Felynx

A proud people, the felynx are possessed of a wild, feral appearance, strange traditions, and secretive nature. Because of this, it took the humans of Scryr some time to accept them. Some still do not, preferring to see the feline-like race as little more than upright house cats who require a bit of taming. It is for this very reason that the felynx distrust humans in general; when they first emerged from the Primordial Weird, they were a considered a curiosity that some humans sought to domesticate and enslave. It took centuries to change that opinion.

Felynx are bipedal creatures that bear a strong resemblance to cats, both large and small. Their feline attributes - large ears, claws, pawed feet, tail, and fur - vary from one group to another.

Kaddiska Felynx

Appearance

It would be impossible to describe all Kaddiska felynx because of the tremendous diversity in their appearance. Some have tortoise shell fur, others have patchwork, and still more have the look of wearing masks and socks. Solid colors, such as white or black, are more rare, but not so much as to be considered special. There are short-haired and long-haired felynx, with blue eyes or green, amber or brown. Some have ears that flop over, though most do not. Most are lithe, athletic hunters who walk softly on padded paws. A rare few - mostly those who have taken up sedentary occupations - have managed to thwart their natural metabolism and get a little thick around the middle.

The felynx of Kaddiska usually go barefoot, though some few have started wearing "paw shoes," a type of soft leather boot designed around the felynx' catlike feet. Otherwise, felynx dress with as much variety as humans.

Society

Kaddiska felynx have long since discarded the tribalism they brought with them through the Weird, building a representative government structured as a larger version of their individual families. Families are known as clatters. An entire village - or a district of a larger city - is known as a clowder . Clowders are led by a circle of leadership known as a conclave, which is made up of delegates from each clatter. Members of the conclave then select delegates from among their number to represent their clowder in the Grand Conclave, the body who governs Kaddiska. This form of government seems strange to most humans, many of whom are accustomed to being ruled by kings, emperors, and other monarchs.

Felynx in the more metropolitan regions Kaddiska have little need to hunt for their food. Cities tend to be built on rivers or along the nation's oceanic coastline, and fishing has become the primary source for food among their people. Despite this, they maintain their status as skilled stalkers, and many of the smaller villages rely on local game in order to eat.

Culture

From the outside, much of the culture of the Kiddiska felynx appears to be an odd parody of human traditions. This is likely because the felynx have borrowed so heavily from human architecture and art, melding it with their own to create something that seems almost (but not quite) familiar.

For instance, prior to their arrival on Scryr, all felynx music was a cappella and intentionally dissonant, as they believed the audible discord conveyed emotion more aptly than harmony. They have since borrowed musical instruments - strings, woodwinds, horns, and drums - from humans, but have maintained their preference for discord. As a result, much of the music from Kaddiska sounds grating to the non-felynx ear, played by amateurs. In truth, felynx are among the most skilled bards and minstrels among the races, largely due to their acute dexterity, more than capable of playing harmonic music, should they elect to do so.

While they are not a particularly spiritual people, many felynx believe Aluma , the human ascendant, is an avatar of Ailura, the goddess they worshiped in their previous home. The few open-air temples of Ailura that remain are recognized as shrines to Aluma, as well.

Species Abilities

Kaddiska Felynx
Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	3	2	2	1	2

• Starting Wound Threshold: 10 + Brawn
• Starting Strain Threshold: 10 + Willpower
• Starting XP: 100
• Starting Skills: Kaddiska felynx start the game with 1 rank in Coordination or Streetwise. They still may not increase these skills above 2 during character creation.
• Claws: Kaddiska felynx possess sharp, retractable claws and may choose to attack with the following weapon profile: (Brawl; Damage +1; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]; Vicious 1).

Ahz'lahan Felynx

Appearance

Of thicker stock than most felynx, the Ahz'lahan bear a regal presence. Generally, they share very similar coloring across the tribe. Short amber fur covers their muscular forms. Males wear thick manes that wrap around their head, often covering their shoulders and upper chest. These manes are usually blonde, chestnut, ginger, or black, but can be any shade in between. Their tails end in a tuft of matching fur. Females possess neither the mane nor the tail tuft. An all-black or all-white Ahz'lahan felynx is even less common then those colors among their Kaddiska cousins; the birth of a white or black Ahz'lahan is often seen as a sign or portent from the heavens.

The Ahz'lahan tend to wear loose-fitting robes, or light tunics with baggy shalwar-style pants, usually in muted earth tones so as to not draw attention to themselves.

Society

The earliest to diverge from the Kaddiska felynx, the Ahz'lahan live in the mountain monasteries of Jin Dahgi. Their monastic lifestyle is both communal and ascetic. Each monastery governs itself, developing rules and doctrines according to the traditions of the Ahz'lahan. Decisions are made by community vote, and ratified by a council of five elders. (These votes, called mrawl'satar ( voice of stone ) are performed anonymously, with each member of the monastery placing either a white or black stone in a coffer sometime during the three days allotted to for the vote. The votes are then counted by the elders.)

It is not rare for one of the Ahz'lahan to leave the monastery. Members journey out into the world for a number of reasons. Foremost among these are pilgrimages into the greater world, but it isn't uncommon for one of the Ahz'lahan to be requested as a mediator between two nations having a trade dispute or looking to avoid war.

Culture

While the Ahz'lahan lead peaceful lives as monks, it was not always so; at one time, the leonine felynx were the most militant of all felynx and considered leading their people - a unified nation of felynx - in a war of dominance with the other peoples of Scryr. It was but a single voice of reason, that of philosopher poet Kyrios Ahz'lan, that dissuaded the felynx from attempting to conquer the other races. Most of the leonids, humbled by Kyrios' words and persuaded to take up a more peaceful life, left the greater felynx community as pennance for their hubris, moving to the mountains of Jin Dahgi. There, they assumed Kyrios' name as their own, calling themselves the Ahz'lahan, and studying their mentor's poems and philosophical writings.

Each generation, a new spiritual leader - a new Kyrios Ramir (or whisker of Kyrios ) - of the Ahz'lahan is born. While the leonine felynx see the birth of a white-furred or black-furred felynx to be a sign from the heavens, it is not always these Ahz'lahan who become the new Kyrios Ramir. Instead, the birth of a white Ahz'lahan is often thought to signify the coming of a new leader, and the birth of a black cub to announce the end of the current one's time of service. The Kyrios Ramir is believed to be the avatar of the urumura - the nothing-and-everything - and therefore without flaw.

The Ahz'lahan do not spend all their time pouring over the writings of Kyrios Ahz'lan or his successors. Indeed, as much of their time is spent traning their bodies as disciplining their minds and spirits. As a result, they have become masters of the martial art of krang usri (or without claw ). Traditionally, the leonids file their claws, purposely dulling them so they cannot be used in combat, as attacking with sharpened claws is seen as aggressive, a return to a time prior to their current beliefs. Krang ursi does not, however, preclude the use of weapons, and many Ahz'lahan have become skilled masters of blade and bludgeon. This martial training is intended to be used in defense of self and of the helpless, not as a means to attack for personal gain.

Species Abilities

Ahz'lahan Felynx
Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	2	2	1	3	2

• Starting Wound Threshold: 9 + Brawn
• Starting Strain Threshold: 11 + Willpower
• Starting XP: 100
• Starting Skills: Ahz'lahan Felynx start the game with 1 rank in Brawl or Knowledge (Lore). They still may not increase these skills above 2 during character creation.
• Untouchable: Once per encounter, an Ahz'lahan felynx may make an Average ( ) Discipline check as a maneuver. Until the end of their next turn, reduce incoming damage from all sources by 1 for each uncancelled .

Jah'gawar Felynx

Appearance

Most Jah'gawar are the color of rich honey patterned with dark - often black - rosettes, but others - dubbed by the shamanistic traditions of the Jah'gawar as the Paw'nathar - appear to be pure black. On closer inspection, and usually only in bright light, these darker members of the tribe simply have dark, nearly black fur with even darker rosettes.

Because they tend to be proud of the colors and patterns of their fur, Jah'gawar felynx often dress in as little as possible, at least within their own society. Loincloths and chest wraps satisfy the requirements of common courtesy. Outside of Jah'gawar villages, however - and especially among the other races of Scryr - they tend to dress much the same as Kaddiska felynx.

Society

The Jah'gawar largely live in the tree villages of the Yagwe jungles, a sprawling rainforest covering the center of Ezora Major. Like most felynx, they are natural hunters. A Jah'gawar community, known as a leap , is relatively unstructured. The most clever of them - both male and female - lead their hunting parties in order to provide a communal supply of food, but there is no organized group that makes laws or passes judgment.

The community as a whole determines when a member of the leap has done something worthy of judgment, and usually enacts justice as a body. Most offenses, however, are handled individually, between the offender and the victim. Only certain crimes are deemed vile enough to receive punishment from the entire leap - murder chief among them - and those found guilty are usually exiled. These exiles - called urramir'na (whiskerless) - are branded by the removal of their whiskers and the clipping of their ears before they are banished from the Yagwe, and few Jah'gawar will ever associate with one again, even out in the world.

Culture

The Jah'gawar felynx live in communal harmony, sharing the work necessary to maintain the village across the entire leap. Those who hunt - which includes three quarters of any Jah'gawar community - provide food for all, while others maintain dens, instruct the young, and care for the old and infirm.

Among the felynx, the Jah'gawar are the most inclined toward spiritual beliefs. At least one shaman lives within each leap - a ramir'nashar , or hundred whiskered one - who carries forward the traditions of the tribalistic religion the Jah'gawar have followed since before emerging from the Weird. The ramir'nashar performs religious rites and serves as counselor and mediator during disputes. The Jah'gawar revere Bast, and claim to have done so since the dawn of their kind.

The Jah'gawar have no concept of marriage. When a female determines she is ready to bear children, she will chose from among the available males - generally the strongest and most cunning of hunters - to father her cubs. Once a male sires cubs, he is removed from the pool of available males for three years. Cubs are then raised by the entire leap, while the mother returns to her duties.

Those born as Paw'nathar are treated with a degree of reverence, and are sometimes called the Children of Bast. They are provided the most skilled mentors and afforded the best portions of food to assure they grow up both hale and clever.

Species Abilities

Jah'gawar Felynx
Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
2	2	2	3	2	1

• Starting Wound Threshold: 9 + Brawn
• Starting Strain Threshold: 11 + Willpower
• Starting XP: 100
• Starting Skills: Jah'gawar felynx start the game with 1 rank in Coordination or Survival. They still may not increase these skills above 2 during character creation.
• Claws: Jah'gawar felynx possess sharp, retractable claws and may choose to attack with the following weapon profile: (Brawl; Damage +1; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]; Vicious 1).
• Paw'nathar: At character creation, you may spend 10XP in order to start the game as one of the Paw'nathar. These felynx start the game with Stealth as a career skill. Additionally, they start the game with 1 rank in Stealth. They still may not increase this skill above 2 during character creation.

Shere'khan Felynx

Appearance

The Shere'khan felynx have striped fur, usually alternating between black and shades of orange, with white extending from the underside of the chin down to their lower torso. They are the tallest of the felynx, and powerfully built, designed by nature and nurture to be fierce warriors. Shere'khan often augment their natural claws with vicious blades called nekode in order to make themselves more deadly in battle.

Shere'khan dress similarly in style to their Ahz'lahan cousins, though they tend to prefer bright, flashy colors and more expensive fabrics.

Society

The Shere'khan (or tribe of the king ) live in small groups called ambushes, each one led by a khan, who holds absolute sway over his or her people. These small monarchies rarely stay in one place for long, preferring a nomadic lifestyle. Members of Shere'khan society are ranked at various degrees of two different castes: krang (claw) or vawr (fang). The nobles among them are ranked (in descending order) first through fifth fang, and the common first through fifth claw. The only means by which one might change either their rank or their caste is by receiving a boon from the khan.

The khan is chosen by rite of combat; any member of a given ambush is allowed to challenge the current khan (though the khan has the right to refuse a challenge made by a member of the krang caste). The rite is a fight to the death, which gives most Shere'khan pause. After all, a khan rules because they won their rite of combat, proving themselves more powerful than the previous khan. As a result, it has become tradition for the khan to choose their successor, submitting to death by rite of combat only once they have reached their elder years.

Besides the khan, most ambushes includes a number of elderly felynx whose job it is to serve as advisors to their leader as the voice of their people. These groups, known as the vawr'lor (or old tooth ) range from three members to a dozen, depending on the size of the ambush. A khan ignores the advice of the vawl'lor at his own peril. A few khans, those who desire power above all else, have disbanded their vawr'lor. Such action usually ends poorly for the khan.

Culture

The Shere'khan have discarded what they consider superstitious religious beliefs. Rather, they have cultivated a system of honor among themselves, under which the khan can determine who rises and falls in caste and rank. They think themselves wise in the ways of the world, and look down upon other felynx, save for the Ahz'lahan, for whom they profess a cautious respect. Moreover, with exception of the urgo, they harbor a strong distaste for the other races of Scryr, believing them to be poor warriors and worse hunters.

Despite this dislike of others, the Shere'khan are wily enough to know when to reveal their prejudices and when to keep them silent. They are shrewd merchants skilled at bartering, usually gathering odd items during their travels. When an ambush reaches a settlement on its journey, there is a good chance it will stop and set up shop in the local market square (or just outside of town, if there is no market square).

Species Abilities

Shere'khan Felynx
Brawn	Agility	Intellect	Cunning	Willpower	Presence
3	2	2	2	1	2

• Starting Wound Threshold: 11 + Brawn
• Starting Strain Threshold: 9 + Willpower
• Starting XP: 100
• Starting Skills: Shere'khan felynx start the game with 1 rank in Athletics or Negotiation. They still may not increase these skills above 2 during character creation.
• Claws: Shere'khan felynx possess sharp, retractable claws and may choose to attack with the following weapon profile: (Brawl; Damage +1; Critical 3; Range [Engaged]; Vicious 1).
• Nekode: If you spend 10XP at character creation, your character starts the game with steel nekode, razor-sharp steel blades attached to their claws. The nekode can only be removed by a Daunting ( ) Medicine check . The GM can spend to declare that the character has been temporarily declawed. The nekode change the weapon profile of Shere'khan claws to: (Brawl; Damage +2; Critical 2; Range [Engaged]; Pierce 1, Vicious 1).

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