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Description
One of the three sapient inhabitants of Shuroa along with the Dejarites and the Wuza, the Matula are counted among the largest known sophonts, believed to have descended from a slug or leech-like carnivore on the backs of the Bassinnunn. What looks like a coat of shaggy, dense "hair" in their bodies is actually a second layer of highly modified skin, packed with sensors that let them smell, hear and even "taste" their surroundings. Strong anesthesics in their saliva can render most creatures numb and disoriented for potentially hours with a single bite, and their four posterior arms, derived from an anchor-like appendage, end in hooked claws both for manipulation of utensils and self-defense should the need arise.

Despite their rather off-putting appearance, the Matula tend to be a patient and surprisingly gentle species. Their movements are slow and pondering, almost lethargic to an observer, as they quietly and carefully analyze their surroundings. When roused enough, however, they act with shocking gracefulness and speed that results frightening considering their size, a reminder of how they have thrived as a hunter culture in their homeworld.

The Matula don't have technology to speak of beyond simple tools, leaving that skill to the Dejarites, and organize themselves in matriarchal pseudo-tribes, hunting the various creatures in their porous realms and protecting their humanoid allies from the more dangerous threats. The eldest female reigns supreme over her "pack", with lesser females, mature males and juveniles down in the pecking order. Dominance is established by "climbing" on each other, a behavior young Matula love to act out while playing. After the ritualistic -and surprisingly violent- act of mating, females lay their eggs in a "pot" woven out of silk from glands near their anus, the same silk Dejarites use to make their finest clothing.

The bulk of Matula communication is performed through chemical reception, releasing a wide variety of smells to express themselves. Because of this, they have a reputation among those unused to deal with them as smelling repugnantly. In fact, their very name, given them by the Dejarites, is a variation of "Matolerite", which roughly means "stinky person"

Perhaps because they lack a skeletal structure, most Matula are fascinated by bones, and often keep or wear collections of these as "trophies" from past kills

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Another race for the Legacyverse! [link]

Description
One of the three sapient inhabitants of Shuroa along with the Dejarites and the Wuza, the Matula are counted among the largest known sophonts, believed to have descended from a slug or leech-like carnivore on the backs of the Bassinnunn. What looks like a coat of shaggy, dense "hair" in their bodies is actually a second layer of highly modified skin, packed with sensors that let them smell, hear and even "taste" their surroundings. Strong anesthesics in their saliva can render most creatures numb and disoriented for potentially hours with a single bite, and their four posterior arms, derived from an anchor-like appendage, end in hooked claws both for manipulation of utensils and self-defense should the need arise.

Despite their rather off-putting appearance, the Matula tend to be a patient and surprisingly gentle species. Their movements are slow and pondering, almost lethargic to an observer, as they quietly and carefully analyze their surroundings. When roused enough, however, they act with shocking gracefulness and speed that results frightening considering their size, a reminder of how they have thrived as a hunter culture in their homeworld.

The Matula don't have technology to speak of beyond simple tools, leaving that skill to the Dejarites, and organize themselves in matriarchal pseudo-tribes, hunting the various creatures in their porous realms and protecting their humanoid allies from the more dangerous threats. The eldest female reigns supreme over her "pack", with lesser females, mature males and juveniles down in the pecking order. Dominance is established by "climbing" on each other, a behavior young Matula love to act out while playing. After the ritualistic -and surprisingly violent- act of mating, females lay their eggs in a "pot" woven out of silk from glands near their anus, the same silk Dejarites use to make their finest clothing.

The bulk of Matula communication is performed through chemical reception, releasing a wide variety of smells to express themselves. Because of this, they have a reputation among those unused to deal with them as smelling repugnantly. In fact, their very name, given them by the Dejarites, is a variation of "Matolerite", which roughly means "stinky person"

Perhaps because they lack a skeletal structure, most Matula are fascinated by bones, and often keep or wear collections of these as "trophies" from past kills

--------------------

Another race for the Legacyverse! [link]