Nekomata

Nekomatas are a humanoid species native to the northeastern regions of Rutania, which possess varying degrees of feline traits. Broadly, they're separated into two loose groups, dubbed Light Nekomatas and Dark Nekomatas, with both groups having their own common traits specific to them. Both groups are descended from a common species from thousands of years ago, a more monstrous form of catperson much closer to the youkai of Japanese legends that inspired them; through crossbreeding with other humanoids, this old form of Nekomata has by and large gone away, though some traits specific to it do show up from time to time in modern Nekomatas.

Light VS Dark

As mentioned above, modern Nekomatas are broadly categorized into two groups, based on their coloration and traits.

Light Nekomatas

Light Nekomatas are generally the more well-known variety of Nekomata, being primarily native to the Runic Archipelago. These Nekomatas are noteworthy for a couple main traits- first of all, their behaviours are very minimally divorced from that of typical humanoids, having lost much of their more primal or animalistic behaviours over the eons. Despite this, appearance-wise they actually have much more in common with their ancient ancestors than their dark cousins on the mainland do, having a thin coat of fur across their entire body, in addition to a slightly pronounced muzzle. Some even occasionally are born with two tails, a trait from ancient Nekomatas otherwise thought to have been lost.

Light Nekomatas come in an assortment of different hues, primarily whites, light grays, blondes of various hues, and pale browns, among a multitude of other light or pastel shades. Some are also known to be born with darker colors more commonly associated with dark Nekomatas; sometimes this is due to crossover between the two subspecies, sometimes this is just a chance mutation, or it can also be the result of the influence of other species, such as humans. Light Nekomatas are also particularly known to have patterned coats, though this trait is somewhat rare; this especially tends to happen in individuals with a Nekomata parent and a non-Nekomata parent.

Dark Nekomatas

Dark Nekomatas are the more obscure subspecies of Nekomata, given their being native to the nation of Eclipse, an otherwise obscure land with relatively little interaction with the outside world by modern standards. These Nekomatas are surprisingly different from their light cousins, having shed more of their feline appearances, mostly just maintaining the tail, ears, and very sharp claws, and having also maintained more of the animalistic behaviours characteristic of their ancestors. Where light Nekomatas don't exhibit cat-like behaviour very often, dark Nekomatas do. Given the environment they live in, with frequent cloud cover, rain, and the thick canopies prevalent in the swamps of Eclipse, they also have retained much of the ancient Nekomatas' exceptional night vision, along with typically exhibiting other enhanced senses, and on occasion even extra senses; aura senses of varying types tend to be rather common.

Dark Nekomatas, similarly to their light cousins, also can have an assortment of colorations to their hair, though they lack the full-body coat light Nekomatas have. Dark shades of gray, black, and brown are particularly common, but other dark colors are also known to appear in dark Nekomatas, particularly greens and blues. Likewise, they can also sometimes appear with much lighter hair, typically in similar contexts to light Nekomatas with dark coats. However, unlike their light cousins, dark Nekomatas do not generally exhibit multiple shades in their hair, though it's not unheard of.