The Breakers by Fenris Lorsrai (fenris42@juno.com) The Bastet call them the Free People. What most of the Garou call them isn't repeatable in any company. Only a few Stargazers and Ronin know what they call themselves now and they're not telling. When Garou are forced to discuss them they're referred to as the Breakers. History "Cursed is everyone who placeth his hope in man." Saint Augustine Way back when, the Breakers mated with red wolves and coyotes. They had a bond with the Nuwisha and with Garou who came to the Pure Lands. They held the Eastern coast in the places where the other Garou refused to live. Even then they lived by the streams and in the swamps. They lived in the same area as the Croatan but did not fight with them over territory. The Croatan found the wetlands not at all to their liking so let the Nuwisha's eastern cousins live in peace. But then the War of Rage began and the Garou's hands turned against their carefree cousins. The Wendigo, Uktena, and Croatan turned to getting rid of the other Bete, not so badly as some of the other tribes, but still it happened. But the Free People, that was what they were called then, did not turn on their cousins. They let them hide in their swamps and wetlands where the other garou hesitated to tread. Soon the other Bete, the Bastet and the Nuwisha mostly, and some of the others went to hide among them. When at last the other Garou came looking, the Free People said only that there was no one here but they and their brothers. And they showed to them the other Bete who they had wisely cloaked in Gifts so that they appeared as Garou. But then the others said to them that them must come and help find the other Bete so that they might be show who was truly Gaia's chosen. And their little brothers who lived in the swamp said no, why should they come kill their cousins? This made the other Garou furious and they tried to make them go. But they just laughed and bounded across the mud and quicksand that their bigger brothers were too heavy to cross. From that time until the War was ended the other Garou of the Pure Lands made the lives of the Free People as unpleasant as possible, for being so insolent. Surely they could not be kin of the Garou, so they must be kin of the Nuwisha and so would die. They killed their kin and would not speak to them when they came calling. Often they killed them as well, saying they were not truly Garou. Meanwhile the other Bete who had hidden with them had to watch their kin killed and their hosts suffer for the kindness. Many of these sought comfort within each others embrace. In this time many metis were born and this made the other Garou even angrier at them. And so they kept needing more and more comforting as things grew worse and worse. In this time was born the first of the Breakers as they are seen today. They were scrawny little Garou and barely resembled their Bastet kin. But they had inherited one precious gift from their Bete parents and muddled heritage, they could have fertile metis. There were only a few to start with and the other Garou killed them with the excuse that they were an affront against Gaia and all that was Garou. They were right. The Breakers did not wish to be Garou anymore if this was how Garou acted. The Litany was slowly torn apart by the ones who wished they could be something other than Garou. But they were of the kind that changed to wolves so must be Garou. As the years went by the other Bete found the time to slink away to their old haunts where the other Garou no longer thought they lived. But the Breakers grew stronger and started thinning out the harmful strains in their blood. They were few in numbers, so as with the Bete, they were believed lost. However, there came to be certain areas that the Garou simply avoided, for they never retuned from those places alive. By the time the Wyrmcomers came, the Breakers could hold their swampy caerns against all comers. They looked distinctly odd, but not harmfully so, when they went out to great their cousins from across the sea. The other Garou who came from across the sea looked at them and saw Wyrm corruption in their appearance. So they retreated to deep within their swamps and all who tried to follow never returned. When the Croatan fell, they started to move into the places they had once been and found that the Wyrm, which they had never seen before, had run rampant. It did not even direct its hatred and destruction, it just killed and defiled for the sake of doing so. In this they found something to turn thousands of years of anger against. The Wyrm reminded them of an evil that had been done before the Wyrm ever sang its song of madness into the listening ears of the people of the Pure Lands. What would the Garou do now that there was something actively telling them to do evil? And so they lashed out at it. And it struck back destroying many of their homes along with those destroyed by the invading Wyrmcomers. But the took heart from the stubbornness of their ancestors and refused to be pushed back any farther. Their remaining Kinfolk were whittled down to nothing and their swamps surrounded but they would give no more ground. They had the warriors to throw against the Wyrm so have faltered. Some of the wetlands have been lost but none where the Breakers dwell. And now they are starting to reclaim their lands and the caerns lost by others, much to the anger of the Wyrm. They breed almost exclusively among themselves now but it makes little difference. If all the wolves and all the humans die by the time the Apocalypse comes, the Breakers know they will still be strong and waiting for the Wyrm on the field of the final battle. The Present Day "It is almost impossible systematically to constitute a natural moral law. Nature has no principles. She furnishes us with no reason to beleive that human life is to be respected. Nature, in her indifference, makes no distinction between good and evil." -Anatole France Obviously, the Breakers are called such for breaking the first and foremost tenant of the Litany. But it gets worse. Of the thirteen tenants, they now only keep five of them. These are as follows: Respect the Territory of Another This is just common sense. Most of the Garou get very cranky if others mess about in their territory. Generally, Breakers either "appear" and do their business as quickly as possible after they've been acknowledged. It is an extremely bad idea to intrude on a Breaker's territory unannounced. This is a very good way to commit suicide. Accept an Honorable Surrender Most disputes are settled over chess rather than claws. Gaia needs every warrior, even that obnoxious one that just insulted your mother. In the event that they do end up in a fight to the death, Breakers will try and disable an opponent first. Breakers will generally walk away from a throated opponent and let him live, no matter how he has been wronged. Ye Shall Not Eat the Flesh of Humans They taste bad and Gaia knows what kind of chemicals they've ingested. Also it reminds them to much of what happened to their Kin. Respect For Those Beneath Ye- All Are of Gaia Mildly obvious. Kill the few allies or, at least, non-hostile folks, and you soon find you have many enemies. Considering the Breakers social standings, they need all the friends they can get. Again, they do not wish to fall to the same madness that befel the Garou of the Pure Lands during the Impergium. Combat the Wyrm Wherever It Dwells and Wherever It Breeds On this there is no compromise. Woe betide the Breaker who turns to the Wyrm, becoming a "Red Dog". Breakers have been known to destroy entire Black Spiral Dancer Hives just to get at one Red Dog. Actually, most of their activities focus around capturing Wyrm caerns, which they then preform their most sacred rite, Rite of the Triat, upon. This specialty has gained them the undying enmity of the Dancers and the suspicion of the other tribes who can't believe that a Wyrm caern can be ever returned to Gaia. Totem Siamese Cat Background cost: 8 The Siamese is a fairly recently discovered totem, but has taken the Garou-who-are-not-Garou as her special Children. The Breakers consider the kinks in their tails to be marks of favor from her. Siamese grants all her Children the Gift: Eyes of the Cat. Also, pack members gain 3 dice on any roll involving stealth or balance. She also teaches each of her Children how to keep their claws razor sharp so that they can cause an additional die of damage when clawing an opponent. In return, she asks that her Children either adopt or find homes for any stray cats they find. Consequently, Breaker caerns typically have many cats in residence, at least one of which is, of course, a Siamese. The Bastet tend to look upon this practice and smile knowingly. Organization Philodox and Theurges rule the Breakers, as far as anyone can be said to rule them. Most often a master of strategy will be nominally in charge. The individual generally does as he pleases, until such time as he needs help. Then, the Breakers can be said to put forward the most unified of fronts. Breakers may walk alone, but help from other Breakers is seldom hard to find when their crusade is a good one. Habitat Breakers are most often found in wet areas, swamps, wet meadows, and the like. Most are found in North America's Eastern portion where water is plentiful. Now, the Breakers have started to expand onto other continents, wherever swamps are to be found. The swamps purify the waters that flow through them as the Breakers seek to purify the land from the taint of the Wyrm. They love metaphors like that. Protectorate The Breakers most often protect the native people, including any other Bete, especially Bastet. Conservationist and naturalists are also protected, since the Breakers recognize their worth. Even considerate hunters and fisherman are watched over. So long as they take less than will harm the populations of their prey, the Breakers will guard them most fiercely. The inconsiderate ones find themselves very quickly lost in the Breakers swampy homes, never to be seen again. Forms The Breakers have thinned out most of the deformities in their bloodlines, but it is still difficult to mistake a Breaker, in any form, for anything but a Breaker. (though there have been cases where they are "accidently" mistaken for Black Spirals) Lupus: The fur is a sandy red-brown color. The ears are relatively long and have tufts of fur at the tips. The tail has a kink in it about 5" from the end. Except for the ears and tail, the Breakers most resemble large coyotes in this form. Crinos: The Crinos only stands between 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 feet tall. The ears are longer than in lupus, but the tail and coloration remain the same. The eyes betray their Bastet ancestry with almost vertical pupils. They also have a distinct tendency to glow in low light. Homid: Breakers typically have blond to reddish -brown hair in this form. It is generally worn long and loose to cover up their pointed ears when dealing with humans. Breakers are rarely taller than 5'2" in this form. Their eyes are often copper, vibrant green, or eerie yellow. Conversions Glabro: Strength +2, Stamina +2, Appearance -1, Manipulation -1, Dexterity +1 Crinos: Strength +3, Dexterity +2, Stamina +3, Manipulation -2 Hispo: Strength +3, Dexterity +3, Stamina +3, Manipulation -3 Lupus: Strength +1, Dexterity +3, Stamina +2, Manipulation -3 Blooded Breakers "The family you come from isn't as important as important as the family you're going to have." -Ring Lardner Breakers do occasionally breed outside their ranks so as to get "fresh blood". These Breakers are known as Blooded. Blooded Breakers have the normal Breeds of Homid, Metis, and Lupus. Homid: Breakers may breed with a human of any race or background. The child is typically stolen shortly after it was born if the mother was human and is raised by its Breaker father or fostered to childless Breakers. The chances that the child is in fact a Breaker are much higher than the normal Garou's chances of siring another Garou. Rather than a 1 in 10 chance, the chance is 1 in 5. Even if the child does not in fact become a Breaker, she is still educated in the ways of the Breakers and may continue to live at the Sept. Some few of those who do not become Breakers manage to learn Gifts and may sometimes be part of a pack. Those that do become Breakers start with Gnosis 2, due to their upbringing and passing familiarity with various spirits. Generally, be they Breaker or merely Kin, they end up being over six feet tall and very muscular. They can go over Strength four. Homid need only take two Derangements. They may take Homid Gifts as their normal Breed Gifts, but any other breeds Gifts cost 7X level. This includes Breaker Breed Gifts. Metis: Blooded Metis are almost always raised by their Breaker parent. It is very rare for them to be raised by their other parent. Breakers are capable of producing Metis with Bastet, Nuwisha, Garou, or any warm blooded furry shapeshifter. The Blooded Metis must take a Metis Deformity in addition to the regular Breaker Derangements. The Metis has a 50/50 chance of being fertile. Metis start with Gnosis 3 and can go over Strength 4 as well. Metis are almost always at least six and a half feet tall or taller in Homid. They can take Metis Gifts as Breed Gifts, but all other Breeds Gifts cost 7X level. This includes Breaker Breed Gifts. As to the Crinos form, if the father is some Bete other than Nuwisha or Garou, the form stats are adjusted. The average is taken between the two Bete (round up). They may not be raised or lowered by more than one point. Example: A Breaker mates with a Swara. In Crinos, the Breaker has a +2 to Dexterity, the Swara a +4. The child gets +3 Dexterity. Additionally, the Breaker has +3 Strength in Crinos, the Swara only +2. This average off to +2.5, so it's rounded up to +3. Lupus: These are obviously the least common of the Blooded types. Breakers can only breed with wolves or coyotes to produce this Breed. These cubs are usually allowed to run with wolf packs or roam as coyotes. Hence when they do Change, they are sometimes claimed as Lost Cubs by other tribes or are found by Nuwisha. If the one who finds the cub after First Change is familiar with the Breakers, the cub is generally returned. If not, the identity is easily mistaken. The chances for a Blooded Lupus to be a Breaker are still higher than those of a normal Garou but lower than those of a Homid due to the mix of species in Breaker bloodlines. The chances are 1 in 8 that the cub will be a Breaker. They start with Gnosis 5 and can go over Strength 4. They do not receive the automatic starting dots in Primal Urge, Stealth, Enigmas, and Occult. Lupus Breakers need only take one Derangement. They may take Lupus Breed Gifts but all other Breeds Gifts cost 7X level. Kinfolk "Mankind owes to the child the best it can give." - U.N. Declaration All of the Breakers Kin are Blooded Homids who did not change. They are almost always found at their caerns where they were raised along with their brothers who did Change. Additionally, they do appear very similar to their Breaker kin, genrally having the same complexion and coloring, but their ears only hint at being pointed rather than being obviosusly so. Their eyes tend to run to green or light hazel, almost never to the feral yellow or copper more common in the full blooded Breakers. They also tend to be rather taller than their Breaker kin, only slightly shorter than the average human. They do not need to take any of the Breaker Derangments at all. The Breakers cherish their kin, lavishing attention on them, remembering how they lost their earlier kin. Kin are often provided with lavish homes along the Bawn of the caern and serve as the first line of defense. Many an invading foe has found that the Breakers kin are quite capable of holding off all comers. The Kin are perfectly welcome to actually live at the caern, but tend to prefer to live on the edge of Breaker society instead so as to escape some of the hero worship of their full blooded brothers. Given their druthers, the Breakers would hold their Kin as closely as possible, putting them on a pedastal. Most of the Kin can't stand living like that all the time, so at least spend part of their time unwinding in their own homes. This should not be taken to mean that they aren't quite involved in everything that goes on at the local caern. They are held in great esteem and are considered to be the equal of any Cliath, even if they have none of the Renown associated with the Rank. They can gain the trappings of higher Rank, but it takes far more effort than it does for an actual Breaker. However, it is not unknown, or that uncommon for that matter, to have Kin serving as part of a pack, even the Warder's personal pack of caern guardians. They can learn Gifts equivelent to their Rank, and have far less restrictions on what sort of Gifts they may learn. They tend to have far more of an interest in Rites however, and there are rumored to be some Kinfolk who actually know Level Five Rites. They also dabble somewhat in human magic, but very rarely do they actually turn out to be Mages or psychics. They tend to settle more often for Garou magic, such as it is. They have a rudimentary tie to the Auspices and can learn Gifts appropriate to the auspice they were born under. However, they can learn the gifts of the auspice immediatly proceeding or following theirs with just as much effort. Thus while a Kinfolk may have been born under the Crescent Moon, it is no more difficult for him to learn Gifts of a Philodox or a Ragabash than it is to learn the ones of a Theurge. They are even said to have a few Gifts that are known only to themselves. To create a Kinfolk character, Attributes are distributed 6/5/3. Abilities as 12/8/5. They have a rudimentary connection with Luna and so can learn of Rage. Only a Kinfolk born under the Full Moon actually starts with any Rage, and that is only 1. All other auspices start with zero, though they may buy Rage with XP or Freebies. It can never go above four however, and they may not be driven to frenzy. They also posses rudimentary Gnosis, which starts at 1. This cannot be raised above 5 however. They are capable of stepping sideways, but the gauntlet is twice normal. If the difficulty goes above ten, they can not do so at all. They start with 5 points in Backgrouns, but may not buy Past Life or Pure Breed. They may however take Resources, it is very common to start with at least one point in this. They start with only two Gifts, one from Tribal, and one from auspice. They are immune to silver, but do not posses the great regenrative abilities of Garou. They do however heal at twice normal human speed. To gain power, XP costs are as follows. Rage- Current X 2 (2 points for the initial dot) Gnosis- Current X 3 Willpower- Current rating Attributes- Current X 4 Abilities- Current X 2 Gifts- 4 X level for their own, 6 X level for other Tribes or breed Gifts (including Breaker Gifts) Past Life The Breakers are tied to their past, for mildly obvious reasons. They link to one's past lives is cherished and from day one, Breaker children are taught about their great ancestors and by the age of ten or so, many can recite their lineage back several genrations. Their rites also insure a link to the past, many of them using their connection to their previous incarnations, and through them their mother Gaia, to do incredible things that seem as if they belong in the age of legends. Rather than merely doing the same thing they have in the past, they use this to provide a basis for new innovations. Many are the tales of the Breaker who was guided to the discovery of a new Gift or Rite by the urging of one of his Past Lives to look deeper into himself or the spirit world. Names "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." -children's saying Breakers are quite fond of human literature. Their first names are most often taken from great works of writing. Kipling is a particular favorite of theirs. For their second name, the one other Garou generally call them by, they take a creative, or just plain amusing, insult thrown at them at some point. Many have thanked a swearing Fianna for the name, much to the Fianna's confusion. Vulgar or obscene phrases are just considered rude and are almost never used. Examples of Breaker names: Lungri Threefangs, Raksha Banebreath. Breaker's second names may be changed during their lifetime and particularly wise or courageous ones may take a tongue in cheek complement as a second name. Example: Master Akela Blindside (it doesn't seem tongue in cheek at all until one knows that Master Akela acquired it due to "blindsiding" his opponents even though he's completely blind himself.) The End Times "There is no medicine, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow." -O.S. Marden As all Garou, the Breakers have heard the Prophesy of the Phoenix. The general concensus is that these are indeed the end times and that the seventh sign is not far off. They make unceasing war on the Wyrm now, more frantically than ever. Much to the consternation of the Wyrm, they have suceeded in retaking caerns that have fallen to the Wyrm and in some placed are actually driving the Wyrm out of some of it's strong holds. They have the advantage of breeding true on their side, so have the resources to throw themselves all out at the Wyrm. However, like many of the Garou tribes, they do not see the Apocalypse as the end of everything. The Apocalypse is coming and the final battle to decide the fate of Gaia will be fought then. They fight the Wyrm now, so as to take its measure now. They are rather sure they can win but only if they do not lose faith before the End. They base this on something known as the Prophesy of the Dragon, a sort of postscript or addendum to the Phoenix Prophesy. This was originally whispered out by a great Theurge who laying dying of Harano, and these last words lit her face with joy before she took her last breath. Many consider them blasphemy, but the promise that all they have done was needed, gives them the strength to go on. "These are the last days, mine and yours and all the world's. Even now the heart-sickness chews away at us, driving us to despair. The Final Days are upon us, and so we weep and all the world with us, the tears stinging out wounds. But I lay down to die from shear weariness and despair I cannot rest easy for I hurt so badly that I can never sleep, now or ever again. And since even oblivian is denied to me, I must be up and find a way to end my pain. I fall to battle against that which has caused me the greatest pain, the Wyrm, and find in every poison filled blow I find a certain pleasure. Do I go mad in these end times, to have found pleasure in my enemy? Nay, I have found my lover, that which has seduced me for so long. I have been locked in a dance for so long that I have not seen who my partner was, nor even that I still danced. Only now in these end times, have my steps grown skilled so that my dance is my own. The Wyrm rakes its palsied talons through my flesh, down to bone, and through all the way to fall finally into Gaia, ripping great gouges into the earth. It is the caress of my lover, madness, for the world has grown mad and diseased as have I and all my brothers and sisters. No more do I hold back, valueing my miserable life, but throw myself into the dance looking my partner straight in the eye for the first time and see my own reflection. Its eyes burn with inner fire and drive me to blindness, but I can see now with my inner eye. The smell of its fetid breath destroys my sense of smell, so that I can only remember the scents of wet grass, the summer breeze, and a myriad of things now lost. The roar of its anger is as music to me and I dance and this time I lead, not it. Around me I can see all my brothers and sisters, both earthly and unearthly, animal and man and monster, locked into a dance of their own. The feel of it's skin against mine is so vile that I can no longer feel with anything but my soul. The dance is now mine, and the very earth trembles beneath us as heavy blows miss or connect as dictated by my dance. The ground is ripped apart beneath us, reshaped by our dance. I know now what the final steps are and drive my teeth into the heart of the Wyrm and rip it loose from its chest, my chest. The foul blood pours down my throat, but all I can taste is clear water. It shudders beneath me and lies still and now I sit upon its remains seeing nothing, smelling nothing, hearing nothing, feeling nothing, and only the taste of salty water in my mouth to assure me I still live. I throw my head up once last time and the salty water runs down my throat. I know what these are now. They are the tears of Gaia. But they are not the tears of grief because I shall die from my wounds, which even now I cannot feel, but surely know will kill me. They are tears of joy, for her favored children have grown up and remade the world as she had always meant them too. But the world is too beautiful now for adults to bear, and so I lay down my head in weariness, the tears running down my fur and covering me with warm saltiness. Here I have died and here I am to be reborn again. I shall be my own child and live again in world so beautiful that only a child could love it properly. And so I die that I might live." Stats Initial Willpower: 5 Backgrounds: 5 no Allies or Pure Breed, must take at least one point in Past Life, may only take Breaker raised Blooded Homids as Kinfolk Breed: Breaker unless blooded Initial Rage: as other tribes, except for Ahroun which only starts with 4 Rage Initial Gnosis: 4 (unless Blooded) Advantages: Breakers can automatically step sideways into the Umbra if the Gauntlet is less than 5 Characters start with an automatic dot in Primal-Urge, Stealth, enigmas and Occult. Galliard and ahroun can learn each others Gifts at Level X4. Breakers do not suffer gnosis loss from carrying silver and have a 1 in ten chance that they have inherited their Nuwisha cousins immunity to aggravated damage from silver. (decide randomly during character creation by rolling a ten sided die. if they get a ten, they get the immunity). Frenzy rolls are at +1 Difficulty Disadvantages: Breakers lose two dice on all social rolls involving other Garou, so long as the other Garou know that the character is a Breaker and knows what a Breaker is. Silver Fangs, Red Talons, Get of Fenris, Wendigo, and Uktena gain two dice on frenzy rolls involving Breakers (regardless of whether or not they know the character is a Breaker. They just subconciously KNOW) Normal Breakers can have no more than 4 dots in Strength Homid, Metis, and Lupus gifts can only be learned at Level X7. The Gauntlet for stepping out of the Umbra is considered +2 Derangements "Insanity- a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world." R.D. Laing Owing to their eclectic heritage, Breaker should have three or more Derangements. Many of these are physical, but some are mental. Depending on what kind of critter was in the character's background, pick these accordingly. (ie a Breaker who had mostly Khan in his background for "other blood" he would not take Spots, he would have Stripes.) Annoying laughter: You have a very annoying high pitched whooping laugh. This tends to make you sound like you are either a Black Spiral Dancer or are just completely and utterly insane. Bobtail: Your tail is very short and affects your balance. +1 Difficulty on all rolls involving Dexterity while in forms with a tail. Catnip reaction: You freak over catnip. You will end up in a drugged stupor if exposed to the stuff. Extreamely Flexible: This doesn't consist of being just double jointed but also having excelent flex to your muscles. You can often squeeze through impossibly small places or squirm loose from bonds. Of even more use is that due to the loose connections, you are far less likely to overentend yourself andpull muscles or joints out of alignment. It also makes you annoyingly hard to torture. Featherweight: You weigh between half and three quarters of what a person the same size does. This occurs in all forms. Hooked claws: You do an extra die of damage on a claw attack. You cannot make a second attack in a round in which you land a claw hit however, as you must back your claws out of your target to avoid snapping them. If you should ever botch the attack roll on a claw attack, you will still hit, but will rip all your claws out, doing a level of aggravated damage to yourself. You can also do aggravated damage in Lupus. Hyperactive: You can not sit still for very long. You also have an over active metabolism and are always munching on something. Light Sensitive: You are sensitive to light. You must wear eye protection when dealing with bright light or operate at +1 Difficulty on all rolls. Light Sleeper: you can sleep for no more than two or three hours at a time. You thus have trouble questing in the Dream Zone. No Howl: you cannot howl, only roar or screech in the manner of a big cat. Patchy coat: your fur is of several different shades, lengths and textures. You look odd even in Homid form. You may however receive a Bonus on rolls when attempting to camouflage yourself. Polydactylism: In Crinos, Hispo, and Lupus you have extra fingers and toes. This may show up in Homid, but that is unusual. ("You have six fingers on your right hand. I know someone who's looking for you") Purr: You can purr. This makes your voice especially appealing, but people may consider you smug. Retractable claws: You can retract your claws in all forms. Or extend them in clawless forms. ie You can retract them in Lupus or automatically pop them in Homid. Sharp Teeth: Even in Homid form, you have a set off spectacular set of teeth, all of them quite sharp. However, you barely have any molars at all, so have trouble eating anything that requires a great deal of chewing. Slit pupils: You have slit pupils in all forms. You can see better in low light than normal, but look weird as hell. Spots and stripes: You have spots or stripes or possibly both, in all forms. Whiskers: You have short catlike whiskers in all forms. In Lupus you may be able to sense vibrations with them. Gifts "Do you think it'll work?" "It would take a miracle." -Valerie and Miracle Max, The Princess Bride Breakers have a great deal of knowledge about the Umbra. Their Gifts reflect this. It should be noted at this time that Breakers have only one breed, the Breaker.(unless Blooded. See rules above then) It is considered different than the Metis so has its own set of Gifts. Breed gifts: Leap of the Kangaroo(level one) as the Lupus Gift Sense wyrm(level one) as the metis Gift Spirit of the Fish (level two) as the Uktena Gift Staredown (Level two) as the homid gift Eyes of the Cat (Level three) as the Metis Gift Spirit Friend(level three) as the Children of Gaia Gift Spirit ward(level four) as the Homid gift Whelp Body (level four) as the Ragabash gift Survivor (level five) as the Bonegnawer gift Spirit Vessel (level five) as the Theurge gift Tribal gifts: Surface attunement(level one) as the Level Two stargazer gift Find Water (level one) as the Lupus Gift Cling(level one): The Breaker spends a Willpower point and sinks his claws into anything available. No force can move him until he is persuaded to let go. He can make no attacks while like this. Only useable in Crinos, Hispo, or Lupus. Disfigurement(level two) as the shadowlord gift Inner Strength (level one) as the Stargazer Gift Curse of Aeolus(level two) as the Black Fury gift Scrying(level three) as the Uktena gift Umbral Sight (level three) as the Theurge Gift Nightmares(level three): Spend a gnosis points and roll Wits+Intimidation, against target's Willpower. The user may now project a terrible vision of herself into the target's dreams. If the target encounters the user he must succeed a Willpower roll, difficulty eight, or fly into a fox frenzy. He needs an additional success for each additional night after the first that the gift was used on him. Grasp the Beyond(level four) as the Theurge gift Sideways Attack (level four) as the Uktena gift Wail of the Black Spiral(level four): Roll Manipulation+occult, difficulty eight. The user now howls a terrible whining howl. All Wyrm tainted Garou within hearing will froth at the mouth and exhibit other signs of madness, resembling the later stages of rabies. (staggering, attacking inanimate objects, biting themselves...) Halo of the Sun(level five) As the Children of gaia gift Gaia's Vengeance(level five) as the Red talon gift Headgames (level five) as the Galliard gift Realm Step(level six): The user holds in his mind a picture of a specific landmark in one of the Realms and spend a Gnosis and two Willpower to hold it firm in his mind.(he must have already been there or heard an intricate description of a landmark)He then steps sideways against a variable difficulty, depending on which Realm he is trying to get to. The Abyss would be a two while Summer Country would be a ten. He can then step from anywhere in the Umbra or real world into that Realm. It requires three successes to make it, otherwise he just ends up on the other side of the Gauntlet. If he botches, he ends up somewhere unpleasant such as the Abyss or Malfeas... Kinfolk Gifts: The Breakers Kin have managed to learn a few special Gifts of their own, which they guard jelously. A full blooded Breaker with the shapechanging gene may not learn these, even from a spirit teacher. St. Elmo's Boon (level 1): By spending a Gnosis point, and rolling Manipulation+ Occult, the user may cause St. Elmo's fire to flicker across a area of 100 feet square per success for an entire evening. Use of this Gift is often used to scare people off from sites. Sixth Sense (level 2): This ability becomes inate in the possesor of this Gift. He becomes extreamly sensitive to intangable things, especially the intentions of others. The straight unmodified Empathy rating of the user may be rolled to see if he can intuitively sense another's intentions. This only gives a general impression, not detailed plans. Being watched can be automatically sensed. Unholy Terror (level three): The user may cause a reaction extreamly similar to the Delirium in his target, though the target will likely remember the user and may even call the police on them. They will not however be able to clearly describe him. The user rolls Manipulation + Performance against the target's Willpower. If he succeeds, the target is effect by the level of the Delirium equivilent to his Wits+4. Luna's Wrath (level 4): By spending a Rage point, the user may call upon the favor of Luna to increase his battle prowess. This power allows him to sprout sturdy claws for a scene. These do aggaravted damage as Garou's claws. He also gains a temporary point in Brawl so as to know how to use them and a temporary strength bonus of +2 for clawing only. Brainwashing (level 5): This is an extreamly rare gift since most Kinfolk never make it to this Rank. The user spends a point of Gnosis and Willpower and with a successful role of Manipulation+ Medicine, may completely wipe certain subjects from the target's mind by comanding them to either forget or disbelieve them. "None of what you are about to see ever happened" is a completely valid command as is "Forget you ever saw me." Rites "Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed." -Irene Peter Breakers have all the normal Rites of the Garou but they have few they share with other Bete and a few of their own. Rite of the Healing Winds (level two) As the Gurahl Rite Rite of the River-Portent (level two) As the Gurahl Rite Water Truce (level three): This rite is used to seal a bargain between rivals so that neither may renegade. System: The Ritemaster takes a vessel full of pure water and summons a spirit of Pain and a spirit of Truth. These are then bound into the water, roll Manipulation+Rituals difficulty 8. The ones making the deal must take a sip of the water and then recite the exact terms of the deal and then take another sip. If they should try and break their word they will be wracked by crippling pains for a week after they break it, or until they make the effort to actually do as promised. The Children's Rite (level three): All Breaker children learn the first half of this Rite as a child, though they think it merely a game. They call the game "Father's Footsteps" and it's designed to lead them off to some great adventure, just like their ancestors. This involves the children taking an old skull, any animal's will do, and setting it cranium down on the ground. One of the children then calls out over it: "My father was Free Folk, His father a Bastet, His grandfather a Nuwisha, His great-grandfather a Garou. I am my father's child, and so my blood runs true!" The child then spins the skull and calls over it: "And so they guide me, And I follow in their steps, As I follow their voice, Now see my ancestor's choice!" Whatever direction the skull ends up pointing in, the children run off in that direction until they find a source of amusement. Surprisingly enough, they nearly always find something special, be it an unusual butterfly, some old coins, an arrowhead, or a small friendly spirit. Older Garou cease to play this game, but it is not forgotten. The second half of this Rite is taught to a female by her mother. It is unknown to the males. To enact this, the Breaker recites the first verse about the father and then a second verse which is as follows: "My mother was Free Folk, Her mother a Bastet, Her grandmother a Nuwisha, Her great-grandmother a Garou. And mother to us all, Gaia, Who makes my blood run true!" These verses are recited over a talisman obtained from her mother. This could be anything easily wearable, a braid of her mother's hair, a claw, or something else similar. Often if the mother is aging, she will give her talisman to her daughter, so many of these are hundreds of years old. Once this is done, she carries this talisman at all times. This ensures that she will breed true. Depending on how successful the invocation was, any Metis born to her will be fertile or possibly all her blooded children will inherit the gene. If she should remove the talisman at all while carrying a child however, the child's chances plummet to the normal probabilities for blooded children. If the talisman is ever permanently lost or is destroyed, her chances of passing on the gene at all become extremely slim, only one in twenty System: To create the token, the Breaker rolls Wits+Rituals, Difficulty 11-her Past Life. If she is blooded herself, the difficulty is 12-her Past Life rating. If she botches the roll, her chances for passing on the gene become one in twenty with a Homid and one in 25 for a Lupus. Metis will be sterile. If she merely fails, the chances are as those listed above for blooded Breakers. How well the talisman works is dependent on how many success she gets. 1 success- a 75% chance Metis pups will be fertile. 1 in 4 chance that Homids will inherit the gene, 1 in 6 chance for Lupus pups. 2 successes- a 90% chance Metis pups will be fertile. a 50/50 chance that Homids will inherit the gene, 1 in 4 for Lupus. 3 Success- Metis pups are fertile. 9/10 Homids will inherit the gene. 1 in 3 chance for Lupus. 4 successes- Metis may learn Level one Gifts of their father's tribe at normal cost. All Homids inherit the gene. 50/50 chance for Lupus. 5- Metis may learn the Gifts of their father's tribe up to level three at normal cost. Homids may learn up to level three Breaker Breed gifts at normal cost. All Lupus inherit the gene. If the Breaker female's mother has died before she was taught this Rite, one of her mother's sisters may teach her, or one of her older sisters, but her difficulty will be one higher on the roll. Additionally, this Rite may only be preformed once in a Breaker's life. If she fails or loses her talisman, she may not try again. Rite of Running Water (level four): This Rite is used to track someone, no matter where they may go. Wherever they were most recently in contact with water, the user will be able to locate it. System: The user goes down to a body of pure water. It must be running. She plunges her head beneath the water and must hold it there for at least five minutes with her eyes and mouth open. She then rolls Perception+ Alertness Difficulty 10. The number of successes indicates how far away she can sense her target. One would be only if he had crossed upstream while five would be anywhere in the world. The information is conveyed through the subtle murmurs and caresses of water spirits, hence needing to use all five senses to perceive it. Caern Concealment (level four)As the Nuwisha Rite Rite of Hunger (level five): This Rite is used to reach back into ancestral memory and remember the loss of their Kin, the coming of the Wyrm and the sacrifice of the Croatan. This is used to renew the purpose behind their struggles and to restore the desire and drive to do their sacred duties. This Rite is only taught to the Ritemaster of a Caern and it is wiped from their memory by spirits if he should ever lose his position. Also, this Rite is preformed only once every ten years unless there is extreme need for it. System: All participants must fast for three days and undergo a Rite of Cleansing. All participants must then travel to the homeland of the Croatan so as to better remember those who sacrificed themselves against the Wyrm. The Ritemaster must sing tales of the past of the Breakers and then spend a Gnosis and a Willpower point and make a Wits+Rituals roll difficulty 10 to take the listeners back into their deepest ancestral memories. Each participant must then make a Intelligence+ Occult roll difficulty 11-his Past Life rating, to see how far back they are drawn. If they fail, they sink into a state of depression for all that has been lost. Botch and they sink into Harano. To see how far back they go and the effects, consult the chart below: one- Can remember back to the death of the Croatan. Regain all Rage. Two- Remember back to the beginning of the coming of the Wyrm and see why to fight. Regain all Rage and Willpower. Three- Go back to the Impergium and see the harm that was wrought by this. Regain all Rage and Willpower and gain a permanent Willpower point so as to better resist the Wyrm. Four- Go back to before the War of Rage. Regain all Rage and Willpower, gain a permanent Willpower point, and gain a Permanent Rage point so as to strike back at your foes for your slain ancestors and gain a point of Wyrm Lore for seeing how its tricks drove your kin to their death. Five- Go back to the Sundering. Regain all Rage and Willpower, Gain a Permanent point of Rage and Willpower, and Gain two points of Wyrm lore from seeing how it was the cause of all your suffering, and regain all Gnosis from briefly touching the worlds when it was still whole. Five + - Storyteller's discretion Rite of the Triat (level five) This Rite is only known among the Breakers. They would rather die in agony than ever reveal it to another tribe or even their cousins, the Nuwisha. This Rite is used to take over a Wyrm Caern. Obviously, first the occupants of that caern must be destroyed. Once that is done, the participants cleanse themselves and the area as best they can. When the New Moon is waxing, the Ritemaster leads his people is building a Caern dedicated to the Weaver atop the old Wyrm Caern. When the Full Moon is waxing, and within two months of when the Weaver caern was built, they build a third Caern a top the other two, dedicating this one to the Wyld. The Caern Spirits fight with one another for a full year until finally it settles out into balance.(note: being at the Caern center during that year is a BAD IDEA) System: As Rite of Caern Building, but the difficulty for the roll is only seven since the connection to the spirit world has already been made, even if it is Wyrm tainted. A roll of Wits+Rituals difficulty ten must be suceeded to make sure that three caerns do in fact overlap and join into one. Notes: When tapped, the three caerns will now all function as one. Points may be channeled into any Trait as a Wyld Caern. Spirits that are summoned to the Caern are far easier to summon and by tapping the Caern can be manipulated as if the Ritemaster had the Theurge Gift: The Malleable Spirit. All difficulties for doing that are one less than those listed on the chart. After the Rite has been performed and the caern has come into balance, it will automatically shift up one Level from what the underlying Wyrm Caern had been. ie if performed on a Level one Wyrm Caern, it becomes a Level Two Triat Caern. The Living Land (level five): Those who know this Rite can shape the very earth to their will. Hills can be moved, earthquake faults steadied or created, or coastal areas may suddenly fall into the sea. It often takes years to achieve the desired effects but it is literally possible to move mountains with this Rite. System: In order to even learn this Rite, the Breaker must ask a boon of Gaia herself. To do this, this Breaker must travel to Pangea and fast for three days and then in a single night at Table Rock, recite all that he has done to save Gaia. At the end of the night, if his plea is accepted, he will find that the ancient marks on Table Rock from the claws of all the Garou that have gone before have left the answer written into the very stone. If it is rejected, he slips into Harano. To preform the Rite, the Breaker must find a patch of stone at least six feet square near the area the Rite is to be preformed on. He then carves three circles into the stone with his claws so that they link, forming a rough pyramid. There should be a section in the center of the diagram that is part of all three circles at once. Into one of the three sections that are part of two circles at once, he must carve the glyph for Wyrm, Weaver, and Wyld, one into each of the sections. He then uses his own claws to carve the glyphs for Earth, Air, Fire, Water, the Umbra, and Gaia, into his flesh, letting the blood fall onto the ground. He then rolls Stamina+Rituals Difficulty 11- Past Life as he bonds with the most primal substances of the earth. If he suceeds this roll, he literally bonds with the earth, nothing may move him for a full twenty four hours. He may not defend himself, but due to his bond with the earth itself, he gains a health level for every point of Stamina he possesses, and gains five extra dice for the purpose of soaking damage, including silver. While like this, he rolls Gnosis against a variable difficulty. Changing the course of a small stream would be a two, raising a mountain out of a hill an 8, and sinking an entire continent into an ocean, a twenty. In the twenty four hour period, he may make three rolls in an attempt to change the layout of the land. The time that it takes for the land to reshape itself is 50 years- number of successes if the difficulty started below ten, 100 years-successes if the difficulty started above ten. To increase the speed at which the effect takes place and to accomplish truly great effects, an additional row of linked circles may be added to the pyramid. Each additional area that falls within three circles at once needs to be filled with someone else who knows the Rite. Once going from the single participant, the next level needs four, the next nine, then 16, and so on. Every participant needs to succeed his roll to bond, but once it is made, the difficulty for manipulating the land falls by 1 for every additional participant beyond the first. If the difficulty for the attempt action was originally above ten, it may never fall below difficulty 7 no matter how many participants. All of the successes on all of the particpants Gnosis rolls are added together. Thus with enough people preforming this Rite simultaneously, water tables can be raised to flood an entire area in a few minutes, mountains can be raised in a matter of days, an entire city dropped into the sea in a year, or any number of other spectacular effects. The danger in shaping the earth to his will is, that should he botch his roll to bond with the earth, he is caught in a reality backlash and is swallowed up by the earth, never to be seen again. Fetishes "The only question with wealth is what you do with it." John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Breakers are most fond of fetishes and quite good at making them as well. Most of them posses at least one low level fetish or at the very least a talen. When the Wyrm is as strong as it is now, you need all the help you can get and there is no better help than the aid of a spirit. Note the aid part, Breakers almost never bind an unwilling spirit into a fetish, though the will do so with Talens. Cursed Weapon Level 1, Gnosis 6 This could be any sort of weapon from a gun to a knife to a catapult. If anyone other than the rightful owner tries to use this object, he must make a resisted Gnosis roll against the Cursed Weapon. If the Fetish wins, three dice are added to all his attack dice. These dice only add botches, not successes. This fetish is made by binding an Ancestor spirit, or a spirit of Truth, or a Trickster spirit. Animal Track Level 2, Gnosis 6 This fetish takes the form of a plaster cast of an animal track. It can be used to summon all the animals of that sort within howling distance. This gives you no direct control over the animals once they arrive. You can however communicate with them through the fetish and try to get them to do your bidding. Obviously being able to summon wolves is very impressive, but there is something to be said for being able to summon an army of a thousand or so squirrels. An animal spirit that matches the track must be bound into the fetish. Hollow Reed Level 3, Gnosis 6 If successfully activated, the user may make a Stamina+ Occult roll Difficulty six. For each success he receives on this, he may breath normal for one hour, regardless of what the actual environment is. This could be under water, in an airless void, or where there are toxic gases. To make a Hollow Reed requires that a Plant spirit be bound into it. Father's Fangs Level 4, Gnosis 7 This fetish is made from either the teeth or claws of a specific ancestor. At least four claws or fangs are needed. On a successful activation roll, that ancestor can be channeled. (the use still must have Past Life to use it) These are generally worn as part of a necklace. Some are truly ancient indeed and may have the claws or fangs of several people linked onto one necklace. If it consists of multiple relics, the user can choose which ancestor to channel. This is obviously made by binding an Ancestor spirit. Bow of the Eagles Level 5, Gnosis 8 On a succesful activation roll, the user of this bow can shoot a truly spectacular distances. Once activated, the difficulty to hit is reduced by one as the Garou's hands are guided by the resident spirit, and his eye sight sharpened to improve his aim. The maximum range of the Bow is seventy yards times Strength. To even draw the bow, a minimum strength of six is required. Thus these are usually only used by Blooded Breakers in Glabro or Crinos. Damage pool is equal to Strength. This fetish is made by binding the spirit of a bird of prey into a specially made bow. Croatan's Forearm Level 6, Gnosis 10 This mighty fetish was made from the forearm of one of the fallen Croatan. On a succesful activation roll, the user may channel some of the sacrifice of the Croatan through himself. By making a Rage roll, difficulty 8, and pointing the bone at a Wyrmfoe, he may unleash a bolt of pure destruction. Each success on the Rage roll equals one point of unsoakable aggravated damage taken by the target. No matter how many successes are rolled on the Rage roll, the Breaker weilder will not frenzy. There are only believed to be three of these in existance, all of them owned by Breakers of Rank Five or higher. There is a spirit of War and an spirit of Justice bound into everyone. It is rumored that a Turtle spirit was bound into each of these before the last of them went into Slumber. These fetishes are no longer capable of being made. Talens Labyrinth Arrows Gnosis 6 These arrows are used by Breakers hunting Black Spiral Dancers. These are obsidean headed arrows similar to Bane Arrows. They do aggravated damage to Wyrm-tainted Garou and Dancers. If the person firing the Labyrinth Arrows gets five or more attack successes, they explode on impact with their target, doing an additional five dice of aggravated damage as obsidean splinters are sent shooting throughout the Dancers innards. A spirit of Strength needs to be bound into the arrows to keep the heads from chipping or prematurely shattering and a Pain or War spirit for them to do aggravated damage. Red Acorns Gnosis 5 When dropped into a cup or pitcher, these acorns release a mild toxin into the drink. If drunk, this causes the ingester to become nauseous and lose some mild motor control. The difficulty for any action is raised by one for 7 days-his Stamina. These effects can be negated by Resist Toxin or someone uses Mother's Touch on him. One acorn will poison a cup, three a pitcher, 100 a well. These are made by binding a spirit of Pain. Stereotypes "The notion of a the Trinity of Gods has enfeebled the beleif in one God. A multiplication of beleifs acts as a devision of beleif, and in proportion as anything is divided it is weakened." -Thomas Paine The top comment is the view the Breakers have of that tribe or group. the indented one below that is that tribe's view of the Breakers. Mages: Weirdos. Keep 'em away from from our caerns, we have few enough as is. If they wish to play somewher else however, there are a few things a would like to learn from these folk. The what? All the Lupines look the same to me. 'Sides, they only come in two kinds, the ones that are at a safe distance, and the ones that are at an unsafe distance from me. Vampires: When things are dead they should stay quite properly dead. Well, within reason. So long as these things don't smell to badly of the Wyrm, don't bother them. They don't really show up in the wilderness much anyway. The what? You expect me to know about every little weird group of Lupines? I may be immortal, but I do not have that much time on my hands that I can waste it on such trivial pieces of information. Black Furies: rather psychopathic, but can occasionally be reasoned with if you've just killed some nearby Wyrmspawn. 'Ware their caerns, they're near as bad as we are about protecting them. Weirdos and freaks. Their only redeeming value is that the respect the Wyld and brook no trouble from the wyrm. Bonegnawers: They love looking down on us just because they can get away with it. You can cure 'em if you feed 'em though. Good for a meal and a place to crash. Don't get caught drooling at their cats though. Children of Gaia: They put up with us better than most. But then they put up with EVERYONE. They are... odd to say the least but they are not nearly as insane as some other tribes that shall go unnamed. Fianna: wise loremasters with razor sharp tongues. Many of our people took their second names from the rantings of a Fianna. Odd as hell, but they love a good joke or song but they are rather physically vile. Won't go catching me doing any of that sort of thing, no matter how desperate I was. Get of Fenris: psychopathic furballs with a permanent bad moods. Send 'em packing as soon as possible. I have yet to see one of these Wyrm whelps fight honorably. They are even more disgusting than the Bonegnawers. Glass Walkers: they fight the Wyrm from within, for that they should be honored. However we are not pleased about the intrusion of their cities into our wetlands. Off the record, we like these guys. It gives the Get and Talons someone other than us to hate. Red Talons: mentally unbalanced and dying. I suspect they wouldn't know fine literature if they were hit over the head with it. They are homids in all but name. It is disgusting. Shadow Lords: This tribe of manipulative, black hearted scumbags make me sick! Check for Wyrm taint before dealing with 'em. They are Wyrm ridden and hardheaded. They are practically impossible to control. We should get rid of them. Where one resists others see an opportunity to rebel as well. Silent Striders: Some of the wisest of the Garou. If the Wyrm is up to something, they'll know about it. Welcome them if they'll accept your hospitality. Eager to listen. They are most grateful for any information that we give them. They can be forgiven their sins for that trait alone. Silver Fangs: and they say our breeding practices are sick and counterproductive? Bite me. Sick, disgusting. They are an affront to everything we hold dear. Send them packing back to Malfeas where they belong. Stargazers: they recognize the need to walk alone but they seem to have lost their grip on the real world. They walk alone on a hard path. They listen and seem to understand but still do not openly seek enlightenment. Uktena: we see the need for them to keep the Great Banes slumbering, but we worry about them being constantly so close to the Wyrm. Sometimes we wonder how long it is before they dance the Spiral. They are sick and one of the first signs that the Wyrm was coming to the Pure Lands in earnest. We should have killed them then, but it is too late now. We just wonder how long it is before they take that last step onto the Spiral. Wendigo: They're like a cross between the Get and the Fangs. Psychopaths with a thing about pure breeding. And lots of bad blood between us on top of it. We should have killed these wyrm tainted upstarts when they were but cubs. Now they are here and will be dealt with as soon as the Wyrmcomers have been gotten rid of. Black spiral dancers: Don't even bring up those, those, @#$@$!! in my presence! They're rather scary. They can be vicious as the Get but clever where we're concerned. It is most difficult to turn their rage against them. Nuwisha: Clever folk. Play nice with our little cousins they have little to laugh about now. They love games but take the Wyrm a bit too seriously. Gurahl: no ones seen one of these guys since shortly after the war ended. Guess they just eventually faded away. They were kind but they have started to grow as angry as their elder brothers, the true Garou. Corax: again like the Gurahl. Haven't met one. From what I've heard they might be worth knowing. Bastet: They gave us a great gift. Aid them whenever possible. They are the only civilized Garou. If you must lair away from the Folk lair near the Free People. Ratkin: Worth knowing but they don't trust us. Bastet in Garou's clothing. Mokole: great guys. A little queer but they make great allies. If you live in a swamp with Mokole, you've got nothing to fear about the other tribes invading. Impetuous young mammals. But they know the worth of the wetlands. Let them be so long as they behave. Rokea: Haven't met one. Ananasi: treat 'em as individuals. Some are wyrm tainted some aren't. For those that are, may I suggest a flamethrower? Be wary of them. they have an undying hatred of the servants of the wyrm. Storyteller's Note Due to their eclectic heritage, if someone tries to use Scent of the True Form on a Breaker, the Gift will give them no clear answer, rattling between the Breaker being any number of Bete, but never settling. Naturally Garou find this most unsettling. Sample Characters Raksha Banebreath Breed: Breaker Auspice: Ahroun Nature: Lone Wolf Demeaner: Bravo Physical: Strength 4, Charisma 2, Perception 4 Social: Dexterity 4, Manipulation 4, Intelligence 3 Mental: Stamina 4, Apperance 2, Wits 3 Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Dodge 2, Expression 2, Imtimidation 2, Primal Urge 3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Drive 2, Firearms 2, Melee 3, Leadership 1, Stealth 3, Survival 2 Knowledges: Enigmas 2, Investigation 1, Law 2, Leadership 1, Linguistic 1, Occult 2, Rituals 2, Wyrm Lore 3 Languages: Spanish Gifts: (1) Balance, Razor Claws, Surface Attunement, (2) Call of the Wyrm, Spirit of the Fray, True Fear, (3) Combat Healing, Nightmares, Silver Claws Rituals: (1) Rite of Cleansing, Rite of the Questing Stone, Rite of Talisman Dedication, (3) The Children's Rite, The Great Hunt, The Hunt, Rite of the Fetish Backgrounds: Fetish 4, Contacts 1 Rage 7, Gnosis 5, Willpower 6 Renown: Glory 7, Honor 5, Wisdom 3 Fetish: Cursed Klaive Derangemnets: Patchy Coat, Now Howl, Light Sleeper, Whiskers, Hooked Claws Merits and Flaws: Territorial (3 Flaw), Mars Rising (6 Merit) Image: In homid Raksha looks nearly inhuman. She only stands 4' 7" Her eyes are are a feral copper and glow slightly in low light. Her hair is in several differnet shades, but is cropped close to the head, showing off her pointed ears. The short set of whiskers don't help either. She looks like some sort of feline demon. In Crinos, the fur is again several differnet colors and several differnet lengths, making her look rather mangy. Her eyes most definitely glow copper and the slit pupils are weird. The whiskers jut out like a demented mustache. And her calws ae these great heavy looking curved wicked looking things. She stands at roughly 7' 8" in Crinos. Roleplaying Notes: Raksha prowls the bawn of her caern, Blasted Swamp, and clears out any snooping individuals, be they people or Garou. She is very territorial about the whole area and if someone ventures in unwelcomed, they get one warning to leave. If they don't comply immediately, they die. She prefers to walk alone, but will occasionally travel to the Sept next door, Black watch and make her presnece known, just to shake up the natives. She is greatly amused by people's reaction, and will often play with them a little bit, rather like a cat with a mouse. She has s ort of understated and sly humor, which most people don't realize. Background: Rasha has lived at Blasted Swamp for all her life and so feels a great deal of loyalty to it. She is somewhat wary of the local Garou, for see remembers that they were were nearly always fighting with her Sept when she was a child. There has been a truce declared for the moment and the Garou have backed off for now. They see more sense in having Blasted Swamp guarding their noraml border than in fighting with them. Still, Raksha does not trust this calm and does not like the whispering she has heard from the locals. But until such time comes as they betray her Sept again, she will be content to wait. Sara "Two-Mules" Stevenson Breed: Blooded Kinfolk Auspice: Ragabash Nature: Reveller Demeaner: Director Physical: Strength 2, Charisma 3, Perception 3 Social: Dexterity 2, Manipulation 4, Intelligence 2 Mental: Stamina 3, Appearance 3, Wits 4 Talents: Alertness 2, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 2 Skills: Drive 3, Etiquette 2, Leadership 3 Knowledges: Bureaucracy 3, Enigmas 1, Investigation 2, Law 3, Politics 4, Rituals 1, Science 2 Gifts: (1) Blur of the Milky Eye, Find Water, Spirit Speech, (2) Sixth Sense Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Resources 3 Merits: Political Ties (3), Jupiter Midsky (4) Glory 0, Honor 3, Wisdom 4 Rank: 2 Image: A woman of slight build, Sarah stands about 5'5". She has clear grey eyes and auburn hair, and a bit of a "I kniw something you don't know" look to her. The slightly pointed ears give a rather mischevious cast to her features. She usually dresses failry casually in a a blouse and slacks, giving off the impression of someone respectable. Roleplaying Notes: Sarah tends to meddle in politics, both human and Garou. She can often talk people around to her point of view. There is a certain sense of being manipulated to many of her actions, but in a rather "it's for your own good" sort of way. She tries to make people do as she wants first by persuation and then thumps them a few times about the head if they try to be stubborn. She is stubborn herself, but does not abide stubborness in others when it goes counter to her wishes. Some have commented that she'd make a very good vampire. Her response: "Thank you. I shall keep that under advisement." Background: Sarah was kidnapped as a baby by her Breaker father, Steven Leadfoot. He raised her himself and they were quite the pair. He was mildly disappointed that she did not inherit the gene, but most amused by her skills. She was taught the ways of the Breaker by him and inherited his love of human toys. He was a great fan of fast cars and fast women, which she of course did not approve of. Partially to annoy him, she has cultivated a respectable appearance, but often surprises those her know her by being quite disreputable on occasion. She dearly loves her father, who is most often absent, but when they get together, look out world! She enjoys her own sort of mischief and meddles in human politics. The local Board of Selectman have come to dread seeing her walk in brandishing a map and a pile of old deeds. When she actually wnats something done in the political scene, she can generally pull it off. The rest of the time, it's a game. And th rules of the game were meant to be broken.