more moose? just nestor? other moose are eyes or no? maybe normal meese

Since completely solid cats are relatively rare due to how the genetics work, is there any myths or superstitions surrounding them?

are there any unique games not-cats play, given their opposable thumbs?

do not-cats hold any superstitions?

notcat thumbwar notcat thumbwar

whiskers and brian pronouns? lore? im curious. love these guys

edit: BRAIN JOSH CONFIRMED?

how do not-cats reproduce?

@nap Normal meese but no other special moose like Nestor. They are the only one!


@Nihilis No real myths or superstitions, but it is considered "pretty." The first null not-cat was solid with no whitemarks (the only of the four not-cats of myth to be solid), a detail that solid null kittens are very excited about.


@magpie

Games: They have so many games! Many of their games circulate around a set of wooden tiles with symbols of the winds and aspects painted on them (a typical set has 4 copies of each). Think of it like the cat version of a deck of cards, there are infinite games you can play.

They've also got a ton of active games, for example there is a leather ball with a feather tail that they usually paint a "star" on and hit it back and forth with their hands (called Star Ball!!) It's customary to play this game in the autumn with the prizes being first choice from the decorative gourd pile.

Another favorite game is rock stacking competitions, which requires great balance. These competitions can get incredibly tense as the stacks get higher, with the whole village crowding around and holding their breaths to try to avoid any moment which could knock the towers.

Not-Cats are also known to be fond of pole vaulting (as well as the slightly more dangerous "stick throwing", in which they yeet a stick as far as they can).

Superstitions: Even though they know the winds are genetic and not caused by the wind, many not-cats still take the direction of the wind to be extremely meaningful. For example, wind from the north is sometimes considered a sign that difficult times are ahead, while wind from the south is often considered a sign of good fortune, healing, and prosperity. Wind that cycles between coming from the east and west is considered a sign of great change approaching and can be a source of inspiration for not-cats who were uncertain about whether or not to make an important decision.

Though there are some exceptions to the above. Not-cats going into a battle often consider a north gust of wind to be a giver of strength and power! While a trade wind before a fight usually means it's time to rethink and turn back because the future is undecided.

As for the null winds, if the wind dies down to stillness, that's considered a sign of very bad luck. Low wind = high fog which is associated with ghosts... and other things that might lurk in the night.


Brian = he/him and Whiskers = they/them. They're partners who met at a tavern at the not-earth equivalent of 3am after both ending up there (Brian was a regular and Whiskers was Very Lost). Whiskers was trying desperately to get someone to give them directions and Brian just walked over and started enthusiastically rambling his extremely extensive plan for a get rich quick scheme instead. Somehow, Whiskers accidentally agreed to take part in this scheme, and instead of regretting their decision, they decided "eh well I might as well go along with it." Gay hijinks ensue.

The two now have the most lucrative item-flipping business in Gardenhome.

Also yes, Brain Josh confirmed. We don't know who Brain Josh is, or where they came from, we only have questions.


@wintrecat WELL... When a north or trade cat and a south or trade cat love each other VERY much... A magical elk with beautiful white wings flies down from the sky and nose boops each not-cat. One week later a basket full of beans is mysteriously left on their front porch.

...at least that's what they tell the kittens.

crying because this lore is so good

are there any other mini-holidays / celebrations not-cats celebrate, outside of the ones that occur seasonally? I would also be on any more lore of those four though...

do not-cats have any materials or items that they especially treasure, disregarding material value or usefulness?

any common practices or occurrences for not-cat parents when raising kittens? (cute, practical or otherwise)

I'm crying oh my god

If there are not-cats, do other not-animals like them exist on mars not-earth? Is there a creation myth for the guardians like Nestor like there are for the not-cats?

When we get more not-thing species like mercats, will they only be able to have beans worh other mercats? Would they be able to partner with not cats and adopt beans if they couldn't have them?

Also do the not-cat have nursery rhymes for beans?

Holidays: Rather than a bunch of little holidays, the not-cats prefer to have one very BIG holiday each season. The four seasonal ones all last a solid week (in-real world time, in game it's more like three weeks), and it doesn't leave much time for other small celebrations!

They do sometimes celebrate the day their village was founded as "founding day" and have an extra special luncheon, and there are celebratory parties for birthdays and such, but generally they save all their energy for the big seasonal festivities.

Snowmelt: The first day all the snow melts away marks the beginning of the new year and is a big time for celebration. The next week is full of the celebratory planting of flowers, flower-themed decorations, and it's traditionally the best time for new relationships, friendships, and starting families.

Not-cats will send each other decorative letters, candies, bouquets of flowers, and so on to make sure everyone in their lives knows how appreciated they are. It's really about celebrating what you have and looking forward to the next year!

The entire week will be full of flower-themed activities such as flower-crown making events, village-wise dances held nearly every night, and a huge array of seasonal cookies and candies.

Midsummer: The fourth week of summer is dedicated to tournaments and competitions. This event is less about celebration and more about friendly competition. There are dozens of athletic events that not-cats will compete in, and the winners will all get fancy little prizes. There are even special kitten competitions so that the babies can participate as well!

Since it's such a big deal, a lot of not-cats will go full energy into working out in the first couple of weeks of midsummer preparing. Typical events include various races, hurdles, jumping and climbing competitions, pole vaulting, wrestling matches, stick throwing, swimming, rowing, and more.

For the less athletically-minded cats, there are also some more finessed competitive events, such as crossbow archery, balance beam, and rock stacking. Even if not-cats don't participate, they often delight in watching.

This event often stretches beyond the immediate village and region-wide competitions are common, which means the region-wide competition locations are also crowded with entrepreneurial not-cats hoping to sell special goods, treats, and more. The tournament grounds are very often surrounded in a vast open market of buying and selling.

Leaf Day: Kind of counterintuitive, but Leaf Day is not just one day and in fact an entire week. This is a harvest festival, and happens the fifth week of autumn. Not-cats collect and celebrate the bountiful fruits and vegetables of the season with gourd-carving, feasts, and (much like Snowmelt) seasonal treats and nightly dance parties. Leaf Day also comes with traditional friendly games of star ball, as explained in an earlier post, as well as lots of fun jumping and playing in leaf piles.

This celebration heavily mimics the Spring one in structure and types of events, but from another angle. While Snowmelt is celebrating the year to come, Leaf Day celebrates the year that passed. It's not uncommon to see not-cats expressing thanks for all the things they enjoyed that year and appreciating what they have accomplished.

Candlelight Festival: This event is pretty heavily contrasted with the other three. While the others are loud and energetic and celebratory, candlelight is quiet and reflective. In the fourth week of Winter (the height of the season), not-cats decorate their villages with glittering silk ribbons in blue and purple and light candles across every surface they're able to. This is the time of the year where they quietly reflect and meditate, and also honor the not-cats that have passed.

It's not all somber though. The lighting of all the candles and the placing of little treats around the village draws the Winter Ghosts out of hiding, and the not-cats spend much time engaging in gift exchanges with said ghosts. Not-cats will leave little coins and treats and, after looking away or leaving them unsupervised, they'll find shimmering wrapped gifts from the ghosts in their place.

Now, to clarify, the "ghosts" in this sense are not malicious, nor were they ever not-cats. They're simply invisible presences that live in the forest and prefer the cold and still and foggy. The not-cats do not know who they are, only that they exist, are somehow tied to the Aspects, and deserve to be honored.

Another common activity during this week is to celebrate Nestor and Ascension in general. Ascended cats will get special gifts and kittens will often dress up with fake antlers and eyes as if they too were ascended.

Now for the not-seasonal questions!

Treasured Items - Not-Cats LOOOOOOOOOVE Pinecones. They just adore them. It's like their favorite thing. Acorns are equally good, but nothing compares to a good pinecone.

As for trinkets, each cat often prefers to have a 'treasured item' that is like their emotional support belonging. They carry their trinket with them everywhere, and hate to let it out of their sight. Common trinket choices include special sticks, leaves, acorns, and rocks, and some cats even choose a book that they really enjoy. How these are found is a bit of a mystery... one day a not-cat is wandering the woods, the next they see a really neat rock that they have an emotional connection with and decide to keep with them always (or until they find a new trinket to keep instead).

And I'm out of time for now so the rest will have to continue on another day...