Tabaxi
Tabaxi (pronounced: /tɑːˈbæksi/ ta-BÆK-see or: /tɑːˈbɑːʃi/ ta-BAHSH-ee), also known as jaguar people or cat-men, are a race of feline humanoids native to the jungles of Southland and Hestoria.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Tabaxi are taller than most humans at six to seven feet. Their bodies are slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi have long tails and retractable claws.
Tabaxi are competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They have a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell. Depending on their region and fur coloration, tabaxi are known by different names. Tabaxi with solid spots are sometimes called leopard men and tabaxi with rosette spots are called jaguar men.
The way the tabaxi pronounced their own name also varied; the "leopard men" pronounced it ta-BÆK-see, and the jaguar men tah-BAHSH-ee.
Ecology and Habitats
Tabaxi prefer jungle environments, much like the leopards and jaguars they resemble. They're fur naturally gives them camouflage in the dense jungle foliage, and the soft pads of their foot paws make sneaking extremely easy for them.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Tabaxi are a carnivore race, needing to get most of their nutrition from eating the meat of other animals. They can consume some plants, and regularly do so for medicinal properties, but they cannot survive off of this for very long. A tabaxi cannot be a vegetarian, for example, or they will simply die of malnutrition.
Behaviour
Tabaxi are a reclusive people who often avoid interaction with other intelligent races. However, as each tabaxi possesses a specific feline trait, some have an innate curiosity that compels them to travel and seek out stories, artifacts, new experiences and knowledge, never remaining in the same place or obsessing over the same piece of lore for too long.
In general, tabaxi did not care for wealth, but they have an almost obsessive interest in ancient artifacts, relics and magic items, but not for the items themselves, as much as the stories and secrets they hold. Once an item has been thoroughly examined and studied, and its secrets revealed, it will lose its allure and the tabaxi will quickly lose interest and pass it on.
Not all tabaxi are motivated by curiosity to leave their homeland, however. Some find safer ways to satisfy their fleeting obsessions by becoming traveling minstrels and tinkers, often accepting interesting objects and stories as payment for their services.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Tabaxi society is built around clans. Clans are split evenly between males and females with 3 to 12 young. Each clan has several 'Hunts', each made up of two to eight individuals. The Hunts patrol the area around the clan's lair.
Although tabaxi lairs are sometimes just temporary, they are more often small villages of ramadas. Each ramada is built from wooden poles with grass roofs.
Clans are led by elders. About half of the time, leaders are aided by shamans. Clans tend to avoid each other and do not engage in trade. Tabaxi consider trade to be demeaning but in rare instances will use third party agents to trade for them.
When the tabaxi started wandering out of their homeland of Maztica, rumors followed about strange happenings there, but the tabaxi themselves say little about them.
Most clans worship Tezca, Nula, or (rarely) Azul. A minority of clans owe their allegiance to a jaguar lord. In this instance, Bast is the dominant deity of the tribe.
The creator figure in the tabaxi pantheon is the Cat Lord, a fickle and tricky entity who bestowes each tabaxi with a specific feline trait and is believed to wander the world, watching over them.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Tabaxi are sometimes hunted for their pelts. Each pelt can be sold for up to 50 gp. Hishna shapers can use tabaxi skin and claws to enhance their strength. Young tabaxi can be sold on the black market for around 225 gp.
Facial characteristics
Tabaxi eyes are slit-pupilled and usually green or yellow.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Tabaxi are fairly common in the jungles of Ghemjana. In Hestoria, particularly, the tabaxi have found a perfect home in the jungles and humidity of The Riverlands and Ak'na Dul.
Average Intelligence
Tabaxi have average intelligence with an above average curiosity. Sometimes, this results in wonderful discoveries, while other times it leads to grave consequences.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Tabaxi, like most felines, have excellent night vision and a very fine sense of balance.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Tabaxi will often name themselves after things they aspire to, or find beautiful, or interesting. It is not uncommon to find a tabaxi with a name such as "Two Llamas Running", or "High Branches to See", "Wind on My Fur", or "Runs Down Prey".
Clans will often have a clan name, and some tabaxi will adopt this as a surname. Clans usually name themselves after a territory they occupy, or an animal they view as sacred or useful. Therefore, you may get the River Clan, the Eagle Clan, the Sloping Willow Clan, or the Small Snails That Make You See Things Clan.
Major Organizations
Tabaxi do not have major organizations of their own, but will tell you that their tribe is quite the big deal.
Beauty Ideals
Large eyes and ears are highly favorable, as well as dark red fur and symmetrical spots on the fur. Races without fur are looked upon as silly and quite ugly, but in a cute way.
Average Technological Level
While Tabaxi are mostly a primitive tool using race, they aren't unable to use greater innovations and technologies. They usually just don't want to, or find them uninteresting.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Tabaxi are exceptional hunters and utilize these skills in combat. Speed and stealth combined with their natural camouflage mean that tabaxi are particularity skilled at surprise attacks. Tabaxi are even known to disguise their scent with aromatic herbs. Their hunting skills and intelligence make them formidable tacticians. Groups will often drive prey into ambushes, sometime playing with their doomed foe before killing them. Tabaxi clans do have berserker warriors within them, these are known as blood-stalkers.
For weapons, tabaxi favor bolas, slings, macas, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons will often be made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi are just as likely to use weapons as they were to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons is not due to a lack of capability. Tabaxi are quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.
Due to their knowledge of hunting, intelligence and sense of smell, it is practically impossible to trap a tabaxi.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Tabaxi observe the changing of the moon as an important spiritual event of renewal. Often this will be accompanied by singing, dance, and displays of acrobatics and skill, mourning the "death" of the old moon and welcoming the "birth" of the new moon.
During a lunar eclipse, the tribes will chant together, fighting the darkness that tries to "eat" the moon. As the moon is "consumed", they will wail theatrically and plead with the darkness to vomit up the moon again, in return for sacrifices from the tribe. After this happens, a pair of fresh kills are burnt as offerings, one for the Creeping Darkness, as payment for not eating the moon; and one for the moon, who obviously needs sustenance after her ordeal.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Tabaxi have few enemies and only the most degenerate clans will attack members of other intelligent species without good reason.
Origin/Ancestry
Humanoid
Lifespan
80-100 years
Average Height
6'0" to 7'0"
Average Weight
200lbs to 250lbs
Average Physique
Tabaxi tend to be very lean and lithe, especially as they are younger. It is the mark of a very oppulent ruler to be fat, or even have a little excess.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Tabaxi fur is yellowish to light brownish red.
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