The Sek-basti (The Children of Sekmet and Bast)

When people think of the Sek-Basti their first thoughts go to the most common of the Children of the Cat Goddesses, the Catfolk. While the catfolk are the most common, there are a number of other species that owe their existence in the world to the Twin Goddesses. Below is the full list of Bast and Sekmet's favored ones.

Catfolk

Of course, we must start with the most populace of the Sek-Basti, the perennial Catfolk. Catfolk can be found just about anywhere. They are very much like their human neighbors, found almost anywhere that humans can be found. This contact does make humans believe, for the most part, that there is only "one kind of catfoik". That is, of course, wrong. To say that is like saying that there is only one type of human.
The divisions in catfolk are often regional, and so not many outside of a specific region will see any difference in catfolk appearance, or see a variation as an outlier. This is a list of the subsections of catfolk ethnicity:

• Common - This is the most common, sharing more traits with urban/domestic cats in their appearance and colorization. This variety in appearance is one of the reasons that there is confusion as to the existence of other subspecies.
• Cheetah - Found in the savannahs of the southern lands, these nomads are rarely seen by non-natives. Their fast speeds and natural inclinations to the arcane make them difficult to capture. A few, though, will make their way to places of knowledge and study to pursue their passions as much as they pursue their prey.
• Leopard (Jaguar) - One of the more widespread subspecies, the leopards can be found from the jungles of the Southern Lands to the rivers of Xangji. There are, in some places, more Leopards than there are Common Catfolk, and in those lands, the Leopards are believed to be the "true" catfolk.
• Lion - Found predominately in the Southern Lands, Lions maintain their own territories. They are often mistaken for the more plentiful Nkosi, and some believe that the Nkosi are an offshoot of Lion Catfolk. It is unknown if this is true, but there is one known fact. The Lions are fading in numbers, with the Nkosi taking over much of the territories that once belonged to the Lions.
• Lynx - Found in northern regions of the world, often in areas withdrawn from the touch of others, the Lynx wander their preferred colder regions. This gift of foresight has given those who are aware of them the nickname of "oracle cats". They are sometimes sought out as wise men or sages of the mysteries of the natural world. For the Lynx's part, they'd rather just be left alone.
• Tiger - The largest of the Catfolk, the Tigers range from the southern tip of Vedia to the northern territories of the Great Steppe, and as far east as Xang-ji. When they do meet with Westerners, they are frequently mistaken as rakshasa or rakshasa blooded. This is a slight that most Tigers will not hesitate to respond to with a warning blow. Most Tigers prefer to be loners, but they have, occasionally, befriended or come to rule an out-of-the-way village or two.

Dreamlands Cats

The sentient urban cats referred to as Dreamland Cats are, simply, standard cats that have been granted sentience. This gift is either something provided by one of the Goddesses or through mysterious forces from the Realm of Dreams. The cats, themselves, are tight-lipped about the whole matter.
They are rare in the extreme, with maybe but one or two in a standard city at any given time. In Khem, though, some cities may have as many as ten to twenty. These cats often serve as messengers for the local temples of Bast and Sekhmet. They also, sometimes, serve their own whims. They are, after all, cats.

Maftet

Limited to the northern portions of the Southern Lands, the sphinx-kin are a reclusive lot. Most people will never see one. They are believed to have once been more numerous, but depredations inflicted on them by slavers and others encroaching on their territories forced them further and further into the desert.
Maftet spend most of their time protecting ancient sites or places of natural power. They are fierce protectors, and sometimes that draws them into conflict with a wandering group of adventurers or explorers. They do, rarely, get sought after for the slave market, but they are so rarely seen, that the appearance of one in a market can cause a bidding war that can sometimes erupt into violence.

Nkosi

The lion changes are the second most commonly encountered of the Children of Bast and Sekhmet. They see themselves more tied to Sekmet, and often when using the designator they will call themselves the Children of Sekmet. How Bast feels about this has never been delved into.
The Nkosi used to be found solely in the Southern Land, but over the last few centuries, more and more of them can be found anywhere in the world. Unfortunately, this is often the result of the slave trade so plentiful in the world. Freed Nkosi and their descendants, though, will make their homes wherever they were brought, and this has caused some Nkosi to live in the Walled City and even as far north as Avalon. Nkosi are highly prized as hunters, trackers, and gladiators. It is impressive that as much as their people are taken away from their homes, the Nkosi continue to grow in numbers.
The Nkosi are an odd mix of matriarchal with patriarchal leanings. The tribe is led by the females, who do most of the hunting and domestic duties. The males serve as defenders of the tribe, warriors with few equals. That being said, males have little influence on the day-to-day activities of the tribe, with the females often discounting male opinions as "overly emotional" or "outside of their duties".

P'Tah

The most recent addition of the Sek-Basti, the P'Tah is a species of cat-kin originally only found in the Under Realms. The drow claim to have created the P'Tah, but the P'Tah legends state they were drug away from their homeland centuries ago by dragons on the surface. Regardless, the shadow cats have started making their way surfaceward in larger numbers than at any time previous. Many are still struggling to adapt to life in the sun, but those who are successful are finding ready work as mercenaries and warriors of all types.

Purrsians

Man-sized, winged cats, the Purrsians are found in the lands surrounding the Central Sea and as far east as Persius. They have reputations as cunning merchants, diplomats, and lovers of all things exotic and unusual. Many a Purrsian has an almost dragon-like horde of curios, trinkets, and textiles that they revel in. They will sometimes accept payment in a fine set of silks over a typical gold payment.
Purrisans often will claim that they are the direct children of Bast, leaving some catfolk more than a little offended. They are also very tied to the realm of Dreams, similar to their mystical Dreamland Cats kin. More than a few serve in temples of both the Cat Goddesses and the Lord of Dreams.

Wemics

The rarest of all the Sek-Bast are the tauric leonine Wemics. It is believed that this species originated in some other world and was brought to Ursu through either the will of the Goddesses or the meddling of the wizards of Taoul'Vers. The creation myths of the Wemics and historical accounts are not clear on either origin.
Wemics are currently only found in the lands from Khem to Persius. Such a small territory makes them a rare find indeed, but more and more young ones have started striking out in the world. This sudden spreading out has some wondering if the Wemics are experiencing a population boom, and what it might mean for the others in their territories.

Wemic Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: +4 Strength, +2 Consitution, -2 Charisma. Wemics are strong and hearty, but do not care much for impressing others.
Type: Monstrous Humanoid
Size: Wemics are Large sized beings
Base Speed: Wemic's quadrupedal gate gives them a base speed of 40 ft.
Language: Wemics speak Common and Wemic. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Elven, Gnoll, Khemite, Persiax, Sphinx, and Sylvan

Defensive Racial Traits

Natural Armor: Wemics thick hides and fur give them a +2 bonus to natural armor.

Offensive Racial Traits

Claws: A wemic has two attacks with its front claws, each doing 1d6+Str modifier in hit point damage.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

Wemics are proficient in all shields, except tower shields
Natural Predators: Wemics receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Survival checks.

Senses Racial Traits

Wemics gain Darkvision 60 feet

Other Racial Traits

Wemics are quadrupeds.
Pawed: A wemic cannot use standard feet slot magic items, such as boots, but can use items such as anklets and greaves.
Undersized Weapons: Although wemics are Large creatures, its upper torso is the same size as a Medium humanoid. As a result, they wield weapons as if they were one size category smaller than their actual size.