Ancestry: Awakened Animal
You once enjoyed the simple and boundless pleasures of nature with an innocent, uncluttered mind. You lived from moment to moment, never questioning what comes next or pondering the ramifications of what happened before. You were at one with the wild. Then came the event that changed everything. You drank from a glowing lake, someone pulled a magical prank, a druid sought to elevate your mind. You were pulled out of the present moment of the wild and into a land of thought. For the first time, you realized you had a past.
For the first time, you started to think about your future. Now you experience the world in a whole new way. You become aware of dangers that never occurred to you before, but there are pleasures and wonders aplenty in this new world, too. That's a good thing, because there's no going back to how things were.
Awakened animals were normal animals that underwent an experience that awakened their minds, giving them full intelligence and the ability to perceive the world through a lens of thought. There are many mysterious ways for animals to awaken, but the most well-known path is through the ritual awaken animal.
Every animal takes the process of awakening differently. For some, the opening of their mind is electric, allowing them to perceive and ponder the world like never before. Others are overwhelmed by emotions and thoughts that they didn't ask for and weren't ready to hold. Most people who would awaken an animal assume that the animal they awaken will be full of wonder and gratitude and aren't prepared for the wide variety of responses they receive: shock, sadness, euphoria, curiosity, and anger are common (but not the only ones).
No matter how an awakened animal reacts, they still must find their way in the world. Some awakened animals try to go back to their lives but almost always find themselves disconnected from their unawakened peers. Others embrace the civilized world entirely, doing their best to navigate a world built for humanoids. Over time, awakened animals find themselves moving between both the civilized world and the wild, for each holds only a part of what they need from life.
If you want to play a character who is extremely outside the norm and crosses between the civilized and natural worlds, you should play an awakened animal.
You Might...
Negotiate between humanoid societies and creatures of the wilderness.
- Oscillate between rumination and acting with wild aggression.
Others Probably...
- Think you are a beast who is easily provoked.
- Want to study you as an oddity without respect for your agency or comfort.
Physical Description
Awakened animals are very similar in appearance to the animals they once were. From a glance, it is difficult for humanoids to tell an awakened animal apart from others of its species. On closer inspection, most humanoids notice something different about the eyes and movements of an awakened animal. The awakened animal carries themself in a way that is self-aware, and even those who don't know that the animal is awakened feel that difference. Often awakened animals take on the practice of wearing clothing and other adornments, and using tools, which truly make their awakened nature obvious.
Animals recognize awakened animals instantly and react with trepidation at first. If welcomed, eventually the animal will settle and approach the awakened animal. It takes a long time for an animal to be truly comfortable around its awakened brethren, but over time it can happen.
Traumatic awakenings sometimes create stunning visual differences in an awakened animal. There are tales of awakened bears with flame-red fur and birds with ghostly feathers.
Society
Awakened animals are rare enough and separate enough that few find themselves traveling together, let alone making their own societies. Awakened animals often settle into the societies that are close by, integrating in disguise as a "typical" animal or overtly as craftspeople and laborers. While an awakened animal may decide that humanoid society is not for them, those that stay do not find much trouble in adapting. Most places in Golarion have seen enough that people get over their initial shock at seeing a talking house cat or songbird quickly.
Awakened animals who have turned their back on "civilized" life tend to create animal societies that they are the natural rulers and leaders of. They use their intelligence to create order and structure that animals of their type wouldn't otherwise be able to do. There are tales in Ustalav of large wolf packs made of several combined packs led by an awakened wolf. The pack roams the countryside, protecting villages from incursions of undead. In Isger, merchants tell tales of bears who attack caravans, but do only enough damage to steal the goods before leaving.
There are also rumors of a city full of awakened animals in Iobaria named Roam. Most awakened animals hear about it at some point in their lives. Some think of it as a fanciful dream, but many do attempt to find it. Roam is said to be the true home of all awakened animals, a place where their intellect and wild spirits are equally welcome.
Animals use their senses to identify others instead of names, so their relationship with naming tends to reflect that. They might give friends nicknames that correspond to vivid feelings and sensory information. They often do this for themselves as well, only straying from these conventions if they are using a name they were given as a pet or companion or if they are trying to follow the conventions of the society around them. Sometimes they blend their instinctual approach with a more conventional name to create something bombastic and proud.
Sample Names
Redfur, Snarling Eye, King Halfhorn, Blacknose, Jewelmouth, Queen Scale, Yellowbeak, Bigclaw, Grinning Maw, Scowl
Beliefs
Awakened animals tend to see the world through a lens of natural order. Those who are unsettled by humans or have been traumatized by them typically live within nature, while those driven by curiosity or structure seek to find a place in the more ordered and rule-bound nature of humanoid society.
There is no uniform religion among awakened animals, but it is unsurprising that gods with domains in the natural world, like Gozreh, are popular. There are small groups of awakened animals who worship destructive gods such as Lamashtu and Rovagug. Those who were awakened by a companion might adopt that companion's outlook, and possibly adopt that companion's religion as well.
Popular Edicts explore your newfound sentience, enjoy the creature comforts of humanoid civilization; often other edicts related to your animal side, such as "keep the pack together" for a canine or "always wash your food" for a raccoon
Popular Anathema revert to purely animalistic behaviors
Awakened Animal Mechanics
Rarity Rare
Hit Points Your ancestry Hit Points depend on the size you choose (see below): 6 HP if you're Tiny or Small, 8 HP if you're Medium, or 10 HP if you're Large.
Size Choose the size appropriate to your animal: Tiny, Small, Medium, or Large
Speed Determined by your heritage
Attribute Boosts Constitution, Wisdom, Free
Attribute Flaw Intelligence
Languages Common, Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Traits Awakened Animal, Beast
Awakened Form Awakening altered your form, enabling you to speak verbally and stand on two legs. You can wear, hold, wield, and use items. Which limbs you use to manipulate items and how many are determined by you and your GM, but for the rules you function like a humanoid with two hands.
Awakened Mind Awakening altered your mind. You are no longer an animal, but you can still ask questions of, receive answers from, and use the Diplomacy skill with animals of your kind. By remembering your instincts, you can allow yourself to be affected by spells and other effects as though you were an animal.
Awakened Animal Heritages
Animals come in a wide variety of body shapes with their own capabilities. Choose one of the following awakened animal heritages at 1st level. If you are an awakened animal with a versatile heritage, you still select one awakened animal heritage to inform your character's story and cosmetic form, but you do not gain any of its mechanical effects, though you have a land Speed of 20 feet unless you choose to be aquatic, in which case you have a swim Speed of 20 feet. You can take the Late Awakener feat to gain the rest of your heritage's effects and qualify for feats that require a specific awakened animal heritage.