Shapeshifters
Appearance
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No different from a normal human.
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Origins
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Same origins as a normal human.
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History
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Shiftshapers came to be roughly one thousand years ago. Before then, they were purely wizards.
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The first shapeshifter, Kasa, as she is known in most cultures through origin tales, was born roughly 1,300 years ago. She was a mystic witch within a Native American tribe. Not understanding arcane at the time, she devoted herself to the study of anthropomorphism. The armadillo was her animal of choice. A creature which represented trust, peace, and safety in her culture. One day she awoke as the beast itself and learned she could shift between human and beast with ease.
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Kasa spread her knowledge to all neighboring tribes. When the vikings landed in America 300 years later, they obtained the knowledge too, and brought it back to the other side of the world. Giving up arcane to become one or multiple animals of the wizard's choosing reached all corners of the earth by 1,250 AD.
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The shapeshifters have been in close quarters with wizards despite giving up their magic. Most are judged for their decision, but they aren't any less human.
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The SSC (Supernatural Supreme Court: The governing force within the supernatural world) utilizes shapeshifters in their ranks due to their prior knowledge of arcane and versatility on the field. The shapeshifters of the SSC carry a special emblem of an armadillo with them upon their official badges.
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Modern Day
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Shapeshifters are very common these days. They can be hiding just about anywhere. Some even become animals simply to avoid taxes and human responsibilities.
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The SSC has a very steep fine for shapeshifters that are discovered to be in hiding as animals to avoid financial payments.
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Noteworthy People
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Kasa: The first shapeshifter. A kind armadillo.
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Officer Grady: A famous SSC officer from London which also happens to be a mastiff shapeshifter. He, along with his wizard brother Briggs, is responsible for 70% of the London supernatural criminals being detained. He is also part of the team which arrested Justin Marin. (Read about him here.)
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Gilly: A gigantic whale shark shapeshifter which lives out his days cruising around the sea. He's been known to rescue castaways and accompany the merfolk on expeditions. He's a legend in the supernatural community due to being the largest shapeshifter in the world.
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Advanced Lore
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There is no limit to how many animal forms a shapeshifter can have. With each new form, they might find it hard to concentrate on one over the others.
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Until a shapeshifter has learned to adapt to their animal forms, they might take on similar diets and attitudes to their animal(s) of choice. For instance, a chihuahua shapeshifter might find an inherent need to yell at tall people.
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Shapeshifters are able to smell arcane with their keen senses. (This is done in the roleplay by rolling perception checks).
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Shapeshifters are able to communicate with any other animal there is. That being said, not all wild animals have very much to say.
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When a shapeshifter transforms, their clothing doesn't disappear with their human bodies. So, make sure you're not wearing anything that might choke you to death.
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The transformation process is not like Animorphs, for the love of god. It looks more like an obscuring cloud of smoke wrapping around one's body and molding it to a new shape.