Hengeyokai

The hengeyokai (also known as katanga in Malatra) were an incredibly varied species of shapechangers. They believed themselves descended from humans and shapeshifting animal spirits or fey versions of primal animals, though some scholars of Faerie instead believed them to be either awakened animals infused with the magic of that plane or creations of the fomorians.

Description
In their animal form, a hengeyokai was indiscernible from a typical animal of its kind, and only magic or careful observation of its intelligent behavior could identify one.

In their hybrid or bipedal animal-like form, they stood upright on their hind legs or rear limbs; their front paws, fins, or wings were transformed into fully functional hands; and their torso and head took a humanoid posture. Their body remained very animal-like, retaining fur or feathers, wings or a tail if they'd had one, and other distinctive features.

Finally, in their human form, a hengeyokai entirely resembled a typical human, of the same height as their hybrid form. However, they usually had features reminiscent of their animal form, such as beady eyes and a long moustache for a rat hengeyokai.

Abilities
Despite their variety of appearances, each subrace had one feature in common—they had three forms: their animal form, a human form, and a bipedal form that shared features of both.

The animal form of a hengeyokai subrace was thought to never be as big as an adult human, though rumors persisted, especially in the south, that there were some subraces that had animal forms that could be larger than most men.

A hengeyokai's bipedal form gained some of the abilities and/or attributes of its animal form, such as a thicker hide or the ability to fly.

Unlike lycanthropes, which they resembled in many ways, hengeyokai had no relationship with the moon, never changed forms unless they wanted to, were not especially vulnerable to silver, did not transmit their power through inflicted wounds, did not heal when they changed shape, and did not have to have a predatory animal form, though they did frequently take on a superficial likeness to their animal when in human form.

In general, most hengeyokai were more agile than the average human.

They were also quite long-lived—frequently living past the age of two hundred. However, for their 100 years of life, they lived only in animal form, especially intelligent and long-lived, but little different from any other animal of their kind. After this, they entered adolescence and could take their hybrid and human forms, but their memories of their past life were vague.

Personality
Hengeyokai were by-and-large a reclusive and secretive race who preferred to live alone or in very small communities. Understanding that they were different from humans, hengeyokai usually made no attempt to fit into their society or remain among them for very long. Most hengeyokai avoided contact with other sentient races, with the exception of the spirit folk. Nevertheless, while hengeyokai were wary of strangers, those who showed them true kindness were rewarded with close and long-lasting friendship.

Rather, they believed they were closer to the spirit world, and had more affinity for spirit folk when they encountered one another. However, they did not venerate the spirits as humans did, instead viewing themselves as equals. Hengeyokai shamans engaged their power via partnership, not worship. Similarly, they lacked religion, but might follow schools of philosophy much as some monks did.

Wild at heart, hengeyokai broadly tended toward chaotic behavior and were firmly independently minded. They valued both their own freedom and the freedom of others greatly. The greatest insult one could give to a hengeyokai was trapping them in a cage. Seeing a slave or a trapped animal was abhorrent to them. In addition, the different subraces of hengeyokai tended toward good or evil behavior according to their own natures.

Hengeyokai also frequently shared personality traits with their animal type. For example, hare hengeyokai were peaceful yet quick to take fright, while monkey hengeyokai were especially curious. Moreover, humans tended to treat hengeyokai according to their animal types, shunning those they thought to be evil.

A hengeyokai would adopt different forms according to their needs and the situation. Their bipedal or hybrid form was their most natural and gave them the best language capacity and eyesight; it was also useful for intimidating others. Their animal form was preferred for exploration, scouting, or chasing another, and not for combat, unless they had no better weapon or defenses in their human or bipedal/hybrid forms. The human form itself was usually taken for battle, and the hengeyokai fought more viciously and more tireless when in this guise.

Endeavoring to make their lives as uncomplicated as they could, hengeyokai had few possessions and usually had only a little money to get by on. Anything more, they traded away for practical things like food or weapons, or else donated it to those who had more need. As their armor and equipment did change forms with them, they often had to make arrangements to store or transport what possessions they did have when changed shape.

Society
Rather than come together in big communities or settle villages of their own kind, hengeyokai favored living alone or in small bands that were only loosely organized. The average hengeyokai band numbered anywhere up to twenty individuals, rarely more than that, with males and females in equal ratio and equal status and ability. The leader was often a bushi of either sex. The more experienced or capable members usually departed to travel on their own. In contrast to humans and other races, hengeyokai did not form clans, had no wish to possess lands or titles or positions of authority, and never founded noble families or took over strongholds.

Good, experienced hengeyokai sometimes took it upon themselves to watch over and protect a human settlement or just one family. They defended the area from outside threats and ensured the inhabitants were overall in good health. They lived on the fringes of the human community until it was in danger, whereupon they quietly moved to deal with the threat, oftentimes completely unbeknownst to the settlement's residents. In thanks, the humans might give them offerings such as food, gifts, and services, which were enough to keep the hengeyokai living comfortably, though they never felt one with the community. Meanwhile, evil hengeyokai instead preyed on such communities, earning fear and hatred; they played cruel pranks on humans, extorting offerings from those they preyed upon in order to leave them alone.

All subraces of hengeyokai shared their own common language, called "Hengeyokai". They could speak it in any form. In addition, they had a supernatural power to communicate with animals of their own kind, dependent on which form they were in. They could learn and speak local human languages and trade languages like Common or Trade Tongue, again dependent on their form. They might also learn the Giant and Goblin languages, as well as the language of spirits. They adopted names suiting local human cultures.

With little interest in a sedentary life as a commoner or expert, hengeyokai were often adventurers, their activities driven by simple curiosity or wanderlust. However, while there weren't many hengeyokai artisans, a few nevertheless had incredibly skill and a natural talent for art. In particular, they were known for their colored woodcuts (nishiki-e) which were valued at up to 1,000 ch'ien by collectors of art; and for the guardian figures (kongi rikishi), which were stood at the entrances to temples.

A hengeyokai could train as a bushi, kensai, shukenja, or wu jen and they cross-trained easily as wu jen. Originally, they were never ninja or samurai, as these were exclusively human professions.

Hengeyokai loved practicing horticulture and telling stories, and physical activities of all kinds, like climbing, running, and swimming.

Ecology
A hengeyokai's diet was broadly the same as that of a human, but with a preference for foods their animal forms consumed. For example, a sparrow hengeyokai favored grains and seeds, while a cat hengeyokai was a heavy meat-eater.

History
Being reclusive sorts, hengeyokai didn't have much of a cultural history. Native to Faerie, they first entered Toril in the wake of a massive war between the eladrin and the fomorians where evil hengeyokai served the fomorians as spies and assassins. After the eladrin emerged victorious, they went on an almost genocidal purge of all hengeyokai, causing the species to flee Faerie en masse. They then lived in peace on Toril for many millennia.

When the Tuigan Horde threatened Kara-Tur and later, when Tan Chin attempted to invade Shou Lung, many hengeyokai emigrated west into Faerûn with yet more traveling west after the Spellplague of 1385 DR. Many rat hengeyokai left the Tenmei province of Kozakura after a costly war with local korobokuru. During the civil war in Kozakura, most of the hengeyokai population remained staunchly neutral, though some acted in defense of innocents caught between the warring factions.

A section of Faerie moved closer to the Sheng Ti province of Shou Lung shortly after the Spellplague, which empowered the spirit folk and hengeyokai of the region, but despite this the two races remained completely loyal to the Emperor and, in gratitude, they were allowed to enter the civil service in 1396 DR, which had previously only been permitted to humans. Few actually took the opportunity but it remained nonetheless, despite groups who actively opposed the move.

Lands
Hengeyokai typically lived on the fringes of human civilization in Kara-Tur,    close to human settlements and to wilderness areas. These regions let them take human form and go among others when they wished, and escape into the wilds and be alone when they wanted. They were often mobile, uprooting and leaving when civilization expanded into their old home. They had no realms of their own, nor even communities or villages. Their houses were simple, even crude, but sturdy constructions of wood and stone.

They had particularly large populations concentrated in the Ama Basin of Kara-Tur, though they could be found pretty much anywhere in Kara-Tur where there was any wilderness area.

In Faerûn, populations could be found living along the Golden Way in the Great Dale, Rashemen, Thesk and along the Dragon Coast

Almost every Shou town in Faerûn had some hengeyokai living in or near it (though in places like Nathlan, hengeyokai were careful to remain in their human form). A rare few struck out away from familiar surroundings to live in Cormyr, the Dalelands, the Western Heartlands and the North.

Subraces
There was great variety in the hengeyokai race, owing to the variety of animal species in the world. The most common subraces were: Other kinds of hengeyokai included:
 * Carp hengeyokai
 * Cat hengeyokai
 * Crab hengeyokai
 * Crane hengeyokai
 * Dog hengeyokai
 * Drake hengeyokai
 * Fox hengeyokai
 * Hare hengeyokai
 * Monkey hengeyokai
 * Raccoon dog hengeyokai
 * Rat hengeyokai
 * Sparrow hengeyokai
 * Badger hengeyokai
 * Caiman hengeyokai
 * Hedgehog hengeyokai
 * Impala hengeyokai
 * Ostrich hengeyokai
 * Pangolin hengeyokai
 * Snake hengeyokai
 * Spider katanga:
 * Spider katanga looked out only for other spider katanga, and viewed most other species merely as food. Thankfully, their numbers seemed restricted entirely to the Malatran Plateau, though occasionally, a Mother of a Thousand Young emerged from the populace and birthed a mass of new spider katanga to threaten the other races living on it.


 * Tiger hengeyokai
 * Weasel hengeyokai

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Mad Gyoji
 * The Flowers of Flame