The Cat, Revised

The humble domestic cat. From the mummies of ancient Egypt to the internet videos of today, these adorable felines have captured the human heart for at least ten thousand years. First befriended for their skill at pest control, cats became beloved for their companionship and affection. Today, domestic cats are adopted as pets on every continent except for Antarctica — with an estimated worldwide population between 200 and 600 million.

And yet, below the surface of these ubiquitous fuzzy friends lurks a diabolical murder machine. Even the laziest of house cats retains the hunting instincts and anatomy of its 100,000 year old ancestors. Further, cats have long been thought to possess mystical powers: they are effective night-time hunters, can detect sounds beyond the range of human hearing, they making falling look easy, and…well, just what is your cat looking at when it stares off into the corner of the room and cocks its head? Neutrinos?

In most fantasy games, the domestic cat is missing a few key pieces — especially in a world where the cat evolved alongside magic. Inside this 12 page mini-bestiary, you'll find a revised creature descriptions for the common house cat and three cat-related yōkai from the Land of the Crane setting: bakeneko (monster cat), nekomata (forked-tail cat), and kasha (which means “fire cart,” but doesn’t actually involve flaming methods of transportation).