Amicus is at once the largest of the Houses of Lessima, and the most accessible to outsiders, such as visiting Chaosians. Demanding little in the way of any special shapeshifting skills, the abilities of the Amicus are powerful in that one does not need to already have superb control over one's shapeshifting before starting to take up the techniques learned here.
There are actually two branches of House Amicus, the Beastmasters and the Resemblers. The Beastmasters are not precisely a shapeshifting group--instead, they focus on the ability to deal with, converse and even control animals.
The Resemblers, on the other hand, have uncanny and expert ability to take the forms of other animals. While any shapeshifter worth its salt can imitate an animal, the Amicus Resemblers become that animal on a very real level. While some things like toxins would require having special knowledge of poisons (ie House Crow), an Amicus which has chosen a Jungle cat such as a Jaguar would be far far more dangerous in a jungle setting than an ordinary Chaosian which simply shifted to the form of the same creature.
Note the reversed scales on communication and control. You begin by being able to talk to the most intelligent creatures, and being able to control the simplest. As you rise in ability, you can communicate with less and less intelligent organisms, and learn to control more and more intelligent organisms.
Note that the levels of Resemblers work from the specific to the general. You pick one creature you want to specialize in, and as you progress, you can do more 'related' creatures in the same family, and other neat abilities.
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