Solari

Solari are cave-dwelling creatures that somewhat resemble a cheetah. They grow up to three feet tall at the shoulder and are lean and made for running. Their backs, legs, necks and heads are covered in a thick, black exoskeleton. The unprotected areas are covered in thick, black hide. Some solari have patches of thick, dark fur on their chests and underbellies, but most are completely hairless. They have four eyes; one set for ultraviolet vision and the other for infrared vision. They have large pieces of bone protruding from their heads above their ears to help channel noise. Solari can hear on subsonic and supersonic levels, so their hearing is incredibly sensitive; unless they're hunting, they keep their ears "shut" by moving a special skin flap over the opening of their ear. This makes them effectively deaf most of the time. They have long, thick whiskers that grow from their muzzles. These strange appendages are used for feeling around -- they can't see their environment very well, only their prey. Every whisker can be independently moved by the solari, and when they are running, they wind up into coils to stay out of the way of the beast's legs. Solari have small, feline-like paws with retractable claws and very long, prehensile tails that help them balance when running. Solari are also known to use their tails as whips or to grab onto stalagmites to help them make ninety degree turns. They have very large, very sharp teeth that indicate that they are most definitely hunters. There is slight sexual dimorphism in the species, with females being slightly larger than males.

Solari live in caves in the Evercrest Mountains. They've never been found anywhere else, and they seem to particularly enjoy abandoned dwarven cities. They are solitary hunters for the most part, but they do seem to socialize with each other, as they regularly have large gatherings. Some solari hunt in small groups. They are assumed to eat small rodents, fish and bats, but not much is known on their diet other than they are most certainly hunters. They are also assumed to be quite intelligent, but, again, little is known on the elusive creatures other than the few times they have been observed.