Night's Omen

Shapeshifter Breeds and Restrictions

• WARNING!: This thread is image intensive!

The information in this thread is what is currently known about the vie elavie, or the main breed of shapeshifters, of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' world. Information on the second breed, chai elavie, can be found here. Everything here regarding the Nyeusi world has been taken from information that she has given us in her books, at her site(s):

• http://www.tdos.org (this site no longer exists)
• http://www.nyeusigrube.com

or at one of the message boards:

• http://denofsha.proboards62.com/
• http://nyeusigrube.com/phpBB2/index.php
• http://nyeusigrube.com/phpBB3/index.php

The information for the Second Form Descriptions was drawn from various sources, in which Wikipedia played a major part. Please keep in mind though I gathered and assembled this information, I'm not claiming credit for it. The information in Second Form Descriptions goes to those fine scientists who figured all of this out; information on the world is credited to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes. If there ever is a deviation to this rule, it will be noted in the post itself. Don't go looking for it.

There is a lot of information in this thread, and while it is all interesting and fairly readable, there is a link map below for those who do not feel like wading through 15 posts only to find out that the idea that they had might require a bit of rethinking.

If you have a question that is not answered below, then feel free to pm me with it.

• WARNING!: Any of the following information may contain spoilers for the entire Kiesha'ra series. Avian, Serpiente, Falcon, and Crossbreeds information will contain spoilers.

Link Map


General

• 1. Clean List
• 2. General Elavie Information

Breed information

• 3. Avians and Osprey*
• 4. Serpiente
• 5. Serpiente (cont.)
• 6. Mistari*
• 7. Desmodus*
• 8. Shantel*
• 9. Azteka*
• 10. Pakana*
• 11. Vulpes
• 12. Wolves*
• 13. Rajar
• 14. shm'Ahnmik

Miscellaneous

• 15. Crossbreeds
• 16. Part Human/Latent Elavie
• 17. Approved Non-Canon Breeds
• 18. FAQ

• Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that the only information I have for second form description is from irl animals, as shapeshifters don't exactly exist. So some of the stuff could vary a little or whatever. Nor is this by ANY means the end-all-be-all reference for said animals. *laughs*

Clean List
For those of you who want something that they can scan quickly.

• Key
  • Yellow text means that the breed is restricted. Look for another breed first.
  • Orange text means that the breed is highly restricted with conditions - check the breed to see those.
  • Red text means that this breed has been locked. Chances of getting one of these shifters are SLIM TO NONE.

True Breeds:

• 
  Avian:
  • 
    Golden Hawk
    Crow
    Raven
    Sparrow
    Osprey
  Serpiente:
  
  
  • White Viper
    King Cobra
    Taipan
    Viper
    Python
    Red Rat Snake
    Black Rat Snake
    Emerald Boa
    Mamba
  Mistari:
  
  
  • Tiger
    Goshawk
  Desmodus:
  
  
  • Fruit Bat
  Shantel:
  
  
  • Cougar
    Leopard
    Lion
  Azteka:
  
  
  • Jaguar
    Quetzal
  Pakana:
  
  
  • Hyena
  Vulpes:
  
  
  • Red Fox
    Arctic Fox
  Wolf
  shm'Ahnmik:
  
  
  • Gyrfalcon
    Peregrine Falcon
    Aplomado Falcon
    Merlin
  Rajar:
  
  
  • Manta Ray
    Moray Eel
    Spotted Eagle Ray

Crossbreeds:

• Azteka Jaguar/Quetzal Cross
  Avian/Serpiente Wyvern
  Falcon Mongrel

General Elavie Information

Background Information

• The source of nearly all magical power (if not all of it) in this world comes from elementals, of which there are four kinds - Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. They're the only 'true' immortals around (other things generally called immortal, like vampires, can be killed; elementals cannot be). They usually exist in a sort of formlessness, not aware of the world around them or able to interact with it. After a very, very long time, however, some of them do gain a consciousness and want to interact with that which they see, but - lacking mortal power - they can't. So a ritual called binding was invented, in which a human can trade some of their mortal power - aka, the ability to interact with things around them - for some of the elementals immortal power - magic and not dying, etc etc.
  
  Around 10,000 years ago a brother and sister named Zadre and Diosa bound a fire elemental named Leona. Zadre was the one who supplied the binding element (in this case blood, because Leona was a fire elemental) and so he got the bulk of the power, though Diosa got some as well. Diosa and Zadre parted ways after a while, though Zadre and Leona stayed together for a while.
  
  Diosa, after traveling some time, came across a village. She stayed with them for a while and, while she was there, shared her power with Macht, a local wise woman, thus beginning the Macht Witches, and with Cera, the daughter of the chief, who went on to found the Chai Elavie.
  
  Zadre and Leona, meanwhile, found a pair of twins that had been abandoned in the forest. They adopted them and raised them, naming them Siete and Triste. Now, simply because they were living so close to so much power quite a bit rubbed off on them, and Siete and Triste became as immortal as any once-mortal thing can become. Siete would later go on to form the Vampires, Triste would form the Triste Witches. However, before any of this happened Siete ran into Cera and the two ended up having an affair that lasted several years and ended up producing a child, Leben. Siete left not long afterwards, but it became clear that Leben took after Daddy in some important ways when he reached adulthood... and stopped aging.
  
  Cera eventually died, and Leben began traveling the world and experimenting many times with his powers. Eventually he began to create the vie elavie. The first successful shifters that he created were the tigers of the Mistari, the latest addition has been the Osprey of the Avians.
  
  On an interesting note, all of the shapeshifters that exist except the Rajar were originally humans that he gave a second animal form to. The Rajar were originally a collection of eels and rays who he gave a second human form to.
  

Genetics

• • **If you really want all the messy details, go here. I'm just giving an overview.
  One thing you need to understand before you even try to comprehend any elavie genetics is this: they don't work like normal genetics. When you try to mix magic and science, it does strange things.
  
  Thus, any truly recessive genes would be overpowered and changed (SSSS x ssss = SSSS, because the SS actually changes the ss), and genes of equal dominance can act as co dominant, mixed dominant, or recessive. It's odd, yes, it doesn't match the rules of nature, yes.
  
  Still, that is how it is.
  
  • Normal
    • Elavie genetics work slightly differently then everyone else's. While normally if you had a cross between a dominant and recessive gene you would get a child who had both, dominant elavie genes actually end up changing the recessive gene (with the exception of falcon crosses, human crosses, and co-dominant pairs of genes).
      
      For example, let's say that you have a Cobra/Mamba cross. Now, as Cobra is dominant to every breed of Serpiente but White Viper, it's represented by a capital CCCC, while the Mamba, as it is recessive, has a lower case cccc (not a mmmm, as that would be a different recessive gene tag). Normally in a pureblooded cross like this you would get two genes from each, CCcc, but in elavie some of the magic kicks in and the Cobra genes actually change the Mamba genes, so that the child in question ends up CCCC, full cobra.
    Falcon Crosses
    • Falcons, in theory, work the same as other shapeshifters, but their magic messes with the way that the genetics work. As a result, everything reacts as though co-dominant when cross-bred with a falcon, including other falcon breeds. Because of this you can get a Gyrfalcon/Merlin cross, though normally Gyrfalcon would be the most dominant, Merlin the most recessive.
    Human Crosses
    • Human genes act as co-dominant with anything, letting you cross any kind of elavie with a human, producing a mixed blood; albeit one of diluted power.
    Co-Dominant Pairs
    • True co-dominance among Elavie is very, very rare. Thus far only two different kinds are known of, a Cobra/Hawk Wyvern and a Jaguar/Quetzal crossbreed. With either kind, the child receives two dominant genes from each parent. For example, for a Wyvern, the CCCC of a pure Cobra and the HHHH of a pure Hawk would meet in the middle, leaving a CCHH child. If that child mated then they could pass on CC, CH, or HH genes to their child.
      
      It is the same for a Jaguar/Quetzal cross.

Freeblood Laws

• Shifters are, according the laws of Midnight, automatically freeblood. They cannot be enslaved unless they are sold in by a member of their race or a member of their family.
  
  Now, these laws can be interpreted... flexibly. For example, back in the time of the original Midnight Gabriel owned a member of the Obsidian Guild and wanted a Golden Hawk named Alasdair (not the first Alasdair, her namesake) and so the Obsidian Guild kidnapped her and traded her in. However, despite how loosely the term 'race' is interpreted, the individual selling the other shifter in must possess some kind of provable power over the shifter that they are selling. This can range from being higher then them politically to kidnapping them, but it must be there.
  

Infection

• A person does not have to be born a shapeshifter to become one. They can also be infected by an elavie.
  
  "Blood-to-blood contact between a human and an elavie will begin a process much like the start of a viral infection. Depending on how severe the exposure and how virulent the strain, the human immune system may completely overcome the elavie “infection,” even possibly forming a future immunity. If however the human system is overcome, the elavie infection will not only take over the body, but will alter the cellular structure of the host, including genetic information. Past that point, an infected individual will appear biologically identical to a born elavie. He will also pass on the elavie genes to any future offspring just as a born elavie would. Humans with recessive elavie genes are almost completely immune to infection by other strains, though simple magics or a severe blood transfusion from a same-breed elavie may bring the recessive genes to dominance."
  
  A human may be infected by a bite or a scratch or an open, gaping wound but there must be blood to blood contact of some form, as blood is the binding element for the elemental power. Currently only humans are known to be able to be infected. Rates of infection vary from species to species and how pureblooded the elavie in question is, but avian and serpiente infections take the longest, usually a few months to a year.
  
  It's not a process that can happen without a person noticing something. People will feel sick, even if they don't recognize what is happening to them, even for the less radical changes. For something like avian, all sorts of things will happen - in addition to flu like symptoms, their bodies will be readjusting - build changing, temperature radically going up, loosing weight, etc.
  

Aging

• "[E]lavie are the most commonly found mortal/immortal crosses in Nyeusigrube, even though elavie are the only nyeusi who ever “recover” and revert to pure mortality. An elavie's human/mortal system continues to recognize the immortal power as an invader throughout his life. The mortal power usually lags in strength when its body is fully mature, which accounts for the sometimes hundreds of years during which an elavie may cease aging; eventually the immortal power starts to lose its hold on the body, at which point aging begins again at a human rate. More frequent shapeshifting increases the body’s reliance and hence connection to the nyeusi power, increasing the lifespan. On the other hand, elavie who are raised human and never shift show very little distortion with regards to the rate of aging."
  
  Different breeds, of course, age at different rates. Avian lifespans, for example, are about 100 years most of the time in the modern world, shm'Ahnmik are all but immortal.
  

Shifting

• Shapeshifting isn’t at all painful, in fact it is described in Hawksong as “[a] leisurely, pleasant process.” However, just because someone has shifter blood, a second form isn’t necessarily theirs.
  
  Pakana, cougars and wolves (wolves especially) are affected by the moon, they end up really wanting to shift when it’s around, so even if they don’t shift by themselves when they are little, full bloods will end up shifting sometime. Naturally if they didn’t know that they were a shifter previously, this can be a highly traumatic experience for them and they can inadvertently end up hurting themselves or those around them when they shift first. Other species, if they don’t shift early in childhood, loose the ability to be able to shift. They grow up without any of the primary or secondary traits of a shifter, the only main difference about them is their genetic code.
  
  Also, if something very traumatic happens to them while in second form or even, in some cases, demi/half form (for example, if an avian breaks a wing) and then shifts back to human, they may loose the ability to shift. If they want to keep their second form then they need to stay in their second form for long enough to begin, at least, the healing process.
  
  Finally, second forms can be stripped. For high crimes among the avians, for example, they would cut the pinfeathers and then force them back into human form, stripping them of the sky and the ability to change, and banish or kill them. For high crimes among the serpiente they would skin them while they were shifted to strip them of their second form (and also to symbolically disown them from the entire people) before executing them as a human.





need to add: healing rates, poison, etc

Avians and Osprey

Culture

• "Avian reserve is still part of the culture, though since avians tend to be integrated to a large extent in with human society, how much that tradition has been preserved varies among individual families." However, that one word more or less is avian culture. Reserved. Avians aren’t supposed to show emotion. At all, almost. Calm disapproval, slight disappointment or sorrow, vague joy. Eternally calm, that’s them. They aren’t supposed to let things affect them.
  
  Women are supposed to be protected and left to live life on their own at the same time, sheltered and protected but not thought to be helpless. It makes a lot of sense, given that the royal line passes down through the females. Their queen is known as the Tuuli Thea, on those (rare) occasions when a male inherits, he is simply known as the king.
  
  Avians are traditionally betrothed at a very young age, girls as soon as they were born, boys by the time they are two or three. They would then be pair bonds, and a girl and her alistair would grow up together. She would learn to trust him unreservedly, he to take care of, shelter and protect her. When they reached an appropriate age their bond would be acknowledged and they'd be 'married.' This tradition, however, has once again died out just about everywhere but the very oldest families and the royal line.
  
  Ospreys... now they're a little different. The first four breeds of avian are thousands of years old, they're only a few years old. They are part of the Avian Council for convenience's sake, but they don't really act alike. Want to know how the ospreys act? "The osprey are a very modern breed, and if you want the bulk of their culture, you can go to a service at the First Parish UU church in Concord, MA."
  

(Brief) History

• Avian legend says (or once said) that Alasdair, the first queen of their people, was a girl raised by hawks. They took her in when her parents were killed and brought her up, giving her the second form of a beautiful hawk with golden wings.
  
  Well, nice story, but it didn’t exactly happen that way.
  
  After the splitting of the Dasi, the falcons were worried about the magic of the Serpiente. They had some reason, after all, Ahnamirak’s magic was focused in change, in fire, in destruction, in passion, in movement. If they lost control of their magic then they could more or less blow up the world and it might now that Ahnmik’s calming influence was gone.
  
  So, to solve that little problem, they took in a girl named Alasdair, gave her the second form of a hawk, and then tore the Serpiente magic in two and gave half to her. They then set her up as the young queen of the newly formed avians and left her on the throne long enough that everyone fell in love with her. Then, at the first cross-species meeting between the Avians and Serpiente, they slaughtered the eight original serpents and Alasdair, starting a war that would last thousands of years.
  
  The reasoning, you see, was this: if the two cultures were constantly fighting then neither would be able to grasp at the magic that was in them. More then that, they made the cultures so radically different from each other that, even if the wars finally ended, having the two merge would be next to impossible so the two magics would never be joined.
  
  And that’s the way that it went for a long, long, long time. However, after they had been warring constantly for thousands of years, the heir to the Tuuli Thea and the Arami of the Serpiente decided that they’d had enough bloodshed. So Danica Shardae took Zane Cobriana as her Alistair, Zane took Danica as his Naga, and they officially declared the war to be over.
  
  It worked fairly well, but after a while the two decided that they wanted to try and mere the two empires into one and set up Wyvern’s Court, with their daughter Oliza Shardae Cobriana heir to the combined thrones of Avians and Serpiente. When she grew up, however, she abdicated in favor of her cousin, Salem, and aunt, Sive.
  
  Almost nothing is known about avian history from here on out, but that the Avian empire eventually more or less dissolved. There is now the Avian Council, still ruled by the Tuuli Thea, but the avians are more scattered.
  

Usual Mannerisms

• The established way for an avian to act is calm. No tears at a funeral, they're no help to the dead and they shame the living. No passion of any kind, just stay calm. Really, that's about it. Touch, as well as most other forms of closeness, tend to be frowned upon in public. Avians are supposed to be... removed.
  
  Except for Ospreys, who live by rules of their own.
  

Physiology

• Avians are naturally of a slim and light build and have some more significant physical changes then can be seen.
  
  They are hollow boned, which makes them much lighter, their hearts beat faster then the human average, they run hotter then normal, about 129F. Sometime during adolescence they grow feathers at the nape of their necks, under their hair. Their bodies are built very light, like a bird, so that those who can do demi form can fly in it.
  
  Demi forms among avians are rather drastic, they grow wings on their backs. There are also a few less noticeable changes, eyesight improving, systems altering slightly so that they are lighter and more flight-worthy, etc etc.
  

Breeds

• Golden Hawk
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • Golden Hawks in general are rare, restricted almost exclusively to the royal line of Shardae, but women are far more common then men. For hawks, having a boy is a genetic anomaly, they really don't come around that often.
      
      Similarly, golden hawks have one set coloring: golden. Their eyes will always be gold, their hair always some goldish color, though it can vary from straight blonde to brown-gold to red-gold.
      
      NOTE - Due to rising numbers of Golden Hawks, who are the royal family of the avians and very rare, this breed of shapeshifter is closed to new creations without admin permission. For those who still really want to play one, contact bluemoon.
      
    Second Form Description
    • According to canon, "Avian golden hawks are actually probably red-tailed hawks, physically, but their coloration does not quite match any bird found in nature."
      
      Golden Hawks are described as one of the most powerful Avian form that there is. Their coloration is the same as in human form - golden feathers and eyes; there is a reason they're called golden hawks. Still, as golden hawks do not exist in the natural world, the following measurements are for redtails.
      
      In size males are usually smaller - the average weight is about 1.8-2.4 lbs (800-1100 grams) - and they are usually about 1'6"-1'10" (45-56 cm) in length. Females are usually somewhere between 1.8-2.9 lbs (1100-1300 grams) in weight and measure about 1'8"-2'2" (50-60 cm). Wingspan is generally around 56 inches. As with a lot of hawks, redtails like to soar, flapping their wings as little as possible. They will sometimes hover by flapping their wings or sometimes 'kite' - remain stationary over the ground by flying into the wind. When soaring or flapping wings they typically travel from 30 km/h to 65 km/h, but when diving they may go as fast as 195 km/h.
      
      As with most birds of prey they have amazingly sharp eyesight, sharp beaks and talons. The call of a redtail is fairly well known as well; all those movies that have a raptor's scream? That's probably a redtail.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    
  Raven
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • Though both Ravens and Crows normally have black hair and black or dark brown eyes, it is possible for them to be differently colored. Just really unusual.
    Second Form Description
    • • **Technically the word 'Raven' can refer to several of the large black birds in the genus Corvus, such as Crows, Jackdaws, and Rooks. It most often refers to the Common Raven and that is what it is assumed to be in this case, but as of right now Amelia hasn't actually said that yes, the Common Raven is the species. For the sake of both your and my sanity, I'm gonna assume that it was what she meant, so the following information is for the Common Raven.
      Fully grown, the Raven is usually between 22-27 in (56-69 cm) in length with a wingspan of 45-51 in (115-130 cm). It's been recorded weighing anywhere from 689 to 1625 grams. Its tail is longish and strongly graduated, making it wedge-shaped. The throat feathers are elongated and pointed, and while most of the plumage is black the bases of this are a pale brownish-grey. Their bill is large and slightly curved.
      
      Apart from the size, Ravens differ from Crows in the beak and tail. Ravens have a distinctive, deep, hollow
      pruk-pruk-pruk call, unlike any of the other in it's family, in addition to the rest of a wide and complex vocabulary that includes a high, knocking toc-toc-toc, a dry grating kraa, a low guttural rattle and even some calls of an almost musical nature.
      
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
        
      
      
    Crow
    • Breed Specific Traits
      • Though both Ravens and Crows normally have black hair and black or dark brown eyes, it is possible for them to be differently colored. Just really unusual.
        
      Second Form Description
      • "Avian crows most closely resemble European carrion crows, which includes hooded crows as a sub-species. Though entirely black crows make up the bulk of avian population, other markings (such as the hooded) are not rare; maybe half of avian crows have some form of other marks, as opposed to the ravens, which are uniformly black. These markings are, among avian elavie, inherited and discussed much the way we talk about hair or eye color among humans."
        
        Crows are smaller then ravens and have a square, rather then wedge-shaped, tail. They are about the same size as a rook, but unlike the rook they have feathered thighs and feathers around the base of their beak, as well as having a square rather then wedge-shaped tail.
        
        The carrion crow has black plumage with green or purple iridescence, the hooded or hoodie crow has a gray back and underparts and a black hood, wings, and tail.
        
        They are about 18-19 in (45-47 cm) long with a 37-42 in (93-104 cm) wingspan. They weigh about 3/4-1 1/2 lbs (370-650 g).
        
      Reference Photographs
      • • click for full sized image
        
      Sparrow
      • Breed Specific Traits
        • Sparrows have the weakest of the avian forms, they tend to be lighter and not as strongly built as the others.
          
        Second Form Description
        • "Avian sparrows most resemble house sparrows (English sparrows), though their markings are much more varied, and many of them would completely baffle ornithologists by not quite matching any known species."
          
          House sparrows are tiny, only about 4.5 in long. They have a thick, conical bill and pink legs. Males differ from females, they are flashier.
          
          Males have a gray crown; black throat, upper breast and small mask (though less in the winter); grayish side of the neck and underparts; rusty-brown nape and underparts; black streaks on their back; white patches on their wings; a black bill in the summer and a yellowish bill in the winter.
          
          Females, by contrast, have a gray-brown crown; a buffy line that extends rearward from the eye and is bordered below by a gray-brown line; grayish-white underparts; black and tawny streaks on their backs; black wing feathers with wide tawny edges; a white patch on their wings; and yellow bills.
          
          Keep in mind that the markings for house sparrows and avian sparrows aren't exactly the same - they are, however, apparently similar.
          
        Reference Photographs
        • • click for full sized image
          
          
        Osprey
        • Breed Specific Traits
          • Due to being the very newest species of elavie, Ospreys as possibly as recessive as it gets. They act very different from most avians.
            
          Second Form Description
          • Ospreys are usually about 20.5-23.6 in (52-60 cm) long and have a 5-5.5 ft (152-167 cm) wingspan. Their underparts and head are mostly white, except for a dark 'mask' through the eye and fairly uniform stripes of brown on their underside. Its short tail and long, narrow wings with four long 'finger' feathers (and a shorter fifth) give it a very distinct appearance. Adult males can be distinguished from females by their slimmer bodies and narrower wings. Their breast band is also non-existent or weaker then the females, and they have more uniformly pale underwings.
            
            In flight, ospreys have arched wings and drooping 'hands,' giving them an almost gull-like appearance. Their call is a series of sharp whistles; cheep, cheep or yewk, yewk, occasionally even a frenzied cheereek!
            
            Ospreys are fishing hawks, and as such they have the normal wonderful eyes of a raptor and can see through water or glass quite well also. In addition to this they have reversible outer toes, closable nostrils to keep out water during dives, and backwards facing scales on their talons that act as barbs to help it hold its catch. They locate fish from the air, often hovering prior to plunging in feet-first to grab 'em.
            
          Reference Photographs
          • • click for full sized image
              
            
            

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Serpiente

Culture

• Serpiente culture is basically all about one thing: freedom. They worship the goddess of freedom, change, movement, fire, passion and all things related, so it makes sense. But yea.
  
  Freedom of movement, freedom of opinion, freedom to love. Serpiente tend to be a rather passionate lot, and have never been reserved - nor will they ever be, such things are considered rude.
  
  Dance is a HUGE part of serpiente culture, and always has been - and while dancer's nests are less formal and more rare/spread out then they once were, they are still around.

(Brief) History

• The Serpiente find their roots in Ancient Egypt and a group called the Dasi, a collection of men and women that worshiped Ahnmik and Ahnamirak. Ahnmik was the god of stillness, of death, of cold, of silence, of endings, of nothing, of bondage, of unchangingness. Ahnamirak, on the other hand, was the goddess of movement, of fire, of pain, of change, of dance, of freedom. They were total opposites and the Dasi was split into two halves, a woman named Maeve at the center. Maeve was dedicated to neither god, but rather to keeping the balance.
  
  One day a being named Leben showed up, claiming to be a god himself, and he had such power that at first Maeve believed him. But later, when he demanded that the Dasi stop worshipping Ahnmik and Ahnamirak and worship him instead, Maeve knew that he was lying. A true god would understand the need for balance. So, trying to keep the peace, she seduced Leben. He, in an attempt to gain favor with her, gave her a second form, that of a beautiful viper with white scales. Maeve demanded that he do the same for all of her followers, and so he gave the forms of snakes to the followers of Ahnamirak, and a graceful falcon's wings and talons to the four dedicated to Ahnmik.
  
  Kiesha, Ahnamirak's head priestess and Maeve's lover, discovered Maeve's seduction of Leben and rejected her. Maeve, longing for peace and stillness, turned to Ahnmik for comfort and so was cast out of the Dasi by Kiesha and the other priests and priestesses of Ahnamirak along with the falcons for practicing black magic, and throwing the Dasi out of balance.
  
  Maeve wandered off and eventually formed the Obsidian Guild, a collection of White Vipers and various Serpiente cast out by the Cobriana and, later, other shapeshifters as well.
  
  Kiesha, meanwhile, became leader of the remaining snake shapeshifters and the first member of the Cobriana royal house. But the Falcons were worried about Ahnamirak's magic, which is centered in change and fire and destruction, so in an attempt to keep the Serpiente from destroying both themselves and the world since they no longer had the Falcon's magic there to balance it. They tore the Serpiente magic in two and gave half to a young girl named Alisdair, who they gave the second form of a hawk with golden wings. Then, after setting her up as queen of the newly formed Avian race and letting the people come to love her, at the first meeting between the Serpiente and the Avians they slaughtered both the eight original serpents (excluding Maeve) and Alisdair, setting the two nations to a war that lasted thousands of years.
  
  Finally, the heir Tuuli Thea of the Avians and the Arami of the Serpiente decided that they had had enough of war, and in an attempt to bridge the gap between the two peoples and stop the insane war that had been going so long that no one was even quite sure why it was going any more, Danica Shardae took Zane Cobriana as her alistair, Zane took Danica as his Naga.
  
  The fighting stopped and, in a further attempt to combine the two cultures, they created Wyvern's Court. Oliza Shardae Cobriana, the first Wyvern, was heir to the combined thrones of the Avians and the Serpiente but she abdicated in favor of her Aunt and Cousin, a pureblooded Hawk and Cobra.
  
  The information from here on out is a bit foggier, what is known is that, sometime during or before the Age of Midnight, the Cobriana line changed their history to say that it was Kiesha, not Maeve, who was the leader of the Dasi and who seduced Leben and convinced him to give her and her followers second forms - Maeve became a witch, an antagonist in the story. The Obsidian Guild was regarded as little more then a band of criminals - rapists, thieves, murderers and so on. Some Serpiente were executed for their crimes, some sold into Midnight.
  
  After another few hundred years we entered the Age of Humans. Serpiente culture still exists, though it is far more faded then it was before. The current Diente still punishes major crimes, minor are left to local authorities.
  

Usual Mannerisms

• Serpiente wear their emotions on their sleeves. They see no particular need to hide what the feel - indeed, it's considered rude to do so.
  
  Casual contact and flirting is perfectly acceptable - expected, actually - but they will not usually knowingly do things that make others uncomfortable.
  

Physiology

• Serpiente are obviously not as lightly built as avians, but they still do tend to be more along slim, toned lines. Their movements are utterly fluid, apparently especially when dancing, fighting, or angry.
  
  They are dramatically colored, and have jewel-colored eyes, light skin, and usually (though not always, with the exception of the cobra) black hair.
  

Breeds

• White Viper
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • White vipers are fair, probably the most colorless of the serpiente. They have pale skin and pale hair as well as pale green or pale blue eyes.
    Second Form Description
    • Go and google 'Pit Viper.' Any that satisfy the basic title of 'White Viper' is, according to the information that we thus far have, one of them. Strictly speaking, it wouldn't even have to be a pale viper - technically any pit viper, turned white, could fit the bill.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
      
    King Cobra
    • Breed Specific Traits
      • Cobras will have pale skin, black hair, and red eyes. Period. Naturally there are some slight variations in this (some will have brighter red eyes, some darker red) but there you have it.
        
        The coloring of cobras is like the coloring of hawks, it just does not change.
        
        NOTE - because Cobriana is the royal family and their numbers are surprisingly low, considering how dominant they are genetically, all potential cobras must be related to Lucien Cobriana. Contact Darren for more information if you really want to play one.
        
      Second Form Description
      • Serpiente cobras are closest physically to the King Cobra, though the coloration is different - they are always black and always have red eyes. The intensity of the red may vary (as well as the intensity of the black, though we have no evidence either for or against that yet), but the basic color scheme will always be the same.
        
        Now, with that being said....
        
        The King Cobra is the world's longest venomous snake; it can grow up to about 18.5 feet (5.7 meters), but because it's fairly slender it doesn't weigh much for being so large - about 20 lbs (9 kg) is the most they've found one at. Females tend to be smaller and more slender then the males; still, it is powerfully built snake. Their heads can look bulky when compared to the rest of their bodies.
        
        As with all snakes, cobras are able to unhinge their jaws, meaning that they can swallow things larger then they are. Instead of having fangs that fold over, they have short, fixed fangs in the front of their mouth which they can use to pump venom into anything they bite like hypodermic needles. The venom of the King Cobra is primarily a neurotoxic, which means that it attacks the victim's central nervous system and quickly causes severe pain, blurred vision, vertigo, drowsiness, and paralysis. In the minutes following that cardiovascular collapse occurs and the victim falls into a coma. Death soon follows this due to respiratory failure.
        
        Although the venom of a King Cobra is less toxic then some other venomous snakes, they can inject more of it simply because they're so large. They are quite capable of killing a human with a single bite - if they bite in a vulnerable area, a King Cobra can pump enough venom to kill a full-grown Asian Elephant within three hours. The mortality rate for humans bitten by the cobras can be as high as 75%.
        
        Cobras are, of course, famous for their hoods, and while the hood of the King Cobra isn't as large as that of a few of the other cobras, they certainly still have one. It's mainly a defensive display, so they don't have it all the time - it's created with elongated ribs on the upper portions of their necks that extend the loose skin right behind their heads. When they feel threatened they'll flatten their necks to display the hood and usually hiss in warning. These specialized neck ribs can be folded back when they move along the ground, so unless they're displaying a cobra doesn't really look different from most any other snake.
        
        Cobras can also rear up - they can raise up about the front 1/3 of their total body length, so if a large cobra wanted to try this they'd be able to stare a six foot man in the eye quite easily.
        
        While King Cobras can, just like most snakes, do the tongue-flick thing to taste the air to find prey, they also have very keen eyesight (they are able to detect moving prey almost 300 ft [100 m] away) and are sensitive to earth-born vibrations. Also as with all other snakes, they do not have rigidly fixed jaws - they can 'unhinge' their lower jaw. They can hunt most times, but are most often seen during the day, leading most experts to classify it as diurnal.
        
      Reference Photographs
      • • click for full sized image
        
      Taipan
      • Breed Specific Traits
        • None known
        Second Form Description
        • • **Yes, there are three different species and two subspecies and no, we do not know which one the serpiente change into yet, or even if it's all of them, so yes, all this is for all of the species. Sorry for any confusion, just read carefully.
          Taipans are large (9 ft/3 m long), fast, highly venomous Australian snakes - one of which, the Fierce Snake, has the most toxic venom of any land species worldwide, though it is not the most deadly.
          
          There are three different species of taipan: the Inland Taipan (also known as the Fierce Snake and Small-Scaled Snake), and the Common Taipan, which is broken into two subspecies, the Mainland Coastal Taipan and the Papuan Taipan, and a recently discovered third species.
          
          The Coastal Taipan is usually pale to dark brown in color, fading to a cream on their belly, though younger snakes are lighter in color. The Papuan Taipain is black or purplish-gray, with a copper-colored stripe on its back.
          
          Taipans "may be coloured any shade of brown but always has a rectangular head (large in proportion to the body) and red eye."
          
          The Inland Taipan is sometimes considered to be the most venomous land snake. It is 20 times as venomous as a common cobra - the calculated values might not be accurate to non-mammalian species, or even be inaccurate for mammals other then mice or rats, but the venom from a single bite of the Inland Taipan is potent enough to kill about 250,000 mice, or the mouse equivalent of 100 men.
          
          The Common Taipan is the third most venomous snake on Earth, and arguable the second largest venomous snake in Australia. The Common Taipan is often considered to be one of the deadliest species in the world; the mortality rate is second only to the Black Mamba.
        Reference Photographs
        • • click for full sized image
            
          

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Serpiente cont.

• Viper
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
      
    Second Form Description
    • Go and google 'Pit Viper,' because as far as we know a viper shifter can be any of those species (except those that fit the basic heading 'white viper'), and there's over 250 species. I cannot write up a description for all of those and refuse to even try - it'd drive both you and me over the brink.
      
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    
  Python
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
    Second Form Description
    • The species that Python elavie can shift to is the Burmese python, which - growing up to 27 feet (8.23 m) and 403 lbs (182.76 kg) - is one of the largest snakes in the world. Most do not grow to this size - the top of the average is around 23 feet long (7 m) and 200 lbs (91 kg). Still, it's an impressive figure. They continue to grow all throughout their lives. Females are usually larger than males.
      
      Despite having a reputation for being gentle, an adult Burmese python would be able to overpower and kill a human without much difficulty. They are not venomous snakes, but instead are constrictors and (like all snakes of the kind) are very, very strong.
      
      They are also excellent swimmers - they can stay submerged for up to half an hour. When they are younger (and therefore smaller) they can spend a good bit of time in trees, however as they grow older (and therefore larger and heavier) they tend to stay on the ground.
      
      In color they are light-colored snakes with many dark brown blotches which are bordered in black all down their backs, their stomachs are lighter. IRL pythons, being kept as pets, have been bred for many different color morphs - albino is one of the most popular, there's also 'Labyrinth' coloring, 'Green' pythons, 'Granite' pythons, etc. Please keep in mind that any color or marking variation that is selectively bred for in captivity would be much more difficult to find in the wild - or, in our case, in the local shifter population.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    
  Red Rat Snake
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
    Second Form Description
    • • There are two kinds of Corn Snake - the Common Corn Snake and the Great Plains Corn Snake. The first, mainly based off coloring, is assumed to be the breed, but it still could be both of them.
      If you searched and were unable to find information on these animals, fear not! The Red Rat Snake is also known as the Corn Snake. Now, IRL corn snakes are quite popular as pets, which means that they have now been bred for all sorts of nifty color morphs. Please keep in mind, however, when looking up images and whatnot if you want one of these guys, that anything other then 'normal' or one of the 'wildtypes' would be very rare because elavie have not been bred for any specific color morphs. Similarly, you wouldn't ever get a 'Jungle' pattern b/c that would require crossbreeding, which does not happen.
      
      Anyway, now that all that's out of the way... let's move on to the actual snake, shall we?
      
      Corn Snakes, or Red Rat Snakes are - as with all Rat Snakes - non-venomous. They don't get huge as adults (they're usually in the range of 4-6 ft or 1.2-1.8 m), and tend to remain fairly slender. They kill by constriction, not having venom (though they're only big enough to do much damage to rodents or other small things - birds, for example). They are also excellent climbers and are very good at getting through very small holes.
      
      In coloring they tend to be orange (the intensity can vary) with black lines around red colored saddle markings that go down their back. Their bellies are black and white checkered.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    
  Black Rat Snake
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
      
    Second Form Description
    • Black Rat Snakes, just like every other kind of Rat Snake, aren't venomous - they kill by constriction. However, they have other things going for them - officially, Black Rat Snakes are the longest snake in North America. They grow up to 8 feet - the longest one on record was 101 in (2600 mm).
      
      They've been known to mimic rattlesnakes when cornered - they bunch up, vibrate the tip of their tail, and make a low buzzing sound. Still, they aren't particularly aggressive.
      
      In color they are... well, black. Their bellies are white with a checker pattern in black.
      
      Black Rat Snakes are amazing climbers, and can scale large, mature trees without the help of branches - as well as many other things.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    
  Emerald Boa
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
    Second Form Description
    • Emerald Boas, or Emerald Tree Boas, aren't always green. Juveniles are wildly colored either in red, orange, or yellow with spots of green that grow as they do until they hit their adult coloration, which is emerald green with a white, irregular stripe down their back and a yellow underside. The shades of green can vary quite a bit - sometimes more of a yellow green, sometimes a straight emerald green, sometimes more of a blue green. In any case, it's green.
      
      Emerald Boas are strictly arboreal, spending their days typically curled up in the characteristic coil on a tree branch and then hunting from the trees as well at night. They can grow up to about 9 feet (2.7 m), though the typical length is closer to 6 ft (1.8 m)
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
      
      
      
    Mamba
    • Breed Specific Traits
      • • None known
        Black
        • Second Form Description
          • The Black Mamba is a very aggressive, very venomous, very large snake. In fact, it is the largest venomous snake in Africa and the second largest in the world - second only to the King Cobra. Adults have an average length of 8.2 ft (2.5 m) and a maximum length of 14 ft (4.5 m). In addition to being very large and very deadly (the mortality rate of an untreated black mamba bite is nearly 100%, making it the highest of any venomous snake), black mambas are very fast. It has been said that they are the fastest moving snake in the world, moving at speeds of up to 12.5 mph (20 km/h), though the studies that led to these claims are of dubious accuracy. In any case, they're fast. This is, naturally, bad news for anyone who is bitten by this snake, because usually they won't simply bite a thing that it has bitten once if it seems threatening. They will attack it, biting multiple times and injecting high amounts of their highly toxic venom. They'll often strike repeatedly if cornered, and have been reported to bring down lions and giraffes.
            
            One bite from a Black Mamba can inject enough venom to kill 20-40 grown men. Unless an anti-venom is applied in time, it can quite easily kill just one. Usually, unlike other snakes, it will attack the body or head most often. When a mamba attacks like this (or shortly before, when they're feeling threatened), they have a hood that they flare just like the cobra (which makes sense, as they are related), though it is much smaller and less noticeable then the more famous hood of its relative. When in striking position, in addition to rearing up and flattening their neck, they'll hiss loudly and display their deadly fangs and the inside of their inky black mouth. Just like all snakes, they can raise about 1/3 of their body off the ground, usually allowing them to reach heights of about 4 feet.
            
            Black mambas aren't black, actually - but then they are not named for the color of their skin, which tends to be gray, charcoal, or olive. They are named for the color of the inside of their mouth, which is black, and which you can see quite well when they feel threatened and display.
            
            If they do that, don't stick around.
            
            Black mambas are among the ten most venomous snakes in the world - a bite from them can kill a human in 20 minutes. They are three times as venomous as the Cape Cobra, five times as venomous as the King Cobra, and around 40 times as venomous as the Gaboon viper. Their venom contains powerful, fast-acting neurotoxins and cardiotoxins. 10 to 15 mg of it is lethal to an adult human - usually their bite delivers somewhere between 100 and 120 mg, though it can be up to 400 mg.
            
            The first symptom of a bite is just local pain in the area, and even that isn't as bad as snakes with hemotoxins. After that the victim experiences a tingling sensation in their extremities, drooping eyelids, tunnel vision, sweating, excessive salivation, and lack of muscle control (especially the mouth in tongue). Without medical attention it quickly progresses to nausea, shortness of breath, confusion and paralysis. Eventually they get convulsios, repiratory failure, and fall into a coma, then die due to suffocation from the paralysis of the muscles used for breathing.
            
            Black mambas are diurnal - they aren't active at night - and while they're not aboreal, they can climb quite well.
          Reference Photographs
          • • click for full sized image
            
            
        Green
        • Second Form Description
          • In addition to there being two different kinds of mambas, there are two different kinds of green mambas - the Western Green Mamba and the Eastern Green Mamba. Now, they have many things that they have in common - they both, for example, have venom that is roughly as potent as the Black mambas, though they are not nearly as aggressive, they are both slightly smaller, both aboreal, and (obviously) both green. Green mambas are slender snakes with distinct heads and long, thin tails. They are diurnal and will rarely venture from their trees. Unlike black mambas, they're shy snakes - if threatened they'll usually try to make a quick, elegant escape rather then go into their threat display (gaping) unless they have to. However, they are highly venomous - their venom is very similar in composition and action as that of the Black mamba. It's only about one-tenth as toxic and the amount injected is usually less, because they're smaller, so it's not quite as dangerous as its cousin, but this doesn't mean that they aren't dangerous snakes.
            
            Eastern green mambas are smaller then Western green - actually, they're the smallest in the mamba family, with an average length of about 5.9 ft (1.8 m), though a few have grown up to 12 ft (3.7 m). Green mambas are a glossy grass-green with a lighter, bright-green underside - they are not spotted, bluish, and do not have white or yellow undersides. Green mamba hatchlings have a bluish-green color, but they grow out of it. Hatchlines are between 13 and 18 inches (35 to 45 cm) and venomous from birth.
            
            The Western Green Mamba is slightly larger, generally growing up to about 2 meters long. They are very similar to the Eastern Green mamba - one of the differences is their skin. The Western green has large green scales that are outlined in black, the scales on its long tail are yellow edged in black.
            
            It, just like the eastern green, is mostly diurnal though can be active at night as well.
          Reference Photographs
          • • click for full sized image
            

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Mistari

Culture

• The Mistari live in small, very isolationist tribes. Each tribe has their leaders, the Bwana and Bibi (male and female leaders, respectively) and in charge of all of them are the Dio and Disa (King and Queen). It doesn't matter if the leader is male or female, and which actually changes sometimes. The Bwana or Bibi can pass the job on to their mate, and there it stays until it is passed back again.
  
  The leader can be challenged for their position and their right to rule by someone of the same sex - if they win the challenge then they become the leader. The mate of the old leader comes with the position, though if the new leader does not want to keep the same one they can kick them out.

(Brief) History

• 
  As we have hardly ever seen this breed of shifter, we know very little about either them or their history. What we do know is this:
  
  The tigers of the Mistari were the first of the breeds of vie elavie that Leben created, of a group of Asian people around 10,000 years ago. Over time they sort of moved west - the majority of the mistari these days has a mixture of African and Asian features.
  
  The goshawks were a falcon experiment, a forerunner to the avians. They didn't work out how the falcons planned so they kicked the few goshawks off the white island - the tigers took them in. Almost nothing is known beyond this - the Mistari continue to today and live in small clans - they are very isolationist, so while there actually are a good number of them alive, not many are out and about in the world.

Usual Mannerisms

• They're isolationist and are (or have been in the past) considered wise. They usually strive to remain neutral. Beyond this, nothing is known.

Physiology

• Nothing known

Breeds

• Tiger
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
    Second Form Description
    • There are six different subspecies of tiger alive today as well as three more that are extinct IRL and we don't know if there's just one or two species that all tigers shift to - actually, at the moment, it looks like it could be any and/or all of them.
      
      Because of this, I'm not going to just pick one species or write up a little thing for all of them, go and google the species that you want.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    
  Goshawk
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • As with all of the winged shifters, Goshawks would be built more lightly then your average person and have a higher temperature, faster heartbeat, etc. Similarly, they would develop feathers at the nape of their neck during adolescence.
    Second Form Description
    • • information for the Northern Goshawk
      Goshawks are a medium-large raptor and the largest members of the genus Accipiter. They have short, broad wings and long tails, both of which help them in maneuvering through trees in the forest and other relatively cramped areas.
      
      Males are usually about 19-22" long (49-57 cm) with a 37-41" (93-105 cm) wingspan; in coloring they are blue-gray above and barred gray below. Females, who are much larger, are about 23-25" (58-64 cm) long with a 42-50" (108-127 cm) wingspan, and they are slate gray on top and gray below. Males can, at times, weight as little as 1.4 lbs (630 grams), while females can weigh as much as 4.4 lbs (2 kg).
      
      Juveniles/immature goshawks are brown with barred brown bellies.
      
      The flight of the goshawk is somewhat distinct, described as 'five slow flaps - straight glide.' Their cry is surprisingly gull-like.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    

Desmodus

Culture

• None known for current times

(Brief) History

• Just about all that we know is that once, long ago (LONG long ago, back in the time of the Avian/Serpiente war), the Desmodus were traders - they made paths and trails all over the land.
  
  The Avians used the fact that they traded with them as well as the Serpiente to sneak into the Serpent's Court, where they killed a member of the Royal Family. The Desmodus were horrified by this and, in order to keep from getting involved in the war themselves, made up for being used in such a way by going to the Tuuli Thea, apologizing, and killing her.
  
  After this they considered all things to be even and stopped trading with both groups.
  
  Nothing is really known beyond this, though it is possible that they had their golden age before the Serpiente and Avians.
  
  In any case, they're rare nowadays.

Usual Mannerisms

• None known

Physiology

• Aside from the fact that, unlike birds, they do not gain a pair of wings in addition to their arms but rather their arms turn into the wings when they take a half form, nothing is really known.

Breeds

• Fruit Bat
  • Second Form Description
    • Here's another chance for you to google something - thus far we only have 'fruit bat' as a description. Needless to say there is more then one kind of bat who eats fruit, so go on, pick a species.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    

Shantel

Culture

• Shantel are another of those cultures that basically nothing is known about - just about all that we know is that they are isolationist, independent (it's how they're one of the ONLY empires that stayed independent during the Age of Midnight) and are led by a nameless Spirit Witch who deals with elementals.
  
  Said Spirit Witch is chosen when they are born and never given a name of their own, as names are seen as a form of power - if you know someone's name then that's one way you can control them - and as they're working with elementals, they take away that advantage at the very beginning.
  
  That really is about all that's known.

(Brief) History

• Lions have the longest history - they were created back in Europe/Africa and were mercenaries for a long time. They went along, did fairly well... and then most of them were wiped out in the Inquisition.
  
  The leopards and cougars, meanwhile, had been created by Leben over in America from a mixed group of settlers and natives - they ended up banding together and forming their own empire, which the lions (who still had extremely low numbers) later attached themselves to.
  
  Numbers of lions are still extremely low, but beyond that... we don't know much.

Usual Mannerisms

• To be perfectly honest, beyond the isolationism, we don't know.

Physiology

• Lions originated in Africa, Leopards and Cougars were originally a mixed group of settlers and natives from America, and the two have been mixed for several hundred years now.
  
  Take that and run with it.

Breeds

• Cougar
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • Cougars are the only breed of elavie that go into heat. For a few months - normally two to four - in the spring, females go into heat and... well, there you are. Girls need to be careful with themselves during that time, and generally family and/or older females help guard them in that time.
      
      Gay guys simply aren't attracted to females in heat, and if a girl doesn't like men... she just needs to be careful to avoid bad situations while she's in heat.
      
      Cougars are affected by the moon's cycle in more then just that - they are one of the few breeds that feels the need to shift during the full moon.
      
    Second Form Description
    • Cougars are the biggest of the ‘small’ cats â€" they are the second heaviest cat in North America, the fourth heaviest in the world, after Tigers, Lions, and Jaguars. Despite this though, they are more closely related to the small cats of the world, and because of that they can’t roar, like most big cats can. Instead they communicate in the same way housecats do â€" with purrs, low-pitched hisses, growls, chirps, whistles, and its well-known scream. It is said that a cougar’s scream sounds like a woman screaming, and is one of the eerier sounds you can hear coming off a mountain in the middle of the night.
      
      Cougars are extreme generalists â€" they have the widest range of any big cat, from the Yukon to the Southern Andes. They can function just fine in jungle, in swamp, in marshland, in mountains, in forests, in snow â€" in any of the major regions of the New World, actually. They prefer a stalk-and-ambush approach to prey before delivering a powerful leap onto the back and a suffocating neck bite (a hunting technique that their flexible spine helps with) and so in general prefer places that have scrub and brush, but they can function in flatland.
      
      They are slender and agile, with big paws and the longest proportional hind legs in the cat family, which makes them great at leaping and short-sprinting. It’s been reported that they can jump vertically 18 ft (5.4m) and horizontally anywhere from 20 to 40 ft (6 to 12 m). They can run as fast as 35 mph (55 km/h), but are best at short sprints rather then prolonged chases. They are excellent climbers, and though they aren’t generally associated with water, can swim quite well.
      
      The head of a cougar is round, with erect ears. It has powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw, as well as five retractable claws on its forepaws (one of them a dewclaw) and four on its hind paws. The larger front feet and claws are adaptations to grasping prey. They can be as large as a jaguar, but tend to be less muscled and powerful overall. They are, on average, heavier then a leopard. Males tend to be around 8 ft (2.4 m) long from nose to tail, with a range of about 5 to 9 ft (1.5-2.75 m) suggested for the species overall. Males tend to weigh 115 to 160 lbs (53 to 72 kg), though in rare cases, some may reach over 260 lbs (120 kg). Female average weight is between 75 to 105 lbs (34 to 48 kg).
      
      Cougar coloring is plain, but it can vary quite a bit between individuals and even siblings. Their coat is typically tawny, but ranges to silvery-gray or reddish, with lighter patches on the under body including jaws, chin, and throat. Infants are spotted and born with blue eyes and rings on their tails, juveniles are pale and retain some of their dark spots. Despite the fact that they are called 'panthers' as well as some of the other big cats, there has never been a confirmed sighting of a melanistic - black or very dark colored - cougar.
    Reference Photographs
    • • click for full sized image
    
  Leopard
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
      
    Second Form Description
    • • Technically there are around nine leopard subspecies, including the Indian, Persian, Sri Lanken, Amur, etc etc. The one I'm describing here is the African leopard, though the others are still possibilities. Also please keep in mind that some cats with the word 'leopard' in their name are NOT leopards and not possibilities - Clouded or Snow leopards are examples. If you're going to use something other than African, please be sure to do your research first - Amur leopards, for example, which live in the same part of the world as the Siberian Tiger, are critically endangered; there are only about 20 left. Use common sense please.
      The Leopard is the smallest of the four big cats in the Panthera genus, which also has the tiger, lion and jaguar. Physically they might be most closely related to the jaguar, but are obviously not identical; jaguars tend to be stockier, whereas leopards are more lightly built.
      
      Still, despite being smaller in size, the leopard is an agile, graceful, and very powerful predator with a massive skull that puts very strong jaw muscles to good use. They've hunted and killed everything from crocodiles to African Rock Pythons to male Giant Eland, which weigh up to 1,984 lbs (900 kg). It tends to stalk its prey silently and then pounce and strangle it. They are stealthy animals, known for their ability to  move silent and unseen, and are also powerful climbers and swimmers.
      
      Their bodies are comparatively long for a cat, while its legs are short. Head and body length tend to be somewhere between 35 an 75 in (90-190 cm), and the tail reaches 24-43 in (60-110 cm). Shoulder hight is 18-31 in (45-80 cm). Males are considerably larger than females and will weigh somewhere between 81 and 198 lbs (37-90 kg), whereas females tend to weigh 62-132 lbs (28-60 kg). The fur of young leopards tends to be longer, thicker, and grayer than that of the adults, with the rosettes not as well defined.
      
      Leopards have spotted coats and so are sometimes mistaken for cheetahs or jaguars, but unlike cheetahs they have rosettes (patterns more of a circle than a spot) rather then true spots, and jaguars are more heavily built, as well as the fact that jaguars have dots of spots inside the rosettes on their coats; leopards do not. It is also less larger and less lanky than a cheetah but smaller then a jaguar.
      
      The rosettes on a leopard's coat may vary - some are more circular and some more square shaped.
      
      Coat variation goes beyond that, of course, though ALL coat patterns and colors other than the normal, tawny-background-with-black-rosettes is very unusual. One of the most famous is, of course, the melanistic color phase, when the coat is either black or very dark colored. Leopard black panthers, however, are MUCH more unusual than jaguar black panthers, and usually won't be seen unless they are bred in captivity specifically for that purpose.
      
      Pseudo-melanism also occurs in Leopards, which produces a slightly different effect - the rosettes seem to melt together, especially higher on the back, though the background color remains visible. Sometimes only the back appears entirely black, sometimes the markings have bled together down the flanks and limbs and you can only see a few hints of the normal background color. Any spots on the flanks or limbs that haven't merged into the swirls and strips are usually small and discreet, not forming rosettes. The face and underparts are pale and dappled, just like ordinary leopards. You can also get other patterns - one pseudo-melanistic leopard found had it's rosettes broken and joined together in a coat that more resembled a jaguar or a clouded leopard than a normal one; one had a coat that had so much extra pigment and rosettes so disrupted that it looked like a black leopard that was streaked and speckled with yellow. There are occasionally very rare black leopards who are wholly black - normally the rosettes on a black leopards coat are visible, though not quite always.
      
      There have been a very few leopards found who have even more unusual coats - the rosettes broken up to form swirling stripes, blotches, curls and fine-line traceries that most closely resemble the coat of a King Cheetah, leading to the name King Leopard.
      
      Please keep in mind that ALL of the above named variations are NOT common, and should be treated as such.
      
      Hearing and eyesight are the strongest of a leopard's senses and are VERY acute. Their sense of smell is relied upon as well, though not for hunting.
      
      When making a threat, leopards will stretch out their back, depress their ribcage so that their shoulders stick out, and lower their heads - kind of like domestic cats.
      
    Reference Photographs
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  Lion
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None known
      
    Second Form Description
    • The lion, with the exception of very large males exceeding 550 lbs (250 kg) in weight, it is the second largest living cat after the tiger. They are unusually social compared to other cats; they tend to live in large groups and are the only cats that do. Lions (especially males) are also very visually distinctive - the head of the male lion, with its mane, is one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture. Lionesses, while less flashy as they lack the mane (although occasionally they will sport a 'ruff' of fur that is longer around their neck - however it is not as long, dark, or extensive as a male lion's mane), have been recognized for a long, long time as amazing huntresses. Lionesses tend to do the hunting for a pride and work together with precision and complex teamwork to bring down prey.
      
      Lions have powerful legs, strong jaws, 3.1 in (8 cm) canine teeth. In color they usually vary from light buff to yellowish, reddish, or a dark ocher brown. Underparts are generally lighter and the tail tuft is black, while the color of a male's mane varies from blonde to black. Weights tend to be somewhere between 330-530 lbs (150-241 kg) for males, and 270-400 lbs (123-182 kg) for females, though sometimes they do get higher - the heaviest known lion weighed 690 lbs (313 kg). Head and body length is usually between 5'7"-8'2" (170-250 cm) in males and 4'7"-5'9" (140-175 cm) in females. Shoulder height is around 4 ft (123 cm) in males and 3'3" (100 cm) in females. Tail length is approx 2'3"-3'3") and ends in a hairy tuft. This tuft conceals a spine, approx 5 mm long, which is formed of the final sections of tail bone fused together. They're the only cats with a tufted tail, and the reason they have that and the spine are unknown. The tuft is absent at birth and develops as the cub grows.
      
      The unique manes of a male lion are one of the most distinctive features of the species. They make the lion appear larger which helps in intimidation. Manes are also useful in determining health - a good rule of thumb is that the darker and fuller the mane, the healthier the lion.
      
      Although males are the only ones with a mane, many lionesses have a ruff that may be apparent in certain poses. It's different from the mane of the male in that it is at the jaw line below the ears, the hair length is much less, there isn't a color change and it is frequently not all that noticeable. Manes, however, extend above the ears, often obscuring the outline of the ears entirely, vary in color, and are much longer.
      
      Lionesses are also swifter and more agile then the males - though that mane is good both for protecting the throat and looking nice and intimidating, it's also heavy, conspicuous, and can cause overheating. Lionesses can reach speeds of 40 mph (59 km/h), though only for short bursts. Still, despite the fact that they will take advantage of factors that reduce visibility - many kills take place near some form of cover or at night. Usually they'll sneak up to the victim until they get about 98 ft (30 m) away or less. Attacks tend to be short and powerful, they attempt to catch the victim with a fast rush and leap. The prey is usually killed by strangulation.
      
      Other then that they spend most of their time resting - lions like to lie around. They can also eat a LOT - irl, a lion can eat up to 66 lbs (30 kg) in one sitting.
      
      Lions communicate in a number of different ways - some of the most common peaceful gestures are head rubbing and licking. Head rubbing is probably a form of greeting, as it is often seen after an animals has been apart from others, or after a fight. They also have a wide array of facial expressions and body postures that serve as visual gestures. The variety of vocalizations is also large, and varations in intensity and pitch rather than discrete signals appears to be central to communication. Lion sounds include snarling, 'purring,' hissing, coughing, meowing, woofing and roaring. A lion's roar can be heard from a distance of 8 km.
      
      Lions have somewhere between 12 and 7 recognized subspecies - though the main differences between the different ones isn't much, slight variations in size, mane appearance, etc. So some WILL deviate from this standard, but not by a lot.
      
      Please keep in mind that white lions are not a distinct subspecies but a color morph caused by leucism. It's similar to melanism, which is what causes black panthers, and is very rare.
      
    Reference Photographs
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Azteka

Culture

• Azteka culture is, at this point, dissolved. The only aspect that really remains is blood magic.
  
  Bloodwitches are very powerful, able to 'kill a vampire with a single touch,' but we know almost nothing about them. They gained the name bloodwitches because nearly all of their magic involves blood in one way or another. Traditionally blood magic may only be taught by a blood relative, and anyone who learns must be full blood or at least 3/4 azteka.
  

(Brief) History

• Currently unknown. It, however, parallels South American history.
  

Usual Mannerisms

• It is assumed that, as the culture has dissolved, no special mannerisms still exist, with the exception of bloodwitches. These, however, are very rare.
  

Physiology

• Azteka are from South America, so it is assumed that they have the dark skin, black hair, etc. common to that region. Nothing else is currently known, but for the fact that quetzals or quetzal/jaguar shapeshifters develop feathers at the back of their neck in adolescence, just as with avians.
  

Breeds

• Jaguar
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • None currently known
      
    Second Form Description
    • Jaguars are the third largest cat in the Panthera family, after Siberian Tigers and Lions. They have a very strong bite, even compared to other cats, that lets them employ a rather unique method of killing - they can bite directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal blow to the brain as well as employ the more normal method of suffocation.
      
      Jaguars are compact and well-muscled, though they can vary significantly in size. They normally weigh 124-211 lbs (56-96 kg), but larger animals have been recorded weighing 288-333 lbs (131-151 kg) and smaller ones have had extremely low weights, down to 80 lbs (36 kg). Their length varies from 5.3-6 ft (1.62-1.83 m), and the tail may add an extra 30 in (75 cm). They stand about 27-30 in (67-76 cm) tall at the shoulder. Females are generally 10-20% smaller then males.
      
      They have a rather short and stocky limb structure with makes them very good at climbing, crawling and swimming. Their jaw is extremely powerful; it has been suggested that they have the strongest bite of any feline and the second strongest of any mammal. They are naturally very strong - it has been reported that one jaguar can drag an 800 lbs (360 kg) bull 25 ft (8 m) in its jaws and pulverize the heaviest bones.
      
      The base color for a jaguar is usually tawny yellow, but can range to reddish-brown and black. They are covered in rosettes for camouflage which vary from jaguar to jaguar; rosettes may include one of several dots, and the shape varies. The spots on the head and neck are usually solid, as are those on the tail where they may merge and form a band. Their underbelly, throat, and the outer surface of the legs and lower flanks is white.
      
      Jaguars may also be melanistic - black - thought this form is less common then the spotted. Melanistic jaguars (also called black panthers) appear to be wholly black, but their spots are still visible on close examination. Albinism can also occur - sometimes these are known as white panthers.
      
      Jaguars closely resemble leopards, but they are heavier an more sturdily built - besides that they an be told apart by their rosettes; the rosettes on a jaguar's coat are larger, fewer in number, usually darker, and have thick lines and small spots in the middle that a leopard lacks. Jaguars also have rounder heads and shorter, stockier limbs.
      
    Reference Photographs
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  Quetzal
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • Quetzals are more lightly built, as with all bird shapeshifters. They grow feathers at the back of their neck in adolescence, and it is assumed that they also run at a higher temperature and have a faster heartbeat then the human average.
      
    Second Form Description
    • The Resplendent Quetzal is around 14 in (36 cm) long - plus up to 25 in (64 cm) of tail streamer for the males - and weighs around 7 oz (210 g). They have a green body that can show iridescence from green-gold to blue-violet and bright red breasts. Their blue-green primary wing coverts extend into their tail feathers and are in mature males particularly splendid, as they are longer then the rest of the body; they are up to 70 cm in length and give a fringed appearance.
      
      Males have a helmet-like crest and a yellow beak, females have none and have a black beak.
      
      The 'song' of the Resplendent Quetzal is described as a kyow or "a whimpering pup," often in pairs, and may be repeated monotonously. They have other rather unmusical calls as well.
      
      They are rather weak fliers.
      
    Reference Photographs
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Pakana

Culture

• None, as far as we know.
  

(Brief) History

• Nobody knows. The pakana have been through so many different things that they don't know.

Usual Mannerisms

• There is only one that holds true for the species - pakana like other pakana. They just enjoy being in each others company. They *need* other pakana, really. They prefer pakana company to any other kind. If you have two pakana, they will gravitate towards each other.

Physiology

• We don't know of anything specific that stretches across the species. Pakana probably have naturally sharper senses (especially smell), but that's all we can say.
  
  Hyenas are one of the breeds that are affected by the moon - they feel the need to change when the moon is full.
  

Breeds

• Hyena
  • Second Form Description
    • • **Technically, pakana could change into any or all of the three breeds of hyena: spotted, brown, or striped. As spotted is the most common and famous (and so is assumed to be the breed pakana shift to) that is the only description I will put up, but the others are still, for the moment, possibilities.
    • Spotted hyenas have the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom. They can easily crush bone and do a significant amount of damage with their teeth. They also have one of the (if not the) strongest noses in the animal kingdom. They can smell things like you wouldn't believe.
      
      Their coat varies in color from a sandy yellow to gray-ish to ginger and is spotted, though these spots fade with age. They have a mane running down their neck and their tail is short and bushy, used as a signal for communication. Their front legs are longer then their back legs, with gives them the sloped look and their distinctive gait. They are very fast, able to move at speeds up to 30 mph (50 km/ph). Their heart is twice the size of a lions, letting them move at about 6 mph (10 km/ph) for many miles.
      
      They range in size from about 3 to 5 feet long (95 to 150cm) and 2.5-3 feet at the shoulder (75 to 90cm). Males are smaller and more lightly built then females, usually weighing 80-121 lbs (36 to 55kg). Females usually weigh somewhere between 105-154 lbs (48-70kg), though some exceptionally large females have been weighed at about 200 lbs (90kg).
    Reference Photographs
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Vulpes

Culture

• Fox culture is very isolationist and very male driven - they live in 'dens' which are run by one male - the Yahto - who is the only one who has contact with the outside world. Women are less important than the men - they have almost no rights, no voice, etc etc.
  

(Brief) History

• Foxes have always been very isolationist - nothing beyond that is known.

Usual Mannerisms

• Nothing is really known for sure, but based off the culture women would probably be very submissive, and men haughty.

Physiology

• None Known

Breeds

• Red Fox
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • Red Foxes are genetically dominant to Arctic Foxes
    Second Form Description
    • The Red fox is, as the name might suggest, predominantly rusty red or reddish brown with a white underbelly, black ear tips and legs, and a busy tail that usually has a distinctive white tip. The 'red' can vary from dark chestnut to golden or can even be 'agouti,' with bands of red, brown, black and white on each individual hair. Coats may be long and soft or flatter and less silky, depending. there are also two other color phases that are occasionally seen. The first of these is the Silver or Black fox (please keep in mind that silver foxes are NOT gray foxes - silver foxes are a morph of red foxes and gray are their own species). You will also occasionally find 'Cross' foxes who have additional dark patterning which usually shows up as bold markings on the face, with a stripe across the shoulders and down the center of the bsck. The stripes form a 'cross' over the shoulders, hence the name. During the fall and winter the coat will become thicker as they grow more; this extra fur is shed come spring for the duration of the summer.
      
      Fox eyes are gold to yellow and have distinctive vertical-slit pupils, like a cats. Their eyesight is also as sharp as a cats, and when you take that and combine it with their extreme agility for a canine, the Red Fox has been referred to as the most 'cat-like' canine. Its long, bushy tail provides balance for large jumps and complex movements, its strong legs allow it to reach speeds of about 30 mph (50 km/h). Red Foxes lack the facial muscles necessary to bare their teeth.
      
      The Red Fox is fairly large (for foxes) - they may reach an adult weight of 6.6-30.8 lbs (3-14 lbs), grow to around 18-33.75 in (46-86 cm) through their head and body; their tails are generally 12-21.75 in (30.5-55.5 cm).
      
      Red Foxes hunt alone, using their strong sense of hearing to locate prey hidden on the grass, which they attack by jumping high in the air before pouncing. They also may stalk, keeping hidden until they are close enough to catch their prey in a short dash.
      
      Kits are born blind - irl, they open their eyes in about 2 weeks.
      
    Reference Photographs
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• Arctic Fox
  • Breed Specific Traits
    • Arctic foxes are genetically recessive to Red foxes; because of this breeding between the two kinds is traditionally forbidden.
    Second Form Description
    • The Arctic Fox - also known as the White or Snow fox - is a small fox that  is, unsurprisingly, most often white (at least in the winter), although there is a more rare 'blue' or 'silver' morph that are very slightly darker. In the summer Arctic foxes shed their white coats, and are brown or bluish gray as well as much less bulky, so they blend in whatever the season. Cubs are also brownish (unsurprising, as they are born in the spring) and grow white as they age.
      
      As Arctic foxes live where it is VERY cold, they have a number of adaptations to help them there - among which are their thick white coats, which are the warmest of any animal. Another is a system of countercurrent heat exchange in the circulation of paws to retain core temperature, a good supply of body fat, and a low surface-area-to-volume ratio, as shown by its generally rounded body shape, short muzzle and legs, and short, thick ears. Less surface area exposed to the cold means less heat escapes from the body, after all, and when you live in a place that can get down to â€"58°F, you need all the help you can get. It has furry paws that allow it to walk on ice in the search of food, and is able to walk on top of the snow and listen for movements underneath.
      
      Their brush is fairly long and helps them balance - and is also handy as warm cover in the cold winter.
      
      The length of the head and body is about 21.7 in (55 cm) in the male and 21 in (53 cm) in the female. Those tails tend to be about 12.2 in (31 cm) long in the male in 11.8 (30 cm) long in the female. They are about 9.9-11.8 in (25-30 cm) high at the shoulder; males tend to weigh about 8.2 lbs (3.8 kg) while females weigh between 6 and 12 lbs.
      
    Reference Photographs
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Wolves

Culture

• Wolves have never really had one culture - there are different packs and the different packs have different traditions. This is also one of the reasons that they are the only group of vie elavie called simply by the name of the animal they shift into - different packs will have different names. That, therefore, is what you are.
  

(Brief) History

• Wolves are one of the older species around, though not much is known about them. They started off in Europe and often lived in isolated packs - it was when humans started spreading that they gave rise to the myths of werewolves. Their numbers - as with quite a few of the shifters at that time - took a hit during the inquisition, but they're still widespread.

Usual Mannerisms

• Most wolves - unsurprisingly - seem to have a strong sense of pack. Past that it seems to vary - and even with that you can get an occasional loner.
  

Physiology

• The most common eye color for wolves is amber, though they can have different ones. Blue is fairly unusual, but not unheard of. There is - or was - one pack of wolves who had blue eyes.

Breeds

• Timber Wolf
  • Second Form Description
    • The Timber Wolf, or Gray Wolf, is - at somewhere, generally, between .6 and .95 m (26-38 in) at the shoulder and between 20 and 68 kg (44-137 lbs) - the largest wild member of the order Canidae. Although they're rare, extreme wolves that weigh more then 77 kg (170 lbs) have been found. The heaviest wild wolf on record was 80 kg (175 lbs). And then, of course, the smallest of the Timber wolves (females of the Arabian Wolf subspecies) may weigh as little as 10k (22 lbs) when full grown. In length they tend to measure anywhere from 1.3 to 2 m (4.5-6.5 feet) from nose to the tip of the tail - which itself accounts for about a quarter of the overall body length.
      
      Wolves are one of the breeds where there are distinct differences between the sexes - the females typically weigh about 20% less then the males; have narrower muzzles and foreheads; slightly shorter, smoother furred legs and less massive shoulders. In coloration there is no difference between the sexes, though there is great variety from wolf to wolf. Although the species is sometimes called the 'Gray' Wolf, all of the individuals are by no means black. Timber wolves come in every color from black to white, as well as red and brown, gray, gray-brown, and all sorts of blended coats (which are most common), as well as multicolor - which don't seem to have much of a set pattern except for the underside tending to be lighter than most of the coat. Aging wolves will tend to acquire a grayish tint in their coats. Pups will generally have darker coats, as well as blue eyes that will generally turn to yellow-gold or orange as they mature - but not always. Though it's fairly unusual, adult wolves can retain blue irises.
      
      A wolf's coat is a fairly bulky thing, made of two layers - guard hairs and the undercoat. The first is a layer of tough hairs that repels water and dirt, the second a dense, thick waterproof layer to insulate the wolf and keep them warm. This undercoat is shed in spring or early summer (usually females keep them a bit longer then the males) and it's interesting to note that, no matter what color the wolf is the undercoat will tend to be gray.
      
      Wolves, in addition to being larger and heavier than all other wild canines, have a few other distinguishing features - their muzzles are long and powerful, unlike coyotes or golden jackals, whose muzzles tend to be more narrow and pointed. Although domestic dogs and wolves share the same teeth, the larger paw size of wolves, yellow eyes, longer legs and larger size of those teeth help distinguish them from other canines - especially dogs. The aforementioned big, capable teeth are the main weapon of a wolf, as well as their primary tools - they can deliver up to 10,000 kPa (1450 lbf/in²) of pressure when they bite.
      
      Wolves were built for stamina - their features are ideal for long-distance travel. they have narrow chests, powerful backs and long legs that let them move very effectively. They can cover several miles trotting at a pace of about 10 km/h (6 mph) and have been known to reach speeds approaching 65 km/h (40 mph) during a chase. While sprinting like that, wolves can cover up to 5 m (16 ft) per bound. For the most part, however, they're more of a distance traveler type.
      
      Their paws can handle it - wolf paws are relatively large and can easily handle a wide variety of terrain, especially snow. There is a slight webbing between their toes which allows them to move over snow more easily then most other things around, and that large size helps distribute their weight more evenly on snow. The front paws are larger then the hind paws, and have a dewclaw that the hind paws do not. Their paws have bristled hairs and blunt claws that help enhance traction on a slippery surface, and special blood vessels keep their pads from freezing. Unlike dogs and coyotes, wolves lack sweat glands on their paw pads.
      
      Wolves are, naturally, famous for their howls, which they use to communicate over distances. A wolf howl can be heard up to 10 miles away, depending on weather. They also growl, bark (though the sound is more of a low-key, breathy 'whuf' - quieter and less repeated then the typical dog bark), bark-howl, rally and whimper or whine.
      
    Reference Photographs
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Rajar

Restricted

• Rajar require admin approval and one very interesting explanatory history to play, as they reside exclusively around a little island known as Devil's Lantern. It would be best to try another breed of shapeshifter.

Culture

• Nothing is thus far known - it is assumed that Rajar still spend the vast majority of their time in the water and animal form.

(Brief) History

• Very little is currently known about the Rajar. What little is known is this: At some point in the past Leben showed up and gave a mixed group of Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Moray Eels around a small little rocky island known as Devil's Lantern a second, human form. How long it took them to figure this out is uncertain, but their numbers were slightly swelled during World War II, when a boat of Japanese who were fleeing persecution in America was tossed up onto Devil's Lantern. The thirty or so survivors moved onto the island and later began to mingle and intermarry with the Rajar.
  
  As this was only sixty or so years ago, there may still be survivors of the wreck living on the island.

Usual Mannerisms

• As stated, it is assumed that they spend a good deal of time in their animal shape. Nothing is known other then that.

Physiology

• The only information that we currently have is that most look slightly oriental and are naturally cold blooded, like the serpiente.
  
  The Rajar are assumed to be almost exclusively pureblooded, with very little cross-breeding between the species, as it is physiologically impossible for a Moray Eel and a Manta Ray to mate, and they only found out about things like breeding on land after the humans showed up. Most are probably capable of taking a demi/half form.
  

Breeds

• Manta Ray
• Breed Specific Traits
  • None currently known
  Second Form Description
  • The manta ray is the very biggest of the rays, the largest known manta was nearly 25 feet (7.6 meters) across it’s ‘wings’ and weighed 6,600 lbs (3000 kg). Mantas usually have black backs and white bellies, though some are blue on their back. Their eyes are located on the side of their head and their mouth is not on the bottom, but straight-on. To breathe, just like other rays, they have five pairs of gills on their underside.
    
    The Manta’s common name ‘devil ray’ comes from the ‘horns’ on either side of its head. They are not actually horns, they are a unique thing for the Manta, and are derived from their pectoral fins. These flexible ‘horns’ are used to direct plankton, small fish and water into their very wide and broad mouth. To make them more streamlined when swimming, they can curl them up. They are a graceful diamond shape to swim better in the ocean, and use their pectoral fins as ‘wings.’
  Reference Photographs
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• Moray Eel
• Breed Specific Traits
  • None currently known
  Second Form Description
  • Go and Google 'Moray Eel.' There are about 200 species and, as Amelia has not currently given us any more information on them, it could technically be any of them. I can't write up that many descriptions.
  Reference Photographs
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• Spotted Eagle Ray
• Breed Specific Traits
  • None currently known
    
  Second Form Description
  • One of the most beautiful rays, the spotted eagle ray has a spotted pattern across its back. The small white, bluish-white, greenish, pearly or yellow spots are very distinct against its black, dark gray or brown coloring. At times, as a variation on the spots, there will be white rings with black centers instead and sometimes these rings will form lines or circles. Their stomach is white, and their outer edges and tail are dark or black. The tail has a white base and may have crossbars. They can reach a maximum length of 8.2 feet (2.5 m) not including the tail â€" total length including an unbroken tail can reach close to 16.4 feet (5 m). Their maximum width is 9.8 feet (3 m) and maximum published weight is 507 lbs (230 kg). They are fast swimmers and can dive deep or stay in the shallows. When pursued, they can leap completely out of the water.
    
  Reference Photographs
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shm'Ahnmik

Locked

• Due to power issues, culture issues, rarity issues, isolation issues and just about everything else that there can be issues with, shm'Ahnmik are, for practical purposes, non-playable. If you want to play a half breed then come up with one very good story and ask for admin approval.
  

Culture

• If you talk to a falcon, chances are good that they will be trying to manipulate you in one way or another. Falcons have no problems whatsoever in withholding part of the truth or just lying to you, if it gets them what they want. Out and out forcing of someone (such as rape) is frowned upon in their culture as well as with the Serpiente, but if you can trick them into doing what you want, good for you.
  
  The Empress or Emperor's word is law. More then just law, really, it is truth. Period. If the Empress says that the sky is purple and the sea green - why then, surprise, surprise, they are! You can be killed for contradicting any member of the royal family or implying in any way that they are anything but perfect. Naturally not all the falcons who fall momentarily to this are killed â€" they are first shown the Empress’s Mercy and most are so overawed by it that they make sure never, never to do it again.
  
  Falcons will almost never, never leave the White Island. A few renegade falcons run away and some half breeds are exiled, but for the most part…. Half breeds of any kind though, be they a Gyrfalcon/Peregrine cross or a Merlin/Cougar, are severely looked down on. They just aren’t worth as much as purebloods, and most die when very young.
  
  Currently, because the Empress officially changed their history a little less then 1,000 years ago, the falcons are officially French and the decedents of angels, as well as being several thousand years younger as a race then they actually are.
  
  For a falcon, their word is their bond - even if the promise you're recalling them to was a vow that they took hundreds or even thousands of years ago. If they break a vow, after all, they risk Ecl claiming them.
  
  Falcons have very, very powerful magic and can do any number of things, but due to the nature of it every time they use it they risk being lost to the void.
  
  Dance is, as with the Serpiente, a huge part of the culture - though falcons use them to weave spells, to see into the past or future, to create illusions. There are various different choirs that dance among the falcons, with different ranks. The best and most revered is the Indigo Choir.
  
  The Empress/Emperor and the Heir have elite bands of bodyguards/enforcers known as their Mercy. The Mercy is given the job of guarding them and making sure that people don't question them. When you do imply that a royal is anything but perfect then the Mercy takes you to teach you the error of your ways or kill you. Few of those who survive ever do it again.
  
  Because of their magic it is very, very difficult for a falcon to conceive a pure-blooded child - because of this children are incredibly revered in falcon culture. A child can get away with nearly anything while still young.
  
  Naturally because of the low, low birth rate and a death rate that - if not very high - is at least higher then the birth rate, falcon numbers suffered a slow but steady decline since the days of the Dasi. Because of this, when the history was changed, they kidnapped some human children from France (which is part of why that story is there) and turned them into falcons. The Empress was planning to involve the falcons more with the outside world, and then all sorts of craziness started and... well, that plan fell out, but the story remained.
  

(Brief) History

• The falcons have the same roots as the Serpiente - they were members of a group called the Dasi that worshiped the two gods Ahnamirak and Ahnmik. Ahnamirak was the goddess of change, of movement, of dance, of free will, of choice, of fire, of destruction. Ahnmik was the god of stillness, of silence, of death, of unchangingness, of peace, of sleep, of quiet. The Dasi was divided - some of its members worshiped one god, some another, only one chose neither side and so kept the balance. In the Dasi that we are concerned with, this high priestess was named Maeve.
  
  A being named Leben came to her one day and said that he was a god, and he had such power that for a time she believed him. However he soon demanded that the Dasi stop worshiping their gods and worship him instead, and then Maeve knew that he was lying. A true god would understand the need for balance. So instead, to try and keep the peace, she seduced him and, in an attempt to win her favor, he gave her the second form of a beautiful serpent with ivory scales. Maeve demanded that he do the same for all of her followers and so he did, giving the second form of snakes to the followers of Ahnamirak and the graceful wings and forms of falcons to Ahnmik's followers.
  
  Kiesha, the first cobra and Maeve's lover, discovered her seduction of Leben before long and rejected Maeve, and she in turn turned to Ahnmik to try and find peace and comfort. That, of course, threw the Dasi out of balance, and before long Maeve and the four falcons (Cjarsa, Araceli, Syfka, and Servos) were thrown out of the Dasi. New falcons were born and, now that there was no balancing fire for their ice, they lost control of the magic Ahnmik granted them, they fell from reality into the void, Ecl. To try and keep this from happening the falcons (mainly Cjarsa) created the White Island, and into it they bound restrictive magics to keep the powers of the falcons under more control.
  
  The serpents, however, when they lost control of their magic, were much more destructive. Now that Ahnmik's power was no longer there to soothe Ahnamirak's when the serpents lost control of their magic they fell to Mehey, to fire. The falcons were worried that they could do terrible damage, so after a few experiments they tore the serpiente magic in two and gave half to a girl named Alisdair, along with the form of a golden hawk. After they had done this they set her up as the queen of the Avians, a culture that they designed to be as radically different from the Serpiente as they could, so there would be little chance of the two ever mixing and interbreeding, which would result in the magics being joined again. Then, after letting the people come to love her, at the first meeting of the Serpiente and the Avians they slaughtered Alisdair and the eight original serpents (Maeve, you remember, wasn't there).
  
  The resulting war lasted thousands of years, and the falcons helped it continue by supplying the avians with a special brand of poison that hardly affected them at all but was deadly to the serpiente.
  
  Still, finally the heir to the Tuuli Thea of the Avians and the Arami of the Serpiente decided that they had really had enough of the killing and ended the war by the only way they could think of. Danica Shardae took Zane Cobriana as her Alistair, Zane took Danica as his Naga. An uneasy truce was born, but soon after they further combined the cultures in Wyverns Court so that their only child, Oliza Shardae Cobriana, could rule both people.
  
  Oliza abdicated in favor of her cousin and aunt, and as far as I know they haven't really tried to mix cultures since then.
  
  Little is know about falcon history after that. As far as we know only two of the first royals are now dead, Cjarsa and Syfka. Araceli is quite possibly still the Empress. Sometime around the year 1400 AD the Empress decided both that falcon numbers were getting dangerously low and that it might be a good idea for the falcons to mix some with the outside world - as a result several children were kidnapped and turned into falcons and the history was officially changed, to show that they were actually French, the decendents of angels, and they had only been around for about 200 years.
  
  Almost nothing is known beyond that.
  
  In the modern day, the falcons have become so extremely isolationist that most of those who have heard of them consider them to be a myth.
  

Usual Mannerisms

• Falcons are a manipulative set, it’s taken for granted on the island that you’re probably not being told the full truth at the best of times.
  
  Falcons are very, very proud. They believe themselves to be better then everyone else â€" more powerful, more important, older, wiser, and therefore they don’t need to trifle with all us lower life forms.
  
  Falcons will nearly always be in demi form, unlike every other breed of shifter. Really the only time you don’t have your wings out when you’re on the island is when you’re in disgrace and therefore not allowed to have them on display.
  

Physiology

• Falcons are similar to avians as far as their build goes â€" they too are slim and lightly built. Their demi form is basically the same as the rest of the birds as well â€" they undergo some slight physical changes and grow a huge pair of wings that they can use to fly.
  
  Other then that….
  
  Falcons are fair. There’s a phrase, actually, ‘falcon fair’ that comes from them â€" they are almost colorless with pale skin and hair. Their hair is pale blond, though when they develop magic the front of their hair turns blue and indigo. Falcons are very proud of their blue, though the rest of their hair might be pulled back that never is but is left on display.
  
  There are a few notable exceptions to this, as their magic is staining and so if they use it enough they turn gradually darker and darker, but this involves using their magic a lot. Very, very few falcons dare that.
  
  Half breeds as well are often much more dramatically colored - a cobra/falcon cross, for example, will end up with darker skin and the signature black hair and red eyes of the Cobriana line. Falcon forms, including wings, will be similarly colored.
  

Breeds

• Gyrfalcon
• Breed Specific Traits
  • None known
    
  Second Form Description
  • Gyrfalcons are the largest of the true falcon breeds â€" males are typically between 19 and 24 in (48 to 61 cm) long, weigh 1.8 to 3 lbs (805 to 1350 g) and have a wingspan of 43 to 51 in (110 to 130 cm). Females tend to be slightly bulkier and larger, at 20 to 26 in (51 to 65 cm) long, with a weight of 2.6 to 4.6 lbs (1180 to 2100 g) and a wingspan from 49 to 64 in (124 to 160 cm).
    
    Gyrfalcons have the characteristic sleek look and swooped wings of all falcons, though they very greatly in color. In structure they look rather like peregrines, but naturally larger and with broader wings and a longer tail. In fact, especially for the brown morph, they can at times be confused with peregrines â€" the difference between the two species can be told by the cream strip on their head. The white morph is easy to recognize â€" gyrfalcons are the only white falcon.
    
    The only difference between the white, silver, brown and black morphs is color, however, all four can come from one clutch.
    
    Historically gyrfalcons have, at times, been known as the King’s Bird because of their rarity and the difficulty in obtaining one. It was rare to see someone other then a member of the nobility or royalty riding with a gyrfalcon on his wrist â€" in some places even illegal.
    
    Gyrfalcons can fly long distances, and when hunting will glide along, quickly rising upwards and then stooping before catching prey.
    
  Reference Photographs
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• Peregrine Falcon
• Breed Specific Traits
  • None known
    
  Second Form Description
  • Peregrine falcons are well known for being the fastest falcons in the world. When hunting they fly high and then dive at over 200 mph (300 k/ph) at their prey - in the fastest time on record, the peregrine was going 242.3 mph (390 k/ph).
    
    The peregrine is a medium sized falcon that is about the size of a large crow - they are generally 15-21 in (38-53 cm) long, with a wingspan of about 40 in (1 m) and a weight of around 570-710 g for the males and 910-1190 g for the females. Their beak is short, dark, and wickedly hooked, and their wings are long and pointed and extend all the way to their tail tip when they are at rest.
    
    They have a black cap and 'mustache,' a pale throat and breast, a barred belly, gray underparts, underwings that are barred black and white, and a long, thin tail with gray and white bands. There isn't much color variation among peregrines, but some are slightly lighter, some slightly darker.
    
  Reference Photographs
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• Aplomado Falcon
• Breed Specific Traits
  • None known
    
  Second Form Description
  • Aplomado falcons are very slender, long winged, and long tailed. They are about the size of a small Peregrine falcon - 12-16 in (30-40 cm) long with an average wingspan of about 36 in (90 cm) - but they are only half the weight. The average Aplomado weighs 9-17 oz (250-475 g).
    
    Aplomados have upperparts that are dark blue-gray, as is much of their head, with the usual falcon 'mustache' presenting a heavy contrast with the white throat and eyestripe. Their upper breast is white, as is their throat, but there are black patches on each side of their lower breast that comes to meet in the middle. Their belly and thighs, below the black patches, are light cinnamon. Their tail is black with narrow white or gray bars.
    
    The coloring of this falcon is also fairly uniform, though it can similarly vary from slightly darker and more russet colored to lighter and paler.
    
  Reference Photographs
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• Merlin
• Breed Specific Traits
  • None known
    
  Second Form Description
  • The Merlin is a smallish falcon that is usually 9.5-13 in (24-33 cm) long, with a 21-27 in (53-69 cm) wingspan. Males usually weigh about 5.8 oz (165 g) and females about 8 oz (230 g). Compared to other small falcons, they are more heavily built.
    
    Male Merlins have a blue-gray back and orange-tinted underparts. Females are dark brown above and have whitish spotted with brown underparts. Their coloring can vary from pale to nearly black.
    
    Besides a weak eyestripe in adults, their faces are less strongly patterned then most falcons. They are fairly close in size and shape to Rock Pigeons, but their flight patterns are radically different.
    
  Reference Photographs
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