|
Alignment: White or Grey Arts
Lifespan: 200-250 years Adult Size: 2 feet at shoulder quadripedal; 4-5 feet bipedal Experience Level: Intermediate+ |
Talents: Traditional or Historic Magic & Veneration
Disposition: Studious, Adventurous, Religious, Ritualistic Suggested Offerings: Ancient Artifacts, History Books, Tea, Carved Stone, Jade, Gold, Museum Visits, Historical Art |
Aureacanis, loosely meaning "golden dog" in Latin, is not a race that is native to Earth or any of its mythologies. They originate on a separate astral realm. They look very similar to African Wild Dogs, with similar splotchy markings and rounded ears, but their coloration is generally made up of more golden-browns. They are able to switch between being quadrupedal and bipedal at will, and their "paws" have opposable thumbs.
They reside in an enormous swath of ruins made of carved stone, jade, and gold, although the ruins don't belong to them, necessarily - they found them, and settled there, and have been there for generations, but always with the knowledge that the ruins "aren't theirs." They are, as a society, focused on the preservation of their own lost history, but also of exploring the history of their home, as well, and reviving the culture of those who no longer live. There is an enormous labyrinth of tombs, tunnels, and what appears to previously have been living spaces beneath the ruins, which they send exploration teams to survey, although being a tunnel explorer is known for being a rather dangerous profession among them, as one is prone to being lost or having tunnels collapse upon them.
Technologically, they are more advanced than humans, with functioning holograms and a moderate level of biological implantation. However, culturally they are very religious and focused on traditional magic, making their overall aesthetic and society a fascinating mixture of nature fantasy and cyberpunk.
Aureacanis have a symbiotic relationship with Prism Serpents, and many of them have one as a personal pet or Familiar. Prism Serpents are available as Familiar companions for those who seek one.
Note: I am aware their name does not utilize proper Latin grammar. This is a stylistic choice, as the Aureacanis have no name for themselves - they refer to themselves as "The People," and their language is mostly impossible to transcribe with our alphabet.
They reside in an enormous swath of ruins made of carved stone, jade, and gold, although the ruins don't belong to them, necessarily - they found them, and settled there, and have been there for generations, but always with the knowledge that the ruins "aren't theirs." They are, as a society, focused on the preservation of their own lost history, but also of exploring the history of their home, as well, and reviving the culture of those who no longer live. There is an enormous labyrinth of tombs, tunnels, and what appears to previously have been living spaces beneath the ruins, which they send exploration teams to survey, although being a tunnel explorer is known for being a rather dangerous profession among them, as one is prone to being lost or having tunnels collapse upon them.
Technologically, they are more advanced than humans, with functioning holograms and a moderate level of biological implantation. However, culturally they are very religious and focused on traditional magic, making their overall aesthetic and society a fascinating mixture of nature fantasy and cyberpunk.
Aureacanis have a symbiotic relationship with Prism Serpents, and many of them have one as a personal pet or Familiar. Prism Serpents are available as Familiar companions for those who seek one.
Note: I am aware their name does not utilize proper Latin grammar. This is a stylistic choice, as the Aureacanis have no name for themselves - they refer to themselves as "The People," and their language is mostly impossible to transcribe with our alphabet.
Biology
Aureacanis have the unique ability to shift their anatomy between quadrupedal and bipedal - it is a small combination of how their bodies are built and some level of innate balancing and shifting magic that allows them to do so. They look most similar to African Wild Dogs in build and their fur patterning, with long, lanky legs, a long but rounded snout, and large, round ears. Their fur is similar in the patterning, but generally the lighter areas of their fur are a bright yellow-gold, and darker areas are only more muted patches of medium gold and brown. Their coloration on their faces can range from medium brown to near-black. Their tails have longer hair than the rest of their body, and are brushlike in shape, usually with a white tip. Their eyes can be any color, but are most commonly yellow or green in shade, with blue and violet being the second most dominant colors. They are capable of seeing in very low light. In their quadrupedal form, they stand at about two feet at the shoulder, where in their bipedal form they are between four to five feet tall, being just shorter than most humans.
Their paws are more flexible and somewhat larger than a typical Earth canine, not quite grasping hands, but with an opposable thumb joint and the ability to grasp objects within a certain size range. Still, it's not unusual for them to carry items within their mouths, and they frequently wear practical pouches so they can carry items for long distances or periods of time regardless of what form they are in. Their mouths are capable of speech, but they use a combination of physical speech and telepathy amongst themselves, and their language has many sounds that we would not consider typical of a language. Their best asset for communicating with humans is their telepathy, which easily translates thoughts and ideas to something we can understand.
Their lifespan is about 200-250 years. They are generally considered to be "immature" pups until they are about 20 years of age. As they grow older, once they hit about 180 years old, their fur grows overall longer and greyer. Many of the elder Aureacanis wear braids in their fur as a symbol of those they have lost - some younger Aureacanis do this as well, particularly if they have lost someone very dear to them, but it is considered a somewhat antiquated cultural quirk among the younger generations. They reproduce sexually and are born in litters of between 5-8 pups on average, and most Aureacanis stay quite close to their siblings throughout their lifetime. Aureacanis do practice a form of marriage and generally mate for life. Homosexuality and transgenderness is rare among them, but not unheard of, and it is not a taboo topic within their culture.
Aureacanis are a very magical species, although to them it feels very typical and commonplace, and in some places has been amplified or entirely replaced by technology. Beyond their slight shifting magic that allows them to shift between quadrupedal and bipedal, they are also naturally capable of telekinesis (moving objects with their mind), telepathy (speaking with their mind), and psychometry (telling the history of an object through touch). Future Seers are also not unusual among them, and are often placed into politically prominent positions when they are identified. That being said, Aureacanis generally culturally focus on the history of things rather than the future, so these Future Seers are often kept under tight oath to not share their visions unless completely necessary.
Their paws are more flexible and somewhat larger than a typical Earth canine, not quite grasping hands, but with an opposable thumb joint and the ability to grasp objects within a certain size range. Still, it's not unusual for them to carry items within their mouths, and they frequently wear practical pouches so they can carry items for long distances or periods of time regardless of what form they are in. Their mouths are capable of speech, but they use a combination of physical speech and telepathy amongst themselves, and their language has many sounds that we would not consider typical of a language. Their best asset for communicating with humans is their telepathy, which easily translates thoughts and ideas to something we can understand.
Their lifespan is about 200-250 years. They are generally considered to be "immature" pups until they are about 20 years of age. As they grow older, once they hit about 180 years old, their fur grows overall longer and greyer. Many of the elder Aureacanis wear braids in their fur as a symbol of those they have lost - some younger Aureacanis do this as well, particularly if they have lost someone very dear to them, but it is considered a somewhat antiquated cultural quirk among the younger generations. They reproduce sexually and are born in litters of between 5-8 pups on average, and most Aureacanis stay quite close to their siblings throughout their lifetime. Aureacanis do practice a form of marriage and generally mate for life. Homosexuality and transgenderness is rare among them, but not unheard of, and it is not a taboo topic within their culture.
Aureacanis are a very magical species, although to them it feels very typical and commonplace, and in some places has been amplified or entirely replaced by technology. Beyond their slight shifting magic that allows them to shift between quadrupedal and bipedal, they are also naturally capable of telekinesis (moving objects with their mind), telepathy (speaking with their mind), and psychometry (telling the history of an object through touch). Future Seers are also not unusual among them, and are often placed into politically prominent positions when they are identified. That being said, Aureacanis generally culturally focus on the history of things rather than the future, so these Future Seers are often kept under tight oath to not share their visions unless completely necessary.
Disposition & Manifestation
The core value of Aureacanis culture is centered around history and tradition, or at least the history and tradition they perceive to be true. Their entire civilization is built upon ruins they have not claimed as their own, but have chosen to revive the culture and traditions of. It is said that prior to settling here, the Aureacanis were only quadrupedal and wandered the world as languageless dogs. Once they discovered the ruins, the gods of the people who once lived there granted them the ability to walk on two legs and speak, and gave them the task to chronicle everything within the ruins and bring worship of their power into the modern day. This research and cataloguing has led to not only very intensive worship and magical practices to be adopted into the culture of the Aureacanis, but has resulted in them discovering a great deal of ancient technology that reads as more advanced than most technology humans have access to, including ocular implants that allow them to scan and record writing on ruin walls, and holographic projection. As they collect more information, their idea of history and tradition is constantly changing - they don't believe in one static view of the past, and they consider tradition to be a holistic melding between the past and present.
They are rather centered on their own society, and don't know of any intelligent races or other settlements in their realm. They believe that they are the only ones on this world, the last ascended intelligence of this planet, but they are known for exploring deep underground rather than anywhere aboveground, so their true nature is unknown. That being said, they are equally as spiritual as they are technologically advanced, and believe firmly in the existence of the multiverse and divinity. Being contacted by someone from another world was very exciting for them, and not the first time it has occurred in this way - they already have established diplomatic relationships with two other "alien" races through spiritual telepathy, and they expect to encounter more as time goes on.
Their morality is overall very similar to that of humans - they believe that murder, violence, and stealing is inherently wrong. They have somewhat of a judicial system, with a council of elders in charge of making most major decisions, including punishments for broken laws. However they are very willing to stake almost anything for the sake of gaining knowledge - they will often be heard speaking of individuals who sacrificed themselves "to the cause," transmitting found knowledge to their main database before perishing in a tunnel collapse or other accident in the ruins. They believe strongly in ancestor veneration and believe that those who have passed have quite literally joined the gods to begin their own journey to godhood as a reward for their hard work during life. They have very little tolerance for laziness, although laziness does not take quite the same form as for humans - their opinion of productivity is literally anything that contributes to personal or cultural knowledge, so if your pastime is scrolling through Wikipedia rabbit holes or analyzing your favorite movie's subtext, you would be very likely to be considered a productive member of society to the Aureacanis.
Aureacanis are generally allowed to pursue whatever career they like, but it is considered a rite of passage for all of them to explore the ruins in some capacity during their youth. As they grow older, they are more likely to settle into careers as historians (analyzing the found text), or more skilled professions such as ritual leaders, doctors, lawmakers, or food gatherers. The more involved in the historical text the career is, the more honorable it is considered to be. Aureacanis who are daredevils often take up the career of exploring the ruin tunnels, which is a very prestigious and dangerous career, as the tunnels are prone to collapse. They are very superstitious about the undead, although they have never encountered one, and when someone disappears in the tunnels with no word it is often whispered in gossiping circles that they must have encountered a horde of undead and were consumed.
Overall, Aureacanis have a hard time with creativity. Most of their art, even down to recipes, are firm recreations from translated historical texts. They are quite amazed at the human ability to create new art and ideas, and to tell stories that aren't pulled directly from history. This is something they have seen in all other cultures they've had contact with, but they still have a very difficult time wrapping their heads around it. Most Aureacanis are likely to watch creative workings with interest and awe, but they are not likely to contribute.
Additionally, they do not connect very well to the idea of nature, as well, which may related to their lack of creativity. They do not believe in any level of natural animism - they only believe in the presence of souls in intelligent, and divine, life. They do hold beliefs over the sacredness of objects, but not of souls present in them - that is, they often believe that the intelligent life that has touched an object lives within it somehow. This belief is heightened by their natural psychometry, which allows them to vaguely see the past and history of any object. Shrines to historical gods and the concept of the past are a huge part of their religion, and the center of their civilization in the ruins is just full of a great deal of incense smoke at all times. Home shrines are not unusual, too, and they seem to have a variation on the Wiccan concept of sabbats and esbats based primarily on star positions rather than moon phases. That being said, they are quite interested in the idea that someone could believe in something like animism, and nature magic is a fascinating mystery to them. They are not likely to shy away from debates and discussions about religious belief.
Because they are living entities, when they are contacting our realm they are typically using telepathy or a form of astral travel.
They are rather centered on their own society, and don't know of any intelligent races or other settlements in their realm. They believe that they are the only ones on this world, the last ascended intelligence of this planet, but they are known for exploring deep underground rather than anywhere aboveground, so their true nature is unknown. That being said, they are equally as spiritual as they are technologically advanced, and believe firmly in the existence of the multiverse and divinity. Being contacted by someone from another world was very exciting for them, and not the first time it has occurred in this way - they already have established diplomatic relationships with two other "alien" races through spiritual telepathy, and they expect to encounter more as time goes on.
Their morality is overall very similar to that of humans - they believe that murder, violence, and stealing is inherently wrong. They have somewhat of a judicial system, with a council of elders in charge of making most major decisions, including punishments for broken laws. However they are very willing to stake almost anything for the sake of gaining knowledge - they will often be heard speaking of individuals who sacrificed themselves "to the cause," transmitting found knowledge to their main database before perishing in a tunnel collapse or other accident in the ruins. They believe strongly in ancestor veneration and believe that those who have passed have quite literally joined the gods to begin their own journey to godhood as a reward for their hard work during life. They have very little tolerance for laziness, although laziness does not take quite the same form as for humans - their opinion of productivity is literally anything that contributes to personal or cultural knowledge, so if your pastime is scrolling through Wikipedia rabbit holes or analyzing your favorite movie's subtext, you would be very likely to be considered a productive member of society to the Aureacanis.
Aureacanis are generally allowed to pursue whatever career they like, but it is considered a rite of passage for all of them to explore the ruins in some capacity during their youth. As they grow older, they are more likely to settle into careers as historians (analyzing the found text), or more skilled professions such as ritual leaders, doctors, lawmakers, or food gatherers. The more involved in the historical text the career is, the more honorable it is considered to be. Aureacanis who are daredevils often take up the career of exploring the ruin tunnels, which is a very prestigious and dangerous career, as the tunnels are prone to collapse. They are very superstitious about the undead, although they have never encountered one, and when someone disappears in the tunnels with no word it is often whispered in gossiping circles that they must have encountered a horde of undead and were consumed.
Overall, Aureacanis have a hard time with creativity. Most of their art, even down to recipes, are firm recreations from translated historical texts. They are quite amazed at the human ability to create new art and ideas, and to tell stories that aren't pulled directly from history. This is something they have seen in all other cultures they've had contact with, but they still have a very difficult time wrapping their heads around it. Most Aureacanis are likely to watch creative workings with interest and awe, but they are not likely to contribute.
Additionally, they do not connect very well to the idea of nature, as well, which may related to their lack of creativity. They do not believe in any level of natural animism - they only believe in the presence of souls in intelligent, and divine, life. They do hold beliefs over the sacredness of objects, but not of souls present in them - that is, they often believe that the intelligent life that has touched an object lives within it somehow. This belief is heightened by their natural psychometry, which allows them to vaguely see the past and history of any object. Shrines to historical gods and the concept of the past are a huge part of their religion, and the center of their civilization in the ruins is just full of a great deal of incense smoke at all times. Home shrines are not unusual, too, and they seem to have a variation on the Wiccan concept of sabbats and esbats based primarily on star positions rather than moon phases. That being said, they are quite interested in the idea that someone could believe in something like animism, and nature magic is a fascinating mystery to them. They are not likely to shy away from debates and discussions about religious belief.
Because they are living entities, when they are contacting our realm they are typically using telepathy or a form of astral travel.
Social Structure
The Aureacanis do have a single governmental body comprised of elected elders within the society. There are roughly 12-15 of them at any given time, and they are a very open and welcoming people who trust outsiders a great deal, mostly because they do not encounter outsiders often. They are eligible for a council position once they have reached 180 years of age, and once elected they will remain in their positions until they pass, at which point a new elder will be elected to replace them. There do not appear to be any concept of warring political parties - each person represents their own thoughts and ideas with full responsibility when they are campaigning for election. They meet near daily to discuss society decisions or to enact discipline upon unruly members of the society, but they are also available for providing advice as a group to any young Aureacanis who needs some guidance. The most severe punishment the Aureacanis can provide, such as for someone who has committed murder, is permanent exile to the tunnels, to collect information for the society until they perish.
Children are generally raised by their parents, with no formal childhood education. Their parents are expected to teach their children how to read, how to explore their magical abilities, teach them the proper historic rituals, and to take them to receive their intended implants at the appropriate ages. The young are released into society when they come of age to explore the ruins, and learn more about their history and tradition. Elders of all kinds can often be found communing with groups of youth all around their civilization, and they consider it to be their responsibility to teach the younger generations as much knowledge as they possibly can, although much of the culture's knowledge is stored in a digital database anyway.
The Aureacanis society would be considered quite socialist, with everyone supporting their neighbors and providing what anybody needs at any time, by way of food or otherwise. However, their society also places a great amount of weight on providing for yourself - foraging if you see a lack of food, making your own pouches or clothing if necessary, building and fixing up your own home if necessary or knowing who to go to for what assistance. They are equally as supportive as individuals as they are independent, and if someone is not pulling their own weight, they can often be pulled into some kind of mandatory job by council ruling.
The elder council's official stance at the moment is that there are no outliers or outsiders to Aureacanis society. They firmly believe that they are the only living creatures on their planet, and insist that no one ever has a desire to leave for their own purposes.
Children are generally raised by their parents, with no formal childhood education. Their parents are expected to teach their children how to read, how to explore their magical abilities, teach them the proper historic rituals, and to take them to receive their intended implants at the appropriate ages. The young are released into society when they come of age to explore the ruins, and learn more about their history and tradition. Elders of all kinds can often be found communing with groups of youth all around their civilization, and they consider it to be their responsibility to teach the younger generations as much knowledge as they possibly can, although much of the culture's knowledge is stored in a digital database anyway.
The Aureacanis society would be considered quite socialist, with everyone supporting their neighbors and providing what anybody needs at any time, by way of food or otherwise. However, their society also places a great amount of weight on providing for yourself - foraging if you see a lack of food, making your own pouches or clothing if necessary, building and fixing up your own home if necessary or knowing who to go to for what assistance. They are equally as supportive as individuals as they are independent, and if someone is not pulling their own weight, they can often be pulled into some kind of mandatory job by council ruling.
The elder council's official stance at the moment is that there are no outliers or outsiders to Aureacanis society. They firmly believe that they are the only living creatures on their planet, and insist that no one ever has a desire to leave for their own purposes.
In Companionship
In companionship, Aureacanis see a great deal of excitement and potential for learning and cultural exchange with humans. They are excited to learn about our history, and share theirs with us. They are also quite interested in the idea of sharing magical and religious traditions with humans, as well. They are likely to be great magical partners for anyone who shows an interest in historical or traditional witchcraft, as this is their specialty! Additionally, they are happy to cultivate any close friendships with humankind, although some level of interest in history or cultural exchange seems to be a basic requirement for most of them.
They are usually quite surprised by creativity on Earth, and even more so when it comes to history - for example, the musical Hamilton! was a shocking revelation for them, because they do not have a very musical world. That being said, they have grown to love music, finding much of it to be similar to their own personal chants, and some have begun tentatively involving rhythm in their practices. Overall, they are surprised by the cleanliness and modernity of much of Earth, as they have mostly updated and fixed up some portions of literal ruins that they live on. However, it is not offputting to them, and although they outdo us in some ways technologically, they consider us to be more advanced in other ways. If you are at all interested in archaeology or studying artifacts of the past, they are likely to be very excited to have that common ground.
Overall, Aureacanis are sure to be great companions for anyone interested in incorporating history and tradition into their craft, or who are very interested in learning about another culture.
They are usually quite surprised by creativity on Earth, and even more so when it comes to history - for example, the musical Hamilton! was a shocking revelation for them, because they do not have a very musical world. That being said, they have grown to love music, finding much of it to be similar to their own personal chants, and some have begun tentatively involving rhythm in their practices. Overall, they are surprised by the cleanliness and modernity of much of Earth, as they have mostly updated and fixed up some portions of literal ruins that they live on. However, it is not offputting to them, and although they outdo us in some ways technologically, they consider us to be more advanced in other ways. If you are at all interested in archaeology or studying artifacts of the past, they are likely to be very excited to have that common ground.
Overall, Aureacanis are sure to be great companions for anyone interested in incorporating history and tradition into their craft, or who are very interested in learning about another culture.
Please note that all The Dragon's Library Encyclopedia entries are based on my own personal UPG and may not reflect yours.
Aureacanis, in this incarnation, are exclusive to The Dragon's Library.
Aureacanis, in this incarnation, are exclusive to The Dragon's Library.