In the deep primal forests and wild places of the world, where civilization has never intruded, there lurk the Lotl, savage beings of the trackless wilds, dwelling barbarically in primitive bands of males who steal the transient females of their race from each other.
Lotl stand 5-and-1/2 to 6 feet tall. They have humanoid bodies, though they tend to have longer, more slender limbs and slightly hunched shoulders from which their massy necks protrude diagonally. They vestigial claws which grow from their knuckles. Their heads give the appearance of those of baboons, with long snouts, slit-nostrils, and snarling teeth. These evil maws are crowned by long, filthy, straggling manes of greasy black hair. Their eyes are small under heavy brow ridges, and gleam like tiny black jewels. They have hair in all the places where humans do, though this tends to be thicker. Lotl have very smooth dark-brown skin. Lotl can live as long as 70 years, but their hard lives and near constant injuries, they generally die of old age or sickness by 30. When they give birth, they generally birth twins. The ratio of males to females is strictly slanted- about 60% males to 40% females.
The Lotl are organized into small clan-groups (called "ukti" in their simplistic language) which can be as large as 25 or as small as 8, tending towards smaller numbers. They dwell in small caves or other natural shelters. Ukti consist mostly of males, who do the hunting, fighting, and most of the heavy lifting in general. Generally, females born in the ukti are sent out to fend for themselves if they do not become pregnant by the age of 13. This is the basis of the ukti- there are not enough females to sustain a healthy breeding population. Thus, vagrant females make up a second nomadic portion of the population. Males, while hunting, may catch onto the scent of vagrant females. These are captured and taken back to the ukti to serve as producers of young. Captured females will live as part of the ukti until their children have been raised to the age of 5, when they are re-exiled.
The Lotl are not an advanced species- they live like human Neanderthals did, dressing in heavy furs and living in caves. Their chipped-stone tools and the sharpened sticks which serve them as spears are primitive at best. They have only rudimentary skills for tool fabrication, though they are well-versed in the wild's primitive lore. They live day to day, collecting food for the fires which are kept burning in their caves at all times.
Children and the elderly (30s upward) act as the gatherers of Lotl society, ranging away from the ukti cave through the ukti's territory (generally 25 miles around the cave, the length of a day's hunt) to search for edible plants, eggs, mushrooms, and to collect water. All healthy members of age 12 to age 25 range out as hunters to capture the large animals that serve as their food.
The leaders of Lotl ukti are called "haub". Haub-lotl are generally the strongest or most skilled of the hunters in the ukti.
Lotl are incredibly territorial, and conflict between ukti are frequent, fought over the borders of ukti territories or over valuable females.
OTHER NOTES- Imagine a baboon-headed savage human with dreadlocks, and you've about got their appearance.
That's all I got. Dunno about spiritual life or anything.
