The Athanor are immortal beings who have always been living among us. You may have met some of them, although you wouldn't know it, since many of them are shapeshifters. And the Changer is the oldest and wiliest of them all, able to take any shape he chooses.
Some of the Athanor who cannot take human form are tired of living in seclusion and feel that the human world is now ready to accept, if not welcome, the inclusion of non-human sentient magic-wielding immortal beings living amongst them. (Are they maybe just a little naïve?) Others want to take a more active role in the preservation of the earth's natural environment which is threatened by human short-sightedness.
http://www.sfsite.com/01b/chan49.htm