By Tooth And Claw Dragons
The Spiritbeast

General Information;

Spiritbeasts are a unique race that was created by a Spirit King many years ago, to serve the Spirit Realms. They appear as Realm-specific variants of creatures somewhat dragonlike and deerlike in design. They are able to hear the call of their King anywhere in the Living Realms, and burn with the reiatsu of the spiritual world they are tied to.

Statistics;

Name:: Spiritbeasts

Average Lifespan:: Immortal

Average Height:: 5 feet at the shoulder

Average Weight:: N/A

Location Found:: Primarily the Spirit Realms, but can be found abroad.

*all statistics based on averages; extremes in any direction, or found in odd locations, are always allowed.

Subspecies

Notes;

Interbreeding Both normal and highborn spiritbeast types can interbreed with one another, and create hybrid types; however, these spiritbeasts cannot breed further with one another to create viable offspring. If off-type spiritbeasts wish to have children, they must breed with a species that is not part or wholly spiritbeast. Off-type spiritbeasts most often interbreed with shadowbeasts and lightbeasts, rendering those many have come to call 'duskbeasts' no matter their parent typing.

Due to their rarity, highborn spiritbeasts are a limited store species; please do not make one unless bought. Thank you!

Diet This is what this species, and any variants, may eat at any given time.

Common:

Etherbeast-
spiritual energy; Realm reiatsu based on their home world.

Ghostbeast-
spiritual energy; Realm reiatsu based on their home world.

Hellbeast-
spiritual energy; Realm reiatsu based on their home world. errant souls trapped in Hell.

Highbeast-
spiritual energy; Realm reiatsu based on their home world. divine energy when near the gods.

Soulbeast-
spiritual energy; Realm reiatsu based on their home world. corrupted Faded souls.

Uncommon:

Etherbeast-
the energy of beings created by the memories of Ether Realm denizens.

Ghostbeast-
weak, non-sapient animal ghosts.

Hellbeast-
non-sapient or sapient spirits who dwell in the middle layers of Hell.

Highbeast-
energy-infused plantlife found in the Highrealm.

Soulbeast-
Faded souls of any kind.

Rare:

Etherbeast-
red meat.

Ghostbeast-
red meat.

Hellbeast-
red meat.

Highbeast-
white meat; fish and fowl.

Soulbeast-
energy-infused plantlife found in the Spirit Realm.

Overview:

Spiritbeasts are a unique race that feed off of spiritual energy instead of most traditional foods. Most enjoy feeding directly off of the reiatsu of their home Realm, and can often do so without conscious thought. However, the variants all have differing behavior when such energies are not available or they are too weak to make direct use of them. Etherbeasts may hunt the sapient and non-sapient life created by the memories of the souls dwelling in the Ether Realm, feeding on them as though they were real creatures and absorbing their energy. Ghostbeasts will dine on non-sapient ghosts or red meat should the need arise; hellbeasts hunt errant souls, sapient and not, trapped in Hell with red meat from living prey in other Realms rarest of all. Highbeasts do not touch red meat, but will draw energy from the gods, plantlife in the Highrealm, or eat white meat such as fish or fowl. Soulbeasts may resort to Faded souls, or energy-infused plants found in the Realm of Souls.

So long as they do not linger too long in other Realms, highborn spiritbeasts do not need to eat, and will gain energy from the Realm in which they primarily dwell. They cannot digest any sort of real food, and to sustain themselves, must spend time in their home world so that they may recharge.

Credits;

Species info credited to Verridith and Hollander.

In-Depth Information;

Appearance Spiritbeasts are lanky, deerlike creatures with long legs and slender bodies; they have tapered faces with large, luminous eyes, dainty talons, and feathers in various places on their bodies; all spiritbeasts have feathers framing their faces. All have manes consisting of the reiatsu of the Spiritual Realm they are bound to, and wings made of spiritual energy of the same color, built much like a kalina lightbeast's. All spiritbeasts of every kind are bioluminescent, to any degree.

Etherbeast: Spiritbeasts aligned with the Ether Realm; their reiatsu manifests as white and ivory flames with flecks of other Realmfire colors. The etherbeasts are the most svelte and slender of all the spiritbeasts, and have long tails and patches of fluffy fur along their backs and around their neck. Typically, etherbeasts come in shades of gray and muted blue. Some etherbeasts have mirror-like reflective scales that grow in symmetrical patches on their bodies.

Ghostbeast: Spiritbeasts aligned with the Ghost Realm; their reiatsu is a pale mixture of colors bordering on whites and silvers. Called ghostbeasts, these creatures are the smallest in stature of the different types, and have the least amount of bioluminescence. Their fire is most prominent in their wings, and their feathers are usually located by their paws, along their tails, and at the base of their wings.

Hellbeast: Spiritbeasts aligned with Hell; their reiatsu consists of various shades of silvers edged in reds, maroons, and pinks. Called hellbeasts, they are of middling size, and have markings in their fur of a variety of glowing colors. Many hellbeasts have spikes and horns, paired with scales and plates, to accent their velvet fur, and can be found with any base color, dark or light. Their eyes are smaller than most, and they have a more predatory appearance than their brethren. Most hellbeasts only have feathers on their faces, and down their backs to their long tails.

Highbeast: Spiritbeasts aligned with the Highrealm; their reiatsu is bright and chaotic, usually consisting of several colors in iridescent rainbow hues. They are the largest, and often have beautiful, extravagant fur and feathers, found anywhere on their bodies. They are found in light colors, and have the boldest and brightest markings, often in colors that change hue over time. All highbeasts have long, silken tails, much like mori shadowbeasts. Rarest of all spiritbeasts.

Soulbeast: Spiritbeasts aligned with the Spirit Realm; their reiatsu consists of various shades of white and off-white, though only a few have the rarest of white reiatsu that ties them to Ethers. Called soulbeasts, they are often fluffy and have feathers along their faces, backs, legs and tails, and can sometimes be found with a second and third pair of wings. Most often, these soulbeasts are found in lighter colors, with swirling white markings that glow with bright light.

Culture Spiritbeasts were created to serve their Spirit Kings, and thus are incredibly loyal to their masters and their Realm. All have an altruistic sense of how their Realm and the King it holds allegiance to is doing, and are compelled to return and assist whenever the need is dire, or their King calls. Otherwise, spiritbeasts can mix in with any sort of community, and have wide-ranging personalities and traits. However, different types have different common tendencies, generalizations more common than the other types by far.

Etherbeast: These spiritbeasts live in a world formed out of the memories of its inhabitants; the chaotic and blended nature of the Ether Realm causes etherbeasts to view life as a changing and temporary thing. They are fickle by nature and often have wandering attention spans. Like soulbeasts, they take joy where they can find it, but they believe that happiness, like all things, is fleeting.

Ghostbeast: Many ghostbeasts are somewhat melancholy, and prone to bouts of sorrow. To be smiled upon by a ghostbeast is considered a blessing in many Realms.

Hellbeast: Most hellbeasts have a tendency to become violent and acidic in nature, predatory and perhaps even cruel. They show no mercy when ordered to do anything, and are happy to kill for their King's pleasure. Many are also severely protective of what they love and what they own, to the point of being detrimental to their own wellbeing.

Highbeast: Highbeasts are proud, and see themselves above all other spiritbeasts; they look upon all but the highborns with distaste, and are the least likely to intermingle or interbreed with other spiritbeast types.

Soulbeast: Perhaps the most wild and carefree, as well as the most common of spiritbeast types, soulbeasts in general are optimistic and happy to do anything to help others. Soulbeasts are well respected and looked on as omens of good fortune, often bringing good morale and joy back to lands desolate with sorrow and fear.

Abilities All spiritbeasts hold a special connection to the Realm and King they serve and are bound to. Most may telepathically communicate with their King over any distance, and feel the energy of their Realm and the state of balance it's in. If called by their King, all spiritbeasts of that type hear the call and respond to it. All spiritbeasts are very proficient with their reiatsu, and can utilize both their personal aura and the aura of their home world. Each type has unique abilities according to Realm, as well.

Etherbeast: Etherbeasts call upon the white, heatless flames of etherfire with consummate skill. Some etherbeasts can also work with the memories of living creatures, helping them to remember things that they have forgotten, or helping to them to forget that which they would rather remember in the first place.

Ghostbeast: Ghostbeasts can not only see ghosts of any type (including those masquerading as the living), but may speak and interact with them as well. A ghostbeast can also phase their physical form like ghosts, and may turn invisible for brief periods of time.

Hellbeast: Any hellbeast may utilize hellfire - the reiatsu of hell, an ever-burning, scorching fire that leaves burn scars that never fully heal, and leave the feeling of fire in flesh forevermore. For brief times, they may coat their entire bodies in hellfire; but if left for too long, they may suffer hellfire burns themselves, if not be consumed entirely by it.

Highbeast: Highbeasts are masters of spiritual energy manipulation, and cannot be harmed by outside reiatsu. They also have proficiency in light and dark magic, as well as summoning their mindbeasts without help.

Soulbeast: Soulbeasts hold a similar mastery of reiatsu manipulation to highbeasts, with the added effect that they can absorb spiritual energy from any source, as well - though it should be noted that an overload of energy is common, and can lead to a reverse overtax, resulting in death.

Species Origin;

Creation Year: unknown. Realm of Origin: Spirit Realm.

Deep within the Soulplane, lying upon a hillside, Shiranui gazed out over the Realm, watching the various souls and faded spirits drift about, at peace within his domain. Though it pleased him to know the souls of the dead had a place ready for them once they’d accepted their death, and left behind their ties to the world of the living, it saddened him to see the faded souls drifting around with no purpose. Some of them, at least, seemed at times to be restless.

After a time, he decided he could give at least those who desired it a chance to be of use again. He drew one of the faded souls to himself, and began to work a deep change about it. He wove a body into existence, tall and lanky, much like a deer, with glowing eyes and soft feathers framing its face. He gifted it with a long mane, and broad wings made entirely of reiatsu. Its body glowed with its own inner light, with its coloring shifting constantly, displaying its connection to the entire Spirit Realm, from the Highrealm and Soulplane to the Ghost Realm and Hell.

He tasked the first spiritbeast with serving him directly, acting as his messenger, coming and going across the Veil itself by his will. But the first would be the only spiritbeast to be so gifted. Every other one he created would be bound to one specific part of the Spirit Realm, and serve the reigning Spirit King with unwavering loyalty.

Created to serve the Spirit Realms, a number of spiritbeasts have nonetheless taken to wandering the Living Realms, where they make for wondrous sights, but their connection to their respective Realms remains strong, and a Spirit King can call them back at any time, if they themselves don’t sense the need, and return on their own. After the death of Shiranui, the ultimate loyalty of the spiritbeasts shifted, without fail, to Linath, and remains as strong as ever.

click for fullsize
Name: N/A. Location: N/A. Status: Dead.

This Ancient First was a spiritbeast, translucent and beautiful, with broad wings of shimmering energy and a mane of feathers; he burned with all the colors of every Spirit Realm, like no other spiritbeast would ever do. Bound to his creator, Shiranui, he was a cheerful and loyal creature, preferring the journey to the destination. Later, he would become the symbol of the Messenger, and many knew of his legacy on either side of the Veil.


subspecies


Highborn Spiritbeasts
Classification: humanoid spiritbeasts. Location: abroad.

Highborn spiritbeasts are ascended, divine-blessed spiritbeasts that have been changed into humanoid forms. They have skin, hair, and eyes that glow, colors matching those of the type they belong to. Reiatsu of their Realm burns along their shoulders and arms, back, and the tips of long, elfin ears. Most highborns have pupilless eyes, and many wear extravagant clothes with embedded gemstones.

Highborns are the recordkeepers of the Spirit Realms, and often help a Spirit King as their right hand. Most are wise and scholarly, and though they are every bit as capable in battle as regular spiritbeasts, they do not often fight. Highborn spiritbeasts are able to create pens and ink from their reiatsu alone, and have extravagant libraries of knowledge they're able to summon items from and disband at will, in any Realm. They may also speak with the Void, and stand as an intermediary between divine beings and the Spirit Kings, sharing news and knowledge that transcends both living and dead Realms.