Editing LeviathanTempest:ChapterTwo (section)

== The Strains ==
=== '''Bahamutans''' === 
[Picture: The Symbol of Bahamut: An oval, fish-like scale with iridescent rays. It is inlaid with intricate filigree-work in some precious metal. Over this has been crudely painted an open eye, with no iris but a wide black pupil. Fingerprints are still visible in the paint. ]

[Picture: Central. A fisherman is standing under a streetlight. He is a young man, with a general Latino appearance. His legs are in oilskin pants but he is barefoot. He wears a wifebeater, under which bumpy, scaly ridges are visible that delineate his muscles. He has no hair and his scalp is glistening. His arms are tattooed, and one of his hands is holding the rostrum of a sawfish like a macahuitl. His jaw is gaping wide open, much larger than a human jaw could, and displays several rows of teeth along with a flat, wide tongue.]

===='''Morphology'''====
Even in a family of titans, Bahamutans are known for their size. Even when not expressing their Leviathan natures, members of this Lineage tend towards broad shoulders and considerable height. This size has lead to the Lineage being branded as gentle, slow, or dull, but this is only a half truth - the blood of Bahamut is as forceful and energetic as any of its kin, and when roused the Strain often expresses this as explosive strength or drive. On a practical level at the very least, many Bahamutans are hyper-aware of the realities of power and force - they have to cope with such things in their daily lives, dealing with a world that is, to them, crushingly small and oppressively restricted. The Bahamutan tendency towards power expresses itself in something not unlike heroic stature - the Lineage is certain of its capabilities, faced as they are with a world in which nothing seems too big to tackle.

===='''Progenitor'''====
The Bahamutans trace their descent back to a Progenitor labelled Bahamat or Behemoth. Reputedly a fish or whale of immense size, it was said to support whole cities on its back. Martial Bahamutans cite the biblical image of Behemoth's power as proof of a lost warrior tradition, while more spiritual members note Behemoth as a nurturer of life and progenitor of species. 

===='''Genetics'''====
There seems to be some sort of mechanism at work in bloodlines touched by Bahamut. Some subconscious system that prevents a Leviathan being born until there is space for a new arrival. Of course this isn't to say it's polite enough to wait for parents who genuinely want a Leviathan, yet as a general rule Bahamatuns are rarely born to parents struggling to get by, and most commonly emerge in times of prosperity and expansion. This trait is amplified when there are living Bahamatuns present: A Bahamatun finding herself pressed for resources will rarely discover that a nephew is the latest addition to their worries. 

Bahamutans normally arrive in a group of between two and three at a time. These individuals often show some remarkable similarities even before coming into their Heritage: Appearance, mannerisms, an odd trait like shared allergies. This isn't that surprising in long running Bahamutan families but for Bahamatains with a culturally normal background it can be quite the shock meeting your nearly identical third cousin for the first time at a family reunion. Bahamatun families with a more Tribe oriented culture and no access to prophecies often look for odd similarities as portents of an future Leviathan. Identical twins (either actual identical twins or fraternal twins who happen to look identical, that happens a lot) are considered an especially auspicious sign. When born to a bloodline touched by Bahamut if one identical twin is a Leviathan the other certainly is too.

===='''Puberty'''====
It begins with distance. As master of the natural armours and Vitality of the tribe a Bahamatun's inheritance first manifests by a feelings of inner security. What once seemed like enormous problems seem small, easily solvable but also unimportant. In these early days the hardest and most important thing is for the Leviathan to maintain a sense of proportion. Some describe it as an almost dreamlike state where the world seems formed of mist, where force and reaction seem unrelated. What feels like a simple push topples trees, an attempt to rescue a drowning man churns the beach into muck. The first step taken by many Bahamatuans is to relearn their own strength.

Bahamatun families, even those unaware of their own heritage, have a moderate tendency to be surprisingly calm when a new Bahamatuan emerges. Sometimes this is stoicism, sometimes shock, but it always gives a little breathing room that gives the family time to get to grips, or succumb to the wake, before making any rash decisions. 

A curious fact is that Bahamatuans who emerged as a set, even if they had never met before, lack the territorial instincts that most Leviathans feel against each other. They may also include any other Bahamatuan who was a family figure in their upbringing in their instinctual trust though this is unreliable. A Cohort formed of related Bahamatuans can be among the most stable and thus the most successful in the Tribe, however instincts to cooperate can repress disagreement leading to stagnation. Even worse, repressed feelings can escape in other self destructive ways or build up until they explode in a fashion that can be called apocalyptic, both figuratively and sometimes literally.<!--As the guys who combine Vitality and Fecundity (Thalassans don't really count, they never favour both at once) Bahamatuns are the token family who are somewhat able to work together and not eat each other. This is also the self-censored version, there are logical implications here that while very appropriate for a lovecraft themed game I decided were much better of unwritten-->

===='''Evolution'''====
The True Form of a Bahamutan is traditionally expected to be much larger than that of his fellows, and their stereotypical tranquility leads to depictions of them using their great bulk to shelter others from the hazards of the Depths. Their tendency to express themselves through the Vestiges of Vitality and Fecundicity makes this image somewhat reliable - a powerful Bahamutan will indeed be huge and relatively solid, albeit with a form teeming with lifeforms both strange and, on occasion, voracious. A Bahamutan's resilience makes it a likely candidate for a long voyage, and their immense shapes can seem to drift, untouchable and listless, through the Depths.

===='''Ecology'''====
====='''Family'''=====
The Bahamutan line is typically cited for its fertility and productive capability. Allegedly, at least, the Lineage combines the fecundicity of the Dagonites with the ability to weather the rigors of reproduction. Bahamutan-touched mortal bloodlines tend to be directed by their patri- or matriarchs towards a tight-knit, self-sustaining structure that protects and nurtures without the fevered internal politics of a Dagonite's brood, but this atmosphere conceals a more stifling tendency to self-replicate - the drive for competition is excised in favor of cooperation. 

====='''Lahmasu'''=====
The line of Lahmasu that Bahamut's lineage produces are the ''Gugal'' or "great bulls." The strain is distinguished by characteristically large builds and often a distinctly aquatic appearance, especially later in life. Uniquely among Lahmasu the Gugal tend towards genetically stable populations - often taken to extremes, a Gugal community eventually ends up populated with genetically identical inhabitants. Many prefer the company of their own, where their distinctive appearances are accepted.

====='''Cults'''=====
Bahamutans are generally involved in their Cults on a personal level, seeing a need to protect their followers and their territory. This is sustained by the comfortable strength that most of the Lineage possesses - Cult members are likelier to come to the Leviathan with mundane problems, seeking protection from their own weakness in that reassuring power. 

===='''Vestiges'''====
'''Vitality''', Awareness, Fecundity, Might

==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ====
The Sea of Salahit, the Caspian Sea, the vice of Sloth.

===='''Concepts'''====
Awkward young linebacker, high-stakes fisherman, neighborhood protector, surprisingly burly kindergarten teacher, professional wrestler, church camp counselor

===='''Quote'''====
''"This is a good place. I like it here, and I spent years making sure it remains the sort of place I like. Usually this involves making sure punks like you don’t bother the good people of this town. Then it becomes the sort of place they don’t like. You still sure you want to set up shop here?"''

=== '''Dagonites''' === 
[Picture: The Symbol of Dagon: A wooden carved statue representing a bust of a man with his hands cut off. His cheeks are hollow and his eyes are bulging like a fish’s, but he has a full Sumerian-style beard. His hair is replaced by scales. The statuette has claw marks imprinted on it.]

[Picture: Central. A young woman with shoulder-length black hair. She wears a light gray business suit with a white baby-tee underneath. Her shoes are stylish and heeled, but not ostentatious. She has an attractive full, rounded figure without being really fat. From the collar of her tee-shirt, you can see patterned patches of colour like the skin of an octopus reaching up to her ear. She is leaning against the edge of a desk, nearby a window. In her left hand is a pair of glasses, half-folded. In her extended right hand, she is holding a practical butcher’s knife, handle first as if she was offering it to someone. ]

===='''Morphology'''====
The line of Dagon is traditionally considered as the meeting point between primordial muck and cold functionality. Members are expected to be assertive and aggressive, both in their physical and social lives, and to ceaselessly move towards perfection through experimentation. This obsession with progress and refinement has led to the whole Strain being branded as calculating and manipulative, but, as these are not terms of weakness, most Dagonites embrace the stereotype gladly. Their tendency towards power-playing makes them natural candidates for leadership positions both inside and outside of Tribe society. The average Dagonite is expected to cull weakness without hesitation - meaning that, despite lacking the physical presence of some of their brethren, they are given a fair berth by their wary kin. 

===='''Progenitor'''====
Dagonites claim their ancestry in the Progenitor Dagon, who they identify both as a patron of trade, the weather, and the harvest but also a force of power and fertility. Dagonites of a religious bent tend to replicate some of these facets in their directions to their Cult, adding another level of deific veneration to their relationship with their Beloved.

===='''Genetics'''====
In it's way Dagon's blood is the one that makes the most sense to modern understandings of genetics. While Leviathans of any Strains are most commonly born to bloodlines that have given birth to Leviathans before this tendency is most pronounced in the Dagonites. The more Dagonites in your ancestry, the more Lahmasu in your immediate family, the more likely you are to be a Leviathan yourself. 

Because the blood of Dagon weighs genetics heavily, if one Leviathan begins his transition it's likely that others will soon follow. As many as five or six may appear, typically among siblings and first cousins over two or three generations. While this period can be extended even further it stereotypically ends when the young Leviathans yearn for control and power and leave their birthplace to forge their own petty kingdoms. The family splits, new converts are brought into the fold and the bloodline thins for a time.

===='''Puberty'''====
It begins with the flesh. The first a Dagonite notices of his heritage is some physical affliction. These are impermanent and fluid markers, attempting to peal away a patch of scales will cause them to melt into flesh. Just as it seems like the fledgeling may come to terms with their condition the effects spread outwards. Attempting to remove an affliction causes it to burst in blood and small sea life. Small animals bearing outlandish mutations follow the Leviathan in slavish loyalty, the Wake begins during this time. Many Dagonites have to question where they end and other creatures begin. Who is an individual with their own thoughts and desires and who is merely a part of them to be used as one uses their own arm? The creatures in her blood? The loyal animals who follow them around? Her Beloved? Everyone?

Due to the insular and cultic nature of many established Dagonite families, the arivial of a new Leviathan is typically responded too with well rehearsed rituals. This can provide a sense of stability both to the young Leviathan and her mortal family, however depending on the nature of these rituals some Dagonites honestly would have preferred naked panic. Outside of social influences Dagon's blood seems to lead towards no particular reaction. 

As his puberty progresses a Dagonite feels a growing instinct to emigrate, and for good reason. The stereotype says they tire of family and seek unclaimed lands to conquer, and while there is some truth in this they are in fact instinctively fleeing their own blood. Should the Dagonites remain, whether out of familial loyalty, a deliberate (and usually successful) attempt to breed more Leviathans or some other reason, then the touch of Dagon's blood continues to strengthen. Whether mystical effect of Dagon's blood or just the result of so many Leviathans possessing the powers of Fecundity in the gene pool, the family homeland is soon plagued with feral Lahmasu and mass graves filled with the young victims of horrible diseases. <!--commentary: Dagonites probably have the worst genetics and maybe the worst culture of the tribe. As fitting for the Fecundity Strain. I wanted to highlight this with a sort of population bomb and even the unique advantage that they can, in rare circumstances, reliably increase the number of Leviathans albeit at a terrible cost. In a way it's killing the golden goose since it wipes out an entire bloodline forcing any survivors to start from scratch)-->

===='''Evolution'''====
The True Form of a Dagonite is expected to resemble a unity of the portrayals of the line's fish-like Progenitor and the amalgamation of mammalian and piscine forms. Dagonite eyes in particular tend towards the size and intensity of a deep-sea fish, and in many ways their forms embrace all of the most unsettling parts of a fish's form - bulging and unblinking eyes, slimy (or worse, transparent) scales, and gaping mouths. 

===='''Ecology'''====
====='''Family'''=====
The Dagonite Strain is cited as the most fruitful but least nurturing of the bloodlines - the fertility of Dagon's lineage does not make room for errors, and while Dagonite-touched families are often numerous they are rarely healthy. The cultic leanings of the Strain have led to many of their modern incarnations finding themselves in isolated and forgotten corners of the globe, in the midst of cult-like families steeped in centuries of fevered and violently slavish tradition.

====='''Lahmasu'''=====
The Dagonites lay claim to the Lahmasu ''Abuu'', or "fathers" (singular ''Abum'', often read "Patriarchs"). The bloodline is distinguished by both grotesque fertility and the appearance of overlarge eyes, scales, and similar piscine features as the blood of Dagon becomes more pronounced - visual markers that betray the "purity" of a bloodline and signify, in the minds of the Lahmasu, greater connection to the revered Tribe.

====='''Cults'''=====
Dagonites and the stereotypical model of the Cult are deeply intertwined - the Dagonite assuming the role of father and god to a large and isolated group that has violent internal competition for preferential treatment. The severity and willpower that the line traditionally projects makes this position as a living deity all the more relevant - the Dagonite can easily dominate all aspects of his or her follower's lives.

===='''Vestiges'''====
'''Fecundity''', Elements, Predation, Sanctity

==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ====
The Sea of Harkand, the Cilician Sea, the vice of Pride.

===='''Concepts'''====
Contract lawyer, backwoods patriarch, small-town mayor, preacher, head cheerleader, militia leader

===='''Quote'''====
''"When you put your trust in me, that makes me responsible for what you do. I know you did it out of love, and I know you regret it now. But what happened is still inexcusable. And I’m sorry, I really am, but I can’t trust that it won’t happen again. For what it’s worth, I will miss you." '' 

==='''Lahamin'''===
[The Symbol of Lahamu: Half a Nautilus shell. There have been holes cut out inside the separation between each chamber, and a dark liquid is flowing from one chamber to the next, until it leaks out of the shell in a small pool below.]

[Picture: Central. A woman is entering a wooden cabin. She is young, around 16 and pretty. She wears a brown waterproof coat over torn jeans with sturdy rubber boots. All her clothes are muddy and show the signs of an outdoor life. She carries two large fish over her shoulder, the fish are dripping water down her back. The woman is blond with roughly cut short hair and has unnaturally large brown eyes that are too far apart. You can see patches of mud coloured skin on her arms, they are irregular and look smooth.]

===='''Morphology'''====
The descendants of Lahmu are expected to be subtle and secretive as was their ancestor. Direct action is often thought of as crude or unrefined by the Lahamin, instead the Strain favours networks of Cultists placed within centres of wealth and power and vast hordes of stolen secrets. Rarely seen, the eyes and infleunce of the Lahamin can be felt everywhere. This does serve to prejudice the Tribe against them with assumptions that the Lahamin avoid personal involvement or are outright cowards. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Tribe's natural weaponry comes easily to the Lahmin; not suspecting direct confrontation, their enemies fall to bristling spines and deadly venoms.

===='''Progenitor'''==== 
The Lahamin claim ancestry of the Progenitor Lahamu, a being of boundless wisdom and unchallenged sight whose gift of prophecy guided the tribe and their mortal followers from the darkest depths of the primordial ocean. 

===='''Genetics'''====
The Lahamin are the most dependent on the mystical facet of the mystical, environmental and genetic trinity that governs the birth of a new Leviathan, which does rather annoy them since as it means the Lahamin are behind the other Strains in knowing how to predict the birth of a new cousin. What can be known, the genetic side of the equation, is unusual by the standards of the tribe. The Lahamin can appear from any direct child of another Lahamin but usually only appear as direct descendants of several different Lahamin. Certainly it's not that rare for several Leviathans to exist within a closed gene pool, and if you go far back enough everyone is related to everyone, but neither of those are particularly relevant to the Lahamin. Rather a Lahamin is actually likely to have more than one unrelated Leviathan in the near family tree. The odds of this are staggering and the Tribe generally agrees it's a mystical function of their bloodline, a far more subtle but perhaps a more powerful effect than those seen in the other Strains. 

Off all the Strains the Lahamin are the least likely to have established families. Lahamin Bloodlines still exist but they rarely remain as a cohesive unit, nor do they remain distinct from other families. This makes it hard to determine the pattern in which Lahamin might emerge; when three Lahamin appear is this evidence that the Lahamin appear in large numbers? Is it actually that three different Lahamin families have recently intermarried and only have one Leviathan each? Has anyone double checked that none of them were adopted? None of this has prevented the masters of Awareness from learning that there dosn't seem to be any limit to the number of Leviathans who can be born in a given time or place, yet the mystical requirements are often personalised and so it's rare that more than one Leviathan will appear at the same time and place. When many Lahamin begin their transition at once be warned, something big is about to happen.

===='''Puberty'''====
The first two steps are constant. The Wake comes first, then the eyes open to see into the hearts of men. This is a disastrous combination because what she will see in the hearts of men are echoes of the Wake. Unaware of any supernatural explanation a young Lahamin can quickly be led to believe that all her past friendships were a lie. Some fight back with logic, especially when they have reason to believe that their friends changed their opinions recently or doubt their new senses. Others retreat into solitude, only those with guidance from an early point are likely to escape with their faith in humanity intact. This faith can provide a solid anchor in the search for Tranquillity. 

Lahamin typically become Leviathans alone, they are alone because only one from any immediate family tends to become a Leviathan at a time, and because they tend to be born far from the influence of the Tribe. However while the situation of the Tribe tends to be unremarkable – because there usually is no Tribal presence to remark upon – the situation with humanity tends to become remarkable quite fast. One is still in school when she starts changing and she spots that one of the teachers is a child molester even though he always kept his depravities to another country. In the panic and media frenzy chaos reigns. Another was responsible for negotiating an important contract, when the changes begin he takes sick leave. Without him negotiations fail, hundreds loose their jobs and a community spirals into poverty. 

The Lahamin often talk about being part of a infinitely complex plan their precognitive Progenitor set in motion in prehistory. It's a point of pride and some even use the presence of Lahamu's long dead hand (or equivalent) as a surrogate parental figure. The other Strains rarely agree with these beliefs. If they believe there even is a mystical effect behind the chaos, they tend to assume it's impersonal and random. Those who believe each event was designed chosen by Lahamu tend to assign the Progenitor similar motives that they see in it's descendent. Rather than an ancient world changing plan it's simply one final act of spite against the species that slew the Progenitors, a Fuck You of truly biblical proportions echoing down the ages.<!--Commentary: I like this one a lot, I like the way Lahamin tend to break the Lovecraft stereotype and be, even require that they be, the opposite of incestuous. I like the way they use their ancestor as a family figure because they often lack parents. But honestly what I really like is the idea of Lahamu giving the finger to humanity from across the ages. None of the other Strains really play to the Vice as a key part of their Emergence so I think that's a good way to go. -->

===='''Evolution'''====
From the sea floor came the Lahamin and too the sea floor they return. The true form of the the Lahamu bloodline is one of contrasts, encompassing soft worms and the exoskeletons of trilobites, snails, and shellfish. Alternatively squamous or rigid, their forms are camouflaged against the seabed. They tend towards prominent unblinking eyes or antenna that seek knowledge in the murky depths.

===='''Ecology'''====
====='''Family'''=====
The descendants of Lahamu are reputed to give birth in numbers. Their numerous healthy offspring stand upon a legacy of stillbirths and early graves. Though the bloodline is nurturing to those it spares, the Lahamin are not. At best they make indifferent and neglectful parents, the others never see their children at all. They walk out on their families or abandon eggs to the mercy of nature. All too often the Lahamu must start their search into their family history by finding their genetic parents. 
====='''Lahmasu'''=====
Their Lemashu are the Mahhu. A Strain gifted with prophecy but who wear their blood openly. Often abandoned by their parents and shunned by humanity, Mahhu with neither the fortune or skill to better themselves sell their visions from hidden lairs in remote swamps or camouflaged amongst lawless inner city wastelands.

====='''Cults'''=====
The Lahamin tend to have the smallest Cults of the Tribe, each member tends to be carefully chosen for what they can offer with a bias towards formal power and status. A Lahamin's Cult is often not a formal organisation, many exist as an informal web of contacts with the Leviathan invisible but ever watchful at the centre.

===='''Vestiges'''====
'''Awareness''', Fecundity, Predation, Sanctity

===='''Symbols and Associations'''====
The sea of Larwi, the Persian Gulf, the vice of Envy

===='''Concepts'''====
Shadowy information broker, deep sea treasure hunter, neighbourhood gossip, determined reporter, deep cover agent, internet addict, sewer-dwelling alligator.

===='''Quote'''====
''"You heard that I pay well for juicy gossip. So you've decided to come here, find out what you can take from me. But as it turns out, there is nothing you know I'm interested in, because I've been watching you, honey, and everything you know, I already know. So the question now becomes, what are you willing to pay to get out of here in one piece?"''

=== '''Nu''' === 
[Picture: The Symbol of Nu: An Egyptian-style stone cartouche, lying left-to-right horizontally. The following Gardiner hieroglyphs are carved on the cartouche: a leaping fish (K4), then a heart (F34), bleeding into a bowl (V31), and finally a stalk of grain (M23). Above them, a line of five stars (N14). All around them, the inner border is made of sinuous wave-carvings. ]

[Picture: Central. A man or woman, entirely covered in clothes. This includes a baggy hoodie, sweater pants and sports shoes. The figure is misshapen, with one shoulder higher than the other and a folded knee. The posture is jumpy, as if he/she was ready to bolt at any time. All the clothes are soaked and dripping. The hood is pulled over his/her head, and you only see steam rising from the location of the mouth. The figure is wearing a golden, heavy medallion on a chain over his jumper. Three small tentacles with sucker cups are sliding out from each of the sleeves.]

===='''Morphology'''====
The Nu are believed to be the lineage with the most direct connection to water – not as a place to live, but as an essential component of life. Their Tribal forms tend towards the gelatinous and sinuous, and their bloodline tends towards further exploration of this body-morphing fluidity. Embracing this, the Nu are seen as naturally connected to the ancient life that the Tribe seeks to reclaim, and are expected to live a deep and introspective existence. This may or may not be the case for any given Nu. Their malleability and the expectation of introversion does serve to unfairly prejudice other Tribe members against them, however - they are expected to give way in the face of pressure.

===='''Progenitor'''====
The Nu claim to be descended from the Progenitor Nu, sometimes called Naunet or Nun. According to them, their progenitor is the first of Tiamat's Children, and the most akin to the primordial waters, and their natural grasp of the control of primal forces is meant to serve as evidence of this unusually "blue" blood.

===='''Genetics'''====
They say if a Nu wants to trace his ancestry he should start by looking at his great uncle's second cousins. Like ripples spreading, the touch of the divine bloodline moves outwards from a Nu to his surrounding family, often manifesting in ways that cause dead ends on the family tree. Yet a few branches will be spared. Like runner shoots these often are, or soon will be, the most distant to the original Leviathan, genetically, culturally, or even geographically. It is these distant and healthy relations which are most likely to give birth to the next full blooded Leviathan while the more direct descendants are often destined to die out or leave their heritage behind entirely. 

Nu are most commonly born out the blue, as it were. The healthy branches tend to be free of Lemashu and other markers of the Tribe. Even culturally, most tend to be distant from the unusual side of their heritage. It is rare for the same branch of the family tree to produce more than one Leviathan before the cycle repeats itself but several escaping branches may exist in parallel. As far as anyone can tell in regards to when and if they produce another Leviathan, each branch is entirely independent of the others.

===='''Puberty'''====
The Elements themselves react when a Nu begins to claim his birthright. Water may twist and flow in unnatural patterns as she walks by. As she steps into the shower every drop of water boils in a flash burning everything but herself. Most terrifying of all is when they lose the ability to tell themselves apart from the water; lying in the bath she feels not the water on her flesh but the porcelain touching the water. There are patterns in this, but they are patterns unrelated to the Nu herself and obscure enough to thwart any but the most dedicated meteorologist. 

While they possess the same Tribal instincts as their cousins, the Nu's instincts only appear after they have claimed their full birthright. The only force that pushes a Nu onwards is natural human curiosity: She cannot outrun herself and so sooner or later she must attempt to experiment. As she begins to master the elements she drains the mystical pressure that surrounds her. Though things can never return to normal she now has enough control to seek some measure of stability. A Nu who never attempts to master her power may remain stuck in this transitional phase forever. For all the drawbacks of the Tribe's condition this is arguably worse worse, or at least more likely to lead to an early grave. She is spared none of the Tribe's curses, the Wake exists in full. In essence she has traded control over her abilities for nothing at all.<!--A lot of this was the answer to a question: How are Nu still roughly as common as other Leviathans (I think that all the major strains are equally common. However I put the birth/(“infant mortality”) rate in three tiers: 1) Dagonites, 2) Bahamatans, Lahamu and Thalassans, 3) Oceaneads, Nu and Tannanim.) when their genetics prevents the family lines from surviving. 

The idea that Nu blood is almost nomadic. The established bloodlines tend to die off or purge themselves of Tribe blood while the true heritage travels far to re-establish itself from scratch is a rather unusual one and I think it works well. I think I might have got the idea from strawberries.-->

===='''Evolution'''====
The True Form of the Nu is a return to the water that spawned it - fluid and water-logged forms that echo tadpoles, octopuses, squid and spineless ocean life. Their large and awkward-seeming forms bely surprising grace, and many Nu are nearly invisible in deep water - their bodies are akin to natural extensions of the Depths.

===='''Ecology'''====
====='''Family'''=====
The Nu reproduce with difficulty - while pure Tribe members are no less numerous than their vanishingly-rare cousins, the line tends to either deeply mark its mortal kin (often in ways that render them incapable of furthering the bloodline) or leave little trace at all. A bloodline that's given rise to a Nu tends to manifest this instability either as a social dynamic - a family tree with a lot of dead ends - or physically, with complications and hardships. 
====='''Lahmasu'''=====
The Nu claim as their own the ''Heqen'', a Lahmasu lineage marked with amphibious features. Most Heqen are frog-like in appearance, but as the bloodline becomes rarified their skin becomes transparent and liquid, like that of a jellyfish. The Heqen share the Nu's connection to the Primordial Sea, and members of the lineage often cultivates complex symbolic systems of worshipping the Tribe.
====='''Cults'''=====
The cult of a Nu generally centers less on the Nu him or herself and more on the truths suggested by the Nu's existence - the reverence for a lost primordial lifestyle, tinged with elements of horrified subservience and doubt. The Nu often profit from the anxiety that they present to their followers - their alien appearance and power is such that their requests are rarely denied, no matter how extreme or unusual.

===='''Vestiges'''====
'''Elements''', Awareness, Sanctity, Vitality

==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ====
The Sea of Kardanj, the Mediterranean, the vice of Gluttony.

===='''Concepts'''====
Martial arts instructor, inscrutable guru, conspiracy theorist icon, underground artist 

===='''Quote'''====
''"You’re so beautiful. I saw you yesterday night, but I didn’t dare approach you. No, you didn’t see me. I was in the rain, outside. I saw you cry, in the dark. And I saw what you did to that poor man. Don’t cry! I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. But would you please, just… look at me?"  '' 

=== '''Oceanids''' ===
[Picture: The Symbol of Oceanus: A round plate in black and white, decorated like a Grecian pottery. Black circle on the outside, then a thin white circle, then the picture in white on black: an old, bearded man, from the chest up. In his right hand he holds a trident with a snake nestled between the tines. His left hand is submerged in the water that surrounds his lower body. Scales cover his stomach. ]

[Picture: Central. An Indian woman is sitting on a concrete post, which is pitted and eroded by salt. She is wearing a patterned bikini, with a thin piece of cloth wrapped around her waist and legs. The legs are kept together under the wrap and of a somewhat unnatural shape, suggesting a fish-tail. She wears sunglasses, complex earrings and a nose stud. The sunglasses still show some light shining from her eyes. Her hair is tied at the back, revealing gills on her neck. Her right hand is sitting in her lap, dialling on a cell phone. Her left hand, dangling at her side, holds a child’s beach bucket, covered with traces of blood, like a fisherman’s bucket.]

===='''Morphology'''====
The Oceanids assert that they are marked with the grace of the Tribe's deified lineage. Even those that are not blessed with physical beauty command the strain's much-storied ''presence''. The Oceanids are expected by their fellows to be true predators, using their advantages to the fullest to achieve their agendas. This naturally makes many members of the tribe leery of getting too close to the spawn of Oceanus - they are always assumed to be manipulative. 

===='''Progenitor'''====
The Oceanids' mythical Progenitor is Oceanus, who they claim is the orderer of seas and rivers, and the natural leader of the children of Tiamat. Some Oceanids see this predilection for order as a suggestion of a connection to humanity, while others claim that humanity has infringed on their mandate of control over the seas.

===='''Genetics'''====
Chronologically the lasting Oceanid bloodlines are among the most reliable for the tribe. Within a family the number of generations between Leviathans remains constant to within a few generations. The Strain as a whole, however, does not have a set timetable and even within a family the period may slowly change over time, increasing or decreasing by a few generations every cycle. 

While the Oceanids can reliably tell when their inheritance will next be bestowed knowing where it will appear is a lot harder. A new Oceanid can be born to almost any direct descendent of a previous Oceanid. The only noticeable pattern is that all the Oceanids from a single cycle, typically just one or two, are roughly the same age. It's even possible for the inheritance to permanently move away from the family through the line of an illegitimate child or a single family member who cuts his ties; often this causes either celebration or a frenzy of family reunions as the family tries to find and reforge ties with the newborn Leviathan before their inheritance is forever lost to another.

===='''Puberty'''====
It starts with a feeling, one day a new Oceanid wakes up to the sound of her heart pounding in her chest. Her palms are sweaty, adrenaline is pumping and she feels like queen of the world. At this early stage her goals are unchanged, merely pursued with greater confidence and, with a small measure of her inheritance, fulfilled to satisfaction. If she is not scared by hints of the supernatural behind her successes she may even enjoy it for a while. This cannot last, a young Oceanid's powers grow to meet each challenge. As her abilities becomes increasingly uncontrolled, she must confront her greatest challenge: mastering her own abilities and the quest for Tranquillity. 

Oceanids are unique in that their transition affects not just them but their close (both genealogically and geographically) family as well. These changes are permanent and the results are among the most healthy, and often physically human, Pelopsids to be found. Unsurprisingly this can be a time of great expansion, metaphorically as members rise in wealth and status, but also literally with successful courtships and newborn babies.

===='''Evolution'''====
An Oceanid's True Form hints at the shallows - the graceful lines and light coloration of a marine mammal. The bright imagery of a tropical fish. Some display vibrant coloration and designs, and almost all are seen as strikingly contrasted to the stark conditions of the marine Depths.

===='''Ecology'''====
====='''Family'''=====
The Oceanids are said to foster discord between their children - they begin with large, dynastic families which are pared down by internal conflict until very few remain. Oceanid-touched lineages are among the most likely to preserve their family history, however, hinting at the strain's aristocratic self-image. These histories can often prove an unexpected boon to an Oceanid that begins to delve into his lineage.
====='''Lahmasu'''=====
The Oceanids call their Lahmasu the ''Pelopsids''. A Pelopsid tends to retain the physical grace of their lineage, but none of the tact. Pelopsids often simply rely on their strength or beauty to get what they want. Many are predators in the most literal sense.
====='''Cults'''=====
An Oceanid's cult tends to revolve around the glorification of the Leviathan above all else. Some are simply social clubs, providing fawning admiration to its glorified deity in exchange for consideration, favors, or even simply attention. The Cults of most Oceanids are slanted towards a higher social rung than most of their fellows - they are often well at home in the houses of mortal power.

===='''Vestiges'''====
'''Sanctity''', Elements, Might, Predation

==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ====
The Sea of Fars, the Ionian Sea, the vice of Lust.

===='''Concepts'''====
Club diva, big man on campus, queen of the suburbs, reclusive CEO, bright young son of a political dynasty

===='''Quote'''====
''"People love beaches, perhaps now more than ever. You know why? Because there’s no roof. You’re totally exposed – the more you’re naked, the more you’re at ease. It’s the place in the world where you’re the most defenseless. Don’t you think it’s interesting that everyone rushes there?" ''

=== '''Tanninim''' === 
[Picture: The Symbol of Tannin: A hanging piece of cloth, coarsely woven. The edges fray and resemble used fishing nets. The centre piece of the cloth depicts four snakes in a circle, each eating the body of the next one.]

[Picture: Central. A young man in dress Navy uniform. He is currently pulling off his dress jacket, revealing a t-shirt on which several weapons have been strapped with medical sticking tape. All of the weapons are variations on harpoons and pointy metallic sticks, including a piece of sharpened rebar. The man is blonde, with a crew-cut and thin-rimmed glasses. His left hand has a crustacean-like look, with each knuckle articulated with the next like the segments on a lobster’s body. He is smiling, looking down towards the ground.]

===='''Morphology'''====
The Tanninim have taken upon themselves the mantle of judges - they cultivate an air of aggressive purity of purpose and clarity of thought. Blessed with the mastery of the Tribe's natural weapons, the Tanninim have drifted into positions of violent control and dominion, and this is the viewpoint through which most of the rest of the Tribe sees them. Some work against this, attempting to stress the non-intrusive benefits of the strain's vision, but the natural distrust that Leviathans harbor for one another does not make recuperating from a negative image easy. 

===='''Progenitor'''====
The Tanninim claim a beast called Tannin as their Progenitor, a figure who they claim is echoed in the Leviathan of the bible and in medieval images of the mouth of Hell. Tannin is proclaimed in Tribal myth as the devourer of sinners and of the foes of the Tribe, whose watchful, glowing eyes see through deceit and treachery. 

===='''Genetics'''====
The heritage of Tannin favours direct descent. Father to son, mother to daughter. The Tanninim do not favour the sometimes bizarre leaps through cousins or nephews sometimes seen in other Strains. Age seems to play a part, with the first-born being the most likely to inherit, the second-born being second most likely and continuing down the chain. Gender also plays a part, with the current carrier more likely to pass the birthright to a child of his or her own gender. Even parental favouritism plays a part. Since who exactly is carrying the heritage in the many generations without a Leviathan is essentially unknowable the Tanninim are only rarely aware of their tendency towards direct descent. 

When a Tanninim claims his birthright he usually does so alone. In the rare case that two or more Tanninim are born they will be immediate relatives: Two brothers, a mother and daughter or something along those lines. What's more, there will be a clear chain of authority between the two. It might be that one was older, or that one one was the parental favourite and the other was the least liked, or just that one is more popular in school. Even when it doesn’t make sense they both know instinctively who is in charge and why. Whether they accept these instincts is another question, but in these early days when genetics and not choice govern which aspects of the Tribe's powers they hold, the lesser of the two would be strongly advised to avoid direct confrontation. Tanninim have one other unique trait, up to several months before they begin to develop their powers a Tanninim develops one minor trait such as eye colour or a small verbal tic that is identical to their most recent Leviathan ancestor. Any who knew that ancestor personally might recognise this trait as an early warning of a new Leviathan to be, other Tanninim, Gibborim – or the ancestor himself if he still lives – find this especially easy. To them it's instinct.

===='''Puberty'''====
One moment he's fine, the next he feels his skin begin to itch. Within moments he's on fire and he knows he needs water. The first time even a drink can restore him and for a few days normality returns. From this point the attacks become more frequent and the cures more demanding until nothing short of immersion in natural running water will do. With time or tutoring he will learn that to prevent these attacks with control, both over his surroundings and over himself. Some favour rigid rules and routines that they enforce on all around them, or at least try to; the Wake helps. Others choose to seek authority but refrain from using it, and some find control in isolation. Regardless, the young Tanninim eventually applies this doctrine to him or herself, mastering the body through iron self discipline and beginning the quest for Tranquillity. 

The ascension of a Tanninim can be a disaster for his human family. No one likes to suddenly find another claiming dominion over them. Among families unaware of the Tribe, some feign acceptance, they play along simply because they see it as a medical necessity. In most other cases the sheer desperation the fledgeling can feel around preventing their painful episodes can escalate to violence. While the Strain is usually late to their physical powers, nothing accelerates a Tanninim's development like combat. The family either has to call the police and hope their clawed son won't be shot on sight (plenty do make the call) or surrender to a more dangerous foe. When the family knows what's coming the usual response is the frenzied clean ups seen in organisations awaiting an important inspection, or for the entire family to run for the hills. <!-- I remember a short lived an actual play, I think they were Tannanim, where the two Leviathans were abandoned by their family shortly before gaining their powers. They went out and when they got back the entire family had run away. Whoever that Storyteller was, consider yourself to have inspired me :) -->

===='''Evolution'''====
The average Tanninim's True Form betrays no weakness, combining broad, unblinking eyes with rows of dangerous natural weapons, hundreds of teeth or dozens of poisonous spurs. They cut an impressive and intimidating figure as they traverse the Depths, and their fearsome reputation hardly seems unwarranted in the face of these displays.

===='''Ecology'''====
====='''Family'''=====
The Tanninim's focus on analysis and correction leads them to impose similar pickiness on families they lead - many such families are remarkably small, either as a result of actual interference from the family's mystical bloodline or simply as a function of tradition, but healthy. Those families that preserve these traditions are likely to strike outsiders as backwards or puritanical, and most do keep a heavy rein on their members - for their protection, they might claim, though few of the touched families recall what it is they are truly protecting themselves against. Being raised in such an environment does little to aid many Tanninim in avoiding the stereotype of inquisitorial zeal that they are painted with.

====='''Lahmasu'''=====
The Tanninim proudly call their Lahmasu brethren the ''Gibborim'', or "mighty." The natural armament of the Tribe comes to the fore in this lineage, which have often been set to defend long-lost ruins or police unwitting families. Most Gibborim are fierce in combat and armed to - or with - the teeth. Those that find sponsorship in a Cult are often drilled into even more dangerous precision, serving as the cult's martial arm.

====='''Cults'''=====
The Tanninim are often taught by their fellows to routinely drill their cults for weakness and excise any such problems unhesitatingly. As a result, and as a byproduct of the strain's ability to judge and terrify, their Cults tend to be small but remarkably disciplined. Most function with remarkable precision to fulfill the wishes of their deity, unflinchingly placing themselves in the line of fire.

===='''Vestiges'''====
'''Predation''', Awareness, Might, Vitality

==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ====
The Sea of Kalah, the Red Sea, the vice of Wrath.

===='''Concepts'''====
Internal affairs officer, editor, televangelist, deep-woods survivalist, professional fisherman

===='''Quote'''====
''"You think you’ve been pretty much invisible, don’t you? Well I’ve been keeping tabs on you since you showed up, and guess what: I am not amused. Now I’m not an unreasonable man. We can find a suitable arrangement, and we’ll stay here until we do. No, don’t get up. You’ll be more comfortable here on the floor."  '' 

=== Thalassans ===
[The Symbol of Thalassa: A Mycenaean-style funerary mask made of gold, with very simple shapes for eyes (basically one slit for the top of the eye, one for the bottom and a third in the middle for the closed eyelid). The edge of the mask is frayed or ripped apart. The bottom represents chelicera like a crab's where the mouth should be.]

[Picture: Central. A man sits in an office doing paperwork. He is old, and wearing a field gray suit over a white shirt and chequered neck-tie. All his clothing is frayed and looks lived in. The man is bald with liver spots, he is exceptionally thin with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes but has broad shoulders. His right arm is in a plaster cast. The shape of a crab like claw is visible through the cast. The room around him is cramped with peeling walls. The furniture is trying to look expensive but is cheap and battered.]

===='''Morphology'''====

The Thalassans are said to be the Strain most touched by their Vice, cursed with an unholy appetite for wealth and material pleasures, tempered by a mercantile instinct and a habit of playing within the system. After all, an ancient demigod leading a cult of violent zealots to conquer the city usually ends up dead; an ancient demigod leading a cult of high priced lawyers ends up rich. Even among the Tribe money carries a loud voice. Those Thalassans who thrive dominate the perception of their Strain while their less successful kin, facing the same problems as any other Leviathan, find the expectations placed upon them just mean their failures hurt all the more and receive less sympathy from their cousins.

===='''Progenitor'''====

The Thalassans claim to be the descendants of the Progenitor Thalassa, the mother of fishes. A being of immense power who forged islands with mighty claws or shattered them with one blow of her many arms. She was feared and revered by merchants and sailors who would pay tribute in return for safe passage. 

===='''Genetics'''====
Unlike the other Strains Thalassan genetics are pretty simple. Everyone who has more than a trace of Thalassan genetics is a potential Leviathan. Genetics simply aren't relevant past a certain minimum. While it's not the only factor, the most important perquisite to becoming a Thalassan is, in fact, the opinion of your fellows. When a someone with Thalassan heritage is thought off highly – the definition of “highly” depends on the Beholder; one might respect power, another might pass his mark of confidence through love – by her peers her blood takes notice, the tribe grows within her DNA. Not all Thalassans are measured equally. The stronger the Tribe is within you, the more your “vote” counts. This leads to Thalassa's heritage growing stronger over the generations. Once critical mass is reached, and other environmental and mystical factors are in place a new Leviathan is born. 

Sometimes only one Thalassan appears at a time, sometimes it's two, or even three. The biggest factor is how many with Thalassan heritage are present. When a Thalassan begins Transforming she drains the mystical potency from everyone nearby with dormant Thalassan genetics to fuel her transformation. It simply takes more people to fuel two new Leviathans than one new Leviathan. The birth of a Lahmasu has a similar effect, but several orders of magnitude smaller. It can be safely ignored.

===='''Puberty'''====
It begins with dreams of the Rift. In his dreams the Thalassan stands at the forefront of the Tempest. Call it the weight of history, the expectations of the ancestors or just the weight of billions of tons of water. It pushes him ever onwards with no regards to his wishes or direction. As his powers begin to grow dreams become hallucinations. He sees the Shallows in every drop of water. A glass teems with bizarre life, a tap flows with the fury of the Tempest. If it wasn't for milk and fruit juices dehydration would be a big, and rather ironic, threat. Finally the weight escapes from his dreams. This effect is entirely unsubtle, he simply feels as though he weighs several times more, it requires mental fortitude and physical strength to do anything but collapse onto the floor. To free himself a Thalassan must fight back. With each step against the tide his body begins to adapt, claiming the Vestige of Might. In time he will have the strength to swim against the tide, to find his own path, he must do this for the currents of the Rift lead nowhere you'd want to go. 

What separate the Thalassans from the other Strains is that one can actually fail to become a Leviathan. To stop the processes of changing permanently. It's not perfect, you might end up as a Hemitheos rather than a human and you're certain to have some severe mental damage, yet the option to deny godhood and instead live a full and fulfilled mortal life exists. If you swim against the tides and have the strength you'll become a Leviathan. If you get swept away by the tides you'll probably become a Ophion. But if you cling to a rock until you're raw and bloody – that is cling to another person or some other source of direction external to yourself – the waters will eventually recede. Unsurprisingly many Thalassans teach their children to be strong and self reliant encase they get the chance to become a Leviathan. Equally unsurprising is that many Thalassans try to encourage their children to be dependent on others so they won't become a Leviathan.

===='''Evolution'''====
When manifesting their divine natures the Thalassans thrive where the sea meets the land, they are most at home in beaches or rocky pools and living far from the safety of the depth grow strong shells or exoskeletons with mighty claws or grasping tentacles.

===='''Ecology'''====
====='''Family'''=====
The Children of Thalassa are reputed to demonstrate abundant fecundity or possess the ability to weather the rigours of reproduction but rarely do they combine both traits in a single being. Mortal bloodlines touched the Thalassans may have a large family tree marked with dead ends and weaknesses or they will be small and if not lightly touched by the Tribe then they will carry the toughness needed to bear their heritage. However deeply touched by their family's mystical bloodline the Thalassans expect greatness from their offspring and drill them relentlessly to achieve it.  
====='''Lahmasu'''=====
The union of Thalassan blood with mankind produces Hemitheos. The Hemitheos are characterized by both prodigal strength and the drive of their forefathers but not the instinct for more subtle skills, many are simply brutes. Proud Thalassan parents boast that their children are demigods in the truest sense, likening them to heroic dynasties laid out in Greek fable and history.

====='''Cults'''=====
Thalasans are known to drill their cult towards unity and cooperation, not for moral or aesthetic reasons but because they respect that a unified Cult is that much more effective than constant infighting over status and favour. This is aided by the wealth that successful members of the Strain possess, when times are good rewards flow freely in a Thalasan's Cult but this unity is founded on fundamentally selfish values. When times are bad order breaks down as Cultists turn on each-other seeking to escape with what they can carry and their lords favour.

===='''Vestiges'''====
'''Might''', Elements, Fecundity, Vitality 

===='''Symbols and Associations'''====
The sea of Sanji, the Aegean Sea, the Vice of Greed.

===='''Character Concepts'''====
Fishing or shipping magnate, legbreaker, profiteering televangelist, merchant captain, star athlete, get-rich-quick enthusiast.

===='''Quote'''====
''"Can I put a value on godhood? Can I estimate the worship of men and the adoration of children? Can I put a price on the heritage of the heavens? Hell yes I can. Everything I have, everything my heritage gives me, has been taken from another. I am a tick, sucking at the blood of society. The only redeeming feature, the only one, is that all of it was given freely."''