Zúattans

The Zúattans¹ were one of the earliest sapient species to appear in the Múlíat Mountains in southern Dragonía, along with the Proto-Gobíls, though the two rarely met due to inhabiting different parts of the mountains.
Although they became extinct long ago, their strange appearance and behaviour influenced many myths and folklore of the other peoples of the mountains.

Appearance and abilities

Zúattans were distant relatives of the hulking Antanas found in the Kanix Forest along Dragonía's northern coast, and like them, were well adapted to the frigid climate during the last ice age. Tall and slender, their bodies were covered in dense fur, to the point that the only notable feature on their face were the large, dark eyes, which their contemporaries often found unsettling.
Zúattans were red-green colourblind, but able to see ultraviolet light to some extend, allowing the them to distinguish between snow and and camouflaged creatures with relative ease. The pupils could also contract into vertical slits to prevent snow-blindness, and they had good night vision.
Zúattan men and women looked much the same, the only notable differences being the voice range -the men generally had more shrill voice- and scent.

by Lappalingur

Cave painting made by early Exíans, showing a Zúattan intimidating outsiders with an unblinking stare, surrounded by a flock of sheep and antelopes.

History

The first Zúattan societies appeared around 40.000 years ago, during the last ice age, and were the only sapient species in what is now Darlaa, Lássordikía and northern Hrax until various other societies formed there, millennia later. They continued being the dominant culture in the region until the climate warmed up, after which the Zúattans, unable to withstand the heat and adapt to the changing flora, eventually perished around 30.000 b.Dr.

Society

Zúattans were divided into numerous tribes, initially subsisting on gathering and -to much lesser extent- hunting before adopting a similar lifestyle as the Drints in southeastern Dragonía, centered around following herds of antelopes and wild sheep and keeping them safe from predators and rival peoples as a reliable source of food and materials for tools, weapons, jewelry and talismans.

Culture

Cuisine

Zúattan diet varied depending on the season, with all sorts of wild vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs being consumed during summers and otherwise consisting primarily of dairy products, fat and, more rarely, meat and bone marrow. Within each tribe, at least one part of the animal was believed to be spiritually impure and thus left untouched, and it was common for each tribe to be named after the parts which it avoided eating.
Members of the last Zúattan tribe, for example, called themselves the Izútak-ú-att, roughly meaning 'Those who never eat brains'.

---

¹Original icelandic: Zúattar, singular: Zúatti.

by Lappalingur

EXTINCT

Origin/Ancestry

Múlíat Mountains

Average Height

2 meters