Khadelu

Physical Description
   As a  species Khadelu are best described as small to medium sized humanoids,  and characterized by their longer than normal powerful legs, long  torsos, wide feet with five toes, normal arms and four-fingered hands,  long ears, and short fluffy tails.  They are covered in a coat of soft  fine fur.  Like the Sorex, they have two pair of sharp incisors.  The  Khadelu are known to have large, Manax like ears, and from a distance  they can be mistaken for a Manax, though they lack the long tail. In all  cases the Khadelu also have long snouts, with large noses at the end,  similar to that of the Manax and the Sorex.
      Khadelu coats of  fur range in many different colors, most usually have tan or brown fur.  Which helps keeping attackers  from easily spotting them, as opposed to  the bright white, dark black, or spotted fur of others.  Though  individuals have been known to dye their furs in a myriad of colors.  Their eye colors range from bright blue to a soft gray, often they have  flecks of gold or silver in their irises.
     Khadelu dress very  much like other humanoids wearing dresses, pants, vests and shirts.  But  none where shoes of any sort.  They prefer dull colors ranging from  green and yellows to blues and indigos.

Personality
       As a species Khadelu are a peaceful people, who usually shun fighting,  they are also very courageous, uncanny, they can be silly, timid,  curious and high spirited.  They can often be over cautious and  hesitant, taking their time to decide whether or not they will take an  action or not, at least that is how they appear to outsiders.  In truth,  Khadelu hide their confidence and strength, steadily moving towards  their goals, no matter what negativity is surrounding them. 
       They have a pragmatic sense of life, with outstanding reasoning skills  and attention to details around them.  They are inherently socializers  with an attractive and fun aura.  However, they find it hard to open up  to others and will often turn to escapism.
     Khadelu are are  extraordinarily polite and do whatever they can to avoid conflicts.   They are sometimes very conservative, and impose a line that they will  simply not cross not matter the results of that decision.  They are  thoughtful and treat everyone politely, they hate overt violence and  arguments.
     Most Khadelu are inherently difficult to seduce,  being uninterested in obtaining power, and tend to be happily ignorant  of evil or overt cunning which has given to the believe that Khadelu are  inherently immune to most all charming attempts. But as with all  things, not every Khadelu are uninterested in power, or learning the  sophisticated knowledge of the world around them.  Khadelu can often be  upset by the presence or interests of a greedy or dark cunning  individual. While they may be ignorant of a subtle being's intent or  capabilities, they have an innate sense of whether they can trust or  even like an individual.
    Despite the conservative outlook most  Khadelu have, many seek adventure for the unique and new experiences  that adventuring provides.  While for many the idea of entering caves  and dens, exploring ruins and exploring ancient ruins feels them with a  bit of fear and hesitation, for many it drives their curiosity and takes  little to no effort to influence these "wild hares" to head out into  the wide world.  Many enjoy anything new and will relish new locales and  sensations, viewing any of this with a lust for life.
     In  general, nearly all Khadelu are optimistic, and openhearted mixed with a  sense of conservatism.  They get along with most all other species and  are friendly to most everyone they meet.  They tend to make strong  friendships and are quick to defend against those who would harm their  friends or their Warren.

Languages and Names
      Khadelu speak Lepophan.  It is a complex language filled with the  natural sounds of the Khadelu which includes high pitched whistles that  are undetectable by most beings, clicks and soft shrieks, all interwoven  into a spoken language of what humans would call standard alphabet. All  Khadelu pick up on or two other languages of the world, often Common  and either Rhavad (Aelwyn Language), Jauzah (Ha'Vatu Language) or  Rasta-Ki (Ba-liyan Language).

Cultural Kin and Communities
      All Khadelu form strong communities which are organized into  Warrens, which tend to be underground villages either dug out by hand or  modified cave systems to suit their needs.  Most Warrens are made up of  10 to 15 families, with each family having between 4 and 10 Khadelu.   All of which share the same Warren, their individual homes connected to  the central hovel by numerous tunnels and secreted passage ways.  So  well built are these Warrens that they put to shame many of the greater  species that choose to live within the earth.  Like many "villages" you  will find a tavern, blacksmith or farrier.
      Commonly found in  every Khadelu community the elders are highly respected and are often  referred to as grandchief, and is used interchangeably between the  sexes.  Each family within the Warren works together, lending their  talents for the good of the community.
     Love and relationships  among the Khadelu are featured predominately. This comes in various  forms: mate to mate; familial and bonded friends.  Most serious love  affairs occur once a Khadelu reaches an age where the individual feels  ready for such an affair. Those that become involved often exchange bits  of plaid cloth that each wear as a sign to other Khadelu  that they are taken.  Wedding ceremonies are an elaborate affair where  each mate will don specific clothing as chosen by each other.  When they  wed both wear soft handmade shoes to symbolize their bonding that they  will travel together and the shoes are meant to represent the endurance  for the road ahead.
      Khadelu are not strangers to wars, battles  and violence, but it comes rarely to the Warrens.  There is no standing  army of long eared warriors, in battle hardened armor wielding sharp  swords. Each Warren is responsible for their defense and protection of  the families.  There are those that responsible for defense and are  referred to as Iron Feet.  While not burly, powerful warriors the Iron  Feet, often clad in specially designed armor to take advantage of their  jumping ability, they excel in guerilla warfare and hit-and-run  tactics.  They are known to attack in small groups of 5 to 10 one after  another and disappear into the surrounding area before their opponents  have time to gather and react.  Their natural ability for blending and  stealthiness allow them to enter enemy camps and commit acts of  espionage and sabotage that may halt many invaders long before they  reach a Warren.
     Khadelu love music and storytelling and rival  the Aelwyn in such matters.  Both of which they see as divine gifts.  Most Khadelu make incredible Skardi (ancient Yae'Hldra - a  poet, traditionally one reciting epics and associated with a particular  oral tradition).  They spend a great deal of their downtime working on  poetry, music and sharing stories. In most Warrens, Khadelu work at  crafts and services from leatherworking, needle point, wood carving,  alchemy and toy making.

Kendu
       Kendu are the largest of the Khadelu species.  This kin is most often  found in the greater plains, great dales and the wide, open regions of  the world. They tend to stand between 4-foot to 5-foot in height  and weigh between 125 and 150 pounds.  Kendu fur is often grey-white to  tan-grey, but many are known to die their fur as they see fit to  represent their personality.  The Kendu are radical in their overall  thoughts and preferences are considered the wilder side of the species.   They are more prone to be more impulsive, quicker to act on their  emotions than their other kin.  They also tend to be a bit more subborn,  they tend to dig in their heels and refuse to fold.  But they are most  likley to be encountered in the wider world by other species. They also  have a more pragmatic moral outlook than either the Nhendar or the  Ecestu.  They are often willing to let the ends justify the means, and  are less likely to have problems with letting violence be the solution.

Nhendar
      Of the three Khadelu kin, the Nhendar are  more balanced than either of the Kendu or the Ecestu.  They are not as  stubborn as the Kendu nor are they as secretive as the Ecestu.  But they  can demonstrate both occasionally. As a general rule they are very  principled and believe that good must be pursued in all cases, that the  innocent should not be harmed and the end does not always justify the  means.  They are willing to fight for causes that are right and just,  when they choose to do so.
     Nhendar are medium sized creatures  but are shorter then the Kendu, standing between 3 and 4 feet tall and  weighing approximately 100 to 130 pounds.  Their fur is more gray than  another color, but there are blue-gray and white-gray colorization as  well.

Ecestu
       Ecestu are naturally suspicious of others.  They tend to keep to  themselves and only surrender information only when they felt it  absolutely necessary.  They are not untrusting, they are just very  cautious about those that are not Khadelu, though they trust the Kendu  less than they do the Nhendar because the Kendu's wild streak and  wanderlust.  As the smallest of the Khadelu, Ecestu stand between 2-feet  and 3-feet, and weigh between 50 and 75 pounds.  Their fur color tends  to range from light gray to deep ebony, though they also have the  largest number of true albinos.  Most consider the Ecestu to be the  fore-fathers of the entire Khadelu species, and as such they are very  resistant to changes in their believes or behaviors.

Khadelu Features
Species Merit Cost: 1200
Age: Khadelu begin at the age 12, and may live up to 50 years
Weight: Base 65 plus 3d10
Size: Kendu (hares) are Medium sized creatures (4'-0" to 5'-0"; Nhendar (rabbits) are Small Creatures and Ecestu (pika)
      are Small Creatures (2'-0" to 3'-0")
Vision: Khadelu have Heightened Nightvision
Move: Base Move of 25 feet per Movement Action
Languages: Khadelu begin play speaking Lepophan and any two languages they choose.
Resistances: None
Khadelu Bonuses: Khadelu gain +15 Alertness checks,+20 Fatigue Points;
Khadelu Attribute Modifiers:
Kendu: +10 to any two: Strength, Agility, Perception, or Intelligence
Nhendar: +10 to any two: Agility, Stamina, Wits or Charisma
Ecestu: +10 to any two: Agility, Perception, Intelligence or Willpower
Khadelu Traits: Charm Immunity. Khadelu are immune to abilities that attempt to charm them and gain +50 bonus vs   
      spells that are charmed base.
Epic Jump: Khadelu are able to make incredibly long jumps or leaps. So long as they can run their normal movement
     beforehand, a Khadelu can double its jumping or leaping distance.
Kendu Traits: Blur Image. Three times per day as Move Action a Kendu can cause the air around it to become blurry with
    motion making it difficult to see them. The creature gains a +25 to their Physical Defense for the next two turns.
Nhendar Traits: Camouflage. Three times per day a Nhendar is able to quickly Hide as a Simple Action with a +25 bonus.
Ecestu Traits: Swift Stealth: Ecestu are able to move at their normal rate while stealthing. Additionally, they do not suffer
    any penalties when they move while stealthing.
Species Abilities Khadelu  begin play with two of the following abilities: Burst of Speed, Child  of the Mist, Expert Talent, Favored Instrument, Heroic, Hidden Sense,  Mortal's Hope, No Strings

Species Abilities
Burst of Speed: Once per day per their Stamina Modifier (Maximum 5 times) they gain +15 to their Movement.
Child of the Mist:  Khadelu have developed a knack for disappearing and finding easy  concealment. All concealment and cover penalties against it increase by  -10. Additionally, melee attacks against it have a 5% (Maximum of 25%)  per every other rank of simply missing.
Expert Talent:  Generally you have become an expert in a number of skills. You gain +5  modifier to your favorite three skills. The favorite skills cannot be  changed once play begins.
Favored Instrument:  Khadelu have a keen, nearly empathic link to a specific instrument that  they play. Because of this relationship they gain bonuses when playing  this instrument, the effects will last for as long as it is playing. The  creature may reverse the effects in order to cause those listening  penalties. For every 3 success it gain in its Entertainment (Instrument)  skill it grant +5 bonus skill checks to allies that can hear it.  Additionally, a Khadelu grants its allies a +5 bonus to their Initiative  per every 5 successes to a maximum of +25 Initiative Modifier.
Heroic: The goddess of luck must have blessed you. Each time you gain a new rank, you gain an additional +2 Heroic Luck.
Hidden Sense:  Khadelu have a knack for noticing unusual workings and configurations.  They can more easily spot alterations in patterns that may hide traps,  hidden doors or movable walls. Anytime they pass within 10 feet of these  types of features they gain a Perception check to notice these features  without any penalties and whether or not it is actively looking for  them.
Mortal's Hope: You are filled  with a sense of hope that grants it a +20 to any fear or horror checks  and +10 to their Physical Defense. Additionally, 3 times per day you  gain double their Stamina Modifier as Health Points when you reach 0  Health, this is in addition to any other bonus Health Points.
No Strings:  Khadelu have learned how to not be where its enemies think it is.  Because of this they gain +20 to their Evade skill attempts and a +10 to  its Physical Defense.