Shifter

Shifters, also known as the weretouched, are one of the races inhabiting Dünya. With both humans and lycanthropes among their distant ancestors, shifters possess just a small portion of their forefathers' shape-shifting abilities. They cannot transform wholly into an animal but can instead shift parts of their body to become animal-like for short periods of time.

Description

Shifters resemble humans but with more animal-like features. Their bodies are physically fit and lithe and they tend to move around in an animal-like manner, such as crouching, springing and leaping. Like cats, they have wide flat noses with large eyes, pointed ears, and claw-like nails on both their toes and fingers. Their hair is thick and worn long and some have long sideburns to match. Longtooth shifters claim that werewolves are their ancestors and hence hey have canine features while the razorclaw shifters claim weretigers to be their ancestors and thus they display feline features. Shifters have similar lifespans to humans.

A shifter travaller

Personality

Shifters commonly have chaotic personalities and experience extremes in their emotions. They are often temperamental and are liable to change moods in swift and dramatic fashion. Shifters find it difficult to control their emotions, especially in stressful situations. Some have learned to control their emotions however, it is obvious to others that they're finding it difficult to do so.
The shifter mind-set is built up around the idea of being self-sufficient and being able to conjure inner strength in times of need rather than relying on one's allies. Shifters can seem overly cautious or constantly ready for future events. A common saying among shifters is "preparing for the journey yet to come", which reflects how they believe the world can change instantly and how important it is to be prepared to avoid the danger that those changes can bring.
Shifters believe that the reward for independence is freedom and thus they feel uncomfortable around those who attempt to impose their will and beliefs upon others. It is also common for a shifter to feel restricted in a Human settlement with its rules and law enforcement.
Due to their predatory instincts, shifters can't help acting or thinking like animals and think in terms of hunting and prey. Like wolves, longtooth shifters feel the urge to form 'packs' with companions, whether they be family or even a group consisting of no other shifters. They make useful companions as they work well in teams, capable of coordinating attacks and will come to the rescue of any of pack members.
Razorclaw shifters are more independent, self-reliant, and adaptable than their longtooth cousins. They're just as loyal to their group as longtooth shifters, but they expect their companions to be just as self-reliant and capable as they are. Razorclaw shifters strive to carry their own weight within their groups.
Shifters are accustomed to distrust and don't expect better treatment from the other races, though some try to earn trust with their companions through good deeds. Most shifters are neutral and are concerned more with their survival than ethics and morals.

Leisure

Shifters instruct their young to play games that teach self-reliance and hunting skills. Their games focus on speed or stealth and they fail to see the point of solely mental games such as chess. It is not common for shifters to gamble or make bets but they're more inclined to do so when the bet is about their own performance. Most shifters scoff at gambling games that rely solely on luck.
Much like the young of most other races, shifters enjoy a game of hide and seek and some even continue to play it well into adulthood, though these shifters take the game to an extreme and focus on stealth and tracking skills. Another game that is popular amongst both the youth and the adults is simple running. When shifters gather, a race is sure to follow but just like their games of hide and seek they prefer races with obstacles such as fallen trees and pitfalls rather than a straight sprint.
Hrazhak is a shifter game that resembles capture the flag though once again, taken to a shifter-style extreme. It is played by two teams of six and each team possesses a wooden idol that the opposite team will attempt to steal and place next to their idol, which must be in their goal area. Both a team's idol and the enemy's idol must be in their goal area in order to win, and physical contact in the game is expected. Hrazhak is played on an obstacle course that features difficult terrain such as streams and fallen logs. Most teams consist of two longstride, two cliffwalker, and two razorclaw shifters. Hrazhak is an important part of shifter culture and if a non-shifter is invited to play it is considered a great honor and recognition of the non-shifter's skills.

Society

With shifters being among the most distrusted and persecuted race in Dünya, many others are fearful and even hateful of them. Somewhat surprisingly, shifter and Halfling friendships were quite common. The shifters that live near or within human societies make their living as trappers, hunters, guides and military scouts.
The minority shifter population has been stretched thin and far apart across Anakara and now struggles to maintain a sense of racial unity and a cohesive view of their society and culture. There are shifters, many of whom are clan leaders, who have a pro-unity stance toward their race and wish to preserve their culture, but despite their efforts two forms of shifter societies have becamecommon place. The first is a shifter enclave that often exists within larger societies, especially those of humans. Some shifters believe these enclaves provide a sense of community and belonging, whilst critics of these enclaves see them as problematic and responsible for maintaining the rift between shifters and the other races.
The second form of shifter society is more in tune with the self-reliant attitude of their race by being completely independent from foreign societies and somewhat isolationist. Most of these societies reside within isolated forests and plains. This may be due to a desire to live free from the rule and law of organised society. These barbaric groups provide shifters the luxury of mainly interacting with their own kind as they view the need of constant social interaction that the other races express as invasive to their sense of privacy and self-reliant attitude.

Religion

Almost all shifters worshipped the Human Pantheon, although those who lived close to other humanoid settlements were known to worship other gods. There were two main groups of shifter in terms of religion. Most good shifters worshipped Alltud or Fiadhúl. The former tended to be favoured by shifters who had a desire to integrate within other humanoid societies but viewed themselves as struggling outcasts, whilst followers of Fiadhúl tended to be more isolationist good shifters who viewed themselves as part of nature.
In contrast, there was a growing group of evil shifters wishing to adopt their lycanthrope origins and worshipped Beat-hach, although some of these too worshipped Fiadhúl. Many of these were members of The Predators, a church of pro-lycanthropes who viewed the world in an almost darwinian way - dividing everything into predators who hunted prey.

Player Race Features

• Ability Scores. Choose any +2; choose any other +1.
• Size. Medium.
• Speed. 30 feet.
• Bestial Instincts. Channeling the beast within, you have proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, or Survival.
• Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were in dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
• Shifting. As a bonus action, you can assume a more bestial appearance. This transformation lasts for 1 minute, until you die, or until you revert to your normal appearance as a bonus action. When you shift, you gain temporary hit points equal to 2 × your proficiency bonus. You can shift a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Whenever you shift, you gain an additional benefit based on one of the following options (choose when you select this race):
Beasthide. You gain 1d6 additional temporary hit points. While shifted, you have a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

Longtooth. When you shift and as a bonus action on your other turns while shifted, you can use your elongated fangs to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with your fangs, you can deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Swiftstride. While shifted, your walking speed increases by 10 feet. Additionally, you can move up to 10 feet as a reaction when a creature ends its turn within 5 feet of you. This reactive movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.

Wildhunt. While shifted, you have advantage on Wisdom checks, and no creature within 30 feet of you can make an attack roll with advantage against you unless you're incapacitated.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you and your DM agree is appropriate for your character.