Ecology of the Rabbit Shifter
Taken from the journals of Cynis Casanove who was found dead of an unknown malady with only his books and a creepy smile several months ago
PHYSIOLOGY: Bunny girls are designed to be cute and appeal to people
of all ages, genders, and "tastes". Their bodies are unusually soft
and warm and many are known to make squeaking noises when poked or
hugged
The facial area deserves special mention. Their cheeks are plump and
round with great big dimples from their ever present smiles and their
scarlet blushes will show through thier soft silky fur. While their
faces are primarily lapine complete with a short muzzle, pink
quivering noses, and long whiskers their dental structure is
predominaantly human owing to their omnivorous habits. The eyes are
perhaps the most striking facial feature being almost freakishly
large and round framed by long eyelashes lending an air of innocense
and shyness to the creature.
The torso and limbs conform for the most part to a human standard
though there are a few notable expceptions. Tails are leaf shaped and
fluffy and all these creatures consider thier tails to be thier most
important body part. The fingers are generally blunter and broader
than human average topped with vestigal claws though none of this
seems to affect their dexterity. The body is covered in soft silken
fur that generally is of a pleaseant temperature and smell even when
wet. The legs vary from being to being some having almost human
appendages while others have limbs resembling their animal forebears,
though in all cases the toes are universally larger than proper human
ones and are encased in thick tufts of especially soft fur.
One more interesting feature of note is the near lack of any males of
the species. Perhaps less than one tenth of the total population is
male leading to a raiding lifestyle quite perplexing in a usually
gentle race.
REPRODUCTION: While the female of the species certainly do have an
appetite for male companionship they seem to be completely devoid of
any knowledge of the sexual arts. In fact when I broached the subject
with one of the elders of the tribe she immediately took on the
demeanor of a blushing handmaiden and could only giggle and lower her
eyes. I have yet to observe any pregnant females or even infants
among my hosts and therefore must surmise that they either follow a
very ritualistic and solitary mating ritual, or that they increase
their numbers in a most unnatural way
RELIGION: Most beastmen worship their bestial progenitor and bunny
girls are no exception. From the information I gathered all their
young are gifted with a plush doll when they are named into the
tribe. This figure is a representation of their current Anathema
leader. The creatures treat it as the spiritual focus of their lives
confiding in it secrets, telling it problems, asking for advice, and
even treating it as their best friend.
Another activity of ritual importance to these odd mutants is their
communal snuggling. To the lapines nothing is more sacred and
fulfilling than being close to another person and sharing in their
warmth, smell, and heartbeat. Other activities which lead to relaxing
such as massages, hot spring baths, or dancing are also considered to
be semi-divine gifts and are taken very seriously.
The grand snuggle is held once a year. During this time all the
elders of the various clans get together and meet. There is a great
deal of feminine activities such as crying, story telling,
conversation over topics as diverse as crop yields, which villages
have the cutest boys, the condition of their burrows, and what
adventures their god is getting into.
Finally these doe eyed maidens worship first age war machines which
they keep hidden except in times of war. Those chosen to be in their
precense are bound to the artifacts in a manner similiar to marriage
in other cultures. The lapines then present their new god and spouse
with presents, exotic foods, heads of their enemies, silks, spices
and various other pieces of nonsense
SOCIETY: Lapomorph societal units are based around clans and their
burrows. Each clan posseses several burrows which they migrate from
depending on a number of factors of signifigance only to them. When a
clan occupies their burrows they typically drive away any other
sentients or force them to pay tribute to them usually through gifts
of plush objects and cute boys.
Bunny women are like most barbarians more given to versatility over
specialization in nescecarry tasks. That said there are a number of
notable exceptions. Most notable is the three caste system of worker,
warrior, and priest
MALES: while making up only a tiny proportion of the population
the males of the species are given several important tasks. One is
the place of mystics, keepers of knowledge, and the only ones allowed
to learn how to read. It is these individuals who maintain what
artifacts they posess and provide mystical insight for their tribes. While
most craft skills are shared across gender boundaries the males are
most known for their knowledge in metal work and the care of first age
weapons. They are also more adventurous than females and so are set
free to seek out oppurtunities for their clan.
FEMALES: making up the bulk of the populous they fullfill pretty
much all of the tasks nescecarry for a tribe to survive. Most of
their lives are spent gathering food, hunting, and foraging for raw
materials to be used in crafts.
They also make up the entirety of their defense and raiding forces
, such as they are, and are the only ones allowed to attune to the
precious artifacts they possess.
WARFARE: While such delicate creatures might seem unfit for warfare
they have proven quite adept at it when facing the unprepared. For
the most part they attack like barbarians everywhere charging at
their enemies without any real coordination or thought, which for such
weak creatures would usually leave them ripe for destruction. However
they posses access to the blasphemous magics of the anathema, and a
sizable collection of artifacts, which can even the playing field.
However they prefer negotiation to bloodshed, which I find strangely
refreshing in uncouth savages.
RAIDING: while content for the most part to isolate themselves from
the world they do have a need for items that cannot be produced with
their limited technology, so they turn to raiding. In addition to
more mundane goods. They raid for many things that seem
inconsequential to us. Items like dyes, perfumes, pillows, and silken
undergarments. And of course as I have stated they have a singular
obsession with young men who they find "cute".
These are not typical raids however. Often a town will wake up to
find it surrounded by a horde of these beasts accompanied by one of
their war gods. Then the barbarians will send in a negotiator to
broker the terms of the town’s tribute, which while odd is usually less
devastating than a full-scale attack would be. Terms are usually fair
with the town agreeing to pay in exotic goods and giving up their
fairest youths for a set period of time, and the beast men leave the
place standing.
CLOTHING: Outside their burrows Bunny girls wear little that isn't of
practical use having few of the taboos that humans possess about
nudity and most human manufactured clothes often don't fit their often
alien bodies. Plus their thick fur, and tough footpads protect them from
most of nature's minor obstacles. Vests or shorts with multiple
pockets, and tie down points are the most often seen.
Inside their burrows they love to dress up in outfits taken as
tribute from various villages all over the scavenger lands. Dress
fads come and go in the underground warrens faster than even in the
Imperial city. Currently gauzy silk garments imported from the south
are becoming a particular favorite after their current master expressed
a liking for such costumes.
God Usagi: Finally I must mention their apparent god. Conversation
with some of the more open members of their culture has revealed him
to be an Anathema. Most perplexing is whether or not this demon is
one creature, several different monsters, and whether or not they're
all still existing or only one is currently extant.
Fortunately I've been invited to the grand snuggle where a new charm
I've been developing for use on the opposite sex will hopefully give
me some control over these foul demons given cute faces.
