Bestiary of the Bladeseekers #11 - Strange Felids

I am only naming this entry felids, because Umbraniel tells me this title is more sophisticated. Hopefully she is not pulling my leg.

— Tyson MacBogard, Lord Founder.

Mystical Cats

This article will be a catch-all for multiple cat-like creatures we have encountered over the years. It is highly likely that none of them are actually similar in heritage or abilities, but for the purpose of the guild they share a common thread in that they all can be dealt with in the same way.

Appearance

These mysterious creatures are exceedingly rare, and I am sure of that because if someone would regularily see the types I have seen, word would have spread to our remote keep eventually. They all share the basic attributes of cats as they can be found in larger cities and sometimes on farms. Four legs, a tail, slender body and a whiskered face.
The cat template is supplemented by more fantastical elements. In my travels me and my companions have met a total of only four of these creatures so I will briefly describe each of them as indivituals.

1. The first felid we met was a grey striped one. To our surprise it had a pair of wings with a span of about a meter. The wings sprouted at roughly the cats shoulder blades.
2. The second one was up in the mountains. Brown fur, but two heads and an additional set of legs inbetween the normal two. The eyes shone with a light orange shimmer and were without pupils.
3. The third was the most normal in terms of features. Right amount of extremities, normal shape and size, even behaved like a normal cat. The strange part was its color. The fur shone like gold and believe me when I say I know the difference between gold and things that "shine" like it.
4. The last one was larger than anticipated. And I don't mean something like a mountain lion, I mean a housecat that had been enlarged by a spell, in terms of proportions of the body. Pitch black fur, yellow eyes.

Who are Tyson MacBogard and the Bladeseekers?

Tyson MacBogard, was one of the founding members of a adventurers/mercenary guild in a place outside of the world.
He does not exist within the world of Focis at all, but somehow his writings in the form of the Bestiary of the Bladeseekers have found their way to the world.
More strangely, many of his descriptions match beings that exist on Focis and even more so he sometimes accurately described beings that did not exist in the world of his origin, but do exist on Focis.
The existence of the Bestiary is a mystery still unsolved and the book and its many copies are prized curiosities among many civilisations.

Habits

Given my limited experience with these beasts, take anything written here with a grain of salt. Four creatures do not suffice for fully comprehending the behaviour of an entire species, if this even is one. That being said, all four behaved in similar patterns.
Like regular cats they were skittish and easily startled. They did not trust anything, although Eldariel taught me a very handy trick for housecats. Slowly blinking at them apparently signals trust, which can elicit a mirroring response from them.
Our encounters with these beasts went as follows:

1. The first one we only briefly crossed our paths as we were on the road in our early adventures. The winged cat had been following us for a couple hours and eventually Eldariel got it to eat some of our scraps. I think it was relatively trusting of her, but Aissen, the old bastard, scared it off intentionally. Soured the mood in the group for a while.
2. The second was left behind after I had finished one of my later trials. I think it may have gotten attracted after the dragon was slain. It did seem interested in me, likely due to the aura I did not know how to supress yet. I left it with the orcs after explaining to them the longer term benefits of not cooking it.
3. The third was once again attracted to one of our own, this time it was a temporary companion of ours, shortly after the completion of the keep. She (the cat), is still travelling with our friend to this day, as far as I am aware.
4. This one was already a familiar to a wizard we visited late in our adventures. According to him it had strolled into his tower one day and he had accepted a new presence. That part did not quite sound like the guy I knew from before, if I am completely honest.

I'm not one for pets. Bruín is an exception, but apart from him, I never felt the need to care for an animal. A one of a kind cat does sound tempting though.

— TMB, Lord Founder.

Weaknesses

Generally speaking, these cats seem to be relatively weak physically. They likely can be killed as easily as normal cats can, and as a result, Bladeseeker doctrine demands treating this being with the required care, as I am sure you are aware. I have also noticed some common aspects of all these stories. Each of these cats was rightly so jumpy and aware of its surroundings, just as a being like this would have to be to survive in the world.
Nonetheless, each of them approached a stranger with a penchant for magic on their own accord, they each seemed to seek company. It feels like there was some invisible force guiding them. Maybe there is more here that I am just not seeing right now.
In any case, despite the meek appearance, I would caution you to underestimate these creatures. They are clearly magical in some way and may have some surprises hidden for those that wish them harm.

Advice

As I said previously, Bladeseeker doctrine forbids the needless and cruel killing of living things. This obviously applies for these as well. Therefore, take care to not attack one of these cats unprovoked. You may also get a useful companion out of the deal.
If conflict can not be avoided, focus on scaring this being off. Make yourself appear more dangerous than you are, puff up, and make noise. Stand your ground and dont turn your back.
Finally, if you do come to blow with it, you will likely not have mortal danger to fear. Still, keep its claws and teeth away from sensitive areas, and aim for the neck if you can.
Good luck and keep the blades honored, Tyson

It feels strange to include such seemingly innocent beings into a book such as this. But then again, it is not my business to decide what is worth fighting. That each of the Bladeseekers must know for themselves.

— TMB, Lord Founder.