Shapeshifters Species

Societal Norms and Values

Societal Norms and Values

Traditions And Ceremonies
To the surprise of many, shapeshifters have relatively few formal traditions or celebrations. The ones that they do have are treated with great importance, but as a whole they believe that the basis of life is change and that survival requires flexibility and adaption rather than a strict adherence to ritual practices. Their traditions are often a matter of strict practicality than anything else.

Love, Sex, And Marriages
Though they recognize that they live dangerous lives, shapeshifters love their packmates all the more fiercely for it. While they share an close bond with all pack members of the pack, some choose to form more committed relationships of two or three individuals of either sex; despite a lack of formal marriage, these relationships are considered exclusive and generally last for years if not for life. Sexual relationships are relatively casual, and relationships between shapeshifters and humans can be either short-term or long-term relationships without being committed or exclusive.

Crimes And Punishments
For shapeshifters the pack is everything, and the small scale of their communities means that crime is rare; what hurts one pack member of the pack hurts the whole pack, and to willingly harm the group is near-unthinkable in a life that relies so strongly on mutual support. There's little in the way of petty crime among shapeshifters. Few material possessions means that theft isn't prevalent, and a certain level of minor violence in the form of play fighting and physical disputes is culturally accepted so long as it doesn't lead to major injury. As a result, on the rare occasion when they do happen crimes are generally major incidents. Intentional causing major harm to another individual, sexual assaults (harassment), and murder are the main crimes of shapeshifter society, and are most commonly committed against members of another pack or a non-shapeshifter.

When they do happen, these sorts of crimes are met with no tolerances. The guilty party is either driven from the group or hunted down and executed by the rest of the pack; in cases where guilt is unclear, they're held until a Hound of Justice can be summoned to determine the details of what took place. Shapeshifters have no mercy for lawbreakers, because their entire society relies on absolute trust and the ability to rely on one another.

Death
Of all the sapient species, shapeshifters have the least fear of death and treat it with relatively little ceremony or sentimentality; unlike most sapient species of the human world and Mushroom Kingdom world, from the isolationist tribes (clans) of the Frozen North. Elderly shapeshifters approaching the end of their life often shift to an animal form that will provide for those they leave behind; the thick furred pelt of a elderly shapeshifter, when made into tribe's clothing, is particularly valuable due to its capacity for changing their form with its wearer, and is considered an honored possession. During hard times, and butchering and eating the raw meat is viewed as acceptable and respectful for the elderly shapeshifters. In times when this is not necessary, the raw meat is left exposed to provide for wild animals.