Veyari

Veyari (The Becoming Folk)

Compiled and annotated by Researcher Donald Stusk; Independent Researcher

Parent Race

Elf (Although most elves will never admit that)

Appearance

This is what a Veyari looks in their base form. "This image of this one Veyari Woman took me nearly 6 months to get the trust for. At least in the village that I found the Veyari see it as a faux pas to share their base form outside of their found family I was about ready to marry one of them before this young lady came forward."

Veyari are distinguishable from birth by their lack of resemblance to their elven parents and the faint, natural scent of wildflowers that clings to their skin and hair. Their eyes are often unusual in hue—lavender, silver-gray, pale amber—and their features tend toward androgyny or a gentle fluidity in youth.

They possess a unique trait known as Shapeshifting, which allows them to cosmetically alter their physical appearance over time. This includes height, body type, sex, voice, and even race-specific visual markers (horns, ears, tusks, etc.).

When I timed it, a complete transformation from one form to another took roughly 2–3 minutes. Some were faster, others slower.

At first, they mimic their family members. As they grow older, they may take on the forms of strangers or begin creating entirely original identities.

I won’t lie—when a 20-year-old Veyari looked me over, giggled, and turned into a near-perfect version of me, it was deeply unsettling. I was told, however, that it was a sign of respect.

Their clothing typically reflects the culture they’re currently integrating into, though many wear keepsakes from previous identities—masks, rings, carved tokens—to preserve the memories of their former selves.

Strengths

• Shapeshifting Veyari can change their form for up to 15 hours a day, requiring 9 hours of rest to replenish their strength and magic. The transformation is purely physical and cannot replicate the abilities of the race they are mimicking.

Most shift back in their sleep, making them intensely private during rest. Even those closest to them are rarely permitted to see their sleeping form unless deeply trusted.

• Emotional Resonance Veyari are naturally empathetic and seem to intuitively sense emotional states.

At first, I thought it was something only shared among their kind. But when I was quietly grieving my father’s passing, the village elder approached and simply sat beside me, speaking gently. No one had said a word to her. She simply... knew.

• Cultural Adaptability Due to their isolated upbringing and shifting nature, Veyari are exceptionally adept at integrating into other societies. Given enough time, they often seem indistinguishable from those native to that culture.

I have seen a Veyari adopt the customs of dwarves, human highland clans, and even goblin market dialects within weeks. It’s as if they were born to reflect the world back at itself.

Weaknesses

• Shortened Lifespan Veyari live, on average, to 250 years, a far cry from the 500+ years expected of most elves.

I find the prejudice against this baffling. So what if they live half as long? That shouldn't make them any less elven. Yet even in polite company, they are treated as echoes, not kin.

• Social Rejection Among elves, Veyari are often treated with suspicion or disdain. They are commonly referred to by the slur “Masklings,” a derogatory reference to their fluid appearance.

I hate the term. It’s often whispered behind their backs, and sometimes said to their faces. Humans aren’t much better, calling them “Changelings” in hushed tones. Ironically, the Veyari prefer Veyari —or better still, “The Becoming Ones.”

• Low Birthrate There are currently two known methods of Veyari birth:
  • Elf-born: Roughly 1 in every 150 elf births produces a Veyari.
  • Veyarin-born:: When two Veyari reproduce, the child is always Veyari. However, due to their scattered and secretive nature, this is exceedingly rare.

I witnessed the birth of three Veyari children during my time in the village. There was no difference between Elf-born and Veyarin-born, but the community seemed to show special compassion to the former, understanding the pain of rejection from their birth families.

• Marked Blood Veyari bleed silver, and their blood gives off a distinct wildflower scent. This trait makes hiding injuries—and by extension, their identity—difficult.

It smells like fine perfume. I first encountered it when several Veyari shielded me during a bandit raid. I was wounded and losing consciousness, and I remember thinking I had collapsed in a field of flowers.

Biology

Average Lifespan: 250 (500)

Maturity: 40

Height: 1.50 - 2.00 m (I will point out that this is subjective since they can change their Hight at will.)

Weight: 65-80 Kg (Same comment about the weight as Height)

Culture

The Veyari rarely have the chance to build lasting cultural traditions due to their rarity and the need to conceal their identity. Most grow up believing they are alone, only discovering others like themselves through luck or whispered guidance.

However, when Veyari do gather, they form deep communal bonds rooted in shared transformation. These communities tend to be non-hierarchical, favoring fluid roles and mutual respect. Rituals often include:

• The Rite of Becoming: A personal moment where a Veyari chooses their true name and accepts their identity as a shapeshifter.
• Maskmaking: Masks represent former selves or emotions and are worn to honor personal growth.
• Memory Totems: Personal objects—rings, carvings, tools—used to remember previous forms or lost names.

The village I stayed in had no leaders, only “Voices.” These were individuals whose wisdom others sought—not by decree, but by trust. I cannot stress enough how different their worldview is from most elven societies. In their world, identity is earned, not inherited.

Origin & History

“The true reason why a Veyari is born instead of a typical elf is not truly known. It is suspected that it has to do with a saturation of magic in the womb, but even that theory has its holes.”

While some elven scholars dismiss Veyari births as aberrations—flukes in bloodline or divine punishment—many more open-minded researchers believe the cause lies in the subtle saturation of ambient magic during gestation. In regions with strong leyline activity, near arcane anomalies, or within families touched by magical trauma or deep emotional conflict, the rate of Veyari births appears to rise ever so slightly.

Some suspect the Veyari are born not in error, but in answer—as a reflection of instability or change within the soul of the parents, or even the land itself.

In folklore collected from outlying elven villages, Veyari births are said to occur:

• After dreams of silver moons or fields of flowers, even in places where neither should exist.
• Following tragedy, particularly when the would-be parent mourns the loss of someone close.
• During times of societal upheaval, as if the child were answering the world’s unraveling with transformation.

Others believe the cause is more mystical—some whisper that a fragment of the World’s Memory chooses to take root within the child, guiding their body to reshape into a vessel of potential.

Still, for all the theories—magical saturation, emotional imprinting, divine intervention—no definitive cause has been found. Perhaps that is fitting. The Veyari, after all, are born of mystery, and mystery does not yield easily to reason.