W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

minimum difficulty of 3). In Kali Dahaka form, the Nagahalso gains the benefits of the lupus Gift: Scent of Sight.Wereserpents also have somewhat poor hearing.In Kali Dahaka form, Nagah gain a +3 difficulty to allhearing-based Perception rolls. In Vasuki form, Nagahare deaf to all airborne sounds.All Nagah begin with Willpower 4.RageNagah regain one point of Rage for each hour spent underwateror partially submerged. However, their cold-bloodednature means that their capacity for Rage increases slowly.Nagah pay double the freebie point cost (2 per point) andexperience point cost (current rating x 2) to increase their Rage.For each point a Nagah’s Rage exceeds his Willpower,he loses one die on all Social dice pools. Humans canfeel the presence of this cruel and ruthless creature, andavoid prolonged contact. Nagah are subject to frenzy (butnot the Thrall of the Wyrm), but require six successeson a Rage roll to lose control.Umbra and TotemsWeresnakes do not have easy access to the Umbra. ANagah can only step sideways in the immediate presenceof the Ananta to which it and its nest-mates are dedicated.If a Nagah carries the Ananta within himself (see Ananta,p. 211) he can attempt to step sideways anywhere, leadinghis other nest-mates across the Gauntlet with him. AnyNagah can step sideways in the Serpent Waters — aquaticGlens where the Umbra bleeds into the physical world.Nagah have neither individual nor pack Totems.However, Nagah who belong to the same nest share apowerful spiritual bond. Nagah can lead their nest-matesinto the Umbra as though they were a pack. This bondalso allows them to use Pack Tactics (W20, p. 300) asthough they had a totem.VenomIn any form other than Balaram, a Nagah can injecta chosen victim with supernaturally potent venom. ANagah can deliver this poison when her bite inflicts atleast one health level of damage. Her poison causes an additionalseven health levels of aggravated damage that thevictim soaks separately from the bite. Her venom cannotaffect spirits (even materialized spirits) or other Nagah.A Nagah can store three doses of venom in her poisonglands, and each dose takes 24 hours to replenish itself.In Azhi Dahaka form, Nagah can attempt to spitvenom into a target, poisoning and perhaps blindinghim. Spitting venom uses up the equivalent of two dosesof poison. Roll Dexterity + Athletics, difficulty 7 (difficulty9 when targeting the eyes). If the attack hits, thevictim has until the Nagah’s next turn to wash it off. Ifhe cannot, the venom inflicts seven levels of aggravateddamage as normal. If the attack hits the eyes, the venomalso blinds the victim for a number of rounds equal to(10 – victim’s Stamina; minimum 3 rounds).RenownUnlike other Changing Breeds, Nagah do not use asystem of publicly sung tales for their Renown. As they nevergather or organize themselves in groups larger than three(other than the Sesha) and prize anonymity as key to thesuccess of their sacred duties, public Renown is counter toeverything the Nagah stand for. Nor do they rely upon thespirit hosts to hear their tales and judge their worth; theirrelationship with the Wani take place of connections tomyriad spirits that other shapeshifters rely upon. A Nagah’srank is determined solely by the judgment of the Sesha(which is to say, the Storyteller). When the time comesfor a nest to be considered for advancement in rank, theyare summoned before the Sesha. There, they are takeninto audience one at a time to recount the details of theirdeeds, to report any information gleaned for the good of theBreed, and finally, to evaluate each other’s performancessince the last such audience. Later, they are each calledinto the Hall of the Wani, where they are informed if theyhave achieved a new rank, and the Wani summon spiritsto teach any new Gifts earned by their deeds.BreedsNagah have three breeds: balaram (a weresnake bornas a human), ahi (a Nagah “metis”), and vasuki (bornas one of a clutch of young serpents). Female Nagahalways know if they are carrying a wereserpent or one ofthe Kinfolk. If she is bearing Kinfolk, a pregnant Nagahcan choose to give birth to a human child or a clutch ofsnakes using the Rite of Bearing — a choice she mustmake if the father is also Nagah. If she does not use theRite, her offspring share the breed of their Nagah parent.• Balaram: Human relations are important to theNagah; without information networks and clean-up crews,the assassins would be much less effective as a whole.Those Nagah born into a Nagah cult or crime family areoften considered specially blessed, as they begin learningtheir nature very early; weresnakes who grow up knowingnothing about their heritage are often horrified to suddenlybecome a monstrous serpent. Long ago, most balaramwere the children of human nobles, but for the last fewcenturies Nagah have bred predominantly with humansthey admire, regardless of their paramours’ mortal standing.Beginning Gnosis: 1Beginning Gifts: Persuasion, Prehensile Body• Ahi: Ahi are not deformed or stigmatized. Instead,Nagah particularly prize and cherish the children of twoNAGAH157