Anima divides the dreaming fauna from the sleeping animals. Anima gives awareness. Anima grants intelligence. From anima flows all magic. With anima any technology is possible. It is the source of all joy and all suffering. Some call it the soul.

The world of Anima, called Arktoros or simply 'the Ark', is a diverse land. A land of many species spanning the animal kingdom. In the past it was far more so with species ranging from the scaled, to the feathered. Now with repeated Wolverine expansions and the rise of the Wolf Nation, only a few dreaming Animals remain. Those that do survive by resisting the might of the wolverines or bowing to the Pack Authority.

The Ark is a land of vast ocean with small continents, large islands, and labyrinthine archipelagos separated by salt water. Across these seas, the iron clad ships of the Wolves ply the waves, streaking the sky above with soot. Below the waves the most technologically advanced species, the Otters, delve the deep in diesel submarines. Isolated by these waters, the ancient civilizations of the Foxes and the Cats live much as they have for thousands of years.

Arktoros is a world in flux. As the Pack Authority takes more tribes and species under its dominion and open war with the Otters looms on the horizon, history reaches a turning point. At this time, a small group of Animals with heart and soul might change the world.



1) No power playing. This is a story and in all good stories characters have flaws. Your character will inevitably fail. Your character can die.
2) No shoehorning. Respect the work and creativity that went into this story. Play with it, adapt it, and add to it, but don't use it as a way to simply play your pet character/race/creature.
3) 1 post/week minimum. Character roles in story will be determined by post rate. Minimum is 1/week for a minor or side character. Main characters should post 3/week
4) No tweets. Posts should be a well written (at your skill level) paragraph.



Otter historians, who keep the most exact records and extensive libraries in the world, speak of a time before the current Mammalian civilizations. Scholars claim that a protocivilization built by an unknown species once spread across the Ark. Called Sauros by archaeologists, it continues to drive Otter academics to explore the farthest lands and deepest trenches. So far, however, these explorations have yielded only the occasional odd artifact or unlikely anecdote.

Modern recorded history begins with the first Wolverine invasion. The first in name only, Wolverines had decimated the Southern lands for centuries prior leading to the extinction of many weaker species. This invasion was the first resisted however. The Red Foxes, once splintered into many warring dens, unified under a single charismatic vixen to repel the invasion. Remembered only as Fire-Tail, this warrior princess, became the first Fox empress and founded the dynasty which still dominates the eastern land. Her ancestors erected the Wall of Bones which continues to thwart Wolverine expansion.

For many centuries, the Red Fox empire and the Gray Fox Shogunate were the only advanced civilizations on the Ark. Then the philosopher Orobos was born among the Otters. A teacher, poet, scientist and artist, he traveled along the coasts of his homeland teaching a new way of knowing based on evidence rather than assumption, debate rather than dictates. His students founded the first Otter academies which remain the intellectual heart of their republic. Due in large part to the teachings of Oroboros, Otter technology surged forward. Following the teachings of their philosopher-poet hero, they disseminated their knowledge freely. Other species adapted and added to the knowledge leading to the advancement of steam power among the Racoons and air ships among the Ravens. Historians call this era the Lunar Age, a time of unprecedented learning, technological advancement and global peace.

All this ended with the third Wolverine invasion. Driven by a powerful Khan and fueled by a new and terrifying demonic magic, not even the Fox Empire could withstand its ferocity. Wolverine forces flooded through breaks in the Wall of Bone and ravaged East and South extirpating many species. Only the Wolves, who met ferocity with ferocity managed to stem the tide. Their solution, unity. No longer would the world be a diverse assemblage of many species and cultures. Under the Pack Authority, unity in a single hierarchy would defend against the Wolverines. Many species including the Racoons and Mongoose, saw the wisdom of this and sacrificed their independence for survival. Meanwhile, the Otters looked on in horror as their technology was used in a war which slaughtered thousands. In the wake of the invasion, the Otter republic passed laws forbidding the sharing of technology outside their borders and all along their coastline students of other species found themselves expelled from the academies. The Crescent Age, a dark age of war, secrets and mistrust, had begun.



All magic in Arktoros is powered by spirits. Whether this be the totems of cats and wolves, the ancestor spirits of the foxes or the demon-weapons of the wolverines. Most Animals believe that their dreaming spirit, Anima, or soul divides them from the 'lower' animals who lack the powers of speech and sentience. Most Animal religion revolves around the concept of the Anima and its reincarnation or transcendence to more ephemeral realms. These beliefs have a dark side in their oppression of the marsupial bunyip who are considered to possess lesser souls by species like the Wolves who enslave them.



Technology in the Ark varies widely from species to species. In general, otter technology is the most advanced as they alone have mastered the use of liquid hydrocarbon fuels and combustion engines. Wolf technology lags closely behind but owes its power more to the species subsumed by the Pack Authority than innate lupine ingenuity. Although possessing a highly refined culture, the red foxes have so far largely rejected steam technology. By contrast, the gray foxes have rapidly modernized, even surpassing the Otters in the gunsmithing trades. The so called "Civilized" Cat tribes share in the steam technology of their wolf allies, while the "Wild Cats" and Marsupials continue to hold to stone age technologies.



Wolves (Lupin): The most gregarious of all species, wolves draw much of their power and influence from their willingness to subsume other species into their so called "Pack Authority." This cosmopolitan nature also enhances their technology as each new species brings with it new inventions, ideas and industry. Intensely militaristic, wolf packs compete for glory in war with the most decorated pack's alphas ascending to rule the entire wolf nation. Although so far wolves continue to dominate the Wolf Nation, packs including Racoons, Foxes and even Cats have garnered great renown in war and high positions in the authority. The Wolves also owe the Wolverines for much of their influence as many species have bowed to them for no other reason than protection against the barbarian horde. Wolf magic involves the invocation of totem species. Most Wolf packs share in the veneration of a single totem and that pack's shaman channels this spirit's power to all members of the pack.

Otters (the Brynn): Inventors, scholars, explorers, and submariners, Otters proudly boast the Ark's only democracy. Although technically a republic, every Otter, male or female, rich or poor, can vote for a representative from their settlement. Like their university system, their government derives from the teachings of the philosopher Oroboros who believed all good flowed from freedom. Although in the Lunar Age, Otters followed this ideal more closely, freely sharing technology with other species, fear of its misuse has forced the modern academies to close their doors to non-Otters. Likewise the Otter Navy fiercely guards its technological secrets, resulting in a gap of roughly half a century between Otter tech and those of other species. Neutral by nature, the Otters always attempt to avoid conflict. However, ten years ago, Otter abolitionists gained a majority in the Congress forcing the more resistant isolationists into war with the slave trading Wolves. The result of this five years war (called the Otter War among wolves and Bunyip War among the Otters) was an uneasy peace between the two nations and a shameful compromise which allowed the Marsupial slave trade to continue outside Otter territorial waters. Unlike most species, Otters possess no natural spirit magic (a trait some ascribe to their uncompromising rationality), yet they demonstrate a certain resistance against the magic of other species.

Raccoons (Koati): One of the first species to join the Pack Authority, the Raccoons brought with them their advanced steam technology, pioneered in their riparian homeland. The military minds of the wolves adapted Raccoon furnaces, drive shafts and gears to power ironclad weapons of war including steamships and tanks. Raccoons continue to fill their typical roles as mechanics, engineers and inventors, a century after their initial incorporation. As a people Raccoons are inquisitive and tactile. Face touching is a common greeting among them despite their perfectly good eye sight and it is said that a raccoon never forgets an object she's felt. Agile and flexible, they are at home in the piped and whirring bowels of ships and machines. Like all Animals part of the Pack Authority, Raccoons find themselves as members of wolf packs though very rarely in the alpha or beta leadership positions. Raccoon magic, unsurprisingly involves touch, and can be described as a form of psychometry or reading information from objects and people by physical contact. Raccoons skilled in this spirit art can divine the history of artifacts and even the secrets of other Animals so long as they can feel them.

Wolverines (the Thrax): A barbarian horde which strikes fear into all the species of Arktoros, the Wolverines call the frigid taiga north of the Red Fox Empire home. The Wall of Bones, supposedly forged from the ribs of ancient dragons, keep them somewhat contained but raids remain common along the borders of their territory. Wolverines exist in a brutal, clan structure where the strongest rule with an iron claw. Occasionally these warring clans will unite under a single ruthless warlord or Khan and flood over the borders to raze cities and entire nations. In warfare, wolverines wield terrifying bone weapons bound to demon spirits. Other species live in fear of the Thrax horde and many have sword allegiance to the packs for no other reason than the protection Lupine artillery can offer.

Fox (Kitsan): Members of the Ark’s oldest surviving civilization, most Foxes take great pride in their venerable culture while tending to view younger upstart species like the Wolves and Otters with disdain. The Red Foxes or Vol-Kitsan in particular hold fast to the old ways. Shenkami monks still practice the ‘fire tail dance’, Arktoros’s oldest martial art. Red Foxes recognize a single dynastic authority, the Empress, who can trace her divine mandate back through the matriarchal lineage to the first Wolverine invasions. Living on islands north of the Empire, the Gray Foxes or Shein-Kitsan follow their own ancient traditions. Unlike their Red Fox cousins, the Gray hold no fear of modernity. Instead they have opened their ports to Otter, Wolf and Raven traders. Already masters of metal-smithing, the Shien-Kitsan have now surpassed other species in the area of gunsmithing, managing to produce the Ark’s first revolvers. Both the Red and Gray Foxes practice a form of ancestor magic. Practiced mystics learn to commune with ancestor spirits expanding their knowledge and skill in the practice. These old masters or Kitsune are marked by their many tails, one for each ancestor in their service.

Ravens (Corvyn): Long ago driven from their alpine homeland by wolverine expansion, the Ravens now drift across the world on slow floating air ships called rookeries. A race of traders, story tellers, and, according to who you ask, thieves, the Ravens gather what they need by trading with whatever species occupy the lands below them. Their air ships reflect their 'make-do' attitude having been assembled like a bird's nest from whatever materials could be acquired. To outsiders the Corvyn appear obsessed with what they call 'shinies', any glittering matter be it a precious metal or gemstone. Although their attraction to such objects may be instinctual, the utility of 'shinies' as a medium of trade can not be understated. By keeping a large supply of such universal valuables, Ravens can trade with any species they are likely to encounter. Raven spirit magic allows a kind of divination powered by out of body experiences. Raven seers can send their souls flying far and wide to scout out distant lands and determine the best course for their rookeries.

Cats (Nyanni): When Wolf ships first landed on the forested continent of Averil they found the Cats living much as they had for the past thousand years, running on four legs and hunting with bows and arrows. Although many cat tribes, the so called wild cats, resisted Lupine influence, some, the 'civilized' tribes, joined the Pack Authority. The wild cat tribes, including the Lynx, Bobcat, Ocelot, Sand Cat, Caracals, still reject the trappings of modernity, walking on two legs only to fire their bows or for special occasions. The civilized tribes, including groups like the Maincoon, Calico, Manx, and Bombay, adopted the habits of civilized Animals, wearing cloth and walking on two legs permanently, often to the detriment of their spines. Cat magic, like Wolf magic, is totemic in nature, only the spirit in question is bound to the individual not the pack. Although all Cats who still follow the old ways possess such a guardian spirit, only Nyanni shamans can channel this spirit to grant themselves powers, abilities and knowledge beyond their natural ken.

Marsupials (Bunyip): In a land down under, a different kind of mammal lineage which birthed small, underdeveloped young and nurtured them in pouches gave rise to a diverse array of dreaming Animals. Possessing only stone age technology, these marsupial Animals, collectively referred to as the Bunyip, stood no chance of resisting the Pack Authority. Unlike the Cats they lacked bows or potent natural weapons. Nor did they have any method of uniting their disparate tribes to resist their conquerors. Due to their primitive cultures and strange biology, the Wolves deemed them lesser and treated them only slightly better than sleeping animals. Bound and branded, they were abducted from their native lands and shipped across the Ark. At first, the Otters, who staunchly oppose slavery, resisted this atrocity, but after a decades long war, they accepted an ugly compromise where Lupine ships could transport slaves so long as they avoided Otter controlled waters. Although seen as a collective people by the speciest Wolves, the Bunyip actually contain many varied Animals, each with their own distinct culture. Wallabies, wombats, koalas and possums are the most common. Sadly many others have been obliterated by the slave trade. It is commonly believed that the bunyip have no magical ability, another 'fact' used to justify their enslavement by the wolves. Some who've lived among the free bunyip however speak of mystics who can step outside the stream of time visiting the future or even the past.

Mongoose (Cirna): Another 'victim' of Wolf expansion, the Mongoose joined the Pack Authority after the Wolverines had already slaughtered half their population. The survivors integrated into the Wolf nation as advanced scouts and sappers using their slim, narrow bodies to reach places beyond the bulkier canines. The mongoose brought with them advanced architectural knowledge and have erected some of the most impenetrable prisons and fortresses on the Ark. When combined with Wolf artillery such structures become offensive weapons which can alter entire ocean tradelines. Since their society already utilized a hierarchical structure, the Mongoose fit easily into the Pack Authority. Their Packs are simply much larger than the average Wolf Pack and constitute entire construction/demolition crews which can ererct/destroy buildings in a matter of days. The Mongoose have held fast to their native religion which prioritizes air spirits and every morning their packs perform a ritual 'greeting' to these air spirits, emmerging from their homes and standing tall in the sky.
Mongoose magic is called the Quickening and allows those who master it to gain preternatural speed from friendly wind spirits.