Felenids

The Felenids are a race of artificially created Beastkin, possessing feline-like qualities, of every species, although the most common subspecies sports the appearance of cats. Biologically they also possess many feline qualities, such as superb night vision, agility, and razor-sharp claws. Although the first felenids were somewhat genetically stable, as time marched on genetic degradation took hold of the few left in the modern era, causing rampant mutation, sterility, and sickness among the populations left. The felenids did not evolve naturally. They were first created during the Ninth Gate War by the Forgotten and their Dark Prince. 

Using the otherworldly energies that poured through the Ninth Gate, the first generation of felenids were created by involuntarily mutating Kottor beastkin slaves that had been captured throughout the war. With their original minds and personalities destroyed they served as fierce foot soldiers in the Forgotten's chimera army, bringing terror and destruction wherever they went. However despite their eventual defeat, tens of thousands of felenids would survive the war and fled into the wild. Now free of the Forgottens influence they would build small isolated tribal societies far outside the reach of civilization.  

All hate the felenids, save for worshipers of the Forgotten and those whose pity overcomes centuries of hatred and disgust. Reviled by the Elderkin as dark abominations and perversions of nature, only the most genetically stable find places as servants, slaves, and auxiliaries in Elderkin society. The majority of mankind views the felenids as less than human, disgusting creatures that mock the human form. Most often are confined to specific quarters within human cities if not outright exterminated or forced out, often due to the memories of Gate Wars, while many other Lesser and Beastkin see them in much the same light. 

WIP.

The felenids can trace their creation back to the Ninth Gate War. The war began when Prince Hadoran, crown monarch of the Principality of Velta betrayed his people and opened the Ninth Gate for the Forgotten. The dark energies that poured out of the Accursed Realm through the gate corrupted the people and creatures of Velta, transforming them into mutant chimera's bound to the Forgotten's will. With this new army at their command the Forgotten launched a war of global conquest. 

For years the war would rage on across Ciradon and Parthus with little standing in their way. However there was one country in East Parthus that was a continuous thorn in the Forgotten's plans. A Kottor beastkin nation known as the Bosantu Empire was able to inflict surprising losses against the Forgotten’s army utilizing a combination of physical prowess, supply line disruptions, and hit and run tactics. They were led by a brilliant Kottur general nicknamed Mishindi, who had studied under the Elderkin on how to confront the dark ones. His exploits would earn him the nickname Mishindi the Magnificent. 

To this day he is still considered one of the most revered Beastkin of all time. Under his command the Bosantu Empire was able to temporarily halt the Forgotten’s advance through East Parthus. However these defeats only caught the interest of the Forgotten who came to respect the Kottur’s strength and ability. Instead of directly confronting the Bosantu Empire they focused on capturing the surrounding tribes and nations. When the time came they then launched an all out attack with overwhelming numbers and the most fearsome of the Forgotten’s otherworldly creations, quickly overrunning the Empire. 

Millions would be killed during the fall of the Bosantu Empire. Many would consider them to be the lucky ones after what followed next. The entire Kottur population of Bosantu was enslaved. Mishindi the Magnificent himself was captured and brought through the ninth gate to the Forgotten’s realm. Here the Prince of Darkness Hadoran himself would experiment on him with his vile magic. His mind destroyed and his body warped, Mishindi was involuntarily transformed into the first Felenid. He was then dispatched to confront the Champions of Sperrhis and stop their quest to close the ninth gate.

Most of the Kottur enslaved by the Forgotten’s conquest would soon suffer the same fate. Those that survived the first few tortures days of their existence would be used on battlefields across Tyrrell as elite forces, infiltrators, and shock troops. At the peak of the Ninth Gate War millions of felenids would be created, becoming one of the most common types of mutant to be deployed. Eventually however the Ninth Gate would be sealed by the Champions of Sperrhis, and the creation of new mutants would be halted permanently. Without their creators crontrol the armies of felenids began to fall apart in the face of global counterattacks. 

When the Ninth Gate War came to a close the Felenid population was devastated with only around 50,000 remaining alive. Many more would be killed in the aftermath with some taken prisoner by the nations of the world. Others however would manage to escape into the wild, especially in East Parthus where efforts to mop up the remaining chimeras from the Ninth Gate were largely incomplete. Now free from the Forgotten's control, these felenids would slowly develop their own cultures and traditions as they evolved into feared and anathematized creatures.

• Artwork by Werewolff Studios

• Originally created by DarthWinter.