Fauna
When the gods created Ransera, they made a world full of life. Among that life, animals in Ransera have thrived in their own right; they populate all corners of the world and some have managed to develop impressive abilities to survive and keep the balance in the countless ecosystems of land and sea. Even after the Sundering, many of these adaptations have ensured the survival of a great amount of species, from the smallest herbivores to the largest apex predators. For an animal to be considered an animal, few true conventions have been adopted, but it must be genuinely alive, not be a member of the sentient races, obtain nutrition from external sources, follow laws of survival and be able to reproduce.
The Rank System
Fauna in Ransera comes in very different shapes, and the way they have adapted to find their place in the balance of the ecosystem is also very different. Some grow larger or gain different abilities, some obtain weapons to fight their way to the top with, and some even have ways to manipulate the aether around them, essentially developing what we commonly refer to as magical abilities, producing many different outcomes, not limited by boundaries the magic of sentient beings have. This makes some of the various Ranseran species fairly strong, or dangerous, or valuable, or rare. For this reason, a transversal classification of different creatures that takes these parameters into account becomes necessary, mostly for gameplay reasons.
Each animal species will have a rank in a tier system from A to E; Rank S beyond that won’t be accessible to players in any way unless under extremely special circumstances under staff control.
| Rank | Description |
|---|---|
| Rather common, inoffensive animals with little instrumental use to the player. Usually small and not too aggressive, with no impactful abilities. | |
| Animals that are still common, but can have offensive capabilities. Their ability to cause damage is limited, though they can be more useful in other ways. | |
| Common to uncommon animals. Most of them are dangerous, usually predators, and able to overpower unarmed foes. Others are very useful or shy creatures with unique capabilities. | |
| Uncommon to rare creatures. Most of them are dangerous (often lethal) and display unique weapons, resistances or significant aetheric abilities; all creatures on this tier can be considered abnormal in some way. | |
| Rare, often legendary creatures. Almost all of them display explosive amounts of power in the form of lethal ability or inducing significant environmental changes, mosts species having unique capabilities they are known for. They are able to take down powerful mages and warriors if so they will. Usually hard to find and harder to tame. | |
| True legends, with power above most mortals. Few species fit this category, and usually they are hard to classify as proper animals given their vast amounts of power. |
Gameplay Effects
The rank system has been made to regulate several relevant aspects of gameplay in Ransera that are related to implementation of fauna. These are the parts of gameplay affected by this Tier system:
Rathari
For players creating Rathari characters or NPCs, the tier system determines which species can actually be chosen for them. It’s fairly simple: rank D and E are allowed if the adaptation to Rathari standards is correct. Rank C is dependant on the species and its abilities; it will be marked on the necessary wiki page or a mod can be messaged if necessary beforehand for details to be worked out. All animals that exist on earth only rank up to rank C, and in all cases are allowed for use as Rathari species. Rank B and A will most likely not be allowed for a Rathari species.
Animus
Animus, the animal shapeshifting magic, is also tied to the rank system. Unrelated to progression abilities, player progression on Animus determines which species they can transform into, completely or partially. The system is pretty straightforward; Novices can shapeshift into tier rank E, Apprentices rank D, Journeymen rank C, Experts get rank B and Masters access the incredible abilities rank A animals offer.
Pets (Pet NPCs)
Players can get different fauna species as pets through several means; usually, the easiest way is obtaining one in a pet shop or a similar business, like breeders, farms… though it depends on the character’s history. The rank system is strictly tied to pet NPC management.
Pets from rank C-E can be obtained in normal threads, specifying the adoption in the Loots area of review and linking a short file for the pet NPC so it can be approved. Submitting the NPC file first is also a possibility and ensures that part is cleared. However, rank B and A require moderated threads to do so; rank A pets can only be obtained through Regional Moderator level threads where as rank B pets can be run by any member of staff, and in both cases it is the moderator who is the one who shall decide if the player’s progress and actions make them worthy of such an animal companion.
Pets from rank A, B, and C also have a special feature; Pet Abilities. Unlocked via the player’s level of Animal Handling skill, these abilities are designed by the NPC creators, must be coherent with the species’ limitations and have to submitted within the NPC sheet for approval. The higher the tier the pet belongs to, the more abilities it can learn; rank C pets get 2 abilities, rank B pets get 3, and rank A pets get 4 abilities. Abilities are meant to be fairly simple, and represent how pets learn to use their natural potential (being ridden, shooting elemental blasts, attacking in a certain way, assisting at work…). To use their natural abilities to service their owners they must have been chosen; for example, for an animal to be mounted riding must be one of its skills, which would mean the animal learned how to carry its owner. This table shows the unlocking process:
| Animal Handling | Rank C | Rank B | Rank A |
|---|---|---|---|
Note: X means that no ability is unlocked
