Zveri
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| The jungle sang that night. |
| Drums echoed through the clearing of Drevobor, their steady rhythm pulsing like the heartbeat of the world. Lanterns carved from gourds flickered between the roots of ancient trees, painting faces in shifting light. Families gathered close, children wide-eyed, elders solemn, each wearing their animal totems strung across their chests. |
| In the center stood Milena, barely fourteen summers, shivering though the night was warm. Her mother held her shoulders, whispering soft encouragement, while her father placed a wooden carving of an unmarked beast into her hand. Around her, the villagers chanted her name. |
| The full moon rose, silver through the canopy. The drums quickened. Milena's breath caught in her throat, her skin prickling as if every nerve burned with fire. She stumbled forward, clutching her chest, and then the sound tore out of her, half scream, half roar. |
| Her bones shifted, her body folding in upon itself, fur bursting through her skin. Gasps filled the clearing as a great lynx, sleek and spotted, landed on all fours where the girl had stood. Her yellow eyes glowed like twin moons, her breath heavy, her tail lashing with sudden strength. |
| For a moment, silence. Then the elder of the village, his own totem a raven carved in amber, lifted his staff and cried out, "She is RyÅ›! Silent hunter of the night, sharp-eyed watcher of the jungle!" |
| The drums thundered again, faster now, voices lifting in song. Children rushed forward, laughing, as the lynx darted among them, still awkward but filled with wild joy. Milena's parents wept openly, their hands reaching for their daughter even as she bounded beyond their grasp. |
| At the edge of the firelight she halted, her form shuddering once more before collapsing back into herself, naked and trembling, yet smiling through tears. |
| The elder draped a cloak over her shoulders and set a small lynx-carving into her hands. "Now you walk as two, child. And both will guide you all your days." |
| The clearing erupted in cheers. The feast began. Meat was roasted, songs filled the air, and all night the people of Drevobor danced beneath the moon, celebrating the birth of another spirit revealed. |
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| To the outside world, the Zveri are seen as a reclusive jungle people, private but harmless. Merchants describe them as polite enough in the ports, yet oddly distant, never inviting strangers inland and discouraging travelers with stories of disease, predators, and impassable swamps. They are known for their fine hardwoods, spices, dyes, and rare furs, but little else. Foreigners often say the jungle has made them peculiar-aloof, half-wild, perhaps even backward compared to the great cities of the Empire. Some call them lazy, since they keep no slaves despite the work it could save them. Others mock their loose ways of living together, saying they have no proper families or marriages. Yet all agree on one thing: they are a people who do not wish to be known, and for most outsiders, that is reason enough to shrug and stay in the ports. |
Origins and Nature
The Zveri are a people born of duality. To outsiders they appear human, yet each carries within them a second nature, an animal spirit that reveals itself during the First Change at puberty. From that night on, a Zveri may shift between human and beast at will. Their gift is not cursed madness, as folklore among foreigners claims, but a natural state of being.
The bond between person and beast is absolute. A wolf-ware cannot change into a bear, nor can a snake-ware take bird form. The animal is not a disguise, but an extension of the self. To the Zveri, this duality is not burden but blessing: proof that all creatures of the world are kin beneath the skin.
The First Change
The First Change comes on a full moon, marking the passage into adulthood. Until then, no one knows what animal spirit lies within a child. The night of the ritual, families gather, drums beat, and the youth stands before the village. When the transformation comes, it is violent, painful, and unforgettable, yet greeted not with fear but with celebration.
The revealed animal shapes the young one's path. A wolf becomes leader or scout, a bear worker or warrior, an owl lorekeeper, a snake healer, a jaguar hunter. The person remains themselves, but their instincts sharpen, their personality deepens. From this moment they carry a carved talisman of their beast, a small figure of bone, wood, or amber, that marks their place in the world.
Society and Customs
The Zveri are a people of fluid bonds. Since their very bodies shift, they hold little to rigid permanence. Families and households are formed not only of pairs but of groups that echo the habits of their spirit animals. Wolves gather in packs, snakes in loose shifting circles, otters in playful clusters, owls in quiet pairs. Cohabitation may last a season or a lifetime; neither is judged.
Clothing is a matter of practicality, not modesty. Since garments do not transform, they are shed when changing shape. Nudity carries no shame among the Zveri, for the body is seen as simply another mask of the spirit. Only when among outsiders do they conform to the custom of covering themselves.
Freedom is sacred. To enslave another is unthinkable, for the gift of the beast is freedom itself. Laws among the Zveri are few, but betrayal of kin or reckless endangerment of their secret is punished harshly, for the safety of all depends upon silence.
Beliefs and Religion
Zveri spirituality is woven into daily life. They do not worship gods in temples or perform sacrifices, but live in constant reverence of the animal spirits that guide them. Each Zveri's beast is both guardian and mirror, teaching them the strengths and weaknesses they must embrace.
They tell of Mat' Zverey, the Mother of Beasts, who first gave her children the power to walk as both man and animal. All totems are her children. Yet there is also the whisper of Drakon, the dragon-spirit, who has not yet been born into flesh. Prophecy says that when Drakon takes form, the Zveri will no longer need to hide. He will lead them openly into the world, where beast and man will stand as one.
Magic
Unlike human sorcerers, who study arcane symbols and command spells with rigid formulas, the magic of the Zveri is instinctive. It flows from the beast within, shaped by instinct and emotion. Owls call visions from the moon and weave prophecies. Snakes twist venom into healing or death. Lynxes step silently into shadows that swallow them whole. Every Zveri's magic is unique, flavored by the character of their spirit.
To outsiders this magic seems chaotic and dangerous, yet to the Zveri it is simply an extension of their nature. A wolf's howl that rallies courage, a raven's voice that charms a crowd, a dolphin's leap that calls fair weather-these are not spells but life lived in harmony with the spirit within.
Personality and Outlook
The Zveri embrace difference. To them, no shape is greater than another; each beast carries a purpose. They value harmony within their communities, yet do not expect uniformity. Quarrels are common, as wolf bites at fox, or snake schemes against eagle, but such clashes are seen as natural, like the balance of the wild itself.
To outsiders, the Zveri appear wary and secretive, always holding something back. Yet among themselves they are joyous. They feast at every First Change, they sing in the night, they dance until dawn. Their lives follow the rhythms of the jungle, rich with music, laughter, and stories, even as they bear the constant weight of hiding what they are.
Outsiders' View
Rumors about the Zveri spread across the seas and empires. Foreign tales speak of beasts that walk as men, of shapeshifters who crave blood at the full moon, of monsters that can only be slain with silver. These half-truths and lies make the Zveri wary of revealing themselves, for history shows that fear breeds cruelty. So far, no one has made the link between the tales and the Zveri.
Zveri hide their true nature, yet even in disguise, they are marked: their eyes too sharp, their movements too fluid, their presence too intense. People may not know why, but they sense the wild in them.
Possible Secrets
Forbidden Love
A Zveri secretly loves an outsider, risking the community's wrath if discovered.
The Unborn Savior
A wolf-ware dreams of the dragon-child and fears her unborn child might be it.
Going Feral
There are whispered stories of children who never return from the First Change, vanishing into the jungle as beasts forever.
Origin Story
The Zveri gift may not be natural at all, but the result of an ancient curse or forgotten pact.
Changeling or Zveri?
Deep in the jungle lives a Zveri who has taken not one form but many, and is shunned as abomination.
Half-shapes
Some Zveri never change back fully, retaining feathers, scales, or fur even in human form. These "half-shapes" are hidden away, for fear of discovery.
Adventure Hooks
The Lost Totem
A totem carving was lost or stolen, and without it the person feels incomplete, vulnerable, or cursed.
The Half-Shape
Rumors spread of a "monster" prowling the jungle, a human with feathers sprouting from its arms. The elders know the truth: a Zveri who cannot fully change back. They want it found before outsiders see it.
The Crocodile's River
A massive crocodile, too old and clever to be a mere animal, begins attacking river traffic. Whether it is a rogue Zveri or a beast-spirit awakened, the river must be made safe.
The Bloom of Death
A rare jungle flower has blossomed in great numbers, filling the air with pollen that weakens even Zveri lungs. The adventurers must find its source deep inland and halt the spread.
The Storm Wreck
A foreign ship smashes against the reefs near Moryanev. Survivors beg for help. Do the Zveri save them, risking exposure, or leave them to drown? The adventurers are caught in the middle.
The Pack Challenge
A wolf-ware leader grows old, and a younger rival challenges them in open combat for dominance of the pack. The adventurers may be asked to act as arbiters, trainers, or champions.