Difference between revisions of "LeviathanTempest:TannanClan"

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===='''Morphology'''====
 
===='''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 be living a deep and introspective life (even when this is not the case.) 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.  
+
The Taninim 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 Taninim 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'''====
 
===='''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.
+
The Taninim claim a beast called Tanin 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. Tanin 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'''====
 
===='''Genetics'''====
The Nu reproduce with difficulty - while pure Tribe members are no rare 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.  
+
The Taninim'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. 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 Taninim in avoiding the stereotype of inquisitorial zeal that they are painted with.
  
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 are especially prone to prophecy, and members of the lineage often cultivates complex symbolic systems of worshipping the Tribe.  
+
The Taninim 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.
  
 
===='''Evolution'''====
 
===='''Evolution'''====
The True Form of the Nu is a return to the water that spawned it - simplistic and water-logged forms that echo tadpoles or 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.
+
The average Taninim'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'''====
 
===='''Ecology'''====
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.
+
The Taninim 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.
  
 
===='''Echoes'''====
 
===='''Echoes'''====
'''Elements''', Vitality, Might
+
'''Predation''', Awareness, Dreams
  
 
==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ====
 
==== '''Symbols and Associations''' ====
The Sea of Kardanj, the Mediterranean Sea, the vice of Gluttony.
+
The Sea of Kalah, the Black Sea, the vice of Wrath.
  
 
===='''Concepts'''====
 
===='''Concepts'''====
Martial arts instructor, inscrutable guru, conspiracy theorist icon, underground artist
+
Internal affairs officer, editor, televangelist, deep-woods survivalist, professional fisherman
  
 
===='''Quote'''====
 
===='''Quote'''====

Revision as of 15:07, 26 July 2009

Oceanids

[Picture: The Symbol of Tanin: 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 Taninim 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 Taninim 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 Taninim claim a beast called Tanin 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. Tanin 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 Taninim'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. 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 Taninim in avoiding the stereotype of inquisitorial zeal that they are painted with.

The Taninim 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.

Evolution

The average Taninim'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

The Taninim 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.

Echoes

Predation, Awareness, Dreams

Symbols and Associations

The Sea of Kalah, the Black 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."


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