Bastet

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." - Inscription on the royal tombs at Thebes

We are the favored sons and daughters of Selene and Helios, blessed with the twin gifts of cool magic and blazing ferocity. Cross us at your peril, but walk beside us and experience wonders you have never dreamed of. --Kek-Kazemde, Bubasti Sorcerer Bastet Society There is such a thing as Bastet Society, though it tends toward the loose and informal. There is no "Bastet Nation" -- All the tahla hinting at such a thing admit it was tenuous at best due to the cats' own inclinations, and banished beyond the pale by the War of Rage. But the werecats do share common spoken and glyphic languages, rites, and a common hierarchy. Contrary to what some claim, the Bastet are social animals--but they are social on their terms. Even when a pecking order establishes itself, cats have no kings. The formative period of a Bastet's after their First Change is called the "First Year;" it a period of exactly one year spent under the tutelage of another Bastet, called Kuasha. Ideally the Kuasha is of the same tribe as their pupil, but in a pinch any Bastet may teach a cub of any other tribe. After the First Year, the cub is given his first Rank and sent out on his own with what his Kuasha has taught him. After this, the Bastet lives life on his own terms, expected only to accrue Renown and keep the Bastet's litany, called Karoush. Karoush: The Bastet Litany Honor Yourself Honor Your Word Honor Your Kin and Kind Honor Your Earth Honor Your Silence Bastet do have a hierarchy of rank. It does not denote absolute authority as it would among the Garou, but rather polite deferment and acknowledgement of experience. Still, Bastet can pull rank and often do. A Bon Bhat's personal power and the weight of their renown so vastly eclipses a Tehkmet that in any disagreement, the Bon Bhat will get their way. Bastet titles always have a social meaning outside of their rank. Rank 1: Tekhmet: "Little One." A term of address (usually condescending) from elder cat to a youngster. Rank 2: Akaa: "Truthchaser." An honorific between Bastet of equal rank. Rank 3: Tilau: "Accomplished Friend." A respectful title of address denoting experience and accomplishment. Rank 4: Ilani: "Wonder Favored." A title used when flattering another Bastet. Rank 5 & 6: Bon Bhat: A respectful term for an elder, also used to greet the host when attending a Taghairm in a foreign land for the first time. When Bastet meet, it is Taghairm, a neutral meeting ground sanctified by rituals and protected by the spirits. Taghairm is a way to settle disputes, share information, and brag. The last pillar of Bastet society is the Den Realm, a Bastet's personal sanctuary, where only a cat and his friends and lovers are welcome. Creating a Den Realm is a statement of achievement for the cats; they cannot build a Den Realm of their own, or inherit one from another Bastet, until they have become Tilau (achieved Rank 3). Rules & Systems Approved Books Approved Merits anything else? Setting - special landmarks - - NPC's - See 'News' on the game. Current Plots Links something happening here soon

Overview Like the Garou, the Bastet are divided into tribes. Like the Garou, Bastet acknowledge a universal renown and ranking system from youngling to elder. Unlike the Garou, there is no "Bastet Nation." Hierarchy among the werecats varies from tribe to tribe and tends to be loose in any case, but unlike the other Fera the Bastet have retained their ancient glyphic script. There are nine tribes of werecats, each with its felid roots in different species: Bagheera: The leopard-men of Africa and India, heirs to twin gifts of wisdom and savage might. Balam: Jaguar warriors of Central and South America. Bubasti: Shadowy mystics, ancient foes of a lineage of vampire sorcerers. Celican: Fae-cats of Europe, believed to be destroyed. Khan: Tiger-warriors, whose once proud Sultanates lie in ruins. Pumonca: Dusty wanderers who roam North America in Puma and man-guise. Qualmi: Practitioners of old American magics in Lynx-skin. Simba: Call them Dark Kings or the Lords of Sunlight, the Lions' star is in the ascendant at last. Swara: Cheetah-men of Africa, wary and elusive and gifted with spiritual power. Character Generation CG numbers Your character begins with each Attribute at one dot. Priority selection determines how many additional dots you may place in each category: Divide 7 dots among your character's primary Attributes, 5 dots among her secondary Attributes and 3 dots among her tertiary Attributes. You may not raise an Attribute above 5 dots. Freebie points allow you to increase an Attribute in chargen. Your starting willpower and rage are determined by your tribe; see Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds. Assign 13 dots to your primary Ability category, 9 dots to your secondary category, and 5 dots to your tertiary category. You may not assign more than 3 dots to any Ability, but you can increase Abilities to 4 or 5 dots with freebie points later. Bastet begin with one Level One gift from their Tribe, Breed, and General lists (three Gifts total). Your character receives 5 background points to divide as you choose. Bastet may purchase any background in Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised with the following differences: * Bastet who have reached Rank One cannot take the Mentor background; any former mentor is instead treated as an Ally. * Bastet may not purchase the Den-Realm background in character generation but MAY set background points aside for it. * Instead of the Totem background, Bastet purchase "Jamak," representing a personal Totem as described in Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds. * Bastet may also purchase the Secrets background, and instead of Fetish they purchase "Trinket," which may represent a Fetish, an item created via the Enchantment Numina, or a Talisman/Device (Bastet may not use Talismans/Devices of Level 4 or greater, and Talismans/Devices cost two background points per level instead of one). Celican may purchase Changeling Treasures with the Trinket background; other Bastet find these items fascinating but cannot use them. You now have 15 freebie points with which to round out your character and select Traits you couldn't afford previously. Each Trait has its own price. If the ability or power you want isn't found in chargen, feel free to send in a +request to have it added. Make sure to include a book reference! Make sure any backgrounds that require explanation (Allies, Contacts, Treasure, Jamak, etc.) are +noted! Approval Tips Some tips on getting your character approved painlessly. Make sure to read up on what you wish to play so that you have an idea of how the game/theme/system works. Have a solid concept. Make sure your stats fit the concept you're going for. Talk to Staff in pages, @mail or via +request if you've got questions, concerns or ideas. Not everyone needs to be a combat centric. Social and Mental rolls will be used liberally here. Use common sense. Gunshots get noticed in the city as are weapons that are considered illegal to carry out on the streets in California. Notes: Bastet do not have the innate ability to step sideways. This is learned via a level 4 gift, Walking Between Worlds. Swara may learn this as a level 2 gift. Metis Bastet gifts may not be learned by Homids or Felines. Bubasti tribal gifts are deeply held secrets; the tribe destroys those who teach them to outsiders. Swara may learn most Theurge gifts as Tribal gifts. (Bastet pg. 117) All Bastet possess an affinity for Sorcery, which they call "Shadow Craft." However, only the Bubasti, Ceilican, and Qualmi practice it habitually. Other tribes, such as the Simba, actively shun knowledge of sorcery (until they need it). Bastet Sorcerers may learn any path of Sorcery, but Bubasti favor Alchemy, Cursing, Enchantment, Ephemera, Spirit Control (from the Wraith supplement The Quick and the Dead, this path may not be approved for use at CoH), and Summoning/Binding/Warding. Celican favored Alchemy (with an emphasis on Herbalism), Conjuration, Cursing, Enchantment, and healing. Those of the tribe who have fallen may favor darker arts. Qualmi favor Alchemy (again with an emphasis on herbalism), Healing, and Spirit Control. (Bastet pg. 94) 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. 1: Rite of Contrition 1: Rite of Talisman Dedication 1: Speaking of the Name (Bastet pg. 118) 2: Rite of Recognition (Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds pg. 75) 2: Passing the Yava (Bastet pg. 119) 3: Kuasha Degree (Bastet pg. 120) 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) 1: Rite of Warding (Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds pg. 75) 2: Rite of Spirit Awakening 2: Rite of Summoning 3: Rite of Claiming (Bastet pg. 121) 3: Rite of the Fetish 4: Eater of the Dead (Bubasti only, Bastet pg. 121) 5: Call the Four Winds (Bastet pg. 121) 5: Rite of Nine Lives (Bastet pg. 121) 5: Wishing Waves (Bastet pg. 122) 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. 1: Rite of Cleansing 1: Jamak Promise Bond (Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds pg. 74) 3: Rite of Fear (Bastet pg. 122) 4: Rite of the Opened Bridge Taghairm Rites: The Baster equivalent of Moot Rites, these rituals are used when werecats gather. 1: Caliah (Bastet pg. 123) 1: Gathering for the Departed 2: Grooming the Newcomer (Bastet pg. 124) 2: Hanshii (Bastet pg. 124) 3: Exile (Bastet pg. 124) 4: Festival of Dreams (Bastet pg. 124) Jamak Bastet 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. Bear (Pumonca and Qualmi) Owl (Bubasti, Qualmi) Raven (Pumonca, Qualmi) Uktena (Balam, Pumonca, Qualmi) Coyote (Pumonca, Qualmi) Cuckoo (Bubasti, Qualmi) Fox (Pumonca, Qualmi) Lion (Simba, HIGHLY unlikely for other Bastet) Mammoth (Pumonca, Qualmi, Khan) Quetzal (Balam, Pumonca) Volcano (Bagheera, Simba, Khan) Aray (All tribes) The People (Bagheera, Pumonca) Earthquake (Bagheera, Khan, Simba) Rhino (Bagheera, Khan, Simba) Bacchus (Bubasti) Chameleon (Balam, Bubasti, Pumonca) City Fathers/Mothers (Any except Balam or Pumonca) Fog (Bagheera, Balam, Bubasti, Pumonca, Qualmi) Salmon (Pumonca, Qualmi) Sphinx (Bubasti) Wind (Any) Butterfly (Any; this totem is MUCH different in outlook and attitude from his derivative Jamak) Goat (Bubasti) Tezcatlipoca (Balam) In addition, Bastet have a small host of totemic spirits that do not commonly attach themselves to other Changing Breeds. For information on these Jamak, see Bastet pg. 140. Bastet Renown Cunning: 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. Renown Awards Chart Activity Cunning Ferocity Honor Combat and Encounters Besting an opponent in a riddle contest +3 Showing defiance in the face of certain death +1 +3 Ending a threat without serious danger to any Bastet +5 Surviving an Incapacitating wound +2 Attacking a more powerful force without a plan -3 Attacking a supernatural foe when victory is not assured +3 Defeating a minor supernatural foe +2 Defeating an average supernatural foe +3 Defeating a powerful supernatural foe +5 Defeating a mighty supernatural foe +7 ...Destroying or killing your foe +1 ...Without any allies being hurt +1 ...Without being injured yourself +1 ...Your foe(s) were armed with silver weapons +1 ...Without ever getting your claws wet +1 Catting out Secrets Revealing that a Bastet or Garou is Wyrm-tainted +2 Discovering that an area or item is Wyrm-tainted +3 Falsely accusing a Bastet of being Wyrm-tainted -4 -5 Obtaining an intriguing secret (love-letters written by the vampire Prince) +1 Obtaining an important secret (the location of the vampire Prince's primary Haven) +2 Obtaining a critical secret (the plans of a vampire prince to destroy a Caern) +3 Obtaining an incredible secret (the resting place of a vampire Methuselah) +5 Filching a major magic item (ex. Fetish) from another, undeserving supernatural being +2 +2