Beast Type Care

How to Care for Your Beast Type Knight

"It's not that I'm annoyed or anything, I just wish you'd told me sooner. I have no problem doing this for you, Applejack."

The constant crackling of the fireplace and tapping of rain against the window nestled in the stretches of silence as Amber worked, occasionally broken by the heavy thunk of a branch or apple atop the hardwood floor and the rustling of leaves that followed suit whenever she was confident enough to make a cut; her tail clumsily flipping pages of hastily checked out books on gardening, pruning, and apple trees intermixed with the clattering of the different tools she assumed she needed. All while the only reliable light source in the room was a lantern she hung up on a higher branch.

"It's not that I don't think you would, it's just that the orchard guy I usually go to left to visit family in Littlekeep for the month. I didn't think it'd be that big of a deal...or that it'd get so uncomfortable so fast. Sorry we had to do it inside, I'll clean up everything when you're done."

"You're worrying too much over this. It's nothing, really. Next time you can't go to your orchard guy just ask me. Or better yet, just have me do it so you don't have to pay anyone anymore," she reassured them while brushing leaves and sawdust off her clothes, "all these apples on the floor are payment enough. In fact, when I'm done and you start cleaning up, I think I'll bake us an apple pie or two."

The silence this time around was brief before Applejack's giggling jostled the branches still attached to them, swinging the lantern around with it and making the room one big pile of dancing shadows. And a moment after their little burst of happiness, a sigh of relief.

"I'm really lucky to have you, Amber."

"Love you too, Applejack."

To say that Knights with Beast Type Affinities mirror their discovery is no exaggeration. Honestly it's a bit of an understatement. Parents of these Knights having a rude awakening to this fact is a tale as old as time, as is the frantic research that follows. You see, Knights of this type need to be raised/treated as if they really were the subject of their Affinity. Now, it's here that it should probably be specified, this is in addition to raising them normally, not one or the other. Just as dogs or cats need to be groomed, as reptiles need to shed, as plants need to be pruned and birds need to be preened, Beast Type Knights need this care as well.

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Plant Knights

Plant-based Knights are unique in the sense of how their Affinities might develop over time, whether or not they become the plant or just facilitate the growth of it, for instance. (Another way to put it, is a Tree Knight made completely out of wood or is there just a tree growing out of them?) Either way, the plant portion of their bodies are still very much plant and ideally should be trimmed and pruned to stay as healthy as possible. In addition to removing dead or diseased branches and promoting growth, some do it for appearances sake. Did you know that plants could be braided?

The first question that comes to people's minds is whether or not it hurts. According to most Plant Knights, while cutting the wrong parts may hurt just a smidge, nine times out of ten it's no different from trimming nails or getting a haircut. In some cases, like dead or unhealthy branches, removing them usually feels good. For Tree Knights, especially those who bear fruit, the weight of it all can be cumbersome even with bodies adapted to carry it; the relief that comes with trimming is just heavenly.

Animal Knights

Animal-based Knights have an easier time with this as most people already know and assume that a Dog Knight will probably shed, as opposed to people usually needing to go out of their way to learn plant care. But given the diversity we're working with here the ways in which animal Knights need to take care of themselves can get rather broad. Not to mention how they might translate from animal to person.

For instance, some Knights based on a self cleaning animal like a cat, while they usually retain those weird, barbed tongues, would probably rather not lick themselves or others in public. (But at the same time you might see a Cat Knight licking themselves and think "Yeah that tracks") While normal birds rely on eachother to preen the impossible to reach feathers around their head, a bird Knight might have no issue with it. Although for them preening their back with regular humanoid arms would probably pose a challenge. It's probably best not to imagine what a reptile Knight's shedded skin suit looks like or if it would make an interesting set of armor.

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Personal Significance

As with anything, the importance this has depends on the person. A lot of Knights, animal-based especially, prefer to handle it themselves. If they must have someone else do it then they might prefer to treat it as nothing more than going to a barber for a hair cut. Many Plant Knights, who often are unable to safely and/or properly do it themselves, will actually seek out gardeners and botanists and the like to handle the pruning and trimming for them, which makes perfect sense. (The Fruit Tree Knights have been known to offer said fruit as payment, you can take that as either a warning or an endorsement)

At the same time, however, some like to see it as something deeper. More personal. Like finding comfort in having a loved one take care of them. Some going out of their way to teach their friends or partners and treating it as a sign of trust, which is especially common in Guilds. No longer feeling the need (Or sadly, the potential shame) to groom themselves in private as they grow more comfortable with someone. From this perspective, it's a chance to be vulnerable; serving as another way for their relationships, platonic or romantic, to grow even closer than they were before. And if there's one thing Knights are good at, it's growing closer with the people they care about.

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Beast Type Primer

When it comes to Affinities, Beast Type is by far the most predictable. Assuming you know what caused The Discovery in the first place, that is. These Knights discover their Affinities through the great outdoors. Beasts, animals, plants, or environments in general all fall under this type.

Knights with Beast Type Affinities evolve to mirror their discovery. This evolution includes most aspects like anatomy, behaviors, and/or diet, but within reason. They're still humanoid first and foremost, so rest assured that Beast Types won't become feral or root themselves into the ground.

A Mouse Knight won't shrink, a Cat Knight won't try to hunt the Mouse Knight, a Dolphin Knight won't instinctively commit vile atrocities, and a Hamster Knight won't try to brutally kill itself at seemingly every opportunity. But at the same time these are all still regular people so they very well may try to do all that out of "free will" or something like that.

Aside from the convenience of 3 categories that sum up to "Profession", "World", and "Magic", the reason plants and environments fall under "Beast" is more semantic than anything. A Tree Knight is closer to being an Treant than a regular tree. Even if they have the ability to photosynthesize or a lack of actual humanoid organs, the fact that they're a hybrid is enough to justify their inclusion in the type. But this is also why sub-types exist.

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