Shifters are not based off of any books, movies or TV shows, so if what I write here reminds you of anything please don't just assume that I'm allowing the rules from that particular book/movie/show on the site. If you have any questions about shifters that are not mentioned here, please PM me, or reply with your question and I'll do my best to address it.
HISTORY
Shifters have been in this world's history since the beginning of times. They began when the Gods and Goddesses decided they wanted to futz with the human race, and began to interbreed with them. From this breeding sprouting the first shifters. They were more animal than man at the beginning. They had the instincts to fight and feed, but didn't have the grace of the humans that the Gods wanted them to have. Even in their human forms, they ran on all fours and attacked viciously with their teeth and nails. As the years progressed they became more and more like humans, eventually they stayed in human form more often and only shifted when it was time to hunt, or to protect themselves.
Shifters are not slaves to the moon or to the night. They are never forced to turn into their animal counterpart. However, if they choose never to shift then they lose that part of them and live as normal humans. Shifters, on average, can live for thousands of years, so long as they shift occasionally, but they are not immortal, they will eventually die, especially if they're stupid. Shifters also do not have any special, extra, powers. They have heightened senses, are incredibly strong and have the ability to shift into their animal forms and run fast & jump high in their human forms, but they do not have any extra powers aside from that. There are some who do, but like the Gods did before, they have been interbred with what people in common days refer to as Gifted. This is a rare occurrence though, and it doesn't happen very often.
Before a shifter's hundredth birthday, they go by their first and last name. Once they hit one hundred years old, they lose their last name and are only referred to by their first name. It's a way for the oldest members in the Prides to know which of the younger generations are old enough to be let in on the Pride secrets and ready to fight should the need arise.
PRIDES
Shifters are divided up into what they call Prides, or in some parts of the world Clans. There is always an Alpha in these Prides, either male of female, who stays in charge of the Pride for centuries before passing on the torch to the next of kin who can serve the Pride as well as they did. There are rules in the Prides:
1. You may never leave, though some do and they are considered deserters and not allowed back into the folds of the Pride, even if they were to be the next Alpha.
2. An Alpha cannot be gay, lesbian or bi. Alphas are to be considered the strongest and fittest of the Pride, but they also must reproduce for the Pride. If they are unwilling to do so they are taken out of the candidacy. They are not discriminated against by their Pride, but they cannot take the role of Alpha.
3. Strays must prove themselves. A Pride will not willingly take in a stray of their species. The stray must prove themselves to be willing to sacrifice their own lives if it means saving a member of the Pride.
4. Where the Alpha goes, the Pride must go. They must always travel together, the Alpha is the head of the Pride and they must follow him or her. If they don't then they can either stray from the Pride and make a new one, or the Alpha has the authority to outright kill them.
TYPES
There are select breeds that still exist today. There is no real distinction between what you look like as a shifter. In a cat pride there can be lions, panthers, tigers and cheetahs, and it's considered completely normal. Shifters are only classified by their animal form.
CATAnything from lions, tigers, panthers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, and cougars, to any other present day large cats fall into these prides. They usually have green or hazel eyes and an affinity for fish. In their cat form they are smaller than the big cats you find in the wild, but they are bigger than what you might expect.
CANINEAnything from wolves, dingoes, foxes, hyenas, and coyotes, to any other present day wild canines. They usually have blue or brown eyes and enjoy rolling around and belly rubs even in their human forms. Unlike the cats, canine shifters in their shifted forms appear larger than their wild counter parts. Especially foxes which appear almost three times the normal size of a wild fox.
BEARAmerican, grizzly, polar, and everything in between. They generally only have dark colored eyes, brown, black and sometimes grey. They are also slightly smaller in bear form than their wold counterparts.
HORSEFrom large horse breeds, to ponies, mules and donkeys, and even goats, rams, sheep, deer and the like. Horse shifters have the widest varieties in their Prides than any other Prides in the world. There are also more Prides of horses than any of other type in the world as well. They have no restrictions on eye colors.
REPTILEAlligators, crocodiles, lizards, snakes and the like are found in reptile Prides. These prides generally only have one or two variations within their Prides because they eat the young that are widely different from them. For example a Pride that consists of mostly lizards will eat any young born that are snakelike or even alligator like to keep the Pride clean of outsiders. And much like canines, they appear larger in size.
DRAGONThere are not many dragon shifters left in the world. There are no longer any Prides, so the select few left are strays and generally not welcome into any other type of Prides. They are also solitary beings, preferring to stay a stray rather than to find the other dragon shifters and join up with them. They are large, but by comparison to an actual dragon they are much smaller. They can breathe fire in their dragon form, but aside from flying have no extra abilities.
FISHThis includes anything that swims in the water, otters, whales, fish, etc. They are the least vicious of all the shifter types. Mostly because they don't turn into animals that will rip and tear for flesh. They are kind, docile and are smaller than their wild counter parts.
BIRDBirds are also docile compared to other species, but they will scoop up small animals to eat. They are no larger than their wild counterparts, and include anything from a chicken to a peacock, flying species and non-flying species.
MUTANTMutant are special cases. These are shifters of any species who don't necessarily shift properly. Meaning a cat shifter who shifts and comes out inside out, their muscles and limbs outside and the furry parts inside. Or a canine shifter who in shifted form is only half wolf, with bits of human here and there. They range from gross to sad, and are generally abandoned by their Pride, if they're not killed for being an abomination.
