Sakasta

The Cat Folk of Cadash

"I've often wanted to ask Kor about our creation. For we are keen hunters, with great agility, and eyes that can see better than most others. We have wonderful panache that no other race can really appreciate or compare to. Our tails are admirable. Our whiskers are debonair. And of course we are much smarter than Yeno's folk, not to mention Ashtyr's poor third comers. We even seem to rise above all other First Folk. This makes me wonder, were we Kor's first creation and all else were variations. Or were we Kor's final creation and he realized he could never top us? When I finally meet him, I will ask, this is certain."

- The Story of Emid

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

Sakasta live about a long as humans.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Found throughout Reluria. Rumor says that there is a concentration of them in the jungles of the southern continent of Ejo .

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Sakasta have darkvision up to 60 feet.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Each Sakasta has a single name, determined by clan and based on a complex formula that involves astrology, prophecy, clan history and other esoteric factors. Sakasta names can apply to both males and females, and most use nicknames derived from or inspired by their full names.
Clan names are usually base don geographical feature located in or near the clan's territory.
Example Names: Cloud on the Mountaintop (Cloud), Five Timber (Timber), Jade Shoe (Jade), Left-Handed Hummingbird (Bird).
Example Clan Names: Bright Cliffs, Distant Rain, Mountain Tree.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Most Sakasta speak common as well as Elder Speech (the form of language taught to all First Folk by Kor.

History

Sakasta are one of the First Folk created by the great god Kor at the beginning of the world. Their most ancient stories speak of a time when they lived in dense jungles amid giant creatures. Eventually they were driven from their homes by a cursed race. After that, they scattered far and wide across the world of Cadash.
Sakasta, or cat folk as they are more commonly named, are first recorded in Reluria by the Elves. They appear in stories and records as travelers and adventurers. No mention was made of a community of Sakasta. After the second age ended, Sakasta were seen in greater numbers in Reluria, even forming a small community in the forests to the north of the Five Shires. It is said that the Halflings of the era were knew and befriended the Sakasta during this time.
The Cataclysm seemed to have severely impacted that community, and no further mention of it is made. Halflings in the Five Shires now only see Sakasta infrequently, and those seeking remnants of the cat folk community find little to show for it.

Common Myths and Legends

Sakasta legends revolve around their hero Emid. The stories about Emid have been around for as long as any Sakasta can remember. Most tale about the Cat Lord are compiled in a book called The Story of Emid, which was transcribed by a halfling bard back at the end of the Third Age. Most Sakasta will quickly say that while The Story of Emid gives the reader an idea of the Sakasta legends, it isn't completely accurate or complete.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Sakasta tend to get along with just about everyone. They are naturally curious and willing to give most other races the benefit of the doubt before casting judgement.
Sadly the same isn't true going the other way. Dwarves find Sakasta particularly annoying and a few strongholds forbid Sakasta entry. Halflings seem to get along best with Sakasta, and some cat folk clans have an oral tradition linking them to halfling families dating back to the third age.

Lifespan

70 years

Average Height

Medium but shorter than humans.

The following are game specific details if you want to play a Sakasta character in a Reluria campaign:

• Dexterity increases by 2.
• Charisma increases by 1.
• Alignment: Tend toward chaotic, but rarely evil.
• Climbing speed: 20 feet
• Darkvision: 60 feet
• Cat's Claws: Unarmed strike does 1D4+STR slashing damage.
• Feline Agility: When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of the turn. You can't use this again until you move 0 feet on a turn.
• Cat's Talent: You are proficient in Perception and Stealth.