On Shapeshifters:

They are an ancient race and are found throuought Errandil in small tribes across the land. These tribal settlements are often found in areas away from other settlements and are therefore quite isolated. Deep woods, remote islands, and mountain peaks are all places one might find a shifter tribe—-the more inaccessible by humans or other races, the better. They have tight-knit communities and prefer to keep to themselves, though sometimes if two tribes are within reasonable traveling distance (for a shifter), they might have a sort of relationship with another tribe. 

Each locale has their own specific customs and even a variation on the language, though both are derived from a common source that none recall now. It is often believed that there was once only one tribe, a nomadic one that as they traveled, people splintered off in groups to live in the places they loved best. None actually know anymore for sure.

The Vokurians, as they call themselves, have the unique ability to change their shape into almost any other, with some exceptions. They can alter their humanoid shapes into anything—-younger, older, taller, light or dark skinned, male, female, or even an identical copy of another person. They can also turn into most animals, however, the animal in question must have reasonable capability for sentience and must have blood (unlike a jellyfish, which has neither). Some forms are easier to do and to maintain than others—-humanoid forms are easiest, and the closer said form is to the shifter’s natural one, the easier it is. Animals are more difficult to hold in general, depending on size or type. For example, a dog would be fairly easy, while something like an elephant would be attainable but would take immense energy and concentration.

Each shifter has one animal form that is nearly effortless for them to change into an hold. What this is exactly differs from person to person. The vokurians call this an [i]ilun-tai[/i], or ‘true alternate’. It is the form that suits them best. Some tribes believe this is something predetermined by personality or perhaps passed down from parent to child. Others maintain it is more of a learned behavior.

There are two things the shifters cannot change, however: Eye color, and the color of their blood. Both of these are common details in folklore about them and are widely known as sure-fire identifiers of a shifter. Their eyes are an intense, too-blue cobalt ringed by a dark gray-black circle around the iris. Their blood is a nearly metallic looking graphite color. It is primarily because of this that shifters are widely associated with the Darkness and firmly shunned across Errandil.



On Folklore:

Humans especially, (though other races participate in this as well) have long feared shifters and their powerful abilities. Considered to be evil beasts of the Darkness, demons, or at best, untrustworthy, they have been exiled from society at large and this is a big part of why the tribes stay so secluded. Some extremists go by the ideology of ‘the only good shifter is a dead one’ while others simply don’t want to do business with them, will chase them out of shops, or try to force them out of town. Common slurs are also used, typically variations of ‘grayblood’, ‘nightblood’, ‘blackblood’ or sometimes just plain ‘demon’. 

Most people have never actually met a shifter, however. They are increasingly rare in non-shifter settlements, so this has opened doors for many a tall tale about their wretched, depraved deeds. Some count them as mere myths, like werewolves, ghosts, or mermaids. Others acknowledge their very real existence but little truth is known about them. So naturally, people make things up. Children are told to stay out of the woods at night lest Dark beasts and shifters come to eat them. Tales are told of shifters taking the shape of a groom so that he might rape the bride. Some say that shifters have taken the shape of lords and commanders and captains and sewn chaos and depravity by giving wicked orders. 

There is no love between shifters and other peoples. Some folk have throuought history attempted to capture and enslave shifters for their own purposes. It’s an extremely difficult thing to do and rarely is profitable, but it is possible. A shifter can be bound to their natural form in two notable ways: the first being  bodily weakness due to starvation, sickness, or severe injury. The second being an enchantment put on iron or steel that forcibly blinds a shifter to their natural shape through arcane power. Some particularly pious individuals believe deeply that they are creatures of the Darkness and that if they are slain as sacrifices to Yggdrasil, they can gain blessings or protection.



On names:

The vokurians hold names very dear. Children are not officially named until they are a little older than infants. Some as young as toddlers, others as late as the age of six or seven. Names are given thoughtfully and with meaning and are reserved until parents feel they have a grasp on the child’s personality. In addition to their family name, they are given three. Rheoaan Rohaan Rio Ja’aisen, for example:

Rheoaan: The third and longest of the names is reserved for immediate family and for one’s spouse. It is the only name of the three that has meaning.

Rohaan: The second name is a shorter one derived from the third. Two children with the same third name would not likely have the same second and first names. Rheoaan, for example, might shorten to Roedan, Riahin, or Roaehi. It is given to friends or distant relatives. 

Rio: The first and shortest of the names, it is the one given to strangers, enemies, or fresh aquaintanences. The use of the second name must be earned, and only the owner of said name can decide when someone may use it.