Cat

Summary

Cat is a ranger-class player character controlled by Brad in the campaign. Cat has chaotic alignment and specializes in archery, scouting, and communicating with animals through wild empathy ability. Cat has an unusual backstory: raised by cats under a dock, Cat remarkably taught herself to read through mystery novels, specifically a series where the protagonist solved crimes using modular division. Despite this feral upbringing, Cat developed mathematical literacy and business acumen. Cat is physically quite small—small enough that The Wandering Traveler mistakes Cat for a child.

Cat serves as the party's primary ranged combatant, scout, investigator, and diplomat. Cat travels with Monster, an animal companion, and is known for proposing creative tactical plans and business opportunities. Cat's feline upbringing manifests in profound misunderstandings of basic civic concepts—most notably confusing The Mayor of New Smoke with one of the party's lost pigs named "Mayor"—yet Cat maintains unwavering confidence in these beliefs even when corrected. Cat values reading and learning, actively purchasing books to expand knowledge, and demonstrates expertise in negotiating customs and protocols including the use of Negotiating Hoods during commercial dealings. Cat shows theatrical flair and impulsive decision-making, most notably when shooting Nick Silver in the head during Session 6, triggering a major conflict—though Cat later defends him as "not entirely bad" since he only froze the party. Cat's contradictory moral compass becomes increasingly evident: ready to commit murder without provocation in some situations while exercising puzzling restraint when companions face immediate danger in others. Cat has also emerged as the party's matchmaker and fashion advisor, arranging dates and providing style guidance with creative but awkward execution.

Cat's wild empathy manifests as actual speech from animals—as Brad confirms, "Cat definitely wants to hear a monster speaking to her"—rather than mere vibes or intuition. According to Sucks Benedict's ranking system, Cat holds fifth place on his friends list, below Fjerrald the pig, Cow, his stolen Hillary Duff poster, and Monster, but above Vasso and Safia. Sucks Benedict describes Cat as "the Quiet Menace," a title Cat proves through patient diplomacy, successful negotiations, and direct action guided by a peculiar moral compass.

Appearance & Equipment

Carries a bow as her primary weapon and demonstrates expert marksmanship in combat situations
Wears a negotiating hood during business dealings, understanding this cultural tradition for commercial discussions
Owns the Sniff Lord Mask (also referred to as Sniff Lord's Dog Mask), which allows visualization of scents
Carries a Bag of Books purchased for 10 coins containing 5 uses of reference material, used for consulting alchemical theory and other knowledge
Received a personalized bowl with catnip attached as part of Safia's elaborate meal during the journey
Has singed eyebrows from suffering 3 damage when Sucks ignited toxic burning goo earlier in the session

Personality & Abilities

Class abilities: Wild empathy (can speak and understand animals), Called Shot (targeting specific body parts or objects)
Wisdom modifier: +1
Key moves: Spellslay (investigation/knowledge checks), Do Their Thing (commanding animal companions)
Literate and values reading, having taught herself through mystery novels that featured modular division as a crime-solving technique
Mathematically literate and participates actively in economic discussions
Business-savvy, questioning payment structures: "Each or total?" and pointing out "they were free" when discussing the pigs Guzman purchased
Vocal and assertive, yelling questions from outside establishments and pushing back against unfavorable deal terms
Strategic thinker who considers trade-offs between travel time and payment
Shows empathy for companions, feeling sad when she thought Monster didn't receive a bowl during Safia's meal (though Monster did receive one)
Enthusiastic investigator who calls others to examine discoveries: "Hey, guys. Guys, check this out. Guys. Guys"
Proposes creative tactical plans and is skeptical but willing to commit to team strategies
Practical and profit-minded, proposing business opportunities after encounters
Has an Ice Raccoon Theory about how different varieties of raccoons produce different effects when they rub their hands together, though admits "I've never actually seen a raccoon"

Hunt and Track: Successfully tracked the Thunder Hogs from a safe distance during Session 10, rolling 5 +1 wisdom (aided to 8 by Safia). At 7-9, can follow a creature's trail until there's a significant change in direction or mode of travel. Remained undetected throughout the entire pursuit.
Melee Combat: Successfully knocked out the Mayor of New Smoke with a single punch (12 on Hack and Slash, 7 damage)
Supernatural Resilience: Responded to being pulled into a mystical vision with casual composure rather than panic

History

Session 4

Cat volunteers to scout ahead for the journey to New Smoke, using her wisdom modifier of +1 to achieve an 8 on her scouting roll. She successfully finds adequate shelter along the route, eliminating the need for make camp rolls during the three-day journey. When presented with a shortcut option that would reduce travel time to two days, Cat strategically chooses not to take it, maintaining the three-day timeline to ensure full payment from Louise Guzman. As she explains the decision: "And then Kat finds this awesome, like, lean to in the forest, and we're like, oh, man. Let's just chill here for a bit."

During the journey, Safia prepares an elaborate meal, and Cat receives a personalized bowl with catnip attached. Cat enjoys the meal but initially tries not to show it "because she was a little sad that Monster didn't have a bowl" (though Monster did receive one). By this point in the session, Cat is out of money, having spent her coins on the Bag of Books.

When the party discovers The Frozen Nilik—a waterfall frozen in mid-cascade—Cat takes the lead in investigating the phenomenon. She successfully performs a spellslay roll, rolling a 10 with bonuses, and consults her books to understand the alchemical theory behind the flash freezing. Cat determines the freeze was directional rather than an explosion, explaining: "I feel like it couldn't have been that long ago otherwise it would have. Unless it was really cold, would have melted more." She shares knowledge from her reading: "She's seen the opposite, where sometimes people try to make an area warm to cook something."

Cat orders Monster to track by scent using the Do Their Thing move, saying "hey, monster, do you smell that? Where does that lead?" She also suggests using "the mask that lets you see smells"—the Sniff Lord Mask—to aid in the investigation. When the party follows the trail and discovers The Frozen Blob (later named Thunk), Cat attempts creative problem-solving: "Can cat tie a popcorn to the end of a string and then toss the popcorn at the thing while holding onto the other end of the string and try to make it into a leash sort of for it?"

During the session's events, Cat educates Vasso about her Ice Raccoon Theory: "So, Vasso, there are these raccoons, right. You know how raccoons sometimes just sort of like, rub their hands together? Depending on the variety, the flavor of raccoon, different things may happen. Yeah. Like some are cold raccoons or ice raccoon hand rubbings." She admits this is theoretical knowledge: "You know what? I actually do agree that, like, bringing. Bringing Thunk back and being like, hey, it's all. It's cool."

At the end-of-session alignment check, Cat receives experience for her chaotic alignment (freeing someone from literal or figurative bonds) by helping free Thunk from "the figurative bonds of loneliness," bringing the blob back and reassuring it. She reflects on her bond with Vasso: "I taught Vasso about raccoons, but I don't know if that would change the bond at all. I feel like I still have more to teach Vasso."

Session 5

Cat participates in [the party's encounter with Goober](timestamp://1c9b2d60-4a63-4d53-98da-8e8c8faf90ef/12:45), where she becomes "absolutely convinced that Goober is an ice raccoon, having seen raccoons before." During the democratic naming process, Cat suggests the name "Cooper" for the creature, though she ultimately votes for Goober in the final vote.

When the party encounters the pumpkin field and the Gordian, Cat proposes multiple tactical approaches. Cat walks up to Sucks and suggests, "what if we just get Goober and send him in here to eat all the pumpkins, including that thing in the middle? And then we'd have delicious food, right?" Cat also proposes using hoodies as nets to catch pumpkins. Cat attempts to communicate with the Pumpkin Creature using her animal speech ability, yelling out, "hey, are you an animal?" When this receives no response, Cat reports back: "Guys, it's either not an animal or a really quiet animal."

When Sucks initiates his distraction plan, Cat expresses skepticism, turning to Safia and saying, "I don't know if this was necessary." Despite her doubts, Cat commits to the plan, telling Safia, "all right, I guess we're doing this."

During combat, Cat is kicked in the chest by Sucks but saved from being hit by a pumpkin missile. After both Sucks and Vasso are captured by the Gordian, Cat takes decisive action by positioning herself on top of the cart with Safia's help to gain a better vantage point. Cat executes a called shot targeting the vine holding Vasso, missing her first attempt but succeeding after Safia provides aid. Cat announces her target by yelling "Arms" as she shoots, literally calling her shot.

Cat observes the Gordian from her position on the cart as it pulls itself through the field. Cat attempts a precise called shot aimed at one of the creature's jack-o-lantern eye holes, rolling a 9 on the Called Shot—a partial success. Cat then executes her most crucial shot: a called shot that pierces through the Gordian and into the dirt beneath it, pinning the creature and preventing it from acting. Cat yells "Guys, I hit it in the button. Do whatever you need to do." This tactical shot creates the opening that allows Vasso to deliver the killing blow without taking damage.

Following the battle, Cat demonstrates practical and profit-minded thinking, proposing: "All right, guys, I'm gonna propose a business to you. What if we collect these pumpkins, pull out the coins, and then sell the pumpkins to New Smoke." Cat asks Safia, "Can you scrape any goo off of Sucks?" and inquires about the Gordian's taste: "Hey, do you know how it tastes?"

At session's end, Cat advances to level three with 10 experience points. Cat increases intelligence by 1 to 11 and considers taking Improved Companion, which would grant Monster new abilities: Deliver a Message and Escape from Bind.

Episode: "Session 6"

Cat participates in Sucks's demonstration of lying, playing along with a staged "bumping into each other on the street" scenario. Following Sucks's instructions, she looks up and to the right before walking forward, then bumps shoulders with him. She sprawls dramatically into the dirt and quickly finds mushed flowers nearby, smearing them all over her face to make it appear she is bleeding. After the demonstration, she wipes off the flowers and takes theatrical bows with Sucks, holding Monster like a bouquet of flowers. Her perceptive nature emerges when she looks closely at Vasso's eyes to verify Sucks's claim about gold flecks, discovering the claim is false and calling out his inability to lie effectively.

Cat becomes involved in the Sweater Entrapment Incident when she participates in a sweater-wearing competition with Sucks. She attempts to wiggle into multiple sweaters due to her small size but rolls a 6 on her Defy Danger (dexterity) check, becoming trapped with her joints locked. Vasso attempts to help but rolls a 3, further entangling her and causing her to suffer a -1 debility to strength. After Monster's attempts to cut her free result in scratches, she tries creative solutions including rolling closer to Goober to try getting the blob to absorb some sweaters, declaring the sweaters are "cursed." When other methods fail, she transforms into a pile of sweaters to become inconspicuous. The Wandering Traveler eventually extricates her "like a magician's handkerchiefs" over several minutes, at which point he comments "oh, you're a child," revealing Cat's small stature.

When the party encounters Nick Silver, Cat asks if the name "Felix Thoughtomation" means anything to him and attempts to provide medical assistance after Sucks accidentally shoots him in the ear, sliding a sweater onto him. The session's major conflict occurs when Cat impulsively pulls out her bow and performs a Called Shot onto Nick Silver's head. When Nick Silver survives and reacts with anger, Cat claims "I wasn't killing him. I was stunning him," later specifying she aimed "at his button." After Nick Silver freezes the party with his magical staff and leaves, Cat picks up the blood-stained sweaters and puts them in front of Monster's nose so that Monster has his scent, calling out "Nick, come back" and then more quietly adding "You still have my arrow." When confronted about her actions, Cat responds "well, whose fault is that" and throws her hands up before going back to the cart to sulk with The Pigs.

Episode: "Session 7"

Cat arrives at New Smoke with the party, having received a credit card from Abdul's character after Abdul lost a bet in the previous session. During the approach to the city, Cat suggests the party enter through a hidden passageway involving dried-up canals with a grate, despite acknowledging this route is where smuggling occurs and is marked "for thieves and thieves" according to wood etching. Cat defends Nick Silver during party discussions, arguing he was not entirely bad since he only froze the party rather than hurting them, showing a surprisingly forgiving attitude toward the person she shot in the head.

Cat engages in conversation with Sucks Benedict about observable changes in Vasso's eyes, noting the loss of shine and innocence. When the party prepares to enter the canal system, Cat attempts to use the Saffron Mask to detect odors, first trying to put it on Monster in a comedic moment where the mask crushes the tiny kitten under its weight. Cat suggests holding Monster to prevent the kitten from attacking Safia's pigeon form, though Sucks ultimately volunteers for this dangerous task.

Cat remains in the Underground Canal System during the initial chaotic encounter in the Pine Cone Man's tent. When hearing sounds of fighting above, Cat yells from the bottom of the ladder, "Guys don't attack random people," attempting to pass on the lesson about not attacking strangers that the party had only recently learned through their encounter with Nick Silver. When the chaos continues, Cat sighs and climbs the ladder to intervene. Upon emerging and seeing the Pine Cone Man fighting Safia's pigeon form while Sucks is on the ground, Cat sighs "even more dramatically" and attempts a diplomatic approach, holding out a hand to greet the merchant and saying "hello, Mr. Pinecone man." When the Pine Cone Man is too busy fighting the bird to respond, Cat says "I'll wait" with patience. After the Pine Cone Man orders everyone back in the hole, Cat comments "wow, that was rude" about him not shaking hands before complying and returning underground.

Cat conducts the actual business negotiation with the Pine Cone Man from below, successfully securing payment for the party. During negotiations, Cat demonstrates knowledge of proper business protocols by wearing her negotiating hood and states "Finally 45 gold plus a cat sized negotiating hood for a kitten." When probing for additional opportunities, Cat asks "So can I interest you in some further business?" Cat also attempts to negotiate payment for Safia despite her bird form, noting the situation is "feeling a little underpaid." At one point during negotiations, Cat remarks "Okay, if that's how you want to play this" and clarifies "Not an ice monkey. Right" during the discussion. Sucks Benedict describes Cat as "the Quiet Menace," a reputation Cat proves through her successful negotiation that secures both payment and a kitten-sized Negotiating Hood for Monster.

Episode: "Session 8"

Cat begins the session at the New Smoke Aftermarket, searching for specialized equipment to accommodate Monster: "Can Cat look for like any sort of small wooden chariot that she could attach to a pig cat?" When the chariot merchant explains that single-pig chariots aren't commercially viable, Cat pivots to suggest alternative products: "Also maybe if you have a thumb, you could put like a little box that someone put their kitten into." Unable to find the desired pig chariot, Cat is offered a mystery box for 45 coins and contemplates the purchase philosophically: "Kat thinks about it and it's like a mystery box is kind of like a book because you don't know what's inside the book before you open it and read it."

Cat then brokers an unusual social arrangement with the Teenage Salvager Woman, proposing a trade of "some of these things on your table for some of these things next to your table"—gesturing at Sucks Benedict. Cat clarifies the terms: "not sell, just rent. Maybe you guys would like to spend some time together." When questioned about the arrangement's nature, Cat explains innocently, "I thought you guys would just listen to music together for a bit," negotiating music discs and headphones in exchange for Sucks's companionship. Cat dons negotiating dust hats during this interaction and establishes that Sucks will pay for both the equipment and "the meat patties."

Having successfully arranged the date, Cat assumes the role of fashion consultant and dating coach, debating whether Sucks should wear "formal pants or shorts" and addressing accessories: "I think you might even be able to get away without the goat horns if you brought a pie." Cat demonstrates knowledge of fashion trends, explaining "That wasn't what was in style then says cat. Now it's goat horns," referencing how "wolf heads" were previously fashionable. Cat offers decisive style advice: "I think if you're gonna wear a top hat, you should go with pants." During the actual date, Cat positions as a Cyrano de Bergerac figure, feeding Sucks rapid-fire coaching through whispered prompts including "hey, you should have got your antler stuck in her hair," "Take off your top hat. It'll be more personal that way," and "Sucks. Read the poem," attempting to prevent inappropriate comments while manufacturing romantic moments.

Episode: "Session 9"

Cat's fundamental misunderstanding of civic governance becomes apparent when the party discusses The Mayor of New Smoke imprisoned in The Foundry. [Despite Sucks's explanation that "mayor is a civic position for a public servant where they kind of run a town," Cat insists "it's pretty clear that something bad happened after we left those pigs and Mayor got lost in the place first foundry."](timestamp://caf38850-a8a7-4025-9682-6fa313e1cdd5/00:00) Cat genuinely believes the imprisoned mayor is one of their lost pigs named "Mayor" and proposes hiring Yassandra the swine herder to "free the mayor." When Sucks warns to "really consider whether you want to double down on this," Cat persists in this conviction. Cat transforms Yassandra's life by pulling a checkered tablecloth from an empty table and presenting it as a hero's cape, declaring "Every hero needs a cape. I read it." After Yassandra departs on his heroic path, Cat maintains "We just made the world a better place," defending the outcome to Sucks: "You wanted this guy to kill our pigs and. But now he's gonna be a hero. This worked out the best it could have possibly worked out."

Cat demonstrates tactical competence by climbing onto the roof of Yassandra's Shed to scout for slag piles near The Foundry, reasoning that slag piles should be near a smelter. Cat successfully rolls Discern Realities (10 total with +1 wisdom modifier), earning three questions and a +1 forward when acting on the answers. Cat's reconnaissance reveals the foundry as the biggest structure in town with multiple smokestacks constantly belching black smoke—except for one smokeless stack representing a potential entry point. Cat also identifies gaps in guard patrols and considers ventilation requirements, asking "But a foundry's got to have good ventilation, right?" During philosophical debates, Cat challenges Sucks's claim that "everyone is beautiful in their own way" by pointing to guard Terry as a counterexample: "Maybe if you're a bird with breasts."

Cat references the party's heroic actions at the pumpkin patch but acknowledges attempting to kill Nick Silver immediately afterward, only prevented by Sucks tackling her. When questioned, Cat attempts to defend the assassination attempt by claiming she was trying to "subdue him" with "an arrow in his neck." Cat makes a joke suggesting they rename Sucks as "Sticks" after the branch fuses to his body, and responds dismissively when discussing Greta, saying "I mean, I guess she had hair." Throughout the session, Cat expresses enthusiasm for action, standing up and pointing to declare "we have to save our pig friend" and suggesting they go "to the foundry. Let's get out of here. This food fair is getting kind of old."

Episode: "Session 10"

Cat begins the session standing at the edge of the market area in New Smoke alongside Vasso, having just witnessed Safia transform into rat form and disappear into a supply shed with Monster. When the shed door closes, Cat approaches and knocks, announcing "exterminators" as an improvised cover story. When there's no response—the voices inside having already moved deeper into the tunnels—Cat simply tries the door and finds it opens easily. After the party enters, Cat closes and locks the door from inside, inadvertently causing Sucks' lockpicks to snap as Sucks was simultaneously attempting to pick the lock from outside. Cat then scoops up Monster and tosses the animal companion onto Vasso's shoulder alongside Safia as the party prepares to descend into the Underground Tunnels beneath New Smoke.

When Sucks and Vasso are captured by the Thunder Hogs, Cat employs the Hunt and Track move to follow them from a safe distance. Cat rolls a 5 +1 wisdom for a total of 6, which Safia aids with rat chirping to bring up to 8—a 7-9 result that allows Cat to follow the creature's trail until there's a significant change in direction or mode of travel. Cat remains completely undetected throughout the encounter, witnessing the entire capture and imprisonment of the party members. During this pursuit, Cat still believes that rescuing Mayor the Pig—the actual pig, not the Mayor of New Smoke—is the mission objective, continuing to demonstrate fundamental confusion about the situation despite previous corrections.

At the critical moment when Safia is being chased by Thunder Hogs after stealing the prison keys, Brad decides Cat should "just let this play out," exercising uncharacteristic restraint. Abdul immediately calls out the irony, noting that Cat was previously ready to murder Nick Silver without provocation but now shows restraint when companions are in active danger. Brad considers several tactical options, including deploying Monster to retrieve keys or create distractions by exploiting the Thunder Hogs' assumption that "the cat will just chase the rat." Cat "safely goes and retreats the gutter" during the chaos and at some point "calmly walks over and picks up the keys," though the exact sequence of Cat's key retrieval in relation to Safia's escape remains unclear in the confusion of the moment.

Episode: "Session 11"

Cat's fierce protective instincts toward companions manifested when the Mayor of New Smoke punched Vasso. Without hesitation, Cat retaliated by punching the mayor in the face, rolling a 12 on her Hack and Slash move and dealing 7 damage that knocked the mayor unconscious. Cat justified the action simply: "that's what you get for punching Vasso."

When Vasso and Sucks became locked in a mysterious vision after touching The Silver Object, Cat recognized something unusual was happening. Attempting a creative rescue, Cat pulled out her bargaining hood and tried to use it to grab the Silver Object from Sucks's hand, attempting to weasel the fabric in to reach it. She rolled a 4 on her Defy Danger (Strength) attempt. Cat felt an electric tingle through the fabric before her vision went black and she was pulled into the same vision as her companions, finding herself face-to-face with The One-Handed Entity. Cat greeted the situation with characteristic casualness: "Oh, hey, guys. Who's—"

Upon being released from the vision, Cat asked Safia if she could whistle for Monster to retrieve her companion, noting that the group couldn't leave anyway because they needed to recover Monster.

Relationships

Brad: Cat's player, who determines how Cat's abilities manifest and makes decisions about her actions and personality
Vasso: Cat has a bond stating "does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach them." She teaches Vasso about raccoons in Session 4, though feels she still has more to teach
Monster: Cat's animal companion who she can speak with through wild empathy. Cat commands Monster to track by scent and considers Monster's wellbeing (feeling sad when she thought Monster didn't receive a meal bowl)
Safia: Receives meals from Safia, including a personalized bowl with catnip during the journey to New Smoke. Coordinates with Safia during combat situations
Sucks: Suffered 3 damage and singed eyebrows when Sucks ignited toxic burning goo. Proposes tactical plans to Sucks and coordinates during combat
Louise Guzman: Negotiates with Guzman over payment for transporting pigs, wearing a negotiating hood and questioning deal terms
Thunk: Cat helps reassure and befriend the frozen blob, freeing it from "the figurative bonds of loneliness"

Vasso: Cat demonstrates fierce loyalty, immediately attacking the Mayor of New Smoke in retaliation for the mayor punching Vasso

Aliases & Disguises

No aliases or disguises documented.

Exterminator: Announced "exterminators" when knocking on the supply shed door in New Smoke, though this improvised cover was immediately abandoned when the door simply opened.