Ahu: The beginning and end of all things, epitomized by the Deep Umbra or outer space. Usually, but not always, considered feminine.
Asura: Singular and plural; refers to both the spirits of darkness(Banes), which feed on the destruction of the world, and to their father. Unmakers and corrupters, the Asura often disguise themselves to better serve their purpose. Some ghosts take that name as well, but remain to blind the true significance of the term.
Caliah: Verbal lore, specifically about the beginnings of things as we know them. Usually, but not always, recited during a ceremony.
Cahlash, the Unmaker: The Dark Father, whose influence grants mysteries but also destroys what exists to make way for what is to come. The personification of Entropy. Although Cahlash is technically the entity the Garou call the Wyrm, the Bastet consider him Father of Night, the Author of Mysteries. To them, he's dangerous, seductive, and ultimately essential. Interestingly, both Cahlash and his brother Rahjah are known collectively as "The King of Cats".
Chatro: The huge sabertooth war-form that all Bastet attain between Crinos and Feline forms.
Chaya: Denizens of the Umbra, the brood of Cahlash and the shadows at the egde of the world; spirits.
Crinos: The half-human form of Moon-Rage, when the power of Seline brings forth the strongest elements of a Bastet's nature and focuses them into a mystical killing machine.
Dakat: The traditional name for fomori. Seen by most Bastet as children who got too close to a fire and were burned beyond recognition. Given this state, they should be put out of their misery.
Den-Realm: An Umbral home territory, staked out by a powerful Bastet. Creating a Den-Realm is hard work, and violating it is a deadly crime.
Folk, the: A casual term for Bastet, also applied for loosely to all the changing breeds.
Gaia: The Earth. Unlike the Garou, werecats consider Gaia a lesser playerin the cosmic drama. Her survival is essentual for those who dwell with Her, but the death of Gaia means the end of the Earth, not the end of existence as a whole.
Hakarr: Bastet ceremonial blade, similar to the African hungahumnga(see Appendix). Like a Garou klaive, the hakarr is a favored dueling weapon, especially among Simba and Khan.
Hanshii: Ritual combat, usually to decide territorial rights. These contests may be riddle games, formal duels, or fang-and-claw warfare.
Homid: The human form, or human breed, of a werecat.
Jamaa: Powerful spirits, like Celestines and Incarna. Akin to gods, but still considered "part of the family." See also Nyota Jamaa.
Jamak: Spirit allies who aid a werecat in return for favors and friendship. Similar to the totems of the Garou, although the relationship between Bastet and Jamak is more egalitarian.
Karoush: The werecat litany.
Kheuar: The shared language of all Bastet.
Kit: A young werecat, a baby, or a new-changed pupil learning the ways of catkind from a kuasha.
Killi: Fellow shapeshifters, gifted by Seline and Gaia (Garou, Corax, etc.).
Kuasha: Literally, "mist." The mentor who takes a Bastet under his protection, teachers her what she needs to know, then drives her away(or leaves) to teach the cub self-reliance.
Lune: One of the moonbeam messengers, the handmaidens of Seline.
Madness, The: The great European witch-craze or the 1400s-1700s, during which cats were demonized and the Ceilican tribe was believed to have been exterminated. Also called The Burning Times.
Nala, the First Mother: The half-crazy Mother of creation. Torn between two lovers whom she both adores and despises, Nala's dance keeps creation in motion. Known by the werewolves as the Wyld, and called Dynamism by some magi.
Nyota Jamaa: "Star Family"; those primal entities the Garou call the Triat---Nala, Rahjah and Cahlash. Also known simply as the Jamaa("Cousins"), a name that applies to less-powerful spirits.
Padaa: A sense that combines smell and taste from a distance. To use it, a Bastet opens his mouth, flares his nostrils and inhales. The air passes across his tongue and an organ in the roof of his mouth.
Pride: Technically, one's family. Usually describes a werecat's allies, dependents or friends.
Pryio: The "Moon Favor," a personality tendency baed upon the time of day a Bastet attains her First Change. The werecat's true essence, not the face she shows to others except in the most general ways. Though the concept resembles the Garou Auspices, carry no special Gifts or social reguirements.
Rahjah, the Maker: The ambitious brother whose drive to impress Nala gave form to the Earth. Unfortunately, Rahjah doesn't know when to stop, and tries to define everything into rigid forms. Known by werewolves as the Weaver, Rahjah personifies the metaphysical state of Stasis, and it sometimes called "The King of Cats"(q.v. Cahlash).
Seline: Gaia's sympathetic sister, the Moon, who birthed the Changing Breeds as a gift to the Earth. She favores the werecats, of course, and considers them her finest creations. Her body is said to be the final sanctuary for all Bastet.
Shadow Folk: A common term for other supernatural creatures, i.e., mages, vampires, faeries, etc. Other shapeshifters are not usually considered Shadow Folk.(q.v. Killi)
Sokto: The huge proto-human form between the Homid and Crinos states.
Taghairm: A cat gathering, often called in one Bastet's Den-Realm or home to exchange information and pleasantries. Usually performed during the height of the full moon.
Tahla: An all-werecat pride gathered together for a common purpose.
Tribe: One of the nine werecat races. Technically, eleven tribes once existed; the Khara(weresabertooths) are now extinct, the Ceilican are believed destroyed, and the Ajaba(werehyenas) have been exiled and aren't considered family any longer.
War of Rage: The genocidal war for dominance that the Garou once waged upon all other Changing Breeds. Although it occurred over 10,000 years ago, old grudges linger.
Yava: A tribal secret, hidden from all outsiders, that supposedly grants another being power over you if learned. The most tightly guarded of all Bastet lore, these are exposed only under the most extreme circumstances, if even then.
Formalities and Rank Titles-
Akaa: "Truthchaser"; honorific for an equal of either gender. Also the formal title for a Second Rank Bastet.
Bon Bhat: "Great Parent"; a respectful term for an elder. Often used to address the host the first time a werecat attends a Taghairm in a new country.("Thankyou, Bon Bhat Kareem, for allowing me to enter your sanctum.") Also the title for a Bastet of the Fifth or Sixth Rank.
Buree Pa: An ancient secret revealed onto during a great ritual, usually as a redward for some service or accomplishment.
Hamaal: "One Family"; A formal term for catkind which excludes all other races as inferiors.
Ilani: "Wonder favored"; a flattering address for a Bastet of some notoriety. Also the term for a Fourth Rank werecat.
Naa: A werecat who comes from nowhere; an outsider, a stranger who hasn't earned the trust of others.
Shining Child: An archaic term for a human.
Tekhmet: "Little one"; a condescending address from an elder to a youngster. Also the title for a Rank One Bastet.
Tilau: "Accomplished friend"; a respectful title of address for an expirienced and prosperous werecat. Also the title for a Rank Three werecat.
Watua: "Children"; an affectionate(and somewhat condescending) name for feline Kinfolk and other true cats.
Slang-
Brain-Wading: Spying on another's thoughts; using telepathy.
Caloo: A wild party or celebration.
Declaw: To mess up another Bastet, usually as punishment.
Dog: A Garou. Highly derogatory. Also pretty common.
Ghat: An insult directed at one Bastet who sleeps with another.
Housecat: Insult; a Bastet who's grown too civilized or has forgotten her roots.
Meshing: Going into cyberspace, or hacking.
Monkey: A human, especially a stupid or loud-mouthed one.
Ngiri: "Warthog"; an insult for vain or pompous individuals.
Playing Blood-Tag: Hunting humans or other outsiders, especially in trouble zones like the Amazon or African grasslands, for fun or revenge.
Puss-in-Boots: Derogatory term for teaming up with a human, especially in an "inferior" role. ("She pulled a Puss-in-Boots and fell in live with the monkey!")
Ratshit: Panic, usually cowardly("He went ratshit and ran.")
Scratching One from Nine: Pulling off a really close escape. ("I scratched one from nine getting outta that one!")
Spiderface: A mage, especially an evil one. Coined the creeping sensation many Bastet have when looking into a mage's eyes for the first time.
Yabba: A moron. Possibly derived from a mispronunciation of "Yava."