Ursideans

The Ursideans are a species of tall, hairy creatures Native to Ursinus an island located halways between Tamriel and Kaniros. Despite their fearsome appearance, they are usually gentle, although they are prone to devastating fits of rage when provoked.

Biology and Apparance
A race of large, hairy bipeds, the Ursideans are one of the most recognizable species on the planet. They are renowned for their great strength, their intelligence, their wisdom and their love for strong beverages.

Physiology

The Ursideans of Ursinus are shaggy sentient beings whose countenance was considered impressive by many other species. They were bearish in shape, with a head, a torso, and four limbs, and they stood 3 meters on average. Their upper limbs, or arms, ended with hands sporting five fingers plus an opposable thumb that allowed them to grab things. Their heads featured a pair of forward-facing eyes, the color of which ranged from blue to brown, with some individuals having green, yellow, golden or red irises. The Ursideans' nose was very sensitive and would provoke some sort of olfactory delirium in the presence of meat. Additionally, the Ursidean's mouths were filed with sharp fangs. The Ursideans were also good swimmers, which was reflected by their powerful thighs.

But their most striking physical feature in the eyes of the non-Ursideans was their uniform coat of water-shedding hair, the color of which ranged from black and white to brown according to the subspecies. In fact, the word "Ursidean" was in fact a catch-all term referring to a number of related races that could be distinguished primarily by their fur. The most common subspecies were the Ailuropoda, who came from the Valleys of Ursinus and whose hair was typically black and white.

The Ursidean's natural habitat are the jungles and plains of Ursinus. Ursidean families live in houses, partitions within the house are created by sliding doors made from wood and paper, which are portable and easily removed. These doors seal each partition from top to bottom so it can create a mini room within the house. On the edge of a house are wooden floored passages, that are similar to hallways. Extended roofs protect the passages from getting wet when it rains. Roofs of traditional houses in Ursinus are made of wood and clay, with tiles or thatched areas on top.

Like many other species, the Ursideans have two sexes; male and female. Female Ursideans had six breasts and gave birth to live-born young, with their gestation period nearly a year long.Ursidean pups were large at birth, averaging slightly less than one meter. After birth, an Ursidean grew very fast, fully conscious and able to walk unassisted within one standard year. During the course of maturation, the individual would grow to about 3 meters, with exceptionally tall individuals attaining 3.5 meters.

Life cycle

Ursideans were a long-lived people, with a lifespan of several millenia. While they outlived many other beings, the Ursideans did not live as long as species such as the Nemer who live for eons. Infant Ursideans remain in nursery rings, where they learn how to interact within their society and were taught to appreciate nature. At the end of each school day, the parents would take their pups home so they could create and maintain a sense of family. Later in life, the children would stay home full time with the rest of their kin, and were given their first responsibilities in life in the form of housekeeping chores.

Around the age of twelve, the males would perform an initiation ritual that made them enter young adulthood. In most parts of Ursinus, incumbents to the coming-of-age ritual had to gather silk from each city in Ursinus. In other regions of the Ursinus, young males took the Test of Ascension. During that ceremony, the youth was expected to unlock his inner strength, by learning how to survive in the hazardous mountains of Ursinus.

From the age of 18, the Ursideans were viewed as full-fledged adults, and were considered in their prime around the age of 50. Throughout this lengthy period, Ursideans were expected to embrace a career and find a regular source of income so they could marry and found a family of their own. Subsequently, Ursideans were qualified as "middle-aged" by 501–550, "old" by 551–599 and "venerable" at 600. Elderly Ursideans were normally cared for and admired for their accumulated wisdom.

Behavior
Ursideans are usually calm, gentle and mild-mannered, but not when they are provoked.

Society and culture

Ursidean marriage was based on sexual monogamy. Once married, the couple mated for life and would usually raise two or three pups, although there was no firm rule on that matter. It was uncontroversial for an Ursidean father to leave the island for long periods of time and entrust the education of their offspring to their mate and older kinsmen. The Ursidean society was a patriarchal one, with a complex lineage structure.

As regards politics, the numerous cities scattered across the surface of Ursinus were each led by a Master, who oversaw the civil and military matters of his community. Those Masters, also referred to as Elders, occupied a high position at the local scale, and they were entitled to cancel the celebration of sacred holidays. The entire nation was ruled over by a Grandmaster coming from a patrician family and whose court was held at Kyapitoru.

Diet

The Ursideans were omnivores. While they were perfectly capable of gathering wild plants or even cultivating domesticated varieties, their lives prompted them to consume essentially meat. Ursidean cuisine relied heavily on spices. Because of this, many dishes were not suitable for Humans as they could damage their gullet and stomach. Like many other species, Ursideans consumed potent alcohol-based beverages. Those spirits were too strong for Humans, who would become severely intoxicated after consuming them.

Technology and trade

From an early age, Ursideans were trained to use their dexterous hands for carving. They would learn to fashion everyday objects such as tools, musical instruments and household items. Some would also carve wooden toys, either as gifts for their younglings or just for leisure. Whereas some outsiders qualified their works as art, the Ursideans viewed their innate talents as mere survival skills, and they had no word for "artist" in their various languages.

While they appeared to have a low technology level to outsiders, the Ursideans were in fact quite comfortable with their technology. In fact, their ability to fuse modern conveniences and natural resources was second to none.

Combat and war

Unlike other species like the Dochal, the Ursideans were not warlike. When peaceful, they had the reputation to be gentle and benevolent. However, their tempers were fiery, and an infuriated Ursidean could erupt in a fit of berserker rage that only ceased when the source of their anger was damaged enough to their satisfaction. They were feared as opponents, mainly due to the use of well-defined style when fighting unarmed.

When arguing in public, two Ursideans would engage into a duel of violent sparring. Whichever of the two fighters who caused the most damage was considered to have won the argument. Even when engaging in real combat, the Ursideans held true to their code of honor, under which claws were never to be used for fighting. An Ursidean who used his or her claws for combat would be exiled. Some were also charged by tradition of killing those members of their kind that engaged in the practice of using their claws in combat, as the act dishonored their race.

Contrary to their rudimentary methods of hand-to-hand combat, the Ursideans used their craft to produce unique quality weapons. They typically eschewed standard bows and hammers in favor of bladed weapons. Their trademark, however, was the powerful wooden staves, which physically weaker species could not use effectively.

Language

The Ursideans spoke a language known as Ursidean language, all of which consisted in a combination of roars, moans and growls. Nevertheless, they were quick learners and could easily grasp the various foreign languages they encountered.

History
The enigmatic Ursideans are one of the most elusive races of the realm. Ursideans come from the Ursidean Empire of Ursinus. They are humanoid bears with a great love of nature and strong Ales.

The Ursideans are originally from Southern Kaniros where they established the Ursidean Empire. They were allies of the Nemer until they saw their obsession with magic getting out of control. The clans severed ties and left Kalniros behind eventually establishing a new home on an island they named Ursinus. After the great cataclysm of Ursinus, some Ursideans returned to the "new" Kaniros to explore it. "Where once the Ursideans were a mighty empire, standing proud beside their Nemer allies, now they are a simple people who want only peace and a safe home."

Hailing from their own secret empire, the Ursideans are a race of humanoids resembling bears. Ursideans have a long tradition of mystic warfare and are exceedingly strong and agile. The traditional Ursidean fighting style focuses upon mobility, speed and precision, as well as stunning acrobatic tricks. Many Ursideans are skilled at fighting bare-handed.

Only the Ursideans know the intricacies of their society, but alcohol is a central feature. All Ursideans are connoisseurs of ale and stronger drink. A caste of wandering Ursidean warriors called Brewmasters is highly respected in their culture. A few Brewmasters have been spotted in Kaniros, searching for new beverages to sample and ingredients to add to their own brews. Ursideans are affable and noble, trained in battle but always seeking peace. Ursideans philosophy centers on a harmony of opposites — male and female, calm and chaos, existence and non-existence. Ursideans feel a strong link to the natural world and seek to maintain a peace between all races and nature. Very few Ursideans ever leave their hidden island homeland of Ursinus, although there is a place called Ursidean Settlement within the Shura Mountains, but those that do have proved themselves to be strong warriors specializing in Drunken Brawling with great command of the elements.

The most famous of these warriors is Praiyso Shuraoo, who assisted the Nemer Nelthro and Kaniros during the unification of Kaniros. Afterwards he returned to Ursinus as the grandmaster, yet no one knows what he does or where he is, several of his empty kegs have been found scattered around the Island.

Though Praiyso assisted Nelthro, they do not seem to be specifically affiliated with anyone but themselves.

Even unaligned races such as Ursideans live defined by the conflicts among and around them. In a world constantly on the brink of war, the need for peacemakers is as great as the need for warriors.

Trivia

 * Ursideans are the eldest race in the Nelthar Canon
 * Ursideans are based on a mix of Pandaren and Wookiees
 * Ursideans are by far the tallest race on tamriel with the exception of creatures such as Dochal.