Animal exemplars come in many shapes and sizes throughout Thedas but share one thing in common: they represent the absolute best that their species has to offer. This rare template can be applied to any existing Common or Uncommon animal.

How an animal exemplar comes to be is up to player interpretation. The result of magical experiments, divine guardian beasts, touched by the Fade, possessed by a spirit – or simply existing as the storybook ideal of animal nobility are all valid options.

Companion: Yes
Mount: Yes
Shapeshift: Yes – One specific per purchase of the token

An animal exemplar may have features unusual for its base species. Almost every Animal Exemplar has a unique appearance.

Example Features:

• Unusual size (smaller or larger, fixed when selected)
  
• Enhanced strength, stamina, and/or intelligence
  
• Speech (vocal or telepathic, fixed when selected)
  
• Communication with & command of base species animals
  
• Elemental Breath
  
• Venom
  
• Resistance to one type of damage (i.e. poison, blades, fire)
  
• Aura of calm or disquiet or fear
  
• Detect specific thing (i.e. poison, spirits, magic, truffles)
  
• Fade Step (Incorporeal / Corporeal at will)
  
• Shapeshifting (Become larger or smaller, fixed when selected)

Canon Examples:

• Great Wolf (Witherfang)
  
• Golden Halla (Hanal’ghilan)

Valiant Hearts Examples:
Calinic Queen
When a colony of calinic cats begins to outstrip their food supply, they are known to turn to cannibalism. The last surviving feline, invariably female, grows to monstrous size. Her coat is darker than that of her smaller brethren, striped violet and black with an iridescent, oily sheen.
Retained Abilities:
Detect poison
Immunity to Poison
Immunity to Acid
New Abilities:
Unusual size (large – 13 feet long nose to tail, approximately 1200 pounds)
Enhanced strength & stamina
Communication with & command of Calinic Cats
Elemental Breath (Poison gas)

Ravens of Elgar
Once a rare sight to behold within the days of Elvhenan, these ravens have a touch of the fade about them. Infused with a spirit early on in their life, they soon form an unbreakable connection to a single individual and in turn are able to remain living as long as that chosen person does. Seen as their 'pair' and of whom they are fiercely protective. While these ravens maintain their usual size and coloration, the feathers beneath their wings are often unusual colours, ranging from a rainbow hue, stark primary colours or even a pure white. When needed, these ravens are capable of shifting their size at will to massive proportions, able to be ridden upon in this state, as well as attack any who dare harm the one they've chosen to protect.
Retained Abilities:
Flight
Speech (Vocal)
Intelligence
New Abilities:
Speech (Telepathic with their 'pair'.)
Enhanced Intelligence & Stamina
Shapeshifting: Unusual Size (Large - 75ft wingspan)
Detecting & Identifying Magic

Wolves of Solasan
Atypically large wolves in a range of colors, but that's not the most noticeable thing about them. The most noticeable thing is their eyes — these wolves may have anywhere from 2 to 6 eyes maximum. Believed to be the souls of the dead who couldn't depart, they're relatively harmless spirits — though every now and then, a twisted demon might reveal themselves as a Solasan wolf.
Retained Abilities:
Track by Scent
New Abilities:
Unusual size (large, 11 feet nose to tail, roughly 1,000 lbs when fully corporeal)
Enhanced strength, stamina, & intelligence
Fade Step (Incorporeal / Corporeal at will)


Template:

Penned by Neology