Mythic Origins

In an desert city now lost to time, once lived a woman named Zarqa. Although she was only a commoner, she was highly prized by the Maharaja who ruled. So valuable was Zarqa to him, that he assigned a section of his personal bodyguards, the Medjai Nimir, to ensure her protection and well-being. The city boasted riches of gold and precious gems, fertile farmlands, and an ample water source that kept the area lush all year. It was a hub for trade, but also an attraction for marauders who wanted the city's spoils.

Zarqa was vital in thwarting attacks as she could see a week into the future and used this ability to detect enemies and forthcoming attacks. Each time she had a vision, she passed the information on to the Maharaja's generals who devised an appropriate strategy. The city stood as a stronghold for decades.

One day, Zarqa began to talk of the trees moving towards the city which held an enemy army behind them. This seemed preposterous to the generals, who doubted her, certain that she was suffering from mental strain. They decided to ignore her warning, convinced she was finally going mad. A week after she first told of her visions, the trees were in range and the army who hid behind them in hopes of evading Zarqa's gaze emerged, ready to fight.

The battle was bloody, and in the end, every male in the city was slain, leaving only the Medjai Nimir, the Maharaja, and Zarqa cornered in the palace. Overwhelmed by numbers, they too fell with Zarqa saved for last. Her end was horrific, seeing her eyes tore out before she was crucified.

The disbelief of her guardians and their failure to protect Zarqa led to the bloodlines of the Medjai Nimir being cursed. They were turned into leopards and given powers that would enable them to hunt their enemies and exact revenge. The guilt they carried turned into a need for forgiveness, eventually morphing into a need to reassure and be reassured.

Leadership & Social Structure

Although cat-based lycanthropy is less contagious than other strains, leading to lower overall numbers, wereleopards are one of the most populous breeds.

Groups of wereleopards are referred to as a Pard, ruled by either a Nimir-Ra (Queen) or a Nimir-Raj (King).

The social structure is partially based on dominance, however alphas and leaders are not compelled to actively protect other members. Those who do are termed Léoparde Lionné, while those who do not are Lion Passants.

More important to the nature of a pard is the need for emotional reassurance and physical connections. Pard members will frequently touch or rub against each other in passing, lounge together, or sleep in a group.

General Traits & Abilities

As with all the big-cat strains of lycanthropy, werelopards are skilled stalkers and hunters, moving with natural grace and stealth, possessing a few ways to camouflage their sight and scents from others. In comparison though, they excel at climbing, capable of climbing just about anything except glass and other objects designed to prevent it.

Wereleopards can use the same force that creates emotional bonds to inflict others with nightmares, and/or cause problems with their target's ability to think and communicate clearly. Because they tend to be slightly smaller than their cousin species, wereleopards may need to cause distractions and use the opportunity to escape more than the larger predators, but this does not make them any less deadly.