Nox

Raised on the Delta Plane, the Nox are an advanced race of mammalian bipeds that resemble chiropterans. They are among the four chosen races selected by the Architects to grow and evolve on the Planes.

Biology
Towering at an average of nearly 8’ (2.44 meters), the Nox are the tallest of the sapient races in Spectra. They have been described as similar to giant bats, covered in short brown fur with a thick, light-colored tuft of it around their collar-bone and neck area. There are few sapient mammalian races in the galaxy, meaning they are in the minority of species that display such features like fur or mammary glands. They have large, sharp ears atop their heads from which cilia-like structures branch off the main body, similar to a moth’s antennae. Their eyes are almost entirely black, making it nearly impossible to see the pupil except under certain light conditions. The Nox are born with thin, vestigial flesh on the exterior of their arms, likely what’s left from an earlier stage in Nox evolution when they could fly. That’s not possible nowadays, as these ‘wings’ are far too small and thin to support any amount of weight in the air for even a short period of time. Many are operated on at birth, removing the vestigial bits safely and with little effort before they grow up, but there are no associated risks of them keeping their ‘wings’ aside from certain restrictions in clothing or maneuverability.

The most unique trait of the Nox is their difference in lifespan compared to the other races; while irvas and kugraws live to approximately 150-160 years at maximum, the Nox have been known to live at well over 1000, with the average Nox living anywhere from 600-800.

Society and Culture
The Nox are perhaps in the most tentative position of any of the races in Spectra (excluding the Cell). Their republic was effectively dissolved on the same day they lost over 95% of their population, and as such they found themselves without direction, leadership, or protection. As a result, the survivors pledged themselves to the Hegemony and were rolled into its ranks within the next few weeks. Nowadays, the majority of the Nox still reside on the Delta Plane and focus on breeding efforts to boost their population’s numbers to what they once were.