Meet the Singas

Singa race: highly-evolved, hyper-rational, war-mongering felines who value science over stories, so much so they’ve outlawed fiction. In other words, it’s torture for book lovers like you and me. And so it is for our unlikely hero, cursed with the “fiction affliction” a dreaded disease which causes him to spew fiction without warning.

Being a diseased “Spinner” is a tough ride because it’s hard to hide, especially when you’re an awkward thirteen-year-old heir to the throne and sworn to protect the Pride from the dangerous influence of fiction. Worse, the enemy beyond the Great Wall is rising up and inside the wall, the realm is being torn apart. Even for a highly evolved feline, it’s a lot to manage.

The Realm of Singara

Character List

thirteen-year-old prince of Singara
one of the four generals in the Royal Army; Leo’s trainer and mentor
a young soldier with a special interest in Leo
Raja Kahn
Leo’s grandfather and ruler of Singara
Leo’s power-hungry older cousin
a captain in the Royal Army
Mavrak, Biku, and Jimo
soldiers under Sariah’s command
The Keeper
the keeper of slaycons used in the hunt
the Royal Scientist and close friend of the Kahn
the slaycon Leo must kill in his hunt
the Eleventh Shakyah who appears as the Great Firewing
a wise shepherd
a captain in the Royal Army; loyal to Tamir
Holu, Jatari, and Nora
soldiers under Mandar’s command
one of the four generals in the Royal Army
the chief instructor at the Royal Academy of War Science
one of Leo’s quadron-mates and fellow cadets
Zoya’s brother and one of Leo’s quadron-mates and fellow cadets
the Royal Academy master
the Maguar prisoner held captive at the Royal Academy of War Science for twenty-five years
Tamir’s daughter and a second-year cadet at the Royal Academy of War Science

Character Inspiration Art

My characters (both Singa and Maguar) are not four-legged big cats like lions and tigers. They are highly evolved, intelligent two-legged feline humanoids. They kept the fur, agility, tail and keen senses of their feline ancestors but they have hands with opposable thumbs instead of paws and they stand upright. They also have language, culture and superior smarts.

Below are some images of “cat-people” from different artists which inspired me.

Lionman Regal

Lion men race in Flash Gordon, as imagined by ScaleyScribe on DeviantArt

Lion Man

Rendering of a Nimira from Galea Wiki by Indecom

Cheetah Warrior

by Croatian comic artist and writer Stjepan Sejic nebezial on DeviantArt

Brimaz, King of Oreskos

Magic: The Gathering trading card art by Peter Mohrbacher.

Lion Warrior

Paintover from  digitalinkrod  on DeviantArt

Cheetah Knight

From the Savage Lande Role-Play on Wiki.