A Birth Right of Mysteries-
Cats are innately magical beings with an affinity for mysteries. The arts at their command, similar yet apart from those of the Garou, are many and powerful. These come in three varieties: Gifts, rites and the ritual arts called Shadow Craft. The high Gnosis scores most cats possess reflect the race's spiritual talent, while the spells at each werecat's behent demonstrate the ways in which such talents manifest.
To the Bastet, magical arts are the greatest of secrets, jealously guarded from outsiders and cleverly traded amongst themselves. Although the following spells are expressed in game system terms, it's vital to remember that, as far as your werecat is concerned, each Gift and rite is a mystical communion between herself, the Folk, and their allies and ancestors. No matter how many Gifts or rites a werecat might possess, the thrill of summoning such powers---the cool trickle of a spoken chant, the heartbeat rush of a mystic surge---should never be forgotten.
Gifts-
"There are no secrets better kept than the secrets that everybody guesses." -George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession
In game terms, Bastet Gifts work just like Garou Gifts. Unlike the dogs, however, most werecats learn their Gifts from each other, or by watching others perform tricks, then practicing until they can do the trick themselves. This passing of secrets is one of the hallmarks of a clever cat; the Bastet who can't teach herself new tricks is regarded as a poor example of the Folk. Even so, spirit allies often have to be found to teach Bastet the most powerful secrets; one of the greatest assets of having a Jamak is the wisdom that it can convey. Werecats without a Jamak have to track down new sources of Gifts.
The heart of most Gifts, as Bastet understand them, is a puzzle, some conundrum which offers an insight into power. Once you figure it out, everything makes sense and the Gift comes flowing into your memory, to be used whenever it's needed. These puzzles often involve symbols and twisted logic; an example could be: "To pass without a shadow/One must lap the waters of the Yungla River/Spit them onto Mother's breast/And sing the silent quest,/Then look into your own waters and decide/ To leave no mark of passing." Understanding such enigmas, and figuring out how to apply them in practical ways, takes time. Other insights can include snatches of eavesdropped conversation that, when you string them all otgether, make a certain kind of sense. Werecats know intuitively when something they hear or see is significant, and even the dullest ones can exercise impressive powers of recall and decution when piecing them together.
Using a Gift isn't just a matter of spending a few Gnosis and making a die roll; for the character, it involves reaching down into her essence, then into the world around her, then shaping them both into an extension of her desires. The werecat doesn't just rattle off the name of a Gift---she calls it up from her memory, gestates it like a kitten, and gives it birth. In reality, this only takes a moment, but to the Bastet, it becomes "the hour that stretches," a lush, tingling moment when the cat, her surroundings and the spirit of Seline meld into one. When the magic burns forth, it's not just a game effect---it's a magical birthing. Not that an outsider can tell, of course. Cats are notoriously casual about their talents. If asked, the cat simply says, "It's nothing." In her heart, though, she knows better.
General GiftsBreed Gifts Tribal Gifts
