Species created by myself and my partner in crime

Xairni culture (general):
-a large ground dwelling species
-they live in close knit clans consisting of several families
-families consist of any number of persons and can be very extended
-their tails are both functional and a status symbol
-those born with shorter tails or weaker frames will mostly be relegated to non-physical jobs (lorekeepers, storytellers, caretakers, doctors)
***there is a whole section on tail culture***
-leaving one's clan is unusual but more common amongst young individuals looking for adventure
-like to decorate themselves with bright colors and fun items as a status symbol or as a way of expressing themself
-lifespan: 500-700 (magic can extend this at great cost and must be sustained by taking lives periodically)

Tundra:
-hunter gatherers with a penchant for fishing
-hunting parties consist of three to four individuals and go after primarily large animals
-omnivorous but generally more carnivorous since fewer opportunities for vegetation presents itself
-large and fluffy to protect themselves from the chill of their environment
-they are very strong and agile
-fur is water resistant
-tail can be used to help them when diving
-clans consist of at least 8 families
-cities are built near bodies of water accessible year round

Forest:
-hunter gatherers
-some clans have learned to work the land/farm
-hunting parties are rare but usually consist of two or three individuals if hunting very large or tricky prey
-omnivorous
-sturdy build with less fluff on average in comparison to tundras
-large clans built up of at least 10 families
-fur is thick and dense
-cities are sprawling and busy both on the forest floor and in the canopy there are several levels and work with the land and resources -rather than against them

Desert:
-smaller by far than any other variants top out at 7 feet high
-scrawny bodies built less for bulk and more for being fast and agile
-legs are longer
-learned to farm by necessity due to scarcity of resources that they can consume
-build huge underground reservoirs to hold rainwater during the flood seasons for the crops for the remainder of the year
-mostly herbivorous but can and will eat meat when presented with it
-smallest clans on average with at minimum 5 families
-their cities are hard to spot unless one knows what one is looking for because their architecture blends in near seamlessly with the land

Mountain (coming soon):
-the largest in terms of body AND clan size
-a minimum of 14 families they can fill up whole mountains with their sprawling cities
-rarely exit their mountains
-leaving ones clan is unheard of due to size one can simply move to another part of the city for a change
-tail culture is virtually nonexistent; short tails are the standard
-farmers and ranchers; they create massive grow rooms with skylights and have brought in animals from outside of the mountain to raise for all manner of resources (bone tools, meat, leather, manure)
-not as fluffy as tundras they are built for strength
-beautiful architecture working with the mountain as well as against it to create their cities
-not greedy and very open to outsiders and trade, just very hard to find unless one accidentally falls through an air vent or skylight

Warbound Clans:
-violent and lacking common morals
-no specific variant, often built up of multiple variants come together
-some families but more often strangers come together for a mutual bloodlust
-will attack any clan to steal land or resources; no hesitancy to kill

Leadership:
-clan leadership is based on nominations the clan makes for members they believe to be worthy then the clan has a discussion to finalize the decision
-said leader is a figurehead to come to for decisions such as where to place new farming grounds, hunting parties, settling petty disputes, etc. and has no power to force the clan into situations such as war; their voice has slightly more weight but large decisions such as moving the clan or going to war has to be a full clan decision

TAILS!
-tails are of utmost importance to all but mountain variants
-the tail is functionally a third hand; strength and length are desirable traits
-strong tails are a sign that you will be useful to the clan
-smaller or weaker tails are looked down on, often being ridiculed or mocked by many
-docking one's tail (self mutilation) is a sign of rebellion against or rejection of the clan and leads to immediate and complete ostracism from the clan
-having one's tail docked is a severe punishment and precedes immediate and complete ostracism from the clan
-in general only warbound clans will take in docked xairni
-tail docking caused by an accident/injury is seen as a tragic affair but does not result in expulsion from the clan as it was not done intentionally or as punishment
-docked tails cause lifelong pain and can be crippling
-those with shorter or accident-caused docked tails are assigned new jobs in the clan

Patterns/markings/decoration:
-there are no standard markings, patterns, or colors as of yet
-dayglo and neon colors are decoration only (i.e. paint or dye)
-using magic can physically alter one's markings
-winter coats are coming soon-

Magic:
-magic use is done by all variants
-use of magic physically alters the xairni which can range from scars* or other physical changes to changes in one's markings

*scars depend on the type of magic ranging from physical to superficial
e.g. repeatedly using fire magic will cause the skin to be burned permanently, magic that poisons will cause the veins to become darker and more pronounced looking (can only be seen when fur is gone)