Cingul
Native to Kel’di, the floating islands, the cingul are a curious and humble people who live alongside the skibbits and the keaps in a joint culture known as the Skystepper people, or the Skystep Trinity. Considered both Mystic and Draconic, the cingul are the only race of Skysteppers with wings.
They are a small and quadrupedal race that stands on average at 40cm measured at the shoulder. They have a naturally armoured back, often compared to that of an armadillo, and though it keeps them safe their armour causes them to lack some mobility. These plates often grow similar to decorative spines, making their draconic ancestry clear.
They have long, squarish snouts with flexible lips and a tooth structure similar to that of an insectivorous bat, matching their natural diet. Like bats, they are able to use a form of echolocation when navigating the dark tunnels of their mountain homes. Often (though not always) they will have ear-like sails to help them pick up the returning vibrations. They also have forward-facing eyes and exceptional depth perception, which is integral to their high-speed navigation within the caves they travel.
Their wings are able to resemble any kind of wing in the natural world. Feathered, draconic, or insectoid. While in discussions with scholars a cingul once revealed that, before the Skystep Trinity was formed, there used to be a strict class system in their culture based on the shape of their wings.
Cingul can have any colour skin and wings, though it is most common for them to be brightly coloured with very few markings.
Their skill with flight and high-speed navigation through the tunnels makes them common messengers within Skystepper culture, and they sometimes take on jobs delivering mail for the scholars of Kel’di in trade for foreign-imported food items.
They prefer not to wear clothing or accessories, as they feel it slows them down or risks snagging and catching when they fly.
Though the keaps, skibbits, and cinguls all share a religion and culture with one-another, they are considered Mystics due to Skystepper beliefs being a closed practice that they do not allow others to participate in. They mostly avoid travelling to other parts of Demrefor, keeping as much to the floating islands as possible, and by their own preference do not integrate into Sentient society. Despite this, they are friendly people who often welcome travellers to rest the night within their homes.