Changeling
The origin of changelings is entirely unknown.
It was only within the past century that they were discovered to be an existing race. Some speculate that changelings were created by the goddess Leira, who grew jealous of those
who had their own offspring to watch over
and guide. Others think changelings are
some kind of trickery demon - though they have no actual
blood relation to demons at all.
In any case, changelings are simply trying to find their place in the world. They are shapeshifters, with the ability
to change their physical appearance to those of people they have seen or met in their life.
As beings who don't technically have a true form or
look of their own, some simply wander in hopes of finding one that's as close to a true form as they can ever hope to receive. Some may build a life for themselves, using the faces of the deceased to respect those of the living as they try their best to fit in. More rarely, some will fully embrace their natural appearance and opt to use their abilities only when necessary.
While it's rumored a small civilization of changelings exists comfortably deep within the Winding Woods, Changelings have no real culture of their own - often doing what they can to blend into those around them. Often they are left to travel through Endorrain's adoption centers or survive on their own. Some families may unknowingly adopt themselves a changeling child without ever learning of their true form. Others have opted for a darker path, using their skills to become assassins and spies.
Fluid & Faceless Forms
In their true form, changelings lack any distinctive features. Their skin is incredibly pale ranging from varying tones of white to light gray. Often their hair is similar, though it can also be platinum or silver. Their eyes lack pupils and are ghostly white - often giving the appearance of blindness - with dark rings around their eyes.
Changelings often chose to adopt the forms of humanoids around them. It's not uncommon for a changeling to change their appearance every day, like clothes are to a normal person.
It's known in their culture that if you whip up a quick face for yourself, that is known as "mask". It is a simple 'covering' of themselves which offers no true connection for themselves. When a changeling instead develops an identity for themselves with an established background, it is known as adopting a "persona", which will often have more depth and meaning to the changeling.
Changeling Names
A changeling might use a different name for each mask and persona and adopt new names as easily as they change faces. The true name of a changeling tends to be simple and monosyllabic; however, there are often accents to a changeling's name that are expressed through shapeshifting, something single-skins will likely miss. So, two changelings might have the name Jin, but one is Jin-with-vivid-blue-eyes and one is Jin-with-golden-nails.
Changelings have a fluid relationship with gender, seeing it as one characteristic to change among many.
Changeling Names: Aunn, Bin, Cas, Dox, Fie, Hars, Jin, Lam, Mas, Nix, Ot, Paik, Ruz, Sim, Toox, Vil, Yug
Changeling Traits
Ability Score Increase. Choose any +2; choose any other +1
Age. Changelings age similarly to the fae, but do not typically live to be quite as old. They are often considered adolescents and adults at the same time as humans, but can live to be up to about five-hundred years old. On account that changelings have rather abnormal DNA, it's not entirely unheard of for a changeling to have lived for much younger or much older - up to seven-hundred, but accounts are rare.
Size. Similar to humans, a changeling's size can vary based on their physical persona from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. In their true forms, they are often more on the petite and slender side. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Shapechanger. As an action, you can change your appearance and your voice. You determine the specifics of the changes, including your coloration, hair length, and sex. You can also adjust your height and weight, but not so much that your size changes. You can make yourself appear as a member of another race, though none of your game statistics change unless you use the body augments racial. You can't duplicate the appearance of a creature you've never seen, and you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs that you have. Your clothing and equipment aren't changed by this trait. You stay in the new form until you use an action to revert to your true form or until you die.
Body Augments. When you use your Shapechanger trait to transform you can augment your transformation in one of the following ways:
- Amphibious. You take the appearance of a merfolk. You web your hands and feet gaining a swimming speed equal to your walking speed and can breathe both air and water.
- Animal Insticts. You take the appearance of a chimera or entomari. Select one physical "breed trait" from either chimera or entomari and gain the usage of it (for example, something that grants you a skill proficiency won't work but you can pick one that would give you a burrowing speed or weapon attack).
- Elementalist. You take the appearance of a genasi, drake, or tiefling. Pick an element and gain resistance that matches to what that race receives.
- Feathered Wings. You take the appearance of an aasimar. You gain wings that give you a flight speed equal to your walking speed.
- Photosynthesis. You take the appearance of a viridi. When in direct sunlight you gain the following benefits: your speed increases by 10 ft. & anytime you would regain hit points, you can double the number that is rolled.
- Powerful Build. You take the appearance of a firbolg. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
- Vampiric Gaze. You take the appearance of a vampire. You gain their vampiric gaze ability.
Changeling Instincts. As a changeling, you have a natural tendency towards being stealthy as you are used to borrowing various identities. You have proficiency in the deception & stealth skills.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and two standard languages of choice.
