Cathar

The Cathar are a humanoid feline species from the planet Cathi in the Vamana System of the Outer Rim territories.
Known for their deep loyalties, strong passions and hot tempers, the Cathar are known for their prowess as warriors and skilled hunters. This was reinforced by strong cultural traditions of honor and family, reinforced through their tribal traditions.
Unfortunately, this also brought them to the attention of various off-world invaders. During the galaxy-wide conflict known as the Mandalorian Wars, one of the Mandalorian clans that struggled for dominance against one another and the Galactic Republic. In that invasion, the Cathar tribes pushed back the Mandalorians but only for a short time. Before the species could be exterminated, the tribes gathered who they could and fled their homeworld to other sectors in known space.
Much as they did on their original homeworld, the Cathar prefer to build their settlements in a similar fashion to the Wookiee people.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Cathar are humanoid with two arms and legs and a tail. Their bodies are covered in a thick golden fur and they have a thick mane which is usually braided into long dreadlocks. Females tend to have a dark stripe pattern. They possess thick, prominent claws that are retractable.

Ecology and Habitats

The original Cathar habitat was one of broad savannas, rough high country and a few dense forest regions in the mountains. When they fled their homeworld, the surviving tribes have tried to settle in similar habitats on other worlds. Some even on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Cathar generally form into a tribal social structure. Historically the leader has elected based on their skill at hunting and leading a team of hunters. Spiritually, the tribe has a single shaman who acts as their doctor as well.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Their feline genetics grant them a heightened sense of hearing.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Common female names

• Nithun
• Norina
• Saniz-Ka
• Rurush
• Phomus
• Lumag

Common male names

• Acrok-Ko
• Amorr
• Linry
• Rushlight
• Tunduk
• Mhodik
• Rimoh-Kun

Courtship Ideals

The Cathar mated for life, to the extent that when one mate died, the survivor never had a relationship with another.
Mating ceremonies are involved affairs often taking many months to sometimes years. The Cathar who is performing the wooing ( be they male or female ) must prove their skills to demonstrate their ability to match with the potential mate as a 'hunt partner'.

Average Technological Level

Despite their more primitive appearance, the Cathar are quite adept at technology. Technology used by the Cathar for food preparation, communication, medicine, etc is often simply camouflaged to appear more rustic than it is.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Culture and Cultural Heritage

On their homeworld, the Cathar lived in cities built into giant trees, and were organized into clans governed by “Elders.” Elders ruled the tribes until they passed on through old age or accident. Then a new Elder or Elders would be selected under the wise council of the tribe’s Catali shaman or spiritual adviser.
Cathar stories of their great heroes were often carved into the trunks of these tree-homes for following generations to see. This would be done either by the Catali, their apprentices or by direction of the Elders to the tribal scribes.

Cathar and The Force

Those Cathar that can sense and feel the Force were most often taken in as a whalee learner as part of the Catali. There have been times where Cathar were taken in by the Jedi order. But the Jedi way was often at odds with the natural tendencies of a Cathar.
There are some stories of Cathar Jedi who fought in the Great Sith War. One such story is the tale of Crado and Sylvar that ends with Crado falling under the influence of the dark side of the Force and Sylvar turning away from the dark path and remaining in the light side of the Force.

On Cathar Tribes

Twenty tribes out of hundreds managed to escape the massacre on their homeworld. Of those twenty, only four are known to the galaxy at large. These four survive by virtue of keeping under the protection of the Tapani Imperium. They are:
Klat
Dienar
Hunitar
Kunthar

Cathar, Tribes and Government

Cathar may fall under the umbrella of the Tapani Imperium, but they don't participate in that government. Instead, the tribes act as a 'government in exile'. The actual 'Cathar Government' is an organization called the 'People of the Grass Trees' or more commonly referred to as the Cathar League.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Dreadlocks and Braids
Cathar have an ancient tradition of maintaining one or more dreadlocks in their long mane of hair. This isn't for fashion, but communication. The ancient Cathar language is based on braids and knots.
So the practice of braiding a Cathar's personal name, tribe's name and perhaps even one or two memorable achievements made for a quick means of introduction. It also allowed Cathar to quickly identify who belonged to what tribe in times of conflict.
In this way, the Cathar dreadlock or 'Braid Language' became a secret method of communication between Cathar and whomever was viewing the Cathar.
Blood Hunt
Cathar clan society included great pageants and celebrations, especially for their heroes. Their religion included a ritual known as the “Blood Hunt,” in which Cathar warriors individually engaged in combat against entire nests of kitlik in order to gain honor and purge themselves of inner darkness.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Due to nearly being exterminated during the Mandalorian Wars, most tribes remain a bit reserved around other species, especially humans. Though, Cathar do forge strong bonds of friendship that extend to a non-Cathar being welcomed as an ally of that particular Cathar's tribe.

Average Height

1.5 to 1.9 meters tall

Related Ethnicities

• Dienar
• Hunitar
• Klat
• Kunthar

Average Cathar
Dexterity 2D+2
Knowledge 1D+2
Mechanical 2D
Perception 2D
Strength 2D
Technical 1D+2

Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY 2D/4D+2
KNOWLEDGE 1D/3D+2
MECHANICAL 1D/4D
PERCEPTION 1D/4D
STRENGTH 1D/4D
TECHNICAL 1D/3D+2

Special Abilities Claws: Cathar have claws that do Strength +1D damage.
Move: 10/14