Bears

Bear Transformers, also known as the ‘Tyrants of the Ice,’ are a unique subspecies of Homo sapien, named for their ability to ‘shift’ into the world’s largest land carnivore: the polar bear. These gargantuan transformers are known for their size-advantage over their smaller cousins, the Lions and the Wolves, as well as the huge divide in their species. Roughly one-fourth of the bear transformers currently alive remain in their native home, the ice-covered arctic, where thick fur, sharp black claws, and limbering gait serve them well as silent hunters, and the peaceful king Trolts watches over them from The Arctic Fortress, and the rest of them have joined with the roughish, brutal leader King Alwin, who led them to the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The bears have rapidly adapted, developing patchy brownish-grayish fur, smaller, more compact bodies, and a higher tolerance for heat. Their crooked leader is training them to take control of the entire human world.

=Physical Attributes=

Amazingly, the bear population has remained nearly completely pure-blooded throughout the years. In bear custom, one does not mate with an outsider, and this leads to recessive traits for both their bear and human sides. In human form, they share pale blue eyes, dark hair, and, for men, muscular bodies. Women are typically muscular as well, but leaner than men, with far more stealth and speed than their male counterparts. This also reigns true in bear form, though most polar bears are bulky and made for running through thick snow instead of across open ground. they also tire easily.

The defining trait of polar bears is their size. They can be up to two-thousand pounds, depending upon age (which, like lions, can be over a hundred years). The largest bears are of royal bloodlines. Size is important to bears because they are not very quick; they are capable of flinging heavy objects long distances, of crushing human beings with one paw, beheading anyone with their long, sharp teeth. This makes them extremely deadly in battle, as it would take several lions, wolves, or humans to bring them down without being killed in the process. They are also very durable when bullets are being used. Their thick skin and solid layer of fat keep them warm and safe, capturing any puncturing objects and stopping them from reaching the organs. This can also be a curse for young bears, as they don't develop this layer until adulthood. This is why, when war is engaged, other fighters kill the youngest soldiers first, and since the cruel king deploys many, many children, it turns quickly into bloody tragedy.

Bears are also capable of 'suspending' the aging process. Throughout their lives, they change very little, only growing in size each year. It is very hard to tell the difference between an adult bear and an elderly bear. Just as it is with both lions and wolves, their aging can sometimes be suspended depending upon status. Just as alpha lions and royal lions can live for hundreds of years, royal polar bears are capable for living this long, if not longer. The oldest polar bear to ever be recorded was aged at over a thousand years; in fact, he was the father of the feuding brothers, Trolts and Alwin.

Like their transforming cousins, bears desire physical activity. In fact, they are most content in the cold winter winds, as their bodies run at high internal temperatures. The snow and ice are relieving and pleasurable. They run with heads craned, through snow taller than themselves, barreling against the ice that freezes their fur together. They also have an increased amount of white blood cells in their system, allowing them to heal faster than humans. Within The Arctic Fortress, bears have bloody battles to train themselves for war, and often find themselves exercising again the very next day.

Male polar bears are generally larger than females, but some royal females have greatly exceeded their mates. A royal bear is also obvious from far away; both the two brothers, kings in different lands, and their father, have deep dips in their snouts, which have rigid black lines in the middle. To another transformer, this would not be noticeable, but every bear knows this feature and will immediately bow upon seeing it.

=Groups Versus Isolation=

Polar bears are perhaps the most interesting transformers from a sociological perspective. A very large part of the population is associated with one king or another, but some of them live on the fringes of the arctic in complete isolation. They may come across other bears, but they never linger together long, preferring lives alone watching the lights shift and the tide come in. These bears may find Bonded mates, but they typically let their children leave after ten years with them, ever the hermits.

Some bears live with Trolts in the Arctic Fortress, training or learning skills their entire lives, not desiring war, but peace. In contrast, groups of Alwin's soldiers travel the land, killing any other transformers they come across. Still, other bears prefer to live with their families in modern places, ignoring war and unity to live simple lives. These bears are frowned upon by the rest of the population, because they don't live as 'true transformers.'

=Life Cycle=

Bear gestation is only four months, at which point the mother gives birth to (most of the time) only one child. Bear twins, or anything larger, are very, very rare, and few have been recorded in transformer history. The young bear remains with the mother for several months, rarely put down or left unattended. Bears tend to leave raising the young to the females, and most female kin will take turns with the child, bringing it up in a large group. Isolated bears will raise their young to be isolated as well, teaching them the values of nature, and how to derive their food from the ice and the ocean. Young polar bears are extremely durable and powerful, not commonly dying because of natural causes, or disease.

Young bears reach maturity at about ten years of age, at which point they will either go out on their own, join the army, or begin training in the Arctic Fortress. From this point, until they reach the age of twenty-five, they don't have the layer of protective fat on their bodies, making them easier to kill in battle. After that age, they are very resilient and very strong. It takes a lot to bring down a polar bear of this age. When they reach their upper years, they tend to settle in the arctic. Very few transformers would attack an elder, out of respect for their long lives.

=The Bond=

What is it?
The Bond, or being Bonded, is a pivotal part of a bear's life. The term defines its key components: A bear finds his or her true soul-mate and becomes attached to them for life. This 'Bond' is a chemical mechanism in the brains of all transformers, suspected by scientists to be a way of preserving the species as a whole. Once the mind and bodies of both transformers realize each other, they go through several stages, the first of which being Detachment, and the last of which being Reattachment. Young bears travel the land in search of this bond, but very few find it, as it takes years to full realize who you will be Bonded to.

The Stages
The first stage is Detachment. This is characterized by a veil of confusion in the minds of the transformers, perhaps the sudden onslaught of sickness or an extreme headache. They will desire to be alone, and often leave friends and family, unaware of what's happening. They suffer for hours on their own, breaking apart inside, cutting their ties with reality. After this comes Decision. Their mind settles on their significant other, and they realize what is happening and what to do to stop it from hurting. They inevitably find each other and, as they embrace, they experience Reattachment, which seals the Bond. In the beginning the two will be hyper-protective of each other. They will want to be near each other all the time, constantly checking the other, making sure they're the same. After years of slow separation, they become very deeply bonded, but no longer have the need to constantly check each other. These couples, however, would never spend a day apart. It's almost physically painful to be away from your Bonded mate.

The Downside
If someone's Bonded mate is killed, they often find themselves in such a stage of grief and rage that they cannot control their own actions. They become dangerous and vengeful. It is generally accepted within all three species that killing should never be an option, but if it becomes one, they must be prepared in case they accidentally kill someone's Bonded mate. If this happens, the other will sometimes willingly sacrifice himself in order to balance what he's done. It is considered one of the worst crimes in transformer culture, nearly equal to the murder of a child.