The Kha'rlar are a race of (mostly) anthropomorphic animals. While Kha'rlar are considered a single race, they are made up of many species, all originating on their homeworld, . While nearly all of them have equivalent species on , there are a couple of species types that are completely unique to Jalnar. Due to their variety, the Kha'rlar consider diversity and differences to be their greatest strengths - a belief that is reflected in many parts of their culture.

Nearly all species of the Kha'rlar developed from shamaistic societies that believed in spirits and gods. While in modern times, not all subscribe to the old beliefs, and many have their own variations of them, the respect for nature and life has been carried since their beginnings and is now an inseparable part of their mentality.

A small fraction of the Kha'rlar are capable of using .

While not terribly important, "Kha'rlar" has only two forms when used in the language of English: Kha'rlar and Kha'rlari. "Kha'rlar" may be used to refer to the entire race, ("the Kha'rlar live on , a single member of the race ("a Kha'rlar was seen"), or many of the race ("Kha'rlar are mostly humanoid"). "Kha'rlari" refers to something of the Kha'rlar race ("a Kha'rlari ship") or the language ("I can speak Kha'rlari!"). Occasionally, the plural of Kha'rlar is changed to "Kha'rlari" which is incorrect, but used often enough to be worth mentioning.

A racial trait for the Kha'rlar is that Kha'rlari brains are naturally wired to think in highly recursive terms. They can easily comprehend wheels within wheels within wheels, and keep track of each part with little effort. This attribute is highly reflected in their language. Also, as a result of this trait, an old and common belief is that all things are made up of smaller parts that all act the same way under a simple set of rules (with these parts possibly being made up of even smaller parts that are all the same, operating under a simple set of rules). Considering this belief, and their process of thinking, nanotechnology was a very natural step. Their usage of fractals, and their applied uses, is also highly advanced.

The Kha'rlar have many physiological differences from , although most are dependent upon species. There are, however, a few traits that are nearly species-wide for the Kha'rlar.

Due to the conditions of their home planet, , the Kha'rlar can see clearly with less light than Terrans, and most species have night vision that is better than their animal counterparts on . They are also much more tolerant to ultraviolet radiation, due to higher amounts from their own .

Although their planet has weaker gravity than Earth, Kha'rlar are typically still physically stronger than the average Terran.

Each species developed differently, but in general, most started out as nomadic people in different parts of Jalnar, mostly isolated from one another initially. One strange aspect is that species of similar types (for instance, different types of felines), tended to originate near each other, and as such, quickly incorporated each other into their societies. Why this occured is a subject of much speculation among Kha'rlari scholars. Nearly all developed shamanistic societies, believing that all things have spirits, and that gods exist. One interesting aspect is that originally, the Kha'rlar did not distinguish between themselves and animals. This is still reflected in their language in modern days.

Eventually, when more species began meeting each other, however, many wars resulted. Conflicts seemed to stop and start constantly over a variety of things, such as territory, beliefs, or someone eating someone else who happened to be important. This continued for an extremely long time. Eventually, though, they began to accept each each other more and more, and while there was great intolerance of other species due to the great differences between them, things were improving. Over 700 years ago, the Kha'rlar race was officially formed. In modern times, there is virtually no sort of conflict between specific races. While they consider themselves to be a single race, most still prefer to remain with their own kind with their own individual unique societies and cultures.

The Kha'rlar have a common language they use, known as . In general, every species type has its own , and often many dialects of it. It is commonplace to know both standard Kha'rlari, and also one's native tongue if applicable. If there is a specific dialect for the species, that is often learned as well. However, it is not unheard of that some individuals may only be familiar with standard Kha'rlari, although this is uncommon.

Kha'rlari cities are significantly different from our own. Due to their respect for nature, care is taken to do as little damage as possible, and often incorporate their cities into the existing environment. Many species who live in forests, for instance, may have elaborate cities built on tree-tops rather than chopping down all of the trees. Roads are made so that they avoid doing damage whenever possible. As a result, Kha'rlari roads, even within cities, tend to be significantly more twisty than those found on .

Each individual species tends to live according to however they prefer. There is no overruling organization. Being a generally cooperative people, generally all that is necessary is for neighbouring peoples to work things out with each other depending on their own situations. There have been occasional major conflicts and wars, but these seem surprisingly rare.

Due to the lack of centralization, policies and organizations are varied and nearly impossible to understand as a whole. Territories, especially, are extremely complicated with overlapping territories, as well as areas that will fluctuate depending on time (and other situations where a certain society may not believe in having territories at all, who can roam freely under certain situations which are equally complex and seemingly incomprehensible).

There are, however, two organizations that act as a sort of government: the and the .

Shamans are the users of Kha'rlari society. Most of them continue to believe in the old beliefs regarding spirits. In ancient times, they were responsible for spirtually guiding the group they were in, and sometimes mediating between groups when conflicts arose. This is because shamans were believed to have sight that transcended racial and situational boundaries, and despite the fact they were clearly charged with a single group, they were believed to always be capable of seeing the better good for everyone. In reality, shamans often ended up simply arguing with one another in tents where others couldn't hear, then end up with some sort of compromise nobody was happy with, but seemed wise.

In current times, they are equally respected, and still viewed as ones who can be impartial despite any situation. As such, they are still occasionally charged with mediating a conflict when it becomes necessary, although that is no longer their official role. What they are charged with is maintaining the magic throughout Jalnar. Many technologies, groups, and aspects of society are reliant on magic. As such, this magic must be constantly maintained. In this way, the Circle is somewhat like a giant guild of engineers. They are responsible, for instance, for making space travel possible along with allowing technology to be made to allow faster than light travel to be possible.

Like in ancient days, anyone with potential for magic is considered to be a shaman. In modern days, those discovered with the talent are, under normal circumstances, brought for training within the Circle when they are old enough. Once trained, they may, if they choose, leave the Circle although doing so is frowned upon and doing this is extremely rare.

The Circle is also sworn never to take sides in an internal conflict.

The Kha'rlar have always believed in magic - mostly because they can do it. A small fraction of Kha'rlar are born with potential in the arcane arts. These individuals have traditionally become shamans.

The exact nature of how magic works is not understood. Traditionally, it is taught that a shaman is in touch with the spirits, and can request that they aid in certain ways. Once they lend a shaman their power, they entrust that power to them, and the shaman can mold it as needed. As far as it is known, however, magical ability is non-existant outside of the Kha'rlar.

Spellcasting requires a variety of things, often involving certain rituals for more elaborate spells, and always requiring a verbal aspect to it (usually accompanied by gestures). Spellcasting must be done in the , which is significantly different from . In general, one begins by describing the general idea of what one wishes, then elaborating upon it in layers of detail. While it takes a while for the effects to come into existence, things will happen as you describe them (if possible given the amount of detail). For instance, if I were to summon a cup of coffee, I may first say that I want 'a thing'. At this point, some blurry blobish outline may begin appearing (or I may see nothing). I'd then probably want to say that the thing should appear in front of me, so I can see what I'm doing. If I simply stopped, chances are the spell would eventually simply fade since it's impossible to make just a "thing" that isn't anything but a thing. If I were to continue, though, I'd add more and more detail until I had a cup of coffee. The reason for the round-about way of describing things is because of the structure of ancient Kha'rlari which is full of ambiguity, metaphor, and nuances. It must be carefully used to describe something properly, or unexpected and potentially devestating results may occur. Shamans must be very carefully trained in this, and have an incredible understanding of the ancient Kha'rlari language.

While they are not afraid of fire, the Kha'rlar do have a natural aversion towards it. As a result, very little technology revolving around fire (combustion, explosives, etc) have never been developed. For instance, they don't have guns, and the technology they do have involving fire (such as thrusters or explosives) is fairly primitive compared to technology.

However, the Kha'rlari have incredible skill in mechanics, and Terran usage of the concepts of mechanics seems practically stone age to Kha'rlar. The Kha'rlar are also somewhat more developed in using electricity.

The acme of their sciences is probably nanotechnology. Nanites, microscopic machines that can be programmed to do tasks on a molecular scale, is common technology to them, and used in everything from keys to repairing things to construction of space stations. While nanites are highly versatile and cheap, programming them, however, takes a significant amount of time and effort.

Kha'rlari weapons are significantly different from Terran weapons. Due to the fact guns were never invented, bows and crossbows are still in use (although very, very sophisticated bows and crossbows). This is their only real long-range form of weaponry. They also have a device that is somewhat similar to a gun, except that it releases a controlled electrical discharge distances up to 20 feet. In space battles, while they do have lasers, their primary means of doing damage is hurling big sharp objects at one another.

The use of nanites as weapons in themselves is there, but not that effective because it is so easy to program nanites to destroy foreign nanites, while it is extremely difficult to program nanites to effectively attack something before getting destroyed themselves. Instead, nanites are used to enhance already existing weapons.

The religious beliefs of Kha'rlar varies greatly, especially among different societies. However, a generally accepted premise of beliefs does exist. While it is not subscribed to by all, it is probably the most prominent of religious beliefs.

Most beliefs revolve around spirits and gods. In modern times, the gods have more or less died out of canonical belief. It is believed that spirits are the cumulation of the essence of all you truely are, all you've experienced, and all you've felt embodied in a spiritual entity that flows within you. This is similar to our concept of a soul. It is believed that this entity is immortal and indestructable. Upon death, one's spirit is released and will eventually find its way into the River of Spirits, where it will join and become part of the great spirits. The journey to the River of Spirits is a time of great darkness and hardship, and its length may vary depending on the individual. Note that this is not dependent on how good or evil the person was, but merely who they are. Once they reach the River, they will join and while the spirit is the same individual, it is also one with everything else. In stories where spirits visit the living in perceivable form, the individual usually acts as a mouthpiece of the great spirits as a whole, with little sign of the individual it was (although traditionally, the spirit will add something personal at the end, speaking as the individual it was before death).

The great spirits seem to be several defined aspects of the River of Spirits as a whole. Some include earth, rivers, various animals, and the sky. While it is certain one does not get assigned a specific aspect upon death, it is not completely understood how these spirits relate to each other, and the River of Spirits as a whole. The concept is somewhat analagous to the idea of the Trinity in Christianity, in which something is both distinct and separate, yet the same thing simultaneously.

As a spirit, it is believed that one can travel anywhere as part of anything that is of nature, as all natural things have a spirit and are thus connected to the River of Spirits. While it is possible to take control of something alive as a spirit, it is a very rare occurance.

The Kha'rlar have a great variety of mythology, especially considering the amount of different cultures that they began as. Trying to summarize them all is somewhat similar to trying to define the mythology of every society on Earth. As such, I'll only cover a few aspects at random.

While there are many similarities, there are probably more differences between what is expected socially between and Kha'rlar. For instance, clothes, while common, are optional to Kha'rlar, which is quite different from Terrans. The differences in table manners are also a source of amusing incidents between Terrans and Kha'rlar. It can be especially awkard for Terrans because many Kha'rlar species do not use utensils (such as , who are neat eaters, but also tend to shoot their heads forward and simply rip out chunks with their beaks), and the ones that do use untensils only use knives and spoons, which results in food getting stabbed a lot. Unless it's a formal occasion, or the food is particularly messy, simply using paws (and claws) is perfectly acceptable.

Body language is another significant difference as it plays a slightly more important role in Kha'rlari culture than in Terran culture. While subtle, certain cues are understood to mean certain things in an intentional sense. While Terrans also have their own body language, it is usually not consciously paid attention to and while someone observant may gather information from it, some may also be totally oblivious. It would be very strange for a Terran to kick someone out of their house because their posture or tilt of their head seemed disrespectful. For a Kha'rlar, however, while it wouldn't be likely, it wouldn't be strange if it did happen if someone managed to do precisely the wrong things at the wrong time.

Purposely looking someone directly in the eyes is an open show of hostility and challenge in Kha'rlari culture (especially among species), for instance, while glaring in Terran culture may merely make someone uncomfortable or provoke a bit more hostility. This one difference has lead to many, many misunderstandings between Kha'rlar and Terrans, and Kha'rlar tend to have the impression that Terrans always seem somehow aggressive, even when the Terrans consciously don't make eye contact, because it is so easy to slip up for brief moments of time for Terrans. Terrans, on the other paw, often get the impression Kha'rlar are a little shifty due to the fact they never make eye contact unless they're ready to make sure their eyes (and claws) are the last thing you ever see.

Kha'rlar aren't too picky over most of these sorts of things when dealing with other races, however (although eye contact is something they have trouble ignoring since it is such a strong display of hostility to them). Still, differences do have an effect on interaction. Also, because Kha'rlar are much more attuned to body language than Terrans, they can often read things in Terrans that would have been missed by anyone else (although even though they notice it, unless they have been around Terrans for some time, they're likely to misinterpret the body language anyway).

There are a few differences in body language worth specially noting, though. While a nod still means yes and shaking ones head still means no, like with Terrans, a Terran may find it strange that a Kha'rlar keeps tapping his or her forehead in intervals during a conversation. This is simply a sign of mild agreement and it is used to show you are still paying attention and with the speaker as the classic 'uh huh' or 'mm' sounds Terrans make to indicate they're still listening aren't used.

While they aren't overly formal in most situations (and actually, infamously informal even in situations Terrans would consider formal), one thing notable is that they take having guests in their homes very seriously. Kha'rlar are famous for their hospitality.

The avian species are one of the most diverse of all Kha'rlar species types. They are perhaps best known for their linguistic skills, and the number of their , which, by far, surpasses all other species types. In general, they tend to be proud of their ability to fly, and have a tendency to be slightly arrogant about the fact, considering earth-bound species to be limited and short-sighted both physically, and mentally. Native languages are important to them.

Dragons are unique amoung all species of the Kha'rlar. They are extremely rare, but also extremely long-lived (or rather, they will never die of old age). They are also one of the few non-humanoid Kha'rlar. Instead, they appear very much like the modern concept of the European dragon. They share a surprising number of similarities as well, such as the ability to breath fire.

Dragons tend to live alone, and prefer to remain alone, distancing themselves from others and especially each other except for rare large meetings. Some of them have witnessed virtually all of known history of the Kha'rlar. While wise and very intelligent, dragons also have a streak in them for mischief that usually portrays itself in the classic riddling when they know the answer to something and you don't, or in very elaborate pranks that may take years to unfold. Dragons are known also for a sort of curiousity that extends to even the smallest things. It would not be unusual for a dragon to spend a century just staring at a rock that seemed interesting.

They are an odd species, generally separated from the rest of Kha'rlari society. While greatly respected, most also tend to avoid them when possible as dragons can be quite intimidating. It is unknown how long dragons have existed, or how many there are exactly. Well, perhaps the dragons know themselves. But they aren't telling.

Mammalian species make up the majority of the Kha'rlari races. The most common include felines, and canines, although nearly every other species imaginable exists. They vary vastly depending on their individual species.

Reptilian species may range from aquatic types to those that prefer burrowing somewhere deep in the ground and staying there. As virtually all are cold blooded, they are quite sensitive to temperature. While their personalities vary vastly, in general, compared to others, they tend to be slightly more on the quiet side, and less prone to wanting attention for themselves. Generally, reptilians are detail-oriented, calculating, and rarely do things without thinking first.