Let's say that, about one out of every 10 thousand people is born 'different,' there's something off about them, maybe they don't get along with their peers, or have strange habits. Perhaps they like animals more than people, or even very specific animals, sometimes they like animals or creatures that don't exist, like elves or dragons, these people go through their whole lives keenly aware that they are different. Usually hiding their true nature, some of them may say they are the things they feel attachment to, though others would write it off as crazy.
Perhaps these people, these "Others" are right, maybe in the grand metaphysical system that holds the world together, they got their souls mismatched at birth, whether they were born with the soul of an animal like a wolf or a tiger, or they were born as something not even of this world, such as a chimera or faerie, nobody would ever know for sure though, it's not like anybody believes in metaphysics these days anyway.
on January first 2016, the world got a grim reminder that there are things science can never explain. Magic came to the Earth, or perhaps returned from some long lost slumber, nobody can really know for certain. The point is, everybody born as an Other gained the ability to shapeshift, and magic became possible for the masses, to a degree anyway. The most visible part of this was roughly 70 thousand humans waking up that day as what they had always wanted to be, most would rapidly learn they could shapeshift back, and proceed to keep it a secret. But a few would post it on some discreet corner of the internet, and at least one idiot would put it on facebook.
Governments of the world scrambled to action, seeking to claim this power for themselves, imagine a whole regiment of Dragons! or soldiers who could shapeshift into common animals and fool the enemy, if they had their way, war would never be the same. Science would dissect the shapeshifters, human rights would be revoked for them, a whole new civil rights movement would have to occur.
But it won't, because in this case, it would be the stronger party looking for civil rights, who wants to bully someone who may have untold powers beyond anybody's understanding? Shapeshifters don't need civil rights, in fact, they could oppress humanity if they want to. Not that they will, instead, with the majority seeking peace, over the next month, they would flee to the few uninhabited places in the world, forging their own society without technology, but with magic instead. Because, indeed, shapeshifters have the most natural talent for magic, even if a human practiced for a year, they would be unable to match what shapeshifters could do by instinct. The largest new society is located in South Africa, protected from infiltration or attack by a magical forcefield created by it's inhabitants, the date is February sixth, 2016, a week after the field was established, and a month and a few days since the world changed.
This RP takes place on a changed Earth, magic has come, and humans are beginning to research it, most of the world governments seek a way into one of the forcefields, though some may be sympathetic to shapeshifters, it's unlikely they will receive aid, not that they particularly need it, as they are fully capable of living off of the land given their new talents. Anything could change in the coming days, from declaration of war to some unscrupulous person discovering magic.
Perhaps these people, these "Others" are right, maybe in the grand metaphysical system that holds the world together, they got their souls mismatched at birth, whether they were born with the soul of an animal like a wolf or a tiger, or they were born as something not even of this world, such as a chimera or faerie, nobody would ever know for sure though, it's not like anybody believes in metaphysics these days anyway.
on January first 2016, the world got a grim reminder that there are things science can never explain. Magic came to the Earth, or perhaps returned from some long lost slumber, nobody can really know for certain. The point is, everybody born as an Other gained the ability to shapeshift, and magic became possible for the masses, to a degree anyway. The most visible part of this was roughly 70 thousand humans waking up that day as what they had always wanted to be, most would rapidly learn they could shapeshift back, and proceed to keep it a secret. But a few would post it on some discreet corner of the internet, and at least one idiot would put it on facebook.
Governments of the world scrambled to action, seeking to claim this power for themselves, imagine a whole regiment of Dragons! or soldiers who could shapeshift into common animals and fool the enemy, if they had their way, war would never be the same. Science would dissect the shapeshifters, human rights would be revoked for them, a whole new civil rights movement would have to occur.
But it won't, because in this case, it would be the stronger party looking for civil rights, who wants to bully someone who may have untold powers beyond anybody's understanding? Shapeshifters don't need civil rights, in fact, they could oppress humanity if they want to. Not that they will, instead, with the majority seeking peace, over the next month, they would flee to the few uninhabited places in the world, forging their own society without technology, but with magic instead. Because, indeed, shapeshifters have the most natural talent for magic, even if a human practiced for a year, they would be unable to match what shapeshifters could do by instinct. The largest new society is located in South Africa, protected from infiltration or attack by a magical forcefield created by it's inhabitants, the date is February sixth, 2016, a week after the field was established, and a month and a few days since the world changed.
This RP takes place on a changed Earth, magic has come, and humans are beginning to research it, most of the world governments seek a way into one of the forcefields, though some may be sympathetic to shapeshifters, it's unlikely they will receive aid, not that they particularly need it, as they are fully capable of living off of the land given their new talents. Anything could change in the coming days, from declaration of war to some unscrupulous person discovering magic.
