Shapeshifter
Phylum: Proteomorphica
Class: Mutabilisidae
Binomial Name: Homo mutabilis
Trinomial Name: Homo mutabilis formadiversa
Explanation: Phylum: Proteomorphica (meaning "protein changers") highlights the ability of this race to alter their physical form at will, emphasizing their shapeshifting abilities.
Class: Mutabilisidae (derived from the Latin word "mutabilis," meaning "changeable") indicates their evolutionary lineage and their unique characteristic of being able to change their appearance.
Binomial Name: Homo mutabilis reflects their origin as a descendant of humans while emphasizing their ability to change.
Trinomial Name: Homo mutabilis formadiversa (meaning "changeable in diverse forms") underscores the diverse range of shapes and forms that members of this race can assume.
Class: Mutabilisidae
Binomial Name: Homo mutabilis
Trinomial Name: Homo mutabilis formadiversa
Explanation: Phylum: Proteomorphica (meaning "protein changers") highlights the ability of this race to alter their physical form at will, emphasizing their shapeshifting abilities.
Class: Mutabilisidae (derived from the Latin word "mutabilis," meaning "changeable") indicates their evolutionary lineage and their unique characteristic of being able to change their appearance.
Binomial Name: Homo mutabilis reflects their origin as a descendant of humans while emphasizing their ability to change.
Trinomial Name: Homo mutabilis formadiversa (meaning "changeable in diverse forms") underscores the diverse range of shapes and forms that members of this race can assume.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Shapeshifters are humanoid creatures that have hairless, smooth, grey skin that looks almost metallic in appearance but is otherwise soft like normal skin. They have white eyes that have a cross as a pupil and do not seem to have facial features beyond the eyes and mouth. The mouth is rounded and have ridges instead of teeth. They vary in builds and height just as much as humans do.
Gender has minimal importance for shapeshifters and they can change their gender at-will. Each individual is effectively an hermaphrodite and choose which gender to be, if any. Some may have a preference for a particular gender and keep to it their entire lives while others change their gender as frequently as some humans may change their hairstyle.
Genetics and Reproduction
Shapeshifters breed slow and produce two offspring at a time as both parents become pregnant. While pregnant their shapeshifting abilities will be limited to the Partial Shapeshifting until after birth. Gestation is about 6 weeks and a newborn Shapeshifter will have Partial Shapeshifting right away but will not gain Full Shapeshifting until they reach adulthood which takes about twice the rate as a human. Shapeshifters can breed only with themselves and, curiously, humans. If they breed with a human gestation is standard 9 months and there is 50% chance the child will be a Shapeshifter and if so will typically be born in a Partial Shapeshifted state as a human. They breed slower because they control their own fertility and having less children makes it easier to hide. Each individual shapeshifter can produce only 2 offspring in their lifetime.
Growth Rate & Stages
Pure Shapeshifters (with 2 shapeshifter parents) are exceedingly rare, as, outside of outright evidence, there's no way for a shapeshifter to identify another. Their children are born after a 6 week gestation at the same time to both parents, and are considered twins. Pure shapeshifter children age at twice the rate as human offspring, but do not gain the ability to fully shapeshift until they reach maturity, around 12 years of age.
Half-blood Shapeshifters are comparatively more common, and more in line with human reproduction and growth cycles, with gestation lasting 9 months and maturity occurring around the age of 20. If the child is born a shapeshifter, they will be born in a partial shifted state with a human form, with aesthetic genetics decided by the human parent. (The child will look like their human parent, not like the form of the shapeshifter parent.) Half-bloods will gain the ability to fully shapeshift as they enter puberty, around age 14-15, and will often lack control until they gain experience. Most half-blooded shapeshifters are left with their human parent at an early age, however, and are rarely taught or educated on their origin. This has led to confusion and uncertainty regarding the species, which seems to be the intent. If a shapeshifter remains with the child, they tend to remain secretive about their origins until the child's full shapeshifting ability manifests, at which point (historically), the child is removed from their human parent and joins the other parent for an indeterminate amount of time before disappearing from record.
Half-blood Shapeshifters are comparatively more common, and more in line with human reproduction and growth cycles, with gestation lasting 9 months and maturity occurring around the age of 20. If the child is born a shapeshifter, they will be born in a partial shifted state with a human form, with aesthetic genetics decided by the human parent. (The child will look like their human parent, not like the form of the shapeshifter parent.) Half-bloods will gain the ability to fully shapeshift as they enter puberty, around age 14-15, and will often lack control until they gain experience. Most half-blooded shapeshifters are left with their human parent at an early age, however, and are rarely taught or educated on their origin. This has led to confusion and uncertainty regarding the species, which seems to be the intent. If a shapeshifter remains with the child, they tend to remain secretive about their origins until the child's full shapeshifting ability manifests, at which point (historically), the child is removed from their human parent and joins the other parent for an indeterminate amount of time before disappearing from record.
Ecology and Habitats
Shapeshifters are very rare and have no culture of their own. They will typically be raised amongst humans and human societies more often than not but can live amongst others. They will usually pose as a member of a different race and take the names common to that race or culture. Some may often develop multiple identities and switch between multiple lives easily. There's no firm habitat, region, or ecology that they depend on. Rather, they adapt as needed to whichever form they choose at the time, and continue on their way until something changes and they decide to move on. However, nearly all historical record of the species indicates they prefer habituated regions, with a sizable enough populace that an additional individual will go mostly unnoticed. Rarely, there's record of shapeshifters taking the form of a known individual and living out their lives, only moving on upon discovery. There is no record of this occurring with the original form still alive.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Shapeshifters do not require additional sustenance compared to whichever form they've assumed, but tastes tend to follow an individual through forms. For example, if one individual has a preference for sweets, that will prevail in any form that's able to consume/comprehend that taste. There are a few tales of individuals who prefer certain forms, strictly based on what diet they've chosen as favored.
Habits themselves are formed by the individual, and depending on the discretion of that person, can be used to identify a shapeshifter regardless of form. The more discerning of the species will form habits based on what form they've chosen, and can be very particular of which habits to indulge with discretion in mind.
Habits themselves are formed by the individual, and depending on the discretion of that person, can be used to identify a shapeshifter regardless of form. The more discerning of the species will form habits based on what form they've chosen, and can be very particular of which habits to indulge with discretion in mind.
Biological Cycle
Full Shapeshifters: Always born as a "twin", the two are born simultaneously to each parent after a 6-week gestation. The children have partial shapeshifting ability, and can change their form to a range of human-esque styles, but lack the ability to manipulate the basis of that form. Upon reaching maturity (around 12 years), they gain the ability to fully shapeshift, and are taught by their parents until they reach adulthood (around 22-24 years), and leave their parents. The two siblings will usually stay together for another 4-6 years, before separating to continue their own lives. Full-blooded shapeshifters can live an estimated 250-300 years, but no certain timeframe is known due to the secrecy and movements of individuals. (They're very hard to keep track of, and don't keep records that are accessible for this information.)
Half-Blood Shapeshifters: These individuals are more in line with human reproduction and growth cycles. The carrier depends on the chosen gender of the shapeshifter at the time, and seems to have no impact on which parent the child "takes after"; There is a 50% chance the child will be a shapeshifter. regardless of which parent they were born to. Gestation lasts 9 months and maturity occurs around the age of 20. If the child is born a shapeshifter, they will be born in a partial shifted state with a human form, with aesthetic genetics decided by the human parent. (The child will look like their human parent, not like the form of the shapeshifter parent.) Half-bloods will gain the ability to fully shapeshift as they enter puberty, around age 14-15, and will often lack control until they gain experience. Most half-blooded shapeshifters are left with their human parent at an early age, however, and are rarely taught or educated on their origin. Half-blooded Shifters have an expanded lifespan compared to humans, living up to 156 years (longest known), but the full range of their lifespan is unknown for similar reasons to the full-blooded. These individuals have a higher mortality rate than their full-blooded counterparts, historically due to a lack of experience and control leading to persecution and exposure, if not death through a mishap as they learn to use their abilities, which is the most common cause of death.
Shapeshifters have the same general anatomy and abilities regardless of origin, if they make it to full maturity. Cases of difference in ability and skill traces back exclusively to training and upbringing, rather than any biological component, and there is no differentiation between the half and full bloods socially if they do meet and recognize the other as a shapeshifter.
Shapeshifters meticulously plan their relationships and children, as they can only produce two offspring in their lives, if they choose to do so. Due to their biology, a conscious effort must be made to procreate, regardless of if they're the carrier or not. If the child is born human, instead of a shapeshifter, they have no inherent abilities or skills from their shapeshifter parent, and may never know that it was possible, depending on the parent's decisions to tell them or not. They do, however, "count" towards the potential offspring of the shapeshifter parent. The human child will live life in accordance with human biology.
Shapeshifters do not have a history of regular biological functions other than puberty granting them the ability to fully shift, but most tend to take on the biological habits and cycles of whatever their chosen form is. Most shapeshifters will have preferred form(s), but a handful have been known to switch so often that those habits never "kick in".
Shapeshifters have the same general anatomy and abilities regardless of origin, if they make it to full maturity. Cases of difference in ability and skill traces back exclusively to training and upbringing, rather than any biological component, and there is no differentiation between the half and full bloods socially if they do meet and recognize the other as a shapeshifter.
Shapeshifters meticulously plan their relationships and children, as they can only produce two offspring in their lives, if they choose to do so. Due to their biology, a conscious effort must be made to procreate, regardless of if they're the carrier or not. If the child is born human, instead of a shapeshifter, they have no inherent abilities or skills from their shapeshifter parent, and may never know that it was possible, depending on the parent's decisions to tell them or not. They do, however, "count" towards the potential offspring of the shapeshifter parent. The human child will live life in accordance with human biology.
Shapeshifters do not have a history of regular biological functions other than puberty granting them the ability to fully shift, but most tend to take on the biological habits and cycles of whatever their chosen form is. Most shapeshifters will have preferred form(s), but a handful have been known to switch so often that those habits never "kick in".
Behaviour
Shapeshifters have the same general anatomy and abilities regardless of origin, if they make it to full maturity. Cases of difference in ability and skill traces back exclusively to training and upbringing, rather than any biological component, and there is no differentiation between the half and full bloods socially if they do meet and recognize the other as a shapeshifter. This rarely happens, as there is no set culture, society, or group of shapeshifters maintained. It's almost entirely chance that one will meet another, unless one is purposefully advertising themselves and is sought out, which has only been recorded 8 times in the past 200 years. Only 3 of those succeeded in meeting with another shifter, while the rest retreated back into hiding after an excess of attention.
If two shapeshifters do meet and are amenable to each other, this usually leads to copulation and twin children, as it's the only sure method of producing shapeshifter children. These relationships can vary in personal importance from a mere transaction to a life bond, depending on the individuals and their own personalities/choices. The two will stay together to raise the twins, until they're matured and educated, usually taking between 18 and 24 years to raise the two. After that, they may choose to have a second set of twins, stay together bonded, or separate to their personal paths. Large family groups are unheard of; the largest known grouping of shapeshifters was 6 individuals - two parents, their 2 adult children, and 2 younger offspring, all posing as human craftsman within Alsais. (This particular group was exposed after a magical storm shook the land and they collectively lost control of their assumed forms, taking their true appearances. No records exist detailing the events following this.)
If two shapeshifters do meet and are amenable to each other, this usually leads to copulation and twin children, as it's the only sure method of producing shapeshifter children. These relationships can vary in personal importance from a mere transaction to a life bond, depending on the individuals and their own personalities/choices. The two will stay together to raise the twins, until they're matured and educated, usually taking between 18 and 24 years to raise the two. After that, they may choose to have a second set of twins, stay together bonded, or separate to their personal paths. Large family groups are unheard of; the largest known grouping of shapeshifters was 6 individuals - two parents, their 2 adult children, and 2 younger offspring, all posing as human craftsman within Alsais. (This particular group was exposed after a magical storm shook the land and they collectively lost control of their assumed forms, taking their true appearances. No records exist detailing the events following this.)
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Shapeshifters have a natural resistance against spells or other methods of external shape-changing. Additionally, as their name implies, they have the ability to change form at will.
Scientific Name
Proteomorphica > Mutabilisidae > Homo mutabilis > Homo mutabilis formadiversa
Conservation Status
Unknown - Since Shapeshifters do not have their own culture, society, or place of known origin, no information is known about their number or region, even to those who may count among them.
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