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The World of Kindred In this world, every person is born with an assigned animal that determines certain aspects of their appearance, biology, and natural abilities. These people are collectively known as Kindred. An individual's animal is visible in their physical features. Someone assigned as a rabbit may have long rabbit ears, a fluffy tail, sensitive hearing, and other traits associated with rabbits. A fox person might have pointed ears and a bushy tail, while a bird person could possess feathers, wings, and other avian characteristics. The exact appearance varies from person to person, meaning no two Kindred necessarily look identical. Their animal classification also affects their biology. These aren't merely cosmetic traits. Bird Kindred lay eggs, aquatic Kindred may have adaptations that allow them to breathe or function underwater, reptiles may have different temperature requirements, and mammals can possess biological traits associated with their respective animals. However, they remain people with human-level intelligence, emotions, language, and society. Because of these differences, society has developed countless cultures and communities around different animals. Some cities are designed with features that accommodate multiple kinds of Kindred, while others have populations dominated by particular animals. Unfortunately, these differences have also created a major social issue known as specism. Specism is prejudice or discrimination against someone based on their assigned animal. Certain species may be stereotyped as unintelligent, dangerous, weak, dirty, aggressive, fragile, or incapable of performing certain jobs. Some people may even believe their own species is inherently superior to others. The severity of specism varies from casual stereotypes to serious discrimination. A person might be denied an opportunity simply because of their animal, treated differently in school, mocked for their physical traits, or expected to behave according to stereotypes associated with their species. Despite this, the world is gradually changing. Many Kindred believe their assigned animal should be considered one part of who they are—not a measurement of their worth. Ultimately, this is a world where the line between human and animal has never truly existed. Every person carries a piece of the animal kingdom with them, and learning to live together means learning that difference does not determine someone's value.