W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

of their breed, seeing them as creatures born to maintainharmony — only one in every ten children born to twoNagah parents is ahi. The parents of an ahi almost alwaysbelong to the same nest. A female Nagah can only bear asingle ahi at a time, and must give birth in an Ananta orin Serpent Waters. As the child is born in Ahzi Dahakaand cannot shapeshift for the first few years of life, theparents raise ahi in the Umbra away from prying eyes.The child must enter the physical world at least onceevery three months or else he becomes a spirit. Becauseof their upbringing, ahi Nagah are the most dedicated totheir nests, and the most familiar with the spirit world.Beginning Gnosis: 3Beginning Gifts: Weaver Sense, Wyld Sense, Wyrm Sense• Vasuki: Born as part of a clutch of a dozen or more eggs,vasuki grow up living as snakes. Only a single member of aclutch ever becomes a weresnake; the rest are Kinfolk. Boththe human world and the spirit world can be very strange fornewly changed vasuki. Seemingly simple tasks like walking orholding a weapon can be a challenge to a creature born withno limbs or appendages, and teaching a vasuki to integratecan require considerable time and effort. However, vasukiare also by far the most comfortable with wild areas and thenatural world, and thus an important part of the Breed.Beginning Gnosis: 5Beginning Gifts: River’s Gift, Treesnake’s BlessingAuspicesA Nagah’s role and temperament depends uponthe season of the year they were born in. Moon phasehas no relation to this, nor does where the Nagah wasborn. Each season is also associated with one of the fourclassical elements.• Kamakshi (Spring): In the spring, serpents wakeand leave hibernation. This is also the breeding seasonfor many snakes. Many Kamakshi excel in medicine,teaching and raising children, and helping others. Theytend to be active, but somewhat less inclined to violencethan most other Nagah — though still merciless killers,a Spring Nagah is more likely to regret a needless death.Their elemental association is to Earth.Beginning Rage: 3Beginning Gifts: Ganga’s Caress, Resist Pain• Kartikeya (Summer): Snakes are most active andaggressive in the summer. Many Kartikeya are warriorswho love battle, allowing their Rage to change theminto bloodthirsty monsters. They are more impulsive andinclined to acts of extreme violence than other Nagah.Their elemental association is to Fire.Beginning Rage: 4Beginning Gifts: Eyes of the War God, Scent ofthe True Form158CHANGING BREEDSBREEDS OF SNAKESNagah always transform into large and deadlypoisonous snakes. However, the exact type ofsnake differs. When a homid weresnake undergoestheir first change, she usually transforminto a snake native to her local area. Nagah aremost commonly associated with cobras, but thisis largely because cobras are large deadly snakesfound all across Africa and Asia. In other parts ofthe world, homid Nagah can become vipers likethe fer-de-lance or the bushmaster, cottonmouthmoccasins, or even rattlesnakes. However, oncea Nagah has undergone their First Change, theyalways become the same type of snake.• Kamsa (Autumn): Snakes prepare for hibernationin autumn. Kamsa reflect that, being careful plannersand exceptionally devious. They are more inclined thanother Nagah to indulge in complex machinations, bothin the course of their lives and when hunting targets toassassinate. Most are intellectuals who love riddles andmysteries, and many are extremely introspective. Theirelemental association is to Air.Beginning Rage: 3Beginning Gifts: Executioner’s Edge, Slayer’s Eye• Kali (Winter): Winter is a difficult time for snakes andthe Kali use difficulty to motivate them to do their best. Theyare the most ruthless and persistent of the four types of Nagah,preferring simple and direct action to complex schemes orimpulsive violence. Their elemental association is to Water.Beginning Rage: 4Beginning Gifts: Guided Strike, Iron CoilsFormsNagah can assume five different forms.• Balaram: In human form, the Nagah tend towardslithe forms of sinuous grace and wiry muscle. Many areof East Indian or Asian descent, but as the Breed hasexpanded across the globe, it has assimilated new humansinto the family, and now contains members of all races.• Silkaram: In Silkaram, the Nagah becomes ascaled humanoid with serpent eyes, and claws that doStrength + 0 lethal damage. Silkaram Nagah are slightlytaller than in their Balaram form, and increase in massbetween 10% and 30%.• Azhi Dahaka: Like a cobra poised to strike, thishideous, serpentine battle form can stretch to 25 feet,