OVERVIEW
Jivar are small humanoids instantly recognizable by their oversized membranous ears — roughly the size of their head on each side — and large, sharp eyes that function well in low light and across distances most other ancestries find difficult. Their skin and eye colors span an enormous range, from subdued earth tones to vivid greens, blues, and warm reds; no single hue dominates. They average 3 to 4 feet tall and live for approximately 100 years, with their hearing and sight holding well into late life.
Jivar communicate a great deal through ear position — a nonverbal vocabulary precise enough to hold whole conversations in a crowded room without a word spoken. Most non-Jivar are unaware of this until it is pointed out to them, which is, in the experience of most Goblins, quite late.
Jivar are found everywhere in Tarim-Shaiel, with particular density in cities, markets, and the kinds of places where information changes hands quickly. They have a reputation for moving through social environments with ease, which is accurate. Whether that ease reflects charm, intelligence, or simply a very accurate map of how any given room is actually organized is a question people argue about, mostly in front of Jivar who are listening.
Ancestry Features
Jivar move through complex environments with an ease that owes as much to their large eyes and exceptional hearing as to their size. They read the ground they are moving over while they are still moving, and are rarely caught off-balance by terrain that would require other peoples to slow down.
Jivar are extremely difficult to sneak up on. Their ears rotate independently, their eyes function well in conditions where most ancestries are effectively blind, and they have developed the habit of reading a situation for threat without appearing to do so. An attack that was supposed to be a surprise often isn't.