Changelings are humanoid creatures which in their original forms have pale white to gray skin, with large almond shaped black eyes. Their limbs and fingers are slightly longer than an equivallent human, and they have white hair with a silvery blue sheen. Their hair always comes in straight, and doesn't appear to stop growing regardless of length or age.
While it was originally though that changelings were sterrile recent contact with the changelings of Altmire has turned this assumption on its head. Scholars now have even more reason to question the activities of the Fey.
Changelings have a very low conception rate, so every child born is considered precious. Gestation is approximately seven months, and the new changeling has similar capabilities to a human child at birth with one notable exception. Changelings at all ages even right from birth have the ability to shape-shift into creatures with similar body characteristics.
Changeling Reproductive Compatibility
Not much is known about reproductive compatibility outside of their own species but they are believed to be compatible with Elves and other pseudo-fey. Regardless of partner species the child is always a changeling.
0-3 Months
Changeling babies have larger than usual heads and eyes. Their transformation abilities seem to go off at random and they can be observed changing rapidly between forms as their attention shifts. At this stage changeling babies will shift form each time they see someone new to mimick their form but the change does not typically hold for very long.
3-9 months
During this stage changelings begin to gain control over their shape shifting powers and start shape shifting less. They begin to use shape-shifting as a form of communication to get what they want. They also begin to hold forms in their sleep, though may still involuntarily change during intense dreaming. By the end of this period most changelings can walk fully on their own.
9 Months - 2 Years
Changelings begin to communicate through language during this period, as well as become extremely inquisitive. This period of a changeling's life is one of the most difficult to survive because their curiosity is hard to sate, and their transformations are good enough imitate faces with perfect precision, but the rest of their bodies are unconvincing. Changeling children often do not realize the dangers of assuming the identity of another, and their poor immitations will often get them killed.
2-5 Years
During this stage Changelings become less recklessly curious and become much more observant. A changeling child in this stage will often sit in a public place and observe others as they pass by for long periods of time. Their imitations become much more convincing as they learn to mimic the subtle movements of others. They also begin to learn to mimic speach patterns. By the end of this period changeling children are indistinguishable from any other child when transformed.
5-10 Years
This is the final stage of physical development for a changeling. By age 10 changelings are typically fully physically developed and can shapeshift in a manner which can increase and decrease their apparent weight and size by about 15%. This is also the period during which changelings begin to exibit sexual dimorphism, prior to this changeling males and females are indistiguishable without a physical check of their lower genitals. Changeling females develop breasts towards the end of this period, and males lose the blue tint to their hair sheen, but otherwise the changelings still appear largely the same, sharing similar amounts of muscle mass. This matters little however because both sexes are capable of cross-sex transformations convincing enough for everything except for conception.
Changeling Identity
Changelings struggle to develop personal identities due to their propensity to copy and mimic others. This is most often a struggle the changelings must endure alone since it is rare for changelings to find eachother under normal circumstances.
The Changeling city of Altmire is an interesting exception to typical changeling identity rules. The city has a tradition called The Ceremony of Faces where changeling children make themselves a new "face" by crafting a one of a kind mask which acts as a form of identification inside the city, and the children choose a name for the mask which becomes their name while they possess it.
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