Roughly resembling sharks of planet Earth, each specimen is in fact a colony composed of many physically connected, interdependent organisms. They are an extreme product of species interdependence and specialization to the point of them becoming organs of a greater whole. Individual organisms within the shifters are genetically identical and are connected by tissue and nerve endings.
These aliens of the deep are noted for their deep philosophical culture and advances in bioengineering. The Shifters were also exceptional in that they were the only advanced civilization to enter the space age without conventional rocketry. Their space vessels, as ware almost every ‘technology’ the Shifters have, are living bio-forms, artificially selected and genetically modified for the desired traits over the course of their 5-billion-years-long civilization.
The Shifters are long-lived species. With each ‘module’ having its own lifespan, the concept of death itself was different. Biologically, a shifter is near-immortal but an individual is said to have ‘died’ when all the previous cognitive modules expired and were replaced with fresh ones. In turn, in terms of personality and character, the ‘new’ shifter would be drastically different.
Shifter Society
Dreams occupy a prominent role in shifter society. Because each cognitive module could sleep at different times, shifters can experience dreams while technically awake. At any time, a shifter sees two or more visions: one of reality and the other of myriad sensations each sleeping module conjures up. Because of their ability to dissociate from reality, shifters are known for their creativity, stoicism, and, at times, sheer savagery.
This entry was created by community founder, Artnoob100.