Fyaar

The Fyaar (//) were a feline species from Waldragos in the.

Biology and appearance
The Fyaar were a large species relative to most others, with males reaching 2.26 meters (7'5") tall. Unlike the Nei, they were a distinctly feline species, and although they usually stood erect on two legs, they were capable of moving with equal grace on all four limbs.  Fyaar had large paws for hands, although they had opposable thumbs which allowed them to grasp objects; both their hands and feet had sharp, retractable claws.  The species also had tails, which were used for balance.

Fyaar had fur in shades of black, white, and gray. Fur could develop in a variety of patterns, including stripes, spots, and solid colors. Due to the cold nature of their homeworld, Fyaar fur was typically thick and shaggy, although Fyaar who lived off Waldragos for extended periods of time usually shed their heavy coats and developed a sleeker look. Fyaar eyes could be a variety of colors, but all were bright.

Despite being heavily muscled, the Fyaar could move very quietly when they wished to. Their muscular development was such that adult Fyaar could easily leapt four to five meters from a crouch. They had keen senses of smell, and could track prey for kilometers. The Fyaar had partial colorblindness, but their vision was attuned toward movement, and they could detect even slight motion and had strong peripheral vision.

Fyaar could speak the languages of other sentients such as and Orhyo, though they usually had very deep bass voices. Their own language consisted of snarls, hisses, and growls. In addition to these feline sounds, they could also roar, and did so for a number of reasons, including anger, pain, intimidation, or celebration.

Female Fyaar had a gestation period of a standard year, and giving birth to one or two young at a time was considered normal. It was not uncommon for additional fetuses to develop partly, then die in utero. Fyaar grew to full physical maturity around twenty standard years.

Though phenotypically similar, xenobiologists concluded there was no genetic link between the Fyaar and the s.

Society and culture
Fyaar society had a strong integration of the technological and the natural, much like s, although with a greater emphasis on technology than nature. The Fyaar lived in nearly all climate zones of Waldragos, from the mild tundra lowlands to the frozen mountains; only the bitterly cold ice caps were unoccupied.

Strength and self-control were highly prized among the Fyaar. It was considered socially acceptable to show strong emotion only in a private, family context. Most other species in the Golden Empire considered the Fyaar prideful, xenophobic, independent, and disdainful of both seeking or accepting help.

Walking on four legs was considered discourteous unless hunting, fighting, using it as a crouch for a jump, or competing in a sporting event.

History
The Fyaar evolved as the apex predators of Waldragos. After they achieved sentience, they were able to better hunt competing predators into retreat or extinction. Early Fyaar settlements centered around caves and thickly wooded forest groves which blocked the cold wind of Waldragos and enabled the creation of warmer habitats. As the Fyaar began to build huts and other buildings for themselves, they spread out farther into the forests and tundra.

Warfare connected societies more than trade; while trading with neutral societies was considered acceptable, the Fyaar desire for self-sufficiency meant that most trade relationships ultimately ended with one party conquered by the other. A few centuries before the arrival of the Golden Empire, the major Fyaar nations were in a position of mutually assured destruction. The resulting tension gradually broke down as cultural barriers were eased, and Fyaar society slowly merged into a loose confederation covering the whole of Waldragos.

Several Fyaar countries had pioneered space exploration, but the unity of the species allowed greater investment in technological advances. By 111 ABY, the Fyaar had developed technology and ing, which allowed them to explore the entirety of their home system. In that year, the Golden Empire arrived and asked for Waldragos to join it. When the Fyaar refused, the Empire attacked, and in the ensuing Battle of Waldragos, the Fyaar navy was devastated and the system was captured.

The Fyaar were highly resentful of Royal occupation, necessitating the constant presence of a major Royal Army garrison to keep the world in check. They were considered the least cooperative of the Empire's species until the Conquest of the Chiss Ascendancy twenty-six years later. By that time, active rebellion had diminished as a new generation rose to maturity under Royal control, but a strong undercurrent of resentment remained. A Fyaar rebel group planned to assassinate Rin Sakaros at her brother's wedding in 145 ABY, and was one of those identified and apprehended before the event took place.

In the galaxy
Though many species compared the Fyaar unfavorably to the for their xenophobia, the Fyaar were esteemed as among the finest hunters in the Golden Empire. As such, they were employed as guides or hunters in parties hunting exotic or dangerous beasts, and also found work as bounty hunters.

The Fyaar Vem became a Centurion and Royal Guard of the Order of Keltrayu, as well as a Legate in the Ssi-ruuvi Incursion. Though his closeness to and support of Rin Sakaros led to him being largely disliked on his homeworld, Vem was popular with the Royal Army, particularly the Massassi.