Beast Lords were powerful spirits created during the Age of Starbirth. Let’s learn about Bast, the Lord of the Cats. Buy The History of Dragonlance: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197643/The-History-of-Dragonlance-2e?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
Bast is the first of the Beast Lords given life during the Age of Starbirth. Let’s learn more about Bast, the Lord of the Cats.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about Bast, Lord of the Cats. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. I am referencing The History of Dragonlance – Being the Notes, Journals, and Memorabilia of Krynn and Holy Orders of the Stars sourcebooks. If I misspeak or skip over any information you would like highlighted, please leave a comment below.
Discussion
During the formation of Krynn, all of the gods came together and gave life to this newest of creations. The High God populated the planet with animals and plants and called forth powerful spirits, given birth by the formation of Krynn, to act in service of the gods from time to time. These spirits known as Beast Lords are able to take animal form, and can even polymorph into humanoid forms as well. They are not gods, nor are they technically demigods, but they are similar to the Aspects of both. Thus they are only temporarily inhabiting physical forms and cannot be killed, only temporarily banished.
Their motives are left to the god providing them with direction, but there are some basic divine guidelines they are meant to follow. Their original intent as mandated by the High God was to aid the animals and lead them when the races of Krynn threatened their lives. They are not to interfere with the world at large. They are meant to ensure the safety and welfare of their dominions. Though they are not above being bribed by gods to act on behalf of their self interest.
The first Beast Lord was Bast, a Catlord. His history is one of legend. One tale says that he was taken from mortal life and bestowed the Mantle of Immortality, thereby elevated to Beast Lord. Others tell that he was brought from the essence of Krynn and inhabited mortal form as other Beast Lords. Not even he is aware of which is true, or whether he is even from Krynn originally. Thus the Beast Lord, Bast is known as Mereklar. He is incredibly handsome in human form. He has slanting blue eyes and skin as black as night. He is tall, strong, lithe, with his movements being fluid and graceful. He has long powerful nails at the ends of his fingers for attacking, and is able to leap great distances. He is traditionally dressed in tight black clothing, featuring a number of oval shaped jewels around his neckline. He conjures an image of the Black Panther from Marvel comics in my mind.
His powers are truly magnificent. He is able to walk unseen through shadows, even evading the gods if desired. He can polymorph into any cat form, but will always have shining black fur. He heals from his wounds nearly as quickly as he can travel through his realm. He is mightier than your average dragon and more cunning than the wittiest mortal. Mereklar is believed to be able to be killed however. He is said to have nine lives, three of which are already spent. He has been killed twice in defense of his domain and once while saving a friend. Not all of the gods approve of Mereklar’s actions and some even plot against him.
The formation of Mereklar, the City of Cats, is wrapped up in a scheme of Takhisis’, naturally, and a human named Fool, seriously. The legend is as follows: In the Age of Dreams, neutral aligned humans were the prize of the gods of both good and evil, and none was coveted by them more than the young boy named Fool. Fool, being true to his natural neutrality, never knowingly engaged with the gods, nor chose any side in life at all. In fact it is said that Fool is the closest thing to a Kender, long before they even existed! The gods would send aid and influence to Fool, who accepted and blew up their plans, unknowingly, with equal appreciation and disinterest. This not only made some gods furious, but only enriched their care and desire over him. Fool found himself in the Kharolis Mountains, near Qualinesti forest, and came upon a town filled with fearful and strange people. Being one drawn to mysteries, hauntings, spirits and monsters, Fool was intrigued. The townsfolk never explicitly stated what they feared, they only alluded to a ruined temple, long abandoned in the nearby northern mountains.
This temple was one occupied by a Ghost Rat of Morgion, the god of disease and suffering. Morgion was elated by Fool entering his temple and commanded the Ghost Rat to kill him. Takhisis had other plans. You see, Fool loved cats, having one as a pet at home, and drew cats all over the temple before falling asleep in a cupboard. Takhisis approached Bast, telling him that if he rescued Fool, a lover of his feline species, that she would build a great city in his honor. Bast did not trust Takhisis, and approached Gilean instead, asking for the same deal. Gilean agreed, and Bast with a hundred of his kind saved Fool, leveling the temple. As the city was being built from the original plans Takhisis had created, Paladine approached Bast, informing him of the Dark Queen’s designs. The city was a mirrored gateway to the Abyss, and if completed there would be three portals within that feline beasts would emerge to cause destruction upon Krynn. Paladine said that he would close the gates if said abominations emerged, and furious that he was a pawn in the Dark Queen’s scheme, Bast swore to always inhabit the city, fighting anything that came through the portals. And thus Mereklar, the City of Cats was constructed, named after the Beast Lord himself.
The city itself is comprised of three equilateral triangles. Engraved upon their indestructible surfaces are the various legends of Krynn including the Legend of Huma, the Master of Past and Present and the Black Knight of the Rose. As new legends unfold, they magically appear on the walls. There are even images in the sewer walls depicting Krynn’s earliest histories! The city is inhabited by humans, and is known as the most advanced of all cities on Krynn, though it’s not the easiest to locate. Transportation, occupational specialties, and above all, the reverence of cats, of which the city is filled, only lend to Mereklars mystery. The cats of Mereklar are believed to be heroic creatures destined to save Krynn. The city is divided by three main roads from the center of each of the walls, leading to a temple in the center, as designed by Takhisis. This temple is said to activate during the Night of the Eye to open a portal to the Abyss.
Only Earwig Lockpicker and Caramon & Raistlin Majere are known to have witnessed the Dark Queen’s attempt at entering Krynn through the gates of Mereklar. The Cat-Fiends of the Abyss, the beings waiting to wage war on behalf of the Dark Queen, are nightmare versions of felines that walk on two legs like a humanoid. Their heads are their own cat skulls with no flesh or fur, and they wield wands that concentrate the emotion of hatred into a deadly beam. Their war machines are made of a technology unknown to Krynn. Mortal cats are the only ones able to defeat the Cat-Fiends hence their prophecy of being the worlds saviors in Mereklar. Caramon and Raistlin Majere witnessed the terrible battle when Takhisis tried to send her Cat-Fiends into the world. Raistlin even had the honor of meeting the Beast Lord himself!
Outro
And that is all I have to say about the Lord of the Cats. Do you think Takhisis will try to send her Cat-Fiends through the portals again? Have you ever encountered a Beast Lord in your adventures? And finally, would you like to read any new stories featuring Beast Lords? Leave a comment below.
I would like to take a moment and remind you to subscribe to this YouTube channel, ring the bell to get notified about upcoming videos and click the like button. This all goes to help other Dragonlance fans learn about this channel and its content.
This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I thank you for joining me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
You still live! What does it take to kill you? You are only mortal!
Subscribe to the podcast today! Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Pandora | Youtube Music | RSS | More
