Spirits of the Sun-Circle: The Animal Clans

Posted: December 23, 2011 | Author: Dennis N. Santana | Filed under: Fluff/Inspiration, RPG, Spirits Of Eden |2 Comments »

Adelian thought is mostly ruled by humanoid spirits, but there are nine clans of Animal spirits that are widely venerated for their willingness to aid mortals. Spirits in the World of Adel take after common thoughts, and are therefore mostly humanoid in appearance. They take after the Adelians – though there are certain small touches of the supernatural to their appearance, their faces and hands and shape take after the human, like the Adelians’ do. Animal Spirits fell out of favor as Adelians became more civilized. In order to preserve their power, nine of the minor animal clans made pacts with the Adelians, allowing mortals to make contracts with animal spirits so that they can summon them and receive their aid directly.

Animal Spirits

Unlike “normal” Spirits, the Clan Spirits are quite animal-like. They are more “animal with human traits” than “human with animal traits.” Most Clan Spirits are just larger animals that can speak and grasp objects, and wear clothing. Some Clan Spirits are like humanoids with animal faces – snouts, strange eyes, whiskers and all. Their forms will vary depending upon their history and professions within the clan. Typically, the more legendary, illustrious and popular an animal Spirit, the more humanoid it is. Many younger animal spirits wish to perform great deeds in order to grow into people.

Animal Spirits are not to be confused with the actual animals, though Animal Spirits can talk to, and often shelter and employ, the normal animals they are associated with. Animal Spirits are much less numerous in general than their normal counterparts, and even the dumbest Animal Spirit possesses a level of humanoid intellect. According to the Animal Spirits, they owe their ascension to the Sun-Circle in the sky, the warming light under which Adelians prospered. Only animals that can reach for the Sun become Animal Spirits, they say, though this myth is left only half-explained. As such, Animal Spirits often adorn themselves with depictions of the Sun, and are summoned by using a circle symbolizing the Sun.

Summoners

The items needed to summon an animal spirit are both not terribly exotic but also not always common. To start with, each clan’s summoning spell has a certain recipe that the summoner most know. Often it is this bit of knowledge which eludes the common folk and prevents them from calling for aid, and some summoners guard this knowledge jealously – though if one chances upon an Animal Spirit, he or she might part with the recipe in exchange for a little favor.

Once the ingredients to the ritual are known, it must be cast in a summoning circle. The circle is drawn as the shape of a sun (known as the Suryagram), with four branches as though compass arrows shaped like triangular Prominences, called “Perisolars.” After drawing the Perisolars, another, smaller circle is drawn within the original Suryagram circle in order to divide it into two circles called “Mesosolars.” The recipes involve placing certain ingredients in certain Perisolars (East, West, North, South) and within the Mesosolars (Core Mesosolar, Coronal Mesosolar). Once the ingredients are properly located, the clan name, or the name of a specific clan individual, can be spoken, and the creature can appear voluntarily. It is impossible to summon someone who does not want to be summoned, but the spell can at least send them a message.

Certain ingenious mages, such as the genius of Bhashra Zuri Makavana, craft items which have the solar circle and certain ingredients stuck unto them, to summon an animal anywhere. It is easiest to do this with the Insect, Crow and Drake clans, for which the summoning recipe only involves solid objects such as certain ores, coins and materials. It is hardest to do this with the Dog, Cat and Fish clans which require perishable goods to be burnt up in the Suryagram.

Once the summoning is complete, negotiations often begin, though if a problem is urgent enough the Animal may have to save his or her summoner’s hide (and his or her own) before being able to negotiate anything.

Honorary Animals

Of the various animal spirits, Nine of the Animal Clans advance themselves by allowing mortals to contract them for aid. A mortal that wishes to join a clan can perform a task or quest after meeting a representative of it. If successful, the mortal can become an Honorary Animal of the clan: so for example, a Iomadi that completes the Rat Clan’s task and gains their favor becomes an Honorary Rat. This is a title, not an actual physical change, though some Adelians who feel like it wear some kind of identifier of their clan, such as using transformative magic to change their ears to resemble that of their animal clan, or wearing a hat that calls attention to their status. An Honorary member of a clan has more access to illustrious members of that clan than just any other summoner would, and is given priority and resources when he or she asks for help, over other summoners or supplicants. The Honorary member, however, must promise to feed and be kind to the clan’s animals for his or her life. So an Honorary Rat must never kill a rodent, and must feed whatever rodents he or she finds in need.

The Crow Clan

Caw! Known for thinking and tinkering! Caw! No not thieving! Caw! Definitely not!

Cunning, mischievous and daring, the Crow Clan are often the patrons and aides of mages and artificers, who summon them for second opinions, consultation, and technical aid. The Crow clan greatly enjoy the sleek and the new, and are often inventing and refining things nobody has even dreamed of – things even they themselves usually can’t explain well, and even more often can’t employ at all. Aside from artisans many of the Crows are also philosophers and scholars. They love debating new ideas and new systems and theories, often with little to no practical application. The Crow Clan values honoraries who are intelligent, regardless of their other merits (or lack thereof). They have a reputation for thievery of all forms, be it of property, of ideas, of quotations; it is said a Crow will steal practically anything if it will get a leg up on a rival that way.

The Rat Clan

Hey! Hey! Hey! Can’t we just forget my deservedly bad reputation for a bit?

Energetic, underhanded and cowardly, the Rat Clan are eyes and ears everywhere one would want them. The bosses of the Rat clans are known as “Dons” and they trade in cloaks and daggers. Valued by the unscrupulous for information and thievery, and sometimes even infiltration and assassination, the Rats in turn want their Honoraries to do favors, and to ask no questions about them. If you can’t work for the Don, then you had better pay the Don a hefty tribute for his precious time. However, most of the Rat clan, even most of the Dons, are meek at heart, ready to bolt when things go south. Rat clan soldiers and brigands only fight if they fear their leadership more than they fear their enemy, and can be hard to motivate to action.

The Frog Clan

Ribbb. We’re a veritable fountain of wisdom here. But first – a nap.

Slow and seemingly sleepy, the Frog clan are greatly in tune with the rhythm of the world, and can hear life itself whisper whenever they meditate – or so they say. The Frog Clan is a favorite of oblates and deeply religious folk, who seek after wisdom and enlightenment, bettering themselves through pacifism, meditation, yoga, and other spiritual arts practiced and preached by the Frog clan. The Frog Clan is one of the easier clans to keep satisfied. They require few boons, and want only to see their honoraries become better, wiser people. Daredevil action means very little to them.

The Insect Clan

Bzzt. There’s nothing we can’t do. Bzzt. If paid well enough.

Terse and unfriendly, the Insect clan are industrious, greedy and fairly suspicious of everyone they meet. They have a reason to be – insects are the bottom of the food chain after all, heavily eaten by the Adelians and by much of the animal kingdom. The Insect Clan knows it is unreasonable to ask that insects not be killed by honoraries. Instead they only ask that the honorary refrain from eating insects, a common food for Adelians. The Insect Clan are soldiers and workers, and the only thing they value is pay. Their mercenary nature makes them a somewhat popular clan for the lazy summoner who needs bodyguards and labor and has treasure to burn in getting it. Food and gold are the only gods acknowledged by the Insects.

The Cat Clan

Fate has brought you herrrr at a prrrfect time. Ourrr meeting was furrrtold.

Mysterious and often inscrutable, the Cat Clan keeps a smiling face even as it doles out terrible news. The Cat Clan are known for divination and the esoteric arts. They are often the partners of diviners, telemeters, astrologers and others who want greater insight into things unknown – the mortal mind, mortal fate, and mortal secrets. Whether by turning cards, throwing dice, casting paw into a pond or inhaling hallucinogenic substances, the Cats can glean insight from the mystical. A Cat does not usually glean a whole truth, but it also never tells a total lie.

The Dog Clan

Ruff! I’d be more than happy to help! Rrr. We’ll have a great time!

Loyal and reliable, the Dog clan are somewhat childish animal spirits who strive to spread happiness and do good out of the kindness of their hearts. Dogs value all kinds of people, so much so they can sometimes be tricked into doing bad things just out of the sheer misplaced trust that they will place on an impressive summoner. Dogs are best suited for athletic work, though they are not as strong as the brutish Drakes. They’re not all that cut out for intellectual labor, and magic flies right over their heads. They are fairly cheap to hire, wanting only food, fun and a suitably impressive task to accomplish.

The Fish Clan

Glub. You don’t need arms and feet to count nothin’. Glub. I’ll have yer numbers.

The Fish Clan can breathe air, though they still prefer to be in water, and are a fin-dragging bunch who know money and the trends of money better than anyone else. Fish have presided over the economy since the beginning of Adel, or so they claim. The first currencies of Adel came from the sea – the tribal Adelians of the first millennium used seashells and fish as commodities to trade with their neighbors. The Fish clan can be called upon by a summoner to deduce trends, to inspect goods, and to tally wealth. They also know the tax codes of every nation, though how is anyone’s guess. Of course, they are also fairly good fighters and athletes in their own environment, and can aid in the exploration of the sea.

The Drake Clan

Ssst. I can handle any task not involving thinking of any sort. Hate that stuff.

Brutish and stubborn, the Drake clan contain the small lizards as well as the seemingly out of place Drakes (Adelian word for dinosaurs) that inhabit the land. Drakes outright detest complexity and have contempt of mages and scholars, unless they shut up and let the Drake smash things. Drakes want battle and mayhem, and though they’ll accept jobs to patrol areas or guard people, they will grow restless for a good scrap if kept out of the fray for long. They are the most physically and martially competent animals, but they can be unreliable, and are often ignorant to any sort of tactics.

The Finch Clan

I see, a poet, cheep! How magnificent, oh how I can feel the velvet voice already!

Grandiose and creative, the Finches represent songbirds everywhere and are the companions of bards and poets, of singers and writers, of painters and performers. They act as muse and artist all in one. Violence does not suit them – though their silver tongues and fast wings can get them out of such troubles. What they truly want out of honoraries or summoners is a glorious artistic vision, something beautiful and inspiring to behold and be a part of. Whether it appeal to tradition or grasp for a bold new trend, the Finches wish to nurture it, and perhaps, in their own songs and legends, to be able to say they were a part of it, and claim partial credit for all the songs sang and the portraits painted in Adel.

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