Development Update: Desert Mau (Patreon)

"I was in the southeast of Behid-Heq, making my way west towards the Queensroad, when I first laid eyes on a Desert Mau. I had stopped to rest in the shade of some forgotten temple, a ruin half-swallowed by the fine desert sand, when the beast sprang from the dry grass and fell upon my Aadi. Though related to the wildcats of the Dahmur Wastes, these feline hunters are much larger than their mountain-dwelling kin.

I spent the rest of the trek on foot, ever vigilant for the slightest glimpse of those eerie, red-white eyes."

Ehkos, A Guide to the Desert Kingdoms

Reintroducing a reimagining of an existing creature, now ready to slink through the arid foothills of Sabu in UE5, The Desert Mau. This agile predator will be a common threat in the early areas of your adventure. Descended from a more conventional wildcat, the aura of Kethra's domain has increased both the size and appetite of these desert killers.

The Desert Mau is primarily an ambush predator, its dark mottled coat providing the perfect camouflage as it stalks prey through the dry undergrowth. Though solitary in nature, these cats are extremely protective of one another; a mother will frequently have overlapping territory with one or two of her juvenile offspring, ensuring they're properly fed.

Amongst the more superstitious types, the unique eyes of the Desert Mau have led to a reputation that the creatures can see through walls. In actual fact the cats have an extremely developed sense of smell, enabling them to detect prey within a dwelling, and feeding the myth of their x-ray vision.

Their red-white eyes are an adaptation to their environment however, and grant the animal the ability to actually see essence as it lingers around ascended beings and charged artefacts. This makes a tamed Desert Mau invaluable as a "truffle pig" of sorts, hunting out ritual vessels in the depths below the dunes. It also means that a humanoid with even a minor gift of ascension will find it incredibly difficult to hide from the beast. 

Team Carnal Instinct