AUs For Use

Chapter 2: The Suddenly Six/Seven Species AU

There's an incident, either through magic or mad science, that mutates all/most/some humans into several consistent species. These species have new abilities and weakness, and the world/society/architecture/etc must adapt for them. How do the characters adapt? Which characters have been changed and how? How does it affect relationships? Are some species more dominant/has slavery been brought back? Does the story take place just after it happens, a few decades after, or a few generations down the line?

1) The Avi — They resemble Pterosaurs but slightly more humanoid, with feathers across their bodies and agile claws at the ends of their wings. They range in size from three foot to seven or eight foot. They have excellent eyesight, are almost always hungry, and live in high-up places. (Intelligent and quick-thinking inventors/philosophers/scientists/sculptors).

2) The Saleen — Blue-green snake people who have arms but no legs. They have long jaws and flowy fins running down their heads/spines. They are able to breathe both on land and in water, though they prefer being underwater. They speak with hisses/clicks/whistles/hums/etc, and have peculiar accents when they try to speak human languages. They are incredibly fast swimmers and vicious hunters, living mostly off seafood. They live in underwater cities whenever possible, able to survive in both saltwater and freshwater. (Aggressive and curious hunters/architects/explorers/writer-poets)

3) The Chirosapiens — Extremely pale with colorful glowing markings and large glowing eyes. They have pointed ears/claws/teeth, are good at climbing on stone, and are completely hairless. Exposure to sunlight makes them pass out, driving them indoors/underground/caves during the day. They like hanging upside down (Fast talking and manipulative dancers/astronomers/traders/storytellers)

4) The Arbru — They have become part plant, with bark-like skin and grass-like hair/fur, and can photosynthesize. They have hooved hindlegs, deer-like antlers, and small horns on their noses. Their 'hair' travels from their heads to their backs, right down to their small tails, with much shorter/softer fur covering most of their fronts. They can curl up like a hedgehog and make the blades of grass-hair on their back stick up and sharpen in under a minute. Their hands are wide, with claws made for both climbing and digging. They exude chemicals/pheromones that stimulate growth/healing in living things, especially plants. They prefer living in areas with lots of trees. (Playful and empathic healers/weavers/chefs/musicians)

5) The Ro — Small and furry, with large ears and prehensile tails. They have the ability to mimic any sound or voice, and have an affinity/instinct for music. They are light purple/green/yellow with darker markings and pink eyes. They can eat almost anything, and are venomous, ejecting their poison through their claws. They can see a very wide range of things, including heat and more colors than most species. Out of all the species, they are the most adaptable to new environments, continuing to live just about everywhere in Earth despite the others more-or-less separating by ecosystem. (Nervous and helpful messengers/thieves/assistants/spies)

6) The Gol — They need a lot of sunlight/heat, falling asleep quickly when the sun sets or it gets cloudy, driving most of them to various deserts. They are giant and blocky, with tough rock-like armor and spikes. Unfortunately, they took a large hit to their problem-solving abilities, despite being intelligent in other ways. They have trouble speaking human languages, but can talk in deep rumbles that they can feel through the ground kilometers away. Super strong, heal fast, almost impossible to harm, and are unable to forget anything. No-one is quite sure of their lifespan, but it's definitely a very long one. (Powerful but slow-moving farmers/bodyguards/builders/record-keepers).

7) The Humans — Are there any left? Are they in charge? Bottom rung? Rare or majority? Hunted or hunter? Normal or bizarre?