Beastfolk, occasionally referred to as Cursed are mortal beings that resemble a cross between a human and a beast. Though beastfolk could hypothetically resemble any animal, some varieties are far more common than others, earning them their own name and classification. Beastfolk often inherit traits from their animal lookalike, granting them special abilities or talents.
There are two core types of beastfolk: dormant and awoken. Dormant beastfolk possess only minimal beast-like attributes which may include patches of fur, animal ears, a prehensile tail and rarely a fully transformed beast limb or even head. Awoken beastfolk however, more closely resemble their beast counterpart, albeit with an anatomy which still appears similar to that of a human.
Though beastfolk are generally considered separate from humans, referring to them as entirely different would be misleading. In truth, all beastfolk are descended from humans who transformed into their beastly forms. The earliest cursed have been traced to shortly after the Divine War, when residual chaotic energy began to warp the appearances of human populations over many generations.
Many viewed the sudden appearance of the cursed as bad luck, blaming them for countless misfortunes outside of their control. The cursed have been targeted by many groups over the years, usually with harmful or even murderous intent. Public sentiment towards the cursed has greatly improved following the rise of the Aetern Empire, which saw them as equal citizens. The cursed have made a full integration into many human societies, though some still prefer the nomadic lifestyle which was common for their kind before the empire.
