Changeling History
In ages past the entity that many refer to as Mask did not exist. There was no concept of trickery, theft, deceit. That was until the magic of the cataclysm sent ahead harbingers of its destruction. The changelings. Their malleable souls stole the bodies of children and like a brood parasite for the mortal races, they were born. Their very existence was evident as they became the first scoundrels. The first thieves. The first charlatans. The ones that caused the very cataclysm that gave rise to Mask, and all the concepts that came with it.
If the myths are to be believed…
Even though changelings were among the first people to inhabit this world the stigma of their species holds a firm grip. In many locations in this land changeling children are quietly disposed of or secreted away to be raised hidden from the world. In this isolation many of them do fall victim to the titles thrust onto them becoming tricksters just to survive. Their only safe haven being a single city within The Steadfast where changelings are forced to wear marks upon them announcing to the world what they are no matter what shape they take.
Physical description
In their true form, changelings are pale, with colorless eyes and silver-white hair. It is rare to see a changeling in that form, for a typical changeling changes their shape the way others might change clothes. A casual shape — one created on the spur of the moment, with no depth or history — is called a mask. A mask can be used to express a mood or to serve a specific purpose and then might never be used again. However, many changelings develop identities that have more depth. They build an identity over time, crafting a persona with a history and beliefs. This focused identity helps a changeling pinpoint a particular skill or emotion. A changeling adventurer might have personas for many situations, including negotiation, investigation, and combat.
Age: Changelings mature slightly faster than humans but share a similar lifespan—typically a century or less. While a changeling can transform to conceal their age, the effects of aging affect them similarly to humans.
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