Animals

Animals of Varathia are extremely intelligent and have the ability to speak the human language. They are ruled by the great golden fox but are forbidden to speak the common language.

Introduction
Varathia is the only place in the world with a distinction between beasts and creatures, the collective races of intelligent animals with the ability to speak and cast magic. They are ruled by the golden fox, an old spirit who has guided all Varathian animals for millennia. They lived in harmony with humans for hundreds of years, but when the animal hunts of Olmnar began in the past few decades, the two kingdoms broke into war. The great fox forbade the animals from speaking in the common language, and the rift between the two races has only grown further.

Relationship with the Great Golden Fox
Over five thousand years ago, the spirit fox Eleya took a great interest in the animals of Varathia, who were much more intelligent than those of the other continents. She was outspoken about the unfair treatment that the earthen animals faced while she was in the magical plane. She eventually made a pact with all the plants and animals in the region to join with them in a symbiotic relationship that would help her maintain a physical body, in exchange for her offering them protection. In her earthen body, she took the form of a fox with gleaming, golden fur, and came to be known as the great golden fox. The animals consider her their protector, shepherd, and teacher. They all aspire to be like her.

The Still Winter and Aftermath
In the still winter war six hundred years ago, the animals allied with the humans and the lessathi against the stillwaters. While the events of the war are largely a mystery, the animals and their allies came out victorious. Eleya and Eiden, the leader of the humans, united their kingdoms and led the island into an era of peace and prosperity. Their followers lived in paradise; food, shelter, warmth, each one of these could be achieved through magical means. Together, the two leaders created a spell to conjure food out of air. The spirit fox offered it as a gift to her followers, and the animals lived without want.

Peace was achieved throughout all of Varathia through a pact signed by the three great powers of the island: Eiden, Eleya, and Tyrath, the leader of the monster races. Under their treaty, all of the races agreed to refrain from attacking one another. The inhabitants of Varathia lived in harmony for hundreds of years.

The Animals Hunts
As the years passed, the humans of Varathia fell into disarray under the loose leadership of Eiden. Believing that humans were inherently good-natured, he continuously led them back onto the right path. But as his expectations were increasingly betrayed, he snapped, and began to encourage their monstrous acts, saying that they deserved their fate. Forced to witness this deterioration, Eleya imposed ridiculously strict rules on her own kingdom in an effort to avoid a similar outcome at any cost. She slowly lost faith in Eiden, and watched the ties between their kingdoms unravel.

Fourty years ago, the downfall of the human cities culminated in the hunts of Olmnar, when the people of the city began hunting animals for sport. Eleya severed all ties with the humans and forbade the animals from speaking the common language. Eiden learned of this and destroyed the entire city as an attempt to regain the fox's favor. She was appalled at his actions and they officially fell out. After Eiden left the island, the humans gradually forgot the art of food conjuration. Without guidance from the golden fox and the animals, the cities returned to more primitive methods of obtaining food. Over the years, animal hunting has grown in popularity as the human citizens became increasing desperate. In the past few months, the death of Thilias' grand priest led to an inevitable war between Thilias and the animals, costing many deaths on both sides.

After the allegiance between the two kingdoms broke, Tyrath became eager to rid of the golden fox if she ever strayed from the sacred woods. She is largely powerless outside of her forests, and without Eiden's constant protection of her, her death would be too great of an opportunity for him to pass up. While neither Eiden, Tyrath, nor Eleya fought one another directly, the battles between their followers was a constant conflict on the island.

Current Events
When the Magium tournament was announced, many of the animals took shelter in the sacred forests, where they would have the direct protection of the golden fox, since the competition's protection spell only promised the safety of the island's human inhabitants.

In the current era, many of the animals disapprove of their leader's strict policies. While the only rule set in stone is to not speak in the common language, some of the animals, including Elaria, indirectly disobey by speaking to humans in the animal language. A few have even deserted her after learning of her severe punishments towards even children. Since the animals lost contact with humans, the monsters have taken advantage of the situation to wreck havoc. Monster raids have been more frequent throughout all of Varathia in the past few decades. Though many of the animals respect Eleya's decisions, they fear that the growing rift between the two kingdoms will only amplify the conflicts.

Attributes
The animals of Varathia are capable of casting magic, unlike the beasts of the other continents.
 * Food Conjuration Spell: allows the caster to create food out of nothing. This spell was created by Eiden and Eleya, the latter of whom taught it to the animals.