W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

Coy-Werecoyotesdo notmake mischief justfor the fun in seeingsomeone crushed beneatha heavy object.ote teaches through trickery,setting up pranks to highlight hisvictim’s flaws, and showing limitationsin their thinking — as well as possible solutions.Most Nuwisha see themselves as wisebut strict teachers. They hope to someday teachthe Wyrm a path to becoming whole, or at leastless dangerous. In the meantime, they teach otherChanging Breeds how to behave — regardless ofwhether those shapeshifters want to learn the lesson.While some shapeshifters think the Nuwishacowards for their methods, Coyote’s children are nothingif not pragmatic. They do not have the raw strength of theGurahl or Mokole, nor the Garou’s dedication to violence orthe Ratkin’s determined insanity. To win their battles, mostwerecoyotes avoid single combat and direct confrontationbecause they would often lose. Instead, they rely on whatthey do best: ambushes, trickery and deception.Umbral LessonsThe Nuwisha claim to have been the first shapeshifters tolearn to traverse the Gauntlet, and to have taught Gaia’s otherchildren this trick. While many stories about the Nuwishaare little more than boasts, many other Breeds do believe thisone, although some (like the Corax)would never admit it. Nuwisha knowmore about the Umbra and travel through itthan any other Breed, with the possible exceptionof the wereravens. They know swift routes andshortcuts through the Umbra from anyplace inthe world to any other location. They can findhidden paths that link one portion of the spiritworld to another, crossing between realms with ease —and luring hostile pursuers into the maw of powerful spirits.Once she joins the Umbral Dansers, a Nuwisha spendsthe majority of her life exploring the spirit world’s mysteries.Burning with curiosity mirroring that of Raven’schildren, she hunts out secret paths and hiddenlore with equal fervor, passing onwhat she knows to other Nuwishawhen it will help them most — orwhen she remembers that thephysical world exists.OrganizationOrganization doesn’t come naturally to the Nuwisha,and hierarchy is an even more alien concept. Whilea clever werecoyote with significant Renown has clearlyearned the respect of her fellows, they won’t obey herwithout question — if she’s lucky, other Nuwisha willlisten to her suggestions. That’s about it for any Nuwisharank structure. This fierce individual streak even extendsto mentoring young Nuwisha. Werecoyotes give newlychanged members of their Breed a few weeks of trainingin their abilities, stories and traditions before turning thepup loose to fare as they will.FestivalWhile fierce individualists, the Nuwisha do gatheras a group one time per year, in a highly secret traditioncalled the Festival. Near the winter solstice, the entireBreed gathers together —and woe be unto outsiders wholearn of the gathering and think to infiltrate it.COYOTE’S RULES FOR LIFELet a Fool Die a Fool’s Death.Teach Those Who Need Teaching a Proper LessonAlways Prank the WyrmBe SubtleRespect LunaThink, Then actNUWISHA167