Ananasi
Ananasi are werespiders, one of the surviving Changing Breeds of the World of Darkness. They call themselves Damhàn.
Overview
The Damhàn consider themselves children of Queen Ananasa, an ancient and powerful spider spirit created by the Weaver itself. As creatures of the Weaver, they seek to keep true balance between the forces of the Triat, fulfilling the Weaver's original purpose. Queen Ananasa's will is their law; she is the patron and totem of every Ananasi (though there are traitors like the Kumo and Kumatai, who abandon her). The children of Queen Ananasa have many of the advantages of spiders. In all forms other than homid, they possess multiple pairs of eyes and limbs; they are also able to consciously exude pheromones, making it easy to attract mates. They possess poison glands (but their venom's potency varies according to the species of spider they resemble), and may also spin webs in Pithus form which are tremendously strong.
Having no connection to Luna, the Ananasi are one of the few Fera who do not possess Rage (and do not normally frenzy). Instead, like some of their spider kin, they are able to draw sustenance and supernatural power from the blood of humans and animals. They may expend the power granted by this blood to heal themselves, move with supernatural quickness, instantly change forms, create webs or to power some of their gifts. They do not regenerate like other Fera; they either heal at the same rate as humans, or they may use the power of the blood they have ingested to heal themselves. Similarly they do not enjoy the immunity to disease that Garou and other Fera possess, though they can purge such diseases from their system with the power in their blood.
The Damhàn do not step sideways to enter the Umbra; instead, they assume Crawlerling form (see below) and crawl through the strands of the web, which is how they think of the Gauntlet. Being creatures of the Weaver, they find this much easier in areas of high Weaver influence, and much more difficult in areas dominated by the Wyld or the Wyrm. They are are considered bizarre and alien at best by the other Changing Breeds; in return, the Ananasi consider the other Fera (for whom they use the collective term "Ovid") beneath their notice. Perhaps because they are not Gaian offspring, Ananasi possess no vulnerability or allergy to silver, nor to any other substance as a Breed. They often point this out as proof of their superiority to the Ovid.
History
The Ananasi claim to be one of the oldest Fera, older than humans. Their original form in ancient time was the Pithus form before they learned how to shape shift. They exterminated the Insect Races in the Insect Wars, to the dismay of the Weaver who felt that the Ananasi had betrayed it. As revenge for being trapped by the Weaver, the Wyrm captured Queen Ananasa, and forced the Ananasi to work for it. Some refused and instead turned to the Wyld. The Ananasi eventually found her and tricked the Garou to crack her prison. She was still trapped, but could communicate with her children, and she ordered them to keep serving all three parts of the Triat, but not as they are, but as they were meant to be.
Though the Ananasi were a prime target during the War of Rage, they actually survived relatively well, by pretending to be utterly defeated. After the War of Tears, the Yahwie has hunted Ananasi in Australia relentlessly.
Forms
The Ananasi may change into many different forms:
- Homid - a normal human form. Though it is not exactly human, and a very thorough examination will reveal their strange nature.
- Lilian - a human-spider hybrid form, which is not necessarily the same for each Ananasi. Some are humanoid with multiple limbs, while others have a human-like torso sprouting from the abdomen of a giant spider. It is considered a war form, and thus analogous to the Crinos form of other Fera.
- Pithus - an enormous spider, at least half as heavy again as the werespider's human form.
- Crawlerling - the spider form. Unique among the Fera, Ananasi do not transform into a single animal, but rather a swarm of hundreds of spiders. This makes them very difficult to kill, though if significant numbers of the swarm spiders are killed the Ananasi may lose memories, skills and mass in her other forms. This mass can be regained by consuming ordinary spiders.
- Araneid - This form is not standard to the Ananasi. Through the general Rank 2 Gift: Man-Spider Form, the Damhàn develops a Glabro-like form between Homid and Lilian.
The Damhàn's current form does affect the venom's potency. Ananasi in Pithus form produce full strength venom; in Lilian and Homid, their poison is somewhat diluted, bite of a single spider in Crawlerling is quite weak. Storytellers should determine for themselves the exact amount of damage (and any extra effects) based on the particular “spider” species, but venom always deals aggravated damage that can only be healed through medical attention or magical healing. Left unattended, the damage will never heal. Even if the spider species they emulate does not, Ananasi also possess venom-producing glands (and fangs capable of delivering this venom via a bite). The fangs are present in all forms allowing a werespider to bite with venomous effect regardless of his current shape.
When in Pithus form, Ananasi can spin webs that are almost as strong as steel and yet as flexible as natural spider webs. Pithus webs take four health levels of damage before they break. Creating webs costs a Pithus Ananasi one blood point to create a web large enough to block an industrial sized doorway, fill a small closet, or ensnare a large human (or Crinos Garou). In Crawlerling form, all Ananasi can spin webs that have the strength of ordinary spider webs – this does not require the expenditure of blood.
| [Personal Mark] |  |
|
| Character: Helewidis Khatib | Nature: Scientist | Breed: Bubasti |
| Player: [[]] | Demeanor: Caretaker | Auspice: ???? |
| Chronicle: Alexandria 1900 | Concept: ???? | : ???? |
| Allegiance: [] | Reservation: [] | Coterie: [] |
| --- | Weakness: [] | --- |
| --- | Cameo: [] | --- |
| --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ATTRIBUTES | ||
| Physical | Social | Mental |
| Strength ●○○○○ | Charisma ●○○○○ | Perception ●○○○○ |
| Dexterity ●○○○○ | Manipulation ●○○○○ | Intelligence ●○○○○ |
| Stamina ●○○○○ | Appearance ●○○○○ | Wits ●○○○○ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ABILITIES | ||
| Talents | Skills | Knowledges |
| Alertness ○○○○○ () | Animal Ken ○○○○○ () | Academics ○○○○○ () |
| Athletics ○○○○○ () | Crafts ○○○○○ () | Computer ○○○○○ () |
| Awareness ○○○○○ () | Drive ○○○○○ () | Finance ○○○○○ () |
| Brawl ○○○○○ () | Etiquette ○○○○○ () | Investigation ○○○○○ () |
| Empathy ○○○○○ () | Firearms ○○○○○ () | Law ○○○○○ () |
| Expression ○○○○○ () | Larceny ○○○○○ () | Medicine ○○○○○ () |
| Intimidation ○○○○○ () | Melee ○○○○○ () | Occult ○○○○○ () |
| Leadership ○○○○○ () | Performance ○○○○○ () | Politics ○○○○○ () |
| Streetwise ○○○○○ () | Stealth ○○○○○ () | Science ○○○○○ () |
| Subterfuge ○○○○○ () | Survival ○○○○○ () | Technology ○○○○○ () |
| --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- |
| --- | --- | --- |
| --- | ADVANTAGES | --- |
| Disciplines | Backgrounds | Merits & Flaws |
| Clan Discipline 1 ●○○○○ () | Allies ○○○○○ () | --- |
| Clan Discipline 2 ●○○○○ () | Contacts ○○○○○ () | --- |
| Clan Discipline 3 ●○○○○ () | Domain ○○○○○ () | --- |
| [[]] ○○○○○ () | Fame ○○○○○ () | --- |
| [[]] ○○○○○ () | Generation ○○○○○ () | --- |
| [[]] ○○○○○ () | Influence ○○○○○ () | --- |
| [[]] ○○○○○ () | Mentor ○○○○○ () | --- |
| [[]] ○○○○○ () | Military Force ○○○○○ () | --- |
| [[]] ○○○○○ () | Resources ○○○○○ () | --- |
| [[]] ○○○○○ () | Retainers ○○○○○ () | --- |
| --- | Status ○○○○○ () | --- |
| --- | Haven ○○○○○ () | --- |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Health Levels | Humanity | Virtues |
| Bruised (0) - { } | ○○○○○○○○○○ () | Conscience ●○○○○ |
| Hurt (-1) ---- { } | --- | Self-Control ●○○○○ |
| Injured (-1) - { } | Willpower | Courage ●○○○○ |
| Wounded (-2) - { } | ○○○○○○○○○○ () | --- |
| Mauled (-2) -- { } | --- | --- |
| Crippled (-5)- { } | Bloodpool | --- |
| Incapacitated- { } | ○○○○○○○○○○ | --- |
| Final Death | ○○○○○○○○○○○ | --- |
Sobriquet:
Appearance:
Behavior:
History:
Recent Events: