Nimravh

The nimravh is a medium-sized to large carnivore similar to a cat. They are found chiefly in steppe, scrubland, and savannah environments in eastern Ruleska, especially in Irzal, though they are said to roam the remote massif tops of Raziya as well.

The smallest nimravhs are about the size of a lynx, while the largest are as big as lions. They have powerful forelegs and chests that help them to grapple and hold down struggling prey, and somewhat weaker hindquarters with tails usually noticeably shorter than their bodies. They walk somewhat flat-footed rather than fully on their toes like a cat, and their legs also tend to be shorter. All take their prey through ambush rather than pursuit, and they are generally not fast or powerful runners. They are however good climbers, and make good use of whatever trees or rocks exist in their environment in order to leap down upon unsuspecting prey.

All this aside, the most striking feature of all nimravhs are their canine teeth, which are quite elongated and razor sharp on their hind edge. In the smaller species these teeth are like daggers, and in the larger species more like short scimitars. After grappling their prey to the ground the nimravh uses these fearsome teeth to slash open the jugular, after which it is often able to keep its prey still until it bleeds out.

A few people unfortunate enough to be attacked by a nimravh, but then to have the creature frightened away before they lost consciousness, have had an unusual report of the experience. These people were able to relate, in the moments before their death, that while they lay pinned and bleeding the nimravh emitted a deep and mesmerizing purr that caused all their fears and pains to subside and left them feeling deeply at peace. It is rumored that one tribeswoman who actually managed to survive this ordeal was driven nearly mad afterwards by the loss of such a profound peace as she had never before known, and went off into the wilderness to become a hermit and ascetic in hopes of being able to discover it once again. Sometimes this is said to be the origin of one or another of the Pure Note groups of Azadi.