Animal Folk

When an animal person is born, they are almost completely animalistic. They grow into their anthropomorphism as they age, and as they engage in the culture of their people, they take on different aspects of both animal and mortal, as this generates the animal magic that defines them. This is why some animal folk of the same nation may grow up with differing degrees of animalistic characteristics. The commonest form of animal folk is a bipedal, upright variant of their animal counterpart. The extremes of appearance are nearly completely human with vague animalistic characteristics or nearly completely animal with only the ability of speech to distinguish them.

Animal folk will have powers similar to the abilities of the animal they are descended from and on the cultural associations with that animal.

Any species native to the area has an animal folk equivalent, though some are much rarer than others. These below are the most prominent.

Barred Grass Snake Folk: 6' tall anthropomorphic grass snakes. They have dark grey and brown scales on their backs and whiter ones on their bellies. They live near water, especially on the islands, and they are non-venomous. They are strong swimmers, but their magic allows them control over reeds and grasses, especially allowing them to hide in them. They do moult and have a strong-smelling defense gland. They are fishers and egg-hunters and keep to themselves. They are seen as outsiders in imperial lands.

PRO 9 ATH 9 Swim 11 STR 8 AWA 8 WIL 8 PRS 7 STH 9

Barred Warbler Folk: 5' tall grey and white anthropomorphic warblers. They have slight crests of feathers on their heads. They can speak to any bird, especially passerines, and their songs can influence the behaviors of mundane birds. They are popular in the region for their music.

PRO 8 ATH 9 Flight 11 STR 7 AWA 9 WIL 7 PRS 9 STH 8

Brown Bear Folk: 8' tall anthropomorphic bears. They live in the mountains and eschew the cities. They are known for their love of nature, their ferocity in battle, and their protectiveness of other animals, save for those they eat. They can speak to animals. They are often conscripted and exploited for their strength and prowess by imperials, though they resent it.

PRO 10 ATH 8 STR 12 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 6

[Italian] Cave Salamander Folk: 3' tall red-and-black anthropomorphic salamanders. They live in shallow caves in the mountains, in small clans. They are magically attuned to their caves, can see in the dark, and can return home to their caves once per month magically. They can also make their skin tough as stone once per day for five minutes. They need water to live and reproduce.

PRO 8 ATH 9 STR 5 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 9

Crested Porcupine Folk: 4' tall anthropomorphic porcupines with white spines and black fur. They prefer to work at night, though many have acclimated to imperial schedules. In their culture, bones are sacred and kept as ornamentation, often worked into metal, which they have magical spells to alter. They are seen as strange and dangerous by imperials.

PRO 9 ATH 9 STR 6 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 9

Filiformis Folk: 5' tall very dark green anthropomorphic beetles. They long antennae which let them know the lifeforce of those they interact with. They are narrower than other beetle folk. They live amongst the greenery and plants of the region, which they are skilled at tending.

PRO 8 ATH 9 STR 10 AWA 9 WIL 8 PRS 8 STH 7

Green Sea Turtle Folk: 6' tall anthropomorphic sea turtles. They have brown, black, and white shells with green bodies. They are great swimmers. They live in and near the seas, and they have magic that allows them some control over it. They are often exploited by imperials for labor in the waters, but in their own culture, they are protectors of it.

PRO 8 ATH 7 Swim 10 STR 9 Shell +4/+4 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 8 STH 7

Grey Wolf Folk: 6' tall anthropomorphic gray wolves. They live in the mountains and hills, and they are revered throughout the Talunese region. They are mythologized and honored, though they hate it and reject the stories that turn them into founders of empires. They honor the moons and worship them. They are skilled witches and repellers of spells. They believe in nature, not empire, but many are drawn in by promises of power.

PRO 9 ATH 9 STR 9 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 9 STH 9

[Eurasian] Griffon Vulture Folk: 6' tall anthropomorphic griffon vultures. They have a white head, with brown, white, grey, and yellow feathers. They live in small communities in the mountains where they use weather magic to control the temperatures and winds and storms. They are often exploited by imperials for their size and flight.

PRO 9 ATH 9 Flight 11 STR 8 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 8

[Eurasian] Jackdaw Folk: 4' tall anthropomorphic jackdaws with grey and brown feathers and small beaks. They are known for their cultural displays of communication and social interactions, their notoriety in using poison, and their power to see souls. They are stereotyped as foolish, but they are very insightful. Once per year, they may know how close someone is to death.

PRO 9 ATH 9 Flight 12 STR 6 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 9

[Southern] Mammoth Folk: 15' tall anthropomorophic mammoths. They have grey and brown skin, large tusks and trunks, huge ears, and enormous strength. They are known for their ability to harvest and gather food, which they have some magical powers over. They are often recruited or exploited for their strength by the imperials, but they are also skeptical of them. They live in small communities but take up a lot of space in the woods and fieldlands.

PRO 8 ATH 7 STR 17 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 4

[Common] Octopus Folk: 4' tall anthropomorphic octopi. They are colorful and have tentacled faces and arms and legs. They are strong swimmers, but they can go on land as long as they get some time in the water each day. They can live even very deep and draw magic from it. They are feared and stereotyped as evil wizards in imperial lands. They keep underwater gardens, have been known to engage in cannibalism, and have the power to control their body temperature at will.

PRO 9 ATH 9 Swim 11 STR 7 AWA 9 WIL 10 PRS 6 STH 8

Orca Folk: 12' tall anthropomorphic orcas. They are massive giants of the waters who are powerful predators, amongst the most skilled hunters out there. They are ferociously territorial and do not like the imperials, whom they view as weaklings. They live in the seas, but they can come on land if they return to the water regularly. They have magic that makes them even better hunters.

PRO 10 ATH 8 Swim 12 STR 14 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 5

[Eurasian] Otter Folk: 4' tall anthropomorphic otters with brown fur. They are fishers who live in the mountains near rivers. They are semi-nomadic, working through the summer, hiding in the winter, and trading in spring and fall. They honor the summer spirits and are known for their warmth and friendliness.

PRO 9 ATH 11 STR 6 AWA 8 WIL 8 PRS 9 STH 9

[Mesola] Red Deer Folk: 7' tall anthropomorphic red deer. They are strong, fast, and cunning, and they keep to themselves in the forests of the region. They are protectors of the forests, friends to forest folk (and sometimes confused for them). They are sometimes exploited by imperials for their strength and speed.

PRO 8 ATH 10 STR 9 AWA 9 WIL 8 PRS 8 STH 8

River Trout Folk: 4' tall brown and red anthropomorphic trouts who dwell in and along the rivers. They have magic that helps them control the rivers, and once per week they can teleport from one river to another nearby one. They are skilled fishers and hunters, and they are often exploited for their magic by imperials.

PRO 9 ATH 9 Swim 11 STR 7 AWA 8 WIL 8 PRS 7 STH 9

Rook Folk: 5' tall black anthropomorphic rooks. They live in the forests and fields in their own communities. They are a studious people who keep secrets and have shadow magic. They are hated by imperials, viewed as pests, and often killed by racists.

PRO 8 ATH 9 Flight 11 STR 7 AWA 10 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 11

Sand Lizard Folk: 4' tall anthropomorphic lizards. They have brown, yellow, and green scales. Their tails can detach if needed. They live on beaches, in dune fields, in the hills, and other areas. They have magical control of sand. They are very fast. They live in small communities and are often exploited by imperials. They are often seen basking in the sun and considered lazy.

PRO 8 ATH 9 STR 6 AWA 8 WIL 8 PRS 8 STH 9

Scipionyx Folk: 5' tall anthropomorphic feathered theropods. They have brightly colored feathers on their upper bodies and white ones on lower. They are very fast, very cunning, and very curious people who live as nomads in the plains and woods. Half of their upper feathers are made of glass, which they can magically control. They are feared and exploited by imperials.

PRO 9 ATH 11 STR 9 AWA 9 WIL 7 PRS 8 STH 8

[Italian] Sparrow Folk: 3' tall anthropomorphic sparrows. They are bright brown, grey, and white of feather. They live in the mountains where they build wondrous houses that are said to be lighter than air. They are generally vegetarian but also eat small animals. They have some magic that affects the winds when they fly.

PRO 8 ATH 10 Flight 12 STR 5 AWA 9 WIL 7 PRS 9 STH 9

[Italian] Striped Bug Folk: 5' tall orange-and-black striped anthropomorphic shield bugs. They dwell in the wetlands and have some power over them, and they have the ability to create a vulgar aroma. They tend to keep to themselves, though some have integrated into water-based cities as toshers and sewer workers. Imperials think of them as stinkbug people.

PRO 8 ATH 8 STR 11 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 6 STH 7

[European] Wildcat Folk: 5' tall anthropomorphic cats with brown and grey and white fur. They are usually tabbies with irregular striping and blotches. They are skilled hunters who dislike the cities, though they often find themselves living there. They have influence over other mammals. They are very common, and they tend to prefer nature to the city.

PRO 10 ATH 12 STR 7 AWA 9 WIL 7 PRS 9 STH 9