Beastkin

Be careful when discussing secrets out in the woods. You never know if a random fox or raccoon might actually be a Beastkin in disguise.

The descendants of the Mydlin who moved to the Heartwood and received the Blessing of Karu the Guardian, the Beastkin bear the traits of the mammals of the Heartwood. While they are naturally bipedal, young Beastkin are taught how to shift their form into that of the animal they resemble.

Having originated from Karu’s Blessing, Beastkin culture places a great importance upon nature. They seek to live in harmony with the world around them, ensuring they never take too much. As a result of this, and due to the proximity it provides them to the Guardian, many Beastkin make their home in the Heartwood, primarily within Secha Town. Despite this, however, many Beastkin have also travelled, and can be found all over Mydreign, though typically still close to nature.

Family is important to the Beastkin. This does not refer only to blood relations, though. Forms of found family – often referred to as Packs – also hold a lot of value within a Beastkin’s life. Close friends, romantic partners, and mentors and students are examples of connections that may be counted among a Beastkin’s Packs. It is not unheard of for members of other species to also find themselves in the Pack of a Beastkin, though it is likely they will not understand the significance of such a designation.

Beastkin typically wear light clothing. After all, most of them are covered in fur, which helps to keep them warm. Those who have shorter fur may wear thicker clothes or long sleeves during the colder parts of the year, while those with longer fur prefer to stick to open-fronted shirts with short or no sleeves.

Beastkin can be based upon any land or semi-aquatic mammal. Their appearance resembles how that animal would look if it were given a humanoid form.

When creating a Beastkin, tell us what animal they are based on, and how they appear.

Beastkin often take simple names, inspired by the world around them. Many will share a name with a flower, a plant, or a fruit. Others will take names that are homophonic to natural words. Beastkin raised in other areas might instead have a name inspired by where they grew up. It is not unheard of for a Beastkin to change their name if they move to a new area, and a Beastkin who travels a lot may even have three or four different names throughout their lifetime.

Surnames denote professions. While parents and siblings typically form the closest family unit for a Beastkin, many will see the people they work alongside as a second family – after all, most lines of work involve spending long hours with their colleagues. A child will share a surname with one of their parents until they are old enough to get their first job, at which point their surname will change. It is common for a Beastkin’s surname to change multiple times during their life. There are also some Beastkin who do not have an occupation, and decide to forgo having a surname as well.

Example forenames: Rose, Leif, Glimmer, Brook, Brick, Cobble, Cole, Dune

Example surnames: Mason, Fletcher, Carpenter, Storyteller, Tailor, Cobbler, Knight

All Beastkin start out with the following:

• Your bestial traits grant you an advantage on a particular task. You begin with one Specialty in a Skill you have points in.
• You have the ability to shift from your natural bipedal form to your animal form. Clothes and small items, such as jewellery, will transform with you, but larger items, such as weapons or bags, will not. While in animal form, you cannot speak.