Dormir Species Concept

Dormir are a species concept made of loosely put together real-life animals. You are free to make your own, or simply take inspiration from them.
They are not a species in the typical fashion, and are a zero-moderation concept. If you want to make one, go ahead!
Traits can be as diverse and wild as you desire, or stick more closely to the original concept. Go wild, have fun.
Modification of, or ignoring the lore is perfectly fine.
Bases will be rolled out eventually, when I have the time and motivation to make them.

Non-exhaustive list of trait ideas:
Coat length and styles (including long manes that resemble hair)
Horns, antlers
Ear shape
Additional body parts (eyes, legs, wings, ears, etc.)
Additional species inspiration (dragons, rabbits, cats, boars, lions, etc.)
Special abilities (telepathy, healing magic, etc.)

Not really traits but worth noting:
Manmade adornments (jewelry, clothing, etc.)
Anthro forms

Universal traits they all have:
Deep-chested body
Flat heads with little to no stop
Strong, muscular build, especially from the forelimbs to face, including the neck
Powerful, bear-like claws
A pair of "fighting teeth"/canine teeth
Long, semi-prehensile tails
Naturally occurring but unusual, flashy pigmentation on the neck called a Mark. Any dormir may choose to dye or bleach their fur.

Undesirable traits within dormir societies (still usable):
Extremely short "corgi" legs
Stripeless backs
Frail bodies
Scarred necks

Species taken inspiration from:
Wild horse (Equus ferus)
Red deer (Cervus elaphus)
Domestic dog, Bull Terrier (Canis lupus familiaris)
Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
Brown bear (Ursus arctos)

Some notes (split into society, anatomy, behavior)
Dormir are rather front-heavy and tend avoid large bodies of water, as they are poor swimmers.
Dormir posess semi-prehensile tails. They are used for balance and communication. Warriors and guards may wear spiked or clubbed tail guards for use in combat.
Some dormir, particularly in societies adapted to the cold, grow in dense winter coats. Oftentimes their colors change to suit the environment. Some lines that have lived in the cold for many years may sport short tails.
They are masters of persistence hunting, and prefer to hunt in groups. They also forage for edible flora, though it is not strictly necessary for survival and preferences differ from group to group. Dormir more closely resembling herbivores tend to forage more often, while the opposite is true for the carnivoran types.
Dormir sometimes fight each other for resources- whether it be food, territory, potential mates, or otherwise. Horned or antlered dormir are more likely to emerge victorious, and are seen in high regard. Note that horns and antlers are fundamentally different, where horns are permanent fixtures with unbranched, single-pointed appearances, whilst antlers are shed yearly and are always branched, sporting multiple different points off the main branch. Some plain-headed dormir may enlist the help of prosthetic horns or antlers, while others completely ignore them in favor of tooth-and-nail combat.
Dormir have chilling calls that sound like a mix of elk bugling and wolf howling.
While most dormir prefer all four feet on solid ground, some may take to the trees to ambush prey. Only a skilled individual can pull this off- stealth is not the strong suit of a dormir.
An alert dormir will keep their tail curled up. If shocked or threatened, they will whip it open at devastating speed, creating a loud banging sound against the ground in intimidation, or striking the enemy with force strong enough to break bone. Stressed or irritated dormir's tails will involuntarily twitch. While asleep, their tails go limp and straighten out. The most dangerous place to be is behind a dormir.
Dormir may unfurl their tails to push themselves up while climbing, or to propel themselves into the air for brief moments (similarly to pole vaulting). A loosened tail around others can be considered a show of docility or submission.

Marks (neck patterning)
• Each individual is unique and should possess noticeable markings that contrast from the rest of the coat.
• Marks are a large factor in dormir society. With a more appealing Mark, a dormir may command more respect and gain more popularity.
• Scars damaging a dormir's Mark are a great sign of great shame, and the scarred often become social outcasts. A scarred dormir is bad news, and in some circles, it is considered taboo to interact with them.
• Dormir masks do not cover only the face, but the neck as well. Anonymity can only be retained when the unique marking of a dormir is obscured.
• Obscured Marks tend to arouse suspicion. The average dormir will always proudly display their mark.
• Some dormir dye their Marks solid black in protest of the unfair Mark standard. Others will carefully recolor their Mark with dyes to make it more attractive, though this is considered a low tactic.
• Offspring will possess a similar Mark to that of their parents, but no two Marks are exactly the same.

Courting rituals, bonds, and reproduction
Type 1: Mark courting, couples paired together primarily because of Mark attraction. It is said that when mutual Mark attraction occurs, any future offspring will have especially beautiful Marks. Dormir paired in this manner may or may not bond for life.
Type 2: Temperament courting, relationships founded through strong bonds developed over time. The bonding process can take multiple years before two dormir choose to reproduce. Bonds formed in this manner indicate mates for life, and widowed dormir will die immediately following their other, no matter the cause.

A litter of dormir may range from one to five offspring, with two or three pups being the most common. Identical siblings are not a possibility in dormir, to prevent two Marks being the same.

Trivia:
The name dormir comes from the present participle of Latin "dormire", to sleep. These species are only a recent discovery, once dormant and well-secluded.
The plural of dormir is also dormir. Just like deer, or moose.