Skavara

While originally from Amedo, traders brought these snarling, badger-like semi-intelligences first to Algol, and later to Coriolis, where they have multiplied in the shadows of the Cellar. The skavara keep out of sight and live off what they can find, which usually means garbage and leftovers if they live close to a human settlement. Skavara usually live in leaderless packs or alone. Sometimes they gather around a strong leader for a short time and then disband, and possibly reform the group. The skavara are guarded and vigilant creatures, but also curious and fast learners. Like the glitter thrush, they collect all sorts of colorful and shiny knick-knacks. City dwelling skavara often adorn their fur or simple clothing with copper wires, fiber-optic cables or pieces of shiny plastic. They only wear clothes – capes or gallabeyas mostly – in colder climates such as on Algol or in the Cellar on Coriolis, otherwise preferring just their own fur for warmth. Humans have unsuccessfully tried to train skavara. Their semi-intelligence makes them able to learn human languages, but their throats and mouths are bad at mimicking the sounds. They can usually bark or yap only a few hundred words, but can communicate much more clearly through sounds or body language.