The Cat Druid Viking

Ragnar sat on one of the oar benches, slowly dragging his whetstone over the blade of his spear. The full moon shone down on the ship, but he edged his weapon more with his ears and his fingertips than with his eyes. What had started as a rough growl had softened to a low purr as nicks and scrapes were worn away, leaving his weapon ready for the next battle.

A heavy thump on the seat behind him startled the young raider, making him snatch for the dagger on his belt as he half rose to his feet. Ishta, the huge, shaggy cat who guarded the ship from vermin, stared up at him. Her dark fur was a shadow in the bright night, and her eyes luminous as they reflected the moon. In her jaws she held a rat, its neck broken and its skull splintered from the force of her teeth.

"You startled me," Ragnar said, speaking softly as he sat back down. He tentatively reached out a hand. Ishta regarded him for a long moment, her eyes narrowed, before she butted her head up under his hand and allowed him to scratch her ears. "What is that you've got?"

"An offering," a voice said from behind Ragnar.

This time Ragnar whirled, both hands going to his spear as he turned and brought the point to bear. A man crouched on the bench behind him, his elbows resting on his bent knees. He was a huge shadow, his thick mane of hair lightly blowing in the breeze, but for the braids that were bound with small bones. His eyes caught the moon, and shone just as Ishta's did, and when he smiled at Ragnar his teeth seemed too long, his heavy jaw rippling with muscle beneath his beard. Asha, he was called, and it was said none ever heard him stalking near, lest he wished them to. Ishta leaped onto his bench, and dropped the rat at his feet. Asha reached beneath her chin, the bone claws he wore like deadly rings raking through her fur as she purred.

"When will you stop that?" Ragnar said, covering up the fear he'd felt with gruff irritation.

"When your ears grow sharper," Asha said, picking up the body of the dead rat. "Or your draw less hesitant."

Asha flicked a finger, and then dug the bone claw on his first finger into the rat's guts. He tore them out in a single, sharp tug, and let them splatter onto the deck. He stared at them, the blood black in the moonlight, as if seeing something of great import. Isha leaned up, and butted him with her head. He ran his hand down her back, and nodded. The cat jumped down onto the deck, and began to eat her kill.

"Rouse the shore," Asha said, standing to his full, impressive height. "We sail within the hour."

"What... why?" Ragnar asked. He hadn't meant to, but the words were out before he could stop himself.

"A storm comes," Asha said. "A storm of lightning, and iron. We do not wish to be caught asleep when it finds us."

The Legacy of Cats and The Northmen

The archetype of the Viking (both the profession of the sea raider, and the idea of the Norse as a people) keep showing up in our fantasy TTRPG settings. Whether we pattern fleets of orcs after the hit-and-run tactics of these pirates, or we project the legend of the berserker onto our barbarians and their towering rages, or we just add places to our setting that are fantasy Scandinavia in all but name (I'm looking at you, Land of The Linnorm Kings), these types of nations and peoples are fairly common for a lot of our settings.

However, one way to incorporate this into your character is to embrace the importance of cats to the Norse... especially as a druid.

Cats are usually an important part of any farming or seagoing community... and the Norse people were often both. And as I mentioned back in The Vikings Helped Cats Spread Across The World, they were common companions among folk of this culture and/or profession. Cats also featured prominently in faith and religion, and were associated with Freya (a goddess of sorcery, battle, love, beauty, and death whom I covered in Goddesses of Badassdom: Freya), in addition to various and sundry myths and legends.

All of these factors can easily come together to forge a unique PC, in the character of the cat druid.

This druid holds a position similar to cats themselves. They are practical additions to any stead or crew, but they're also mystical, with ways most don't truly understand. They can seem familiar one moment, and eerie the next. They are allies and comrades, but there will always be something... other about them. They stay with you because they have decided to stay, not because they need to.

The basic druid already offers spells, skills, and abilities that allow one to easily mimic a cat. One could play a genuine catfolk character (or a tabaxi, if you're playing Dungeons and Dragons rather than Pathfinder), and have a particularly powerful feline as a companion, in addition to taking on cat forms vis their wildshape. There's no special archetypes required, or unusual builds required... it is, however, a unique way to express the class, and culture, should you desire!

Cat Cult Assassins, Anyone?

For those who want to embrace a cat druid (or just a member of a cat cult), I would consider checking out my supplement Cults of Sundara for either Pathfinder Classic or Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. This supplement contains the rules and history for the Sacred Order of Barast, a cult who worships this strange and unusual cat god. While a rural entity, these cat worshipers go where they please, and do what they will... often leaving the targets of their hunts dead with their guts raked out before vanishing into the darkness.

Lastly, don't forget to check out my article 5 Tips For Playing Better Druids as well!

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