Editing Monster Girl Encyclopedia II (section)

=== Bastet, Goddess of Cats ===
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Bastet is a semi-monstrous cat goddess with the trunk of a cat and the upper body of a woman. She is thought to live not in the divine realm, but in the kingdom of cats. Bastet loves all cats, as well as other cat lovers, and is the guardian deity of cat monsters-which is why her worship is considered heretical to the Order.

Cat monsters revere Bastet more like she is an alpha than a god. A very small number of human lands and peoples also worship her. They venerate her as a god who is fickle but lavishes blessings upon those who love cats - blessings such as good health, abundant harvests, and precious children. They also regard cats to be her messengers and treat them with respect.

Shrine maidens display gratitude and extend prayers to Bastet on a daily basis in a formal costume that includes cat ears and a cat tail. But they do not only dress as cats; the shrine maidens work regularly to behave like cats, too. For them, feline gestures are the mere basics, as they are expected to be self-indulgent and free, embodying a manner that is not only selfish and haughty (for that does not attract the love accorded to cats), but lovable and alluring as well.

Every day, shrine maidens of special piety work assiduously to become like cats in both heart and body. They do not just polish their personal appeal, but also stretch their limbs to become as lithe as cats. It is said that the more they resemble cats, the stronger Bastet will shelter them. The traditional scriptures of Bastet's followers say that, by approaching cathood, they may reach the paradise where lives their god. When shrine maidens earn Bastet's recognition, they are ultimately reborn by her hand as cat monsters. The entire village where they live may be invited to the kingdom of cats - the shrine maiden as a new cat, and the villagers as a people who love cats enough to be worthy of the feline realm.
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