Chimera
"I remember the first time I saw one of them, I thought we were being attacked by a monster. But no, it was a Chimera. He walked into my bar, bigger than the biggest man I've ever seen, and a lot more menacing. I couldn't tell if I was talking to man or beast until he asked for a drink."
-Tonohil, Laskarian Bartender
Chimeras are the rarest of the common races, Rarely seen out of the country of Carivian. Chimeras are considered by many to not even be humanoid, to be the halfway point between humanoid and monster, belonging in neither category. Unlike other humanoid races, the Chimeras come from the magical mutation of Beasts in the ancient days of creation. They are well known for their clan structure, their ability to adapt, and their diversity.
Common Traits: perhaps the only common trait all Chimeras share with eachother is their uniquity. No two Chimeras look exactly the same. Due to their unique Grafting ability, a Chimera can look almost completely different overnight. Though certain features always stay, so no matter how much they graft, a Chimera is recognizeable to its own kind and outsiders who study the Chimera. Chimera's Grafting is an innate magical ability that allows Chimera to Transmute their own flesh, changing its appearance and even the material its made of. They can use this to give themselves animal traits, or even change minor things such as the color of their hair. More than any other race, Chimeras can modify their appearance.
History: The beginning of the Chimeras is a highly debated topic. Some say that out of all the current Humanoid races, the Chimeras were the last ones to be formed. Whereas others claim they were the first. The ancient history of the Chimeras is largely unknown, only passed through oral history through the clans, though some things are undisputed. The first is that the Chimeras originate from the Beasts of the land, though some claim that they were born from the Mother's Meddling and others that they were born as a consequence to magic being used on the landscape. The second is that since their birth, Chimeras gathered together in tightly knit Clans as families. The third is that for hundreds of years, these clans battled eachother for Territory, Power, and Resources. Eventually an uneasy peace came over the clans, only due to the meddling of other races. They were largely ignored by the Ancient Draconian empire, but when the Elvish Entheas Empire Rose the Chimeras first saw war. The Chimera Clans united at that time, and lost the war. The Elves took advantage of the Chimeras Adaptation abilities and used them for a variety of things, especially in the deserts that the Elves didn't want to deal with. The Chimeras would join in the massive rebellion against the Elvish Entheas Empire, helping overthrow them and claiming the Desert for themselves, creating their own nation there named The United Clans of Carivian. It's commonly accepted that the control over the Chimeras had 3 really major effects over them. One, it caused most Chimeras to adapt to the Desert Climate, due to them largely being used there, and also causing them to claim the desert as their own land after the wars. Two, it changed the physical age of adulthood to 16, due to the constant training that the Elves put young Chimeras through. Three, it changed the hundreds of clans with only a few dozen members into a handful of clans with thousands of Members. After claiming the Desert as their own, each Chimera Clan claimed parts of it, and created a city where each of the clans were neutral. They agreed that they could never let their kind go through such pain again, so they united to create The United Clans of Carivian. Since then, many battles and wars have happened, but Carivian has stayed as the primary home for Chimeras to this day.
Culture: Chimeras are based off of the clan structure to this day. The family is based off of the clan you are in, and although you may have connections to other clans, your clan is the most important to yourself. In the past, the Clans were more focused on family, but nowadays the Clans represent different fields of work one may have, with each clan having different rules, norms, and tasks. One may switch clans pretty easily. Not being in a clan is often seen as a sign of shame within the Chimeras. It usually means that you were kicked out of you clan or you were born to someone kicked out of a clan. But if it's the second one, then that means you can usually get into a clan with relative ease. Even if you are not in Carivian, members of a clan that are high enough rank will usually go around on pilgrimages to help Chimeras out in the world get into a clan. The way to rise in a clan matters on which clan you're in, but it usually involves achievements related to the role your clan plays. The Discentis (head) of a clan is born into the title.
Due to their grafting, the Chimeras put very little value on looks, with the ability to change how they look with ease it doesn't seem to matter. The way Chimera names work is that when they are born, the two parents will combine their names to make a childhood name for their child (if they have more than one at one time, then they will combine their names in different ways). When a Chimera reaches 16, they will pick a name to use as their primary name, and their childhood name will stay as a secondary name. Instead of having a family name, Chimeras will oftentimes end their names with "of the __ clan". If your parents are of two different clans, then you take on the clan of the higher ranked parent or the parent you live with.
It's not uncommon for Chimeras to have close relationships with beasts or monsters. They have an easy time taming them, and creatures that other species would kill on sight can sometimes be seen being rode by a Chimera.
Religion: Chimeras usually worship The Mother, but not as a goddess of Monsters and Evil, but as a Goddess of change. They are not the most religious of species, usually putting it second to survival.
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