Arcana Species

In the subsequent centuries following the Collapse, radical changes have been observed among the local wildlife and fauna. While it can be likened to a process of evolution, the true nature of the alterations is yet to be agreed upon. At first, the Animalia received simple changes such as heightened intelligence that proved difficult to observe. They soon developed sapience, and a number of species branched in their evolution. They are referred to with the suffixes "Arcana {Minor}" and "Arcana {Major}", representing the suspected influence the Collapse had upon their genetic code.
Arcana subspecies are considered Rare and emergent, having only truly emerged in the last few decades. They are notably reclusive in nature, particularly due to early incidents with them being mistaken for common beasts and monsters, leading to much paranoia within their communities towards the other civilized societies of Erra.

Subspecies

Arcana {Minor}

Species that have evolved to be considered of the Minor class retain most of the physical form of their Naturalis selves, including the majority of their evolved traits. An example of this would be Strigiformes Arcana {Minor}, commonly known as the Owl family. They retain much of their abilities in Flight, excellent Vision, and ability to pinpoint the direction of sounds, and hold much of the same appearance of traditional Owls, yet are significantly larger in stature and have developed the ability of speech, and are able to manipulate the tips of their wings to aid in some (but not many) menial tasks such as Writing or operating simple mechanisms, such as doors.

Arcana {Major}

Species with the Major class are almost universally Humanoid in nature. They have evolved to their current forms later than their Minor brethren and lack some of the racial traits of their natural counterparts. However, they are able to integrate into formal civilization with greater ease due to their adaptations. They still maintain appearance traits that link them to their original races, such as tails, feathers or fur, and some variations of Arcana {Major} can even retain physical appendages such as Wings.
Notably, while all genetic information and research on Major class animals suggests they are directly related to their Minor and Naturalis counterparts, the evolutionary processes were not observed, leading to much debate on the true origins of the Major class.

History

Urushee

The first Arcana species to be recorded was the Lupus Arcana {Minor}, also known as the Wolf, in 1023. Discovered by scavengers Simon Tully (Human) and Throdrid Bonedigger (Dwarf) hiking the wilderness towards the capitol of Urushee, the individual known as Nith would attempt to approach them. Ultimately, they were unable to establish significant trust until wounds acquired previously by the Wolf would prove fatal.
Sightings would occur in the years following with increasing frequency, in both the Enphune region and the perimeters of Ionin as well. Creatures observed in Urushee's dense forests and plains were largely benign in nature, evolving from local wildlife such as Owls, Foxes, Wild Cats, etc. Tensions similar to those noted in the recounting of Nith's history, however, were frequent in most organised societies due to the unnatural size of the creatures, and the lack of understanding regarding the origins of their intelligence and ability to communicate in common dialects.
Not all Arcana {Minor} creatures were benevolent towards other species, or kind in nature, however, much like members of any race in Erra. Some would cause isolated incidents were they assailed travellers for their belongings, wounding or even potentially killing them in the process, and with no formal societal structure between the Arcana creatures, many of these actions were similarly unknown to each other outside of a personal level.
Ultimately, this would culminate in a deadly attack on the Urushee settlement Humigri in 1031, which would see large reprisals from a combined force of an Elven mob who sought out and destroyed the identified homes of Arcana beasts, including those beyond the scope of the initial perpetrators. By the time an emissary from Srenluna could quell the riots, a significant portion of the Arcana population had been culled.
Outside of small encampments, where steady bonds could be made over extended periods of time, Arcana {Minor} subspecies were yet treated with much caution and suspicion for incidents such as these, and would not integrate into settlements of their own volition due to fears of further persecution for many years. The passage of time has helped to close much of these wounds, however, and some Arcana {Minor} individuals have chosen to take residence since.
Arcana {Major} species are far less common than their Minor counterparts in Urushee, where their presence and circumstances leading to their creation remains unknown. While similar hesitancy was at first displayed upon the first of their kind being discovered in approx. 1123, limited numbers of individuals now regularly participate as members of the societies.

Ionin

In Ionin, interactions between the species and other humanoid races have been limited, as they for the most part were discovered to be living inside the irradiated exclusion zone. Typically, these races subsist of creatures that were previously well adapted to living in harsh, unforgiving climates, such as Lizards and Desert Rats, and had evolved to be able to resist the harmful effects of the Arcane Irradiation that plagues the area. Initially discovered in 1083, these creatures subsist on scavenging artifacts and resources from the ruins of Ioninon cities and towns, some of which they now trade with scholars and researchers seeking to understand more of the incident that befell the nation.
While they remain distrustful and hesitant to fully engage with outside races due to their hostile lifestyles, which consist of much in-fighting and warfare among competing tribes, we have since been able to gain an insight as to the status of the Exclusion Zone. An entirely independent ecosystem has since formed in the centuries following the disaster, where large tribes of Arcana creatures frequently come into conflict with each other, contesting for precious resources such as food and water, or while hunting the local surviving wildlife, which has mutated and adapted under these same conditions. In particular, Ionin is host to what is believed to be the largest population of Arcana {Major} creatures, first sighted in 1159, leading to theories that Arcane Irradiation may have some part to play in the emergence of the Humanoid beasts.
Currently, it is believed that the Arcana {Major} members of the species living in the Exclusion Zone remain dominant and in control of the major tribes and factions found inside.

Civilisation

Urushee

Due to the distrust that remains between the common humanoid races and the {Minor} Arcana species, particularly in residual effects of the incidents involving Humigri in 1031, most orders of the species in Urushee have primarily distanced themselves from other civilisations, often times rejecting contact and warding off would-be visitors. As such, they have gained a reputation for being exceptionally gated-off from the wider world.
Most {Minor} Arcana societies reside in habitats not unlike that of their unaffected counterparts, but are more likely to form larger groups, packs or tribes, dependent upon the nature of the species itself. In Urushee, this means forest dens, caves, and areas of dense trees. They either live almost exclusively among their own kin, or form mixed communities with Arcana species of similar dispositions to themselves for the purpose of mutual benefit. How elaborate the structures formed to organize their territory varies on a case by case basis, but they will typically form perimeters with markings such as fencing, and divide areas within to have specific functions, such as communal spaces, hunting organisation, or homes and abodes, much like common Humanoid civilisation. The type of settlement can also affect this; It is known that, depending upon the predominant species that formed the group, there exist Civil, Tribal, Nomadic, and Feudal societies.
An example of a mixed community would be the Haguelun Halmet, a Civil society founded upon Horticulture and Hunting, where various species of Strigiformes, Lupus, Vulpes and some small numbers of Ursidae Arcana {Minor} live. In this small society, each race plays roles much akin to traits that have frequently been observed by common Humanoid species to belong to their unaffected counterparts. For instance, the Lupus Arcana {Minor} serve as hunters, aided by the Vulpes, while Ursidae largely reside at Haguelun, guarding the residence from any potential threats or unwanted individuals. The Strigiformes, along with some number of Vulpes, serve to organize the village at large, chronicle the history of their kin, educate newborn individuals, and other such civil tasks.
The story of Nith living among regular wolves is generally considered an Outlier in terms of Arcana {Minor} lifestyles, as they often opt for a policy of non-interference with the lives of unaffected wild creatures to as much of an extent is possible.
The majority of Arcana {Major} individuals have historically opted to separate themselves from existing {Minor} class civilisations, opting to integrate into larger, diverse cultures and attempt to undertake lives similar to that of other humanoid species. This is most frequently observed in Urushee where, despite their limited numbers, they take on simple roles within larger communities that enable them to sustain themselves quietly and sustainably. Gatherings of {Major} species are somewhat rare as a result, mostly remaining within their families, preferring to live among their familiar surroundings - Primarily due to a societal distrust towards their kind as a result of their unknown origins.
There is, however, one notable settlement of Arcana {Major} individuals located on the border of Urushee's mountain region and Enphune. Consisting largely of refugee individuals that have fled over time from the brutal conflicts that dominate the region, the residents of Salvation are unrecognized by the Urusheen government due to existing social pressures, but they are known to regularly conduct business with nearby towns and cities, trading manual labour and materials they recover from the harsh climates. Their numbers comprise of multiple races - Lupus, Ursidae, Canis, Tigris, Strigiformes, Chiroptera, and Leporidae Arcana are among the most notable counts of species to reside there.

Ionin

Most Arcana societies that reside in Ionin's irradiated lands follow either a Tribal or Nomadic social heirarchy. Typically required to scour the lands for the resources required to survive, settlements that are able to remain in one location for extended periods of time are highly sought after, and a result become the most dominant tribes in their respective region if they choose to either conquer rival clans, or align themselves peacefully. Infighting and power struggles among these are reportedly common as a result and the social landscape of Ionin resembles that of primitive Humanoid cultures.
Possessing superior strength and capabilities to implement the technologies and tools salvaged from the ruins of the once-distinguished nation state, Arcana {Major} species typically hold the leadership roles of Ionion tribes, with their {Minor} counterparts acting in limited roles that comprise the majority of the labourous tasks required for maintenance. Otherwise, they will act as scouts, scavengers, or in dangerous communication roles with other tribes.

Enphune

(Writer's Note: Due to the ongoing hostile and unstable climate of Enphune, information on its social landscape remains limited. Much of what is written in excerpts such as this are made from anecdotal accounts, the veracity of which cannot be defined.)
In Enphune, Arcana species are often subjugated by the myriad of warring factions that comprise the modern day wastes of the once-might Empire. With the excesses of banditry and gang warfare that occurs in the region, fledgling Arcana creatures that were members of livestock species in particular were captured and enslaved to perform menial labour, while those that were ignored either opt to settle in sympathetic villager settlements, where they are afforded protection from the various Altered creatures that stalk the land, or live harsh, nomad lives among their kin. Much like the majority of surviving wildlife in Enphune, they frequently find themselves travelling far and never stopping to settle in one area for extended periods of time.
Resulting from this, Arcana {Major} species have been noted to have a far easier time adapting to their environments, despite being outcasts from what little civilization remains, with rumors of some rival bandit gangs either bringing them into their ranks to use whatever Animalia traits they still have to their advantage, or being comprised of them almost entirely.