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Post by Aries on Mar 3, 2010 18:00:45 GMT -8
• • General Appearance Shapeshifters look nearly exactly like their human brethren. They effortlessly fit into everyday society. However, a shapeshifter can be easily identified by those knowing exactly what to look for: their eyes. Shapeshifter eyes are any color that is found in the animal world ranging from black and brown, to greens, blues, oranges, and golds. Shapeshifter's eyes stand out due to the fact that looking into their eyes is like looking into a precious gem. Green is simply not just green but deep emerald, gold actually shines. It's the unnatural vibrancy of their jewel-like eyes that can give them away.
• • Growth and Development Shapeshifters are born and not created. A shapeshifter can be born to one shifter parent and one human parent. This does not create a halfbreed, if the result is a shapeshifter then he or she is a shapeshifter. The gene that causes shapeshifting is highly recessive, so it is rare that there is a shapeshifter with a human parent. Even the chance of having shapeshifting offspring from two shapeshifting parents is about 30%. The term from conception to birth is nine months, and a female shapeshifter cannot change during this period. Hormones produced during this time turn off the brain signals to morph to save the mother and child from injury or death. If a pregnant mother were to morph, the unborn child would not. A shapeshifter child develops at the same rate of a human child and at puberty is when the defining moment of the shifter comes. If a shifter does not morph during puberty (between the ages of nine through twenty years of age) then the shifter is not a shifter, they are human. Occasionally a shifter child will morph before puberty, usually at the onset of of extreme emotions such as panic or fear.
Shifters do not age past the end of puberty. Thus all shifters look as if they are in their twenties if not younger regardless of how old they really are.
Shifters can breed in animal forms but the rules are the same. Pregnancy causes the mother to freeze in that form until birth. The resulting offspring are animals and cannot shapeshift (there has only been one occurrence of a shapeshifter being born from an animal and that is the start of the shifter's race). Older shapeshifters who have gotten tired of human life are known to live out lifetimes as animals, going through everything offered in that animals life including breeding and raising young.
Witches and shapeshifters can interbreed and the resulting child will either be a shapeshifter or witch or human, never a combination of any.
Due to the conflicts between shapeshifters and werewolves, interbreeding is extremely rare. However, if there is a child between a were and a shifter then the same rule with the witch interbreeding applies here.
All shifters are related by blood to one person (the first shifter). However, the blood lines are so old and diluted that it is disregarded when it comes to breeding.
• • Facts • "Shifter" would be short for shapeshifter. • Shapeshifters live indefinitely, but can die from injury, dehydration, starvation, or the elements (hypothermia, etc). • Clothes do not change with the shifter. When a shifter morphs back into human form, they would be nude. • Shapeshifters can change into any warm-blooded animal they have come into physical contact with. • Shifters have five basic morphs. These five are what the shifter is most comfortable with and find these animals the easiest to change into. However, they still may change much more than just their basic five. • Morphing itself takes energy. The energy loss is not noticeable to the experienced older shifters. Younger shifters can feel it, but it won't hinder them. Rapid morphing (one form after another in a matter of minutes) takes a lot of energy. Energy loss can lead to passing out or death. Shifters are known to eat a lot of sugar, carbs, high caloric foods, and caffeine to offset energy loss. This kind of food consumption doesn't usually lead to weight gain. • If a shifter succumbs to a vampire bite and becomes a vampire then the shifter can no longer morph, they are simply vampire. • Shifting becomes easier over time. When one is new to shifting, it takes more concentration to morph and stay morphed. • Characteristics remain the same between morphs. A shifter with green eyes as a human will have the same green eyes as a jaguar and so on. Hair length doesn't matter, but a red-haired shifter will have a red-based fur coat when he is a wolf and so on. This goes for body build as well (very muscled will carry over to very muscled animal, a young shifter will look young as an animal.) • The first shapeshifter is Aries who is approximately 14,000 years old and is the "father" of the race. • Shifters cannot speak to each other verbally or mentally as animals. However, they can speak telepathically to witches who can interpret to others for them. This is a key element between the witch and shifter bond and often brings witches and shifters very close to each other.
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