Post by Dev on Jan 24, 2008 10:51:50 GMT -5
The Fera will be allowed in VDN but if we start getting to many of any one changing breed they will be capped.
1. Abjaba: A long time ago, Gaia saw that no wolves decided to live in Africa, so she created the Ajaba to be the warriors of the earth. These were-hyenas could do the same job as the Garou, but were more cat-like so that they could work with the Bastet. However, it did not work out. The Garou, upon discovering the Ajaba ,as well as other Fera, slaughtered the other shapechangers quite liberally. In the mid-1980s, the Simba attempted to completely exterminate the hyenas. These social Fera live in large clans; their society is strictly matriarchal, so Ajaba women are typically more aggressive and outgoing than Ajaba men. The widely misunderstood Ajaba are often considered extinct or nearing extinction because of these wars, but the hyena people are very much alive and kicking.
2. Ananasi: The Ananasi are were-spiders. Grandchildren to the Weaver and the children of Ananasa, this race of shapeshifters was corrupted and coerced (through the imprisonment of their Queen, Ananasa) by the Wyrm into service for a considerable time. Though Ananasa was eventually freed and many Ananasi renounced the Wyrm, the Weaver did not forgive their lapse in loyalty. The Ananasi call themselves in their collective language the Dahman. The Ananasi of the West have adopted a Triumvirate system within their race, each Ananasi has their Triumvirate aspect chosen for them. Therefore, an Ananasi is either Tenere (followers of the Weaver), Hatar (followers of the Wyrm), or Kumoti (followers of the Wyld). Additionally, each Triumvirate party has an Aspect in which they follow - Myrmidon (Warrior), Viskr (Wizard), or Wyrsta (Questioner). The Ananasi differ from the other Changing Breeds in that they do not have Rage, but instead use blood to fuel many of their gifts. Furthermore, they are the only Changing Breed whose animal form is not a single animal; Ananasi instead have "Crawlerling" form, which is a swarm of spiders. Their other two forms are Lilian and Pithus, a man-spider and a giant spider, respectively.
3. Bastet: The Bastet are were-cats. Servants of Gaia, their society is divided into tribes, but these divisions exist solely along lines of heritage, and are not influenced by auspice. Loners by nature, as a rule they don't form packs. The Nine Tribes of the Bastet now number only eight, with one of their tribes apparently extinct.
A. Bagheera: Leopards and Panthers, this tribe is wise and even-tempered, protecting India and Africa.
B. Balam: Jaguars, this tribe is savagely violent, protecting Central and South America.
C. Bubasti: Sacred Cats of Ancient Egypt, this tribe is the most secretive and most magically powerful. Their animal kin, a species of cats called "kyphur," are apparently extinct. How they survive without their animal kin is a closely guarded secret.
D. Ceilican: White Lions of the Fae, this tribe is believed by the Bastet to be extinct, however, among the Bastet, some believe they are rumored still to exist.
E. Khan: Tigers, this tribe is the most physically powerful and protects India and Eastern Asia. Many Bastet prefer to think of the Khan as their leaders, rather than the Simba.
F. Pumonca: Cougars, this tribe is highly adaptable and protects South America and the southern and western United States.
G. Qualmi: Lynx, this tribe has a strong grasp on practical magic and riddle games, and protects the northern United States and Canada.
H. Simba: Lions, this tribe considers itself the royalty of the Nine Tribes, and protects western and southern Africa. Many Bastet would rather die than acknowledge the Simba as their kings. Unlike other Bastet, they habitually work together in prides.
I. Swara: Cheetahs, this tribe is the most spiritually inclined of the Bastet, and mainly lives in central Africa. They're in frequent battle with the Simba.
4. Corax: The Corax are "were-ravens," and are among the least physically powerful of the Changing breeds. Despite this, they make up for their lack of brute strength with experience, secrets, cunning, and trickery. The Corax have a strong tie to the Umbra, using it to travel quickly from place to place. Unlike many denizens of the World of Darkness, the Corax have shown remarkable resistance to the corruptions of the Wyrm, the machinations of the Weaver and the madness of the Wyld, and reliably work to protect Gaia.
5. Gurahl: The Gurahl are "were-bears," whose duty is as healers, both of tainted or damaged land, and of injured creatures, both body and spirit. They are tied to Gaia to an extent experienced by none of the other Changing Breeds. Gurahl cannot easily pass into the Umbra, and must learn a special rite to do so. Also, while Gurahl possess auspices, theirs is based on age and maturity. As a Gurahl ages, its auspice advances in the following order: Ragabash, Ahroun, Galliard, Theurge, and finally Philodox. There are four major Gurahl tribes, each representing a particular species of bear and geographical region, though exceptions to both do occur within each tribe.
A. Forest Walkers: Black bears from eastern North America, whose kinfolk are mostly Native Americans.
B. Ice Stalkers: Polar bears from the Artic regions, mostly Ursine with few Homids.
C. Mountain Guardians: Mostly grizzly bears, based in western North America and who also claim Native American kinfolk.
D. River Keepers: Brown bears whose population was decimated during the War of Rage; they are now mostly found in northern North America and Russia.
6. Kitsune: The Kitsune are were-foxes, individualistic beings driven by insatiable curiosity. While the Bastet hoard ancient secrets and the Corax gather secrets of a more modern nature, the Kitsune are especially curious about magic in all its various forms. Their society is divided into four Paths, or schools, of thought aligned along elemental lines and correspond roughly to the auspices of other Changing Breeds in their functions. Unlike most elemental distinctions, Kitsune paths relate not to the four classic elements, but their combinations. They are:
A. Doshi: The path of Lightning (Air + Fire), these Kitsune focus most heavily on magic and the spirit world.
B. Eji: The path of Lava (Earth + Fire), these Kitsune are warriors and cavaliers.
Gukutsushi: The path of Fog (Air + Water), these Kitsune are masters of illusion, the mind, and dreams.
Kataribe: The path of Clay (Earth + Water), these Kitsune are storytellers and lorekeepers.
7. Mokole: The Mokolé are, in principle, "were-alligators, crocodiles, and monitor lizards" though the broader classification of "were-lizards" may be more appropriate. They are the second oldest of the Changing Breeds, and are driven by an intense racial memory of their ancestors, the Dinosaur Kings. Through the practice of Mnesis, the Mokolé are able to tap into this ancestral memory directly, remembering events ranging from the recent past to millions of years ago. Their ancestral memory is also the source of an intense coming-of-age dream-quest that determines their "true shape". The Mokolé are broken into four different tribes known as Streams.
A. Mokolé-Mbembe: The Right Talon of the Sun: This is the most war like of all the Mokolé streams. They are found in North America, Africa, Central and South America.
B. The Gumagan: The Stream of Fire: The dragons of Australia draw upon the perenty monitor and the saltwater crocodile as their saurian forms. They, like the Mokolé-Mbembe, recognize the Sun in its daily aspect. They draw their Archid forms from the Dream Time, and other creatures of Australia's ancient past.
C. The Makara: The Water Monsters of India: The Dragons of India draw upon the gavial, mugger, and saltwater crocodiles as their saurian forms. They recognize the Sun in its seasonal aspect, not daily aspects.
D. The Zhong Lung: The Middle Dragons: This is the Stream of Mokolé that is located in Eastern Asia. These beings, at some point, split off from the other Mokolé line and became creatures of myth. They draw their Archid traits from the Wani Dragon Kings instead of the dinosaurs. Rather than tracking the ancestral memory of lizards, the Zhong Lung have become the keepers of the mythical memory for the entirety of the Middle Kingdom.
Each Mokolé has a varna, or species that they mate with. They are the following:
Mokolé-Mbembe: American alligators, American crocodiles, Gila monsters, Nile crocodiles, Caimans.
Gumagan: Monitor lizards, Saltwater crocodile.
Makara: Mugger crocodiles, Saltwater crocodiles, Gavials.
Zhong-Lung: Saltwater crocodiles, Chinese alligators, Monitor lizards, especially the Komodo dragon.
8. Nagah: Were-Snakes" that originated in India. Most of the other changing breeds believe them to be extinct, however the Mokolé and the Hengeyokai are aware of their existence. The Nagah serve as the Judges of Gaia, filling the roles of silent and hidden judges and executioners for the Changing Breeds. They judge the other Changing Breeds by the codes the other Breeds establish for themselves. When in need to use force, they strike from the darkness using their supernaturally potent neurotoxic venom.
9. Nuwisha: Of all the Changing Breeds, it is the Nuwisha, or were-coyotes, who have the strongest tie to the Umbra. They are tricksters, troublemakers, and jesters. Though once loyal to the moon in the same way as the Garou, they apparently perpetuated some prank against Luna so reprehensible that she turned her back on them entirely. As such, Nuwisha all represent the epitome of the Ragabash auspice, having no Rage at all. Perhaps because of this, Delirium works differently with the Nuwisha. Their mastery of the Umbra and the weakness of their ties to instinct have caused many Nuwisha to largely abandon Earth and fight for Gaia (in their own perverse way) entirely in the Umbra.
10. Ratkin: The Ratkin, or were-rats, were once charged with shepherding humanity's urban masses, culling them quietly by eating their grain and spreading disease. Their role was supplanted during the Impergium and Wars of Rage, a blow they never fully recovered from. With the onset of urban sprawl's explosive growth, however, Ratkin are once again in ascendance. The most brutal and ruthless of Gaia's children, Ratkin are pragmatists (a side effect of living almost entirely within and beneath cities), though they have made peace with the Garou, they still largely distrust them and by-and-large work in isolation from other shapechangers. Four traditional aspects and four freak aspects dictate a Ratkin's place in society. They are:
Traditional Aspects
A. Knife Skulkers: The ritualists, mediators, and assassins of the Ratkin.
B. Shadow Seers: The totemic shamans and spiritualists of the Ratkin.
C. Tunnel Runners: The scouts, messengers, and spies of the Ratkin.
D. Warriors: The defenders and guerilla fighters of the Ratkin.
Freak Aspects
A. Engineers: The tinkerers, builders, and monkeywrenchers of the Ratkin.
B. Munchmausen: The storytellers, swashbucklers, and madmen of the Ratkin.
C. Plague Lords: The masters and tamers of disease among the Ratkin.
D. Twitchers: The demolitionists, firebugs, and arsonists of the Ratkin.
11. Rokea: The Rokea are weresharks. They claim to be the first of the Changing Breeds, as Sea existed before solid land appeared on Gaia and sharks predate all land-born predators. Rokea are largely notoriously xenophobic and very few leave the water. Their relations twith the other Changing Breeds are tense at best, with one exception: they have allied themselves with the Mokole, whom they consider closest to them between all the Changers. Rokea gather into small groups called slews, similar in purpose and behaviour to Garou packs. Much like Garou have caerns, Rokea have undersea sacred places, referred to as Grottoes. Rokea don't have tribes, but come from many different species of shark. Some of the most common species are great white sharks, hammerhead sharks, Greenland sharks, bull sharks, mako sharks, and tiger sharks. The Rokea do not have any names for these different species and do not divide themselves into groups based on species.
1. Abjaba: A long time ago, Gaia saw that no wolves decided to live in Africa, so she created the Ajaba to be the warriors of the earth. These were-hyenas could do the same job as the Garou, but were more cat-like so that they could work with the Bastet. However, it did not work out. The Garou, upon discovering the Ajaba ,as well as other Fera, slaughtered the other shapechangers quite liberally. In the mid-1980s, the Simba attempted to completely exterminate the hyenas. These social Fera live in large clans; their society is strictly matriarchal, so Ajaba women are typically more aggressive and outgoing than Ajaba men. The widely misunderstood Ajaba are often considered extinct or nearing extinction because of these wars, but the hyena people are very much alive and kicking.
2. Ananasi: The Ananasi are were-spiders. Grandchildren to the Weaver and the children of Ananasa, this race of shapeshifters was corrupted and coerced (through the imprisonment of their Queen, Ananasa) by the Wyrm into service for a considerable time. Though Ananasa was eventually freed and many Ananasi renounced the Wyrm, the Weaver did not forgive their lapse in loyalty. The Ananasi call themselves in their collective language the Dahman. The Ananasi of the West have adopted a Triumvirate system within their race, each Ananasi has their Triumvirate aspect chosen for them. Therefore, an Ananasi is either Tenere (followers of the Weaver), Hatar (followers of the Wyrm), or Kumoti (followers of the Wyld). Additionally, each Triumvirate party has an Aspect in which they follow - Myrmidon (Warrior), Viskr (Wizard), or Wyrsta (Questioner). The Ananasi differ from the other Changing Breeds in that they do not have Rage, but instead use blood to fuel many of their gifts. Furthermore, they are the only Changing Breed whose animal form is not a single animal; Ananasi instead have "Crawlerling" form, which is a swarm of spiders. Their other two forms are Lilian and Pithus, a man-spider and a giant spider, respectively.
3. Bastet: The Bastet are were-cats. Servants of Gaia, their society is divided into tribes, but these divisions exist solely along lines of heritage, and are not influenced by auspice. Loners by nature, as a rule they don't form packs. The Nine Tribes of the Bastet now number only eight, with one of their tribes apparently extinct.
A. Bagheera: Leopards and Panthers, this tribe is wise and even-tempered, protecting India and Africa.
B. Balam: Jaguars, this tribe is savagely violent, protecting Central and South America.
C. Bubasti: Sacred Cats of Ancient Egypt, this tribe is the most secretive and most magically powerful. Their animal kin, a species of cats called "kyphur," are apparently extinct. How they survive without their animal kin is a closely guarded secret.
D. Ceilican: White Lions of the Fae, this tribe is believed by the Bastet to be extinct, however, among the Bastet, some believe they are rumored still to exist.
E. Khan: Tigers, this tribe is the most physically powerful and protects India and Eastern Asia. Many Bastet prefer to think of the Khan as their leaders, rather than the Simba.
F. Pumonca: Cougars, this tribe is highly adaptable and protects South America and the southern and western United States.
G. Qualmi: Lynx, this tribe has a strong grasp on practical magic and riddle games, and protects the northern United States and Canada.
H. Simba: Lions, this tribe considers itself the royalty of the Nine Tribes, and protects western and southern Africa. Many Bastet would rather die than acknowledge the Simba as their kings. Unlike other Bastet, they habitually work together in prides.
I. Swara: Cheetahs, this tribe is the most spiritually inclined of the Bastet, and mainly lives in central Africa. They're in frequent battle with the Simba.
4. Corax: The Corax are "were-ravens," and are among the least physically powerful of the Changing breeds. Despite this, they make up for their lack of brute strength with experience, secrets, cunning, and trickery. The Corax have a strong tie to the Umbra, using it to travel quickly from place to place. Unlike many denizens of the World of Darkness, the Corax have shown remarkable resistance to the corruptions of the Wyrm, the machinations of the Weaver and the madness of the Wyld, and reliably work to protect Gaia.
5. Gurahl: The Gurahl are "were-bears," whose duty is as healers, both of tainted or damaged land, and of injured creatures, both body and spirit. They are tied to Gaia to an extent experienced by none of the other Changing Breeds. Gurahl cannot easily pass into the Umbra, and must learn a special rite to do so. Also, while Gurahl possess auspices, theirs is based on age and maturity. As a Gurahl ages, its auspice advances in the following order: Ragabash, Ahroun, Galliard, Theurge, and finally Philodox. There are four major Gurahl tribes, each representing a particular species of bear and geographical region, though exceptions to both do occur within each tribe.
A. Forest Walkers: Black bears from eastern North America, whose kinfolk are mostly Native Americans.
B. Ice Stalkers: Polar bears from the Artic regions, mostly Ursine with few Homids.
C. Mountain Guardians: Mostly grizzly bears, based in western North America and who also claim Native American kinfolk.
D. River Keepers: Brown bears whose population was decimated during the War of Rage; they are now mostly found in northern North America and Russia.
6. Kitsune: The Kitsune are were-foxes, individualistic beings driven by insatiable curiosity. While the Bastet hoard ancient secrets and the Corax gather secrets of a more modern nature, the Kitsune are especially curious about magic in all its various forms. Their society is divided into four Paths, or schools, of thought aligned along elemental lines and correspond roughly to the auspices of other Changing Breeds in their functions. Unlike most elemental distinctions, Kitsune paths relate not to the four classic elements, but their combinations. They are:
A. Doshi: The path of Lightning (Air + Fire), these Kitsune focus most heavily on magic and the spirit world.
B. Eji: The path of Lava (Earth + Fire), these Kitsune are warriors and cavaliers.
Gukutsushi: The path of Fog (Air + Water), these Kitsune are masters of illusion, the mind, and dreams.
Kataribe: The path of Clay (Earth + Water), these Kitsune are storytellers and lorekeepers.
7. Mokole: The Mokolé are, in principle, "were-alligators, crocodiles, and monitor lizards" though the broader classification of "were-lizards" may be more appropriate. They are the second oldest of the Changing Breeds, and are driven by an intense racial memory of their ancestors, the Dinosaur Kings. Through the practice of Mnesis, the Mokolé are able to tap into this ancestral memory directly, remembering events ranging from the recent past to millions of years ago. Their ancestral memory is also the source of an intense coming-of-age dream-quest that determines their "true shape". The Mokolé are broken into four different tribes known as Streams.
A. Mokolé-Mbembe: The Right Talon of the Sun: This is the most war like of all the Mokolé streams. They are found in North America, Africa, Central and South America.
B. The Gumagan: The Stream of Fire: The dragons of Australia draw upon the perenty monitor and the saltwater crocodile as their saurian forms. They, like the Mokolé-Mbembe, recognize the Sun in its daily aspect. They draw their Archid forms from the Dream Time, and other creatures of Australia's ancient past.
C. The Makara: The Water Monsters of India: The Dragons of India draw upon the gavial, mugger, and saltwater crocodiles as their saurian forms. They recognize the Sun in its seasonal aspect, not daily aspects.
D. The Zhong Lung: The Middle Dragons: This is the Stream of Mokolé that is located in Eastern Asia. These beings, at some point, split off from the other Mokolé line and became creatures of myth. They draw their Archid traits from the Wani Dragon Kings instead of the dinosaurs. Rather than tracking the ancestral memory of lizards, the Zhong Lung have become the keepers of the mythical memory for the entirety of the Middle Kingdom.
Each Mokolé has a varna, or species that they mate with. They are the following:
Mokolé-Mbembe: American alligators, American crocodiles, Gila monsters, Nile crocodiles, Caimans.
Gumagan: Monitor lizards, Saltwater crocodile.
Makara: Mugger crocodiles, Saltwater crocodiles, Gavials.
Zhong-Lung: Saltwater crocodiles, Chinese alligators, Monitor lizards, especially the Komodo dragon.
8. Nagah: Were-Snakes" that originated in India. Most of the other changing breeds believe them to be extinct, however the Mokolé and the Hengeyokai are aware of their existence. The Nagah serve as the Judges of Gaia, filling the roles of silent and hidden judges and executioners for the Changing Breeds. They judge the other Changing Breeds by the codes the other Breeds establish for themselves. When in need to use force, they strike from the darkness using their supernaturally potent neurotoxic venom.
9. Nuwisha: Of all the Changing Breeds, it is the Nuwisha, or were-coyotes, who have the strongest tie to the Umbra. They are tricksters, troublemakers, and jesters. Though once loyal to the moon in the same way as the Garou, they apparently perpetuated some prank against Luna so reprehensible that she turned her back on them entirely. As such, Nuwisha all represent the epitome of the Ragabash auspice, having no Rage at all. Perhaps because of this, Delirium works differently with the Nuwisha. Their mastery of the Umbra and the weakness of their ties to instinct have caused many Nuwisha to largely abandon Earth and fight for Gaia (in their own perverse way) entirely in the Umbra.
10. Ratkin: The Ratkin, or were-rats, were once charged with shepherding humanity's urban masses, culling them quietly by eating their grain and spreading disease. Their role was supplanted during the Impergium and Wars of Rage, a blow they never fully recovered from. With the onset of urban sprawl's explosive growth, however, Ratkin are once again in ascendance. The most brutal and ruthless of Gaia's children, Ratkin are pragmatists (a side effect of living almost entirely within and beneath cities), though they have made peace with the Garou, they still largely distrust them and by-and-large work in isolation from other shapechangers. Four traditional aspects and four freak aspects dictate a Ratkin's place in society. They are:
Traditional Aspects
A. Knife Skulkers: The ritualists, mediators, and assassins of the Ratkin.
B. Shadow Seers: The totemic shamans and spiritualists of the Ratkin.
C. Tunnel Runners: The scouts, messengers, and spies of the Ratkin.
D. Warriors: The defenders and guerilla fighters of the Ratkin.
Freak Aspects
A. Engineers: The tinkerers, builders, and monkeywrenchers of the Ratkin.
B. Munchmausen: The storytellers, swashbucklers, and madmen of the Ratkin.
C. Plague Lords: The masters and tamers of disease among the Ratkin.
D. Twitchers: The demolitionists, firebugs, and arsonists of the Ratkin.
11. Rokea: The Rokea are weresharks. They claim to be the first of the Changing Breeds, as Sea existed before solid land appeared on Gaia and sharks predate all land-born predators. Rokea are largely notoriously xenophobic and very few leave the water. Their relations twith the other Changing Breeds are tense at best, with one exception: they have allied themselves with the Mokole, whom they consider closest to them between all the Changers. Rokea gather into small groups called slews, similar in purpose and behaviour to Garou packs. Much like Garou have caerns, Rokea have undersea sacred places, referred to as Grottoes. Rokea don't have tribes, but come from many different species of shark. Some of the most common species are great white sharks, hammerhead sharks, Greenland sharks, bull sharks, mako sharks, and tiger sharks. The Rokea do not have any names for these different species and do not divide themselves into groups based on species.