W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

Knowing what was at stake, the Mokolé sought outthe dangerous and unpredictable Rokea who patrolledthe waters at the mouths of their rivers. Though onlya few weresharks responded, it was enough. Their vaststrength would be vital in overthrowing Black Tooth.For the rest of the Fera, the story was some variationof the same — a majority that would not budge, but anumber of elders who saw the great potential in Kisasi’sdream. These included heroes of great Renown, whosewords and wisdom brought many new allies to the table.Kiva called the Swara and the Bagheera to court. A fewAjaba came to Kisasi’s aid, if only to see what this unlikelymatriarch had wrought with her words.By the time Black Tooth sent his assassins to silenceKisasi, it was too late. She was saved by a mysterious,shrouded figure — a secret emissary of the Nagah.Through the wereserpents, Kisasi’s words even reachedthe ears of the Bubasti, whispering promises of freedomfrom the dominion of the wicked Laibon. The coalitionseemed to have no end to its momentum, for Black Toothhad angered, threatened, and killed far too many heroesto ever go unpunished. Even the Ananasi were movingagainst him. Long before Kisasi, they had secreted oneof their number into his inner circle. Along with theNagah, the werespiders added their shadow killers toKisasi’s regime.The coalition was formed in feature but not inpurpose until the Dawning Ritual, devised by a jointeffort of the elders of the Mokolé, Bagheera, and Kisasiherself. Through it, their faction took the name Ahadi,which means promise. Its code and its remit — to bindtogether, none set above the other, for the good ofMother — was a declaration of war against Black Toothand the Endless Storm.The Ananasi were not the last to join the Ahadi.The Kucha Ekundu, who had long been at war with theSimba, had resisted any agreement out of hubris and distrust.When Black Tooth nearly destroyed the Ahadi, theGarou realized they were about to lose their one chanceat defeating the Endless Storm. Sadly, the Kucha Ekundu,who would briefly stand in for the vanquished Ajaba,would be nearly extirpated in the resulting conflict.Last of all to join the Ahadi was a pack of SilentStriders who came to sub-Saharan Africa on a questand were threatened by Black Tooth’s lieutenants.Keeping unusually cool heads, the Garou investigated,and could hardly believe their eyes when they found theheart-caern of the Ahadi. They saw an unprecedentedgathering of Fera who were actually working togetherto solve problems. Having seen the depravities of BlackTooth, the Striders joined the Ahadi as, in their ownwords, “militant observers.”Black Tooth DefeatedThe Ahadi formed quickly and in force. From thebeginning, Kiva knew that the strike on Black Toothmust happen swiftly.The old Simba was already on the attack. It was saidthat he had a man at every checkpoint, and a sniper inevery tree. Black Tooth would not risk his pride early;he would summon his considerable allies to crush theAhadi, and wait to hear word of their success. But oncethe Endless Storm was unleashed, one side or the otherwould die.Black Tooth’s forces were numerous, and his EndlessStorm was fearsome. But the Ahadi had one advantage.The Dawning Ritual, which bound them together, hadinterspersed their natures, allowing the different Breedsof the Ahadi to meld their powers and purpose. In thisway, a Mokolé of the Ahadi might gain Renown forbeing an efficacious disseminator like a Corax, while aCorax might gain Renown for protecting a place of deepmemorial significance. In addition, the ritual created abond between those Breeds who empathized with oneanother, causing them to develop spiritually. This developmentwould prove significant in the fight againstthe Endless Storm.The declaration of war was a two-part attack: adiversionary strike against the caerns of the EndlessStorm by the majority of the Ahadi forces coupled witha direct strike against Black Tooth himself, led by Kisasiand Kiva and a small force of young, brave Ahadi. Eatingblood and dust and smoke for days, the combatantsstruggled in a lightless world, as the battle cries and thedeath cries became one in the same. In the end, nobodytruly knows who killed Black Tooth. The Ahadi call theBlack Tooth’s killers kganmadi, and name their mixedpacks after them.IT’S YOUR FIGHT TO WINThe young heroes of the kganmadi andtheir epic battle to slay Black Tooth is the stuffof legend. The identities of the heroes and thedetails of the battle with Black Tooth are leftdeliberately vague, so that players’ own characterscan vanquish the great lord of the Simba.256CHANGING BREEDS