Origins:
Before the world we know today, was the world of dragons and magic. A fantastical world lost to time, the creatures that roamed the earth along with it. There is speculation that humans and other creatures existed in that time, but the truth remains a mystery, buried deeper than the mantsu burrows, waiting to be rediscovered in the modern world.
Panchiru and Mantsu share an ancestor, but the story of them is held in high regard among the panchiru, as they keep the story close to their heart.
In most iterations, their ancestor had very short black and white fur, red eyes and almost stood as tall as a human.
Originally born of dragon DNA and a few other creatures, he was given the name Oreo. Unfortunately, the lab that had created him had succumbed to a horrible fire, leaving only Oreo alive in its destruction, and there he remained for 100 years. Eventually, Oreo had been found by more humans, transferring him to another laboratory for experimentation, though was quickly deemed too dangerous and had almost been put down for good. His saving grace came, however, when one of the scientists vouched for his life, saying he was too intelligent to be destroyed. From then on, he vowed to prove that Oreo could live amongst them, raised just like that of a human child.
While Oreo was given this chance, it was easier said than done, to fit into human society. He grew much slower, was mute and was capable of breathing fire with just a hiccup, while his wings were capped long before, back at his birth place, he could still feel them. Oreo’s sense of hearing, vision and smell were beyond that of a normal human, and these characteristics made it difficult for Oreo to attend schools, as they did not accept him.
Despite this however, his human took great care of him, living his life peacefully for many years. Once again though, tragedy struck and took Oreo’s guardian from him. The devastation was too great, leaving him to mourn for many many years. Without the protection given to him, people began to exploit the creature once more, spreading rumors that his blood was a universal remedy, even going as far to say it granted immortality. Once again, humans couldn't trust that which seemed more powerful than them, and drove poor Oreo out, sealing himself away deep within the caves, where he stayed for thousands of years.
Around this time, Oreo had managed to reproduce by himself, with help of the magic crystals that grew in his new environment, and his dragon DNA that reacted strongly to said crystals, and by chance birthed more crystals with life forms growing within them, this being the first Mantsu to roam the underground. Feeling that they would soon hatch, Oreo took great care of them, and once they hatched, taught them how to fend for themselves before eventually moving on, confident they can thrive on their own. Early Mantsu resembled him closer, draconic like wings on their backs and much larger than their modern kin. They could reproduce much like Oreo also, though with time it became required for two mantsu to produce a new life instead of one.
Mantsu were not the only things that were birthed from Oreo, though these beings only appeared with his death. While Mantsu were born directly from him, these creatures had risen from the leftover magic in Oreo’s bones. The magic infused with the soil surrounding it and from there birthed a new entity, Panchirus. Despite never meeting him, the first panchiru held within them a large portion of his memories, however they did not inherit his magic, as it had been used up creating this new life. What they lack in magic they make up for in physical strength. Early Panchiru also had wings, albeit small, but evolution slowly removed them from their biology, as their wings would suffer greatly from the cold climates in which they inhabited.
The terrain was a challenge for early panchiru, reproduction was very difficult in this weather, litters often dying immediately due to the cold climates. Had they not learned to adapt and evolve quickly, Panchiru may have been faced with an early extinction. Their new bodies were more equipped and able to sustain themselves better, saving them from dying off. Despite this, however, they still have a smaller population compared to mantsu.