Please note that these are rough overviews. If you have ideas to flesh them out further, please chat with a wiz or two about them. Such input will be deeply appreciated.
The Nunda
The feline species: As the Eurasian lynxes tend to be larger than the Canadian lynx, so too are the Hiúz somewhat larger, on average, than the Kowaachi. The Kowaachi are more compact and will occasionally evince a quite small feline form that more resembles the bobcat than the lynx. The Hiúz have many different coloration patterns and facial appearances, as the several Eurasian subspecies do. Hiúz of Spanish origin will be much smaller than -- about half the size of -- their Hiúz cousins.
Coat variations: Lynxes of western Europe are almost universally spotted, while striping appears in eastern populations.
Where the names came from: Hungarian for lynx and Alabama for bobcat (a member of the lynx family).
Social grouping: Loosely associated hunting groups who share territory. These groups are usually referred to as hunting groups, circles of friends, or similar things, in the language of the territory they inhabit or human ethnic background they may share. Members share the responsibilities for hunting large prey and keeping the territory clear of the minions of the Corruptor, but usually dwell alone or in smaller family groups, according to the human ethnic background and personal inclinations of the individual. While these species are separate, they consider themselves to be more closely related than they are to other Bastet. While Bastet tend to call each other "cousin" (or their personal permutation on this), the Hiúz and Kowaachi will refer to each other as "sister," "brother,"or "closer than cousins" (if there is a linguistic term available to them for this). There is occasional intermarriage and breeding, and hunting groups can be cross-species.
The feline species: Leopards are the coyotes of the Old World big cats, being highly successful generalist hunters and having the largest range of any of their cousins. Of course, they have the largest number of extant subspecies as well, but these are primarily variations in coat patterns and size. The most striking and romanticized coat pattern is the recessive melanism that results in the "black panthers"; this tends to occur almost exclusively in those leopards who originate in and around India.
Coat variations: Melanistic.
Where the name came from: Swahili for "half-wild cat."
Social grouping: Mostly solitary hunters, but, actually, anything goes. They borrow freely from the other Bastet species and their vast variety of human ethnicities in adapting whatever works best for a given circumstance.
The feline species: Tigers are the largest big cat and the only one that seems to enjoy splashing about in the water. The subspecies vary markedly in size, with the Amur (Russia and Mongolia) tiger the biggest (topping out around 3.3 meters long in males) and the Bengal tiger (top 3.1 meters long in males) at the highest end of the scale. A number of subspecies are extinct in the Bright Future, but fortunately, the Mouko preserve some of this lost feline heritage, and so can originate from any of the tiger's original range, from Siberia down through China into India, Java, Sumatra, and the surrounding region.
Coat variations: White (almost all stem from a single Bengal progenitor), "agouti" (not really melanistic, but the stripes blend together and the orange is quite dark; very rare).
Where the name came from: Japanese for "fierce tiger."
Social grouping: Tends to be solitary, although short-term hunting and social alliances, as well as occasional short-term family groups, do occur.
The feline species: The cheetah in the 20th century was whittled down to only a few consanguineous individuals. Only the existence of the Duma (and their broader genetic pool) and the relative freedom of the wild places during the Long Night saved the cheetah from a protracted extinction.
Coat variations: Albino, melanistic, and "king cheetah" (which mutation seems centered in Zimbabwe).
Where the name came from: Swahili for "cheetah."
Social grouping: Females tend to be solitary, except for offspring. The offspring, after leaving the female, will often stay together for some time. While the females will eventually split off from this group, males are likely to remain together in small "Coalitions" of 2-6 individuals for social, territorial, and hunting purposes. They have learned, however, to be flexible from their Kimburu cousins, and the usefulness of complex social bonds from their Oroszlán cousins.
Where the name came from: Tibetan for "snow-leopard."
Social grouping: There just aren't very many Sarken, nor many of their Kin. They tend to be solitary, occasionally traveling as a pair for purposes of raising offspring.
Coat variations: Melanism is very common, since the gene that causes it is dominant in jaguars. Albinistic jaguar have been reported (and are sometimes reverently referred to among the Otorongo as "shiashia," for no reason they are willing to explain.)
Where the name came from: Incan for "jaguar"; can refer to the "Great Rainbow Jaguar," a spirit of the perfected warrior, who fights and protects without hatred.
Social grouping: Solitary individuals, with females raising the young, although certainly not averse to working together in small groups to clear nearby territory of Corruption.