#Beast

Depiction courtesy of Kæthren Bathúri

Tikka Cats¶

• Habitat: Temperate Forests, River Valleys, and the Wooded Areas of Central Ilhdeinia
• Known For: Prized companion animals by merchant houses and nobility; hide occasionally used for luxury fur goods

An adult tikka cat stands roughly shoulder-height to a grown Ārdan, weighs roughly as much as a small pony, and retains the belief that it is a lap animal. They are ambush predators by nature, capable of taking down deer or river elk without particular effort.

Tikkas are not pack hunters. They are solitary, territorial, and operate on their own schedule. Where dire wolves are strategic, tikkas are patient. Between hunts, they sleep a great deal and are deeply opinionated about where.

Most tikkas have soft, long fur that comes in many color varieties, with thick and heavily feathered tails. They are known to be vocal creatures: chirping, trilling, and producing a rumbling purr audible from across a room.

Taming¶

Tikkas taken young, before they've established a territory, bond readily and permanently. They will follow their bonded person into dangerous situations with enthusiasm.

Bonded tikkas have been used as scouts, couriers, and occasional combat partners, particularly among the more independent Ārdan and Magnithōran rangers who appreciate a companion that does not require commands. They act on their own read of a situation. This can be either a feature or a serious problem.

The primary challenge with keeping a tikka is less aggression and more the fact that a cat the size of a horse that has decided it wants your attention has quite a lot of leverage over the situation. Veteran keepers recommend establishing boundaries early.

Statblock¶

• Life Points: 30

• Traits:

  • Awareness 9
  • Charm 7
  • Endurance 7
  • Might 8
  • Power 1
  • Sage 5
  • Subterfuge 9
  • Survival 8
  • Swiftness 10

• Talent: Patient Strike - When a tikka does not move on its turn, its next attack gains +3 to its Might/ Swiftness roll