Canim

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Artist's rendition of a human suffering the canim affliction

The canim are humans suffering an affliction that causes them to become more beast-like, affecting both mind and body. Degrees of affliction can vary from individual to individual, though virtually all seem to eventually succumb to a feral, beast-like mental state in the end.

The nature of the affliction is largely unknown. Some classify it as a disease, others as a supernatural curse. Means of contracting the condition are also largely unknown. There are many claims that the condition can be transferred by a bite or other bleeding wound inflicted by one with the affliction, though there are also many cases of individuals suffering wounds from canim that do not contract the condition. Many reports indicate that the condition is hereditary, though this does not account for cases of individuals from completely clean lines suddenly becoming afflicted.

Symptoms

Obvious physical symptoms may include:

  • Thicker and longer body hair
  • Elongation of the arms
  • Elongation of the feet (resulting in individuals often standing on the balls of their feet)
  • Sharpening of teeth
  • Fingernails and toenails thickening and sharpening into claws
  • Increased muscle mass

Other symptoms may include:

  • Quickness to anger
  • General inability to control emotions
  • Insatiable hunger for meat
  • Fits of uncontrollable violence

Treatment

There is no known cure for the canim affliction, nor any appreciable means of treating its symptoms without serious side effects.

Social Status

Those suffering the canim affliction are often considered outcasts or dangerous patients to be kept under lockup in virtually any community, due to their propensity for sudden fits of violence and the accompanying superhuman strength, to say nothing of their frightening appearance and the worries of their spreading their condition. Banishment into the wilderness is a frequent sentence for those showing signs of the affliction in more merciful communities, while in others it is not uncommon for canim to be simply put to death (their corpses often burned in an attempt to prevent further spread of the condition).

Common Misconceptions:

  • Canim do not have tails
  • Canim are not covered in fur - they simply have thicker and longer body hair
  • Canim do not have elongated muzzles