Canopis Cat Girls: canon or fanon?

[JA Baker]

Something I've seen occasional reference to is some of the more extrema examples of the advanced medical sciences available in the Magistracy of Canopus. Amongst these are the aforementioned 'Caponis Cat Girls', either as the result of LosTech genetic manipulation or cosmetic surgery.

And, well, I kind like have this idea for a 'Cat Girl' MechWarror as part of a future story, and was wondering if there is actually any truth behind the story, or just wishful thinking on the part of the fans?

[AlphaMirage]

Its canonish.

A Time of War Companion pg 188 has an illustration of 'behind the curtains' at a Canopian Pleasure Circus and that chapter contains all the expanded prosthetics rules. It is mostly 'enhanced' cosplay with cybernetic prosthetics and props. So serious body modification is possible but it is more likely just a good makeup and prop department.

Some of the regular cybermods would give you an 'enhanced' individual while not being quite as monstrous as a Manei Domini or Thuggee Rakshasa. I did actually include a Canopus Cat Girl acrobat in one of my own fanfics (Tales of the Mercs Unleashed) and she had a few of these for her job. I could easily imagine Ebon Magistrate operatives using goggles like Catwoman in Batman that gave the appearance of ears.

[Frabby]

There's rules for a bionic tail in AtoW-Companion, iirc.

[Stormlion1]

We know even in the 3025 prosthetics were in play and some were very easy disguise. So its definitly a thing that can and as we know has happened. The real question is if the Canopian Pleasure Circus's has ever gotten there hands on Clan Medical Tech and actually grown appendages of various types onto people?

[Maelwys]

A Time of War Companion has certain cosmetic cybernetic mods that would make it possible for a catgirl, such as the tail and retractable claws (some of these cybernetic mods have non-cosmetic versions of them as well).

There are also Cybernetic adaptation kits which are sets of removable implants which mimic a Naga, Centaur or Mermaid. These have availability ratings of F-F-F, so they're rare, but out there. Surprisingly there isn't a default catgirl kit.

ATOWC also has the mutation trait where the -3 value is defined as "Functional Tail and mobile ears."

So there are a couple of ways to do it, but there isn't a canon character that I know of, unless you count the artwork on page 188 of the ATOWC which shows a Pleasure Circus performer with a tail, ears and customized removable arms and legs.

Also, in FM:SLDF, (page 207) in the 108th Mechanized Division, its mentioned that "three soldiers of the 108th were discharged for receiving cybernetic animal ear implants in breach of SLDF uniform regulations."

So its not entirely unheard of...

[Maingunnery]

Also, in FM:SLDF, (page 207) in the 108th Mechanized Division, its mentioned that "three soldiers of the 108th were discharged for receiving cybernetic animal ear implants in breach of SLDF uniform regulations."

Checking it out it seems that they are stationed in the Magistracy of Canopus, so they are in the right place.

[Maelwys]

Yeah, that one was more to show that alternate looks/styles for cybernetics were available, rather than just the ones mentioned in the Cybernetic Adaptation kits.

[Agathos]

Random thought: the Magistracy could embrace the protomech, which as we know require extreme sacrifices for most adult-size humans to operate. Then when you get out of the cockpit, you snap on your prosthetic legs or your prosthetic mermaid tail, depending on the occasion.

[jimdigris]

The Canopians are as likely to adopt protomechs as any other Inner Sphere culture.  I see next to no chance of that happening.

[AlphaMirage]

The Canopians are as likely to adopt protomechs as any other Inner Sphere culture.  I see next to no chance of that happening.

Precisely this, for interface armor or VDNI gestalt mechs though...

[glitterboy2098]

Its canonish.

A Time of War Companion pg 188 has an illustration of 'behind the curtains' at a Canopian Pleasure Circus and that chapter contains all the expanded prosthetics rules. It is mostly 'enhanced' cosplay with cybernetic prosthetics and props. So serious body modification is possible but it is more likely just a good makeup and prop department.

Some of the regular cybermods would give you an 'enhanced' individual while not being quite as monstrous as a Manei Domini or Thuggee Rakshasa. I did actually include a Canopus Cat Girl acrobat in one of my own fanfics (Tales of the Mercs Unleashed) and she had a few of these for her job. I could easily imagine Ebon Magistrate operatives using goggles like Catwoman in Batman that gave the appearance of ears.

IRL we already have brainwave reading animatronic ears and tails people can wear to get the nekomimi look (invented of course in japan), and i can only imagine the tech would be even less bulky and more naturalistic by the 30th+ century. so those who don't want to get cybernetics could still pull off the look.

[Maelwys]

Precisely this, for interface armor or VDNI gestalt mechs though...

Kind of interesting to see if this tech will make its way to everyone.

[Maingunnery]

Kind of interesting to see if this tech will make its way to everyone.

Well if the tech can be perfected (not harming life-expectancy) then I imagine that it will eventually spread.

More on topic, what type of practical categories does BT have for Catgirls?

• Gen Mods (born with them)
• Surgical Mods (custom growing new parts and surgically adding them)
• Cybernetics, Cosmetic (just the look, minimal functionality, no attachment points required?)
• Cybernetics, Practical (working tail, basic additional senses)
• Cybernetics, Covert (military grade senses, assassination equipment)
• Cybernetics, Military (Battlefield cybernetics)

[Deadborder]

It's Canon, but has been blown out of all proportion by the Fandom

They exist largely as an extension of the whole "pleasure circus" industry; ie, to cater to fetishes through the sex trade. The Canopians support this as it's a part of both their economy and their intelligence apparatus.

You're no more likely to find a catgirl wandering the streets of Canopus then you would today in any given place on Earth.

[Stormlion1]

It's Canon, but has been blown out of all proportion by the Fandom

They exist largely as an extension of the whole "pleasure circus" industry; ie, to cater to fetishes through the sex trade. The Canopians support this as it's a part of both their economy and their intelligence apparatus.

You're no more likely to find a catgirl wandering the streets of Canopus then you would today in any given place on Earth.

Exactly. There in one tiny corner of the Periphery and part of a very tiny minority that works in that industry. Most of the mods are probably cybernetic and designed to be removed when not working. The even smaller minority that has themselves genetically modified probably never leave there jobs or if they do find themselves a operation to remove the excess features.

[Elmoth]

So, Japan.

I assume s character can go to bed with Romano Liao or Catherine Steiner easily if he asks for it. Or even Stephan Amaris.

[Deadborder]

So, Japan.

Basically this. Compare the anime fanboy fantasy of what Japan is like to the reality of the situation.

[Maingunnery]

Basically this. Compare the anime fanboy fantasy of what Japan is like to the reality of the situation.

But then again how would anyone know if the extra parts are detachable.

[Maelwys]

Well if the tech can be perfected (not harming life-expectancy) then I imagine that it will eventually spread.

More on topic, what type of practical categories does BT have for Catgirls?

• Gen Mods (born with them)

Depends on how canon you take the Interstellar players books to be. The latest has kind of a "mermen" planet, IIRC with the various traits being passed out, IIRC. So its theoretically possible.

• Surgical Mods (custom growing new parts and surgically adding them)

We've never really seen this. Kind of like bioware in Shadowrun I assume.

• Cybernetics, Cosmetic (just the look, minimal functionality, no attachment points required?)
• Cybernetics, Practical (working tail, basic additional senses)
• Cybernetics, Covert (military grade senses, assassination equipment)
• Cybernetics, Military (Battlefield cybernetics)

Theoretically all these exist. You just say your cybernetics have a cat-theme. I mean, its not very practical, but its possible.

[RunandFindOut]

No it's actually quite practical in the right context.  I would generally assume that in any of the pleasure circuses that leave the Magistry and tour the rest of the inner sphere there are probably some magistry intelligence personnel using them as cover.  The rest of the circus wouldn't even realize that those members weren't ordinary members, they'd just ALSO go about their various dirty tricks and intelligence gathering in a discrete manner when not "on the clock" in their pleasure circus duties.  And some of the best ways to get a specialist in would be as one of those fetish cyborgs, people see what they want to and it's wouldn't be hard to conceal that some of those "cosmetic" cybernetics were far more functional and had more under the hood than their appearance suggested.  Plus not a lot of people are going to want to hack off perfectly serviceable limbs or undergo extensive surgery when they're already young, pretty and healthy.  But in a female dominated society like Canopus where there are probably quite a few badly injured disabled and/or disfigured female veterans, well more than a few of them would jump at the chance to be pretty with the most advanced prosthetics around again to counteract their disability.  So a lot of the ordinary pleasure circus employees that were 'enhanced' would likely be veterans.  Easy to slip an agent into that sort of thing, wouldn't even have to hide them having a level of military background.  Just another disabled vet, using the pleasure circus industry as a way to get cosmetic reconstruction and better prosthetics after all.

[Maelwys]

Oh, I can see it, but not in say large scale.

And any battlefield role would almost be certainly out unless they managed to do it on a MD-scale which isn't too likely.

But possible.

[Middcore]

This is a great thread. These are the BT forums I remember.

[Wrangler]

Wasn't mention there were biological mods as well? Maybe only mentioned in the ATOW Companion book.

[Elmoth]

I think that if they were known to be ex canopian military nobody would reveal ANY info in their presence. So I would say that they would be undercover agents, bred for that purpose, not exmilitsry with disabling injuries seeking a secret Nd opportunity. The fact that catgirl sexual fantasies ho towards young females also prescribes tounger-looking recruits, not veterans with more years on them.

[Stormlion1]

I think there is one picture somewhere that shows the rear area of a Pleasure Circus. The mids are generally prosthetics over amputated limbs. Ears are probably the same with ports to connect them and when removed the hair of a person would cover the ports up.

[Middcore]

When I used to frequent these forums 15-ish years ago, there was a meme that every time you tried to apply real-world physics to BT, God kills a catgirl. Is that still a thing?

[CVB]

Maybe not quite as often as 15 years ago, but generally, yes (often also spelled as "cat girls" in two words).

[Intermittent_Coherence]

Is it just real world physics? Or does it apply to other real world disciplines as well like economics or statistics?

[FaithBomb]

Something I've seen occasional reference to is some of the more extrema examples of the advanced medical sciences available in the Magistracy of Canopus. Amongst these are the aforementioned 'Caponis Cat Girls', either as the result of LosTech genetic manipulation or cosmetic surgery.

And, well, I kind like have this idea for a 'Cat Girl' MechWarror as part of a future story, and was wondering if there is actually any truth behind the story, or just wishful thinking on the part of the fans?

I would say there's enough under prosthetics and cosmetic enhancement rules that you should be able to justify it. It all comes down to the 'why' of this character being a cat girl. That will determine how serious into the rules/lore you have to delve.

[Middcore]

Is it just real world physics? Or does it apply to other real world disciplines as well like economics or statistics?

My recollection is that physics came up the most often because people would try to puzzle out an explanation for questions like... why does autocannon range decrease as caliber increases when generally it should do the opposite?

Disciplines like economics or statistics have less direct applications to gameplay, so they didn't come up as much. Maybe if you try to apply them to BattleTech God just, I don't know, squirts a cat girl with water from a spray bottle or something. They're not dead, but they won't like it much. Won't someone PLEASE think of the cat girls?