W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

the globe where they are found, the territories — andlives — of big cats are being threatened.Throughout the world, poachers and habitatloss are the main causes of big cat endangerment.In recent decades, the wild Kin of every tribe ofBastet have made their way onto the world’s vulnerable,threatened, and endangered species list in everincreasingnumbers. And, as evidenced by the Grondr,without wild Kin, no Changing Breed can hope tosurvive.Historically, the independent Bastethave attempted to deal with these threatsin an up-front-and-personal manner,chasing off poachers who targettheir Kin, sabotaging constructionthat infringes on their traditionalterritories, and — when necessary— killing humans who don’t seemto get the message. But no onewerecat — no matter how strong,swift, or smart — can hold backfor long the overwhelming tide ofhumanity which threatens to drownthe last vestiges of wild cat wilderness.Rumor has it that some of the moreexperienced Bastet are seeking alternatemethods for staving off their Kinfolk’s destruction— political manipulation, bribes, andblackmail — either directly or through theirhuman Kinfolk. Whether these efforts will proveeffective — or come too late to turn the tide for theBastet cat-Kin — remains to be seen.OrganizationWith the exception of the Simba, Bastet are solitaryhunters, with little motivation to form a cohesive, interactivesociety of their own. Werecats generally judge anotherof the Folk on his or her individual merits. They neitherseek (nor offer) subservience to one another, save for therightful esteem given to a teacher, mentor, or one whohas earned the personal respect of an individual Bastet.No Khan, for example, would bow down to another (letalone a Bastet outside of her tribe) just because he possessedmore Renown than she did. Such deference is rarely given,and because of that, it means far more to the Folk than itwould to a race that constantly scrambles over its peckingorder. Bastet hold honor dear, but it is honor to one’s self,one’s word, one’s Kin and kind, to the earth, and to one’ssecrets — not to a system of rank or prestige.That being said, the relationship between a Bastetkuasha (teacher or mentor) and his student is an importantand powerful one. While the exact nature of that relation-72CHANGING BREEDS