Appearance

Frost cats are massive, stocky felines that are built like a tank. They stand at about five feet at the shoulders, and are twice as tall when on their hind legs. Their furs is thick and luxuriously warm, and comes in many shades of white, cream, and grey. They have many types of coat patterns to help them blend into their mountain home.

Beneath their thick fur is a muscular body. Their front paws are larger than their back paws, and have six inch claws made covered in a layer of rock hard ice. The paws of a frost cat act like snowshoes, with lots of fur and small pads to conserve warmth. Their tails are twice as long as their body, and used to keep balance as they leap along rocky cliffs.

The most startling feature of the frost cat are their large icy fangs and horns. Their horns grow in many different shapes, and are used for impaling prey and breaking through rock and hard pack snow.

Abilities

Frost cats are incredibly strong, and are able to haul large prey up sheer cliff faces. Their back paws can rotate, allowing them to climb down cliffs and trees more easily. They can gouge through rock with their claws, and even crush stone.

They move silently through snow, and are so stealthy that they can sneak up on their prey and ambush them. They also have incredible stamina; while not the fastest creatures, frost cats can trot or walk for great distances before needing to rest.

Some frost cats have even learned to manipulate snow and ice magics, using it to whip up cover to further take their prey by surprise. The furs of a frost cat is also said to be the warmest in the world, allowing them to withstand frigid temperatures that most people cannot survive in.

Culture

Frost cats are solitary creatures, and only come together to mate. Cubs live with their mothers for the first fourteen years of their lives, learning the skills necessary to survive in the mountains and tundras. They have such vast territories that when a female is in heat she calls for males, who may be several hundred miles away. If two males should approach a female at the same time, they’ll fight until one gives up for the other dies.

These creatures are very reclusive, and are rarely seen in the wild, though they have been known to stalk travelers on their way through the mountains if precautions aren’t taken. These cases are few and far between, as hunting frost cats for their fur has rendered them wary of humans.

Frost cats can be tamed, and make excellent mounts. They must be treated with respect, because if not they’re shown due respect they will turn savage and maul their masters. They’re intelligent enough to understand the common tongue, and can understand slights against them and their pride.

These vain creatures will spend hours a day grooming and sharpening their claws and horns, and many are fond of a good brushing, especially in spring when their coats blow out.