Shifters

Shifters have been in existence since the beginning of recorded time. Typically in times long gone they lived separately to Humans, however as Humanity spread across the globe and expanded their cities and towns, Shifters have struggled to stay separate and in modern times have merged into modern society.

## Pack Bonds

The pack bond is the broad sense of a pack's togetherness and communication; ultimately, it means family. The bond is a very primal part of a pack member, giving them the ability to know where pack members are at all times within fifteen miles, or a tingling sensation if further, and the ability to communicate via pictures and feelings. Additionally, the pack bond stretches to the humans marked as Pack and any children born to the Pack as well. A member cannot have more than one pack bond; once tied to a pack, they are tied to that pack unless they separate from it, commonly considered treason, and the Alpha must allow the member back into the bond, or they cannot return.

## Mating

Shifters can mate with any species except a vampire, due to the vampire/shifter status as enemies. When a shifter mates with a human or a witch, that human gains the pack bond, a mate bond that can inform the person of their mate's emotions, physical location, and the ability to see through each other's eyes, and the human gains enhanced senses. The human will also want to run with the wolves on the full moon, and while they cannot keep up with the wolves, it's a pack bonding exercise and many still enjoy the primal feeling of "running with the wolves".

* **Heat:** Twice a year, female shifters will go into a heat, where they begin by feeling hot flashes, increased sweat, and heightened sensitivity. Usually, heat doesn't affect family members, but the female wolf will tease their mates, sending a male mate into a rut, where he will be possessive of the female. Heat lasts no longer than a few weeks, and females have their first heat at around 20 years of age, but no earlier than 19.

## Abilities

* **Shifting -** At first, the shift is painful for shifters, but it grows easier over time, eventually turning into an uncomfortable, dull sensation. Shifters can shift their claws and eyes separately from a full shift, but nothing else.
* **Enhanced Senses -** The shifter has superhumanly the acute senses of sight, smell, and hearing similar to those of an actual wolf. They can see part of the infrared spectrum and thus detect the heat signatures of objects or people in total darkness. They can smell other living creatures within 100 feet (*when upwind*) and follow a scent over nearly any terrain.
* **Enhanced Stamina -** The shifter's musculature produces fewer fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human, granting him superhuman levels of stamina. They can exert themselves at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to impair them.
* **Enhanced Agility -**  A shifter's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are beyond the natural physical limits of even the finest human athlete. They can move, jump, climb, and run incredibly fast without difficulty or exhaustion.

## Weaknesses

* **Silver -** Silver is highly poisonous to a shifter, resulting in anything from hives in its presence, burns if touched, and death if ingested.
* **Aconite -** Aconite, or Wolfsbane, was thought to have anti-evil properties against Werewolves and shapeshifters for centuries. Contact with the plant reacts much like powerful poison oak, creating rashes against the Shifter's skin. Effects from ingesting the weed can range from violent illness to death, depending on the amount consumed.
* **Mortality -**  Because shifters are still human for the most part, they share many of the same weaknesses as non-supernatural beings (*e.g. age, fire, drowning, extreme loss of blood, suffocation, etc.*) Although, it is very difficult to kill a shifter thanks to their accelerated healing and endurance. Also, shifters seem to be resistant to most diseases.

## Hunter's Shifters

Hunter has a rather large concentration of Shifters within its borders. While most are separated into the Gunner and Nueches Packs, there are a few that claim no allegiance to either.

## Relations

Humans

* **Neutral** **|**

Witches

* **Neutral |**

Vampires

* **Enemies |**

Fae Folk

* **Neutral |**