D&D General trying to make an alien-themed race but they keep turning into elves, help.

[Mind of tempest]

no response so I am posting anyway
I will call them moon men as a simple nickname as it would feels sufficiently like something fantasy people would generate.

why are they called integrators?
they see to litterally intergrate into already existenct things as opposed to setting something of there own, this contrasts them to the other group who are not detailed here.

urban integrators
it is common with some to join up with other native races out of some seemingly unknowable reasoning they often form a small quarter of the cities, putting the moon folks' love of intellect and wisdom in trades from bureaucrats and scholars to dojos and arcane academies some rising so high as to be the adviser of the local government or their prised assassins.
the moon men oddly seemingly adopt the local culture nearly completely, only keeping their love of scholarship, mystical art and martial arts and their trade mark thought process towards things.
these are the most commonly encountered by the other peoples of the world not because they are the most common but simply because they are the easiest to find.
they are otherwise similar any of the citezen of the the nation they are a member of.

wild integrators
first, these are noted for a slightly different appearance compared to the rest of their kin which is somewhat unnerving, they range from translucent to utterly transparent flesh with people being able to watch them digest food in the latter case, with even converts to this lifestyle over time gaining this appearance, the flesh tending towards greens and oranges for unknown reasons however at least two are known for grey black colour.
the wild integrators are commonly found in either tropical rainforests or swamps with differing social structures in both but in overlapping areas they are noted to change lifestyle as it suits them or personal preference.
they are commonly noted to be solidarity but social normally living alone only coming together to raise offspring or to deal with a widespread problem, in swampy areas they tend towards fission-fusion groups and a much more community-based life why this is unknown(maybe the endless supply of black dragons?).
much like their more urban cousins they also love contemplation and they will happily share what they have figured out in solitary contemplation when they encounter each other or other friendly people every from the heights of philosophy to the best way to cook the local foods as all knowledge is prised so they will put their minds to whatever problems they might have.
they are known for still using tool use and will happenly take your sword if you leave it lying around.

 

[Mind of tempest]

trying to make a worthy appearance I have no ideas for the head that look good thus I am focusing on the rest.
still need at least one more mental trait that is broad and will not make everyone hate you.

with fairly proportional legs but with arms of equal length they are subtly unnerving to the other races of the world.
their skin feels oddly rubbery and is surprisingly stretchy when pulled it tends to be a lighter contrasting shade to their more durable parts.
they also have almost built-in armour but it is far too bendable and seems to merely make them more resistant to simple scrapes and cuts than anything that could stop a weapon, the armour-like extensions of the body are slightly more durable but not sufficient for armour class.
A fauld-like piece around its chest as well as a coating on the lower arms, legs, hands, feet and at the knees and elbows.
this pseudo armour has a smooth stone-like texture to the touch, oddly always slightly cool regardless of the temperature of both the star folks' insides or the external world.
six digit hands and feet, with the latter being slightly prehensile all slightly clawed seemingly a leftover from an older time.

 

[CreamCloud0]

still need at least one more mental trait that is broad and will not make everyone hate you.

Especially good at being able to empathise and understand with anyone and everyone’s cultures and values while still able to remain unbiased and a fair neutral party?

 

[Mind of tempest]

Especially good at being able to empathise and understand with anyone and everyone’s cultures and values while still able to remain unbiased and a fair neutral party?

that is a nice idea, and I am thankful but I have no idea how players are supposed to play non-biased which is tricky?

 

[CreamCloud0]

that is a nice idea, and I am thankful but I have no idea how players are supposed to play non-biased which is tricky?

Maybe lean more into the ‘fair judgment for everyone’ angle perhaps? Have them culturally try to put aside any bias to anyone from stories and hearsay and treat people based on their own actions, giving everyone a chance to explain and justify themselves rather than jumping to assumptions, but give them insight proficiency or a zone of truth like ability, they’re fair and give everyone a chance but that doesn’t mean they’re stupid or gullible.

 

[Mind of tempest]

Maybe lean more into the ‘fair judgment for everyone’ angle perhaps? Have them culturally try to put aside any bias to anyone from stories and hearsay and treat people based on their own actions, giving everyone a chance to explain and justify themselves rather than jumping to assumptions, but give them insight proficiency or a zone of truth like ability, they’re fair and give everyone a chance but that doesn’t mean they’re stupid or gullible.

that is fair but it might also go into the detached elf nature I am trying to avoid.
I will put it in the possible pile as it could work.

 

[Mind of tempest]

considering elves are known for high-skill gate weapons to zag them the most well-loved weapons are maces, clubs, staffs and mauls, with slashing swords strictly as a backup weapon, with crossbows as ranged or if setting permits full guns for range weapons.

classes they like:
fighters are the backbone of the military with psi knights as the most iconic versions in the rare versions who lack psionics they will be battle masters or ever rarely samurai
rogues are far less common but soulknifes are common and used fairly often.
monks are well-liked and many of the cities the moon folk built have had monasteries built near them and many have tried being monks at one point in their lives.
psions(if we are even given one) a highly prestigious class they are near ubiquitous.
wizards are a common and well-liked class with most sub-types present lacking enchantment as they find psions better and necromancy as they deem it wrong.
artificer they have less of them than the rock gnomes but they are common amongst them.

classes more often found in integrators mostly for the wild integrators as both are fairly compatible with their goals of survival.
rangers
druid

 

[Mind of tempest]

consideration on mentality

1 pragmatism(lizardfolk have it but they are coded primal a high culture foil would be interesting)

2 the one I am trying to figure out any idea of a nice contrast between more scientific and mystical ideally?

further description of the body
possessing two short almost reptilian tails that seem to hang uselessly from behind them, they run in parallel inferring a doubled-spined system they are at max the length of the knee.
they seem to have heavy and very wide hips and males seem to have broad shoulders.
their feet are digitigrade and as previously mentioned cable of basic grasping
their head is large, and their neck is well built and highly durable.

they have a cultural love of masks which are worn whenever possible and unlike other peoples they have no love of gold or gems with semi-precious stones being seen as instead desirable.

on why they do not really like certain classes.

Barbarians the moon folk noted for valuing self-mastery finds the brutal aggression of the barbarian being distasteful also given the base culture that came to this world was incredibly advanced culture and the most common barbarians coming from primitive cultures they may have lost the native pressures to generate them, the few that have been found are from the integrator cultures.

sorcerers seem incredibly rare as possibly they lack the intermixing of bloods for the dragon sorcerers and the other based on external situations that then breed true this suggests they were in at least once a people of a very stable environment and an environment with a complete lack off dragons of any description.

Clerics although they seem perfectly cable of faith and it is observed they seem to have something equivalent to gods but clerics are oddly absent from their numbers with only those who converted to other faiths have been able to become them this is noted as truly odd

paladin it is often a simple problem that oaths sworn to high ideals that are inflexible may simply rarely appeal to a people of fundamental relativity and pragmatism. Still, some of them have been seen again in the urban integrator cultures.

the other classes warlock and bard are neither particularly favoured nor hated bards being welcomed in their territory but the moon folk seem to find the magic of the bards surprising.

lost ascension

the star folk have told tales of further morphs of their people in a previous age or time they were able to metamorphosis into stranger and stronger forms but they are said to have lost knowledge of these processes and are stuck in their basic forms.

 

[Mind of tempest]

the head should be large but beyond that, I have few ideas

ears should be like this: as it makes them less elf or human instantly.

eyes are block colour with no visible pupil at all with the option for black eyes that just look like deep abysses but others make it clear that they are round orbs of some kind not certain what shape but ideally inhuman.
how many is also a question of great importance either one or more than two never just the common two?
I have considered giving the inability to shut their eyes or blink.

nose
going with the classic hyper-reduced nose but have to avoid the skull-like look of gith maybe more nostrils?
maybe like this:

or this:

or some combination?

colouring
they are most commonly two contrasting colours with the armour parts being darker and glossy and the rest of the skin in the lighter shade
they seem to have no linage component as the colour are not inheritable but this is well known to them what does control it is unknown.
a rare mutation which is inheritable is the reversing of this trait with light armour and dark rest of the skin.

a random different biological trait they can drink both fresh and saltwater with no ill effects.

I have considered that they would bring animals with them like a dog equivalent, and some others.