The Chimeric Aylvs

Back before the sands, a small group of humanoid chimera were made through ritualistic druidic alchemy. The point was to combine otherwise docile animals with humans as to create essentially small dolled-up humans which would serve as servants to nobles rich enough to pay for the components. It began as a means to find a loophole in the ban on slavery which had become popular, since it wasn't illegal to own a 'construct' (an entity created through artificial means).

These creatures were usually something like rabbits, deer, cats and dogs to give them alluring features while still remaining human enough for the tastes of those who sought to own them. They often stand between 4-5ft tall and usually sport features like rabbit ears/tails, antlers, cat eyes and fangs though bits of dog can sometimes be found in their ranks. Time passed and the sands occurred.
By their design, these 'aylvs' (also known as Sand-Rats, Jackals or 'The Lost Boys') had resilience to abuse which went so far as a tolerance to starvation and dehydration, making them suitable to the changing conditions.

These days, the aylvs form a type of bandit monarchy in the sands and are...begrudging...of their previous lot in life. They have a passionate dislike for most other humanoid races (especially humans), though they compose themselves almost like aristocrats from their origin of having etiquette beaten into them. However, the times had changed since then, and many who know of the 'aylves' hear of them mostly through stories of their ruthlessness and cannibalism. Regally as they carry themselves, they're not above taking a bite out of those who once took a bit out of them...so to speak.

"They'll kill you, sew your skin into clothing and eat your flesh...and if you're very very lucky, they'll do it in that order"

In all honesty, Aylvs are mostly fickle and territorial. They mostly prefer to be left alone, though this is aggressively stated by the 'scarecrows' left to denote their hunting ground; poles stuck in the ground from which flayed human skin flaps in the wind as a haunting omen. Likely, even seeing these markers means you're already deep in Jackal lands.

Boyish and fairly androgynous, Ahnciel stands at 4'6 with a slim, lithe physique. Dark tan complexion. Poking out from under wavy black hair are three-point antlers that that are probably due to be trimmed. Pointed rabbit ears and tail matching their hair save for white areas making up inner ear fuzz and under-tale fluff. Chocolate brown eyes with slit, cat-like pupils. Sharp k9 fangs.

Usually clad in a large section of what was either a tent or a section of the hood of a wagon which he repurposed as a cloak, sun-bleached beige-white. The hood of this cloak is modified with sections for Ahnciel's ears to be covered while standing up and even buttoned slits for their antlers to poke through while holding the hood in place. For the sake of desert winds, his face is covered by goggles mounted to a dust mask. The mask has a design of a jagged grin over the mouth, intimidating details depict broken, decaying teeth and large savage fangs. The goggles have a third lens which flips down over the left eye, adding a level of magnification for long-shots while giving the side of the goggle the look of a bloodshot eye.
Truly, the intent was to come off as imposing as possible.

Aylvic nobility that Ahnciel was, his left ear has three silver studs set wish a chain linking them. The stubs of antlers have polished steel spikes capping them with vine-like designs etched around the base.
With mostly stolen clothing, Ahnci typically wears a white buttoned shirt with folded sleeves at the elbows covered by a faded plaid vest. Over this is a layered leather cuirass crafted surprisingly masterfully from elven hide, indistinguishable from common leather. Also adorned with a twice-looped black-gray-white plaid scarf. Its significance is unknown.
Wears fairly meager shorts as well as mid-thigh socks with garters running up the shorts legs. Wears Knee-high boots with the heels broken off.

Marksmanship - Through occupation as an Aylvic hunter, Ahnciel is talented with crossbows and most other projectile weaponry. Ears to sense sound and wind currents, eyes to see in minimal light, a nose with the scent of blood on the mind, little gets past an Aylvic hunter in their element.

Keen - Understanding the anatomy of most humanoid's physiology through practiced butchering, picking out weaknesses and vital points comes with ease. A strike from Ahnciel is likely to be aimed for such points with efficient results. Alternatively, picking out projectiles or stitching wounds comes with the territory, allowing Ahnci to be fairly reliable at first aid...assuming he cares for the individual's life.

Nimble - Basic anatomy grants Ahnci that much of a dexterous edge, mostly in the way of dodging and jumping as long as the ground hes on is solid enough for his feet to dig in. The soles of his boots help to meet the difference, but only so much.

Survivalist - From knowing how to milk a cactus to hunting, prepping and cooking and even to building rudimentary sand-ovens, Ahnciel spent his life in the desert in a state some would call 'savage'. Those who could not provide for themselves were not worth keeping. Nobility hasn't been spared, and his eloquent proficiency in the culinary arts is certainly worth being noted...assuming he's willing to share.

Composed - As uncouth as Ahnci is at heart, he comes off as almost inappropriately polite and linguistic...if only to tell someone in as many words as possible how lovely their teeth would be as a necklace rather than flapping about saying things he doesn't care about. With this comes a strange proficiency with string instruments; a steady hand and sensitive hearing, from voices on the wind to a subtle ripple in a string, this bandit's taste for music is almost as discerning as their eye for loot.

An array of small knives - Serrated, smooth blades, hooked, sharpeners and weighted. A small bandolier of sheathed knives contains the intimidating cooking armaments that many would mistake as torture devices. Arguably so, if you're on their receiving end, as Ahnci knows how to use each one of them with brutal efficiency.
Dinner will be lean...

Hex and Cross - Supposedly, 'Cross' is a crossbow with arms forged from the melted holy symbols of priests that wandered into Aylvic hunting grounds. It is a family heirloom which Ahnciel fled with. Vainly, he hopes it carries the strength of ancestors and the luck of their successful hunts. The stock is filed from ebony likely found by Aylvic Dwellers specifically for such purposes. Though it may be a simple crossbow, it is masterwork in its creation and one of a kind.
'Hex' is the short blade forged from the leftover material from making 'Cross'. Made from Silver alloy, it serves poorly against armor, though its ritualistic intent is apparent as its handle is fit with a sharpening block slid into the back for finely honing the serrated edges. Each cut comes out jagged like a swipe from a keen saw, certain to cause intense bleeding from an otherwise messy wound.

Game bag - Mostly intended for small game such as scorpions and lizards, side pouches hold flint&steel as well as a tapping kit and two canteens for water as well as a third which seems already filled (a messy mix of alcohol found on tresspassers. It smells of something between red wine and heavily spiced rum. The smell alone is enough to make the stomach churn, though its surprisingly sweet...if not blindingly strong)

Tent poles - The folded mess that Ahnciel calls a cloak is designed to be undone and propped up as a tent lavishly bigger than he needs as well as enough to fold under himself like a cocoon. Two bipod-telescoping poles are used to accomplish this and the tent can hold three small humanoids or a bit more than one standard-sized one...needless to say, Ahnci prefers to keep this luxury to himself.

Out of his armour his face has a single long scar on its left side. He keeps his black hair long and unkempt and has dark brown eyes

Until recently Azak was a bandit cheif, he led a vicious group of naredowells and criminals about the dessert, killing anyone who got in there and taking what they wanted. It was a good gig for a long time, and they even eventually had a few towns ppaying them protection taxes in order to remain free from their attacks. That was until the towns turned against them. Sure, one town they could handle, but all three attacking at once overwhelmed the bandits, and they fled. Azak himself wandered the desert for awhile, until he came upon one of the dangerous Aylv Creatures alone. He quickly charged it and imprisoned it, making the Aylv his new companion and ally... after that he sought others to help him regain his power as a bandit chief.

Life Span: Indefinite, they are not effected by aging past maturity. Juveniles are able to fend for themselves but their intelligence is barely better then a wild animal at this stage, it isnt until they become adolescents when they learn how to speak. Juveniles dont start to mature until a year after their birth, and from there they remain in adolescent stage, hitting a huge growth spurt into the next five years before they become adults. Nagas never stop growing, but their growth slows down as they get older, especially after becoming adults. Some nagas are so old and have survived so long that they can remember vividly the lush tropical jungles they inhabitated so long ago.

Male example:
Lizard like, ranging in sizes between 6-12 feet tall, with some rarer individuals reaching 15 feet in height. Crocodilian eyes that range in color between yellow, white, black, blue, and red, the pupil is always black unless the eye is black in which case the pupil is white.

Female example:
Lack legs, and are snake like. Much more frail in comparison to males. Size ranges between 5-7 feet not including the tail. Their methods of locomotion and general morphology resembles that of a snake. Females may posses hair like fuzz and other minor features that resemble more of a human appearance.

Appearance Ranges: Both males and females vary in scale colors between red, green, brown, black, blue, and albino/white, patterns like stripes and spots may also be present. Individuals may have a variety of frills, sails, spikes/barbs, and horns. Rare occasions may have wings. The scales are plated, keeled, and have a consistency and durability of iron, with the exception of the belly scutes, which are much softer (though still somewhat hard) in comparison.

Cultural and biological Notes: Nagas form matriarchal tribes, with most of the hierarchy being females, with exceptions such as generals and other military authorities which are usually given to males. Their weapons and armors are crafted with the same stones as they use to make their temples and other buildings, though augmented by magic to have exceeding structural integrity and durability, as well as resistances to many elements. Males often make the bulk of their military, and are considered savage monstrosities.
Their culture and style reflects a hybridization of native south american empires like the Aztecs and Mayans, and south eastern tribal communities such as those native in Vietnam or Taiwan.

the average male Naga can lift over 5 tons with ease, with some records of nagas being able to lift up to 10 tons. Nagas are said to be closely related to dragons, and their affinity to fire seems to back up such a claim. They have what seems to be an undefined heat resistance similar to dragons as they can march through molten rock without any sort of burn. Additionally Nagas can breathe and manipulate flames to some degree by natural means however their power of fire is only produced directly from their own body, meaning that there are restricted to self immolation, fire breathing, or chucking fireballs.

Nagas shed their skin in a similar matter to snakes and lizards every 2 months. They have an incredibly fast regeneration rate compared to most organisms, as they can regenerate a loss limb or tail within 3 months, and less major wounds heal even faster. While Nagas have an indefinite life span, they are still technically mortals and can die by most of the usual means for a natural living creature. They possess a venomous bite (Some may also have venom within claws or stingers), that drains its victims of both magical energy, natural endurance, and slowly makes the victim grow fatigue. The venom also prevents any sort of magical or natural regeneration while it is in effect, this also prevents blood from clotting which can make even semi-serious wounds fatal within a few hours. The venom however, can be fought off by strong immune systems, a healthy mortal could beat off the venom within a day and the bleeding can still be stopped by bandages and other such equipment, as for fatigue it only goes as far as dragging the victim into a conscienceless state, which by itself isn't fatal per say, and the victim will usually wake up after the venom wears off. They are excellent swimmers, climbers, and sprinters, along with having much higher endurance then the average human. On land the average male naga can sprint over 30 mph, while females have been recorded 20 mph, however females are faster then males in water and in climbing. They have a diet mainly of fruit and meat, however they also tend to eat fish and shellfish.

After the sand:
The jungles they were home to, filled with lush foliage, rivers, and lakes, were drained and swept beneath the desert sand. While the coming heat wasn't a bother to them, the lack of moisture dehydrated most of the race, to the point of near extinction. The struggling generations that climbed out from such a disaster had to adapt to a much more dry environment, and while they have retained some amphibious features most have never been able to set foot in a body of water big enough for them to use their morphological designed swimming adaptations. The surviving tribe of the Nagas horde excessive amounts of water, nicknamed the 'water thieves' by any other tribe that survives a raid by them, as rarely will they steal anything else but water. They have also been reported to consume the flesh of other races, much like savage monsters. They still retain their cultural social structures, and often kill any Naga that is unfit for the tribe, either being too weak, unable to survive the environment, having opposing ideologies, and other such issues. They have little interest in foreign technology and weaponry, either using simple stone tools they had salvaged or resorting to their natural strength and biological weaponry such as sharp claws and a burning breathe.

Weaknesses: They are cold blooded, and cannot survive in weather below room temperature, this also makes them vulnerable to ice magic and similar combat abilities. While most of their scales are hard and difficult to penetrate or damage, their belly is their weak spot, which is why their armor is most present over the underside. Cold desert nights often claim the lives of countless Nagas in their slumber. Males often act more of beast than man, their fighting style, while savage and ruthless, isn't usually coordinated or disciplined, they are not the smartest race and few exceptions think at all during combat other then basic instinct.