Basic Information

Present on: Northern and Southern Continents; while found on the Middle Continent, they rarely stay there due to the lack of wild space and uncomfortable energy of the magic crystals.

Magic use: Inherent, elemental.

Size range: Typically a bit larger than their largest host species. In anthro forms, somewhere between 4 and 12 feet, depending on whether they better pass as an Anthropomorph or Mythical.

Species-Wide Traits

Masks

The masks are the major identifying trait of a Mask Beast. Masks cover the top part of the face (forehead, eyes, nose, upper jaw) but leave the lower jaw free. Removing the mask will kill the body, but as long as the mask remains intact, it can influence creatures around it to put the mask on and become the new body - most masks will consciously choose to only influence creatures it deems worthy, and only creatures within its previous type. They may change types between Predator and Prey by influencing different species, but this is uncommon. The mask is the part that carries the beast's soul, memories, intellect, etc. but changing bodies frequently will cause memories to fade more quickly and the beast to be led more by instinct than rationale. Traumatic memories will last between changes moreso than others, and this way, past lives will affect the mental health of the new beast. Beasts that hold on to a single body for a long time will be more stable in personality and nature, and will retain more of their memories, both good and bad. When changing a body, the memories of the original creature will merge with those held within the mask.

Masks always have horns, which can range in size from small nubs to full ram horns, but on the smaller end of the scale is usually more common. The base color of a mask is always light, not necessarily white but some light, pastel color, never a bold or dark base. Masks will also always have some kind of pattern or marking, which can be any color.

To truly "kill" a Mask Beast, the mask must be destroyed, which is incredibly difficult to do. Alternatively, a mask can be locked away where it has no creatures to influence and therefore no chance of getting a new body, so though the mask still lives, it is effectively destroyed as it no longer is able to attach itself to a body.

Bodies

Once the main creature puts the mask on, it becomes a hybrid with at least one species of bird, endemic to where the creature lives and where it picked up its mask (ex. an Arctic fox that puts on a mask is not going to merge with a parrot, but may merge with a Snowy Owl). Domesticated species (horses, domestic cats, domestic dogs, etc.) are extremely rare in Mask Beasts, and most of the domestic animal ones that do exist are protectors, not predators or prey. The bird part of them will give them wings, typically small to medium in size, meaning that though most can fly, they're not usually very good fliers. If multiple animals are nearby when one puts on the mask, they may become tribrids or further (ex. Arctic fox/Snowy Owl/Lynx).

Bodies may be injured like normal bodies without dying, in which the case it will heal as a normal body does - with appropriate scarring or loss of limb to match. As mentioned previously, destroying the body will kill it, but as long as the mask survives, so does the essence of the beast itself.

Personality

Though the personality of Mask Beasts can of course vary, even within different types, there are some commonalities among all of them. Except for the most long-lasting, stable of them, they don't really view other sentient beings as such, unable to acknowledge intellect and self-awareness like their own existing in others. This means they view other beings in one of several ways: obstacles, something to protect/defend (mainly Protector types), something to be judged, something that has to die, something that should be shared, something that helps them, or something that merely exists. Another shared trait of all Mask Beasts is that they do not experience ANY romantic/sexual attraction. Even the most stable do not experience it, ever.

Variants

Three major types of Mask Beast exist. Each type consists of different species, and each is beholden to its own unique, powerful instincts.

Prey

Consisting of wild prey species (both herbivorous and omnivorous types), Prey-type mask beasts can also be identified by their grayscale eyes. They're the most common sort, and tend to be very self-absorbed, in a way that often gets interpreted (but is not necessarily) cowardice. They usually avoid conflict wherever possible.

Predator

Consisting of mostly carnivorous, some omnivorous, predatory animal species, Predator-type mask beasts can, like the other types, be identified by their eye color, ranging from red to yellow. They're obsessive and often violent in nature, and take conflict to the extremes - one side must die, and it probably isn't going to be the Pred. If they decide someone/something must die, they will not rest until they succeed. They tend to be very unpredictable as well.

Protector

The rarest of the Mask Beast types, Protectors can be any mix of species, but tend to pick large and powerful ones (think elk, wolf, eagle, etc. Protectors won't usually have rabbits or turtles or smaller, less powerful creatures in their makeup). Their eyes range from blues to greens, making them distinct from the other types. They have a powerful instinct to find something worthy and then protect that thing with their life; they can choose what this thing is, and leave if it is no longer worthy, but they will almost always have something. It is possible to manipulate them into protecting someone or something, though not easy. Their main focus is always finding and protecting their charge, and therefore they will not fight more than necessary to protect or avenge their charge.