<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Red, to answer your question, I did have in the original post that no other creature knows that the Novacats are sapient. The Novacats are not at war with the shapeshifters, but they also do not trust them.  They may be persuaded to take sides.  It would depend on if they feel the need to hunt out the "fogwalking" vermen.  </span><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">They would make great allies. No other creatures know that Veracats are sentient.</span></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">The only reason the Novus expedition does find out is because of Aura's ability to communicate with "Animals" through telepathy.  They know of the existence of "fogwalkers" as they call the shapshifters.  A name they gave them because of the brief time they appear to be almost foggishly insubstantial when shifting.  They have no linguistic way to speak with shapeshifters and shifters consider them an animal life form.  </span><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Which, they are.  They still are cats, just cats that are self-aware.  They can think, rationalize, learn, apply what they have learned, question the existence of the universe, etc.  But they are still in their "wood-age."  Not even stone-age.  As far as being at the head of the food chain--again that is in terms of Animals.  They are the greatest animal preditor--much like a lion would be in an African jungle.  However, the real top of the food chain is of course, humanoids.</span><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">As far as two sapient or sentient species being alive and even aware of each other and knowing of each other... Earth has her own history of such a happening.</span><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">It is believed that Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens existed at the same time; however, Neanderthals (<em>Homo neanderthalensis</em>) either eventually died out because they could not compete with homo sapiens, or the interbreeding between the two species blended the two species to the point of nullifying the Neanderthals charasterics.  That certainly would not apply in the case of the Novacat.  </span><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">However, the Cats spirit adviser warned them to stay away from the fogwalkers and they have keep to that warning. </span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">I do not know if the shifters are native to the planet or not.  Aura hasn't talked to any Novacats yet.  But I would hazard a bet the stinko's are trying to havest something wonderful that the planet hides under it's variegated guise.</span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">We have to wait till Dis or they baddies tell us.  Or maybe the Novacats can remember back far enough to let us know. </span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">:*  hugglies</span><br/><br/>[/]<br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 1.45em;">Again Aura may never meet a Novacat, but then again she may. :)</span>