Dire Animals

In all sapient beings, there is a metaphysical phenomenon that occurs, causing what is known as the difference between Heroes and Commoners. In a similar way, there is also a metaphysical differentiation for animals. It is this metaphysical difference that causes what is referred to as Dire animals. In many cases, they look almost identical to their standard counterparts, except in that they are notably anywhere between two to five times as large and strong. To the untrained, any attack from a dire animal could mean certain death.
The Dire trait makes itself apparent in an incredibly wide range, including everything from wolves to lions to fish, and even insects. Dire animals are found all across the world, and follow the same social structures as their more common counterparts, but it has also been noted that these animals co-habitat their environments. It is not unusual to see, for example, a pack of wolves that also includes a dire wolf. This is, however, also very dependent on the type of social structure the animals have. In rare cases, individual dire animals have been cited as having developed unusual natural abilities not found in common animals.
While many attempts have been made to domesticate these creatures, their increased ferocity, and metaphysical and physical power have made it explicitly impossible to do. Druids are equally incapable of communicating with them as they do with common animals. As well, dire animals show a great resistance or immunity to any form of mental influence or control. However, through extensive and dedicated effort, individual dire animals can be trained and taught, but even still, remain wild animals that must always be approached with caution no matter how familiar the trainer may be. Both prey and predator dire animals have shown an increased ferocity, making any found in the wild a dangerous encounter.