Others and Outsiders

Not much is known about life inside Dunecoast, just that most of the cats who are part of Dunecoast are either street cats or housecats who live in the nearby town. They are led by a mysterious cat known only as “The Boss”, who is rarely, if ever, seen by outsiders. Instead, outsider relations are mostly handled by The Boss’s two seconds-in-command, Lefty and Righty. Each of them have their own “Squad” of about 4-5 Dunecoasters, who they travel with to occasionally trade with the Metal Scrappers, where they offer a wide variety of items (and gossip)from the two-leg town in exchange for interesting inventions and woven pieces.

Their relationship with the Metal Scrappers is generally positive, though the amount of trade done between the two groups typically depends on the Metal Scrappers Explorer Headmaster, who the Dunecoasters do most of their dealings with.

The relationship the Dunecoasters have with the Wayfinders is unknown, as the two groups have not interacted very much. However, the Wayfinders are aware of the Dunecoasters “Water Plant Contact”, a cat known as Anvil.

The Sunsands colony lives southwest of Little Sprout Well, and are led by a bonded pair known as the Sunrise and Sunset. They would meet regularly with the Wayfinders while they were staying at Little Sprout Well, and would often share a meal or two and intermingle. The true size of the Sunsands colony is unknown, as is the location of their central camp. They are known to be very creative, decorating their fur with colorful clay-based paints, piercing their ears, and decorating their tails with charms. They are astounding storytellers, and will often entertain the Wayfinders with elaborate productions, often their nomadic friends to join them in song and dance.

Another unique characteristic of the Sunsands is their culture of the bonded pair. Like their leaders, almost all adult members of the Sunsands have a pair, with whom the cat is bonded to. This bond is not inherently romantic in nature, though bonded cats are never related by blood. Often these pairs take the form of what could be considered a best-friend relationship, though for others it could be more practical. The ceremonies that bond two cats are not something the Sunsand cats share with outsiders, though, so not much beyond this is know of their tradition.

A smaller group of cats who are comprised mostly of older streetcats, who value hunting ability above all else. Their leader is never an elected position, and instead is the cat who has the most social influence, which is often the hunter than can bring home the most food. The only cats in the Waterplant colony who aren’t full-time hunters are the den monarchs, who also double as the colony’s healers. Retiring to an elder is not common in the Waterplant, as older cats will typically leave to try and find a house to live in or work until they are laid to rest.

The Waterplant cats are not very friendly to other groups, seeing any outsiders as competition for food above all else, and are considered very territorial. Their relationship with the Wayfinders is not very positive, as the Waterplant cats see the Wayfinders as encroaching on their territory.