Shapeshifters (Latin name Fera Mutat Speciem) are a race of sentient beings, native to Euthora, that can change their form at will.
Appearance[]
Shapeshifters have no set appearance, due to the very nature of their species.They usually stay in the form they were born in, however. Eye color and hair/scale/fur/feather color stay the same between all forms, even if the coloration is impossible in nature- for example, the shapeshifter Jason has green eyes and black hair in his human form, and thus has green eyes and black scales in his Darkwing Firedrake form. Most shapeshifters have bright, luminous eyes in all forms.
Evolution[]
It is unknown how shapeshifters gained their abilities or what they evolved from. Some Euthorans speculate that the species was directly created by Kuu, the water spirit, rather than allowed to evolve.
Territory[]
Shapeshifters may be found absolutely anywhere that can sustain life. However, they seem to prefer areas away from human civilization, especially mountains and forests.
Behavior[]
Shapeshifter personalities range, as shapeshifters are sentient, but survival instinct from the animal forms often leaks into the shifter's psyche, making them come across as solitary, wary and slow to trust. Shapeshifters also have a tendency to be reckless and impulsive, relying on instinct alone to make decisions about situations and individuals. They are very in tune with nature, spending a lot of their time hunting or otherwise in the wild, even if they have the choice to turn to civilization.
Shifters tend to be claustrophobic, due to their wild and free way of life. Shapeshifters who have been confined in too small a space for too long have been known to be more reclusive than is natural, sometimes suffering from anxiety when in a building or anywhere they can't see the sky. They may become manic or even feral.
Abilities[]
Shapeshifters have the ability to heal wounds when they shift, in addition to the following:
Senses and Reflexes[]
Shapeshifters have both incredible senses and quick reflexes. Their senses are often double that of whatever animal they happen to be, sight and hearing sometimes greater than this. This however makes them more vulnerable to attacks that target these senses- for example, blinding light or high-frequency sounds.
A shapeshifter's reflexes, while not unrivaled, are still extremely good and most shapeshifters can effortlessly avoid attacks if they know where the blow is coming from. Sometimes they find themselves suddenly leaping to avoid an attack without knowing why, until they turn to see the attack harmlessly go past.
Form Gain[]
A shapeshifter has three types of forms.
- Basic Form: This is the form the shapeshifter was born in. It serves as a "default" form- if a shapeshifter is in a primary or acquired form(below) and is knocked out, dies, or something similar, it automatically reverts to the basic form.
- Primary Forms: These are the forms the shapeshifter was born with, though not in. These forms have the most influence on the shapeshifter's personality and may later influence what aquired forms the shifter later gains.
- Acquired Forms: These are the forms the shapeshifter gains as it lives its life, usually starting anywhere from fourteen to eighteen years of age. Potentially limitless, the shifter gains forms until it dies. Some of these may be difficult for the shapeshifter to control.
Shapeshifter Feral Forms[]
Some naturally powerful shapeshifters or shapeshifters under a lot of stress may gain more powerful versions of forms, often right around the time that they start acquiring forms. The shapeshifter's eyes glow a different color(usually red or amber) in this form, and they are often decorated with intricate markings. Feral forms are often uncontrollable and will attack anything that approaches them. They run entirely on instinct, and will neither understand nor listen to reasoning until they have returned to their senses.
Trivia[]
- Just because a being can change its shape does not mean it is a true shapeshifter, at least in species.