Shift

A Shift is a very powerful form of energy creature. Very little is known about Shifts and how they as they are very rare and cannot typically be perceived.

It is currently theorized that Shifts have no true method of direct communication. In fact, Shifts are typically only characterized by two things: an attraction to certain values and the ability to impart its energy in a beneficial way.

Historically, Shifts have been the direct inspiration for a small handful of deities. Shifts typically function as follows: they drift through space until they find a person or a small group or society of people who match the values the Shift has an attraction to. If the values are close enough, the Shift will settle with these people and will slowly begin to impart their energy upon them.

This energy may manifest in many different ways, though the way this energy manifests usually depends on the Shift. For instance, one Shift might grant their people certain "powers" or qualities, while another might improve the production output of their people. A small farming community may begin to produce food more abundantly. The changes are usually slow and are usually only noticeable in retrospect.

The values each Shift is attracted to are independent on the Shift and can theoretically be any value, as long as that value is not too specific or bound by social constraints. For example, punctuality, ambition, and hard work are all possible values, as are their opposites. "Wakes up at the same time every day" is too specific and is bound by the social constraint of time.

If the people a Shift attaches itself to change their values, the Shift will become detached and will begin to drift through space again. Depending on the effects the Shift's energy imparted upon their people, the effects of this could be devastating.

Current scientific thought proposes that Shifts have limited or no sentience and are entirely ruled by their two characterizations, this is a judgment ruled entirely by a small handful of anthropological observations.