Shapeshifters

Shapeshifters are amorphous creatures made of ink which, hence the name, can shapeshift. They are the corrupted creations of Inketch who, when their creator was exiled, took on this form. Only the ones with the strongest wills were able to hold onto their shapes while others simply melted into ink and perished. All shapeshifters are aligned under Ink because of this which gives them their shapeshifting abilities.

Their shapeshifting ability has many uses, giving them the ability to impersonate others, manipulate their “true” body or, if especially advanced, mix and match features to create a new and unique identity. Their ability to shapeshift is limited only to what the shapeshifter can feasibly imagine and “hold” though many need to see a target to impersonate them.

Many shapeshifters craft a “guise” that they prefer to blend in with Saturnians. Said guise can be outright stolen from another creature or carefully crafted to be unique. However, holding a single guise for too long can put stress onto the body, eventually causing their ability to go out and control and revert them to their true appearance. As a result, many shapeshifters have to regularly shift back into their true form or regularly rotate guises.

Unfortunately, many Saturnians fear shapeshifters, mostly for their abilities and some for their connection to the “devil” Inketch. This means many shapeshifters have to live in isolation or in near-permanent disguise. The feeling is largely mutual as many shapeshifters resent and dislike Saturnians.

As expected, most shapeshifters revere Inketch and outright refuse to honor or recognize any other gods. There is a lot of resentment felt towards the Sentinels, who they see as gods who gained their titles dishonorably and don’t deserve them. They fully believe Inketch’s prophecized return will happen one day and many hope that when that day comes, he will be able to grant them the return of their original bodies.