Rathari
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| Population | ~18 Million |
| Traits | Animalistic features, heightened instincts and physical senses |
| Homeland | Varied. |
| Leader | None |
| Art | [1] |
Fast Facts
Height: Varied.
Weight: Varied.
Life Span: Varied.
Notable Features: Regardless of their form they have at least some animalistic features. Heterochromia and vitiligo are both extremely common within the Rathari.
Player Restrictions: Animal related restrictions (diet, temperament, climate preference, etc.)
Racial Ability: Lycanthropy: The state of being a Rathari is that of a lycanthrope. Each and every Rathari balances three forms, Zoan, Lycan and Beast. The details of each form is explained below. Regardless, the Rathari typically enjoy heightened physical senses, increased strength and agility but it depends entirely on the beast that they are tied to.
Population: 18,000,000
History
The Clockwork Empire was not kind to the Spiritwalkers of the Dratori people. When the legions of Kaitos Diraegon marched across the known world in order to conquer the continent, they were impressed with the ferocity of the Dratori. When the Mage-Lords of Daegos Kaitel, capital of the empire, learned of the unique relationship between the Dratori and the spirits of nature, they became fascinated. Specifically it was two Mage-Lords who became interested in the potential that lay dormant within each of these worldly shaman.
Mage-Lord Tramantoine Radashiir and his wife, Myrabelle Radashiir, were both accomplished alchemists and necromancers who were renowned for their mastery over the manipulation of the soul. It was partially due to their work that the success of high levels of artificing was made possible for the Clockwork Empire. Their research enabled them to navigate the subtle nuances that often manifested when dealing with the advanced automatons some of the more powerful legions chose to create and employ. When the empire first encountered the spiritwalkers they were woefully unprepared for just how intrinsic these individual’s connection with nature and the spirits extended. This gradually changed as the conflict between Dalquia and the Clockwork Empire progressed and the legions of the empire grew to understand them. It would be the Radashiir’s that devised a method of capturing some of the spiritwalkers alive, a feat that until then had proved to be nigh impossible due to how ferociously these shamans were protected by their people. In the end however, the Radashiir’s were successful in capturing several of these spiritwalkers, much to the dismay of the Dratori people.
The Proto-Rathari
Those spiritwalkers who were captured by the Radashiir’s were subjected to experiments that rivaled the complexity of the rituals used to create the Dratori in the first place. At first, the two mages turned to the Cardinal Rune of Animus for a solution. The biggest complication that the two Mage-Lords encountered was preventing the subjects from devolving into grotesque beasts. If the powers of Animus proved anything, it was that it is far easier to turn a man into a beast than it is to turn beasts into men and that was the obstacle that the two mages continued to face. For as impressive as the powers of the rune magic were, it only allowed the users to adopt the shape of beasts and utilize the abilities they were able to comprehend and even then only so far as the individual had the skill and expertise to adopt the shape. It was not the true union of beast spirit and mortal that the mages were looking for. So the Mage-Lords turned to the powers of alchemy but it offered only a temporary solution at best. By forcing the ingestion of certain potions and performing alchemical procedures, the mages could manufacture a union between beast and nature spirits for a temporary amount of time. They continued to run into similar issues where it was not a true joining of the subject and the powers forced upon them so much as an artificial blending that still required some level of arcane expertise to truly master.
The solution came from the realm of necromancy and the manipulation of the soul. The Radashiir’s were able to partially find success in stitching together the beast spirits that the spiritwalkers communed with into a bastardized blending of the subjects soul and the spirit. This resulted a people who were able to retain some of their mortality while being able to shift between the form of a beast or a blending of the two. This success saw a turning point in the war efforts being fought by the Clockwork Empire in the western lands beyond Turoth. The ferocity of the proto-Rathari was unmatched as they walked the line between mortal and monster. Still, the issue remained that it was decidedly easy for a proto-Rathari to lose all sense of themselves and devolve into an anthropomorphic monstrosity completely consumed by bloodlust and rage.
In the end, the Mage-Lords never got to continue their research as the Clockwork Empire was destroyed in the wake of the Sundering. This moment proved to be the end of the proto-Rathari but ultimately their salvation.
The Sundering of the World
With the destruction of the Clockwork Empire following the activation of the Godspire, the proto-Rathari were released from the bonds of captivity held over them by the Mage-Lords of the empire. Those who still had enough awareness of themselves to realize this, fled from Turoth and the devastation that was spreading across the world. Most were too lost to the madness of the experiments performed on them to truly grasp what was happening around them. They became savage beasts and were further warped by the corruptive influence of the Dread Mists and serve as the fuel for many terrifying stories of monsters lurking in dark places even to the present day. For those still partially aware of themselves however, many fled to the vast woodlands of the Wildking’s Forge, where many had originally come from. What awaited them was a challenge unlike any other. The Dratori elves were working desperately to save their homeland as the forest around them twisted, burned and turned against them. The proto-Rathari joined their former brethren in the struggle and while many were viewed with fear at first, when the Dusk Elves realized these tortured souls were trying to help them, they welcomed their lost brethren back into the fold.
The days ahead would not be easy. As the proto-Rathari struggled to keep a hold of themselves and not become mere monsters, the Dratori spiritwalkers beseech the spirits as much as they could in the fallout caused by the Sundering. The elders of the Dratori prayed. They were answered.
Myshala, Mistlord of Flesh came to the spiritwalkers and the proto-Rathari in their time of need. She presented them with an offer. She would mend the tortured souls of those who suffered at the hands of the Mage-Lords. What she asked for in exchange is something that has been lost to the mists of history. Nevertheless, the spiritwalkers and the proto-Rathari accepted her offer and she transformed all of them into the Rathari that are known in the present day. What those in audience with the goddess did not realize however was that she transformed ALL of the Rathari, though not all of them in the same way. It would not be until years later that the ramifications of her intervention were fully realized.
Present Day
The Rathari have integrated into society as best they are able. The stigma of being savage beasts clings heavily to them wherever they go but they have found the most widespread acceptance among the Kingdom of Atinaw and the Free Cities of the North as well as in Dalquia. To be a Rathari is to be an individual marked by a very long road of adversity and this has fostered in most of them a very resilient spirit. While the Rathari do not tend to call any single place home, the woodlands of the Wildking’s Forge is the closest thing for many. Beyond that, most Rathari tend to either be nomadic or they take up residence in the land of their birth.
Physiology/Biology
The state of being a Rathari is that of a lycanthrope. One is not born a beast, they are born as either a human, an elf, a dwarf etc. while also possessing the ability to naturally shift between three distinct forms. These forms are the Zoan, the Lycan and the Beast. For most Rathari, the first transformation into their beast form happens around puberty and as they mature they gradually learn how to shift naturally between each of the forms that are detailed below. Rathari are possessed of an inner beast that is tied to them intrinsically. Whether it is a wolf, a bear, a lion, or even some form of bird, the inner beast is something Rathari gradually become aware of and learn to balance as they mature and listen to their instincts.
The Zoan
The form of the Zoan is that of the natural race the individual is born into. It is the humanoid exterior that most Rathari across the world spend their time in. However, even in this form the inner beast tends to manifest in rather overt ways. Rathari naturally possess heightened senses tied to their inner beast, a trait that while diminished in the Zoan form, still places them above that of the average person in terms of perception. The senses of sight, smell and hearing are the most commonly increased traits but some experiences changes in taste and even in touch depending on what their inner beast is. The Zoan form will always manifest some sort of animalistic trait linked to their inner beast. For some this results in them possessing sharper canine teeth or even having a forked tongue or catlike eyes. Physically, Rathari tend to reflect things reminiscent of their inner beast meaning that those tied to a bear are typically large and heavily muscled with stocky builds whereas those tied to a reptile might be slender and more prone to agility depending on the type of reptile (i.e. the difference between a garden snake and a python). Additionally, Rathari who tend to be in rather strenuous emotional circumstances often have heightened displays of their animalistic traits.
The Lycan
The Lycan form is a bridge between humanoid and animal. It is a somewhat startling form to behold for most people but it is second to the Zoan form in terms of commonality. Rathari gain the ability to shift into their Lycan form shortly after their first full beastly transformation which typically happens around puberty. Senses are drastically improved while in the Lycan form depending on the beast that the Rathari is tied to. Animalistic features are fully on display while in the lycan form but they still retain a humanoid appearance in some respects. This results in people with fully reptilian heads but humanoid bodies that are scaled and possessing a tail or other such examples. While in this form, the Rathari can benefit from more extensive access to some of their more animalistic traits such as a snake based Rathari being able to produce venom.
The Beast
This is where all humanoid aspects of their physical form drop away and the Rathari fully transforms into their inner beast. These animals are always considered to be a dire sized classification. Rathari are not borrowing the forms of animals like Animus wizards do, these forms are as natural to them as breathing and they exist in them comfortably. The Beast form does come with some drawbacks. Unless possessing some manner of producing speech, a Rathari in beast form is incapable of communicating with others outside of body language or animalistic sounds. They cannot morph their vocal chords to suit their needs independently of a full shift. Additionally, Rathari who are in beast form are driven more keenly by their instincts than when in the Lycan or Zoan forms.
Transitioning between each of the forms takes time and energy, which means that a malnourished and sickly Rathari is incapable of safely transforming from one form to another. A full transformation is never instantaneous but typically doesn’t take much longer than a minute. The act of transitioning between Zoan, Lycan and Beast forms is not painful as long as the Rathari is healthy enough to do so but it can be disorienting at times depending on the individual Rathari’s experience and the frequency with which they exist in one form or another. Shifting is voluntary and once in one form, there is no timer or reversion to a different form if the Rathari falls unconscious or is injured. These are a Rathari’s natural state of being as opposed to an Animus wizard who is merely borrowing a form that is not their own. A Rathari who is ill and malnourished runs the risk of improper bone and organ placement as their bodies transform, which can have debilitating and sometimes fatal results.
Note: Rathari are tied to beasts found within the common mammal, avian or reptilian kingdoms as it pertains to animals found in real life. That means Rathari cannot naturally be a mythological beast (i.e. dragons).
Psychology
Rathari are a people who are very in tune with their instincts. They tend to trust them more readily and have a natural connection and kinship with the wilderness that others lack. The struggle to fit in with conventional society as found in most lands is one that Rathari face the entirety of their lives. They are not quite beast and they are not quite the other races either. They are something in-between. As a result of this, it is common for Rathari to form their own communities within other settlements or to forgo living among cities altogether. Many Rathari live in nomadic tribes and are content to wander from place to place with their own kind. While the Rathari are fully capable of rising and falling according to the challenges set before them, no matter where they go they are a people touched by the wild nature of the beast within them. Some have an easier time of wrangling their natural instinct than others with some Rathari choosing to abandon all pretense of civility entirely.
Waer vs. Lycan
The dichotomy of a Waer vs. a Lycan is one that is deeply divisive among Rathari who learn of the distinction. A lycan is a Rathari who walks the line between rational and intelligent while balancing themselves but a Waer is a Rathari who has abandoned all attempts at finding a balance in favor of embracing and living for their baser instincts. These are Rathari who are consumed by their beastly natures preferring to live as wild and untamable as that nature dictates. In some cases this can be very freeing but in many cases it results in something much worse. Waer-Rathari often eschew spending any time in their Zoan form, seeing it as a debasement of who and what they truly are.
Culture
Rathari do not have a singular unified culture to speak of. They are born and grow to adopt the mindset and culture of the lands they are raised in. If there is one unifying thing about the Rathari it is their balance between being comfortable among the wilds versus among the settled places of the world. A Rathari is not born predisposed toward one or the other but grows to either reconcile the two or not. As a result of this, Rathari exist in the most frequency among the lands of Dalquia which are a blending of both civilization and wilderness. They are accepted most readily by the Dratori who, as spiritwalkers, find a kinship with the beastfolk. Places like the Republic of Cathena or the Isles of Ecith are also havens for the Rathari due to the cultural melting pots both places serve as.
Among the nomadic clans of the Rathari it is most common to find like beastfolk with like beastfolk, meaning that encountering a wandering clan will likely see a single type of Rathari predominantly among the clan (i.e. wolf clans, cobra, owl etc.). Each clan follows its own customs and traditions according to where they are located in the world.
Reproduction, Aging and Death
Rathari in general tend to be a rather hale and hearty people with their lifespans mirroring that of their Zoan form counterparts. A Rathari born to elves would have an elven lifespan where as a Rathari born to humans would have a human lifespan. The state of being a Rathari is a biological one, it is not a curse as some tales would have others believe. Rathari are born, not made. At least as it pertains to the present day era of Ransera. Elder Rathari are those who have most commonly found a strong balance between their inner beast and the world around them. However, most elder Rathari find that as they near the end of their lives they grow to be most at peace within the wilds, surrounded by nature that is most appealing to the type of beast they are tied to.
Rathari of middle-age run the gamut of dispositions depending on the individual. There are as many Rathari of adult to middle age among the settled places of the world as there are in the wilds. It depends entirely on the individual and their mindset regarding the Rathari balance between civilization and the wilds.
Young Rathari are those most prone to leaning too heavily on their instincts choosing to forgo attempts at balancing the call of the wilds and holding on to rational thought. They are by far the ones most likely to adopt the mindset of the Waer-Rathari but for as common as it is for young Rathari to follow this path, it is just as common for them to leave it once they have grown older and more comfortable with the three forms they can live in.
Not all children born to a Rathari will bear the active genes of a Rathari. While the percentage of children born as Rathari is higher than those that are not, there is still the chance that a child of a Rathari will not be born as one. Roughly only six out of every ten children born to Rathari carry the active genes. With that being said, those children not born as Rathari can then turn around and have Rathari children of their own down the line.
Language
There is no unified Rathari language. It is typical for Rathari to speak the language most common to wherever it is that they are born. Generally speaking however, most Rathari speak Common.
