KAFTARA (AKA ABSLUT), the Darling Disaster Pokegirl

KAFTARA (AKA ABSLUT), the Darling Disaster Pokegirl

Type: Near Human - Not Very Near Human (Striped Hyena)
Element: Dark/Psychic
Frequency: Rare
Diet: Light Energy and/or Human Standard
Role: Early warning system
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Psychic, Poison
Weak Vs: Bug
Attacks: Quick Attack, Smirk, Howl, Crunch, Dark Blade, Future Sight, Telekinesis, Teleport, Tenebrous Strike, Dark Bomb, Dark Redemption, Cocoon of Darkness, Disable, Foresight, Hypnosis
Enhancements: Precognition, Enhanced Speed (x3), Enhanced Endurance (x4), Enhanced Senses (Hearing, Vision, Olfactory)(x3), Enhanced Intelligence, Tremorsense, Sleepless (3/24), Recovery, Nightvision, Natural Weapons (Claws), Internal Compass, Innate Knowledge (Natural Processes), Intuitive Aptitude (Disaster Prediction)
Evolves: None
Evolves From: None
Revised: July 2011

In popular culture, the Kaftara breed is either loved or hated. This breed of pokegirl has a myriad of reputations, from coward to villain to hero, all due to the breed's unique niche. Created to detect and predict oncoming disasters, this breed was tasked to insure that the various bases and labs didn't succumb to any disasters like earthquakes, floods, or tornadoes. Also called the Abslut, the breed quickly took this role as more important than their loyalty to Sukebe, and the breed appeared and attempted to give warnings to humans and pokegirls alike. In modern times, the breed's howling warning is well known (and is said to be similar to old air-raid sirens), and often mimicked by electronic sirens and warning bells.

Only slightly above average in height, this breed of pokegirl is based on the striped hyena, and expresses a range of looks from very close to human to completely anthromorphic hyenas. All members of the breed have large rounded ears and a bushy tail that typically reaches to the knee. Hair and fur colors tend to lean heavily in the range of white and off white, with dark black stripes in the fur and the occasional dark streaks in the hair. In closer to human appearing members of the breed skin tones tend to be within the human norms, but with light skin with darker stripes being common. In anthromorphic members of the breed, muzzles are common with slight muzzles being the most common. Feet may be digigrade or plantigrade, and the fur is usually white or a shade near white with dark stripes. Occasionally, the ears and tail take on a more leathery appearance and the skin a dark blue, though this tends to happen on anthromorphic individuals, particularly those with very few stripes or all white fur. Regardless of the breed's appearance, there is usually some area on the pokegirl where the white and black form a rough to stylized yin-yang symbol. It is often (falsely) said that this area is where the breed obtains their ability to predict disasters.

Given a single word to describe their pokegirl with, the word most often chosen for this breed was prudent, followed by gentle, loyal, and protective. Due the the breed's aptitude for predicting the future, it is no surprise that they often take a 'better safe than sorry' outlook on life. This extends to the breed's harem sisters and tamer mainly, with the hyena pokegirls using their skills to minimize danger and risk. For this reason as well as the breed's often described loyalty, the Kaftara are known to have conflicts with Celestials, particularly Megamis and their evolved forms, or any pokegirl that would send their masters and harem sisters into danger.

When it comes to fighting, this breed is all about prevention. Most Kaftara aim to stay away from the battle field, and due to their ability to heal others, some tamers choose to place them into a healer role within the harem. If pressed into battle, this hyena breed uses their natural glimpses of the future as well as techniques that do the same in order to dodge hits before they're thrown. Usually fighting from a distance and aiming to disable their opponents, they are adept at neutralizing opponents -particularly ferals for capture. Kaftara are also prudent when it comes to keeping feraldom at bay. With preferences that tend to conform to their tamer's, there seems to be no one favored position. Due to the breed's very low sleep requirements, they're also available as guards in the night.

Unfortunately, over the course of the past three-hundred years, people have developed a misunderstood view of the breed; they retain superstitious beliefs towards Kaftara, pointing towards them having a cause-and-effect relationship with disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, or Widow attacks, which attributes to the hyena pokegirl's "bad luck" image. Particularly as some of the breed's feral calls resemble laughter, some are inclined to believe that the breed laughs at others' misfortune. In some areas the breed is blamed for attacks on humans, though generally speaking, ferals keep much the same disaster prevention mindset as their tamed sisters, and often these 'attacks' are mock charges or other intimidation factors to entice humans to move away from areas of danger. When large disasters are imminent, the breed tends to gather into groups of mostly feral individuals and use their siren-like howls to warn the area.

When not warning others of disaster, ferals of this oracle pokegirl breed are often found basking in the sun's rays from high vantage points, often the higher the better. The breed can feed on light energy, though often supplement this with foods that actually stimulate their taste buds. Ferals have been known to try chewing on a variety of items for the taste and to alleviate boredom, and sometimes accidentally eating said items or becoming sick from tasting the wrong thing. Mostly solitary and occasionally in pairs or parent-child groups, ferals of the breed tend to teleport at the first opportunity, making them an incredibly hard to capture feral.

Becoming an Abslut directly isn't often noted, but is more common with ancestry that contains the breed. The eyes of the thresholder are usually the first to show signs of the impending change by glowing slightly in dim light; followed by fur growth (if any) before the body changes shape (if any). Visions of the future begin to come to the thresholder as the ears migrate and tail grows, and usually the new pokegirl has a modicum of control over their powers by the time threshold completely finishes.