CHILDREN OF A-O
By Mutt (kitsune@flash.net)
Prelude
The Black Spirals were getting closer and Brennin was starting to tire. Finally, he could no longer run & collapsed to the ground. His vision blurred, Brennin could make out the three black, mangy shapes of the Spirals surrounding him. He was done for, or so he thought. Just as Brennin felt the breath of one of his would-be killers on his neck, an eery yipping sound erupted from all around. His vision still impaired, Brennin could barely make out the reddish-orange shapes of six or seven creatures as big as a crinos doing battle with the Black Spiral Dancers. It was then he passed out from exhaustion.When he awoke, all he could find were the mangled bodies of the Spirals, reddish-orange and black tufts of fur, and odd canine footprints in the dirt. Brennin couldn't figure out who or what his saviors were, but he was forever grateful.
The Children of A-O are a tribe of werefoxes that sparsely populate Great Britain. Unlike their Asian cousins, the Kitsune, the Children of A-O are dedicated to both the Wyld and the Weaver, rather than the Balancer Wyrm. Ever since the War of Rage, they have been in hiding, but recently, they have made themselves more visible to their Garou kin.
The Beginning
In the beginning of linear time, when the Wyrm went mad and the Gauntlet violently separated the spiritual realms and the physical universe, Gaia created several beings, including the first fox , A-O, to help balance the Weaver and Wyld, which was formerly the Wyrm's task.
Now, A-O wasn't any normal fox by any stretch. She (It) was hermaphroditic and could (Don't ask me how) breed with herself. Her only two offspring were male and female, aptly named A and O. A and O were no more normal than their mother/father. They both had the abilities to wear the form of Rage and transform into humans like their Garou kin. Unfortunately, they were also cursed with the same genetic flaw that prevented the Garou to mate with one another, as A and O discovered later on in their lives. As for A-O, when A and O were old enough to fend for themselves, she curled up in her den and went in a deep sleep. Some say she still lies dormant to this very day, only to awaken on the day of the Apocalypse.
A and O
When their mother/father went into dormancy, A and O went their separate ways and bred with the humans and foxes and populated the world with other werefoxes and Kinfolk. Soon, they became a great tribe called the Children of A-O. Despite this, A and O longed to be with each other. About ten or fifteen years after their initial departure, their paths crossed again and they lived together and decided to have a child. The consequences of such an incestuous union was unbeknownst to them.
O-Fessken
After the birth of O-Fessken, their Metis daughter, A and O solemnly promised never to breed with eachother again and didn't forbid the Children of A-O to breed with one another, but instead strongly encouraged them find a human or fox mate.Despite O-Fessken's odd colored fur and absence of a tail, she was loved very much by her parents. How the other werefoxes got along with her was a completely different story. They taunted, looked down upon, and even caused bodily harm to poor O-Fessken.
When O-Fessken grew old enough to fend for herself, she went away with her Faerie friend, Greta (Whom later became her lover) to Tyr-Na-Nogth (Arcadia), occasionally returning to the physical world to visit her parents. On one such trip, she returned to her parents' den to find them gone. Out of nowhere, a bright-golden foxlike being appeared before her and led her to their mangled bodies. The being was a Jaggling of the Incarna Totem of Fox, which had the responsibility of leading the next of kin to the bodies of the recently dead foxes so the necessary rites could be performed. The spirit told O-Fessken the circumstances of her parents' death.
It turned out that a pack of Garou was roaming the countryside seeking out any non-Garou shapeshifters and murdering them. A and O were their first victims. After performing the funerary rites, O-Fessken made it her obligation to track down this pack of murderers and make them pay dearly.
The War of Rage
After failing to get the support of her brothers and sisters, O-Fessken set out to avenge her parents' death with only faithful Greta by her side. Together, they tracked down the pack and killed all but one. O-Fessken tied the wolf to a tree and held her klaive to his throat."Why did you murder my parents, demon?" she asked.
"It was an order from King Wyrmfoe himself that we rid the world of the other Bete. The Fianna refused to do this, so me and the other White Howlers took over the responsibility of carrying out our king's order for this region!!" the wolf managed to sputter out. With that, O-Fessken slit his throat.
After learning that the slaughter of the Bete was a widespread thing, O-Fessken dedicated her life to putting an end to it. For many years, she and Greta traveled the world seeking out and destroying the packs Garou that supported the War of Rage and befriending the ones who protested it. Her cowardly brothers and sisters sat idly by and remained hidden from the War of Rage instead of fighting for their right to live.
Finally, after a confrontation with a pack of Silver Fangs, O-Fessken was mortally injured and left for dead. As she lay dying in Greta's arms, the Fox Spirit appeared and took O-Fessken's soul to Summer Country where she still resides today with her beloved parents. The spirit instructed Greta to seek out the other Children of A-O and tell them the tale of O-Fessken's great sacrifice. She did accordingly. From then on, O-Fessken became a saint to the Children of A-O. This inspired them to fight for their right to live and profoundly affected the way they treated their Metis cubs. As for Greta, she returned to Tyr-Na-Nogth, where she died, some say, out of sorrow for her lost lover.
The War of Rage lasted for tens of thousands of years, but with the help of such Garou tribes as the Fianna, Black Furies, Stargazers, Glass Walkers, Bone Gnawers, and Children of Gaia, the Children of A-O managed to survive until this very day.
Today's Children of A-O
After the War of Rage, the Children of A-O went into hiding and became all but forgotten to the Garou tribes that aided them. The tribe that remembers them most are the Fianna because they both had close ties to the Fae and shared the same Celtic blood. The Black Spiral Dancers also remember them to some degree as the creatures they drove into extinction during their days as the White Howlers.In recent years, the Children of A-O have been making themselves visible to the Garou and often helping them out, especially when it came to matters of destroying Black spirals, whom the Children of A-O hate with a passion for the deaths of A and O. They also sabotage the foxhunts that are popular among the British aristocracy.
They also have a deep kinship with the Seelie Faeries that call themselves Pooka (Greta, was a Pooka) and often aid clan of vampires called the Malkavians.
Demographics
The Children of A-O are mostly found in England, Scotland, and Ireland, although a few individuals live in other parts of Europe, Africa, Australia, and the United States. There is only one known Den in America located near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Fox Totem
The Incarna Totem of Fox is a Totem of Wisdom that resides in the Umbral realm of Summer Country. He watches over all of the Children of A-O and formerly the Kitsune before they turned to the Balancer Wyrm. He doesn't ask much of his children, except that they prevent humans from hunting foxes. He is also partial to art, particularily music. He asks all Galliards that follow him to play music or do whatever they do best in his honor at least once every month. Failure to do so will result in the loss of Gnosis at a rate of one point per day until they make up for it. He grants all of his children the Gifts, Scent of Running Water and Persuasion.Fox has several fox Jagglings under his command that seek out and lead the next of kin of recently deceased foxes to the body of the departed so they can perform the proper rites. They also lead the souls of the departed to Summer Country where they spend the rest of eternity. They are said to appear as bright golden foxes with a small flame burning above their head.
Forms
Homid
The appearance is that of a normal human being. Does not regenerate damage as fast as any other form.Stats Change: None
Shift Difficulty: 4
Glabro
The character grows an extra 50% body weight in muscle and about 3 or 4 inches in height. Their fangs and claws grow sharper, their ears become that of a fox, and a fox's tail sprouts out from their bum. All in all, they resemble a musclebound Pooka Faerie with claws.Stats Change: Strength +2, Stamina +2, Appearance -1
Shift Difficulty: 5
Crinos
Character grows an extra 1/3 in height and 100% body weight in muscle. The body becomes covered in fur, the head becomes that of a fox, a tail grows for balance, fangs and claws are more visible, and feet become digitigrade. The Crinos form of a werefox is more streamlined & slender than that of other Bete. Human speech is difficult and requires a Willpower point unless the character is a Metis, but speaking in the fox language is possible, albeit a bit more crudely compared to that of the Vulpus form.Stats Change: Strength +4, Stamina +3, Dexterity +1, Manipulation -2, Appearance 0
Shift Difficulty: 4 (2 for Metis)
Hispo
The Hispo form is that of a huge, hulking fox that is about the size of a small lion. The bite does an additional die of damage. It is mostly built for speed and can maintain a speed of 100 kph for nearly an hour. All human speech is impossible.Stats Change: Strength +2, Stamina +2, Appearance 1
Shift Difficulty: 5
Vulpus: The change from Hispo to Vulpus is mostly weight dispersion. It is that of your garden variety red fox. Like Homid, regenerative abilities aren't as fast as that of other forms.
Stats Change: None
Shift Difficulty: 4
Auspices
The Children of A-O's Auspices are based upon the Garou Auspices since the Incarna, Phoebe, was a trusted friend of A-O.
Ragabash (New Moon)
A Ragabash Child of A-O is a born trickster that defies tradition and authority at every turn. They are the most likely to befriend Faeries and Malkavians.Initial Rage: 1
Beginning Gifts: Blur of the Milky Eye, Open Seal, Fox Paws
Theurge (Crescent Moon)
Theurges are the mystics and seers. Usually the eldest Theurge of a Den is leader of that particular Den. They are also known for their lack of a sense of humor.Initial Rage: 2
Beginning Gifts: Mother's Touch, Sense Wyrm, Spirit Speech
Philodox (Half moon)
Philodoxes are mostly mediators and advisors. They are the most respected among the werefox community, aside from Theurges and Galliards.Initial Rage: 3
Beginning Gifts: Resist Pain, Scent of True Form, Truth of Gaia
Galliard (Gibbous moon)
Galliards are among the Fox Totem's most beloved. It is even said that O'Fessken was born under a Gibbous Moon. They are the artists, bards, and lorekeepers for the Children of A-O.Initial Rage: 4
Beginning Gifts: Beast Speech, Call of the Wyld, Mindspeak
Ahroun (Full Moon)
The Ahrouns are the warriors among the Children of A-O. They make the best use of their Rage in combat and are efficient fighters. Despite all that, they aren't known for their social graces and even tempers.Initial Rage: 5
Beginning Gifts: Razor Claws, Inspiration, The Falling Touch
Breeds
Homid
About 2/3 of today's Children of A-O are homid. They keep their Kinfolk close by and almost exclusively breed with them.
Vulpus
Few Children of A-O these days breed with foxes anymore. Most of them have succumbed to the charms of the human world, but others still have a bond with the Wyld so strong, they live in the woods with their vulpine Kinfolk.
Metis
In the days of O-Fessken's youth, Metis were looked upon with scorn and contempt. But after O'Fessken gave her life for the good of her people, Metis were treated with respect, even moreso than regular members of the tribe. As a matter of fact, most Children of A-O breed amongst themselves at least once in their lifetime to ensure the existence of their kind in this generation.
Tribal Structure
The Children of A-O don't have Septs and Caerns as the Garou know them. Instead, they live in various family-structured Dens. It is usually the eldest Theurge of the family that runs things. A Den can range from anything to a hole in the ground to a luxurious three-story mansion. The Dens are based around a common Caern from where they all draw their Gnosis.When a Child of A-O comes of age and shows signs of the First Change, the elder of the Den ritually adds the prefix A or O to the cub's name. A for males, O for females. The younger Homid Children of A-O recently have been casting off their prefixes, saying it takes away their individuality.
Moots
Monthly
Once every new moon, all werefoxes and Kinfolk from the surrounding Dens have a midnight meeting in the center of their mutual Caern. This usually is routine parliamentary procedure dealing with matters affecting the caern, followed by anything ranging from an organized social gathering to a wild party.
Yearly
Every first new moon of the year, all the Children of A-O in Great Britain meet at midnight at Stonehenge. The meeting starts off as the Galliards retell the story of O-Fessken followed by a chorus of yipping and barking to honor her. Afterwards, the moot is called to order and a committee of elders is chosen to represent the different caerns vote on issues affecting the tribe as a whole and a prayer is held in honor of Gaia. After the moot is adjourned, the Children of A-O disperse and usually hold their own parties or whatnot.
Raves
Recently, the teenage Children of A-O have been holding their own moots complete with loud music, mosh pits, and various hallucinogens. The elders look down upon this, but don't do anything to stop it since it isn't doing any harm.
Rites
Funerary Rite
After a fox Jaggling leads the departed's next of kin to the body, it leaves them to perform the last rites. This usually consists of scrawling symbols in the dirt and reading them aloud in the fox tongue. This transforms the body to Vulpus form (If it isn't already). This comes in handy if the deceased is a Metis. The body is then left to decompose and complete the final link in cycle of death and life. It is said that the deceased will become a Wraith in the afterlife if the rite isn't performed within a specific amount of time. There's no proof to back this up, though.Rite of Rememberance: The next night after the performance of the Funerary Rite, the family and closest friends of the deceased (Including Kinfolk) gather in a circle around a bonfire and pass around a wodden doll representing the departed. The one holding the doll regales the circle with stories of the good times with the departed. This goes on until everybody has had their turn and the last one with the doll leads the group in a prayer. With that, she throws the doll into the fire and leads the group in a chorus of yipping and barking until they all run out of breath. The ashes from the fire are kept in an urn in the Den of the deceaced. This rite is performed to let the soul of the departed know she will never be forgotten.
Rite of Reclamation: If a Child of A-O becomes too selfish or arrogant, the eldest Theurge of the Den will send her into the Umbra on a quest . She won't be able to reenter the physical world until she has finished the task or at least learned humility. Usually, this quest involves finding a lost fetish or gaining wisdom from a spiritual entity. It also involves a great deal of soul searching and sorting through a bunch of cathardic crap. When this is all said and done, she usually comes back a better person. She also celebrates her return by indulging in the pleasures of the flesh. Needless to say, this rite is usually one of the causes of Metis birth. Some Children of A-O willingly have this rite done on themselves if they think it is necessary.
Rite of Power Through Blood
By performing some sort of special incantation and drinking all the blood from a fellow werecreature, the recipient will gain all the gifts and powers the victim posesses. This rite has been forbidden since the days of A and O because the performer of the rite ends up Wyrm tainted. Exactly how this rite is performed has been well forgotten over the millenia. The Malkavians thinks this is more of a Thaumatugic spell than a rite and was originally taught by a vampire, most likely a Tremere.
Rite of the New Season
Vulpus, rather than Homid, Children of A-O measure their lives in seasons, rather than years. On the first night of the new season, Vulpus (and a few Homid who are invited) from neighboring Dens meet in the center of their respective caern. When all are gathered there, the Theurges lead the crowd in a prayer. Afterwards, they all shift to Crinos and run around in the woods until morning comes or they pass out from exhaustion. This usually replenishes all the Gnosis of the individuals involved in this rite. It is said that the next season will not come if this rite isn't performed. Most modern Children of A-O find this laughable, but still do this rite out of tradition and the sheer fun of running around in Crinos.
Rite of Slumber
If a Child of A-O is mortally wounded, she can be put in a deep slumber similar to that of vampiric Torpor with this rite. Over a period of time the wounds heal and she will only awaken in times of dire need or on the day of the Apocalypse. The Fianna werewolves have a similar rite.
Gifts
Fetishes
Tribal Weaknesses
Weaver Affinity: Most Children of A-O live in the city among the humans and therefore have a tie to the Weaver. Some cannot regain Gnosis in the wild.Wyld Affinity: The minority of the Children of A-O live in the woods among the foxes and therefore have a tie to the Wyld. Some cannot regain Gnosis in the city.
Merits ands Flaws
Sexual Overdrive
(1pt Psychological Flaw)Most of the time you're horny as a hatrack. This can be very bad for (Non sexual) interaction with members of the opposite sex (Or in some cases, the same sex), since most of them can sense you undressing them with your eyes and it makes them feel very uncomfortable. All social rolls are a +1 difficulty. It is also easier to contract a social disease or even become the parent of a Metis pup. It is also very easy to be lured by enticing enemies.
Delerium
Oozes Inspiration
(2pt Aptitude Merit)You bring inspiration to everybody you come in contact with. It's even to the point where people come from all around just to meet you and be inspired. All social rolls are a -2 difficulty.
Stereotypes
Garou: "These chaps aren't so bad anymore since they changed their ways (To some degree), but try to deal with the more liberal minded tribes as often as you can. All the others eye the Bete with mistrust. As for the Black Spiral Dancers, I say kill every single one of those bastards! They should suffer for the deaths of A and O. The fact that they're tainted is even more of a reason to slay them on sight.Other Bete: We have no problem with the other Bete. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. The Kitsune werefoxes really bother me, though. I never met one meself, but I hear tell that they worship the Balancer Wyrm of old and have nine tails. Gimme the willies, they do.
Faeries: They have been our cherished friends and allies since the days of Greta and O-Fessken, especially the Kith that call themselves the Pooka of the Seelie Court. They tend to think the Bete are lost Fae and I wouldn't be all that surprised if we actually were. They are kind enough to allow you to stay in Tyr-Na-Nogth for as long as you like, but I advise you to put up with their practical jokes, or you have just overstayed your welcome. My advice is to prank them back when they're on your own turf.
Vampires: Not all of these dead-but-not-dead creatures are Wyrm tainted, like the Garou say they are. Admittedly their immortality seems unnatural, though. We tend to subscribe to the Fae's theory of Caine becoming a vampire by being fused with an Unseelie Redcap. One clan in particular has the ability to see past objective reality, into the way things really are. They call themselves the Malkavians. We occasionally aid them in their quest to break through what the Fae call the Wall of Sleep, the calcified boundary of reality.
Magi: Don't get me started on these wankers. They're like children who found their pop's revolver in their parents' bedroom closet. They'll end up shooting themselves or somebody else sooner or later. They can't comprehend about half of the stuff they're dealing with. They claim to be 'shaping reality', but most of the time they don't know what the hell they're doing. You wanna know the secret to Paradox? The power Magi use wasn't meant for them and Paradox is Gaia's way of punishing 'em for using it. I also don't appreciate the way steal power from our Caerns and the Caerns of Garou. They can always ask us if they needed some, you know.
Wraiths: Don't let these spooks freak you out. Remember, the next time you run across one, she might be one of us that didn't have the Funerary Rite performed to her in time when she died. Do whatever you can to help her get to Summer Country if that be the case.
Barney: Get that polyester prat off the air!