Changelings

Changelings are bipedal Sapients with unique shapeshifting abilities; transmutative magic coarses through every part of their bodies and makes their living tissue inherently magical. In their Natural Form, Changelings are Elf-like in size and weight, though often possess a longer limbed appearance. Their bones tend to be more resilient to stress than most similar Sapients, and they are slender and lean.   In their Natural Form, Changelings are generally born genderless, with their experiences and preferences shaping how their Natural Form develops. Over time many will exhibit a preferred “Gender Form” which will shape the state of their Natural Form. Some Changelings retain a “stable” Natural Form, while others’ will change and adapt throughout their lives, which reach around 350 years long. Changelings have skin in shades of white and pale grey, often with colour-tinted markings upon their face. Their hair is again often white, with tones of silver and grey, while their eyes tend toward black, pale blue or colourless. Like Elves, Changelings in their Natural Form do not possess body hair save for lashes, brows and scalp hair.

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Changelings are a monotypic species in their Natural Form, but can take on the physical traits (though not the abilities) of other species as they desire. They are born genderless but can develop into any gender due to preference or influence over time. The markings on a Changeling's face are usually pale shades of blue, pink, purple or grey, or very rarely black. They are inherited biologically, but styles can skip generations and reappear later down the genetic line.

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Changelings have a 50% chance of producing a Changeling child when one of the parents is a Changeling, and a 100% chance where both are Changelings. If a non-Changeling child is born to a single Changeling parent, they will inherit the genetic traits of their non-Changeling parent. Where a Changeling reproduces with non-mammalian Sapients such as Fisdragua, Kobolds or Lizardfolk, the offspring will always inherit the non-Changeling parent's genetics.   Changelings become fertile between sixteen and twenty years of age, though there are no visible changes in their Natural Form to show whether a young Changeling is fertile or not. For that reason, most Changelings choose not to attempt to have children until they are in their early twenties. Unlike other species, female presenting Changelings do not experience monthly bleeds. Instead, the uterus only thickens when a fertilized egg releases a specific chemical, and the transmutative nature of the Changelings anatomy immediately adapts. Because of this, female-presenting Changelings often know immediately when they have conceived. While pregnant, a female-presenting Changeling can only shift to a new form if the child they are carrying is also a Changeling. If the child is not a Changeling, they cannot shift form, and attempting to do so risks losing the child, which is taboo to Changelings. If a Changeling conceives a mammalian child, but shifts into a non-mammalian form, they must return to a mammalian form to give birth. They are considered to have average fertility compared to other species, and are most comparable to Humans or Dwarves. Changelings within Changeling communities often have only one or two children, though some wandering Changelings boast of having offspring across multiple countries.   Changelings remain fertile until their last decade, though again there are no visible changes.

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Changelings grow at approximately the same rate as Humans, and mature between the ages of 16 and 20. In their Natural Form, Changelings are generally born genderless, showing no external sexual characteristics whatsoever. Over time, as they experiment with their shape shifting capabilities, their experiences and preferences will begin to shape how their Natural Form appears aesthetically. Over time many will exhibit a preferred “Gender Form” which will shape the state of their Natural Form, with some Changelings presenting as obviously male or female in their Natural Form. Others will remain agender or androgenous, and there is no "correct" form for Changelings to take in this manner. Some Changelings retain a “stable” Natural Form over a long period of time, perhaps even displaying characteristics similar to those of their parents, while others’ will change and adapt throughout their lives, showing little to no similarity to their parents. Once they reach maturity, Changelings physically age very little, though some may lose the colouration of their facial markings as they reach their 300s.

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Changelings as a species are not picky about habitat, and will adapt themselves to suit the land around them, or choose a location based on personal experience and preference. Seeing their shapeshifting abilities as a form of artistic expression, they are often drawn to places that inspire them in some way, or that show a highly developed artistic culture.

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Changelings are omnivorous and will adapt to the communities within which they reside. Few Changelings have allergies and they are not prone to any reactions to specific food types.

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In their Natural Form, Changelings tend to have elegant faces highlighted with a marking across the upper portion of their face (and sometimes ears). They are often described as having a haunting, unearthly appearance and captivating eyes. Changelings cannot grow facial hair other than brows and eyelashes in their Natural Form.

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Despite their Fey ancestry, Changelings are not known to have particularly honed or Keen senses, nor do they possess Darkvision or inherent extrasensory capabilities. However, Changelings are shapeshifters and are therefore more capable than most when it comes to integrating with, or hiding within, new societies.   Changelings are able to manipulate their form on a whim, though they must retain the same arrangement of limbs (a Changeling cannot become a Centaur, for example, though they can become a Minotaur). A Changeling can adjust gender, skin tone, hair colour and style, eye colour, pupil shape, or even gain a tail, though the being they are becoming must fit within the Small to Large size categories.

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Changelings are often given gender neutral names at birth, and will then choose their own name as they get older and decide on a gender identity. Some Changelings will choose two names if they regularly switch gender, while others will choose a single name if they have a preferred gender.

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Changelings create visages called "Masks" every time they change form. They create these Masks using inspiration from other species they have seen; a hair colour here, a skin shade there, blending them to create something new. Most of the time, Changelings will adopt features that they themselves find aesthetically pleasing, or that reflect an aspect of their personality. On occasions where they are required to wear a specific set of features, such as being hired to impersonate someone, they will carefully study their intended Persona in order to imitate them as closely as possible. Changelings pride themselves on being able to master many features, forms and mannerisms, and will "collect" appearances which they then treasure for the rest of their lives.   However, in some situations, Changelings may find themselves bending to the whims and wills of others in order to fit in. It is sometimes said that a Changeling who changes form to please others will ultimately lose their sense of self. This is a taboo in Changeling culture, as their abilities are considered a gift that allows them to express their innermost persona.

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Changelings raised within Changeling communities are most often taught to speak Sylvan, their which they identify as their native tongue, and the Common tongue. It is also traditional for Changeling communities to teach Giant, in honour of the Giants that saved the first Changeling within the Material Plane.   For Changelings raised in other communities, languages are generally aligned with whatever the community speaks.

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The Giant Language

Changelings will often learn and pass on the Giant language to their children, in honour of the clan of Giants that saved the first Changeling in the Material Plane.  

Coming of Age

Changelings in a community of other Changelings will generally hold a "Coming of Age" ceremony for their offspring when they reach sixteen years of age. At this age, the young Changeling will be given the opportunity to choose a new name; one that reflects their personality and preferences. Where the parent and child are the only Changelings in the community, they will instead observe the local customs, though the parent will often hold a private ceremony for their child at home.

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Willfully Abandoning Offspring

Changelings consider knowingly and willingly abandoning offspring to be one of the greatest evils. This is likely due to the nature of Doppelgangers, that reproduce by forcing others to have and raise their children.  

Impersonating a Dead Person

Knowingly impersonating the dead is considered morally and ethically offensive, as well as insulting to the Gods of Death. Some Changelings have been known to do this in exceptional circumstances, but they find the whole experience distasteful.  

Only Ever Choosing Forms for Others

Changelings raised in non-Changeling societies may find themselves bending to the whims and wills of others in order to fit in, never truly discovering their own preferences or capabilities. A Changeling that doesn't know what they like or find pleasing is considered "lost", and if another Changeling finds one like this, it is considered their duty to help the lost Changeling rediscover themselves.

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Changelings originated in the Realm of the Fey, after an incursion of Monstrous Demi-Sapients from a Cosmology linked to A'arde by the Ancients. Doppelgangers procreated with local Fey, producing the first Changeling children, and were at first looked upon with suspicion. Doppelgangers abandon their offspring before they are even born, and while their children often show no signs of monstrous origins early on, they later transform into new Doppelgangers. However, the first Changelings were born completely different to either of their parents, and the Fey had no idea how they would mature. While the Fey are not known to kill suspected Doppelganger children, there were initially concerns from some, including Archfey, that the Changelings would prove a more powerful foe to the Fey if they were allowed to mature. However, Changelings proved to have significantly more in common with the nature of their Fey heritage than their Doppelganger, leading to them being accepted a few centuries later.   The first Changeling to make their way to the Material Plane actually ended up in A'arde by accident. A Fey caravan travelling throughout the Fey Realms contained a small group of Changelings, encountered an Arcane Anomaly during the 1st Age of A'arde, and a young Changeling child named Sen was caught up within it, falling through a portal into the Material Plane. There, Sen was found by a Clan of Giants, who looked after them for eight years until their family was able to locate them. Intrigued by the Material Plane, Sen's family decided to stay, and it became customary for Changelings in the Material Plane to learn the Giant language in honour of the Giant Clan that saved Sen.

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Sen

Sen was the first Changeling to set foot in the Material Plane of A'arde, during the Age of Renewal. They accidentally fell through a portal while travelling with a Changeling caravan when they were four years old, and were found by a Clan of Giants who took pity on them. Sen lived with the Giants for eight years before being found, and the Giant language is now spoken amongst Changeling communities in honour of their saviours.

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Changelings can adapt to settle within any culture or society as necessary, and generally view other species as varied and colourful. They see them as opportunities to take inspiration for future Masks, and do not hold any particular biases against species as a whole.   There are also no generalisations as to how other species as a whole view Changelings, however they are sometimes oppressed or culled by other cultures or societies who fear their abilities. This is particularly common in the North of Eirinn, where they are viewed by groups such as the Silver Hand as cunning, deceptive, and evil creatures. In other places, Changelings may be enslaved to abuse their shapeshifting abilities and further the abductor's goals. In these instances, Changelings will actively avoid those societies and locations, and will go out of their way to leave signs to others of their kind to stay well clear of the area.