3. Why Didn't All Animals Become Beastfolk?

Not every animal gained intelligence.

The extent of the transformation depended on many factors:

• how close the creature was to the epicenter of the Catastrophe;

• how much Flur was nearby;

• how long it was exposed to the radiation;

• how strong its body was;

• how its species reacted to Flur energy.

Animals that lived far from the main centers of radiation were also changed, but to a lesser degree.

They could become larger, faster, stronger, or more resilient, but they did not gain speech or higher intelligence. They remained animals driven by instinct. They continued to hunt or seek grazing grounds, defend their habitats, learn simple commands, recognize their owners if domesticated, and protect their herds or dens, but they did not build cities or form societies of their own beyond packs or herds.

Many of the mounts and working animals of the present-day world descended from such creatures.