The Moobai

The Moobai

Written by Timothy, who created the race and played the first Moobai PC, Himself.

Basic Information

Anatomy

They are a feline people. They are mainly bipedal but do use all fours to climb and often run like a quadruped. In their facial structure and coloring, they most closely resemble a lynx or bobcat. Physically the Moobai are shorter and lighter than the average human, though even allowing for the less mass they move with surprising grace and fluidity along the deserts they call home.

Additional Information

Social Structure

In these deserts the Moobai have forged an interesting social hierarchy. They have splintered into small family groups primarily concerned with the needs of their own immediate members; concern for a clan or distant family is almost nonexistent. Position within the family is dictated by a matriarchal counsel while decisions such as direction of travel inter-family dispute and marriage are all left to a patriarch whose will is enforced by the council and followed in the absolute. The Moobai have developed a complicated social system to allow all within a particular family to readily identify each other, the standing amongst the family, tasks each performs for the family, each one’s relation to the patriarch, and their availability to suitors. The last, their availability to other families, is the only universal sign the Moobai share. This system is one of masks. The masks are made of simple material such as bark or clay with wool or linen overlay. On the overlay is printed in different colors and designs that are individual to each tribe and are highly detailed. The masks are given first when each cub learns to walk and can thereby interact with each member of the family, the cub matures and gain standing, learns tasks, and rises or lowers in the hierarchy the mask is changed to reflect that identity and standing.

Warriors or a warrior class in this society do not exist. When the survival of all is at stake with every trip all must therefore learn the arts of combat. The Moobai all learn from a young age that they will fight and die to protect the family. The bow and sword are their weapons of choice. Bows never need the sand to be cleaned from their barrel, arrows are cheaper to make then bullets and require much less effort to carry around the desert. Traders to these northern deserts have often thought to win favor with the tribes by bringing guns to one side of the conflict; such efforts have always met disappointment and confusion on the side of the merchant. Swords can be easily hidden about the waist or back and drawn at a moment’s notice. Belligerent merchants may think themselves surround by helpless females and cubs, one instant later these same “quests” are surrounded by blades each held by a confident and trained fighter.

Conflict among family members is mostly resolved among the matriarchal counsel. Theft, damage to property, and other petty crimes are typically dealt with repayment in kind or service, anything resulting from or that leads to any violence against a family member is strictly punished by the patriarch. Such consequences being most often time away from the support and protection of the family. Even one day alone in these harsh deserts is enough to ease the most rebellious of persons.

From the support and rigid structure the Moobai do not deviate, it is in the family that water can be found, that safe passage among the dunes is led, and security from the predators of the desert can be found. Though rigid within the family can be found, of course, smiths, tanners, and shepherds but also in found musicians, and artist, and bards, and woodcarvers. The native lives of the Moobai are a hard and unforgiving nomadic trail across mostly barren desert. When work is done, the tents pitched, these felines celebrate each little victory and event in life with as much frivolity as the determination they met a sandstorm.

Civilization and Culture

Courtship Ideals

Courtship and marriage are sudden affairs; when two families meet interested parties are allowed to gather in one large tent and seek a mate. The two patterns then move to a tent where their patriarchs await and negotiations begin, the patriarchs alone make the bargain and the hopeful pair is required to sit and wait and listen. The marriage contracts often entail the family gaining a new member to receive gifts of most importantly water and livestock, the family losing a member would receive crafted goods or weapons. Most amiable marriage contracts are when an equal number of persons can be exchanged either through marriage or adoption into the new family. Divorce is not a concept known to the Moobai, their harsh lives among the dunes solve many problems and thus they strive for happiness where possible. Within the smaller tents, spouses entreat with each other when conflict arises, and none mistreat spouse or cub. All matrons share in the rearing of family offspring and none tolerate abuse of either spouse, and never toward cub. Patriarchs are seen as directly responsible of the safety of all under their family, male, female, cub; nothing replaces a patriarch faster than failure to protect one of his own family.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

The religion of the Moobai is centered on the world’s two moons. The Moobai, being nocturnal in nature, revere the two moons as nameless/faceless aspects of the protective father and nurturing mother. These two beings gave rise to the “guardian spirits” represented in the star constellations. Each guardian spirit has sway over a specific aspect of daily life for the Moobai and can be sought in mediation for aid within that aspect. The mythology is one of creation and order versus the force of destruction and chaos, this being embodied by the sun which is known as the devourer to the Moobai. The first parents and the guardians are in an ever-changing battle of wills shape the whole of the universe as they would desire. The one side protecting all life and all order to the uplifting of lesser beings; whereas the devourer fights against order and is most delighted in chaos and conflict; the devourer seeks entropy the breakdown of structure. For life to be lost in confusion and wondering in uncertainty eventually falling to base instinct and then to fall apart entirely is the greatest desire of the devourer.

Furthermore, on the guardians, like the first parents, are faceless but each has their responsibility over life and are known by those titles. The common guardians are warrior, and shaper, and cub, and planter, and hunter, and herdsman, and artificer, and keeper.