Primal Instincts
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~Assimilation~
At the very core Changelings have an incessant need to take the face of another being, and to eventually learn how to assimilate into that society. It is ingrained in them at birth to take the face of their parental figure. As time goes on changelings can gain all the physical traits of the race they are surrounded by. Unlike other shapeshifters they do not just mirror the physical qualities of their defeated foes, but actually take in their very likeness from head to toe, inside and out. They can also hold their morphed form indefinitely and can shift into another at will. If a changeling cannot assimilate or morph they are stuck in their natural form which is very much a sight for sore eyes and sticks out in plain sight making them easy prey for enemies.
*In Game (IRL)*
To gain morphing forms one must defeat another race in a physical combat or in a game of wits. This is specifically to help noncom players. A changeling will only gain the exact kit of the individual player they defeated. This means that if a player defeats a kitsune they do gain the ability to morph in a kitsune, but specifically the exact kit of that player. It is a formality to challenge a person for their face, but it is not a requirement. In line battles one only gains the form of a person they themselves hit the last blow on. They do not gain all of the forms in the massive battle. The defeat only enables a physical morph of that specific combatant. To assimilate like one would in lore, you will have to research the race you are now portraying.
~Competitive~
By nature of needing to defeat other species comes the side effect of being naturally competitive. Changelings have a compulsive desire to fight and challenge everything, and of course to win. No, this does not mean they go out of the way to get caught in a society. It is a tricky business being a changeling. If a changeling sees someone able to climb a tree, a changeling will be twitching to climb higher. In battle they will find a way to outsmart their opponents and observe their battle moves in order to defeat them at their own game. They are roue at their finest, and they do not like to lose. Though losing can be a very good learning experience.
~Curious/Adventurous~
Think of changelings like cats. If they don’t know what it is, they will do everything in their power to figure out it out, what is it used for, and how they can get it. Changelings love to learn about everything under the sun. They’re incredibly intellectual and will study absolutely any subject just to understand it better. This is especially true once they have gained the face of another race. Its natural for them to study, by observing and reading, another race just so they can portray the species better than they could before. Of course living within the society tends to be the best way to do this, but in modern days that less available, but books are very common.
This also leads to another instinctual side effect, adventure. Changelings are born with a need to travel and explore. They must see the world and gain as many “faces” as they possibly can and be able to assimilate better than the changelings among them. Their assimilation and competitive instincts drive forth the desire to leave the nest for a few years after puberty in order to gain more knowledge than they could at home. And of course to find a mate that could be an equal companion like their cennads before them.
~Monster or More?~
Most changelings find themselves to be more monstrous in their natural morphed form. There is a catch though; what a changeling identifies as has a lot to do with what race they were raised by. If a changeling was switched with a goblyn child that changeling would tend to identify as a monster. Yet, if a changeling was raised by elves the young changeling would see itself as a fair folk. Even more some were raised by fae and in such would identify with neither of the more common two. Furthermore a changeling may choose to identify with whatever they are morphed as the most, or at that time. So, if a changeling defeats and morphs into a reaver that changeling may identify as death risen. This is why changelings are both, all, and neither a pinky nor monster. A person who chooses to be a changeling race can be whatever they want in context of monster, fair folk, or more.