animalis
The Animalis are a hybrid race of humanoids and animals, people closely connected with the magical realm and currently those holding the largest home empire of all the five great races. Animalis closely resemble humans, but they also have additional features similar to those of certain animals. Each Animalis is born with two body forms, and each are equally regarded as normal as one another: a bestial form wherein they are able to easily and naturally assume the shape of a certain animal, and a humanoid form wherein they appear with tertiary features of their animal forms, such as tails, ears, feet, eyes, or other physical characteristics. Animalis may have a wide variety of appearances, with the only major requirement of humanoid form being a bipedal, upright body.
Animalis are unique in that they are born with an innate grasp of magic, and whereas some humans are born without the level of magical power necessary to reach magician status, every Animalis is inherently capable of channeling enough power to perform magic effectively. Though Animalis are unable to speak in bestial form, they are inherently capable of utilizing a language in addition to Alterran Common that is known as Feral, allowing them to communicate seamlessly with other Animalis.
Every Animalis is born with the innate ability to shapeshift to and from humanoid and bestial form at will. Both body forms are regarded as equally legitimate forms to them, and Animalis are uniquely able to differentiate regular animals from fellow Animalis. Animalis can be based on both real-life animals as well as mythical animals.
subclass
animal
Animalis can be based on both real-life animals as well as mythical animals, which are sometimes colloquially separated into groups of terrene and asteres. (However, an Animalis can only possess the characteristics of one real-life or mythical animal; i.e. you cannot make up your own animal.)
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Animalis enjoy heightened physical capabilities afforded to them by their animal features such as improved senses, however they share a great deal of biology with humanity and as such are not inherently capable of feats such as underwater breathing. Animalis also tend to attract and charm wild beasts with particular ease, and while they maintain a deep respect for the cycles of nature, they typically choose to consume meat butchered from slain monsters rather than from animals.
terrene
Terrene Animalis are those which shapeshift into any animal existing or having previously existed on Earth, as those animals also exist in Alterra. While a Terrene Animalis cannot exchange conversation with all beasts without the aid of a spell, they are capable of communication with the certain animal type they are able to shapeshift into.
asteres
Asteres Animalis are those which shapeshift into any “mythological” animal which once existed on Earth but now resides only in Alterra. Many Earth mythos originate from their old connection with Alterra, and the unique types of mythical animals found in Alterra are often equitable to those in mythology. However, as these animals retain sapience of their own, Asteres Animalis are not uniquely capable of communication with them; i.e., a dragon Animalis has no unique relationship to real dragons.
