Gattifolk

Death's Day, 1^st of Snowmont, 1242 of the Eternal Age. The festivities for the new year have been going great. With the timely arrival of a Gattifolk caravan, it seems more lively than it has been in recent years. These Malkin Gattifolk pulled out all the stops to make the New Year Festival as grand as they could. The amount of money poured into it shows and the townsfolk are happy about it. Attempts should be made to convince them to stay. Especially if they bring this much prosperity.

— An Elven lord in one of the Elu kingdoms speaking about Gattifolk visitors for the New Year

Basic Information

Anatomy

If you were to see a naked Gattifolk, it is very likely an observer couldn't tell the difference between a cat and a Gattifolk. While they are bipedal like the Tabaxi, they have digitigrade frames like the Lunari, allowing them to run on all 4s like a cat would. While most assume that Gattifolk have a short, stocky build, they can be lean and lithe like the Carinthi and Cat Fera can be with their current height.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Like the majority of Avestra races, Gattifolk have the ability to see in the dark out to a range of 60 feet in shades of grey. While their hearing is better than a normal human or elf, they surprisingly don't have the incredible hearing that the Lunari or Wolf Fera do. They do appear to be more proficient in sneaking, perceiving, or even reading people.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

• The Mitsu and Otsu Shogunates: The Gattifolk helped to found these shogunates and rules over one of them in conjuction with the Carinthi. It is the one nation where you can find the Gattifolk in the majority.

History

Gattifolk are monikered the Wandering Species because their origin seems to hint at that. No historian, Gattifolk or otherwise, has been able to pinpoint an exact location where the Gattifolk originated from. Some speculate that they came from another continent or maybe even another realm but no one can say for sure. What is known is that long after the ancient empires fell, these small catfolk appeared in caravans across Alus and Edrinia alike. While the Carinthi were more tribal wanderers, the Gattifolk were wanderers for the thrill. Older communities were found dotted across the land but the younger Gatti were the ones leading tribes away from where they used to be.

The only permanent home for a large number of Gattifolk has been the Nomi Shogunates in the west, with even a Gattifolk serving as the leader of one of them. Besides that, there is no true Gattifolk settlement outside these lands as they usually live as minorities in other people's lands. When they do, they seem to live similar to halflings, living in tight-knit communities before their young go out to find a new place for themselves. Each country and even countries that have long since fallen kept records of when Gattifolk caravans would arrive in the region. And each type of Gattifolk brought a different experience with them.

Abys Gattifolk are tied to magical study, even though it's in short supply. Stories tell of Gattifolk assistant who aided talented wizards with arcane study or wanderers who offered magical knowledge to aid an injured monarch or hero. However, the natural curiosity of the Gattifolk has also created stories of Abys who bring mischief by delving into arcane arts they are not meant to. When Leylines begin to act strangely, even magic users will throw a glance to Abys for a moment of wondering if they are the cause of it.

Chartreux Gattifolk are known for their relationship with the colder lands of the north as both Lunari and Wolf Fera ran into them time and again. Oral tales tell of Chartreux heroes who helped fend off threats from the tribes and now, they speak of Chartreux who help refugees from the north run away from the chaos of the Muspel invasion and even fight back against the invaders. Groups of these Gattifolk could be akin to wondering mercenaries who are willing to help people in their time of need... though, the more mercantilist ones will do that for a price.

Malkin Gattifolk are the most commonly seen and they come and go in bands of merchants or even laborers. This makes them the sterotype of what people think of for a Gattifolk. As such, when a Malkin merchant turns to greed or a craftsman begins to overcharge for their crafts, this paints a bad look on all Gattifolk as a result. However, since they commonly serve as part of the backbone of economies, no one is willing to harm them a grand scale.

The Skirrish have a history of mistrusting outsiders, mainly non-Skirrish. This is due to the mistreatment of their kind over centuries. They hold themselves up in cities, taking over sections to house only their kind and to keep out outsiders. However, there have been stories of lords or dashing rogues befriending the Skirrish because when one of their own is threatened, they are willing to fight against the Elders themselves to protect their own. When the Elders came, it was stories of the Skirrish that spread the most, as they fought down to the last Gatti against the invaders. As such, more people are willing to look at the Skirrish with an open mind and open heart. While currently it is hard to break that mistrust, maybe one day the Skirrish will be willing to trust outsiders once again.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Gattifolk get along best with Cat Fera and Carinthi as they either live amongst them or live in the same style as they do. The Shogunates wouldn't have become an entity without the support of the Gattifolk whether monetary or militarily. However, that is not to say people dislike the Gattifolk. Across Avestra, you can find at least one Gattifolk living in a settlement or passing through. It seems no matter what mortal species you are, it is hard to dislike these catfolk. And if you do... well, not many are going to join you in that thought.

Genetic Descendants

• Shifter

Scientific Name

Carinthi Minor

Origin/Ancestry

Abys, Chartreux, Malkin, Skirrish

Lifespan

200 years

Average Height

3-4 feet

Average Weight

40-50 pounds