The Wand of Bast is approximately 8 inches/20 cm long and is crafted of silver. Their is a large amount of very miniscule writing in the tongue of cats along the length of the item, and it has a silver head carved in the likeness of a cat. It has emeralds for eyes, and is warm to the touch.
The cult of Bast used the wand as a holy symbol, and as a ritual implement of casting their spells. Eventually ruin would come to the temple as the residents close to them complained of their rituals and seemingly evil behavior. The cultists made sacrifices, bred large numbers of cats, and would hold screeching and hissing orgies in the name of the sacred cat.
The destruction of the Cat cult was detailed by the adventurer cum sage Unide in her work The Adventures of The Band of the Argent Hound, a rather mediocre and self-aggrandizing work. The truth remains that the cult was driven out and dispersed by at least one group of adventurers at the behest of the townsfolk.
The temple itself, dedicated to Bast, was leveled. The stones were used in the building of a new structure. This time, the Marquis of the region saw to the construction of a large schooling house. Soon, the school became a well reputed place to send young ladies for their education, well away from the dangers of adolescent boys.
One of the students, many years after the fall of the temple from history to local legend, found the Wand of Bast. She made a necklace of the item, and took to wearing it. Soon, she realized it was far more than a silver trinket hte first time she used it to turn a fellow student, and hair-pulling rival into a slightly obese long haired persian cat.
Soon, a dozen girls had been reduced to varying phases of catdom. Some were reduced to crawling on all fours mewling like a cat, while others were beset with catlike compulsions (groom self with tongue, chase things, play with string, cravings for cream, use the sandbox outside, etc), and very few were completely turned into cats.
Panic is spreading through the area as a few of the oldest residents remember the stories of the Cat Cult and wonder if it has returned for its revenge. These elders could seek out PCs to help in a way that their adventuring predecessors had so many decades
The Wand of Bast can only be wielded by a woman who is of proper age, and is a lover of cats. If she knows magic, the wand can be a major boon, improving the quality, or duration of spells, especially those related to cats and catlike abilities.
It is also an implement of punishment. The wand can cause someone to turn into a cat themselves, forced to live as a cat does. Or it can be used at a lesser level to inflict an offender with varying compulsions and bizarre afflictions.
Turning someone completely into a cat negates the power of the wand for the next lunar cycle. Inflicting a physical attribute negates the power of the wand for a full week. Some possible physical afflictions could be whiskers, feline eyes, ears getting hairy, and coming to a very non-elven point, or developing a raspy tongue. Inflicting a cat compulsion on someone can be done once a day. Grooming self with tongue, chasing things, playing with string, cravings for cream, and the urge to use the sandbox outside are a few ideas.
The wand can also reverse these changes at twice the speed that it can afflict them, thus two cats can be turned back human in a month, eight features removed, or two compulsions a day can be negated.
The wand can also be used to ‘bless’ normal cats to ensure their continued health, shiny coats, and loyal disposition to their owner. Long term use to cause cats to develope a Familiar relationship with the owner of the Wand. The owner would be able to see through the cats eyes, or have especially sharp senses like those of her cats
Inspired by Moonhunters article on feline spirits.