Race: Platypi

Metaturnal, originally from Theas (Australia). Uncommon. There are about ten thousand of them in Theas; they rarely appear elsewhere, except as individuals or small family groups. They are among the three most powerful races, but widely scorned and ostracized. About 90% of platypi have some magic. About 20% of those have below average power, 25% have average, 25% have above average, and 30% of them have high power. Platypi are not really welcomed by either birds or mammals. Although they are biologically mammals because they nurse their young, they are more often counted among birds because they lay eggs. (Lizards and birds tend to regard themselves as two subgroups of the egg-laying phyle.) Platypus puggles have the unusual tendency to manifest magic upon hatching. Platypi are tight allies with pup birds, who are ovoviviparous and marginally accepted in the marsupial mammal phyle because the males carry their pups in a pouch.

They stand about 4 feet high (vertical) or 1 foot high (horizontal). They are primarily quadrupedal and far more agile in water than on land; they can stand upright as a resting position, which enables them to use their forepaws, but they can't walk upright. Males have venom glands attached to spurs on their hind paws. Their venom is debilitating and agonizing, occasionally fatal to small victims but rarely to those of platypus size or larger. Their webbed paws give them limited dexterity. However, their ducklike bills are exquisitely sensitive, with an extra sense that perceives electricity. A platypus often uses the bill as an extra hand. A broad, powerful tail makes another extra limb, used to prop the body upright, maneuver in water, carry small items or nudge things (such as closing a door) on land. Platypi have below average anthropomorphism.

Platypi most often use their magic for everyday needs or defense against hostile people. Their racial field includes weather magic, water magic, earth magic, electricity, clairsenses, hallucinogenic and visionary magic, levitation, and transformation. They have a unique gift for egg-related fertility magic, another reason why the birds put up with them. They also have an affinity for the formulaic spells to create chimerae, and the highest viability of chimerae conceived naturally. Another formulaic branch of magic where they excel is making potions. They are especially vulnerable to fire magic.

Due to its weird combination of features -- beaverlike body and tail, otterlike paws, ducklike bill, and venom glands -- the platypus is widely regarded as a chimera by people outside of Theas. The exception is Inish, where people typically don't believe it even exists. Educated people know better, but often don't bother to correct the ignorant. In retaliation, platypi refuse to participate in everyone else's prejudice against chimerae, and instead are actively friendly to any they meet. In actuality, this race was created by the fey in hopes of generating something with strong magic (which obviously worked) and spread from Quiar to a few other worlds.

Platypi usually wind up doing odd jobs or scutwork: garbage disposal, plumbing, cleaning, ditch digging, etc. Some are capable fishers; a few are professional pondkeepers. Educated platypi are favored as electricians, primarily in cities. On the shadier side of civilization, they peddle stolen goods and other illicit materials, or deal in illegal magic; several notable assassins have come from this race. Males tend to be bitchy, whiny, passive-aggressive little pricks. They have venomous spurs which they use as a last resort. Females tend to be bold, pushy, in-your-face butches. They often carry poisoned weapons, and some females start fights quite readily. Puggles are brats.