"Everyone in my village knew a lycanthrope story. None of them knew they'd been telling it to one." — a shifter innkeeper
Shifters are pseudo-lycanthropes, descendants of lycanthropes. True lycanthropes still walk all of Nova. They're rare, but they turn up in many lands rather than just one. They take many shapes, among them wolves, bears, boars, tigers and rats, and their shifter descendants inherit the same variety.
No one is sure what lycanthropy really is. Some think it's a curse, others think it's an ability passed down through blood, but no one knows for certain. What shifters inherited is gentler than the old bloodline: they can call on their beast side and put it away again at will. People who fear lycanthropes rarely see the difference, though, so most shifters learn young to hide what they are.
Names
Shifters usually take the names of the land that raised them, which helps them blend in. Examples:
- Ulfrik Sorvikson, a tracker of Glacithar
- Brenna Ashgrove, a farmer's daughter who never told her neighbours
- Tamsin Fell, a sailor who moves on before anyone looks too closely
Shifters by Homeland
Glacithar
Glacithar is the most accepting place for shifters, because there usefulness outweighs prejudice. They make up about 10 to 12% of the people and work as cold-adapted scouts and trackers. Among the Jötnar Clans, the Bearhide Wanderers are firbolgs and shifters who wear bear pelts and move with the seasons.
The Rest of Nova
Everywhere else, shifters keep their nature to themselves. They live as ordinary people, and often only their family knows the truth.