With both humans and lycanthropes among their distant ancestors, shifters posses just a small portion of their forefathers’ shape-shifting abilities. They cannot transform wholly into an animal but can instead shift parts of their body to become animal-like for short periods of time. In 832 YK the Church of the Silver Flame led an inquisition to wipe out all lycanthropes in Khorvaire, and Shifters got caught up in it. The inquisition lasted fifty years, killing most lycanthropes and driving the survivors deep into the Eldeen Reaches.

Eberron Pathfinder rules page.

Shifters commonly have chaotic personalities and experience extremes in their emotions. They are often temperamental and are liable to change moods in swift and dramatic fashion. Shifters find it difficult to control their emotions, especially in stressful situations. Some have learned to control their emotions however, it is obvious to others that they’re finding it difficult to do so.

The shifter mind-set is built up around the idea of being self-sufficient and being able to conjure inner strength in times of need rather than relying on one’s allies. Shifters can seem overly cautious or constantly ready for future events. A common saying among shifters is “preparing for the journey yet to come” which reflects how they believe the world can change instantly and how important it is to be prepared to avoid the danger that those changes can bring.

Shifters believe that the reward for independence is freedom and thus they feel uncomfortable around those who attempt to impose their will and beliefs upon others. It is also common for a shifter to feel restricted in a human settlement with its rules and law enforcement.