Fell Kitty

Fell Kitties are a timeless custom, the origins of which have been lost in the sands of time. The idea is that simple, aimless spells are woven into a little rag doll cat made for the purpose and placed in a house window facing the street, said to keep out evil spirits.

While seemingly no culture has written records of Fell Kitties, miraculously preserved specimens possibly dating back as far as the Dissolute Time of Poorhouses have been found, perhaps from even earlier. There is no set design for Fell Kitty dolls, but they are usually meant to be humble and simple, often made from scraps of sacks and straw. Sometimes they show signs of good craftswork, but they are almost never intentionally ornate. Fell Kitties, in spite of being mere dolls (or perhaps because of), are popular targets for Siffl vandalism.

The "kitty spells" themselves have been passed down by word of mouth for countless generations, and there are many of them. Some examples follow:

Ancient paupers' Fell Kitty charms. Asivis, c1000 A.S.

Rough translation; Set forward, prepare spirit, and hold spirit. (Origin uncertain.) c500 A.S.

Meaning and origin unknown, but it sounds Orcish.

While anyone can invoke a Fell Kitty, only those imbued by someone with magical talent are wardens against tangible evils. The doll used must have been specifically created for the purpose of using it as a Fell Kitty, or else the spells will fail. It is worth noting that the spells invoked do not need to be any of the afore mentioned "kitty spells". A meaningless magical chant, or anything magical at all will do, it seems.

Fell Kitties are intended to scare off evil spirits, or occasionally destroy them should they roam into the house. However, the magical nature of Fell Kitties is too benign to do much damage to an actual spirit, and more often than not they merely trap spirits within themselves (which can have rather unpleasant consequences in the long run.)

Use of Fell Kitties has been rapidly declining in recent decades due to the rise of the Fell Cat (see below.) These abberations are caused by a buildup of evil spirits in the doll itself (one Fell Kitty lasts indefinitely, and aren't usually replaced). Eventually, the spirits amalgamate into a sort of demon, possessing the doll which then takes on a sinister life of it's own. In some places now, only professional magic users are permitted to invoke Fell Kitties (as their more refined magicks easily withstand permeatation by evil spirits.) The surest sign of a posessed Fell Kitty, is a vacant (often broken) window in the morning, and a dead Siffl beneath it.

Fell Cat

The Fell Cat is a demonic perversion of the tradition of the Fell Kitty (see above.) A Fell Cat is a vicious creature, in spite of it's central form being in most cases a rag doll, it is easily capable of killing. Depending on the degree of possession, Fell Cats may develop fangs and sharp claws making them all the more deadly. Many are capable of performing rudimentary dark magicks, and all are capable of magically repairing themselves should they sustain harm.

Vanquishing a Fell Cat is surprisingly difficult. The original Kitty charms warp, and depending on what purpose they were initially invoked for, they will bestow different protections upon the Fell Cat. Though it is not uncommon for them to be able to resist flames, fire is usually an effective weapon against them. They can be vanquished by non-magical means, and in some cases they are easier to destroy with steel than with spell.

Drawn together by their common nature, Fell Cats have been known to dwell in packs, though they only very rarely hunt or travel in numbers greater than three. They are fortunately, usually quite solitary, but stumbling upon a gathering of Fell Cats is usually instantly fatal.

The worst known instance of Fell Cat assault ocurred a scant three years ago in a remote Nevian village in southeastern Nova. Evidently, the entire town's collection of Fell Kitties became possessed in a single night. There were no survivors.

In the past, devious and powerful individuals alike have attempted to reign Fell Cats in to their own ends. No remains of any such individual have ever been found.