Editing LeviathanTempest:ChapterTwo

''«Oh but we're all right''

''We're all right''

''You can't be forever blessed''

''Still tomorrow's going to be another working day''

''And I'm trying to get some rest''

''That's all I'm trying to get some rest.»''

You and me both, pal.

I've been driving for three days now. Late-night radio is a surprisingly pleasant companion once you keep to music-only stations. Human voices don't grate at me so much when they sing. That's how they should sound all the time.

Five times, my phone has rung from its place on the passenger seat before going to voice mail. That's twenty-five rings, each making me want to pick up more than the last. I'm afraid to pick up. I know it'll make things worse, not only for Eileen, but for everyone else too.

But with every single ring, I feel my hand going for the phone before I can stop myself.

I listen to the messages afterwards, when I take a break. (I don't really listen to the words, just the voice. It's good to hear.) I have to take breaks more often, now. There are times when the constant, humming noise of the truck engine makes me want to just smash it into pieces. So I pull over and I run away before... before things go bad. Sometimes it takes me a couple of hours before I'm in good enough shape to get back on the road.

I'm running away, driving across the country on the basis of a single line in an Internet forum post. These days, I heavily ration my time on the web, because the inane chatter and repetitive tantrums on forums make me want to throw the monitor away. I can't afford new computers that often, so I go into cyber cafés and use search engines. But then I'm always drawn to the noise in the chat rooms and the blog comments and the forums, and it's usually the pre-set limit on my connection time that saves me.

This week, I found something worthwhile in time. The image of a piece of carved jasper, part of a Native American exhibition in a small museum on the Pacific coast. It's not Native, the anonymous poster said. It's something else, and it's older. It's a good enough reason, and a good enough time, to get out of dodge.

I am many things. I'm a part-time mechanic, currently unemployed. I'm a pretty good surfer – good enough for the Gulf Coast scene, anyway. I'm quite the scholar on pre-Colombian art. I'm an accomplished cook. And I'm a killer.

I know I should feel disturbed by that last part. But I'm only disturbed because as the man said, frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. It's not that I think those two guys I dumped in the ocean with their bones mangled and their windpipes crushed deserved it – although they did. They were drug-dealing scumbags. But I just don't. Care. That. Much. And the kids at the garage, who already practically worshiped me before, thought it was so cool. Well, that disturbed me for real. Time to go away for a while.

I offer myself the luxury of a genuine break before I cross the state line. It's getting closer to the ocean now. My skin feels tighter, harder. It does that, I've learned. When it gets so I can smell the salt, my vision will get sharper, and I'll feel my bones get heavier. I've learned that too.

But it turns out I like the desert. A smoke under the stars is a pretty cool way to unwind and let yourself sink.

Until the phone rings, and this time I can't stop myself in time.

No rest for me tonight, pal.

[[PICTURE: Full page. A young man sits in the bed of a parked pickup truck. He is surrounded by a half-dozen jugs of water, office water-cooler size. The young man is tan and shirtless, with black patches of skin – stripes - crossing his chest, forearms, and shoulders. His head is bowed, hair, obscuring his eyes, but a plume of fog or smoke rises from his mouth. His hands are curled into fists. Black blood leaks from one, in which is visible what appear to be shards of a crushed cellular phone. In the background, the road descends towards the coast, where a city is half-visible through the fog. The license plate of the truck is visible – Louisiana, 007-981.]] 

= Chapter 2 : Character Creation =
''It seemed to be a sort of monster, or symbol representing a monster, of a form which only a diseased fancy could conceive. If I say that my somewhat extravagant imagination yielded simultaneous pictures of an octopus, a dragon, and a human caricature, I shall not be unfaithful to the spirit of the thing. A pulpy, tentacled head surmounted a grotesque and scaly body with rudimentary wings; but it was the general outline of the whole which made it most shockingly frightful.'' 
* H.P. Lovecraft, “The Call of Cthulhu”

== Character Creation ==

Creating a member of the Tribe is, in certain ways, relatively straightforward, and in other ways somewhat difficult. The primary thing that differentiates creating a Leviathan from most of the World of Darkness' other supernatural entities is the nature of entering into the Tribe's unusual world. There's no “Ah-ha!” moment, no changeover, that marks the transition between human and Leviathan, and no great social system into which the fledgling Leviathan is entered. In certain ways, this is the point – the  Tribe doesn't really belong anywhere. This means that, in terms of concept, Leviathans are mostly defined by what they intend to do about this – even the guidelines of a chosen School's focus are left purposefully broad, as each Leviathan opts for a personal interpretation of the search for self-acceptance. 

The difficulty of not having a “moment of change” as a stepping-off point is contrasted to the relatively simplicity of Leviathan “society,” such as it is – a Leviathan does not really need to concern him or herself with his kinfolk in a structured fashion. They may approach their family as they see fit, and this approach is one of the ways in which a member of the Tribe determines his School. As such, every Trait that you select during creation can be seen as a way of defining what sort of person the character is or wishes to be – every skill that a Leviathan focuses on is, in certain ways, a part of the self-definitional process. Learning and changing and adapting are all coping mechanisms for a Leviathan, and the consideration of of traits in this light may well enhance your character's concept – even mundane things, like career choices, take on considerable significance for a member of the Tribe. 

A starting Leviathan isn't yet a walking deity, as much as the Tribe might take on the air of neglected demigods. The limitations of their powers, as well as their relative inexperience, mean that they simply haven't “grown into” their power yet. Hopefully, this won't be too frustrating – especially considering that even the eldest and most established Leviathans are secretly still at sea about their place in life. That's the nature of the game for the Tribe – no matter how much they develop and solidify their place around them, they can't return to the world that spawned them. The lack of a solid foundation is a thematic element of the hardships of change and uncertainty – hopefully a starting Leviathan's weak points will serve as fodder for his story, rather than a hardship for his player.

It's advisable to consider your character alongside those being made by your fellow players, both to prevent a frustrating scenario in which the concepts of multiple characters overlap in such a way as to vex their players, and to consider your Leviathan in light of his Cohort. Members of the Tribe, subject to two sets of instinctual impulses and considerable psychological hardships, tend to have tempestuous relationships to one another, and this possibility can open up a good deal of opportunities for players that want to collaborate. A convoluted and conflict-ridden “familial” relationship is, after all, in-theme.

=== Step One: Concept ===

Your concept can serve as a framework onto which Traits can be hung – or merely as an easy shorthand to explain your character to fellow players and your Storyteller. In general, it should not be so binding as to serve as a straightjacket – like every other choice, it's meant to open doors, not close them. A concept can be as brief as a pair of words or as long as a complex statement, but at the very least some of it's utility is as a brief, defining statement – an idea of what sort of person the Leviathan is and what things he finds important. 

At the start of a chronicle, most Leviathans are young and new to their lineage – generally, hints begin to pop up between the ages of sixteen and one's early twenties, and a starting Leviathan has had two years or less to make sense of the realities of his unnatural bloodline. This means that the Leviathan will have made many of his or her early life choices with at least some understanding of the situation – possibly serving as a guide for these choices, or restricting their options. 

Strain may be a factor in one's concept – a bloodline that has hosted Leviathans previously might well be, wittingly or not, warped by the hand of your character's predecessors. Families that are aware of their lineage might well have their own notions of what the newly-arisen Leviathan ought to do – ideas that could clash with the fledgling's own desires. The Leviathan's School is generally a decision shaped by his actions after becoming aware, but these choices may be directed by what the Leviathan valued or believed before they changed. The inclusion of Strain or School shouldn't be considered a necessity, however – a Leviathan's nature and personality aren't defined by his bloodline.

=== Step Two: Select Attributes ===

Your Leviathan's Attributes reflect his raw abilities – his natural inclinations and talents, supplemented by the skills he learns and practices, as they are touched by the divine Leviathans tend to have a natural inclination towards exalting over most mortals. These talents may well influence his personality – his Attributes suggest how, in a vacuum, he's likeliest to solve problems. All Attributes begin with one dot, and you assign an additional six dots to one category, five to a second, and four to the remaining group. The fifth dot of an Attribute requires two dots to purchase.

The rigors of Leviathan life and the nature of their lack of control mean that they often have a great need for the Resistance attributes – Resolve, Stamina, and Composure. It is a marker of the problems of the Tribe that most Leviathans actually don't notably excel in these vital arenas, however – their unbalanced lives simply don't lend themselves to the development of Resolve and the Wake often means that a member of the Tribe doesn't face the conflicts and challenges that would lead to improving his Composure.

Power attributes are common for Leviathans that operate more openly – they permit an insecure Leviathan to impose their will on others (an aggressive stance can often serve as a replacement for actual self-mastery.) Those that actively oppose the enemies of the Tribe often cultivate the Intelligence for tactics, and most prefer Strength, using it alongside their natural weapons to attack in a way that uniquely displays their divine heritage.

Leviathans that attempt more introspective methods of control will generally cultivate their Resolve – they focus out the distracting difficulties of the day-to-day and aim themselves, like rockets, at the achievement of Tranquility. Most fail, but a high Resolve insulates the Leviathan against many of the problems of their imperfect control of their own bodies. It is also common among Leviathans that try desperately to “blend in” with mortals, as it is a factor in resisting Outbursts.

=== Step Three: Select Skills ===

Prioritize the three categories of skill – Mental, Physical, and Social. Divide eleven points between skills in the primary category, seven in the secondary, and four in the tertiary. Leviathans on the front lines of the day-to-day struggles of the Tribe tend to favor Physical skills, especially Brawl, making the most of their innate advantages. Those that are more concerned with exploring the legacy of their ancestors tend towards the Mental, especially Occult and Academics. Social skills are somewhat rarer – the Wake can often counteract social awkwardness with brute force. Intimidation is by far the most common of the Social skills. These categorical tendencies aren't binding, however, and those Leviathans that cultivate followers often do begin to seriously consider the manipulation of others. 

School can influence skill selection, and vice versa – the tactics of a given School in exploring the nature of the Leviathan's ancestry will general privilege certain approaches. A Leviathan from a military background is likely to end up seriously considering the viewpoint of the School of the Reef, for instance.

=== Step Four: Select Skill Specialties === 

Narrow areas of study are something of an obsession among the Tribe – most settle into comfortable routines or get set into tried-and-true methods of addressing their problems. As such, specialties are quite common. An area of focus is often comforting and familiar.

A starting Leviathan selects three skill specialties. They will gain an additional specialty when selecting their School, but this “bonus” will be limited to one of three Skills, whereas these first three are unrestricted.

=== Step Five: Assign the Leviathan Template === 

Until this point, the traits that have been assigned have been primarily the markers of the natural responses and tendencies of the Leviathan. While the distinction between “before” and “after” transformation is unreliable for the Tribe, the line between the markers of their normal and monstrous lives is a touch more distinct. The Leviathan template provides those elements of the character that are unique to his experiences as a member of the Tribe. 

Templates cannot overlap, and the inherent nature of the blood of the Tribe is such that most supernatural templates won't even take hold of a Leviathan that has begun undergoing his transformation. A Leviathan is considered to have the template as soon as the change begins – additional supernatural influence on his life at this point will not change the course of his life, and may prove fatal, even for the intercessor. Especially if a protective family of Lahmasu are grooming their new demigod for his ascension. 

==== Strain ====

Of all the traits of a starting Leviathan, his Strain is the factor that is most out of his control. A Leviathan's Strain is a function of his bloodline, and a given family line of humans is likely to only produce a single Strain of Leviathans (Fringe cases exist in which closely-related Strains may arise in the same family tree, however). A Leviathan's Strain determines which of the primary Progenitor bloodlines expresses itself in his being, and which of the traits of the Tribe that he is most naturally inclined to exhibit. A family that is aware of its Tribe blood will likely have been shaped by the interference of previous generations of Leviathan – its structure and beliefs might well be reinforced with hazy understandings of the Primordial Seas, and family members might be marked with the taint of Leviathan blood, potentially even Lahmasu. Some Leviathans are born in lines that are far removed from the original exposure to the blood of the Tribe, however, and must find their own way into the world of the Tribe. 

Strain determines which Vestiges a character favors. The focus on specific Vestiges is a function of genetics, and it is possible to trace the “relationship” between Strains by marking the closeness of their preferred Vestiges. The ability to favor certain Vestiges does have a slight effect on how the Tribe views a given Strain – each group is stereotyped as the users of their preferred Vestige, as most Leviathans take a “I have a hammer” approach to problem-solving. 

==== School ====

Schools are the modes of thought that direct a Leviathan's exploration of their inhuman lineage. With their history lost, and their lack of control over their own divine bloodlines, members of the Tribe are faced with a hostile world and an inability to conduct a normal human life. The focus on some method of making sense of their changing world, and of defining a place for themselves, determines a Leviathan's School. They are not formal associations, but modes of thought – not unlike “critical methods” in academic discourse. A Leviathan's choice of School is perhaps the most meaningful decision he will make regarding how his life will be conducted from that point forward. A Leviathan's choice of School provides him with a free Specialty in one of three Skills linked to that School, and provides him with a discount when investing in Adaptations of certain Vestiges. 

The process of induction to a school is simple: the character must learn its tenets and attempt to apply them to her own life. There are no ritual initiations, hazings, or pledges of loyalty; Schools are philosophical viewpoints, not religions or political organizations. How the character was exposed to the School can be a character-defining moment. Did she receive instruction at the scaly foot of an elder Leviathan? Was she simply handed a heavy, crudely printed book, its pages stained with sea salt? Or did she receive a terse email and a .pdf file summarizing the viewpoints of the known Schools? As Leviathan society has few stable institutions, all of these are possible. It's also more than likely that a young Leviathan will enter Tribal society with some serious misunderstandings about Schools not her own.

Some Leviathans, especially those most new to their lineage, are without a School. Most do not maintain this position for long – while they do not suffer socially for this choice,  the lack of at least a flimsy pretense of a life plan is extremely dangerous to the fragile psyches of a rootless member of the Tribe, and isolation and doubt are quick routes to the descent into madness. A School-less Leviathan may take a free Specialty in either Brawl, Stealth, or Survival – their focus is on the day-to-day struggle, not a long term plan. They do not favor any Vestige. A School-less Leviathan can move into a School later – this, and the possibility of changing one's School, is discussed later.

==== Sheol ====

Your character's refining of his Progenitor's bloodline, the degree to which he has delved into his ancestry, is measured by his Sheol. It represents the crackling potential of his immortal lineage, and his ability to manage and direct that blood – the divine Ichor. As Sheol grows more pronounced, the Leviathan's Wake becomes stronger – he casts a shadow of greater magnitude on the psychic landscape. High-Sheol Leviathans border on the status of god-kings that the Tribe once were, but find it impossible to live in the world of men – they distort the minds around them far too much to simply exist, and are inevitably going to be the subject of much unwanted attention from the Tribe's enemies. A low-Sheol character is fresh to the blood or simply uninterested in (or frightened of) pursuing a refinement of the lineage's power.

All Leviathans begin play with a single dot of Sheol. This rating may be increased at a cost of three merit points per dot, to a maximum of three dots. 

==== Vestiges ====

Vestiges are just that – the lingering traces of the power of the Tribe's bloodline, markers of their demigod nature and the dominion they once held over the sea and perhaps all of creation. By exploring facets of this power, Leviathans exhibit powers as they change into more monstrous shapes. Each Vestige is accompanied by a Birthright, a small exercise of the Vestige's power that can be invoked without transformation – the markers of the divine mandate of the Tribe over their form and the power of their Ichor. Vestiges are divided into channels that represent certain elements of that breed of power – these channels may be Ancestor channels, which are passive expressions of power and refined biology, or Descending channels, which use Ichor to create more pronounced and amazing effects. 

A Leviathan favors four Vestiges. One of these is set by his Strain, two are selected from a set that his Strain contains a predilection for and the last is chosen by him to represent the mixed genetics of the tribe. Once chosen, this selection is set in stone. A starting Leviathan then may select four channels to have knowledge of, at least one of which must be from the Vestige set by his Strain, the second comes from either of his favoured Vestiges and the third and fourth channels may come from any Vestige. They must first grasp an Ancestor channel of a given Vestige before they can explore its Descending channels, but mastery of any Ancestor channel also grants access to that Vestige's Birthright.

==== Swimming ====

Leviathans are aquatic creatures, and even in their human form they have a natural affinity for water. All leviathans have a free Athletics speciality in swimming.

=== Step Six: Select Merits ===
A starting character has seven dots of Merits and an additional seven spots for their cult/temple which can be distributed as you see fit. Leviathans may also expend merit dots to purchase Adaptations, which elaborate on the powers offered by a selected Channel of a Vestige or buy one single dot of Eldritch Lore, and with it a free one dot Ritual, for two Merit dots. Leviathans have access to certain unique Merits, such as Cult, which are discussed later in this chapter – these additional Merits should be considered, as a Cult especially is an important part of many Leviathan's lives. 
Remember that Merit dots can also be spent to increase Sheol, as noted above.

=== Step Seven: Determine Advantages ===
Leviathans, like most characters, have a number of Advantages, such as Sheol. Some of these Traits are derived from the values of others, while others are modified versions of normal mortal Advantages. The full details of these traits can be found in the next chapter. 

==== Willpower ====
Leviathans determine their Willpower scores as usual, and make use of it in the typical fashions. They may expend a point of Willpower alongside the use of Ichor, and might have considerable occasion to do so if their injudicious use of their powers triggers an Outburst.

==== Tranquility ====
Members of the Tribe are placed in an unenviable position of transition without a clear output – there is no “correct path” for a Leviathan to take. Even if one does exist, it was lost with the sundering of the Tribe's lost civilization, and the best a Leviathan can do is aim for some approximation of a state of being and mind that reconciles their threefold nature. The struggle against the violent instincts and disruptive nature of the bloodline of the Tribe is codified by the search for Tranquility – self-acceptance and stillness of mind. Tranquility is the measure of a Leviathan's hard-fought control and certainty, and as such it is constantly besieged by the struggles of the supernatural world and the more insidious pressures of the everyday. The concept of Morality as it applies to normal humans is replaced with Tranquility, as the quest for meaning and stability supplants the drive to consider one's actions in the context of their effects on others. Mortal ethical codes offer only imperfect insulation against the hardships of life as a member of the Tribe. 
A starting Leviathan has a Tranquility of 7. As an optional rule, the Storyteller may permit starting characters to begin with a deliberately-lowered Tranquility score, representing some previous exposure to madness or an instinctual and futile attempt to avoid the issue of one's own ancestry. Each dot of Tranquility sacrificed in this way provides the Leviathan with 5 experience points, representing some lesson learned or hardship weathered during the descent. Should the character lower his Tranquility in this fashion, however, each step will include the affliction of both a mild derangement and a linked mild affliction. A character with Tranquility 5 may instead opt for one severe derangement and a linked severe affliction. This is more punitive than the Morality-reducing options for other lines, but intentionally so – it's considerably rarer for a Leviathan to descend down the Tranquility scale with his mind and body intact.

==== Ichor ====
The Tribe has codified the energy that powers its access to occult power as Ichor, the expression of divine blood. Ichor allows a Leviathan to change shape, invoke Birthrights, and otherwise manipulate their lineage's powers, permitting a variety of impossible or miraculous feats. All Leviathans begin play with half of their Ichor pool maximum (as determined by their Sheol score, see the next chapter), though they may refill it as quickly as circumstances permit. Ichor is not tied to a flat score or dot rating – it is a pool of points that is expended, with its maximum value determined by the Leviathan's Sheol. Spending Ichor too quickly may result in an Outburst, so most Leviathans are careful to monitor their exercises in power.

==== Virtues and Vices ====
A Leviathan has the same Virtues and Vices as a normal human, albeit often amplified in their execution by the use of divine power. While each of the primary Strains of the Tribe is identified in old texts as being the champions of a given Vice, these definitions are not binding – there's no mechanical distinction made. Leviathans tend to experience their Vices more acutely than normal, due to their lack of self-control – the ramifications of this are explored in the Storytelling Chapter, but in general indulging in Vices against the character's own best interests is pretty much par for the course for the Tribe, and should be seen as contributing to, rather than disrupting, the flow of a chronicle. 

===== Sidebar: A Larger Boat may be in Order =====
''Storytellers may wish to begin their game with players taking control of older or more experienced Leviathans, who have had longer to come into their own as members of the Tribe and solidify a power base from which they can explore their divine nature. This option is recommended for veteran players more accustomed to the game, especially as the distinction between the characterization of a rootless, uncertain Leviathan and one with some backing and “street cred” can be very noticeable. Given the small size of the Tribe's social circles, any group at the “Famed Cohort” level is going to be, at the very least, known of by every other member of the Tribe that hasn't gone completely off the grid.  
* Newly Spawned: 0 experience points
* Seasoned Explorers: 35 experience points
* Famed Cohort: 75 experience points
* Old Ones: 120+ experience points.''

=== Step Eight: Footprints, Leaving the Sea ===
By now, much of the work of creating a character has been done – areas of competence highlighted and social contacts codified. This step is primarily for reflection and refining – what do these traits, taken together, suggest? What sort of person is the character, and how does he react to obstacles? Consider the Leviathan's physical appearance, especially as he transforms, and how he comports himself in public. What does the Wake do for the character? Is it a hindrance or a boon? 

On top of important thematic concerns, little elements of characterization can be a blessing, or an unexpected source of memorability for a character. Does the Leviathan have any unusual habits or tendencies? Quirks of character? Leviathans aren't particularly stable individuals – they tend to gravitate towards routines or nervous responses to the world around them, which may be codified into an unconscious routine. These small elements can serve as low-key suggestions of the anxieties that a character is subject to, or as ways of making a character more “alive” in the shared narrative. Above all, think about how you're going to have fun “being” the character during play – it's all well and good to make a character that's interesting, but if that interest is purely academic then at least some of the fun of getting together at a table with friends to pretend to be the Gill-Man is lost.

==== Sidebar: Looks can Kill====

So what exactly do Leviathans look like? Do they have facial tentacles like Cthulhu or are they more of a classic sea serpent? Every leviathan is unique, but they build their apperance from the same four blocks: Strain, School, Tranquillity and Channels. 

For a freshly spawned Leviathan the Strain defines the appearance. Each Strain possesses an infinite verity in it's appearances but broad themes are present. A Bahamutan will have an appearance of size and durability while an Oceanid is defined by grace and beauty. A Leviathan's Strain is in part genetic and it's contribution to his appearance can be inherited though the usual ways. It must be said that in a species where giant turtles can interbreed with jellyfish swarm-bodies the rules of inheritance are unpredictable. 

As a Leviathan age's her self image, shaped by her School, comes to dominate her appearance. In some sense this is reassuring, a Leviathan can visibly see her transition from the monster fate made her into the monster she hopes to be. From another point of view, this is a horrific curse. Not because a Leviathan can visibly see her flaws, no it's far worse than that. The Tribe has no "true" or "correct" form. The tribe have so little to guide them, to say what a Leviathan should be. They can't even know if their own bodies are a hint at their true nature, or if they've taken themselves down some wrong path. Should a Leviathan acquire an Evolution it replaces the School's effects on the Leviathan's appearance, and it is even stronger. 

Tranquillity does not promote a single appearance. Tranquil Leviathans don't have one head, and unTranquil have three that keep fighting each other. Rather a Tranquil leviathan looks like something, anything really. A Leviathan who's falling into the Tempest looks more like a Frankenstein of different parts. 

Finally Channels are quite simply visible. It's not universal, plenty are internal changes, but on the whole you can get some idea of a Leviathan's capabilities by looking at it. A Channel like Mortal-Devouring Armory is not a mystical effect that makes the Leviathan's punches more dangerous. Those claws are physical and quite distinctive. Other Leviathans may manifest the Channel as spines or teeth, they may secrete venom or grow jellyfish like stingers but there will be something. The same is true for Adaptations. If it seems like it would change a Leviathan's physical body then it probably will.

=== Character Creation Quick Reference ===
For most of the steps of creation, see the World of Darkness core book, starting at page 34. The following section summarizes those changes relevant to the character's awakening into the Tribe's bloodline.

==== Strain ====
Choose a Strain, representing the Progenitor whose bloodline is most prevalent in your character's ancestry and which determines which aspects of the Leviathan's legacy of power come most naturally to him.
* Bahamutan: The bloodline of Bahamut, this lineage is known for prodigious size and resilience; its innate mastery is over the Vestige of Vitality. Secondary Vestiges: Awareness, Fecundity, Might 
* Dagonite: The bloodline of Dagon, this strain is famed for its generative power and for giving birth to abominations – its mastery is over the Vestige of Fecundity. Secondary Vestiges: Elements, Predation, Sanctity 
* Lahamin: The bloodline of Lahamu, this lineage is known for their ever watchful eyes and secretive demeanor – they master the Vestige of Awareness. Secondary Vestiges: Fecundity, Predation, Sanctity 
* Nu: The bloodline of Nunet, this strain is considered to be the most “in touch” with the liquid matter of the Primordial Seas – they are the masters of the Vestige of Elements. Secondary Vestiges: Awareness, Sanctity, Vitality 
* Oceanid: The bloodline of Oceanus, graceful and dangerous this lineage is said to master the wills of others – they master the Vestige of Sanctity. Secondary Vestiges: Elements, Might, Predation 
* Tanninim: The bloodline of Tannin, this strain is hailed as the judges of man and of the Tribe's enemies – they master the Vestige of Predation. Secondary Vestiges: Awareness, Might, Vitality
* Thalassans: The bloodline of Thalassa, this lineage is reputed for immeasurable strength and to thrive on both land and sea – its mastery is over the Vestige of Might. Secondary Vestiges: Elements, Fecundity, Vitality

==== School  ====
Choose a School, representing the approach your character takes while attempting to understand his Leviathan ancestry. Each School offers a choice of a bonus Specialty and provides a discount when purchasing Adaptations from a pair of Vestiges.  
* The School of the Abyss, Tehom Devotion, the Mystic Outlook. 
* The School of the Sun, Emunah Devotion, the Religious Outlook 
* The School of Clay, Malkut Devotion, the Scientific Outlook 
* The School of the Reef, Natsar Devotion, the Militant Outlook 
* The School of Fog, Bet’em Devotion, the Social Outlook

==== Vestiges ====
A character favours two Vestiges, one is set by his Strain and one is chosen from a set offered by his Strain. Characters begin play with a grasp of three channels from the Vestiges he has considered. He must first invest in an Ancestor channel of a given Vestige before he can explore a Descending channel. At least one of these channels must come from the Vestige set by the character's Strain and another must be taken from either favoured Vestige.

* The Vestige of Awareness
* The Vestige of Elements
* The Vestige of Fecundity
* The Vestige of Might
* The Vestige of Predation
* The Vestige of Sanctity
* The Vestige of Vitality

==== Sheol ====
A character begins play with a Sheol of 1 which may be increased with the spending of Merit points. The rate is three merit points per extra dot of Sheol.

==== Ichor ====
A character begins play with his Ichor pool at half of its maximum value, as determined by the character's Sheol score.

==== Merits ====
In addtion to buying Merits players may spend Merit dots on Adaptations or trade two Merit dots for a dot of Eldrich Lore and a free Ritual. The following special merits for a Leviathan character:
* Beloved Retainer (O - OOOOO)
* Breath of the Lungfish (O) 
*Cult 
** Numbers (O to OOOOO)
** Zeal (O to OOOOO)
** Fervor (O to OOOOO)
** Indoctrination (O)
** Offerings (O)
** Home Turf (O or OO)
** Conspirators (O to OOOOO)
** Resolute (OO)
** Old Hands (OOO)
** Recognition (OOO)
* Deep Wake (OO) 
* Divine Prerogative (OO) 
* Fluid Form (O) 
* Heirloom (O to OOOOO) 
* Lahmasu Retainer (O - OOOOO)
* Mandate of Babel (O) 
* Muted Wake (OO) 
* Temple 
** Size (O to OOOOO)
** Security (O to OOOOO)
** Amenities (O to OOOOO)
* Vicious Heritage (O or OOO)

==== Experience Point Costs ====
<table border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
  <tr style="background-color: #DFDFDF;">
    <th>Trait</th>
    <th>Experience Point Cost</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Attribute</td>
    <td>New Dots x 5</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Skill</td>
    <td>New Dots x 3</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Skill Specialty</td>
    <td>3</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Channel, Favored Vestige</td>
    <td>12</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Channel, un-Favored Vestige</td>
    <td>16</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>New Adaptation</td>
    <td>New Dots x 2 (-2 if Favored, minimum of 1)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Eldrich Lore</td>
    <td>New Dots x 5</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Rituals</td>
    <td>Dots x 2</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Merit</td>
    <td>New Dots x 2</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Sheol</td>
    <td>New Dots x 8 (Requires a breakthrough or revelation)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Tranquility</td>
    <td>New Dots x 3 (Requires a significant change in circumstances or point of view)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Willpower</td>
    <td>8 (Only to restore lost dots)</td>
  </tr>
</table>

== 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."''

== The Schools ==
=== '''The School of the Abyss''' ===
''(Tehom’s Devotion, The Sunken School)'' 

[Picture: The Symbol of Tehom’s Devotion: An Anglerfish underwater. The light from the anglerfish illuminates hazy shapes of ziggurats and spiraling towers, just at the edge of vision. This serves as a watermark]

[Picture: Central. A young and pale woman, blonde and distressingly thin, sits cross-legged on the floor in a simple white shift. Her eyes are closed and cosmetically blackened, and her hands are in a meditative position in her lap. Eight tentacles extend from her back and shoulders, each holding an old-style oil lantern, but deliberately coiled around it to cut off most of the light. A coiling shape of black water rises unnaturally from a bowl in front of her.] 

Leviathans don't belong in this world. Those members of the Tribe that ascribe to the School of the Abyss understand this on a level that their fellows do not. So they seek answers elsewhere – they return to the waters that spawned them. The foremost scholars of the Deep, they are explorers and mystics, seeking out Tranquility in the vast and silent vistas of the remnants of the Primordial ocean.

The Devotees of the School of the Abyss focus their energies towards exploring their history and place in the world in terms of the Deep, which they understand as the closest specimen to pre-disruption life that is still accessible. They concern themselves with understanding the Deep both as a physical location – they spend a lot of time there, compared to other Devotees – and as a state of mind. Some practice meditation or turn to earthly spiritualism as a stepping-stone to perfecting a system that can place the mind of the Devotee in touch with their past. 

The School claims its philosophical underpinning in the recognition that the Leviathan are, for all intents and purposes, alien to the human world. For all that they can maintain a strained connection and stave off corruption with great effort, they are ultimately unsuited for the world in which they are placed. The average Devotee of the Abyss comes to the conclusion, then, that they need to find a space in which they are not alien – even if that “space” is a state of mind. Exploration of the Deep allows a fuller understanding of the self and the ability to come to terms with one’s true lineage; from this flows Tranquility.

===='''Membership'''====
Most Tribe members that find themselves in Tehom’s Devotion were inquisitive and introverted even before they became aware of their true nature. Others were almost the complete opposite. The only key factor in following the Sunken School is a feeling of alienation and isolation, one that drives the Tribe member to look for a place where they do belong. While other Devotees might locate that place in an action or a role, the School of the Abyss seeks to return to what they were. 

Poets and philosophers are remarkably common among the School, as are former nature enthusiasts and artists. The School of the Abyss privileges an understanding of historical relics as clues to peace of mind, and so Devotees tend to be among those that look at an object and see it for its emotional or symbolic effect, rather than hard data. 

There is a prejudiced assumption that Tananim, seen as an aggressive “martial” lineage, are under-represented in the introverted School of the Abyss. There is no proof of this claim, however, but those making the claim are generally uninterested in that in any case.

===='''Transformation'''====
The School of the Abyss is a school of stillness, patience, and receptivity. This manifests as dark forms and soft lines, as well as large, aware eyes. As scholars of the Depths and seekers in quiet places, they tend towards forms that suggest the spineless life that exists in the ocean’s farthest reaches – markers of the squid, the octopus, and startling deep-sea fish are common. However, their final goal is the illumination of these depths – like most deep-sea life, patches of bioluminescence are also common, or pools of light shining out from great, staring eyes. 

===='''Character Creation'''====
The nature of the explorations undertaken by members of Tehom’s Devotion leans them primarily in the direction of Resistance Attributes. They delve deeply into both their own minds and the reaches of the Deep, and this takes patience and resolve. Composure is usually staggering.

The primary focus, as much as any develops, leans towards Social Skills. While the average, reserved member of the Sunken School is not themselves a social dynamo, they are perceptive, self-aware, and in touch with emotions – most have a high level of Empathy and are capable at Subterfuge. Mental Skills such as Investigation and Occult are a close second, and most have, by necessity, developed some competence at Survival – those that travel rarely do so with companions, and often have to fend for themselves. 

Most Devotees of the Abyss maintain small, quiet Cults, with little focus on blood-rites and reverential fanaticism and more direction towards quiet reserve and meditation on small, key facts. Their Cults are often Resolute, as their master must often disappear for months at a time, following some obscure clue or impulse. Their Social Merits are similarly reserved – enough to get by, but not much beyond it. This is both effect and cause – most members of the Sunken School feel that they simply “don’t fit” in the mortal world. It’s why they joined the Sunken School to begin with.

===='''Role'''====
In any given Cohort, the role of the Devotee of the Abyss is usually that of the world traveler and authority on the Deep. While every Leviathan travels into the Deep from time to time, Tehom’s Devotion is made up of those that truly live there. They know the shortcuts and the hazards. Their other function is as watchdogs. The degree to which they perceive the state of their own and others’ minds means that, if any member of a local community is starting to spiral out of control, the School of the Abyss will know first. If the problem case is the Devotee of the Abyss, it usually goes unknown until it’s far too late. 

What the Devotee of the Abyss gets, in return for her advice, is somewhat less concrete. For all that they claim to be escaping the world, the School of the Abyss is mostly about fleeing from something that makes them uncomfortable. Socialization is necessary even for the Wicked Tribe, and an isolated member of the Sunken School usually loses all connection to themselves well before they find "inner peace."

===='''Vestige'''====
The School of the Abyss has a focus on the pursuit of exploration and introspection. As such, they develop gifts that permit them to swim farther and deeper, see with more precision, and perceive inner truths.

The School of the Abyss grants a discount on purchasing Adaptations of the Vestiges of Vitality and Awareness.

===='''Traditions'''====
Members of the School of the Abyss may select a free specialization for one of the following Skills: Investigation, Survival, or Empathy.

===='''Concepts'''====
Frustrated artist, park ranger, antiques dealer, isolated biologist, adventurous anthropologist, surfing guru, modern primitve 

===='''Quote'''====
''"We don't fit in this world. Nothing's our size, nothing's strong enough, nothing can give us the truth. If you want to figure things out, you've got to shut your eyes and listen to the small traces of wisdom that still linger, out where no-one's trod them over yet."''

===='''Stereotypes'''====
* School of the Sun: ''"Talking about how great Mom and Dad are isn’t going to make them come visit."''
* School of Clay: ''"Did you know that some whales beach themselves – repeatedly? I don’t know why I just thought of that."''
* School of the Reef: ''"You’re wasting your strength fighting on the wrong battlefield."''
* School of Fog: ''"You wait here. I can swim farther by myself."'' 

* Typhons: ''"A tragic reminder of the sort of fight we have to avoid having."'' 
* Hybrids: ''"Abominations – but pitiable. They exist in a world that doesn't suit them. Not unlike us."'' 
* Other Creatures: ''"I have seen them, but they haven't seen me. Let's keep it that way. I don't plan on staying long."''
* Mortals: ''"Let them have their world, as long as they stay out of mine."''

=== '''The School of the Sun''' ===
''(Emunah's Devotion, The Celestial School)'' 

[Picture: The Symbol of Emunah's Devotion: The image of an ornate chapel with a high tower. A line of waves marks the water's surface, from which only the very top of the tower emerges. The sun sits in the sky, directly above the tower. This serves as a watermark]

[Picture: Central. An older man with stern features and a strong, flat nose, wearing priestly vestments marked with cuneiform. He is up to his knees in water. In front of him, head bowed, is another man in a white robe. The older man is clearly speaking, and has one hand on his own chest, while the other pours a handful of water onto the supplicant's head. The preacher's hands are webbed, and there is the suggestion of a dorsal fin rising from his back beneath the robes.] 

The Tribe have always been intermediaries, straddling the boundaries between two worlds - the divine realm of the Primordials, and the inferior world of dirt and flesh. The School of the Sun alone remembers this charge, and sees in the recreation of their ancient relationship with the progenitors the way towards reclaiming their birthright. The only beings capable of correcting the imbalance and disorder of the Deep, the Celestial School reasons, are the primordial entities that first created the Tribe.

The Devotees of the School of the Sun turn their attentions heavenward, in a sense. They seek out the lost truths of old modes of prayer and supplication, and attempt to reforge a fulfilling model of life that incorporates their lineage and the progenitors. The Celestial School is primarily interested in sanctified relics and lost temples; these places offer the greatest connection to what was lost. Some practice in solace, while others attempt to codify their beliefs and lead mortal cults (or groups of like-minded Leviathans) towards religious devotion.

Emunah's Devotion claims vehemently that their interest in religious life is meant not only to provide solace and direction in an uncomfortable world, but also to reconnect with the beings of the Primordial world. The degree to which each member hopes for some sort of revelatory event differs, but many hold out hope for a return to the old world in their own lifetimes. The average Devotee, however, focuses on following formal doctrine, making those beliefs and history a part of his or her daily life, and uncovering more elements and relics of the Tribe's lost faith. These, the Celestial School argues, will provide direction towards attaining Tranquility. 

===='''Membership'''====
The stereotype of the membership of Emunah's Devotion is that it is composed of those that were devout well before they discovered the truth of their bloodline. For all that this is often framed in terms of judgment on the "subservience" and "fanaticism" of the School, the case has some merit. Many Devotees were people of deep religious conviction, or from a home that was, in their lives before. Still others led unsatisfying, unprincipled lives, only "finding religion" after they have discovered themselves as members of the Tribe.

The primary factor in membership, however, is a distrust of chaos and a desire for some sort of role. This need for sense and direction is what draws the average Devotee to the Celestial School - the ability to place oneself in a role and fulfill it. Still others are lured by the powerful drive to venerate their awesome monstrous ancestry - these members of the School tend towards more private expressions of their faith. 

===='''Transformation'''====
The School of the Sun is a school of expression, devotion, and the display of faith. This manifests as forms with remarkable symmetry and regularity - expressions that hint at a greater, purer form. Lighter colors are common, as the Devotee's form suits itself for a life near the surface. Soaring, elegant back fins or spines are common, and the greatest of these forms might well be mistaken for a steepled church resting on the horizon. The tendency towards regularity leads to a trend towards the more recognized of the ocean's greater dwellers - there is generally more of the whale, the shark, or the sea serpent in a Devotee of the Sun's form then there are markers of more complex forms. 

===='''Character Creation'''====
There is a notable division in the membership of Emunah's Devotion between those that present themselves as supplicants and those that attempt to spread their faith to others. The quiet, devotional type keeps to themselves, and tend towards high Composure. The proselytizing sort favors Presence. Regardless of the divide, however, high Intelligence and Resolve are common features of both - it takes strong faith and a keen intellect to comprehend the secrets of a sundered faith.

The Celestial School favors Mental and Social Skills in roughly equal proportion, but few members are lacking some amount of knowledge of Academics and Occult - the discipline of researching and interpreting the fragmented texts that they have access to straddles the boundary between those skills. Expression and Persuasion are common Social Skills. Additional Languages are also common - usually those ancient tongues most conductive to illuminating the mysteries of dead civilizations, but not always. The Celestial School's members are among the likeliest Leviathans to have Resources and Status stemming from a role in a community - especially if they've already converted much of the populace.

On average, the followers of Emunah's Devotion have larger Cults than their fellows. Their direct interest in the veneration of their progenitors, and the history of structures of worship, make them naturals at initiating others. These Cults often fluctuate in size - a younger Devotee, fresh in his new faith, tends to end up with a larger Cult than they can comfortably manage, which eventually dwindles to a strong core of devout followers only to grow again with their abilities. The School of the Sun is the most involved with their Cults on a day to day level, devotees take their role as divine beings seriously. If the Tribe cannot be equals with humanity then they must find a sense of belonging and satisfaction through the Wake, so sayath The School of the Sun.

===='''Role'''====
The Devotees of the Sun see themselves as the religious conscience and inspiration of their Cohorts. The sense of security that faith lends them can be offered to others as a place of shelter, or directed to scourge transgressions. When corruption is aired, the Celestial School is usually the best suited to levy appropriate punishment - or at least, the first to offer options. Members of Emunah's Devotion also concern themselves with the facts of lost and ancient religions - if a relic is to be identified, they are the ones their fellows turn to. 

The Cohort in turn offers a place of expression for the Devotee of the Sun. Even among their Cults, the Leviathans that follow this School cannot truly relax and simply consider their faith. Unlike a Cultist, fellow Leviathans don't expect the Devotee to be a paragon of religious action, allowing them to make missteps or have doubts without affecting others. The Tribe is also unlikely to be frightened by a Devotee's beliefs - they may find proselytizing tedious, but they won't lynch or ostracize someone for it. Few commuities could be said to be as accepting.

===='''Vestiges'''====
The School of the Celestial turns itself to contemplation of the veneration of the Primordials and revelation of strictures of the Tribe's lost religious role. They develop gifts that emulate the power and glory of their former positions.

The School of the Sun grants a discount on purchasing Evolutions to Vestiges of Vitality and Sanctity.

===='''Traditions'''====
Members of the School of the Sun may select a free specialization for one of the following Skills: Academics, Weaponry, or Persuasion.

===='''Concepts'''====
Small town preacher, televangelist, fringe historian, gang leader, assistant district attorney, street prophet, reformed convict 

===='''Quote'''====
''"Maybe there are some people who can live without faith. Good for them. But we've always been the representatives of physical gods, incontrovertible proof that there is something greater out there. If you find yourself in doubt, look to your kin. Their faith will lift you up."'' 

===='''Stereotypes'''====
* School of the Abyss: ''"You admit that we're lost, but you expect to find yourself."''
* School of Clay: ''"The shepherd rarely finds answers among the flock."''
* School of the Reef: ''"While we search for our God, you run yourself ragged pursuing our demons."''
* School of Fog: ''"Who we are is less important than what we're meant to do."'' 

* Typhons: ''"Without duty, only the monster remains."'' 
* Hybrids: ''"Tools and acolytes, turned from their purpose. Convert them or cleanse them, each according to merit."'' 
* Other Creatures: ''"Wolves among our flock."''
* Mortals: ''"Our charge and our distraction. Teach them what they ought to know, but pursue your own understanding first and foremost."''

=== '''The School of Clay''' ===
''(Malkut’s Devotion, The Coastal School)'' 

[Picture: The Symbol of Malkut’s Devotion: The shape of a gear with an ouroborous on its face. A bald humanoid form, curled in the fetal position, is in the center of both figures. Gills mark its neck. This serves as a watermark]

[Picture: Central. A man in his mid-20s sits in a dark room, at a table. He dresses like someone's accountant - white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, tie, and glasses. His hair is short but slightly wild. With his right hand he is writing on a piece of paper on the table, which is covered in open books, bundles of paper, and clay tablets. His other arm, resting on the table, is chitinous and terminates in a crab's claw. The wall behind him is covered with posterboard depicting a colossal and convoluted family tree. The uppermost branches are average names in English, but the lower branches are in cuneiform. The lowest visible branches are merely marked by pictures of sinuous shapes. Certain names or symbols are circled, with no apparent pattern.]

The Tribe finds itself in the unenviable position of existing in the world of humanity without, for all intents and purposes, being human themselves. Where others despise this apparent imprisonment, the School of Clay attacks this assumption. Studying human culture and the place of Leviathans in it, they attempt to create a mode of living in this new world. 

This study turns many of the Coastal School towards studies of their personal history, following family genealogies or the legacies of communities that have produced Leviathans. They cultivate contacts in the world at large both to discern the place of the Tribe in human history and to stave off the dangers of isolation. Their historical interests come to rest in human history, then, trying to find the hidden clues to their own backgrounds inside relics of lost civilizations and yellowing photo albums.

Malkut's Devotion believes that the only way to exist in the modern world is to adapt, and that humanity, for all of its faults, is the model to follow. They overcame the progenitors, after all, and it's not like they're going to disappear. The ability to sustain a life in human society, and easier access to Atolls, is a source of calm and security in the otherwise trying life of a Leviathan. Adaptation and integration are methods towards Tranquility.

===='''Membership'''====
The members of the School of Clay are primarily those that are accustomed to think about others, especially in terms of scientific survey. Many are historians or psychologists, or at least individuals that studied those subjects. While they are occasionally stereotyped as extroverts and socialites, the Coastal School has its share of scientific observers - those that deeply desire human contact, but will not or can not fully participate in it. The wallflower is as present at the party as the host.

The only unifying factor in membership of the School of Clay is an interest in humanity and human history. Most members are, if not on the cutting edge themselves, at least not too put out by technology, and few concern themselves with the modes of life or strictures of the lost Leviathan society. They are the sort of people that live in the now and experience their history through people, not places, ideas, or objects. Most feel uncomfortable if isolated against their wishes - contact with others gives them a place to be.

===='''Transformation'''====
The School of Clay is about observation, exploration, and adaptation. Their transformed shapes tend to be suited to both land and sea, armored against attackers but also with prevalent methods of communicating - sweeping antennae or boisterous, shifting hides. Their forms resemble crabs, lobsters, or swarming reef fish - the aquatic tenants of the beaches and reefs, teeming with life. Eyes are often prevalent and unblinking, while some develop forms that can adapt, chameleon-like, to suit any background.

===='''Character Creation'''====
Social Attributes are the primary focus of most members of the Coastal School, with Presence and Manipulation having equal showings. Composure and Stamina are favored over Resolve - it's less about persistence and more about remaining functional. Those members that observe others or delve into their own histories tend towards above-average Intelligence.

Socialize and Politics are the favored Skills of Malkut's Devotion, allowing them to participate in and direct human life. Academics, especially the study of history or psychology, is also common, but Computer knowledge is rapidly becoming more widespread - the ability to operate in the modern world. While most of Malkut's Devotion would rather run than fight, their participation in human life means that they tend to fight like humans, when necessary - they've adopted the gun as their chosen weapon, scoffing at questions of "honor" or "tradition." Natural observers, they share the Sunken School's affinity for Investigation and Empathy.  

The School of Clay places a great emphasis on Social Merits; they are the likeliest Devotees to have Contacts and Allies. Their Cults are, surprisingly, usually modest affairs - the level of intimacy that surrounds a Cult compromises the School's perspective of themselves as infiltrating or observing human society. A Cult is likely to be composed of relatives, either close or distant, that have been uncovered as "in the know" by the Devotee. (Malkut's Devotion is deeply interested in Atolls, and they are the most likely to be in peaceful contact with one for a sustained period of time.)

===='''Role'''====
The Devotees of Clay serve an important function as a bridge between their less social fellows and the human world. While they feel the same sense of alienation and isolation when moving through social circles, their perspective permits them some degree of isolation from this discomfort - they're ambassadors or researchers, they'll argue, operating on foreign soil. They're also the most likely to have access to money and resources that come as the perks of this social life - and the ability to get your hands on a gun on short notice has some considerable allure for most of the Tribe.

The Cohort in turn offers a place where the researcher can loosen his tie and take off his glasses - he doesn't have to ''act'' around them. With the rigors of social contact causing as much discomfort and irritation as they do, this safety valve is extremely important to most of Malkut's Devotion, even if they're not aware of it. Without contact with the Tribe, most of the Devotees of Clay would be heading for a disastrous meltdown. 

===='''Vestiges'''====
The School of Clay is interested in integrating itself into groups and considering the nature of bloodlines and birthrights. They master those gifts that let them work with these tools - bending wills, blending in, and expressing their lineage. 

The School of Clay grants a discount on purchasing Evolutions to the Vestiges of Sanctity and Fecundity.

===='''Traditions'''====
Members of the School of Clay may select a free specialization for one of the following Skills: Politics, Firearms, and Socialize.

===='''Concepts'''====
Drug dealer, "urban" anthropologist, psychotherapist, market researcher, club regular, fraternity or sorority leader, chairman of the Homeowner's Association 

===='''Quote'''====
''"We've always looked down on humans. It's easy, when you see them looking at you with those big moony eyes. But they've built this world, while anything our people did is long buried in silt and rotting algae. If I was you, I'd shut up and listen to them more often."'' 

===='''Stereotypes'''====
* School of the Abyss: ''"Who would leave a world teeming with life to skulk around a dead one?"''
* School of the Sun: ''"Chanting and preaching - way to keep a low profile, buddy."''
* School of the Reef: ''"You ever notice how Rambo just can't seem to get a break? Stop looking for trouble, and you'll stop finding it."''
* School of Fog: ''"Dredging up our history will only tell you that we lost. I'm sitting at the winner's table, and I'm taking notes."'' 

* Typhons: ''"If you can't go with the flow, you're doomed to obsolesence. Like these guys."'' 
* Hybrids: ''"There are better ways to coexist with humanity than trying to make them more like us."'' 
* Other Creatures: ''"If they keep their hands off, let 'em be - otherwise, well, it's always good to let off some steam."''
* Mortals: ''"We came from here, and we've never left."''

=== '''The School of the Reef''' ===
''(Natsar’s Devotion, The Blazing School)'' 

[Picture: The Symbol of Natsar’s Devotion: A rock rises from tempestuous seas. Broken chains hang off of it. Three tablets are chained to its face. The skies are black. This serves as a watermark]

[Picture: Central. A muscular Caribbean woman in a white tank top, camo pants, and boots, back half-turned from the viewer. A bandana holds her hair out of her face. She is standing in front of a stone pillar like a totem pole, depicting the faces of monstrous beings with wide maws, protruding tongues, and bulging eyes. She is looking at one of the faces. Held up as a comparison in her left hand is a severed head, matching the one she is looking at. Her hand and forearm are coated in gore. Her right hand rests at her hip, where a long obsidian dagger is shoved through her belt. Both arms are covered in sharkskin, with the hint of fins at the elbow. Her exposed back is parted by a shark's maw, which rests between her shoulderblades. At her feet is a blood-covered empty sack.]

The Leviathans have always been beset by enemies, and the severing of the world from its primordial state has done nothing to prevent that. The School of the Reef embraces the role of the Tribe as the soldiers and tacticians of the struggles that led to the Tempest, ever-vigilant in the destruction and observation of the Tribe's enemies. Knowing their enemies and protecting their Cohorts, Natsar's Devotion finds purpose in conflict and an outlet for their simmering rage.

The primary interest that the Blazing School has in the relics of their past, as a result, are the catalogues of their military triumphs and the identities of their enemies. They see knowledge as a valuable currency in an ongoing war, and ruthlessly pursue the edge that it gives them, reclaiming their predecessor's warrior legacy. 

Natsar's Devotion places survival and self-preservation foremost among their concerns, but they also have a philosophy. They have experienced the barely submerged fury that their bloodline instills in them, fueled by the restraints and annoyances of everyday existence, and have found an outlet for that energy - the annihilation of their foes. Through triumph and activity, they seek Tranquility.

===='''Membership'''====
The School of the Reef is, unsurprisingly perhaps, composed of those individuals for whom self-defense, war, or violence were parts of everyday life. Gang members, former soldiers, or career criminals are all common - but they do not form the whole of the Devotion. The beliefs of the Devotion extend to the defense and protection of their fellows, after all - you are as likely to find an ambulance technician or fireman in the Devotion's ranks as you are a mob legbreaker.

What the School of the Reef does share is a certain degree of personal energy. This is the Devotion of people that can't sit still or hold back - adrenaline junkies or the deeply principled. The Blazing School is about doing things, standing up, striking back. Even the sagest and most reserved tactician won't hesitate to throw herself into the fray if that's what's necessary. 

===='''Transformation'''====
Natsar's Devotion is interested in strength, protection, and victory. Their transformations lead them towards forms that emphasize these traits - great rows of ivory teeth, thick, armored hides, and rippling muscles. They take on predator's forms, and have the aesthetic of a bunker or fighter jet - there's no mistaking their purpose and power. Some of the Blazing School actually blaze - their eyes burn with inner light, or scales ripple with stark, strong colors. 

===='''Character Creation'''====
Even if it is not their primary focus, the members of Natsar's Devotion do not neglect their Physical Attributes. In particular, their interests across all groups lie with Power Attributes - they measure virtue by effect. The average Devotee of the Rock has a sharp analytic mind in an athletic body. They're not afraid to give orders, and shun restraint - Presence is usually higher than Composure.

Each member of the Devotion develops at least some of the Physical Skills necessary for combat. By tradition, they favor the natural weapons provided to them by their lineage, and practice Brawl to make best use of them. Tacticians and the biologists that plan against the Tribe's enemies develop Academics, Occult, and Science. Naturally disposed towards command, the Blazing School tends to favor Intimidate over other Social Skills.  

Physical Merits are obviously prevalent, but Mental Merits aren't shunned, either - the Devotion is about knowing your fight as much as it is about winning. Devotees of the Reef tend to have small Cults with devout members, especially those with some sort of military background - soldiers in the war. Social Merits provide assets, but Devotees rarely stay in one place for long - they're always trying to stay one step ahead of a counterattack. 

===='''Role'''====
Natsar's Devotion finds its service to a Cohort in its strength and preparedness. Driven to survive and to defend the Tribe, the Devotees of the Reef devastate threats, plan for eventualities, and keep escape routes in mind - they are the soldiers and bodyguards of their kin. This has given them a bit of a reputation for aggression and bossiness, but they know it's all for their Cohort's own good. The war never takes a break, after all.

The Cohort, in turn, checks the rage and paranoia of the Devotee. There are fights that don't need to be fought, and only an outside perspective can check that impulse in a Devotee of the Rock. He might grumble about the Cohort's cowardice, but living in a constant state of predatory excellence isn't sustainable, even for the most stalwart of Natsar's Devotion. Countless Typhons mark the eventual fate of Leviathans that lost themselves to an endless lust for destruction. 

===='''Vestiges'''====
The Blazing School is made up of warriors, first and foremost. They manifest the gifts that give them an edge in a fight, expressing the natural weapons of the Tribe and pushing themselves to the edges of power to defend themselves.

The School of the Reef grants a discount on purchasing Evolutions to the Vestiges of Might and Predation.

===='''Traditions'''====
Members of the School of the Reef may select a free specialization for one of the following Skills: Science, Brawl, and Intimidation.

===='''Concepts'''====
Beat cop, former mafia heavy, survivalist icon, marine biologist, military historian, gun dealer, bouncer, heavyweight boxer, disgraced soldier, veteran guerilla 

===='''Quote'''====
''"If you believe we know better because we're bigger and tougher than mortals, then you've got to figure the Primordials knew best of all. Now those were big, f*ck-off critters, and so clever no human can wrap their heads around them. Don't tell me they didn't see this world coming, and don't tell me they left no clues for us."'' 

===='''Stereotypes'''====
* School of the Abyss: ''"They'd be better off if they spent less time gazing at their navels and more time listening to their gut."''
* School of the Sun: ''"I know the progenitors gave us a purpose - it's to win."''
* School of Clay: ''"Watchers rarely know when they're being watched."''
* School of Fog: ''"Cooperation's a great idea, as long as you all do what you're told."'' 

* Typhons: ''"Casualties are inevitable given the stress of our condition. Give 'em a quick death and an honorable sendoff."'' 
* Hybrids: ''"Those we can control are able soldiers. The rest of the lot are obstacles to be knocked down."'' 
* Other Creatures: ''"Anything that's a threat is going to find out the hard way how much we know about 'em."''
* Mortals: ''"We're not like these guys anymore, and that's just as well. I'd rather die on my feet with my eyes open."''

=== '''The School of Fog''' ===
''(Bet’em's Devotion, The Questioning School)'' 

[Picture: The Symbol of Bet’em's Devotion: A swirling sea, from which emerges numerous sea-serpent like forms, as if on an old map. This serves as a watermark]

[Picture: Central. View from behind and to the left - A black man with a shaved head stands in front of a high metallic table, wearing a t-shirt and jean shorts, no shoes. He rests his left arm on the table, palm up. A segment of flesh on the underside of the forearm is flayed open and held in place by surgical clamps. Blood stains the table around the arm, with crawling and writhing shapes, suggesting primitive, half-formed life, emerging from it. His other arm holds a scalpel, hovering over the flayed limb. The man's face is impassive. On either side of his head there is a curved line of white, shark-like eyes above the tips of his ears. The eyes glow slightly. A magnifying glass, pen, notebook, and camera all sit on the table, to the man's right side.] 

The bloodline of the Tribe is heavy with mysteries and hidden lore that, if revealed, would alter much of mankind's conception of history and reality. The School of Fog is composed of those Leviathans that, knowing this, seek answers and truth within the Tribe itself. Probing their lineage and observing their fellows, they attempt to recreate the Tribe's society and birthrights from the hints provided by its current incarnation.

This interest in the Tribe leads the Questioning School to do just that - question. Their primary historical interest is with cultural relics of the Tribe itself, but also records - codes of morality, edicts, and legends. They seek, by analyzing these, to find the essence of the Tribe itself - some central truth that shapes a society that fulfills them and expresses their origins. More than this, the School actively places itself in contention with the other Schools, pushing members to codify their beliefs or defend their theories - the Devotees of Fog consider themselves the lens that turns on the Tribe.

The goal of all these questions and considerations is a sense of personal history and placement - the creation of a "divine lineage" that terminates in the Tribe, whose statutes can guide actions and whose exploits can be emulated. In a sense, the project is the creation of a true Tribe, one united in thought and deed as well as by blood. In the stability of an expressed and fulfilling history, the Devotee seeks Tranquility. 

===='''Membership'''====
The School of Fog is often branded as a "scholarly" pursuit, and that charge bears some weight. Many of the minds that turn towards cataloguing of the Tribe's own culture are those that would have pursued similar lines in human life - anthropologists, cultural scholars, and psychologists. The study of the Tribe's blood and the secrets it contains, however, also lures the interest of minds involved in the natural sciences. Beyond this label, though, the Questioning School is also host to those whose perspectives perhaps naturally placed them as outsiders from society - the destitute and disenfranchised. 

The driving force behind the School of Fog is an interest in origins and hidden drives - an urge to know the how and why of things. The Questioning School is made up of those that push, and seek, and pick at scabs - they're the sort of people that fling themselves at every question until they have an answer. 

===='''Transformation'''====
The School of Fog's interest lies in the Tribe's origins and traits. As such, their transformations tend to echo the fertility and oddity of the line itself - growing additional limbs, eyes, or even whole heads, or taking on constantly-shifting, flexible forms. In particular the acknowledged trait of the School is additional, unblinking eyes and the adoption of shapes that conjure up the image of confusing and alien creatures, long-dead or never-were. The greatest mysteries of the fossil record and the darkest speculations of marine biologists take shape in the manifestations of Bet'em's Devoted.

===='''Character Creation'''====
Unusual in relationship to the other Devotions, Bet’em's Devotion focuses primarily on Finesse Attributes - they approach problems with dexterity and ingenuity rather than pure force. Social Attributes are the most favored, as the School of Fog is also the primary organizing body of the Tribe. 

Fringe knowledge is the bastion of the Questioning School, and their ratings in Occult and Streetwise tend to be quite high - they are the quiet monitors of hidden corners and lost facts. Most have a strong set of Social Skills, however, in order to better deal with their fellows - different methods being needed for dealing with different Leviathans. Physical Skills, when taken, tend to focus on evasion and obfuscation.

Mental and Social Merits are quite prevalent, and Devotees of Fog are the most likely to have allies and contacts among their fellow Tribe members. Their Cults tend to be extensive but constantly fluctuating as old doctrines are considered, refuted, and revised - it takes a certain sort of mind to put faith in something that is ever changing, even if it claims to be ever improving. 

===='''Role'''====
Questions are the strength of the Questioning School. They take contrary positions to their Cohort and push them to explain themselves - trying to cause them to think about themsleves and what they do. Beyond this, they are also lynchpins in Tribe society. Their knowledge of the bloodline provides them a certain encyclopedic awareness of facts about Leviathans, but by far their greatest contribution is the ability to guide and unite their fellows. A Devotee of Fog's dedication is the element necessary to try and prod the otherwise solitary Tribe into a functioning social unit.

The School of Fog could not, in some meaningful fashion, exist without Cohorts. The School's justification and primary grounds of exploration lie with the Tribe - it is only with them that the Devotee's searches are not grounded in his own thought, and it is only his fellows that can push him to truly question his own observations.  

===='''Vestiges'''====
The Questioning School includes those that are at the forefront of the study of the nature and place of the Tribe in the universe. They push to unlock the divine nature of their bloodline and exhibit the role that they believe they are meant to hold.

The School of Fog grants a discount on purchasing Evolutions to Vestiges of Elements and Fecundity.

===='''Traditions'''====
Members of the School of Fog may select a free specialization for one of the following Skills: Occult, Stealth, and Streetwise.

===='''Concepts'''====
Avant garde poet or musician, poststructuralist lecturer, performance artist, information warfare specialist, human resources consultant, busker, genealogy buff  

===='''Quote'''====
''"There are things more clever and stronger things than us out there, but there's nobody who can take care of business like we can. In a week, I can gather ten people like you, as hard and as dedicated. Now tell me: who can stand against that?."'' 

===='''Stereotypes'''====
* School of the Abyss: ''"What are you hiding from?"''
* School of the Sun: ''"Haven't you heard? Buddha is not the Way!"''
* School of Clay ''"Take your time. We'll always be here for you."''
* School of the Reef: ''"You've got the strength, I have the vision."'' 

* Typhons: ''"How lonely they must have been!"'' 
* Hybrids: ''"What distant horrors do their bloodlines hint at?"'' 
* Other Creatures: ''"Really? Tell me more."''
* Mortals: ''"We're going to have to stand together to survive in their world."''

== The Prelude == 
Not unlike the final step of character creation, a detailed prelude serves to push a player to consider their character in unusual circumstances or in scenarios that the player had not previously thought of – it involves roleplaying a series of moments or answering a series of questions in-character. The idea is to highlight points of interest in a character's distant and recent past that illustrate elements of their personality and interests, as well as suggest issues that might prove useful for integrating the character into the chronicle, or which might be plot hooks down the line. The Prelude is meant to shift the abstract question of “what sort of person is my character” into a series of scenes that provide similar information. It can also serve as a “warm-up” for getting into a character, or as a way of presenting a situation that the player might not have thought of – especially a point at which two aspects of a character's personality and tendencies become opposed to one another – which do they value more?

At the Storyteller's discretion, the Prelude can also serve as an opportunity to shuffle points on the character sheet. It's before the beginning of play, after all, and the whole idea is to offer new avenues of thinking about the character – if the character-as-envisioned and the character-as-mechanics aren't in synch, there's no better time to make adjustments as the rules and the ST permit. It can also help prioritize avenues for advancement and plots that interest the character – if you and your Storyteller get very involved in one portion of the prelude, that's a big hint that there's material there that should make its way into play.

Preludes can also serve as a method for a Storyteller to work some background detail about the sort of chronicle he has in mind into the player's minds without having to resort to an expository barrage in the first session (or, my particular weakness, a lengthy handout of information). It can also serve to make things more “personal” to a character – Marduk's hunt is a very different issue for a character that has only experienced it in the abstract, rather than having an episode in their Prelude that brings them up against the organization. 

=== Storytelling the Prelude ===

''The door was worth pretty much what you paid for it, bursting inwards in a small storm of splinters as a hastily-moved minifridge and bookcase tumble out of the way. Still, it bought a couple of seconds before your company arrived – and from the shouts in the hallway and the sound of footsteps coming up the hall, it sounds like quite a bit of company. Not to mention the sirens. You figure you've got, what, ten seconds before they're in the room with you.''

''Which is why you're perched half-in your shattered window, glass shards on the ground below, trying to figure out whether you can make the pool if you jump from here. Or whether it might be easier to just aim for the concrete, given the way your day's been going.''

''How did you end up here?''

The Prelude should serve primarily as a method of getting players and their characters on the same page. While it's not such high art that people have to treat it like a chore, a big part of a game of Leviathan involves dealing with the mixture of the wondrous and the unfortunate, and that balance is most easily struck if everyone has a feel for the cast. Determine whether you want to run Preludes individually or as a group. Individual Preludes are sort of the expected norm for Leviathans, as their relative rarity means that members of a Cohort likely didn't meet until later in life, but this shouldn't be binding – after all, people in the same situation often end up in the same place. A group Prelude has the advantage of being a bit like a game session, and gets everyone used to working around a table together – it can be played either as shared scenes or alternating stages, with each character being presented with similar scenarios. The latter method in particular offers a way for other players to get a feel for someone's character – it places their reactions to various events in relationship with the rest of the cast. 

A strong Prelude ought to balance elements of the fantastic and the relatively mundane. Members of the Tribe are often rootless and jobless, but they still have to eat, and it's the everyday that trips them up the most – if all problems could be solved by turning into an eldritch abomination, they'd have an easier time of it. It doesn't hurt for scenes to appear somewhat disjointed – a Leviathan's life is unstable by definition, and the comfort of a familiar situation is something that they have to actively cultivate. 

=== Developing – Early Life ===
''It had been buried deep in a corner of the attic, but you'd eventually improvised a makeshift series of  support columns with other boxes, some of which you expected contained valued family heirlooms, which made their periodic creaks a source of some worry – but you had it. The dark metal chest at the back of the attic, which you cousins had assured you was “totally grandpa's porn stash,” or “full of old guns,” or whatever. You didn't lend their theories much credence. You were just curious about the rusty old thing, and your other relatives claimed not to know – and that you shouldn't play in the attic, which would be, if their state of worry was to scale with the actual danger, wall-to-wall exposed rusty nails.''

''There was an oversized padlock on the chest once, you realized, but it had rusted off somewhere down the line, and parts of it rubbed off on your hands as you moved away the remains. It smells a bit like the sea.''

''What's in it?''

It's not exactly accurate to say that a Leviathan was ever an ordinary person-  the bloodline is present in them since birth, after all, and has presumably had some influence on their family. It's rare, but not unheard-of, for one to arise “out of the blue,” but most members of the Tribe are born with families that have, to some degree, been touched by the blood of the Progenitors. Some more than others – Lahmasu have to come from somewhere – but in general, those odd little secrets that every normal family has take on much greater significance in the life of a Leviathan. One of the central themes of the line is a loss of foundation, and the revelation that one's family contains something other can come well before the Leviathan discovers that the alien presence is contained within his own body. Even for a Leviathan with an apparently-normal family, the time before can serve as a jumping-off point – it's the place of security and apparent normalcy that is lost when the blood of the Tribe begins to manifest.

If rolls become necessary, recall that the character hasn't come into their power yet – they have no access to transformation or the Wake, and have to solve their problems as “mere mortals.” 

=== Facial Hair, Deeper Voice, Gills, the Usual – Changing === 
''If anyone had asked you to prepare a list of difficult-to-eat foods, “sandwich” would not have been on it, but there it is – right there in the bread, one of your teeth, all white and clearly yours because you would have recalled making a tooth sandwich. Your friends haven't noticed, they're still talking and laughing and stealing fries and so on, but you're looking into your sandwich. Tentatively, you reach into your mouth and check – nothing missing. A quick tug on a tooth, just to be sure -''

''And now you're looking at another tooth, in your palm. No pain, not really, but the grind as another slips into its place in your head – you felt it, this time. And now your friends are looking at your confused expression, asking what's wrong.''

''What do you do?''

Leviathans don't undergo a single moment of traumatic change – though many might wish that they'd been so lucky. The development into a fully-fledged member of the Tribe occurs over weeks or even months, as the body changes and the Wake is established. During this transitional period, the Leviathan has absolutely no control over his condition and Ichor, and his shape can change at random in mysterious and horrifying fashions. As such, instances such as the above should form the backbone of this section of the Prelude, points at which the character has to confront that things aren't right. Some Leviathans seek help during these changes, but modern medicine is of little comfort. Most characters will be in their late teens and early twenties during this stage, adding another aspect to scenes – they're under an amazing amount of stress during the formation of an adult identity, and have had even more trouble heaped upon them.

The use or abuse of the Wake is an important part of a Leviathan's social life, and it might be worth it to work in a scene in which the character is clearly benefiting from an unnatural presence and stands to have something they want because of it. This is particularly important for considering the character's eventual stance towards his Cult and normal mortals – it's all too easy for a Leviathan to just take what they desire.

At this point, a Leviathan might have access to one or two of their powers or the lesser Mutations available to Hybrids, as the Storyteller permits – but not their full suite, and generally not their full complement of Vestiges. Their ancestry is unreliable and can't be trusted to manifest itself in helpful ways.

=== My Life with Monster  - Moving Forward ===
''Well, you have it. Now it's just a matter of getting away with it. The bag's thrown in the back seat of your car as you try desperately to control your breathing, trying to remember what those meditation tapes instructed you to do – you can't remember if you lost them back when you ditched the other car, or if you left them deliberately. In any case, you think you can spare a second to center yourself before you cut town – things have been going pretty smoothly, and you know what stop's next. There'll be others there, and that sounds pretty noxious, but at least you'll start getting some answers.''

''The bag's in the back – you double-check just to be sure – and you're so thrilled about its contents that you're finding it hard to blame yourself for what you did to get it.''

''What'' did ''you do to get it?''

By the end of the previous section, you should have a grasp of the nature of your character's transformation and what he's decided to do about it. This section solidifies those decisions – it should be composed of a scene that emphasizes just what sort of person your Leviathan has decided to be, what School of thought he occupies and where he sets himself in relationship to others. A good finalizing scene gives a sense of the character as having a goal in sight – but also suggest the ways in which these decisions are made in isolation. There's no “right answer,” and many Leviathans are deluding themselves when they formulate a scheme of reality that suggests some endgame. It's good if tensions between what the Leviathan is and wants to be arise – that's the sort of problem they have during their self-definition. 

This point of the Prelude's also good to start establishing the character's Cohort, the other player characters, as well as any other Leviathans that share a Taxa with him. The difficulty that Leviathans have socializing can serve as a model for inter-party interaction in the future, and can also provide some context for decisions made later in the chronicle – who do you trust? Who do you resent? That sort of thing. 

=== A Few Questions ===

If a character's finished but you still want to flesh them out a bit farther, or are looking to consider them outside the bounds of the questions asked during character creation or which arose during your prelude, the following might be of use:


'''What do you look like?'''

Where are you from? Can people tell? What do the various stages of your transformation look like? What does the person you think of as “you” look like? Are they fully human? A hybrid shape? Do you try to blend in, or are their markers of your delving into the Tribe on your person? Strange markings? Ritual scars? Do you have any obvious Afflictions? What do people remember about you?

'''What were the worst parts of your transition?'''

Did you freak out, or keep to yourself? Did you look for help? From people? From books? Did those you reached out to help, or were they as scared as you were? Did you abuse your Wake? Did you want to? Did you lose parts of your life – friends, a job? Leave school? Run away? 

'''What's on the agenda?'''

What are your short-term plans? Your long-term? Do you have any goals? A rival you wish to conquer? A relic you just have to have? Would you do anything for that goal? Where do you draw the line? Do you try and maintain a normal life alongside your monstrous one? How's that going? Know an Atoll? How's that working out? Who do you want to impress? Who do you want to take down a peg?

'''How's the family?'''

How do you get along with the members of your Cohort? Your Cult? Do you even have a Cult? How do you treat them? Ever feel guilty about it? Ever feel like maybe you should? Do you keep in touch with your mortal family? Are they, you know, a mortal family? Are any of your relatives “in the know”? How's that feel? What do they expect of you? Are you willing to disappoint them?

'''Any bad news?'''

Is there any trouble on the horizon? Have you had run-ins with any of the Tribe's enemies? Do you go looking for 'em? Ever kill anyone? Ever make someone kill anyone? Ever think about it? 

=== Names, Aliases, and Honorifics ===

Leviathans aren't really human anymore, and some don't stick with their old name, assuming something that better fits what they see as their “true nature.” This practice is taken to with a varied degree of seriousness, just like most attempts at “re-branding” oneself. Some Leviathans aim for names that suggest their ancient lineage, something that sounds “Bronze Age.” Others stick with their given names, or with a series of aliases (especially if they're on the run from the police or worse.) Those that are surrounded by a Cult tend to end with grandiose titles, and some believe their own press. Inside a Cohort, however, names are usually kept brief – first names are usually sufficient, given the size of a Leviathan social unit – no one is going to mistake “Greg” for some other guy with that name. There's some understanding that expecting a Leviathan to refer to a peer by some overblown, florid “true name” is asking a lot of what is essentially a blood relative, so only the more self-obsessed members of the Tribe try to inflict their divine stature on the rest.

== Example of Character Creation == 

Paul intends to make a character for Allison's upcoming game of '''Leviathan'''. He's been told that it will focus on the Cohort traveling across the face of North America, exploring rumors of potential archaeological finds and coming into conflict with the Cults of rival Leviathans and Typhons. With that in mind, Paul plans to make a character who isn't too tied down to one location – one not bounded to a Cult or some other major obligation. He decides to run with this transience and make a character who's at home in unfamiliar situations – the sort of guy that can befriend a stranger and crash on couches, and does odd work to get by. 

Discussing it with the rest of the players, he finds that this is a good niche – and that he needn't worry about certain threats. Two of the other players are taking the role of cousins, both Tananim, who they have termed “The Winchester Brothers of Innsmouth Mass.” The other player is planning to be a wealthy Dagonite business mogul. There's enough space in there that everyone feels like they have room to be the go-to person for their area of focus, so Paul moves on to the next stages.

=== Step One – Concept ===
The Cohort's members cover a good region of investigative and combat-based skills, so Paul feels comfortable making his character's likeability and social acumen the backbone of his design. He decides to be a real people person – manipulative, and apparently a good listener, and one whose requests are backed up by the force of the Wake. He's already looking forward to the troubling intersection of earning someone's trust and compelling it by supernatural means, and informs the Storyteller that he's fine with dealing with fallout from being unnaturally persuasive. 

He refines this into a brief concept - “Wandering Trickster.” He likes this, and decides to use the element of the trickster to a greater extent – his character believes that he has a right to subtly wreak “justice” on those he finds problematic. He settles on a name, too – Louis “Lou” Gabriel Beauchamp. Lou's a bigger guy – broad shoulders, handsome in a sort of scruffy way, and surprisingly blue eyes. Paul's mental image adds a layer to the character – he's also in pretty good shape, as well as being sociable, which will be important when assigning Attributes.

=== Step Two – Attributes ===
So it becomes immediately relevant. Without hesitation, Paul decides that Lou is going to be primarily Social, with Physical Attributes as his secondary, and Mental bringing up the rear. He decides that Lou's not-quite dim, but certainly not the brains of his Cohort. 

Paul figures that Lou is charming and quite persuasive – he puts two dots each in Presence and Manipulation, and one in Composure, for final scores of 3, 3, and 2. If he had his druthers, Manipulation would be higher – it's something he marks to pursue with experience down the line.

Lou's strong and well-built, but not a world-beater physically – he's primarily concerned with muscle, not actual comprehensive fitness. Paul assigns two dots to Strength and one each to the other two Physical Attributes.

Finally, Paul comes to his final category. Thinking about it a bit, he decides to put two dots in Wits and one in Resolve – Lou probably isn't going to be coming up with any brilliant mathematical proofs in the near future, but Paul figures that his other skills will help him get by.

The whole picture of Lou places him as someone who's comfortable in social situations but not at all an academic. His resistance attributes are low, which Paul knows might become a problem, but Lou's all about getting into – and out of - trouble. 

=== Step Three – Skills ===
Paul takes a look at the categories of skills and, shrugging, assigns Lou's priorities in the same fashion as his Attributes – he's good at what he's good at. The next step is to figure out the “must-haves,” those skills most vital to the overall concept of Lou.

In the Social set, Paul places checkmarks next to Socialize, Streetwise, and Persuasion. There are other skills that are important, but these are big deals for Lou to do what he does. Lou's stealthy, Paul decides, and has been in enough bar-room fights to be good at Brawl. Finally, Lou's at least moderately good at Investigation – if only to get a bead on a target for “punishment.”

When assigning final numbers, Paul ensures that Lou has three dots in Socialize and two in Streetwise, Subterfuge, and Persuasion. One dot each goes to Empathy and Intimidation. Lou gets two dots each in Brawl, Larceny, and Stealth, and one in Athletics. Finally, he gets two dots in Investigation, one in Medicine (Lou, he decides, knows a bit about drug culture and other risks of a bar-based lifestyle), and one in Occult (Lou's family is superstitious, a trait that's only become amplified when the supernatural became a day-to-day thing for Lou).

=== Step Four – Skill Specialties ===
Lou's Specialties are a way for him to be better at those things that Paul is aiming to use as problem-solvers, as well as flesh out his character. The first goes to bulk up a low Skill – Empathy. Paul decides that Lou's best at getting a feel for people's tendencies, so he takes a Specialty of “Personalities.” The next one's a no-brainer – a  Persuasion Specialty in “Asking for Favors.” Paul thinks about taking another Specialty for his Social Skills, but decides to diversify and pick a Specialty that's telling about Lou's less-than-gentlemanly nature – a Brawl specialty of “Sucker Punch.” 

=== Step Five – The Leviathan Template ===
At this point, Paul needs to work on determining the supernatural elements of his character – how does Lou function in the world of the Tribe? 

The first decision he needs to make is a selection of Strain. The most natural choice for a socially-minded character is one of the Strains that favors the relevant Vestiges, but Paul's not certain – he's interested in the idea of Lou as a dangerous, judgment-passing Oceanid, but he's also willing to play against type in another Strain. He finally settles on Oceanid, deciding that he can work from an aspect of empty grace – Lou looks like a good, solid, reliable person, but he's got a hidden edge and is deeply manipulative. He chooses to favor the Vestige of Might, and naturally favors the Vestige of Sanctity.

Paul's also got a couple choices for School – but the idea of Lou as symbiotically living with the aid of humanity leads him to select the School of Clay, Lou's focus being more on “getting by in a human world” than “analyzing humanity.” He decides that his bonus Specialty is going to be assigned to Socialize - “Getting Established.” Lou's great at including himself in a social scene like he's been there for years. 

Lou can master three branches of his Vestiges. He opts for “Insidious Creature,” an Ancestor channel of Sanctity that boosts his Manipulation, and then further focuses on it by taking the Descending channel of “Call of the Depths,” which lets him call others even against their will. His last choice goes to an Ancestor channel of the Vestige of Awareness, “Lambent Eyes of Judgement,” which lets him read people with Empathy. Because of these choices, Lou also gets the Birthrights of Awareness and Sanctity.

Lou's Sheol begins at one dot, which gives him a beginning Ichor maximum of ten. He'll start with half of that number.

=== Step Six – Merits === 
By now, Lou's pretty well-defined – but, as a social character, Merits can prove very important. Paul consciously decides that Lou doesn't have a Cult – he might have had a small, independent group, but it  doesn't jibe with Paul's idea of Lou.

Paul immediately runs to the Social Merits, and grabs Barfly without hesitation. Reflecting on Lou's image, he also purchases the two-dot version of Striking Looks and a dot of Contacts, representing his various friends in bars across the country. This leaves him with three dots, one of which goes to Lou's meager Resources. After some consideration, he grabs “Serpent's Tongue,”  a two-dot Adaptation of “Insidious Creature” - He can easily talk anyone into indulging their vice in the most immoral ways.

=== Step Seven – Advantages ===
At this point, Paul records the derived values of Lou's Advantages. His Composure + Resolve is four, so that becomes his Willpower. His Tranquility begins at 7, and while Paul considers lowering it – Lou's not a great guy – he decides to hold back – an Affliction would really cramp Lou's style! 

Lou's Virtue, Paul decides, is Justice. He shares this with one of his Cohorts, and he expects that their shared interests might give them something to collaborate on. Lou's sense of Justice is pretty skewed, but he still wants to punish those that take advantage of others (and aren't him.) His Vice is Sloth – Lou gets by with the least concerted effort possible, stretching his welcome at the homes of hastily-made friends and evading responsibility when at all possible. 

Lou's Stamina is two and his Size is five, giving him seven boxes of Health. His Initiative is a similarly-average four, while his Defense is two (the lower of his Dexterity and Wits.) Lou's Strength + Dexterity + 5 is 10, giving him that as his Speed. 

=== Step Eight – Finishing Touches ===
By now, Paul's mostly done. He notes those places where he'll want to improve Lou's abilities over the course of the chronicle – he can always get more persuasive – and makes note of the benefits of his Vestiges, so that they'll be close at hand when he needs them during play. 

Beyond the mechanics, Paul also makes note of elements of Lou's past and his nature as he transforms. Lou's family is an expansive clan originating in the South, and his primary inspiration for Lou's transformed appearance is a humble crayfish, whose shell ripples with intoxicating arrays of color and whose antenna register the vibrations in the world around him.

Paul informs his Storyteller that he wants to explore two things with Lou – the ramifications of his manipulative personality, and the potential problems of his avoiding coming to terms with his changed nature – Lou's not subject to must introspection, and that'll hurt him in the long run. 



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