Post by Shy on May 11, 2021 13:04:37 GMT
Single: Nekomata
Plural: Nekomata
Female: Queen
Male: Tom
Group: Clowder of Nekomata
Young: Kitten(s)
General Information
The Nekomata are infamous felines, though while most legends do retain a grain of truth their reputations for killing mortals is often highly exaggerated. Nekomata do not take kindly to being deceived and they have the magical ability to curse the offender - usually they operate on a 'let the punishment fit the crime' mentality. For example, if one were to steal something precious from a Nekomata, then that individual would in turn find that everything they deem precious would be stolen from them. Though Nekomata prefer to live in the mountains, it's not unheard of for them to venture down to inhabited areas should they seek something otherwise unobtainable from their mountain home or should they take a liking to a particular person. Nekomata do not often travel in groups, but occasionally they will congregate together for other reasons. All Nekomata are capable of mindspeech.
Every Nekomata is given an identifying magatama necklace shortly after their birth. Kits are often tested for their magical affinity, and once said affinity is discovered they will be given a magatama necklace with the singular bead matching the type of magic they specialize in. White, for example, is regarded by the Nekomata as the color of luck - therefore, a Nekomata kit with an affinity for magic that results in bad luck or good luck will be given a white magatama. Another example is the gold magatama, which symbolizes wealth. Nekomata kits with a gold magatama can bless an individual with a large fortune, or take it all away in an instant. Their ranks are decided based upon the magatama that they wear.
In terms of coloration, a Nekomata can come in any coat pattern. Tabby is the most common, with calicos and tortoiseshells being rare. As with modern cats, those with calico or tortoiseshell coats tend to be female. When a male is born with a calico coat, they are usually sterile and unable to reproduce.
Mating Information
Nekomata tend to live a very long time, albeit with the exception of the male calico, and as such it is up to the Nekomata themself to decide whether they wish to pursue a mate. While Nekomata bearing a pink magatama tend to have the most luck in chases due to their bead representing love and romance, any rank can breed with another. Typically they do not mate for life, but there have been cases where two Nekomata have remained loyal to each other up until one of them died. When a queen is ready to mate, they will kick up quite a ruckus by yowling for the attention of any nearby males. Nekomata often do not go through the process of a chase, but rather the mating will happen right then and there - it is not uncommon for queens to bear kits that have different fathers.
Bonding Information
Though Nekomata do not often bond to mortals due to them being much longer-lived, there are times when they do. The Nekomata will only bond to those honorable in spirit and truthful. If they discover any possibility that a mortal may abuse their magic for their own benefit, they will expel that individual from participating. Nekomata bondings are on the smaller side as they often split into groups of up to six to explore differing areas for worthy mortals.
Naming Information
Nekomata often come pre-named, but should kits be involved in a bonding there is an option for their Bonded to name them. They will only accept names in Japanese or Chinese.
Ranks
White Magatama
******
Unsurprisingly, the white magatamas are some of the most sought-after rank but also some of the rarest. This rank consists almost completely of Nekomata with calico coats, though every now and then there are some other Nekomata with differing fur colors among this rank. The white magatamas are proud to be the inspiration behind the maneki-neko as the luck-bringers of the Nekomata. They are arguably some of the most powerful as well, as they can inflict bad luck just as easily as they can bring good luck and are not limited to one specific area of luck as the rest of their kin are. It's not uncommon for a white magatama to require a sacrifice of something that a mortal values greatly in exchange for their aid, though they retain the right to refuse if the offering does not please them. White magatama queens tend to bear litters of seven kittens.
Green Magatama
****
Green Magatamas are the healers, with their magic being able to cure sickness and injury or inflict it. They are the least vengeful of their kin, so while they are capable of cursing others with terminal illnesses or life-threatening injury they would much rather avoid having blood on their paws. Nekomata of this rank are also quite fond of matcha tea and will accept offerings of it in exchange for the healing of a loved one from an illness. Green magatamas are also surprisingly affectionate and have excellent bedside manner, often curling up with their patients to comfort them the best that they are able to while their magic works on healing them back to full health. Should a green magatama queen bear kittens, she will have at most five in one litter.
Pink Magatama
***
Pink Magatamas are experts on love and romance. Though their magic is a bit more limited than those of their kin as they cannot make others fall in love, pink magatamas can certainly make their bonded appear more desirable as a life partner. Rather than rely on their magic to encourage the development of romantic relationships, however, they prefer giving advice that is far more likely to help in the long term. Mortals with pink magatamas as companions often find themselves not only finding love, but having long-lasting relationships regardless of whether marriage is part of the equation. Pink magatamas also have a certain allure about them that results in them being highly successful in finding love themselves, and females may bear up to six kittens.
Red Magatama
**
The color red is that of protection, and indeed that is what red magatama Nekomata pride themselves on. Though their magic may not be materially beneficial, such as the gold magatamas, you will hardly find yourself a more staunch defender. While red magatamas will prioritize life over material goods, they will also guard objects of great sentimental value if necessary. No matter the situation, red magatamas are the most level-headed of the Nekomata and are not prone to panicking if confronted with a dangerous situation - if their bonded's house is on fire they will immediately jump into action and have their bonded escorted out of the burning building as well as any other creatures first. Should a red magatama have kittens, they will have at most four kits with their kits being of any rank.
Gold Magatama
*
The most common of the Nekomata, those bearing gold magatama have wealth-based magic. They do not take well to greedy or miserly individuals who would seek only to use their power to make themself richer solely for their own benefit, but are more likely to reach out to aid those who may be in need of money for the support of others. No matter how much, a gold magatama will always give a person what they need to better support the people around them. This also goes for providing wealth via other means. If an individual runs a business, then with the influence of a gold magatama's magic the business will prosper. Should a gold magatama queen have kits, she will have a litter of five at most with said kittens being of any rank.
Plural: Nekomata
Female: Queen
Male: Tom
Group: Clowder of Nekomata
Young: Kitten(s)
General Information
The Nekomata are infamous felines, though while most legends do retain a grain of truth their reputations for killing mortals is often highly exaggerated. Nekomata do not take kindly to being deceived and they have the magical ability to curse the offender - usually they operate on a 'let the punishment fit the crime' mentality. For example, if one were to steal something precious from a Nekomata, then that individual would in turn find that everything they deem precious would be stolen from them. Though Nekomata prefer to live in the mountains, it's not unheard of for them to venture down to inhabited areas should they seek something otherwise unobtainable from their mountain home or should they take a liking to a particular person. Nekomata do not often travel in groups, but occasionally they will congregate together for other reasons. All Nekomata are capable of mindspeech.
Every Nekomata is given an identifying magatama necklace shortly after their birth. Kits are often tested for their magical affinity, and once said affinity is discovered they will be given a magatama necklace with the singular bead matching the type of magic they specialize in. White, for example, is regarded by the Nekomata as the color of luck - therefore, a Nekomata kit with an affinity for magic that results in bad luck or good luck will be given a white magatama. Another example is the gold magatama, which symbolizes wealth. Nekomata kits with a gold magatama can bless an individual with a large fortune, or take it all away in an instant. Their ranks are decided based upon the magatama that they wear.
In terms of coloration, a Nekomata can come in any coat pattern. Tabby is the most common, with calicos and tortoiseshells being rare. As with modern cats, those with calico or tortoiseshell coats tend to be female. When a male is born with a calico coat, they are usually sterile and unable to reproduce.
Mating Information
Nekomata tend to live a very long time, albeit with the exception of the male calico, and as such it is up to the Nekomata themself to decide whether they wish to pursue a mate. While Nekomata bearing a pink magatama tend to have the most luck in chases due to their bead representing love and romance, any rank can breed with another. Typically they do not mate for life, but there have been cases where two Nekomata have remained loyal to each other up until one of them died. When a queen is ready to mate, they will kick up quite a ruckus by yowling for the attention of any nearby males. Nekomata often do not go through the process of a chase, but rather the mating will happen right then and there - it is not uncommon for queens to bear kits that have different fathers.
Bonding Information
Though Nekomata do not often bond to mortals due to them being much longer-lived, there are times when they do. The Nekomata will only bond to those honorable in spirit and truthful. If they discover any possibility that a mortal may abuse their magic for their own benefit, they will expel that individual from participating. Nekomata bondings are on the smaller side as they often split into groups of up to six to explore differing areas for worthy mortals.
Naming Information
Nekomata often come pre-named, but should kits be involved in a bonding there is an option for their Bonded to name them. They will only accept names in Japanese or Chinese.
Ranks
White Magatama
******
Unsurprisingly, the white magatamas are some of the most sought-after rank but also some of the rarest. This rank consists almost completely of Nekomata with calico coats, though every now and then there are some other Nekomata with differing fur colors among this rank. The white magatamas are proud to be the inspiration behind the maneki-neko as the luck-bringers of the Nekomata. They are arguably some of the most powerful as well, as they can inflict bad luck just as easily as they can bring good luck and are not limited to one specific area of luck as the rest of their kin are. It's not uncommon for a white magatama to require a sacrifice of something that a mortal values greatly in exchange for their aid, though they retain the right to refuse if the offering does not please them. White magatama queens tend to bear litters of seven kittens.
Green Magatama
****
Green Magatamas are the healers, with their magic being able to cure sickness and injury or inflict it. They are the least vengeful of their kin, so while they are capable of cursing others with terminal illnesses or life-threatening injury they would much rather avoid having blood on their paws. Nekomata of this rank are also quite fond of matcha tea and will accept offerings of it in exchange for the healing of a loved one from an illness. Green magatamas are also surprisingly affectionate and have excellent bedside manner, often curling up with their patients to comfort them the best that they are able to while their magic works on healing them back to full health. Should a green magatama queen bear kittens, she will have at most five in one litter.
Pink Magatama
***
Pink Magatamas are experts on love and romance. Though their magic is a bit more limited than those of their kin as they cannot make others fall in love, pink magatamas can certainly make their bonded appear more desirable as a life partner. Rather than rely on their magic to encourage the development of romantic relationships, however, they prefer giving advice that is far more likely to help in the long term. Mortals with pink magatamas as companions often find themselves not only finding love, but having long-lasting relationships regardless of whether marriage is part of the equation. Pink magatamas also have a certain allure about them that results in them being highly successful in finding love themselves, and females may bear up to six kittens.
Red Magatama
**
The color red is that of protection, and indeed that is what red magatama Nekomata pride themselves on. Though their magic may not be materially beneficial, such as the gold magatamas, you will hardly find yourself a more staunch defender. While red magatamas will prioritize life over material goods, they will also guard objects of great sentimental value if necessary. No matter the situation, red magatamas are the most level-headed of the Nekomata and are not prone to panicking if confronted with a dangerous situation - if their bonded's house is on fire they will immediately jump into action and have their bonded escorted out of the burning building as well as any other creatures first. Should a red magatama have kittens, they will have at most four kits with their kits being of any rank.
Gold Magatama
*
The most common of the Nekomata, those bearing gold magatama have wealth-based magic. They do not take well to greedy or miserly individuals who would seek only to use their power to make themself richer solely for their own benefit, but are more likely to reach out to aid those who may be in need of money for the support of others. No matter how much, a gold magatama will always give a person what they need to better support the people around them. This also goes for providing wealth via other means. If an individual runs a business, then with the influence of a gold magatama's magic the business will prosper. Should a gold magatama queen have kits, she will have a litter of five at most with said kittens being of any rank.