Shifters

'Aye, my father was a manbeast. That is why I am what I am. While his affliction was a true curse, I consider mine a blessing - I control it wholly, able to change as and when I please, to tap into the ferocity of the wilds, the enhanced senses that come from being a beast. I know that we are considered strange by you, people of the cities, but we are content with our lives. And to be away from the wild is like being away from air - wrong, uncomfortable. I know that you can't understand, and I don't expect you to, but that is how we are.' - Brock, hermit

Lycanthropy is the name given to a strange disease that affects members of many races. Under certain conditions, people afflicted with it will undergo a transformation into a strange hybrid of man and beast. The conditions are typically dependent on the phase of the moon, and the beast form is typically closest to a wolf, though both of these things can be very variable. Sometimes, when an individual with lycanthropy has a child, that child will be born changed - a shifter. Shifters have a number of unusual physical characteristics, often having more bestial faces, with fur and prominent teeth. More notably, these shifters are capable of undergoing a sort of partial transformation at will. There have been four varieties of shifter transformation observed - beasthide, who gain greater muscle mass and hardened scales or fur, longtooth, who gain vicious claws and fangs, swiftstride, who become more dextrous, and wildhunt, who become more in tune with their surroundings. These transformations are typically accompanied by other, less significant changes, such as fur growth, or the appearance of antlers, and are only temporary and quite tiring, but allow the shifters to be a force to be reckoned with.

Basic Information

Ecology and Habitats

Shifters are found in many areas of the world, but typically find themselves uncomfortable in urban areas.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Shifters have a diet similar to that of their parent race, though they tend to favour meat more.

Biological Cycle

Shifters age slightly more quickly than their parent race, and live for a similar amount of time. They are additionally less fertile, most never having a child. If they do, the child will also be born a shifter.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Shifters have faces that can be considered more animalistic than normal for their parent race. They often have larger, more prominent teeth and ears, and much of their face is often lined with fur.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Shifters are usually named according to the traditions of their parent race, though some take on different names to reflect their more bestial nature.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Shifters speak the language of their parent race.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

When outside their native culture, shifters tend to be tribal hunter-gatherers, living in relatively wild areas.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Shifters may be distrusted by their native community due to their unusual nature, though more blame typically falls on their lycanthrope parent.

Lifespan

Similar to their parent race

Average Height

Often slightly taller than their parent race

Average Weight

Slightly heavier than their parent race

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Shifters have skin tones similar to those of their parent race, and their fur is typically brown, black, or grey.