Fey Cats

"One of the primary non-human races."Silent footsteps, impeccable balance, shimmering visage on the edge of perception. The Fey Cats were a more recent addition to the legally recognized non-human member races of the Grienzen Empire, but are still citizens all the same. They have a reputation for being unreliable, bearers of bad news, and generally untrustworthy, but they don't seem to mind and many of them quietly work at their creative trades.

Legend
As opposed to most of the other non-human races, there is very little in terms of consistent legends regarding the Fey Cats. Stories about them range from tales of friendly felines who lead lost children back home out of the woods, to evil witches in the guise of a cat. At the worst, they've even been said to be devils seeking out the souls of men to whisk off to Hell. They are often said to be an entirely female race, and yet instances of male Fey Cats exist in myths as well. It's also speculated that they are both cats who can sometimes appear as humanoid entities, and that they are humans who can shapeshift into the form of a cat.

The most common element regarding stories about Fey Cats is that they interact most with those humans who have a penchant for the mystical or esoteric. The folktale about a wizard's familiar usually puts it as a Fey Cat companion. And there are even claims that Fey Cats engage in vampiric drinking of human blood, or else are capable of turning human corpses into roaming, hungry undead. As a result, many a superstition exists surrounding encounters with black cats, and Fey Cats themselves are often treated with extreme scrutiny and skepticism regarding their reliability.

There is one legend Fey Cats cherish about themselves and rarely convey to other races, and that is of their ancient, fallen kingdom. Ranging back to the era of pre-history, the Fey Cats claim to have ruled a country that exists in what is now known as Hikuptah in the North of Ifrania. In this telling, they were once a race of spirits who took interest in the humans who lived in their region. They began to lead and teach them things, but desired the ability to interact with them more intimately. To satisfy this, they built enormous pyramids and arcane statues of the most powerful among them, and used magic and sacrifices to afford themselves physical bodies. And once this had been accomplished, they fostered the worship and servitude of the humans, being treated as gods and royalty while all other civilizational pursuits withered and crumbled.

But this was an affront to the nature they had been created with, and the Voice of the Living God called out to them in a thundering boom that echoed across the desert. For their hubris, the Fey Cats had been bound to their chosen physical forms, no longer able to return to their ethereal form when they so desired. As a result of this curse and the failure of their agriculture due to overindulgence and insufficient attention, the humans were able to overthrow their reign, and the Fey Cats were scattered across the world, with some fleeing East to Wassia, others heading South into the Deadlands of Southern Ifrania, and still others going North into Uropa.

Humanoid Form
Unlike Wolfen, Fey Cats do not possess an entirely human-looking form. The closest they manage is that of a human with a feline pair of ears and a tail, along with a feline-style slitted pupils. For unknown reasons, the sex ratio of Fey cats is not balanced, with an inordinately high percentage of female Fey Cats, in the range of 4 females to 1 male.

Fey Cats are universally slender, with stronger ones appearing toned at most. They are shorter than humans with an average height of 4'10" and very little difference in size between the sexes. The most common hair color is jet black, but some have stark white, depending on ethnicity. They tend to have bright yellow or blue eyes, while rarely displaying green or red. Heterochromia is extremely common among Fey Cats as well due to the way their eye colors are inherited. A Fey Cat child's right eye will always match the color of the mother's right eye, with the left eye displaying the color of the father's left eye.

Cat Form
When in their feline forms, Fey Cats appear to be a normal cat, albeit sometimes larger-sized than most domestic cats of similar breed. The most common coloration for Fey Cats fur coats is black, but some have white fur and others sport brown and black patterns. This coloration is the same across humanoid and cat forms, as is eye color and appearance.

Ethnicities
After being separated and having come to adapt to very different environments, three major subtypes of Fey Cat developed over the millennia.

Royal Cats
Sin: Vanity and Arrogance

Royal Fey Cats are also sometimes called Black Cats, Hikuptan Cats, or Proto-Fey Cats by academics, or 'Burnt Cats' as something of a slur. The rarest sight in Uropa, Royal Cats were the Fey Cats who live in Ifrania and maintain what they believe to be an unbroken chain of cultural inheritance from their former civilization. The time spent in the sun-baked deserts of Ifrania has left them with dark gray skin, though there is some variation from the shades of dark gray, with some displaying faintly blue or purple tinges. Royal Cats are a little taller on average than the other subtypes of Fey Cats, with an average height of 5'. They have pitch black hair and most have gold eyes, though there are clans with red or teal eyes. They engage in thoroughly-planned marriage arrangements so as to keep heterochromia manifestation to a minimum.

As self-styled descendants of the rulers of their fallen kingdom, the Royal Cats have difficulty relating to other ethnicities of Fey Cat, let alone other races. They view the other subtypes with an instinctive eye for leading them as subjects or - at best - as a managerial class. Other races rarely receive even this degree of respect except when earned, often through force. Earning the (admittedly begrudging) recognition of authority from a Royal Cat is a difficult task that most town lawmen or mayors simply cannot, and so they are frequently left to their own devices, to wander to and fro as they desire without submitting to census or taxation. Naturally, this only extenuates their confidence in their own regality.

One of the reasons why Royal Cats are so difficult to contain or command is their control over a unique form of magic. In addition to their self-proclaimed royal heritage, Royal Cats are the only subtype of Fey Cat to have kept alive the knowledge to open and enter what they refer to as the 'Fey Realm.' Actual study by the IMRA has been inconclusive as only Royal Cats can enter this space, and while they are able to bring others in with them, they refuse to do so with researchers. From the descriptions that have been received, the Fey Realm is believed to be an alternate reality or plane, possibly being the one that the Fey Cats purportedly came from originally. It may be that this realm is a shade or reflection of the real world, made entirely of Essence.

Either way, a Royal Cat can seemingly disappear from sight, stepping into another space where the passage of time is reported to be significantly slower than reality, with hours passing by inside as opposed to mere seconds having passed for those outside. This can also be used to travel distances seemingly instantly, by entering this space and moving to the opposite side of it before exiting.

Dark Cats
Sin: Resentment and Envy

Among the Fey Cats who came to Uropa early on, the most common in the West were the Dark Cats. Also called Grim Cats or (disparagingly) as Dingy or Drab Cats, Dark Cats are not 'dark' in skin tone as are Royal Cats but in their outlook and personality. Dark Cats also have jet black hair and fur on their tails and share the same eye coloration as Royal Cats, but in contrast their skin is pale white. Their feline forms are less angular and regal than Royal Cats as well, appearing as more common black domestic cats.

Throughout history and myth, Dark Cats have been known to fulfill the role of familiars for witches, the partners of warlocks, the assistants of wizards. Anyone who dabbles into the Learned Arts will have heard of another practitioner making a deal with a Dark Cat for help learning the occult ways. From those few Dark Cats who have addressed their motivations for partnering with humans, the common theme seems to be a pursuit of greater knowledge. The rare few will admit that they seek to monitor human progress, but for the most part they state that they are seeking a method of 'curing' their current corporeal state to return to their mode of existence from before the fall of their empire.

Most Dark Cats who do not live in a city can be found in cabins in the depths of forests or within dark caves, where they work as herbalists, jewelers, seamstresses, and other precision crafts. They are generally quite solitary in nature, and seem to not enjoy the brightness of light, perhaps due to being nocturnal/crepuscular giving them a preference for night or twilight. All of the stories that revolve around Fey Cats leading humans away into the woods to never be seen again are about Dark Cats, though this may be an artifact of the secretive nature of those who practice esoteric magic and the dangers of traveling off at night to do so.

Of all the Fey Cat subtypes, Dark Cats are the ones most preoccupied with the formation of pacts. They will enter a contract with humans and even other races, with both their services and their expected reward spelled out in explicit detail. These oaths are metaphysically binding for a Dark Cat, who will never defy the stipulations of the arrangement... but they will interpret those terms as beneficially as possible to their favor. Many a cautionary tale exists to warn people about the dangers of making a pact with a Dark Cat, usually involving some headstrong young man who believes he has an airtight demand, only to be taken advantage of by some unforeseen gap in his wording.

And woe to any who break a contract with a Dark Cat, or else insult or offend one. Dark Cats obsess over their conceptualization of 'justice,' and as such will seek out revenge for any perceived slight, no matter the intention. They possess a spiteful hex in their bite or scratch, which can inflict a withering illness with no known medicinal cure. The only antidote is to make amends with the offended Dark Cat who imposed it in the first place. If the victim waits too long, this restitution must be carried out by friends or family members of the afflicted individual, or else the sufferer will surely perish.

Bright Cats
Sin: Indifference and Aloofness

Also called Light Cats, White Cats, or Snow Cats, the Bright Cats were another group of Fey Cats that fled Ifrania for the continent of Uropa. Whereas the Dark Cats mostly went to Western and Central Uropa, the Bright Cats went as far as Northeastern Uropa. In the North, where the weather was cooler and the days shorter, they did not seek out dark places as much and as a result of greater exposure to the sun, their hair and fur turned a brilliant shade of white. Bright Cats are as pale as the Dark Cats, but their hair and fur is white as snow and their eyes are overwhelmingly blue in color, with purple being the second most common at a significantly less frequent rate, and red being a very distant third. The Bright Cats' feline forms are not quite as sleek as the other two subtypes of Fey Cats, with greater fur volume to assist in surviving the harsher winters of the colder North.

Unlike the Dark Cats, Bright Cats are not involved in fine crafts or occult magic, but rather see themselves as survivalists and hunters and warriors who protect the sanctity of nature's borders. They strive to be as independent and self-sufficient as possible, so to see one engage in trade is a sign that whatever they are looking to acquire is something deeply desired and unattainable on their own. Bright Cats do not feel shame for exchanging goods to obtain things they want, but they will not tolerate being taken advantage of by an unfair price as it is perceived as flaunting the limits of proper social protocol.

The reason for why Bright Cats fixate so deeply on all manners of boundaries is unknown. Oral tradition claims that it is a continuation of their previous role in their purported kingdom in Hikuptah where they were administrative bureaucrats ruling in the stead of the Royal Cats. Even in recent times, Bright Cats are often called upon to help settle disputes by peasants, who pay them in offerings for their services. Although not as interested in contracts as their Dark Cat kin, there are stories of Bright Cats who made deals with entire villages to defend mountain or forest passes from those who would pierce such barriers and do harm to those within. There are many stories of bandit groups and thieves going missing due to disrespecting the demarcations of a Bright Cat's domain.

Unlike the other subtypes of Fey Cats, Bright Cats have an extreme aversion to being in someone else's debt. While they do exchange their services or goods in fair trades, they refuse to accept gifts and will go out of their way to repay kindnesses shown to them as swiftly as possible. If a Bright Cat cannot afford to return the generosity shown to her, she will flee the area and never return, often leaving behind the gift that spurred her departure or else some other treasure that might begin to make amends.

Mixed Cats
Mixed Cats is the term given to the offspring created between a Fey Cat and a Human. They are often called Mongrel Cats, Mutts, Impure Cats, or Lesser Cats by other Fey Cats, who see the very existence of Mixed Cats as a sad thing at the least, or an abomination at worst. Royal Cats especially despite the notion of Mixed Cats as they represent an existential threat to the continuation of their race. As such, they will shun Mixed Cats and exile any Royal Cats who interbreed with humans. Bright Cats find the flouting of race borders extremely offensive and will also ostracize Mixed Cats as well as the parents of them. Dark Cats will rarely react as harshly to a Mixed Cat, regarding them more with pity due to their diminished magical capacity. As such, the most common Fey Cat parent for a Mixed Cat is likely to be a Dark Cat.

Mixed Cats are not capable of transforming into cats, but do sport the feline ears and tails of their Fey Cat parent. These are often less pronounced and might even be mistaken as a ribbon in the hair. They only possess a lesser, muted form of the abilities of their Fey Cat heritage, being incapable to form illusions and displaying less precise hearing than full Fey Cats.

Fey Cats are not capable of interbreeding with any other race than human or other Fey Cats. A Mixed Cat who has children with a human has offspring that are nearly indistinguishable from humans, while a Mixed Cat who breeds with a full Fey Cat gives birth to nearly full Fey Cats, though the dulling of their abilities lingers for generations as well. Two Mixed Cats having children together makes more Mixed Cats. In this way, there is only effectively a single half-step between human and Fey Cat, though it is said that even several generations later the offspring of a Mixed Cat and human couple may still have minor feline habits or quirks.

Capabilities
Fey Cats have an impressive ability to create illusions called glamours. These apparitions are usually focused on their own bodies, but can be projected onto other people or even to cover objects or locations, albeit at a cost of greatly-increased exertion to maintain these distant illusions. Usually a Fey Cat will use a glamour to disguise herself or hide her feline nature, but it can also be used to grant invisibility or hide under the appearance of an inanimate object.

Of all the non-humans, Fey Cats have the most effective sense of hearing. A Fey Cat's ears are so finely tuned - not only to the present, but to the whispers of the future - that they can hear the sounds of impending danger and murderous intent on the winds of time. In addition, they can sense the subtle vibrations and dips and twists of deception and dishonesty in a person's voice, making them excellent lie detectors.

As should be expected of a feline race, Fey Cats possess perfect grace that allows them to twist and flip about in mid-air when falling. This grace ensures that they will always land on their feet without harm, no matter the fall distance of the fall. As well, it allows a Fey Cat to walk without leaving tracks or footprints when attempting to move in a surreptitious manner.

And finally, the three ethnicities of Fey Cat have different abilities. The Royal Cats possess the key to the Fey Realm where they can enter and use to cover distances instantaneously. The Dark Cats' teeth and nails are imbued with a dangerous hex that inflicts Cat Curse, a wasting disease that can only be cured by forgiveness for the offense that caused the assault in the first place. And Bright Cats have the ability to demarcate an area as their personal, private domain. Anyone who enters this area without performing the chosen ritual or matching the set custom decided upon when the area was claimed will be subject to caustic misfortune that often results in serious harm or death.

Limitations
Fey Cats are deathly allergic to both wine and garlic. Grapes and alcohol are both disruptive to their digestive systems to imbibe, but the combination of the two into wine is fatal to imbibe, and even drinking a single cup can kill a Fey Cat. They refer to wine as 'Man's sweetest poison' as such, and see the offering of it as the harshest of insults, if not a direct threat. Garlic too is deeply offensive to a Fey Cat's senses, and has been historically used as a protecting ward to keep them away. Eating as little as a clove of garlic can kill a Fey Cat, with smaller amounts causing terrible sickness and fatigue.

When interacting with other races, Fey Cats are very careful not to give out their True Name but instead to use a pseudonym, nickname, or false name. The distinction is difficult for a human to understand, because if a Fey Cat goes her whole life by a certain name, is that not actually her name? There is apparently a difference however, as knowing and using a Fey Cat's True Name can compel them to serve the one who speaks it, even against her will. Forcing a Fey Cat to do one's bidding in this way is a dangerous undertaking, as she will inevitably attempt to interpret any orders given in the most uncharitable or unhelpful manner possible. But such sabotage is obviously still undesirable compared to avoiding such situations in the first place.

The Fey Cat's ability to project illusions can be defeated in one of three ways. Through the use of a mirror or else looking into some other source of reflection, the illusion fails to appear. Also, normal cats are completely unfooled by the false image created, and react very strongly in a negative manner to these illusions, hissing and arching their backs quite aggressively. And finally, Night Raven eyes (and any other effect mimicking a Night Raven's Essence Sight ability) can see right through Fey Cat illusions.

Unification Status
Fey Cats were one of the first races to voluntarily reveal themselves for the purposes of becoming citizens of Grienzland. Their locations were not known (or suspected) well enough for Field Marshal Meier to find a significant amount of them to address directly like the First Three non-human races. As such they were not brought to Buchou for the Imperial Decree ushering in the fully United Era, but began negotiations over the next couple years to join. By 1885, the Fey Cats were recognized as an official constituent race of the Grienzen Empire. Many had already been living in human cities and towns, using their glamour ability or just clothing to hide their nature from detection, sometimes even from their husbands. This secrecy took some time to unwind but gradually it became more common to meet or know an openly feline Fey Cat.

Before the start of the war, Fey Cats had achieved some hesitant levels of acceptance into society. Many Dark Cats were already filling a productive role engaging in more traditional forms of craftsmanship that industrialization had not yet taken over. While there was some hesitation and skepticism over Fey Cat-owned businesses, the quality of their work went a long way to win people over. Bright Cats have found success as guards for large properties or businesses, as well as investigators and auditors. Royal Cats are still extremely rare in Grienzland but a few notable individuals have moved from Ifrania and several run high-class establishments with exotic themes that attract aristocratic and wealthy clientele.

The limitations to greater involvement in human society largely come from the Fey Cats' own isolationist mindset. Many Dark Cats still live in the woods, separated geographically from the nearest villages. Bright Cats too are very individualistic and rarely stay for long within large cities, preferring small towns and villages. Additionally there is still a lot of superstition regarding Fey Cats, with many holdover myths that cause people to be wary or even hostile to unknown Fey Cats. It is not unheard of for Fey Cats to be poisoned with garlic or wine, or for violent confrontations to result from accidental offense or intentional provocation, usually to the pain of the non-Fey Cat. This certainly does help smooth over relations, but the problem has not yet had time to be addressed and may never due to the outbreak of the war.

Humans
"'If it is – as humans are so wont to claim – through complacency that greatness is lost, then humans may never find their precarious perch upended. Fortunate then, that undoing is made of blindly striving without knowledge of the destination. Their time too shall come, when they are tested and found wanting. We will have cleansed our hearts by then, and all will be made right. Patience, above all else. Patience, and bemusement with the fancies they invent. For they are ever so devilishly inventive.'"

Night Ravens
"'Impertinent pests, gifted of sight and of mobility but unfettered by true vision or meaningful journey. The Raven flies in circles and spies on his neighbors, and crows that his life is meaningful. Leave him this fancy: it is as unending as the sky in which he cavorts. But should he land, he may wish to entreat. Chirp a tune he enjoys, for we may find better application for his keen eyes than has he.'"

Wolfen
"'Of scarce consequence, is the wolf and his performance, until the guise is abandoned for savage lusts. Without memories of former glories lost, the wolf is scarcely more than uplifted beast. Though that does not make his claws any less loathsome. It is the most amusing tale of all, the cat caught by graceless dog.'"

Dragon Daughters
"'What interest has the Lion for the Snake? What care has the Tiger for the Turtle? Rarely has a Dragon shown keen mind enough to make use of her strength, and so she plods about with waning relevance.'"

Burrowers
"'Curious, the rodent's wayward skitters. Pathways long locked part before them with hospitality, and yet they make nothing of it but a rat's nest. Oversight? Or an accomplice's reward? Perhaps it may be gleaned by dutiful inspection.'"

Sea Hounds
"'A kindred spirit from inverse origins. Potentially a competitor, and yet their path has led them down another – less desirable – course. Perhaps they hold some secret to our own salvation, and at the very least their cuisine is beyond reproach.'"

Flame Maidens
"'Utterly irrelevant. No potential knowledge to be found.'"

Living Dolls
"'Spirits intrinsically linked with the physical forms they've been given. Of obvious interest. Befriend and seek information at any opportunity.'"