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ANIMALFOLK
MAGICAL ALIGNMENT: Light; animalfolk rarely possess magic, but if they do, they follow a virtue.
LIFESPAN: Despite their unusual animalistic attributes, animalfolk have little to no advantage over other humanoids - especially in terms of lifespan. On average, they live for 60-90 years, though accidents while in critter form are incredibly common.
APPEARANCE: The appearance of animalfolk depends massively on their feratype, the species of animal which they may transform into at will. In their humanoid form, they share a good few traits with these animals, including their ears, tails and, often, eyes. Generally speaking, these beings share their range of skin colours, body types and potential heights with humankind, though subspecies vary.*
An example of bunfolk.
More uncommon or even rare features of animalfolk include:
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- Unusually coloured hair. More often than not, an animalfolk's natural hair colour matches their fur. As these fur colourations are not limited to what we see in the natural world, animalfolk hair may be any hue.
- Spots, stripes or other markings across the body.
- Small, furred eyebrows.
- Fur (or scales) in patches across the body or face.
- A facial crest.
*Insectfolk, for example, may be very petite in stature.
NOTABLE SUBSPECIES: Though almost all animalfolk feratypes are small, furry prey animals, there are some more unusual subspecies whose appearances stray from the beaten path.
- Minotaurs, cervitaurs, centaurs and satyrs, also dubbed cattlefolk, deerfolk, horsefolk and goatfolk, are animalfolk subspecies with two major differences. For starters, they may possess the legs and hooves of their feratype, making most clothing ill-fitting to them. Additionally, these beings often develop horns or antlers in adolescence, a trait ordinarily accompanying a dark-mana species. If their born feratype has any of these traits, it is standard that animalfolk also possess them.*
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- Insectfolk, such as beefolk, butterflyfolk and aphidfolk, have a very distinct appearance, lacking the ears and tails of their brethren. In lieu of this, facial crests, skin markings and even wings are commonplace.
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- Though a handful of reptile feratypes are dangerous predators, and therefore would be better attributed to a werebeast, there are equally as many harmless reptiles within the animal kingdom. This is where reptilefolk come in. From nagas (snakefolk), to geckofolk, to tortoisefolk, the possibilites are practically endless. Though most reptilefolk simply possess scales across the skin, and indented ears, nagas in particular differ. In place of legs, these fauna slither upright on a thick, muscular tail.*
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*All animalfolk are bipedal, meaning these subspecies only possess the hind legs of an animal.
*There is many a tailor scattered across Embers Edge, meaning clothing that fits all weird and whimsical body types is available (if you know where to look).
All animalfolk feratypes stem from mammals, reptiles or insects that would generally be considered harmless to humans. Most commonly, these are herbivores, but this is not a requirement. The majority of animalfolk are common domestic pets (cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters), or even farm animals.
ABILITIES: Though the bulk of pure animalfolk do not have any specific magical abilities, all share one peculiar feat: Transforming entirely into an animal.
In critter form, these beings are totally indistinguishable from their feratype, and retain full sentience, unlike werebeasts.​
Aside from this, animalfolk as a ​whole are a very mixed bag. Depending on their heritage, and whether their heritage includes genetics from other species, these creatures have been known to possess a wide range of miscellaneous magical powers. Whether these abilities are remotely productive, or simple party tricks, is a flip of a coin.
OVERALL BIOLOGY: The genetic diversity within animalfolk as a genus is astounding, and as such, there is no set way in which their internal organs may operate. Whilst the overall layout of their organs, their metabolisms and their cardiovascular systems closely mimic that of a human's, every other function is not set in stone: Nagas may possess venom glands, albeit fairly harmless; some ungulate animalfolk may possess numerous stomach chambers; some animalfolk, like platypusfolk, may forego having a stomach entirely. Overall, these creatures are weird, wonderful and incredibly hard to categorise.
DIET: As with pretty much every other aspect of animalfolk's biology, their diet once again reflects that of their feratype. From herbivores to frugivores to complete omnivores, there is no pinning down what animalfolk as a species may eat, without going into specifics.
Animalfolk feratypes do not include foxes or birds, as these are standalone species (see: Harpies and Kitsune).
SLEEP/REST: The rest requirement, again, varies from subspecies to subspecies, but generally speaking, animalfolk do not require as much sleep as a human would. During the peak of winter, however, some animalfolk may choose to ‘hibernate’, taking time away from their responsibilities to rest and heal, especially if they are feeling under the weather or currently pregnant. Animalfolk that may choose to 'hibernate' include some frogfolk, hedgehogfolk, some micefolk and even some nagas (though this process is technically known as brumination).
REPRODUCTION:
Animalfolk reproduction is arguably one of the most unusual amongst magical fauna. Each subspecies follows its own unique ovulation and gestation cycle, and the majority of subspecies are incredibly prone to giving birth to multiples. They face very little reproductive health issues, and unlike other humanoids, do not go through any sort of menopause until they are close to death. While the wider majority of animalfolk subspecies give birth to live young, this is not the case with a select few feratypes.
Bunfolk does in particular are very prone to giving birth to multiples. It is almost unheard of for a bunfolk female to have a singular kit, and is instead commonplace for these fauna to give birth to triplets, or more. Due to this, their shortened gestation periods and their tendency to hybridise, bunfolk make up around 10% of Embers Edge's population.
HYBRIDISATION: Unlike most other magical fauna, when it comes to blending with others, practically anything goes. Animalfolk face almost no difficulty hybridising with:
- Dragonborns (Produces a werebeast hybrid)
- Coulrobans (Produces a light-mana hybrid)
- Silicans
- Nymphs***
- Harpies*
- Gyels (Produces a werebeast hybrid)
- Magmar (Produces a werebeast hybrid)
- Merfolk*
- Demons (Produces a werebeast)
- A werebeast and animalfolk combination has a very, very minute chance of producing a hybrid of either magical variety. More commonly, the resulting offspring will be either or species.
​It is practically impossible for animalfolk feratypes to 'blend' in offspring, though minor traits such as antlers and fur colour may carry-cross species.
*The combination of a nymph (or deerfolk), and bunfolk can produce a subspecies known as a jackalope.
*A merfolk and winged insectfolk combo produces a rare subspecies commonly nicknamed 'flying fish'.
*Although exceptionally rare, it is possible for a shadow demon and a butterflyfolk to produce dreamwalker offspring.
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM:
Animalfolk tend to follow the biology of their merged animal, and their sexual dimorphism reflects that. For example, depending on feratype, cervitaur antlers may be a male-exclusive trait.
CHILDHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT:
In infancy and toddler-hood, animalfolk tend to develop at a similar rate to humans, though there are outliers to this. As with the rest of their biology, there is no set 'look' of animalfolk young, as a beetlefolk 'grub' is nowhere near comparable to a catfolk 'kitten'.
ORIGIN: As with many light-mana species, the creation of animalfolk can be solely accredited to nymphs. Beings whose entire purpose is to return the natural balance of light and dark to an ecosystem, it is assumed that upon a sudden invasion of werebeasts, a collective of nymphs decided to create an ethereal counterpart - animalfolk.
CULTURE:
Family structure is incredibly important to animalfolk, and what exactly this looks like differs between feratypes. Whether this is a herd, pack, or colony, animalfolk families stick together 'till the end, and have an abundance of respect for their elders. These familial units are not always limited to blood family, adoption and found-family dynamics are incredibly common.
As family and lineage is often incredibly important to animalfolk, a common theme with their names is reusing or slightly altering the names of deceased loved ones. Family surnames are incredibly valued, too. Due to their increased reproductive rates, and a generalised longing for domestic life, animalfolk often have incomprehensibly large family trees and a wide range of ethnicities.
It is tradition to keep heirlooms from animalfolk who have passed, such as a clipping of their fur, or an object with great meaning to them.
