Bastet

From PathfinderWiki
Bastet
(Deity)

Titles
The Sly Enchantress
Alignment
Areas of Concern
Cats, pleasure, secrets
Edicts
Learn secrets, tempt others into revelry, kill harmful snakes and evil spirits, heal disease
Anathema
Kill or abuse a house cat, abandon a child, choose to marry
Cleric Alignments (1E)
Domains (1E)
Animal, Chaos, Charm, Protection, Trickery
Subdomains (1E)
Deception, Defense, Fur, Lust, Protean, Thievery
Cleric Alignments (2E)
Domains (2E)
Nature, passion, protection, trickery
Favored Weapon
Symbol
Golden cat
Sacred Animal
Source: Empty Graves, pg(s). 67 (1E)
Gods & Magic, pg(s). 124–125 (2E)

Bastet is the Ancient Osirian goddess of cats, desire, sensuality, and secrets. She protects against epidemics, evil, and snakes. She is usually relaxed and indolent, but Bastet's anger can be terrible.1

Appearance

Bastet is a beautiful cat-headed woman carrying a sistrum and an aegis shield decorate with the head of a lion.1

Relationships

A Family Tree of the Osirian Pantheon.

Bastet is the daughter of Ra and sister of Hathor, Sekhmet, and Maat. She has often faced off against Apep on her father's behalf. Bastet has no mate, but her affairs with numerous other deities are well-documented.1

Church of Bastet

The worship of Bastet is particularly popular among women, and most of her clergys are female. They usually keep cats as pets, and when these cats die, they are mummified and buried with their owners. Bastet's temples host elaborate, decadent festivals, and are home to sacred prostitutes of both sexes.1 Since the restoration of native Osirian rule in 4609 AR,2 interest in the worship of Bastet has been rekindled in that nation.3

While not a part of the church, many in the Golden Road region view the Shemtej catfolk as the blessed children of Bastet. Certainly their caravans wander through the most desolate and dangerous stretches that the desert region has to offer. Some believe their mere presence wards off the most foul and dangerous of desert spirits.4

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Robert G. McCreary. “Gods of Ancient Osirion” in Empty Graves, 67. Paizo Inc., 2014
  2. Erik Mona, et al. Golden Road” in World Guide, 51. Paizo Inc., 2019
  3. Rob McCreary. (March 13, 2014). The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Osirion, Paizo Blog.
  4. David N. Ross. Catfolk” in Ancestry Guide, 17. Paizo Inc., 2021