Hashan

Hashan are a small humanoid species that resemble a cross between short human and otter. They build their communities on or near the shoreline of either fresh or salt water. They are an intelligent (slightly below humans) race capable of using both magic and spiritual power as other sentient races.

Hashan have short, rarely reaching more than 4 feet tall, with sleek and musclar bodies. Their body is covered in soft and insulated underfur, which is protected by an outer layer of oily guardfur. Their fur traps a layer of air keeping them warm and dry when they are under water. In addition a layer of blubber provides them with a hydrodynamic shape and buoyancy.

Their arms are slightly longer than a human of the same height, while their legs are shorter and thicker. A hashan's hands have longer fingers with heavy skin webbing between them. Their feet are not arched like other humanoids, but instead flatter and wide. Their feet act as simply flippers while they are in the water, but because much of their feet is actually extended toes, they can curl them around like birds and grasp objects. When swimming their feet provide propulsion, while their hands and only used for directional control.

Their eyes are overly large and comprised almost wholly of iris. They are protected by a clear membrane which allows them to open their eyes under water. 2-3 inch whiskers extend from a jawline and snout that protrudes a few inches from their face. Their teeth resemble other humanoids, but also contain specialized serrated canines next to their incisors.

All hashan breathe air; although the garelli also have fully formed gills. For the other hashan species the males can spend 15-20 minutes below the water before needing a breath, while females can go for nearly 30 minutes.

Most hashan will live approximately 50 years; although the garelli can live well into their 80s. Females will give birth to a single child and will nurse and raise that child until it matures in five years. While a female is nursing she can live under water for as long as 60-90 minutes before needing to breathe. This allows them to stay near their child, who is born with gills instead of air-breathing lungs.

Children spend the first year of their life completely under water. As they mature, their air-breathing lungs will begin to develop and they will slowly lose their gills. By their fifth birthday their lungs are fully developed and their gills have been absorbed into their body. They will reach sexual maturity by their tenth year and remain so well into their 30s.

The fewest of the hashan, the yvappi live in the cold waters of the north. They are larger, often reaching 5 1/2 feet, and significantly heavier (~140 pounds) than any other hashan. Instead of the brown fur of the other hashan, the yvappi have mostly white or tan fur to better conceal them on the ice. Additional blubber and heavier fur help them survive the colder climes; although they still must rest for long periods of time to conserve their heat.

These are the most numerous of the hashan and can be found almost anywhere near water. It is the lasharni that are most well-known to other races as they gather in much larger communities, even building cities as large as other races. Their skin color is gray or black depending on the season and their fur coloration ranges from reddish-brown to brown and nearly completely black.

The physically smallest as well the as the smallest in number. The garelli have more simplistic lungs and thus cannot live fully out of water - instead they have gill slits on the sides of their trunk. Their bodies have the least amount of blubber, so they are live only along the equator and warm lakes. Their skin and fur tend to be completely black, with only a few patches of brown or green. Unlike the other species of hashan, the garelli still retain the sharp claws of their ancestors. Rarely do the garelli interact with other sentient species, preferring to live a solitary life except during mating season.