Sinahm'Uish

Description
Most Sinahm'Uish (singular: Sinahmor'Uish) (or "Sinahm"/"Sinahmor", as they speak of themselves informally) have dark brown fur covering their entire bodies from nose to tailtip. The fur on their underbellies is typically a paler color than the rest of their fur, and this paleness occasionally continues up around their mouth and whiskers. Sinahm display sexual dimorphism; when standing on their hind limbs, the males reach between 1.7 meters (approximately 5'7") and 2 meters (approximately 6'7"), whereas the females reach between 1.4 meters (approximately 4'7") and 1.8 meters (approximately 5'11"). The males often display prominent whiskers stemming from near their noses, whereas the female's whiskers are smaller, nearly nonexistent naturally, and are often trimmed or groomed to further decrease their visibility.

Their tails consist of approximately thirty percent of their full length when lying down or standing on all four limbs. Their forelimbs and hind limbs are shorter than typical for humanoid species; a Sinahmor's forelimbs and hind limbs are both appoximately thirty percent of its standing height, as opposed to the human norms of forty-four percent and fifty-three percent, respectively. (This means that, for a Sinahmor standing two meters tall, its forelimbs and hind limbs are all approximately sixty centimeters in length, with a tail approximately eighty-six centimeters in length.)

The digits on their forepaws are longer than those of their evolutionary predecessors and include opposable thumbs, allowing them to grasp and manipulate objects such as weapons, scanners, and ship controls. The digits on their hind paws remain short and are designed exclusively for balance, not for item manipulation. All four paws are lightly padded, and the digits on both forepaws and hind paws have short claws.

Movement
Because of their smaller limbs, upright movement for the Sinahm'Uish is significantly slower than for typical humanoid species. However, movement on all fours is faster than the typical humanoid upright speed. The thin padding on their paws allows them to gain friction on slick surfaces, particularly wet rocks, and also provides some protection from sharp objects.

Their thick, strong tails greatly improve their efficacy while swimming. They swim swiftly enough to catch many varieties of fish in both rivers and oceans.

Senses
The Sinahm have a highly developed sense of smell, capable of detecting particular scents both in the air and in water more efficiently than a typical humanoid's sense. Their eyesight is quite standard compared to humanoid species; their hearing is slightly improved to assist with both underwater and long-distance overland communications.

Racial Differences
Though both races are capable of surviving in both freshwater and saltwater environments, the Feonnes are the race which developed primarily in freshwater. They prefer freshwater fish and are better suited to surviving on a mix of land and water. The Sailes are the race developed in saltwater, and are better suited to living primarily in the water. The Sailes typically have much denser fur to provide insulation; they have larger, strong hind limbs to assist in swimming in the more powerful currents of the ocean. They are also heavier than the Feonnes. Feonnes are more slender in body and face and they are more agile both in the water and on land.

Diet
The Feonnes are more wholly carnivorous than the Sailes; Feonnes eat primarily freshwater fish from the rivers and lakes of Farraege, but they will also eat crustaceans, amphibians, even small mammals. On occasion, the Feonnes will attack groups of water fowl when they need larger meals for more than one individual, even for the whole tribe.

The Sailes focus their diet on saltwater fish, mollusks, and crustaceans. They rarely leave the water, except to socialize with other Sinahm and hold political meetings, so they do not often consume any creature not native to the water in which they live and operate.

Communication
Uish'Fuame, the language of the Sinahm, literally means "water sound". Though there are many surviving dialects (due to the historically tribal nature of life for the Sinahm), this consist primarily of high-pitched squeaks and guttural sounds not unlike the babbling of river water over rocks, intermixed with consonants. The Sinahm are capable of speaking more "civilized" languages, such as Basic, but they do not often do so. The Basic transliteration of Uish'Fuame is tentative at best, but the Sinahm do not share their written language with other species.

Diseases
Due to the extended time they spend in the water, the Sinahm live daily with bacteria and viruses which would be dangerous for a typical humanoid to interact with; they have developed immunities to these bacteria, and it is rare for a Sinahmor to become sick at all. Occasionally, a Sinahmor will be born with a weakened immune system and these do not survive long. With old age, weakened immune systems are common, leading to the natural deaths of the elderly.

Aging and Lifespans
The Sinahm reach maturity at a young age, their pups often forced into surviving on their own from an early age. After fifteen standard years, a Sinahmor is considered adult. Sinahm lack a recognition of the human concept of "middle age", since the majority of their lives is spent in the prime of their physical maturity. They do not reach "old age" until after 120 standard years, as this is when their muscles begin to weaken and their immune systems begin to fade. Anywhere from 20 years and 60 years after that, a Sinahmor will die from the frailty of age.