Escarilan

From the cavernous rocky world of Amasul in the Triangulum Galaxy, the Escarilan are a subterranean race of poorly-sighted reptilian humanoids. Escarilans are most comfortable underground, and build their cities under the surface of the planets they inhabit in immense, artificial caverns which they dig out over time. Over the centuries, the Escarilans have adapted to these conditions; developing a strong sense of smell, and powerful eyes capable of piercing the darkness of their homes. In turn, surface life for the Escarilans is uncomfortable at best and impossible at worst, as the light blinds them, and the open nature of the surface causes severe agoraphobic reactions.

Physiology
Driven underground by solar radiation long before being introduced to the wider galaxy during the years in which the Escarilans struggled to unify their race, Escarilan biology is specifically adapted to life underground. The race are scaled sauripod homosaurians suited to subterranean life in an oxygen environment. An Escarilan's frame is frail and scrawny, with little musculature and lacking in biomass. Escarilans posses eyes with high light sensitivity and a strong sense of smell to locate prey and other members of their species.

Digitigrade legs provide Escarilan locomotion, with large padded feet with armoured soles for protection against the rough stone floors. Though it is not obvious on first examination, the ankle is part of the lower leg, rather than being at the base of the foot. The foot itself is unable to bend from the lowest portion of the leg in a manner like a human.

Psychology
A form of agoraphobia is highly common in Escarilan society, triggered by wide open spaces such as the surface of the planets they inhabit. The cause of the anxiety disorder is a safety measure from the Escarilan's ancient past where the surface was blasted by cancer-inducing radiations of a daily basis, causing even short-term exposure to the sky to be incredibly dangerous.