Therianthropy
Therianthropy is an ancient, mystical blessing or curse that has many ancestral roots. Every ancestry derives its power from an animal spirit. The animal spirit chosen depends on the region in which the bloodline was originally created. Spirit animals usually represent powerful predators or large herbivores. The origin of each Therian ancestry is unique. Shamans from different places and times have found ways to connect humans to these animal spirits. Nevertheless, all Therians share some common characteristics.
Shaman rituals are used to harness the spirit of an animal and connect it to a human ancestry. Each descendant of that ancestry inherits this connection that gives them supernatural abilities. What these abilities are exactly differs between ancestries, but they all share the ability to transform into their spirit animals form and supernatural strength, reflexes and self-regeneration.
The origin stories of tribes often involve a quest for power to overcome an overwhelming enemy. Many tribes have cultural elements that revolve around martial strength, honour, war, violence, conquest and similar values. Many tribes have been persecuted and hunted to extinction. Those that survived often spread to many parts of the world. Some survived by moving away from all humans, usually to less hospitable places, while others managed to survive by integrating with human communities. In many cases, the integrated Therian communities would take over law enforcement or form paramilitary organisations.
Propagation
Therianthropy is only passed on by inheritance and cannot be passed on in any other way. These genes are always dominant and suppress any other mystical genetic conditions. It also prevents most genetic diseases from manifesting, such as Down's Syndrome or Parkinson's. This becomes a problem when two Therians try to have a child together. Such a child will rarely survive the birth. Although there are some cases where the child has been born alive, none are known to have survived the first transformation. It makes no difference whether the two Therians are of the same descent or not. For this reason, sexual and romantic relationships between two Therians are strictly forbidden in all Therian communities.Transformation
Regardless of your ancestry, Therian transformation is a painful process. The pain becomes easier to bear with each transformation, but it never goes away. Under normal circumstances, all Therians have full control over their transformation. They can change into and out of their animal form at will. Extraordinary emotional stress or dark magic can force a Therian to transform involuntarily. The transformed form is a larger and more powerful version of the spirit animal used by the ritual as a source of power. In addition to whole-body transformations, most Therians can also transform parts of their body. For example, they can transform their eyes for better vision, or their nails into claws. This is often used in combat when a full body transformation is impractical or would take too long. A Therian is most vulnerable when in transformation. A Therian that remains transformed for a long time can become feral. A feral Therian may forget its human nature and be unwilling or unable to return to human form.Development
As therianthropy is an inherited condition, all carriers grow up with it. The development into adulthood can vary between strains, but generally follows similar stages.
Childhood
Childhood development differs from that of a child without therianthropy in some key areas. Therians are born with animal eyes. And unlike adults, they cannot transform them into human eyes. This means that their vision is different from that of unaffected children. Exactly how their vision works depends on their ancestry. In addition to their eyes, their other senses develop faster and better. This means they can smell better, taste more intensely, hear better and feel more through their skin. This can make them more sensitive to loud noises and intense tastes. They take longer to learn to control their senses than other children and may be more easily frightened. For this reason, when a child with therianthropy is raised in a human community, they are often checked for developmental problems.Puberty
This phase of development is even more intense for Therians. During this time they grow a lot and develop their supernatural strength and reflexes. Their emotions are much more intense and all Therians are very aggressive, energetic individuals. Therians who live in a natural environment do a lot of running and learn to hunt. Therians in urban environments do a lot of sports, often some form of martial arts. During this time, they may experience involuntary partial transformations. Possible partial transformations usually include claws, teeth, fur and sometimes organs. These partial transformations can be very painful and can last for several minutes. Young Therians are very vulnerable during this time. Therians also go through all the other mental and physical developments of puberty.Young Adulthood
Puberty for Therians ends with their first transformation. The exact time of the first transformation can be different for each individual. Some tribes require an additional trigger for the first transformation. What is common to all is that the first transformation is extremely painful and can even lead to death. Many precautions are taken to minimise this risk. Parents try to prepare the young Therians as best they can. After surviving the first transformation, Therians gain control over it. The speed at which they can transform also increases, but it remains painful, and they are always at their most vulnerable during the transformation.Cultural Reception
Therians have long been feared and hunted by many human organisations. Despite this, many communities have managed to establish themselves within human societies with great success. There is still some fear today, as Therians are always stronger than humans, but many have come to respect them. Many communities have established themselves as protectors and guardians of human societies from supernatural threats. They do this by integrating with law enforcement, intelligence, black ops agencies at all levels of government in most nations around the world.
Spirit Animals
Therianthropy exists in many animal forms. They differ in some aspects, but they all have in common that it allows the affected individual to transform into the spirit animal. The most common animals are canine and feline species.
Canine
Coyote
Feline
Tiger
American lion
Bears
American black bear
Other Species
Gorilla
Elephant
American lion
Elephant
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