The Color Spyral

Minena
Minena are hyena-like sentient species similar to, yet different from the kaasht. They live about 150yrs, and mature faster than a kaasht will. Where a kit becomes an adult in late 3rd to early 4th level (70-80 yrs), a minling is mature at 45-55yrs of age. They do not grow throuought their lives, reaching full size around age 75-85. They also age sooner than kaasht do, begining to show signs of their age around 100-125yrs. Minena are omnivourous, though they tend to eat more meat than vegetable matter. Males, (or Mhohhros) and females (Mhihhris) have only sublte differences in appearance, Mhorhhos being slightly larger & more heavily muscled than Mhirhhis. Both genders have a mane similar to a Marsh Kaasht's. Minena are more stockily built than kaasht, with shorter legs, large feet, visible toes and non-retractile claws. They are about as tall as they are long, and the hindlimbs are shorter than the front, giving them a sloped back. Their muzzles are longer, more canine/hyaenine in appearance. Their tails are not prehensile, but they have enlarged dewclaws on all four feet, which are not quite opposable, but are more like a human's big toe.

Despite the lack of true thumbs minena can have a suprising amount of dexterity*, though this varies among individuals. Minena can come in any color & pattern, but unlike kaasht, they do not have any magical abilities, although they do have a natural immunity to magic, and after about 100 yrs of life they can imbue objects with magical immunity. Objects can be made to be immune for just a few minutes, or for up to a year or so. Also, whereas kaasht do not wear clothing because they are physically and magically adapted to their environments, minena do not vary much physically, so they will wear a simple cloak in colder climates, and protective footwear when necessary. Because minena cannot rely on magic they are more inventive that the kaasht, and have developed stone-age technology. Examples include bows & arrows, atlatls (a notched device used to throw flexible spear-sized darts), boomerangs, bolas, blowdarts, slings, nets, tanned leather, bone needles, stone tools and fired pottery. Minena have their own language, but most also speak Kashtian. Most of the kaasht's slaves are minena, not kaasht.

The Two Races
There are two races of minena, lesser and greater. Their personalities do not depend on their type as much as a kaasht's does, but there are differences. The greater minena are larger (of course), about 10-13 ft tall when mature.Their tail is twice as long as their body, thick at the base (like a kangaroo's ) and has a tuft like a Kaaerd's. The tail acts as a counter-balance, alowing greaters to walk semi-upright and carry objects in their forepaws. Greater minena tend to dislike both kaasht and lesser minena, often keeping them as slaves. Greaters generally keep to themselves.

Greater Minena Society

Lesser minena have no ears, and reach only about 9-11 feet tall when mature. Their feet are smaller, and do not have tufts, and their tails are about as long as their body, and fox-like. About 20% of lessers have short tails, like a hyena's. Lessers tend to be more tolerant of kaasht, and will often live together with them in their cities.

Greater Minena

Lesser Minena (short tailed)

Lesser Minena (long tailed)

Aging
Note: Minena do not measure their age in levels, as they do not gain abilities at these ages.

Minling	Adolescent	Sub-Adult	Mature Adult	Elder
0 - 35	35 - 50	51 - 80	81 - 115	116 - death

Length and Height by Age
Note: Minena are roughtly as long as they are tall - therefore, seperate values for height and length are not given

Greater Minena:

Minling	Adolescent	Sub-Adult	Mature Adult	Elder
8" - 3'	3' - 8'	8' - 10'	10' - 13'	no growth

Lesser Minena:

Minling	Adolescent	Sub-Adult	Mature Adult	Elder
6" - 2'	2' - 7'	7' - 9'	9' - 11'	no growth