(NOTE: On the sheet it refers to Veshaveagh as the continent in which Ulemin live on, but it has been changed to Galehar - Veshaveagh being the name of their capital city. Just a heads up!!)

ULEMIN
(yool-min, "Little Apple" in the common language of Galehar.)

The Ulemin are a small race of people who can be found over the continent of Galehar. Although they are incredibly plentiful, they only come in at about 6-7 inches tall on average. (Though the tallest Ulemin are around 9 to 10 inches.) They are a bipedal race, almost entirely covered with fur in varying lengths, depending on what region of Galehar they're from. Their most distinctive traits are their ears and tails, both of which split into two sections towards the end, though we will cover that in another section.

Ulemin society functions just as any other: Each individual has their own job, which can vary from farmer, to soldier, to innkeeper and... Well, just about anything else under the sun! Just because they are small doesn't mean they don't operate like any other sentient and intelligent race - Ulemin villages look the same as any other, though are far more compact and primarily are underground or away from the prying eyes of larger, more threatening races. With that said, businesses, houses, farms and varying town necessities can be found in an Ulemin Village, only in miniature!The interesting thing is, despite wanting to be elusive, they will often settle beneath or around the villages of other species. Although most Ulemins live in one of these Villages, it isn't unheard of for some to venture out on their own, whether to travel or settle down away from society.

The Ulemin diet consists of anything a human could eat - though certain things, such as sugar, milk from large livestock, or game, can be a bit trickier to obtain. That doesn't make them any less desirable, though. Such items fetch a high price, as it requires brave Ulemin men and women to sneak into the settlements of much larger races and 'steal' these things to then sell the next morning on market. Preferring to be called 'Suppliers', these thieves aren't frowned upon in Ulemin society - quite the contrary! The things they bring back are often necessitous for the Ulemin, and they're often seen as brave and courageous, rather than as a conniving thief. Usually, if a Supplier is careful and patient enough, whatever was taken will not be missed, though it isn't rare to find an Ulemin who gets greedy and takes too much, causing suspicion in the peoples in which they're thieving from. It's a dangerous job, and it isn't uncommon to be injured or even killed while doing it, though if the individual is successful, their wallets will be heavy with dosh. Because of the high cost of 'Mathr food', the Ulemin diet primarily consists of what they can either farm, catch, or find on their own - while supplementing with the expensive stuff where they can afford to. The richer the Ulemin is, the more Mathr delicacies they will be able to eat - while a poorer family may only eat something so expensive a few times a year. Ulemins do farm their own crops, as well as raising birds, burrowing lizards and friendly spiders for feathers, eggs, fertilizer and (from the spiders) silk to make clothing. Some are also anglers, catching small fish to then eat them freshly cooked, or dry them to preserve them for later. They also, of course, gather from the land around them, be it for building materials and also mushrooms, roots and herbs for both food and medicinal purposes.



EARS

The ears of an Ulemin are perhaps one of their most important assets. Despite being highly intelligent and, when properly trained, capable fighters, they are still vulnerable to larger, hungry animals. Ulemin have fallen prey to all manner of beast, and their ears help not only with hearing (though their hearing isn't quite as powerful as say a cat or a rabbit's) but also wafting up scents into their noses - much like a hound dog.

Though it appears that the Ulemin have four ears, this is just an illusion due to the fact that each ear splits into two different section with varying degrees of fur covering their ears. Although extremely rare, it is possible for their ears to split into three sections, or remain unsplit. These Ulemin are often revered as wise or more intelligent as others, and are often expected to become politicians, rulers, or spiritual leaders.

NOSE

Although small, the nose of an Ulemin is a sophisticated identifier of scents. Even the most subtle of aromas are able to be picked up by an Ulemin - which is a powerful tool of defense when paired with their droopy ears. Because of their strong nose, their sense of taste is that much more powerful. Due to this, many Ulemin prefer their food and perfumes to be relatively bland by Human standards. Though some do enjoy spice and lots of seasoning, many find that too much flavor and aroma burn their poor little noses!

In general, the Ulemin have a round nose, though it comes in different shapes and sizes with varying rarities. One common variant has a little dimple at the top, reminding many of an apple - hence their name!


TAIL

The tail of an Ulemin - much like their ears - also splits into two sections towards the end. Though often hairless (aside from the tufts at the end) some Ulemin's tails are either partially, or completely covered in fur. This means they are either from, or descend from, the colder regions of Galehar. Although it is much more common to see a Ulemin with sparse hair on their tail, Ulemin with long, extremely fluffy tails do exist - however they are extremely rare, as not many Ulemin live in the harsh Northern climate.

Furry or not, the Ulemin's tail is beneficial to their survival, aiding them in just about everything they do. Not only does it help them balance and climb, but some Ulemin also cuff together the two ends of their tails to carry objects such as baskets and lanterns - or, for the more vain individual, dangle attractive accessories.

WHISKERS

Like the whiskers of a less intelligent creature, the whiskers of an Ulemin are essential to feeling their way around their environment, notably when burrowing underground. Though they generally don't inhabit the darkest, most foreboding areas of Galehar, they also don't have the greatest night-vision, it's a bit worse than a human's (or Mathrfolk, as called in Galehar.) Though they have this disadvantage, their whiskers pick up the slack, allowing them to go about their normal days when the sky is even at its darkest seeing as they can also pick up vibrations in their nearby surroundsing. This also proves to be quite useful for digging - whether an Ulemin is living underground (as most do) or trying to gather roots or material, they can always count on their whiskers to guide the way.

Though Ulemin whiskers are already fairly long, in some rare cases they grow much, much longer!