Chakuk

Chakuks are people who, long ago, used magic to become take on animal forms as a means of survival. These former metahumans slowly but surely became more and more animalistic until they began being born with small animal features and an extra piece that allows them to fully transform into a more fully anthropomorphic form. For example, a bird chakuk may be born with feathers on their body in one place but also a separable headpiece that is shaped like a bird's head. If they close this headpiece, they transform into a fully anthropomorphic figure.

Ajkaceratops chakuks are 4' anthropomorphic ceratopses (pronounced "oi-ka-sera-tops"). The ajkaceratops chakuk's headpiece makes them very strong. Though shorter than most species, they have disrpoportionate strength, being able to perform feats others twice their size cannot. Their skin is usually tan with darker brown stripes, and the headpiece on it has a hard plate that juts out the back of it. They live in small communities in low lying grasslands and wetlands. They build large structures out of stone and wood, using their enormous strength, and are feared as warriors.

PRO 9 ATH 8 STR 14 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 8 STH 9 ESS 7

Ambrosia beetle chakuks are 5' anthropomorphic beetles. The ambrosia beetle chakuk's headpiece is empowered by their faith. Their chitinous shell is dark brown. They dwell in trees, boring great holes into them so they can make homes within. They cultivate fungi and are resistant to poison. They have a complex belief system honoring many deities, whom they believe take the form of trees, and they have a priesthood in their communities that is the center of their culture. Their faith empowers their shells.

PRO 8 ATH 8 Flight 9 STR 8 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 8 STH 8 ESS 9

Bicolor stonefly chakuks (Marthamea vitripennis) are 3' anthropomorphic stoneflies. The stonefly chakuk's headpiece resonates with faith in their heroes. They have dark brown skin and hair, broad insect wings, and long legs. They worship a group of four heroic but tragic figures (see Religion), which are the core of their culture, and their bodies and chitin gains magic from their beliefs.

PRO 9 ATH 11 Flight 13 STR 5 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 10 ESS 9

Black kite chakuks are 6' anthropomorphic kites. The black kite chakuk's headpiece gives them great speed. They have dark brown feathers with black ones on the edges. They have notable crossbar markings and mottling in parts, and their beaks are black with yellow at the base. They are very fast, and the faster they move, the more magic they gain, allowing them to keep great control even at great speeds. Their culture honors sports and athletics, and they love to competitons. They will race anyone if challenged.

PRO 8 ATH 14 Flight 16 STR 7 AWA 9 WIL 7 PRS 7 STH 8 ESS 8

Caddisfly chakuks are 4' anthropomorphic caddisflies. The caddisfly chakuk's headpiece is resistant to the power of the Divine. They have long antennae and wings, which sweep back from their headpieces. They are often brown, grey, and white in color. Their culture is rooted in a defiance of the gods, of which they have many stories of their own doing so. They are mostly from Ottavia, where their beliefs are legal.

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

Cave hyena chakuks are 6' anthropomorphic hyenas. The cave hyena chakuk's headpiece remembers their ancestors. Unlike other chakuks, hyena chakuks save the skins and headpieces that they wear after they die instead of burying it. These are preserved in a ritual. Though children are born with their own, when they come of age, they fuse theirs with one from one of their ancestors (if any are available), so that they can have a direct connection to an ancestor, whom they communicate with. If none are available, they are still taught the rituals to speak to ancestors, but they don't have a constant companion. They have bright yellow or brown fur with spots, a spiky head of hair, and strong jaws.

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

Chamois chakuks are 6' anthropomorphic chamoises. The chamois chakuk's headpiece has the power to divide anything. Though their horns are medium-sized and hooked backward, they still have this dividing power if they charge anything with them. This magic is risky, so they don't use it all the time. They have brown, grey, white, and black fur, and many of them have hooved feet. They live in the mountains and use their magic to clear passes or deflect avalanches. Their communities are herders and farmers and builders.

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

[Russian] Desman chakuks are 3' anthropomorphic desmans. The desman chakuk's headpiece resembles their personality. They have pointy noses and brown, white, and grey fur. As they age and develop a personality, their headpiece becomes more ornate, taking on odd features. They live near water and are often fishers and trappers and river-boaters. As their personalities infuse their headpieces, they often gain mild empathic sernses.

PRO 7 ATH 10 Swim 11 STR 5 AWA 8 WIL 7 PRS 10 STH 9 ESS 8

Ensign wasp chakuks are 6' anthropomorphic wasps. The ensign wasp chakuk's headpiece negates magical energies. Their headpieces usually have long dark antennae, huge insectoid eyes (often blue), and are usually black. Their wings are translucent, and their upper bodies are often a little fuzzy while the lower body is harder. Their headpiece negates magic cast at it. Their culture celebrates science and learning.

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

Glossy ant spider chakuks are 4' anthropomorphic spiders. The ant spider chakuk's headpiece replenishes their blood if they are wounded. They have glossy black bodies with radiating white lines. They live in sandy areas where they build small homes and work hard jobs. If they are injured, they recover more quickly via the magic of their headpiece, and if their headpiece is damaged, they bleed more freely. Their culture is one of admiring those who work hard, keeping out of people's way, and eating raw meat.

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

Golden jackal chakuks are 6' anthropomorphic jackals. The golden jackal chakuk's headpiece has emotional resonance. Their fur is golden brown, black, white, and grey. They have pointed noses and tall ears. They have empathic senses, and their headpieces glow in the presence of emotion magic. They are known to be friendly and insightful, and they are often hired as advisers. But their culture also honors their hunters and soldiers.

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

Great bustard chakuks are 5' anthropomorphic bustards. The bustard chakuk's headpiece has psionic power. They can hear people's thoughts and communicate via telepathy. They can fly, but they live on the ground and don't dwell in high places like some other avian folk. They are very curious and interested in learning new things, and they share information easily amongst their own via their telepathic powers. They live in grasslands and are often sought by imperials to be used for their mental magic. They have black, brown, orange, and white feathers in very distinctive patterns.

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

Gyrfalcon chakuks are 7' anthropomorphic gyrfalcons. The gyrfalcon chakuk's headpiece are imbued with the power of survival. They have white, brown, black, or silver feathers. They are skilled hunters and survivalists, dwelling in the harsh environs of the north. They are resistant to cold and have keen eyes. They are known for being solitary sorts, but they also have small families that hunt together. They are very good fliers.

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

[Eurasian] Jay chakuks are 4' anthropomorphic jays. The jay chakuk's headpiece release energies of decay. Jay chakuks have pinkish brown feathers with blue, black, and white stripes and markings. They live in small communities in the forests where they hoard food for the hard times as part of a sacred duty, but they sacrifice part of what they gather or grow each week to the spirits. They believe the universe is in decay, and the only way to keep the spirits from decaying them or their resources is to be the one to choose what is released.

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

Lake fingernail clam chakuks are 3' anthropomorphic clams. The fingernail clam chakuk's headpiece is full of contradictory power. Their shell-headdresses are straited grey and white. Their magic is chaotic and unpredictable, and many are born with random unaligned powers with no explanation. Their culture is one of unpredictability and a cultural appreciation for what others consider strange or upsetting. They live by or in lakes and often work as fishers, diggers, or farmers.

PRO 7 ATH 6 STR 5 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 9 ESS 11

[Common] Minke whale chakuks are 12' anthropomorphic minke whales. The minke whale chakuk's headpiece resonates with faith in the concept of vastness. Their skin is white, grey, and black, with white stripes on their flippers. Their headpieces have baleens. They are enormously strong and great swimmers. They live by or in the sea. They are often employed for their strength, but many prefer to live as sailors. There is a spiritual faith in their culture that honors the idea of vastness, of the enormous size of the universe, the world, the ocean, or themselves. It equates being larger with being more spiritual.

PRO 7 ATH 7 Swim 10 STR 14 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 8 STH 6 ESS 9

Northern bat chakuks are 3' anthropomorphic bats. The northern bat chakuk's headpiece is filled with spirit magic. Furry with dark brown or black with tufts of golden fur, they are common in the northern reaches. They honor the intangible spirits of the world and speak to them, wielding their power via their headpieces. They believe these spirits dictate every aspect of life.

PRO 8 ATH 9 Flight 11 STR 5 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 9 ESS 10

Snow vole chakuks are 3' anthropomorphic voles. The snow vole chakuk's headpiece makes them hard to see. Light grey and white of fur, they dwell in the snowy reaches of the north. They are very stealthy and live on the fringes of society. Long ago criminalized and stereotyped, they are forced to live on the fringes, and their magic helps them survive. Many turn to crime, but many seek to live on the safer side of the law, still using their stealth in day to day life. Their culture honors this because it is how they avoided larger, more dangerous people for millennia.

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

Souslik chakuks are 3' anthropomorphic sousliks. The souslik chakuk's headpiece is a system of intricate magic. With light yellow, orange, brown, or grey fur, they are ground-dwelling squirrel people who use their intricate magic to keep a system of spots where they store food and resources. They keep them interconnected and make sure their families can access them, while devising means to keep others who don't know the trick to them out. They are very clever with devices and logistics.

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

Straw-barred pearl moth chakuks are 6' anthropomorphic moths. The pearl moth chakuk's headpiece is also their soul. With bright orange and brown wings and bodies, they are very noticeable. Their culture is one focused on their inner being, seeking knowledge of the self and of magic, and many are scholars and magic users. They live in sunny grassland regions.

PRO 7 ATH 7 Flight 9 STR 9 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 6 ESS 10

Swordfish chakuks are 9' anthropomorphic swordfish. The swordfish chakuk's headpiece is like magical armor. They have the distinctive sword-like nose and grey, brown, or white skin. They come from a warrior culture, living in or by the seas, working for navies and merchant marines, and always ready for a good fight.

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

Western jackdaw chakuks are 4' anthropomorphic jackdaws. The jackdaw chakuk's headpiece has an aura of silence. They have rich blue feathers with a black-feathered facial part. They are known for their gregarious nature, but their headpiece allows them peace and quiet whenever they wish it. They very religious, and when they want to engage their spirituality, they use their headpiece ot block out the world and focus. Their faith is a polytheistic blend of various unaligned spirits and deities.

PRO 7 ATH 9 Flight 11 STR 6 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 9 STH 7 ESS 9

[Balkan] Whip snake chakuks are 5' anthropomorphic whip snakes. The whip snake chakuk's headpiece absorbs magical energies like a dragon. They have olive-grey and yellow scales which are very smooth. They live in rocky regions and often work for or honor dragons. They absorb magical energies like a dragon when they use their headpiece, which allows them to gain interesting powers as they age. Their culture is very tied to their honoring of dragons, whom they view as the ideal.

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

Woolly rhinoceros chakuks are 12' anthropomorphic rhinos. The woolly rhino chakuk's headpiece impresses nearby animals. They have shaggy brown fur and huge horns, and mundane animals often react to them with awe or wonder. They are very strong and often employed by imperials or others for that strength, but in their own culture, it is displays of beauty and animalistic ferocity that impress most of all. They perform animal-like dances before a hunt. They pride themselves on being able to survive harsh conditions.

PRO 9 ATH 7 STR 14 AWA 8 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 6 ESS 8

[Eurasian] Wren chakuks are 4' anthropomorphic wrens. The wren chakuk's headpiece repels aligned magicks. They have brown and black feathers, and their songs are very soft. They make homes in cliff-sides and crevices, and they are known for trying not to cause trouble. Their small size makes them targets, and thus, they often avoid dangerous folks like imperials or the fey. They believe life should be balanced and unchanging.

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