Animal Folk

Animal folk are a race that combines the features of human and animal. They have the same basic life cycle as humans do, aging, growing, and giving birth at the human rate. Animal folk have relatively primitive weapons and technology, basically equivalent to western Europe after the fall of Rome.

Animal folk are essentially several different species of humanoids that seem to combine the qualities of humans and some species of animal. These creatures tend to live simple lifestyles in relative harmony with nature and their environment. They tend to have human-like or slightly lower intelligence, an average IQ of around 90, and have a mentality that combines the qualities of humans and the animal that the animal people most resemble. In general, animal people tend to be impulsive and have less control than humans, sometimes they more easily succumb to a fight or flight response.

There are numerous types of animal folk, one nation will only be comprised of one of the following types.

Lizardmen : these are a cross between reptiles and humans. They are covered with protective scales that are as strong as boiled leather armor, have reptile-like tails, they also have a reptilian head with sharp teeth and clawed hands. Some are based on aquatic reptiles, they have the ability to hold their breath for 30 minutes underwater and swim with twice the normal speed. Others are created with desert reptiles, they have the ability survive on 1/4 the water that a human requires. Lizard men are 50% stronger and 10% more dexterous than normal humans. Lizardmen are vulnerable to cold weather, suffering a 1% loss of dexterity per degree under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A lizardwoman's pregnancy lasts only half as long as that of a human, the other 4.5 months for the baby to develop takes place in an egg.

Snakemen : These are just like lizardmen but they have no legs, their lower body is like that of a snake. They also have a poisonous bite which will be lethal to any humanoid creature bitten. On the down side, they can only move with 1/3 of a human's speed. Otherwise, they are just like lizardmen. Snakemen can put their poison onto blades and arrows as well.

Birdmen : these creatures are a cross between humans and birds. They are slightly smaller than normal humans and 20% more dexterous than humans. They have the ability to fly through the air at 40 mph. Birdmen also have excellent eyesight and can see for twice as far as normal humans can. Birdmen also have sharp talons on their hands and feet.

Carnivores : These are animal folk that combine the elements of large predatory animals and humans, including but not limited too wolves, large cats, etc. They 60% stronger and 40% tougher than humans and also 20% more dexterous. They can also run at twice the speed of a normal human.

Herbivores : These are animal folk created from herbivorous animals like goats, sheep, horses, etc. They are 40% stronger and 60% tougher than humans and 50% faster runners. They have great endurance and can work for twice as long as other animal people without tiring.

Large : These are animal folk created from extremely large and powerful animals like bulls, bears, hippos, etc. They have 3 times the strength of a normal human and twice the toughness.

Swift : These are animal folk are created from extremely fast or nimble animals such as cheetahs, deer, or the like. They can run at 3 times the normal human speed and have double human dexterity.

Amphibians : These can breath both underwater and in the air. They have soft wet skin and require a relatively moist environment to thrive. They are 20% stronger and more dexterous than humans.

The most skilled warriors and leaders among the animal folk are the warlords. Warlords have peak physical abilities for their type of animal folk as well as peak combat ability. They are also highly intelligent and resourceful, considerably more so than the average human. The natural weapons (claws, teeth, horns, etc.) of warlord count as magical weapons and inflict twice the normal amount of damage that such attacks would if they were mundane. Warlords are blessed by the animal spirits, once per day they can ask for a single favor which will be granted: the warlord will be healed of all of his injuries, the warlord's natural weapons will become especially lethal for an hour, inflicting 4 times the normal damage instead of double, the warlord can turn into the kind of animal his people resemble for up to an hour, the warlord can make some loud animal noise which increases the bravery, strength, and combat prowess of all fellow animal folk within 1000 feet by 10% for the next hour. For every 20 normal animal folk, there will be one warlord.

About 1% of animal folk are animal shamans. They have the ability to speak to spirits of animals and of the earth. Once a month a shaman can summon an animal spirit with an hour long ritual. The animal spirit will manifest in physical form and will serve the shaman for one week or until destroyed. An animal shaman can only have one animal spirit in his service at once. Animal shamans may also control animals of their own totem, up to 1000 pounds of totem animal - meaning he could have a 1000 pound brown bear in his service or a flock of birds.

There are a small percentage of animal folk that are spirit shamans. Spirit shamans can enter or exit the spirit world with a 1 minute long ritual. While in the spirit world, they may travel anywhere they desire by flying at a speed of 100 mph. No enemy may see them, attack them, or otherwise sense or interact with them in the spirit world. Their body stays in the physical world at the location where there soul entered the spirit world, this is the only place they may return to the real world. This allows mystics to travel to distant places or act as spies and be immune to harm, as long as they stay within the spirit world. Spirit shamans may also heal living creatures with a touch and special ritual - each ritual takes a minute and will heal the recipient of all injuries and diseases. Spirit shamans can also restore the dead to life, though they may only do so once per year. Finally, a spirit shaman can cast a curse on an enemy up to once per hour. A cursed enemy finds its combat ability and dexterity reduced by 50% and also has a 50% chance to fail at any magical power it tries to activate. A magical curse lasts for 1 week.

Animal spirits are a version of the animal that the shaman who summoned it is tied to - a birdman shaman may summon a spirit eagle while a lionman may summon a spirit lion. These creatures are massive, weighing between 300 and 3,000 pounds (based on the original size of the animal) and having the physical prowess of a scaled up animal of their type. Spirit animals have a 50% chance of shrugging off any attack (physical or magical) directed them them. They are creatures of spirit and don't need to eat, breathe, or sleep and are also immune to poison and fatigue. Spirits animals heal from injuries at an advanced rate.

As king of the animal folk, you can be a great shaman. A great shaman has all of the powers of an animal shaman and spirit shaman. He can control 5,000 lb of animals at once. The great shaman can also fire spirit energy from his fingertips to strike an enemy. This attack has a range of 250 feet and ignores armor, causing damage that looks like terrible claw or tearing wounds - like being attacked by a large beast. Great shamans can also cause their body to partially enter the spirit world, turning themselves into ghostly spirits that can fly at the speed of 100 mph and can only be hurt by magical attacks.

Alternatively, animal folk can be ruled by an animal totem. The animal totem is a gigantic animal spirit made permanently manifested. It has all of the abilities of a spirit animal. They weigh about 5,000 lb if they are a terrestrial animal or 2,500 if a flying animal. It as skin at least three times as tough as the natural animal does and is resistant to pain and injury. If the animal totem's physical body is destroyed, ten shamans may get together in a month long ceremony to resummon the totem animal.

Animal folk armies have 40,000 animal folk, 2000 warlords, 400 animal shamans, and 400 spirit shamans.