Species: Rarra

Name: rarra [rah-rah]

Homeworld: Ryarna

Height/Length/Weight: Rarra are somewhat taller than humans at an average height of six feet, give or take half a foot; females tend to be slightly smaller than males. Weight ranges from 140 to 250 lbs.

Physical Description: Rarra are somewhat tall bipeds of a rather average build; most are fairly athletic, but neither extremely lean nor brawny. They have very soft, fine, short fur, which is barely distinguishable from bare skin; it's a uniform length on their bodies, but for being longer on the eartips, loins, and cresting in a two-inch 'mohawk' along the curve of their skulls. They have a lapine face with long fangs that are visible even when their mouths are closed; they have rabbit-like eyes but no 'eyebrows,' simply a patch of eye-whiskers. There's a small, upcurving, sharp-tipped horn just above and between their brows; male horns are about four inches long, whereas female horns are two or three inches. They have foot-long ears - very thin, pointed, tufted, and very mobile. They have three fingers and a thumb, all tipped in tiny, nonretractable claws; their digits are somewhat short but still deft. They have mostly external genitalia (visible breasts and penile sheath, internal testicles); females have four breasts, the bottom pair being much smaller than the upper and hardly noticeable unless wearing very tight clothing or nursing. Rarra have long, thick, muscular legs, but no tails; they walk digitigrade and are capable of considerable leaps. Their feet are talon-like with three long, thick digits and a thumb-like toe on the inside of the foot (that can fold or point directly backwards); each toe is tipped in a large, curving claw. Their feet are quite deft and dexterous. Rarra are solely carnivores, though they do season their food with herbs and spices, and they will occasionally eat bread-like products, often in conjunction with a meat-based meal.

Senses/Capabilities: Rarra are fast runners (but not as fast as baghans), reaching 25 mph in a sprint; their endurance varies on the individual's fitness, as does peak speed. Most rarra tend to be fairly physically athletic, even the scholars and the tinkerers. Rarran sight is very precise and long-range, and their hearing is wonderful, but their sense of smell is poor except for detecting the scent of blood. They have decent strength and agility/flexibility.

Coloration/Clothing: Rarra are solidly-colored without markings or much variation in fur/skin color over their bodies, but for a dark patch of fur/skin around their eyes. Fur/skin colors can be cinnamon-red-brown, black, dark brown, cream-tan, and steel grey. Eye color can range from blues, greys, browns (gold is possible, but rare), and greens. Rarra do wear clothing consistently, to conceal breasts and genitals at a bare minimum. Rarra also dress to protect themselves from the weather, terrain, or activities (armor, in a sense); many rarra also have uniforms to indicate their rank and profession, especially animetal pilots and the Riders. Some rarra (mostly in the bigger cities) dress for style, as well.

Races/Breeds: Rarra have no distinct ethnicities.

Language: Rarra speak rarran, a very soft, purring/murmuring language with tonal inflection usually conveying precise meaning. Since inflection and context determine the exact meaning of a word, rarran has a fairly small vocabulary, except for the extensive word set that pertains to technology/engineering, as well as a large section detailing magic and its uses. There are many words for professions and other titles/labels, but very few indicating hierarchy (such as different forms of address for people of lower/higher/equal rank).

Technology: Rarra are very skilled with technology and live in a state of considerable sophistication. In the largest cities, they have magic- and steam-powered ground and air transportation; between cities, they have train lines; they mine, smith, and design veritable feats of engineering, most of which are designed to be magic-powered and thus work poorly on most worlds other than Ryarna. Rarra also have designed metal weaponry - not only blades, but firearms and crossbows as well. Their greatest interests and their most renowned inventions are animetal shells.

Magic: Nearly every rarra can work magic in some way or another. Even the engineers and tinkerers are alchemists. Other than the widespread practice of alchemy and magical metallurgy, rarra observe the human magical castes, with bards being the most highly-regarded of all magic-workers for their skills with animetals. Most animetal pilots also have bardic training to some degree. Rarra do not engage in Lightworking or black magic, but they do have healers (priests) and war mages (black magicians). Few rarra are druids; most common are mages and mage hybrids.

Values: Rarra value individual skills very highly, as well as one's ability to get along peaceably with others in work and play. Skill with magic or engineering/inventing is especially valued, though there's little to no condescension towards those who choose simpler lives as miners, farmers, or herders. Working cooperatively, despite often vast differences in personality and profession, is important simply because rarra are social people and cannot run a society such as theirs in disparate, detached groups.

Social Groups/Society: Rarra are highly individualistic, despite being very cooperative; once a rarra is grown, family matters very little, and groups of friends and/or colleagues often take precedence over kindred. A rarra works within its profession by choice and within its city or town by necessity; time, energy, and aid is given when needed to others, but a rarra generally leads its own life separately from those around it. Mated couples and families with children are the exceptions to this rule of thumb, but even childless couples spend considerable time alone or with their own groups of friends.

Habitat/Settlements: Thanks to technology and clothing, rarra can live in nearly any terrain and any clime. The cities that offworlders typically visit - those near the docks - are large, dense, and generally very tall - buildings can have up to ten floors in the biggest cities. Small cities and large towns, on the other hand, never have buildings higher than two floors, except for animetal shell factories. Most processing of raw material - be it ore or meat - is done in the towns, rather than the biggest cities; animetal shells are constructed in large towns or small cities, and only famous engineers or nobodies have the time and resources to create unique animetal shells.

Religion/Beliefs: Rarra have no particular religions; they engage more in philosophy, although even that is rare. Given that animetals are machine-incarnated ghosts, they do have an unshakeable belief in the spirit's ability to survive the body.

Interaction w/ Other Species: Rarra are a very proud people, and it shows in their interactions with offworlders. Although they are generally amiable and polite, rarra walk tall and have a strong sense of their own worth and their particular racial advantages. Some offworlders can be intimidated by such unshakable confidence, while others simply adapt; rarra never mean to condescend, but they also do not bow. Rarra have a varying outlook towards animetals; some are in awe and extremely respectful, while others treat them as mere (albeit unusual) animals, and yet others treat them as mute equals.

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