Notes on
the Celestial Incarna (Celestials)
The Celestial Incarnae or Celestines are the most powerful
Gods in Yu-Shan and Creation. They embody the mightiest phenomena and are the
patrons of the Celestial Exalted. Commonly referred to as the Incarnae, these
beings are the supreme expression of celestial might. They have existed since
the inception of Creation; created by the Primordials to maintain the integrity
of Creation. After inciting the Primordial War, they turned over the duty of
ruling Creation to the Solars by bestowing the Mandate of Heaven. They now
reside, almost exclusively, in the Jade Pleasure Dome in Yu-Shan playing the
Games of Divinity.
In the Age of Sorrows, the Celestial Incarna are the Gods who
organized the war against the Primordials and took over Creation. Only the
Celestial Incarna (composed of the Unconquered Sun, Luna, the Five Maidens and
the honorary member Gaia) are allowed the play the Games of Divinity and serve
as the final authority in Heaven.
Celestial
Incarnae
The Unconquered Sun, who defended the borders of Creation
from the raksha for eons before the rise of man.
-
Luna, who stood beside him and governed the
borderlands of Creation.
-
The Five Maidens, gods of fate and causality.
o Jupiter,
Maiden of Secrets
o Mars,
Maiden of Battles
o Mercury,
Maiden of Journeys
o Saturn,
Maiden of Endings
o Venus,
Maiden of Serenity.
Nox, Incarna of Possibility and the Night Sky, who may or may
not exist
Celestine are
celestial spirits in the mythology of Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Within the celestial
hierarchy, they are just under Gaia and the Triat. Their power is equal to the
ancient gods. They rule from the Shard Realm. They are often worshiped as gods
both by the Garou and humans, although their relation to God and the Elohim, if
any, is unknown. The most prominent of
the Celestines are Luna, the spirit of the moon, and Helios, the spirit of the
sun, but there are different Celestines. Some are avatars of a member of the
Triat, others are ancient spirits that humanity used to worship as gods, giving
rise to many ancient beliefs such as Greek mythology. Most have areas in the
Umbra that are their personal domains and that they seldom leave. Because their true form is unimaginable, a
Celestine who wants to communicate with a Garou, or any other lesser creature,
usually sends spirit emissaries or manifests an avatar for personal
communication.
Luna aka Lambent Lady, Amahan Iduth
When Pangaea was in full bloom, the beauty struck Luna and
she fell to the Earth as a woman of flesh. She traveled the land, swimming in
the seas, roaming the lush jungles. She soon fell in love with a great and
valiant wolf. His name was Urfatah- or Father Wolf. Their love for each other
was strong, and soon, Luna bore him a litter of nine pups. These pups grew to
strike the killing blow on her love, and she then cried out in anguish, cursing
the children she had borne.
Luna herself embodies the Moon - unlike a mere Incarna, a
Celestine literally is its affiliated concept. To destroy Luna the Celestine in
the Umbra would destroy the moon itself. Luna's Umbral home is in the Aetherial
Realm, which may or may not blend into a Penumbral reflection of outer space.
Journeying to the Umbral moon is a most serious quest in Werewolf, but one
often necessary to take. It is only from Luna that one can acquire Moonsilver
and Pathstones.
Luna's character is mercurial, changing with each phase of
the Moon; she generally reflects the traits of each of the Auspices of the
Garou when in the appropriate phase. During the new moon she is a playful
trickster and fond of riddles. During the crescent moon she is a mysterious
prophet. During the half moon she is judge and counselor, a giver of sage
advice. During the gibbous moon she is a storyteller, and particularly fond of
song. During the full moon she is at her most warlike. She has no set
appearance, differing greatly depending upon which avatar she is appearing
through. She is strongly associated with insanity.
Avatars and Spiritual Servants of Luna
Luna herself is, as a Celestine, far too powerful to appear
before such beings as the Garou. Instead she appears through Incarna avatars,
facets of her greater self through which she can appear. Of course, no one
avatar can exactly represent Luna in all her glory. One of the most prominent
of her faces is Sokhta, or Phoebe, generally considered to be a more accurate
representation of Luna than some other Incarnae, and also affiliated with the
lunar zodiac described in Rage Across The Heavens. Moira is another such
avatar, appearing as an old woman, associated with fate and destiny.
Luna also has a variety of spirit servants to carry out her
will throughout the Tellurian. The most common spirit servant of Luna is the
Lune, a Jaggling spirit that waxes and wanes in power along with the lunar
phases. They are capable of opening Moon bridges, and are generally
well-disposed to the Garou. There are also Moonshadows, shadowy counterparts to
the Lunes that can act as Anamae to beings that enter into pacts with them.
Others include Blood Warriors, Great Green Cheese-spirits, the Harvester,
Selene, Tythus, Falling Stars, and Strangelings.
Luna as Patron of the Changing Breeds
Luna is of deep importance to the Garou. Creation myths
differ, but many cite Luna as the most direct creator of the Garou, although others
say Gaia created them and Luna took over as a guide and patron. It is her
ever-shifting face that determines the Auspice of a werewolf when it is born.
She is also tied into their Rage; Luna is one of three beings generally listed
as giving the Garou this potent spiritual weapon (along with Gaia and the
Wyrm). The first sight of the moon each night replenishes a werewolf's Rage,
and the phase also affects the likelihood that they will frenzy, with the
greatest possibility during the full moon.
Moon bridges are one of the most significant forms of travel
through the Umbra, many of them occurring between two caerns. To establish a
moon bridge, each of the two caerns must have a pathstone (obtained only from
Luna herself) and have performed the proper rites. They travel in large arcs
through the Umbra, the top of which reaches into the Aetherial Realm itself.
Moon paths are a related form of travel (most accurately, moon bridges are a
specialized and more reliable form of moon path) that appear more randomly
through the Umbra. Both are easiest to travel during the full moon, and
incredibly difficult to cross during the new moon.
Many common gifts are taught to the Garou by Luna's spirit
servants, and many of their most potent gifts can only be taught by an avatar
of Luna herself. She might also be tied into their shapeshifting ability (refer
to Losing the wolf). In exchange for the strengths she offers the Garou, Luna
exacts a price - the werewolf's weakness to silver. This is in keeping with the
Umbra of Werewolf: the Apocalypse, in which nothing is gained without something
given in return, where every act is repaid in kind.
Luna acts as patron to some of the Fera as well, including
the Bastet. The Bastet are not so closely tied to Luna as the Garou, and as such
do not express the auspices that they do, though they are still weak against
the lunar metal. She also acts as patron to the Gurahl, Mokolé (along with
Helios), Ratkin and Rokea. Those last two seem to have a relatively weak
connection compared to the others, but still enough to make them suffer from a
weakness to silver. None of the Fera have such a close tie to Luna as do the
Garou, that much is certain.
Luna is a many-faced trickster god, appearing equally male
and female. Luna is the consort of Gaia, is a ferocious warrior nearly the
equal of the Unconquered Sun, and is the mother and patron of the Lunar
Exalted. It is known that Luna is not a true Celestial Incarna. It has been
speculated that s/he is from the Wyld, as the moon of Creation controls the
"tides" of the Wyld and the Lunar Exalted have some limited access to
Raksha magic.
The
Unconquered Sun (Helios or Sol Invictus)
?
Gaia (The
Mother Earth)
Gaia is a survivor of the Primordial War and the only free
and intact Primordial.
As with the other Primordials, Gaia is a creature of
incalculable power. She is, indirectly, patroness of the Terrestrial Exalted,
although this is done through the agency of the Elemental Dragons rather than
herself.
Gaia is the consort of Luna and her relationship with Luna
was the catalyst for her to abandon the Primordials in favor of the Gods they
had created. She did so at the expense of her former lover Cytherea, and Gaia's
role was never so much active assistance as active non-opposition.
The Five Maidens
The Five Maidens are five Celestial Incarna who are second in
power only to the Unconquered Sun, though Luna is rightly considered an equal.
Their duty is the maintenance and administration of Fate in Creation. Each
Maiden has a specific portfolio and administrative role within the Bureau of
Destiny. While their original role was to specifically manage and weave fate on
the Loom of Fate, they have largely delegated this task to the Pattern Spiders
and their subordinates within the Bureau. The Maidens are inscrutable; they
have issued arbitrary sealed orders in the past and they have heavily
interdicted the development of the Sidereal Exalted for reasons that are not
entirely clear (in particular, the Maidens created all existing Sidereal
charms). At the same time, their administration is relatively lax, the
Sidereals largely operate unsupervised, and have found various ways to cheat
around their constraints.
The five maidens are:
Mercury,
Maiden of Journeys.
Her color is yellow and her portfolio includes travel, roads
and messages.
Venus,
Maiden of Serenity.
Her color is light blue and her portfolio includes marriage,
love, sexuality, joy and all other pleasures.
Mars,
Maiden of Battles.
Her color is red. Her portfolio encompasses all of battle,
ranging from technology to logistics to specific battles. She is generally
considered an inferior warrior but superior strategist to the Unconquered Sun.
Jupiter,
Maiden of Secrets.
Her color is green. Her portfolio is secrets, secretive and a
secret.
Saturn,
Maiden of Endings.
Her color is violet. Her portfolio covers change and endings,
whether it be the death of an animal or the Usurpation.
What is the Correspondence?
“They say it's the mathematics of Hell. They
say it's the geography of Time. They say it's the map that connects every
glimmer of moonish light to a star. They say it's the key that unlocks the
secrets of bat-flights. They say it's a trap that someone found inscribed on a
wall in the First City, and if you decode its complicated patterns you
inevitably decide you're God, to the considerable detriment of your social
life.” - Fallen London
Correspondence is the language of
the stars, a rarefied dialect of Spirit Tongue spoken almost exclusively by
powerful and ancient Celestial spirits (Rank 4+). It can be written or spoken,
but no form of it was ever intended for a mortal audience, and it cannot be
learned; the Celestial spirits who use it come into being already understanding
the language’s nuances.
As with Prime 2 “Words of Truth.”
Anything spoken or written in Correspondence is undeniably, objectively true,
and can be understood perfectly as such regardless of language barriers. This
does not mean that it is pleasant.
Every syllable is a concept too vast in scale for a human mind to encompass, an
endless screaming vista, an outward explosion
of meaning that rends fragile minds and earth. Even a whisper of the
Correspondence is dangerous, though Celestial spirits (even those who do not
speak it) cannot be affected by any of its negative side effects.
During a turn where the Correspondence is spoken out loud, any of the following may happen:
During a turn where the Correspondence is spoken out loud, any of the following may happen:
*The ground
trembles, and mundane man-made objects or notable geographical features (large
rocks, trees, etc) outright explode, destroying the object and dealing damage
to anyone in the immediate vicinity.
*Anyone who hears
or sees the Correspondence makes a Resolve + Composure check at a penalty equal
to the speaker’s Rank. On a failure they suffer from the Insane Tilt, overcome
by such intense emotions of ecstasy and futility that they cannot help but weep
uncontrollably or rage at the heavens. On a Dramatic Failure, they suffer the
Madness Condition (persistent). Regardless of whether or not they succeed, they
take 1 Bashing damage that is not mitigated by Armor.
*A number (equal to
the speaker’s Rank) of small Celestial Fires break out in the area. This costs
no Essence and requires no die roll, but otherwise functions as the Firestarter
Numen.
*An area equal to
the speaker’s Rank in yards extends outward from the spirit for a few turns,
functioning as a Rank 4 Extreme Environment that resembles either the vacuum of
space or a corona of celestial fire.
When written down, the effects
triggers when someone attempts to read it, centered on the writing itself. This
means that written Correspondence has a distinct tendency to self-immolate or
explode, occasionally killing its unfortunate reader in the process.
CELEST IALS
LUNES
While some legends credit the
Lunar Choir’s
willingness to deal with the
Tribes of the Moon as a
sign of Mother Luna’s
forgiveness, it should never be
thought that Lunes are the
staunch allies of the Forsaken.
As mutable as Luna herself, these
spirits can
be eminently capricious, as the
unfortunate Uratha
who treats them inappropriately
will soon discover.
Werewolves understand
surprisingly little about
the Lunes, considering the
Uratha’s claims of close
ties to the moon. One thing is
widely known, however:
Lunes that are tied to a moon
phase are both the
easiest to locate and the most
amicable to interaction
during that phase. Locating an
Irralunim under
the full moon is almost
impossible, as is finding an
Elunim any time other than within
a few days of the
half-moon. Lunes prefer to appear
only during their
own moon phase, and must be
sought out against
their will at other times. This
is a dangerous practice,
of course. Rahu draw on only a
portion of Luna’s anger
when her face is full — the
Ralunim draw much
more, and provoking one can be
fatal. Lesser Lunes
that are not tied to a particular
phase, such as Secrets
or Glimmerings, are likely to be
found during any
phase of the moon, although their
personalities tend
to change as the moon does. Even
the lesser Lunes
are more likely to be aggressive
during the full moon
or even more secretive than
normal when Luna hides
her face.
All Lunes have the ability to
change their
shape to some extent. Depending
on their choir and
the current phase of the moon, they may appear
of both, even as inanimate
objects or imitations
of werewolves. They are among the
most diverse
spirits in form, with only the
glow of the moon held
in common — and even then, not
always strongly.
Those who have sought aid from
Lunes while the
dark moon is in the sky often
find the search fruitless
unless the celestial-spirits
desire to be found. And,
while they may be easier to
locate when Mother Luna
shines fully, Lunes, like their
half-spirit students, are
at their most aggressive, and
perhaps most dangerous,
then. However they appear, the
Lunes of the
five choirs associated with the
phases of the moon
can almost always be discerned by
the mark of their
moon phase, whether it appears as
a shining brand,
glowing tattoo or a silver
talisman.
Unlike almost every other choir
of spirits, there
are no known packs that
successfully follow Lunes as
totem-spirits, successfully being
the key word. Legends
speak of packs that, after
dedicating themselves
to a spirit of one of the lunar
choirs, went entirely
mad as the moon entered their
totem’s phase. Overcome
with uncontrollable Rage that
destroyed all
hope of reason, their rampages
were only stopped
through the combined effort of
other local packs that
dealt with their insane brethren.
Strangely, Lunes are
no more hesitant than any other
spirit to act as patrons
of Uratha packs, regardless of
what surely must
be common knowledge of the end
effects. Perhaps
these celestials are simply too
alien in thought to
have concern for the end results
of their patronage,
or perhaps it is their small
revenge for the auspice
patronage they are forced to give
to their Mother’s
half-breed children.
CAHALUNIM — THE FERT ILE CHOIR
Quote:
<<Can you not feel the fire
burning deep
within
you? Can you not hear the song that threatens to
burst
forth? How can you hold it back? Why would you
want
to?>>
Background:
Second in fervor only to the warlike
Ralunim, spirits of the Fertile
Choir embody
Luna’s passion and fruitfulness.
Inspired by the bright
glow of the moon as it borders
its brightest phase,
Cahalunim are the Voice of the
Lunes, encouraging
those who go through their First
Change under their
influence to experience and
understand all that it is
to be a Child of the Moon.
Description:
The spirits of the choir of the
gibbous moon shine brightly, as
befitting their association
with glory and memory. Cahalunim
often
appear as gleaming columns of
moonlight that, while
they glow brightly, contain just
enough darkness to
accentuate their light. More
powerful Cahalunim
sometimes appear in the form of
robust and athletic
men or lushly gravid women, as
wolves with piercing
voices or great bears. They often
possess gleaming
pale skin and teeth, accented
with eyes and hair
as dark as the night sky itself.
No matter the form
they choose to appear in, they
are closely tied to the
concepts of potential and growth,
and bear some sort
of jewelry or marking that
represents the moon in its
gibbous phase. When they speak,
their voices are musical
and strong, carrying like the
howl of a victorious
hunting pack or the visionary
words of an ancient
prophet.
Storytelling
Hints: Cahalunim are spirits of
expression and of passion. While
they nurture those
who remember the past, not for
them is the solemn
contemplation of the Elunim or
the crafty guile of
the Irralunim. They are spirits
of inspiration and
while they do not encourage
foolhardy action without
thought, they have little truck
with those who
will not make choices and act
upon them. Cahalunim
respect glorious words and deeds,
and those who
are favored by the Cahalunim
often find themselves
goaded to find an outlet to
express the overwhelming
emotions the Fertile Choir
inspire, else the intensity
of their passions drive them mad.
Rank:
3
Attributes:
Power 9, Finesse 7, Resistance 8
Willpower:
17
Essence:
20
Initiative:
15
Defense:
9
Speed:
26
Size:
2
Corpus:
10
Influences:
Moonlight • Glory ••
Numina:
Blast (howl), Chorus, Discorporation, Material
Vision,
Materialize, Revelation*, any one Gibbous Moon
Gift†
Bans:
Cahalunim are vulnerable to silence, and lose much
of
their power when in an area without ambient sound.
ELUNIM — THE CLOVEN CHOIR
Quote:
<<You are not given two eyes so
that you
may
see only with one.>>
Background:
Walking the night between the
dark and the light, the Elunim
represent duality
and balance, an ideal often
sought by the half-spirit
Uratha. Elunim know that there is
a time and a place
for the darkness and for the
light, for rage and for
stealth, for sacrifice and for demanding
one’s due.
One legend credits an Elunim with
conducting the
bargaining between Helios and
Luna that resulted
in the creation of day and night.
Whether it is true
or not, Elunim and the werewolves
who experience
their First Change under the half-moon are noted as
superb diplomats, capable of
seeing both sides of a
situation without being lost to
inaction through their
broad perspectives.
Description:
The Elunim are entities of both
light and dark, a duality
reflected in their forms. An
Elunim often appears luminescent
on one half of
their form, and shadowy on the
other. The “light”
and “dark” aspects may even
possess dramatically different
features: a Cloven Lune that
wears a wolf form
may have sleek, silver fur and a
slender build on one
side and a shaggy, dark coat and
bulge with brawny
strength on the other. A few even
lack substance
on their “shadowed” side, and
appear like lambent
figures that have been sliced in
half.
Storytelling
Hints: Elunim are among the most
insightful and discerning of
spirits, and they encourage
those qualities in others,
sometimes through
pointed questions and others
through astute observations.
They are also the most strongly
swayed by
Luna’s phases, growing
short-tempered and quick to
anger under her full face and
introspective and secretive
on her darkest nights.
Rank:
4
Attributes:
Power 11, Finesse 11, Resistance 11
Willpower:
22
Essence:
25
Initiative:
22
Defense:
11
Speed:
32
Size:
2
Corpus:
13
Influences:
Moonlight ••, Honor••
Numina:
Aura of Truce†, Chorus, Discorporation, Material
Vision,
Materialize, Omen Gazing†, Scent Beneath the
Surface†,
Soul Read†, Any One Warding Gift†
Bans:
Elunim can be weakened by light so bright that it
casts
no shadow, or darkness so complete that there is no
light.
GLIMMERINGS
Quote:
<<I have a warning of things to
come…>>
Background:
While legends speak of Luna’s
birthing of the first werewolves
while wearing a human
form, no werewolves alive today
have ever been
known to interact with her
directly. Some say that
Luna’s forgiveness is not as
complete as the Forsaken
would like to believe and so she
still denies them
her direct presence. Others
believe, based on the
devastating effect a Lune totem
has upon a pack,
that a personal encounter with
the goddess of lunacy
herself would be enough to drive
any werewolf mad.
Indeed, those werewolves who
claim to have encountered
Luna herself are often thought to
be delusional,
or at least to have been duped by
one of the more
mischievous of the Lunar Choir. Instead,
the Glimmerings
claim to act as her
representatives, celestial
intermediaries to other choirs
and to her half-wolf
descendants.
Description:
Glimmerings rarely mimic a
physical animal or person’s form,
preferring to wear
more subtle guises. On nights
when their Mistress
is visible, Luna’s messengers
appear simply as moonbeams,
indistinguishable from her other
emanations
until they make their presence
known. On moonless
nights or during the dark of the
moon, Glimmerings
are rarely seen.
Storytelling
Hints: Glimmerings claim to act
as the intermediaries between
Luna and the rest of
the spirit world. They affect an
air of confidence that
some say is derived from the
knowledge that nobody
can directly disprove their
claims. Like Luna, their
personalities change as the moon
moves through its
phases.
Rank:
2
Attributes:
Power 5, Finesse 7, Resistance 2
Willpower:
7
Essence:
15
Initiative:
9
Defense:
7
Speed:
22
Size:
2
Corpus:
4
Influences:
Moonbeams ••
Numina:
Chorus, Discorporation, Materialize, Nightfall†,
Unspoken
Communication†
Bans:
Most Glimmerings are under a ban not to appear on
moonless
nights. Others are bound only to appear under a
certain
phase of the moon.
IRRALUNIM — THE SILENT CHOIR
looking.>>
Background:
When Luna hides her face, the
Irralunim walk the darkest places
in the Shadow
Realm. They are secretive
spirits, prone to listen
and watch rather than speak. Many
have a cool and
almost cruel sense of humor, but
their jibes are always
focused to teach and broaden
perspectives rather
than simply to do harm.
Description:
Irralunim are shapeshifters of the
first water, and seem to dislike
assuming the same
form twice to speak to any given
werewolf. Unlike
other Lunes, Irralunim give off
almost no radiance at
all, but are dusky of feature,
nearly invisible in darkness.
Some Irralunim refuse to speak at
all, instead
communicating through gestures,
body language or
telepathy. They are fond of
assuming sinuous forms:
cats, serpents and wisps of fog
are among their favored
appearances.
Storytelling
Hints: Irralunim see things that
others do not, and encourage
others to see them
as well, preferring to teach
perceptiveness rather
than pointing out answers. They
have no interest
in Uratha who will not learn to
look and listen, and
those who insist on charging into
a situation without
investigating it first will
quickly find themselves
devoid of Irralunim aid.
Rank:
2
Attributes:
Power 3, Finesse 7, Resistance 4
Willpower:
7
Essence:
15
Initiative:
11
Defense:
7
Speed:
20
Size:
2
Corpus:
6
Influences:
Darkness •, Cunning •
Numina:
Discorporation, Gauntlet Breach, Nightfall†,
Silent
Fog†, Wilds Sense
Bans:
Some Irralunim are bound to silence. Others cannot
abide
the presence of Helions or affect the physical world
during
daylight hours.
ITHALUNIM — THE ORACLE CHOIR
Quote:
<<The words I have for you are
cutting,
and
the wounds they make may leave scars. Do you wish
to
hear them, or do you choose the path of ignorance?>>
Background:
The Ithalunim are strongest during
nights of the crescent moon, when
it is said that they
learn their occult wisdom from
Luna at her most contemplative.
The Oracle Choir is the patron
choir of
the Ithaeur, but their greater
role as they describe it is
to serve as spirits devoted to
wisdom. The Ithalunim
guard many secrets, but few of
the insights they grant
bring solace. The wisdom they
keep is not comfort
— it is Truth.
Description:
The Lunes of the crescent moon
shine faintly, sometimes with a
half-halo of light that
emanates from one edge of their
shape. They often
favor the forms of robed,
angel-like beings or beasts
of uncommon calm, but regardless
of the shape they
wear, they always craftily
manifest the mark of their
moon somewhere in their forms. It
may take the
shape of a crescent-shaped
luminous sigil, a carried
sickle or similarly shaped tool,
or curved wings or
claws, but, like the wisdom they
guard, it is always
there for those who seek
sincerely. Ithalunim always
speak softly, never raising their
voices.
Storytelling
Hints: Like the crescent moon, the
Ithalunim are sharp in nature and
not generous with
their light. They are cryptic by
nature and frequently
answer questions with further
questions, leading
supplicants into broader
awareness rather than
providing simple answers.
Ithalunim loathe explaining
themselves more than they must;
they believe
in wisdom as an ideal that must
be sought and kept
pure, not shared out with as many
as possible. They
both respect Ithaeur and hold
them to a very high
standard, expecting the Forsaken
of the Crescent
Moon to never cease in their
quest for knowledge,
especially that of the
spirit-world. Bone Shadows fall
under similar scrutiny, and the
Oracle Choir’s respect
for any werewolf will evaporate
quickly if the hapless
creature demonstrates a dull or
foolhardy nature.
Rank:
3
Attributes:
Power 6, Finesse 8, Resistance 7
Willpower:
13
Essence:
20
Initiative:
15
Defense:
8
Speed:
24
Size:
5
Corpus:
12
Influences:
Moonlight •, Wisdom ••
Numina:
Chorus, Communion with the Land†, Know the
Path†,
Material Vision, Revelation*, Wilds Sense, any one
Crescent
Moon Gift†
Bans:
The Ithalunim are commonly bound against freely
giving
information.
RALUNIM — THE FURY CHOIR
Quote:
<<The Mother’s face burns bright
and cold.
Her
wrath is with us!>>
Background:
No light is as bright as that which
shines against the darkest
darkness. Directly opposite
the dark moon is Luna’s full
face, her wrathful
warriors whose fury and wrath the
most devout Rahu
could only hope to emulate.
Although capable of
both bold tactical maneuvering
and brazen use of
intimidation and power, Ralunim
are truly a spiritual
force to be reckoned with.
Description:
The most powerful Ralunim frequently
appear as bright javelins of
cold, white light
or as athletic warriors in
gleaming white armor. It is
not unheard of for the Choir of
Fury to manifest as
great night-hunting beasts, dire
wolves and predatory
cats that would put modern tigers
to shame with
their muscular grace. Whatever
appearance they
take, there is an air of ferocity
to the Ralunim. Like
the rest of their kind, they bear
the mark of their
moon phase somewhere upon them,
although like
everything else about the Full
Moon Choir, it is often
displayed blatantly, gleaming
from the shield of a
warrior or the brow of a beast as
if defiantly proclaiming
the Ralunim’s nature to any who
witness it.
Storytelling
Hints: Straightforward is often the
Ralunim’s path, although it’s a
mistake to assume
they are therefore dull-witted or
incapable of tactics.
Rather, once their path has been decided, there are
few spirits (or Uratha) capable
of swaying them from
their chosen goal. Ralunim
respect bravery (although
not stupidity) and strength.
Cowardice is intolerable
to them, although they are
capable of understanding
guile as a tactic.
Rank:
4
Attributes:
Power 12, Finesse 10, Resistance 13
Willpower:
25
Essence:
25
Initiative:
23
Defense:
12
Speed:
32
Size:
2
Corpus:
15
Influences:
Moonlight ••, Purity ••
Numina:
Blast, Chorus, Clasp*, Fearstruck*, Howl*, Materialize,
Rage
Armor†, Sense Weakness†, Speed*
Bans:
Many Ralunim are incapable of lies. Others are
bound
to accept any challenge made to them.
HELIONS
Spiritual children of the Sun
itself, Helions are
rarely seen in the Shadow Realm.
Those unfamiliar
with them might easily mistake
them for fire elementals,
and perhaps they are related, but
their spirits,
forged in the unceasing inferno
of the Sun, are far
less mutable than those of their
earthly cousins.
Even less is known about the Sun
Choirs than of
other spirit groups, although one
thing seems certain.
No werewolf who comes across one
of them will walk
away unaffected by their
encounter.
ILLUMINATORS (SUN SCHOLARS, UTH ARATHUM)
Quote:
<<What you seek is right before you, if you
truly
wish to find it.>>
Background:
Embodying the unceasing radiance
of their solar sire, Illuminators
seek out those whose
paths are darkened with
hypocrisy, duplicity and selfdeceit,
burning away these shadows with
the blinding
luminosity of the Sun itself.
Illuminators are among
the most commonly seen of the
Helions, although
the very nature of the Shadow
indicates that their
presence is infrequent at best.
Description:
Illuminators have allegedly appeared
since before the death of Father
Wolf as a
brilliantly glowing orb that
drives away all darkness.
In more modern times, Sun
Scholars have appeared
as radiant torches, candles and
even incandescent
bulbs, a manifestation that is
believed to have
spawned the material association
of the latter item
with sudden insight. They may
also take the form of
birds with impossibly bright
plumage or the visage of
a cloaked hermit bearing a
lantern from which emanates
a blindingly bright glow. They do
not converse
out loud, speaking mentally
instead, a disconcerting
communication for those who are
not expecting it.
Storytelling
Hints: The rare Uratha who have
been visited by one of these
confusing spirits consider
the encounter to be a mixed
blessing. Few spirits are
more likely to answer questions
as straightforwardly
as the Sun Scholars, but their
wisdom is never without
a cost, and they will not
tolerate those who refuse
to look deeply at their own
shadows while condemning
the darkness of others.
Rank:
3
Attributes:
Power 9, Finesse 7, Resistance 9
Willpower:
18
Essence:
20
Initiative:
16
Defense:
9
Speed:
26
Size:
5
Corpus:
14
Influences:
Light •, Wisdom ••
Numina:
Chorus, Discorporation, Fearstruck*, Gauntlet
Breach,
Material Vision, Omen Gazing†, Revelation*
Bans:
Illuminators abhor lies and most often carry bans
never
to deceive explicitly or implicitly. Many are unable
to
withhold information from those who genuinely seek to
learn
it, although they are rarely forbidden from exacting
a
(sometimes inordinately high) price for it.
SEARINGS (SUN WARRIORS, UTH UMFISAH)
Quote:
<<Burn, half-breed!>>
Background:
Searings are the manifestations of
Helios as the Merciless Sun,
fiery solar energy at its
most unforgiving. They are the
warriors of the Helion
Choir, embodying the destructive
clout of the sun
without thought for light or
warmth. If fire elementals
characterize fickle hunger in the
spirit world,
Searings are the spiritual
embodiment of self-righteous
wrath.
Description:
Searings most often take the form
of blazing, animated weapons,
burning eternally with
a blinding intensity. The most
powerful among them,
however, are sometimes seen as
gloriously brutal humanoid
warriors with broad, feathered
wings of flame,
golden, glowing skin and eyes
like orbs of unquenchable
flame.
Storytelling
Hints: Of all the Helions, Searings
are the most hostile toward
werewolves. Whether it is
their connection with Luna (and
hence the night) or
their
half-physical/half-spiritual ambiguity that most
angers the Sun Warrior is not
completely clear. What
is known, however, is that they
seem to consider the
Uratha at least partially
creatures of darkness and
impurity, and are loath to
tolerate their presence.
Searings are direct and intense,
unwavering in their
course of action. It is exceptionally difficult for a
werewolf to sway a Searing into assisting
him, even
if the spirit and the werewolf share a common
foe.
Those werewolves who have had dealings with
Searings
often favor entering the Shadow Realm only at
night afterwards, so as not to repeat the
experience.
Rank: 4
Attributes:
Power 12, Finesse 10, Resistance 12
Willpower: 24
Essence: 25
Initiative:
22
Defense: 12
Speed: 32
Size: 6
Corpus: 18
Influences:
Heat •• Anger ••
Numina: Call
Fire†, Command Fire†, Fearstruck*, Gauntlet
Breach,
Living Fetter, Material Vision, Materialize, Sense
Weakness†,
Wilds Sense
Bans:
Searings are incapable of granting or accepting
mercy; the
sight of a person treating a hated enemy kindly
Then things changed, the Celestial gods of the platonic planets
began to shift under mankind’s scientific paradigm shift. People changed what they thought of the
planets as, as a result, the planet spirits started to change what they thought
about themselves. Instead of ethereal
space where the planets were these massless wisps to the massive gas giants and
heavy objects that caused even the sun to wobble under their gravity. The spiritual power of the planets began to
compete with the tidal pull of Luna. The
Idigam stirred to wakefulness and awoke to a world it had abandoned. In its slumber it had adapted to a world with
a Gauntlet, a world where there was a separation between the spirit world and
the phemoral. It was now permanently
materialized as motes of infectious parasites that also existed in Twilight at
the same time.
LUNAR COURT
Luna’s court is mercurial, lunatic, fickle; they are nuclear
cores of ice, the moon’s reflection caught against glistening silver blades,
brightly-clad wolves coming undone like knots of yarn. These Lunes hate with
the same frightening intensity that they love, and in equal (though rarely
predictable) measure, and they employ both in their defense of LA’s Forsaken.
One Baron in particular is obsessively taken with the Stars Like Sand pack,
providing frequent assistance but also sabotaging their attempt to bind a pack
totem in the hope that one day they might choose it instead.
They want to help Gaia despite being a bit
resentful about the overall situation – this is not, strictly speaking, their
responsibility.MERCURIAL COURT
sleek shape of a figure - not woman, nor man, nor human -
perpetually in motion. Their Emissary is feuding with the Solar court after
failing to deliver a message (a
rejection, a refusal) to their own Emissary; the only message Nagiru has ever lost. Even that borders on blasphemy,
for Mercury’s holds all messages as sacrosanct.
They are sympathetic to Gaia’s plight,
but uncommitted to really doing much about it.
And being the god messanger of the celestial lords, doesn’t have much it
can that holds much weight. It’s messages
are taken seriously, but Mercury itself is not.
VENETIAN COURT
Venus’ court is alluring, resplendent, passionate; they are
plumed supplicants bearing hearts on their backs, prisms of folded hands and
idealized flesh, and shooting stars trailing wine and fragrance in their wake.
Despite their planets’ distance, they’re close allies with Saturn’s court –
Venus’ Court greatly admires their beauty and opulence, and for their part,
Saturn’s Court enjoys having admirers. They are also accomplished bards, aiding
the stars in composing their celestial music and performing the result at
Saturn’s revels.
They see no reason why they should help Gaia and may be even
taking a little schadenfreude in the situation, considering that no one ever
helped Venus in its time of need. It had life once, but
that life was snuffed out. Venus has
envied Gaia ever since.
SOLAR COURT
Sol’s court is fervent, glorious, overpowering; they are
patchwork dragons spewing the liquid fire of a star’s heart, gold-encased
stallions covered in hundreds of falcon’s eyes, and simple, blinding light.
Their Emissary has spent eons courting a member of Venus’ court high above her
station, and grows increasingly despondent waiting for a reply that Mercury’s
Emissary has not delivered. This is in sharp contrast to her shining entourage,
who find themselves spending more and more time trying to console her.
Might help Gaia, if the humans start showing them the proper
respect. The promise of new sun cults might even cheer the Emissary up
slightly.
MARTIAN COURT
His court is potent, brutal, perpetually dissatisfied; they are
maimed and shuddering angels with armories for wings, clusters of discordant
notes, roving colonies of rust and blood stains. It is their nature to be
contentious and contrary; the Choir of Ares always seems to have grievances to
air, and getting them all to agree with each other is a miracle, much less
outsiders.
They are jealous and resentful that Gaia has life at all, so
these requests for help preserving more of it just seem greedy to them. Despite
their natural inclination to bring ruin, they have a perverse fascination with
abundance - by their nature they can never truly possess it.
JOVIAN COURT
Jupiter’s court is tempestuous, mighty, imperious; they are ribbons of
multicolored lightning, maelstroms howling inside of tiny, spherical black
voids, and whirling dervishes of white wings and talons. They see their divine
right to rulership reflected everywhere, from the movement of celestial bodies
to the vast empty space between them, and while this results in a hefty god
complex, it also grants them genuine power to seal and witness binding
contracts.
Gaia rarely enters their thoughts. They hold no grudge in particular, but neither do they have anything resembling a frame of reference for why they would or should help. Even for Celestials, they are alien.
Jove is the king of the gas giants and after Sol
Invictus is the largest and most powerful celestial in the universe. It’s been on the top before. It was once the king of all the gods
following the decline of sun worship. It
is a little insecure about its position, but only when it comes to Sol. It and its servants over compensate with
unbelievable arrogance and narcissism. It is the center of its own solar
system, sporting dozens and dozens of moons that faun and worship it.
SATURNINE COURT
Saturn’s court is preening, haughty, robust; they are towering
plough horses half-dissolving into their own liquid cores, fractal mazes of
ivory rings, flowers that birth tiny stars. They hold themselves in high esteem
for the superiority of their planet and emissary’s rings, and host decadent
banquets of Essence and star song.
They think that Gaia is rather beneath them (such a tiny
planet, and she doesn’t even have rings! And only one
moon!), but on the other hand, due to their alignment with the concept
of Prosperity, they can see some merit in preserving her lush biomes and
bountiful resources.
Cronus and its
court… HATE Zeus and its court It would
take a miracle to get it to work with Jove unless it thought that it would
improve its standing over the Jovian court.
PLUTONIAN COURT
Pluto’s companions are bleak, resentful, frigid; Urbat is
flagged by Charon’s Emissary and a bare handful of miserable, ragtag spirits
rather than a court proper. They are crusted over with ice, decaying from the
cores out, draped with filth and bones, lonely and forsaken. Pluto’s Emissary
has come to mark a grudge and deliver threats; Pluto had a hand in the black
death, and perhaps something worse before long. Gaia is due for a calamity.
- The Planetary Court
- We know they conform to the platonic universe. So there are seven planets, the earth is the center and then it goes the moon, sun, mercury Mars Jupiter Saturn and Uranus
- They are Rank 7-9 spirits
- In the old understanding planets didn't have mass, stars neither. They were all wispy, immaterial lights, and the defining features of the planets was that they moved completely differently from the other heavenly bodies.
- If there's a re-ordering of the spirit courts, I'd say that's a likely result: all of the planets becoming even stronger, especially Jupiter, since the current understanding is that Jupiter and Saturn are necessary for keeping the Earth relatively meteorite-impact free. You know, compared to a system that doesn't have gas giants to pull those meteorites in. And we could probably add a couple dozen attendant spirits to each planet. Jupiter has his moons (which were named after the Roman God Jupiter's lovers and daughters, lol), and Saturn has her rings. Pluto and Charon are a two-part system, but probably weak given their relatively recent inclusion and the whole 'not a planet' thing. Venus has been the recipient of a lot of stories suggesting a possible jungle on her surface, so her attendants might even be dinosaurs! I've read that science fantasy. :) But for the moon, there's gobs of possible attendants, but I'd kind of like to steal this lady: http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=918 http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=919 http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/?p=920 whose name is Chang'e.
- I'm trying to imagine what having a conversation with a spirit that powerful would even be like. It's hard enough to figure out with Rank 5ish spirits If it's something like the sun, even talking to it might be physically painful, like a kid accidentally squishing a bug's leg while trying to pick it up. Too much force at play on too flimsy of an object.
- I think bone deep impression and it's emissaries would be the limit. Perhaps a rank 5 or 6 planet messenger comes down to comune. It's going to be a little like the ent gathering in the two towers. Strange and long. Maybe we get representative of all 7 bodies to meet in a sacred place. Top of lone peak or Pike's peak might work. Colorado Springs is already heavily trafficed by celestials. Jack could show off his town. I think our emissaries and attendants will be derived from moons, rings, etc
- Anyone who's had spirit magic and used it long enough would have heard about lunes and hellions from other spirits. Also... the leader of the silver ladder is Stavros, who is Thrice Great who deals with the celestial court spirits, including having tetarch spirit allies. We could make a deal with him. Introducing him. Doctor Grant is his only mage friend....
- Design of the Celestial Emissaries
- Strange Fallen London correspondence
- Old designs from Stavros’s experiments
- Elements of mankind’s old and current perceptions
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