Deep in the Eastern marshes, the Bogwallow cats make their homes in the most undesirable territory, a wasteland of mud, muck, and wetland. However, their land is home to the colonies’ religious centers: the geysers. With easy access to their ancestors and deities, the Bogwallow cats are the most spiritual cats in the colonies. They claim to have an intense spiritual tie to their deities and claim to be able to see dark spirits such as ghosts, ghouls, and wraiths. Along with constant prayer and devotion, they take it upon themselves to chase them away to keep the balance of the ethereal plane and have a unique relationship with death.
Personality
Bogwallow cats are peculiar little creatures. As a whole, they are watchful and attentive cats, preferring to watch and pick up on little details rather than constantly chatter. They treat all with respect, as if it’s an honor to talk to them. They start all conversations with a bow and welcome, before giving you their full attention. Whatever the subject is, they’ll treat it as of utmost importance. They are cats who are polite and use their manners and tend to be very formal no matter the situation. In colony life, they honor devotion, perseverance and resourcefulness.
Each colony member is devoted to their jobs, friendships, and mates. You could be devoted to being the best hunter in the colony, be the best parent to your litter, or even devote yourself to religion. It doesn’t matter to them, as long as you put your soul into what you do. With a harsh and sometimes bleak life, it brings the colony closer and gives them a goal to achieve, something that they can look towards each day.
Life in the marshes is without a doubt a difficult one, and only cats who are determined and driven can endure it. Resources are low as well, and cats need to be clever and hone their talents for survival. The quick-witted cats are those who can get themselves out of traps, out-smart predators, and find different ways to get food.
Appearance
These cats are the oddest looking in the territories. Believed to be the descendants of the undead brought back to life, cats with pure Bogwallow blood are often mistaken for the undead. They have skeletal-like figures, bony limbs, bulging eyes, and rat-like tails akin to starving corpses. A human might compare them to Cornish Rexes, Selkirk rexes. Cats who aren’t pure blooded have skinner frames and shorter fur than the average cat, such as American short-hairs and American long-hairs. Some cats are a mixture between the Rex and American breeds. All marsh cats have webbed toes, wide eyes, and big ears so they can maneuver the marshes with ease and keep an eye out for any predators. Their fur is always dark, being mostly shades of gray, black, brown, and tortoiseshell. They have little pattering other than tabby or solid coloring. Cats are mostly short-haired, but cats with muddled ancestry tend to have longer fur. There is barely any white spotting to go around, and those that do have it just have small dashes of white on their chests or white toes and tail tips. Eyes tend to be amber, orange, and green.
Culture
The Bogwallow cats have developed a memento mori type of mindset. These cats see the circle of life as a sacred ritual, where life and death must be respected and celebrated. Along with the holy centers at their backdoor, their beliefs have been firmly rooted in their daily everyday lives. They recite hymns at specific times of day, call on saints on times of hardship, pray at every meal caught and eaten, and complete specific rituals to their deceased clan members.
