Design Ground Rules — Read these first
These also apply to Abnormals
  • Esk do not have mouths, ears, paw pads, or nose structures (excluding nostrils).
  • Esk do not have pupils. They can, however, have a thin sliver of color around the edge of the eye.
  • Esk cannot have markings that create an illusion of a mouth, pupils, or nose pads. 
  • Esk do not have external eyelids, they only have nictitating membranes (translucent eyelids)
  • Esk have three toes.
  • Esk always have furred tails, tails cannot be hairless or be affected by the sleek trait.
  • ​Esk always have a head.
  • Esk are never humanoid or "anthro" in appearance.
  • Esk do not have any reproductive anatomy.
  • All esk have at least one nature feature, there are only a select few NPC that are barren.

Anatomy

The common esk form
Quadrupedal and digitigrade with three toes on each foot, often with dog- or deer-like proportions but the body type can vary dramatically
Size
Your esk can be as large or as small as you like. In the character ID info you will see a size descriptor that is usually 1-3 words describing how big the character is. These are not exact measurements and are open to interpretation. TWWM does not have an official size chart, but players are welcome to create their own size charts for their character trackers if it is helpful.

Body types
Your esk can be short, tall, wide, thin, bulky, delicate — it's up to you. There are only a few restrictions that require Abnormal mutations.

These body types require Abnormal mutations and are not common:
Long-bodied: Body is very long with exaggerated proportions and very small limbs like a dachshund or eastern-style dragon.
Bipedal: Walks on two legs instead of four. 
Sizeshifter: Body is able to change size and proportion at will.
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Feet
Esk always have three toes but the shape and structure of the feet are up to you. Feet can be paw-like, webbed, hoof-like, or grasping. Esk do not have nails in the form of claws, talons, or hooves. When an esk has hoof-like feet they do not actually have the nail part, it is just how the foot is shaped. Nails and true hooves require an Abnormal mutation. ​Esk can have different types of foot anatomy on the front legs and back legs, such as having paws in the front and webbed feet in the back.
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Face and eyes
There are no mouth or no ear structures. Eyes are usually large with an almond shape, but they can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can have a wide open expression or be more squinting. Despite not having eyelids the eyes can be expressive by movement of the face, but since esk are psychically attuned to others they have little need for facial expressions and often appear neutral. All common esk have dark eyes and a translucent nictitating membrane that can be clear or slightly colored. The entire eye is dark like a pupil, but some esk have a thin sliver of iris color around the edges. This is not a true iris, esk cannot have defined pupils.
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Esk can have excellent or weak vision, it is open to individual interpretation. You can also give your esk a blind appearance using a pale eye trait (rare).
Nose
Some esk have nostrils but most do not. For some esk these nostrils are vestigial but others can expel air from them despite having no need to breathe air. Esk never have a nose pad, they should not look like dog or cat noses. Only Abnormals can have a flat face without a snout, but short or smushed faces are acceptable for common esk.
Fur
Esk have long fur on their bodies and shorter fur on their faces and legs. The mane, elbows, and rump areas can be longer than the rest of the body. Fur can be fairly long as long as it does not obscure the legs or face, which is considered an uncommon trait. Fur texture can vary. Most esk have soft flowing fur but you can give your esk fur that is coarse, curly, wavy, wiry, or other textures.
Tail
Common esk have a long flowing tail that drags on the ground. Tails that are shortened to the point where they do not touch the ground are uncommon. The base of the tail has movement and can sway the tail a bit but has limited mobility. Common esk do not have tails that can be held in the air or wagged like a dog, the tail is 90% fur and moves more like a horse tail. Giving the esk a flexible tail like a cat or monkey requires a rare trait.
Esk tails always have medium to long fur on them.​ You cannot have a tail that is either partially or entirely sleek or entirely hairless.
Tail mobility
The tail structure beneath the fur is very short, so esk are only able to move the tail from the base. They can swish it back and forth or raise it slightly at the base, but do not have the ability to lift or curl the tail like a cat, monkey, etc.
If you would like your esk to be able to have full mobility of the tail you must have the Flexible Tail trait.​
Internal anatomy
Esk do not have need for bodily functions, but what comprises the inside of your esk is up to you. Your esk may retain some organs or functions from their previous form or could have a much more surreal interior. An esk could be filled with the roots of their nature feature or stuffed full of dirt, or they could have nothing inside at all. This is open to interpretation.

Restricted traits
You can read about the restricted uncommon and rare traits elsewhere in this guide. These traits must be earned in the game by collecting points. Some basic anatomical features that must be unlocked include shaggy fur that covers the face or legs, tufts of fur on the head resembling ears, short or absent tails, claws and spurs, flexible tails, body parts replaced by plants or other nature features, and the mutations. Mutations allow for large changes in anatomy and are restricted to Abnormals only. Some other special traits can be obtained using morphs and unique traits, there are pages for all of these design options in this guide.