Tabaxi

The cat-like figure moved with a lithe grace that I could scarce appreciate. It had entered soundlessly, avoided every creaking board and obstacle in the dimly lit room. I suspect I would not have awoken were it not for the purr of delight it emitted when it placed its paws on the figurine set on my dresser table. As I clutched the bedsheets and gasped, it turned, its eyes narrowed, and before I could utter a word, it was gone, as soundlessly as it had entered. I could scarce believe my luck. My purse, brimming with coin from the day's takings, was left abandoned on the dresser. Who could say what it was about a simple figurine that drew the thief's eye?

- Phipps Balthier, Tremere Freeport Trader

---

The Tabaxi are a felinoid species, driven from their ancestral lands by an ancient war and now subject to slavery by the Corsair Lords of the Red Standard, an alliance of ports within the Windswept Isles, a chain of islands in the larger archipelago known as Algyssi's Footsteps. Much of their ancient culture lost, a rising tide of rebellion now sees tabaxi throwing off the yokes of their masters, but dissension within the free tribes mars their efforts as they struggle to rediscover their identity.

Ancient Homelands

In ancient times the tabaxi were native to the southern reaches of Emmerigos. Prior to the emergence of the Bloodblossom the Tabaxi led a nomadic lifestyle, moving in tribal groups through the plains and savannah, hunting beasts. They had a rich oral tradition, and were unparalleled hunters. They were also keen observers of the heavens, and many of the surviving myths and legends from the ancient times spoke of their ancient gods being seen in the movements of the stars above. Magic was known to the Tabaxi, and they were skilled diviners, reading the future using ritual magicks that often involved the sacrifice of the beasts they hunted.
The emergence of the Bloodblossom affected the many races of South Emmerigos in varying ways but all were driven to war over the limited resource. The Tabaxi were particularly aggrieved by the plant - ingesting it caused euphoria and led to many within the race becoming addicted to its properties. Within a generation of its appearance on the continent, Tabaxi culture teetered on the brink - tabaxi became crazed by ingrestion of the plant, forgetting to eat and drink and eventually dying, becoming an animated undead husk known as mzumbi. Mzumbi would walk aimlessly to the slaughter of the other races who were differently affected by its properties. Over a period of around sixty years in a series of migrations, those Tabaxi who could resist the lure of the bloodblossom abandoned the continent on small water craft, attempting the perilous transit of the Moil and what would later be named by the remaining mortals of South Emmerigos the Sea of Exiles. Many died. The few that survived found themselves adrift, eventually crossing the Fathomless Line and making landfall along the easternmost islands of the Aglyssi Footsteps.
Malnourished, with many still feeling the effects of bloodblossom exposure, the Tabaxi were ill-equipped to resist when they came under the influence of the Red Standard. Almost all surviving Tabaxi were pressed into slavery, where they remained for generations.

A People Enslaved

Tabaxi slavery became an institution within the Algyssi Footsteps, in particular within the Windswept Isles, governed by the Red Standard. The dexterity of the Tabaxi as well as their strength made them adept labourers, and soon the agricultural industry within the islands became dependent on Tabaxi labour. Tabaxi themselves became a significant export as slavers bred Tabaxi and then forcibly separated mother from child to sell at auction. Tabaxi slaves were marked with a ring and a tag pierced into their ear. Escaped slaves would tear the tags from their ears, and were known to the local corsair lords as raggedy-ears, or rags, as a result. The more determined escapees would soon have multiple ear-tag injuries, and such slaves would have both ears amputated to humilate them, before being put to death.
While it was theoretically possible for a Tabaxi to buy their freedom, it was almost unheard of, the price of a slave contract being prohibitive even to Tabaxi who lived in regions where they were afforded a share of their earnings. A tabaxi who was free was also at high risk of being pressed into slavery again, and local law supported the right of the Corsair Lords to take any untagged Tabaxi into slavery, even those who had bought their freedom.
During this time, enormous swathes of knowledge relating to Tabaxi culture was lost. The separation of mother and child limited the opportunity for teaching of myth and legend. The Tabaxi language was greatly discouraged among the Tabaxi. The more conservative slave owners would cut out the tongues of Tabaxi who refused to speak in common; the more progressive, instead, taught Tabaxi children to read and count in common, discouraging the use of their native language.

Revolution Among the Tabaxi

Dissent within the Algyssi Footsteps against slavery had simmered since the first slave auctions commenced. This was driven in part by the influence of the Dragonborn seafarers who were the main avenue of trade between the ports of the Footsteps and the continent of Terrenos, who were idealogically opposed to slavery. Dragonborn ships would not allow slaves on board, many captains going so far as to decree that slaves who were brought on board would be immediately freed of their shackles and tags and placed under the protection of the ship in question.
This dragonborn supported opposition to slavery fomented a rift between the northern lords of the Red Standard, who depended on slavery for the maintenance of their lands, and the southern freeports, who were much more dependent on the goodwill of dragonborn sailors to ship trade goods across the perilous ocean crossing west to Terrenos. A number of religious groups began to put pressure on the Windswept Isles but the Red Standard would not negotiate on the issue. A new discovery, however, would lead to revolution amid the slave camps.
Returning from a voyage east past the Fathomless Line, a dragonborn galleon brought with them spices and other goods foraged from the newly rediscovered continent of Emmerigos. Among these were a number of samples of the Bloodblossom plant. While the plant was difficult to grow away from its native habitat, one of the Corsair Lords soon discovered its effects on their Tabaxi slaves. A number of the lords began feeding Bloodblossom to the Tabaxi to induce its soporific and numbing effects, thereby increasing compliance and tolerance of poor working conditions among the slave population. But this measure had an unexpected effect.

The Gift of Eyes

In limited doses, the bloodblossom awakened long-suppressed powers within certain Tabaxi. After imbibing bloodblossom, for a time they received what they called the Gift of Eyes. These individuals gained the ability to peer into the border ethereal, and to see the spirits of long-dead Tabaxi, whom they named Mwala, or teachers. Those with the Gift became known as Mtafsi, or translators, and in time found they they could allow themselves to be possessed by these Mwala, and in doing so gain insight into the past of the tabaxi, as well as guidance for the future. 
The guidance of the Mwala saw a resurgence in the ancient traditions of the tabaxi, and several slave camps rebelled against their masters. The Lords of the Red Standard, once they realised that the Bloodblossom was the cause of the increasing unrest among the Tabaxi, sought to remove their access from it, punishing any Tabaxi found to be imbibing it with death. However, this action came too late, and a number of camps revolted against their masters, and escaped slavery by stealing ships and sailing south further into the Footsteps, taking with them samples of the bloodblossom.

A New Religion

Free Tabaxi began practicing their new religion, which they called Mazu, after their ancient word for 'ghost'. With no surviving Tabaxi to remember the old ways, Mazu became a syncretion of ancient Tabaxi ideology gleaned from possession by mwala, and local religions. While mwala were known to be Tabaxi martyrs, they also became associated with local saints and deities. Many of those who possessed the Gift of Eyes became familiar with one specific mwala, and that spirit became their familiar spirit, exclusively possessing them during ritual worship. Those mtafsi who chose to take bloodblossom and exercise the gift exercised magic for the first time in generations, once more rediscovering the ways of divination. Following such rituals, and also following other notable events such as sharing a meal, or surviving combat, practitioners of Mazu underwent a ritual ablution, rinsing their hands and heads with water.
As in ancient times, animal sacrifice became a central part of Mazu, with skilled mtafsi able to read the future or bring good fortune by the manipulation of entrails. Mazu placed great importance on community, and in time non-Tabaxi also began to worship the mwala, although only tabaxi with the Gift could see and interaxct with them through possession. The mwala reintroduced ancient knowledge of healing to the mtafsi, and Mazu became associated with its healing powers as well.
The practice of Mazu was not without risk, however. Mtafsi were limited in how much bloodblossom they could take before deleterious effects became permanent. In addition, possession by mwala was physically demanding. A mtafsi who was not careful would find themselves unable to break their trance, and risk dying of exhaustion once the possession was ended, or worse - overuse of bloodblossom would slowly steal their memories from them, then their vitality, causing them to die during possession and leaving them little more than a mindless husk, under the domination of mwala - a mzumbi. 

Modern Tabaxi

Many free tabaxi now live in and around the freeports of the southeastern islands of the Algyssi Footsteps. Their presence has been disruptive to the political balance within the Footsteps in recent years as a cult led by a tabaxi paladin by the name of Freedom campaigns to emancipate the enslaved Tabaxi within the camps of the Red Standard. She has already gained some traction, with several Red Standard fortresses freeing their enslaved Tabaxi. Originating from the Freeport of Tremere, her cult now bases itself in Flowstone Altar, to the south of the Windswept Isles. The remaining Corsair Lords conspire to overturn the cult, and others within the surrounding Freeports have begun to take sides either for or against the Paladin freedom fighter and her followers.
Tabaxi culture is also bitterly divided. While the eradication of language and record blurred ancient tribal lines, the memories returned by the Mwala have reignited ancient feuds and conflicts. While united by their quest for freedom, the tabaxi as a race are deeply divided on how to achieve this. Not all tabaxi support Freedom's cult, with some preferring to avoid antagonising the Red Standard further and hoping for a more diplomatic resolution. 
The tabaxi also struggle with the reintroduction of bloodblossom. The plant is a two-edged sword; while on one hand it has been a driving force for the tabaxi to return to their cultural roots and fight for their freedom, on the other use of the substance is alluring and overuse deadly for tabaxi, in particular those who attempt to use it call in Mwala without the assistance of an experience mtafsi to guide them in their first steps into the realm of the ethereal.

Appearance

Tabaxi have feline-like faces with pointed and mobile ears and eyes with vertical pupils. While many tabaxi display whiskers or tufts of longer fur on their jowls, full manes are much more rare and tend to be associated with great physical strength. All tabaxi have a non-prehensile tail that is capable of limited movement. All tabaxi have retractable, sharp claws. Coat colours are varied, ranging from black to brown to yellow to red to blue. Coat patterning is also varied, and included stripes, spots, and marled patterns. Tabaxi tend to be lithe and dextrous. 

Optional Rules

The following rules are optional for games set in the Dyrn campaign setting and are designed to reflect the tenets of Mazu as practiced by the tabaxi.

Gift of Eyes (Cleric Feature)

Prerequisites: Tabaxi (race), Cleric, Grave Domain
In additon to the rules for Eyes of the Grave, you gain the following additonal ability: While your Eyes of the Grave skll is operating, you gain the ability to see into the Border Ethereal for 60 feet.

Eldritch Invocation: Gift of Eyes

Prerequisites: Tabaxi (race), The Undying patron, Level 3
For one minute, you gain the ability to see into the Border Ethereal.  Once you use this invocation, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Content

Origin/Ancestry

Emmerigos