Planet Zar: Nexus

General

Drulug are small, sapient mammalian aliens possessing four limbs, a long neck, and a prehensile tail that makes up 50% of their body length. There is almost no sexual dimorphism in the species. Males and females tell one another apart by pheromone alone. Both sexes sport quills on the head and back, as well as a crown of soft spikes on the skull and chin. Drulug's quills produce a potent neurotoxin which can cause respiratory issues, rapid heart rate, psychosis, and death. Apart from their quills, drulug are covered in fine, silky hair which grows only a few millimetres in length. Hair always has a glossy sheen to it and is typically speckled, mottled, or striped in shades of grey - which can appear nearly white to almost black.

Eyes are bright and luminescent, with slit cat-like pupils. They have excellent night vision and find bright light unpleasant. Above their eyes are two heat-pits which allow them to sense infrared.

Forehands consist of three fingers and a thumb, all sporting sharp claws, while hind limbs have four digits and a prehensile bird-like thumb.

Physiology & Behavior

Drulug are social animals who strongly dislike isolation. They are just as comfortable with their own species as they are with other aliens, but forced solitude will quickly cause a drulug's mental state to deteriorate. Drulug are physically affectionate and enjoy touch and social grooming.

Because of their sensitivity to light, drulug tend toward nocturnal and crepuscular waking cycles. Given the option, they prefer occupations that allow them to stay in poorly lit settings.

Drulug have fast-paced minds and enjoy keeping their brains busy. When presented with a task, they hyper-focus on that singular project until completion. They can become quite stressed when forced to leave a project unfinished. Drulug are habitual creatures that flourish with routines.

Reproduction and romance are often two separate things for drulug. Sex and gender tend to be irrelevant when choosing a life mate, as there is little difference between the sexes to begin with. Drulug reproduction cycles occur only a few times during one's lifespan, wherein a drulug that chooses to breed will produce a litter of 2-4 liveborn young. Drulug are slow to mature and reach adulthood around 20 years of age.

Communication

Drulug are capable of complex verbal speech in a range that stretches beyond that of a human's. Their excellent hearing picks up both higher and lower pitched frequencies. Within their own species (and language) are a myriad of chirps, purrs, and rumbles.

Drulug also use their quills to display emotions. Flat quills, laying harmlessly against the back, indicate peace and contentment. A frightened or angry drulug will bristle their quills as they go on the defensive.

Culture

Drulug originate from a methane-dense moon; Dexia. Both hot and humid, most of Dexia's surface biomes range from tropical to desert. Drulug evolved in warm settings and don't fare well in the cold.

Because of their anatomy - particularly their quills - drulug find clothing uncomfortable and difficult to wear. On Dexia, most cultures wear only accessories, loincloths, or simple open-backed upper-body garments. Off-planet, drulug will wear shirt-and-pants style clothing as needed in order to fit in. Some places have begun specializing in with open back panels to comfortably allow a drulug's quills to move freely.