Cinnidh

Cinndh

Pronunciation: “Cinn-eh” / “Sin-ny”

They say the Cinnidh were born the night the wild grew tired of silence.

That something ancient rose up to remind humankind of its animal reflection. Those who answered that call became the bridge of flesh and spirit, reason and instinct bound in one restless body.

Stories of shapeshifters thread through cultures across the world, their echoes as old as firelight tales. The trickster Loki, whose guises bent fate itself; the boto, surfacing in human skin beneath a moonlit river; the skinwalkers, who remind us that not all shapeshifting is meant for salvation.

To be Cinnidh is to live with a haunting duality. Every transformation is a prayer for the return of the self, a hope that the beast will not claim more than its due; they understand this lesson well. They hunt and heal, destroy and restore. Theirs is a covenant of wild grace, binding them to the pulse beneath the soil and the whisper in the trees.

Culture

Cinnidh enter the world in human form. As they mature, they are instructed in how to access their abilities by utilizing Cairns, a sacred token, which assists them in selecting animal forms to shift into.

Those who were abandoned at birth or adopted often struggle to comprehend their profound connection to nature and animals, perceiving it as an obsession. Unattached Cinnidh can discover their identity and nature through a connection with another kin.

Cinnidh are naturally drawn to one another, much like magnets, though this attraction can sometimes manifest as repulsion.

Because of their deep ties to the wilderness, Cinnidh culture exists on the periphery of civilization. Some walk quietly, blending in among townsfolk. Others answer the call of the wild and vanish into the woods, becoming the very legends whispered of in folklore. Some may also establish familial units or clans with other Cinnidh, fostering community, sharing history, and providing a sanctuary for their kin.

Matings

Being a Shifter is hereditary. An individual must be born a Shifter, inheriting their status from one or both parents. They are able to reproduce with humans, witches, and Werewolves; the species of the offspring of these disparate couplings occurs randomly. Shifters do not possess the ability to shift from birth; this generally occurs spontaneously at some point in their youth under the force of a full moon after which they learn to develop the ability to change at will.

Unions

To the Cinnidh, mating is not a casual or merely physical act nor is it transactional. It’s seasonal, spiritual, and cyclical, echoing nature’s rhythms of renewal and decay. Some unions take root for lifetimes, while others remain fleeting.

A deep union can resonate so strongly that the Cinnidh can sense their mate’s emotions across miles, even share pain or healing through their Cairn Bond (See: Cairn Bond). If one partner dies or becomes corrupted, the other may feel the same decay gnawing at their spirit. Some have been driven to wander aimlessly, trying to silence a bond that has turned to grief.

Cross-Species Unions

Because of the duality of Cinnidy, between mortal and wild, they can sometimes mate outside their kind. If children are born of these unions, offspring inherit one or the other parent’s magical genetics.

Characteristics

Cinnidh are not merely wanderers in animal skins, they embody the delicate balance of life, death, and renewal. To see a Cinnidh is to glimpse nature’s duality: creation and decay entwined in perpetual motion.

Everything in Cinnidh life revolves around equilibrium – not just between life and death, but between action and consequence. Their decisions are never made in haste; every choice must be weighed against its effect on the cosmic order. Their neutrality and reverence for balance often make them seem aloof or unpredictable to outsiders.

With their highly acute animal senses, Cinnidh often detect environmental changes imperceptible to humans. This allows them to locate food, navigate, and avoid danger or impending natural disasters.

Appearance

Cinnidh are born in human form. However, when a Cinnidh takes on an animal form, a faint reflection remains in human guise. The traits are subtle but persistent, growing more pronounced the longer they’ve been bonded to that form: eyes too sharp in the dark, uncanny stillness of a predator or other animalistic ticks. These are often called dominating traits.

The following are examples of dominating traits:

Physical Proportion

Graceful Movement: Preternaturally smooth, predatory gait. Dancers or athletes might envy how they move without wasted effort.
Enhanced Reflexes: Quick reactions that seem almost rehearsed; easily brushed off as being “fit” or “well-trained.”
Distinctive Bone Structure: High cheekbones, sharp jawlines, or slightly elongated limbs interpreted as “model genetics.”

Eyes

Unusual Irises: Amber, gold, deep forest-green, storm-gray, or even silver hues that shift subtly with light, explained as rare genetic quirks or colored contact lenses.
Reflective Sheen: Eyes that glint in low light (a remnant of their animal vision), brushed off as a trick of lighting or high-shine contacts.
Predatory Focus: An unblinking intensity to their gaze. People might say they have “a stare that sees right through you.”

Skin & Hair

Subtle Patterning: Faint undertones or texture, like freckles arranged in subtle stripes, or the shimmer of downy hair on the arms passed off as unique pigmentation or skin texture.
Resilient Skin: Heals quickly, rarely scars, and maintains elasticity; others may think they simply “age well.”
Hair Texture: Hair with the sheen or texture of their chosen animal form (sleek as a raven’s feathers, coarse as a wolf’s mane, or lustrous like a cat’s coat).

When selecting dominant traits for your Cinnidh, prioritize practicality. Keep in mind that a key characteristic of this species is its ability to integrate seamlessly into human society.

Please note: There is no partial shifting (unless in cases of severe corruption, which must have story approval from admins). Admins reserve the right to deny traits that do not align with the established species parameters or lore.

The Four Paths of Cinnidh

Cinnidh embody the natural cycle tied to one of the Four Paths. These paths are not simply species groups, they represent philosophies of existence, elemental resonance, and how they interact with civilization and the wild. Their journey is ultimately one of balance, to give and take, to hunt and heal, to be both destroyer and protector.

The Cinnidh do not choose their forms lightly. Each form is a reflection of spirit and purpose, a pact between the shifter and the wild. When a Cinnidh claims a new form, they must honor that creature’s life and spirit through ritual, binding it to them in balance. (See: Animal Shapeshifting)

Cinnidh instinctively selects animal forms native to their home region. This practice serves a dual purpose: protection and avoiding unwanted attention from those who might seek to exploit their kind.

To maintain that balance, Cinnidh should ideally embody complementary forms: Predator and Prey (reflecting harmony between power and restraint) or Avian and Aquatic (balance between freedom and adaptability).

Some may choose a third form, believing it creates a state of perfect attunement in nature. Cinnidh must walk the balance between land, sky, and water. Breaking the balance, such as taking all 3 forms from the same path risks imbalance and corruption. Their behaviors drift toward extremity (too predatory, too passive, too detached, or too alien).

The Paths

Predators

Typically chosen by those who want to command presence. A predator Cinnidh may embody the natural rhythm of taking life to sustain life. Predators are not defined by savagery but by balance through control as protectors and providers.

Common Forms

Note: Common forms are suggestions and not limits. If you are not familiar with what animals are in Colorado, look here.

Bear
Mountain Lion
Bobcat
Domestic Dog or Cat
Fox
Coyote
Wolf*
Serpents
Raptors

*A Cinndh wolf does not have a feral or war form and do not posses the abilities that werewolves have in their wolf form. Gray Wolf are the only species of wolf in Colorado. Understand if you play another type of wolf, you run the risk of attracting attention from Colorado Parks & Wildlife.

Balance Risk

Too much aggression leads to bloodlust, a step toward corruption.

Prey

Often chosen by those who navigate conflict through intuition and survival. The prey are not weak; they embody the wisdom of restraint and preservation. Attuned to sense danger before it strikes. Strength lies not in domination but in continuity and awareness.

Common Forms

Note: Common forms are suggestions and not limits. If you are not familiar with what animals are in Colorado, look here.

Deer
Hare
Horse
Elk
Squirrel
Domestic Dog or Cat
Prairie Dogs
Fox
Mountain Goat

Balance Risk

Over-identification with fear or flight leading to withdrawal, emotional paralysis, or over-cautiousness.

Avian

Those who value perspective and communication often choose the path of Avian. The bird chosen often reflects the temperament of the Cinnidh. Hunters (hawks, owls) emphasize perception and strike; songbirds or ravens reflect intelligence and adaptability.

Common Forms

Note: Common forms are suggestions and not limits. If you are not familiar with what animals are in Colorado, look here.

Owls
Ravens
Hawks
Eagles
Songbirds
Groundbirds

Balance Risk

Over-detachment from the earth, drifting into isolation, or losing empathy.

Aquatic

Aquatic Cinnidh often show emotional depth and resilience. They navigate unseen spaces, both literal and emotional. They move fluidly through chaos, embodying life’s hidden currents. They thrive in ambiguity and transition.

Selkies

Selkies are a rare and often misunderstood subspecies of Cinnidh. Myth suggest that these Cinnidh were cursed by Fae, only able to transition into one form, a seal. Born solely of two Selkie parents, they are considered few and far between, both through their genetic requirements and through brutal hunting of seals in recent centuries.

Selkies are born with a rich seal pelt, their Cairn, and are considered the source of their power and abilities. It grows with them as they age and mature, and grants the Selkie the ability to transform at will into their seal form.
In this form, they are agile and proficient swimmers. Their pelt may be donned at any time, granting the ability to transform into their seal form.

Selkies share many of the same attributes and abilities as the Cinnidh, but are limited to only one form.

Common Forms

Note: Common forms are suggestions and not limits. If you are not familiar with what animals are in Colorado, look here.

Beaver
River Otter
Waterfowl (e.g., ducks, geese)
Fish
Amphibians

Balance Risk

Emotional drowning, losing oneself in others; pain or succumbing to apathy.

Animal Shapeshifting

A Cinnidh’s ability to assume animal form is innate but wild. It must be honed through ritual and reverence. To assume a new form, the Cinnidh must perform the Rite of Claiming. Each form must be claimed in accordance with the laws of balance. When a Cinnidh calls upon a form, they do not simply shift; they return to that moment of unity, reliving the pact between human and beast as long as the Cairn remains active.

There are two methods by which forms can be claimed. The animal’s essence is honored through a sigil carved into bone, hide, or antler known as a Cairn.

The first is claimed by redeeming death. The Cinnidh initiate their claim by embracing death, restoring the spirit of an animal that met an untimely end due to poaching, negligence, or other unnatural causes. This act serves to re-establish equilibrium in environments marred by such disregard.

The second is claimed through deliberate sacrifice. The animal is deliberately sacrificed in a ritual of honor and gratitude to maintain harmony rather than assert dominance. However, deliberate sacrifice, unlike redeeming death, carries a warning: overreliance can lead the Cinnidh towards predation and savagery.

Amongst the Cinnidh, taking an animal’s life without honor or gratitude is considered slaughter. Even when hunting, a Cinnidh demonstrates gratitude for the life they’ve taken. Without sincerity to ritual, or if the rites are ignored, a seed of imbalance takes root. If unchecked, this imbalance grows, intensifying nightmares, dulling senses, and skewing instincts towards a predatory nature, regardless of the chosen Path. If left unchecked, it quickly spirals into Corruption.

Sigils & Cairns

Sigils

A sigil is a unique, personal symbol for each Cinnidh, representing their identity. It is carved, burned, or inked onto a Cairn. Following their first transition, a Cinnidh is guided in creating their sigil. The manner of how a sigil is constructed differs between clans and families.

Beyond placing it on Cairns, they may also create a token from hide, tooth, or bone to carry with them.

Cairns

A Cairn acts as an anchor between mortal flesh and wild spirit, allowing transformation when properly invoked. Each Cairn is either buried or concealed within the Cinnidh’s homeland, which attunes them to the natural currents of their surroundings.

These locations are more than mere resting places; they are powerful conduits, drawing directly from the raw energy of the Lode.

When they relocate to a new region, the existing Cairns are left dormant, allowing new ones to be activated.

Desecrated Cairns

Desecration occurs if a Cairn is moved or stolen. This act weakens or warps the Cinnidh’s connection to its animal form.

A Cairn’s energy will turn poisonous in the wrong hands. The thief may experience hallucinations, night terrors, and paranoia. Nature itself begins to turn against them: animals grow restless or attack, crops rot, water tastes polluted.

Within Cinnidh society, stealing a Cairn is the gravest taboo. Those who take a kin’s Cairn are plummeted into full Corruption in a matter of days rather than a slow progression. Should the thief return the Cairn before Corruption fully sets in, they will bear a psychic mark, detectable by all other Cinnidhs through Unmasking (See: Unmasking).

A Cinnidh may develop a compulsive drive to find their Cairn. The disrupted balance may lead their other forms to react violently (predator instincts overriding, prey panic surfacing unpredictability). If not found, the Cinnidh risks corruption.

Corruption

The worst fate for a Cinnidh is not death, it is to lose their Cairns. When a Cairn is defiled, stolen, or moved, the Cinnidh’s connection to that form is corrupted. It could also come from being near polluted, blighted, or decayed lands.

Corruption is not simply becoming evil; it is the creation of an imbalance, which rarely happens all at once. It blooms like rot through bark. Where harmony once guided the Cinnidh, hunger, instinct, or despair take root.

Early signs are emotional and spiritual. They feel disconnected from the land. Their dreams are filled with the cries of their bonded animals, distorted and pleading. At this stage, a Cinnidh can seek out help from family or clan to perform a cleansing ritual to restore harmony. A Terra Witch may also be able to help with a purification ritual.

As corruption deepens, behavioral shifts begin to manifest. The Cinnidh grows volatile, hungry for transformation, suspicious of others, and increasingly detached from empathy. They may lose voluntary control of transformations. When in animal form, signs of mange or malnutrition could manifest. It is at this point that the corrupted cairns must be burned to ash then turned in the ground with dirt, returning what little essence remains to the cycle of life.

Finally, the mental fracturing. The boundaries between human and beast blur completely. They have twisted into a predatory horror that kills endlessly, unable to distinguish prey from kin. At this point, the Cinnidh cannot be saved and will become hunted. (This storyline will need admin approval).

Abilities

Animal Shapeshifting

It is what sets them apart from their distant cousin, the Werewolf who have their feral forms. Most Cinnidh begin with one favored animal form or Path, but as they grow their ability, they may access other guises or Paths.

Cairn Bond

The Cairn grants not only shapeshifting, but it also grants resilience, healing, and heightened senses. They hear the scurry of mice beneath snow, smell rain hours before it falls, feel footsteps tremble through roots. Within their bound land, they are strongest, recovering wounds swiftly and drawing vitality from the environment.

Wild Empathy

The Cinnidh are not the masters of beasts; they are of them. This ability is less a learned magic than an instinctive resonance, a pulse shared between hearts that still beat to the rhythm of the wild. Horses turn calm beneath their touch; ravens circle closer when they pass. Even predators hesitate, confused by the mingling of prey and kin in their scent. To most creatures, a Cinnidh is simply “one of us”, though not quite.

Agility & Stealth

Even in human form, Cinnidh possess enhanced speed, heightened awareness, and stealth, enabling them to outrun or camouflage themselves to evade adversaries. These abilities are influenced by the Paths they choose and the animal forms with which they are bonded.

Unmasking

Allows Cinnidh to perceive the essence of a being rather than its surface. They possess an acute sensitivity to magical, spiritual, and moral imbalances, allowing them to detect curses, spells, or discerning species. This may take the form of a sight, scent, taste, or emotional impression.

No matter how artfully one hides behind illusion, shapeshifting, enchantment, or even righteousness, what the Cinnidh perceives is the truth that dwells beneath.

*Admin Note: Cinnidh players need to get out-of-character (OOC) consent from their target. They must then collaborate with the target to determine how the “truth” is perceived. If the target possesses a charm that conceals identity or truth, the Cinnidh will recognize a distortion and can work to uncover it.

Vulnerabilities

Quasi-immortal

Cinnidh can have an extremely long life (living up to 500 years) and can be difficult to kill due to their Cairn Bond. However, they are not indestructible. Unlike immortals, quasi-immortal beings can still die under certain circumstances such as violence, poison, or unnatural causes.

Reliance on Cairns

Transformation and power are tethered to their Cairns. If stolen, desecrated, or destroyed, the Cinnidh could lose forms and become vulnerable.

Corruption

If a Cinnidh becomes corrupted, they risk disruption of balance between forms, unpredictable behavior, uncontrollable transformation. (See: Corruption)

Unnatural Forces

While attuned to nature, Cinnidh are less resistant to purely supernatural attacks not rooted in nature (e.g., vampire compulsion, witch hexes or wards).

Disruption of Nature

When the ecosystem falters, so do they Cinnidh. Their heightened perception of the natural world becomes a curse in a sensory overlap which can lead to nausea, migraines, and moments of dissociation where they can’t tell what sensations are real.

Moon Effects

Because the Cinnidh are connected to the wild, they are affected by lunar phases particularly new moons and full moons.

During new moons, many predators (like mountain lions and owls) hunt more actively during the new moon because the darkness gives them stealth advantage. Prey, Avians, and Aquatics often hide more, sensing danger in the moonless dark.

The call of the full moon resonates through their bond with nature; transformations may occur involuntarily or with overwhelming intensity. There is a communal pull amongst the Cinnidh. The full moon heightens their connection not only to the wild but to each other. Predators find it harder to stealthily stalk prey in the light of the full moon which allows the other Paths to explore and forge.