Tabaxi

Tabaxi, also known as jaguar people or cat-men, were a race of feline humanoids native to the jungles of Maztica.

Description
Tabaxi were taller than most humans at six to seven feet. Their bodies were slender and covered in spotted or striped fur. Like most felines, Tabaxi had long tails and retractable claws. Tabaxi fur color ranged from light yellow to brownish red. Tabaxi eyes were slit-pupilled and usually green or yellow.

Tabaxi were competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They had a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell.

Etymology
Depending on their region and fur coloration, tabaxi were known by different names. Tabaxi with solid spots were sometimes called leopard men and tabaxi with rosette spots were called jaguar men.

The way the tabaxi pronounced their own name also varied; the "leopard men" pronounced it ta-BÆK-see, and the jaguar men tah-BAHSH-ee.

Personality
Tabaxi were a reclusive people who often avoided interaction with other intelligent races. However, as each tabaxi possessed a specific feline trait, some had an innate curiosity that compelled them to travel and seek out stories, artifacts, new experiences and knowledge, never remaining in the same place or obsessing over the same piece of lore for too long.

In general, tabaxi did not care for wealth, but they had an almost obsessive interest in ancient artifacts, relics and magic items, but not for the items themselves, as much as the stories and secrets they held. Once an item had been thoroughly examined and studied, and its secrets revealed, it would lose its allure and the tabaxi would quickly lose interest and pass it on.

Not all tabaxi were motivated by curiosity to leave their homeland, however. Some found safer ways to satisfy their fleeting obsessions by becoming traveling minstrels and tinkers, often accepting interesting objects and stories as payment for their services.

Combat
Tabaxi were exceptional hunters and utilized these skills in combat. Speed and stealth combined with their natural camouflage meant that tabaxi were particularity skilled at surprise attacks. Tabaxi were even known to disguise their scent with aromatic herbs. Their hunting skills and intelligence made them formidable tacticians. Groups would often drive prey into ambushes, sometime playing with their doomed foe before killing them. Tabaxi clans did have berserker warriors within them, these were known as blood-stalkers.

For weapons, tabaxi favored bolas, slings, macas, and javelins with atlatl. These weapons would often be made from wood, bone or stone. Tabaxi were just as likely to use weapons as they were to use their claws and teeth. Their preference of simple weapons was not due to a lack of capability. Tabaxi were quite capable of adapting to new technology or salvaged weapons.

Due to their knowledge of hunting, intelligence and sense of smell, it was practically impossible to trap a tabaxi.

Society
Tabaxi society was built around clans. Clans were split evenly between males and females with 3 to 12 young. Each clan had several Hunts each made up of two to eight individuals. The Hunts patrolled the area around the clan's lair.

Although tabaxi lairs were sometimes just temporary, they were more often small villages of ramadas. Each ramada was built from wooden poles with grass roofs.

Clans were led by elders. About half of the time, leaders were aided by shamans. Clans tended to avoid each other and did not engage in trade. Tabaxi considered trade to be demeaning but in rare instances would use third party agents to trade for them.

When the tabaxi started wandering out of their homeland of Maztica, rumors followed about strange happenings there, but the tabaxi themselves said little about them.

Language
The Tabaxi language was an ancient form of the Payit language. Those who spoke modern Payit and knew what to listen for could usually understand about half of the Tabaxi words they heard. It was completely unrelated to the Tabaxi language of the Tabaxi tribe of Chult.

Religion
Most clans worshiped Tezca, Nula, or (rarely) Azul. A minority of clans owed their allegiance to a jaguar lord. In this instance, Zaltec was the dominant deity of the tribe.

The creator figure in the tabaxi pantheon was the Cat Lord, a fickle and tricky entity who bestowed each tabaxi with a specific feline trait and was believed to wander the world, watching over them.

Interracial Relations
Tabaxi had few enemies and only the most degenerate clans would attack members of other intelligent species without good reason.

Threats
Tabaxi were sometimes hunted for their pelts. Each pelt could be sold for up to 50 gp. Hishna shapers could use tabaxi skin and claws to enhance their strength. Young tabaxi could be sold on the black market for around 225 gp.

Notable Tabaxi

 * Birdsong, a tabaxi bard from Chult.
 * River Mist and Flask of Wine, two tabaxi siblings from Port Nyanzaru who offered their services as guides to the jungles of Chult in the late 15th century DR.
 * Two Llamas Running, a tabaxi swashbuckler from Maztica kept prisoner in Silverymoon.
 * The Velvet Veil tavern in Ashabenford was famous for a particularly talented tabaxi dancer.