Information
Anatomy
Lifecycle
Lifestyle
Information
What's an Ursuki?
Ursuki are magical bear-like beings who can be found all over Bellacoste. Their culture is outwardly friendly but inwardly mysterious-- ursuki have no trouble getting along with other species but are intensely secretive about their personal lives. Ursuki merchants are commonly seen in pouflon and vespire settlements, as well as anywhere trade springs up.
Ursuki towns and villages, however, are near impossible to get to unless you have an ursuki guide with you. They carefully hide their homes with powerful illusion magic and misdirection spells. Many adventurers have notably tried-- and failed-- to find ursuki who were determined to remain unseen.
Ursuki towns and villages, however, are near impossible to get to unless you have an ursuki guide with you. They carefully hide their homes with powerful illusion magic and misdirection spells. Many adventurers have notably tried-- and failed-- to find ursuki who were determined to remain unseen.
Diet Ursuki are omnivores, partaking in fish, insects, plants and berries. While they are often opportunistic hunters, they are also adept fishermen and trappers. Unlike the other runic species, ursuki gain little to no magic from their diet. The only exception to this are wanderberries, which can be used in times of emergency to bolster an ursuki’s magic and strength.
Magic Ursuki are talented illusionists, able to create sights, sounds and even smells that seem very, very real. While they use their magic primarily to disguise their villages from prying eyes, many ursuki have been known to play pranks on hapless bystanders simply for the joy of it!
Each ursuki has a specific flavor of illusion that they specialize in, often discovered during their journeys throughout Bellacoste. These signature spells are like a fingerprint, and other ursukis can generally detect these intricacies and determine the spellcaster. |
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Despite their jovial and often mischievous approach to magic, ursuki must be very careful! Unlike the other runic species, each ursuki has a limited store of magic per year. They can recover a little bit of magic when they rest and eat but not nearly enough to sustain them, so they hibernate for an entire season to fully recharge their magic reserves. Winter is the most popular season to hibernate in, but some individuals may choose other seasons.
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Eidolon When under duress, every ursuki has the innate ability to activate an eidolic form. Eidolic forms are stationary and inert, resembling statues, to confuse pursuers. The ursuki will drop this disguise once they feel safe.
Most eidolons are crafted from wood and plant life to better blend into an ursuki’s natural environment. However, this form can be influenced by affinities, allowing vastly different appearances and traits! Eidolons have been used historically to protect ursuki and their villages from detection. Most ursuki are very secretive about their “statue” forms and will not use it casually, in case they need to deploy it in an emergency. The less people who know what their eidolic form looks like, the easier it is to hide. |
Anatomy
Body Types
Ursuki have three main body types: Bristly, Brawny, and Burly.
Bristly types are smaller and are covered in spines along their back!
Brawny types still have the large, barrel chest, but also have massive forearms and a thinner body. Brawny type prefer to walk on all fours and live underground while burly type love living on the surface.
Burly type have more of an ursine look consisting of a smaller head, barrel chest, and big mane.
Runic Color
Ursuki always have their runic color showing on their tongues and irises. These must match unless you are using a legendary Mismatch trait.
The runic also often shows in the claws, inner ear, nose, and tail tip, but this is not required.
The runic color can also be on any other part of their body as well, so long as it's not the main body color.
The runic also often shows in the claws, inner ear, nose, and tail tip, but this is not required.
The runic color can also be on any other part of their body as well, so long as it's not the main body color.
Extra Traits
Lifecycle
Sprouts Sprouts are baby ursuki! When ursuki decide to become parents, they seek out the best plot of ground that they can, even if it's far from their homes. Once they’ve found the perfect place, they dig a den and perform the spell, staying to protect the place until something grows. When the foliage opens up, it’s time to unearth their child and welcome them to the world!
All sprouts have some type of leaf or foliage on their head; rarely they will flower or bear fruit! The plant absorbs energy through their childhood, eventually wilting and falling off once they’re ready to cross into adulthood. Once their baby leaf wilts, wings will grow from the sprout’s back. These wings symbolize a sprout coming-of-age into a full grown ursuki. Parents usually maintain a strong bond with their children even into adulthood, but with the growing of wings there is an expectation that a young ursuki is ready to experience the world for themselves. |
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Journeys
Young ursuki are encouraged to venture from their secluded villages once they’ve gained their wings. It’s widely believed that remaining home is a waste of all the world has to offer-- and so they must find new sights, smells and sensations! A journey can take a matter of days, months or years-- each ursuki is different. Some will take multiple journeys over their life.
The goal-- other than seeing the sights-- is to take inspiration from the world around them and discover their unique flavor of magic. Each ursuki has something special that only they can do. If you ask nicely they may even show you!
Expecting parents often undertake journeys of their own, seeking fertile soil to nurture their sprout. This is a deeply personal event, one that they share only with loved ones. Most parents will return to their village once their sprout emerges from the earth, but some put down roots and decide to raise their family where they stand. Many villages formed over time this way.
The goal-- other than seeing the sights-- is to take inspiration from the world around them and discover their unique flavor of magic. Each ursuki has something special that only they can do. If you ask nicely they may even show you!
Expecting parents often undertake journeys of their own, seeking fertile soil to nurture their sprout. This is a deeply personal event, one that they share only with loved ones. Most parents will return to their village once their sprout emerges from the earth, but some put down roots and decide to raise their family where they stand. Many villages formed over time this way.
Afterlife
As an ursuki reaches late adulthood, their wings grow larger and more ornate. When they inevitably pass on, they return to the earth. Their proud wings are left above ground where they continue to grow. Ursuki have been known to become a number of different plants after their first life, including trees and flowers. Few non-ursuki know it, but the large forests of Bellacoste were literally grown off the backs of ursuki.
For this reason, ursuki tend to gravitate to natural places-- often the groves of their ancestors-- where they painstakingly nurture and care for those who have lived before them. Villages often grow around fallen loved ones so that ursuki can remain close to them.
Some ursuki are blessed with the ability to commune with the natural world around them, including plants, stones and bodies of water. These individuals are treasured as the bridge between this life and the next, and through them, ursuki can communicate and glean lost knowledge from the very woods they call home.
For this reason, ursuki tend to gravitate to natural places-- often the groves of their ancestors-- where they painstakingly nurture and care for those who have lived before them. Villages often grow around fallen loved ones so that ursuki can remain close to them.
Some ursuki are blessed with the ability to commune with the natural world around them, including plants, stones and bodies of water. These individuals are treasured as the bridge between this life and the next, and through them, ursuki can communicate and glean lost knowledge from the very woods they call home.
Lifestyle
Villages
Ursuki are prone to wandering, so naturally their villages have spread across the length and breadth of Bellacoste. Due to their wildly secretive natures, however, these villages rarely, if ever, appear on maps. Most villages are well hidden and hard to reach-- those that the land doesn’t obscure are protected by powerful illusion magic.
The largest known ursuki village, Firsden, opens up to travelers of all kinds for their yearly festival. Visitors are rarely allowed otherwise, so the festival is a unique, sometimes once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Ursuki villages are often a chaotic, warm atmosphere of clustered homes of various sorts. While some gravitate towards sheltered caves, others build homes from deadfall wood or craft clay dens. Those that are nimble climbers might build their home among the ancient boughs that shelter their village!
Ursuki settlements are almost always nestled in forests – trees are symbolically significant to their culture as ancestors, providers and protectors.
The largest known ursuki village, Firsden, opens up to travelers of all kinds for their yearly festival. Visitors are rarely allowed otherwise, so the festival is a unique, sometimes once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Ursuki villages are often a chaotic, warm atmosphere of clustered homes of various sorts. While some gravitate towards sheltered caves, others build homes from deadfall wood or craft clay dens. Those that are nimble climbers might build their home among the ancient boughs that shelter their village!
Ursuki settlements are almost always nestled in forests – trees are symbolically significant to their culture as ancestors, providers and protectors.
Festivals
Ursuki love to work and party hard! While they are eager and willing participants in holidays significant to other species, they also have a couple celebrations of their own that you can learn about here.
Sainthood The sainted ursuki leaders sometimes grant seasoned travelers a very special gift-- sainthood. This is reserved exclusively for those that have undertaken extraordinary journeys or proven to be a powerful force of good in the world. It’s a great honor to have sainthood bestowed upon you, and those who have received the ursuki’s blessing-- fellow ursuki, pouflons and vespires alike-- do not take it lightly.
That’s why they were chosen, after all! Sainthood is viewed superstitiously amongst most pouflons and vespires. It’s said that the ursuki imbue saints with special abilities, and individuals that have received the blessing are often revered as something akin to demigods. The truth of the matter is a well guarded secret among those who know. Currently, there are seven known saints in Bellacoste. St. Amare, St. Ambrose, St. Asphodel, St. Elidi, St. Florentine, St. Hart and St. Veti. The process of reaching sainthood is unknown. |
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Wanderoot
Ursuki led the conservation effort for wanderoot. The precious woodland creature was driven to near extinction from the sheer demand for their powerful wanderberries. Ursuki have mastered the craft of harvest while leaving the wanderoot healthy and hale. Wanderoot sometimes even give their berries to ursuki willingly!
Wanderberries are widely accepted as the most reliable way to replenish depleted magic outside of a full hibernation cycle. Because of this, harvested berries are treasured and consumed only when necessary.
Some ursuki believe the wanderoot are reincarnated sprouts who failed to thrive. This belief is a secret, though ursuki have been caught lovingly referring to the wanderoot as “little siblings” in the past.
Wanderberries are widely accepted as the most reliable way to replenish depleted magic outside of a full hibernation cycle. Because of this, harvested berries are treasured and consumed only when necessary.
Some ursuki believe the wanderoot are reincarnated sprouts who failed to thrive. This belief is a secret, though ursuki have been caught lovingly referring to the wanderoot as “little siblings” in the past.
