Bastet
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| Bast | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cat | ||
| Aliases | Mother of Cats | |
| Alignment | Chaotic Good | |
| Divine Rank | Lesser Goddess | |
| Pantheon | Egyptian | |
| Portfolio | Cats, protection, punishment, vengeance | |
| Domains | 3E: Chaos, Destruction, Good, Protection, Strength, War 5E: War |
|
| Home Plane | Merratet (Ysgard) | |
| Worshippers | Barbarians, defenders, elves, fighters, mothers, rangers | |
| Favoured Weapon | Tiger claws | |
Bastet is one of the more famous gods of the tangled mess that is the Egyptian pantheon. Generally regarded as the Goddess of Cats, and depicted as a cat-headed woman, that is simply scratching the tip of the iceberg that is Bastet. Originally a lioness-headed warrior-goddess, that role was eventually split off to become the semi-independent deity Sekhmet. She is also a defender of Ra (and thus the Pharoah), a protector-goddess who wards off disease and evil spirits, a protective patron of women and children, a lunar deity, a fertility goddess governing pregnancy and childbirth, and a patron of revelry, festivals and sexual pleasure.
As a historical deity, she has appeared in various Dungeons & Dragons settings, most notably the Forgotten Realms, Mystara and Planescape.
Midgard[edit | edit source]
| Bastet | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cat's head and solar disk | ||
| Aliases | Goddess of Cats and Hunters, Queen of Perfumes, Bastard Child of Aten, Mother of Alchemy, Patron of the Gnolls, Wife of Anu-Akma | |
| Alignment | Chaotic | |
| Divine Rank | God | |
| Pantheon | Midgard (Southlands) | |
| Portfolio | Cats, Hunting, Sensuality, Lust, Sun, Moon, Desire, Beauty | |
| Domains | 5e: Cat, Hunting, Lust, Moon PF: Animal, Charm, Darkness, Ferocity, Fur, Hunting, Light, Lust, Resolve, Strength, Sun |
|
| Home Plane | Midgard | |
| Worshippers | Gnolls, Catfolk, Hunters, Perfumers, Alchemists, Soldiers, Dancers, Prostitutes, Farmers | |
| Favoured Weapon | Temple Sword or Bladed Scarf | |
In the Midgard setting by Kobold Press, Bastet is a very popular goddess in the Southlands. A heretical offshoot of her faith called the Sisterhood of the Feral Scratch, which focuses on the darker aspects of her creed emphasizing lust and ferocity, is growing. Ironically, Midgard's Bastet is actually associated more with gnolls than she is with catfolk! The first reason is because she married Anu-Akma, patron god of the gnolls and thus became their adoptive mother-goddess, which they had no trouble with considering her faith revolves so much around fighting and partying - which is ironic, considering that hyenas are actually closer to cats than they are to dogs. The second reason is that, ironically, catfolk didn't originally exist in Midgard, although the 2021 revamped Southlands splatbooks for 5e will be retconning them in.
Bastet is described as a beautiful woman with a cat's head, skin covered in sleek black or golden fur, and either one, three or four pairs of very large breasts. In terms of "Masks", she is believed to be the same deity as Ailuros of Bourgund, Artemis of the Seven Cities, St. Hubertus the Hunter of the Crossroads, the Dark God known only as "The Hunter", and the Dragon God of Air Azuran and specifically his aspect of the Eastern Wind.
Her creed reads thus:
- Take pleasure in life, and live for the day. Hunt and kill your food when you can; take joy in destroying serpents. Visit the perfumers frequently and offer up gifts of scent and spice to the goddess's altars. To divine the future, read the entrails of an enormous, unblemished animal, and sacrifice such a creature before any great endeavor.