Khastiri, Queen of Cats
Khastiri, Queen of Cats, is the Animal Lord of all felines, from the smallest house cat to the mighty smilodon. What sets her apart from most of her peers is that she also moves ever present yet often unseen among both mortals and fey. She prefers to move at night, under the light of the moon, both in the form of a simple black cat or as a 10 foot tall woman. Through the ages, she has prowled the night in her cat form and battled creatures from the outer darkness. These battles have given rise to many folk tails of cats protecting their owners from evil spirits.
Her curiosity often takes her to dangerous places where adventure and excitement can be found. She travels the shadows and crevices of the world, both to satiate her desire to meet unsuspecting travelers and to fulfill her duty of standing against things that would use the darkness to slip into the Material Plane from wicked worlds beyond. Khastiri carries with her the radiance and purity of moonlight to hold back the dark, wielding it as a weapon as keen as her claws. Wherever corruption or darkness lurk, whether in a dim back alley or the majesty of a royal court, the Queen of Cats may appear as either a simple black cat or a regal woman to blend into her surroundings and put an end to such threats.
The Queen of Cats is one of the few Animal Lords to regularly interact with humanoids and even show them favor. Many speculate this is because of the connection her feline worshipers often share with humanoids, though the truth of this hypothesis is unknown. While few humanoids worship the Queen of Cats directly, some tabaxi are known to choose Khastiri as their primary deity. It is said only those few who earn her favor can find the entrance way to Bubastal, Khastiri's palace. Legend states the entrance is ever moving but can always be found somewhere within a city, hidden in an alley, sewer, or empty alcove between buildings.
Her power is also notably tied to that of the moon. Being capable of blending in seamlessly among humanoid populations, Khastiri often carries messages and performs tasks on behalf of deities affiliated with the moon such as Selûne, Sehanine Moonbow, and Eilistraee. Like other moon-related entities, Khastiri is sometimes revered by lycanthropes (primarily feline ones, such as weretigers) who wish to stave off the innate evil of the curse that afflicts them and seek divine aid to do so.
Comments