Beastfolk

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Beastfolk (兽族)
Alias(es)	Beastmen
Species/Race	Collective of sapient beastlike races, including Doghead People, Pighead People, Minotaurs, Fox Clan members, Crocodile People, lizardmen, and others 716 718 776
Affiliation	Beastfolk Empire; Beastfolk Royal Court 737 1082
Status	Extant; later allied with humanity against foreign invaders 1215
First Appearance	Kobolds, identified as one of the beastman races, are introduced 217

Background / History

Early accounts describe beastmen as scarce and remote peoples, with kobolds said to live in the Northern Black Forest. By the time Nalant reaches the Sacred Continent, the Beastfolk control territory comparable in size to human lands, primarily occupying jungles and wastelands near the Endless Mountain Range. 217 633

Their society is largely organized into tribes. Many border tribes live by hunting and roaming, periodically migrating beyond their former boundaries; this mobility makes territorial borders difficult to enforce. Beastfolk hunters trade animal pelts, Magic Beast pelts, and forest herbs to humans in return for ironware, as they cannot form contracts with Sprites and generally lack the raw materials and wealth to equip themselves independently. 706 716

The Beastfolk Empire maintains a distinction between tribal forces and a standing military. Small tribes often fight as loosely organized masses and are treated as expendable forces, while the Empire's warriors are full-time soldiers organized into proper formations. 737

Social hierarchy

Rank / Group	Known position
Low-ranking races	Doghead People, Pighead People, gnollmen, and similar tribes are described as lower-ranking Beastfolk. 716 718
Mid-tier races	Crocodile People hold a higher status than the Pighead People, Jackalmen, and Snake People. 776
High-ranking races	Minotaurs are considered innately noble, hold positions in the Orc Royal Court, and are physically formidable. 718
Fox Clan	Though generally poor fighters and few in number, the Fox Clan are the Beastfolk's principal strategists and hold status exceeding even the Minotaurs. 718
Royal Court	The Beast King, princes, chieftains, elite warriors, and high priests govern or command major Beastfolk forces. 971 1082

Appearance

Beastfolk appearances vary considerably by race, but most possess humanoid bodies combined with prominent animal traits. Many are physically larger and stronger than humans. 718 741

• Pigmen can stand roughly two and a half meters tall; their leaders may transform into four-legged boar-like beast forms. 592
• Minotaurs can exceed four meters in height, possess massive musculature and bull heads, and wield oversized weapons such as three-meter axes. 718
• Lizardmen have slender, elongated bodies and tails usable as natural weapons. 737
• Fox Clan members resemble humans in height and build, but can be identified by their fox tails. 718
• Crocodile People are resilient enough that ordinary inscribed arrows require repeated hits outside vital areas to kill them. 791

Traits and Capabilities

Physical strength

Ordinary Beastfolk warriors are individually stronger than common human soldiers; one is compared to an entry-level Bronze Knight. Their physical advantages are especially pronounced in forests and other wilderness terrain. 741 779

• Beastfolk physiques can negate the advantages of human warhorses at close range. 593
• A low-ranking Magic Beast lizard may still overpower multiple ordinary Beastfolk, demonstrating that Beastfolk are not inherently superior to Magic Beasts. 787
• Beastfolk from the Aio Continent are described as particularly formidable due to their northern homeland and large population. 976

Racial talents

Some Beastfolk races possess distinct innate abilities.

• Pigmen — can assume a powerful beast form for combat. 592
• Fox Clan — provide intelligence, strategy, witchcraft, tracking, and communications support. 718 736
• Shaman Priests — wield divine arts granted by the Beast God; multiple priests can combine their power into a protective net-like shield and retaliate against attacks. 961
• Chimera riders — Aio Continent Beastfolk deploy two-headed, winged giant lizards as aerial mounts. Chimeras can spray venom from both heads, are said to be immune to magic, and are used to counter Dragon Knights. 960

Fox Clan witchcraft

Fox Clan Wise Ones are among the few Beastfolk capable of witchcraft. A Fox Clan elder uses blood-based spells to pursue enemies and relay orders. 736

• Beast God's Guidance — uses the blood and bodies of slain Beastfolk to indicate the direction of the killers. 736
• Blood bats — blood-sacrifice constructs used to carry messages to forces across a wide area. 736
• Fox Clan strategists are integral to large Beastfolk wars despite their limited personal combat ability. 718

Culture and Religion

Beastfolk worship the Beast God. Their priests and royal figures invoke the Beast God's divine power in battle, while Beastfolk temples can summon Temple Guardians to defend Beastfolk territory. 961 1082 1085

• The Beast God guides the Beastfolk in responding to threats such as the Void Demon God's aura. 1142
• Beastfolk Temple Guardians were used to defend Withered Bone Fortress against the Divine Kingdoms. 1084
• After the later peace agreement, the Beast King permits Nalant to construct temples in Beastfolk lands, with the Beastfolk guaranteeing the safety of the human craftsmen involved. 1218
• Faith in the Bone Dragon Knight spreads slowly among the Beastfolk—around ten percent—but their large population still provides substantial faith power. Most early believers are from low-status races such as Doghead People and Pighead People. 1220

Known Leaders and Figures

• Beast King — ruler of the Sacred Continent Beastfolk; later recognized as a prince due to verified Beastfolk royal blood from the Aio Continent. He ultimately seeks peace and an alliance with humanity. 960 1215
• Prince Manlier — eldest prince of the Beastfolk Empire from the Aio Continent; investigates the deaths of Commander Bawa and Prince Manm, then leads Beastfolk forces against Sacred City. 971 974
• Prince Longqier — Beastfolk prince who conducts hostage negotiations with the Divine Kingdoms and orchestrates the murder of two high priests. 1079 1080
• Fox Clan Wise One / elder — strategist and witchcraft user who organizes the pursuit of Nalant's party through tracking magic and blood bats. 736 737
• Captain Eum — Crocodile People captain assigned to Nalant's pursuing vanguard; he is an Earth Knight. 776 778
• Envoy Bawa — powerful Aio Continent Beastfolk commander whose death prompts Manlier's investigation. 971

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Border pursuit and Strength Fruit raids — Nalant's party crosses multiple Beastfolk tribal territories while returning from Furnace Fortress. The Fox Clan Wise One mobilizes scouts and tribes around the Withered Leaf Swamp, but Nalant repeatedly breaks through encirclements and plunders Strength Fruit orchards. 733 737 740
• Storm Territory campaign — Beastfolk tribes, supported by Crocodile People and Magic Beasts, attack Storm Territory in retaliation for Nalant's earlier raids. Nalant's runic crossbows, traps, and beast-luring potion devastate the vanguard and subsequent pursuing army. 776 787 791
• Aio Continent intervention — Aio Beastfolk forces bolster the Sacred Continent Beastfolk, giving the Beast King renewed confidence to attack Storm Territory. Their army includes heavily equipped warriors, Shaman Priests, and Chimeras. 960 961
• Sacred City and Withered Bone Fortress conflict — Prince Manlier's forces attack Sacred City in pursuit of revenge. Later, Longqier's hostage conspiracy escalates into open war between the Beastfolk and Divine Kingdoms, culminating in the Beastfolk siege of Withered Bone Fortress with 1.8 million troops. 974 1080 1091
• Void Demon God crisis — The Beastfolk arrive at Holy City with an army of one million under the Beast God's guidance to locate the source of the Void Demon God's aura. Though initial mistrust nearly causes another war, the Beast King eventually commits his warriors against the Dark Creatures. 1142 1145
• Alliance with humanity — The Beast King visits Fire Holy City and proposes an alliance with humanity against foreign invaders. Nalant accepts, ending the immediate conflict between the two sides. 1215

Trivia

• Beastfolk settlements can be much larger in area than human towns because their hunting-based lifestyle requires broad hunting grounds between communities. 1074
• Beastfolk Strength Fruit orchards are often planted outside tribal camps because the Beastfolk believe the trees grow better when left close to nature. This makes them vulnerable to raids. 740
• Beastfolk are feared by human travelers because unauthorized humans entering the Beastfolk Empire are generally treated as enemies; only approved merchants and envoys can pass safely. 1004