Half-Beasts
The Shūl are known by many names (e.g., Mūáðra, the Changed, the Created of Wōd). These liminal beings can be found on most Lands of the World of Teréth End. The current theory is that they were created by the god-spirit Wōd to protect the world’s natural treasures. Local legends have suggested that they were the offspring of heroes and animals. Whatever their origin, the Shūl are believed to have the intelligence and reasoning of the most gifted Awakened and the ferocity and instinct of the most Bestial.
- Shūl Bàrag (i.e., horse Shūl)
- Shūl Kàðara (i.e., bird Shūl)
- Shūl Nāynas (i.e., serpent Shūl)
- Shūl Phèlid (i.e., cat Shūl)
- Shūl Ūlut (i.e., deer Shūl)
- Shūl Vìdàrad (i.e., goat Shūl)
- Shūl Wyrog (i.e., dog Shūl)
And others…
Physiology
Typically, the Shūl have animal bodies, Yrūni torsos and arms, and an animal head. There are a wide variety of Shūl found throughout the World, though individual types are specific to a given geographic area. The animal “half” of the Shūl is often identical to a beast that occurs naturally in the same area. Example: Shūl with the bodies of North Coast Deer can be found in that region (i.e., Telábra Plain).
The Shūl are not limited to Centaur-like body types; some have serpentine, ichthyoid, or avian bodies. Though their animal “half” varies from kind to kind, all Shūl are “half” Yrūn. The importance of this has not been lost on scholars. Some Eylfāe scholars have theorized that the Shūl are the result of some force’s (i.e., Wōd) efforts to shape the Yrūn from beasts. During the process of creating the Yrūn, many of the subjects incomplete creations escaped into the world and became the Shūl. This explanation is thought by others as an excuse to associate the Yrūn with the Bestial rather than the Awakened.
Psychology
The Shūl walk a fine line between the Bestial and the Awakened. Those unfamiliar with where these lines are drawn are often surprised by Shūl actions and reactions. Nearly all social interactions occur on a Bestial level.
Shūl congregate in numbers, because only in numbers are they Awakened. A Shūlyn unfortunate enough to become lost rapidly devolves into an instinctual creature, losing all education and reasoning in favor of its Bestial nature. A feral Shūlyn may be re-indoctrinated into a group, but the process is much slower and more difficult than the former. There are a number of stories that retell how hunters that captured a prized Shūl, returned it to their leaders, and then were dismayed when the “monster” would not amaze its audience with speech and other civilized feats.
Culture
The Shūl community reflects the standard aspects of their bestial nature. Examples: Shūl Ūlut congregate in herds, Shūl Wyrog travel in packs, and Shūl Nàynas may be found in a nest. Leadership within these groups is determined similarly to their bestial halves as well.
Language
Most Shūl speak Shūlic. For physical reasons, the Shūlic language is difficult for Yrūn to speak. To ease communication between the Shūl and Yrūn, Wōdic was created by the Shūl Vìdàrad of Wōdshart Kdar, Kændal almost 600 years ago. Today, many Shūl along the Fertile and North Coasts speak Wōdic in addition to Shūlic.
Names
Religion
Without exception, the Shūl worship the god-spirit Wōd. Each type of Shūl seems to venerate a progenitor that is a servant or soldier of Wōd.
Magic
The Shūl have been known to produce powerful Channelers.
Nomenclature: Shul Dekàlic: Shūl (race), Shūli (pertaining to), Shūlyn (individual), Shūlyr (people), Shūlic