Possible Race. Val-Rean.

Okay I'm making a potential race here, and I want the full arena's opinions on this rather than just the council (though it will ultimately fall to the rest of the council to approve this)

Race: Val-Rean

Bio: The Val-Rean are about 4 feet tall and 4 feet long from tip of the nose to the base of their short tails (that's right, long, in their normal standing position their spine is roughly horizontal) They have long slender forelegs, their forepaws are unique. They have a four fingered hand, three thick strong fingers and a single almost delicate thumb which can retract back into the paw to protect it, as it usually does when not in use. Their arms are muscled in such a way that they can move extremely quickly in any direction but can only have any real power when moving in a running fashion (for the human equivalent bend your arms slightly, then raise them so your wrists are about level with your eyes, then swing them down to your waist and back up again. On a Val-Rean it's the same movement set but due to different bodies it actually achieves something other than making them look like a damn fool.) Their hind legs are also long but not so slender, or so weak. A Val-rean's hind legs are built similarly to a rabbits, if you were to lose the loose flesh and slim it down a bit. With their hind legs a Val-Rean is often able to jump it's own height or even twice that easily.
With their combined set of legs Val-rean are powerful runners, their lightweight carriage and over-sized lungs heart giving them great stamina, in total allowing them to outrun horses and even run wolves into the ground (for anyone who's not well versed in random nature facts very little moves faster than a wolf over the long term. They don't move quickly but they don't stop either. They have been known to trot from 6am to 3am without single stop.)
Their heads are shaped in much the same way as a rodents, long snout, main part of the skull with their long slender ears atop. Their eyesight is about the same as a humans in distance/clarity but their eyes function differently being less susceptible to motion blurring (more frames per second so to speak). Their hearing is comparable to a hounds.
It should be noted that while a Val-Rean can assume a "standing" position (spine vertical) They can't walk while in such a position. Well they can but they just fall over.
Their tails are short and flat (thin edge up).

Their diet is primarily meat though they do farm as well, both for supplements to their diet
Their preferred terrain is scrub land, prairie, plains and sparse forests, really anywhere with relatively flat land so they can run freely.
Their population growth is about 3/4 that of humans in the same conditions.

Culture: The Val-Rean have mixed well with the expanding humans, as both have something to offer each other. humans with their clever hands (the Val-rean have opposable thumbs, but they're still clumsy with their hands) gave them advanced tools, roads and trade. For their part the Val-Rean serve as messengers ,farmers, writers(in their large angular script) and surprisingly apt mages, especially with the elements of earth and water.
The Val-Rean cultures of course differ in location but a few things seem constant. For one they value stories highly, either historical or fictional. This has lead to writers to be revered, and in places where humans and Val-Rean have not integrated well they are often referred to as a race of liars, (humans still being at a point where fiction writing is not widespread).
The cities and towns built by Val-Rean often dip below ground as much as they are above ground. Tunnels being a common theme. Though this is becoming rare in new establishments as stonemasons have trouble doing this as opposed ot the older method of using packed dirt and clay. In general though they are a fiery people, quick of wit and tongue. Happy to laugh but quick to anger.

Military matters.
Val-Rean are considered the best scouts and light "cavalry" to be had anywhere. The speed at which they can move on foot allows them to harass the foe and leave before any serious resistance can be brought to bear.
Their favored weapons are the bow/crossbow or a personalized weapon used only by Val-Rean. The gerlans. A gerlan is actually four pieces of weaponry, each of which is fastened onto a Val-Reans arms and legs. The weaponry is designed so the Val-Rean can slash and stab, run, jump and stand without any danger to themselves. The two pieces on the forearms are generally used for quick-slashes and making openings, duelers weapons basically. The two on the rear legs are larger and heavier, used to piece armor, or deliver powerful blows (made all the more powerful that a Val-Rean could do significant damage with just it's kick along).
However in other areas Val-Reann are considered to be largely useless, since their light-weight bodies and slender, delicate bone structure means they can be injured far too easily and they can't be made to wield shield or spear, and their fighting style takes up too much room, anyone in close proximity would be injured allies included.

You didn't give us a skin type, theology, or real cultural background.

I'm sorry you seem to think I'm making a culture. this is a RACE. A race doesn't have a single theology, any of them can believe in anything they want, including Ulkvar, who demands his followers throw moldy cheese at the offspring of non-believers(even if said offspring are believers). Similarly culture changes with region based upon what conditions that group of them might have had when forming a civilization. What I have in the culture section are jut some general rules that tend to pop up more because of their psychology than due to their historical traits and values.
As for skin type their skin is usually a dusty brown (don't know the proper name for it, color of a lions fur) and is rather thick except on their hips, shoulders, heads and thumbs. All but the last of which grows thick, shaggy hair.

Sounds pretty cool BI. I like it. This is on the borders of human colonization, right?

Not necessarily. They live deep in plains, scrub lands, sparse forests and in deserts, none of these places humans tend to settle naturally, but there is interaction. It's not unheard of for them to integrated into human countries even (an ideal place like this would be Austrailia, the dry central part is ideal for them but human civilization remains concentrated near the coast. In other places they might event be part of the human culture. With their value on stories it's not uncommon for some of them to go traveling to collect, or make stories of their own

The point to begin was any new race was going to be on the outskirts of human colonization, so the bulk of humanity would not directly know of them. This would keep players of other races down.

What I intended for this one was "separate but close" They live in places humans normally wouldn't but it's entirely possible that they could be surrounded on all sides (say they live in a rock or maybe stone desert, and humans live on the outskirts of said desert).
And I think it's easy enough to keep players of this race down by the simple expedient of they can either hold something, or walk, but not both, cause you know arms are also legs.