Often believed to be the oldest species of kiarrcat, Forests are said to be the ancestors of all other breeds. It's not hard to see why. Forests have a medium build, without any extreme adaptations. They might be considered the 'common folk' of Ryll, and indeed, due to the expanse and richness of their habitat, they are very numerous. Forests are excellent climbers and spend just as much time in the trees as they do on the ground, but they feel ill at ease in exposed environments, lost without their trees.
Forest kiarrcats are very wide-ranging. They don't generally inhabit dense jungle, preferring to leave that habitat to the more heat adapted Rainforests, but any other wooded area is fair game. Temperate woodlands are their favourite home, and these areas play host to some of the largest clans on Ryll, reaching perhaps two hundred individuals. Many Forests build their homes in the trees themselves, often using their innate abilities to sculpt the living wood to their liking. The woodlands around their homes are often highly managed, though they don't appear so at first glance. Forests like to encourage fruit trees and herbs for food and medicine, bioluminescent plants for lighting, and habitats for prey animals - often these plants have been specially bred and modified by the Forests themselves over generations of care. In warmer, subtropical woods, they often form mixed species communities with Rainforests.
At the colder edge of their range, Forests will also settle in pine woods close to the poles or on mountainsides, though these communities are much smaller. As forests don't do well in the bitter taiga winters, these communities have the odd honour of being home to some of the few kiarrcats who wear anything approaching clothes. They're simple enough - thick cloaks and simple sock/boot/glove constructs for the paws, but certainly an oddity. Most of the time, though, these snowbound kiarrcats prefer to stay inside their dens and snuggle up for warmth when the cold becomes too much to bear. They will trade with Polars and Mountains, who often visit these forests in the winter.
- Average height at shoulder: 83cm
- Comfortable temperature range: 0 to 30C
Traits and Abilities
- Climbing: Forests are excellent climbers, esqually at home on the ground or in the trees.
- Agrophobia: Simply put, Forests don't like to be away from the trees and feel uncomfortable in wide open spaces. This can range from mild unease all the way to full blown panic.