#soulshifter

As the name implies, Soulshifters are a type of shapeshifter. They are monoped, with a look and feel similar to a cool slime on a surface level. However, taking in anything for a prolonged time period will actually cause the object or part to take on a lot of heat, as if it were dipped into magma. When their form is not being held properly, it can be reflected in the way that puddles formed of their physical essence bubble similarly to hot tar.

In the core of their chests is an object called a Soul Heart that acts as a Soulshifter's life source. Sitting on the surface of the "skin" makes the Soul Heart the most vulnerable part of its optionally amorphous body, as it takes effort to withdraw it temporarily under the surface for protection. The outside texture of the Soul Heart is comparable to that of the smooth but firm cookie of a macaron, while the interior remains unknown. In between the cracks on a Soul Heart offers an alternative textile experience in the form of a thick, protective rubbery membrane similar to what can be found in a chicken egg, but naturally much less fragile by comparison. It can be assumed that the inside of the Soul Heart is liquideous in nature, as it can bleed out a glowing magic substance described as "liquid sun", similar to plasma. During shifting the Soul Heart takes no change, remaining the same in appearance and only shrinking or growing in proportion to the form taken. When separated from the more goopy body, the Soul Heart seems to possess four thin tendrils on each corner. The implication here is that these tendrils keep the Soul Heart attached to the body in normal circumstances.

In several aspects such as personality, palette, and even powers, the two halves of the original entity directly oppose one another while simultaneously presenting the grounds for them to get along as they cover each other's weaknesses, increasing their odds of survival. Whether the cause is trauma bonding or something else entirely is unknown, but our studies have observed significant distress, mood swings, and drastic changes in behavior and health whenever the two are separated for too long.

Their powers also seem to contrast from their natures and elements, making them incredibly contradictory to even themselves. Suffering appears to have been a key part in both their initial creation and in their way of life, only numbed upon the onset of madness. Trauma can cause cracking in the Soul Hearts of either or both entities, granting an increased output in power at the cost of greater vulnerability.

They possess a unique shapeshifting ability that only seems to work when they have come into contact with any species with a biological genetic code(with some exceptions), allowing them to use that code as a template map for taking on a different form. Further limitations observed include the inability to change their preset color palettes(cold patterns for Blue, warm for red) and occasional inability to alter size. When changing into a new form for the first time multiple factors can subconsciously determine the appearance such as preferences, familiarity, desires…even stress factors could play a part in this, and make the resulting form bigger for protection as a result. The appearance is set in stone after the first shift and cannot be changed unless the form taken is detached from and recycled. It is worth mentioning that on their own, Soulshifters do not originally possess their own unique genetic codes until it is created when they take on a new form where it is applicable.

Studies show that Soulshifters have a drawback to their shifting in which they cannot do so within water, as their bodies begin to melt away from their Soul Hearts, leaving that to sink while the essence that made up their bodies stays afloat on the surface similarly to oil.

While it is impossible to separate their magic and divinity from them as they are the living embodiments of said magic and divinity, it has been proven that their forms can be separated from them. The bodies left behind will feel hollow, distant, and soulless as a result of the separation process. The form will eventually die if not reunited with its Soul Heart or given a new soul of its own. If a Soulshifter doesn't like a particular form it can forcefully separate and consume the form in question to recycle it, create a new form, and start anew. Their Soul Hearts can also be attached to another individual, slowly eating it alive and taking over their body in a similar fashion to a parasite, ultimately claiming the body as their own if desired once all traces of the previous soul are consumed. It is possible for them to live within the soul of another person without causing harm, though this is usually for safety reasons (Overseer Note: We were not given clarification as to whose safety would be secured in this scenario, but based on what little context clues we were given, we can assume that its the Soulshifter).

It is possible to create a false soul by transferring the consciousness and fragment of a Soul Heart into a premade form with no soul of its own, but should the consciousness is removed from the form and returned to the main Soul Heart, it can (not always) create something known as a Faux Soulshifter. Alternatively, increased exposure to or ingestion of the magic substances generated by a Soulshifter also have the chance of creating a Faux Soulshifter (Overseer Note: consider the creation of a seperate document discussing Faux Soulshifters for further clarification).

If a Soulshifter dies they can reconsistute within varying periods of time depending on the severity and speed of their death. This period of time can range anywhere from as little as a few minutes to as long as a few years. During this time their consciousness and spirit returns to the astral bodies they are tied to in order to recover, resting until they regain the energy to reform. The only way to ensure permadeath in the Soulshifters is if both are killed at the same time with no desire to continue living. This is said to have dire consequences as this will trigger universal heat death throughout the Cosmic Expanse, with time and space ripping itself apart as the constellations that make up the original entity burn up and explode simultaneously until nothing remains. Because of this their survival must be guaranteed.

Thankfully there is a surprisingly simple way to ensure this through feeding them material objects with high energy output. Materials such as uranium and plutonium, as well as substances rich in minerals and/or magic, make excellent fuel to keep the flame from their stars burning for much longer. A theory suggests that locating the individual stars and using our solar absorption generators to drain them of energy has a chance of stopping the heat death, but it's not advised we actually try to test this. Nonetheless, they would still live on as gods dying only if they lose worship or be forgotten to time. Thankfully, their efforts have ensured no shortage of it due to their categorization as primordial mad gods.

Unlike their other forms their default appearances were created through a special method, forming giant cocoons from an unidentified substance over their Soul Hearts and attaching themselves to a wall for support before undergoing a form of metamorphosis using a combination of DNA to create a body of their liking. The outcome tends to be random and time consuming as it not only takes several tries to form a suitable body, but the Soulshifters must work from the ground up instead of working off a preexisting biological code. Any bodies deemed failures are shortly detached from and either consumed or salvaged for future use. Theoretically, this cocoon method could be used to give birth to entirely new and unique creatures assuming a soul is implemented. Because Soulshifters do not possess a unique genetic code by default, these new creatures could not be considered offspring by blood relation and thus a mutual agreement for a parent-child relationship must be made instead.

Under normal circumstance, certain injuries and bodily modifications made to specific forms and their default are temporary. However it is still possible for those injuries and modifications to become permanent if neither are handled accordingly or they do not shift after a certain period of time. It is found that permanent injuries and modifications made to some forms do not carry over to the others.

While they mostly tend to differ in powersets, there are abilities that are either shared or function similarly such as a form of teleportation and a vocal attack charged by radiant energy.

Soulshifter Blue

Soulshifter Blue responds best to the name Geragera Guffaw and is classified as a god of chaos, often considered the more malevolent of the two in spite of a celestial nature and more passive abilities such as illusions, charms and healing. His true body is pitch black in color with small, light blue spots dappled throughout that glimmer against the dark of his skin not unlike stars. He sports a serpentine face shape with symmetrical light blue and white triangular teeth. His Soul Heart appears to be a pale off white, almost slate color with a radiant white interior, with his magic reflecting accordingly.

Alongside his other passive abilities previously described, Geragera is able to displace time around him, appearing to move faster. This is because he simply slows down time as opposed to just stopping it outright. Using this same ability he can self-duplicate by displacing himself within the created time shift to effectively create false versions of himself. He despises being kept in one place and doesn't do well with sitting still, which makes sense for his somatic casting method that incorporates movement and even dance for spellcasting.

Geragera enjoys taking forms that are small and unassuming in appearance as they make him easy to underestimate, equating him to an eldritch horror in the form of an endearing creature. His forms also follow a cool color palette, primarily but not limited to greens, cyans and blues as well as falling towards darker greyscale colors. His most identifying features throughout most of his forms are his glaringly bright blue eyes and speckles. Geragera's possesses the unique capability to take on mechanoid forms due to an inclination towards technology and machines.

Observations from creatures that do not consume stars as part of their regular diet have found that the essence from Geragera's true Soulshifter form has a poor flavor akin to the common glowstick, with a burning chemical mouth sensation to match. Thanks to Geragera, we have discovered that Soulshifters are able to produce a type of roaring sound, and that his is a rather horrid mix of screeching metal and nauseating static.

Soulshifter Red

Soulshifter Red responds to Ruckis Kingstarr and is classified specifically as a Goddess of Control. She is often described as the more benevolent of the two despite an Infernal nature, a greater affinity for fire and destructive terraforming powers. Her body is a stark white color with faint splotches of tiny red dots all over her body that makes it look as red tinged as her teeth, which are cartoonishly straight and blackened. Her head shape appears canid or equine in nature, with hair reaching far down her back like a fur mane. An internal glowing red magic core under a black outer exterior gives the impression of red hot magma glowing beneath the dark cooling lava thanks to the cracks on the surface of Ruckis' Soul Heart.

In spite of her destructive powers, Ruckis can create new life with just as much ease and bend molecules to her will, from changing the molecular structure of an object and turning it into something different by bending light, sound and even force to generate highly convincing illusions within any given space. True to her name, Ruckis is loud and proud and hates to be silenced, fitting for her preference to use verbal casting. In some, if not most cases, singing is used to as her casting method.