Shinx

A commonplace creature, the Shinx is as numerous as its purposes. It has uses in almost all facets of rural life, either as a utility or resource. Despite frequent hunting their numbers have remained fairly stable through their ingenuity and adaptability. They can trace their uses back to the Tescali people where their likeness was often used to depict a thief or deceiver. In one particularly popular story, the ‘Cleptas Fatum’, a Shinx hoards so much treasure that the thumb of the spirit’s power is brought down upon it in the form of a lightning bolt. Their mythological presence mirrors much of their in-life behavior, renown as thieves wherever they go.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

The Shinx are small yet resourceful rodents. Energetic limbs and sharp claws allow them to climb with ease. Their lightweight bodies allow them to balance upon precariously thin surfaces without fear of dropping. They’re one of the few animals that can readily survive-even thrive- in urban environments. Shinx can slip into nooks and crannies that would otherwise be impossible for other larger monsters to fit through and dwell comfortably in enclosed areas. Their sharp teeth let them gnaw down wood and other materials to fashion nests of whatever may be available, letting them maximize the living space they may have.

Shinx have an extremely fine velvet-like coat of fur. It’s soft to the touch to the degree that it is the highest quality fur on the continent. In a Shinx it collects in large clumps upon their tail where it provides a counterweight to balance on. A Shinx tail also serves the use of storage as it can hold objects with linkages of fur. It’s not uncommon to see Shinx storing items and food within their tails where it can act as a mobile reserve. Though most Shinx are gray or brown, males have an orange-red crest of fur above their head. This mohawk is often an indicator of a male’s health, the larger and more well-kept it is the stronger the male.

Shinx have an acute sense of hearing unprecedented in other animals. They can distinguish between footsteps and determine how hollow an item is by simply striking it. Their sense of smell is nothing to scoff at either as they can often distinguish between rotted and or poisoned food by scent alone. They don’t have the best eyesight at night and so rarely go out at dark, choosing instead to be largely diurnal.

In the dry season, Shinx have their pups. A single female may have as much as twelve pups at a time, each the size of a coffee bean. Shinx are born hairless and blind- extremely vulnerable to the sunlight. They require constant shade from the elements which they often can get by clinging to their mothers bushy tail. Shinx rapidly mature and may be ready to leave their mother in less than a few months.

#### Psychology

Shinx are best known as thieves. Though they forage for food they’re also attracted to shiny objects. This behavior doesn’t appear to have any practical purpose beyond the assumption that it may be used in nest material. Older Shinx become significantly more confident in their ability to take these objects. Even domestic Shinx occasionally exhibit this behavior on their own owners though will usually return the object when prompted. **(with NPC approval)** Some owners have intentionally fostered this behavior, turning certain Shinx into well-seasoned pick-pockets.