Though not typically associated with magic, the otelidras have such natural vigor that sorcerous bloodlines seem to take to them more easily. Otelidra-dominant countries such as Karikaros bring this quirk of otelidra biology to the forefront, but such examples of sorcerous bloodlines aren't always visible. Even otelidras that cannot consciously use magic usually have such bloodlines somewhere in their lineage. With these magical heritages reduced to invisible biology, otelidra bloodlines mingle in sometimes conflicting ways and make it unclear where the race's natural abilities end and where the arcane bloodline takes control.
Etymology and Other Names[]
The name otelidra is associated with the name of their de facto homeland, Otitha; the original term for someone from Otitha, in the country's native language of Lephikas, was otelthidora, and it is thought that the term eventually morphed into its current form. Alternately, it is proposed that Otitha was named for the otelidras and not the other way around, owing to how many Estvoldian languages originating from that region of the world historically did not name countries and instead used general geographic terms relative to the speaker's current location.
A remnant of this speaker-geocentrism can be seen in Scheli-dren, a language that was historically adjacent to Lephikas' speakers; Scheli-dren calls the otelidras galcht-valdut, or southern neighbor, a lingering echo of the days when Otitha was simply known as the country immediately south of Kyrol. The modern term of otelidra has displaced many similar geography-based terms in other Estvoldian languages.
Biology[]
Tall and lanky, otelidras have somewhat short torsos relative to their very long legs, which make up the majority of their height. Other than the quadrupedal odhan, otelidras are often among the tallest of Estvoldian natives, further compounded by their long ears. Most otelidras have upright ears that are narrow at the base and then flare outwards towards the middle of the ear; some otelidras have ears that do not stand up and instead hang over the sides of their heads. Rarer still, an otelidra may have partially cocked ears or even entirely asymmetric ears with one ear upright and the other flopped over towards their shoulders. Otelidras' necks are short and seem to dip inwards when connecting to the back of the head, which is rounded with a slight taper towards the nose. Around their noses, otelidras have long whiskers, though these whiskers are often so light and thin that they are difficult to see except on individuals with dark fur.
The feet of an otelidra are narrow, but long; often, their feet are the same length as their ears or close to it when measured from their middle toe to their heel. While standing still or walking, otelidras have a normal gait of walking entirely on their full foot with their heels connecting to the ground. A running otelidra's stance is closer to other races that always walk on their toes, as rarely will anything but the toes connect with the ground as the otelidra runs. They have small claws on their toes that assist them in retaining traction on the ground. Because of how much of their foot meets the ground changes depending on their speed, and because their toe claws can be crucial in everything from turning to stopping during a sprint, many otelidras choose to forgo footwear entirely. Such individuals have hardened pads on the soles of their feet.
An otelidra's tail can vary dramatically in length between individuals, even if they are related to one another. Some have tails that hang as low as their feet, but others have such small tails that they are not even visible if the otelidra wears clothes. A common factor among otelidra tails is wispy strands of fur towards the end of the tail; for those with short tails, this can give the impression of the tail being nothing but a clump of soft fur. Longer-tailed otelidras seem to have more of a "tassel" shape to their tails with the tail being especially thin and seemingly only growing at the end, where the fur grows more thickly. The tip of the tail is typically where an otelidra's fur is thickest other than between their toes or sometimes around their cheeks; most otelidras have fairly short, coarse fur, and their fur can be a variety of colors such as brown, white, grey, black, or combinations thereof with "ticked" fur starting as one color and ending as another.
Sociology[]
Much of an otelidra's development is focused around their peers; from a young age, often right before adolescence begins, otelidras are placed into long-term housing situations that will keep them in contact with many others around their age or otherwise at similar stages of development. These typical otelidra households tend to double as academic institutions, and an otelidra's parents take more of a subtle or even invisible role in the child's life once they are old enough to live in these sorts of "cohorts". Elder siblings may take on a seemingly parental role to their younger brothers or sisters, imparting advice or even supporting their siblings financially. Other times, unrelated peers with more experience may serve as mentors to others. In some extreme cases, these mentoring peers may even serve as a micro-level "government" or "peacekeeping" force among their peers, as some otelidras view learning how to self-advocate and self-govern as intrinsic parts of childhood development. To these otelidras, children must learn to make their own way in a world that will be representative of the world they will someday live in -- a world where their peers are their superiors, friends, and enemies, not the generation above them.
Altogether, the peer focus of otelidra culture allows insight into the typical otelidra view that older generations and younger generations are incompatible with one another. Though, of course, they must coexist for society to function, they also see time and generational shifts as an inherent element of driving conflict that creates innovation. Where major world events change one generation's lives and how they perceive the world, younger generations that never experienced those events firsthand must eventually take control of their own worlds and make their own paths. On a more individual level, otelidras tend to see it as natural that only individuals of the same generation or "bordering" generations would be able to relate to each other and truly able to help each other make their way in the world. As such, once a child is old enough to rely on their peers for support, it is time for the parents to step back and let them live according to their generation's laws.
The comparatively short parenthoods, "flash-in-the-pan" childhoods, and long adulthoods of an otelidra, relative to the rest of their lifespan, gives them an individual-focused culture and mindset. Opportunities, after all, may only come once in a lifetime. As such, obligations should be as short and malleable as possible so that they do not prevent the otelidra from pursuing something that is "right" for them. To an otelidra, few sentiments are as bitter as wistful longing for chances never taken. In relationships of all kinds, otelidras tend to focus on flexibility and maintaining individual boundaries -- other cultures may view theirs as having superficial relationships so as to avoid being "tied down," but otelidras tend to seek as much emotional fulfillment as they feel they need and place little social expectation on how much social investment a relationship "ought" to have.
Racial Traits (D&D 3.5e/Pathfinder)[]
Once per day as a swift action, an otelidra may rely on their Breakneck Momentum for 1d4+1 rounds. While Breakneck Momentum is active, the otelidra does not provoke attacks of opportunity by moving into, out of, or through threatened spaces. For every 10ft that the otelidra moves as part of their own movement action, they gain a +1 Dodge bonus to their AC until the start of their next turn, up to a maximum of a +6 bonus for moving 60ft in one turn.
From being Athletic, otelidras have +2 Acrobatics. Their Alert natures give them +1 Reflex.