Kinain

Height: Average
Build: Light
Diet: Omnivorous
Habitat: Arboreal
Other characteristics of note:

Kinain refer to each other as "Kin." The term "Kinain" is used primarily by outsiders when referencing them, to avoid confusion. Occasionally, Kinain names for things like locations and institutions will use the name "Kin" instead of "Kinain," as a reference to their formal name (e.g. the Kin Road, a road built by the Kinain, is called "The Kin Road" even by non-Kinain travellers).

Kinain skin color runs through various shades of browns and beiges, and is usually striped or spotted along the back and sides. They usually have brown eyes and brown or blonde hair, though in the last few decades it has become fashionable in certain circles to dye it.

Kinain have long, thin tails. These appear to be used mainly for balance. Though quite flexible, they are not prehensile, and they do not have the musculature required to lift or move objects. Some Kinain have been known to weight or pierce their tails, but this is rare and seems to impair their function.

Probably the most striking feature of the Kinain, however, are their long ears. These ears appear to be mainly used to diffuse excess body heat, but they are also sometimes used for balance, as well as being used in communication (emotions and similar simple concepts, typically). The ears are effective at diffusing heat because they are filled with a dense network of blood vessels which curculates warm blood out through the long surface area of the ear. Unfortunately, this means that if the ears are cut or damaged, significant blood loss can occur. While not always life threatening, it is enough of a hindrance that many Kinain in injury-prone professions (such as Hunters and Sentinels) will have them surgically shortened to prevent such blood loss at an inopportune moment. This procedure is fairly common, but it does tend to make the patient more suceptible to heat exhaustion and other heat related maladies.

The Kinain are notoriously omnivorous, eating almost any organic matter, ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat and fish to insects and leaves. They typically do not cook their food, which means that many of their meals are inedible to other races. Kinain are very resilient to sickness and poisons transmitted by food, which allows them a certain amount of indescretion in the preparation and storage of their meals. Kinain have a very active metabolism, so their volume of food intake is quite large. Because of this, and because many Kinain villages still rely on hunting and gathering as their primary source of food, the Kinain population is rather decentralized compared to that of other races. Despite this, they are probably the most populous race in the Western Realms, pacifying huge swaths of territory that would otherwise be uninhabitable due to the indigenous fauna.

Kinain are extremely strong and light, which allows them to move very quickly, most obviously in the form of extremely powerful leaps. Kinain can fall tremendous distances without being seriously hurt, and they have an impressive amount of agility, which gives them a significant advantage in closed, vertical areas, such as the forests which they frequently inhabit. However, their low body weight often hinders them in combat, since they are unable to put much force behind their blows. Frequently, Kinain in combat roles will weight their limbs to offset this problem.

Kinain are predominantly nocturnal, though this is mainly by choice and habit rather than because of some biological imperative. Kinain have excellent night vision, and as hunters, this gives them an edge over their prey (as well as other predators) at night, so they predominantly operate at night.

Kinain also have some difficulty with extreme temperatures. Extreme heat can lead to exhaustion and dehydration, and as a result, Kinain tend to get lethargic in high temperatures. Additionally, in Winter, Kinain typically hibernate, so very low temperatures can send them into torpor. Although most modern Kinain villages are equipped with heaters, allowing the Kinain to stay awake for the entire winter, most still hibernate, as food is more difficult to find in the winter.