Changelings

Changelings can shift their forms with a thought. Many changelings use this gift as a form of artistic and emotional expression. It's also an invaluable tool for grifters, spies, and others who wish to deceive. This leads many people to treat changelings with suspicion, when they know about their existence at all. While changelings live within every kingdom, they often hide in plane sight and are viewed as a bedtime story in the majority of lands. Changelings are typically born into one of two paths, either living in hidden communities amongst others of their kind or being raised as orphans by other races who find their way in the world without ever knowing another like them.
In their true form, changelings are pale, with colorless eyes and silver-white hair. It is rare to see a changeling in that form, for a typical changeling changes their shape the way others might change clothes. A casual shape - one created in the spur of the moment, with no depth or history - is called a mask. A mask can be used to express a mood or to serve a specific purpose and then might never be used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona with a history and beliefs. This focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat. Personas can be shared by multiple changelings; there might be three healers in a community, but whoever is on duty will adopt the persona of Tek, the kindly old medic. Personas can even be passed down through a family, allowing a younger changeling to take advantage of contacts established by the personas previous user.