Feline Predators
Large cat-like creatures exist all over Lasair, and are one of the foremost predators in woods or other spaces that are perfect for stalking. Where Canine Predators tend to prefer wide-open spaces where they can run down prey in packs, big cats are generally ambush hunters. Laying in wait in tall grasses or in high branches, the various species of hunting cat will pounce with razor-sharp claws and fangs, hoping to disable prey immediately before finishing the kill.
Feline predators range in size from a few feet up to nearly twelve feet in length, with a weight to match from carrying thick and dense muscle. Their coloring varies a lot depending on their native region, they almost universally are colored to blend in with their surroundings. This makes them extremely dangerous, not just to prey but to those who may wander into their territory or close to a den.
Big cats can be found most prominently in wilder forests from central Lasair towards the south. Ironwood Forest in the Savage Lands is the northern extent of their range, where the Orcs steer clear of the Devilcats which will hunt even Harpies. These shadowy felines, with their curved ears, are feared and respected by the orc bands as a harbinger of death. The harpies just avoid them out of fear and prudence.
In the southern region of The Great Plateau, the Wild Steppes, big stalking cats will lay in wait for Hornbeasts and other migrating herd animals. The steppe cats are not actually the top of the food chain here, though, as the Centaur clans compete with them for food. The centaurs do not generally hunt the cats, however, revering them as a symbol of prowess. The only exception is when a chieftan is elevated to lead a band, when they are expected to single-handedly hunt down and take a steppe cat to demonstrate their power.
The Korth'an Forest has its own species of hunter, called the "faerie tiger" by the southern centaurs, after its predilection for hunting Fae. This taste for the faekind is exceptionionally rare - no other natural creature is known to hunt them. For their part the fae tend to treat these cats with the respect due a natural power, giving them space, and even occasionally attempting to keep one as a pet.
The adaptability of big cats is nowhere more evident than in The Glow where even that terribly broken land sees predations by a feline species. Termed a Glowcat by the few to have seen one, this extremely rare specimen stalks the mutated insects and small elementals of the area, even occasionally venturing into The Desolation or stalking fish in the Scar River. These cats are probably somewhat magical themselves after several generations of life within the Glow, but nobody has taken the time to do a specific study on one yet.
Comments