Ferrix, also known as the Lady of Weretigresses[2] and often portrayed in myth as Mother Tigress,[1] was the goddess of female weretigers.[3]
Description[]
Ferrix appeared as a 8‒12 ft (2.4‒3.7 m) weretiger; she preferred her hybrid form and was usually in it, but she took tigress form when hunting. In contrast to regular weretigers, who had orange fur with black stripes, Ferrix's fur has an exceptionally beautiful honey-brown sheen.[3]
Personality[]
Ferrix was an eternally, insatiably curious goddess who enjoyed knowledge for its own sake and desired to know everything, no matter how useless or trivial. Indeed, for all her great store of accumulated knowledge she failed to effectively seperate worthwhile and worthless information. She was very intelligent yet unwise, a flighty goddess readily distracted by the new or unexpected.[1][3]
Ferrix was often playful and also vain, such that she was easily swayed by flattery and gifts of beautiful objects like gems, their actual value being irrelevant when weighed against their appearance. If teased or mocked she could be spiteful and vicious, and when dealing with prey could be outright cruel.[1][3]
Powers[]
Avatars of Ferrix were skilled fighters and powerful druids, in addition to having spells of charming and combat. The lycanthropic goddess fought with a powerful combination of savage bites and raking clawing, and could leap dozens of feet up, across, and even backwards as if she was wearing boots of striding and springing.[3]
The alluring avatar was able to charm felines at will (not that any natural feline would attack her), and also could potently charm mammals and people several times per day. Once a day each, her intimidating roar could cause fear in her enemies and her purr could calm emotions, and three times each day her licking could cure critical wounds. She was immune to poisons, diseases, paralyzation, and mundane weapons.[3]
Possessions[]
Ferrix wore a tiger eye ring of human influence on her right front paw.[3]
Realm[]
Ferrix made her home in the Brux layer of the Beastlands.[3] Generally she wandered,[4] but she was known to act as a higher-up in Cat Lord's Prowl, realm of the titular Cat Lord. As such, some of her petitioners prowled with his pride, and in fact weretigers and a few werejaguars were the most likely candidates for conversation for anyone caught by pride. Of note among them was the weretiger Meowwrr Lostclaw and werejaguar Arturo Farleaper, the latter of which usually insisting on subduing intelligent quarry despite his small size before wandering away to clean himself while the former actually did the questioning.[5]
Activities[]
Ferrix roamed the Beastlands hunting, prowling and demanding adoration from others.[3] Sometimes she did so with the Cat Lord's pride, usually in tigress form.[5] Her avatars often visited the Prime Material plane for many reasons. Sometimes it was just to play with other weretigresses or to mate with a weretiger, but her avatars were curious above all and might be investigating anything from a magic secret to an unusual natural formation. Rarely was hostility offered to any they encountered, but she had a habit of stalking creatures like prey to test their reactions, which could lead to conflict or misunderstandings from the aggressive or fearful.[3]
Relationships[]
Ferrix and Balador were linked through their complementary natures; she was the exact opposite of her brother, possessing the intellect and quick wit he lacked, while he in turn had a depth of wisdom unfound in his sister. Some myths said that the duo were themselves complementary to the evil lycanthrope siblings, Daragor of the werewolves and Eshebala of the werefoxes. This link might bear mythological significance, to the point that their collective fates were inextricably interwoven, either doomed to fight or embrace in the end. In any case, all of them were mostly chaotic and willful, such that if that were true, they would rather continue with their own plans and purposes than be informed of their destiny.[1][6]
In terms of positive relations, Ferrix was an ally of the Elven god of hunting Solonor Thelandira,[7] on good terms with Nobanion, a bestial demipower of the Faerûnian pantheon,[2] and was as close to the Cat Lord as felines got. She and the Cat Lord shared enmity towards another feline deity, Bast,[5] although she was primarily loathed by Eshebala, as the two vain, preening goddesses naturally conflicted.[8]
Worshipers[]
Ferrix's worshipers were weretigers, but like most of the other lycanthropic deities she lacked priests or shamans.[3]
History[]
In mythology, Ferrix was Mother Tigress to Balador's Father Bear. The two were often presented as servitors to a great nature or druidic deity, who gifted Balador freedom in return for loyal, loving service. However, Balador would not accept his freedom alone, and pleaded with his master and mentor to release his sister. Their god was a soft-hearted one, and so agreed to Balador's request despite Ferrix's own lacking loyalty and reliability.[1]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 110. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 41. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 114. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 176. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Dale Donovan (December 1995). “Liber Benevolentiae”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 109. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 132. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
- ↑ Carl Sargent (May 1992). Monster Mythology. (TSR, Inc), p. 115. ISBN 1-5607-6362-0.