Lore

Khurnaz are a race of feline humanoids hailing from the Sulgate. With their peoples scattered and often isolated from each other, they developed a creole language mixing ko-man, aerliyu, and trommrhun - making them incredibly hard to understand for those who do not speak all three languages. For the khurnaz themselves this is less of a problem, as they have a prodigious skill with language learning. Despite that, almost every khurnaz is illiterate, never going beyond the rote memorization of particular groups of symbols common on signs or architecture. 

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The khurnaz homeland is in the desert and jungle regions of the Sulgate, and as a result their people are nomadic, small clans travelling through harsh environs to ensure they have enough resources for survival. In doing so, the khurnaz have gathered a reputation for playful curiosity and thievery, though they tend to readily share anything they have in return, not being particularly possessive of wealth. This reputation is so thorough that the exonym "khurnaz" comes from the dwarves, and roughly translates to "weaselly", one of many reasons the khurnaz refer to themselves by their clan name rather than a general name for the entire race.

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The khurnaz are typically very accepting of other cultures, and it is not uncommon for them to adopt members of other races into their clans, treating them as one of their own. Despite this openness, however, they are also incredibly proud peoples, with some leaders driving out members of their clan for a variety of reasons, from petty slights to showing too much interest in the cultures they pass through. These exiles often become adventurers, traders, messengers, or fall into other careers that have them keep moving from place to place.

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It is important to note that while Khurnaz can be incredibly accepting of other cultures, they are also incredibly proud and competitive. Some Khurnaz tribal leaders are often easily offended, and because of this, sometimes drive out members of their tribes who have difficulty accepting the status quo when they see useful or interesting perspectives from other cultures  -- these individuals often become 'adventurers' who attempt to learn, adopt or "borrow" objects and methods from the ways of cultures they pass through in their travels. ​​

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Quirks

• Khurnaz are carnivorous, and while sometimes will eat some amount of roughage to aid digestion, subsist on an almost exclusively meat diet.

• Given the Orcrest region is so far from the Sulgate region, it is important for a khurnaz character's player to have an understanding of the regions and cultures they come from, as well as the other races and cultures of the region. A khurnaz character should have an appreciation for the distances involved, and a relatable story for how their character arrived in the region.

• Because of their mobile and flighty nature, khurnaz, while clever, rarely have the willingness to sit down and learn to create or craft things for themselves, typically gaining their possessions through trade or theft. Crafting feats are generally discouraged. Khurnaz, as a rule, are generally illiterate, even if they speak multiple languages.

• Khurnaz vision is adapted to the dark, and they can see well even in low-light conditions.

• Khurnaz have a very liberal views when it comes to the personal space, territory or property of other peoples, and will typically just pick up and carry off things they find interesting before casually trading, selling or discarding the object later.

• Khurnaz are not biologically compatible with any other races.

• Khurnaz generally have dark fur colors. "Furry" avatars with large heads and cartoony eyes or bright colors will not be accepted. This will be strictly enforced. This is not a fursona - it is a chance to play something alien and inhuman.​

• Khurnaz are short haired even on top of their head, and can not grow humanoid length hair or have manes. Short hair styling (tuffs, a short mohawk, tight braids, etc) is perfectly acceptable, however.

• Khurnaz generally do not refer to themselves as khurnaz, but rather by their specific clan name. Some examples to choose from:

  • Rikgori, desert nomads known to take mercenary work.

  • Findur, jungle dwellers practiced in stealth.

  • Sandscold, traders that make rounds between desert settlements.

  • Fornfoot, a clan dedicated to collecting languages.

  • Darovarr, a rare sailing clan that travels the sea of Calingwai. ​

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