Shifter

Basic Information

Anatomy

All shifters except Reality Shifters and Fire Shifters look completely human, and all shifters have a human body. However since they're half Energy, they have another body system; the Energy system. The Energy system is like the nervous system, but instead it's made of Energy. The largest concentration of Energy in Shifters's bodies is in the torso, along the spine and ribs etc. From there Energy is impossibly intricately woven into every part of a Shifters's body, like nerves. Some Shifters have more Energy than others because each Energy System is only capable of holding a certain amount of Energy. The Energy system is what allows Shifters to Shift because of the rules of Energy. Same types of Energy can effect each other. So give Energy a consciousness, like Demons and Shifters, it can choose to and how to effect other Energy. Like knows like. The thing with Shifters is that no matter what kind of Energy that gets put into their system, they can only control the kind they were assigned at birth. Another rule of Shifting is that the more Energy you have in your Energy System, the more Energy you can Shift. So the more Energy you possess or/and are capable of possessing, the more powerful you are. Which begs the question, can Shifters control the Energy inside other Shifters of the same type? The quick answer; yes, yes they can, but it's a useless skill. It doesn't exactly do anything. The Energy system seems to be so solidified in place inside the body that you can't move it around, nor can you control a Shifter's limbs by controlling their Energy. Additionally Shifters can't force Energy out of another Shifter through pure Shifting. All Shifting Energy inside another Shifter does it cause them some mild discomfort. The Energy in the body also acts as it's own pain receptors in case it gets hurt, once again like nerves. It also is what senses other Energy. Scientists currently don't know for sure how Energy physically is able to interact with the human body. Energy lives in everything, but outside of Demons it doesn't interact with anything that same way. Hell, even with Demons it's different. The leading theory is Shifters have some sort of special genetic code for the rest of the body and the Energy System that allows it. Currently scientists are trying to use crisper to figure it out.

Biological Traits

Shifters are able to control different Energy. Shifters are sorted into 7 groups based on what kind of energy they can control. There's Reality Shifters, Life Shifters, Death Shifters, Water Shifters, Fire Shifters, Nature Shifters, and Earth Shifters.

What allows them to control Energy is their additional body system, the Energy system. Unless your direct parents were two different kinds of shifters, a shifter's Energy is strictly one type, and it's the type of energy their parents had. When your parents are two different types of shifters, the Energy results are varied. Sometimes you can control both kinds of Energy, sometimes one more than the other, sometimes only one, sometimes you can only produce one but are capable of controlling both, etc. Energy systems have health too. You can overuse your Energy and your Energy can get hurt. However it can't get sick, there's no viruses that affect Energy. Every Shifter's Energy's appearance is unique. It has a different color, shape, texture, way of moving, feeling, etc.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The majority of Shifters live in isolated villages by a large source of their type of Energy. Even City Shifters often end up in clumps by each other.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Shifters can sense any kind of Energy around them. This means even if you're a Nature Shifter, you can sense water or any other kind of energy around you. This is mainly used for finding Demons. So, shifters can sense other shifters. The one exception is if you have Energy Blindness. An interesting side effect of this ability is that Shifters can communicate via Energy. As Shifter's Energy System is so deeply ingrained in every part of their body, it's also ingrained in their thoughts and emotions. So they can project thoughts and emotions through their energy if they consciously try to (other Shifters can't just sense their thoughts and emotions whenever they want). Demons can also do this. There's two ways they can do this; one, send out general Energy so every Shifter can sense the message. Or two, send the Energy into another Shifter. This way only the Shifter you're sending the Energy into can understand your message. Shifters also use Energy in Language of the Shifters. Basically, it's doing what I described in the last paragraph through the soundwaves you make when you speak.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

The Shifter's Government and the Shifter's Police.

Beauty Ideals

As we know, every single Shifter's Energy looks different. Well Shifters whose Energy has a more rare appearance are often considered more beautiful or desirable than common looking Energy.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The language all Shifters use is Language of the Shifters. Shifters sometimes Shift other Shifters' Energy as a way to get their attention or communicate. It's equated to physically tugging or tapping your friend to surprise them, but this can be done from a distance.

Common Taboos

Shifting a Shifter's Energy who you don't know well. If you wouldn't physically touch a person, you shouldn't Shift their Energy.

History

Shifters have lived among humans for the whole of humanity. The most common origin myth of shifters is the 7 Spirits Creation Story.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Some Shifters have objections about different types of Shifters reproducing with other types of Shifters. They think Shifters should either marry their same type of Shifter or a human in order to keep the family's Energy pure, instead of combining two different types of Energy together. Their ideology isn't born out of some messed up kind of Energy superiority, but out of the Shifter's emphasis on power. Children born from two different kinds of Shifters tend to be less powerful. The only other concerns Shifters have about marrying humans or other kinds of Shifters is just the usual culture and religion mixing, nothing special.

Genetic Ancestor(s)