LORE24 ENTRY #4 – Doppelgangers
Category – Creature
Doppelgangers are a species of shapechanging monsters that have been present to some extent since ancient times. Their ability to blend in and assume practically any identity have led them to be considered absolutely abhorrent in most societies, yet they are often employed by those of questionable morals to cause chaos in those same societies, usually by replacing important individuals with a (mostly) loyal minion who can perfectly mimic them.
In their natural state, doppelgangers are unsettling for most to gaze upon. Their skin is a very neutral gray color, their bodies and limbs are lean and gangly, seeming very alien in appearance. Their facial features are very smooth and undefined, their eyes black and multifaceted, large, and often unblinking, their mouths thin slits.
In ancient times, most doppelgangers could mirror a target for a limited amount of time to a fair degree of accuracy, mimicking their voices and behaviors with an uncanny instinct after only a short time of observation. Should a more long-term replacement be necessary, the doppelganger must do more than simple observation; it must actually consume its target, draining its vital fluids and consuming its flesh, including its brain. Through this almost ritualistic method, the doppelganger becomes its victim almost completely, typically gaining most of its memories and skills, while retaining its own consciousness deep within. This makes them exceptionally hard to detect without specialized methods.
By the time of galactic expansion, doppelgangers have evolved, or at least, some of them have; rumors persist that these advanced doppelgangers were created by DSM’s AR&D division. The most exceptional doppelgangers are often employed by corporations for spying, and have further refined their methods of infiltration and deception. These advanced doppelgangers no longer need to consume their targets to assume their identities; instead they rely on forging a psychic link with their victim and consuming some of their blood to sample their DNA, and thus become a perfect duplicate with access to all knowledge of the original, which would remain in a hidden, secure location until the job is done, after which the original can be disposed of. In some cases, these advanced doppelgangers have been known to behave as body doubles, working with the original.