Panda People

Finally got deviantLINK to download. ^_^ Oh, uh, anyway... Submitted this as Anthro, even though they are kinda only partially a real animal... These are Pandites, people from Arctic Russiac. Oh, and for the record the two pictures are unconnected.

Pandites are a race of people who rule the Uncharted Kingdom, a large country that occupies most of Arctic Russiac. Living in the mountains, Pandites are heavy worshippers of Hades. The Pandites are a secluded, peaceful race that seldomly involve themselves in the affairs of other races, though they have had some quarrels with the other Arctic civilization, the Elepi. Though they live all about the Mountains of Europa, they aren't very big on travelling outside their home. It is rare to spot a Pandite south of the Arctic Circle. Pandites are very wary of outsiders and generally will be cautious with them. This has led to a stereotype of Pandites being overly polite.

Male Pandites are distinct from female Pandites, as the two genders are born with different patterns. Female Pandites grow flamboyant fur markings, which are used at adulthood to attract males. Because the Uncharted Kingdom is so vast and because the Mountains of Europa are difficult to survive in, not many couples are made in a generation. This has allowed the Pandites to spread their kingdom to a comfortable size while at the same time being immune to overpopulation. Male Pandites generally have jobs such as exploring the mountains and gathering resources. Females typically are the fighters of the two genders, and are taught how to swordfight and melee fight at a young age. They also will gather around the Tower of Comics to offer their tributes to Serpo, Europa, and Hades.

Pandites are very well made for the cold mountains in which they live. The feet of a Pandite have opposable thumbs just like the hands so that when ascending or descending a mountain it isn't difficult to grasp the ground. The feet are also specialized to serve as additional hands, and Pandites are very skilled at walking upside-down. The fur on a Pandite is very insulating, which allows Pandites to wear loose clothing that won't weigh them down on steep mountain slopes. The legs are double-jointed to enhance the maneuverability of a Pandite.

Pandites are capable of transforming into creatures similar to panda bears.

Pandite culture is famous for its mysterious feel to it. The temples and palaces of the Uncharted Kingdom are objects of myths and legends around the world, and the capital of Northvard is popular for its location by the Tower of Comics.

My design for the Pandites is kind of a mix between a Panda and various Eastern Asian clothing designs. A lot of their aspects were inspired by the peoples of the Himalayas of Nepal and the Tibetan Plateau of western China.