Nyarin Info

Lifespan: 80-110 years (cub 1-16)
Gestation: 8 months                                Litter: 1 cub at a time usually

Classification: humanoid

Homeworld: Cecatl
Diet: omnivorous
Habitat: any sort of desert, usually arid

Height:          5'8'' - 6'4''

Weight:         160 - 250 lbs
Tail Length:   4' - 5'

Build: slim, but muscular, looks mostly like a bipedal lion with a very short mane/hair
Pelt: varied earth tones with faded patterns; cubs are born with spots along the back that fade as they age. short, stiff fur except on the cheeks, ear tips (females) and second half of the tail

Head: slim and long jaws with a broad nose and very long, pointed ears. Females have caracal tufts on ear tips.

Eyes: large, cat-slit pupils, almond shaped

Feet: large, wide paws with non-retractable claws. Semi webbed for sand traction, though generally not seen. Long legs
Arms: same length as legs, seemingly disproportionate, though this enables the nyarin to drop to a quad position for faster sprinting.
Wings: large, feathered wings, tipped for silence and tapered for easy agility. Very powerful muscles, wings look over-sized

Tail: long and thin with longer fur along the tip

First Impressions: feline elf

General Personality: wary, opportunistic, scavenger, thrifty, anti-social
Disciplines: any

Abilities:
 Flight - the wings enable true flight, enabling hunters to hunt from above like birds of prey, due to the sparse ground cover
Sound: Beyond their language, they communicate in growls and owl-like hoots

TBD
Society/Social Mentality: They are a simple race living in war-like tribes. The Nyarin are nomadic across the arid Cecatlan deserts. Very down to earth, a mix of African beliefs and customs. Music is highly comprised of drums, bone flutes and occasionally their own voices. Sometimes, they will trade with the cities when nearby, though not often, as they're rather anti-social when it comes to other species, preferring to live alone as the iscaelin to not treat them how they wish to be treated. Most nyarin are somewhat xenophobic, though they tend more towards avoidance than driving other races out of their territory like the feryx often do. Their station within the tribe is denoted by the beads and braids they wear in their fur. The more decorated a nyarin, the higher rank the feline generally is. Nyarin wear very little, due in part to their fur, but also to the constant heat of the deserts. What they do wear is often beaded and intricately designed with feathers, tassels of skin, bone or fur.

Tribal society, there is generally a warlord, a shaman, healer, scout leader, tamer, and huntmaster of each tribe. Hunters both feed the tribe and follow the warlord into battle, often coming into conflict with other nyarin tribes over territory, belongings and animals that roam off. Successors are those best trained for the position, though a series of gruelling contests are held for a new warlord whenever the old one dies (which is rather common).
 The Warlord rules the tribe in times of war. He is the voice on the battlefield and decides where the hunters/warriors go and what they do in defense of the tribe. He/she is often on the front lines in a skirmish, and generally the nyarin with the most scars. Warlords are generally self-sacrificing, putting the needs of the entire tribe as a whole before themselves.
 The Shaman is the official leader of each tribe; the peacekeeper and the judge. They are responsible for upholding the tribe’s beliefs, customs. Religion of the Nyarin is simply take care of nature and its creatures, and you will be rewarded. Karma comes back around tenfold. Day-to-day problems are brought to the shaman, and he/she oversees bonds of matrimony and the blessings of any cubs born.
 The Healer uses herbs and potions to take care of his or her tribe, though they are trained to use the life energy of the tribe to truly heal dangerous wounds. Often, the children will help gather herbs, though generally the healer has an apprentice or two.  In lieu of having no healer, this duty falls to the shaman’s apprentices, one of which quickly becomes the official healer.
 Scout Leader are more like border guards, as there are always contacts between other peoples and other tribes. They are hunters when not warriors, but generally they roam far ahead and behind (and to the sides) of the tribe, keeping watch of danger (like feryx and intruders of the deserts) and keeping others away from the central tribe. When tribes need to speak to one another, they send scouts with the messages. Scouts are fast (on land or in the air), accurate in memory, and intelligent. They report directly to their warlord when danger arises.
 Tamers take care of the animals the tribe brings with them. Some are hunting hounds, some are traveling livestock. The tamers themselves have giant birds that resemble vultures to help with the cattle and hunt for themselves. THese birds often resemble the giant, gryphon-killing rocs, though whether they are or not, is unknown. Rocs are not tameable.

A child is given flight lessons at age 5. At 6 years old, they are given to a hunter, scout or tamer to be trained as one. Generally, the shaman oversees the distribution of the children, placing them where they are best capable or where they are most needed. For roughly 10 years, a young nyarin is trained in their job, whether that be warrior/hunter, or craftsman. Once they are deemed close enough, they either set up on their own, or more likely, take over the position from the master, letting the elder nyarin semi-retire.

Very rarely do nyarin exile their own, but when it happens, a shaman can absorb the life energy encased in the wings, causing the fur to disintegrate and the bones to turn to dust. Many of the feathers fall off intact, and these are often kept either by loved ones, or by the exile themselves. Generally, wingless nyarins leave their tribe, little more than outcasts and outlaws. Most commonly, an exiled nyarin disappears off into the desert in a sort of ritualistic suicide, but occasionally, they will find themselves along the edges of iscaelin society, burying their sorrow in any sort of work they can find.

Six main Nyarin tribes - Yarin, Chyara, Felain, Besha, Tarokee, Jiou
There are more, but these are the largest. Most other tribes look to these six for protection in a hierarchy of sorts.

Natural Enemies: feryx, xalik, sandstorms, tribal raids

Energy Level:  2/5   

Exercise Requirements:  3/5     

Playfulness:  3/5   

Affection:   4/5     

Friendliness toward other people:  1/5    

Friendliness toward other animals:   3/5    

Friendliness toward strangers:   0/5     

Trainability/Ease of Training/Learning:  3/5     

Watchdog Ability:  5/5     

Protectiveness/Ability to Protect:    4/5     

Grooming Requirements:  2/5     

Cold Tolerance:  1/5     

Heat Tolerance:  5/5