Catfolk are a social and active people of natural grace and obsessive curiosity, resembling bipedal, feline humanoids with tails, cat‑like ears, and fur. They are equally comfortable wandering in far‑off regions, wallowing in the heart of the largest cities, or delving into the lair of forgotten horrors. Most catfolk dwell in the deserts and endless plains of the Southlands, but love of travel and new experiences often draw catfolk to distant realms. There are whispers of hidden catfolk communities in the Wungo jungles, beyond the Tunturi Range, or even far to the northeast in the Land of Frost and Bears.
Two People, One Race
Midgard hosts two main branches of catfolk, the mischievous and irrepressible basteti and the dauntless and fierce nkosi. While outwardly appearing to be two different feline races, the basteti and the nkosi share a common origin. Young catfolk learn this story from the elders. In the early days of the Southland, Bastet the cat queen and Gamka, the lion‑headed titan, breathed life into tufts of fur plucked from the goddess’s tail and the titan’s mane. The power of these two children of the primordial Aurgelmir, the giant whose body became Midgard itself, worked to shape the first catfolk. However, the brief affair soon perished to the old enmity between god and titan. Central to their contention was the final form of the catfolk. Bastet desired these new creations to resemble her beloved cats while Gamka pushed for the fierce lions. After a brief but violent quarrel, the two divine beings went their separate ways, each taking some of the new mortals for themselves and shaping them according to their own whims. Some suggest Bastet achieved her revenge by engineering the fall of the titan empire, but others disagree, claiming the Cat Goddess would never be so blatant.
Curiosity and Community
Catfolk are nimble, curious and adventurous creatures who seek out life rather than wait for it to come to them. Some outsiders believe heedless self‑expression alone drives the catfolk. As proof, they point to the basteti fascination with new experiences or the nkosi’s quest for heroic glory. Those who make this claim miss the catfolk’s inner strength. Catfolk are optimistic, quirky, sometimes extravagant extroverts who overindulge their own curiosity or motivations. They are a race of extremes. Some catfolk are playful and seemingly irresponsible while others possess unwavering focus and a hunter’s mentality. Many catfolk float between these two viewpoints as the situation—or their mood—dictates. All but the most introverted catfolk enjoy holding the attention of others, but never to the detriment of their friends or family. Harkening back to their ancestors’ packs and prides, friends, relations, and community hold a special place in the hearts of most catfolk. Because catfolk are a largely matriarchal people, females hold most positions of leadership and power, but competence usually supersedes gender. Catfolk living in mixed communities and cities such as Nuria largely integrate into the overall society.
Other Races
Catfolk get along well with anyone who respects them and accepts their curiosity. They easily accept humans and delight in halflings when they encounter them. Passionate, art‑loving elves and boisterous dwarves find common ground with catfolk, while those too bogged down in laws, tradition and “rules” often find them aggravating. Kobolds and catfolk naturally intrigue each other, though catfolk do not always get along with dragonkin.
Catfolk Adventurers
Many catfolk take up the adventurer’s trade, as it provides an excuse to indulge in their natural curiosity or their glory hunting. Some take up the rogue’s path or find employment as a scout or ranger. Still others pledge themselves as paladins to Bastet or Gamka. The catfolk’s physical abilities and cultural outlook allows them to fill almost any role.
Catfolk Eccentricity
A catfolk’s personality can be flighty, flitting from obsession to obsession, or as constant as the World Tree itself. You can use some of the ideas in the following table to customize your character in addition to the elements of the background you chose.
Subtypes
The divine union creating the catfolk resulted in two main subraces: basteti and nkosi. Choose one of the two subraces presented below or one from another source.
Catfolk Racial Traits
Your catfolk character has the following traits.
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age: Catfolk mature at the same rate as humans and can live just past a century. Alignment: Catfolk tend toward two extremes. Some are free‑spirited and chaotic, letting impulse and fancy guide their decisions. Others are devoted to duty and personal honor. Typically, catfolk deem concepts such as good and evil as less important than freedom or their oaths.
Size: Catfolk have a similar stature to humans but are generally leaner and more muscular. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: You have a cat’s keen senses, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Cat’s Claws: You have claws that you can use as natural weapons to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Hunter’s Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and either Nurian, Nkosi or the Southern Trade Tongue.
BASTETI CATFOLK
Basteti are the adored children of Bastet the cat goddess. These mischievous catfolk turn curiosity into a cultural obsession, adoring new experiences, collecting interesting artifacts, and meeting unique strangers. Escapades others might deem unwise or foolish, basteti view as a challenge. Community and family are an important but a wide‑ranging concept. There is little difference between friends and family to most basteti. The natural curiosity gifted by the cat goddess regularly sends young basteti out into the world to experience new wonders, so their stories and tales can be brought back and shared with everyone. Most basteti can be found in the lands of Nuria or wandering abroad.
Physical Description
Basteti are lithe and slender humanoids possessing many feline features including cat’s eyes, a long tail and a coat of soft fur often accented with spots, stripes or other markings. Their hands and feet end in retractable claws. They typically move with a stalking grace, and their eye and fur coloration can vary widely. Basteti can resemble almost any type of Felidae—from the humble domestic cat to the predatory panther—but Bastet ensures none of her people ever look like the lion children of Gamka. Any basteti with lion‑like coloration is marked with black or white spots, lines, or patterns.
Basteti Names: The basteti usually adopt names similar to other races in whatever region they dwell. In the Southlands, the greatest population of basteti live in and around Per‑ Bastet and tend to have Nurian names. Young basteti and basteti adventurers often choose names inspired by heroic tales, thrilling adventures or other esoteric factors.
Male Names: Amub, Nahab, Sati, Uetu
Female Names: Ahura, Khata, Siotio, Zaliki
Basteti Traits
Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Bastet’s Blessing: The gift of the goddess allows you to communicate in a limited manner with non‑humanoid feline beasts. They can understand the meaning of your words, though you have no special ability to understand them in turn. You have advantage on all Charisma checks you make to influence them, but cats seldom do what they are told.
Climber: Your reflexes and claws allow you to scale vertical surfaces with a burst of speed. When you move at least 10 feet horizontally first, you can use the rest of your movement to traverse vertical surfaces.
Stalker’s Reflex: You have advantage on Dexterity checks for initiative.
NKOSI CATFOLK
The Nkosi are the chosen people of Gamka the Returned Titan and serve as the protectors of Omphaya. Nkosi consider their ability to change shape to be a divine gift and distrust lycanthropes, who they view as the product of disease or foul sorcery. More warlike and driven than their gallivanting basteti relations, the nkosi value honor and heroism, striving to accomplish great deeds as proof of their worth. They call this glory hunting amaara, or “renown.” In nkosi villages, those who have earned great amaara serve as war leaders and examples for the entire community. Female nkosi tend to be the primary hunters and warriors of their community, while the bulkier men are called upon when brute force is needed. Most nkosi dwell in Omphaya and shun the large cities of Nuria and beyond.
Physical Description
These shapechanging humanoids resemble humans with large cat’s eyes, sharp teeth and fur. Their flat noses and wide jaws give them a leonine look and they are stockier than their basteti cousins. Their fur color varies from light brown to golden to reddish blond. Male nkosi have a thick mane of fur and both genders feature retractable claws in the hands and feet. Nkosi tend to grow their hair long, braiding colorful beads into their locks to mark important events and victories over their foes.
Nkosi Names: Nkosi favor human names but they have trouble pronouncing certain words due to the shape of their jaws.
Male Names: Chanza, Inakon, Kambo, Makanga, Tacuuma
Female Names: Adoula, Bedra, Tansi, Yullia, Zulaakia
Nkosi Traits
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength score increases by 1.
Form of the Lion: As an action, you can assume a leonine form. While in this form, your statistics remain the same, except you move as a quadruped instead of a biped, you can’t speak or cast spells, and your speed increases by 10 feet. Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell, and you gain a bite attack that deals 1d6 + Strength modifier piercing damage. You can revert to your normal form as an action. When you transform, your equipment falls to the ground, merges into your new form or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the GM decides whether it is practical for your lion form to wear a piece of equipment.