### Shifter Forms:

* **Feline:** Tiger, White Tiger, Sabretooth Tiger, Lion, Panther
* **Canine:** , White Wolf, Grey Wolf, Black Wolf, Hyena
* **Small Creatures:** Snake, Rabbit, Chicken, Frog, Black Cat, Grey Fox, Red Fox, Black Fox, Rat
* **Other:** Black Bear, Elk, Deer, Spider, Turtle, Horse
* **Flying:** Crow, Vulture, Duck

## *Lore Contribution*

***Credit for Lore Contribution:** TigerHellfigh*