Catfolk
Native to the tropical south of Ceren, the Catfolk are a race of crafty beastfolk with a variety of skills and innate perks. While many beastfolk races have held onto their personal traditions and attempted to remain separate from the dealings of humanoids, the catfolk's love of companionship and intrigue has caused quite the opposite to occur. They became assimilated into the Harelian culture near the end of the Age of Guardians, and since then have become a common sight across the entire province. What's more, their curious and adventurous hearts often cause them to leave the region on grand adventures or hair-brained schemes. In any case, encounters with catfolk are often memorable in all the right (and wrong) ways.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Catfolk, as their name would suggest, resemble anthropomorphic cats of several varieties. This includes retractable claws on their hands and feet, slender tails, large pointed ears, feline muzzle and teeth, and a whole body covered in hair. In addition, while most are taller than the average human, their slender and lithe frames result in the average specimen weighing less than a human of comparable height.
Genetics and Reproduction
Catfolk reproduce in the way most mammals do, with a gestation period of approximately eight months. Catfolk litters usually contain 1 - 2 kittens at a time, though they can have up to twice that at one time.
Growth Rate & Stages
Young catfolk (often called Harira or kittens by their elders) reach maturity around the age of 14, and are considered full adults once they complete their Musafarin. After this point, they age at a similar rate to humans.
Catfolk remain relatively sedentary while Harira, mostly to allow their mothers ample time to educate them and control their impulsive natures. Upon completing their Musafarin, the adult catfolk is free to roam the world and pursue whatever ventures they please. Once they become middle-aged, they usually return to a Harelian settlement and aid in the raising of kittens, only traveling great distances when they take Harira on their own Musafarin.
Ecology and Habitats
Seeing as their homeland is a collection of deserts, jungles and savanna, catfolk are usually at home in warm or temperate climates. While they can exist in cold areas, they rarely enjoy such climates. Also, they have an innate distaste for bodies of water larger than rivers or small lakes, and usually detest maritime travels.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Catfolk are carnivorous, usually preferring to eat multiple small meals throughout the day as opposed to 2-3 large meals. In addition, they are known to have a distaste for cold or fermented foods.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Having mostly abandoned their own culture in favor of mixing with others, catfolk have little in the way of a dedicated social hierarchy. Older individuals are usually given respect, especially by those whose Musafarin they lead, but are still considered of equal station to any other adult.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
While painful to remove, catfolk claws are often used as decoration or primitive weaponry. It is common to take a claw from a passed loved one and keep it as a memento, and anti-beastfolk humanoids of ancient Harelia often used catfolk claws as trophies of their kills.
Facial characteristics
Catfolk have the standard feline faces you would expect. Their eye colors range from brown and blue to green and hazel, with different colors being common in different regions. In addition, graying hair around their muzzle and incredibly long whiskers are common methods used to identify older catfolk.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Approximately 60% of the catfolk race is found in Harelia and the surrounding areas, commonly traveling from settlement to settlement or living in urban settings. The rest are scattered across the whole of Genaeth, seeking adventure and intrigue where ever they may be found.
Average Intelligence
With their natural wit and common practices of educating their young, most catfolk are intelligent by human standards, with the upper standard being the most common place. It is incredibly rare to find an unintelligent catfolk.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Much like their bestial cousins, catfolk have a variety of sensory skills superior to the standard humanoid. This includes improved hearing and scent, darkvision, and the ability to detect subtle changes in air currents with their whiskers. In regards to magic usage, both arcane and divine magics are used, with arcane being slightly more common across the board.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Catfolk usually have short, simple names given by their mothers until they reach maturity. Once old enough, the still-kept tradition of having phrases or quotes as names is put upon them. These names have significance to the individual, and the final word is commonly used as a nickname by friends or family. Examples include Mud-Stained Claw (Claw), Cloak of Midnight (Night), Many Woven Tales (Tales), Gem-Studded Eyes (Eyes), and Laughs with Thunder (Thunder).
Gender Ideals
Beyond females being tasked with raising the Harira until maturity, catfolk have little in the way of established gender ideals.
Relationship Ideals
Despite only being able to reproduce with their own kind, catfolk often have relationships and marriages with creatures of various races. They usually follow the established tradition of the province they live in, though their ever-changing interests have resulted in most catfolk going through multiple breakups or divorces during their life-times.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Catfolk are most often seen speaking Common and Harelian, as both are used over wide stretches of land and within various cultures.
Common Dress Code
Being covered in fur and common in warm climates, catfolk are not known for wearing large amounts of clothing. Usually, they wear enough to meet social standards (such as basic trousers and a form of vest), but rarely go beyond this. Females are not expected to wear more than males, though both genders will wear armor if the situation calls for it.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
All regions have a number of small traditions, but the resident catfolk rarely remain dedicated to them. One tradition that remains in use is the coming of age quest known as the Musafarin. Every few years, an elder catfolk will take three to six Harira of ages 13 to 16 on a year-long journey. This journey gives the Harira a chance to experience cultures beyond what they already know and discover what their own interests and curiosities. The group travels from place to place in a covered wagon, providing songs, odd-jobs, and exotic trinkets as a means to sustain themselves. Upon returning to their home, the elder will give each Harira their adult name and declare them mature enough to pursue their own adventures, marking the end of the Musafarin and the catfolk's childhood.
Common Taboos
It is considered incredibly rude to step-on or pull a catfolk's tail, as they often respond with hissing and clawed retaliation. Also, removing claws while a catfolk is still alive is seen as incredibly offensive and demeaning, as it usually robs them of their natural weapons and skilled climbing.
Historical Figures
Saint Felix the Unabashed: Chosen Saint of Freedom and Curiosity, Saint Felix was selected by Tyra to serve as her embodiment of free spirits and youthful impropriety. With doctrines focusing on the breaking of chains and contest with corrupt authority, Saint Felix was definitely seen as one of the more rabble-rousing saints, often seeking out trouble to halt it, and usually causing more in the process. His current whereabouts are unknown, though many whisper that one of the many catfolk wandering through Harelia is Saint Felix in disguise.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The noncentralized nature of catfolk society means that they hold no allegiance to any one organization or party. Additionally, catfolk are unable to produce offspring with other sentient creatures by normal means, as their genetic forms are unique enough to keep the races separate. Despite this, they often form a variety of relationships, romantic and sexual, with those they meet in their travels.
Scientific Name
Humo Felis
Lifespan
50 - 60 years
Average Height
5'11 - 6'9
Average Weight
130 - 160 lbs
Average Physique
With bodies meant to aid in their natural hunting and stalking practices, all catfolk are lithe and athletic. Despite their heights, most catfolk weight a relatively small amount, usually due to their genetic predisposition to slender frames over bulky musculatures.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Most catfolk have tawny furs, ranging from sandy tan to ruddy brown. Some varieties native to jungles have been seen with black pelts, but these are very rare and considered an abnormality to most. Catfolk can have patterned coats, with darker areas being common across their backs, upper arms, and tails. Most areas have one or two dedicated patterns (spotted, striped, brindled) that their catfolk tend towards, but this is not a hard and fast rule.
Related Ethnicities
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