Shifters

Ikosian # Shifters

In ancient times, a number of Altazian tribes discovered a way to permanently bind the soul of an animal to their own, becoming a creature with a dual soul and ability to transform into an animal innately, with no need to use lengthy transformation spells or potions.

The shifter transformation has many advantages over traditional transformation magic. Shifters can transform instinctively, at any time, with virtually no chance of messing up the transformation. Since they have access to an actual soul of their alternate form, they have an instinctive knowledge of how to use their other form, with no need for a learning process. Their control of the transformation is very fine and nuanced as well, meaning they can execute partial transformations on a moment’s notice. A cat shifter can manifest individual traits like enhanced senses, a cat tail, claws on their hands, patches of fur on their skin, and so on, freely combining them as they wish.

All this said, shifter magic has limitations. They cannot transform into a wide variety of forms like a traditional transformation expert, but are instead limited to making use of the traits provided by their specific animal. Additionally, while having a dual soul all but eliminates the danger of fully losing one’s mind to the animal, it amplifies the danger of personality shifts. The influence of one’s alternate form bleeds into one’s mentality constantly and without reprieve. Every shifter thinks and feels in a way that is subtly (or not so subtly) different from that of a mundane human. This is especially true because shifter abilities are hereditary, and most shifters today have had an animal half since the day they were born.

Shifter abilities are still ultimately magical, and their alternate form is just that – they have a real, base form, which is that of a human. They need to spend mana to maintain a transformation, and will transform back if they run out of it. They will also automatically transform into their real, human form if they die while transformed.

Becoming a Shifter

The secrets of shifter transformation are a closely-guarded secret of the shifter tribes. The ritual of shifter transformation requires a small amount of primordial essence, which can only be found in naturally-born shifter children.

Every naturally-born shifter is born with a certain amount of primordial essence – a miraculous and mysterious substance rumored to be related to the ancient primordials that ruled the world before the advent of the gods and humanity. It is this essence that makes shifter transformation possible, but this essence is gradually locked up in the flesh and soul of the shifter as they grow up, becoming inaccessible for rituals.

Shifter tribes know of rituals that can extract primordial essence out of their children without killing them, which allows them to grant shifter status to a select amount of outsiders every few years. The children are weakened considerably by the procedure, and take a while to recover. Because of this stress, shifter tribes are reluctant to grant this boon to anyone. Forcible extraction by hostile outsiders usually extracts all available primordial essence, killing the child in the process.

In addition to requiring primordial essence, the shifter ritual requires an animal whose alternate form you wish to assume. Its soul must be preserved inside it somehow, and will be spliced onto the newly-created shifter.

Existing Shifter Tribes

Although subjugated by the Ikosian like the other natives, shifter tribes have all retained some level of autonomy and their traditions. There is no Altazian nation that is run or primarily inhabited by shifters, and their relations to local governments are anything but smooth, but neither the shifters themselves nor the magical nobility that runs Splinter States are really interested in violent conflict with each other.

There are 12 existing shifter tribes in modern Altazia: Seal, Eagle, Pigeon, Crow, Owl, Cat, Viper, Wolf, Deer, Boar, Bear, and Fox.

• Seal: Lived on the eastern coast of Altazia (now mostly Eldemar). Deep resentment against Ikosian powers. Sided with Quatach-Ichl in the Necromancer's War. Now scattered in the Ikosian Great North or Ulquaan Ibasa.
• Eagle: Proud and independent. Fled to the Winter Mountains rather than submSilence of the Godsit to Ikosian . Surprisingly friendly to travelers despite their remote, hostile home.
• Pigeon: The only tribe that doesn't predate the Ikosian invasion. Created by an eccentric mage. Well-integrated into regular society across Altazia, often treating all other pigeon shifters as kin.
• Crow: Assimilated into regular society, often with links to crime groups. Unique in their ability to communicate and work together with mundane crows without mind magic, giving them a vast network of informants.
• Owl: Assimilated into regular society. Known for night operations and exploring the upper reaches of the Dungeon due to their silent flight and small size.
• Cat: Assimilated into regular society. Move around cities without arousing suspicion. Deeply connected to crime and disliked by law enforcement.
• Viper: Tried to integrate into society, but their poisonous alternate form and frequent role as hired killers led to harsh suppression. Launched a short-lived rebellion during the Splinter Wars which was brutally crushed. Now scattered and widely hated.
• Wolf: Part of the traditionalist alliance. Hold the largest territory of any tribe and view themselves as prime representatives of shifters. Fierce, proud, and resistant to classical magic.
• Deer & Boar: Part of the traditionalist alliance alongside the Wolf tribe. Tight communities with strong social bonds, valuing personal honor and resisting outside influences.
• Bear: Loosely in the traditionalist alliance. Once heavily feared warriors, though modern technology and magic have eroded their natural advantages. More willing to accept outside influences and classical mages than the main traditionalist tribes.
• Fox: Loosely in the traditionalist alliance. Embraced classical magic with enthusiasm, actively inviting outsiders to teach them. Have a very loose government, leading to complaints from neighboring communities about rogue youths using magic irresponsibly.

Assorted Shifter Traits

• Magical Creature Shifters: It is possible but incredibly dangerous to become a shifter of a magical creature. The influence of their soul is much stronger than that of a mundane animal, leading to catastrophic personality blending or total mental assimilation. No stable lineage of magical creature shifters has ever been produced.
• Multiple Alternate Forms: Performing the ritual multiple times for multiple alternate forms will eventually overwhelm the user with different soul fragments pulling them in different directions, destroying their sanity.
• Mana Reserves: Shifters have one soul with two (or multiple) parts, and thus a single mana pool. Their mana potential is an unpredictable blend of their forms.
• Undead Shifters: Becoming undead does not heavily affect being a shifter, as transformation cloaks the soul in a transformation shell. However, partial transformations are likely severely restricted due to incompatibility.
• Spirits: You cannot become a shifter of a spirit because spirits don't have a body. Fusing with a spirit is possible but insanely dangerous due to the spirit's intense personality.