Physical Description

Nerzain are four limbed forward knee hinged homonids evolved from a common ancestor the largers Nair Rat that inhabits the forest floors of their homeworld.  Proto-Nerzain were tree dwelling Rodents that took on simian characteristics as they continued to evolve.  Nerzain eventually took on homonid proportions with their thick skinned tails falling away.  Nerzain skin is pale and covered with a fine layer of light hair that thickens on the head, down the back and in the groinal region.  Nerzain backs are covered with thick pointed quills that helped to protect them from larger predators.  Nerzain females are larger then the males with four breasts for nursing their young.

The Nerzain head features thick facial bones and musculature that give them impressive bite force.  Their eyes are midway up their head beneath a thick brow ridge and opposite a pointed flexible nose.  Their mouth, while not large features strong musculature and broad sharp front teeth ideal for gnawing at hard materials.  Their ears are pointed and situated just above eye level with minimal articulation.

Nerzain have five digits on their feet and hands.  The digits on Nerzain feet are short and feature a small grasping thumb that assisted them with tree climbing.   The hand digits however are approximately the same length as their palms and are comprised of four primary fingers and a single opposable thumb mounted to the side of the hand at the base of the palm.  Nerzain hands and feet also feature four, pinky length, retractable blade claws for using climbing, tool making and defense.  

Genitals on the males are external, while females house their reproductive organs internally.  Nerzain females typically have six fertile cycles an annura with four uteruses, each feeding into a common birth canal.

History

Coven, the Nerzain homeworld is dominated by a single supercontinet that is covered in kimets deep canyons that criss cross the surface, the majority of which are filled with massive forests that can reach the surface level above.  It was in one of these canyons that the Nerzain originally evolved and then spread across their world from.  The Nerzain had to constantly fight for survival against the massive predators, especially the fearsome Nair Rats that roamed the forest floors.  Early Nerzain subsisted primarily on fruits, birds, and other small animals that lived in the trees alongside them.

The Nerzain eventually developed agriculture after they bridged the gaps between the treetops and the upper surface.  Despite the villages, towns and eventual cities that grew up around teh canyons, the Nerzain still consider the treetops their homes.  Even on the surface the Nerzain found themselves fighting predators, but also discovered herds of grazing animals they could farm.

Over the next several millenia the Nerzain continued to expand across the surface of their homeworld with numerous civilizations rising and falling.  The Nerzain eventually developed industry and after developing atomic power, and weapons, two massive superpowers took control.  A century long cold war ensued during which time the Nerzain developed space flight.  The records of what caused the eventual nuclear war are unclear as to who fired the first shot, but by the time it was over most of the surface of Coven was rendered uninhabitable.
The surviving Nerzain fled back to their deep canyon forests.  Aided by those Nerzain in their orbiting space stations, they slowly rebuilt their society and world.  Determined not to allow such a disaster to happen again the Nerzain established numerous colonies throughout their solar system before launching slow ships out into the galaxy.  It was one of these slow ships that stumbled into a system that held a Drashig Colony world.

First contact was peaceful, and the Nerzain were quickly welcomed into the Confederacy.  The Confederacy then assisted them in restoring their homeworld.  The Nerzain have since become strong allies to the Confederacy and make up a significant portion of the Space Forces as well as planetary reconstruction groups.

Culture

Much of Nerzain culture was wiped out during the great nuclear devestation, with few surface cultural artifacts remaining.  Since then the Nerzain have found themselves respecting nature far more.  Despite this young Nerzain, particularly the males engage in ritualistic hunts where they descend to the forest floors to hunt the Nair Rat.  These Nair Rat hunts are done without weapons, forcing the Nerzain to rely on their wits and blade claws to survive.

Nerzain mate for life, with females taking multiple spouses.  Male Nerzain rarely live to old age, their adventurous and argumentative nature often leading to early deaths, especially during their ritual hunts.  Even the colony worlds still engage in the ritual hunts, either shipping their young males back home or sending them up against the largest non-sentient predators on the world they inhabit..

Major Religions/Philosophies

Nerzain abandoned many of their early religions after the nuclear purge finding their adoption and strict adherence to them to be source of too many wars. They instead assumed a stance to keep living simply with few belongings.

“The tree gives, the tree takes, and it must be saved above all else.” 

Population

As of UCSB Census Date 1000: 20 Billion across all colonized worlds.

Notables

Psionicism- Telepathic and Telekinetic abilities, most Anulian Psionics average at a level 6, with a few level nine, more than any other genetic specialty the number of psionics grows with every generation.

Sub-Species

While not a true sub-species there is a particular genetic line of Nerzain that have additional retractable blades that emerge from their knees and elbows.  Even in these families the trait only appears in 25% of their offspring.