The average height of Kaelyrs is 170-190 cm, but they can grow up to 250 cm; being this tall is rare and is considered a blessing from the gods.
An upright body covered in fur of varying length, a long tail and digitigrade legs, cloven hooves with rubber pads that enable masterful climbing on steep rocks and almost vertical surfaces. Males and females don't differ too much visually: males usually have thicker necks and broader shoulders, while females have a slightly rounder lower belly and broader hips. Both males and females have a flat chest, and a wide variety of body types is present in both sexes. Thin rubber pads are also present on the fingertips and the upper half of the palm, but the upper side of the fingertips is covered with what used to be front-leg hooves in the old era, when Kaelyrs walked on four; over time this hard keratin layer has transformed into a claw-like shape, short and rounded - these “nails” are used for grappling onto narrow rock edges and branches. In certain areas like the neck, back of the arms and legs, and the tail fur can grow very long; some Kaelyrs grow longer fur on top of their head, too.
Kaelyrs have thin split ears that go back parallel to the skull and can move in different directions, as well as stand upright. There are four ear sizes in Kaelyrs: big, standard, small, and tiny. Their snouts may be somewhat different in length, depending on the region (desert dwellers – the longest, forest – medium, mountains – the shortest), but the shape of the muzzle is more or less similar in most individuals: it’s slightly rounded at the tip and slopes downward. The nose of a Kaelyr has two angled slits. The pupils are round in dilated and contracted state. The teeth have triangular shapes, but the canines are significantly smaller than those of predators.
Some anatomical differences depend on the region:
Covers are patches of special skin that grow in different places on a Kaelyr’s body. This skin is harder and harsher to the touch than normal skin, it can also grow into many different forms, sometimes solidifying into sculpture-like shapes. Covers are essential for a Kaelyr’s survival, because inside them are billions of micro-receptors capable of catching the tiniest changes in energy in their surroundings; it’s the Kaelyrs’ ultimate energy recognition system. They can be of different colours, usually matching or complementing a Kaelyr’s fur pattern.
Masks are covers that grow on a Kaelyr’s head and/or snout, they are the most common type of covers and are present in all Kaelyrs (except for those afflicted with the Empty aberration).
In the past, covers, and essentially masks, had a broader purpose, aside from phenomena sensitivity. In some areas on Farnaor, there lived dangerous apex predators that were many times bigger in size and more powerful in strength than Kaelyrs; to defend against them, Kaelyrs would usually hide in the mountains because they are very bad runners and swimmers, but where mountains were scarce or too low, Kaelyrs would commonly stand on their front and hind toes, fluff up their fur to the maximum, make a low vibrating/clicking sound, and face the enemy with their brightly coloured covers, displaying patterns that had a resemblance with faces of even larger or more dangerous species. Sometimes their masks and covers looked so strange they would terrify the predator; it wasn’t always the way to scare the enemy away, but it was usually enough to make it think twice before attacking, buying a Kaelyr some time to run away. In the modern era, Kaelyrs still preserve this gene that makes their covers in weird, scary or grotesque, often matching their outfits and accessories (sometimes even personalities) with the shape and pattern of their covers and masks.
Main traits of the covers: