Akeshan

## Physical Description

Hidden among all the races of Seedorus, Akeshans shapeshift effortlessly to blend in among any society.  Resembling pale gray, pearlescent pink, or snow-white skinned Humans with colorless or milky eyes and translucent hair in their natural form, Akeshan flesh and bones are elastic and incredibly malleable, expanding and contracting on a whim, and can change colors, density, and textures as well.  Akeshans can even fuse and split apart extremities with only moderate discomfort, although doing so is quite taxing and the new extremities are too clumsy and weak to be of much use.  Akeshan body and facial hair is normally silken and faintly prehensile, but can sprout coarse grains to thicken into fur, coil and harden into scales, or even split into feathers, and Akeshans can color, grow, or absorb both body and facial hair instantly.

Akeshans are technically hermaphrodites although their biology usually only expresses one physical sex in their natural form.  As Akeshans can change sex, assume a neuter form, or express both physical sexes at once as easily as they change color or facial features, however, the distinction between male and female is largely academic or cultural for Akeshans.  Akeshans are usually able to conceive children as either sex and with other races, but do not create Halfbreeds.  If an Akeshan intentionally conceives a child with an unwitting member of another race, it is typical that they will do so as a female in order to better control the circumstances around the child’s birth and to limit the chance of discovery about the Akeshan’s nature.  While Akeshans can and do procreate as males with females of other races, this tends to be more accidental in nature, and the Akeshan is likely to go to great lengths to maintain their secrecy if the mother is unaware of their partner’s nature.  Akeshans generally dislike killing to maintain their cover, especially if their partners are not malicious, and they often make heroic efforts to both maintain their safety and the life of the innocents caught in the middle.  If such children are born as Akeshans, the Akeshan parent typically disappears with the child if they feel endangered.  Otherwise, the Akeshan child might be abandoned and left unaware of their actual heritage - many so-called Doppelgängers are just clueless Akeshans working from the incorrect information other races have about them.  If the child born is not Akeshan, on the other hand, they rarely learn the truth of their shapeshifting parent’s nature.

Akeshans do not create Halfbreed children.  The product of a union with an Akeshan and another race produces either a full-blooded Akeshan or a member of the other race.  However, Akeshans born of mixed species tend to resemble a Halfbreed physically in their natural form despite having none of the abilities of their non-Akeshan parent.

## Game Rules

* +2 to any one ability score: Akeshans have no set predisposition towards any particular strength, and they have no particular racial weakness, either.
* Shapechanger: Akeshans have the Shapechanger subtype.
* *Akeshan Change Shape (Su):* Akeshans have the supernatural ability to force their already-mutable physiology into new shapes.  This ability operates similarly to an *alter self* spell, but it only affects the Akeshan's body and not their possessions, though they can also use this ability to disguise themselves as Humanoid-like creatures of other types so long as they are reasonably humanoid in form.  Akeshans can use this ability at will as a full-round action, and the alteration lasts indefinitely until the Akeshan changes shape again.  Akeshans, like Doppelgangers, can copy the appearances of specific individuals using this ability.  Unlike most creatures, when killed an Akeshan does not revert to their natural form, as their body immediately releases rigor toxins specifically to prevent this effect.  A *true seeing* spell will reveal an Akeshan's natural form.  When using this ability to create a disguise, an Akeshan receives a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.  (Change Shape, Greater - 6 RP)
* *Doppelganger Tongue (Ex):* Akeshans have a +1 racial bonus on Bluff, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks.  Akeshans are naturally skilled at deception and intimidation.  (Variant on Integrated - 1 RP)
* *Great Masquerade (Ex):* Akeshans always treat Bluff, Disguise, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive as class skills (Skill Training, 2 applications - 2 RP)
* Automatic Languages: Akeshan Marks and one Trade Language
* Bonus Languages: Any (except secret or dead languages), plus Ancient Sunshai (Linguist - 1 RP)