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| - The Kierrn are amongst the oldest races of the world, existing even before the Ilakavir and Delkavir reached out from beyond, and before Alkavir created Humanity. Created by the Ebon Dragon, Noximandius, the Kierrn have stood watch over the ancient forests of the world for over 2,000 years and assisted in fulfilling the duties of their maker in assuring that all things end when their allotted time is up. The Kierrn appear as tall wolfen creatures standing on their hind legs, with a powerful muscular body that resembles that of men though covered in thick often shaggy fur that can come in any number of colors from white to red to black. Kierrn rarely stand shorter than 6'0" tall and often weight upwards of 250 lbs. with bodies made of pure muscle. These Beastkin stand on digitigrade legs, resembling those of an animal more so than those of men and their feet closely resemble large paws, while their hands are much more adapted for using tools, still somewhat resembling a paw however the Kierrn have an opposable thumb that they can use for manual dexterity. Each digit ends in massive razor sharp talons capable of cutting through flesh just as well as any sword can and their jaws are filled with rows of crushing teeth, though the most noticeable are their canines, both the top and bottom pair and long and serrated, having jagged grooves along the backs of them for ripping off chunks of meet, though the top pair are much more developed, forming into a dangerous pair of saber teeth. Like all Beastkin, the Kierrn are shapeshifters, able to transform at will into the form of massive Dire Wolves. The Kierrn drops down to all fours and their skeletal and muscular structure shifts to accommodate their new bipedal form, appearing as huge wolves with a short stubbier tail, a broader body, and still maintaining their opposable thumb on their foreleg. Even in this form, the Kierrn still stands roughly 5'0" at the shoulders. Kierrn have lifespans similar to that of the elvish Sylvain, living up to ten times the average human, though unlike the Sylvain they reach full physical maturity usually by the age of 10, however most Kierrn are still considered puppies at this age as their mental maturity has not fully caught up yet. With the sudden death of their Creator, the Kierrn have found they are no longer capable of procreating, their children born stillborn and those who die unable to reincarnate. This is because the Beastkin have their very essence tied to the Dragon who made them; each one bearing a portion of its soul and without the Ebon Dragon to bind them to life the Kierrn will slowly go extinct. To make matters worse, Kierrn are not like normal wolves in the sense that they are isolated creatures, preferring to be alone than in a pack. Kierrn do mate for life however, and will often stay with their mate for the rest of their lives, though they typically do not react kindly towards any other Kierrn entering their territory. Those Kierrn who do not have territory or who venture outside of their own into the cities of men are less anti-social, forming small packs of 3-5 Kierrn to keep each other safe while outside of their homes. These packs only last so long however before splitting up and each Kierrn going their own way. Exceptional Build: Kierrn are both swifter and more powerful than normal humans, capable of performing feats of strength beyond those of humans. Death Sense: As creatures tied to the end of all things a Kierrn can detect the presence of death nearby as a sixth sense, no matter what form it takes. This intrinsic knowledge of death also allows a Kierrn to observe a body and tell exactly how the person or being perished, whether by natural causes or intentionally. Keen Senses: Like the wolves they were made from, the Kierrn have an impeccable sense of smell, able to memorize a scent and track it for miles. If a Kierrn takes in a particular scent, they can memorize it perfectly and track the source so long as there is a scent to follow nearby, even if it is faint. Spirit of the Woods: When the world was still new and before any of the other races walked it, the Beastkin held dominion over its lands. The Kierrn have always been the true wardens of the forests in Gaia. This affinity to the forests and woods has given the Kierrn a natural ability to navigate within the trees, always knowing their way while within their territory and able to detect anything that enters it as well as its location. Likewise, the Kierrn are also capable of feeling the "emotions" of their territory, able to tell if someone or something is attempting to cause harm to the forest. These senses only extend up to a few miles, thus most Kierrn rarely will claim an entire forest as their homes, instead preferring to only mark a small area as theirs. Because of this it is not uncommon to encounter multiple Kierrn in a single forest, all protecting different sections of it. Natural Immunity: Kierrn are resistant to any harmful effects of a natural original on account of their communion with nature. In other words, they are immune to all venoms derived from animals or natural plants, as well as diseases without a mystical origin. Natural Weapons: The Kierrn are equipped with powerful natural weapons in the form of their powerful claws and massive serrated fangs. Dire Form: Kierrn, like many of the other Beastkin, are capable of shapeshifting into an animal-like form. In the case of the Kierrn, they have what they call their Dire Form, the capability of transforming into a massive prehistoric Dire Wolf, a beast with the strength and size to take down an elephant. In this form the Kierrn's Keen Senses are enhanced tenfold. Kierrn fear staying in this form for prolonged periods of time however, as the acumen of their minds begins to fade with time. If a Kierrn stays in this form for over a month straight, they must roll 1d100 at difficulty 50 or become lost to the mind of the beast, staying in this form forever. While in this form the Kierrn doubles their effective strength and increases their Physical and Wood Resistances by +10%, however due to their large and bulk form they are nowhere near as agile as they are normally and even with opposable thumbs, they lack much of their manual dexterity, only capable of operating simple tools and instruments.
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