Bastet
"Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words, and the president of the sovereign chiefs and the governor of the holy Circle; thou art indeed...the Great Cat." | |||||||||||||||||||
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Notes:
Rites:Bastet do not engage in acts of ritual, communal magic with anywhere near the same frequency as the Garou. However, they do have formidable ritual knowledge for when necessity and occasion demand greater works. Though they do not place as much emphasis on rituals as the Garou, Bastet still regard them with all due solemnity and reverence; Bastet do not perform rituals in front of outsiders. Bastet divide their rituals into the following categories: Kuasha Rites: Bastet generally learn most or all of these rites before the completion of their First Year (reaching Rank 1). They are considered necessary for a werecat to function as an "adult" member of the tribe.
Moon Rites: Bastet must perform these rituals under the light of the moon. Their difficulty is affected by the moon phase and weather; moon rites performed during inclement weather become more difficult (unless the purpose of the ritual is to control the weather), while Bastet believe performing these rites under the full moon makes them easier and more powerful. Bastet perform these rituals in solitude, and will hunt down and kill those who trespass upon a moon rite. Those spying on the lunar rites of the Bastet must make a Stamina + Enigmas roll once or twice during the ceremony (difficulty of 5 + the level of the Rite) or suffer some malediction. Humans may grow violently ill or panic, vampires and werewolves might frenzy, and mages might suffer a bout of temporary quiet. (Bastet pg. 120)
Rites of Need: These Rites are less elaborate than other Bastet rituals (they generally take 5-10 minutes on average), because, as a rule, the werecat who uses them needs their effects ASAP rather than in a few hours.
Taghairm Rites: The Baster equivalent of Moot Rites, these rituals are used when werecats gather.
JamakBastet are solo operators as a rule. Group totems are downright rare among the werecats (with the exception of Simba prides). However, it is very common for Bastet to engage in personal totemic pacts with powerful spirits. Bastet call these patrons "Jamak." Whereas Garou tend to revere archetypes, Jamak tend to be more individualized aspects of a totem. The following Garou totems are especially appropriate Jamak, if only in a derivative form. For instance, a Bastet Raven Jamak might be Ragpicker, a tricky thief who nontheless knows many secrets. Many of them are quite expensive and thus unable to be bought with starting background points, unless a rare pack of Bastet pool their background dots.
In addition, Bastet have a small host of totemic spirits that do not commonly attach themselves to other Changing Breeds. Bonyscrap (1-dot Jamak) A spirit of scavenger-birds, Bonyscrap is privy to the wisdom of the dead. Favors: Bonyscrap is known for passing along information at a crucial time. A player with Bonyscrap as his Jamak can seek the Jamak's counsel for information that might help him find a solution to a problem or solve a riddle. Ban: Bonyscrap is a vulgar, dirty bird. His only demand is that Bastet who seek his wisdom tolerate his rude behavior, love of roadkill and rotted meat, and stench with aplomb. (Bastet pg. 140) Butterfly (1-dot Jamak) A spirit of the benvolent Wyld, Butterfly is an embodiment of creativity and peaceful change. Balam, Bagheera, and Qualmi are particularly fond of seeking his patronage. Favors: Butterfly grants his follower the gift: Monkey's Uncle (really? It's a level four gift! -Cris) and adds +2 to the difficulty of all rolls to Frenzy. Ban: A follower of Butterfly must never attack a foe in anger, only in self-defense. Citlacoatl, the Feathered Serpent King (3-dot Jamak) A spirit of knowledge and the native peoples of the Americas, Citlacoatl is revered by the Balam and Pumonca and disdained by most other Bastet. Favors: Those who amuse Citlacoatl or protect his serpent children might be taught the Rite of Nine Lives or the gift Walking Between Worlds, but this is not guaranteed by taking the spirit as one's Jamak. More often, Citlacoatl sends snakes to aid his followers, and teaches them the gift Cobra's Dance. Ban: Citlacoatl and King Snake are rivals for dominion over serpents. Whoever takes the patronage of one spirit becomes an enemy to the other. Also, followers of Citlacoatl must be especially dedicated to battling the forces of the Unmaker Wyrm. Hatii the Thunderer (5-dot Jamak) A mighty elephant spirit, Hatii is revered by the Khan, but will not serve as a patron to Simba. Favors: Hatii grants his followers an additional two points of stamina, but only during combat. Additionally, followers of Hatii may use the Merit: Photographic Memory for one specific event per story. Hatii is also a spirit of wisdom, and occasionally offers advice to his followers. In places where elephants run wild, they might intervene on behalf of followers of the Thunderer. Ban: Followers of Hatii must protect elephant herds whenever possible, and are charged with avenging elephants slain for sport, or for ivory. Ika-Ika, the Monkey King (3-dot Jamak) A sprit of capriciousness, chaos, and crazy wisdom, Ika-Ika is favored by the Swara and Bagheera, disliked by the Khan and Simba, and loathed by the Bubasti, who shun the spirit and his followers. Ika-Ika enjoys few things more than annoying the shadowcats, and encourages his followers to do the same. Favors: Ika-Ika can grant his followers an extra dot in Dexterity and Athletics, which, once bestowed, last for a day. He can also teach gifts like Treeclimber, Farsight, Clawstorm, and Monkey's Uncle. The last two gifts are only taught to Baster followers of the third rank, who have followed Ika-Ika for some time. Ban: Ika-Ika's followers must be willing to party at the drop of a hat, but stop short of violence or destruction. He might attend on his followers in person, in the form of man or monkey. If his follower wishes to keep him, they must make him welcome. King of Cats (3-dot Jamak) The quintessential spirit of the tom cat. Boisterous, rude, dashing, and powerful, a swashbuckling, sexy beast. Favors: Followers of the King of Cats recieve the Merit: Grace and a permanent point of Dexterity. He can teach any Bastet gift, but rarely does so. Ban: Followers of the King of Cats must live by his code: Play hard, laugh at death, and go out with style. If his follower falls into depression or morbidity, the spirit will leave and find someone more fun to assist. King-of-Beasts (6-dot Jamak) A mighty aspect of Lion, King-of-Beast represents rulership and utter, uncompromising dominance. He tends to sponsor entire prides of Simba; Garou have also been known to follow King-of-Beasts. Favors: King-of-Beasts' followers receive one extra dot of strength and reduce difficulty on all intimidation rolls by three. This spirit also teaches many gifts to those he deems worthy. Ban: Followers of King-of-Beasts must bow to the spirit's every whim, and exert unquestioning dominance against all around them. Any faltering or cowardice, and the spirit will abandon his followers. Mantis (2-dot Jamak) A spirit of patience and of deadly combat, Mantis is followed by the Khan, Bagheera, and the Simba of the Kalahari desert. Favors: Mantis teaches his followers the value of patience and stillness. Followers of Mantis may lower their difficulty on Enigmas, Investigation, or Occult rolls by the amount of successes they achieve on a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) to center themselves. This takes about an hour of meditation and as such cannot be done in combat or other stressful circumstances. Ban: Followers of Mantis mustn't be hasty or reckless. If they cannot understand the value of stillness, Mantis leaves them. Mistress of Catkind (5-dot Jamak) The Mistress of Catkind has moved among humanity in umpteen guises. They call her Bast, and Freyja, Durga, Hecate, Sekhmet, and more. She is a spirit of magic, of nurturing, of war and destruction. All Bastet are her children, for it is from her most obvious manifestation that their name was taken. Favors: The Mistress of Catkind comforts her children when they are lost or afraid, and rallies them to battle. She may bestow powers or send animal allies to her followers, or give her followers advice. In any form, she teaches all Bastet gifts to the deserving. Ban: A Bastet who falls to the Wyrm, even if they redeem themselves somehow, can never regain the favor of this spirit. Old Snapjaw (2-dot Jamak) A spirit of alligators and crocodiles, Old Snapjaw represents patience, wisdom, and decisive, sometimes brutal action. Favors: Old Snapjaw allows his followers to make a Wits + Enigmas roll at varying difficulties -- the old gator poses his follower a riddle. Success on this roll gives followers of the spirit -3 difficulty on any Enigmas roll (excluding riddles posed by Old Snapjaw himself). He also grants his followers an extra dot of Rage. Ban: Old Snapjaw's followers must do whatever it takes to ferret out magical secrets. Thunderbird (5-dot Jamak) The legendary Thunderbird is one of the quintessential spirits of the Pumonca. He also highly favors Wendigo Garou. Favors: Thunderbird teaches all Pumonca gifts, and will teach them to any Bastet who follows him. In a crisis, he may send a Thunderbolt (as per the gift) to strike the Bastet's enemies. Hawks and eagles will often come to the aid of Thunderbird's followers, and the spirit will strike a follower's enemies down with bouts of abject terror. Ban: Thunderbird will not tolerate cowardice, and those who flee from battle out of fear may lose his favor, though he is also quick to forgive. Followers of Thunderbird must destroy or attempt to redeem or cleanse anything and anyone Wyrm-tainted they come across. Followers of Thunderbird who side with agents of corruption, such as vampires, fomori or Banes, may be struck down by the spirit with bolts from the blue. Tinzie (2-dot Jamak) Tinzie is a spirit of speed. He is the eternal, stinging fly, who shows the folly of the large and clumsy. Favor: Tinzie can teach the Catfeet, First Strike, and Swipe Gifts. His followers recieve an extra dot of Dexterity when fleeing from a bigger, more powerful opponent. Ban: Followers of Tinzie must never bully the weak, or let a self-important person be. Whispers (2-dot Jamak) Whispers is the embodiment of secrets. Favors: Whispers' allies reduce all Enigmas-related difficulties by -3 if they make a Perception + Awareness roll, difficulty 7 (Whispers is hard to hear, but constantly gives clues to her followers). She can also teach gifts like Night's Passage, Cheshire Prank and Eavesdropper's Ear. Ban: Allies of whispers are forbidden from making loud noises, especially when they speak. Bastet RenownCunning: Where the Garou revere the virtue of Wisdom the Folk revere Cunning; the ability to achieve one's goals through intellect and skill rather than overt force. Cunning tends to absorb the same sorts of deeds as Wisdom, but is more self-interested overall. Ferocity: Unlike the Garou, who uphold the idea of Glory, edifying oneself as a warrior, the Bastet revere Ferocity. Nothing wins, as they say, like winning. A Ferocious Bastet rests their list of deeds upon a pile of enemies whose asses have been thoroughly kicked. Honor: The Folk hold to their honor much as the Garou do, but Bastet tend to view Honor as a personal thing rather than as something that reflects upon one's tribe. Bastet honor tends to be more flexible; while it is important to be true to one's tribemates, the Bastet as a whole, and Kinfolk, a Bastet can lie, cheat, and swindle humans and Garou with absolutely no loss of face. |
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