Tabaxi

Tabaxi are a race of feline humanoids who were originally native to the jungles of Zulucan.
Tabaxi are taller than most humans at six to seven feet. Their bodies are slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi have long tails and retractable claws. Tabaxi fur color range from light yellow to brownish red. Tabaxi eyes are slit-pupilled and usually green or yellow.
Tabaxi are competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They have a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Tabaxi society is built around clans. Clans are split evenly between males and females with 3 to 12 young. Each clan has several Hunts each made up of two to eight individuals. The Hunts patrol the area around the clan's lair.
Although tabaxi lairs are sometimes just temporary, they are more often small villages of ramadas. Each ramada is built from wooden poles with grass roofs.
Clans are led by elders called Tabaxo/Tabaxi. Clans tend to avoid each other and did not engage in trade. Tabaxi consider trade to be demeaning but in rare instances will use third party agents to trade for them.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Tabaxi are sometimes hunted for their pelts. Each pelt can be sold for up to 50 gp. Young tabaxi can be sold on the black market for around 225 gp

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Depending on their region and fur coloration, tabaxi are known by different names. Tabaxi with solid spots are sometimes called leopard men and tabaxi with rosette spots are called jaguar men.
The word Tabaxi is actually their word for Cheiftain. it is unknown how exactly non Tabaxi came to refer to them as such, as they do not refer to themselves as Tabaxi.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The Tabaxi language is an ancient form of the Zulu language. Those who speak modern Zulu and know what to listen for can usually understand about half of the Tabaxi words they hear.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Personality Tabaxi are a reclusive people who often avoided interaction with other intelligent races. However, as each tabaxi possesses a specific feline trait, some have an innate curiosity that compelled them to travel and seek out stories, artifacts, new experiences and knowledge, never remaining in the same place or obsessing over the same piece of lore for too long.
In general, tabaxi do not care for wealth, but they have an almost obsessive interest in ancient artifacts, relics and magic items, but not for the items themselves, as much as the stories and secrets they held. Once an item has been thoroughly examined and studied, and its secrets revealed, it will lose its allure and the tabaxi will quickly lose interest and pass it on.
Not all tabaxi are motivated by curiosity to leave their homeland, however. Some find safer ways to satisfy their fleeting obsessions by becoming traveling minstrels and tinkers, often accepting interesting objects and stories as payment for their services.
Combat Tabaxi are exceptional hunters and utilize these skills in combat. Speed and stealth combined with their natural camouflage means that tabaxi are particularity skilled at surprise attacks. Tabaxi are even known to disguise their scent with aromatic herbs. Their hunting skills and intelligence make them formidable tacticians. Groups will often drive prey into ambushes, sometime playing with their doomed foe before killing them.
For weapons, tabaxi favor bolas, slings, macas, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons will often be made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi are just as likely to use weapons as they are to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons is not due to a lack of capability. Tabaxi are quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.
Due to their knowledge of hunting, intelligence and sense of smell, it is practically impossible to trap a tabaxi.

History

The Tabaxi originate from the Subcontinent of Zulucan and have had very little to do with internation affairs. They migrated southward during the Third Age and eventually several tribes settled as far south as Jedda, a large Island off the south western coast of Alantris. During the Middle of the Third Age, the Hegemony of the Reik reached its widest extent and colonized Jedda, renaming it Ostland, or "East Land". These tabaxi learned much of Reikonic cultures and costumes, and adopted much from these strange hairless beings. Once the Hegemony broke apart, these costumes stayed with the southern Tabaxi.
During the Second Fall, The various tribes and civilizations of the Tabaxi were completely wiped out by the Sundered. Only the Tabaxi that fled to refuge survived, and these few migrated back to their homelands to see what became of their peoples. Modern Tabaxi descend from these survivors. Due to the small surviving population, Tabaxi are one of the least populous races on Azure.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Tabaxi have few enemies and only the most degenerate clans will attack members of other intelligent species without good reason.

Scientific Name

Homo Panthera

Origin/Ancestry

Zulucan

Geographic Distribution

• Ostland
• Zulucan