Perspecticus

Perspectici (sing: Perspecticus) are a race of shapeshifters, who take different forms in much the same way other races would change clothes. They are not inherently malevolent, although they do tend to cause accidental mix-ups and cases of stolen identity by taking the forms of other people, and are known for their greed and attraction to shiny objects, rather like ravens. They tend to be skittish, and a bit cowardly, as their kind were once hunted nearly to extinction. Nowadays, Perspectici hide with those willing to house them, often keeping to themselves and running from conflict. Many stories still persist, however, and Perspectici are feared as mischievous entities that take the place of important people to collapse nations from the inside.

Anatomy
A Perspecticus doesn't have unlimited shapeshifting, no matter what the myths say. They can fold and twist their bodies, legs, and arms, but they can't create new limbs or grow twice their size (though they can puff themselves up to look a bit bigger). These stories were created due to the other races' limited knowledge on Perspecticus anatomy, as they almost never show their true forms. Perspectici have four arms, with six clawed fingers each, and their long legs are tipped with two sharp claws like those of an insect. Their skin is made up of hundreds of small plates, each made to shift and move to create different textures, drawing another comparison to arthropods in the way these plates form a complicated pseudo-exoskeleton. Their hair is typically very long and bushy, but incredibly malleable. Each strand is very, very thin, and act as sensory organs to perfectly match the texture of their own skin to that of what they are mimicking.

The way their shapeshifting works is that they fold and twist themselves to mimic the body shapes of others, their skin shifting colors to match. Growing wings, or tails, is simply beyond their capabilities. They can, however, shove themselves into tiny spaces to hide, like a chest or a crack in the wall. They have six circulatory systems, five devoted to color (red, yellow, blue, white, black) and the sixth for blood proper. The five color systems run right beneath the skin plates, which change color by having the correct fluids pumped into them, much like the way Stegosaurus was theorized to use its own back plates. Except better.

Their long and thin bodies and limbs would normally make such beings physically weak, but evolution decided they needed to be as efficient as possible. The muscles of a Perspecticus are wound incredibly tightly around their bones, and can loosen on command, allowing them to perform athletic feats beyond what they seem capable of, as well as puff themselves up by rapidly expanding their muscle strands, making their skin plates stand on end like spikes, which aids in intimidation and threat displays. These skin plates are rather durable, made to survive the harsh elements, but can't stop a sword or arrow.

The claws of a Perspecticus are made more for climbing and assisting with traction than they are for combat. Make no mistake, they can leave some nasty scratches, but it's like getting attacked by a cat or particularly angry squirrel.

Their eyes are large, and made to see as much color as possible. This lets them perfectly mimic other people and objects, to the point where others would have needed a microscope to tell the difference. These eyes are also a bit of a curse however, as they are very sensitive to sudden light changes, as well as the movement of other things. They are easily distracted by bright colors, and sudden movement causes them to instinctively look that direction.

Perspectici are mainly carnivorous, though they can eat fruit if the situation calls for it. In nature, they ambush mammals, usually rabbits and sheep, from above, hanging from trees to catch their prey off-guard. After more humanoid races began to dominate the lands, Perspectici became pests of a sort by feeding off cattle, or using their shapeshifting to steal food from markets without getting caught.

Native Language
The native language of the Perspectici has no spoken name, nor can it be spoken. It is a strictly visual language, a combination of colors and patterns that only other Perspectici can decipher and understand. Multiple attempts have been made to translate this "Language of Perspective" but none have succeeded, mostly due to the intricacies of the colors and the sequences in which they are used, but also because a lot of it is made up of representations of raw emotions and thoughts, which simply can't be spoken aloud in a way that can be understood. Their names, however, can be spoken aloud, even if they are very different from those of other races. They tend to be named more after concepts than anything else. Examples of Perspecticus names include: Moons Light Shines on Seven Trees, Four Pebbles Rolling Down the Dunes, A Bell Rung by Eighteen Amber Beads, Life Prevails Through Tangled Vines.

History
As mentioned before, Perspectici were arboreal ambush predators that thrived before the arrival of other sentient races. Unlike most, the civilization of the Perspectici was very, let's say, scarce. They were a solitary people, only coming together for breeding seasons and harsh times. Otherwise, meetings were by complete chance, and usually followed by some sort of small celebration between the two.

Because of this, their "communities" were completely unprepared for the rapid conquest of the land at the hands and claws of the other races. Their forest homes rapidly shrank, and suddenly the prey that was once abundant had dwindled significantly. A few stayed out in the few biomes that could sustain them, but the rest decided to embrace this new world. Using their mimicry to the fullest, Perspectici began to steal from markets and farms, eating cattle and produce and then vanishing into crowds. Naturally, more violence-inclined individuals began to see the very races that provided them such abundant cover as prey themselves.

This led to the first outbreak of attacks. People were snatched from dark alleyways at night, or were dragged into attics by monsters wearing the skins of people they knew. One horror story told of a master shapeshifter who could extend his arms from the windows of a house down to the street below to snatch children. While the majority of these stories were pure fabrication, or exaggerated tales of actual attacks, public fear rose.

Eventually, the true forms of the shapeshifters were revealed, and while most were horrified by these vaguely insectoid entities, others were fascinated. Nobility adored the eyes and hair of the Perspectici, while collectors and scientists put out bounties for the sake of the skin plates. A few started their own little games of "catch 'em all", trying to collect skin plates of all different colors.

Near Extinction
An incredibly long time ago, a kill order was placed on Perspectici, on the basis of them being threats to national security and pests to free-range farms. The kill order was also helped along by the nobles of many nations, who sought the beautiful eyes and skin plates of the Perspectici. This led to the killing of almost all Perspectici in Rathnir, and their eventual classification as an extinct species. Now, however, they seem to be making a come-back, as reports of shapeshifters matching the description of these strange entities have begun to pop up again. Whether or not the Perspectici will flourish as they once did remains to be seen.

Telling the Difference Between Genders
Perspectici don't exactly have sexual dimorphism, and the forms they take don't always conform to their own gender. Therefore, telling whether a Perspecticus is male or female can be a bit of a challenge at times. This does not mean it's impossible though.

Females tend to take flashier, more colorful forms, often with some form of accessory, like a hat or scarf. They are typically more greedy, hoarding objects which fascinate them much as dragons of legend do. Female Perspectici are also less likely to start a fight, but far more willing to battle to the death than one would expect. If forced to flee, they tend to go for the high ground over open space.

Males, meanwhile, try too hard not to stand out. They pick drab, ordinary forms that while wouldn't stick out in a crowd of people who look similar, are easy to spot due to the myriad of different races and colorful clothing one would find in a normal city. They too collect shiny or otherwise valuable objects, but not out of greed. Rather, males collect such things for use as gifts, or to impress others. Males are also, weirdly, the opposite of females in regards to how they treat a fight. They're more openly confrontational, but will likely flee if hurt, much unlike the females' blatant disregard for their life in battle. A fleeing male is more likely to go for an area in which he can see in all directions, like a field.