Changelings

The people of The Oldshards

Changelings are a very unique race of people. This uniqueness has brought them many gifts, but equally as many challenges. Changelings look similar to elves, with stark white hair, skin and dark eyes. However they are not bound by this appearance. They may choose to adapt their form to any other form of their choosing, given it is of similar relative height and mass to their own body. This means they can appear as any person they choose, allowing them to create perfect disguises. Alternatively they can take a form entirely of their own creation, making their skin look like it was formed of moving crystal, and their hair of spun gold.

An individual changeling has much control over their identity. They can even willingly control their sexual characteristics. Their culture has adapted around this and two forms exist as ones identity:

• Pure Form - The way one looks upon birth, the characteristic white hair and skin of Changelings. This form is a personal and sacred thing
• True Form - A form that exists as an expression of self. It is designed by Changelings in their youth and is the form Changelings express for the majority of their lives. A True Form does not look like a typical body. An individual may make themselves look as if their skin was made of carved and stained wood, painted porcelain, and anything one can feasibly imagine.

Changelings live almost exclusively within their own remote northern kingdom of The Glassius Reach, where they worshiped powerful objects called The Oldshards. When the outside world learned of their ability to do this, fear an worry filled their minds. Non-changelings began to worry their neighbors had been replaced with Changelings, sent to steal from them, or worse. The mystery and fear surrounding them eventually spiraled into the Western War, a war that cost The Glassius Reach many losses. The greatest lost was that of one of The Oldshards, The Apex.

The loss of The Apex has not only caused religious and cultural trauma, but biological trauma as well. In modern day, 1 in 100 changelings born of Yorn et Gaul do not posses the ability to alter their body, locking them in their Pure Form. These Changelings are often referred to as still, and many see them as outcasts or freaks. The life of a still changeling is a very difficult one as most feel as if they have no place in Zol.

This war was so damaging to Changelings, it has politically divided them from the rest of the outside world, save for the occasional merchant relationship with The Ward. Changelings would not find themselves welcomed in most cities. Luckily for them, most can present themselves in any way they choose.

• The way Changelings adapt their form is not an Illusion, but an actual Transmutation of their bodies. These changes take time to adopt (usually a few minutes), depending on the skill of the changeling
• Those who believe in Great Magic think Changelings hold the aspect of ancient Humans that caused them to commit the ultimate sin which sparked The Undoing. It is said by these individuals that Changelings hold ancient human’s deception.