Ravencat

Homeworld/plane: Sjirra.

Climate/terrain: any temperate to tropical climate, prefers terrain like savannas and plains.

Mental abilities: for a young species created by a group of bioengineerer students, the ravencat is remarkably smart-- easily the equialent of the average human when it comes to intelligence. However, they are high strung creatures who can sometimes suffer from panic attacks and are easily bored, something which may easily result in that they come up with various mischief and pranks. Ravencats are also facinated by metals and just about anything else that's shiny, and they will develop a habit for hoarding from an early age-- they can also be rather defensive of these hoards.

Special Abilities: in addition to being telepaths, ravencats are quite skilled in the areas of telekinesis, photomancy and pyromancy-- currently it seems likely that the most talented among them may eventually reach sorcerer-level.

Society: unlike their parent species-- ravens and cheetas, ravencats are very sociable beings who tend to form packs numbering from 4-10 individuals. Most of the time these packs are lead by the strongest and most intelligent mated couple, but it does happen that particulary outstanding individuals lead a pack alone. It has also became custom for all ravencats to be partnered with a humanoid companion when very young, as the bond they develop with such companions have been proven to provide a calming effect on the ravencat-- making anxiety and panic attacks occur less.
One problem however, is that the bond between ravencat and companion may grow so strong that their minds seem to partially merge-- making it difficult for the two to remain individuals.

Description: a bioengineered cross between raven and cheeta, ravencats appear as small, griffin-like creatures. A ravencat's head is that of a raven's, the plumage extending down to the chest and shoulders, where it's replaced by fur. The eyes are large, but not overly so, and cheeta-type eyes are as common as raven-type ones. Unlike griffins, all four of their legs are like those of a cheeta, and they are also considerably smaller than the other types of sjirran griffins. The plumage and fur of a ravencat is usually a speckled tawny/gold and black, bit completely black or tawny individuals does occur, even rarer are tawny individuals with black spots or rosettes. Set just behind the shoulders, the wings of a ravencat are usually completely black-- the wingspan being twice the lenght of its entire body.

Size at birth: 30-40 cm long.
Size at maturity: 1.5-2 meters long(not including tail, which accounts for another meter).
Time to maturity: 3-4 years.
Natural lifespan: 40-50 years.

Combat: when threatened, ravencats will always attack in packs when possible, and they keep on attacking till the threat is dead or run out of their territory-- although they will usually make sure that something or someone they consider particulary dangerous ends up dead. In addition to their physical strenght and weapons, ravencats will also use their mental and magical talents when neccessary, experiencing a ravencat magic-user fighting can be a rather unnerving experience to say the least.

Race weaknesses: while efforts are made to remove genetic defects, ravencats are vulnerable to heart disease and joint problems, especially when they get older or are exposed to long periods of stress.