Nefortu

Overview
STR	17
INT	23
WIS	17
DEX	25
CON	23
CHR	17
Resists	Light
Vulnerable	Sonic
Bonus	+2 move per level
Special	Flight, small size

The nefortu are a cavern- and forest-dwelling species thought to share a distant ancestor with common bats. Hardy and intelligent, the nefortu have carved a niche for themselves as canny and meticulous merchants throughout Avendar.

Biology

The nefortu are the smallest sapient species, averaging about four feet tall. Most are covered in a layer of fine, soft fur in a range of colours comparable to their chiropteran cousins. Some populations of nefortu are instead hairless, their skin color ranging from brown to black. All nefortu have large ridged ears which are particularly sensitive to sound, and their auditory range is the broadest of all lineages. They have universally dark eyes with no visible sclera and the ability to fly using large, leathery wings.

Anatomically the nefortu are similar to the bats they superficially resemble. Their wings are webbed and leathery and their shape rounded, enabling slower, more maneuverable flight, ideal for the subterranean and heavily forested environments they tend to settle in. Skeletally, their wings are a set of secondary forelimbs positioned beneath the scapula that have adapted into elongated digits. Resemblances to the wings of certain iconic demons has been noted by many, and has contributed to stereotypes that the nefortu are inherently sinister in some fashion, but nefortu have no especial relationship with the Void or demonkind.

The aural and olfactory senses of the nefortu are above average, and there are a number of specialized structures in the sinus and brain devoted to augmenting or enhancing these senses. Conversely, nefortu tend to have the highest rates of myopia, degenerative cataracts, and deuteranopia; more than half of all nefortu are effectively blind by age 30, and colorblindness is so common that it is not considered notable. However, their unique aural and olfactory adaptations provide near-full compensation for their lack of vision, and these qualities appear to possess unusual resilience in the face of senescence. As a nefortu's vision degenerates, the boundaries with these other senses "blur"; it is not uncommon for middle aged and elderly nefortu to develop a kind of synesthaesia, seamlessly integrated with their visual perception.

Culture

While many are born within cities both near and abroad, the majority of nefortu claim heritage in the sea-cave of Rahh-Nefor or the city of Kohlis under Mount Enrien. In nefortean cities, large families of related and unrelated adults share living and sleeping quarters in a communal fashion, while children are raised by creche matrons.

In human and aelin cities, nefortu have largely found a niche in commerce, and the majority of Ayaunj's barrister-priests are nefortu. While the nefortu collect coin as a bit of a game, others view their tricks with less joviality. Prejudice arises from the culture clash, and even a respectable, law-abiding nefortu may find themself faced with accusations of fraud and malicious intent.