Aniwye

## Aniwye, Father of Skunks

* **Scientific Name**: *Mephitis mephitis diabolis*
* **Description**: Aniwye are an awakened metatype of the American Striped Skunk (M.mephitis mephitis) and are considered members of the family *Hypermustelidae*. Like their root species, Aniwye polygamous omnivores with few natural predators. The Aniwye is a stoutly-built, proportionally short-limbed animal with a conical head and a long, heavily furred tail. Feet are plantigrade with bare soles. The forefeet are armed with five long, curved claws adapted for digging, while those on the hind feet are shorter and straighter. The color patterns of the fur vary greatly, but generally consist of a black base with a white stripe extending from the head which divides along the shoulders, continuing along the flanks to the rump and tail. Some specimens have a white patch on the chest, while others bear white stripes on the outer surface of the front limbs. Brown or flame-colored mutations occasionally occur. Considered to be a ‘goblinized’ species (roughly analogous to metahuman Orks or Trolls, technically making it a metamephitid), Aniwye still spontaneously manifest among striped skunk populations throughout their range.

* **Habitat**: The Aniwye inhabits a wide variety of habitats, particularly mixed woodlands, brushy corners and open fields interspersed with wooded ravines and rocky outcrops. Some populations, particularly in southern Niswi-mishkodewinan, prefer cultivated areas over uncultivated ones.
* **Range**: The Aniwye is found largely in woodland and wetland areas across North America, from the Inuit Nunangat to northern Aztlan.
* **Size**: Adult male Aniwye average 10% larger than females, averaging 244 cm (8’0”) in length and averaging 450 kg (1000 lbs).
* **Diet**: While primarily a carnivore, the striped skunk is adaptable enough to incorporate vegetable matter and even metahumans into its diet. The most frequently consumed prey include deer, goats, turkey and any variety of (reflecting the insectivore focus of their root species). A large and aggressive omnivore, Aniwye are known to take advantage of a surprisingly wide range of food sources, including fish and carrion and garbage, even using their defensive musk to chase other predators off and steal their kills. While not adapted for chasing fleet-footed prey, at least one specimen was observed pursuing gray white tailed deer through the woods. The skunk will also consume vegetable matter, such as apples, blueberries, black cherries, ground cherries, corn and nightshade when in season. Striped skunks are known to use their sharp claws to tear apart rotting logs to find grubs, dig in the soil for insects, and pin down prey. Their practice of digging leaves large, noticeable pits in the ground, which can provide evidence of their presence in an area.

* **Behavior**: Like many Awakened megafauna variants, the Aniwye is more aggressive then its mundane cousin by an order of magnitude, due to its increased need for food. While in the striped skunk its musk is almost solely used for defense, the Aniwye will use it for hunting, incapacitating prey or driving off rivals. Fertility is low in Aniwye populations, supplemented by ‘goblinzation’ among striped skunk populations. Fertile Aniwye are polygamous, and normally breeds once a year, though yearling females who have failed to mate may enter a second estrous cycle a month after the first. The mating season usually occurs between mid-February to mid-April, though it is delayed at higher latitudes.

* **Awakened** **Qualities**: The most notable Awakened qualities of the Aniwye is its size and its enhanced musk. Like the striped skunk possesses two highly developed scent glands, one on each side of the anus, containing liters of musk each, which provides a chemical as an attack and defense against predation. This oily, yellow-colored musk consists of a mixture of powerfully odorous thiols (sulfur analogues of alcohols), which can be sprayed at a distance of several dozen meters. It has been classified by Corporate Arms Accords as a military-grade chemical weapon (blister, choking) and has proven fatal in animals up to and including metahumans. Contact with Aniwye musk is immediately corrosive to metahuman flesh and should be immediately washed and treated by medical professionals.

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