Kassilik are actually an incredibly common race to see in Riariti, as most of them travel throughout their entire lives and rarely settle down in one place for too long. They're highly adaptable and inventive, leading to them often colonizing places other races hadn't thought to try yet. Most of them are explorers and adventurers, being somewhat cursed by a curiosity nearly as bad as the dragons. They're one of the many "Bonus" races that can be made available to Players during character creation depending on information gathered by the headset, and are capable of hybridizing with other races. Their main stat is "Agility" followed closely by "Vitality". Along with Ayviah and Lykos, Kassilik form what's commonly known as the Bestials, all of whom can take on a beastform. Dragons are not included in this group since they retain their intelligence, speaking ability, and magic in their dragonforms whereas the Bestials do not. Collectively they are known as the "Curious Mechanics."
Appearance[]
Kassilik range in height from around four feet to over seven - heights of up to eight feet have been recorded in recent years. They usually have very little body fat, being always on the move with high metabolisms and a natural inclination towards being muscular.
Most have a covering of fur on their entire body, though hybrids have been known to have no fur or very little. Their hair can be white, blonde, brown, black, orange, yellow, or red, but the color of the bodily fur and any markings depend on the type of Kassilik.
Kassilik always have cat-like ears, but for some reason their placing isn't always the same. Some have ears atop their head, while others have them on the side. There doesn't appear to be any particular reason for this, as children can have different ear placement from their siblings or even their parents.
They have long tails that help them keep their balance, giving them bonuses to Agility.
Some have rather feline faces while others have more human-like ones; Kassilik Hybrids are more likely to have human-like faces.
Their eyes can be any sort of bright color, and they reflect light to give them excellent night vision. Most have vertical slit pupils.
As for clothing, they seem to fancy a fashion that on Earth would be referred to as "Steampunk", combining form with function and decorating themselves with brass or iron trinkets when they can manage to get hold of the materials.
Culture[]
"Curiosity killed the cat" applies quite well to Kassilik. They have quick minds and usually short attention spans, finding new things absolutely heart-stoppingly fascinating. As such, their towns tend to be cobbled together of various kinds of machinery in an almost steampunk style.
Kassilik are nomads who rarely settle down for good, usually finding a place they like and staying for a couple seasons at most before moving on. Most live on airships with small familial groups, save Leios whose families can get startlingly large, and are ruled by their familial elders.
If something's invented that doesn't require magic knowledge to use, you can almost guarantee a Kassilik had a hand in creating it. They are capable of learning magic just as nearly anyone else is, but they find it far more entertaining and fun to find ways to do things with as little magic as possible. Other peoples find this rather eccentric, but charming.
Names[]
Much like the Fae, Kassilik names vary depending on the tastes of the individual and their parents. It's common for them to make up surnames for their children that sound more interesting than their own, and when a Kassilik child comes of age they choose their own official first name - before then, they're given a childish nickname.
Varieties[]
There are many different varieties of Kassilik, the following are just a small set of examples.
Uncia Kassilik are the smallest and, generally, palest of the five types having stocky bodies and thick tails. Their bodies are often covered with short yet plush fur whose colors varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with whitish underparts. Uncia have unique patterns of dark grey to black open rosettes on their faces, generally the cheeks and brow, on the outer parts of their arms and legs, and all along their back. Of the five, their tails are also the longest in proportion to their bodies. They favor mountains and colder climates. Their beastforms are reminiscent of snow leopards.
Tigri Kassilik are the largest of them, in terms of muscle rather than height; Leio have them beat with height, but only slightly. They're often solitary in their travels yet oddly social when they visit towns or cities, making friends easily and being almost uncannily charismatic. Most Tigri have dense muscle mass, being quite solidly built. Their fur coloration can be between shades of orange, red, brown, gray, black, and white. They have jagged stripe markings on their bodies that can be black, white, or brown depending on their fur color; sometimes these markings extend to their face and even their hair. Their beastforms are reminiscent of tigers.
Leio Kassilik are the second largest of them all, and the ones most likely to stay in one place to raise families. In this type the women are generally naturally stronger and accomplished fighters while the men savor intellectual pursuits; in this way, they get along well with Drow. Their hair tends to be thick and unruly. Fur coloration varies from light buff to yellowish, reddish, or dark ochraceous brown, and their tails end in a tuft of fur that matches their hair color. Unlike the other Kassilik, they do not have natural markings, and often make up for this with tattoos and dyed patterns. Their beastforms are reminiscent of lions.
Onca Kassilik are squarely in the middle in terms of size compared to the other four. Sturdily built, they're rather solitary, much like the Tigri, and keep to themselves or to very small familial groups that move frequently and never settle down for more than a season. They are guerilla fighters by nature but this doesn't mean they're weak; they are quite capable of overpowering opponents in hand-to-hand combat, much like Leios or Tigri. They have large fangs and their fur color ranges from tawny yellow, reddish-brown, black, or even white and gray, marked with brown, black, or white rosettes that may include one or several dots. Their beastforms are reminiscent of jaguars.
Juba Kassilik are the second smallest of the types in terms of height, but in terms of muscle mass they're the smallest. Juba tend to be very lean and long-limbed. They are the only ones whose claws are semi-retractable, and they're excellent short-distance sprinters, able to naturally outrun even the best runners of other races or even Kassilik types. Their very short fur, so short it might as well just be skin, can be various shades of tan with round black spots on most of their bodies, save their chest and abdomen. Black "tear marks" run from the corner of their eyes down the sides of the nose to their mouth, sometimes along the outside instead. Their beastforms are reminiscent of cheetahs.
Racial Abilities / Flaws[]
There are many different abilities/flaws tied to Kassilik, the following are just a small set of examples.
Beastform: Kassilik are able to take on the form of a beast, whose shape is determined by their type. Their beastforms are very large and strong, with 100% boosts to Agility and Vitality, but their judgement is impaired while in this form and their magic is incredibly limited. They can change at will, but it takes 50% of their total HP to do so. Cannot speak in this form.
Keen Eye: 10% accuracy boost. Active at all times. Resistant to sight-affecting status ailments or spells.
Predatory Vision: Kassilik ability. Able to see 80% better in the dark after vision limiting percentages have been calculated. Also more likely to notice moving objects, or those attempting to hide or use Stealth.
Ascension: Kassilik ability. Able to climb and jump with exceptional ease. Agility gets a 15% bonus.
Rubber Bones: Increased flexibility, as well as the ability to make it through small holes/cracks that otherwise wouldn't be possible to get past.
Catrobat: Kassilik Ability. Kassilik is very flexible compared to other races and are more easily able to dodge attacks, as well as pull off escapes.
Sensitive Tail: A tail is a Kassilik's weak point, since it extends directly from the spine. +900% damage taken if it's inflicted on the tail.
Lust for Knowledge: Kassilik love learning, to the point of obsession. Their curiosity is almost crippling and can get them into trouble quite often.
Sensitive Ear: Those with this can be harmed or Disoriented for short periods by loud noises. Damage inflicted near the ears also does 30% damage.
Waterlogged: Kassilik flaw. When in bodies of water, all stats decrease -20%. Movement becomes sluggish and disorientation sets in if the Kassilik isn't removed from the water within a certain amount of time.
Laze: Kassilik Flaw. When out of combat, Kassilik becomes lethargic and has a tendency to rest or nap excessively. Especially prevailent in warm, sunny areas.
Alertness - They're very difficult to sneak up on, picking up easily on small or unusual noises or movements. However, this also makes them very easily distracted, and they can't resist investigating a potential threat/meal.