Repost of post #540's answers.
Caden puzzles out during discussion with Alric that they seem similar to a well known creature among the diverse "Easterners."
What are they? (Very Easy)
They are kobolds. They look different than what Caden is used to, but they got to be kobolds. Just like the Shoshone and Easterners are obviously humans but different.
Are they territorial? (Very Easy)
Isn't everything to a degree? Their concepts of shared space, or more precisely the lack of individual ownership of land, however makes them similar to the humans in this area. Who learned from whom this idea, no idea.
How do they get along with others? (Easy)
They are distrusted, like organized raiding coyotes in the night. They take things as you sleep and get feisty if you resist. And they are very well known for murderous traps protecting their underground space.
However they are also rumored for helping lost travelers get back to human lands. They have been known to trade, quite often really, and are surprising mimics of others' ingenuity. But all this is often on their terms for their paranoia is off the charts — very much like small, yappy dog syndrome, they continually fear being crushed.
What are they known for Racially? (Easy)
They are known seemingly worldwide for being an organized and ferocious underground pest along the edges of civilization. They breed fast and can live a bit longer than a human. But as they often live on the edge of multiple borders, they have far too many battles with other creatures whom they feel are always pressing in on them.
Some Eastern lands tried policies of eradication, some at significant cost. And while it bought a few years of peaceful abundance, often a denizen from deeper below the earth would rise up and terrorize the territory even worse. Other lands have found these devious critters make better neighbors than the truly monstrous things below. They also keep other fast breeding, intelligent, vicious creatures along the borderlands in population check.
What is the deal with the bones? (Normal)
Metalworking, though present here, is resource taxing at best in this region. The high desert makes life a struggle and an abundant need of charcoal/coal/peat for both foundries and kilns is known to cause conflict even among the organized Easterners here. As useful as metal objects are, large pottery urns holding water is even more precious.
These creatures are not known to have as vast trade networks. They usually hide underground, it is thus assumed there's breathable air issues from foundry smoke. And they dislike bright daylight and live on borderlands, thus guessing intense fires at night would likely draw unwanted attention.
That said, metal has been known to be among them. Most of it likely stolen or traded. Some so odd and alien in motif as to suggest metalworking at some unknown kobold time or place. What is common is the older they are, the more metal valuables they keep on their person.
The huge influx of Easterner dwarves and their ways has raised the eyebrows of plenty of natives, of several different races. There's definitely a sense of being used and soon to be discarded before the wrath of the environment. But many natives of all races are holding their peace, and only the most observant of Easterners (many criminals) are questioning why.
That bone on a thong is obviously a pacifier of some type. That tooth necklace, likely decorative jewelry showing bravery or status. That sharp bone knife, a sharp bone knife.
Are they known to be spiritual/ ancestor worship /shamanistic as far as religion goes? (Hard)
They are keenly observant and fantastic mimics. Their range of beliefs is broad, and more than a few have taken ideas or manners from nearby races and made them their own. They like patronage of large, ferocious allies and are prone to worshiping them if they are long lived enough — which explains some Eastern assumptions about them being dragon worshipers.
These lands don't work much the same way. From what is gleamed they seem to borrow heavily from the native Shoshone here. First, water serpents are roundly feared as the greatest of evils and no one seems to seek them as allies, even if any were openly known.
Second, from these three talking about spirits being a very real thing, and something to obey or fear, who knows how complex or real their beliefs are. These ones have taken patronage from one who tries to stop fear-eating and who knows if that will develop into a good thing for this tribe, let alone religious. One thing's for sure, they have taken sides and have a very real fear of something nearby underground.
How are they socially, will offered gifts help interaction for example? (Hard)
Socially they are very well organized and stratified. Self preservation does place high on their priorities, which leads to more than a few selfish attitudes. So yes, they would love gifts. In fact, they love taking frying pans, leathers, trail rations, and the like from Eastern travelers and settlers while they sleep and loudly declaim them to be gifts when caught in the act. The local human natives smile and don't comment much on that, who knows how familiar they are with that same problem.
However they are also paranoiacs, fast learning mimics, and thus well known tricksters. They have earned their reputation, in Eastern human eyes (maybe in Shoshone eyes, too), as untrustworthy mongrel beasts who'd bite the hand that feeds them as much as let it pet them. They are assumed to be erratic for all the most malevolent reasons, and only a fool who wants to be fed to their brood would go to their nest and parley without a platoon behind them.