The tabaxi of Kulan - Part 1
Tabaxi (of Kulan)
Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid (Feline)
Hit Dice: 2d8+6 (15 hp)
Initiative: +7 (Dex, Improved Initiative)
Speed: 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
AC: 14 (+3 Dex, +1 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +4 melee, bite +2 melee; or light flail +4 melee; or 3 javelins +5 ranged
Damage: Claw 1d6+2, bite 1d8+1; or light flail 1d8+2; or javelin 1d6+2
Face/Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Pounce, improved grab
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., scent, intolerance
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +5
Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 17 (+3), Con 17 (+3), Int 11 (+0), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 10 (+0)
Skills: Balance +8, Hide +9 *, Listen +5, Move Silently +9, Spot +3, Swim +4
Feats: Improved Initiative (B), Multiattack
Climate/Terrain: Harqual – the Storm Peninsula
Organization: Solitary, pair, patrol (5–20), or tribe (30–300 plus 50% noncombatants plus 1 1st-level sergeant per 20 adults, 3 3rd-level clerics, 5 5th-level lieutenants, 1 7th-level war chief and 1 9th-level high priest)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually lawful evil
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +3
Tabaxi are an evil race of tiger-like humanoids who have just recently reappeared on Harqual after 1,001 years of banishment.
Tabaxi have the same color patterns as tigers although minor variations are possible (i.e. spots vs. stripes). Tabaxi have dexterous, clawed hands, sharp, white teeth and yellow cat’s eyes. They stand roughly 6 feet in height and weigh as much as humans.
Tabaxi dress in savage looking clothing and tabaxi warriors often wear ornamental headdresses made out of animal heads, fur and feathers. Tabaxi clerics usually wear very little instead covering their bodies in ritual tattoos and scars. Many of these markings are divine in nature and often give armor, strength or magical boons to the cleric for his devotion.
Tabaxi speak their own racial language.
Combat
Tabaxi give no quarter to their opponents, nor do they expect any in return. Anger and resentment towards the North Gods drives them to attack those they perceive as their enemies without hesitation.
Pounce (Ex): If a tabaxi leaps upon a foe during the first round of combat, it can make a full attack even if it has already taken a move action.
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tabaxi must hit with a claw or bite attack.
Intolerance: Most tabaxi don't consider themselves racists, but the reality is that tabaxi have an over-inflated view of their race and tend to look down upon others. Tabaxi have a -3 penalty to all Charisma-based checks when dealing with other races, regardless of the situation. Tabaxi cannot buy off this disadvantage completely, but they may reduce it to -1 by spending 4 skill points any time after gaining 5 character levels.
Scent (Ex): A tabaxi can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Range is 30 ft. If upwind, the range increases to 60 ft.; if downwind, it drops to 15 ft.
Skills: Tabaxi receive a +4 racial bonus to Balance, Hide, and Move Silently checks. *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +8.
Tabaxi Society
Of all the races of Harqual only the human barbarians of the Northlands, the rakasta and this race of cat people are native to the continent. In ancient times, the tabaxi's tried to dominate the rakasta and paid for their aggressive nature when they and their god were banished from Harqual by the All-Mother, Mirella.
This was done at the request of the barbarian god Cronn that this occurred and Tu, the Lord of the Tabaxi, didn't take his banishment well. Unable to take his vengeance out upon the Lord of the North he turned on his people – inflicting awful suffering on them. Only when another tabaxi, Sa the Tolerant, ascended to divine status during the banishment did Tu realize he would lose everything unless he learned to care for his people the way the barbarian gods did their people. And while Tu remained evil he learned patience and even learned to share his people with Sa. However, the two gods don't like each other and really only tolerate each other for the good of the tabaxi.
Thus, it is hard for other races to truly understand what the tabaxi have gone through and why they are the way they are. Tabaxi are vicious and warlike showing no mercy to those they consider their enemies, and yet they protect each other, never betraying one another unless the survival of the whole is at stake. Very few of the tabaxi take the teaching of Sa to heart, as most have learned to tolerate Tu's dark, evil ways. After all it was him who gave them sentience.
Since the Return, the faithful of Tu have been on the offensive taking the fight to the southern kingdoms of the North. They have yet to attack across the Great Expanse into the South but it is only a matter of time before they also seek vengeance on the rakasta.
Where the tabaxi were banished to remains a mystery. The tabaxi won't talk about it and the faithful of Mirella don't even know where the goddess sent the cat people.
Tabaxi Characters
Tabaxi favor the cleric class. Clerics of Tu can choose any two of the following domains: Evil, Retribution, Strength, and War. Clerics of Sa can choose any two of the following domains: Community, Knowledge, Law, and Protection.
