AMCO
I'm Sorry Dave
- Intent: A new Sithspawn species for TSE and open roleplay. Isn't free will neat?
- Image Credit: Changeling by Saika Chishiki
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Clawdite, Umbaran, Arkanian, Sephi, & Human.
- Name: Mesinis'Kaita (literally Flesh-Shifter in ur-Kittât), aka Sith Changelings
- Designation: Sentient
- Origins: The Primyn Group
- Average Lifespan: 120 years
- Estimated Population: Scattered
- Description: Sith Changelings, or simply Changelings, are a relatively recent addition to the galaxy, being products of Sith Alchemy. They are sociable, patient, and extremely agile, but also curious (often overly so), fragile, and lacking in endurance. Their ability to shapeshift is comparable to Clawdites, and by extension inferior to that of the Shi'ido, though like both aforementioned species they are able to push their limits with sufficient skill and practice. Their combination of intelligence and critical thinking makes them excellent spies and intelligence analysts, but also difficult to brainwash - a very much intentional quality, in the eyes of their eccentric Sith creator.
- Breathes: Type I & II
- Average Height of Adults: 1.8 metres
- Average Length of Adults: N/A
- Skin Colour: Pale
- Hair Colour: White
- Distinctions: Changelings are, on average, about as tall as humans, though their builds are leaner with little in the way of fat or unnecessary frills. In their true form, they almost universally have pale skin, white hair, monochromatic white or silver eyes, and pointy ears, though it is not unheard of for skilled individuals to subtly alter even their true forms - if maintained long enough, such minor changes may even persist after death, unlike their regular shapeshifting. While sexually dimorphic, the cultural and psychological differences between the sexes are negligible.
- Races: N/A
- Force Sensitivity: Standard
- Changeling: Like their Clawdite cousins, Changelings can alter their features to resemble similarily sized humanoids.
- Social Predator: Changelings are able to read, subtly influence, and sometimes even control the wills of others, much like Umbarans.
- Sharp and Nimble: Carefully designed for infiltration and assassination, Changelings possess excellent reflexes, are unusually flexible, and are both faster, and more quick-witted than their human cousins - at least when comparing averages.
- Truesight: While Changelings are impressively perceptive overall, their other senses pale in comparison to their sight - while their "true" or inner eye is uncovered, their vision sharpens and they become able to see into both the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums!
- Imperfect Shifting: Like the Clawdites, shapeshifting is a painful experience to Changelings and they may revert to their true form is sufficiently hurt or distracted. Unlike the Clawdites, Changelings are designed to be universally lean and nimble, which is all well and good until one realizes that they can only shift into similarily shaped beings, unless the Changeling in question is exceptionally gifted.
- Burst Predator: Designed for meticulous infiltration or patient observation followed by sudden surges of activity, Changelings lack the physical stamina of dedicated endurance predators, such as their human cousins.
- Fragile: An unfortunate side-effect of their incredible speed and flexibility, Changelings sport thin bones and lean bodies unable to withstand much punishment - they bruise easily and are more prone to breaking bones than humans.
- See and be Seen: Unlike their "false" or outer eye, the inner eyes of Changelings are unable to alter their appearance, always retaining their monochromatic white or silver look. Furthermore, their high sensitivity makes them vulnerable to sudden flashes of bright light.
- Diet: Omnivore; Changelings have a diet comparable to humans, though they tend to prefer less fat and more protein. They are able to consume a somewhat broader range of foods and substances to aid in infiltration. They are known to be somewhat allergic to unrefined iron, which causes rashes or blistering, though not, e.g., steel or durasteel.
- Communication: Having no language of their own, Changelings typically converse amongst themselves in Galactic Basic Standard or ur-Kittât; being almost universally multilingual, it is not uncommon to hear them converse in a variety of languages, sometimes changing several times during a conversation or developing their own slang or codes to confuse listeners. Since many of their kind have received Sith-Imperial intelligence training, they are often adept in hand signals and other forms of nonverbal communication.
- Technology Level: A fairly young species lacking a true culture or civilisation of their own, as of yet, the Changelings generally make use of Sith-Imperial technology. Given their propensity for espionage, it is reasonable to assume that they could scavenge together an impressive repository of stolen techniques and technologies, given time.
- Religion/Beliefs: A recent addition to galactic society, Changelings are largely atheistic, though many adhere to or respect the ideology of the Immortal Sith, given artificial origins. Culturally, they highly valued traits such as patience, pragmatism and meticulousness, and show a general disregard for those who lack subtlety rely too heavily on physical strength. Curiously, deceiving "their own", whether this is other Changelings or close friends/allies, is highly taboo; among their kind, brutal honesty is even considered a compliment, of sorts!
- General Behaviour:
- Social Networks: Highly social beings, Changelings are strongly attracted to urban life and tend to make a vast number of "friends", only a few of which are close enough to know what they are. Given the difficulties of shapeshifting while pregnant, they tend to only form families when secure in their position - they are often highly attentive parents, perhaps in an attempt to compensate for the fact that most of their current population were "born" in bleak Sith laboratories and because their shapeshifting ability is honed with age, making children especially vulnerable to those who would wish to exterminate Sithspawn, regardless of sentience.
- Childhood and Maturity: Intensely curious and with limited control over their shapeshifting, young Changelings will usually require constant supervision to keep them from getting into trouble. They are known to be fast learners, though their famous patience generally does not fully develop until somewhere before or after adulthood. A result of their highly advanced bodies, they develop quite slowly, reaching biological and psychological adulthood somewhat later than humans.
- Interspecies Relationships: While fully capable of reproducing with various genetically compatible species, chief among them humans, the result will almost always be a pureblooded Changeling, the strange methods employed in their creation ensuring that they breed true nine times out of ten. Such Changelings differ based on the gender of their Changeling parent - those born of females will be much like any other, while those born of males will appear like the species of the other parent until their early teens. This survival mechanism is intended to keep them alive in less than accepting locations, at the price of less time to practice their shapeshifting.
- Place in Society: Due to the natural skills and Sithspawn nature, it should come as no surprise that Changelings are often employed as spies and assassins by the Sith. Many also serve as intelligence analysts, snipers, skirmishers, and starfighter pilots. Outside of the Sith-Imperial hierarchy, they are strongly attracted to social positions, such as politicians and entertainers, with many also longing for the thrill of espionage, or for that matter exploration. Educated Changelings frequently become psychologists and lawyers.
- Philosophy and the Force: While born of the Dark Side, Changelings are not tainted by it, per se, being as capable of great good as they are of great evil, just like humans. By the design of their creator, Adrian Vandiir, they are fully free-willed, and could even become Jedi, should they be born Force Sensitive - though such a choice would certainly be a great disappointment, to their Sith creator.
- Combat and the Hunt: Patient and social predators, most Changelings strongly prefer fighting with the element of surprise, relying heavily on their natural subterfuge and agility to slit throats in private or employ strike and fade tactics in war zones.
- Naming Conventions: Though most will adopt a number of personages, throughout their lives, they tend to have a true name as well, which they typically choose for themselves upon reaching adulthood - often taking the name of a historical figure or basing their name on a living individual which they greatly respect. Some have been known to make entirely new names that "feel right".
Years ago, a mere Acolyte had attempted to create the perfect assassin, a formless horror, unkillable, unstoppable.
It failed miserably, of course, but he had learned much since then.
One such lesson was a matter of goals - any fool could create a monster, a blabbering mass of violent destruction. What separated the masters from the amateurs was a certain finesse and clarity of purpose, even should said purpose be destruction, or even simply curiosity. Both had motivated him in the past, but they were not his true goal, for he sought perfection - his perfection.
In many ways, the Mesinis'Kaita, the Sith Changelings, are a stepping stone towards that purpose. Unlike earlier creations, and there had been many, they possessed free will, true freedom. The ability to choose for themselves, to develop, to flourish. He and his peers had sought to turn them into weapons for the Sith, yes, but willing weapons. Weapons capable of changing, of adapting, of becoming something greater.
The creation of such creatures was, of course, a rather sordid story. Genetic material was collected, through means both voluntary and dubious, as were test subjects: slaves captured during Sith raids, rebel scum, vile murderers, even a tax evader or two. These were all expendable, these would all be lost, unwilling sacrifices devoured by the ever-shifting cogs of progress.
In the end, four species were selected, to create this new being. Humans, for their versatility and high-level of genetic compatibility, would form the basis for the project. Clawdites, their shapeshifting invaluable to an infiltrator, came next. Umbranas, for their mastery of social interaction and the excellence of their vision. Arkanians, for their mental alacrity and vision.
Unfortunately, this mixture turned out to be lacking, unstable. To compensate, a fifth was added, the Sephi, though few obvious traces of their genome remains, aside from the gracefully pointed ears of a Changeling's true form.
Thus satisfied, the Alchemists of the Primyn Group began the tedious process of creating a new species on an accelerated schedule - rather than grow the first of the Changelings in artificial wombs, they instead opted to mind-wipe and convert youthful prisoners, primarily humans, (in theory) wiping away any trace of their former existence so that they might be born anew, rising like a phoenix from the ashes of their former lives.
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