W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

taught by an ancestor-spirit, allows the Ajaba to speak andbe heard by the dead — and to hear their voices in return.System: The character must kill to use this Gift — whetherit is beast, or man, or monster that she slays is irrelevant,but she must end a life to hear the Echoes of Asamando.Additionally, within a minute of enacting the kill, the playermust spend a point of Gnosis. For the rest of the scene, theAjaba’s voice may be heard unmistakably across the Shroud,and she can hear anything that nearby ghosts might say asclearly as though she stood in the Underworld herself.• Open Wounds (Level Four) — As the ShadowLord Gift.• Reach the Umbra (Level Five) — As the SilentStrider Gift.• Shadow Pack (Level Five) — As the ShadowLord Gift.RitesThe Ajaba employ variations of most of the same ritesthat the Garou use. At present, they’re too concernedwith fighting for survival to concern themselves withmany unique cultural rites.Song of HomeLevel Three, AccordThe first new rite developed by the Ajaba-in-exiletells the story of their homelands and tragedy throughsong and dance. This rite has three aspects. Remembrancerecalls the loss of their homelands. Restoration reaffirmstheir link with Gaia. Revenge spits curses at the Simbaand swears never to forget. Each aspect empowers theAjaba in a different way.System: The ritemaster chooses which aspect toemphasize and calls the dancers together. If the rite issuccessful, at its conclusion all participants feel a sense ofrenewal and regain all spent Willpower (Remembrance),Gnosis (Restoration) or Rage (Revenge).FetishesGuidebookLevel One, Gnosis 5The Ajaba were forced to assimilate into strangecultures to avoid Black Tooth’s hunters. These simplefetishes make this task easier and have quickly spreadthroughout the diaspora. This fetish is made from anactual traveller’s guidebook for any location, with anancestor-spirit bound into the pages. When activated, theAjaba reduces the difficulty of any social or Streetwiserolls made to fit into a group or culture by 2.Vanity MirrorLevel Three, Gnosis 7This small metal trinket has a highly reflective metallicelemental spirit within. The Ajaba originally made itto escape from the Simba, but it works against others aswell. When activated, everyone who can see the fetishmust roll Willpower against a difficulty of the VanityMirror’s Gnosis. If they do not at least equal the numberof successes on the Ajaba’s activation roll, they find anynearby reflective surfaces absolutely irresistible, and cantake no actions for (Gnosis) turns. Attacking anyone soentranced gives the victim two extra dice on their action.The effect ends immediately if any of the distractedpeople are attacked; this fetish is for fleeing, not fighting.Musonda Crushing-Jaws shares his views:STEREOTYPES• 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 thearms 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 asrefugees from their own homeland.” — Radiant TsangaAJABA55