Grimalkin

"Their name means 'Wise one who ensures the dead are sleeping' in the Old Tongue. Contrary to popular belief, they are neither undead nor are they constructs. They are spirits of The Dreamlands, beings too weak to have a name, that are summoned into carefully prepared bodies. Grimalkin do not mind their fate, as their existence is almost more that of a fungus in The Dreamlands than an actual creature. Many greatly enjoy their time on Kobos, and they certainly are useful.
"Not only do they make entertaining pets and companions, but they also inherently detect undead. They are intelligent enough to know a threat and warn their masters of it. They also carry a venom in their claws that only effects the undead. Every manerray should have at least three."
~Grandmaster Jeren, of The Golden Tower.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Grimalkins resemble a black cat with pupil-less white, yellow, green or red eyes. At will, they can sprout short batlike wings out of their backs, which can propel them short distances into the air.

Genetics and Reproduction

How grimalkin spirits spring up in The Dreamlands is unknown. How they arrive on Kobos is not: A rough approximation of a winged cat body must be constructed out of a sack, then filled with a dried and powdered mixture that follows this pattern: One part cat's fur, one part dog's earwax, two parts ectoplasm, two parts hemlock, three parts cheese (the stinkier the better) and four parts calcinated cream. Stuff the sack-cat, sew it closed, then sew two button eyes on it. Cast a Find Familiar on the prepared body, and meditate on it for a few hours.

Growth Rate & Stages

A grimalkin lives for seven years to the day it was created, provided it does not come to a violent end. This can be postponed by casting the Find Familiar spell on it again, giving the grimalkin another seven years.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Grimalkin are carnivores, eating rodents and insects as any cat might. They will also dig into the earth for worms and voles.

Biological Cycle

Grimalkin sleep for thirty minutes every three or four hours. They usually sleep near their creator, preferably in physical contact with them.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Grimalkin are used by humans, and by manerray in particular, to detect the presence of undead as an early-warning system. They also guard against the undead, as their claws produce an ectoplasmic poison that is agonizingly painful to them.
They can also assist traumatized individuals sleep. Through some hypnotic process, they can suppress trauma and nightmares from sentient creatures by staring deeply into their eyes before sleep.

Facial characteristics

Grimalkin sport catlike features, complete with bald noses and wide, sensitive whiskers.

Average Intelligence

Grimalkin usually have an IQ of around 120 (12 INT)

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Grimalkin have every sense that a cat does, with the addition of being able to see radiant and necrotic energies even in trace amounts. This means that they can see the 'auras' of undead for what they are, regardless of how they appear or whether they are invisible. Much less known or utilized is their ability to sense positive energy beings in disguise as well.

Lifespan

7 years

Average Weight

3-5 lbs.

Average Length

1 ft. - 2 ft. from nose to tail, with a 0.5 ft to 1 ft. wingspan.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Grimalkin range from gray to black, though a few made in a secret, unknown way are white.