The Duval'Cai

A race of desert dwelling catfolk

## Points to Cover

* Biology:
	+ Catfolk in this setting more closely resemble felines in age.
		- Early adolescence followed by long adulthood before sharp decline preceeding by death.
		- Children are considered adults and independant at age 5. They do not begin deteriorating with old age until 60 or 70 and then rapidly decline following that.
* History
	+ Sand Elementals and Growth
		- The desert is resource poor much of their early technology was based on elemental binding. They were rapidly elevated following their inclusion into the Basion Empire.
			* Technology was reliant upon elementals as source of power. Metal was a scarcity. Gnolls were a savage threat.
		- Following the empire's downfall the Duvel'Cai became independant of the Empire and refuse to bend the knee to any again. With influx of technology that trade brought they were able to cow the gnoll hordes and began to employ them.
			* Common tactic is to pull target ships into their cities and have gnolls butcher defenders on the ground.
				+ Organized melee is relatively uncommon as regiments and soldiers are less useful on a ship due to cramped quarters. Most soldier units of other factions focus on firing lines to sweep the deck of defenders.
				+ Gnolls tend to unnerve their opponents with their haunting laughter during combat.
* Culture:
	+ Catfolk are very independant. Relying upon others is seen as a weakness.
		- This is one of the main contributing factors that has mitigated issues involving nepotism.
		- Children are expected to be able to make their own way in life and as such inheritances based on blood instead of merit are rare.
	+ Slaves
		- Slaves are a commodity as any other in the Eternal Sands. However, they are almost exclusively used by the rich. Exotics are bought and used as a show of wealth as a slave is an expense few can afford. They are fed, primed and pampered and paraded forth during events waiting on their owner hand and foot.
		- Indentured servitude is treated differently typically the result of an unpaid debt. The debt is levies against the victim and they work as their owner commands inorder to pay it off.
			* Despite their lower status they are considered a citizen with full rights.
	+ The concept of family is also rather loose.
		- Marriage is uncommon as it serves only as a political tool between a powerful female and powerful male and is not used to merge families so much as merge businesses or powerbases.
		- Most children are born out of wedlock. Fathers typically have multiple mothers and children they support, but the burden is lightened as the mother receives support from multiple partners who all share a stake in her litter.
		- It is also not unheard of a father to take a child or two to raise on their own as apprentices and future business partners.
		- A female cat can bear a litter from multiple fathers. The risk of this is that at the time of the birth not all kits are fully developed.
			* The early born rarely survive the few that do are given to the priesthood
			* Kittens are always exposed to the light of the moon as a form of light baptism. The early born are exposed to the moonlight the longest and it is thought that if they survive the moon has adopted them.
	+ Catfolk have a vibrant culture, with a minor festival or event happening nearly every fortnight.
		- A rich oral tradition. Tapestries were the common method of memorializing history until their inclusion in the Bastion Empire as paper was a luxury few could afford.
* Language
	+ Their verbal language has been described as deeply lyrical with a focus on tonal emphasis and long syllables. Their written word while borrowing the letters of the Bastion Empire reflects this as the letters dance and closer resemble calligraphy than words.
	+ All Duvel'Cai have three names and no family name.
		- Their first name is the one they use among strangers, their second name is used among the most trusted of friends and the last name is known only to the cat that they use when praying to the moon.
		- "A cat has as many names as tails." / "A cat has one more tail than no cat" / " And no cat has two tails."
			* Word games and word play are favored by the Duvel'Cai.
* Diplomacy
	+ Allies: Gnolls
		- Gnolls: A one time enemy turned staunch ally. The Gnolls are a barbarous race. With the help of the Bastion Empire the gnolls were subjugated and then subsequently freed by the catfolk.
	+ Enemies:
* Mythology
	+ Creation Myth: featuring the moon
		- Much of the Duvel'Cai's mythology revolves around the stars and the moon.
* Military
	+ Anti Air:
		- Cannon Equivalent
			* Slabs of rock with small unstable sand elementals bound to them. Basically functioning as an angry guided missile.
		- Harpoon/Grappling Hook Equivalent
			* Harpoons with sand elementals bound to the metal points are fired into ships.
			* Sand Elementals are freed by the impact and while weak help to prevent the harpoon from being dislodged by airmen inside.
			* Harpoons are attached to the large flying cities and winch target ships into dock.
	+ Navy:
		- Ships are constructed around sand elementals.
			* Start as young elementals bound to a plinth of sandstone or rock. Can only transport a single rider. Rider stands upright on plint and bound elemental relies on queues from the rider for steering.
			* As elemental ages it acquires more sand eventually growing into a floating dune with a heart of sandstone in its centre. The dune is much slower than the smaller plinths. Masonry cannot be supported by the medium sized elemental. Any stone buildings sink into the sand eventually dropping through to the abyss. Most structures are made from fabric as elaborate tents.
			* The eldest elementals are bound together into a network. These are strong enough to support nearly any amount of masonry. The cities become mobile fortresses when the ancient ancestor sand elementals are awoken from their slumber.
	+ Infantry
		- Cats do not have infantry of their own. Town guards favor loose clothing and curved swords. Due to the oppressive heat most do not wear armor.
		- Soldier duties are contracted out to tribes of gnolls that hunt the desert. Large creatures with bone and leather armor. They are proud warriors. Matriarchy with plenty of slaves.
			* Specialized troops are trained from the highest ranked gnoll soldiers. They are outfitted with heavy metal armor and given large metal shields. They act as a hammer and anvil to take over enemy ships that are pulled into the harbors.
				+ Their armor is expensive and heavily stylized in a sneering hyena visage.
				+ The Metal Teeth as opposed to their brethren who's haunting laughter carries on into the night, fight in silence.
				+ They work in small tight nite groups. Two shield bearers, two riflemen and one grenadier. Each with vicious curved blade on their hip.
				+ Multiple teams attack striken ships from multiple points. In the open they might be held at bay with rifle fire, but in the bowels of the ship they are unstoppable.
				+ Rumor has it that when a weapon or bullet meets the steel of their armor and manages to pierce it, sand is all that bleeds thr