Editing LeviathanTempest:ChapterOne (section)

=== Emergence ===

As a result, most Leviathans come into their inheritance while ignorant of the history of the Progenitor's world and the existence of the Tribe. This lack of information adds another layer of discomfort to a process that is already physically and emotionally agonizing. No two members of the Tribe experience an identical Emergence - the period during which the fledgling Leviathan begins to manifest the Wake and the ability to change shape. However, the Emergence is uniformly a period of anxiety and loss of control, during which the blood of the Progenitors runs rampant, causing emotional distress and Outbursts of uncontrolled transformation. A Leviathan might find her friends become uncomfortable in her presence, or a beloved pet becomes aggressive and refuses to be touched. He might dream of the ocean depths, or feel muscles - or ''creatures'' - squirming beneath his skin. Old impulses, the usual catalogue of basic instincts, become more pronounced, or begin to overlap. The scent of rotting fish might become, for a brief and stomach-turning moment, arousing. The touch of a lover might call up blinding rage alongside the usual warmth and comfort. Such incidents will begin to occur with increasing frequency. Some Leviathans seek medical or psychological aid, or council from family members. The most fortunate of these (for a given value of fortunate) will be in families that have some knowledge of ancestors whose bloodline also manifested, or even perhaps a living branch of the family composed of Hybrids. These will receive kernels of information, often misleading or misinterpreted, about their condition.

Most others are not so lucky. Those that seek medical help will likely be turned away by frightened mortal doctors - or themselves flee from the obsessive curiosity (and reverential awe) that the Wake conjures up in their would-be healers. Some are in no position to seek help, or too afraid of what they will discover. These may research on their own, or delve into family records. There is often little to nothing to find. Throughout this period, incidents will become more pronounced and more frequent, but some degree of control will develop. A change might be bitten down upon, or at least suppressed for a few crucial moments. The terror evoked by the fledgling's presence may weaken to a general sense of unease. Hardly optimal - but survivable. A Leviathan's Emergence can be said to be complete when he or she grasps enough self-control that getting by on a day-to-day basis without incident becomes merely uncertain rather than preposterous. This is the point at which the struggle can move from resisting one's nature to mastering it. A key element to coming to this point is a degree of acceptance. A Leviathan must be willing to accept that he or she is not purely human - or no longer purely human - in order to identify with and govern their divine nature. This acceptance doesn't have to be life-affirming or positive, and rarely is. Most Leviathans remain horrified with themselves well past their Emergence. It merely means drawing a line and saying, "I am something other." What follows is determining what that "other" is going to be.