Catby

credit to iguanamouth for inspo/design

The **Catby** is a unique chimeric beast native to the Southwestern Fringe. Created in pre-historic times (presumably by some of the first members of the Thunderfleet) they are one of the most successful and commonplace instances of chimeric reintegration in the wild.

## History

The earliest reference to Catbys in recorded history spans to a document from over 5,000 years ago, cataloging some of the Thunderfleet's earliest contributions to society. Seeing the utility of the standard house cat as well as the defensive capabilities and dietary versatility of the crab, scientists decided to try and mix the two species to maximize their usefulness. Despite the genetic differences between the two, the creation was surprisingly stable and even preserved the ability to reproduce, allowing breeding projects for certain physical features or other abilities to be integrated into their population over several generations. The combination of cute appearance, easy-to-care-for diet, and ability to assist in pest control led them to become quite popular as pets in the Fringe as well, the income earned from selling them to the public allowing the Thunderfleet to gain quite a bit of funding.

Since then, the creatures have slowly but surely integrated into the coastal ecosystem throughout the territory, though curiously enough they haven't advanced much further than the borders of the Fringe despite their adaptability.

Several different species of crabs and cats have been combined to form all sorts of different Catby subspecies, though the most common ones are Red & Blue Catbys by far.

## Description

Typically, all Catbys have a more crab-like body, with the feline aspects rendering on their "claws" (replaced with feline paws), the tops of their carapaces near their eyes, and a tail that sticks out behind their bodies. Other features, such as their eyes, the presence of feline ears, etc, vary based on individual species and sometimes even on an individual basis.

* Helpful Crab Species illustrated chart
* Helpful Cat Species illustrated chart

### Discovered Subspecies

Ordered in size from smallest to largest.

Rarity guide:

* Common - Step onto any Fringe beach and you'll probably see at least one or two of these walking around; very easy to spot, and can be fished up in bulk using nets
* Uncommon - A bit more elusive and generally not in very humanoid-populated areas. Can find them frequently and consistently enough if you know where to look
* Super uncommon - More uncommon than normal, even if you know where to look it may be hard to find still
* Rare - Hard to find due to elusiveness, thin population, or otherwise living in areas with very few people. A Fringe fisherman might see one about a dozen times in their whole career max
* Super rare - Either very far out in the sea, or simply really hard to find. Rare to see one in your lifetime even if you fish all the time

## Abilities

### Physical Abilities

Actual physical capabilities vary from species to species, but all breeds tend to have tough carapaces that protect them from attacks. They also have 1-2 cat-like paws, which have small retractable claws and surprisingly tough pawpads. Though one would think losing the gripping abilities of a pincer would be detrimental, it does not seem to hinder a catby's ability to hunt, carry items, attract mates, etcetera.

### Magic Abilities

Not all catbys have magical prowess, but those who do tend to have evolved them for use in the wild. Such examples include ghost catbys, who can turn invisible for short periods of time to evade predators.

When cooked into dishes, Catbys can provide useful bonuses to the adventurers who eat them, such as temporary steam resistance.

## Ecology

The breeding and social behaviors of catbys tends to vary by species, ranging from living alone and only meeting rarely to breed to living in clowders or prides year-long to protect each other and their young.

## Notable Oneshot/Campaign Appearances

Catbys first appeared during Halintar: Respite of the Gods, where they were spotted roaming the beach in a relatively harmless manner. Curious about the humanoids roaming on their beaches, they would sometimes get close and clamber about in crowds, but would quickly disperse seeing any quick or startling movements.

Catbys of various shapes and sizes have been seen in the various Hook, Line, & Sinker oneshots as potential "fish" that can be caught for points.

## Gallery

The original art of a Catby. Designed and illustrated by iguanamouth