Races: Cabbits
Names: Cabbit (general) Beastfolk (nickname), Tom (males), Dame (females), Kit (children), Varmint (derogatory)
Biology: Cabbits are a furred, beastlike race with traits resembling a mix between felines and lagomorphs. Standing roughly 1.5 meters(4ft, 11in.), Cabbits are completely covered in soft fur which length varies between individuals. Most Cabbits prefer hot and temperate climates but those with long fur tend to prefer colder regions. Coat colors almost always match those found in domestic cats, so colors and patterns can vary wildly.
They tend to have mostly rabbit features save for a few traits which always present as feline. Each member has a long furry tail which does emote the same as a domestic cat's. Pupils are slitted vertically and they have excellent night vision in dark areas such as caves. They have retractable claws and sharp fangs which suggest they are carnivores but they can digest plant matter just fine, preferring root vegetables such as carrots and onions above other options. They also have the ability to purr when happy or stressed.
All Cabbits walk with a digitigrade posture. They have a high running speed compared to all other races thanks to their muscled legs and elongated rabbitlike feet. Their long ears can be standard or flop down, comparable to some domestic rabbits, though this doesn't negate their excellent hearing. Despite all their heightened senses, Cabbits tend to be somewhat fragile. Other than legs, they lack a lot of muscle and sturdiness. However, there are record of a rare, "feral" variant of Cabbits which are somewhat taller and bulkier which instead borrow traits from wildcats and hares. They tend to be more solitary and aggressive than their smaller civil cousins, and partially walk in a quadrupedal manner, especially when stalking or hunting prey.
Life Cycle: Cabbits often live fast and die young, but those who put effort into taking good care of their health can live upwards of 80-95 years. Females have a heat cycle in which they become fertile during the spring and autumn months. Males go through a similar change during these times. They become somewhat more aggressive and rambunctious which is only amplified when females are present. Males will compete and fight with each other for the right to mate. Once impregnated, the female will give birth around nine months later in either winter or summer time. Usually a Dame will have a single kit, though twins and triplets are not unheard of. The mother will not return to her regular heat cycle for another year, however. Kits are born blind and deaf so the mother devotes much of her time caring for it. They kit's begins to respond to sound at around a month old and eyes open soon after.
The young kit will start crawling around at three months and their first set of teeth start to emerge at around six months. The weaning begins at this age and the young kits learn to walk as well. They are then considered toddlers. They enter childhood by age 3 and should be speaking full sentences by then. They reach sexual maturity by age 13, and considered fully mature by 16. Females start entering menopause by age 35. Males stay fertile but have reduced potency by the time they reach their middle ages.
Culture: Cabbits are a free-spirited people thanks to their love of life's pleasures and penchant for wanderlust. They face widespread discrimination due to them have little understanding for so many rules and restrictions existing in everyday society, so end up being labeled as thieves, drug dealers, trespassers, and other petty criminals. While many Cabbits struggle to get by, their intentions are rarely malicious. They end up in a cycle of being distrusted, so resort to commiting crimes to survive, which only adds fuel to the distrust. Some territories even outright ban Cabbits from entering their borders and avoiding their crime rates completely.
Most Cabbits live a nomadic lifestyle relying on their cunning and the bounty of nature to survive. Males prefer to live solitary lives while females sometimes choose to travel in small groups of up to three or four, either for added protection or child rearing assistance. Mothers will abandon their kits upon reaching 11-12 years of age, before their first heat cycle. Kits tend to stick together for a few more years regardless of gender. The males will fully part ways before age 16 and settle into solitary lives, only breaking solitude during spring and autumn if they catch wind of nearby females.
When Cabbits do manage to assimilate into modern society, the outlook for them is still not very good. Their hedonism is among their biggest weaknesses and many succomb to alcoholism, drug abuse, vagrancy, thievery, prostitution, and eventually imprisonment. However, some manage to overcome their temptations and becomes successful members of their communities. They dont always fit in with the definition of "normal" but their quick wit and creative passions make them excellent detectives, hunters, artists, musicians, and performers, and thrive best along the fringes of their community.
Trivia: There are rumors about the origin of Cabbits that have persisted for centuries. The legend goes that they were two older, now-extinct races that existed millennia ago; one catlike and the other rabbitlike. One was on the verge of extinction so the two bred together in an effort to preserve their numbers. Over time, the hybrid children proved so successful at surviving that they eventually outcompeted their parents to the point of wiping out both. Though these are merely rumors.
Notable members: Porch, one of the founding members of the Heroes for Hire.