Believed to have originated in the Lands Beyond, the Ailuria remain a genealogical and phylogenic mystery. Despite sharing traits with a host of other races, the Ailuria lack a true ancestral relative. It's as if they sprang up out of nowhere.
Alfred Henshawe, The Mysteries of Ailurian Origin
The ailuria, a rather strange and mysterious race, are largely known to keep to themselves in the mountainous regions of Yrnath. Despite the best efforts of scientists and arcanists of all stripes, virtually nothing is known of their origins, and even the eldest of ailuria have trouble recalling from where they originate.
Physical Appearance
The ailuria are bipedal humanoids that share many physical characteristics with the red panda, such as their long tails and round faces. Their fur is primarily orange, with patches of black fur around their hands and feet, as well as white fur around their cheeks and nose. Thanks to their fur, an ailurian is capable of surviving in extreme cold, and one can commonly find ailurian settlements high up in the mountains dotting the world of Yrnath.
At maturity, an ailurian generally stands around three to four feet tall, though there have been some known to reach as tall as five feet.
Culture
Ailurian culture is centered around peaceful relations with neighbors and making friends with travelers of all sorts. As a result, an ailurian settlement tends to be the most well-protected, as all friends of the ailuria living there are known to come to their aid should it be necessary. It is advised to be as friendly as possible towards any and all ailuria you may encounter on your adventures.
Ailurian tribes are led by the eldest members acting as an informal council, though the individual ailuria living within the tribe have a large degree of personal freedom. The council largely exists to handle inter-tribal disputes and to provide spiritual guidance when needed.
