Tabaxi
Hailing from a strange and distant jungle land, wandering Tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world's wonders. Ultimate travelers, the inquisitive tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures or legends lost.
Tabaxi are a varied people in both attitude and appearance. In some lands, tabaxi live like the cats they resemble, naturally curious and at home in playful environments. In other places, tabaxi live as other folk do, not exhibiting the feline behavior. Tabaxi’s appearance is as varied as their attitudes. Some tabaxi have features or patterning in their fur like tigers, jaguars, or other big cats, while others have appearances more like a house cat. Still others have unique patterns or might style their fur to their preferences — or might even be hairless! Tabaxi were taller than most humans at six to seven feet. Their bodies were slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi had long tails and retractable claws. Tabaxi fur color ranged from light yellow to brownish red. Tabaxi eyes were slit-pupilled and usually green or yellow. Tabaxi were competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They had a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell.
Tabaxi were a reclusive people who often avoided interaction with other intelligent races. However, as each tabaxi possessed a specific feline trait, some had an innate curiosity that compelled them to travel and seek out adventures. In general, tabaxi did not care for wealth, but they had an almost obsessive interest in ancient artifacts, relics and magic items, not for the items themselves as much as the stories and secrets they held. Once an item had been thoroughly examined and studied, and its secrets revealed, it would lose its allure and the tabaxi would quickly lose interest and pass it on. Not all tabaxi were motivated by curiosity to leave their homeland, however. Some found safer ways to satisfy their fleeting obsessions by becoming traveling minstrels and tinkers, often accepting interesting objects and stories as payment for their services.
Tabaxi were exceptional hunters and utilized these skills in combat. Speed and stealth combined with their natural camouflage meant that tabaxi were particularity skilled at surprise attacks. Tabaxi were even known to disguise their scent with aromatic herbs. Their hunting skills and intelligence made them formidable tacticians. Groups would often drive prey into ambushes, sometime playing with their doomed foe before killing them. For weapons, tabaxi favored bolas, slings, macas, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons would often be made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi were just as likely to use weapons as they were to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons was not due to a lack of capability. Tabaxi were quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.
Tabaxi society was built around clans. Clans were split evenly between males and females with 3 to 12 young. Each clan had several Hunts each made up of two to eight individuals. The Hunts patrolled the area around the clan's lair. Although tabaxi lairs were sometimes just temporary, they were more often small villages of ramadas. Each ramada was built from wooden poles with grass roofs. Clans were led by elders. About half of the time, leaders were aided by shamans. Clans tended to avoid each other and did not engage in trade. Tabaxi considered trade to be demeaning but in rare instances would use third party agents to trade for them.
Tabaxi are a varied people in both attitude and appearance. In some lands, tabaxi live like the cats they resemble, naturally curious and at home in playful environments. In other places, tabaxi live as other folk do, not exhibiting the feline behavior. Tabaxi’s appearance is as varied as their attitudes. Some tabaxi have features or patterning in their fur like tigers, jaguars, or other big cats, while others have appearances more like a house cat. Still others have unique patterns or might style their fur to their preferences — or might even be hairless! Tabaxi were taller than most humans at six to seven feet. Their bodies were slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi had long tails and retractable claws. Tabaxi fur color ranged from light yellow to brownish red. Tabaxi eyes were slit-pupilled and usually green or yellow. Tabaxi were competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They had a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell.
Tabaxi were a reclusive people who often avoided interaction with other intelligent races. However, as each tabaxi possessed a specific feline trait, some had an innate curiosity that compelled them to travel and seek out adventures. In general, tabaxi did not care for wealth, but they had an almost obsessive interest in ancient artifacts, relics and magic items, not for the items themselves as much as the stories and secrets they held. Once an item had been thoroughly examined and studied, and its secrets revealed, it would lose its allure and the tabaxi would quickly lose interest and pass it on. Not all tabaxi were motivated by curiosity to leave their homeland, however. Some found safer ways to satisfy their fleeting obsessions by becoming traveling minstrels and tinkers, often accepting interesting objects and stories as payment for their services.
Tabaxi were exceptional hunters and utilized these skills in combat. Speed and stealth combined with their natural camouflage meant that tabaxi were particularity skilled at surprise attacks. Tabaxi were even known to disguise their scent with aromatic herbs. Their hunting skills and intelligence made them formidable tacticians. Groups would often drive prey into ambushes, sometime playing with their doomed foe before killing them. For weapons, tabaxi favored bolas, slings, macas, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons would often be made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi were just as likely to use weapons as they were to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons was not due to a lack of capability. Tabaxi were quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.
Tabaxi society was built around clans. Clans were split evenly between males and females with 3 to 12 young. Each clan had several Hunts each made up of two to eight individuals. The Hunts patrolled the area around the clan's lair. Although tabaxi lairs were sometimes just temporary, they were more often small villages of ramadas. Each ramada was built from wooden poles with grass roofs. Clans were led by elders. About half of the time, leaders were aided by shamans. Clans tended to avoid each other and did not engage in trade. Tabaxi considered trade to be demeaning but in rare instances would use third party agents to trade for them.
Civilization and Culture
History
The Great Calamity / The Heliocide had a profound affect on all races inhabiting Astara, fundamentally changing the way many cultures survived. The majority populous of many races were wiped out entirely, and those that survived were left in utter desolation. The years following the Calamity consisted of mass migrations of displaced cultures, forced to move somewhere safe or intact to start anew. During this time, alliances were forged and broken, ancient treaties abandoned, and a lawless chaos ensued. Most were desperate, and resorted to whatever measures necessary to survive. This greatly impacted the behavior of not only individuals, but cultures as a whole, as seen with the re-emergence of unsavory practices like cults, slavery and cannibalism. As such many races had evolved throughout the calamity, some only vaguely resembling their former selves. See below for some important distinctions of this race:
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Lifespan
60 - 80 years
Average Height
6ft - 7ft
Average Weight
200 - 250 lbs
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