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“It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”

A look into the Chakat.

Appearance and Characteristics

Chakats are a predominantly feline centauroid-like species. The basic body structure comprises two main torsos joined at right angles at a common 'waist', with the head appearing on top of the upright upper torso in the same manner as upright bipeds. While technically quadrupeds, Chakats in fact have six limbs in total - the four walking limbs are attached to the lower torso, while the remaining two limbs function as arms and are attached to the top of the upper torso.

The height of a fully grown adult Chakat is about 1.5 to 1.7 metres (5 to 5' 8" approx.), and an adult Chakat weighs between 160 to 200kg (350 to 440lb approx.). Life expectancy is approximately 150 years.

* Fur Colour

The head is usually densely covered with hair which, left uncut, can grow to resemble a mane which extends partly down the spine. (There are the occasional exceptions where a Chakat does not have head hair, such as the Cheetah Chakat variant, or hybrids.) The rest of the body is covered with dense fur which, in winter phase, is resistant to the worst of cold and windy weather. This includes the breasts where the nipples are often only seen as bumps under the fur, except when they are swollen temporarily due to sexual arousal, or for extended periods due to lactation (i.e. when nursing cubs). However, Chakats do not like extremely hot conditions although they can tolerate them for a while, especially if they have their summer phase fur which is shorter and thinner than the winter phase. They are most comfortable at temperatures between five and twenty two degrees Celsius. The fur is sometimes groomed in the feline manner of tongue-washing. This not only cleans the fur, but because their saliva has antiseptic qualities, it can help heal cuts and abrasions that they have incurred. However, Chakats will usually leave the bulk of the fur cleaning to a bath or shower.

Due to an oversight during their original creation, fur color was never locked in. As a result of their mixed heritage and a quirk of the genetic engineering process, they are in the unique situation where colour and pattern is nearly totally random. Chakats can be tiger-striped, leopard-spotted or plain-coated, light or dark. Non-feline patterns also occur. No two coat markings are completely alike, which is a good thing as they tend to look very similar otherwise. It is rarely possible to tell family members by fur pattern as frequently they look nothing alike.

* Upper Body Description

The upper torso is very human-like but is unusually supple. They are able to twist around and reach any part of their body with little effort. The junction of the upper and lower spines occurs in a specially modified forward hip arrangement that protects the spinal cord through the ninety degree bend. The upper torso is fairly short so the center of gravity is kept down to improve their balance. They have a lot of strength in proportion to their large mass and lower-body capabilities and are therefore much stronger than the average human. Their hands are very human with the exception of the nails, which are more clawlike, and tougher skin.

The ears are fairly large and highly mobile and expressive. They can hear much higher and lower frequencies than humans, typically from 15 Hz to 75000 Hz, and at amplitudes of only -20 dB, rivalling the best in the animal world.

Their eyes can perceive the full range of visible light (approximately 380nm to 700nm), and is very sharp at both close and far distances. They can also see into the Near Ultraviolet (NUV) a.k.a Black Light (200nm to 380nm), and partially into the infrared (700nm to 1550nm). This enables them to see colours that most animals cannot. For example, there are flower colours only visible in the UV range which bees can see. They are also able to see the infrared lasers used in optical fibres. They cannot see into the longer IR wavelengths such as heat waves. Night vision is truly excellent. They can perceive color at lower light levels than humans and, in what we would consider pitch darkness, they can still see very clearly although only in black & white. Eye color is most often green, but many variations exist, such as a bright crystal blue.

The muzzle is not particularly prominent but is fairly broad, being typically feline in shape. Their nose is able to smell scents almost as good as the best tracker dogs because their nasal cavities have almost as much scent-detecting surface area as the most sensitive of animals that hunt by smell. Being omnivores, they have both grinding molars and canine teeth which are quite conspicuous. A Chakat grin can be a bit unnerving to those people unfamiliar with them. Although their faces are very similar to their wild counterparts, they possess complex facial muscles which, like humans, enable them to express all the emotional nuances that their wild relatives cannot.

The breasts are highly modified, there being less fatty tissue and more of a fibrous sponge-like material, plus support ligaments. Chakat breasts have been adapted to store fluid when not lactating, and this gives them the ability to go a longer time without drinking if necessary (But don't call them camels if you don't wish to be swatted!). This fluid is actually a modified form of their normal milk, but it is low in solids and fats and has a higher concentration of sugars and vitamins, etcetera. It is a natural "power drink" that allows a chakat to go without eating for a while when under heavy exertion. It also considered to be a healthy tonic for persons who are ill; a sort of natural alternative to the classic chicken soup! This fluid reserve, which they call milkwater, is available to others by the obvious method in case of need: e.g. a thirsty cub who can't store as much as an adult. These adaptations have the side-effect of making the breasts quite firm and "outstanding", but does not mean that they grow excessively large. This is true also for young chakats who are significantly developed from an early age, and is not indicative of sexual maturity. The modifications also mean that Chakats virtually have a built-in sports bra that supports the breasts and greatly reduces undesirable bouncing.

A pregnant chakat will start developing proper mother's milk a few days before giving birth. During this time, a hormone called chakafertizine (CKF) is also released into the milk. Any sexually mature chakat that drinks this milk will have hir own production of mother's milk started. This is how the mate of the pregnant chakat can share nursing duties with hir. It is usually done after the cub has had hir first feed from the mother and is one of the reasons that the sire of the cub is always present at the birth unless extraordinary circumstances prevent hir from doing so. The mother gives the cub hir first feed immediately after birth, then drains hir mate's breasts to replenish the fluids and nutrients lost during the birthing and feeding. Hir mate then drinks a mouthful of the remaining mother's milk whereupon the CKF-laced fluid stimulates the sire's now-empty breasts to produce mother's milk for their cub. Chakat cubs are fed on this almost exclusively for the first year of their lives, and are only finally completely weaned around halfway into their second year. CKF is the primary control hormone for all sexually related matters, enabling balance between male and female modes, and stabilisation of the other hormone production (thereby preventing morning sickness for one thing). It is the greatly increased level of CKF that a Chakat produces upon fertilisation that shi can sense, thereby knowing shi is pregnant.

* Lower Body Description

The lower torso is quite solidly built and is very strong. Without a load, they can move very fast and leap a couple of meters high effortlessly. With an appropriate harness, they can carry the load of a pack horse. All four paws have retractable claws and the front paws have elongated toes with the dewclaw modified into a semi-thumb. This does not interfere with walking or running, but it does enable them to grasp objects. When in a sitting position, they have the use of an extra pair of hands, the grip being crude but very strong. Along with the ability to rotate their forelegs freely, this enables them to climb extremely well.

The tail is quite long, about 1.5 metres by age 20, and slightly bushy. It is very strong, very thickly muscled and prehensile. It can hold moderately sized objects, anchor or brace the body and helps counterbalance the upper torso. It can be a very effective surprise weapon in combat. The only drawback is that it is fully furred and lacks any gripping surface, therefore the grasp can slide on slippery objects. It has enough strength to support the entire body weight for a short time and act as an anchor for an extended period. It is also a highly expressive part of their anatomy; able to convey a lot of body language. A sure sign of intimacy for chakats is when they entwine their tail around another's, irrespective of species. The tail continues to grow slowly throughout their adult life, reaching over 2 metres at death and senior chakats are often respectfully called Longtails.

* How to Address a Chakat

Because the titles Mr. or Ms, etc. would be inappropriate, Chakats are usually addressed by their species name followed by their personal name. They get a name some time after birth which reflects their characteristics, physical or personality, which may change anytime up until they reach adulthood. Then they may choose to keep their current name or choose a new adult name, but from then on, the name is permanent. They are very fond of descriptive names and rarely use human-type names. They almost always use just one personal name (not counting nicknames) and they regard themselves as one great family. Lineage is denoted as being the child of two others. For example, I would be formally addressed as: Chakat Goldfur, child of Longstripe and Desertsand. (Alternatively - daughter of - abbreviated to d/o for written purposes.) The mother is always named first, then the sire. The informal honorific is the word Shir which is pronounced like the French word cher, which means "dear". Thus you would address me as Shir Goldfur.

The proper pronoun for referring to Chakats is Shi (or Sie, both pronounced Shay), never He or It! Being referred to as an "it", implying a lack of gender or sexuality, is highly offensive to most Chakats. The possessive form of shi is Hir (usually pronounced like the German word Herr, but also sometimes pronounced Heer). However, Chakats are frequently referred to in the feminine gender, which they don't particularly mind.

* Difficulties

If all this seems to good to be true, remember that they were designed to be ideal beings. However, nobody's perfect. They weigh a lot more than a human, require more food and plenty of sleep. They hate confined spaces, although a very flexible spine partially compensates for this liability. As mentioned earlier, they cannot tolerate high temperatures for very long. They enjoy water and bathing but drying the fur can be a long and tedious job if they are not prepared to drip dry naturally. They must spend a lot of time grooming, although they tend to use this time for socialising with other Chakats.

Little things we take for granted make life difficult, such as revolving doors and turnstiles. Special furniture and facilities must be produced for their needs. A rug on the floor is fine for a lounge room but their bathroom facilities are more complex. Automobiles need to be specially modified both for access and driving. Their relatively small population means that there is a shortage of mass-produced goods suitable to their needs.

The social consequences of a species that is neither wholly male nor female is a bit more of a grey area. Giving them an overall feminine appearance has let people deal with them as if they are all females, a situation with which the Chakats are usually comfortable. They do not mind being referred to as girls or ladies because their ability to bear children makes this description appropriate. The rest has to be left up to the enlightened social values of the times.

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Information gathered from the Chakatsden.com
Chakats (c) Bernard Doove

Pics of Chakats and final stage posibilities

Chakat Mythril conjour up an energy ball
Chakat Bluemist and hir mate Sanddune
Chakat Windsong plays the harp for little Chakat Darkstreak
Someone pulled a prank on Chakat Snowfall
A young Chakat is surprised by a kiss from a friend

All images used above are (c) to Kacey Miyagami
All Characters are (c) to their respective players

(I'll be working on drawing some Chakat references and possible outcomes to my own Changed-to-be 3nodding )

Mule account! heart heart