Bastus
Bastus is in Lower Khemit, on the easternmost branch of the Stygian delta. It is a thriving trading center, an important stop for caravans headed to or from the area of , and was the capital of Khemit in the 30th Dynasty. It is also near the beginning of the Canal of the Pharaohs, which runs from the Stygian to Lake Trophimus and then to the Gulf of Mafket, where it connects to the Ruby Sea. This increases the amount of trade in Bastus as boats from the south transship their goods for transit through the canal to the sea, and vice versa.
The feature most visitors to Bastus notice immediately is the multitude of cats wandering the streets, unmolested except for the occasional swat with a straw broom. The reason, of course, is that the city is the high seat of the temple of Bast, goddess of beauty and cats. While not the only temple in the city, that of Bast is the largest and by far the most beautiful. Canals run from the river along each side of the approach to the entrance and then around the temple and on through the city. Some cats are specifically raised within the temple grounds but all cats are welcomed there. The annual festival to Bast is one of the most popular in the country and draws hundreds of thousands of people to the city. The necropolis outside the city includes an area for cat burials, which at this point is larger than the area for burying people.
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