The Ferrea, while a unique race, are not native to De'Ru. They came, instead, from the planet Ferrey, when they were caught in a Rift Storm.  There aren't many of them on De'Ru, their population relatively sparse.

Description:  The Ferrea are a race of anthropomorphic animals, found in two basic themes: Canine and Feline.  While they closely resemble animals we may know of from earth, if you told a canid Ferrea that he looked like a wolf, he wouldn't know what you were talking about.  Their looks range from domestic dog, to fox, to wolflike in appearance in the case of the canines, and from housecat to cougar, to lion in the case of the felines.
In all cases, they stand fully upright, their bodies appearing almost identical to that of a human, except for the presence of fur, a tail, claws, and digitigrade legs...and, of course, the head of an animal.  Their hands possess five digits, tipped with claws, while their feet possess four, also clawed, and in the felines' case, all the claws are retractable, though not as much so on the feet. 
Ferrea do not exactly have "hair" so much as a mane; a gradual lengthening of the fur on their head into what could be called hair.  Some cut it short to match the rest of their fur, some let it grow wild, some style it.  It is all dependent upon personal preference.   

Skills and Abilities:  Like their animal counterparts, Ferrea have highly skilled senses of smell, hearing, and in some cases, sight.  They tend to be slightly stronger and perhaps more agile and quick than a human, but otherwise, have no special skills.  They are about level with the abilities of a human, except, of course, for the claws and teeth.

Ecology:  The planet of Ferrey was nearly identical to earth in climate and ecology, and the Ferrea are quite similar to humans in their lifestyle.  Some Ferrea prefer nature, while others prefer cities, they are as varied in their preferences as any Terran. 
The lifespan of a Ferrea is 70-100 years, similar to that of a human, individuals reaching sexual maturity at around 14 or 15.  They don't generally leave their parents until around 17 or 18, however.

Society:  Ferrea live much like humans do, although their current technology level is significantly lower than that of humans at this juncture.  They tend to live in small towns, generally in clusters of 4 or 5, a few miles apart, with farmland in between.  The canine and feline Ferrea interact with each other freely, no prejudices existing between them, though they do tend to pick mates who are of a similar "species".
There is a council of town elders, a few from each town, who gather periodically to discuss matters and make decisions for their town and crops.
They interact well with most of the other races on De'Ru, trading and mingling freely in the City-States.
A large number of Ferrea have taken up residence in Deronar.

Religion:  The religion of the Ferrea centers around Ythreyai, Hethrak, and Pumilius, though they have done much research into the cultures of other races on De'Ru, and acknowledge the existence of the other De'Ru Gods.

Special Notes:  The Ferrea are fully capable of using and understanding magic.  As much as any human is. They were previously unaware of it, but, like the Terrans, are gradually getting a grasp on it.  Ferrea mages are not unheard of.