General Description
The Heartland Lesser Catfolk are small and slender, with a distinctive golden-yellow coat with brown and white spots and stripes which are in a unique pattern for each individual. They have large, roughly triangular ears, a long thin tail with a white tip, a white muzzle with thin, sensitive whiskers on the cheeks, and generally a slim, athletic build similar to that of the average Elf. Their eye colour is usually somewhere between blue and green.
Culture
The Heartland Lessers are quite territorial and are matriarchal, living in tribes led by a “Queen” with their race’s overall leader being known as the “Queen Among Queens”. Polyandry is accepted, especially amongst those higher in the tribal hierarchy, though monogamy is far from unusual and much like the Fae, Centaurs and the Wood Elves their society is generally sexually pluralist. They normally produce litters of between two and five kittens. Their hierarchy is surprisingly open, though only women may hold positions of major power. This is not to say that the men of the Heartland Lessers are subservient, as this is not the case; the fact of the matter is simply that the Heartland Lessers venerate women as the creators of life and thus vessels of Leànnan's power of life, so only they are worthy to lead in their minds.
Unmatched Hearing
Lesser Catfolk have the sharpest hearing of any sapient race on Oerth, with their large triangular ears able to swivel on their head to pick up even the slightest of sounds, and are able to hear the twang of a crossbow being fired from almost a mile and a half away. This can also be a detriment, as very high-pitched noises can be incredibly irritating or even debilitatingly painful. They invented the Panpipe to play soft music and protect their hearings from louder instruments like
Gongs.
Masters of Stealth and Dexterity
The Heartland Lessers have exceptional stealth and agility, being able to perform impressive feats of acrobatics and contort themselves into spaces creatures of a similar size usually cannot thanks to their feline physiology, allowing them to appear out of nowhere and surprise prey while out hunting or ambush enemies in conflict.
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