History
Aristis was the prince of Bastet, "the High Kingdom", "the City on the Cliff", a city and small kingdom set in the high mountains of Eastern Zamora during the Hyborian Age.[1] The people of Bastet were possibly descended from Atlantis[1][verification needed] Aristis was the brother of Karista, Queen of the High Kingdom.
The people of Bastes, the Children of Bast, were were-cats, shape-changers, who could change from cat to human at will, as long as they were under the influence of the Eye of Bast.[1]
The heir to the throne of Bastet, Aristis felt suffocated by responsibility and ritual, and longed to see the outside.[2] He decided to flee his legacy and seek fortune in the western kingdoms.[1]
without the influence of the Eye of Bast, his cat nature was taking over with time.[1] After a night of drinking, he awoke next to the corpse, having turn into a cat in the night and torn his mate apart. More and more, he changed against his will.
He devised the plan of returning to steal the Eye of Bast. Looking for a hired thief, Aristis observed Conan as the Cimmerian invaded the and stole from the home of merchant Gaspard. After Conan was tricked, drugged and stolen from by Old Jochim, Aristis who had followed him woke him up but was unable to have Conan listen to his proposal, until Aristis paid for the tab left by Jochim. He told him that ill-prepared by his royal childhood, his venture out of his kingdom had left him near penniless.
At Bastes, Aristis let Conan infiltrate the vault, and was captured. Aristis intervened as Karista interrogated Conan, and the pair managed to escape by jumping out of the city on the cliff with the Eye, though Aristis was wounded in the brawl and subsequent fall.[1]
After escaping their pursuers, Conan and Aristis went to rest at Shadizar the Wicked. Pursuing were-cats attacked Aristis in his room, killing him and stealing back the Eye. Conan returned to Bastet, stealing the Eye again.[2]