Skinthief

Skinthieves or skinchangers are individuals who have discovered a means of taking on a different shape, usually that of an animal, and usually through physically wearing the target's skin.

Overview

Aztec Skinchangers

During the time of the Aztec Empire, the ability to change shape was highly prized among both priests (i.e. the Jaguar Priests) and warriors (i.e. the Eagle Warriors and Jaguar Warriors). These groups maintained secret rituals to ensure that only the worthy were capable of performing the ritual. This was not solely for the sake of maintaining some kind of grip on power, either; the unworthy were prone to faltering and losing themselves to the beings whose skin they wore, becoming monstrous hybrids of man and beast.

It was not only animals who were the targets of shape-changing, however. In a society with rigidly defined gender roles, a small number of women learned to take on the skins of men to assume their social roles. This sect was known as the Cihuatlactah.

References

• CofD: World of Darkness: Skinchangers