De'Rukai

Description: De'Rukai stand fully upright, between 7 and 8 feet tall on average. Males are generally slightly larger than females. They are lithe, slender, muscular, and very strong, possessing four arms and two very powerful digitigrade legs, all ending in five long digits tipped with long, sharp claws. The second pair of limbs, located below and slightly behind the first, are in fact wings, with modified hands at the wrist, and are generally kept folded up tightly against the body.
The face of the De'Rukai is only vaguely human. They possess a long face, with a sort of muzzle. The front teeth, or incisors, seem to have been fused together into one broad tooth, rather than the four or six that most mammals possess. Large, sharp canines rest behind this single incisor, and further back, the general premolar and molar teeth of most mammals.
The ears are large, pointed, and slightly mobile, at the sides of the head, behind the eyes and jawbone. The hair is manelike, thick and bushy, and aside from the occasionaly strip of fur down the back, it is the only body hair this race possess.
A distinguishing feature of the De'rukai is the fact that they have (at least in females) four breasts. The bottom pair are smaller than the top pair, and a third set of nipples are present below the lower pair of breasts. These nipples are vestigial, however, in the process of evolving away, and sometimes are not present. Males also have four or six nipples, the race possessing two sets of pectoral muscles, one for each pair of arms.
De'rukai have a tail, albeit a small one, rarely reaching longer than a foot.

Skills and Abilities: Despite the possession of “wings”, the De’Rukai are incapable of any form of prolonged flight, not possessing the required muscle mass for such an activity. Rather, they are expert gliders. In addition to gliding, they are skilled climbers and swimmers, able to scale rocky cliff-walls rather easily in order to obtain a high point from which to glide.
Due to their natural strength, quickness, and agility, as well as their natural weapons, the De'Rukai are anything but meek in battle. They may be peaceful as a whole, but there is an entire Sect devoted to the warrior class. They have perfected a martial art unique to their people, known as Ai'Kur.
Active at all hours of the day, depending upon personal preference, and dwelling for the most part underground, De'Rukai have excellent night vision.

Ecology: The natural habitat of the De'Rukai is a sort of Canyonlands type area. Rocky, riddled with deep canyons and caves, and shot through with rivers and small lakes, it was the perfect place for their race to evolve along the lines it did.
While the human ancestor is a primate, the evolutionary ancestor of the De'Rukai is a ratlike mammal about the size of a small beagle. They started as prey, developing the ability to leap from cliffs and glide to the water below to avoid predators. Over time, however, this skill enabled them to move up the food chain and eventually put them in their current place.
De'Rukai can live up to 200 years, though more common is a lifespan of approximately 150. They reach sexual maturity at 15, and adulthood at 20. A female can give birth to up to four young, though more common is 2.

Society: Skill and prowess are of much import in De’Rukai culture, and their society is divided into Sects, based on skill. Within each Sect there exist many Houses, or families, First House being the most skillful of that trade, and therefore, the head of that particular Sect. Often traveling as merchants and traders, De’Rukai apply facial paint, or in some cases tattoos, to denote which House they belong to.
De'Rukai make their homes in deep, complex cave systems, carving a fair deal of the rock away on their own to mould the caverns to their liking. As such, they have become expert miners and rocksmiths, and the Miner Sect is probably one of the largest in De'Rukai society.
Living in a world of rivers and stone, the De’Rukai have perfected water and steam power, their canyons generally lined with water wheels which power their cities and light their streets. Their cities are a fascinating display of clockwork and innovation.
De'Rukai may be found in almost any profession, taking great pride in their skill, though you will never find a De'Rukai who practices magic (see below).

Religion: The De'Rukai are an intellectual and scientific race, it is true, but they are not without religion. They recognize the entire pantheon in their religion, though their main focus of worship lies in Othodre, Pumilius, and Fitias.

Special Notes:
Despite what the other races of De’Ru find completely obvious, the De’Rukai refuse to believe in the existence of Magic, in fact, they may very well be incapable of even perceiving it. They believe it to be trickery or lies, if they acknowledge it at all, and want nothing to do with it. All that they have accomplished, they have done without the benefit of magery.
Some De'Rukai even seem to have an "allergy" to magic, of sorts. Close proximity to it can cause them extreme headache, fatique, or even cause them to pass out. In these cases in particular, magic does not even seem able to function within a few feet of these individuals, their very nature disturbing it somehow. A mage who finds himself within a crowd of De'Rukai will be a very sad mage indeed.