Tabaxi

"We had a Tabaxi come through here once, a few winters back. She kept the taproom packed each night with her stories and spent most days napping in a chair in front of the fireplace. We thought she was lazy, but when Linene came around looking/or a missing broach, she was out the door before I could blink an eye."

— -Toblen Stonehill, innkeeper

Hailing from a strange and distant land, wandering tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world's wonders. Ultimate travelers, the inquisitive tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures or legends lost.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Tabaxi are a slender humanoid feline race. They are typically standing taller than most humans between six and seven feet. Like most felines, they have long tails and retractable claws

Biological Traits

Tabaxi have a feline agility that allows them to move with a burst of speed. Because of their claws, they have a natural advantage when climbing. In addition, they can use their claws as weapons, delivering vicious unarmed strikes.

Genetics and Reproduction

Tabaxi pair for life and typically have between two to five young. Pregnancy typically last between 6 to 7 months.

Growth Rate & Stages

Tabaxi mature at around 15 years of age and can live up to 70 years

Ecology and Habitats

The Tabaxi originate from the southern tropical regions of Merkia that are now occupied by the Yuan-Ti. They are accustomed to heat and humidity of this region so find other lands particularly cold, even if they are rather temperate.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Tabaxi Society is built around a clan. Each clan is made up of an equal number of males and females and is lead by its elders. They would live in temporary settlements of ramadas, a simple structure constructed out of wooden poles and a grass roof. Each clan was protected by a group known as a hunt, made up of two to eight individuals, that would patrol the area around the clan. Tabaxi clans tended to avoid each other and did not engage in trade, though occasionally would use third-party agents to do so.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Those Tabaxi that did not flee their homelands are now enslaved by The Yuan-ti.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Wandering Tabaxi can be found all across Merkia in small numbers. They are most highly concentrated in The Freelands and The Lands of the Yuan-ti.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Tabaxi have exceptionally good senses, with the ability to see in the dark and superb hearing.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Tabaxi names are not gendered, intead each tabaxi has a single name, determined by clan and based on a complex formula that involves astrology, prophecy, clan history, and other esoteric factors. Tabaxi names can apply to both males and females, and most use nicknames derived from or inspired by their full names. Clan names are usually based on a geographical feature located in or near the clan's territory.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

In Tabaxi culture knowledge and new experiences are valued above all else. Although material wealth holds little attraction for the tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to find and inspect ancient relics, magical items, and other rare objects. This has led to the arrival of a traveling tabaxi to be considered bad luck by many as wherever a tabaxi goes It is incredibly likely that things will go missing.

Lifespan

70 years

Average Height

5' 5" - 6' 0"

Average Weight

110 lbs - 150 lbs

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Tabaxi fur ranges from a light yellow to a brownish red and can appear in a variety of patterns including spotted or striped.