Connected Beast

What are Connected Beasts?

Connected or partnered beasts are animals which live on Krea that have gained sentiance through a spell known as The Spell of Connection, used by another with sentiance. These animals are able to telepathically communicate with their partner by sharing the will of their thoughts through their shared souls, and also gain the ability to travel into a pocket dimention.
Not all connected beasts call their human 'Master'. Though it is more common for them to call their human 'master' or 'mistress', there are plenty of cases where they call their human by their name or even a nickname or title. It really depends on the personality of the beast and their human.

How does one get a Connected Beast?

Connected Beasts are gotten through using the Spell of Connection on a wild animal. Using the spell on another sentiant creature, such as a human or an animal that is already a connected beast to someone else will not last long. However, a human can use the spell of connection on another human or the other connected beast to change ownership.
Because of humans and connected beast's sentience level, the spell will only last a moment until the soul fights it off. During that moment, the three are loosely connected, and the creature can move over to their new owner's side, thus changing hands. This prevents theft, as all three have to consent to the trade. This also ensures all three are present, conscious, and aware.
The only other way to trade hands is if the previous owner died. In that case the creature turns back to being wild, the piece of its soul that gave it the magic and sentiance no longer there. However, it will have its memory and simply act like a tamed animal, and be smarter than its normal wild counterparts.

What is the Difference Between Tamed and Connected Animals?

If a creature is tamed then that means they are still wild, but are friendly to humans. Tamed beasts are generally animals that live in or around cities on their own and are either not afraid of humans or used for meat, and are usually left alone as they will not harm people.
Connected Beasts, unlike Tamed ones, have sentiance and a partner/owner. They are not wild in the slightest and are generally really friendly towards people. Connected beasts are sometimes treated like pets, but for the most part are treated more like a family member.
Because many partnered beasts are efficient and useful to use for travel or hunting, most people use them instead of vehicles such as their boats which are easily damaged in the waters of Krea. When people travel on land, they normally travel by foot or by riding a partnered beast. If they do not have a partnered beast, they can always rent one too. Carts and carriages are often too if one has too large a load, but usually only for merchants.
There are also some companies that will specialize in breeding creatures and sometimes even bond with every one they own, only to sell or rent them to other people. However these companies generally have strict procedures if the animals are connected and the children are only sold off once reaching a certain age much like how a human's child will leave home to get their own job and family. If the animals are not bonded then they are more carefully watched, but the children can be rented or sold whenever.
People in Krea will also not use the spell of connection on livestock they plan to sell off or kill for food/money. Even if they are not selling the parent and only selling the children, and even though the baby would not have sentience like their parent, the parents generally bond deeper with their breeding partners and children unlike their wild counterparts and do not appreciate the knowledge of their children being raised to be sold off or killed. They will generally rebel in most cases against their master if they were used for this.
In some countries, this behavior, even if the creature is ok with it, is akin to slavery and either heavily taxed or penalized. Most farms or places dealing in meat farming will not bond with their creatures to avoid the issues that come with it, however those that do do it only because it is safer and easier, despite the legalities.

Connected Beast's Abilities and Effects

Pocket Dimension

Connected creatures can enter a "special pocket dimension" from anywhere by creating a ripple portal on any surface they travel into. Though connected creatures can enter their portals from wherever, they can only pop out within range of their master (Generally within 8 feet), however it is of their will not their master's that it appears so masters cannot force them in if the creature does not want to or remove them if they don't want to come. Masters can, however, call for their creatures when they are within their "special pocket dimension", however cannot hold a conversation with them while they're inside.
No one knows where their animal bonded partners go to when they enter their portals only they can access. If someone were to ask their partner, the poor animal would be unable to respond, as there is no words in the human language to explain what's on the other side. It would be like trying to explain to a blind person what the color blue looks like. The "secret world" which creatures enter can act as a safe haven, however creatures who are in there still need to come out to eat and drink, however not to use the restroom or sleep.
The most clarification on record as to where they went was by a man who studied the wonders of the universe named Sylche, in which it was stated that:

"It is a realm of peace, where desires leave the mind, time seems to fade away and you can walk forever in a field that stretches to the horizon; as if you have died and passed on to paradise. It is another world. Much like heaven, but more natural, with no people. A place where we can be alone or be with others as we please, a freedom to do whatever, be whatever, to dwell with the magics and drift off into infinite bliss."

Telepathy and Communication

Their range for telepathic communication with their master is a very short range (Usually within 15 feet max), however the creatures can feel when their master is in distress or pain outside of that range. Connected Beasts can also only use telepathy with their master and other connected beasts that are connected to their master, though it is not true telepathy but more-so their soul's connection interpreting their will and transmitting the voice into the other's head. This way no translation is needed and the intent of the words is not lost in miscommunication, as the will of the words will translate both the words and intent.
Connected beasts are also able to communicate and understand fellow members of their kind better than before, however because of the difference in sentience it oftentimes causes issues with getting points across (Imagine trying to explain adult issues to a 4 year old).
Connected beasts cannot communicate with other creatures that are not their kind in general, even if the other creatures are also connected beasts, unless they are tamed by the same person. If the connected beasts are tamed by different people, they can understand each other only as well as, for example, someone from the US who only speaks English would to someone from Japan who only speaks Japanese.
However despite that, connected beasts can understand the Kreainese language to an extent through the connection with their tamer, even when certain concepts don't translate very well. Despite not being able to speak it themselves, they can still usually understand other humans that speak to them by picking up the meaning of the words through the connection with their master.

Lifespan

Because of the connection of the soul, connected beasts's lifespans can change to be closer to their human master.
Animals with short lifespans are doubled or sometimes tripled because of their connection to get them closer to their human master. Older living beasts (Ones that live 200+ years), however, live only half as long. Ones that live on average the same lifespan as humans, however, don't generally get extensions.
No connected beast has gotten more than a triple life extension.