Kununpe

The Kununpe is a large jaguar-like creature with black fur, standing nearly six feet tall with all four of its legs on the ground, and will often stand on its hind legs to show dominance, standing five to six meters in height. It is an incredibly agile beast, and despite its large size and menacing physique, is rather docile toward humanoids, especially leonids and elves. It has been domesticated on numerous occasions by skilled trainers. When raised from a kitten, the kununpe becomes loyal to its caretaker(s) and treats them as family when the kununpe is treated well and exercised properly.
Some areas of the world venerate the kununpe, such as in the area around Posohegijos in the wildlands between Sala and Carildeia on the eastern continent. At each new moon (both Alsi and Mond) the village will sacrifice an animal and place it on a platform outside of town for the nearby Kununpe to eat. The kununpe will roar when it receives its offering, and can be heard purring for miles as it eats the meal.

Cats...

As with all cats, kununpe are michevous creatures, and have been blamed for many incidents such as wildfires and missing people. However, in most of these cases, the kununpe simply got caught up in events. The most notable exception to this is the event known as the Kununpe Fire.
Many moons ago, a small village outside of Posohegijos was burned to the ground (likely accidentally) by a kununpe kitten who wandered into the town and began playing with a lantern that was swinging from a tree. The kitten played for hours with the lantern and the villagers paid little attention to it, other than the cuteness factor. However, the kitten became too forceful with the lantern and it shattered on the ground, spreading fire and oil to nearby trees and structures. The oil splashed onto the kitten, who understandably became panicked. Unfortunately, the kitten's response was to run around wildly, which spread the fire to the dry vegetation throughout the area, and the fire spread quickly. The entire village was destroyed, with few deaths.

Type: Mammal (Feline)
Lifespan: 20-30 years (in captivity)

by Supermachine.art