Everything

As the Shadow

Lord Gift.

The Ajaba employ variations of most of the same rites that the Garou use. At present, they’re too concerned with fighting for survival to concern themselves with many unique cultural rites.

Song of Home

Level Three, Accord The first new rite developed by the Ajaba-in-exile tells the story of their homelands and tragedy through song and dance. This rite has three aspects. Remembrance recalls the loss of their homelands. Restoration reaffirms their link with Gaia. Revenge spits curses at the Simba and swears never to forget. Each aspect empowers the Ajaba in a different way.

System: The ritemaster chooses which aspect to emphasize and calls the dancers together. If the rite is successful, at its conclusion all participants feel a sense of renewal and regain all spent Willpower (Remembrance), Gnosis (Restoration) or Rage (Revenge).

Guidebook

Level One, Gnosis 5 The Ajaba were forced to assimilate into strange cultures to avoid Black Tooth’s hunters. These simple fetishes make this task easier and have quickly spread throughout the diaspora. This fetish is made from an actual traveller’s guidebook for any location, with an ancestor-spirit bound into the pages. When activated, the Ajaba reduces the difficulty of any social or Streetwise rolls made to fit into a group or culture by 2.

Vanity Mirror

Level Three, Gnosis 7 This small metal trinket has a highly reflective metal­ lic elemental spirit within. The Ajaba originally made it to escape from the Simba, but it works against others as well. When activated, everyone who can see the fetish must roll Willpower against a difficulty of the Vanity Mirror’s Gnosis. If they do not at least equal the number of successes on the Ajaba’s activation roll, they find any nearby reflective surfaces absolutely irresistible, and can take no actions for (Gnosis) turns. Attacking anyone so entranced gives the victim two extra dice on their ac­ tion. The effect ends immediately if any of the distracted people are attacked; this fetish is for fleeing, not fighting.

STEREOTYPES

Musonda Crushing-Jaws shares his views:

• Silent Striders: You come, you go, but you fuckers never stick around. You cannot keep ignoring us.

“What the Simba have done is terrible, not just for the damage but because it’s driven the Ajaba into the arms of very dangerous allies.” — Cailean Walks-with-Wind

• Simba: You’re murdering dictators every one. Some of you might not like the current bastard in charge, but that doesn’t make us friends.

“The Hyena Kings ruined so much of Africa. Not just one land or one people, but a whole continent. Black Tooth was right to defy them.” — Shadow-Talon Msmati

• Mokolé: You will remember our story and it will teach future generations: do not trust the Simba.

“We remember every atrocity, every feud. We will remember the Ajaba as choosers of the slain, not as refugees from their own homeland.” — Radiant Tsanga

Serving their Wyrm-imprisoned Queen, the Ananasi manipulate human society at every level. Seen as evil incarnate by most of the other Changing Breeds, the werespiders spin their schemes from the shadows, waiting for the day when — through their efforts — the Symmetry will be restored and the Triat put into balance again.

In the beginning, there was only the Triat: Weaver, Wyrm, and Wyld. The Wyld’s first and best creation was Gaia, who in turn, created her own children — the Garou, the Mokolé, and all the other Changing Breeds.

All, that is, save for one. The Wyld was not the only maker in existence, after all.

The Weaver, too, made a child, spinning Her out of silk so fine and so strong that while She appeared delicate and fragile, She would be nearly impossible to destroy. It is from the Weaver’s first and only child — Ananasa, the Spider Queen — that all Ananasi are descended. She is their Great Mother, their personal Totem, their Queen, and their Goddess.

Queen Ananasa was much like Her mother — crafty and beautiful, loving all that was perfect and right in the universe. In time, She met Spider, and fell in love with his long, nimble limbs, and his bright, gleaming eyes. Ananasa and Spider came together, spinning a nest within which to share their love. Their child, called Anansi, was the first werespider.

Anansi was all his parents could hope for in a child. His form was beautiful, with both limbs and eyes in great number, and even greater agility. His mind was just as quick and nimble as his body, and his words could be as sweet as honey — or as sharp as a knife.

Anansi, in time, had children of his own: the Dam­ hàn, who would eventually come to be known as the Ananasi. Walking on two legs and skittering on eight, each served their purpose, maintaining the rightful bal­ ance and symmetry of the Great Web that encompassed all creation. And under the tutelage and guidance of Ananasa and Anansi, the Ananasi prospered.

For a long time, all things were balanced, and Sym­ metry was maintained. Then, despite Queen Ananasa’s efforts to sustain in the Great Web, things began to spin out of control. The Weaver grew mad and bound the Wyrm in her Webs. In retaliation, the Wyrm captured Queen Ananasa, Grandmother Spider’s only child. To protect Herself, Ananasa spun a protective orb so strong and flawless that even She could not break it or communicate through its impervious walls. Unable to destroy the Queen, the Wyrm stole this flawless opal prison and its precious cargo, and absconded with it to the heart of its realm.

Holding their Queen prisoner deep within Malfeas, the Wyrm coerced the Ananasi into its service, threat­ ening to destroy Ananasa if they did not obey. Unable to communicate with the Queen Mother within Her protective opal orb, and fearing for Her life, the Ananasi agreed.

But the Damhàn are a cunning Breed. Even while they pretended to serve the Wyrm’s will, the Ananasi searched throughout the Great Web for their Queen, trying to find where the Wyrm had hidden Her away. On two legs and eight they travelled the depth and breadth of the universe, every eight-fold Ananasi eye kept alert for clues as to Her whereabouts. Exploring every nook and cranny, studying every shadow, they learned many secrets about the universe around them — but found no trace of their beloved Queen. Only Her first and most cunning child, Anansi, was finally able to locate Her, deep in the heart of the Wyrm’s realm.

Seeking to free Her, Anansi cajoled and tricked the Garou into storming Malfeas to capture what he claimed was the Wyrm’s very heart — but which was actually Ananasa’s prison. By manipulation and deception, he convinced the Garou and the other Changing Breeds that by destroying this opal, they could destroy the Wyrm for once and for all, and fulfill their duty to Gaia.

Lacking Anansi’s cunning, the Ovid fell for his ploy. At great cost, the Garou stormed Malfeas, seized the opal, and began to attack it. But despite their Rage, they could

not destroy what the Great Mother had spun. They did make a crack in it, however: a tiny opening through which Queen Ananasa could communicate. She thanked the Garou for rescuing Her, but Her gratitude fell upon deaf ears. The Garou were so angry at having been outsmarted, they accused Anansi of Wyrm-taint and vowed to destroy him, his Mother, and all his descendents.

Fortunately, the Ananasi are more cunning than any brutish wolves could imagine. Using the secrets they had unearthed during their search for their Queen, they slipped into the space between the threads that make up the great Web, and vanished out of sight, leaving the Garou with only the remaining Changing Breeds upon which to vent their Rage. Thus were the Ananasi able to weather the initial fury of the Garou, which soon erupted in the conflagration now known as the War of Rage. But all victories have a price. The conflict decimated the other Changing Breeds and drove wedges between the Ananasi and all other shifters.

In modern times, the Ananasi continue to do what they do best. They hide. They scheme. They manipulate the world around them, as deftly and subtly as a spider managing its web. They cultivate human society, using humankind as a tool in their efforts to fulfill their Queen’s directives, and ultimately, to free her from her ages-old imprisonment.

No other creatures understand so well the connection between all living things — natural and supernatural — as do the spider-folk. Each being, each place, each event is tied to every other through the ornate but inescapable strands of the Great Web. And, as such, every piece of it can be manipulated, even from a great distance — by those who understand those connections.

Unlike the First Change that clearly defines a point of transformation for most Changing Breeds, the evolution of a human (or arachnid) into a full-fledged Ananasi does not occur all at once. The Metamorphosis creeps up on a soon-to-be Ananasi, subtly altering first their perceptions and emotions, and then their physical form. The pre-Metamorphosis Damhàn experiences a gradual rise in curiosity, as she notices details and patterns in the world around her to a greater extent than ever before. She also finds her emotions cooling as she grows more dispas­ sionate and analytical in her feelings and actions.

Physical changes soon follow, as the Ananasi’s body slowly transforms itself into one capable of achieving many disparate forms. Subtle anomalies begin to appear; she may sprout thick, bristly hair in patches on her body, and unidentifiable lumps

and bumps may begin to manifest (and move around!) under her skin.

As well, the individual’s tastes shift. She loses the desire to eat for taste or sensory satisfaction, and instead finds herself drawn to a high-protein diet including ever-more-rare selections of red meat — and eventually blood.

While these changes may seem strange to the young Ananasi, the earlier psychological and emotional trans­ formation she’s undergone pave the way for her to accept them with a detached curiosity rather than alarm. They also make it easier for her to control these changes, so

ANANASI LEXICON

Anansi: The first and wisest of the Ananasi. Ac­

cording to some, Anansi is still alive, directing his Queen’s worshipers through subtle and hid­ den means.

Aspect: The subset of Ananasi determined by which

part of the Triat the werespider is dedicated to. The aspects include: Hatar (the Wyrm), Kumoti (the Wyld), and Tenere (the Weaver).

Crawlerling: The natural spider form. Ananasi can

separate themselves into a mass of normal-sized spiders, and then regroup into one of their other forms at a later time.

Damhàn (DOM-hahn): The name which the Ana­

nasi call themselves.

Faction: The given role that each of the Ananasi

follows. The factions include: Myrmidon (War­ rior), Viskr (Wizard), and Wyrsta (Questioner of the Way).

Grandmother Spider: The Weaver.

Great Mother, the: Queen Ananasa.

Great Web, the: The universe as a whole. It is no

longer perfect, and that imperfection is what the Ananasi seek to repair. Different than the Web or Web of Ananasa (see below).

Hatar: Wyrm-aspected Ananasi.

Kumoti: Wyld-aspected Ananasi.

Lilian: The spider/human hybrid form.

Mother-Queen: Ananasa.

Myrmidon (MEER-mi-don): The martial faction

of the Ananasi.

Ovid (OH-vid): The other Changing Breeds, mostly

considered by the Ananasi to be insignificant compared to their own place and duty.

Pithus: The giant spider form.

as to hide them from the casual observer. As such, from her early Metamorphosis onward, an Ananasi is less likely to accidentally rend the Veil than any other of the Changing Breeds.

Queen Ananasa: The creator of the Ananasi and

the guiding force behind everything they do. She is both their Spirit parent and their totem.

Sylie (SI-lee): A haven and connection to the

Umbra (and thus to Queen Ananasa) that each Ananasi creates; something like a Den-Realm.

Symmetry: The ultimate goal of the Ananasi and

Queen Ananasa: the restoration of the Triat to their proper places and eventual restoration of universal balance.

Tapestry, the: Proper perspective on the universe.

According to Ananasi thought, the universe is made of endless strands; only by observing the whole of this grand Tapestry can any creature understand its proper place in the Universe.

Tenere: Weaver-aspected Ananasi

Unweaving: Deliberate alteration or destruction of

a part of the Tapestry or Great Web, in order to restore Symmetry.

Viskr (VIS-kr): The magic-focused faction of the

Ananasi.

War in the Heavens: The great battles that led to

the fall of the Triat and the building of the Web.

Weaving: Deliberate alteration, restoration, or cre­

ation of a part of the Tapestry or Great Web in order to restore Symmetry.

Web, the: The Gauntlet. While this is a hindrance

to most of the Ovid, the Ananasi use the Web to serve their own purposes. Different than the Great Web (see above) or Web of Ananasa, below.

Web of Ananasa: The connection and political

body of the Ananasi as a whole. The entire race of Ananasi as relates to the great scheme of the Mother-Queen.

Wyrsta (WEER-stah): The “questioning” faction

of the Ananasi.

Umbral Instruction

Although it is subtle compared to many shapeshifters’ First Change, the final Metamorphosis of a young Ananasi inevitably attracts the attention of others of her kind. Fol­

lowing instructions from Queen Ananasa Herself, these more experienced werespiders bring the fledgling to the Umbra where she receives a thorough grounding in her new life, learns her role in the Great Web, and for the first time, shares communication with the Mother-Queen Herself.

Most Ananasi lead solitary lives, each doing her part to carry out the will of Queen Ananasa, with whom she maintains a personal bond. While they are uncannily aware of the connections between all the disparate parts of reality (which they refer to as the Great Web) they, themselves, most often remain aloofly above what they

THE LAWS OF ANANASA

Queen Ananasa’s directives to Her children may be subtle and complex, but their overarch­ ing goal is a simple one: restore Symmetry to the Great Web. In order to complete this singular mission, however, Her children have innumerable likewise-herculean tasks to accomplish, not the least of which is restoring each member of the Triat to sanity (and to their original, balanced duties).

To keep Her children’s own balance and focus, Ananasa has set forth a series of nine Laws that rule their every action. While humans may defy their legal system, and even Garou may debate the meaning of the tenets of their Litany, every Ananasi holds these Laws at the core of their being, knowing that without them, success is not only unlikely — it is impossible.

Obey the Mother-Queen in All Things Defend Your Brethren from All Who Would Do

Them Harm Follow the Aspect and Faction that Ananasa

Chooses for You Understand the Ways of the Triat, Both as They

Were and as They Are. Know the Difference

Know Your Enemies Know the Great Web for What It Is

Know Your Place Keep Your Mouth Shut Worship None but Ananasa

EVERYWHERE

Anansi has taught his children well. Walk­ ing on two legs — or eight — they live, hunt, breathe, and breed amongst humanity every day and every night. No home, warehouse, shop, park, school, or office is entirely devoid of their presence. They are everywhere.

Unlike most of the Changing Breeds, whose animal Kin cause quite a stir when appearing in human-dominated areas, spiders are ubiquitous. Some studies estimate that there are 130 spiders for every square yard of land on the earth — and that human beings are rarely more than three feet away from one at any given time. Including while they sleep.

How many of those are “mundane” spi­ ders, and how many are actually spider-Kin, or Crawlerling-formed spider-shifters?

No one can be certain.

And to those who have stopped to think about it, that — more than their blood-drinking, venom, or emotionless dedication to their alien Queen — is the most terrifying thing about the Ananasi.

see as the “lesser” parts of that same interwoven Tapestry. They are, at heart, the manipulators of those threads, rather than threads themselves. And as such, while they may give the appearance of bonding with those around them (as an effective manipulation technique), in truth they categorically avoid becoming too intimately connected with humanity, the Ovid, or even others of their own kind.

When they do organize in groups, either to accomplish a goal too large for single effort or for mutual protection, these temporary “clusters” quickly disband after the threat is dealt with or the task completed. Some among the Ovid claim this is the only way that the werespiders avoid falling to the cannibalism that often happens in nature when one spider intrudes on another’s territory. The Ananasi have not deigned to answer these allegations.

As the only remaining insect shape-shifters (and the only shapeshifting children of the Grandmother Spider), Ananasi differ from the rest of the Changing Breeds in

many ways. Some are obvious — no other living Changing Breed has the ability to separate themselves into thousands of parts like the Ananasi’s Crawlerling forms, for example. Other differences are more subtle, but no less significant.

Blood

Unlike other Changing Breeds, the Damhàn are not driven by Rage. Instead, they possess a supernatural blood pool and may use the blood points within that pool for supernatu­ ral abilities such as extra actions and healing. Regardless of their breed or form, Ananasi can hold up to 10 blood points (each one about the equivalent of a health level of damage), although some Gifts enable them to exceed this maximum.

Werespiders may eat normal food (for humans or spiders), but they gain their real sustenance and power from ingesting blood. Taking five blood points from an average human will hospitalize him, and more will cer­ tainly kill him. For Ananasi who are not worried about the after-effects of their meal, the average human can be siphoned for ten points of blood before he’s drained completely dry. Animals provide blood in varying quanti­ ties depending on their size: a Husky may provide six or seven blood points, a Siamese, only one.

Ananasi are, of course, not limited to mammalian meals. For those who prefer discretion (or simply have no other options) cold-blooded animals — or even insects — can serve, however a vast quantity of spiders or other insects must be consumed to refresh a single blood point.

Running out of blood in her blood pool does not weaken an Ananasi, but until she has regained blood, she may not use any of the special abilities granted by her blood pool.

Ananasi can accomplish the following by using blood points: • Spending one blood point allows a werespider to shift reflexively into a chosen form. • Spending one blood point gives an Ananasi an extra action in a turn. • Ananasi use blood points to power certain Gifts and rites. • Ananasi may spend blood to heal wounds (see Heal­ ing, below). • Blood points fuel an Ananasi’s ability to create webs (see Webs, below).

Unlike vampires, werespiders cannot employ blood to boost their Physical Attributes, nor do they gain extra bonuses from the blood of Changing Breeds or other supernatural creatures (though they may enjoy the taste and potency). Unless using the Gift: Blood Pump, a werespider may spend blood for only one benefit per turn — although she may spend more than one blood point to achieve her goal. Note that spending blood on

extra actions precludes the werespider from using blood to do anything else during those actions, including using certain Gifts, healing wounds, or creating webs. Ananasi may not expend blood and Gnosis in the same turn, except when using a Gift that requires both.

Healing

Ananasi do not regenerate like most other Changing Breeds. Instead, they use the blood from their blood pool to heal both normal and aggravated wounds.

To heal bashing and lethal damage, Damhàn spend one blood point per level of damage, and the healing takes one turn. In order to heal one level of aggravated damage, an Ananasi must spend a total of five blood points, at a rate of one point per turn. The aggravated damage is healed at the end of the turn in which the last blood point is spent.

Unless a werespider uses blood to heal damage, she heals at the same rate as normal humans do. Ananasi may spend blood for healing while in any form but Crawlerling. Diseases may also be healed as if they were aggravated damage, with more serious diseases, equating to more “levels” of damage. Spending five blood points, or the equivalent of healing one level of aggravated damage, can purge common ailments such as the flu. Serious illnesses such as AIDS, lupus or Crohn’s disease count as three to five levels of aggravated damage (15 to 25 blood points). Ananasi seeking to purge their systems of serious diseases must, therefore, consume blood in large quantities.

Vulnerability

Perhaps because they are not Gaian offspring, Ana­ nasi possess no vulnerability or allergy to silver, nor to any other substance as a Breed. They often point this out as proof of their superiority to the Ovid.

Physical Peculiarities

Once they have progressed through their Metamor­ phosis, even human-born Ananasi share many physical traits with natural spiders. Their circulatory, digestive, and respiratory systems all shift to accommodate the processing of blood in addition to solid food. Although these changes may be difficult to notice for the casual observer, they are a physical manifestation of how decid­ edly different even homid Ananasi are from the humans they so deftly emulate. (See Homid, p. 64, for additional details.)

As well, in all forms other than Homid, Ananasi have eight eyes. This allows them greater peripheral vi­ sion (up to 240º, at the Storyteller’s discretion based on specific forms and individual physiques), although they must still make a Perception + Alertness roll to notice specific details within that expanded peripheral vision.

ANANASI

Most of the Ananasi forms have multiple limbs, but they are bound by the same penalties for taking extra actions as any other character. However, they may use their extra hands to carry more items (including weapons) and should they lose the use of a limb in battle, they still have a spare or two in reserve.

Venom

Even if the spider species they emulate does not, Ananasi also possess venom-producing glands (and fangs capable of delivering this venom via a bite). These are present in all forms (including Homid), allowing a werespider to bite with poisonous effect regardless of his current shape.

The Damhàn’s current form does, however, affect the venom’s potency. Ananasi in Pithus form produce full strength venom; in Lilian form, their poison is somewhat diluted. Storytellers should determine for themselves the exact amount of damage (and any extra effects) based on the particular “spider” species, but venom always deals aggravated damage that can only be healed through medical attention or magical healing. Left unattended, the damage will never heal.

Webs

Not all natural spiders build webs. As a whole, however, the Damhàn are connected to Grandmother Spider, the greatest web-mistress of all. Thus, even if an Ananasi bears the visage of a non-spinning species, his ties to Queen Ananasa provide him with the ability to create webs.

When in Pithus form, Ananasi can spin webs that are almost as strong as steel (an effective Strength of 9) and yet as flexible as natural spider webs. Pithus webs take four health levels of damage before they break. Creating webs costs a Pithus Ananasi one blood point to create a web large enough to block an industrial sized doorway, fill a small closet, or ensnare a large human (or Crinos Garou). In Crawlerling form, all Ananasi can spin webs that have the strength of ordinary spider webs — this does not require the expenditure of blood.

Rage, Shapeshifting, and Frenzy

Unlike their more volatile Ovid cousins, the cold-hearted and emotionless Damhàn do not possess Rage, and thus do not rely upon it for shapeshifting. To move from any one form to any other, a werespider must suc­ ceed in a Stamina + Primal-Urge roll, or spend a blood point to reflexively shift to her chosen form.

Ananasi inherently experience emotions differently from most other beings. Although they are capable of feeling joy, sorrow, anger, and the like, they do so in a muted and distant fashion. This can sometimes make it

THE SYLIE

During her Umbral Instruction, each Ana­ nasi learns to weave her own private lair amongst the Great Web. This place, called the Sylie, ap­ pears to outside eyes to be a normal residence (be that apartment, hotel room, or shadowy cellar), but connects to the Umbra in a fashion similar to the Bastet’s Den-realms. It serves as a place of rest in which the Ananasi can replenish her Gnosis, and Damhàn can meditate there to attempt to learn Gifts directly from the Great Mother. It also allows the Ananasi to communicate directly with Queen Ananasa in her opal prison.

As it is a place of sanctuary for them, many Ananasi bring their prey into their Sylie to feed upon them. While Damhàn do not necessarily need to consume enough blood at each meal to kill their victim, this can lend their homes a certain macabre quality, if their predations are (accidentally or intentionally) lethal in nature.

difficult for them empathize with more emotion-driven creatures, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on the situation. However, because of this distance, and because they do not possess Rage, they do not normally frenzy. They can be induced to frenzy through supernatural means, but the difficulty to do so is raised by 2.

Entering the Umbra

The Ananasi’s relationship with the Web (which other shapeshifters call the Gauntlet) is unique. In order to cross into the Umbra, werespiders must assume their Crawlerling form and make their way through the Web’s strands. Once they have crawled across, they may assume any form they wish, but they may only success­ fully enter or leave the Umbra under their own power as Crawlerlings.

Because of their Queen’s relation to Grandmother Spider, the Ananasi find it easier to cross into the Umbra where the Weaver holds firm control.

Area Difficulty

Server Room 2 Office Building/Metro Area 4 Suburb/Small City 6 Farmland/Large Park/Rural Area 8 Untouched Wilderness 9

Where the Wyrm’s taint is significant, most of the Damhàn have greater difficulty traversing the Web. Only those of the Hatar aspect can enter the Umbra in Wyrm-infested areas at no penalty; other aspects add +2 to their difficulty to crawl through.

Renown

Queen Ananasa judges each werespider according to their adherence to the ways of the Triat: resourcefulness and cleverness yields Cunning, adhering to Ananasa’s laws results in Obedience, and good judgment and in­ tuition grants Wisdom.

Backgrounds and Abilities

The Ananasi’s breed determines his beginning Will­ power and Gnosis, and all Ananasi have a blood pool of 10, regardless of breed, aspect, or faction. Because Queen Ananasa does not wish for Her chil­ dren to become mired in the mistakes of the past, Ananasi may not take Ancestors or Pure Breed as Backgrounds. Arachnid-born Ananasi are not limited in the Abilities they may choose. While a spider-born Ananasi would not enter their Metamorphosis with human-focused Abilities, because of the Ananasi’s duties (and the pressure upon them to serve Ananasa’s will), they are likely to develop them more quickly than other animal-born shapeshift­ ers. If Storytellers desire to put logical limitations upon newly-Metamorphosed Ananasi based on their breed, they are certainly encouraged to do so.

Because of their familial connection to Her, all Dam­ hàn automatically gain Queen Ananasa as their personal totem for free. Other shapeshifters who desire to seek Ananasa as a totem must not only pay experience points to purchase Her as their personal totem, but must eschew belonging to a pack, or else lose Her as their mentor.

Ananasi admit to two distinct breeds: arachnid and homid. No metis Ananasi are known to exist. Whether this is because Ananasi/Ananasi pairings produce no issue or because any “child” born of such a match dies — or is killed — at birth, the Ananasi do not say.

• Homid: Homid Ananasi, born from human parent­ age, have an early life that differs little from most human children. As they near the time of their First Change, however, they notice significant differences between themselves and their human friends. By the time they fully undergo their physical transformation (see Forms, p. 64) they have undergone the psychological and emo­ tional changes necessary to not only accept their true nature, but to hide it from outside eyes.

Beginning Willpower: 3 Beginning Gnosis: 1

• Arachnid: Arachnid Ananasi, born from a spider spawning, hatch from an egg sac. Due to spiders’ short natural lifespan (and inherent fragility), they begin the Metamorphosis more quickly than their homid Kin, sometimes within hours of their hatching. Compared to their homid brethren, arachnid Ananasi also have a distinct disadvantage — their diminutive size. They must literally eat their way to a body mass that can ac­ commodate their change in form, usually feasting on their sac-mates and any other spiders in the area before working their way up to larger prey. Arachnid Ananasi usually share breed forms with one of their dominant local spider population — tarantulas, recluses, black widows, wolf spiders, or the like — and these unique physical characteristics show up across all their non-Homid forms.

Beginning Willpower: 4 Beginning Gnosis: 5

All Damhàn worship Queen Ananasa and serve Her (and Her ideal of Symmetry — restoring sanity, balance, and perfection to the Great Web) as their highest goal. However, each Ananasi fulfills these efforts through dedication to a facet of the Triat chosen for her by Ananasa Herself. Ananasi label these three distinct groups “aspects”, based on which of the Triat they are most closely aligned with.

Shortly after an Ananasi’s Metamorphosis, she manifests physical changes that denote her aspect. These markings manifest as changes in pore patterns (especially on the face and torso) in homid forms, but as overt coloration and texture changes in other forms. Tenere are branded with spider-web markings that radi­ ate in circles or wedges. Hatar markings are sinuous and

QUEEN ANANASA

As a totem, Queen Ananasa grants three dots of Occult and two dots of Enigmas while Her child is meditating in his Sylie (or, in the case of an Ovid child, while meditating in solitude). Her ban is that Her children must follow the Laws of Ananasa, and Ovid must cooperate with Ananasi.

Those Ovid She favors must pay 8 points to purchase Her as a personal totem. She does not favor packs, and will abandon any follower who joins one (as She feels this is a violation of the penultimate tenet of Her Laws).

WEAVER, WYRM, AND WYLD

As Ananasa’s progeny (and thus the progeny of Her ancestor, the Weaver, as well), all Ananasi share an affinity with Grandmother Spider to some degree. This is reflected in their physical form, their cool nature, and their dedication to Symmetry and The Great Web.

However, while many werespiders do serve their Queen through their dedication to the Weaver, Ananasa values balance above all else. Thus, an equal number are tasked with serving the other Triat aspects, although (as with the Weaver) in their primal, unsullied state rather than their modern corrupted forms.

serpentine. Kumoti patterns are jagged, like lightning bolts, zig-zagging and crossing over one another.

• The Tenere (Weaver-dedicated): Of all Damhàn,

Tenere have the best control over their emotions and pay the most attention to order and pattern. They aim

to restore the Weaver to her original aspect, not the mad-out-of-control creature she has become. Tenere value neatness in their personal lives, order in their relationships, and pattern in their day-to-day activities. Logical, calculating, and precise, they strive to maintain stability in the Great Web, and to embody the Weaver in everything they do.

Starting Gifts: Groom, Patience of Ananasa

• The Hatar (Wyrm-servants): Like the Tenere,

the Hatar are dedicated to the original aspect of their facet of the Triat — the Destroyer Wyrm, rather than the Corruptor. They believe that the Wyrm itself, has been corrupted by its imprisonment by the Weaver, and that in order to fulfill its true place in the Triat it must be freed and returned to its original role. Living embodi­ ments of the tenet that the “center cannot hold,” Hatar are the Unweavers of the Ananasi. Whether physical or esoteric, their duties focus on breaking down that which stands in the way of Symmetry, under the command of the Queen Mother.

Starting Gifts: Blood of Pain, Wyrmling Kinship • The Kumoti (Wyld-born): Creative and dynamic, Kumoti emulate the Wyld as it should be, rather than as it is. Through subtle changes and manipulations, they fight stagnation and entropy, encouraging growth and

development where it might not otherwise flourish. Some claim the Kumoti are more chaotic than calculating, but to the Wyld-born, any change carries with it the potential for transition in the right direction to achieve the Great Mother’s goals.

Starting Gifts: Inspire, Mother’s Touch Ananasi cannot change their aspects; there is no Rite of Renunciation for the werespiders. It is both their blessing and their curse that they are what they are, from the moment of their making until they are welcomed back into the Great Mother’s silken embrace.

While there are overarching goals and duties for each Ananasi aspect, even within each group, distinct roles exist. These subdivisions, known as factions, ensure that every part of an aspect’s responsibility receives proper focus and attention.

For each aspect, there are three factions, defining the individual Ananasi’s duties to Queen Ananasa succinctly. An Ana­ nasi’s destined faction be­ comes clear during her initial period of Umbral instruction.

• Myrmidon: War­

riors. They engage in martial combat when necessary, and guerilla tactics when that suits their Queen’s needs. They understand the subtleties of diplomacy and the value of shock maneuvers, alike.

Starting Gifts: Illusion of Size, Open Seal

• Viskir: Judges and mys­ tics. Specializing in hidden knowledges, arcane mag­ ics, and secret mysteries, they are the most likely to seek interaction with other Changing Breeds, or at least obtain their powers to fulfill The Great Mother’s goals.

Starting Gifts: Curse of

the Great Web, Shroud

• Wyrsta: Question­ ers. Wyrsta look beyond

how reality presently exists and ask not only why it is so, but how it could be manipulated better to serve the Queen Mother’s objective. They also test the rest of the Damhàn, personally and as a whole, to ensure they do not weaken the perfection of the Great Web through laziness, ignorance, or incompetence.

Starting Gifts: Alter Mood, Beastmind

Ananasi possess four distinct forms. Even the forms that seem most “normal” have their own oddities and unique characteristics, and each serves its own purpose in Queen Ananasa’s scheme.

• Homid: The Ananasi’s Homid form outwardly resembles the human body in size, shape and other external physical characteristics. While it does not pos­

sess extra eyes or limbs, this form still differs

from human in some distinctive ways. Its internal organs are no longer precisely hu­ man; the blood chemistry

alters to accommodate both

human hemoglobin

(or iron-based) and spider hemocyanin (or copper-based) mol­ ecules. The Homid form also possesses venom glands, vestigial fangs, and pedipalps in its mouth (see Venom, p. 61). • Lilian: Stronger, more enduring, and more

dexterous than Homid,

this form serves as the

Ananasi’s primary

combat form. Lil­

ian forms vary in a horrifying testi­ mony to the infinite variety of ways that human and giant spider physiques can be com­

bined. All, however, are

terrifying to human

eyes, inciting full De­ lirium. Ananasi can alter their Lilian form

through practice (and

the consumption of particular spider types

Form Statistics

Lilian Pithus Crawlerling

Str: +2 Str: +4 Str: 0 Dex: +3 Dex: +1 Dex: +5 Sta: +2 Sta: +3 Sta: 0 Man: –1 Man: –3 Man: 0 App: 0 App: 0 App: 0

to give them the desired appearance) or through the Gift: Alter Lilian. Bite and claw maneuvers can be used in this form.

The Lilian form increases in height and weight from the human form by about 50%, most of it in the form of elongated (and additional) limbs, exoskeleton, and abdominal mass.

• Pithus: The Ananasi’s Pithus form is that of a giant spider. The werespider’s weight doubles compared to its Lilian form, producing a spider with a body mass of between 500 and 700 pounds. Size varies drastically; a short, stout wolf-spider Pithus might be roughly the size of a small car, while a long-limbed harvestman-esque Pithus might have smaller body mass but a two-story leg span.

Pithus flesh and chitin becomes tougher and more powerful. The circulatory system becomes more hydraulic, allowing the Pithus to shift her weight about and increase her strength where it matters most. The Pithus form is ideal for producing webs with the tensile strength of steel (see Webs, p. 61). The Ananasi can use bite and claw maneuvers in this form, and, like the Lilian form, it invokes the full Delirium.

• Crawlerling: The most misunderstood of all Ananasi forms, the Crawlerling “form” involves the breakdown of the Ananasi into hundreds or thousands of normal-sized spiders equal in mass to the Ananasi’s human body mass. When an Ananasi assumes this form, some of the spiders serve as leaders, others as followers. These “leaders” possess the sum of an Ananasi’s memories and consciousness split between them, and direct the movement of their followers.

This form is best for escape, hiding, or infiltration. If even a few Crawlerling spiders survive, the Ananasi can eventually reconstitute herself, given time and the con­ sumption of protein (normally other spiders) to rebuild her mass. If a “leader” dies, the portion of memories and personality contained by that individual spider dies with it. If a significant portion (1/3 or more) of the Crawlerlings perish, the reconstituted Ananasi may appear (and act) quite different from the original individual.

Crawlerlings can produce webs as normal spiders do. Although the form itself does not invoke the Delirium, any mortal who happens to see the breakdown of an

Ananasi into Crawlerling form (or its reformation from Crawlerling to another form) suffers the full effect of Delirium.

Werespiders grant their loyalty to only one spirit: Queen Ananasa. She teaches them all of their Gifts as they meditate in their Sylies. Ananasi begin play with three Gifts: one general Gift, one Aspect Gift, and one Faction Gift.

Any ’copied’ Ananasi Gift which calls for a Rage expenditure substitutes blood points instead, and any Rage rolls use Gnosis instead.

General Ananasi Gifts