Bast

Bast is a popular goddess, both in the Aether as well as upon the face of Threshold. She is the patron deity of ideals that most mortals find irresistible. She is often misunderstood, for many think that she is little more than a goddess devoted to sex and perversity. On the contrary, her ideals are far deeper than that. She and her worshippers are devoted to the pursuit of nearly all things that are pleasurable to the flesh as well as the mind and soul. Some consider her worshippers hedonists, but they strongly disagree. To a Bastite, vices are the true virtues, and only fools force themselves to suffer the discomfort of artificially sublimating such strong forces.

The animosity between Bast and Erosia is perhaps second only to the contempt shared between Vishnu and Set. Bast feels that love is a fickle and foolish trap that is only used by individuals to enslave and subjugate others. Those who preach love are only preaching a very nasty, tricky, and sinister variety of slavery. Bastites believe that there is little or no justification for even the tiniest inhibition of one's personal freedoms or desires though they acknowledge that society does demand some decorum. To them, love only subverts freedom and denies true enjoyment of life.

Bast is often in competition with Erosia for the affections of mortals as well as gods. The two often pursue the same type of personalities. In the past, Bast and Erosia competed heavily for the affections of Tempest and Tempestians. There were two theories as to why Bast was a part of that pursuit. One is that Tempest and his followers tend to be such aggressive, powerful, and often physically impressive beings. Thus, pure physical attractiveness is often a motivator for Bastites. Some believe that there was once an even greater motivation: Erosia pursued Tempest, and so Bast must pursue as well in hopes of thwarting and hurting Erosia.

The many upheavals in the Aether have allowed Bast to expand her sights ever outward. Her interests in Tempest and Tempestians have seem to have waned somewhat. There are rumors that she has set her sights on another. Set still acknowledges that Bast's dabblings with politics and pursuasion makes her a valuable ally, and her interests in power intrigue him. Bast is still not terribly concerned over the precepts of good or evil. While she is uncomfortable with the thought of Vishnu exerting undue control over the world, her main concerns are those of pleasure and personal fulfillment — not philosophy.