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New Ideas For A Were-Cat Tribe

I've been tossing around ideas for a story that I've had in my head for awhile, and the inspiration came [ironically] while I was watching Wolf's Rain. It would be interesting to show a group or a tribe of Were-Cats, but make them different from the usual cliches [if all else fails, I could always give them wings. :p] Making them magical might be neat, but I'm mainly just concocting new bits and pieces of their characteristics so far.
Any thoughts or ideas to share?
 

Ireth

Myth Weaver
When you say "were-cats", do you mean a tribe of humans who turn into cats under the full moon (or some other significant time period), or more like anthropomorphic cat-people?
 

Saigonnus

Auror
Why not " regular" albeit magical cats with their own society and culture?

In a couple of my short stories, my principal character is a magical "knight" that happens to be a cat. There are many others and they live side-by-side with humans and most don't realize how intelligent or powerful they are.


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Futhark

Inkling
Here is a couple of questions to ponder.

Most cats are solitary by nature, lions being an obvious exception. How cohesive would a were-cat tribe be?

When they change (if they change) do they have paws and claws, or are they tool users?

Are they large terrifying creatures, or cute and cuddly?

Do they see themselves as blessed or cursed?

Actually, just thought of the Egyptian cats. Imagine a secret cabal of cat people guiding humanity from the shadows, for whatever cat agenda they may have.
 

Alyssa

Troubadour
Actually, just thought of the Egyptian cats. Imagine a secret cabal of cat people guiding humanity from the shadows, for whatever cat agenda they may have.

That's far better than my idea. All I can think of is a tribe of peaceful were-kitties killing mice and chasing balls of yarn every full moon. Until one day, an American businessman cum aspiring politician arrives... and they embark on a journey of revenge, searching for an ally that they don't actually hate (because cats hate everyone, kittens are adorable... but cats...) in order to take down the system.
 
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elemtilas

Inkling
Actually, just thought of the Egyptian cats. Imagine a secret cabal of cat people guiding humanity from the shadows, for whatever cat agenda they may have.

Well, this is what cats do as a matter of course! Here's a bit of old sawyery on the topic of Catfolk.

Way back in the dream time, it was Wolves that first hit on the idea of domestication of humans as a Good Thing. Some went all in and became Dogs; but some dissented and remained Wolves. They felt they were giving up too much of their liberty by becoming companions of Men; they didn't like the idea of hunting for a kind of animal that, they thought by rights, ought to be easy prey in and of itself. They didn't like the idea of being patted and cuddled and, and fed by the unnatural paws of Man. Those that became Dog lauded Man for feeding them regularly and giving them a place at the hearth as a member of the clan. But Wolves remained unconvinced. Fire was a deadly danger, a thing to be avoided, a weapon in the hands of Man that was often wielded against Wolfkind.

Catkind, being the natural companion of Bastet, were wiser than their Wolf cousins. When Man came along, they withheld consent to the domestication for a very long while. And at first became alarmed when Wolves took to the notion of happy and contented domestication. And this led to a great and long debate among the Wise of Catkind. On the one hand, the prideful cats of the Lion and Tiger and Cougar and Leopard clans utterly rejected the notion of stooping to the level of mere Dogs, fearing that Men would try to turn them into mewling lapcats the way they were with their Dogs. But others had different ideas. They, too, were proud, but they felt their pride to be wounded by the Wolves, who had sought domestication first, rather than wait their proper turn for the Divinely Consecrated Cat to engage first with the strange walking Apes.

And so began the long history of mistrust and dislike of Catkind for Dogkind.

But in the end, they too were divided by the hand of Man. Some Cats determined to break ranks with the Wise and sought domestication as well, but fearful of becoming fawning, grovelling Dogs, they determined to enter pacts of domestication on their own terms. After all, they knew of Bastet of old their proper place at the very center of the Cosmos. And these Cats figured that of any of the animals in Earth, it would ultimately be Men that understand most fully the true nature of things.

And so, those brave Cats engaged their brilliant Plan to domesticate Man, but properly this time. Slowly, over the course of many ages, they demonstrated their worth as hunting companions but also instructing Man about the pride of Catkind and how this must be respected! In time, they consented to reveal the divine nature of Bastet and even condescended to allow Men to worship and venerate alongside Catkind.

And even now in our modern times, Cat folk continue to gently guide us silently from the shadows. A narrowing of eyes here, signalling that it is time to Venerate the Child of Bastet With Pats on the Head or Scratching Behind the Ears; a demure meyow there, signalling to the sacred attendant to the Child of Bastet (the human caretaker) that is is now time to Proffer Suitable Offerings in the Form of High Quality Victuals (Chunky Meaty Tins Only, Please); or a calm and tranquil, but subtilly commanding presence near the Divine Gates, because it is now time for the Child of Bastet to Go Forth and Survey Her Divine Demesne.

Yet all is not a packet of HappyJoyJoy moist cat treats! Even after thousands of years of domestication, Man sometimes forgets his proper place and, perhaps, becomes too familiar with the Child of Divine Bastet. And this must be remedied swiftly and consistently, with the Claws of Swift Justice extended and the Hiss of Impending Doom exhaled!

Perhaps, TheCrystallineEntity, your Werecats could indeed be people in the shadows, guiding Mankind along according to some hidden feline agenda? Ordinary cats could be their agents, operating more openly in the world?

niffodyr tweluanrem letteuim an
The gods have retractable claws
from The Gospel of Bastet
 
It's kind of an unspoken rule that there are no humans whatsoever in my books, mainly because I want to be unusual and also because I prefer reading stories with non-human or vaguely humanoid characters.
 
You should totally do this; I love cats, and they seem to lend themselves to fantasy so well. Cats are so mysterious and magical seeming, it just makes sense that they would belong in a fantasy story.

You could just make them magical cats. I've been wanting to write a story of intelligent cats for a while now.

How anthropomorphic do you want them to be? Cats in shape, but with human thoughts and feelings? Or are they more human-like?
 
Hmm....*lightbulb appears over my head* What about Sphinxes? I've always loved the myth of the Sphinx, and especially that beautiful painting from The Voyage of The Basset:
8e08bd47bbdb4ed4097c4f4d40f2b839.jpg
 

elemtilas

Inkling
It's kind of an unspoken rule that there are no humans whatsoever in my books, mainly because I want to be unusual and also because I prefer reading stories with non-human or vaguely humanoid characters.

Fair enough!

But without humans, who are the Cats going to groom and guide? ;) Will there be some human-analogue for them to work their gentle magic upon?
 
^I don't know, actually.
So far, the territory is divided up into seven tribes: Werecats, Werewolves, Werefoxes/Kitsune, Were-ravens, Were-swans, Were-bats, and...something else, possibly with many wings.
 

Ireth

Myth Weaver
I'm curious... if there are no humans in this story, why use the "were-" prefix for your animal people? "Were" means "man" in Anglo-Saxon, after all; so "werewolf" literally means "man-wolf", and refers to one who changes between both forms.
 

elemtilas

Inkling
^I don't know, actually.
So far, the territory is divided up into seven tribes: Werecats, Werewolves, Werefoxes/Kitsune, Were-ravens, Were-swans, Were-bats, and...something else, possibly with many wings.

scratching_an_itch_by_elemtilas-daybu1t.jpg


Sorry, only two wings on them!

I'm sure you'll come up with something wonderful!
 
I had this idea of creatures who had two or more sets of wings, but with full wings on each shoulder and each side of their backs, so that the wings would curl around. It's hard to describe without showing it visually, though.
 
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