Rites of the Bastet

[Tami]

Potent as the Gifts of cat magic are, some tasks require more ceremonial rites. Although the Bastet, being less social and more individualistic, don't place the same importance on rites as their lupine cousins, some occasions are still significant enough to warrant and elaborate ritual.

Most Bastet rites are solitary; while they often include chaya, these ceremonies ar performed by a single cat. Taghairm Rites are an exception - these ceremonies demand the presence of a number of Bastet. Other werecats can participate in the solitary rites; their presence just isn't required to complete the rituals.

Like Gifts, rites involve story elements more significant than the game mechanics. Such rituals are important milestones in a werecat's life, especially the Rites of Kuasha, Need and Moon, and shouldn't be brushed off with a simple "Yeah, you did the Rite of Contrition and everything's fine." Folklore speaks in hushed tones of mad-cat rites, where screeches and yowls could be heard for miles and villagers locked themselves inside, lest they catch sight of the dancing cats even by accident, and be hunted down and ripped to pieces. The Folk are not casual with their rites - no stranger, not wizard nor werewolf, not mortal nor immortal, is welcome at feline rituals. Play a rite for all it's worth; to a Bastet, it's worth a hell of a lot.

In game terms, Bastet rites function much like Garou ones. Each rite level requires at least 10 minutes worth of ceremony to enact, although the cat-folk don't require the various celebrants the werewolf rites do. A cat can only perform rites that she has the Knowledge Ability to understand, and must set aside a ritual space by learning and preparing a spot for a sacred working. Although the Bastet don't have the strict social codes that Garou abide by, they take their rituals fairly seriously. The cat must be in the right state of mind to invoke the proper magics, and among some tribes that may take a bit of preparation in itself.




Rites Chart Type:
Roll
Difficulty

Kuasha:
Charisma + Rituals
6

Moon:
Manipulation + Rituals
9 - phase of the moon

Need:
Wits + Rituals
7

Taghairm:
Charisma + Rituals
7




Overlapping Rites

Many Bastet rites duplicate Garou rites in effect, if not in form. Storytellers and players should work together to define the variations in a rite, for example a Bastet might perform the Dedication Rite only at Twilight. The following rites are shared, if not in name, by both werecats and werewolves.
Kuasha:
Dedication Rite (Rite of Talisman Dedication), Rite of Contrition

Moon:
Bind the Spirit-Fetish (Rite of the Fetish), Rite of Summoning, Rouse the Sleaping Spirit (Rite of Spirit Awakening)

Need:
Rite of Cleansing, Rite of the Opened Bridge

Taghairm:
Festival of Flowers (Gathering for the Departed)

[Tami]

Kuasha Rites


During a werecat's "apprenticeship," he undergoes many trials and learns many things. Most kuasha celebrate a pupil's progress with a series of rites which they pass to a new Bastet as his teachings end. Most of these rituals are considered Level One rites; once taught, they can be performed at any time. The kit has earned the privilege to learn the secrets. The more advanced rites are taught to brilliant pupils who attain higher levels of knowledge before they finish their training. Of course, if the Tekhmet fails his First Year, or if he has no official training at all (like the Hitchhiker template in chapter five), he won't know any of these rites until another
Bastet sees fit to teach him.

Speaking of the Name
Level One

Names have power; thus, all Bastet change their birth names to new titles during their First Year. This rite, performed by the Tekhmet and the kuasha together, "seals" that new name and makes it part of the cat. Traditionally, the Swara mark this rite (and the apprentice) with a ceremonial tattoo, usually across the initiate's chest. The Balam often pierce the newcomer's lip, earlobe or nostrils with a jeweled plug. Simba and Khan mark the rite with a hunt, usually a human target, in which the initiate tastes the blood of her first kill as a Bastet. Pumonca and Qualmi send their kits on short visionquests, take them to sweat lodges, or offer them ordeal rituals like the Sioux sun dance, while the Ceilican bless their new members in old faerie rings. The more ceremonial Bagheera and Bubasti perform elaborate and formal rites to welcome their offspring; these rituals, which might take as long as a day to complete, often involve two or more elders who have been invited to attend.

System: Aside from a standard roll, a new name and the ritual needs of the tribal ceremonies, this rite requires nothing special.

Rite of Recognition
Level Two

To be accepted into a new Rank, a Bastet must perform this rite before the spirits, his peers, or both. Like many werecat rituals, this ceremony can be done by a solitary cat, and it often is. A Balam in the wilderness doesn't have to travel to the nearest taghairm to be recognized - the spirits will carry tales of his deeds to other cats.

To petition for a new Rank, the cat stands in a circle prepared for the rite with herbs and, if possible, trophies of his achievements. Speaking the ritual phrases, he recites his deeds, relates his accomplishments since attaining the last Rank, and demands to be recognized for what he has done. If he succeeds, the others agree and declare his new standing; if not, they tell him why they're dissatisfied and deny his petition. These reasons can range anywhere from a lack of progress to bad politics. The Bastet may only perform this rite once per season.

System: In addition to the usual rite roll, the cat must make a good impression (either Charisma or Manipulation + either Enigmas, Etiquette, Expression, Leadership, Occult or Politics, depending on the cat, his audience, and the case he's trying to make). The difficulty for this roll often depends on what the cat has done in the past, and how he stands in the eyes of his jury. Unless the werecat does something truly striking between attempts, this rite rises in difficulty each time it's failed, then repeated. Neither the cats nor the spirits respect a loser.

Passing the Yava
Level Two

These secrets contain the seeds of survival or destruction for the entire tribe. Passing them on to a youngster is a sign of the utmost trust and pride. Imagine handing a loaded gun to you child and telling him to shoot at a target behind your head; that's the kind of importance the Yava convey. They're not passed on lightly, or to fools. Thus, this exchange, often the last rite between the kit and her mentor, is deeply important.

This ritual, traditionally performed at dusk, involves a recitation of the three secrets, a reminder of their importance, and an admonishment to keep them safe. The kuasha informs her apprentice that someday he too will pass on the Yava, and that his judgment will reflect the future of the tribe. To betray the trust, even under torment, is the worst crime a Bastet can commit. Before this rite is performed, the mentor scans the area for spirits or other eavesdroppers. If the area is clear, the secrets are then between elder and kit. Afterward, the two spend their last night together and part ways at dawn. Although they may very well remain friends, the first Year has ended. The kit is on his own.

System: Although the kuasha traditionally checks and secures the ritual site before beginning the rite, this ceremony requires no special materials.

Kuasha Degree
Level Three

With this rite, a teacher passes on the secrets of her teaching, so that the pupil may become a kuasha. Normally, the Degree must be uncovered through the "proper channels" - that is, the secrets of the rite must be dug out of a series of mentors, contacts and friends, then pieced together. An especially apt Tekhmet might impress her mentor so well that he passes on everything she needs to know before her apprenticehsip ends; it's rare, but it has been known to happen.

The Kuasha Degree contains all the rites, advice, secrets and preparations a Bastet needs in order to take a pupil, and confers the right to do so. Even so, the elder usually cautions her kit to take a bit of time to see the world for himself before he begins teaching someone else about it. Taking a kit means responsibility; most kuashas stress that their pupils must run free for a while before taking on such a burden. At the end of the ritual, the mentor invests her student with the power to take a student of his own, and advises him to do so carefully.
In the Degree, a Tekhmet learns how to find taghairms, how to petition spirits, how to find a new-Changed Bastet and how to chastise him for doing wrong. It relates to responsibilities and rights the mentor receives under Bastet law, and offers lots of common wisdom about the feeding and caring of a kit. The Yava is not passed on through this rite - that requires its own rite. The Tekhmet has been taught how to pass on the tribal secrets, but isn't told what they are until the mentor and student part ways.

System: This rite takes six hours, often longer, Aside from making time to talk and having the freedom to do so, this rite doesn't require special preparations.

[Tami]

Moon Rites


These magical rituals can only be performed beneath the glow of Seline and the vault of Ahu. Moonlight is an essential part of all the following rites, so each of them occurs outside after sundown. Although cloudiness won't prevent the rite, it'll make performing it a bit more difficult (add 1 to the difficulty, add two if it's raining, unless the rite conjures a storm). Bastet often chooses full-moon phases to enact such rituals; the strength of Seline makes the rites easier and more powerful.

Moon Rites invoke the power of the Bastet patron, strengthening their ties with her and infusing them with her essence. All Moon rites have mystical effects; tales of them having colored human folklore and superstition for millennia. These are the most sacred rites of all; anyone caught spying on them will be hunted down. This punishment is rarely necessary; Moon Rites evoke such power that any non-Bastet - including wizards and other shapechangers - fell distinctly uneasy and physically sick. All spies must make Stamina + Enigmas rolls once or twice during the ceremony or freak out (the difficulty is 5 + the level of the rite). The effects of the breakdown depend on the spies and the Storyteller, but include insanity, uncontrolled nausea, total panic (as the Delirium) or phantom pains. Vampires and werewolves have been driven to frenzy, while sorcerers have fallen into Quiet as a result of peeking at Moon Rites. Bastet elders, of course, know what such signs betray, and the worst fate - being ripped apart by angry claws - often follows a spy's discomfort.


Rite of Warding
Level One

A simple precaution taken around any site of importance, this rite is typically performed before the guests for a taghairm arrive. By calling up spirits, securing the corners of entrances of the site and charging the safety of the area to Seline, the Bastet sets up an "alarm system" which bars the site against lesser intrusions and alerts the ritespeaker against greater ones.

System: By spending a Gnosis point, the ritespeaker ties herself to the place for the duration of the Warding. This warding continues for one hour per success unless the ritespeaker either leaves the area or dismisses the guard. For as long as it lasts, any non-Bastet who enters the area triggers a mystic feeling of unease; the ritespeaker will not know exactly who or what the culprit is, but she'll know something isn't right. Intruders cannot enter a warded site at all without succeeding in a Willpower roll (difficulty is 5 + the caster's successes) - the energies of the place simply drive them away for no explicable reason. Even spirits cannot pass through a warded area without alerting the ritespeaker.

Rite of Claiming
Level Three

This mystic secret proclaims the foundation, or transferral of a Den-Realm. To do this, a Bastet travels across his territory on foot, marking the boundaries with scratches, urine and other forms (graffiti, incantations, blood, etc.). When the circuit is completed, the werecat performs the rite in the place where he began, and binds himself to the essence of the place. From then on, the area is his Den-Realm, and he may do what he wants within it.

Occasionally, Den-Reams exchange hands; some upstarts take the lands from dying elders, while others receive old friends' territory for safekeeping. This rite is still essential to becoming one with the land; until it's performed by the new owner, it's just another hunting ground. Sometimes, a dying elder will pass the rite along to the newcomer as a gesture of respect. If the Den-Realm has been ripped from her hands, however, the old owner's not likely to help the thief. Although Den -Realms may be expanded by performing this rite again, no werecat can keep more than one separate Realm. Fewer still would give up their lands without a fight. The Den-Realm is the cat's true home, and until she dies, it remains a part of her.

System: Standard roll; the rules for Den-Realms can be found in Chapter Three.

Eater of the Dead
Level Four

The Bubasti alone command this rite, a vile punishment reserved for oathbreakers among their tribe and thieve from outside it. By calling to Sobk, the Egyptian crocodile lord, an elder Bubasti sends the soul of the offender into a labyrinthine spirit realm deep within the ground. Here (they say), the victim is stalked by Sobk, who pursues him, corners him, judges him and may consume his soul.

Once a transgressor is caught, the shadowcats, bind him for the rite. During the ritual, the offender's tongue is ripped out, his eyes are seared and his ears are plugged up. Special wrappings, prepared in sandalwood oil and honey, are wound around the cat from toes to forehead. Then his head is struck off, followed by his limbs, and the whole mess is burned in an oven prepared for the rite. This ceremony, horrifying in itself, sends the cat's soul to the tunnels of Sobk to be judged.

The chase begins as the cat, now whole again, rips out of his bandages and flees into the tunnels. The Eater of the Dead pursues the soul for what seems like weeks, until he finally corners the cat. Biting off each limb in turn, he judges the soul on a golden scale. If the punishment so far is ruled enough, the soul is freed to its final journey. IF Sobk doesn't like what he sees, he devours the offender forever.

System: Standard roll, plus a Gnosis point and the preparations mentioned above. Rather than joining his Ancestor-spirits, a truly unworthy victim's essence is gone for good. Tales of this gruesome rite keep other cats very far away from Bubasti affairs.

Call the Four Winds
Level Five

Cats are renowned masters of the weather. While many Gifts reflect this talent to a small degree, Call the Four Winds affects weather patterns across whole sections of a country.

Unlike many rites, the Call demands the presence of five Bastet. One leader, the ritespeaker, decides what changes to request and begins the ritual. The others take the roles of the four corners of the earth and invoke the powers of each of them in turn. The ritespeaker acts as the center, and stands amid the others in a prepared circle, channeling their power. As the rite progresses, the power builds until the circle is swept through with elemental force. Spirits swirl screaming past the ritespeaker, who sends them up into the sky to bind the clouds and invoke the werecats' will. In time, storms gather or disperse, rain comes, winds rise, blizzards begin, tempests rage or calm.... A whole range of weather effects, from Dust storms to squalls, can be evoked with a pride of cats, this rite, and a knowledgeable leader.

System: The exacts of the Call are left to the Storyteller. These should depend on the wishes of the ritespeaker, the successes she rolls, the local climate, and the dictates of the story. A severe weather front will be harder to raise or disperse than a subtle shift, and a long-lasting change will be harder to affect than a brief storm. Unseasonal patterns, like blizzards in summer, should be considered difficulty 9 or 10, but may be possible if the story allows.

Rite of Nine Lives
Level Five

The secret knowledge granted by Seline to the wisest of her children allows them to literally return from the dead. This rite, which may only be performed once in a werecat's life, allows her to return from the dead as many as eight times before her spirit departs for good.

To begin, the werecat sets aside a ritual space outside and calls upon Seline's favor. After mixing a bit of blood, water, spit and fur in a bowl, she holds the bowl up to the moon and chants the rite. Once finished, she drinks the broth and hopes for the best. Seline will be the final judge as to whether the cat survives her death or not.

System: Standard roll, plus two Gnosis points. This rite can be performed only once, and the success of it uncertain until something kills the werecat. If successful, the Bastet recovers from her death; her spirit remains in the body and wills it to return to health. Depending on how she perishes, this may take some time. A Bastet who's "merely" mauled will return in a day or two; if she falls off a 40-story building, it may take a week to recover; a really nasty demise, like immolation or entombment, may take her weeks to confound. The recovery process is slow and painful - a Bastet who had been skinned to death may wish she had stayed dead before she heals completely. As you can imagine, a werecat who returns from death often has some serious scores to settle upon her return....

Once the cat lives again in all senses of the word, she may still face difficulties. If she was buried, she'll have to dig herself out. This may kill her a second time before she can escape. Dismemberments do not prevent resurrection - some gruesome tales speak of werecats who were hanged, drawn and quartered, only to drag their limbs from their crossroads graves to rejoin somewhere in the middle. Once recovered, the werecat loses one permanent point of each her Rage, Gnosis and Willpower. These point may never be regained; hence, a Simba who died eight times finishes his life with a maximum of two dots in each of these Traits. Any part of the cat that is destroyed (see below) is lost forever; resurrected cats often lose limbs or retain other disfigurements. Aside from that, the werecat is her old self (though some deaths leave permanent emotional and psychological scars).

Naturally, some deaths cancel out even this arcane secret. If a Bastet dies in one of these ways, she won't come back, and must face her fate like the rest of Gaia's children.
*Total destruction of the body (cremation, dissolution in acid or toxic waste, wood-chipper shredding, etc.)

*Natural death by old age

*Death in some other Realm (the Deep Umbra, a Horizon Realm, an Umbra world, etc.)

*Imprisonment of the soul (through some forms of magic or magick, or through soul-pacts or annihilation)

*The vampiric Embrace




Wishing Waves
Level Five

By yowling spitting and dancing around a lake or sea, a werecat can stir the surface into waves. Ceilican who drowned their enemies this way gave rise to tales of witches who danced with cats to create storms at sea. Although this tribe claims to have originated the Rite, the Bubasti say otherwise. In their stories Bast herself taught her children to wreck invaders on the Nile, and supposedly used it to punish Pharaoh Snefru II, who persecuted her kind.

System: This rite must be performed on a cliff or beach overlooking the sea. To begin the tempest, each player makes the standard roll and spends two Gnosis points. If more than one cat performs the rite, all their successes are added together. Each blood-Kinfolk present adds an additional success to the total. One roll is made for each hour spent dancing, at successively higher difficulties; each new roll costs an additional two gnosis points and a point of Willpower. The turbulence extends out for one mile for every Bastet participating in the rite, and dies down an hour or so after the dance ends.

The severity of the storm depends on the successes gathered; obviously, most Bastet perform this rite as an extended roll, accumulating successes until they reach the desired effect. Each success level makes the waves a bit more powerful: One or two create choppy little waves; three to five turn the water rough; six to eight create trouble for small craft; nine to 10 make sailing difficult for large boats, almost impossible for small ones; 10 to 15 successes can capsize anything smaller than an old sailing ship, although large vessels remain unmoved. 15 o 20 can create problems for freighters and small navy ships, while 21 or more can swamp large warships and tangers. The waves often spill across shore, and might threaten the dancing cats before the rite is finished.

[Tami]

Rites of Need

In an emergency, a wise Bastet can perform certain rites which may carry him through the crisis. Unlike most rites, these ceremonies take only five to 10 minutes; time is often of the essence when such rites are performed.

Jamak Promise Bond
Level One

Even a cat can need a friend. When a spirit and a Bastet come to an understanding, they offer each other a pledge of friendship. This rite seals that bond; while it has no mystic repercussions, it's considered a formal oath and is taken seriously by both parties.

Standing alone in a clearing or room, the Bastet and her Jamak recite certain promises: to help when possible, to be truthful always, to respect, and to trust. Both sides agree to protect (or to refrain from harming) the other's loved ones, and to meet once in a while to share secrets and good times. The rite lowers the Gauntlet long enough for both parties to exchange a handshake or a kiss, and reduces the difficulty by two if one party wants to cross over to the other side. By the end of the rite, both cat and spirit feel flushed and happy; although it confers some responsibilities to both sides, the Bond carries a sense of fellowship and love. For a while, at least, both partners are united.

System: Standard roll. Although a Bastet can have many spirit friends, she may only choose one Jamak at a time. Carelessly breaking the Bond promises may reduce her Rank by one or two, depending on what happens and why, as the Jamak spreads word of the werecat's infedility.

Rite of Fear
Level Three

A relic of the Madness and the tiger hunts, this rite sends a cloud of terror across the land, conjuring nightmares and spreading panic. Animals may stampede, riots may flare and brave men may decide that now is a good time to leave....

To begin the rite, the cat assumes her Crinos form and dances madly, howling her hatred to the moon. As her fury rises, she rips everything around her to shreds, living or otherwise, and flings the pieces across the site. Screeching, spitting, arching and slashing, she sends her fury outward to infest the minds of everyone in reach. Once there, the terror festers, bursting outward through dreams into waking and sending the locals into a panic. At the end of the ritual she falls exhausted, but has begun a wave of fear that continues until the second sunrise.

System: The Rite of Fear requires two Rage points and a standard roll, and spreads one mile for every success. Every additional cat can add to the total (like Wishing Waves), but anyone close by is at risk, including the other cats. A werecat enacting the rite is considered to be in a frenzy until the ceremony ends; when it ends, she falls asleep.

Obviously, the Rite of Fear is performed at night; a full moon lowers the difficulty to 5, and a gibbous one to 6. Across the land, savage nightmares and anxiety attacks plaque every living thing for a night and a day; any characters in the area must make Willpower rolls (difficulty 8) to get through the day without acting irrationally. Other effects are left to the Storyteller; children, old people and farm animals are especially sensitive to the Fear, and any number of things can happen.

[Tami]

Taghairm Rites

Bastet aren't social animals as a rule, so when they gather, certain rituals must be observed. These rites create an aura of fellowship and trust - essential ingredients for a gathering of territorial Folk - and keep things proceeding smoothly.

During each taghairm, one Bastet is chosen as the ritespeaker, either by the roup or by the host of the gathering. From then on, that person carries the respect and responsibility of her office. Most regular taghairms have permanent ritespeakers; these cats gain additional status with the post (see "Renown" in Chapter Three). Although the ritespeaker performs most Taghairm Rites in that location, she'll often appoint assistants in case she leaves between gatherings, or to help her perform elaborate rites.

Caliah
Level One

Like the Garou Moot Rite, this ritual opens all taghairms, charging the participants with mystic energy. Unlike the Garou, werecats rarely keep sacred sites. Instead, the Caliah refreshes the Gnosis of all participants and generates a sense of wonder and togetherness. As the ritespeaker chants the histories, rivalries are put aside and quarrels silenced. For a few minutes, at least, everyone present a hamaal, one family.

System: Standard roll. For each two successes (rounded up), each Bastet present receives a temporary point of Gnosis. If these points exceed a cat's usual rating, they fade in the morning. This rite can only be done once per month for the same group or by the same ritespeaker.

Grooming the Newcomer
Level Two

When a new Bastet enters an existing group, she must be welcomed with this ritual; until then, she's considered naa, an untrustworthy stranger. First, the ritespeaker questions the newcomer, often using Gifts like Sense the Truth and Righteous Gaze; she then asks others whether or not they've heart of the newcomer. Some taghairm groups test new visitors with questions, quests or ordeals to see how worthy they might be. If the examination satisfies the ritespeaker and the host of the gathering, they both welcome the newcomer into the group. All attendees rise and greet their new cousin with gestures of affection and offer her gifts of food and drink. From then on, that Bastet is always welcome.

System: Standard roll, often performed after a variety of Gifts.

Hanshii
Level Two

Some grudges can only be settled by force. To keep the peace, a host might demand that quarreling Bastet enter a ritual combat to decide the issue. All attendees and their allies agree to abide by the decision.

The formalities depend on the host's tribe, the grudge and the location of the gathering. The combatants are obliged to follow the host's rules regardless of their tribe. The Balam, Khan and Simba favor death-matches more than the other tribes do; Ceilican and Qualmi prefer tests of wits, while Bagheera and Bubasti respect test of judgment. The Swara often send both parties questing in the Penumbra, opening a "window" to watch their progress. Pumonca let the elements decide, and sponsor tests by fire or exposure. No use of Gifts or outside assistance is allowed. The rite ensures that both sides play fair; those who cheat are magically marked.

As the duel begins, the ritespeaker chants a litany extolling challenge, fairness and honor. From there, she watches what transpires, watching especially for fair play. If someone does chat, the ritespeaker feels a sharp tingling and calls the contest to a halt. The cheater's skin or fur blazes with a sickly yellow or green light. His punishment depends on the host. If a winner is declared, the dispute is considered over. While this often ends the problem, a few Bastet take their grudge home with them and handle it without witnesses next time...

System: Standard roll, plus a Gnosis point, from the ritespeaker. The cheater's glow lasts for one day and costs him five to 10 point of Honor (see "Renown") until he redeems himself.

Exile
Level Three

Taghairms are gatherings of trust; if someone breaks that trust, the others throw him out. The rite marks such betrayals, and carries the stigma of shame to other gatherings. A werecat's future companions may judge him by this sign.

When the host has declared an Exile, the other cats must vote. If the majority agrees, the ritespeaker begins the ritual. In some cases, the gathering must decide unanimously; in others, the host may simply demand a majority vote. The rite itself involves a revocation of the Grooming ritual, a recitation of the exile's crimes and usually a few choice words. As the ritespeaker spins a cloak of words, the exile's forehead begins to glow; by the end of the rite, the sigil of an oathbreaker appears. As the glow fades, the sigil remains and the other cats chase the offender from their gathering. If they catch him, they'll beat him to a pulp, but leave him alive to remember his shame. The mark fades from view by morning, but remains a part of the exile's soul. Any subsequent Grooming rite reveals the mark; only the forgiveness of the host ( a separate rite of the same Rank) or some powerful quest will was ha way the mark.

System: The ritespeaker makes her standard roll and spends a point of Rage to apply the brand. Some Gifts , like Sense the Truth and Righteous Gaze, expose the mark to the viewer. An Exile loses all Honor and Wisdom Renown. Sometimes, falsely convicted (or powerful) Bastet can get help from supporters or sympathetic parties; more often, the effects of this rite linger for a lifetime.

Festival of Dreams
Level Four

By inhaling smoke from burning wood and herbs; steam; psychoactive drugs or all three, the collected group enters a vision trance. Depending on the circumstances, they may experience memories of the past, future sight, soul-seeing or simple hallucinations. These complex insights are often consulted for future plans, battles or other tasks which involve the whole taghairm.

As the other cats gather in an enclosed circle, the ritespeaker and her assistants begin the fires. Tossing in herbs, wood and stone, they chant, sign and play music as the vision smoke rises. The other Bastet breathe deeply, sharing their essence with each exhalation. As the visions begin, a feeling of peace descends to keep the taghairm from scattering. One by one, the Bastet hit their personal limits and stagger out into fresh air. The last werecat to remain receives a special vision that only she remembers. As the ritual ends, the smoke clears; the remaining Bastet receives gifts of water and affection from her companions, and is celebrated for the rest of the night.

System: The exact effects of the Festival depend on the Storyteller and the issues confronting the taghairm (see the Balam Gift: Vision Cloud). If the cats are looking for a vampire lord's haven, the dream might offer clues; if they want to uncover the solution to a problem, an answer may present itself. Visions of past glory or defeat might spur the group out of a rut, while warnings of upcoming disaster might galvanize them into action. Whatever occurs, the visions should be highly symbolic rather than literal.

The Festival lasts several hours and takes a toll on its participants. Each half-hour or so, everyone in the room must make a Stamina roll against difficulty 5 or flee, coughing. After the second roll, the difficulty rises to 6; after the third, to 7, and so forth. By the end of the third hour, the difficulty will be 9. The last character in the room receives a special vision, which the Storyteller creates based on the needs of his chronicle. Because of her resolve and fortune, the other werecats award her an extra three points of Cunning Renown.