But black shapes were forming in the moonlight around Fafhrd. Shapes that were at first no more than shadows with a sheen to them. Then darker, like translucent polished black horn. Then solid and velvet black, their pads resting on the moonlit flagstones. They had the slender, long-legged forms of cheetahs, but the mass of tigers or lions. They stood almost as high at the shoulder as horses. Their somewhat small and prick-eared heads swayed slowly, as did their long tails. Their fangs were like needles of faintly green ice. Their eyes, which were like frozen emeralds, stared all twenty-six at Fafhrd – for there were thirteen of the beasts...

As the Council of Thirteen rules the rats of Nehwon, so do the War Cats rule the felines. A military aristocracy of all cat races, the War Cats may be summoned to do battle against anyone or anything that threatens felines. One method of summoning is by blowing upon a small enchanted tin whistle. In other circumstances, the War Cats appear without conscious summoning.

Combat: When summoned, the War Cats attack the most obvious threat to felines. They slash with two front claws and bite with their green-glowing teeth. If both forepaws hit, a War Cat automatically inflicts an additional 2d6 points of damage with each of its two rear claws.

Habitat/Society: The War Cats wander from place to place throughout Nehwon, dealing with threats to those they protect. The aristocracy of thirteen is a permanent council; should a member die or be slain, the remaining council members select a cat of suitable bravery, independence, and loyalty to take its place. This cat then transforms into a War Cat, taking on all the above statistics in 1-6 days.

Ecology: The War Cats may be considered archetypal felines, combining typical qualities of all cat species. The War Cats hunt individually, but they share all kills. They may act singly but always appear as a group. They are aggressive carnivores, seeking out the most challenging and powerful prey in an area, hunting it to maintain their predatory skills. As enchanted creatures, War Cats never age and can only be killed by accident or in battle. They have little tolerance for known enemies of cat-kind (canines, rats, and big game hunters, for example), and they stalk and slay such individuals in the most efficient and savage manner possible.