Anthral

Anthral are one of the two main races of Aminus. Their name is derived from the word "anthropomorphic," as they are anthropomorphic animals. They have about the same intelligence and lifespan of an Aminonian, and take on the appearance of mammals, with the exception of primates and most sea animals. Unlike Aminonians, however, the ability to wield magic is quite rare, rather than being an inborn ability. In exchange for this, however, anthral were given to gift of being in touch with nature, as they are the beloved children of Aliturious, and created to protect nature.

Story
It had been several centuries since Aminus had been created. Eden's kin, the race that had become known as Aminonians, had created communities and families, and thrived. However, as the Aminonians advanced, they laid waste to the world around them. Aliturious, the creator of nature, saw this destruction, and was filled with a powerful rage. She lost her composure, and turned herself into a beast. She made it her duty to protect nature at any cost, even if it meant killing off the Aminonians. She went on a rampage, killing many in the process, but was stopped by Caelestis. Aliturious, having committed a great crime, was to be stripped of her great powers, becoming little more than a spirit that could bring about the seasons. Caelestis, however, took pity on the devastated Aliturious, seeing that her intentions were to protect what she loved. She allowed Aliturious to take one last action, warning her to choose wisely. Aliturious decided to use this last action to create the anthral in her image.

The anthral succeeded in protecting nature. Unfortunately, there was a dark side to Aliturious's last wish. When anthral were created, they were made to protect nature specifically from Aminonians. There was constant fighting between the two races, but when it died down, much of the bad memories and tension still existed. Eventually, many Aminonians began to see anthral as subhuman, resulting in hatred, and crimes such as slavery and poaching. Anthral slavery and poaching were legal everywhere, and seen as morally okay by the majority of Aminonians. However, as time went on, ideals changed. Several areas outlawed the ownership and mistreatment of anthral, with punishments such as being imprisoned, or even executed. Eventually, there came a time when it was illegal everywhere; a huge step for anthral in achieving equality. Though it was an uphill battle, anthral and the Aminonians who believed them to be equal achieved the basic rights for anthral. In modern day, anthral have nearly achieved equality, but discrimination against them still lingers.