Editing LeviathanTempest:ChapterFive (section)

===Our Family===

==== Other Leviathans ====

Of all the threats Leviathans face none are a more common presence than their own family. From bestial Typhons to the alien madness of the Ophions, a Leviathan who looks will have little trouble finding monsters in their own family tree. Among the Tribe it is considered a sacred duty to purge these insane creatures, both as an act of mercy and for the sake of their own security: most Typhons see other Leviathans as a threat and react appropriately, usually violently, while at any moment the Ophions' incomprehensible goals may turn out to involve the destruction of you and yours. 

Yet far more frequently a Leviathan will come into conflict with the more Tranquil members of their family. It's not that Leviathans don't need to be consumed by the Tempest to be monsters, though that's certainly true. Other Leviathans have the same needs: Access to large bodies of water, impressionable or well placed humans to serve as Beloved, Heirlooms and other pieces of Tribal history, the attention of Atolls. A careful Leviathan can avoid conflict with a Typhon or Ophion but the only way to avoid another Leviathan is to give up on something you want. 

Conflicts between the Tribe are an unusual thing. They are cruel, vicious, spiteful conflicts and yet it is rare for two Leviathans to actually come to blows. Both the Leviathan's Bestial and Divine natures are instinctively opposed to the idea of Transforming and charging in a trashing maelstrom of teeth and claws, while the human nature is usually the least violent of the three. Like an animal the Bestial nature knows how to fight without escalating to any real risk of harm, and it instinctively prefers to loose than to risk injury or death. The divine nature also avoids direct combat, but for different natures. The Tribe's primordial divinity is expressed through power and dominance, the divine nature wants it's foes to remain alive. Aware that they have lost, that they are lesser than it. 

A direct violence is avoided, conflicts between Leviathans instead express themselves as instinctive ritualised battles for social dominance. They display claws or teeth, see who has the bigger crest, try to get neutral parties ‒ human or Tribe ‒ on their side and have their Cults perform elaborate rituals or raids (Though Leviathans rarely harm each other, killing or worse against another's friends, family or cultists is common) to show their strength. The most apt metaphor among human society may be an exceptionally vicious divorce where both parents see nothing wrong with trying to get the kids on their side, then having the kids fight to the death to get one over the ex. These conflicts usually end with the defeated Leviathan backing away from the contested resource, leaving the bodies of cultists and ritual sacrifices in their wake. When gods fight, it is mortals who bear the suffering. 

All this changes when a Leviathan crossed ''The Line''. Exactly what the line is varies to individual Leviathans, it may be killing a much loved family member or cultist. It could be trying to force a Leviathan to back off when they have nowhere to back off too. It could be putting two big fish in too small a pond until they snap. Trying to "steal" an Atoll usually qualifies. Most of the time crossing the line just means you've pushed one Leviathan too far but sometimes you can trigger every last Leviathan, consorting with the Marduk Society or using Marduk's sigil for example. Regardless of what caused it, crossing the line means that the other Leviathan wants you dead. No games of dominance, no threats or bargains, no backing down. Their instincts are screaming to Transform and fight to the bitter end. The Bestial nature knows that revenge or proving a point means nothing, in the ocean survival is everything and once you've crossed ''The Line'' it's him or me. 

===== Neith =====
'''Attributes:''' Intelligence 3, Wits 2, Resolve 2(4), Strength 3(5), Dexterity, 3 Stamina 4, Presence 2, Manipulation 3, Composure 1

'''Skills:''' Medicine 2 (Parthenogenesis), Occult, Athletics 1 (Swim), Brawl 3 (Grapple), Stealth 2 (Her Cave), Survival 1, Expression 3 (Singing), Intimidation 2.

'''Strain:''' Oceanus <br>
'''School:''' Clay <br>
'''Sheol:''' 3 <br>
'''Virtue:''' Justice <br>
'''Vice:''' Pride, Lust <br>
'''Defence:''' 2 <br>
'''Tranquillity:''' 3 (Obsessive Compulsion [Large worms visibly crawl under her skin], Megalomania [Hair is made from ropey strands of murky rainbow coral]) <br>
'''Health:''' 12 <br>
'''Size:''' 5 <br>
'''Speed:''' 11 <br>
'''Initiative:''' 4 <br>
'''Willpower:''' 5 <br>

'''Channels:''' Lord of the Sea, Incubation of the Second Self (Fast Growth 2, Opportunistic Parasitism 4), Womb of Terrors (Reflexive Genesis 3), The Hydra's Rebirth (Dread Return 3), That Hideous Strength (Rightful Place), Mind in Motion (Mind over Matter 2), Mortal-Devouring Armory, Stalker's Shifting Hide, Indomitable Solipsist-Tyrant, Call of the Depths (Song of Madness 2), Besieging the Tower of Will (Mind Blast 2), Piercing the Veil of Slumber.

'''Other Merits:''' Cult (Numbers 3, Zeal 3, Fervour 4, Home Turf 1 – Her Cave, Old Hands 3 (Kidnapping), Danger Sense 2, Iron Stomach 2, Striking Looks 2, Mandate of Babel 1, Temple (Size 2, Amenities 1 [Armoury], Security 1), Vicious Strain 1.

'''Background:''' Once Neith was normal for a Leviathan, who after learning of her heritage decided to find a quiet seaside town to become its goddess and queen. In this she was ruthless and effective, her Beloved occupied important political, professional and social positions. Neith's rule was hidden but absolute and all felt its touch.

Without a goal to occupy her focus Neith turned to indulging herself. Her fiefdom became a buffet of vices to satisfy its unholy mistress. As Neith pushed her cult to greater depravities both her and her Beloved began to degenerate. In their failing mental state the Cult of Neith began to lose its grip over the town. Seizing the advantage a cabal was formed under the leadership of Miles O'Hara, a police sergeant who overthrew his Beloved superiors, Dolly Peel, a retired fisherwoman whose knowledge of old sailors tales were an invaluable source of information, and Don Barks, a businessman and avowed atheist whose refusal to join the Cult led to threats and legal thuggery against his business and employees.

With O'Hara's armed police, Peel's knowledge and Bark's funding Neith's Cult was forced out of town and are now forced to hide in a sea-cave where only their Goddess' presence has kept them safe. Ironically this defeat has refocused Neith, curbing her excesses and returning some of the competent strategist she once was. What it didn't do was restore any measure of her sanity, Neith is compelled to procreate and demands a surrogate mother every few days. Neith's Beloved seek victims lest they be chosen while O'Hara's men and their allies patrol the night.

There are signs that the endgame is approaching. Neith has begun aggressive recruitment through her powers of Sanctity while among her opposition two new figures have risen to prominence: Julia Thatcher, a shopkeeper who's earned repute for fearlessness, skill in battle and advocacy of all-out attack before Neith regains her strength. Perhaps more significant is the addition of Howard Ward, a local doctor and self taught specialist in removing Neith's eggs (at least those that were found). Working alongside Dolly Peel and Mary Carter, a librarian, he has begun studying these eggs and has amassed a quite impressive collection of notes.

'''Description:''' Neith usually remains in her Apotheosis, which resembles an enormous frog with irregular clusters of transparent scales, patches of bright yet mucky coral and dozens of unblinking eyes. Any Cohort who crosses paths with Neith is likely to encounter at least one of her eggs, these take the from of surprisingly solid jelly swarming with tadpoles that fight and devour each other.

'''Storytelling Hints:''' Upon arriving at Neith's former dominion the first question the Cohort will have to ask themselves is whose side they are on? Neith is a monster in the worst sense of the word, a cruel tyrant that has undoubtedly abused the trust of her Beloved, outright ruining their lives, but she's family. On the other side the humans are armed, organised and they certainly don't want another Cult moving in. Even those not in the know, even those who outright refuse to face the uncomfortable truth know that you tell O'Hara before turning your back.

The Cohort may wish to remove Neith quickly before any more knowledge of the Tribe gets out, this will probably require an alliance with the town, since at this stage it is unlikely they will have the power to fight an entire cult themselves. Alternatively the players might show a little family loyalty, Neith is even less likely to trust other Leviathans and simply helping her is a only a short term solution. She didn't do so well at rulership last time and that was before she acquired severe derangements. Helping Neith might look more like staging an intervention and that brings us back to the problem of her aggressive Cult.

With a little tweaking this setup can be used for players who are disinclined to get involved in the struggles of others. Simple add some collective criminality and guilt and you have a self isolated town that's already been “broken in” as it where. All the players have to do is remove both sides before settling in. Depending on how many of Neith's eggs had been found by Dr. Ward, there may be a lot of Neith's children around. For players interested in expanding their cult with Lahmasu this turns Neith into a valuable resource. Players who care more about their genetic lineage than just Lahmasu servants could still make use of Neith by using the Hyperparasitism Adaptation on her Eggs but this is a serious Disruption of Tranquillity.

==== Typhons ====

When a Leviathan gives into base urges and monstrous abuses of power without self-restraint, degeneration eventually strips him of both his human and divine natures, leaving only the beast behind. These unfortunates are called Typhons by the Tribe. Their degeneration leaves them locked in their transformed shapes, unable to interact with the human world, while their sundered minds are overcome with atavistic urges. Typhons show little restraint beyond what is necessary to survive, and pose a colossal threat to communities near their lairs, devouring sailors and destroying boats.

Many members of the Tribe see it as a sacred or moral duty to destroy Typhons. Others just see it as a matter of self preservation. If you want to live long you don't live near the lair of an unstable monster, either get rid of it or go somewhere else. The elaborate ritualised conflicts displayed by the Tribe don't apply when Typhons are involved. Typhons see other Leviathans as a threat, and their degraded nature - broken and mad even by the standards of a wild animal - pushes them to go for all out combat. The Leviathan's own bestial nature knows well that when your opponent fights to kill your only options are to run or respond in kind. 

===== Becoming a Typhon: Falling into the Storm =====

* When a Leviathan becomes a Typhon the following changes occur: Firstly, the Typhon loses his faculties of reason. Mark "neg" next to Intelligence, unlike a 0 in an attribute (WoD Core: p43) an attribute marked as negligible can be rolled but the character gains no dice from that attribute. Don't remove the Typhon's Mental Skills but treat them as zero for any purpose other than activating Channels, the -3 unskilled penalty applies as usual. Channels which provide a bonus to Intelligence or Mental Skills will provide extra dice when a Typhon attempts to activate a Channel but not in any other situation. Typhons never benefit from 10-again, 9-again, 8-again, rote actions or similar modifiers when using Intelligence or a Mental Skill. Just in case it wasn't obvious: a Typhon, or any animal with negligible intelligence cannot be trained. 

* Secondly, the Tyhpon gains two new Specialties to represent the development of bestial instincts. They also use the higher of Dexterity and Wits for Defence, just like a wild animal would.

* Thirdly, the Typhon loses the ability to benefit from its cult. Rituals won't function and it gains no Ichor from worship. The Cult may remain for a while but their god sees them no differently from any other human.

* Finally, as a Typhon degenerates into base instincts, its Strain comes to prominence. Typhons follow recognisable behaviour patterns based on primordial instincts, each Strain gets two Impulses that govern its every move. Succeeding in a minor Impulse gains one point of Willpower as though the Typhon had fulfilled a Vice and a major Impulse restores all Willpower as though the Typhon had fulfilled its Virtue.

===== Strains of Typhons =====

* Bahamutans tend to be passive Typhons, dwelling in deep sea trenches or remote lakes. They can and often do go centuries without activity but when their lairs are threatened or sufficiently provoked their wrath can be apocalyptic. Their Minor Impulse is territorialism, they regain Willpower by driving others away from their Lair. Their Major Impulse is vengeance, they refill their Willpower by raining devastation upon those who offended them.

* Dagonites have given in entirely to their reproductive urges. They care nothing for consent or even supporting their brood, only the act of reproduction matters. A Dagonite who can reproduce asexually may never seek other beings at all, but even in this case they can be dangerous, for the area surrounding a Dagonite's lair is soon frequented by all manner of feral Lahmasu. A Dagonite's minor Impulse is to create a child, fulfilled upon conception. Their major Impulse is to protect their children until birth, every ten children born or hatched fulfils this Impulse. After hatching a Dagonite's spawn are left to fend for themselves.

* Lahamin Typhons are rarely seen or heard but their actions are often felt. The Lahamin watch safely hidden on the seabed or other remote areas, only surfacing to inflict spite driven vengeance on those they envy. Even then they act through stealth and ambush. A Lahamin fulfils its minor Impulse when it hides from a threat and its major impulse when it ruins someone's life without directly harming them.

* The spawn of Nu are the most alien of Typhons. Though their Impulses push them to immense feeding their habits are driven by the weather rather than any sensible hunting strategy. A Typical Typhon of Nu's Strain will respond to a growing storm by making a hurricane and a waning storm by dispelling it entirely. If it's lucky the turmoil will leave dead food scattered upon the sea. A Nu fulfills its minor Impulse when it magnifies an existing shift in the weather and its major Impulse when it feasts.

* Oceanids are driven by the need to dominate others. They don't actually need to do anything with their victims, being in a position where they could do anything is enough. The image of the Sirens, whose song kept sailors enthralled until they starved, is closely associated with Typhons of Oceanus' Strain. Their minor Impulse is to dominate a human, their major Impulse is to dominate a “hero”, defined as anyone trying to and having a chance of dominating (i.e. killing) the Oceanus in turn.

* The Tanninim make the least subtle Typhons. Their urges are simple, once a Typhon has chosen a sinner for some unknown crime it will pursue him across oceans and finally devour him. A Tannin regains willpower when it pronounces judgement on – that is, kills – a sinner. If the sinner fights back that's all the more satisfying: The Tanninim's major Impulse requires that the sinner and perhaps allies were able to show effective but eventually futile resistance.

* Thalassans are driven by boundless greed to amass ever growing hoards. These hoards can consist of anything that requires some amount of effort to collect, from whale bones to bric-a-brac taken from smashed ships. Most Thalassans will add any available Heirlooms to their hoard no matter how out of place they would be. Thalassans fulfill their minor Impulse when they defend their hoard and their major Impulse when they make a significant addition.

===== Kraken =====

'''Attributes:''' Intelligence neg, Wits 2, Resolve 3, Strength 3(5), Dexterity, 5(6) Stamina 5, Presence 3, Manipulation 1, Composure 2

'''Skills:''' Athletics 3 (Swim), Brawl 4 (Grapple, Against Ships), Survival 3 (Ocean), Intimidation 2.

'''Strain:''' Thalassan <br>
'''Sheol:''' 5<br>
'''Armor:''' 4/3<br>
'''Defense:''' 9<br>
'''Health:''' 38<br>
'''Size:''' 30<br>
'''Speed:''' 18<br>
'''Initiative:''' 7<br>
'''Willpower:''' 5<br>

'''Channels:''' Uncrowned Fisher King, Magnanimous Host to All (Brawl, Athletics), The Hydra's Rebirth, Fluid Icon of Grace, That Hideous Strength (God-Hurling Sinews 5), Overpowering Strength of Titans (Undertow 4), Many Flowing Limbs, The Tyrant's Privilege, Mortal-Devouring Armory (Rending Claws 2, Gaping Maw 2, Savage Focus 1), Lifeblood of Titans (A Mountain Walked 5), Flesh of the Progenitors (Adaptation to Harm 2), Vigor of Protean Kings.

'''Other Merits:''' Direction Sense 1, Iron Stamina 3, Iron Stomach 2, Quick Healer 4

'''Background:''' The Leviathan who would one day be known in legends only as The Kraken once followed the School of the Reef. It was her duty to guide cousins across the oceans and guard them from the ships of whalers, navy or far more likely the Marduk Society. As the years turned, wooden ships became iron and iron men became stronger yet, defeated and broken she was driven to the deepest parts of the ocean. Separated from any sort of contact for centuries she forgot everything and became The Kraken.

'''Description:''' The Kraken is mostly as recorded in myth. Colossal in size: matching naval frigates and more or less a giant octopus. In Apotheosis mortals have trouble remembering the finer details of a Leviathan's appearance so feel free to make embellishments: Perhaps its suckers each contain a small biting mouth or maybe there is row after row of serrated teeth behind its beak.

'''Storytelling hints:''' As a Thalassan, the Kraken impulsively collects pieces of ships and sailors' possessions in a massive rotting hoard at the bottom of the ocean. She's been quiet for decades, her urge to collect suppressed by her survival instinct and the growing danger of ships. The most obvious way to include the Kraken as an Antagonist is making her have something the Cohort wants. Heirlooms perhaps, but she could just as easily have made her nest near a sunken ruin the Cohort wishes to explore and dislikes rivals getting too close.

Alternatively the Kraken's reappearance after decades or centuries could be the catalyst for the actual plot. Perhaps one or more of the players is part of the hunting party going after it and must contend with tribal politics and divine egos in addition to the Kraken's combat ability. Maybe the Kraken's reappearance is the result of a failed Marduk attack and some highly incriminating technology (even the most idealistic Marduk member knows their weapons program is extremely illegal) remains in a scabbed wound. Now the two ancient enemies find themselves as uneasy allies hunting the Kraken before the navy catches her and exposes both of their secrets. To truly mix things up maybe an Ahab hunting Kraken is the only person who can reliably find her in the huge ocean.

==== Ophions ====
When a Leviathan abuses the power of the Wake and the trust of her Beloved, degeneration causes her divine aspect to grow until it eclipses both her human and bestial natures. Locked into her most glorious and terrible form she becomes an Ophion, following incomprehensible and contradictory goals that change with the Currents of the Tempest.

Without his human and bestial natures to act as an Anchor, an Ophion is overwhelmed by the Tempest. Ophions follow numerous goals called Currents; individual Currents bear no relation to each other or an overarching goal. Quite the opposite: Often two Currents oppose each other. An Ophion draws most strongly from the part of the Tempest which corresponds to his own Strain. This leads to somewhat standard behaviour patterns and proportionately more Currents from their Strain's Vice. Not all Currents are completed; they appear and vanish with the flow of the Rift. Normally this is a slow process – some Currents remain for decades – but on occasion an Ophion draws from the most tumultuous parts of the Tempest, gaining and losing Currents over minutes. In this state the Ophion is effectively paralysed. Some theorise that this is the usual state of an Ophion, and if it were true, then without drawing attention to themselves Ophions could remain unnoticed in deep seas and at the bottom of the Rift for a very, very long time.

As with Typhons many Leviathans see it as a sacred duty to destroy any Ophions they encounter. 

===== Becoming an Ophion: Unity with the Storm =====

* Each Ophion gains six minor Currents, two major Currents or one major and three minor Currents. More if the Storyteller desires. Each Current is a specific objective based on a Vice and an Ophion always has at least one but usually more Currents based on their Strain's associated Vice. Completing a minor current earns a point of Willpower while a major Current refills the entire Willpower pool when completed. Even the crudest Vices such as Wrath or Gluttony rarely create Currents flowing towards cheap instant gratification. Lacking their impulsive bestial nature Ophions tend to achieve their objectives through careful planning at best and tangled webs of intrigue at worst.
* Ophions cannot regain Ichor through Havoc, it is the bestial nature of a Leviathan which seeks satisfaction through instant gratification and pointless violence.
* An Ophion's greater connection to its divine aspect makes them unparalleled in leading their Cults. Upon becoming an Ophion, increase your Cult's Zeal by one.
* Finally when a Leviathan becomes an Ophion, roll Resolve + the lower of its Cult's Numbers or Zeal. Unless the Ophion gets a number of Successes equal to its Sheol, it immediately travels to the nearest suitable source of water and enters the Rift. Few Ophions maintain their footing on the Shore as the Tempest floods through them, but after the initial surge many seek a way to return, requiring powerful Rituals.

===== Strains of Ophions =====
*Bahamutans seek to follow their Currents through their Cult, spending much of their time Dreaming. This occasionally reaches the point where some Ophions never even attempt to leave the Rift and instead rely on Cults as their sole agents on the Shore. Those that do leave the Rift still favor direct plans with little personal effort, aided in part by the fact that many of their Currents spring from Sloth and don't require them to do much at all. Despite this they can show enormous energy and proactivity to protect their future rest and when driven to intervene personally they do so with overwhelming force.
*Dagonites follow Currents that lead them to expansion. More Beloved, more territory, more worship. As Ophions Dagonites tend towards extraordinarily complicated plans, often of a highly political nature coupled with never-ending recruitment. The danger of opposing a Dagonite Ophion is immense, they often possess more disposable troops than other Leviathans' entire cults and should they have left the Rift their tendency towards the Vestige of Fecundity swells their ranks with large numbers of powerful Lahmasu (they rarely breed the normal way, all potential partners are too far beneath them.) Playing a Dagonite at its own game is a dangerous prospect, the best way to deal with them is cutting the metaphoric head off the snake by attacking the Ophion while they rest in the Rift, separated from the support of their cult.
*Lahamin make some of the hardest Ophions to oppose, while no stronger or weaker than their cousins in combat, you have to find them first and finding the Lahamin is never easy. Even if you do know where to look, it's almost certain to notice you first and move. Tracing them by their actions is no easier, though their Currents run as strong as any Strain the Lahamin are masters of achieving the maximum effect for the minimum effort. Their plots are built upon staggering amounts of observation and careful preparation, only after which will they indoctrinate their cat's paws and unleash them in a carefully choreographed sequence of events that ends with the fulfillment of the Ophion's Current, most often ruining a life out of simple spite. It is the gift of the Lahamin to create workable plans which to the outside observer look like a sequence of improbable random events. It is their curse that they are limited to such complicated and unreliable methods to further their aims.
*The Currents that Nu's Children follow lead to the most alien of the Ophions. Though many are dedicated and focused while trying to escape the Rift, upon the Shore most lack the inclination to have any meaningful interaction with mankind. Cults are frequently abandoned or eaten once their purpose is served. The stereotype places the Ophion far from land, invisible in the water and content to devour whatever sea-life they come across. This is true to an extent, but like all Ophions a Nu will follow Currents from all Vices and even Gluttony can lead to delicacies unavailable in the ocean. When the Currents bring a Nu to land, it tends to show little concern for a sustainable power base. Cults are temporary and the full fury of the elements is used safe in the knowledge that the aftermath only affects other people.
*As an Ophion the Oceanids are never still. Their Currents run wide but are as shallow as the rivers their Progenitor claimed dominion over. As Ophions Oceanids tend to be impulsive, unsure of where the Currents will take them, they cast their nets wide. Their Beloved are often little more than a piggy bank and a source of quick gratification. Large in number but disorganised and interchangeable. As Ophions go the Oceanids can seem relatively harmless but theirs is the Vestige of Sanctity. When opposed, an Oceanid's first resort is to force compliance and they possess an instinct for turning friends and allies into weapons. Should the fight turn personal, Oceanids often show surprising martial powers. Though perhaps not as destructive as other Strains, the broken lives left in their wake are all the more painful for the personal touch in their destruction.
*Tanninim are driven by the Currents to amass power, not for its own sake but for practical ends. Frequently driven to punish, the Tanninim take a proactive stance to their goals and take measures to ensure that whoever their gaze falls upon they will already be in a position to pronounce sentence. Their Cults and the organisations that come under the Tanninin's grip tend to be well oiled machines ruthlessly purged of weakness and hyperfocused to the Ophion's goals but this focus ignores vital work required for long term survival, leading to an unending cycle of acquisition and decline.
*The Thalassans pursue wealth for its own sake and do so through the formation of self sustaining Cults that survive with a minimum of supervision. This is not laziness or unwillingness to get their hands dirty but simple practicality. Even an Ophion has a finite size on what they can personally control, only through delegation can they amass the hoards they desire. It would be foolish to assume that a Thalassan's Currents end at acquiring money but it's not entirely untrue to say that they mostly start with it. Their plots are as intricate as any Ophion's, but usually take an economic flavor. Sometimes a Thalassan simply buys whatever their Currents point at, but just as often other Currents prevent them from spending their wealth and elaborate plots must be formed to work around self imposed limitations on their greatest asset.