Canefolk

You enter the village. You have been travelling for many days, and have finally gotten to the first houses. You sigh in relief, eager to find an inn to rest on an actual bed. You walk onto the street, interested to find that it is made out of pressed grass and reeds instead of cobblestone. That is when you notice that many of the citizens are not wearing shoes. Many citizens have paws, not feet. They appear similar to werebeasts, but much more civil. They wear rather nice clothing, and stand with a less hunched pose. Huh, that is... quite odd. You shrug, continuing on your way. A creature that looks quite similar to a coyo walks past, on four legs. Who let a dog walk around free? You make your way down to the inn, feeling incredibly confused.

Basic Information

Anatomy

They stand bipedally but can switch to quadrupedal when they want. This is due to the nature of their canine feet that have evolved to be able to rotate for use as hands. They have much more flexibility in their shoulders and hands, allowing them to do this without issue. They have relatively short fingers with just enough dexterity to manipulate their environment, and their former dewclaws evolved into opposable thumbs. They have a snout that extends from their face, retaining the sharp teeth of their canidae ancestry. Their tongues and throat have, however, evolved a bit differently to allow for speech. They have some difficulty learning Common tongue, but many achieve it. They have a long tail extending from their rear that provides extra balance, although it varies depending on the subrace. These include Hygrones, Coyo, and Wolves.

Genetics and Reproduction

They reproduce sexually, and tend to reproduce quite quickly. A female will enter a gestation period twice per month, at which point they will be at their most fertile. Their pregnancy lasts five months

Growth Rate & Stages

They grow quickly, reaching full height by the age of 15. From between 0-3, a canefolk will be considered a puppy, moving completely quadrupedally. They gain the ability to walk at around 3, and their hands soften. At around 6, they decide whether they will walk bipedally or quadrupedally for most of their lives. Those who choose quadruped get an extra 10ft of movement on four legs, while those who choose biped are able to be proficient with weapons and gain the ability to write. At 10, they are considered able to leave if they want, and they are adults at 15.

Ecology and Habitats

They are very commonly found in the Forest of Grien, but can also be found in Ocharial and the Desert of Souls. Only Coyo are really found in the desert areas.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They are opportunistic omnivores. They much prefer meat, and do hunt for their food, but they will eat anything if they need to.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Their social structure is among the strongest of the recently evolved creatures due to the already strong pack dynamics they had as animals. They currently have incredibly strong bonds within packs, with family structures mostly being power structures. In hygrone, there is interestingly a strongly matriarchal power structure, with the females in a town being the only ones able to wield high ranking positions.

Facial characteristics

They have snouts that stick out of their faces. Hygrone have a jaw that can somewhat unhinge, creating a horrifying laugh. They have black noses that are wet to the touch and sharp wet teeth.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Being evolved from the Canids that still roam the forest, they have an incredibly strong sense of smell, gaining advantage on perception checks that rely on a sense of smell. They also have highly developed eyes, granting them 30ft of darkvision.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Canefolk, due to their incredibly strong sense of smell, decided to name themselves after scents rather than sights, an odd choice that makes them relatively unique in names. They are usually named at the age of two, and are able to choose their own name. Some examples include: Male: Ale, carrion, dogwood, marrow, mead, musk, pork, meat, smokey/smoke, spruce, oats, venison, skunk, tang, cinnamon, etc.  Female: Apple, cream, honey, holly, ivy, sunflower, flower, daisy, tea, spice, applewood, sap, wheat, etc.

Major Organizations

The Night Stalkers are an incredibly powerful gang of wolvs who move between towns within the Forest of Grien, gaining money by means of blackmail and intimidation. They are widely known and widely feared. The Dawn Fire is a country of Hygrone, ruled by a powerful queen. They are one of the more strict Hygrone societies, and even disrespect towards someone in power can lead to banishment.

Gender Ideals

It wolv and coyo, the males and females in the pack are seen as equal, and only intelligence and strength are measures of ones value. In hygrone, however, females are seen as superior to males, and females are the only ones allowed in positions of power.

Relationship Ideals

In all of these species, they mate for life. They have no restrictions on who can mate, but when two canefolk mate, they always mate for life.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

They have two major languages spoken by canefolk are Common tongue and Canine. Canine is a loud language composed of barks and growls and is more commonly used to communicate rather simple messages rather than complex sentences.

Canefolk traits

• Size: medium
• Speed: 30ft biped, 40ft quadruped
• Vision: 30ft darkvision
• Languages: Common tongue, Canine
• Ability scores: +1 to charisma, you are a social animal
• False appearance: To the untrained eye, a canefolk on four legs appears to be a regular member of the species they descend from
• Keen senses: You have advantage on perception checks that require the sense of smell or hearing
• Subraces: You can choose between the Hygrone, the Coyo, or the Wolf

Scientific Name

Canidae

Origin/Ancestry

Canine

Lifespan

65 years on average

Conservation Status

They are spread heavily throughout the forest of Grien, and so are not under conservation. There are hundreds of thousands of them alive, and are so no one is worried about their survival as a species.

Average Height

Wolvfolk grow from 6-7.5ft tall Hygronefolk grow from 5-6.5 Coyfolk grow from 4.5-6ft tall

Average Weight

They usually weigh between 100 and 200lbs, but it mostly varies on height.

Average Length

Wolvfolk are between 7-10ft long quadrupedally, including their long fluffy tails Hygronefolk are typically 6-8ft long Coyfolk get between 5 and 7ft long.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Wolv typically are gray in color, with tints of lighter or darker colors on their chest. Some are so light they appear white, while others can be as black as night.  Hygrone are yellowy in color, often with darker spots. They also range from sandy white to deep brown, but always have spots that are darker in color than their body.  Coyo are quite small, and are generally sandy in color. Their bodies are mostly gray, but they have brown fur on their legs and face. They typically have white markings on their snouts and chests.

Wolf traits:  Ability scores: +2 strength Wilderness expert You gain proficiency in Survival Pack tactics when an ally who is not incapacitated is attacked within 5 feet of you, you get advantage on your next attack roll 
Coyo traits:  Ability scores: +2 to dexterity Crafty liar You gain proficiency in stealth and deception Magical trickster You innately know the dancing lights cantrip
Hygrone traits:  Ability scores: +1 to charisma and constitution Scary grin You gain proficiency in intimidation and persuasion Hideous laughter You can cast Hideous Laughter as an action, without components, once per long rest. This increases to twice at 3rd level and thrice at 5th level.