Critterfolk

Raccoonfolk = Wizards   Red Pandafolk = Artificers   Opossumfolk = Lore bards   Ferretfolk = Rogues   Skunks- chemists/alchemists! The first groups will have innate knowledge on how to create rudimentary tools to distill and mix substances efficiently and safely! I don't want to give them all of the answers for how the alchemical metals that the Phoenix Queen put into the world work, but maybe just a sense that there's more than they realize when working with an unknown material? Main throughline is access to real world chemical reactions, as well as potential for magical potions if given access to more arcane knowledge.   Foxes- wise little herbalists! Innate sense of harmony with the natural world, and with a general purpose of protecting nature from overharvesting and other related issues. This is instilled only in the initial groups created, and new individuals and subcultures aren't beholden to it. Druid magic (mostly Circle of Land by default) is open to them to learn and teach to others, assuming they put the time and energy into it!   Raccoon - naturally curious & attracted to puzzles, keen sense of noticing patterns and keeping track of differences   Red Panda - heightened awareness of physical things they're working with outside of their body (exact tension before something snaps, screwing something in that they can feel but not see. Does this make sense?)   Opossum - more personable and empathetic in order to communicate easier, potentially better at grasping new languages? Better sense of their and others' microexpressions (almost like a Kenku but with gestures?)   Ferret - heightened levels of proprioception and reflexes (hearing probably fine tuned?)   Skunk - acute senses geared towards noticing fine details (heat needed for melting/boiling points, minute changes in a substances composition like flexibility). Very in the moment and needs recorded, but super helpful for experiments.   Fox - good sense memory. Internalizes how something tastes/smells/feels/etc extremely well once personally experienced, can probably extend to an innate sense of noticing if something is off about an area they know extremely well.   Can interbreed; hybrids can interbreed to create other hybrids.   Ex. Red Raccoon + Opposset = Red Opossums, Red Ferrets, Raccoon Opossums, and Raccoon Ferrets.