Baheera

Legend tells that the werepanthers and the wereleopards (for they are one in the same for this tribe) were ordained the arbiters of catkind, the judges who police fellow Bastet and others alike for corruption and injustice. This role never quite materialized, but those who know these cats can easily see the qualities that gave rise to this legend, for the Bagheera represent arare balance of qualities among their kind. While the Khan and Simba rage, and the Bubasti and Qualmi delve into arcane secrets, the Bagheera represent a balance between the two extremes, at once vengeful and scholarly, reserved and full of righteous fury. What's more, Bagheera also represent a bridge between humanity and catkind, feeling close to both worlds. They often have a level of respect for ordinary mortals that is considered extravagant by their fellow bastet. Patience has limits, of course- Humans who commit serious crimes or despoil the environment often find themselves the target of taklah Bagheera war parties, who will hunt them down a quick trial and often a lethal sentence for those found guilty. In the past, Bagheera made overtures to other Killi, including supporting efforts to end the Impergium. While many of these pacts have been forgotten, some Bagheera still maintain contacts among the Silent Striders, Children of Gaia, even the Black Furies. To the panthers, such alliances are simply good politics, although their relations with other changers have occasionally gotten them in trouble with more-traditional Simba.
It is said that the panthers have three sides to their souls - one is wise, inquisitive, and at peace with itself; the second is passionate, temperamental and given to extremes of emotion; and the third state is rarely seen, but perhaps it is the most powerful of all: a killing rage that knows no bounds, and can cause even mighty Khan to turn tail. This is not to say that the Bagheera are unstable by nature; while their kits still have freedom to make some mistakes, even the youngest ones know that some rules must not be broken. Young Bagheera are taught that life is a threefold journey: akari, or “searching;’’ the pourra, or “foundation;” and the doyala, or “passing on.” For them, it is more important to find a cause worth supporting or a place worth defending than to accumulate temporal power or glory. Bagheera can still chase Renown with the best of them - getting things done is easier when people respect you- but most Bagheera consider their life to be just one link in an endless chain, accepting and passing on strength from one generation to another.
As a tribe, their tireless pursuit of justice and ecological preservation has earned them a reputation for fairness and a strong sense of honor, but in recent times it has also caused them to run afoul of Pentex, with disastrous results for the Bagheera. Sensing the scope of this threat, the elders have retreated for now, gathering intelligence where they can. When they finally make their move, one can rest assured that the results will be felt all the way to the top of that corporate ladder.

Tribal Home: Like their feline kin, most Bagheera call Africa and Southeast Asia home (at least for a time) and are the most numerous of all the Bastet tribes. As their ancestors before them, the largest number of Bagheera dwell in the jungles and cities of India, but thanks to the wanderlust of the akari phase, Bagheera can be found just about anywhere in the world.

Culture and Kinfolk: A great number of Bagheera are Indian by descent, and even those that are not usually feel some familiar tie to that area. Raised amid a mixture of Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic and tribal culture, most Bagheera have a strong sense of honor and duty, and one who breaks the Karoush is looked on as the lowest of the low and punished without hesitation. Many Bagheera Kinfolk share this strong sense of justice, and most are scrupulously honest, hardworking folk who occupy low-level governmental positions where they feel they can make a real difference in society. In the wild, leopards and panthers are still plentiful, so Bagheera have no trouble finding feline mates, ensuring few metis Bagheera and a good mix of feline and homid members.

Organization: Bagheera are largely solitary creatures; neophyte panthers often stay in contact with elders who occasionally give them advice or ask them to carry out a task but otherwise leave the young ones to their own devices. The exception to this is the war cry, which is used to summon and direct a taklah - usually only elders make give the war cry, although in times of emergency younger Bagheera may make it as well. When the taklah is assembled, the highest-Ranking among them leads the hunt, judges the accused and assigns sentence.

Secrets Sought: Bagheera tend to be attracted to political gossip, cultural lore (etiquette is a particular weakness of theirs), archaic or secret languages, and supernatural puzzles of any kind. Most Bagheera shy away from occult lore, since such studies often present unacceptable ethical difficulties, but some leopards cannot resist the call.

Appearance: Most Bagheera have black fur, although those of African ancestry may have spots and yellow-brown fur instead. A few tribe members display the tricolor markings of the clouded leopard, but they are rare indeed. The many different species of panthers and leopards in the world leads to a fairly wide variety of feline forms, but as a rule Bagheera are sleek and powerful, with eyes that seem to show centuries of knowledge, even in a young kit.

Initial Willpower: Three
Initial Rage: One

Yava

Blessing a leopard’s prey with Aabhaya (a hand gesture signifying “protection”) will force the cat to flee unless his rage is just.

Tribe Gifts: Humbaba’s Escape, Lawgiver’s Legacy, Treeclimber

Outlook:> Bagheera are liked by most other Bastet, although their usual balanced, mildly detached demeanor can sometimes get on the nerves of their fellows. They deeply distrust the Bubasti, finding their ethics repellent and believing them to have made a bargain too big for them to handle, but they generally ignore them unless given reason to do otherwise. Bagheera also believe the Simba have fallen from the state they once assumed by right, but direct conflict is always the last resort of the Bagheera, especially among fellow cats. Qualmi are dear to their hearts, and many hours have been passed trading riddles and lore between these two tribes. Indeed, most Bagheera live by a simple motto: Guide the innocent, preserve the righteous, destroy the corrupted.