Changelings
MPMM p10
Changeling
"The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" is a household tale with dark origins: long gone tales of creatures that can change shape, perfectly adopting the persona of your friendly neighbor until it is too late. These nightmarish beasts of lore take their origin from the comparably benign changelings, a race of dopplers with a horrifying history. These creatures, unlike the rumors that surround them, are simply attempting to reclaim their place in a society that rejects them.
Those Without Home
Unlike most humanoids, changelings — more commonly known as dopplers — do not have a standard form. While they are typically found in a human body, they can effortlessly impersonate any other humanoids down to the pore. Through a strange metamorphic process, changelings simply need to observe another creature to evoke its general form. While it is rumored that changelings aren’t creative, knowledgeable scholars know better: changelings tend to express their creativity in a plethora of ways, including shaping their own bodies. However, this total body control comes with a harsh limitation: changelings are unable to create their own form from scratch, instead relying on inspiration from others to craft their outer image.
Furthermore, changelings take the process of mimicry extremely seriously, as it is much more intimate than most believe. While a changeling does mimic the outer shell of a creature, they will also mimic the memories and emotions of their target, metaphorically walking a mile in their shoes and feeling the pain, anger, or even joy all in a singular moment. Understandably, this ability is not one to be taken lightly; mimicking a target can be downright painful or even traumatic, particularly if the target has experienced extended loss or suffering throughout their lives. Because of a long-lasting curse granted upon the changeling race at creation, dopplers do not have their own inherit form. Instead, they have created a blank template to which they can defer to when other forms don’t suit their needs. This template typically takes on features that are similar in nature to that of humans with pale-mannequin-like skin and no discernible features. This empty form, as it is often called, is typically considered ominous and frightening to the people of Elkus.
Faceless Sorrow
The history of changelings is one that is full of tragedy and pain, even stretching as far back as their origin. After a humanoid wizard, named Dolos Sereiderung, attempted to impersonate the identity of Kazban the Infernal Jester, who responded by removing Dolos’ identity. Instead of being the human he once was, he became something much different and much more innately terrifying. Dolos, lacking the identity he once had, was forced to steal the identities of the people around him, and thus, the changeling was born. This story, which rings true with that of the god of shadows, Inumbro, creates a unique kinship between the changelings and him. Because of their rough origin with Kazban, the relationship between them and him tends to be tense.
Unfortunately, these strange creatures are subject to even more derision and conflict than their past. In fact, their history of suffering is much more extensive than that of many other peoples. Hunted nearly to extinction in ancient times, today the outing of a doppler is grounds enough for a witch hunt. Because of the popular belief that changelings are the same monsters that tormented the fathers of forefathers, they are executed in the streets by terrified, uneducated mobs. While this fear is not always unfounded, the inane betrayal response of neighbors, friends, and even family members is often unruly and extreme. Because of the changelings’ innate ability of subterfuge and their ability to access the deepest, most secretive thoughts, emotions, and opinions of people without their consent, rumors have spiraled far and wide about the dangers of dopplers. Furthermore, when a changeling is found, the unity necessary to survive in Elkus becomes strained, resulting in even more deaths from starvation, mistrust, and in the most extreme situations, execution. Due to the culminating distrust and innate expectations of changelings, the changeling community has been largely ostracized by Elkus society at large.
Changelings, despite the risks and constant strife among society, will do their best to attempt to reclaim their place in towns and smaller villages to carve a life for themselves in another’s visage. Because of how perfectly they can impersonate another, some can even rise into political roles over years of careful planning. While it can feel like a dangling sword over one’s head, it is much safer than being cast into the treacherous wilds of Elkus.
Changeling Names
Most changelings, poetically, take names from the societies they find themselves in. Additionally, a changeling views their name much like their body: flexible and ever changing.
Changeling Instinct. You are proficient in two of the following skills of your choice: Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion.
Change Appearance. As an action, you can change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change.
- You can only duplicate creatures you have seen, and you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs as you. Your clothing and equipment aren't changed by this trait.
- You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or you die.
- On your first attempt to assume the form of a new creature, you can attempt to access basic emotions and memories. Make a History check with a DC set by your DM based on the depth of memories you attempt to access. On a success, the DM can reveal basic memories at their discretion.
- If you succeed on the History check, you have advantage on Charisma-based checks to pass as the duplicated creature until you change form.
