Realm: Midgard
Typical Height Range: 8" to 12"
Typical Weight Range: 1 to 3 lbs
Center of population: Everywhere in Midgard
Estimated population: 4M-6M native / 420,000 former human
Physiology
For all intents and purposes, the ratatosk is a large squirrel with a sharp 2-4" horn protruding from its face. Their size ranges broadly, and some can even be up to 5 lbs, the size of a small housecat. They are generally pudgy-looking but extremely nimble, with thick coats of fur, particularly during winter. The horn is much like that of the rhinoceros, and is technically made out of hair, hardened into combat durability, constantly growing and wearing away. Breaking the horn is relatively inconsequential, as it will simply grow back over the course of a year.
The ratatosk lifespan is approximately 10 years plus or minus a few, leading some forcemarks to refer to becoming a tosk as "an eight-year death sentence". Their gestation is about 2 months, and they're born in litters of 3 to 6, usually 2 years apart. They reach maturity in 18 to 24 months.
Males and females are about the same size, their dimorphism extremely minor to non-tosk. Their vision is rather acute, averaging 24/20 by human standards over a 270-degree range. Their hearing is well above human average, extending well above and below human thresholds in volume and pitch. Their olfactory sense is above human average, but well below that of the canid realmies.
Their diet is much like that of a squirrel, albeit somewhat more flexible, allowing them to scavenge or forage. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, they're able to handle most anything that a human can, and then some, with insects, inner barks, acorns on the menu.
Natural Magics
-Ratatosk in realm are able to climb sheer surfaces, even including glass or stone faces, just as an actual squirrel would do with wood. In this way, they could even navigate ceilings. The hold requires consciousness, so they cannot cling indefinitely.
-Tosk are able to amplify their voices and imitate a wider range of pitches and textures when in realm. Upgrades to this ability by those with divine favour can actually weaponize the volume, or allow the perfect repetition of a violin solo.