Kushalyur

The Kushalyur are a race of demons that live in Litvantar. They can only be found in the Semara region, and are usually known for their hospitability, friendliness and strong connection with the Astral Planes from birth. They are not actually native to the world (i.e. they didn't originate from the surface of Litvantar or gain intelligence like the Elganis), but because of their highly adaptable natures they have settled down fairly well.

Kushalyur is actually not what their race is called, but because the demons' original language is difficult to pronounce and/or understand, they often translate their names to Medar and then use those instead. The word simply means "spirit wanderer" when translated (not literal translation, that would be painful to do).

Origins
The Kushalyur actually are demonspawn. They were banished from the Oblivion astral plane for the sole reason of not being very "demon-like" as expected by those not of their race. Kushalyur were originally very friendly and sociable demon spirits that often welcomed weary Planeswalkers to rest safely in Oblivion.

Oblivion, however, is usually ruled by demonlords who are not partial to Planeswalkers to any degree. They disagreed with the Kushalyur actions and eventually threw them out onto Litvantar, with the main intention of leaving them to die exposed in the mundane world.

Fortunately, the demon spirits have a highly adaptable streak - a trait that has lasted for thousands of years right up until today. With the aid of the highly magical atmosphere of the younger Litvantar then, they gained mortal bodies for themselves and set out to explore the new world for a home to call their own.

They soon discovered that the remote forests of highly magically saturated Rinmoria was the best location.

Appearance
Kushalyur are more likely to be fair-skinned when young, with the shade gradually darkening as they age. They often have long hair; hair length is used as a measure of experience. Males usually stand at least around 6 to 7 feet, while females are slightly shorter at 5.5 to 6 feet.

Both sexes have areas on their bodies where hair growth is more pronounced, including the back, forearms, shoulders, hips, earlobes, chest (males) and backs of the hands. What stands out about their appearance is their bat wings, which can have a mighty wingspan of up to 14 feet for males and 12 feet for females. They don't have tails.

Their eyes have permanently slitted pupils. Their fingers and toes are clawed, mainly for climbing trees and catching food. Kushalyur ears are usually very conspicuous; they are said to be partially flexible and their movements often reflect how a Kushalyur is feeling. They're also used during courting.

Kushalyur horns are never the same, not even within a family. They only serve to store astral energy.

Another striking feature of the Kushalyur is the third eye that rests on their foreheads. When not in use, the third eye remains closed, only showing a slit. In use the third eye is about twice as large as their normal eyes and are often with yellow sclera and a slitted pupil. The third eye is not used for everyday seeing; it merely serves as the Kushalyur's form of vision while in the Astral Planes. It is an important organ that should not ever be injured - a Kushalyur can often recover quickly from battle injuries, but if the third eye is ever wounded, a Kushalyur's lifespan will greatly decrease and they become little more than empty shells of their former selves.

While channeling using Astral energies, the third eye will open wide while the pupil disappears and gains a bright white glow. The third eye never blinks when it's open, but it is rare for the third eye to open without reason.

Rinmorian Kushalyur live up to about 800 years; Edurian Kushalyur live for around 600-700 years.

The following birth defects are present in their race. For the last "defect", it's attributed to a change in magical wavelength during the mating that conceives the child and is very rare - about 1 in 3,000,000 ever have this defect. Silver eyes often denote that the individual is highly gifted in something specific - unfortunately, this gift cannot be determined until the child grows up, and cannot be changed. It is not exactly a birth defect per se, but Kushalyur treat it as one unless the "gift" involved benefits their community and society.
 * Lack of wings
 * Lack of magical ability
 * Silver eyes

Society
In general, Kushalyur live in large, but closely-related families. Rinmorian Kushalyur live in large tribes consisting of 2-3 families led by a Chieftain. Edurian Kushalyur have no tribes, but in a town or city they are very good neighbours and keep in contact with each other even if they are not from the same family.

Religion
It is unknown if Kushalyur have a singular, united religion. Kushalyur shaman see Mother Nature as a mentor, guide or teacher, but do not worship her. It is more likely that Kushalyur don't start out with a religion, only assuming the one of the area they live in.

Contact with other races
Although they lived in seclusion in Rinmoria, the Kushalyur were not always self-sufficient in all the products they needed. Some of them set out to search for other races with whom they could trade. They happened upon the Elganis, who welcomed them warmly and provided plenty of supplies, but told them that if they needed more than just what they had now, they would have to travel to a city.

The first few times the Kushalyur did so, they were not welcomed initially. Many other races, humans and the fae in particular, were biased against them because they were demons - which was a reasonable reaction. However, a few of these races decided to make it a game to taunt and ridicule them after seeing their non-aggressive behaviour.

The Kushalyur quickly withdrew even further into the forests of Rinmoria, but by then it had become a sport. Demon hunts grew popular throughout Rinmoria. Because of these hunts, the demons were isolated from their neighbours the Elganis and could not call for help.