Canari

Canari

Information
Homeworld	Virilune
Habitats	Temperate forests, mountain woodlands, mixed deciduous forests, boreal forests
Unique Traits	Canine appearance, dog ears, snout, tails, claws, etc
Writer(s)	Patchwork (sspecimenn)

"Quit chasing your own tail and go help your sister with the harvesting!" — A tired Canari mother to her son

A short overview of the species goes here. This should briefly summarize what they are, where they come from, and their general role in the setting.

This page is intended as a template and guide for creating new species pages. Please copy this page when creating a new entry.

Core Worldview

“Be sure to say thanks to the spirits of the trees before you take from them, they worked hard to grow for us, it's the least we could do to give back.” -- A kind older sister teaching her younger brother

The Canari view their homeworld and by extension the universe as an interconnected system. There is life in everything and nature itself is a sign of something greater. They believe that in order to live a good life, you must take care of those you love and tend to the world around you, if you do these things all will work out eventually. They believe that when one dies, their soul will return to the cycle and begin anew.

Physiology and Design

“I can tell you're lying, I can see your tail wagging. Oh and the crumbs all over your face don’t help your case.” – A mother scolding her child for stealing treats before dinner

The Canari are humanoids with canine traits. They have fur, tails, snouts, and dog ears. Fur and markings appear around the face, on the arms and legs, and along the back and hips. The Canari have digitigrade feet (paws), this evolutionary trait has given them the capacity to maintain high speeds with ease. All Canari are based on animals within the Canidae taxonomy family, this includes dogs, wolves, coyotes, raccoon dogs, foxes and more.

While there is some sort of genetic predisposition and heredity, such as a child from a fishing family being born with traits that might make them better at fishing (such as webbed paws or waterproof coats), there is no cultural taboo in regards to hybrids between canine species.

Canari come in natural tones for their environment. For example a Canari that lives in plains is more likely to have a coat be colors like brown or beige than white or black (like a Canari that lives in the more arctic areas). Unnatural colors never appear without dye involved, the newer generations often enjoy dying their fur fun color combinations as a way to express themself.

Tail docking, Ear Clipping, Declawing are seen as taboo and are not performed unless medically necessary. Piercings and tattoos are okay and normalized as a way to honor traditions, engage in self expression and mark rites of passage. Tattooing is possible, it is colloquially known as tattooing though the process is more in line with freeze-dry branding. This method makes the branded fur regrow white.

Canari live 1.5 times as long as the average human being.

Social Structures and Community

"Oh that Aurelian trader is in town, do you wanna go take a look?" -- Chatter at the dinner table

The Canari live in villages and towns that mainly consist of tight-knit groups of allied packs that have decided to live near each other. “It takes a village to raise a child” communities are very social and work together to prosper as a whole. Most packs settle down in one area, though some remain nomadic as a way to care for nature.

While no central government, The Canidae is a prominent organization that works to represent the many tribes and communities that exist on Verilune. Known for heading advancements and handling dealing and trades with travelers from other spheres. They also keep track of all recognized/ formed communities and ensure they are aware of any important changes. Do not govern the people, instead act as a mouth piece for decisions and spreading of important information.

There are established trade lines between the Canari and some other species, such as between the Aurelians. The Aurelians trade contemporary technology in exchange for Verilune's organic materials. Plazas act as community spaces between villages, allowing packs and off-world traders to trade and sell goods, ceremonies to be held, and acts as a social hub .

The Canari are very social people that thrive on collaborative effort and are considered community-oriented. They work together to pursue mutual goals and rely on each other to overcome stress and challenges. This social-driven society means its worst punishment is exile from the group.

A very important part of Canari culture are Packs. Traditionally a pack is one's family and extended family, however it is becoming more common for close friends to be included in one's pack. A pack provides a sense of intense belonging and safety, this is essential for mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. A Canari without a pack often suffers from feeling lonely, anxious, and depressed.

Pack names are sometimes used, it is a name given to those within a pack, similar to a last name or a clan name. It acts as a signifier of community and respect.

Religion and Spirituality

The Canari believe in what would be known as Animism, the idea that all things both living (people, animals, plants) and not (such as the weather, rocks, or geographical locations) possess spiritual essence, life, or agency. They believe that there is a great balance to everything in the universe, that everything works together as parts of a whole. It is said that all life is sacred and to lead a good life involves helping maintain this balance. Spirituality is another part of life, there is no distinction between natural and supernatural.

For instance, when a hunter kills livestock it is customary to leave a part of it on one’s altar, as thanks to the animal for giving up its life so the hunter can feed their pack.

Never take without giving back to the cycle. We must be respectful when we interact with the cycle.

Technology and Science

Here you guys can expand. If there's a specialty relating to one field or another, include it. Are they especially good at invention? Chemistry? Biology? You can also add a section for literature and artisinal aspects if you would like.

Traditional Clothing and Fashion

I urge you to think of what would be practical to wear given the species' line of work and environment, but also how the species would choose to dress and accessorize given their biology and physical traits. Have fun with this!

Occupations

The point of this section is to list some fields that this species could specialize in to give people more ideas for their character.

Starships and Space Travel

What does travel look like for this species? What do ships native to their planet look like? Do they travel often? Do they have bustling ports or are they more closed off?

Cultural Quirks and Daily Life

A big trivia section, basically. I'd encourage incorporating animal mannerisms and fun little traits that don't fit anywhere else.

Notable Locations

List important places tied to this species.

Interactions With Other Species

Especially the other species that they share the planet with. You may need to work with the other teams for this. But I'd like to see this section just to foster more player interactions from the get-go. It's easy plot hooks.

Inspiration Images

Add visual references here!

Concept Art

Add actual concept art here, stuff we made!