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CHANGELINGS
MAGICAL ALIGNMENT: Dark, but not following a particular sin.
LIFESPAN: With the hunting and poaching of changelings a long buried secret, these creatures are now able to live to the fullest extent of their lifespan. (200-800 years). After reaching full maturity at around 25, their aging slows so immensely that it is hardly noticeable until shortly before old age takes them.
APPEARANCE: When not cloaking themselves into something else entirely*, a changeling’s true form is something to behold. These beings have pale, muted skin with dark stripes, usually brown or black, and wide set, warm coloured eyes. These eyes can move independently, resembling those of a chameleon, even when transformed. Their reptilian blink is the easiest way to spot them, with eyelids that tighten like camera shutters.
In their true form, they also possess six tentacles protruding from their shoulder blades; large, drooping ears; a distinct lack of any hair and long, rat-like tails that curl upwards. It is more comfortable to keep them curled.
USUAL COLOURATIONS:
RARER COLOURATIONS: (albinism, leucism and melanism)
*A typical changeling will remain cloaked for almost their entire life, disguising themself indefinitely.
OVERALL BIOLOGY:
Untransformed, a changeling is a reptilian humanoid and thus their internal structure has only slight differentiations to that of a human. Their cardiovascular and neurological systems are almost identical, save for their ability to tap into the thoughts and feelings of other nearby changelings. This is done via a mix of magical and pheromonal means, a subconscious recognition that is believed to stem from their need to conceal themselves. These creatures may often work as a collective, upkeeping the deception of other shapeshifters within their community. All changelings share an immutable psychological bond.
Being poikiothermic, (cold-blooded), changelings are extremely reliant on external stimuli to maintain warmth and stay alive. Whilst taking the form of animalfolk is one of the most effective ways to deal with this, thick furred ears can only do so much. Instead, even whilst shifted, changelings are heavily reliant on in-home heating and other warming techniques.
ABILITIES:
As their moniker suggests, the main ability of a changeling is shape-shifting, either taking on the form of an existing humanoid or crafting an entirely new identity of an entirely different species.
This uniquely crafted identity can be held indefinitely, with the exception of during sleep.
This transformation extends only to beings with or exceeding a human level of sentience, and does not include using any of the abilities of the chosen species. A high emotion, such as rib-splitting laughter or devastation, may lead a changeling to let their disguise slip.
DIET: Without transformation, the diet of a changeling is incredibly versatile and varied. An adaptation to a hidden and nomadic lifestyle, these fauna can eat and digest almost anything organic, even hair or tree bark. After a large meal, their bodies will hold onto the sustenance for as long as possible, with full digestion taking several weeks. They often do not chew their food.
In cloaked form, a changeling’s digestive system morphs, but not entirely - they retain their lengthened digestive period, but obtain the dietary requirements and restrictions of the chosen species.*
*They are even able to effectively 'give themselves' allergies, in order to better fit in. This is rarely necessary.
SLEEP/REST:
With a surprisingly usual sleep-wake cycle, changelings require a minimum of four hours sleep in a twenty-four hour period, and may get this in short bursts. They do, however, sleep with their eyes firmly open, protected by secondary eyelids.
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM:
Being a hermaphroditic, single-sex species, these beings have no real concept of sex or gender for that matter. They have no sexual dimorphism in base form.
REPRODUCTION:
In order to reproduce, the ‘paternal’ changeling first develops one of its six tentacles into an organ specialised solely for the delivery of genetic material. After usage, this limb detaches and decays, but does regrow, taking anywhere between five and eight years.
After conception, the impregnated changeling spends the next year or two developing a slime coated egg, and, upon being laid, this egg needs a further three to six months to develop.
The combination of a lengthy process and the painful loss of a limb leaves much to be desired. As such, changelings rarely reproduce with other changelings. The process remains relatively usual with a partner of a different species, and all interspecies combinations simply produce another changeling.*
CHILDHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT: Making up for their lengthened gestation, a young changeling (sometimes referred to as a mimic or a changie), emerges from its egg with the developmental capabilities of a toddler. Crawling, standing for short periods, holding oneself up on its tentacles, rudimentary speech or even singing. After this, they appear to develop alongside humans, if a little slower.
Appearance wise, a young mimic is far lighter in colour that an adult specimen, and their stripes do not
begin to appear until around
five years of age, sometimes
later.
*Accidental pregnancy is surprisingly common, as most hormonal birth controls do not work for changelings. They may go up to a year without realising they are carrying an egg.
CULTURE:​
Little knowledge remains of traditional changeling culture, as their forced assimilation has turned their original rituals to dust. The very hints of culture that some changelings still cling to stem from Germanic and Celtic heritage, such as an appreciation for nature, the belief that all life is eventually recycled, and an honour system. Reputation and maintaining 'face' is crucial to these beings.
A more recent phenomenon is that changelings may assimilate into other religions or spiritual arrangements, such as celebrating the moon revelry alongside dreamwalkers, or joining nymphs in the worship of Gaia.
ORIGIN:
Masters of disguise even in the olden days, the true origin of changelings as a species is unknown. They are not present in The Underworld, and are not the result of any interspecies procreation - they are hardly even mentioned in mythology. The leading theory is that they may have been created ritualistically, perhaps by someone bereaved. After all, they are excellent at impersonating lost loved ones, almost as if by design.
It is wholly untrue and frankly offensive to suggest that changelings “steal and replace” children. It is however common for an orphaned changeling to construct an entirely new identity and impersonate a ‘long lost’ family member for the purpose of survival.
Impersonation of someone, living or deceased, is illegal, with punishments varying depending on whether funds or important documents were taken.
Pigment disorders are slightly more common in changelings than in other species, like albinism, melanism and piebaldism.
