Awakened Animals

Inspired by C.S. Lewis.

The world of Orr is woven with magic. Every tree, every stone and every person is held together by seams of arcana at the most fundamental levels of creation. This tapestry of power that courses through all things is sometimes threaded more elegantly than others, either by chance or by some mysterious design. These anomalies have been the birth of sorcerers, the appearance of Tieflings, the growth of rare and unique fauna, and of course the awakening of animals.
Awakened Animals are physically indistinguishable from their 'slumbering' counterparts, but their minds have been imbued with a deep and insightful intelligence as well as near immortality. There is a great deal of historical records that indicate the Awakened Animals might have been the first peoples of Orr. Before there was man, mer or monster, the chosen beasts of the world opened their eyes and thought deeply upon the meanings of life. Awakening is most common in mammalian animals, but has been represented in other species such as a fowl, serpents and reptiles. The reason for this is speculated as being due to mammalian species already possessing more advanced faculties for higher thought, but the truth is that none know the reason with any certainty.

Civilization and Culture

History

Awakened Animals have been recorded in the annals of Orr's history before the inception of writing. Diabolists of Dalair's Magisterium who have summoned devils from the pits of Hades to inquire about the ancient, primordial eras of the world have recanted their existence long before the dawn of men. The Fey, similarly ancient beings in the multiverse, also possess tales and even stories of conflicts with the Awakened Animals of Orr before the falling of the heaven-dragon. Some historians speculate that much of what is considered the unique culture of the world's various regions may in fact have been handsewn by the Awakened and passed down to other mortals once their own species 'came of age' to understand it. Perhaps this is also why Awakened Animals have always been welcomed and venerated in every society on Orr. Even in the blood-drenched sands of Infidia, the Sultans dare not take an Awakened Animal as a slave.
Their kind are exceptionally rare, but they are also nearly immortal beings. The scarcity of their kind means that they possess no homeland, civilizations or unique customs unto themselves, nor do they reproduce. Often the Awakened Animals will live among the wilds and the wilderness, secluded and sequestered from mortal-kind, but some have earned boundless prestige and reputation among mortals. With their uncanny lifespans, Awakened Animals that choose to participate in the affairs of the world often become grand-masters of many skills and trades such as the legendary swordsmith, Quon.

Quon