Shani Tey
Cult of Isis
Supplicant Kin of the Bubasti
Dusk Witch of the Riddle of the Unmaned
Description
~Such exotic allure draws dreams of Cleopatra. The dark-haired, dark-skinned, and dark-eyed beauty of the young woman portrays human perfection. Shani commands an aura of forbidden mystery and desert yore. Clearly hailing from the Near East, the lady fits the form of her midnight blue attire well. Whether this comes in the form of a slinky evening gown, a casual suit with slacks, or even a pair of jeans and a blouse, this hue seems to be her favorite. Complimenting the dark color dangles Shani's jewelry. It seems that she could member some defunct royal court. Gold and diamond glitter from her ears and neck. Wealth, beauty, and allure define Shani Tey, as does the flush of health her unblemished skin can still boast.~
OOC: Appearance 4 (exotic); Pure Breed 3
“I can take pride in the knowledge that I am the future of my family.”
History
Youth
The Cult of Isis was secreted in Egypt and North Africa for millennia. One of their largest headquarters was right outside Tunis, the capitol of Tunisia. A large, beautiful, and spacious estate housed dozens of these mystics. Some were just men and women interested in the life of the Cult. Others were genuine priests and sorcerers, for in the Old World some of the old ways still exist. And many of these people were born into the life of the Cult of Isis. Due to so many enemies, the Isians kept their ways and homes secret. Nobody just walked in and joined, and many were the result of couplings between lovers within the Cult. Shani Tey was one such child.
And young Shani showed promise even when she was young. She was bright, gifted, and precocious. From a tender age, she was introduced into some of the mysteries and legacies of Khem (Egypt). The lore of magic and spirits replaced bedtime fairytales. Myths were taught as religion and truth. And Shani’s love for cats went well-fed. The Cult of Isis kept a number of domestic cats as pets in the estate. And Shani played with all of them day in and day out her entire young life. She often even pretended to be a cat, in a childish manner. Finally, she demonstrated feline qualities, like the ability to see rather clearly in the dark. Her hunger was also insatiable (although the Isians didn't realize that the Bubasti Yava had transferred down through the blood, too). All of this piqued her elders’ curiosity and they ran magical tests on the girl. She proved to be a genuine descendant of the Bubasti shadowcats. The girl’s blood had simply lain dormant for generations, as neither of her parents were Bubasti. Of course, auspice concluded that Shani would not become a Bubasti. The Change was denied her this incarnation and instead she was just Kin to that ancient and noble but nearly extinct breed of shapeshifter.
Tutelage
Nonetheless, the Cult notified their Bubasti allies in Egypt. They promised to send a tutor to Shani. Meanwhile, Shani was introduced into some of the secret practices of the Cult. She was beginning to learn magic by the time she hit puberty. Perhaps due to her affection for felines, the magical rites that the Isians taught Shani included methods of channeling the spirit of Bast into shapeshifting spells. Of course, they didn’t expect Shani to make the feline sacrifices herself. But she learned from an early age that the price of power was the blood of the animals she so dearly loved. It took her a long time to accept that price. And she distracted herself with the practice of other Isian methodologies: the crafting of jewelry with sanctified gold and diamonds for magical protection and enhancements. This magical tutelage dominated her adolescence.
But this wasn’t the only learning she gained from her time spent in the Cult of Isis. As soon as they discovered that she was Bubasti kin, they began to prepare Shani mentally for a feline role in the Cult later in her life. Isians helped beautify Shani physically, and encouraged her to think more…liberally. Shani was sexually active by the time she was thirteen. The young man of a tutor that the Bubasti sent, who introduced himself to Shani as Khay al-Tut, discovered her awakened randiness firsthand. But he managed to keep things disciplined enough to teach Shani about her true heritage. Shani ate it all up. She was endeared to the Bubasti by the fact that, as a Cultist of Isis, she worshiped and revered the old legends…but as Kinfolk to the shadowcats, she was one of the old legends.
For several years, she continued her tutelage. Until, at the age of eighteen, she was deemed ready to be released from apprenticeship. When the elder Cultists informed Shani that they were in need of a provacateur to help certain manipulations in Tunisian government, the young woman eagerly volunteered. She looked forward to applying her feline magnetism and mystic yore to the “field”. She was required to seduce certain targets. This didn’t mean she had to bed them, thankfully, but to just gain their trust and confidence. She had to act as a spy for the Cult of Isis to learn what secrets she could from intimate encounters. Most of the targets that the Cult sent her after were politicians or merchants in Tunis, and many of them were targeted due to the affirmation that they were ghouls -- servants of the undead. Vampires were often a danger to the Cult of Isis, and the Followers of Set in particular were sworn enemies. It was up to Shani to merely discover what these influential humans were doing for their undead masters.
Espionage
So Shani gallantly agreed to help this endeavor. The young sorceress was planted in the city many times, wooing young and old gentlemen. Unfortunately for them, any self-discipline they might have to help oppose Shani’s wiles was eroded by the vampiric blood mingled in their bodies. They were as randy as she was, and she found herself drawn into bed on several occasions when she didn’t really want to. But it wasn’t rape -- she would have fought if it was. It just wasn’t what she really wanted. However, Shani learned that from those experiences, she always dug up more dirt. Indeed, she found the ghouls’ will more pliable in the morning. She encouraged them subtly to effect beneficial ends for the Cult of Isis.
However, Shani wasn’t just spying on ghouls. She was spying on the Cult of Isis for Khay. At the shadowcat’s request, Shani kept him informed of the Cult’s activities. They visited each other once every few months. Though those rendezvous’s were kept secret, the Cult leaders were well aware that Shani was passing on “the goods” to the Bubasti. Nor did they move to punish or silence Shani. Perhaps they wanted the Bubasti to know. Shani was using her connection to Khay to experiment and develop more with her Shapeshifting. She demanded blood samples in return for the information from Khay. With Bubasti blood to work with, she increased her abilities to shapeshift. Ultimately, Shani began to live the blasphemous dream that she could be Bubasti through the skill of magic instead of birthright.
Meanwhile, the wild night life Shani was living in Tunis was starting to catch up to her. She was growing jaded with sex. And a jaded girl wasn’t of much use in the job she had to do. So she requested a vacation. The Isians granted her that and she traveled to her ancestral homeland, Egypt. She went straight to Cairo at Khay’s direction and met the Bubasti…en masse. There she learned even more of her Tribe’s history and of their modern plights, such as the loss of the kyphur cat. It was then Shani demonstrated her talents to the Bubasti, revealing her current skill at shapeshifting. To their shock, she was actually adapting traits of the kyphur cat. She took their awe the wrong way, and informed them of her hopes to become a Bubasti through magic. The eldest shadowcat present, however, swiftly shot that dream down. It was forbidden, she was told, by law and province. While the Bubasti are known for getting their paws dirty in “forbidden” secrets other Bastet eschew, there were realities even they obeyed. Such envy, she was warned, would only lead her down a path to Apep.
Infidelity
While terribly disappointed, she was not a vicious and selfish Kin (like Samuel Haight). She accepted that while she might one day be able to transform into a Bubasti-like cat-woman through her magic, she would never be Bubasti. Then the shadowcats dropped another monkey on her back. It was time, she was told, to choose a mate and breed as best for the Tribe. Except, she was told, she didn’t get to choose. A male shadowcat would get to choose her. And none had more “right” to her than Khay. It was fortunate for Shani that she liked Khay enough to consider “mating” as demanded, and doubly fortunate that Khay must have liked her enough. For he stepped forward to claim the girl.
Together, Khay and Shani left Cairo and went into the desert, to an oasis called Al-Bai. There they would have privacy. Shani seemed unusually withdrawn, so Khay approached the young woman carefully. He tried to reassure her that she was far more worthy than the arrogant old elders made it sound. He tried to tell her that with her skills, knowledge, and sorcery, she was more valuable than two dozen Kinfolk. The problem was, Khay convinced her too well. Abruptly, she up and left Al-Bai and Khay. Khay was not the kind of man to force himself on a woman. And when she ignored all of his questions and demands, he simply returned to Cairo to inform the elders of her disobedience.
But Shani didn’t disobey the demand to mate for the sake of disobedience. Had she no other recourse to best serve her people whom she loved to be a part of so dearly, she would have gladly laid with Khay and bore him children. But Shani made up her mind. She would master her Shapeshifting. She would become a kyphur cat and help the Bubasti rebirth their lost feline kin. That would be her contribution to her people. That would be how she nailed her name in legendry: the modern mother of all catkind!
Shani returned to the Cult. She proudly informed her brethren of her ambition. Most thought her and her plan to be ludicrous and mad. But the elders did not disapprove. In fact, they gave her advice: leave Africa. Leave the Old World. She was encouraged to go to America. They warned that the ancient devils of the Followers of Set might become savvy to her plan. She asked how that was possible, and was told straight-up that the Setites knew many blood magics of their own. Divination was not unknown to those sagely monsters. And as the source of the kyphur’s extinction, the vampires would not take kindly to someone trying to revitalize the species. Shani took her elders’ advice to heart and packed her key belongings and favorite outfits. She was soon on an airplane across the sea and ocean to the United States of America.
New World
Unfortunately, the Cultists were right. A Setite did catch wind of Shani’s scheme through his sorcerous visions and scalpulmancy. The vampire began to search for this potential unraveling of their cruel punishment of their ancient feline foe, the Bubasti. Fortunately for Shani, the vampire’s only leads were vague visions. But sooner or later, he could track the Cultist down. Shani knew intuitively that by defying the Setites’ conquest of the kyphur, she risked their wrath. She knew she had to be ready.
Shani’s travels and explorations across America were mere curiosities to accompany her desire to constantly be on the move. She lived off of her jewelry craftsmanship but largely kept a low profile. She knew she could barter great favors with the supernaturals of cities she visited. But it could be too risky. Not once, however, did Shani encounter another Bastet, much less a Shadowcat. Nor did that surprise the sorceress. For the time being, she preferred anonymity. Thus, she chose Kansas City in the middle of nowhere to settle down for awhile and develop her magic. She didn’t want to return to the Bubasti in shame. There she met Ife Djedi, a Shadowcat who took a special interest in the cultist, and took her back across the ocean--to South Africa to pursue secrets together. She would settle for nothing less than success and glory.
Paradigm & Style
Shani’s magic is founded on the principles established thousands of years ago by Egypt’s greatest sorceress, Isis. So all-encompassing is the lore of the Cult of Isis that all magical truths have a kernel from these fundamentals. Naturally, Shani has not, could not, learn all that the Cult of Isis has to teach just yet.
Still, Shani has come to understand a few of the most important facets of magical reality. Magic is will tempered by honesty, honor, and harmony. With power comes responsibility; this the Cult of Isis taught Shani well. What the Cult didn’t count on was her greater fidelity to her Bubasti kinsmen. But, after all, blood is thicker than water! Fortunately, the Cult of Isis also instilled the key concept of reality, of the world, magic and mundane combined. This essence of true harmony is known as ma’at. Ma’at is a term that describes the balance between man and nature, human beings and animals, the earth and sky, the sun and moon. It is like Yin and Yang, but it includes a moral obligation to those who adhere to these metaphysical concepts. Every action causes reaction. If one wants the reaction to be good, one’s actions had better be good. Or be prepared to reap what you sow. Shani observes ma’at in her magical practices by performing all the proper obeisances, whether to the gods or to her distant teachers. Reverence and respect are donned for all her ritual and enchantment.
Naturally, the nature of her rituals and sorceries bear their Egyptian origin. The ancient pictographic language, prehistoric scientific devices, Coptic chants, ritual scarification, and ancient alchemies make up the meat and drink of Shani’s magical methodologies. Through these various techniques and sciences, Shani learns how to best her own inner essence (sekhem) to ends the bulk of humanity classifies as “magic”. At this time, she hasn’t learned the nature and benefits of all traditional forms. The following is what she knows how to apply.
For Enchantment, Shani hand-crafts jewelry from gold and diamond. Rings, tiaras, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and anklets are all common devices that she will imbue with blessings from the gods. Consequently, her talismans often grant innocuous protections and minor benefits to those who don them. However, most of her jewelry is “solar-powered”. They must bathe in the light of Ra for a full day, everyday, if they are to function in the night when the monsters come.
Shapeshifting involves almost an inhuman act. Despite her love for cats, Shani must ritually sacrifice a cat to the god, Bast, to enact this path. Thankfully, she may execute the hapless animal quickly. Generally, this involves opening its throat with a razor-sharp knife. She must then apply the blood to her cheeks. She inscribes on her skin with her fingertips dipped in cat blood the hieroglyphs for humanity and catkind. Then she may effect the shapeshifting alterations she requires. Naturally, Shani genuinely loves cats and hates that she has to kill them. She always prays for the souls of the animals she dispatches, reminding herself that it is for the good of her kind, catkind, in the end.
Significant Other
Bubasti and Bubasti Kin encountered one another while visiting the Kansas City region in 2004. Their snobbishness only complimented their noble and exotic heritage. And their uninhibited "royal" ways led them straight back to the bedroom for a wild night of incredible sex. Shani soon found herself more than willing to be selfishly kept by Ife Djedi. She can easily pursue her magical practices while with such lovely and protective feline company. Love? Not a trace. But more lust than even most other Bastet could shake a stick at. These two will likely be together awhile to come, wherever they happen to live.
Ife
Weakness
Dark Paws
Shani puts too much faith in her extended Bubasti family. She puts more faith into the shadowcats than she does the Cult of Isis that raised her and taught her some of her magic. Consequently, she may be used and abused as nothing more than a tool or toy by her feline family.
Likelihood of Corruption
Average.
Unlike some shadowcats, Shani doesn't nudge her nose into dark spirits' affairs. She keeps her hands fairly clean with more physical magics. But her relation to the Bubasti means she could be drawn into more spiritually dangerous conflicts.
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