Housefly
By Steven Markley (smarkley@ocean.otr.usm.edu)
Wyrm Totem of Cunning
Background Cost
Description
Housefly is the feeder on corpses, she who spawns maggots, that which thrives in filth and the corruption of flesh. She survives despite the best efforts to kill her. Housefly gladly crawls on the faces of starving children, in landfills, and sewage-corrupted water, to spread disease and cause madness from her presence. She has strong connection to the Mjaelin Incarna Mistress Yul and others that compliment her unclean aspects. Her Boons are potent and it is difficult to live in her favor, but she is gaining in popularity with many Black Spiral packs, and is the Totem of two caerns. She will also ally with individual Spirals, especially Ragabash, and give them her Boons.
Traits
For Packs: She adds a permanent point of both Dexterity and Wits, and adds 1 to Dodge ratings. Additionally, she awards the Gifts: Fly Feet and her special Gifts: Wings of the Fly and Bug Eyes. Finally, by rolling Charisma + Expression against a target's Willpower, a bastard of Housefly can aggravate his opponent to the point of forcing a Frenzy check; this can be attempted once per scene.
Bans
Though her her blessings are many, the drawbacks to following Housefly are as well. First, A bastard's Social roll difficulties are increased by 2 except when dealing with other servants of Corruption; this is due in part to how filthy and rank her bastards usually are from bathing in sewage and rolling around in carrion, which pleases her. Bastards of Housefly will always Fox Frenzy, and because of their cowardly reputations they will gain one less point of Power whenever this type of Renown is awarded. A bastard of Housefly can never harm her children (even if they are crawling all over him, which is usually the case) and he must cultivate them in his home. This is usually accomplished by leaving rotting food, decaying corpses and feces all over. Bastards of Housefly have little chance for a social life beyond their fellow Black Spiral Dancers, and even most of them find Housefly disgusting.