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Group: Admin
Posts: 135
Member No.: 2
Joined: 25-March 08
Overview
A shifter is a being both human and animal who can change from one form to another at will, using their body's natural energy to initiate the change. TrueBorns are born from at least one TrueBorn shifter parent, where the shifter gene is passed on from parent to child. A TrueBorn offspring is typically born in either human or animal form - this often depends on what form the mother was during conception and birth. The fetus often shifts with a shifter mother, making it easier for the mother to give birth no matter what form she is in.
A TrueBorn child born in human form will live as a normal human for the first years of their life. At puberty - approximately 10 to 14 years of age, although sometimes younger or later - the human-born shifter will make their first transformation, usually to their war form. Human-born shifters will continue to age at a normal human rate until their mid- to late-twenties, when the aging process slows down, and they age at a more gradual rate. Human-born shifters cannot choose their animal form, nor can they alter their human form. Their hair color typically mimics the color of their fur, and their eye color stays the same from one form to another.
A TrueBorn child born in animal form, however, takes only up to five human years to shift their first time, also typically to the war form. Their first shifted human form is rarely the one they choose to stay with, and, until they are ten years of age, their human form looks around the approximate age of puberty. An animal-born shifter does not have to maintain their fur or eye color in their human form, and can, in fact, change their human form at will, though most tend to choose a single, comfortable form and stay with it. Their aging process is out of cycle for the bulk of their life - an animal-born under the age of twenty tends to look older than they really are, and above the age of thirty, younger. An animal-born shifter also has the added advantage - or disadvantage - of being able to control their human appearances so they look much younger than they really are, though some prefer to take their slow aging with dignity.
General Transformation Information Human - An abnormally healthy and fit looking human. Appearance can be chosen by an animal-born shifter, but is set in one look only for human-born shifters. Note that an animal-born shifter until their early twenties - or even as old as their early thirties - tends to look older than their actual age, while a human-born shifter will look their own age until their mid- to late-twenties, before the aging process slows and they begin to look younger.
Animal - The basic animal form, taking on a normal, if slightly healthier and more intelligent appearance of a standard creature, such as a deer, bear, domestic feline, et cetera.
War - This form is the half-human, half-animal anthropomorphic form that most shifters take on in combat. This form can be held for an indefinite length of time, although usually the shifter will revert to either animal or human form when a fight is over to save strength.
Dire - Larger animals such as bears, large reptiles, large canines, and foxes have a form roughly double or triple the average animal form. Like other dire forms, this can only be held for a length of time no greater than an hour before resulting in bloodrage, which requires death or unconsciousness to remove them from.
Abilities - An Explanation
Due to the strange nature of shifters, it is said that they are more in touch with the life-blood of the planet. Some call this energy, some essence, others spirit, chi, and countless other names. The planet itself has often been called Gaia, the wellspring of the essence. Because shifters are not entirely human, but neither are they completely animal, it is thought that they are closest to the life-blood of the planet.
Beings born of what could only be described as 'magic', they have retained their ability to commune and connect with the life-blood through concentration, prayer, and practice. If anything, since the forced move underground and into the Zones, they have become stronger and closer to the wellspring of their powers. These powers are called abilities, or talents, and they vary from race to race, and can even vary from clan to clan or tribe to tribe.
While every shifter has some connection with the life-blood of the planet, some are better at it than others. Overextending one's power and energy can lead to exhaustion, and can sometimes be fatal. How strong an ability's power works is based on how strong the ties of the shifter are to the flow of energy. The older a shifter, the more control they will have; however, the more energy one takes from the life-blood, the greater the risk of corruption.
Shifters have long since learned to use their powers only in dire need or in small, concentrated bursts - such as when the Kitsune laid their enchantments over Sage's Drop, or when the HonorClaw Werecats grew their mighty and serene forests. Abilities used for the good of others are often much easier on both the shifter and the recipient.
Every shifter has a primary ability, which is called 'transformation'. This is when the shifter uses the least amount of energy, changing from their primary form to an alternate form. Even the Altered shifters have this ability to some degree. Every shifter, TrueBorn or Altered, also has a singular special ability, a 'gift' from the wellspring. This ability is unique to every shifter. The results may sometimes be the same, or the way to get the results, but each affects the shifter in different and often profound - or unsettling - ways. Demis are also allowed one unique ability of their own, despite their inability to shift.
Rage Modes
Shifters, A General Overview
