Appearance

Or’rix are small and lithe, with a fast metabolism that keeps them trim and lean. They have relatively small frames, and they can stand anywhere between 4’5” and 5’5”. Appearing as bipedal hounds, Or’rix have slender snouts, triangular ears, digitigrade legs, and long skinny tails tipped with either feathers or fur. Their fingers and toes are clawed, and they have pads on their palms and fingertips, giving them better grip.

They’re covered in fine, thin fur that comes in all manner of colors--though earthen tones are the most common. Their coats come in all manner of patterns, as do their eyes. Many Or’rix prefer to wear simple clothing, like wraps, shawls, robes, and sarongs.

Abilities

Or’rix are fast and agile. They fight well in hand to hand combat, with their claws and fangs giving them an edge. Their small stature lends to their close combat strategies, allowing them to duck and weave to strike at their opponents blind spots.

They have enhanced hearing and a keen sense of smell. They can sprint quickly, though not for long, and are well suited to distance running. They can run on two legs as well as four, with their tails providing balance for them to make sharp turns.

Magical

While not terribly inclined in the magical arts, Or’rix have the ability to heal from their wounds very quickly. Shallow wounds will heal almost instantly, while more severe wounds will take time, though significantly less time than in other races.

Many brew potions to help them in their missions, and it’s not uncommon to see an Or’rix brewing and selling poisons, smoke bombs, and flashbangs to make end’s meet. What little magic they do possess is used to give these creations as much of a punch as possible.

Culture

The life of an Or’rix is fast paced and cutthroat. They have relatively short lives for a sentient species, so their young age quickly--even their metabolism is fast. With a constant urge to be on the move doing something, many Or’rix are reckless, even moreso when bored. Infighting and underhanded tactics are common, and conflicts are quick to come to blows. Mercy is not a concept in their society.

Generally they roam in packs led by the strongest among them. Gender matters little in their society: the strong lead the weak, and those too weak, die. These packs often contain several families, and govern themselves. On some occasion packs will merge or split depending on a marriage, or if there’s a draw in battle to determine who should lead. These Or’rix traverse the desert with as little as they can carry, sleeping during the heat of the day and traveling vast distances at night. Many packs are unwelcome is cities and towns, as Or’rix have a reputation for being thieves and assassins. This is a well earned reputation, as the Or’rix are a bloodthirsty bunch.

Many Or’rix live alone, or even in small bands of three or five, to make a living selling their services in cities and towns across the realm.

The Or’rix don’t have any particular holidays or celebrations. The closest thing they have to any of these is called the Grr’dhe Grraan, or the Great Combat. This is when a younger member of a pack challenges for the position of leadership. The trial is held at sundown, as is an unarmed fight, often to the death. Bystanders are forbidden from interfering, and if someone steps in, the challenger immediately loses. The loser if often banished from the pack, and forced to live on their own.

Should an individual anger several packs, an official manhunt is put out for them. Punishment is severe and brutal for those who cause the packs to come together in these hunts, leading to a drawn out death. With no official laws governing them, punishments for various crimes differ from pack to pack, but one crime is punishable by death across their society: the slaughtering of pups and pregnant females.

History

Or’rix are said to have gotten their start as the sighthounds of the pharaohs of Eden, used for hunting and sport. Over generations of magical exposure, their forms were changed into the beings seen presently. The Sphinx haven’t confirmed this, as inadvertently creating one of the scourges of the desert would be a stain on their reputation, and adamantly claim this to be a falsehood spread by the Or’rix to cause trouble. Others claim that the Or’rix simply evolved from jackals--a common argument used to keep them as second class citizens. Regardless, the origins of the Or’rix are shrouded in mystery.