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FERA (in Englisch)

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РАТКИНЫ
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Ratkin
From World Of Darkness Wiki

Ratkin are a kind of Changing Breed. As most breeds, Ratkin were given a mission by Gaia, and that would be controlling human population by eating their food and spreading desease and pests and it worked until Garou decided to exterminate all of the other Breeds in the War of Rage. Since them, the Ratkin had to live in the margins of human society and could barely make it but because of the rapid urban growth, they recovered and once again are in ascendance. Ratkin are feral and brutal, mainly because they are Wyld-touched, meaning they can not only frenzy like others shapeshifters but also hallucinate in a state called Rapture.

Ratkin are still very distrustful of Garou even now, because one of their aspect was completely destroyed during the War of Rage, the equivalent of Garou's Galliards or Bards. However, before they were slain, they foretold that in the final days the Ratkin would come back from their secret refuges just as happened.

History
Organization
Aspects
The Ratkin are divided in 8 aspects, much like Garou's auspices, whice are as follows:

Knife Skulkers: Honored assassins of the Ratkin that work by contract only. They also act as judges and mediators, much like a Philodox
Shadow Seers: Shamans and spiritual guides, much like a Theurge
Tunnel Runners: Spies and scouts, that are spread all around the world. Similar to Ragabash
Warriors: As the name implies, fighters and killers, the first combat line, much like Garou's Ahroun.
The lack of a Galliard equivalent is due the War of Rage

There are also four "Freak Aspects", Ratkin that spent a long time and Umbra and so lost some of their sanity, but have special attunements with the spirit world.

Engineers: Scientists, inventors and tinkeres, they love to deal with technology.
Munchmausen: Swashbucklers Ratkin, the most insane of them all
Plague Lords: These Ratkin spread disease whenever they go.
Twitchers: Anarchists among anarchists, Twitchers are insane and umpredictable demolition men.
Nine Plagues
Is also common a division between nine "Plagues", similar to the Tribes of Werewolfs:

The Borrachon Wererats: Based in South America
De La Poer's Disciples: Based in Antarctica
The Gamine: Based in Europe
The Horde: Based in Eurasia
The Nezumi: Based in Japan
The Ratkin Ronin: Not based in any terrestrial region, instead associated with seafaring and the oceans.
The Rat Race: Based in North America
Rattus Typhus: Based in Africa
Thuggees: Based in East Asia
The Litany of Survival
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. What the Hell would a bunch of twitchy Rage packed, Gnosis rapturing, psyco-wererats with a pension for killing, tearing, maiming, and all that crunchy chaotic sugary goodness; ever need rules for? Well everyone has them. If they didn't they would die out pretty quickly. And despite your typical Ratkin being a spastic mess of nerves and supernatural woo-joo, they know the value of these things.

The Creed of Obligation
I shall preserve the Veil, which ensures our survival.
I will build, steal and suborn to strengthen my breeding grounds.
I shall nurture, instruct, and aid the young.
I will trust my own kind before I trust outsiders.
When Someone is responsible for injustice, I will make sure Someone pays.
The Creed of Infamy
I will defend our breeding ground against all threats, physical and spiritual.
I shall seek revenge against those who prey upon my kind.
I must shred the tentacles of the Wyrm whenever they constrict us.
I must sever the Weaver's webs whereever they calcify chaos.
Creed of Cunning
I will survive so that I may breed.
I must respect strength and exploit weakness.
I shall grow stronger through conflict.
I will learn from the mysteries of the spirit world.
I will revel in the visions the spirits grant me.

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МОКОЛЕ (для общего развития, ибо не играют)
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Mokolé
From World Of Darkness Wiki

Where Are All the Dragons?

The Mokolé are a Changing Breed based on a group of reptiles. Most of these reptiles being all forms of alligators and crocodiles, however some smaller reptiles such as monitor lizards and Gila monsters have made it in the the Mokolé breeding stock. Created by Gaia and the Wyld, they are the first Changing Breed, and no matter what scale they come from they were given a task to hold above all others.
To Remember.
Acting as Gaia's memory, a Mokolé's Mnesis, their memory, shows them things that may have happened in the past century to the age in which dinosaurs roamed the earth. It isn't any wonder that they tend to mistrust, or even out right hate the Garou. For them, the days when the Eggsmashers defiled their nests and attacked them in the Wars of Rage were only a day away in their minds. After all they remember everything.
Along with the Mokolé's impressive memory, is also an even more intimidating form. For when the weresaurians under go their first change, thier Crinos or Archid as they call it, does not take but one form. But many. They Dream this form into existence, thus it gives them the claim to their rightful secondary name; Dragon-shifters.

Past
The oldest of the shapechangers doesn't have one history, but has been around long enough for Many histories to have occurred. They have seen the great world wars, but these are merely rats squabbling. They have seen the fall of Rome, witnessed the pyramids being built, saw the humans discover fire, and even claim to have a hand in the Evolutionary Process itself. There is no one way of encompassing just how much of an impact the Mokolé have had on the modern world. But the only way to understand how they have left their footprints in mankind's story is to start at the beginning...

The Age of Kings
In a time before time, these draconic descendents were not plagued with genetic madness. When dinosaurs walked the Earth in great numbers, the greatest among them were the Lizard Kings; emperors of lands that time forgot. Thee first great saurian kings were shapeshifters blessed by the Earth Mother. They did not take human form, for such a thing did not exist in these times. But they did make tools, and build civilization from nothing.
None remember this era perfectly. The collective memories of the Mokolé are reflections of a thousand Things that thrived, that died, or that never even had a chance at survival. Dreaming as dragons do, they recall creatures that walked on two legs, or four, or six, beings that fashioned objects with dexterous claws, feathered paws, and myriad clumsy scaled appendages. Worshiping the warm sun, they reverently raised towers of mud and meat to the heavens. Fearing the pale moon, they enacted strange and shamanistic rites around cold menhirs at midnight. Like the Mokolé's true forms, these tales are patchwork abominations, combining things that were, never were, and never should have been.
According to legends, the first Mokolé walked in three forms, as they still do to this day: the reptilian Devisor(Wyld) shape, the saurian Dissolver(Wyrm) shape, and the drachid Designer(Weaver) shape. A thousand different Designer shapes flourished, most with wings and articulate talons. Gaia experimented with endless combinations, as Her first-born slinked out of the genetic soup of primeval seas. Kingdoms warred to prove their superiority, destroying all evolutionary rivals, until the Lizard Kings arose from the wastelands of carrion left behind. Once dinosaurs ruled the Earth, but with the changing ages, even the Greatest Empires can fall.. and what has happened once can happen yet again.

The Age of Sleep
The sands of time have long obsurced the reasons of why the Mokolé's kingdoms fell. Perhaps the tyrannical Lizard Kings grew too proud, attracting Gaia's wrath. Maybe she grew tired of the saurian kings' oppression of lesser creatures, turning Her attention to mammalian worshipers. It may be that Gaia loved all living things, and the dinosaur emperors hated what they could not control. Masters of Mnesis-- the keepers of memories -- know that the Mokolé raised their monstrous voices to the Sun in their prayers, whiles other creatures of the Earth hid from saurian screams. The Sun did not forsake the Mokolé, but something from the stars, it is said, drastically changed the course of their evolution.
When the Old Ones passed from the world, other Changing Breeds rose to dominate the Earth. Mokolé sages believed that once the weresaurians were the only shapechangers on the planet, but as Gaia's favor changed, She created mammalian shapeshifters as well. As the sages say, Gaia made the first humans as breeding stock, so that all of the Fera could survive. The half-breed offspring served as their Kinfolk, preserving the living legacies of the Changing Breeds in their genes. The Mokolé had their Kinfolk as well, humans who had worshiped the Lizard Kings for generations. Other civilizations grew, with other beasts as rulers.. and humans as their slaves.
The many different Fera could have shared the Earth, but they warred for petty and primal reasons, contesting for territory, herds of breeding stock, or foolish pride. The most territorial shapeshifters were the Garou, werewolves who waged war against all the other fera. Mokolé who took huge and monstrous forms were easy targets for wolf packs, but those that took the form of lesser saurians and reptiles could hide in the shadowy places of the Earth. If the other Fera had allied against the Garou, these "Wars of Rage" could have been averted, but instead, it cleared the way for the rise of the werewolf tribes. By the time that Mankind waged war against the Garou, the Mokolé had become relics of an older time, their greatest history left only as memories. The Mokolé memories.

The Age of Man
Man rules now where once the Beasts ruled before. For the saurians, the only true civilizations died out millennia ago. The world of today is not made in their image, it is an abomination of a lesser race of dominates. For most of the Changing Breeds, the Apocalypse represents the end of the world, or at least the end of human civilization. But the Mokolé know: the Old Ones were, and when the cities of Men have been laid low, the Old Ones will rule again. They have no need to bring about the end of the human world -- only to wait patient and potent, for it isn't a matter of if human civilization will fall, only a matter of when. Spawning and seizing enough clutches to survive, they struggle to endure the Wyrm's depredations, the Weaver's encroachment, and the Wyld's madness. The Dragon's Dream speaks of what was, and what can be once again. The time in which the great kings will emerge from the carrion wastelands.

Organization
The descendants of the Dragon Kings have fallen. Both in their lives and in numbers. However their dreams speak to them of a world of saurian supremacy, but in the modern world it is that. A dream. Today they barely cling to existence, maintaining modest places were they can hide and spawn enough hatchings to perpetuate their race. These breeding grounds are known as Wallows, home for both human and reptilian they take.
Most wallows are places were humans and reptiles can coexist with one another: alligator farms in Florida, ruined temples to forgotten gods in India and along the Nile, riverside fishing communities in China, isolated hot springs in the Australian outback and similar locals. These are few and very hard to find. Places were human forms are never taken are almost impossible to find.
Like all intelligent life, weresaurians gather to form small, moderately social clans known as Clutches. Two clutches may harbor grudges and petty rivalries for generations, sometimes warring over slight misunderstandings. However in these times, survival is the chief of concerns, and whiles killing each other is out of the question in these times, injury and shame is enough to quell most temporary hostilities.
In an ideal world, a healthy, functioning clutch depends on the relationships between the different aspects (Ae. Auspices) of Mokolé society. In the West, this is a grouping of all seven Solar Auspices also known as a "Perfect Clutch." However, these are far from ideal times. And as the dragon-shifters are few and far in between, young weresaurians venturing out into the world are more likely to form an "Imperfect Clutch" of five auspices in their quests to change history.

Now
In the more recent years, more and more of the young have felt the urge to venture out and claim new breeding grounds. Some cautiously approach the human world in search of signs of when the Dragon's Dream will become reality. Their increased numbers and curiosity hasn't been given a blind eye of course. Other shape changers, the Garou included have taken note of this. Mokolé have long memories and are quite protective of their breeding grounds from the outside threat of their cousins. If interaction is a must, the Mokolé do it far away from their fallows. Preferably a place were they have the upper hand. As curious Garou and other shifters begin to learn more aobut the Mokolé, tensions have increaced. The young have taken to traveling wherever the Dragon's Dream takes them. And Mnesis may convince a Mokolé to side with one aspect of the Trait to help shape events, though most clutches work to try and keep a balance of some sort.

The Streams
Much like Garou Tribes, but not. Each stream hails from a particular part of the world, with its own customs and memories.

Gumagan: Stream of Fire: The only stream that is found mostly not living in water, the Gumagan originate in the deserts of Australia. They are the Umbral questers, Mnesis voyagers, and the mystics among the Mokolé, revering both Sun and Moon in equal measure.

Makara: Stream of the Wind: Mokolé of the Indian subcontinent are called Makara; two of their number are recorded in the Bhagavad-Gita. They are the stream of the wind, the monsoon that brings death and destruction, but also the rains to make the land fertile. They see themselves as Gaia’s living thinkers and preservers of such, not merely recorders of memory.

Mokolé-mbembe: The Stream of Earth: The first stream and most prolific of streams ranging from Africa, Europe and the Americas. They claim to have shepherded humanity to sentience by eating the stupid. When the Bête think of Mokolé, they most likely think of these mighty ones.

Zhong Lung: The Stream of Water:In the East, a fourth stream of Mokolé survives. They are the Zhong Lung; of all the streams, they resemble Dragons (apt the eastern ideal of a dragon) the most.

Auspices
The Mokolé differ very much so when it comes to the matter of Auspice. Among the four streams, those of Africa, the America's and Australia recognize the seven solar auspices. Whiles the other two streams living Asia and the sub-continent of India have auspices that change with the turning of the seasons.

The Seven Solar Auspices
Those of the Streams of Fire and Earth (the Gumagan and the Mokolé-mbmbe) follow the Solar Aspects. These aspects are dependent of time of day(or night), weather conditions and the ever so rare solar eclipse. Along with the different blessings that the sun and moon grant these two streams; there is a mandate that each one reminds the other Mokolé of.

Striking : The Rising Sun: Warriors, Ahroun.
Unshading : The Noonday Sun: Judges Philodox.
Warding : The Setting Sun: Protectors and Healers of Kin and Wallows.
Concealing : The Shrouded Sun: teachers, keepers of secrets,and spirit lore. Similar to Theurge.
Shining : The Midnight Sun: Pranksters, artists, poets, and riddle-makers. Very much like the Ragabash of the Garou.
Gathering : The Decorated Sun: Matchmakers, workers, busybodies, and organizers.
Crowning : Solar Eclipse: The Rare Unquestioned Leaders.

Kinfolk : The Eighth Sun: Like with all shapechangers, the dragons have both Kinfolk among humans and reptiles; and whiles they don't have Mnesis, or the ability to shape change.(duh) They are closer to their shapeshifting brothern that most of the other Fera. They are a diverse lot however. But some are kinfolk are of supernatural stock, included are: Mages and Changeling Eshu. But Whatever the scale they come from. Kinfolk are truly treasured here.

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The Four Seasonal Auspices
The Eastern Streams of the Makara and Zhong long instead look to the season of the Mokolé’s birth. Each seasonal auspice has a Wind spirit that reminds them of Duty and a color that invades their dreaming (most Zhong Lung Archid forms have patterns or markings displaying the color of their seasonal auspice) and whiles Varna determines how much Rage all other streams have; Rage for Zhong Lung is determined by their seasonal auspice.
Another key difference in the Western and Eastern dragon-shifters is that whiles the seven Solar Auspices determine which mandate they enforce, the Eastern Mokolé follow The Mandates of The Earth. And whiles these are in of themselves similar, the perspective on the cosmological view is slightly skewed.

Breeds and Other Information
Mokolé have only two breeds: homid and Suchid. One form comes from world of humans, the other from the realm of reptiles. Although Metis Mokolé can be conceived, they die before birth, because the Archid form of a Mokolé is determined by Mnesis and is Dreamed into existence. So they never develop true bodies. The stronger souls of these "Unfortunates" see solace in the umbra after death and from then on haunt those who would break the Duties.

Blessings of the Dragon. Curses of Memory
The Mokolé share many of the benefits and disadvantages common to all the Changing Breeds, as well as some that are uniquely their own. They are a powerful group of shifters, but the gifts of Dragon and Sun combined give them more flexibility, even as they hinder the Mokolé in other ways.
The general advantages that are the same include regeneration, Rage and Gnosis, and a language all their own (known as the dragon's Tongue).
The disadvantages along with differences are that unlike the other changing breeds, Mokolé are very tied to the sun. When he is hidden they cannot regain Rage (save when sleeping the Sleep of the Dragon). Gnosis can be regained, however it is much, much more difficult.
The Garou believe that the Mokolé can't enter the Umbra (least the ones that know that the dragon-changers still exist.) This is untrue. Whiles Mokolé can enter the Umbra, they cannot step sideways without the assistance of Gifts or Rites. Even then most do not due to the danger that is had there. The souls of the Unfortunates wait for their parents there and they are very dangerous creatures. The only exception to this rule is with the Gumagan. Because of a specific rite that allows a mother to re-absorb the dead metis child's shape shifting soul back into her body, they have become adapt umbral travelers.
Mokolé, like most all the Changing breeds have a vulnerability to a particular metal tied to a spiritual aspect. However they are weak to not only one but two metals. The first of these is Gold. Like the Corax, the Mokolé are tied to the Sun, and thus are weak to his metal. However, the Mokolé born at night have maintained a tei between the Dragon Breed and Luna; and at any rate, the Mokolé are filled with Rage, called Luna's Gift. Therefore they are also in turn vulnerable to Silver.

Varna
Vama represents the different reptiles Mokolé manifest in Suchid(reptile) form. Vamas cover a wide range of four-legged reptiles and are usually determined by stream and location. Varna are important in determining a Mokolé's Rage. The only exception to this rule it seems is for the Zhong Lung whose Seasonal Auspice determines Rage.

For more information about the Mokolé and their role as the mother's memory, turn to the Mokolé Breed book, Minds Eye Theater Laws of the Wyld Changing Breeds 2, Hengeyokai Shapeshifters of the East, Minds Eye Theater Hengeyokai, Players Guide to the Changing Breeds, Players Guide, Players Guide: The Werewolf, Storytellers Companion, Storytellers Handbook Revised, Book of the City, Guardians of the Cearn, Hammer and Klaive, Possessed, Rage Across the Heavens, The Wild West Companion, Laws of the Wyld Second and First Edition(not the strange pdf that is hard to open and harder to navigate), Laws of the Wyld West, Kinfolk: The Unsung Heroes, Rage Across the Amazon and Tales From the Trail Mexico

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Gumagan
From World Of Darkness Wiki

The Stream of Fire

The Gumagan are the Mokolé of Bandaiyan, called Australia by the whites. They also occupy Taslars (New Guinea) and assorted islands. Known as the stream of fire, they are the ones most commonly found away from water, and indeed spend their whole lives in deep deserts. Once found all over the continent, they today only few remain of their previous numbers.
Despite all this, their prowess at Umbral voyaging and Mnesis questing has remained undiminished.
Gadimargara, first of the Gumagan, came in the Last Times. Choosing perenty lizards and saltwater crocs as his mates, he traveled throughout the DreamTime. creating the songlines, roadways paved with Mnesis. As the aboriginal culture developed over forty thousand years, the Gumagan cooperated with their cousins, the Bunyip, to create the most complex array of beliefs known to humanity.
In this mythology, the twin seas of water and sand are opposed poles of the world and equal as sources of wisdom. The Dreamtime remains central to their lives even on the brink of the Apocalypse. In order to further their understanding of it and preserve its lore, they work with elders and wise men (and women) of Aboriginal cultures.

History
Ignorant of the Wars of Rage from other lands, it wasn't until Europeans came, bringing vampires with them that they knew terrible suffering. The perfect clutch of Scales of Many Colours, dedicated to the Rainbow Serpent, was the most prominent of the Gumagan clutches. When the undead attacked it, the Mokolé survivors fled to Raijua in Indonesia, where they were slain by the vampire elder who arrived in the first fleet.
However, the bloodsuckers did not savor their victories for long. After all the dragon people are tied to the sun. The leeches learned this when they were killed when Wolaru-Radiant Light, Crowning the Clutch of Scales of Many Colors, invoked the power of Dream Semblance and burned the vampires and their ghoul-soldiers to ash. She then entered the Sleep of the dragon, and her clutch saw no more Mokolé until Morwangu was born.
And so the Wars of Rage finally came to Australia, with furious European Garou slaughtering the native Garou with their allies left and right. The Gumagan held out the best they could, but against technomagic and silver bullets, they could not prevail. All they could manage was to hide the last desperate remnant of the Bunyip's Kinfolk after the Bunyip themselves were kill in the War of Tears.
Afterwards, some Gumagan withdrew from Australia itself to the Torres Strait Islands, where a powerful immortal offered them an island with a wallow. There they remain to this day, unknown to the Garou who think Australia's Mokolé extinct. The perfect clutch of the Scarred Gums is now only eight member strong, including Wind-Beneath-Her-Wings, who flew to them with news that Towers-Above-The-Kings had moved from Komodo to Raijua. Another Clutch lives in the Ulungan (Amhem Land) and a saltwater crocodile clutch continues to live on Melville Island off the northern coast.

Organization
The Gumagan are the memory of Bandaiyan and preserve all of its past, through the Ice and back to the time of the Kings. The Ancestors who walked the red desert in the Dreamtime (alcheringa) are the source of their visions and of their Archid forms, which range from dinosaurs to fantastic Dreamtime-things unknown to science. This powerful connection to the spirit world, untainted by the Wars of Rage, has led to the Gumagan to have unusual abilities in the Umbra. All Umbra-related gifts are much easier for them to learn. in ancient times the Gumagan simply wander in and out of the Dreamtime at will, but the coming of the Gauntlet changed all that.
Such skill with the Umbra stems from two main influences.
The lack of Innocents, and their interaction with the Bunyip tribe, when working with the enigmatic tribe, may of their secrets about the Dreamtime were passed along to them.
As for the matter of Innocents, when a monstrous baby is born and dies because its parents broke the Duties, the mother cooks and eats the baby's dead body, ritually reabsorbing its shapeshifter spirit into her own. The child becomes part of its mother and does not haunt her. Other Mokolé are so repelled by this practice that they cannot bring themselves to do the same.
Two Varna are known in Bandaiyan: Saltwater crocodiles and perenties, which are huge lizards related to the Komodo dragon. No other Varna survive at present time New Guine and other islands bost many salties, but the perenty is restricted to Bandaiyan's own body. The Homid shapes of the Gumagan are aboriginal peoples of the lands were they are born. No Gumagan are known to have been born elsewhere. (although it is seemingly possible).

Auspices
The Gumagan hold that the role of Sun is as one among many spirits. The Mother, Gaia, Called Waramurungundi by their Kin, is where all beings came from, but Meeka (the Moon) is as important at at night as Gnowee (Sun) is in the day. Oddly, Gumagan agree with their Aborginal neighbors that the Sun is female, and the Moon is male. They are the only Mokolé that believe this and revere Sun as a Great Mother.
Like the Mokolé-mbembe,the Gumagan recognize seven Solar auspices based on the movement of Sun through the day and night. They view the seven auspices as pieces of a whole, and acknowledge this in their daily lives. Their functioning is embedded into the mobs of human and reptile native of Bandaiyan. Their auspice roles are similar to those of the Mokolé-mbembe, with the exception of Eclipsed Suns; Gumagan Crowing are directors of life and ritual, often taboo persons because their immense sanctity. They forego the idea of government, and are far from secular rulers. All Gumagan despite their auspice have average willpower. Because of their attunement with nature very few if any have use for things of monetary value and rarely ever have any technological skills. No Gumagan will take a non-Austrialian spirit as a personal totem.
Gumagan revere the Dreamtime Ancestors who made the world and then became it. A stone may look like a stone to a whitefella, but to those who know, it is the body of the ancestor. They teach that at the origin of the world there was only alcheringa (Dreamtime) but that at one point the waking world became separate from Dreamtime. Thereafter, only those with special abilities could reach the otherworld. Of these, some (bone men) could work that magic they dreamed.
Others, Bunyip and Gumagan, could shapeshift and also trek the dreamtime. The coming of the whitefella and Garou has meant the extinction for the Bunyip, but the Gumagan aren't gone yet. The Dissolver has forced them and their Kin nearly to extinction.

Breed and Territories.
Homid or Koori Gumagan are born to human parents from a native nation of Oceania: Australian Aborigine, Papuan, Melaesian and the like. A homid's suchid form is invariably that of a saltwater crocodile or perenty. Suchid, or "gadimargara" Gumagan hatch from saltie or monitor eggs; a suchid's homid form resembles the humans who live near the nesting ground.
Gumagan are known to lie in the deserts of Bandaiyan, in the Ulungan (Amhem Land), Tsalasts (New Guinea), and the Torres Strait Islands. They are also found in the isolated island mobs else where, such as the Yirrakapauwet Mob on Melville Island. In southern Australia there were no Gumagan left after the Wars of Rage came in 1788. As to whether there are Gumagan elsewhere in the world, maybe, maybe not. Who knows?
The Gumagan's entry to the adult world is their Rite of Passage, celebrated with elaborate ceremony among the aboriginal peoples and Gumagan mobs themselves. These rite involve dancing, chanting, long seclusion for the bisions of Mnesis, impersonation of ancestors to trigger Mnesis, and scarification or circumcision. The teacher plants, such as tobacco or pituri, may open the way to greater vision.

Thoughts on the Other Streams
Makara: They spend to much time with the humans. What of our duties?
Mokolé-mbembe: Colors are the deeds and sufferings of light. They have suffered much. Let us hope that they can remember something more cheerful.
Shong Lung: Snooty dragons. There is more honor in following your own dreams than the words of a hundred sages

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Makara
From World Of Darkness Wiki

Stream of Wind

The Makara are a Stream that originates in the subcontinent of India. These Mokolé are a unique blend of religious culture between humans and populations of the crocodilians in the land. They have taken deep roots in two of the mighty Water Monsters that are even mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita. The Stream of the Makara also refer to themselves as the Stream of the People. They are the stream associated with Wind, their homeland swept each year by the monsoons that bring death and destruction but also water the land to make it fertile. More than any other Mokolé, the Makara see themselves as preservers of Gaia's living thinkers, not just memories of things long-dead.

History
The Makara of India regard Sun as their source of enlightenment. Also great importance is Dragon, the Father of the Wani, or Dragon Kings. Hindu Mokolé in particular ussually interact with spirits through the sacrifice of fire, and revere Dragon as Agni, the God of Fire, the Conveyor of Oblations, The Speaker of Wani. Of course, their images of Agni are more reminiscent of the Wani than of humans. They also acknowledge Chandra the moon. Above all, the Makara place Rta, Jya (or Gaia) And the Trimurti.

Culture
Beneath Jya, the Makara place the Trimurti, compose of the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer (ae, Wyld, Weaver, and Wyrm). An interesting difference between most Makara and many of the other Changing Breeds is that they believe in Rta, or the cosmic order. Rta, the all, came before Jya and will be after her. Some human-born Makara prefer to think of Rta as a supreme spirit and call it Brahman. Many suchids simply shrug and note that the Makara are not meant to know that, for it is beyond Jya.
The Makara, much like the Garou, divide themselves up in three distinct ways: Breed, Varna and Auspice. Unlike the Garou however, Breed and Varna are not the same things. As they believe that their souls are reincarnated many times, and that they have been both reptiles and humans in many past lives, the Makara do not consider either form to be superior and freely intermingle. Breeding between two Makara is forbidden in the manner of all Mokolé, however, as it inevitably results in a child who dies in the dreams of the First Change and becomes one of the Innocents. The Makara are no more lenient about this rule than any other Mokolé. Secondly, there is the breed of reptile (Carna, or "Colours") the Makara's suchid form takes. Three Varna are native to India: the saltwater crocodiles, the mugger crocodiles and the gavials. Finally, the Makara divide themselves into auspices according to the season of the year.

Breeds and Territories
Homid Makara are almost always Indian-born, and as such belong to one of the Castes or Jati. Their suchid forms take the appearance of their dominate ancestors' reptile genus. Most are born to low castes; it is extremely rare for a high-cast child to be discovered to be a Changer, as most of the ancient high-cast Kinfolk were slain in the War of Rage.
Suchid Makara are hatched from eggs of saltwater crocodiles, mugger crocodile or gavial. The suchid's Homid form takes an appearance based on their ancestors' Homid features.
The native crocodile of India is endangered, however, and each year fewer and fewer Makara are hatched. Sun's Hand, Crowing the Clutch of Kanpur, is concered about this, and has sent at least one Wanderer out to ask advice from other clutches. Sun's-Hand is so worried that when Lakshmi Devadasi of the Nagah openly approached him for aid recently he refused; she eventually sought out Towers-Above-The-Kings in an epic pilgrimage.

Auspices --- The Seasons of the Stream.
Like the Zhong Lung, the Makara divide their auspices according to the sun, but in regard to the season rather than time of day. The role of the Makara within Mokolé society is determined by this seasonal auspice, though all Makara are expected to try to aid Jya's other children in order to carry out their duties as the stream of diplomats. Like with all Mokolé, they are all in a way storytellers, so the need for a Galliard auspice would be redundant.

The Hemanta, or winter auspice, much like Ragabash, are tricksters and rogues. They are expected to be crafty, but are often attributed with frivolous behavior. Perhaps this is because of their low willpower and similarities to the Shining Solar Auspice.

The Zarad, or Autumn Auspice,like the Theurge, are thought as mystics and spiritualists. Those of backgrounds that preclude priestly duties often become bhagats ("godly ones"), who try to blend their daily life with the rituals of religion. The Zarad have more willpower than the Hemanta and have the benefits that are the same as the Concealing Solar Auspice.

The Grisma, or summer auspice, are the judges and police of the Makara, their Philodox. As they are expected to seek truth and justice. This can be a rigorous duty in a society born of strong beliefs in duty according to caste and Karma. The Gharials most fierce in their service to the the Trimurti of the Dissolver are usually of the Grisma auspice. They have an even stronger willpower than Zarad and have the same benefits as those who are of the Gathering Solar Auspice.
The Vasanta are the spring auspice and are the Ahroun of the Mokolé native to India. They are also travelers and are the most ready to hear of new things. The Vasanta have iron clad wills and are like the Striking of the Solar Auspices.
The Caste System
It is important to note that all homid Makara are born to one Indian jati, the social castes that divide all the nation's people into various classes. There are over 3,000 distinct castes, but they fall into four general castes derived from the Rig-Veda and the class outside, the Untouchables.

Most homid Makara are assumed to be of the Shundra caste, for it is the most common. Shundra Makara receive no special penalties for benefits other than being a commoner. Course, great wealth can alleviate the discomfort of this caste. Shundra are supposed to serve the Vaishya, Kshatriya and Brahmin castes.
Some Makara are of the Dalit, or Untouchables caste. Also known as Harijan, these members are the lowest of caste in India and suffer great prejudice. Others are born into Vaishya, which is the cast of respected farmers and merchants.
The highest castes are the Kshatriya, the traditional caste of warriors, and the Brahmin, the priest caste. The Brahmin is the highest of all; although it is no guarantee of wealth or good fortune, even beggar Brahmin are treated like Brahmin.

Of course, this is just the briefest look at a caste system that's only part of a very old and very rich civilization. In many ways, it doesn't do Indian society justice.

Thoughts on Other Streams
Gumagan: They are primitive, but they are masters of arts long lost to us.
Mokolé-mbembe: Peace could come up to them and they would barely recognize it, So scarred from endless war they are. Their karma must be deeply tainted, but all of us are bound to the Wheel.
Zhong Lung: Prideful creatures! They give themselves too much credit for their status --- we didn't start the Wars.
Further Reading

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Mokolé-mbembe
From World Of Darkness Wiki

The Stream of Earth

The Mokolé-mbembe are the first and currently the most numerous of all the Streams. Named for the progenitor of their kind, Mokolé-mbembe are the furthest-flowing stream, not to mention the bloodiest. They claim to have shepherded the human species to sentience over sixty million years by eating the stupid --- the truth of that is unknown. These African-born Mokolé were the first to take the Solar Auspices, they have traveled to the Americas as well. Not even a handful of Garou know "the Mokolé" outside this group. Hell, few other changers know any other Dragon Breed out side this group. The only exceptions of course are those in the Beast Courts. But this Stream of the Earth can trace its origin to Mokolé-Mbembe himself.

History
This first of their kind was Mokolé-Mbembe, the Crowning son of Two-Thumbs. He and his siblings were the first true Mokolé born after the Age of Sleep. he founded the Congo Clutch on Lake Tele deep in the thick jungle heart of Africa. It was his seven Mokolé children that hatched in the warm mud to form a perfect clutch. Tales have told that through life-extending Gifts and his sleeping the Sleep of the Dragon, Mokolé-Mbembe has prolonged his life into the present, living most of it in the Umbra. He warded the jungle home of the Mokolé with deadly Fever-spirits to save his people. He saw the First City, then Egypt, Sumer and Rome rise and fall, and has sired endless numbers of hatchlings on his Kinfolk mates. When the Wyrmcomers at last colonized the Congo Basin, Mokolé-Mbembe knew that the wards of fever that he had built long before would not stand against the Weaver-things that the white men had made. He and his clutch removed Lake Tele into the Umbra, where he reigns still. However, his descendants sagely nod, the Gauntlet is so weak in the swamp that human searchers have seen the great king more than once.
The Mokolé-mbembe are renowned among other saurians for their rage and their prowess in battle. Of the four streams, they suffered more than any other in the Wars of Rage. First they saw the Grondr, Apis and Khara die, then they themselves were driven nearly to extinction. A few clutches swam to the Americas, and eventually so many Mokolé had fled, died or gone to sleep that the Garou gave them up for really being dead. Khem, where both breeds were strong, saw the River Pact sworn between the Striders, Mokolé-mbembe and the totem Crocodile. To this day Crocodile demands that his children leave the Mokolé in peace if they do not befriend them.

Breeds and Territories
The Mokolé-mbembe are the most racially diverse of the streams; they are mostly commonly Africans, Native Americans, and biracial or triracial people in their human skins. The Mokolé of Africa and the Americans alike have always flowed in the same stream. As Mnesis tells of the days when the ocean was a mere rivulet, this is appropriate.
In their Suchid (lizard) forms, they are caimans, American alligators, crocodiles, Nile crocodiles or even Gila monsters. Varna vary, but a shared heritage of slaughter and strife bloodies the stream. The Archid(crinos) forms of the Mokolé-mbembe are great amalgamated dinosaurs, dragons, and prehistoric reptiles, almost too varied to name. Even so, they are often the most primeval in Archid, burrowing only very rarely from their homelands' dreams of dragons.

Entoban
Entoban, the African Ark-continent, home of humanity, is also the home of the most ancient stream of Mokolé. Called warriors of the Dragon Breed, they have been attacked endlessly in the Wars of Rage, their extreme hatred of the Garou is a mere reflection of the Garou's own mistreatment of them.
The great rivers that flowed across the Sahara dried when Gaia shed her mantle of ice, save for one --- the Nile. Its moisture enabled the rise of one of the first human civilizations. Naturally, the Mokolé saw it all. The Mokolé of Khem were and are Nile Crocodiles, the Champsa varna. They were allies of the Bubasti in their long struggle with the Followers of Set, and remain cordial with the few Egyptian werecats that remain. When the bloodsuckers finally triumphed, the Mokolé mostly left Khem and headed upriver. A clutch of Mokolé-mbembe remains in the Sudd, the immense tropical swamp of Sudan. To this day, they fight against undead worshipers of the Darkness, who are said to have a monstrous temple beneath the nearby sands.
But further into Entoban there are living legends. Mokolé-Mbembe , last of the Dinosaur Kings, is said still to dwell in the Umbral swamps of the Congo River. The Congo clutch remains to this day. Currently it is nineteen Mokolé strong, and seven hundred Kin live in a swamp nearby. Swims-In-Mbembe's-Wake crowns this clutch. With the recent political trouble, the Mokolé have been moved to act; they recently devoured 33 fomor mercenaries in a dictator's entourage. They were in search of Spear of Mokolé-mbembe, the greatest weapon known to the children of the Sun. The finding of this long lost legendary fetish was what turned the tide in the war against Black Tooth.
The great temple at Ibadan, in Nigeria, houses the temple clutch of Sees-The-Sky, headed for many years by the albino Mokolé White-Like-Sun, who has since passed into Gaia's Memory. The human Kinfolk priests and the local cult keep four Mokolé safe and sound. This clutch remembers the bloody history and prehistory of West Africa and the reigns of the Kings. Lagos, also in Nigeria, is home to a lagoon clutch of sacred crocodiles who were once given human meat in return for controlling the flow of the Niger River. Sabou, in Burkina Faso, houses another temple clutch, guarded well by human Kinfolk. There are also temple crocodiles in Angola, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Before the fall of Black Tooth, The clutch Where-The-River-Bends, on the lower Gambia, was in dire straits. It has only three full Mokolé, all fairly old and no more have been born in decades. The reason for this is unknown.
The Mokolé of the Zambezi River learned of the slaughter of the Ajaba at the hands of the psychotic Dissolver-maddened lion king Black Tooth shortly after the bloodbath occurred. They have offered to take in survivors, as Black Tooth has killed Mokolé who stood in his way. It become obvious that no one was safe from this marauder.
The Mokolé-Mbembe contributed to the successful dispatching of this thorn in Africa's side in two ways.
The first was their dealings with the plucky and uncanny Ajaba Kisasi. She engineered a peace with them and discovered their second almost accidental asset.
The Kucha Ekundu, the African Garou. This lost camp of Red Talons had wondered much of Africa clinging onto the dregs of survival. Decades before they sought out the Mokolé-Mbembe, and begged them to help the Garou survive in this alien place. They came to help set right the short-sightedness of the Garou thousands before; they came to help, not on their own terms but those of the Mokolé. The Mokolé, noting the declining umbers of African hunting dogs due to human persecution, took the Talons' request at face value, and gave them a test. If they could learn to take the shape of the hunting dogs, the Mokolé would help them. The Talons took up the challenge and ever since then they have roamed of sub-Saharan Africa wearing the bodies of these painted wolves. This paid off more than just out right killing the dogs in ways the Mokolé couldn't for see. As Kisasis' sphere of influence grew, she allied both with the Kucha Ekundu and Mokolé of the Mara River. They pledged their unconditional support to her in hopes of restoring the balance that had long marked the Serengeti ecosystem.
The Kucha Ekundu helped bring down the lion king by spreading distemper though his feline Kin. Mean while, when Black tooth discovered the Mokolé involvement in Kisasi's uprising, he defiled their nests along along the banks of the Zambezi River. This was the Bon Bhat's fatal error, for he assumed that the Mokolé preference for inaction meant they were incapable of coordinated, sustained battle. He was wrong. Calling upon the Bagheera to coordinate their efforts, the Mokolé exploded into action, hunting the endless storm to a man. Key to breaking their power was the mighty Spear of Mokolé-Mbembe, found at long last deep with in the Congo Basin. The biggest irony was it was the Kucha ekundu that were somehow involved in its find.
When the deafening roar was heard after Black tooth fell, even the Mokolé knew something terrible was born.
The Mokolé of Zambezi may have lost their legacy but not their heritage. They will breed again, and until that time they wallow in the banks of the river. The Mokolé of the Congo celebrate their rebirth in the aftermath of the discovery of the Spear of Mokolé-Mbembe; Their power is unquestioned and their influence grows by the day.

Gendasi
The Mokolé-mbembe, the Entoban stream of Mokolé, were the first weresaurians in North America, they came up from the Caribbean and Ambalasokei, where they had settled after swimming the ocean. Most of the continent was unappealing to them, and they contented themselves with the swamps and bayous of the south. The few who wandered bred with the natives of the Southwest, and the Unktehi yama of Mexican beaded lizards and Gila monsters was born. When Uktena, Croatan, and Wendigo crossed the Bering Strait, only the Croatan wanted to live in areas so hot and damp as the Mokolé swamps. The Croatan tribe followers of Turtle, were friendly to the Mokolé and consulted with them on matters requiring their wisdom. Turtle also accepted Mokolé as his children and taught them the gifts that he shared with his favorites, the Croatan.
In the last few centuries, the ranks of Gendasi's Mokolé were swelled when several dragons came across the ocean along with the slave trade in order to find lost Kin. When the newcomers met with their distant cousins, there was usually great celebration.

Europe
Europe has no native crocodilians, and the presence of Mokolé there has never been common. The "dragons" of Greco-Roman and Germanic stories might be Mokolé who had turned; Mokolé-mbembe say that any Mokolé who lived so far from Sun would go crazy.
A few Mokolé-mbembe wander through Europe at present, but no wallows have existed there since the Ice Age. Those who come often remember the days when Europe was tropical, part of ancient Laurasia.

Ambalasokei
Ambalasokei, called South America by the whites, was the New World of the Mokolé-mbembe. The rain forest had abundant prey and ideal climate. The African Kin who came on the slave ships faced first the horrors of the Middle Passage, then the burden of bondage. But many escaped into the jungle, often with native help. Their African-style villages were human wallows run by true Mokolé and offering sanctuary to any refugee. The destruction of the Amazon rain forest has awakened the Mokolé to the dying of Gaia. Elders such as Nyi the Feathered Thunder and her clutchmate Horned Thunder have awakened to find that the jungle is disappearing. Pentex poisoned the wallow of Hooark-Oark and the Mokolé abandoned it; Feathered Thunder, a Midnight Sun, has gone so far as to cooperate with the Garou Ghost Raptor pack in order to protect her nest. This wallow, Gr'rrash-takknyrr, is the largest remaining in Ambalosokei, and is a famous nesting ground; it has been in continuous use for over five hundred thousand years. It is the home of six Mokolé, including Feathered Thunder and a Rising Sun named Song-of-Younger-Days who has distinguished himself in the Amazon War. His kinsman, Strikes-like-Lightning, annihilated a Pentex First Team with the help of the Balam Smoking Mirror Wind. The memories of Trees Dream, the clutch's Setting Sun, contained the key to curing the deadly "snow plague" that threated the Garou nation. The Garou who carried the plague, Peter Ward became the first Garou to receive the gift of Memory.

Thoughts on other Streams
Gumagan: Lost in time, lost in space, or just plain lost? The Sandwalkers need to wake up and smell the coffee, if any are left at all.
Makara: they like humans too much. How can they cull them properly? it could be nice to have two legs at your beck and call like that, though.
Zhong Lung: What we'd be if it weren't for the wars. I'd like to see if their fancy courts and philosophy schools could survive Garou attacks. They are very wise, though.

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Zhong Lung
From World Of Darkness Wiki

The Stream of Water

The Zhong Lung, are the Mokolé of the East. Eldest among the hengeyokai, they serve as scholars, and mighty warriors. They are the strain of Mokolé associated with water and control the rivers and streams of legendary Zhong Guo. The hengeyokai, the shapeshifters of the East, recognize three kinds of dragons. The High Dragons are the great Dragon-spirits of the Mother, highest-ranking lords of the spirit world. The Low Dragons are the alligators, monitors and crocodiles of the land, the dragons made purely of flesh. And the Middle Dragons.

History
Where and when Mokolé came to the Middle Kingdom is unknown, although the Zhong Lung say that the Dragon Kings are their progenitors. According to their tales, the Wani, the Dragon Kings of the Eastern world, gave five of their eggs to the Queen Mother of the West. She bore the eggs into the Middle Kingdom where they became the first Zhong Lung. Of course, there's little evidence of this, and the truth remains unclear. The other hengeyokai are no help on this matter, as they regard the Zhong Lung as the eldest among the shapeshifters.
The Hwanlung xi, the Kinfolk “dragon-rearing families” of old China, survive to this day in the Yangtze river valley. They have served the Zhong Lung as Kinfolk since the Xia Dynasty. Their vigilance is necessary, the the egg of a Zhong Lung can remain viable and incubate for centuries, sleeping the Sleep of the Dragon before its birth.
The Wani are the Dragon Princes of Zhong Guo, ruling the clouds and the rising and falling water, presiding over royal houses of mankind, and puzzling humans for their “nine resemblances.” When they choose to appear in their formal visage, they embody human dreams by having stag's horns, a camel's head, demon's eyes, a snake's neck, a clam's belly, scales like a carp, eagle claws, the soles of a tiger and ears of a cow. The memory of the Emerald Mother holds all who have lived on her face, and so one and the same shapeshifter can easily draw on many branches of the tree of life.
The Zhong Lung's Mnesis is not any deeper than that of the Mokolé-mbembe, but they make a different use of it. What is certain is that the distinct spiritual texture of the Zhong Cou has worked profound changes. Like all Mokolé, the Zhong Lung are the Memory of the Mother. Like their kin the Makara, they revere the years of Sun, not his days. Wherever the Dragon Princes may be in the present Fifth Age, the Zhong Lung remember them, and not the dinosaurs unearthed by the Sunset People. Their Archid forms are more like dragons than those of any other Mokolé; only they have such features as gills, manes (too mammalian for the other streams), and fiery pearls. The Wars of Rage did not reach Zhong Guo, and so the Zhong Lung do not hate and fear the Hakken as the Mokolé-mbembe do the Garou. They are foes of Kuei-jin and other Yomi-things, and their physical prowess is helpful when combating such creatures. In Senti (clutches of more than one breed of hengeyokai) Zhong Lung often serve as Pillars (guardians much like Wardings.) and Fists (warriors and generals).
They are often noble and wise before the First Change. Their ability to look deep within others souls (and their own) is legendary. Alas, there are not many Zhong Lung left. Wars, the destruction of reptile species, and their own slow breeding have taken their toll. But long life is common for them. Some sleep the Sleep of the Dragon, while others dose themselves with elixirs to perfect the balance of yin and yang, prolonging their lives. By shedding old skin and even old bones, dragons can live for centuries. They are revered by their Kin and used to be fed and worshiped in return for bring in return for brining rain.
The awe of other hengeyokai is apparent when they deal with the Zhong Lung; the ancient legacy of the Kings shows through. When a Zhong Lung in Archid is present, they are so intimidating that all of their shape shifting cousins find difficulty in changing forms.
The beliefs of the Zhong Lung are those which they have imparted to their cousins among the hengeyokai. They have imparted to their cousins among the hengeyokai. They revere Earth, called the Emerald Mother, and Sun in his yearly cycle. They hold that next to these are Wani, the dragon ancestors. The fact that hengeyokai often negotiate with Kuei-jin rather than simply attacking comes from their attitude toward the Triat. Like the Makara, the Zhong Lung believe in the Balance, a supreme princes governing the entire universe. The Balance of yin and yang, light and dark, of the Divisor (Wyld), Designer (Weaver) and Dissolver (Wyrm), is more important than the inherent goodness or badness of one of the Three. Like the Makara, the Zhong Lung pay careful attention to the Dissolver's true role, and don't simply condemn all of its servants. However, war is a part of maintaining the Balance and their Tung Chun don't shirk their duty.
All Zhong Lung have a strong willpower, and whiles they have what resources are to their breed; they are sadly cut off from their past lives. They often have Pure Breed, which represents direct descent from the First Eggs. Their Mnesis is roughly equivalent to that of the other streams, but expressed differently as they remember Events of the Fifth Age “Human history” To the second Age the Wan Xian and the first shapeshifters. A few Zhong Lung have shared Mnesis with the other streams, but the memories of the sunset dragons are strange to them.

Breeds and Territories
Homid Zhong Lung are born to humans from one of the East Asian nations: China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and so on. Each homid's Suchid form will be the shape of the varna most common in the land where his ancestors are buried. Suchid, or draco Zhong Lung, are hatched of alligator, saltwater crocodile or Komodo monitor eggs. Other varna are not native to East Asia and would not incarnate Zhong Lung souls. A suchid's homid form will resemble the people native to her varna's habitat.
At present, the Zhong Lung avoid cities when they; can. In china itself, they inhabit communes along the Yangtze river, which are populated entirely by Kinfolk and dragons. They thus escape attention. Many solitary elder retreat to the mountains to contemplate. The purges and slaughters of the twentieth century have not left the Middle Dragon unscathed; Hei Lungren, Spring in the clutch of Seven Pearls, shudders when she tells of Kuei-jin gorging on the spoil heap of Mao's death camps, bloated almost mindless with Tin chi from the dead. Her scars from fighting them mark her even today. Two clutches of Zhong Lung lost Kinfolk during the Cultural Revolution when gangs of Red Guards attacked while the dragons were absent.
The island clutch of Fang Zhang, in the Pacific, has taken in several refugees from China's troubles. Less and less often do the dragon-lanterns beckon Zhong Lung and Kin to gather in sacred sites. China's environment is in deep trouble; the Chinese alligator is nearly extinct. Therefore fewer and fewer suchids are born, the Shrouded Suns have taken long journeys elsewhere to seek reptile mates for their hatchlings.
Indonesia's troubled politics have meant ill for the ancient clutch of Towers-Above-the Kings (on Komodo Island). The royal family of this island was unseated and forced to retreat to the nearby island of Raijua when the tools of the Designer attacked Komodo. The Komodo dragon is endangered, but adroit maneuvers by Kinfolk have placed it under protection and scattered Kinfolk breeding pairs to America.
Among humans, share are very few Japanese or Koreans who carry the Old Blood. The lack of reptiles in these lands have led the clutches to “lose the dragon.” Some Japanese and Korean Zhong Lung send abroad for mates, although this is socially taboo. Southeast Asia's sorrow has led many of the Middle Dragons to flee or enter the long sleep, but a few clutches remain. At Samutpraken Crocodile Farm in Thailand, six Zhong Lung guard clutches of eggs in the jungle. Indonesia the dragons are still strong, as they are in the Sea Realms beneath the Pacific. The aborigines of the Philippines and Andamans are Kin to the Zhong Lung and clutches exist on both island chains.
Half of Gaia's Face is under the waters of the Dragon Kingdom of Umi, and this is one of the last strongholds of the race. Here Zhong Lung bide their time, waiting alongside their Same-Bito comrades and many other supernatural denizens of the Middle Kingdom. Zhong Lung swim as far as Fiji and mate with the saltwater crocodiles who made the crossing long ago.

Forms
The Zhong Lung have three forms, as do all Mokolé since the Age of Sleep. They take their Archid form from the great vision which comes to them at their First Change, Although their dreams drift toward the sinuous grace of the Wani rather than the hissing, thundering great beasts that their Sunset cousins recall.

Homid: A human of the East Asian World. The Zhong Lung, as the eldest of the hengeyokai, breed with common folk and aboriginal tribes rather than nobles or cityfolk.
Archid: Archid forms differ from clutch to clutch and form dragon to dragon, but Zhong Lung ten to resemble the dragons, of their homeland rather than reptiles or dinosaurs. Chinese Mokolé, for instance, are most distinctive. Bull dragons are called k'iulung in Putonghua (“mandarin”) They are splendidly whiskered, often bearing the “heaven-shattering thunder-erupting demon-repelling fire pearl” under their chins in Archid form. They often have a horn, which undulates and is curved and thin.
Their sisters, called Chi'lun, are gifted instead with narrow, clever snouts and crests of coloured feathers, which rise and fall according to their mood. They often have thin scales and a strong tail. Zhong Lung are more flexible and agile than other Mokolé when in Archid, due to their more serpentine bodies; their Archid-form doesn't loose any dexterity from their Homid forms.
Suchid: In this form the Zhong Lung is a reptile of the appropriate varna: the rare chines alligator, Komodo Monitors, or the saltwater crocodiles. Mating in Suchid form is common even for homids, as it is believed to be interestingly erotic.

Auspices
The Dragons recognize four auspices, depending on the season when a Zhong Lung is born. Unlike their other Mokolé cousins, the seasons determine their Rage. This is greatest in the spring wains as winter comes.

The Tung Chun are the warriors and lovers, born in the spring. Though They are the Arhouns of the Zhong Lung, their Rage is like the Garou Galliards. However because all Mokolé are lorekeepers this point is moot. The color is blue and green, and the east wind blows, on them. They resemble Rising and Setting Suns in demeanor, however they are likened to the Rising Suns in their advantages.
The Nam Hsia born in the summer are the judges, lawgiver, the Philodox of the Zhong Lung. They are favored by the South wind and its warmth. Their colour is the emperor's yellow, the colour of summer. They are most like the Noonday Suns or even the Eclipsed Suns. Nam Hsia have the same sun dice benefits as the Decorated Suns.
The Sai Chau, whose colour is deathly white, are born in autumn. They are the seers and scholars among their scholarly people. These Theurge types are also the keepers of the wallows of the east, called “dragon nests,” and often reside in them all the time. The West Wind from the Queen Mother blows on them. They are the Shrouded Suns of their people and somewhat like the Decorated Suns as well.
The Pei Tung are, like all Ragabash are the jokers and tricksters. Born in the winter, and they are warmed by the North wind. Their colour is black, the “black of the day-light,” as they say. They share the same blessings of the Sun the Midnight Suns and like the this Solar Auspice, are contrary and love paradox.
Thoughts on other Streams
Gumagan:We have watched their decline for centuries: are there any left? Had the Middle Kingdom yet ruled the seas this would ever have happened.
Makara: Enmeshed in human coils, the Water Monsters forget what came first. I only hope they don't lose sight of the Emerald Mother's purpose for them.
Mokolé-mbembe: Brutal warriors savaged by the barbarians' way of life. Harmony between Haven and Ear is the way, and soldiers are less than peasants, for they only destroy.

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КОРАКС (также для общего развития)
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Corax
From World Of Darkness Wiki

Corax are a changing breed that is bases on avians, namely crows and ravens. But more namely Ravens. Their purpose given to them by Gaia was to act as her messengers and scouts. And whiles that seems redundant with there being changers like the Nuwisha, auspices like the Ragabash, and what have you. The birds have it down to an artform.
The wereravens patrol the skies, always on the look out for danger. They are terrible chatterboxes and will tell what they have seen to any who care to listen. Traveling both the physical and umbral realms these sun-loving, shiny collecting chatter boxes work to gather secrets of all sorts and then scatter that information to those who need it.
They 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. For a Corax there is almost no hidden secrets.
In fact... come to think of it... There aren't any. None.

The Birds
Heh, with all joking aside, the Corax don't have an over glorified origin story like the Garou, and they don't have many like the Bastet do. For the Corax information is everything; misinformation is worse than having no information however, misinformation is down right deadly and speculation is the first step in getting to that sort of thing.

Stop Me if You've Heard This One: Two Spirits Walk Into a Bar...
Wait, I thought you said they didn't have an origin story! Wrong, I said they didn't have over Glorified story. Get your facts straight. The Corax claim to be the last Changing Breed to be created, maybe they are right, maybe they are wrong, whatever, Not the issue at hand. When Gaia created the role of the Trickster, and gave it to Coyote and his children, they were more than happy to take it up. In fact they were too eager to this role. It was almost like she didn't realize that these far fetched ideas that she just flung into the physical world would have some literal repercussions.
So seeing her children kinda filling their jobs, but not quite doing it how she wanted them to she had herself a good sit and thought about it She needed was something between an editor and an executive secretary, someone who could sift through the mess o' details and let her know when something vital was going down so she would only have to spend her time, personally, when it really mattered. So she created Raven, whose job it was to serve as the interpreter between Gaia and her creations. She made Raven fast enough to go from place to place, to see what was happening everywhere. She made his eyes sharp enough to see the smallest details, so that Raven could bring them back to her. She gave him a taste for carrion, as a subtle reminder to the other critters as to who was the real boss (and that they'd be dead meat if they pissed her off too much). She gave him a quick wit and a ready tongue, probably so she wouldn't get bored listening to his recitals. And she made Raven bright enough to understand what he was doing, so he could explain Gaia's creations to her and help her understand them.
That's kinda were she screwed up with Raven, maybe it was making him so smart or maybe it was telling him what a smart and pretty bird he was. Either way Raven was able to nibble out a few more extra goodies from her. Like certain protections for his children, and most importantly, the ability for some of his kids to wear man and raven skins. He claimed we needed that to get at all the secrets out there, you see. He didn't want Gaia to miss anything important just because it happened on the human side. So Gaia loaded up Raven's dessert cart, possibly just to make him go away and stop annoying her. She did, however, tag on a little rider that's a pain in the butt to this very day. And anyone that has talked to a Raven-shifter knows first hand what that is. And if you've been reading you can guess what it is.
They Don't Shut Up. Ever.
Gaia thought it would be nice if all her creations knew what the other ones were doing, so she charged Raven with spreading the word everywhere, not just back to her. Needless to say, this went over to well with the others. But even after Gaia saw it wasn't working out the way she'd told Raven it would, she "forgot" to take the damn compulsion to keep talking off.
Like the man says, it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.

Ash and Coal, or Why the Sun Loves You
In the beginning the Corax feathers weren't black at all. In fact they were white in their bird shape. Snow white with golden eyes. And whiles it was good look for them it wouldn't last forever. It's all Helios' fault, really. For a Celestine, he has real issues with self-esteem. He was off doing something private or other when Luna started doling out Gifts and presents and auspices to the other Changing Breeds. So when he finally got done doing whatever he was doing, all the Garou were doing their little Lunar honor and praising Luna to the skies — and they were damned loud about it, too.
The thing is, they were giving thanks to Luna, not him. And this kinda made him throw a bit of a ... fit. More accurately, he took his toys (light, heat, all that good stuff) and went home. This little star turn, as you might expect, left the rest of the world in something of a pickle. It got dark, it got cold and nothing would grow. This is what humans commonly call “The Ice Age”. Most don't know how important the birds were in this time and in bringing back the sun.
So Raven decided something had to be done about it. He had a plan, which he passed on to his children and they went off to the Celestine's home taking but one thing with them. Which was also dark, not a good sign. So the birds put Raven's plan into action.
So, they got there, and Helios' house was all boarded up with a big "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on the front of it. Occasionally you'd see sunbeams leaking out the windows, but on the whole it was pretty damn dark up there, too.
Knowing that this is serous, cause hell when the Sun doesn't bother to light up his own place you know he's got problems. So right there and then they start whooting and hollering about how they have a brand new friend. A new sun on the block and how he is such a good friend and what not. Helios being the egotistical guy he is bought into the rouse and went to the front door. Opening it wide he saw who the new guy was. And ran back. See the thing that they were told to bring them was simple really.
A Mirror.
So getting to the point, Helios came charging out the front door to take a look, and what did he see?
His own reflection. And, seeing as Helios isn't real ingenious as celestial bodies go, he went right back inside and started crying. That's where the clever part came in. They knocked on his door (careful not to stand in front of the mirror) and made him an offer he couldn't understand. They told Helios that they had an "in" with the powers of the universe, and that we could get him his job back — but only if he came back with us right away.
He damn near broke down the door on his way out, he was that eager. While the Corax were still in the way, and it burned their tailfeathers black, Every single one of them. Turns out they outsmarted themselves on that one. Not only did they get roasted up close and personal, but when Helios came back to much acclamation, he decided that he wanted to hug them and squeeze them and call them George — in short, to adopt them, as a personal thank you. Now, they at first, wanted no part of this, but Raven pulled a fast one on his children and they got suckered into it. He told Luna that letting the Corax go was a good deal and thus the Corax were stripped of their auspices.
Though it isn't a bad deal, they may be Raven's children, but Helios started dumping all sorts of fun Gifts on them. Sure they were now vunlrable to gold like the Mokolé but they could call on the sun's power almost anytime they liked. However this also held its own problems. The Corax knew that Helios can get temperamental, and they weren't sure if hanging around him that closely was a good idea. After all they tricked a rather powerful Incarna. And whiles he did fall for it, if he found out he just might up and take all those nifty things and do as he did before. Leaving the world to freeze over like a mudcicle..
Fortunately, Raven, like his children, was just as paranoid.
So Raven ordered them to travel to every corner of the world as quick as they could. That way, no matter what happened, there would always be some of them hidden from Helios in the night, ones whom the Sun couldn't touch. That's why there are Corax from Alaska to Japan, and all over Europe as well.
As a further precautionary measure, Raven also told them that whenever one of them ran across another, they should sit down and compare notes to make sure that if anything had been taken away from one, the other could teach it right back to him.

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The Impergium and the War of Rage
War, Mmmmmm'good god what's it good for?
Alright, all kidding aside, where were the birds when these two things were going on?
Well in the Impergium when the Garou, and damn near every other shifter was culling the humans. The Corax weren't taking too much part in it all. Humans were just too nifty to outright kill and were making so many fascinating things. Did they take part in it? All the shifters did so Duh. And if anyone is wondering, yeah that means a reduced delium effect.
With that out of the way, what about the War of Rage?
Most other shifters will cry up in arms about how the ravens betrayed them to the wolves and how Boo-hoo big bird turned chicken and ran!
However, when the wolves did their killing of the other shifters one by one, the Ravens did more than run. The Ravens did something far more important than:

A)Stand there and get slaughtered with the rest of them.
B)Run away and hide somewhere in the umbra till all the shit blew over.
C)Go to sleep until the wolves came to their senses.

When something went *snap* in the brain of some Silver Fang somewhere, and he decided that running roughshod over the humans wasn't good enough any more. They did something far more important. They started moving their nests higher, hid their Kinfolk, and moved treasures and valuables into hidden places in the Umbra.
They could could see the trouble coming.
This loudmouth Silver Fang wouldn't let up. Pestering every changer he could for their gifts and rites. Each one of them telling him to bugger off. They had a job to do. Finally get gets to the bears. The ones that have the secrets to life and death. Demands the same things. What do the bears say?
"When you grow up."
What happens when you say, "No" to a spoiled child? The kid throws a tantrum.
A rage filled high muckery of a tantrum that left the rest of Gaia's children either dead or hiding in some dark corner of the umbra.
Most of the Changers at this point blame the Corax for not helping them to try and get back at the Garou for this, but the Ravens know and knew better. Instead of fighting, they did something that was like said before, much more important.
They got those they could out of that situation. Kinfolk, the wounded, anyone they could. Yes they led the wolves here and there scouting and the like, mostly across the Gauntlet to safer places.
Some would say that they were collaborators, but this isn't really true. When it boils down to it they were the best next thing. And really the only reason they didn't throw down the glove and pluck the wolves eyes out? Their totem told them not to. Raven knew that this mess would not end good for the other changers, and he knew his children weren't built for mass combat. Sure the other changers might snub the Corax for what happened in the War of Rage. Corax particularly smirk knowingly every time a Bastet gives some snarky comment about it. After all The Eyes of Gaia were wearing blinders — by moving their kittens and Kinfolk out, they did more for them than they did for themselves.

The Birds in Modern Times
What are the Corax doing today? The same thing that they were doing when Gaia and Raven created them. Only now they have shinier toys to do it with. Computers, the internet, cellphones, hundreds of gadgets and gizmos.

Eggs. The Birds and The Bees.
All joking aside and the lack of BEES here, most shapechangers don't have the same problems when it comes to making little shapechangers. After all both sides of the tree are mammals.
Corax don't have that advantage. A werebird shifts forms and what's she got? Eggs. And that isn't a pretty picture. In fact it is quite messy. When a raven shifter gets pregnant she doesn't shift, it isn't just some custom that they do, it is a heaping dose of common sense.
But this is were once again Raven had a good eye out for his children. You see, Raven figured out that this is all about spirit.. So Raven took the smartest of his children and walked 'em into the Umbra. He showed them how to take part of themselves and shape a spirit egg out of it, and how to bind it to a baby (or a chick) with a bond made from a hair (or feather). And Raven told them that a Corax soul is too much to handle right off, so it has to incubate for a few years while the body gets ready for it. You see, he'd tried creating a Corax right off the bat first, and it was a miserable failure.
The raven spirit was so strong in the human kid that it tried to fly off the table and ended up breaking its neck, while the human spirit in the raven chick caused it to crawl right out of the nest (which wouldn't have been so bad if the nest hadn't been 40 feet off the ground). So Raven thought about it, and thought some more, and figured that a wait period was in order. After all, a Corax soul is a hell of a lot more dangerous than a gun, and they make you wait for that. That's why he created the spirit egg — it's really a time-release system so that a new Corax gets little doses of her new soul over a long enough time that it doesn't fry their synapses. Then, when critical mass gets reached, the egg "cracks" and the rest of the stored spirit energy gets injected in one big shot.
With the world being the way it was, and is, Raven felt that keeping the egg in the real world was too dangerous. You know what they say about making omelets, but these things are too valuable to break. If the spirit egg were to get broken, you see, all of that stored soul would come pouring out and things would go to hell real fast. That's why Raven decided to make the egg 100% spiritual and keep it in the Umbra, tied on with that feather or hair. Whiles in the umbra a Spirit Egg is nearly unbreakable. Raven explained all this to his kids on both sides, and they got sort of jumpy. Each wanted to know whether eggs should be given to raven babies or human babies, and how many, and all of those other pertinent details.
Raven saw this, and he knew pretty quick that unless he did something, there was going to be competition between his feathered children and his human ones. He'd seen it with the Garou after all. He pondered a little bit, and then he gave the human and the raven the big decision: They were both free to make as many kids of the other type as they wanted — though with the approval of the potential Corax' real parents, who would have to be part of the whole ceremony.
As you might expect, this shut everyone up real quick.
And whiles this made it so that there isn't too much conflict between the breeds, it makes making a New Corax a large investment in time, gnosis and energy. But it also means that there aren't any Corax metis.

Buzzards
If there aren't any Corax metis, then what about those crazy talking buzzard thing?
Sorry but those are Corax in of themselves. They were Corax whose eggs were stolen, And put in places were bad things call home. Black Spiral Hives, toxic waste dumps and places of just plain nastiness.
They are messed up in the head, tend to just shout and tell whoever they can what they know. What's their job then?
Kill other Corax.
Think about it. Corax themselves are in the business to watch and gather information. And who knows more about the Corax than other Corax?

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Shiny Shit
Corax are well known for flying, talking (and talking, and talking...), performing practical jokes on deserving Garou, and swooping down from the sky to nab dimes and tin foil. Most of all, they have a reputation for knowing things. A fomor can't fart in Jersey without every Corax in California knowing about it. Wanderlust, wings and the breed's well-known inability to shut up enable to Corax to report their finding to one another as well as the local Garou and other authorities. Some Corax have even bragged about being faster than the internet; while this is an obvious exaggeration, the breed survived the War of Rage by being the fastest means of communication available to Garou war parties.
Corax do have Rage, but they rarely develop it and are not known for the kind of violent outbursts that plague the Garou. They begin life with more Gnosis than most Garou, though they are usually forced to barter favors and information for access to Caerns. While Corax are able to breed with humans or ravens, new Corax are only created by the Rite of the Fetish Egg. This ritual is very taxing to the parent and will automatically fail if attempted on the child of two Corax.
The Corax of the Hengeyokai, the ones of the Beast Courts that is, are known as the Tengu and are similar in almost every respect to the Western Corax.
Corax also have a nifty little rite called "Drinking the Eye". Long ago they figured that not only are the eyes the "Window to the Soul", but they contained tidbits of memories of whatever that being saw last. (Yes, they can do this on animals, but it just isn't as useful). The information gleamed here can be useful, though a bit gruesome.

Raven's Laws (with a nod to Helios)
Hey, the other Changing Breeds had a good idea of setting down rules to live by. And the Corax are no different. Most of these are said to be passed down by Raven himself, a few of them were added in respect to Helios. And though most of the Fera treat their Litanies as sacred rules that will get you killed if you step out of line; Corax see Raven's Laws more as good old common sense.

There Are No Secrets: Just that. You're a Corax Damnit. There are things that others don't want you to know. Find it out.
Share What You Know: Otherwise what's the point in having it? It's the reason for their existence.
Teach Them What They'll Learn: Ravens don't shut up, and the others know this. That means that they are only half listening to what the birds are saying. And that's bad when you know were the BSD hive is. Corax need a little reminder that the news is important here.
Protect the Eggs: No brainer. Hell, you put all that spiritual energy into a little thing for the future, you better protect it!
Remember Why You're Here: Corax aren't fighters. They aren't here to cull the humans, they aren't Gaia's memory. Well not her True memory. They are here to give people the news.
Bear Witness: What's the point in something happening, you seeing it, and then dying?! None. You see something happen, You tell what you saw, you pass it on.
The Truth Matters: Course it does. Corax are branded as tricksters, and cause of that they need to make sure what comes out of their world holes is the truth. If you're in the business of information gathering, your product better be good or you'll "Go Out Of Business".
Everything is Part of the Cycle: Everything has a purpose and a place. The Garou kill things, the Corax gather information. Get it right.
Don't Play Favorites: Corax are both children of Raven And Helios. Both of them blessed them with fun little shiny things, and both should be paid respect to.
Fly!: Holy Cow! You have Wings! How many other changers have Wings?! Realize how lucky you are and USE the blasted things.
Laugh: Or you'll go nuts. Really. The world is quite a f*cked up place. You don't take a little time to see a glimmer of humor in something, you're job is going to eat you alive.
Breeds
Corax are either homid or corvid, and have no metis breed. (That was covered in the Birds and Bees kids.) Socially, the differences between the two are negligible.

Homid: Human-born Corax are similar in many respects to their Garou counterparts, though they have Corax traits rather than some of the anger-management issues typical of werewolves. They might not have the basic knowledge of how to fly, but when they lean they can...
Corvid: Raven-born Corax usually undergo their First Change after 8-10 months. They know how to fly, but are lost on human notions of things like computers and the like. But hell, like with the homids they are quick to learn. They are Corax after all.
Forms
Corax, like Mokole and Ratkin, have only three forms. That may seem like skimping it. But Gaia didn't make them for fighting, She made them for information gathering and talking to the other Fera. And you don't need a big nine foot form with teeth and claws for that.

Homid: Corax in their homid form have been described as "underfed punk rockers" with black hair, eyes and clothing. They tend to be small and thin, slightly pale and usually have sharp noses. Most Corax have ring fingers longer than their middle ones.
Crinos: The Crinos form is a very awkward half-avian creature. The Corax generally only use this form to fight off enemies long enough to escape, and then only in times when they are left without an alternative. Most of the breed's combat-related Gifts function only in Crinos form.
Corvid: The Corvid form is essentially that of a common raven, though Corax are particularly large birds that are closer in size to eagles.
Renown
Corax gain renown as Ragabash Garou, though they tend to favor their particular brand of Wisdom. Glory is often neglected by the fragile Corax.

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ЕЩЕ АНГЛОЯЗЫЧНАЯ ИНФА ПО РАЗНЫМ ФЕРА (не кодифицированная)
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Here is the long awaited nuwisha information page. Enjoy, all this information was taken directly from the nuwisha changing breeds book 2.
Introdution:
Laughter on the Wind

There's alot to learn about your new life, more that you might imagine. But there are two things you should learn before anything else. The first thing you must understand is that there are more like you than you might relieze. I am nuwisha just as you are nuwisha. We are only two of many. The second thing you must understand is that what I just told you is a secret. We do not let others know we are strong, for they would hunt us down and kill us. I'll explain more about that later.
You probably think your life is over. That's not true; is has barely begun. I will teach you about the world as it truely is, and you will come to understand that there is more to everything than people see. That is a good thing to know, because when you understand the world, you begin to see the humor. Humor is important. In the long run, it's the most important thing of all.
Why is humor so important? Oh, my, this could take a while. Sit down-I mean it when I say this could take time. Don't argue, just do it. Humor is important because it helps you keep the proper prospective. My teacher used to say that he "preferred to look at the world cross-eyed and sideways." I see by the look on your face that you don't understand that saying. You will. You just have to be patient. In the long run, everything is just a matter of prospetive. Cross-eyed and sideways is a good prospective.
Coyote is our father. He makes very few demands on us, but those he makes are some of the few things in the world he takes seriously. It is easier to fallow his orders than to ignore them. Because- and I speak from experiance here- Coyote's temper is a thousand times worse than any of the natural disasters you have read about. When Coyote targets you for his jokes. Believe me, his joke are dangerous- you could die laughing from them.
We are not alone. There are other skinchangers, and they all think that we are meerly jesters of the world. That's what we want them to think. If they see us as harmless, they cannot understand the tasks we accomplish. My name is Loki Laughs-to-much. Stay with me, and I'll teach you.

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Nuwisha totems

Here is what the Totems grant to thier nuwisha fallowers,
Ti Malice- Ti Malice adds two dice to manipulation and engmas dice pools
Loki- Loki grants his fallowers one additional health level and an extra dot in any one physical attribute, even if the attrbute level increases over 5. Loki's children may use special maneuvers from THE WEREWOLF PLAYERS GUIDE.
Kishijoten- Kishijoten grants her fallowers one extra health level and a +2 to medicine dice pools.
Ptah- Ptah grants his fallowers the ability to travel the umbra with minimal diffculty. Ptah decreases the diffculty for passing throught the gauntlet by three for all of his fallowers (to a minimum of 3). Only Nuwisha who fallow him are capable of learning the Umbral Danse. Nuwisha may use the gift: Sense Wyrm freely while in the umbra, and age at a fraction of thier normal rate. (there is a nuwisha hero, Old Man Manyskins who is near 300 years old because he fallows Ptah if I am correct)
Kokopelli and Pan- Fallowers of Kokopelli or Pan gain a dot in stanima and a +2 performance (for muscial instruments only). They may also use the special combat manaeuvrs listed in THE WEREWOLF PLAYER GUIDE.
Chung Kuel- Chung Keul's fallowers can cast bad luck on targets who deserve to suffer. when visting a casino run by corrupt mobsters, a Chung Kuel may cause all the slot machines to give out the largest prizes. THe luck is powerful, but only works in direct proportion to how Wyrm-corrupt an opponent is. Once per story (not necessarily at the player's request), the storyteller should roll a die. If te ST rolls a 1, nothing happens. On a roll of 2-9, something minor happens to inconvenience the targt od a Chung Kuel's anger. A 10 means almost certain distaster for the enemy of the Nuwisha, at the ST discretion. STs shouldn't hand victory to the player by use of this power, but it CERTAINLY works well for granting a Nuwisha a well-deserved second chance. Fallowers of Chung Kuel also add two dice to all Steath and Subterfuge-related rolls
Xochipilli- Xochipilli grants his fallowers AMAZING luck. Deeds that should kills his children ofter fail to do so. Xoch fallowers recieve a +3 to surviaval, as a reflection to how easily they find what they need to live, even in the bleakest areas. THe fallowers of Xoch also gain five soak dice whenever they are performing outrageous stunts that should prove fatal. This specail ability only works when the odds are VERY much against the nuwisha surviving the encounter. Optionally, the St may simply state the nuwisha survived being in the center of a refinery when it exploded. This does not mean the character gets away unscathed; a crippled Nuwisha is still very lucky to escape an explosion that size.
Oghma- Nuwisha chossen by Oghma can call apon five willpower per story. THey may distribute 4 extra dots among physical attributes during combat, and may distrubute 5 extra dots among thier mental attributes during a mantal challenge. These increases are granted only while teaching another person humility. Oghma grants his children the ability to know when a nuwisha is in need of a lesson, and ensures that his fallowers are never attacked by surpirse.
Raven- Raven grants nuwisha two extra dots in Enigmas and another dot in Subterfuge. Raven's children are also well-recieved by corax.
Trickster's Laws of the Nuwisha. This is it. Please note there is no nuwisha shall not mate with nuwisha. Of course such a breeding has never happened, and if it has...it was never noticed. This information is taken from Changing Breed Book 2: Nuwisha, p. 35
Let Fools Die a Fool's Death
Teach Those Who Need Teaching a Proper Lesson
Always Prank the Wyrm
Be Subtle (in relation to the veil and not allowing werewolves to really know just who/what you truely are).
Respect Luna
Think, Then Act

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Nuwisha Humor...

and whats so funny about it.
"Never take life too seriously, you'll never get out of it alive."
So, this now is the part where I have the honor of telling you about just why the hell we laugh and trip up even the mightest garou on the great hunts. No, we're not evil, but you're in the right family. We're werecoyotes, plain and simple. Second we are not GAROU!!!!! We don't have the big muscles that the Garou have, but we do try to make up for it with a certain flair. The Garou get things done with rage; we get things done with humor. I mean, suppose there's a big nappy ass black Spiral Dancer who you know to be lupus...think tran darts and the local pound...they're sure to put the bastard down if he looks bad. While the local garou would most likely go and attack the BSD and all his buddies. Sure, it works, sometimes, but you're just asking to get hurt that way. And sure, we screw up sometimes, but hey, who doesn't? And besides, just think about how boring life would be if everything went right all the time...
Oh just as a note to ya kid! The Garou (or most of them)think they knocked us out way back when in the war of Rage. If ya ever meet one (and you will) just smile and nod...if asked just what the hell you are...simply smile again and say "Garou what the f*ck is it to you?"
Garou HATE US! No if ands or asses...butts. The pack you are hanging with finds out your not a garou...head for the umbra! Because thier going to pulla ass whupin' linch mob on ya. The umbra is our friend...we are its guardians! Don't ever forget that kid! More than once I have been chased into the umbra by a pack of Red Talons...and swiftly lost them there.
So this brings us to our next lesson...The Umbra...and all its little knooks and cranies
Okay, the umbra...

sit still and relax..this is going to be long.

This is map of the umbra. For those of you who really have no idea as to just how to get around there.
Always rember this, the umbra is our home! NOT even the corax know as much about the umbra than us. We even have our own frickin' secret realm! That no one outside of the nuwisha knows of. There is this one case where a less that tactful nuwisha was fallowed in secret by some crafty garou to our Realm, Coyote's Tunnel. Needless to say, the garou never made it out, and the garous name is forbidden to speak of. As for the nuwisha who was followed, what of it?
Now there are certain nuwisha out there who belong to this group, called the Umbra Dansers...they have been hand picked by Ptah to guard the umbra. You have to really know your shit to be even looked at to run with the guardians of the stars.

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--

оттуда же
Bete (Garou and Others)

These guidelines are for all shifters in the WoD: Manhattan, including Hengeyokai. Also included under the umbrella of WW:tA are shifter kinfolk, Sorcerers (Hedge Mages), BSDs, Skindancers, Pentex operatives and Fomoris. Kinfolk who are also mages, changelings, vamps etc. must also be approved by the ST in charge of that game. Kinfolk made from Hunters Hunted, Project Twilight, and Demon Hunter X sourcebooks are under the purview of the Hunter ST.

Recommended Reading

If you are playing a shifter, the ST assumes you possess a copy of the core rulebook, aka Werewolf: the Apocalpyse 2nd Edition and the 2nd Edition Werewolf Player's Guide WW:tA 2nd Edition is especially recommended, as a map of the Sept of the Green (aka Central Park) is provided on pages 278-279.Tribal sourcebooks are encouraged, but not required.Those who wish to play shifter kinfolk are encouraged to make use of Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes. Sorcerers should make use of the Sorcerers sourcebook.  Thought the map would be of some help, for there is a small park in Manhattan that could be used for the Sept of the Green.

Other Changing Breeds need at least the PG 2nd Ed., but are encouraged to use the sourcebook specific to their Breed. If you wish to play a Hengeyokai or Kitsune, it is assumed you also own (or have access to) that sourcebook. Those who wish to play BSDs, Skindancers, Pentex operatives and Fomoris may submit characters under the WW:tA core rules, or created from the Book of the Wyrm, 1st or 2nd Edition and Freak Legions.

Please remember, many of the following guidelines are not designed to make your life difficult, but to deepen and enrich your character, and thus, hopefully, your roleplaying experience.

House Rules for Shifter Creation & Roleplaying in Manhattan WOD
Taint Rating
All characters under the purview of the Shifter ST start with a Taint Rating which goes from zero to ten and acts as a reverse of the humanity rating for vampires. Which means those who have a Taint Rating of 4 or higher will show up as tainted when subjected to gifts such as Sense Wyrm, Sense Imbalance, etc. Please add this rating to your character sheet.

Gaian shifters and kinfolk start out with zero dots on the Taint rating, unless they take the flaw Taint of Corruption, in which case they start with the number of Taint dots equal to their Rage + Gnosis, if shifters, or 10 minus the chars WP, if kinfolk/mortals. All BSDs and fallen shifters start with a taint rating equal to their Rage + Gnosis. Non-shifter Fomors start with a rating equal to the gnosis of the Bane possessing them. Infernalists receive a # of Taint dots equal to the # of points invested, in addition to the base Taint enumerated above.

Gaian shifters will strive to keep their Taint rating as low as possible, as the Taint rating may be subtracted from the WP pool when rolling to withstand certain corruptive influences. A high Taint rating also impedes a characters ability to regain Gnosis, for it the Taint rating is higher than a Gaian characters perm Gnosis, he or she will be unable to regain Gnosis unless Cleansed. On the other hand, a Wyrm-corrupted individual cannot regain Gnosis (or power points) if his Taint Rating is lower than his permanent Gnosis, and for that reason,BSDs, Fomors, and fallen shifters will strive to raise their Taint rating at every opportunity.

Characters who are captured may resist corruption until their Taint rating via attack or exposure exceeds their permanent Willpower, at which point they will agree to walk the Spiral then will receive a Taint rating equal to their Rage + Gnosis, plus the level of the Spiral they danced up to. If rescued within as many lunar cycles as they have points in permanent willpower, the Taint they received while in captivity may be expunged via a series of Rites of Cleansing (one successful Rite must be performed for each dot of Taint removed.) Taint dots received while in captivity for actions performed willingly cannot be Cleansed via Rite, but must be worked off via questing and repeated Rites of Contrition or some similar means. A character who reaches ten permanent Taint dots and does not attempt to Cleanse or Redeem him/herself within a lunar cycle will thereafter be considered irredeemably corrupt and their Taint Rating will remain at ten permanently. Hengeyokai who are slain while having a Taint rating of ten will lose their souls to the Yomi realm forever.

Exposure to toxins and tainted environments can raise a characters Taint rating, as can certain bane charms, BSD/Yomi gifts, Fomor attacks, etc. Characters with the Immune to Wyrm Emanations merit cannot receive Taint dots via most forms of exposure or attack, but can become tainted through their own actions (see below). Theurges can also add/remove Taint dots via the gift Malleble Spirit.

Dots acquired through attack or environmental means may be expunged by a Rite of Cleansing performed on the afflicted person within one lunar cycle of the incident inflicting the taint. A successful rite will remove a # of dots equal to the # of successes on the rite. If a Rite of Cleansing is not performed within the specified time, the dots become more permanent, and the taint more ingrained. A simple rite is no longer sufficient, and the tainted character must perform a quest, bargain with a spirit, etc. to remove the taint. Multiple rites can be performed, but the second rite must occur during the next phase of the moon, the third during the next, etc. (Which means if the taint aint gone in 4 rites, it aint going, and the afflicted character must perform a quest, bargain with a spirit, etc. to remove the taint.)

Ghouled characters will acquire a # of Taint dots equal to ten minus the humanity of their domitor. Again, a successful Rite of Cleansing may remove these dots in the same manner as above if performed within a lunar month of the time the ghouled character first ingested the tainted vitae. (Note: The Rite will not remove the vitae, only the taint. The afflicted character remains ghouled.)

Actions against Gaia and the Emerald Mother require a Taint Check. Actions violating the Litany, if Garou, the Mandates, if Hengeyokai, or a Changing Breeds credo also require a Taint Check, with the character rolling his perm Gnosis vs. a difficulty determined by the ST. (For an example of Taint Check difficulties, see the Hierarchy of Wyrm Taint chart on pg. 192 of the PG 2nd Ed. The Gnosis rating on this chart is the difficulty of the roll.)

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If the roll is successful, the character has gained another dot of Taint. If the roll is failed, the character receives no Taint. If the roll is botched, the character receives no Taint, but is at a 2 difficulty on his next Taint Check as his faith in himself has been severely shaken. Dots acquired in this manner can only be expunged via a Rite of Contrition performed by the offender, followed by a Rite of Cleansing. The rites must occur within one lunar month of the incident involving the Taint or it becomes more difficult to remove and requires a quest or other such action. Characters who are Immune from Wyrm Taint can acquire Taint through their own actions.

Merits/Flaws
As stated in the PG 2nd Ed., page 9, Merits can only be acquired with freebie points and only during character creation. Flaws provide additional freebies to spend, but you can only earn a maximum of 7 freebies this way, regardless of how flawed your character is. This limits your maximum freebies to 22 points for shifter characters, and 28 for kinfolk/mortals.

House rule for Merits/Flaws under the ShifterST: More than 7 points in merits can be taken, but the cost beyond the 7 point cap is doubled (i.e., 1 pt. Merits cost 2 points, 2 pt. Merits cost 4 points, etc.) and these can only be bought with freebie points. On EXTREMELY rare occasions, merits can be earned via roleplay, but its much more common to acquire Flaws in this manner. Flaws acquired during roleplay do not add free experience points, whereas Merits acquired during roleplay cost experience points equal to 2x that specified in the book.

Any Merit/Flaw not in the PG 2nd Edtion. or in the sourcebook for your specific

Character Type or Changing Breed must be approved by the ST. This includes any Merit/Flaw which is the PG 1st Edition, but not the 2nd Ed. (such as Celestial Merits/Flaws). Please note the sourcebook and page # of such merits/flaws to speed the approval process.

Merits which cost more than 3 points must be approved by the ST, and approval will depend on how integrated the merit is with the character concept and how well the prelude presents the merit as part of the characters history and/or innate nature.

Flaws which cost more than 3 points (except for Inept, Unskilled, and Uneducated) must be approved by the ST.

All Derangements, Intolerances, Hatreds, Phobias, Compulsions, Vengeances, Driving Goals, Dark Secrets, Codes of Honor, Ancestor Allies, True Loves, Supernatural Companions, Foes from the Past, Insane Past Lives, Angry Ancestors, In/Auspicious Births, Hunteds, Wards, and similar merits/flaws should be developed in detail before being submitted for final approval. Intolerances and Hatreds which are cancelled out by other flaws or merits (such as an intolerance of the color purple and color blindness) will not be approved.

All Local Ties/CEO merits must be developed in detail before being approved. Those with CEO merits should be prepared to submit an outline of the company and a list of its Board of Directors, and may be ousted from that company if their leadership of it proves lacking. If you have no clue how to run a company, and you want this merit, please take the Common Sense merit also, so the ST can help you make the right decisions for your business.

Characters with the Amnesia flaw must submit a detailed history of their character prior to the onset of the amnesia. The ST must know what happened to your character before they lost their memory, even if your character doesnt.

Nuwisha with Umbral Affinity can not take the Slip Sideways Flaw.

Gifts
Gifts outside of Changing Breed, Tribe, breed and Auspice must be approved by the ST. Obscure gifts, such as those from the Dark Ages or Wild West sourcebooks will be considered if the characters background and concept lends itself to such things. Please note the sourcebook and page # of such gifts to speed the approval process.

Siberakh characters must either choose the SF or Wendigo tribal weakness. They may choose from SF and Wendigo gifts for their tribal gifts (including those found in Wild West and Dark Ages). But, since they come from an extremely isolated and primitive society, all Siberakh, regardless of breed, have the same restrictions on Skills and Knowledges that lupus characters do. They also need a really, really good story as to how they wound up in NYC. Also, since they are living anachronisms, they may not choose gifts which involve or affect modern day technology, and are at 2 dice when dealing with Weaver spirits or Weaver spawn.

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по БАСТЕТ
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Note for Bastet Characters:

Ajaba may choose appropriate Philodox and Ahroun gifts.

Bagheera may choose appropriate Philodox and Stargazer gifts.

Balam may choose appropriate Uktena and Ahroun gifts.

Bubasti may choose appropriate Theurge and Shadowlord gifts.

Ceilican may choose appropriate Fianna and Ragabash gifts.

Bengal Khan, Indochinese Khan, and Southeast Asian Khan may choose appropriate Ahroun and Stargazer gifts.

Siberian Khan may choose appropriate Ahroun and Wendigo gifts.

Pumonca may choose appropriate Shadowlord and Wendigo gifts.

Qualmi may choose appropriate Theurge and Wendigo gifts.

Simba may choose appropriate Shadowlord and Silverfang gifts.

Swara may choose appropriate Theurge and Silent Strider gifts.

Backgrounds
Spirit Familiars above 3 must be approved by ST, and can only be bought with freebie points. All Spirit Familiars must be developed in detail. Urban spirits for nature type characters or nature spirits for urban types will not be approved. Remember, Spirit Familiars are spirits and even if powerful enough, rarely use power points to manifest in the physical realm. They are also just friends, and are not bound to stay with the character in the same way a totem is. Any Spirit Familiar who does not feel safe and/or is not treated with the proper respect may leave, never to return.

Jamak not listed in the Bastet book must be approved by the ST.

Nuwisha Totems not listed in the Nuwisha book must be approved by the ST.

Resources should be in keeping with the character concept, and the source of income should be noted. Resources of 4 or higher must be approved by the ST.

Personal Totems for Garou cost 2x the background points as a pack totem. Garou with Personal Totems must have the Lone Wolf nature, and will be looked at suspiciously by other Garou.

Starting Garou can hold background points in abeyance in anticipation of joining a pack.

Starting Hengeyokai can hold background points in abeyance in anticipation of joining a mountain sentai.

Equipment, Fetishes, Trinkets, Shiny Things etc. must be approved by the ST.

Weapons are severely restricted in the Manhattan WoD. Refer to the Main Rules page for specifics on this.

Character Rank for shifters:

Starting characters of all Ranks will be considered, although players are encouraged to start with mid to low level characters and allow them to grow. Characters of rank 3 and higher will be considered outsiders and may have trouble establishing themselves in NYC until they have proven themselves worthy of the honor via roleplay.

Rank 1 characters start with no more than 3 rank 1 gifts.

Rank 2 characters start with 2 rank 2 gifts and 4 rank 1 gifts.

Rank 3 characters start with 1 rank 3 gift, 3 rank 2 gifts, and 5 rank one gifts.

Rank 4 characters start with 1 rank 4 gift, 2 rank 3 gifts, 4 rank 2 gifts, and 5 rank 1 gifts.

Rank 5 and above characters will be considered on a case by case basis.

Characters from other sites and chronicles:

Characters brought in from other sites or from TT games are welcome. They may, however, have to be modified somewhat so as not to upset current Storylines or game balance, and are therefore approved on a case by case basis.

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РАЗНОЕ
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Characters brought in from other sites or from TT games are welcome. They may, however, have to be modified somewhat so as not to upset current Storylines or game balance, and are therefore approved on a case by case basis.

General Notes:
All Ajaba; African, Caribbean, South/Central American and Micro/Polynesian Ananasi; African and Southeast Asian Bagheera; Balam; Micro/Polynesian Gumagan; Gurahl; Southeast Asian Khan; non-Punjabi Makara; Mokole-mbembe; Nuwisha; Pumonca; Qualmi; Rokea; Simba; Swara; Uktena; Wendigo; and Southeast Asian Zhong Lung Characters must include their human tribal affiliations in their character preludes. Which means, do a little research into the part of the world your characters or your characters ancestors come from before submitting the character, please.

Bagheera, Stargazers, Uktena, and Bone Gnawers born and raised in Southeast Asia may be either Hengeyokai or Sunset Folk, similar to the way the Khan, Nagah, etc. native to Asia and Southeast Asia can choose either path. Those choosing to serve the Emerald Courts will be considered true Hengeyokai and not converted Sunset Folk.

Hengeyokai Bastet may have Silat Harimau, a martial arts form equivalent to Kalindo, but designed for the feline shifter. Gifts and maneuvers specific to Silat Harimau will be posted to a website in the near future, but for now such characters are free to use Kalindo specific gifts and manuevers.

Same-bito/Rokea can only regain Gnosis in clean, untainted saltwater. They can function in freshwater for limited periods of time, but cannot regain gnosis in freshwater environments. The exception to this are the Kagesame, the goblin sharks, who due to their heightened spiritual affinity are more adaptable.

All non-Hengeyokai Nagah must submit profiles of their nestmates and keep the ST apprised of the current location of their Ananta.Hengeyokai Nagah are considered to have their sentai as their nest
Please contact me for information on the Cyan/Camazotz, Baku, Cristata, and Corax
I am only allowing 2 Baku in here, they can not be over rank 2 Iktos.  For those of you that wish to play a Baku, please contact me and I will help you set up your stat sheet.
For there shall be no MUSCULA Characters allowed!

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АНАНАСИ
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feel that the Ananasi, just as the Corax,  and Bastet should have their own page.  So listed below shall be the information on the Ananasi from the Minds Eye Theatre Revised Ananasi

Ananasi Tribes
The Ananasi are divided into 4 tribes (not including basic Ananasi), all related to a certain species of spider. The Ananasi tribe given in the Player's Guide is a common garden spider. The 4 tribes are:

Spindlerling (Orb Spiders)
Automatically start with gift: Spinnerets and 2 dots in Webmaking. Must take flaw: Territorial, and gains no freebie points for it. However, it does not count towards maximum flaw points.
Tribal Gifts:
o Static World (5th level)
o Cocoon, as 4th level Homid Gift.
o Catfeet, as 3rd level Lupus Gift.
o Entangle: Treat as 4th level Red Talon Gift: Quicksand.
o Balance, as 1st Level Stargazer Gift.
o Surface Attunement, as 2nd level Stargazer Gift.

Shamian (Jumping Spider)
Can take the Silent Strider Gift: The Great Leap as though it were level One. Gains additional +1 Dexterity and Perception in Lilian and pithus form. However, Dexterity must be higher than Stamina in Homid form.
Tribal Gifts:
o Catfeet, as as 3rd level Lupus gift.
o Circular Attack, as 5th Level Stargazer Gift.
o Spirit of the Bird. As Uktena 2nd level Gift, but this is level 3 for Shamians.
o Camouflage, as 1st level Wendigo gift.

Manaratans (Tarantulas)
The hulking Tarantula people gain an extra Wounded Level, and in Pithus and Lilian forms gain an additional +1 Strength, +2 Stamina, -1 Dexterity.
Tribal Gifts:
o Gift of the Porcupine, as the 4th level Metis Gift.
o Icy Chill of Despair, as 3rd Level Shadow Lord Gift.

Sambar (Funnel-Web Spider)
The Funnel-web spider is often mistaken for a trapdoor spider, as it is similar in behavior and appearance. However, it is much more dangerous, with a poison 5 times deadlier than that of a black widow. However, it will only affect very small creatures, like insects, and primates. The Sambar are the most mysterious of the Ananasi. They are believed to exist so that if they are corrupted, their deadly poison will not affect the minions of the Wyld. It usually has no effect on Shapechangers of any kind.
Sambar have a deadly poisonous bite. On a successful bite attack, it may spend a Blood Point to inject its poison. Although ineffective against shapeshifters unless 3 blood points are spent in the bite, a non-Bete will go into shock and die within an hour if antivenom is not administered. Resist Toxin will filter out the poison, but Mother's Touch will not. Bete that are injected must soak 7 Health Levels of non-aggravated damage. However, the funnel-web is nocturnal, so all Sambar lose 2 dice from their Dice pools in the Daylight. A bright light, such as Lambent Flame, will temporarily blind them.
Tribal Gifts:
o Hatred's Venom (4th level)
o Display of Power (Funnel-webs are aggressive creatures that will rear up and thrash about when threatened.) as the 2nd level Homid Gift Staredown.
o Wither Limb, as the Level $ Metis Gift.
o Whelp Body as the Level 4 Ragabash Gift.
o Visceral Agony. as the 3rd level Black Furies Gift.
o Resist Toxin, as the Level One Fianna gift.

Aspects of the Blood
As an ananasi grows, she will one day be forced to drink the blood of another. The way that she obtains this blood decides her role in ananasi society. These Blood Aspects decide Blood Pool, advancement, Gnosis, and Willpower.

Weavers of the Noose: Tricksters
Common among the spindlerings these are those who make their victims think that they're getting a blood test, or pretend to remove their victims earrings, etc.., then strike. They are subtle, devious, and shrewd. Their strikes are always unexpected.
Blood Pool: 10
Willpower: 2
Gnosis: 2

Bloodsworn: The Keepers
The center of any Ananasi coterie. Their first feedings were through willing sacrifice of their victims. Honor is pinnacle.They will serve and protect and take little blood in a feeding.
Blood Pool: 6
Willpower: 5
Gnosis: 3

The Needle of Desire: Blood Dancers
Passionate, wild, and unrestrained, they take their blood in a moment of passion, whether it be lust or hatred. Their victims are often willing, or in a state of euphoria and carelessness. They drink often, with little thought of consequences.
Blood Pool: 14
Willpower: 1
Gnosis: 1

Hunger Strikers: Feeders of Force
These are the most likely to kill their victims. They often don't even use their fangs, ripping open wounds wih claws and lapping up the blood. They attain power quickly, and use force of arm and fang to get what they want, for good or evil. They always take the initiative.
Blood Pool: 13
Willpower: 1
Gnosis: 1

Broods
Ananasi are fairly solitary, and their coteries tend to be small and loosely-knit. However, they do have one single overriding social bond: their Brood. Queen Ananasa and the other totems of the spider-folk have Jagglings spread out all over the world. Each of them has a Lair where it watches over the Ananasi in the area, and a bond forms between the Brood Mother/Father and its Hatchlings (Ananasi in Brood Mother's Lair), and between each of the Brood. They often take the Patron of their Brood Mother as their totem. Brood Mothers have a deep connection with each of their Hatchlings, and this spiritual tie makes them fairly powerful. Their appearance reflects the well-being and attitude of the Brood at large. However, some Ananasi simply drift away from their Brood, and the connection breaks.
Though similar to Totem, Brood is subtly, but importantly different. Each Brood Mother is a projection of queen Ananasa. That means whenever an Ananasi devotes energy to his Brood, he grants power to his Queen to help her escape from her prison. Each Brood Mother represents a facet of the Queen's psyche. As she changes, so do the Brood mothers. The state of the Brood is an indicator to the well-being of Queen Ananasa, and Brood Mothers and their Hatchlings have become much wilder, independent, and powerful. This spurs on the Ananasi's hope. Also, Brood siblings have a much deeper connection than do Bete who share Totems. They are connected on a spiritual level that is visible in the Umbra, and will be visible to Leeches with Auspex.
All Brood members can expect a varying degree of help from their Brood Mother and Broodmates (depends on how many dots are put in Brood Background. See below.)
Brood is also linked to status. The stronger an Ananasi's connection with his Brood, the more respected he will be by others. Your Rank can never be higher than your Brood rating, unless you are a Moteling, one of the pitied Broodless.
However, this status also gives you power. You can make a Gnosis roll in the Umbra, diff. (10- [Brood rating] ), or in the physical world, at diff. (11- [Brood Rating] ) to call your Brood Mother to you. She will appear as a huge spider of varied appearance, depending on her Patron Incarna and her Hatchlings. A low-ranking Ananasi with a high Brood rating can sometimes give orders to higher ranking Brood brothers.

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New Ananasi Background: Brood
* You're connection with your brood is weak, almost nonexistent. You have little standing within your Brood, and must roll Perception+Gnosis Rating, diff. 7 to sense a fellow Brood member. If you summon your Brood Mother too often, she will become very annoyed with you, and possibly hinder you in the Umbra until you learn humility.
** You have devoted a small quantity of Gnosis to your Brood Mother, but still have little standing. Although you are not widely known, you are respected by those of your Brood that do know you, and your Brood Mother will overlook small offenses against her. You will recognize a fellow Brood Member if you succeed a Perception+Gnosis roll, diff. 6, in the presence of a Hatchling of your Brood. (ST's, do this secretly.)
*** You have gained a fair amount of standing within your Brood. You are widely known, and are given much leeway by even high Ranking Brood brothers. You can automatically sense a Brood brother within 100 yds.
**** You have a strong connection with your Brood mother, and are known throughout your Brood. You have many strings to pull within your Brood, and can get almost anything you want from Ananasi of equal and lower Rank. You can speak telepathically with any Brood brother in the vincinity as well as your Brood Mother while in the Umbra. You automatically sense the exact location and identity of any Brood brother within a mile.
***** You are the champion of your Brood, and are held in awe and respect by your Brood brothers. You are seen as an avatar of your Brood Mother, and she visits you often. You know all of your Brood brothers inside and out, and your Brood Mother will risk her own life to protect you. You know the identity, exact position, and minds of all your brethren, in the Umbra or out.

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Anasasi Society
Each tribe has its place within Ananasi society. For many years the ancient duties were forgotten, but as the Ananasi grow stronger and stronger and the old Brood Mothers rejoin their Children, their society is returning to its former strength. The Keepers remembered the old ways, and sent them through the Blood Dancers to every city, every Brood, until even the Sabbat had mighty contenders to their bloody throne.
At the top of the social pyramid, are Spindlerlings. Most of them, especially their Tricksters, haven't lifted a finger since the War of Rage. They usually manipulate their willing pawns from behind the scenes. They manage the networks of servants that fuel the Ananasi web of power, and fulfill a position similar to the Princes of the Vampire cities, or the Silver Fang kings of the Garou. However, the relationship is a tense one. The other Ananasi only put up with the two-faced dealings of the Spindlerlings because only they have the prudence and subtlety to be effective leaders. More than once a noble Manaratan has rallied Ananasi against their manipulative lords. However, as long as they control the technology and political power of the cities, the Spidlerlings will occupy the upper class.
Next in power are the Manaratans. They govern the Broods, extended families, and corporations. They are granted much respect for their just ruling, but never had the slyness or deviousness to rule on a larger scale, so they are content to adminstering justice on a more personal basis. They usually keep the laws with fairness, but uprisings have been more common. . .
Enforcing the rule of the Manaratans are the Sambar. Too untrustworthy to be put in a position of political power, but too skilled to be servants, they are the leaders of teams of Ananasi, and provide direction to their underlings.
Finaly are the Shamians: far too flighty to receive command positions, they are scouts, warriors, workers, the fingers and eyes of their masters. However, with the lack of responsibility comes great freedom.
Note: There are always exceptions to these rules. A Shamian once ruled an anarchistic syndicate, before it collapsed.
Introduction
The Ananasi have a dark history. They have served all members of the Triat, beginning with the Weaver, then moving on to the Wyrm, and finally falling in with the Wyld. They gained gifts from them all but have also gained the distrust of the other Bete. For more information on the Ananasi consult the Werewolf Players Guide pages 174-179 and Werewolf Players Guide 2nd Edition pages 133-137.

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Character Creation
If something is not listed here, assume its is the same Garou in the Laws of the Wild.
Totem: Anasasa (See Below)
Breeds: Homid, Archnos
Initial Willpower: 3
Initial Gnosis: 2 for Homid, 4 for Arachnos.
Rage: See Physiology (below)
Backgrounds: 5 pts. in anything
Gifts/Rites: See below

Queen Anasasa
Totem of Wisdom
Totem cost: 4 (free to Ananasi)
Even though Ananasa is imprisoned, she still helps her children. Her children gain three additional occult traits and 2 additional Enigmas traits. All she asks is that her children seek to save other Ananasi from the Wyrm.

Physiology
Ananasi are made up of unstable molecules and can literally breakdown into an army of tiny spiders as well as assume three other forms. For more information on the forms, see the Forms section.
Ananasi are living vampires. They do not have Rage but rather a blood pool. They can hold up to ten blood points; any more then that and they begin to feel sluggish. They can be filled with any blood, but human is preferable. Blood may be used in the manner of Rage to gain additional actions. Ananasi may also spend a blood to heal a non-agg damage. Unlike vampires they don't suffer from not having blood in their pools. Think of it as a Garou fighting on an empty stomach. When they have no blood, they merle can't take extra actions or heal.
They have fangs like vampires and secrete a similar enzyme that can close the wounds. For feeding, use Vampire rules. Also, Ananasi may spin webs to keep a prey imprisoned for a time.
Ananasi also have the benefit of not taking damage from silver or loose Gnosis from carrying it. Unfortunately, the Ananasi don't share the other changeling breed's immunity to disease or even their tolerance to poisons.
Though Ananasi are not damaged by the sun, but they are nocturnal by nature.

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Forms
The Ananasi have four forms.

Homid
The Ananasi appears as a human.
Trait bonus: None

Lilian
In this form, most Ananasi stand about seven ft. Also they grow two extra appendages on ether side of the Ananasi's body, leaving it with six arms and two legs. Their skin is dark in this form and a thin layer of velvet like hair covers the body. The hands are sharp and pointy, doing agg damage. Their faces are oval-shaped and their features are elongated. Their eyes are also perfect ovals.
Trait Bonuses
Physical: Energetic x2, Brutal, Resilient, Tough, Lithe, Quick, Dexterous.
Social: Bestial and Tactless
+1 additional health level

Pithus
Often refereed to as the Pit Spider. It vaguely resembles a black widow. They are five-ft. long and about five-ft. high. This form has eight legs (they do 1 agg) and huge jaws (they do 2 agg).
Trait Bonuses
Physical: Energetic x2, Brutal, Brawny, Tough x2, Resilient, Lithe, Quick
Social: Bestial x2, Tactless
+1 additional health level

Crawling Form
This form is literally an army of spiders. The army's size is dependent on the mass of the Ananasi and the size of the spiders that the Ananasi breaks itself down into. All the spiders must be the same size but the size of the spiders is up to the Ananasi. When in this form, the Ananasi has a collective mind and can see everything that all the spiders can see. The user is essentially invulnerable in this form, and may reform even if one spider survives. It may do so simply by summoning spiders to replace its lost flesh. However, if 30% of the spiders are destroyed, the Ananasi will look different when it returns. For game purposes, the Ananasi has about twenty health levels. But keep in mind, its really hard to kill a large mass of spiders. When in crawling, the damage that can be dealt is limited. 1 spider alone has a very slim chance. It must first win a physical challenge. Then, once successful the Ananasi must win ten simple tests to do one agg (yes, TEN). If more spiders join up, it's a little easier. If two additional spiders join the first in the biting then only 9 simple tests are need. For each additional 2 spider one less test is needed. Once 19 spiders bite together, only one simple test is made and the process is started over, but the number of spiders needed is increased by ten. Once 29 spiders are reached, the process once again starts over, but it is increased by 10 spiders yet again. This will can continue until 100 spiders bite (no more spiders will fit). For every 20 spiders, the victim must bid a extra trait simply because there are so many spiders attacking.
Trait Bonuses
Physical: Strength and Stamina traits are 0 but Dexterity traits are still usable with a bonus of Quick x2, Dexterous, Lithe x2 and Quick.
Social: All social traits are reduced to 0.

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Gifts
The gifts of the Ananasi are as numerous as the Garou's and therefore far too many to list here. For ideas for the Ananasi gifts use Glasswalker gifts for Weaver gifts, Red Talon gifts for Wyld gifts and Black Spiral Dancer gifts for Wyrm Gifts, depending on which member of the Triat the Ananasi allies himself with. Homid gifts are accessible to homids and lupus gifts will suffice for Arachnos (though a few modifications may be necessary). The Ananasi may have three gifts starting. For gifts involving Rage, blood may be substituted.

Basic
*Blur of the Milky Eye, *Control Simple Machine, *Create Element, *Eyes of the Cat, *Resist Toxins, Cybersenses: Same as the Garou gifts
Insect Eyes: By spending a Gnosis the Ananasi may change the shape of its eye, making them multi-lensed. This imparts 360-degree vision, along with vision that extends twice as far a normal. This may be used in conjunction with Eyes of the Cat.
*Jump: Spiders have tremendous leaping abilities. The Ananasi enters an extended static physical challenge (you keep testing till you lose) against 6 traits. For every success the Ananasi doubles its jumping distance. This gift may be used in any form.
Replenishment of the Flesh: The Ananasi may heal agg damage by summoning spiders to replace the lost flesh. The Ananasi must spend a Gnosis per level it wants to heal. The Ananasi must be doing nothing else while doing this.
Spider Scout: By spending a Gnosis and a blood, the Ananasi may send out one of its small spiders. The users body will lose something on her body with an equal mass as the spider's. The Ananasi may do this for as many Gnosis she has. If the Ananasi has the Gift: Replenishment of the Flesh, it may replace the lost spider and still maintain contact with spider scout.
*Web Haven: With this gift, the Ananasi can create a barrier of night that anchors in both the physical world and the Umbra. This works as an early warning system so the Ananasi is alerted to any potential threats or meals that enter the Ananasi's claimed area. Unless the Ananasi wishes it, the spun threads blend in to the area that they're in, thus camouflaging them from natural senses. To create the web, the Ananasi must spend a blood (unless in crawling form) and make a Gnosis challenge against 5 traits. The area effected is about 100 square ft. The webs don't need solid supports to remain intact.
Wyrmling Kinship: By spending a Gnosis point and winning a social challenge against 7 traits. If The Ananasi wins Wyrm creatures are more inclined to take the Ananasi as a friend rather than a foe. Any Wyrm creatures must make a social challenge against the Ananasi or the will talk to the Ananasi before it fights.
*Gifts that can be taken during character creation.

Intermediate
Control Complex Machine, Blissful Ignorance, Great Leap: Same as the Garou gifts.
Attunement: Same as Bone Gnawer Gift except it works in dark places.
Bug Lord: By entering an extended social challenge against 7 traits the Ananasi may summon a horde of insects. Through telepathic commands the Ananasi may give them simple orders which they will perform to their ability. The number of insects is dependent on the number of challenges. 1 success = a minor swarm, enough to cover a person. 3 successes = enough to fill a small room. 5 successes = enough to cover an entire building. This also allows the Ananasi limited ability to converse with insects, very limited.
Iron Web: The Ananasi can spin webs that are nearly transparent and very tough. By spending a blood, a Gnosis and winning a simple test, the Ananasi can spin a web that is very tough. The webbing can soak with 7 traits and has 5 health levels. When all the health levels are gone, it is destroyed. Morphean Bite: The Ananasi use this Gift to put their victim into a deep sleep. The Ananasi must first bite the victim, then the Ananasi enters a Gnosis challenge against the victim's Stamina related traits. If successful, the victim falls asleep for 12 hours unless violently awakened. If this happens he is down 2 physical traits for the remainder of the scene.
Spinnerets: The Ananasi with this power have developed their web spinning power to a new level. They can spin webs in any form and it is much thicker and stronger than normal webbing. It is almost a quarter inch in diameter, but is very hard to see (static mental challenge against 8 traits). It takes a fair amount of strength to break a strand (a static challenge against 6 traits). If the strands are woven together they make a strong stand indeed (6 traits x number of strands = trait total for challenge). Most Ananasi are proficient in the arts of web spinning and use this power to imprison prey, set traps, seal things off, lower or raise themselves, capture opponents or other such things. To activate this gift, one blood must be spent. The maximum that can be created from the expenditure of the one blood is roughly enough webbing to fill a 40ft. Square area or lower the Ananasi from a 300 ft height.

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Venom Bite: The Ananasi uses its fangs to inject a potent and instantaneous poison that could stop a bull elephant, or even a Garou. The Ananasi must spend a Gnosis then successfully bite the victim. Then the Ananasi must make a Gnosis challenge against the victim's Stamina related traits +2. One bite removes the ability to uses limbs. The second stops automatic functions such as breathing and heart beat (the victim is not dead, only paralyzed until the poison is purged). The poison can be purged by any supernatural means as if it was four health levels of non-agg. This power doesn't work on other Ananasi.
Visceral Agony: By spending One Gnosis, one blood pt. and winning a simple test (retest with occult) the Ananasi may cause the wound penalties from its claws to double, or if the victim doesn't suffer from them, it suffers them as normal. This only applies to the damage inflicted by the Ananasi; the penalties from earlier wounds are not effected.
Wall Crawling: Same as Ragabash Gift: Fly Feet.

Advanced
Carapace: The Ananasi's hide is now extraordinarily tough. The character gains the traits Tough and Stalwart an can never lose them. In addition he gains an additional health level. This health level acts a little differently than others. After it is punctured, it will heal itself. The levels beyond it will not heal or be affected in any way, So if the Ananasi takes 2 agg the carapace takes one, and the Ananasi takes one. The carapace heals but the Ananasi is still bruised.
Crawling Poison: Same as Black Spiral Dancer Gift.
Entropic Bite: This gift allows the Ananasi to produces a powerful venom that causes pain and lose of regenerative abilities. The character must first bite the victim. Then the player spends two Gnosis and then enters an extended challenge against the victim, the biter's Gnosis vs. the targets stamina related traits + 5 (be sure to count the number of times the biter wins) . Once the venom enters the victim, the target feels burning pain from the bite. Then she begins to take 1 health level of aggravated damage per number of time the Ananasi won the challenges. Vampires are affected by this gift but they may expel the poison by expelling five blood points.
Obedience: Same as Shadow Lord Gift.
Travel Web: The Ananasi can travel the great sprawling Umbral Pattern Web, much as if it was a Moon Bridge. They must first side step into the Umbra from within a City or another Weaver stronghold and they may then travel the web to any other city or Weaver stronghold.
Umbral Barrier: The Were-spider may spin a web that can increase the level of the Gauntlet. As the creator, the Ananasi may make a backdoor to avoid the raised Gauntlet.
Wyld Warp: Same as Black Fury Gift.

Rites
The Ananasi have access to Weaver, Wyrm and Wyld rites depending on their affiliation.

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Renown
The Ananasi's Renown works a little differently. Instead of have Glory and Honor, they have Cunning and Obedience. They do, however, keep the Wisdom Renown. Ananasi gain all the benefits of rank as Garou do. They also are bound to the same restrictions. The number of Renown traits necessary to gain rank is dependent on the Ananasi's alliance.
Rank Alliance
  Weaver Wyrm Wyld
1 2 Cunning, 1 Obedience 1 Cunning, 2 Obedience 2 Wisdom, 1 Cunning
2 4 Cunning, 1 Obedience, 1 Wisdom 2 Cunning, 4 Obedience 3 Wisdom, 2 Cunning
3 6 Cunning, 4 Obedience, 1 Wisdom 4 Cunning, 6 Obedience, 1 Wisdom 6 wisdom, 4 Cunning, 1 Obedience
4 8 Cunning 6 Obedience, 2 Wisdom 6 Cunning, 8 Obedience, 2 Wisdom 9 Wisdom, 6 Cunning, 1 Obedience
5 10 Cunning, 7 Obedience, 4 Wisdom 7 Cunning, 10 Obedience, 4 Wisdom 11 Wisdom, 8 Cunning, 1 Obedience
6 13 Cunning, 10 Obedience, 6 Wisdom 9 Cunning, 14 Obedience, 6 Wisdom 14 Wisdom, 12 Cunning, 2 Obedience

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КОРАКС
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Corax? What's a Corax?

Corvus corax - that's the latin name for the Common Raven.
But Ravens aren't so common, as anyone who has watched them can tell you. They are dark, and coarse, and yet graceful and playful... they are a mystery of juxtaposition which calls to something deep within the human nature.
Perhaps that is why tales of shape-shifting birds have been around for a long time. These stories can be found in Japan, in some areas of Russia, and especially among the Native tribes of North America. To the Natives, Raven was a powerful Totem Spirit, who would often take on the guise of man, to walk the earth and frequently to play tricks on the people.
Unlike tales of shape-shifting werewolves, these were-ravens aren't out for blood or vengeance. They are creatures of great wisdom, and a great capacity for mischief. They have been given different names in different tongues, but in the WhiteWolf Storyteller System, they are simply, the 'Corax'.
The Corax are, for the most part, information gatherers. They are fast, watchful, quick witted, and far more curious than a cat. However, where curiosity killed the cat, it only singed the raven's feathers (but that's another story...) These children of Raven can get into and out of trouble with amazing speed... which is a good thing, because their mischievious ways seem to get them into trouble rather regularly.
You see, were-ravens want anything which someone else does not want them to have. Anything which sparkles attracts their attention - from priceless diamonds to crumpled tin foil. Puzzles and riddles have a sparkle all their own. So do hidden passages, secret plans, and encrypted computer files. They all lead to the most fascinating discoveries...
To help them survive the perils which their fancies lead them to, the Corax have been gifted by their Totem, Raven. They can change shape from Homid (human form), to Crinos, (an awkward half-man, half-bird form), to Corvid (raven form). They have special gifts to aid them in their travel through the mundane world, and the umbra. They also have special rites to help them gather information, shed light on a situation, and to propogate their race.
In White Wolf's gaming system, Corax are just another one of the many tribes of shapeshifters you can play, but understanding or playing a corax goes far beyond dice and paper. Corax are not merely winged werewolves. There is a sense of curiosity about the world which marks everything a corax does... there are mysteries which need to be explored, questions which just have to be asked, information which needs to be free - and the risk is always worth it, isn't it?

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Sure, a few feathers may get singed now & then, but that's the price you have to pay... unless, of course, you can trick someone else into paying the price for you...
I think if I'd designed the corax race, I would have done it differently... but the concept which White Wolf came up with was pretty decent. Different enough from the werewolves to make it a unique roleplaying experience, and with enough surprises to keep even a corvid interested.
The Corax are Raven's children, gifted with the ability to shift back and forth between human (homid) and raven (corvid) forms, or even into an awkward half-man, half-bird (crinos) form. They can also fly, in both corvid and crinos forms. As birds, they're on the large side, even for a raven. As humans, they tend to be on the short side, and lightweight. All of them inherited Raven's curiosity, and consider it their duty to learn as much as they can about the world, and share those secrets with others.
As far as totems go, all corax have Raven as a totem - but there's something else tossed into the deal, too. Helios (the Sun) also acts as a totem to the corax.. The reasons behind this are complicated, and involve some trickery on raven's part (well, that's a surprise, hey?), but the fact of the matter is that Helios smiles on raven's children and grants them his blessings.
Because of Helios' involvement, the corax aren't bound to the moon's changing face, and don't have auspices the way the lupines do. All corax are considered ragabash, for the purposes of auspice.
Corax are also free of another one of the moon's complications: they are immunes to the effects of silver! In fact, most corax love silver, and make a habit of wearing it (if only because it drives the lupines nuts!). There is a trade-off, though... corax take aggravated damage from gold, instead. It affects them the same way as silver affects the garou.
As Raven's children, the corax have a sacred duty... a sort of corvid 'last rites'.. which they perform on the dead. They eat the eyes of the fallen. Yes -that's right - corax eat dead things, and they do go for the eyes, first. The eyes are the juciest part, the easiest to get at, and the eyes are a portal to the mind. You see, the eyes aren't just another tasty snack - they're a reminder that the body was once a living creature, complete with feelings, ambitions, and personality... you don't just toss back a few calories when you drink an eye... you can actually learn things about the one who died.
A corax, in corvid form, can 'drink' the eye of any fresh corpse, be it man, raven, wolf, or another animal entirely. Permission is needed from the corpse before you do this, though, and its difficult to explain how exactly you get that permission, but you ask the corpse, and you just sorta know whether you're allowed to drink or not.

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Then you have to choose which eye to drink from. The right will show you the good in the death, and the left will show you the bad. You can pick either, but drinking from too many left eyes or right eyes in row can get unpleasant. And no, you can't drink both eyes.
What do you see when you drink an eye? It depends on the individual corax, the feelings of the corpse, the way it died, and the generosity of the Storyteller. Most commonly, though, you can see the dead person's last sight, feel what they were feeling, and remember bits of what they were thinking. These memories become your nourishment as much as the victim's flesh does. A corax doesn't survive on roadkill alone, after all.
This 'drinking of eyes' is unique to the corax race. All corax do it, and it seems to be an instinctive thing, taking all of a few minutes to learn fully. Its part of what it means to be Raven's children. Ravens are carrion birds, after all, and death is every much a part of life as living is. You have to learn to see the good and the bad in death, enjoy the sorrow and the laughter in life, and share your knowledge and understanding with the rest of Gaia's creatures.
Corax are unique among the changing breeds in other ways, too: they don't reproduce through breeding alone, as the lupines do, but through the use of a rite. The Rite of the Fetish Egg is performed over a human baby or a raven's egg, binding the psychic energies of the corax parent to the young one, which will later become a fully fledged (pardon the pun) corax.
If the corax parent is a corvid, the rite must be performed on a human child. If the parent is homid, it must be done with an egg. This means that the 'breed' keeps alternating from generation to generation, between homid and corvid. The numbers of homid and corvid among the corax are kept pretty even this way.
The rite won't work with the child (or egg) of two corax parents, though. Corax metis are a non-issue. That's a good thing, if you thing about it. It's bad enough when some poor garou gives birth to a metis werewolf... but can you imagine trying to hatch a half-egg, half baby? Or give birth to a screeching mass of feathers and talons, with a very sharp beak?
The Rite of the Fetish Egg isn't the only cool corax rite. Others include Rite of the Sun's Bright Ray (a level two rite which creates a 20'x20' area of bright sunlight, lasting for an hour or more. Can all you leeches out there say 'Sunburn'?), Rite of Becoming (a level two rite which lets a corax fly into the deep umbra), Rite of the Battle Blessing (level four, cast by the Morrigan to help the garou defeat whole armies of opponents), and Rite of Memory Theft (a level four punishment rite used to rob an errant corax of his entire memory).
Of course, the corax gifts are even cooler. And since there's no breed/auspice/tribe rubbish to worry about, there aren't any restrictions about who can learn what. Not to mention that as corax get up in rank, they often learn garou gifts as well, and sometimes even the rites of other bete!

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Some of the cooler corax gifts include:
• Voice of the Mimic (level 1), allowing a corax to copy any sound or voice she's heard.
• Morse (level 1), which lets a corax transmit an important message in morse code to his nearest fellow corax .
• Raven's Gleaning (level 1), which helps a corax decide whether something which has caught her eye is worth picking up.
• Word Beyond (level one), which allows corax to leave messages for other corax in the umbra.
• Carrion's Call (level 2), which informs a corax when there is a fresh corpse nearby.
• Razor Feathers (level 2), a combat gift which can turn a corax's feathers into lethal weapons as sharp as steel.
• Sky's Benificence (level 2) which allows a corax to drop an object (or even a little birdie-blessing) directly onto a target even while flying at great heights.
• Sky's Shadow (level 2) which lets a selected target feel like they're being followed.
• Swallow's Return (level 2), a gift which 'auto-pilots' a corax back to its nest even when he's too tired or injured to know where it's flying.
• Dark Truths (level 3) which lets a corax discover a dark secret about anyone they can see.
• Dead Talk (level 3) allowing a corax to converse briefly with the spirit of a recently dead body.
• Eyes of the Eagle (level 3) which enables a corax (in any form) to see through fog, smoke, clouds, and darkness.
• Flight of the Swift (level 3) can more than double the maximum flying speed in corvid form.
• Hummingbird Dart (level 3) makes a single feather into a deadly throwing-weapon that does aggravated damage.
• Larder of the Shrike (level 3) lets a corax store food (or anything else) for up to a year, without decaying.
• Mynah's Touch (level 3) lets a corax 'borrow' a gift from a garou, for a single use.
• Sun's Guard (level 4) saves a corax from being burned by fire or heat.
• Gauntlet Runner (level 4) makes it easier to cross the gauntlet, fast.
• Helios' Child (level 4) gives a corax a ball of flames to throw.
• Vulture's Feast (level 4) rots an enemy's flesh with a single touch.
• Gift of Eyes (level 5) allows a corax to drink from both eyes of the slain.
• Moments of Eclipse (level 5) will allow a corax to temporarily sever her connection with the sun - making her immune to gold, but also unable to use Rage during that time.
• Theft of Stars (level 5) which can prevent an enemy from seeing any natural light (sun, stars, moon, etc) for a full hour.
These gifts are learned in the same way as the garou gifts - taught by spirits and avatars when the time is right, and the corax is the appropriate rank.

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The ranking system is similar to that of the garou. There are five ranks, and a corax must earn renown to advance from once rank to another. There aren't any challenges or rites of passage, though... the corax simply acknowledge the new rank ofthe deserving, and begin to accord them the priviledges which come with that rank.
A corax who has just had his first change is an Oviculum. The rank equivalent to the garou 'fostern' is Neocornix. Next is Ales, followed by Volucris. The corax 'elders' are called Corvus (singluar, or Corvi, in the plural).
And speaking of priviledges of rank, one of them is sitting higher in the tree at a corax moot. Yep - corax have their own moots, just like the wolf-boys do, except corax hold their moots in trees, in the daytime, and every one comes in crovid form. Why is it a priviledge to sit higher in the tree at a moot? ...Think about it.
Corax moots are infrequent, but when they're called, a lot of talking gets done (particularly because they aren't as formal and stuffy as garou moots). First, there's an invocation to Helios, and then a prayer to Raven. There's the basic touching base with eachother, seeing who showed and who didn't (any corax who can come, will. Those who don't...well, there's usually a brief search party, and often a howl... er, caw... for the deceased). New corax are introduced to the rest. Stories are told, business is dealt with, and plans are made. Renown is dished out as appropriate while all that is going on... no formal procedure... just shouting and gossiping, really. The storytelling and gossiping go on till the moot ends, which is at sundown. Just before sundown, the corax take to the air and fly over the town, spiralling towards a central point (which they reach as the sun sets) and they all share what they've seen... usually over a pint of beer at a nearby tavern.
Which brings us to yet another corax trait: Talking. Corax are talkative. You know - the kind who just can't stop once they've gotten onto a good story... except that they have a hard time getting to the point of the story, sometimes, because they keep getting distracted by little details, or related topics, or just go off on a complete tanget, babbling about any matter of interest, especially secrets - good secrets are the hardest ones to keep, you see, and the better the secret the tougher it is to keep it (not that any corax would keep a secret from another corax of course) but its the sort of thing which can get you into trouble around the less pleasant creatures out there, or even the pleasant ones who just don't want certain secrets told, or who don't want to listen to you babbling on and on and on and on....
Ah... yeah. Its great to be a corax!

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