Ananasi

## Blood

Unlike other Changing Breeds, the Damhàn are not driven by Rage. Instead, they possess a supernatural blood pool and may use the blood points within that pool for supernatural abilities such as extra actions and healing. Regardless of their breed or form, Ananasi can hold up to 10 blood points (each one about the equivalent of a health level of damage), although some Gifts enable them to exceed this maximum.

Werespiders may eat normal food (for humans or spiders), but they gain their real sustenance and power from ingesting blood. Taking five blood points from an average human will hospitalize him, and more will certainly kill him. For Ananasi who are not worried about the after-effects of their meal, the average human can be siphoned for ten points of blood before he’s drained completely dry. Animals provide blood in varying quantities depending on their size: a Husky may provide six or seven blood points, a Siamese, only one.

Ananasi are, of course, not limited to mammalian meals. For those who prefer discretion (or simply have no other options) cold-blooded animals — or even insects — can serve, however a vast quantity of spiders or other insects must be consumed to refresh a single blood point.
Running out of blood in her blood pool does not weaken an Ananasi, but until she has regained blood, she may not use any of the special abilities granted by her blood pool.

Ananasi can accomplish the following by using blood points:

• Spending one blood point allows a werespider to shift reflexively into a chosen form.

• Spending one blood point gives an Ananasi an extra action in a turn.

• Ananasi use blood points to power certain Gifts and rites.

• Ananasi may spend blood to heal wounds (see Healing, below).

• Blood points fuel an Ananasi’s ability to create webs (see Webs, below).

Unlike vampires, werespiders cannot employ blood to boost their Physical Attributes, nor do they gain extra bonuses from the blood of Changing Breeds or other supernatural creatures (though they may enjoy the taste and potency). Unless using the Gift: Blood Pump, a werespider may spend blood for only one benefit per turn — although she may spend more than one blood point to achieve her goal. Note that spending blood on extra actions precludes the werespider from using blood to do anything else during those actions, including using certain Gifts, healing wounds, or creating webs. Ananasi may not expend blood and Gnosis in the same turn, except when using a Gift that requires both.

## Healing

Ananasi do not regenerate like most other Changing Breeds. Instead, they use the blood from their blood pool to heal both normal and aggravated wounds.

To heal bashing and lethal damage, Damhàn spend one blood point per level of damage, and the healing takes one turn. In order to heal one level of aggravated damage, an Ananasi must spend a total of five blood points, at a rate of one point per turn. The aggravated damage is healed at the end of the turn in which the last blood point is spent.

Unless a werespider uses blood to heal damage, she heals at the same rate as normal humans do. Ananasi may spend blood for healing while in any form but Crawlerling. Diseases may also be healed as if they were aggravated damage, with more serious diseases, equating to more “levels” of damage. Spending five blood points, or the equivalent of healing one level of aggravated damage, can purge common ailments such as the flu. Serious illnesses such as AIDS, lupus or Crohn’s disease count as three to five levels of aggravated damage (15 to 25 blood points). Ananasi seeking to purge their systems of serious diseases must, therefore, consume blood in large quantities.

## Vulnerability

Perhaps because they are not Gaian offspring, Ananasi possess no vulnerability or allergy to silver, nor to any other substance as a Breed. They often point this out as proof of their superiority to the Ovid.

## Physical Peculiarities

Once they have progressed through their Metamorphosis, even human-born Ananasi share many physical traits with natural spiders. Their circulatory, digestive, and respiratory systems all shift to accommodate the processing of blood in addition to solid food. Although these changes may be difficult to notice for the casual observer, they are a physical manifestation of how decidedly different even homid Ananasi are from the humans they so deftly emulate. (See Homid, p. 64, for additional details.)

As well, in all forms other than Homid, Ananasi have eight eyes. This allows them greater peripheral vision (up to 240º, at the Storyteller’s discretion based on specific forms and individual physiques), although they must still make a Perception + Alertness roll to notice specific details within that expanded peripheral vision.

Most of the Ananasi forms have multiple limbs, but they are bound by the same penalties for taking extra actions as any other character. However, they may use their extra hands to carry more items (including weapons) and should they lose the use of a limb in battle, they still have a spare or two in reserve.

## Venom

Even if the spider species they emulate does not, Ananasi also possess venom-producing glands (and fangs capable of delivering this venom via a bite). These are present in all forms (including Homid), allowing a werespider to bite with poisonous effect regardless of his current shape.

The Damhàn’s current form does, however, affect the venom’s potency. Ananasi in Pithus form produce full strength venom; in Lilian form, their poison is somewhat diluted. Storytellers should determine for themselves the exact amount of damage (and any extra effects) based on the particular “spider” species, but venom always deals aggravated damage that can only be healed through medical attention or magical healing. Left unattended, the damage will never heal.

## Webs

Not all natural spiders build webs. As a whole, however, the Damhàn are connected to Grandmother Spider, the greatest web-mistress of all. Thus, even if an Ananasi bears the visage of a non-spinning species, his ties to Queen Ananasa provide him with the ability to create webs.

When in Pithus form, Ananasi can spin webs that are almost as strong as steel (an effective Strength of 9) and yet as flexible as natural spider webs. Pithus webs take four health levels of damage before they break. Creating webs costs a Pithus Ananasi one blood point to create a web large enough to block an industrial sized doorway, fill a small closet, or ensnare a large human (or Crinos Garou). In Crawlerling form, all Ananasi can spin webs that have the strength of ordinary spider webs — this does not require the expenditure of blood.

## Rage, Shapeshifting, and Frenzy

Unlike their more volatile Ovid cousins, the coldhearted and emotionless Damhàn do not possess Rage, and thus do not rely upon it for shapeshifting. To move from any one form to any other, a werespider must succeed in a Stamina + Primal-Urge roll, or spend a blood point to reflexively shift to her chosen form.

Ananasi inherently experience emotions differently from most other beings. Although they are capable of feeling joy, sorrow, anger, and the like, they do so in a muted and distant fashion. This can sometimes make it difficult for them empathize with more emotion-driven creatures, which can be a blessing or a curse depending on the situation. However, because of this distance, and because they do not possess Rage, they do not normally frenzy. They can be induced to frenzy through supernatural means, but the difficulty to do so is raised by 2.

## Entering the Umbra

The Ananasi’s relationship with the Web (which other shapeshifters call the Gauntlet) is unique. In order to cross into the Umbra, werespiders must assume their Crawlerling form and make their way through the Web’s strands. Once they have crawled across, they may assume any form they wish, but they may only successfully enter or leave the Umbra under their own power as Crawlerlings.

Because of their Queen’s relation to Grandmother Spider, the Ananasi find it easier to cross into the Umbra where the Weaver holds firm control.

 Office Building/Metro Area
 Suburb/Small City
 Farmland/Large Park/Rural Area
 Untouched Wilderness

Where the Wyrm’s taint is significant, most of the Damhàn have greater difficulty traversing the Web. Only those of the Hatar aspect can enter the Umbra in Wyrm-infested areas at no penalty; other aspects add +2 to their difficulty to crawl through.

## Renown

Queen Ananasa judges each werespider according to their adherence to the ways of the Triat: resourcefulness and cleverness yields Cunning, adhering to Ananasa’s laws results in Obedience, and good judgment and intuition grants Wisdom.

## Backgrounds and Abilities

The Ananasi’s breed determines his beginning Willpower and Gnosis, and all Ananasi have a blood pool of 10, regardless of breed, aspect, or faction.

Because Queen Ananasa does not wish for Her children to become mired in the mistakes of the past, Ananasi may not take Ancestors or Pure Breed as Backgrounds. Arachnid-born Ananasi are not limited in the Abilities they may choose. While a spider-born Ananasi would not enter their Metamorphosis with human-focused Abilities, because of the Ananasi’s duties (and the pressure upon them to serve Ananasa’s will), they are likely to develop them more quickly than other animal-born shapeshifters. If Storytellers desire to put logical limitations upon newly-Metamorphosed Ananasi based on their breed, they are certainly encouraged to do so.

Because of their familial connection to Her, all Damhàn automatically gain Queen Ananasa as their personal totem for free. Other shapeshifters who desire to seek Ananasa as a totem must not only pay experience points to purchase Her as their personal totem, but must eschew belonging to a pack, or else lose Her as their mentor.

## Breeds

Ananasi admit to two distinct breeds: arachnid and homid. No metis Ananasi are known to exist. Whether this is because Ananasi/Ananasi pairings produce no issue or because any “child” born of such a match dies — or is killed — at birth, the Ananasi do not say.

### Homid

Homid Ananasi, born from human parentage, have an early life that differs little from most human children. As they near the time of their First Change, however, they notice significant differences between themselves and their human friends. By the time they fully undergo their physical transformation (see Forms, p. 64 CB) they have undergone the psychological and emotional changes necessary to not only accept their true nature, but to hide it from outside eyes.

***Beginning Willpower:*** 3

***Beginning Gnosis:*** 1

### Arachnid

Arachnid Ananasi, born from a spider spawning, hatch from an egg sac. Due to spiders’ short natural lifespan (and inherent fragility), they begin the Metamorphosis more quickly than their homid Kin, sometimes within hours of their hatching. Compared to their homid brethren, arachnid Ananasi also have a distinct disadvantage — their diminutive size. They must literally eat their way to a body mass that can accommodate their change in form, usually feasting on their sac-mates and any other spiders in the area before working their way up to larger prey. Arachnid Ananasi usually share breed forms with one of their dominant local spider population — tarantulas, recluses, black widows, wolf spiders, or the like — and these unique physical characteristics show up across all their non-Homid forms.

***Beginning Willpower:*** 4

***Beginning Gnosis:*** 5

## Aspects

All Damhàn worship Queen Ananasa and serve Her (and Her ideal of Symmetry — restoring sanity, balance, and perfection to the Great Web) as their highest goal. However, each Ananasi fulfills these efforts through dedication to a facet of the Triat chosen for her by Ananasa Herself. Ananasi label these three distinct groups “aspects”, based on which of the Triat they are most closely aligned with.

Shortly after an Ananasi’s Metamorphosis, she manifests physical changes that denote her aspect. These markings manifest as changes in pore patterns (especially on the face and torso) in homid forms, but as overt coloration and texture changes in other forms. Tenere are branded with spider-web markings that radiate in circles or wedges. Hatar markings are sinuous and serpentine. Kumoti patterns are jagged, like lightning bolts, zig-zagging and crossing over one another.

### The Tenere (Weaver-dedicated)

Of all Damhàn, Tenere have the best control over their emotions and pay the most attention to order and pattern. They aim to restore the Weaver to her original aspect, not the mad-out-of-control creature she has become. Tenere value neatness in their personal lives, order in their relationships, and pattern in their day-to-day activities. Logical, calculating, and precise, they strive to maintain stability in the Great Web, and to embody the Weaver in everything they do.

***Starting Gifts:*** Groom, Patience of Ananasa

### The Kumoti (Wyld-born)

Creative and dynamic, Kumoti emulate the Wyld as it should be, rather than as it is. Through subtle changes and manipulations, they fight stagnation and entropy, encouraging growth and development where it might not otherwise flourish. Some claim the Kumoti are more chaotic than calculating, but to the Wyld-born, any change carries with it the potential for transition in the right direction to achieve the Great Mother’s goals.

***Starting Gifts:*** Inspire, Mother’s Touch

Ananasi cannot change their aspects; there is no Rite of Renunciation for the werespiders. It is both their blessing and their curse that they are what they are, from the moment of their making until they are welcomed back into the Great Mother’s silken embrace.

## Factions

While there are overarching goals and duties for each Ananasi aspect, even within each group, distinct roles exist. These subdivisions, known as factions, ensure that every part of an aspect’s responsibility receives proper focus and attention.

For each aspect, there are three factions, defining the individual Ananasi’s duties to Queen Ananasa succinctly. An Ananasi’s destined faction becomes clear during her initial period of Umbral instruction.

### Myrmidon (Warriors)

They engage in martial combat when necessary, and guerilla tactics when that suits their Queen’s needs. They understand the subtleties of diplomacy and the value of shock maneuvers, alike.

***Starting Gifts:*** Illusion of Size, Open Seal

### Viskir (Judges and Mystics)

Specializing in hidden knowledges, arcane magics, and secret mysteries, they are the most likely to seek interaction with other Changing Breeds, or at least obtain their powers to fulfill The Great Mother’s goals.

***Starting Gifts:*** Curse of the Great Web, Shroud

### Wyrsta (Questioners)

Wyrsta look beyond how reality presently exists and ask not only why it is so, but how it could be manipulated better to serve the Queen Mother’s objective. They also test the rest of the Damhàn, personally and as a whole, to ensure they do not weaken the perfection of the Great Web through laziness, ignorance, or incompetence.

***Starting Gifts:*** Alter Mood, Beastmind