Editing LeviathanTempest:AppendThree (section)

== The Tempest ==

The Tempest is the most physical manifestation of the Tribe's conflicted nature, the conflict between the three natures and the uncomfortable life of a Primordial being living in the modern age. At times the Rift seethes with the fury of the Tempest, churning storms of water that can strip the flesh from bone and flay you open. At other times it is a deceptively calm brooding presence, a subtle edge of hostility and yearning that manifests as a poison in the water. Only in the rare Doldrums can a Leviathan find hints of Tranquility in the Rift. 

For all that the Tempest comes from the minds of the Tribe the Tempest acts like part of an alien yet natural ocean, much like the Rift. The churning storms of the Tempest follow the currents of the Rift. As a Leviathan travels she sees the Tempest taking on new forms, the currents of flesh ripping water flow around a region where the still waters have become fecund and rotten brine. As a Leviathan swims through a sandstorm he feels the water growing frigid, the cold causes the sand to sink and soon the waters become clear to reveal a field of enormous ice. Majestic and deadly. 

In all its forms the Tempest is deadly. The present danger is measured by the Tempest's Ferocity. The deeper a Leviathan descends the more dangerous the Tempest grows. The Tempest never has a Ferocity less than Depth + 1, except in a Doldrum where the Ferocity is always 0. The exact danger of the Tempest varies, in one area it manifests as enormous flows of ice, in another as deadly lightning bolts. These regions and their effects are listed below. The default effects of the Tempest is simply to cause damage, unless the description of a region says otherwise, every ten minuets Roll Ferocity - Armour - Stamina. At Ferocity 5 this becomes Lethal damage, at Ferocity 10 the Tempest deals Aggravated Damage. Though the Tempest is the embodiment of the Tribe's psychological turmoil it acts like a physical threat and can be treated as such. Physical armour - should a Leviathan possess some - works just as well as toughened scales. An older and stronger Leviathan can take the brunt of the Tempest by swimming upstream or carrying a smaller Leviathan in her jaws. 

===== Sidebar: Atolls in the Rift! =====

An Atoll's unique relationship to the tribe shows itself fully within the rift. While in the Rift every Atoll carries the Tranquility of a Doldrum wherever they go. The Doldrum has a size of 10 * Presence yards, but will expand to cover any Leviathan who is even partially encompassed. Curiously an Atoll's personal Doldrum is not calm waters, but air. This does not affect a Leviathan's ability to swim, nor will it dehydrate anything. 

Like any human an Atoll needs a Leviathans help to descend the layers of the rift, and Atolls never enter the Rift through a Gatewater. What's more, if an Atoll is separated from a Leviathan they'll begin floating up, eventually returning to Earth (in the middle of the ocean if they're unlucky). An Atoll can prevent this by swimming downwards, until they run out of Stamina.   

=== The Waves ===

The most common manifestation of the tempest is nothing more than an unseen current of water. The force of the water is beyond all logic and even at the weakest Ferocities it seems to strike the Leviathan like a series of hammer blows. In most of it's manifestations the Waves churn in all directions, but in some places you will find directed currents. Travelling with the these currents reduces the Ferocity by two, and you add Ferocity to rolls for distance swimming. Of course swimming against the current inflicts a -Ferocity penalty to all swimming rolls for distance travel.

=== The Brine ===

In the brine the Currents of the Rift fade to stillness. The water is stagnant and rotten, filed with a thick cloying brine that is poisonous even to Leviathans. Instead of the usual roll the "armour" used to resist the Tempest becomes Stamina + Resolve with +2 bonus from Toxin Resistance. The tempest's usual rules for damage apply.

=== The Glow ===

The tempest here is a red glow which seems to come from all directions. Though deceptively tranquil, Leviathans not strong enough to face the Glow risk having the flesh boiled off their bones.

=== The Ice ===

Here the tempest takes the forms of sunken icebergs miles across, graceful and majestic yet utterly deadly. The gaps between are narrow and the slow movement of the Tempest can crush even the strongest Leviathan in an instant. The Ice Fields are one of the most dangerous parts of the Tempest and are only found where Ferocity is greater than five. A Leviathan rolls Dexterity + Athletics vs Ferocity + (Size - 5). If the Temptest wins the Leviathan suffers Ferocity bashing damage and must immediately roll Dexterity + Athletics to escape. Failure incurs another Ferocity bashing damage and another roll.

=== The Sandstorm ===

In this region the currents of the Tempest have become clogged with abrasive sand, silt and mud so thick that you can't see past your own face. All Perception rolls are reduced by Ferocity though appropriate Channels or Adaptations can overcome this. 

=== The Volcanic Region ===

A thick cover of ash spreads through the water from an unreachable volcano. Small superheated rocks and cooling magma are the threat of the day. Volcanic regions of the tempest are never found below Ferocity 5. To survive a Leviathan must avoid rather than endure. Roll Ferocity + (Size - 5) - Defence. Without appropriate supernatural advantages the volcanic region prevents both sight and smell, reduce all perception rolls by Ferocity. If this is enough to reduce a dicepool to zero, you cannot apply Defence to protect against the Tempest.

=== The Lightning Fields ===

One of the most dreaded and rarest manifestations of the tempest, never seen with a Ferocity less than 10. The Lightning Fields are deceptively calm yet covered with an intense feeling of approaching danger. The lightning strikes are rare but deadly, when they strike there is no escape and no defence. Leviathans take Ferocity dice of Aggravated Damage. While entering the lightning fields is essentially suicide the Rift follows normal Geometry well enough that a Leviathan who finds the lightning fields can simply turn around and look for another route. 

Some modern minded Leviathans have attempted to build physical armour to protect themselves but this too is futile. At this level of Ferocity the Tempest deals Aggravated Damage even without the effects of electricity on the Tribe and Aggravated damage bypasses mundane Durability while the pesudo-electricity bypasses any Durability the Tribe's supernatural abilities might confer rendering this protection temporary at best. A Leviathan who truly wishes to explore the Lightning fields is best advised to seek an Atoll's protection.