Ineki

Types: Cat, dog, fox

Length: Up to 4ft (1.2m) long without the tail; averages 3ft (0.9m)

Weight: 45-60lbs (20.4-27.2kg)

Lifespan: Average of 50 years outside the Cave; variable inside, depending on how an individual is affected by his or her time spent in stone

Ineki were well established throughout the outside world. For hundreds of years, they lived peacefully alongside humans and Drasilli, working the land, trading with each other, and practicing magic. Then human-Ineki relationships began to break down over the course of several decades. Following the Battle of Willoweep, a wall was erected at the edge of a large forest, dividing the land into two separate realms that largely forgot about one another as time passed.

Magic flourished on the western side of the wall. Up until the great winter, the Ineki thrived in their realm, making great advances in magic theory. They were ill-prepared for the unexpected winter, however, and many perished as the cold dragged on. Eventually, one of the realm’s greatest sorceresses turned all the remaining Ineki into stone and collected them within a yawning cavern, where they waited silently to be woken again.

The first generation of Ineki to wake in Mycena Cave were quick to form a community, which grew into the Cave’s main settlement. Smaller settlements were erected throughout the Cave as more and more Ineki woke, though it’s largely understood that a great deal of the Cave remains unexplored.

Cat, dog, and fox Ineki all have clawed feet and a fur coat that changes with the seasons. Most Ineki will shed their winter coats as the weather turns warm, though several retain the same thickness of fur throughout the year. Ineki are typically most comfortable on the ground, but a few have grown wings, whether through inheritance or through magical experimentation. Because of the small wing-to-body ratio on the majority of these Ineki, however, actual flight is usually only achieved with the help of magic.

Cat Ineki are characterized by their dual tails. They have excellent night vision, though their sense of smell tends not to be as keen as their dog and fox counterparts’.

Dog Ineki typically have a single fluffy tail and ears that fold down. They have a particularly sharp sense of smell.

Fox Ineki have three distinctive tails, as well as ears that are larger than cat or dog Ineki’s. The latter provides them with sharper hearing.

Ineki are primarily omnivores. At the beginning, their diet in the Cave consisted largely of mushrooms, though explorers and farmers have since discovered a variety of foodstuffs to gather or cultivate. These include fish, fruit, and grains, among many others.

Ever since the great wall was erected, dividing human towns from Ineki communities, there has been little contact between the two species. Several humans did choose to settle on the western side of the wall, however, while a few Ineki made their homes on the eastern side. These individuals proved that it is still possible for them to cohabitate, despite their differences.

A human explorer who stumbled upon the Cave carved the first stone, waking the Ineki who slumbered within it and forging a new bond between humans and Ineki. Though humans are rare within Mycena Cave, since the majority of the population still resides to the east of the wall, the ones who do call the Cave home live peacefully alongside the Ineki.