Ki'Shari

Ki'Shari (also spelt 'Kishari') are a small, sentient species native to Noma. Most commonly likened to lemurs and cats, they are largely found in the vast rain forest expanses of their home planet. Ki'Shari are a symbiotic species who live in tandem with a specific breed of tree only found on that planet.

### Physiology

Kishari are small creatures, roughly the size of large house cats. They are adapted to life in the treetops and so have feet used for gripping branches similar to chimpanzees, with their big toe extending out from their foot and acting more as a thumb. Kishari have strong limbs and are able to easily hold up their own body weight. Their long tails are not prehensile, but end in fin-like appendages that allow the individual to retain balance while moving through the canopy; it is theorised than these fins are also used as a way to signal to other individuals.

Kishari have exceptional eyesight in both light and darkness, largely thanks to the size of their pupils, which can reach almost two inches in diameter when fully dilated. Their iris colour ranges from pale yellow through to near-lilac, though a few individuals with pink eyes (non-albino) have also been recorded.

Kishari are also adept at hearing, as they have two sets of ears. The primary ears are larger and have a movement range similar to animals such as fruit bats, and the secondary ears protrude from the side of the head and more limited in their ability to rotate, though they are able to lay flat against the skull.

Kishari's main sensory organs are the antennae-like appendages that protrude from their head and tail. These antennae end in delicate, feather-like structures that are incredibly sensitive to changes in air density around the individual, enabling Kishari to sense when other creatures and potential threats are nearby.

### Psychology and Sociology

Ki'Shari are sentient creatures, with an average intelligence roughly comparable to a five-year-old human. They have a developed sense of 'self' and 'others', and are able to recognise themselves and other individuals within a group. They are advanced enough to have formed limited understanding of other creatures as well as crafting skills and ability to use tools and create weapons. Kishari have a limited moral compass, and categorise everything roughly into 'good' and 'bad' - usually, things that attempt to hunt them are 'bad'.

Ki'Shari live in large groups known as 'whispers'. Whispers don't appear to have any hierarchical structure, though different individuals are noted to perform specific tasks in a way that may separate the whisper into divisions: for example, there are 'hunters' who largely go out to gather and bring back food to the whisper, and 'carers' who look after groups of kits (infant Ki'Shari) in an arrangement similar to the 'communal nurseries' found in others species.

### Religion

Ki'Shari have not developed any particular form of religion, though it is noted that they have a particular reverence and affinity for Sindryl - that is, the original quadrupedal species that today's modern Sindryl were evolved from. It seems Kishari view Sindryl in almost the same way that humans view unicorns - a rare, almost sacred species that demands respect and may possess mystical powers - the key difference, of course, being that Sindryl are real. Sindryl are depicted on many Kishari artefacts and some speculate they may even view Sindryl as godlike figures, though records of interaction between the two species are next to non-existent.