Mokole Comp
Mokole Comp
Mokole Comp
This is a compilation around the Mokolé in Werewolf Drive ThruRPG, or at your local Onyx Path distributor.
20th Anniversary publications. However, much of After all they need our support to keep releasing games.
the old material didn’t make it to those editions. Some players would like to take only the new
Maybe because they wanted to save some space or W20 as canon, while others would love to add the
perhaps because some of the old material where old material to enrich their camping. In both cases
outdated or just silly (im looking at you Boat of the this book assign a color for each of this sources.
Sun). See this book as a enriched version of the Dark Green Text its for all the material taken
information already given about the Mokolé in W20 from Changing Breed Book 6: Mokolé.
Changing Breeds. Black Text if for all the material taken from
I’ve taken the liberty of copying and adapting any 20th Anniversary source.
the Gifts that needed be checked in the W20th To play a Mokolé chronicle to its full potential
Book, and W20th Changing Breeds. Hoping save try to buy and read most of the following books:
search time to players opening other documents or Mokolé: Changing Breed Book 6
searching for the Gift in the physical book Werewolf: The Apocalypse
I strongly encourage, to all the readers this project 20thAnniversary Edition
could have, to buy and support Onyx Path products. W20th Changing Breeds
Be it in a Kickstarter project, buying some books from W20th Book of the Wyrm
Contents
Sunrise: Dragons in our Midst 13
Introduction and Lexicon
Morning: Was 17
Mokolé History, Lore and Duties
Noonday: Us 23
Breeds, Auspices and Streams
MORNING: WAS 17
and each Mokolé believes differently about where They did not have a Homid form — humans did
the lines of Dreammemory and Dream-illusion lie. not yet exist. But in her infinite creativity, She created
Still, some Dreams occur so often that they have a thousand of different shapes: some with no legs, some
become accepted more than others as possible — if with many, some with wings or tails or articulate talons.
not probable — truth. These Dreams make up the Great and small, lumbering and lightning-quick, as
legendary tales of past Ages. Gaia created them, so they grew until they covered the
According to these legends, Gaia created world with their diversity and their splendor.
each of the first Mokolé with Her own hands, For millennia, Gaia’s first and favored children
fashioning them from the Dreams of her lover, ruled the earth, the seas, the air, and all of existence.
Helios, and the soft, wet, earthy flesh of her own Following in their Creator’s footsteps, the Mokolé
body. She gave them each three forms, mirroring took the clay of the earth and the heat of the sun, and
those of the Triat: the Suchid Devisor shape, the from it they fashioned the first tools, the first weapons,
Archid Dissolver shape, and the Drachid shape of the first villages, the first civilizations — and the first
the Designer. war. Kingdoms grew up and went to battle to prove
their superiority. Each faction struggled to destroy all
of its evolutionary rivals, until the Lizard Kings arose
from the wastelands of carrion that was all that was
THE END left of their enemies. They ruled the earth mercilessly,
The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction with wit and wrath, with spear and razor-sharp tooth.
event. The Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction It was the time of the Mokolé, the Age of Kings, and
event. K-T extinction event. K-Pg. Scientists none dared challenge their superiority.
call the event by many names. The Mokolé But nothing lasts forever, and with the changing
have but one. The Wonder Work. of ages, even the greatest empires can crumble.
18 MOKOLÉ
By integrating human genetics with their
own, Mokolé eventually developed a human form to
The Age of Beasts
complement their three original ones. But, Homid After her first children had been destroyed in the
was viewed as less useful (and attractive) than Wonder-Work, Gaia created the rest of the Changing
Drachid, and their human Kinfolk were never seen as Breeds from the mammals and birds who thrived in
equals. Half-breed offspring from both humans and the same conditions that had destroyed her eldest
reptiles did serve as their Kinfolk, however, and when children. In the Lizard King’s absence (while the
the End came, these Kin preserved the legacy of the Mokolé Kin were still attempting to repopulate the
Mokolé — somehow escaping the destruction that Breed), these new shifters rose to dominate the Earth.
befell the Lizard Kings themselves. The vast majority The many Changing Breeds could have
of Mokolé know that man appeared millions of years shared the Earth, but they warred for petty and
after the Wonder-Work. They wonder what force has primal reasons, contesting for territory, herds of
tainted the Mnesis of their young — whether it is breeding stock, or foolish pride. The most territorial
the Dissolver, or one too many fantasy novels. shapeshifters were the Garou, werewolves who
Generations after the Wonder-Work destroyed waged war against all the other Breeds. The still-
their civilization, new Mokolé began to be born (and recovering Mokolé were among their favorite targets.
hatched). The Lizard Kings’ fall had cost the Breed, Those weresaurians who took huge and monstrous
however. None of the new generation could take the forms were easy targets for wolf packs, as were those
Drachid form that had allowed their ancestors to build who moved slowly, or bore bright colors rather
their empire and dominate the pre-Event earth. Limited than camouflage. Many varna recovered from the
to three forms (Homid, Suchid, and Archid) these Wonder-Work only to fall to the claws and mindless
new Mokolé had to forge a different path than their fury of their wolven cousins. Those that took the
progenitors had used — and they faced a challenge the form of lesser saurians and reptiles, however, fled to
Lizard Kings never had to contend with. the shadowy places of the Earth, lurked beneath the
MORNING: WAS 19
surface of swamp and sea, and some — although not word about how the War against the Wyrm is faring.
all — escaped the Garou’s wrath. While subterfuge and subtlety are key components in
If the Fera had allied against the Garou, these the Mokolé arsenal, with increased numbers comes
“Wars of Rage” could have been averted, but they did increased risk of detection.
not. Instead, the Garou’s War cleared the way for the For millennia, Mokolé have survived by
rise of the werewolf tribes, and the further decline of hiding from the Garou and other enemies. Many
the weresaurians. By the time mankind waged war elders of the streams believe their race’s survival
against the Garou, the Mokolé had become relics depends on continuing to hide and breed until their
of an older time, their greatest history left only as numbers are so great that no one can stand against
memories and dreams — Dragon’s Dreams. them. Younger weresaurians defy such reason,
forming “imperfect clutches” to venture away from
The Age of Man their wallows and sway destiny in their Breed’s favor.
The latest generation of Mokolé wants to do more
Man rules now where Beasts once did. For the than witness and remember history; they want to
saurians, however, man and Bête are little more than create it.
dangerous children playing at being sovereigns. For
the descendants of the Lizard Kings, the only true
civilizations died out millennia ago.
The Duties
Most Changing Breeds fear the Apocalypse, The Sun has given his Children a series of moral
and believe it represents the end of the world. But and personal imperatives by which to live their lives.
the Mokolé know an older truth: this time is but a Called the Duties, these are the Mokolé precursor to
poor reflection of a time when the Old Ones ruled, the Garou Litany.
and when the cities of Men have been laid low, the Each Duty is connected to one solar auspice,
Old Ones will rule again. although all Mokolé are bound by them. Violations
The weresaurians have no need to bring of the Duties merit reprimands, loss of status, and
about the end of the human world; they have only other punishments. The Unshading enforce the
to wait patiently for human civilization to fall to laws, although even Midnight Suns will chastise an
its inevitable demise. Until then, they breed new undutiful Mokolé.
young in record numbers, preparing their population The Rising Sun says Cull the Fallen. The
for its return to power. They endure the Wyrm’s creatures of the dissolver, Mokolé who have fallen
depredations, the Weaver’s encroachment, and the or broken the Duties and Gaia-wrecking humans
Wyld’s madness, looking forward to the time they are fair game. The Corollary of this Duty is the
know must come. The Dragon’s Dream speaks of obligation to avoid unlawful prey. Likewise,: Mokolé
what was, and what will be again: the Lizard Kings’ do not hunt Garou or other shapeshifters wantonly.
return. Reality: Mokolé can’t keep killing humans,
or so many reptile Kim will be killed in return that
The Mokolé Today more Mokolé can’t be born. Garou, thinking that the
Mokolé themselves are Dissolver-spawn, have slain
As the current End Times loom large, Mokolé young so many of the Dragon Breed that missions against
have felt an increased internal pressure to claim new the Dissolver are rare. The Mokolé have enough
breeding grounds, despite their elders’ protestations. problems of their own.
The drive is two-fold: expanded territory (and new The Noonday Sun says Let No Shade
mates) to increase their numbers, and additional Accuse You. At all costs, avoid breeding with other
information about the progress of the final days. Mokolé. When judging, judge fairly. When making
Some cautiously venture into the human war, remember the death that it brings. Accept a
world in search of clues as to when the Dragon’s surrender when you can. There are nor enough
Dream will become real. Others slink around the Mokolé left to waste. Moderation is the way to bring
campfires and caerns of other Shifters looking for justice to Mokolé society.
20 MOKOLÉ
Reality: Mokolé seldom breed with other by being it themselves. Many tales mention the
Mokolé, and regret it when they do because of the elaborate practical jokes and teaching pranks of the
Innocents, who harry any Mokolé in the Umbra. No-Suns. There are tales, dances and shapeshifting
Mating rites ensure that Mokolé have suitable Kin plays that convey the wisdom of the Midnight Suns
partners. Mokolé often deal leniently with violations of in a way that everyone can understand and enjoy.
the Duties, as so few Mokolé remain that the harsher Reality: The Shining perform their function
punishments would only weaken Sun’s children further. gladly, to the chagrin of their clutchmates.
Duels are almost unknown anymore save in Mnesis. The Decorated Sun says All Are Of Gaia.
The Setting Sun says Guard the Wallow. Know that Kinfolk, humans, reptiles, and other
Children. Kin, and old or sick Mokolé as well as the Awakened are here for a reason. You have a place,
sacred sites and objects of the Dragon Breed need and so do they. Respect the Crowning, listen to the
protection. The laws of sanctuary mandate refuge Concealing, follow the Gathering. Leaders may be
for the needy. Likewise, respect another wallow’s questioned, but authority does not come from winning
territory and Memory, including the wallows of a fight. Honor the Eighth Sun, who enable the Mokolé
Nagah and Corax. As for the wolves, stay away. to survive. Make sure that all resources, including
Setting Suns never ask how many foes there are. food, are distributed fairly and in proportion. Heal the
Only where they are. sick, help the wounded, allow the dying spirit to pass
Long ago, rivalry between Mokolé and on into Gaia’s Memory.
between clutches ended in violence. Nowadays, the Reality: The Mokolé do not understand why
rarity of Mokolé means that the lives of the Dragon many Garou treat their Kinfolk so brutally. Mokolé
Breed are too precious. To kill a clutchmate is the are much more concerned with having children than
ultimate horror. Warding Mokolé have recently asked the Garou, but their attitude is that mating is there
whether, as Gaia dies, non- Mokolé shapeshifters to be enjoyed.
could also be clutchmates. Mnesis helps a great deal in making this Duty
Reality: The Setting Suns are still readv to real, however. Mokolé know the pain of childbirth,
die on a heap of the slain to save the clutch. Merely the bite of hunger, and the lash of slavery. Almost all
lighting isn’t enough, though. Mokolé now have to Mokolé have Mnesis from members of the opposite
manage things like acquiring legal title to land and sex, from humans and reptiles. This makes them
protected status for their reptile Kin. Strangers are unusually understanding.
more and more commonly accepted as it becomes The Eclipsed Sun says Remember. Sun made
painfully obvious that the Mokolé need help just you Mokolé for a reason. You are part of the Memory
to survive. Killing a clutchmate is still punished of Gaia. Don’t forget this.
by death. Unlike the Garou, the Mokolé enforce Reality: Many Mokolé are too busy fighting
tending a relative’s sickness, rather than forbidding it. for their lives to worry about Gaia’s great plan.
The Shrouded Sun says The Veil Must Not However, their mere existence and the perpetuation
Be Lifted. The Veil ensures the Mokolé’s survival, of the Dragon Breed are enough to assure that Gaia
and their exis-tence must be kept secret. Likewise, has a Memory.
the lore of Mnesis is for those who can use it, and is
to be kept for its rightful owners.
Reality: The Delirium helps out a lot here. The Mokolé of the East, the Makara and Zhong
As the Mokolé drop in number, even the other Lung, adhere to the Mandates of the Emerald
shapeshifters begin to believe that they are extinct. Mother, the Hengeyokai law. These rules are
In most chronicles, a non- Mokolé character will somewhat different from the Duties, but are
need Mokolé Lore even to know that the Dragon based on the same principles.
Breed-exist at all. (More about the Hengeyokai, the Beast Courts
The Midniight Sun says Test the Clutch. and their Laws in W20CB, p. 37 & 270)
The tricksters see what other Mokolé don’t. They
prepare their clutchmates for the unexpected
MORNING: WAS 21
Noonday: Us
Breeds Drive, Etiquette, Firearms, Computer, Law, Linguistics,
Medicine, Politics or Science with initial points, only
Mokolé only have two breeds: homid and suchid with freebie points or experience. Furthermore, they
(reptilian). Their Metis die before they are born. may not buy Resources, Allies, or Contacts at character
•Homid: The human- born, are at a creation, save with freebie points (although they’re free
distinct disadvantage in Mokolé society because to make friends and accumulate wealth during the
their awareness of their reptile side is mostly learned course of play). Their only Kinfolk are reptiles. In the
rather than instinctual. Suchids make fun of them for First Times, most Mokolé were suchid, but as reptile
their ineptitude at hunting and swimming. A homid species become endangered, homids have become as
Mokolé’s ethnicity usually depends on its stream. numerous as suchids.
Mokolé-mbembe walk among humans in the Americas Beginning Gnosis: 4
and Africa, from the streets of the first world to the
rainforests and jungles of the third world. The other
streams of Mokolé — Indian Makara, Aboriginal The Innocents
Gumagan, and Asian Zhong Lung — contain many Mokolé have no metis and never will. While a
of the stereotypical populations associated with those Garou wears a war form that has been the same
regions. However, just as nations are culturally diverse, since the Last Times, every Mokolé’s battle form is
a stream is not limited to any one ethnic group. As different and must be dreamt into being. A Mokolé
the End Times approach, unexpected individuals are with two Mokolé parents would have to dream
awakening to the Dragon’s Dream, rediscovering their her Archid form in the shell, which is impossible.
reptilian heritage. The result of Mokolé-Mokolé mating is a deformed
Beginning Gnosis: 2 fetus (or a clutch of horror-eggs with monstrous
•Suchid: A suchid Mokolé is hatched from embryos inside) constantly shifting shape. The
a reptile egg. Civilized homids often consider the Mokole mother usually has to shapeshift to Archid
suchids’ views on the world to be blatant, brutal, form to avoid being ripped apart by her freakish
and crudely laced with self-interest. In actuality, offspring, who sometimes claw their way to Sun’s
suchid are capable of subtler thoughts than “slaying light through her body. The child dies, unable to
and breeding” (or “fighting and fucking”). When maintain a stable shape, and becomes an Innocent.
in throes of reptilian Frenzy, however, immediate These hungry ghosts prowl from the
gratification of the id and ego are a suchid’s primary Shadowlands to the Near Umbra and back, without
concerns, confirming the breed’s base reputation. memory of who and what they realy are.
They are as limited as lupus Garou when it (More info about Innocents on page 97)
comes to purchasing Abilities. They cannot purchase
NOONDAY: US 23
Organization their numbers, but (unfortunately) does little to
quell rivalries between clutches.
Wallows A healthy, functional clutch depends on
Mokolé live much humbler lives than they did the relationships between the different aspects (the
millennia ago. Their Dreams speak to them of past weresaurian version of auspices) of Mokolé society. In
eons of saurian supremacy where their ancestors the West, a grouping that contains representatives of
dwelled in herpetological luxury. But in the modern all seven aspects is known as a “perfect clutch” — an
world, they maintain modest places where they can extremely rare occurrence. Some young weresaurians
hide from those who would do them harm, spawning venture into the world specifically to form a perfect
enough hatchlings to perpetuate their race. These clutch, for there are legends and prophecies of what
breeding grounds are known as wallows, homes for such groups can accomplish. A group that includes
the human and reptilian shapes they take. five auspices is known as an “imperfect clutch”.
Most wallows evolve in places where humans These are becoming increasingly more common as
and reptiles can live side by side without raising overt more young heroes leave isolated wallows to seek
suspicion: alligator farms in Florida, ruined temples to their way in the world.
forgotten gods in India and along the Nile, riverside
fishing communities in China, isolated hot springs Gathers
in the Australian outback, and similar locales. Such The gathers of the Dragon Breed are quite different
places are few and far between; the human dislike of from the moots of the Garou. Since the decimation
all things slithery and scaled is as deeply imprinted of the Mokolé in the Wars of Rage, and their
and ancient as the saurian’s own Dreams, and many subsequent difficulty in regaining their numbers,
humans look askance at those who interact with gathers are also less frequent: though the Mokolé
reptiles on a frequent and voluntary basis. are gregarious, they are few in number. However,
Mokolé all over the world learn of gathers through
Clutches Mnesis, and more or less know what to do in one.
Wherever intelligent living things gather, They hold gathers before wars, at the summer and
communities emerge. Weresaurians form small, winter solstices, when a Crowning takes office and
moderately social clans called clutches. Two for some other occasions. While a gather ideally
clutches may harbor grudges and petty rivalries for includes all seven sun auspices, sometimes requiring
generations, sometimes warring over misperceived that several clutches meet, necessity demands that a
slights, but ultimately, survival is their chief concern. Mokole act in substitute of any sun auspice which is
When two clutches fight, they do not kill each other, not represented. In particular, when no Eclipsed Suns
but act to injure and shame their enemies enough are present, an elder takes the role of supervising the
to temporarily delay further conflict. This preserves gather instead.
born slightly after will be Warding.) Most either
Auspices become judges, enforcers of law (in its many forms),
or guards who patrol the areas surrounding wallows.
Dragon-Dreams regarding the auspice factions of the They are also known as the Laws of the Sun, or the
original Lizard Kings are a source of great controversy Will of the Crowned.
among the Mokolé. Each stream’s Dreamers have Beginning Willpower: 5
Mnesis that supports their own group’s auspice Auspice Benefit: Once per scene, the
patterning, leading some saurian sages to believe Unshading can subtract one die from the dice pool
that the Lizard King kingdoms may have had diverse of one of the following “creatures of darkness”:
factions as well. vampires, fomori, demons, Black Spirals, Spectres,
In modern times, two of the four Mokolé Nephandi, or Banes.
streams use solar auspices, while the other two Quote: You think that the darkness will hide
use seasonal ones. Mokolé-mbembe and Gumagan your actions, but I have eyes of the Sun ans can see
recognize seven solar auspices, determined by you wherever you cower.
position and/or condition of the sun when a Mokolé •Setting Sun, Warding: As the sun sets, the
is born. wise ward against evil hidden in the growing darkness.
A Mokolé’s role in his society is determined Mokolé born between noon and sunset inherit this
by his sun sign. The Rising Suns are hunters, aspect, dreaming of dangers hidden in shadows.
explorers and soldiers. The Noonday Suns are Many become guards, nurses, healers, or caretakers.
judges, lawmakers and executioners. The Setting They are usually better at taking defensive measures
Suns protect and defend, while the Midnight Suns than the more aggressive Rising and Noonday Suns.
are clowns, poets and doers of the impossible. The When on the attack, they usually support and heal
Shrouded Suns perform the mysteries, while Mokolé their comrades.
born beneath a haloed or Decorated Sun organize. Beginning Willpower: 3
Finally, the rare Mokolé born under an eclipse are Auspice Benefit: A Warding gains an
rulers and priests. extra die to one dice pool while defending others,
retreating, or following specific orders. This benefit
Solar Auspices may be used once per scene.
•Rising Sun, Striking: Between the reddening Quote: Lord Sun dies in blood, and so shall
of the eastern sky and noon, sunlight strikes at the I. But you shall die first.
heavens. Mokolé born at this time of day excel as •Shrouded Sun, Concealing: When the
soldiers, hunters, explorers, and seekers. They are sun is obscured, unseen forces scheme against those
fascinated by the present, especially in times of danger, who live in the light. Shrouded Suns are born during
when they must live for the moment. In Dreams of the day, but only at times when the sun is hidden.
such times, the sky reddens with the blood of their foes, Most become mystics, teachers of spirit lore, or
usually the same hue as the light of the rising sun. scholars of secret knowledge. They are usually the
Beginning Willpower: 3 most skilled at magic and supernatural Gifts, relying
Auspice Benefit: A Striking Mokolé has the on subtle methods of hunting and exploration. Their
option of rerolling his initiative once per scene. The shamanistic powers allow them to channel spirits,
character must use the second result, regardless of and some interact with human shamans to learn
whether it’s higher or lower than the first result. powerful lore.
Quote: Oh, do not fear, little one. There Beginning Willpower: 4
shall be companions for our deaths. Auspice Benefit: The Concealing gain an
•Noonday Sun, Unshading: At high noon, extra die on Stealth rolls used to hide themselves, or
the sun reigns supreme over the Earth, seeing all. other objects or persons. This extra die may be used
Mokolé born within an hour of noon may inherit once per scene.
this aspect. (It is just as likely, however, that one Quote: You who look into darkness, know
born slightly before noon will be Striking, or one that there are also mysteries in light.
NOONDAY: US 25
•Midnight Sun, Shining: When creatures of •No-Suns are born under the lightless sky,
the sun are born at night, strange and contradictory during nighttime storms or other dark celestial events.
events occur. Drawn to darkness, they still burn with The most mysterious aspect of all, they draw wisdom
Helios’ light. Midnight Suns are born between sunset from the empty spaces between stars, claiming that “light
and sunrise. They tend to love puzzles and paradoxes. is sometimes darkness.”
Many act as poets, jokers, artists, mythmakers, or Beginning Willpower: 4
guides to the dead. Auspice Benefit: When all is hopeless, a
Without the sun to guide them, they follow Midnight Sun shines with courage. When a Shining
other sources of light, and other philosophies. All Mokolé brings humor or courage in the midst of
share the same Benefit and begin play with the same a hopeless situation, the Storyteller may bestow
beginning Willpower, but they are the most diverse of an extra die to be used on any one dice pool. The
the seven “solar” aspects. In fact, they are so diverse Storyteller should not grant this benefit more than
that they have their own three “midnight” aspects. once per scene.
•Night-Suns are born by moonlight, under Quote: Maggots from meat, weevils from
Luna’s glow. They seek Gifts from the moon, calling her rye, Dragons from stars in a empty sky...
the “Sun of the Night.” At the Storyteller’s discretion, •Decorated Suns, Gathering: When light
they may learn Garou Gifts taught by Lunes. gathers, the sun is encircled by a halo. Decorated
•Many-Suns are born under the stars (before Suns are born when the sun is surrounded by rings,
the moon has risen or after it has set). They often claim rays, or flares of light (sometimes called “sundogs”);
that “every star is a sun,” and thus insist that they are a thus, they are among the rarest of the Mokolé. Other
thousand times more blessed than their brethren. They aspects consider them list-makers or busybodies,
follow as many paths to truths as the stars themselves, but they see themselves as hardworking organizers,
falling in love with wild ideas. coordinators, or matchmakers.
26 MOKOLÉ
Younger Decorated Suns love to either may choose to award an extra die to a dice pool
draw a clutch together or attach themselves to related to an act of inspired lunacy.
a successful clutch (which would no doubt benefit Quote: Sun be with you, and with us all.
from the expertise of a Gathering Mokolé). The
Crowning may reign, the Decorated Suns claim, but Seasonal Auspices
the Gathering actually get things done. While the Mokolé-mbembe and the Gumagan both
Beginning Willpower: 5 use solar auspices, their cousin streams to the east
Auspice Benefit: A Gathering may gain prefer a more seasonal system. Even between the
an extra die to one dice pool when acting in a Zhong Lung and the Makara, however, there is
collective effort. The Storyteller may bestow this dispute about how exactly to accurately represent
die once per scene. the seasons.
Quote: Even a dragon cannot do everything Zhong Lung
alone. The Zhong Lung have four auspices each
•Solar Eclipse, Crowning: In moments of corresponding to a season, a color, and a wind.
astronomical wonder, fantastic events can occur. Each also has a rough correspondence with a Solar
The rarest of all Mokolé are born during a solar Auspice, for the purpose of learning Gifts. Zhong
eclipse. They are the ruler-priests of Mokolé society; Lung who are a part of the Emerald Court may also
all weresaurians defer to a Crowning Mokolé. This choose from the general hengeyokai Gifts. All Zhong
respect is not without a cost, however. Crowning Lung begin game with 4 Willpower.
Mokole are expected to aid those in need, and to The Tung Chun are the warriors and lovers,
put the greater good of their Breed, stream, and born in spring. Their color is blue and green, and the
clutch before their own personal desires. Those who east wind blows on them. They resemble the Rising
do not quickly lose the respect normally afforded to and Setting Suns in demeanor. They begin with
their auspice. The Crowning solicit advice from the a Rage of 4 and receive the same sun dice as the
Concealing, while depending on the Gathering for Rising Suns.
their practical knowledge. The Nam Hsia, born in summer, are the
Beginning Willpower: 5 judges and lawgivers. They are favored by the
Auspice Benefits: A Crowning born during South wind and its warmth. They are most like the
a total eclipse becomes Jewel-Crowned, a high priest Noonday Suns or even the Eclipsed Suns. Their
leading ceremonies of worship to the sun. When the color is the emperor’s yellow, the color of summer,
sun is shining, the character gains one extra die once and they begin with a Rage of 3. Nam Hsia have the
per scene to apply to any one die roll. same sun dice benefits as the Decorated Suns.
A Mokolé born during a partial eclipse is The Sai Chau, whose color is deathly white,
Crescent-Crowned, a warrior king destined to lead are born in autumn. They are the seers and scholars
loyal followers into battle. During a scene when a among their scholarly people. The are the Shrouded
battle occurs, the character gains one extra die to Suns of their people, and somewhat like the
apply to any one die roll. Decorated Suns as well. They are also the keepers
If an annular eclipse occurs during a Mokolé’s of the wallows of the east, called “dragon nests,” and
birth, the child is considered Unity-Crowned, forging often reside in them all the time. The West Wind
alliances between disparate clutches, inspiring great from the Queen Mother blows on them, and their
deeds, and amassing great wealth. Once per scene, beginning Rage is 2. Sai Chau receive the same sun
the character gains one extra die to add to any one dice as the Shrouded Suns.
Social dice pool. The Pei Tung, whose beginning Rage is 1,are
A child born during the night of a lunar the jokers and tricksters. Born in winter, they are
eclipse is called Moon-Crowned. Such legendary warmed by the North wind, and like the Midnight
and reckless heroes are known for ridiculous whims, Suns, are contrary and love paradox. Their color is
deadly practical jokes, and highly inspired ideas that black, the “black of the daylight’” as they say. They
may “save the day.” Once per scene, the Storyteller share the same sun dice benefits as the Midnight Suns.
NOONDAY: US 27
Makara
While closer to the Zhong Lung than to
Streams
either of the other two streams, the Makara auspice The Mokolé do not have tribes, as do several of their
system is unique unto itself and — in part because of younger siblings among the Changing Breeds. Their
the complexity of the related caste system — almost Mnesis has preserved a degree of unity among the
incomprehensible to outsiders. isolated clutches that has led some outsiders to assume
The role of the Makara within Mokolé society is that the Mokolé are so rigidly traditional as to be unable
determined by this seasonal auspice, though all Makara to change. This isn’t completely true: environment and
are expected to try to aid Gaia’s other children in order time have shaped the Mokolé on Gaias face into four
to carry out their duties as the stream of diplomats. branches, called “streams” by the Wanderers.
The Hemanta, or winter auspice, are The four streams aren’t enemies, but they do
tricksters and rogues. They are expected to be crafty, have different interests; they aren’t allies, but have
but are often attributed with frivolous behavior. The much in common. Each is a collection of Mnesis
Hemanta have a beginning Willpower of 2 and the lineages organized in a geographic area with its local
same auspice benefit as the Shining solar auspice. Gifts and rites; each has a different approach to the
The Zarad, or autumn auspice, are thought problems that the Mokolé face.
of as mystics and spiritualists. Those of backgrounds The streams are all shaped by the nature
that preclude priestly duties often become bhagats of their chosen lands and the reptile Kin found
(“godly ones”), who try to blend their daily life with there. In this, they’re more like Bastet tribes, split
the rituals of religion. The Zarad have a beginning by feline and human Kin, than they are like Garou
Willpower of 3 and share the auspice benefits of the tribes, divided by territory and philosophy. Even
Concealing solar auspice. so, the word “tribe” just isn’t appropriate. However
The Grisma, or summer auspice, are the judges different a high-caste Bombay Makara and a
and police of the Makara. They are expected to seek truth Louisiana Mokolé-mbembe might be, they consider
and justice. This can be a rigorous duty in a society born themselves of one family — even if each looks on
of strong beliefs in duty according to caste and karma. the other as one of those “crazy second cousins.
The Grisma have a beginning Willpower of 4 and share The Mokolé are fairly widespread, although
the auspice benefit of the Gathering solar auspice. there are far more of them in the Southern
The Vasanta are the spring auspice and are Hemisphere than in the Northern. There are no
the warriors of the Mokolé of India. They are also Mokolé in Antarctica, although it’s said that once
travelers and are the most ready to hear of new things. there were. With Mnesis 4 or 5, a true adept can
The Vasanta have a beginning Willpower of 5 and see the southern continent as the green and pleasant
the same auspice benefit as the Striking solar auspice. land it was before the coming of the ice.
28 MOKOLÉ
Mokolé-mbembe Gumagan
The Stream of the Fighters, traditionally have A stream represented primarily by Aborigines and
stalked the swamps and waterways of Africa and the Melanesians, are the Mokolé of Bandaiyan called
Americas. They are renowned among other saurians Australia by whites. They also occupy Tsalats (New
for their rage and their prowess in battle. Of the four Guinea) and assorted islands of Oceania. They are
streams, they suffered more than any other in the the Mokolé most commonly found away from water,
Wars of Rage. First they saw the Grondr, Apis and and indeed some spend their whole lives in deep
Kamazots die, then they themselves were driven deserts. Once found all over the continent, they are
nearly to extinction. A few clutches swam to the today only a remnant of their previous numbers.
Americas, and eventually so many Mokolé had fled, At first, they never experienced the Wars of
died or gone to sleep that the Garou gave up the war Rage until Europeans came, bringing vampires with
against them. them. After that, furious Garou slaughtered the
Named fot the progenitor of their kind, the Bunyip and their allies left and right. The Gumagan
Mokolé-mbembe are the furthest-flowing stream held out as best they could, but against technomagic
and the boodiest, they are “the Mokolé” to the and silver bullets, they could not prevail. All they
Garou, and by far the largest of the four streams, and could manage was to hide the last desperate remnant
as the current End Times approach, their numbers of the Bunyip’s Kinfolk, but eventually everyone
are steadily growing. Decades ago, the Mokolé- was murdered or disappeared into the Dreamtime
mbembe were rarely sighted outside the depths of to never been seen again. This slaughter would be
the Amazon Rainforest. Now, a more diverse variety known later as the War of Tears.
of humans have awakened to the Dragon’s Dream, Known as the Stream of the Forerunners, they
and their human and reptilian Kin are growing ever are well-respected by other Mokolé for their insights
more diverse. into the spirit world, particularly the Dreamtime.
The stream’s most common varna are Unlike other streams, all Gumagan are capable of
alligators and crocodilians (including the American entering the Umbra. In ancient times the Gumagan
crocodile and Nile crocodile), but a few take the could simply wander in and out of the Dreamtime at
shapes of caimans or Gila monsters. will, but the coming of the Gauntlet changed all that.
Initial Willpower: by Auspice They are known for their extensive and primeval
Auspices: Solar Mnesis: their memories of the earliest days of the
Rage: By Suchid Varna Earth. Most Gumagan varna are saltwater crocodiles
or perentie monitors.
Initial Willpower: by Auspice
Auspices: Solar
Rage: By Suchid Varna
STEREOTYPES
•Gumagan: Lost in time, lost in space, or
just plain lost? The Sandwalkers need to wake up STEREOTYPES
and smell the coffee, if any are left at all. •Makara: They all want to be humans. Don’t
•Makara: They like humans too much. How they remember our duty?
can they cull them properly? It could be nice to have •Mokolé-mbembe: Colors are the deeds and
two-legs at your beck and call like that, though. sufferings of light. They have suffered much. Let us
•Zhong Lung: What we’d be if it weren’t hope that they can remember something more cheerful.
for the wars. I’d like to see if their fancy courts and •Zhong Lung: Snooty dragons. There is
philosophy schools could survive Garou attacks. more honor in following your own dreams than the
They are very wise, though. words of a hundred sages.
NOONDAY: US 29
Makara Zhong Lung
The Indian subcontinent serves as the spawning Working with the other Asian Changing Breeds,
grounds of the Makara, the Stream of the Folk. Their the Zhong Lung are known as the Stream of the
homeland is swept each year by monsoons that bring Philosophers. Although they have inherited the
death and destruction but also water the land to make millennial Mnesis of countless scholars and teachers,
it fertile. More than any other Mokolé, the Makara see because of their association with the Emerald Courts,
themselves as preservers of Gaia’s living thinkers, not they have the fewest memories of conflict with other
just memories of the long-dead. The human politics, shapechangers. Throughout the Middle Kingdoms
religion, and mysticism of the Indian sub-continent of China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, they have
have heavily influenced this stream. The Makara endured as the stream least harmed by the Garou,
consider themselves diplomats to the other Changing and so the Zhong Lung do not hate and fear the
Breeds. Also of great importance is Dragon, the Hakken as the Mokolé-mbembe do the Garou.
Father of the Wani, or Dragon Kings. Hindu Mokolé They are often noble and wise before the First
in particular usually interact with spirits through the Change. Their ability to look deep within other’s
sacrifice of fire, and revere Dragon as Agni, the God souls (and their own) is legendary. Alas, there are
of Fire, the Conveyor of Oblations, the Speaker of not many Zhong Lung left. Wars, the destruction
the Wani. Of course, their images of Agni are more of reptile species, and their own slow breeding have
reminiscent of the Wani than of humans. They also taken their toll.
acknowledge Chandra the moon. Above all, the Zhong Lung revere the Emerald Mother, and
Makara place Rta, Jya (or Gaia) and the Trimurti. the Wani, the dragon ancestors. Like the Makara,
Beneath Jya the Makara place the Trimurti, the Zhong Lung believe in the Balance, a supreme
composed of the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. principle governing the entire universe. The Balance
An interesting difference between most Makara of yin and yang, light and dark, of the Devisor, Designer
and many of the other Changing Breeds is that they and Dissolver, is more important than the inherent
believe in Rta, or the cosmic order. goodness or badness of one of the Three. Zhong Lung
Their four auspices are determined by the recognize four solar auspices which determine their
seasons, and are further subdivided by the caste systems role in the dragon society and the beast courts.
of their homelands, to such a great extent that outsiders Their varna are most often Chinese alligators,
rarely understand the finer distinctions between them. saltwater crocodiles, and monitor lizards.
Makara varna are typically gavials, mugger Initial Willpower: 4
crocodiles, and saltwater crocodiles. Auspices: Seasonal
Initial Willpower: by Auspice Rage: By Auspice
Auspices: Seasonal
Rage: By Suchid Varna
STEREOTYPES
•Gumagan: We have watched their decline for
STEREOTYPES centuries: are there any left? Had the Middle Kingdom
•Gumagan: Savages, but masters of arts yet ruled the seas this would never have happened.
long lost to us. •Makara: Enmeshed in human coils, the
•Mokolé-mbembe: So scarred from Water Monsters forger what came first. I only hope
en¬dless war that they hardly know peace when that they don’t lose sight of the Emerald Mother’s
they see it. Their karma must be deeply tainted, but purpose for them.
all of us are bound to the Wheel. •Mokolé-mbembe: Brutal warriors savaged
•Zhong Lung: Prideful creatures! They give by the barbarians’ way of life. Harmony between
themselves too much credit for their status — we Heaven and Earth is the way, and soldiers are less
didn’t start the Wars. than peasants, for they only destroy.
NOONDAY: US 31
STEREOTYPES
Radiant Tsanga remembers the Bête: aloof, hiding their own mysteries from the other
•Garou: Some of you talk of forgiveness, of shapechangers of the world.
sorrow. I remember you showing neither when you •Nagah: They act in secret; some say they
slaughtered my people. pass judgment, or carry secrets Gaia did not entrust to
“I do not care if the dragons forgive us or hate our memory. In the time before time, they worshiped
us to their graves. I care that they realise that we are not dragons as their gods. In the age before the War of
their greatest enemies.” — Caspar Van Lutyens Rage, they kept the balance between the many Fera.
•Ajaba: We remember every atrocity, every Now the world is out of balance, and who they serve,
feud. We will remember the Ajaba as choosers of the or how, or where, remains a mystery.
slain, not as refugees from their own homeland. •Ratkin: We remember when you crawled
“You will remember our story and it will teach out from under the corpses of the Lizard Kings. We
future generations: do not trust the Simba.” try, every day, to forgive you.
— Musonda Crushing-Jaws
•Ananasi: We remember what happened. The Outsiders:
The others do not. For now, I will remain quiet. But •Blood Devils (Vampires): Stalkers of the
remember this: you will aid us now, or the world will night! Easy enough to step on them. You think you
know of your treachery. hate those things? Imagine how we feel. The blood-
“They did what we needed of them once. They devils are destroyed when they see Sun’s face. I hear
will do it again. The lizards make excellent pawns, so that there are a lot of different kinds of them. Those
easy to goad.” — Genevieve Monfort who serve Set are the worst. They took Egypt away
•Corax: Our cousins. You learn so much, from us and destroyed it.
but you gave up the Memory to do so. If you talk, we •Mages: There are different kinds of witches
will listen, but do not expect much in return. and spook-men too. The Bata’a are friends to
“They hang out in lots of places that don’t suit Mokolé-mbembe in Africa and America. The mob
our temperament– ever seen a goth in a rainforest? knows another kind called Dreamspeakers. They
Yeah. But if you can catch one in a talkative mood, it’s have some honor; many are Kin. In Khem there were
so worth it.” — Raina Fader some cunning men called Hem-ka Sobk a long time
•Gurahl: Oh, the bear-men. They could heal ago. They worshipped Sobek, Crocodile spirit of the
anything, even death. We thought that they lived Nile, and were good to us. Of the rest we know little.
only in our memories. I’m glad that I was wrong. Don’t they destroy Garou wallows? Then they’re not
“We each fought our wars against the Garou. all bad.
If we had stood together, we might have saved the •Mummies: Yeah. Mummies and such.
others. But they divided us, and we each stood Made ‘em by magic, so they’d never die. We know
alone.” — Orphea Lightwalker it worked. The Memory sees ‘em. When I see them
•Rokea: They live for so long, in a world in the Memory, they’re right sad. Can’t die, and their
where so many of us will never see. But they are so world is gone. Fight each other, I’d think. It’s all they
very insular and single-minded. have left.
“You remember us. You think you know us. •Wraiths: Real as your hand, mate. Buggers
We do not remember how we were. We change. We what die bad don’t stay in the ground, that’s all.
survive.” — Bleeds-Night •Changeling: There’s other odds an’
•Bastet: When it suits them, the catskins sods out there too. Some calling themselves eshu.
are willing to work with others. There have been Blackfellas from Africa. Good enough blokes. Like
times when we our races have had to help each to visit Gathers for the party. They have lots of good
other, particularly in the Amazon. When we stories, all full of knights, princes and castles. Maybe
have no common cause, however, they remain it’s all true, somewhere. I wouldn’t know.
NOONDAY: US 33
Afternoon:
Dragon Making
New Abilities •••• If you’d been present in Verona,
Romeo and Juliet would have
lived happily ever after.
Skills •••••Even the fiercest Crowning bows his
head to you and calls you “auntie.”
Brood Kenning
Brood Kenning is the ability to match mates so as to
maximize the chance of a desired offspring, a happy
Knowledges
union, or some similar goal. If trying to maximize Miaieusis
the chances of a Mokolé babe, the matchmaker Originated by Greek and Egyptian philosophers, the
observes her charges carefully, anywhere from a rare skill of Maieusis enables a practitioner to bring
day to a month or more, and finally makes a Brood out memories lost in the recesses of another’s soul.
Kenning roll (usually paired with Intelligence, Called “the midwife’s art,” it involves questions,
Perception or Wits at the Storyteller’s discretion). ritual dialogue and the pronunciation of syllables
The difficulty is typically 9, but can be reduced with whose meaning is obscure. The player must specify
extra observation. The number of successes is added how many levels of Mnesis he wishes to evoke in
to the chance for a Mokole offspring; a particularly the subject, or how many memories he wishes the
insightful and ridiculously lucky matchmaker could subject to recall, and the two participants must
thus increase the odds of breeding true up to 20%. speak the same language (usually the Dragon’s
This skill can only be used once for any given Tongue). The subject must have the Mnesis to
couple, at least when enhancing the odds of breeding do this, or the potential to remember the subjects
true. It can also be used to make matches that will involved. The practitioner must spend a number of
wind up happy, or to recognize the signs of hidden hours equal to the level of Mnesis desired to call out
trysting (such as if two Mokolé are secretly mating the memory, then make a Manipulation + Maieusis
and might produce an innocent). Brood kenners roll. The difficulty is 6 for ordinary memories, 7 for
are compensated and esteemed, whether they are Mnesis, and 8 for difficult or obscure subjects. For
Mokolé or Kin. It is a common choice for Gathering. each success, one memory is recalled.
• You can arrange blind dates that aren’t Maieusis is a daring art. Memories long
total disasters. forgotten can emerge, and a soul be made anew. The
•• Your clutchmates sneak off to you Unshading sometimes send lawbreakers to receive
for romantic advice. the midwife’s art rather than die, hoping that their
••• You patch up stormy, confused teenage memories will contain enough righteousness to return
relationships on a regular basis. them to good. It is said that the Fallen have been
Mnesis Emulation
This strange knowledge may be learned only by Backgrounds
Mokolé. It enables a Mokolé to “learn” almost any Mokolé do not possess the Ancestors Background,
skill or knowledge that could have been known to replacing it with Mnesis instead.
an ancestor.
The Mokolé must meditate on the ability Mnesis
desired and enter a Mnesis trance. The trance is Any Mokolé (even one without this Background)
usually not long perhaps one night. Finally, she may place himself into a Mnesis quest — a sort of
makes a Mnesis + Mnesis Emulation roll, difficulty autohypnosis in which the character journeys deep
7. For every two successes, the seeker gains a dot into the halls of ancestral memory, much like the
in the given Ability for one day (rounding up); she Umbral vision-quests of the Garou. Because a Mnesis
may spend dots to increase the duration, however. quest can easily last for hours and renders the seeker
For instance, five successes could give her a skill of oblivious to the outside world for its duration, most
3 for one day or a skill of 1 for three days. Mnesis Mokolé will only enter Mnesis while in the safety
Emulation cannot grant any supernatural abilities of their wallows. The rating of the Background
(such as Gifts, rites or powers of other Awakened determines how far back the Mokolé may remember.
creatures). For example, a Mokolé may use Mnesis 0 Roughly a century.
Emulation to learn the language of the Bastet, but • Three to five hundred years.
would not be able to turn into a cat even if she had •• Roughly a millennium.
a Bastet ancestor. ••• The Impergium and the beginning
• You can call up a hint of memory. of human civilization.
•• You can usually see the right place and time. •••• The awakening of the mammalian
••• You have something to say to everyone. shapeshifters.
•••• You are at home everywhere. •••••The time of the Dinosaur Kings.
••••• You can imitate anyone who has ever lived.
Wallow
Saurimancy The Wallow Background means that you have ties
The giant reptiles of the world, because of their to a Mokolé wallow, one with some history and other
profoundly different thought processes, have always Mokolé residents. If you are a homid, this may be a
fascinated humans. The slither of alligators and village, rural homestead, or isolated island such as
the chirping of lizards have for ages been thought Komodo. If you are a suchid, it may be an ancient
to hold mystic insights. This skill, the art of saurian temple, jungle swamp, zoo, or gator farm. Any
divination, allows Kin and Mokolé to divine the Allies, Contacts, or Kinfolk you may have likely live
future or the will of Sun from saurian omens. It is at the wallow. The wallow is a place where you can
most common among Kin in India. The diviner meditate to regain Gnosis in Sun’s light, hold gathers
must listen to lizards chirping at dusk, meditate on and perform rites. You may live there all the time;
the tracks of crocodiles, or use a similar method. For of course, if you don’t have Resources, your home
each day that she spends in such study, she may make might not be very luxurious.
36 MOKOLÉ
• A poor wallow. One Mokolé lives there a ritual space decorated with items pleasing to the
or perhaps only Kin. spirit they hope to attract while singing of Gaia’s
•• No palace. A few Mokolé and Kin live there. need for renewal. Some Mokolé with powerful
••• The wallow has lots of land (maybe a national Mnesis remember this rite from the times before the
park) or places to live. War of Rage, and a few African packs have recently
•••• A nice place: a village, isolated creek, independently re-discovered or re-created the rite.
or lake. More about Totem Background in W20 p. 140 & 371.
•••••A temple, alligator farm, or large village. Check also p. 87 of this book to see Mokolé Totems.
Totem
The Rite of the Totem (see W20, p. 213) is particularly
calibrated to the sensibilities and capabilities of
Forms
Mokolé have three forms: Homid (human), Archid
the Garou — those Fera who cannot innately step (draconic), and Suchid (reptilian). Their legendary
sideways would have particular difficulty with it. The Drachid form was lost in the Wonder-Work and no
equivalent rites used by the other Changing Breeds Mokolé since has been able to achieve it.
are similarly specialized. Shapechanging requires a Stamina + Primal-
A rare and particular rite exists, however Urge roll, difficulty 6 (regardless of form). Changing
— the Rite of the Joined Circle — which may be from Homid to Suchid (or back) requires two
used to attract a spirit to act as a totem for a diverse successes. Changing to Archid (or back) requires
pack of Fera. Mechanically identical to the Rite one. As usual, the shapeshifter can assume any form
of the Totem, it requires the ritemaster to prepare instantly by spending one Rage.
40 MOKOLÉ
Extra Limbs*: Must be purchased with Sacral Attributes. Any characteristics such as Long
Plexus. The Mokolé has one extra limb per Gnosis Teeth or Horn must be purchased anew for each
point spent. If she wants them to have claws, be head. This allows use of the Wishbone maneuver,
useable as hands, etc., she must buy these as separate and grants one extra die per head for the purpose
characteristics. This may be taken more than once, of splitting dice pools for multiple bite attacks.
but Mokolé with too many legs are looked at strangely In unusual circumstances, the different heads
by their peers: even clutchmates may wonder about of the Mokolé may demonstrate slightly-variant
their devotion to Sun. personalities — nobody knows why this is.
Eye Cones: The Mokolé’s eyes are mounted on Neck Frill: Two extra soak dice against frontal attacks.
movable cones; the Mokolé has a 360° field of vision Nictating Membrane: The Mokolé may see normally
and can look in any direction without moving her head. underwater.
It is very difficult to sneak up on her. Gains the Merit: Regeneration: The Mokolé may spend a point
Danger Sense at no extra cost (See W20 p. 483). of permanent Gnosis to regrow a lost body
Feathers: Effective Appearance 3. part over a long period of time (at least several
Food Storage: The Mokolé can live for one season months, possibly longer). The process is extremely
per point of Stamina without eating anything. The painful, so much so that living as a cripple is often
storage may be fat sacs beneath the tail, a hump (like preferable. The Storyteller will have the final say
a camel’s), or an obese belly. The Mokolé must gorge on whether a body part can regrow, how long it
in order to refill her fat storage. will take, and any special care required (such as
Fur: The Mokolé can withstand cold weather, healing baths, food, rest, etc.).
including arctic regions. Sacral Plexus*: The Mokolé may tap into a
Gecko Pads: Allows the Mokolé to climb any secondary brain located in the spinal cord. For
surface within reason; the surface must, of course, be each Gnosis point spent on the sacral plexus, the
able to bear the Mokolé’s weight. The Mokolé must Mokolé can add one point to an Ability involving
have feet which can grip a smooth surface. Cannot the lower body, such as Dodge, Brawl or Expression
be taken with Huge Size or Tall. (dance).The sacral plexus can perform actions
Hard Skull: Three extra dice to soak damage to the without involving the brain, and therefore the
head, and three extra dice of damage on head butt Mokolé can take extra actions without spending
attacks (not cumulative with Horns). Rage if they involve the skills of the sacral plexus
Huge Size: One extra dot of Stamina, and two extra — however, these extra actions are limited to
damage dice to Body Slam or Overbear maneuvers. three dice total, plus an extra die for every time
The Mokole is up to 20 feet longer per Gnosis point this characteristic is bought.
spent on Huge Size, and gains weight in proportion Snorkel: The Mokolé may remain underwater or
to added size. This can be taken more than once, under earth and breathe comfortably with only her
and some Mokole are up to 100 feet long in Archid nostrils exposed. The snorkel is usually on top of the
form. This also grants one additional Health Level head. Difficulty to spot her is usually 10.
each time it is taken. It is not clear exactly how large Spitter: Must be purchased with Poison Sacs, but
a Mokole can be, but extremely large Mokole cannot the Mokolé can spit his venom 1 yard for every point
use Stealth, sneak up on someone, hide, or walk on of Rage he has.
ordinary floors. Taking this characteristic more than Tail Club: May attack with a tail lash for Strength
four or five times, then, is asking for trouble. +3 damage (bashing).
Jacobson’s Organ: May sense infrared radiation, Thorns: The Mokolé is covered with spines, dealing
using a Perception roll to “see” in the dark. The out two health levels of aggravated damage to
organ is located in the roof of the mouth. anyone who strikes her bare-handed.
Multiple Heads: The Mokolé has an extra head Throat Sac and Wattles: +1 Expression, and two
in her Archid form for each point of Gnosis extra dice when using the Gift: Bellow. This can also
she spends. This head does not add to Mental be a hollow crest with resonators inside.
42 MOKOLÉ
permanent die to add anywhere. These are her Matre It might seem that only female Mokolé can
dice. Once Matre dice are distributed, they cannot gain Matre dice. However, if a male directly fathers
be changed, although the mother can gain more by a Mokolé (rare, for the gene is quite recessive; most
birthing more true Mokolé. often the birth is due to a recessive gene), he, too, can
Alligators and crocodiles lay perhaps a dozen gain a Matre point at the Storyteller’s discretion. Since
eggs in each clutch, and each clutch has a 10% chance Matre is a connection to Gaian fertility, the male will
of containing one Mokolé. No matter how many eggs know when he is a true sire if he gains Matre.
a suchid female lays, there is still only a 10% chance of Kin are sometimes spoken of as having
one Mokolé appearing; multiple Mokolé from the same Matre. If a Kin character has a true Mokolé child,
clutch are so rare that they’re legendary. It is therefore then the Storyteller may allow a point of Matre.
impossible to gain huge amounts of Matre “instantly”
by laying a nest full of eggs. However, the skill: Brood Rage
Kenning, and the merits Retain Seed and Retain Eggs The Mokolé have as much Rage as any Garou, and use
make breeding easier. In the present day, as Mokolé it in much the same manner — they may frenzy, gain
lands shrink and the Dissolver poisons the world, extra actions, change forms instantly, recover from
Matre is not the never-ending fountain of power that it stunning, or make Rage rolls to remain active when
might seem. Player characters who wish to gain Matre critically wounded. They regain it in similar fashion,
must roleplay courtship and safeguard their offspring. when angered or humiliated, or between stories as
Mokolé have great affection for children, using the Rite usual (more information W20, p. 144, 256, 262, 288).
of the Nesting Furthermore, Mokolé regain Rage the first time that
Mound to they see Sun during the day, such as at sunrise. The
safeguard amount recovered depends on how bright Sun is.
them. Light Conditions Rage Regained
Sun is completely obscured by None
mountains, buildings, etc; the
Mokolé is indoors.
Sun’s disc is hidden by clouds or 1
is seen through windows.
Sun’s disc is visible through 2
clouds or fog.
Sun is low or dim. 3
Sun is bright. 4
Sun is blazing directly overhead. 5
Any Mokolé seeing her sun auspice gets back
all Rage. Midnight Suns get. back Rage from seeing
their “sign,” not the Sun. They may not recover their
full Rage it the moon is clouded, or the stars ate dim.
No-Suns cannot see the empty sky and Many-
Suns cannot see the stars if smog or city lights
block their view.
Zhong Lung and Makara
regain all their Rage each day
of the season of their auspice when
they first see the sun, but recover
Rage piecemeal if it’s “not their
season.”
Renown
Mokolé come together in Gathers before wars, at
5 Grandfather/ 10
Grandmother
UNSHADING AND CROWNING
5 5
the summer and winter solstices, when a Crowning Rank Title Glory Honor Wisdom
takes office, and at other momentous times. These 1 Hatchling 1 1 1
gatherings are solemn and slowly-paced affairs, 2 Son/Daughter 2 4 2
full of somber ritual and storytelling, law-making 3 Brother/Sister 3 6 3
and judgment, each in its own time. During these 4 Father/Mother 4 8 4
Gathers, tales of Renown are spoken, and new ranks 5 Grandfather/ 5 10 5
distributed as appropriate. Grandmother
Mokolé gain Renown and advance in rank CONCEALING AND GATHERING
in largely the same manner and categories as Garou Rank Title Glory Honor Wisdom
(See W20, p. 142 & 246). They also use the system of 1 Hatchling 1 1 1
Glory, Honor and Wisdom, acknowledging five ranks. 2 Son/Daughter 2 2 4
Mokolé gain 1 point each of Glory, Honor and Wisdom 3 Brother/Sister 3 3 6
for passing through their coming of age Mnesis trance. 4 Father/Mother 4 4 8
They do not get Renown for subsequent Mnesis use 5 Grandfather/ 5 5 10
(save Mnesis quests, see below). The Mokolé-mbembe Grandmother
and Gumagan use the same Rank system. SHINING
When awarding Renown, allow for a few Rank Title Renown Total
differences from the Renown chart in W20. Some 1 Hatchling 3
examples: 2 Son/Daughter 9
•3 Wisdom for completing a Mnesis quest 3 Brother/Sister 14
•1 Wisdom and 1 Glory for inwitting a good story 4 Father/Mother 19
•1 each for awakening a Sleeper 5 Grandfather/Grandmother 24
44 MOKOLÉ
Makara and Zhong Lung who don’t are members of the Beast Courts use a Renown system that corresponds
closely to the Garou Renown system. Assume that the Garou auspices correspond to the Mokolé as follows:
Garou Auspice Makara Zhong Lung
Ragabash Hemanta Pei Tung
Theurge Zarad Sai Chau
Philodox Grisma Nam Hsia
Ahroun Vasanta Tung Chun
Regardless of Auspice, all of the members of the Beast Courts earn three types of Renown — Glory,
Virtue and Wisdom. Every member of the hengeyokai understands that all three types of Renown are
facets of a greater whole (more info in W20CB, p. 271).
•Step Two:
Select Attributes
Prioritize the three categories: Physical, Social,
Mental (7/5/3). Note that each Attribute starts with
one dot before you add any.
Rate Physical Traits: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina.
Rate Social Traits: Charisma, Manipulation,
Appearance.
Rate Mental Traits: Perception, Intelligence, Wits.
•Step Three:
Select Abilities
Prioritize the three categories: Talents, Skills,
Knowledges (13/9/5).
Choose Talents, Skills, Knowledges (selection
restricted by breed).
No Ability may be higher than 3
at this stage.
•Step Four:
Select Advantages
Choose Backgrounds (5; selection
restricted by breed), Gifts (choose one
Auspice Gift, and one General
Mokolé Gift).
•Step Five:
Finishing Touches
Record Rage by Suchid Varna
if Mokolé-mbembe, Gumagan or Makara(if Zhong Lung,
record rage by auspice), Gnosis by breed, Willpower
by Auspice if Mokolé-mbembe, Gumagan or Makara
(if Zhong Lung, start with 4),
and Rank (1; Hatchling).
Spend freebie points (15)
Choose Archid Characteristics (according to final Gnosis).
50 MOKOLÉ
•Tailbiter’s Mumble (Level One) — The
Mokolé may bite her tail in her mouth and roll any
distance desired as quickly as her human form runs.
This Gift is taught by Hoopsnake.
System: The Mokolé must be in Suchid or
Archid, and spend a Willpower point; apart from
that, the movement bonuses are automatic.
•Talk (Level One) — This Gift permits the
Mokolé to speak any human language he knows
while in Suchid or Archid form. This Gift is taught
by a Bird-spirit.
System: No roll is necessary; the Mokolé
becomes automatically capable of speech in all
forms. With a successful Mnesis roll, difficulty 8, the
Mokolé can also speak any of the other Bete’s (other
fera) languages for the duration of a scene.
•Blessings of the Nest (Level Two) —
Hissing a blessing in the Dragon Tongue, the
Mokolé bestows a gift of fertility. In addition to
ensuring conception on most recipients, the Gift
also removes impotence from those who suffer from
it and grants fertility to the normally barren. A
rooster-spirit teaches it.
System: The player spends one Gnosis
point. This Gift’s power is insufficient to make
metis fertile.
•Reptoid Form (Level Two) — Through
careful refinement of her shapeshifting capabilities,
the Mokolé learns to assume a form between
Homid and Archid. This “near-man”
form,roughly equivalent to the Garou
Glabro form, lacks hair, has tough,
lightly scaled skin, and sports small but
sharp claws. It can only pass for human at
a distance, under heavy clothing, or in poor
light, but still avoids the size and subtlety
issues associated with Archid. This Gift is
taught by memory-spirits.
System: The character assumes her new
form in the same manner as a Garou assuming
Glabro. Its traits are: Strength +2, Stamina +2,
Appearance –2, and it can make claw attacks
for lethal damage.
•Sense Gold (Level Two) — To those truly
born Mokolé, Helios has granted the ability to
sense a Mokolé’s greatest weakness. This Gift,
taught by Suns, allows the Mokolé to detect
the presence of Gold.
52 MOKOLÉ
•Walking Between Worlds (Level Three) •View the Seed (Level Four) — This Gift
— The Mokolé can breach the Gauntlet and enter comes from the belief that all things are but a dream
the Umbra in the same manner as Garou. Lunes teach of the idea or object that birthed them. It allows the
this Gift. user to see the “seed” of anything, from the parents of
System: This Gift’s effects are permanent. a child to the mastermind of a plot. Note that some
•Bark of the Mudpuppy (Level Three) — things result from the growth of several “seeds.”
This Gift allows the Mokolé to bark loudly at any A Mokolé looking at America, for instance, could
one person or object, shattering glass, splintering see any number of things (John Locke in his study,
light wood or even opening wounds on a living being. Native Americans planting maize, Africans bought
This Gift is taught by Mudpuppy. with Boston rum...). The Gumagan are most likely
System: The bark does one health level of to learn this Gift, which is taught by Finch.
aggravated damage, but automatically strikes its System: The Mokolé rolls Perception +
target. There is no actual cost. Mnesis, difficulty 7. If the thing to be seen is outside
•Attunement (Level Four) — The Mokolé may the Mnesis of the Mokole’s line, the difficulty is
commune with the spirits of a city or town and gain 8. In the case of truly alien causes and effects, the
information about the area from them, including a difficulty could be 9 (Vhujunka plotting to sail into
rough population estimate, enclaves of Mokolé or the Deep Umbra, etc.).
other beings, and any secret tunnels. A rat-spirit •Grasp the Beyond (Level Five) —The
teaches this Gift. Mokolé may carry things in and out of the Umbra
System: The player spends one point of without having to dedicate them to herself (see the
Gnosis and rolls Perception + Streetwise (difficulty Rite of Talisman Dedication, W20 p. 211). This Gift
6). The amount and accuracy of the information affects objects, people and animals, both willing and
depend on the number of successes rolled. unwilling. An opossum- or kangaroo-spirit teaches
•Cocoon (Level Four) — The Mokolé this Gift.
wraps himself in a thick, opaque, chitinous System: The character must grasp the object
sarcophagus, immobilizing himself but also becoming or person he wishes to take to (or from) the spirit
nearly impervious to harm. The cocoon provides world, and spend a number of Willpower points: one
immunity to fire, starvation, gas, high pressure, cold, for small items (a knife or cell phone), two for larger
and similar environmental hazards. An insect- or items (a backpack or shotgun), and three for man-
Weaver-spirit teaches this Gift. Mokolé adepts often sized items (including people). The player makes
use the cocoon to protect themselves when they do the usual Gnosis roll to pierce the Gauntlet and
the Sleep of the Dragon. step sideways; if successful, both he and the desired
System: The Mokolé spends one Gnosis point. object or person pass into the Umbra. An unwilling
While the weresaurian remains in the cocoon, any subject may resist with a Willpower roll; each success
attack that strikes him must do damage at least equal subtracts one from the Mokolé’s successes.
to his Stamina + Rituals; the cocoon keeps him safe •Song of the Great Beast (Level Five) —
from any lesser amount of damage, but is destroyed if it’s The Mokolé travels to the deep wilderness and lets
pierced. The cocoon lasts for one day, but its duration out a long, mournful roar. One of the Great Beasts
may be extended by spending more Gnosis to renew it. of antiquity answers the call, appearing in the Realm
The Mokolé may emerge from it at any time he chooses. near the weresaurian — a mighty and savage being
•Serenity (Level Four) — The Mokolé can that walked the Earth in ages past. Such creatures
fill a hot heart with the peace of Gaia, even in the midst include the Willawau (giant owl), Terror Birds from
of battle. An avatar of Unicorn teaches this Gift. the Cenozoic, the great Megalodon sharks that
System: The player spends one Gnosis point swam the seas eons ago and the mighty Dinosaurs,
and rolls Charisma + Expression (difficulty equal who arrives in herds. Who knows what else the
to the target’s Willpower). For one turn per success, Song might call up? The Great Beasts possess power
the target automatically fails all Rage rolls, cannot in the physical world to rival that of mighty spirits
frenzy, and cannot spend Rage. in the Umbra. Once the ancient creature arrives,
54 MOKOLÉ
System: The Gumagan spends two points of neck she would stretch. This Gift cannot create
Willpower. Afterwards, she neither eats nor sleeps anything new, but can adapt existing body parts to
unless she wishes to do so. She may add two to her new situations. Arms could grow into wings, but a
dice pools for any task related to her goal. The sheer new pair of limbs would not appear from nowhere.
intensity of her search will usually frighten anyone Likewise, lungs could become gills, but to breathe air
into helping her: Bloody-Minded Gumagan are often again, the Mokolé would have to change back. The
on the edge of frenzy every minute. She may not be effects last for one scene per Gnosis point spent.
persuaded to abandon her quest by any supernatural •Heat Wave (Level Three) — The Mokolé
means (treat as the Merit: Iron Will). In combat can bring the heat of Lord Sun to burn his enemies.
against her life-enemy, she will gain one extra attack Many can stand chill, but no living thing can stand
per round, with the difficulty of attacks against her endless heat. A Sun-spirit teaches this Gift.
target reduced by one. She may not dodge attacks System: The Mokolé dances the Steps of
from any other combatant, but her dice pool to soak the Sun and spends 1 Gnosis. She then rolls Wits
damage is doubled. + Expression, difficulty 5 if it is warm, 6 if cool and
8 if cold. If below freezing, the difficulty is 9. The
Makara difficulty drops by 1 for each hour of dancing, and
•The Thousand Arrows (Level Three) increases by 1 if the Mokolé cannot dance except
— This Gift allows a Makara marksman to greatly with hand motions (due to injury or imprisonment).
multiply his missiles in mid-flight; an archer can send For each success, one mile of territory surrounding
a swarm of arrows, and a machine gun spits forth a the Mokolé is heated to heatwave temperatures
cloud of bullets. This Gift is taught by a Wasp-spirit. (130°F). Any creature vulnerable to heat will lose
System: The Makara spends one Gnosis one die from their dice pools per hour. The effects
and one Rage. Whatever firearm, bow, crossbow or last for one hour per point of Gnosis spent. They
hurled weapon he is using gains the benefits of firing cannot last for more than one hour after sunset.
full auto (see W20 p. 303), but the difficulty to hit is
raised by two rather than three.
•Great as a White Hill (Level Five) —
The Makara grows to three times her normal size or
shrinks to the size of a small mugger crocodile. A
Chimerling teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Gnosis
point and rolls Stamina + Primal-Urge (difficulty
8). The effects last for one hour per success or until
the Mokolé cancels the Gift. If the Mokolé grows
larger, she gains three Strength dice for every 100%
increase in size. If she grows smaller, she retains her
normal Traits, but she may sneak around unnoticed.
Mokolé-mbembe
•Beak of the Finch (Level Three) — This
Gift is taught by Finch, the master of adaptation.
Finch helps Mokolé adapt to new situations in order
to survive. They do so by reshaping themselves into
a form which can accomplish a goal.
System: The Mokolé spends a Gnosis point
and rolls Mnesis + Survival. She then exerts herself
toward the desired change. To grow fins, she jumps
into water and starts paddling. To grow a long
•Walk into My Eyes (Level Four) — This •Shou (Level One) — All weresaurians
powerful Gift allows weakness to become strength. have an innate connection to their ancestors — a
The Mokolé have been endlessly persecuted: under spiritual, racial unconscious accessible through
some circumstances, this can be an advantage. An intense meditation. The Zhong Lung can tap into
Ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift. these deep memories to remember ancient lore. An
System: The Mokolé stares into the eyes of a foe ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift.
and rolls Mnesis. The difficulty is 5 for a relative (including System: The character must meditate for a
Nagah, Gorax and Kin), 7 for a being who shares even short time, concentrating on the past. The player
one common ancestor (anyone born human, any saurian, then rolls Gnosis (difficulty 9, –1 for each dot of
and any Changer), and 9 for something completely alien. Mnesis the Mokolé possesses). The number of
For each success, the foe is overwhelmed for one turn successes determines how detailed and exact the
by memory as he sees all of life from the Mokolé’s point answer he receives will be.
of view. During this time he will not attack the Mokolé •Clap of Thunder (Level Two) — The
(although he may defend himself if attacked) and will Zhong Lung slams her hands together, creating a
not be able to use any specific Gifts or powers of his mighty thunderclap that stuns those who hear it. A
own kind (such as Garou-only Gifts, shapeshifting, or Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
vampiric Disciplines). After returning to himself, the System: The player spends one Gnosis
target is often profoundly changed. Reactions vary: point. All characters within 20 feet (6 m) must
Garou have withdrawn into eternal Harano, while a succeed in a Willpower roll (difficulty 8 for foes, 4
Sabbat Priscus blessed by this Gift ended his unlife after for clutchmates) or be stunned and unable to act for
seeing what he had lost centuries ago. The Storyteller one turn. The Mokolé must be in Homid, Reptoid (if
should determine fairly what each target would do. able), or Archid form to use this Gift.
•Send the Dream (Level Three) — This
Zhong Lung Gift enables mental communication, even over vast
All Zhong Lung who are members of the Beast distances. The user must either know the target
Courts can take Gifts from the Garou’s Galliard list personally (although friendship isn’t necessary) or
as Auspice Gifts. To see more about Beast Courts have something that belongs to that person, such as
Gifts and creation check W20CB p. 284. a lock of his hair. Bird-spirits and spirits of intellect
•Chi’ih Ming (Level One) — This Gift, taught teach this Gift.
by a bird-spirit, allows the Zhong Lung to walk on air. System: The player rolls Charisma +
System: The player spends a Gnosis point Empathy (difficulty 8) and spends a Willpower
and rolls Stamina + Athletics. Each success allows point; the effects last for a scene. The character
her to walk or run on air for one minute. may hold a mental conversation with a target at a
•Dragon Milk (Level One) — The Zhong maximum distance of 10 miles (16 km) per success.
Lung channels spiritual power through her blood, Mind reading isn’t possible, but the weresaurian may
mending the wounds of any other living creature. use social Abilities such as Intimidation.
This Gift may not heal the Zhong Lung herself, •The Dragon’s Tongue (Level Three)
spirits, or the undead. Other Mokolé cannot learn — The Zhong Lung calls down lightning upon his
this Gift even from a Zhong Lung directly. enemy. A storm-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: It requires the character to mix System: The player spends a Willpower
his blood with that of the one to be healed, spend point and rolls Strength + Intimidation (difficulty
one Gnosis point and roll Intelligence + Empathy 7). The target suffers one level of aggravated
(difficulty is the target’s current Rage, or 5 for those damage per success.
with no Rage). Each success heals one level of lethal, •Anger of the Wani (Level Four) — The
bashing, or aggravated damage. The healer may even Mokolé can summon nearly any weather effect she
heal fresh Battle Scars (see W20 p. 259) in this manner, desires: Fog, tornadoes, blizzards, and thunderstorms
if the Gift is applied during the same scene in which the all await her call. A spirit of the Wani, the dragon
scar is received and an extra Gnosis point is spent. princes of the east teaches this Gift.
56 MOKOLÉ
•Harmony of the Soul (Level Four) —
The Zhong Lung can fill a hot heart with the peace
of Gaia, even in the midst of battle. An avatar of
Unicorn teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Gnosis point
and rolls Charisma + Expression (difficulty equal
to the target’s Willpower). For one turn per success,
the target automatically fails all Rage rolls, cannot
frenzy, and cannot spend Rage.
•Sleep of Hsi Wang Mu (Level Four)
— This Gift allows the Zhong Lung to hibernate,
concentrating his life force to extend his life. A
servant of Hsi Wang Mu teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one dot of
permanent Gnosis, and the character falls into a
deep sleep for one lunar month. When she awakens,
12 years are added to her natural lifespan.
•A Thousand Secret Faces (Level Five)
— This Gift allows the Zhong Lung to assume the
perfect likeness of any human, of any age, gender,
ethnicity, or station. It is taught by ancestor-spirit.
System: The player spends one Willpower
and one Gnosis point, and rolls Manipulation +
Subterfuge (difficulty 7). The Gift lasts for one day
per success, during which time the Zhong Lung
may don or remove her disguise with only a turn’s
concentration.
58 MOKOLÉ
1 The tides come in or go out twice as fast System: The player spends one Gnosis point.
as usual. The wall’s dimensions are three yards high, two yards
2 Tides can be reversed, and will come in long and one yard thick (or a similar number of
instead of go out or vice versa. meters), and if the Mokolé desires, it may be extended
3 High tide or low tide can be brought to encircle a number of allies up to the mokolé’s
in one scene. Gnosis, so long as they huddle close. It has a soak pool
4 Unusual tides (spring tide or neap tide) can of 10 dice, and 15 health levels must be inflicted to
be brought in one scene penetrate it at any point. The wall lasts for one scene
5+ Freakish tides (i.e. 30’ tides in Florida) can or until released into the earth by the Mokolé.
occur in one scene.
•Might of the Kings (Level Three) — The Noonday Sun (Nam Hsai)
mokolé can increase his strength tremendously, the •Fangs of Judgment (Level One) — It falls
better to slay his foes. This Gift is taught by a spirit upon the Noonday Sun to levy not only judgment
of the Dinosaur Kings or the Bird Kings. but also punishment against those who have fallen
System: The player spends one Gnosis and from their proper stations. This Gift, taught by an
one Rage, then rolls Willpower (difficulty 8). The ancestor-spirit, causes the mokolé’s claws and fangs
Mokolé’s Strength doubles for one turn per success. to burn with the righteous power of law.
This Gift can only be used once per scene. System: The player spends one Willpower
•Anger of the Wani (Level Four) — As the point. For the next full day, all of the Mokolé’s natural
Zhong Lung Gift. weaponry attacks do two extra dice of damage to all
•Scream of Gaia (Level Four) — The beings who have fallen from their original purpose to the
Mokolé emits a horrible, ragged scream imbued with service of the Dissolver (Wyrm) (such as Black Spiral
Rage and the pain of Gaia. The force of the scream Dancers, fomori, and corrupted nature spirits; Banes
batters foes and knocks them off their feet. Storm- which came into existence as agents of the Dissolver
spirits teach this Gift. are, regrettably, exempt from this Gift’s sanction).
System: The player spends a Gnosis point •Persuasion (Level One) — This Gift
and rolls Rage. Everyone within a 50-foot (15 m) imbues a Noonday Sun words with intrinsic
radius, except for the mokolé’s clutch, is blasted to credibility and conviction, causing them to ring true
the ground to suffer one unsoakable health level to the ear and lay heavy on the heart. An ancestor-
of bashing damage per success as a shockwave rips spirit teaches this Gift.
through the area. System: The player rolls Charisma +
•Jointsnake’s Mojo (Level Five) — The Subterfuge (difficulty 7). Success lowers the difficulty
Mokolé may rejoin severed body parts without even of all social rolls by one for the rest of the scene, and
touching them; they simply wriggle back to the allows successful rolls to have uncommonly strong
stump, reattaching themselves. This Gift is taught impact (such as changing long-held political views,
by jointsnake-spirits. or causing an addict to seriously reconsider the
System: The player need only spend one course of his life).
Gnosis to call back and reattach a severed body part, •Truth of Olodumare (Level One) — As
so long as that body part is within (Glory x 2) yards. judges of the Duties, Noonday Suns may easily separate
•Wall of Granite (Level Five) — Rising truth from falsehood. This Gift is taught by a Sun-spirit.
Suns have a stronger relationship with the System: The player rolls Intelligence +
elementals of the earth than other weresaurians do; Empathy (difficulty equals the subject’s Manipulation
just as the earth upholds those upon it, the Rising + Subterfuge). This Gift reveals only which of the
Sun uphold the Duties that sustains their people. words that have been spoken are true and which are
While in contact with earth or rock, the Rising Sun false. It doesn’t reveal the truth behind a lie unless
can invoke a wall to protect himself. This wall moves the speaker utters it. If the speaker is uncertain
with the Mokolé, defending him from all angles. whether his words are true or false, the Gift identifies
Earth elementals teach this Gift. them as neither.
62 MOKOLÉ
System: The player spends one Gnosis Midnight Sun (Pei Tung/ Hemanta)
point and rolls Dexterity + Occult (difficulty 7). •Darksight (Level One) — The ambient
Concentration is necessary to move the object, light of the Penumbra illuminates the physical world,
which travels at roughly 20 mph (32 kph). The even when darkness surrounds the Mokolé. A Lune
Mokolé’s control lasts for one turn per success. teaches this Gift.
•Hot Ichor (Level Four) — As the Mokolé System: The player spends one Willpower
Rising Sun Gift. point, and suffers no penalties for lack of light for
•Halo of the Sun (Level Five) — The the rest of the scene.
character speaks an ancient word sacred to Helios •Brother’s Scent (Level One) — Drawing
and is immediately surrounded by a sphere of blazing upon the universal brotherhood of all creatures of
sunlight. Those Dissolver (Wyrm) creatures who Gaia, the mokolé seems to fit in wherever he goes.
fear the sun may flee before the mokolé. This Gift is Those given no reason to suspect the Midnight Sun
taught by a servant of Helios. presence simply overlook her. A servant of Unicorn
System: The player spends one Gnosis point; teaches this Gift.
the effect lasts for one scene. The character receives two System: The player spends a Gnosis point
extra dice to the damage of any hand-to-hand attacks and rolls Appearance + Empathy (difficulty 6). All
and causes aggravated damage while he is in Homid individuals not specifically on guard against intruders
and Reptoid (if able) forms. Anyone directly facing the overlook any incongruity in the Mokolé’s appearance
weresaurian adds three to all attack difficulties due to — for example, a naked man covered in blood and
the glare. Any vampires within 20 yards (18 m) suffer carrying a grand entoban spear walking through a
three levels of aggravated damage per turn. high-society ball would draw no particular notice, nor
•Fossilize (Level Five) — This Gift allows would a crocodile wandering through a residential
the Mokolé to consign an enemy to memory — neighborhood. The Mokolé isn’t invisible, he simply
by fossilizing him for the edification of further doesn’t stand out when he otherwise should, and his
generations. Paleontologists, needless to say, would appearance is considered unremarkable even when
probably be baffled by the results. A Death-spirit he’s interacted with. If the weresaurian’s actions alone
teaches this Gift. would draw attention to himself (shouting, starting a
System: The Mokolé points a bone at an fight, attempting to kick down a locked door) the Gift’s
enemy; the player rolls Gnosis, resisted by the illusion is immediately broken. Those specifically on
enemy’s Willpower. For each success, one health the lookout for individuals who don’t belong (security
level of unsoakable aggravated damage cripples the guards at a private facility, for example) don’t succumb
target. If the target dies from the effects, he becomes to this Gift unless their Willpower is lower than the
a petrified fossil instantly. Moolé’s successes on the activation roll.
•Spirits of Laughter (Level One) — The
Midnight Sun invokes spirits of good humor, lightening
everyone’s mood. A mockingbird-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends one Gnosis point.
For the rest of the scene, all Rage rolls are made at
+2 difficulty, and everyone finds it very difficult to
become upset or out-of-sorts about anything.
•Lambent Flame (Level One) — The
weresaurian causes her body to ignite with silver
light. This is taught by a Fire-spirit or by a Sun-Spirit.
System: The player spends one Willpower
point to activate the Gift. The light illuminates a
100-foot (30 m) area around the Mokolé for the rest
of the scene. All attacks against the Mokolé suffer a
+1 difficulty penalty while this Gift persists.
63
•Sense Sun (Level One) — This Gift enables than half normal walking speed, and can’t draw
the user to detect a child of the Sun such like Mokolé attention to herself. A spirit-servant of Uktena
and Corax. This Gift is taught by a Moon-spirit. teaches this Gift.
System: The player rolls Perception + System: The player spends one Gnosis point
Occult, difficulty 7. With three successes, he can tell and rolls Intelligence + Occult (difficulty varies: 4 if
what kind of moon creature is involved; five allows a already concealed, 6 if in the open, 9 in plain sight).
rough estimate of rank and abilities. Anyone looking for the Mokolé must score more
•Breaking the Tomorrow Wall (Level Two) successes on a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty
— The Mokolé swims upstream through the river 8) than the player did on the initial roll. Anyone not
of Mnesis, catching vague glimpses of the future. A actively seeking the Mokolé will not spot her at all.
crane-spirit teaches this Gift. •Open Sun Bridge (Level Three) — The
System: The player spends one Gnosis point weresaurian has the ability to open a sun bridge,
and rolls Perception + Enigmas, difficulty 6. The with or without the permission of the totem of that
Mokolé gains one vague insight of the Storyteller’s wallow. This is taught by a Sun-Spirit.
choice per success. System: The player spends one Gnosis point.
•Dreamspeak (Level Two) — The Midnight See the Rite of the Opened Sun Bridge (p. 207 for
Sun can walk among another’s dreams and thereby more information on opening sun bridges). The
affect their course. The werewolf doesn’t have to be maximum distance that can thereby be covered is
anywhere near the target, but she must know or have 1,000 miles (1600 km).
seen the dreamer. A Chimerling teaches this Gift. •Fool’s Luck (Level Four) — This Gift
System: The player rolls Wits + Empathy grants temporary immunity to bad luck. A rabbit-
(difficulty 8). If the dreamer awakens while the Galliard spirit teaches it.
is still within the dream, the weresaurian is thrown out System: The player spends one Gnosis point.
of the dream world and loses a Gnosis point. The character cannot botch any rolls until the sun
•Glib Tongue (Level Two) — Listeners hear next rises; treat any botches as normal failures.
whatever the Mokolé wishes them to. The Midnight •Shadows by the Firelight (Level Four) —
Sun can say anything, even total nonsense, but As The Midnight Sun invokes shadows and dreams
anyone listening will agree heartily. A rabbit-spirit to set the stage for a play in which other mokolé play
teaches this Gift. a part. The Midnight Sun narrates the tale, and the
System: The player spends one Gnosis actors are swept along in the narrative, willing or no.
point and rolls Wits + Expression (difficulty equals The Gift is often used at moots, since it allows many
the listener’s Wits + Alertness). The target agrees to participate in the retelling of legends. It is also used
completely with the Mokolé for one turn per success, as an object lesson for the wayward and stubborn.
after which sanity reasserts itself Mokolé often tell stories as sunshafts burn dazzlingly
•Become Log (Level Three) — The Mokolé through the trees into the wallow’s darkness. When
can become completely invisible to all senses, spirits this Gift is combined with Mnesis, the result is a
or monitoring devices by remaining still; must be in unique art called inwitting, in which the teller sends
a natural environment, or one comfortable to his her audience into the memory-dreams of the Dragon
varna (such as a golf course’s pond for an alligator Folk. This enables a storyteller to set tales in the past
varna). A chameleon-spirit teaches this Gift. as far back as the Mokolé who is telling the story can
System: The player rolls Stamina + Stealth remember. A Shadow-spirit teaches this Gift.
(difficulty 5). Each success subtracts one success from System: To press an unwilling actor into
the Perception + Alertness rolls of those looking the shadowplay, the player spends one Gnosis point
for the character. If no one is actively seeking the per target and rolls Manipulation + Performance
mokolé, one success provides perfect concealment. (difficulty equal to the target’s Willpower). The
•Invisibility (Level Three) — The Mokolé effects last until the story ends (one scene), or until
can vanish from sight, though she must concentrate the actor is attacked. Willing participants require no
to maintain her invisibility. She can’t move faster roll or expenditure.
64 MOKOLÉ
•Take the True Form (Level Five) — The this shape on to her offspring, and they will replace
Midnight Sun can force a being into its true form. A one of her forms with the new. Only a few Mokolé
wolf-spirit teaches this Gift. have managed to make this work, but it is how a
System: The player rolls Manipulation + new varna comes to be able to incarnate shapeshifter
Primal-Urge (difficulty 7). If successful, Changing souls, and is allegedly responsible for the rise of both
Breeds (including Garou) are forced to revert the Corax and Nagah. Some loremasters say that all
to their breed form for one turn per success. the Changing Breeds originated this way. However,
Other shapeshifted creatures (such as vampires this is unlikely.
masquerading as wolves) targeted by this power are
likewise forced to revert to their true forms. Shrouded Sun (Zarad)
•Thousand Forms (Level Five) — The •Call the Rain (Level One) — Raising his
weresaurian with this Gift may change herself into arms and reciting a spontaneous poem, the Mokolé
any animal between the sizes of a small bird and a calls down the rain. A sky-spirit teaches this Gift.
bison. The Mokolé gains all the special capabilities System: The player spends one Gnosis
(flight, gills, poison, sensory abilities, etc.) of the point and rolls Wits + Expression (difficulty 8).
animal she mimics. She may not take the form of Success causes rain to fall across an area (Wisdom)
Dissolver-beasts (not that she would wish to!), miles in diameter around the Mokolé for ten
but with some extra effort she may take the form minutes per success.
of mystical beasts (such as a griffon or unicorn), •Mother’s Touch (Level One) — As the
provided the beast remains within the usual size Mokolé Setting Sun Gift.
limitations of the Gift. Wyld-spirits teach this Gift. •Sense Designer (Level One) — As the
System: The player spends a point of Gnosis Genral Mokolé Gift: Sense Dissolver, save that it
and rolls Intelligence + Animal Ken (difficulty 6). detects the presence of the Designer (weaver).
One success allows the character to assume the shape •Sense Magic (Level One) — The
of any normal animal. For the duration of the scene, weresaurian can sense the pulse and flux of
he may make additional transformation rolls without mystic energies, whether the righteous Gifts of
spending additional Gnosis, provided he only takes the Mokolé, the arrogant wizardry of mages, the
the shape of normal animals. To allow the character debased powers of vampires, or even the black
to take on a mythical form, the player must spend arts of the Dissolver’s minions. A spirit-servant of
an additional point of Gnosis and succeed against a Uktena teaches this Gift.
difficulty of 9. System: The player rolls Perception +
•Sleep of the Dragon (Level Five) — As Enigmas. The difficulty is based on the strength and
the Mokolé Noonday Sun Gift. subtlety of the magic. The Shrouded Sun cannot tell
•Steal Shape (Level Five) — This Gift is the exact nature of the magic, although clues such
rare: only two lineages possessing it are known to as “Gaian,” “dreamcraft,” or “blood magic” might be
have survived the Wars of Rage. It enables a Mokolé granted with three or more successes. The radius is
to study the shape of another being for a span of time, 20 feet per success.
and then to take that shape as her new breed form. •Spirit Speech (Level One) — This Gift
In this way, the Mokolé have survived millennia of bestows understanding of the language of the spirit
evolution on Gaia’s Face. This Gift is taught by a world, permitting the Mokolé to clearly understand
Lungfish-spirit. and speak with any spirit he encounters. The Gift
System: The Mokolé must study the new doesn’t influence spirits’ attitudes toward the
shape for at least a year. At the end of that time, weresaurian in any way, nor ensure that they have
she may spend a point of permanent Gnosis and any desire to communicate with him. Any spirit
assume the new shape. The shape must be close can teach it.
enough to the old one that her soul will inhabit System: This Gift’s effects are permanent.
it. The Storyteller is free to rule on what will and •Breaking the Tomorrow Wall (Level Two)
will not work. Normally the Mokolé will then pass — As the Mokolé Midnight Sun Gift.
66 MOKOLÉ
•Living Treasure (Level Four) — A
Shrouded Sun can convince the spirit of a treasure
in his possession to relate its history and lore. An
ancestor-spirit imparts this Gift.
System: The Mokolé touches the object;
the player rolls Manipulation + Etiquette (difficulty
7). Each success causes the spirit to reveal one fact
about itself. Shrouded Sun may use this Gift on
common items as well, making it a useful tool for
investigations or problem solving. This Gift may only
be used once per object.
•Recapitulate (Level Four) — The Mokolé
can attack enemies with their own evolutionary
heritage, forcing them to retreat back down the tree of
life toward a clump of cells. The foe is transformed into
a lower form of life. A lungfish-spirit teaches this Gift.
System: The Mokolé shouts the enemy’s name
and certain Words out of time. The player spends
two Gnosis points, then rolls Mnesis + Intimidation,
difficulty 7. The player splits her successes between
the effects of devolution and the duration. For each
success spent on effect, the victim devolves through
one stage of existence: for humans or Garou, one
success makes him a primitive ratlike mammal, two
make him a synapsid, and so on. The effect lasts for
ten minutes per success spent on duration.
•Grasp the Beyond (Level Four) — As the
General Mokolé Gift.
•Walk the Matre’s Mind (Level Four) —
Similar to the Gift Dream the Matre’s Mind, this
Gift lets the Mokolé actually enter the astral realm,
the Deep Umbra in physical form. Alternately, If she
is already astral, she can remove her cord relatively
safely. The use of this Gift is rare, as fewer Mokolé
are versed in it, but it allows the Mokolé to enter
the embodiment of Gaia’s memory without leaving
a helpless body behind and without a silver cord.
Some Mokolé postulate that the silver cord becomes
invisible, but is still there. This Gift is taught only by
various spirits familiar with the Deep Umbra.
System: No roll is needed; the effects are
automatic A Mokolé who has used the Gift: Dream
the Matre’s Mind and passes into the High Umbra
may use Walk the Matre’s Mind to remove her silver
cord and continue. If she does this, she must make
sure to return before her body suffers too greatly: her
Stamina is the number of scenes that she will be able
to voyage (at the Storyteller’s discretion).
•Gorgon’s Gaze (Level Five) — The the maneuver. The dice should be divided as evenly
Mokolé’s eyes burn red, gold, and green as this hideous as possible, although the player may choose where
power of legend transforms living flesh into stone with to distribute extra dice (or in case of the Decorated
but a gaze. Difficult to find and even more dangerous Sun’s Leadership score granting fewer dice than the
to approach, legendary Basilisk teaches this Gift. number of clutchmates involved).
System: After making eye contact, the player •Persuasion (Level One) — As the Mokolé
spends one Gnosis point and rolls Appearance + Noonday Sun Gift.
Occult (difficulty of the target’s Willpower). The victim •Cooking (Level One) — The Decorated
is completely paralyzed for one turn per success; five Sun takes up a small pot (an old coffee can will do)
successes permanently transform the target to stone. and a spoon, and fills it with whatever he can find
•Malleable Spirit (Level Five) — The — cigarette butts, beer cans, old newspapers, dead
Mokolé can change a spirit’s form or purpose. A leaves, whatever — adds water (spit will do), and stirs.
Chimerling teaches this Gift. The result is a pasty and bland-tasting, but filling and
System: The player must best the spirit in a nutritious mush. A vulture-spirit teaches this Gift.
resisted Gnosis roll. The difficulty is based on what System: The player rolls Wits + Survival
the Mokolé tries to accomplish, while the spirit’s (difficulty 6). The resulting meal feeds one person
difficulty is the Mokolé’s Gnosis. per success.
Change Difficulty •Mother’s Touch (Level One) — As the
Characteristics (Willpower, Rage, 6 Mokolé Setting Sun Gift.
Gnosis; one point changed per success) •Pilot Snake (Level One) — This Gift
Disposition (Friendly, 7 allows Mokolé to summon the helpful pilot snake, a
Neutral, Hostile) creature who knows how to get places. He can help
Type (Naturae, Elemental, Bane, etc) 9 find safe havens, drinkable water, wallows, and so
on. The Gift is taught by a Snake-spirit.
Decorated Sun (Grisma) System: The Mokolé calls on Pilot Snake
•Mercy (Level One) — Decorated Suns see and rolls Gnosis. The Mokolé must be in a place
no use for lethal force when not fighting minions of where there are pilot snakes (such as the American
the Dissolver, but even they succumb to frenzy. This Southeast). The difficulty is 6 in wilderness, 7 in sight
Gift allows the Mokolé to use her natural weaponry of human works, 8 in a park or suburb, and 9 in city
and Rage without fear of killing her opponent. A areas. Near the Dissolver’s works, it is 10. The number
dove-spirit teaches this Gift. of successes measures the Gift’s success; usually three
System: The player spends one Gnosis point. is sufficient. Pilot Snake does not speak, but will guide
For the rest of the scene, all damage that the Moolé the group anywhere within reason. He cannot provide
inflicts with her own body is considered bashing. guidance to things that he does not know about, such
A creature “killed” by such damage merely falls as Garou caerns. Once he is done, he departs.
unconscious, and he may heal the wounds at the usual •Wind Beneath my Wings (Level One) —
rate for bashing damage (see W20 Healing, p. 256). This Gift, originated by a Pteranodon Mokolé, helps
•Pack Tactics (Level One) — While the Mokolé travel more easily by marching or flying in
Decorated Sun’s role as the overall leader of Mokolé formations. The strength of the whole group can serve
is questionable, there’s no doubt at all who should to help each member. This Gift is taught by Goose.
take control of the clutch in battle. By taking the System: The Mokolé assembles her fellow
lead and coordinating pack actions, the Decorated travelers in a line (for marching) or V formation
Sun gifts all her clutchmates with great competence (for flying) and rolls Stamina + Gnosis, difficulty 7.
in the heat of battle. A wolf-spirit teaches this Gift. The number of successes is the number of travelers
System: The player spends a Willpower who can share the Stamina of the strongest member
point before initiating a Pack Tactics maneuver (see of the group (who will usually take the lead). If the
W20 p. 300) and divides a pool of extra dice equal formation is broken, the extra Stamina disappears. A
to her Leadership score among everyone performing botch reduces a group member to 1 Stamina.
68 MOKOLÉ
•Call to Duty (Level Two) — Names hold great •Long Running (Level Three) — The
power in the spirit world, and the Decorated Sun may Mokolé can make long trips far more quickly than
exploit this to summon and command any spirit she should be possible. An air-spirit teaches this Gift.
knows by name. Only one command may be given, System: The player spends one Gnosis point
and the spirit departs immediately after fulfilling it. and rolls Dexterity + (Athletics or Drive) against a
Alternatively, all spirits in the area may be called in times difficulty of the local Gauntlet. Each success reduces
of great need. An Incarna avatar teaches this Gift. the overall travel time to reach the Mokolé’s current
System: The Mokolé must know the name destination by 5%.
of the spirit she wishes to summon. The player rolls •Reshape Object (Level Three) — The
Charisma + Leadership (difficulty equal to the Mokolé can shape once-living (though not undead)
spirit’s Willpower). The second mode of this Gift material into something else instantly. Trees may
simply requires the player to spend two Gnosis points become shelter, buck antlers spears, animal hides
to summon all Gaian spirits within a one-mile (1.6 armor, and flowers sweet perfumes. The item will
km) radius. If the character has abused this Gift in resemble the object from which it was created (e.g.,
the past (in the Storyteller’s estimation), the spirits the aforementioned spear will be made of antler, not
might refuse the call — such a general summons wood). A Pattern Spider teaches this Gift.
is rooted more in appeal to duty than compulsion. System: The player rolls Manipulation + Crafts
The mightiest of spirits (Incarnae and above) are against a difficulty defined by the scope and complexity of
generally able to ignore this Gift if they choose. the transformation (a broken tree limb into a spear would
•Command the Gathering (Level Two) — be difficulty 5, while a fallen tree into a canoe would be 8)
The Decorated Sun draws all eyes to herself with a and spends a Gnosis point. The transformation persists
great exclamation, a clap of her hands, the striking for one scene per success, or permanently with five or
of spear to shield, or some other such gesture. Until more successes. Expending an additional Gnosis point
she has had her say, none may depart or interrupt allows a created weapon to inflict aggravated damage
her. A lion-spirit teaches this Gift. for the remainder of the scene in which it is created.
System: The player spends one Willpower •Infest (Level Four) — The Decorated Sun
point and rolls Appearance + Leadership (difficulty summons a horde of vermin to invade a structure
equals the highest Willpower among those whose no bigger than a large building. The Gift summons
attention she seeks to gain). If the roll succeeds, all any kind of vermin common to the area — usually
in attendance fall quiet and listen. Any individual a lively variety of insects, slugs and rodents. The
who wishes to interrupt the Decorated Sun or walk vermin behave according to their natural instincts,
out before she has finished speaking must spend two generally settling down for permanent infestation
points of Willpower to do so. rather than attacking humans. Any vermin-spirit
•Dragon Drill (Level Two) — The Mokolé can teach this Gift.
may organize her allies into a potent workforce, System: The player spends one Gnosis point
sharing any Ability known to a single member of and rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty
the group with all members. This Gift can empower 7). One success warrants an immediate call to an
Mokolé, Kin, and any character with whom the exterminator, five makes the building completely
Mokolé shares a totem. Ant-spirits teach this gift. uninhabitable for quite some time.
System: The player spends a Gnosis point •Shadows by the Firelight (Level Four) —
and rolls Manipulation + the appropriate Skill or As the Mokolé Midnight Sun Gift.
Knowledge (difficulty 7). The number of successes •Strength of the Dominator (Level Four)
is the number of individuals who gain the targeted — As the Mokolé Noonday Sun Gift.
Ability at the rating of the highest-rated member of •Chaos Mechanics (Level Five) —
the group. This Gift’s effects last for one scene. Weresaurians pulse with the Wyld’s energy, but all
•Walking Between Worlds (Level Two) — creatures with form and nature have something
As the Mokolé general Gift. Shrouded, Decorated, and of the Designer (Weaver) in them as well. Upon
Eclipsed Suns alone may buy this as a Level Two Gift. learning this Gift, the Decorated Sun reconciles
70 MOKOLÉ
•Eye of the Cobra (Level Three) — As the
Noonday Sun Gift.
•Wrath of the Dragon (Level Three) — The
Mokolé shows himself in full, terrible glory as Gaia’s
chosen warrior. His splendor overwhelms minions of
the Dissolver (Wyrm), driving them before him in
terror. An avatar of Gaia herself teaches this Gift.
System: The player spends a Gnosis point and
rolls Charisma + Intimidation. Any minions of the
Dissolver who look upon the Mokolé during the rest of
the scene must either roll Willpower (difficulty 7) and
equal or exceed the player’s successes, or flee in terror.
•Hot Ichor (Level Three) — As the Mokolé
Rising Sun Gift.
•Mastery (Level Four) — The Eclipsed Sun
can command other Mokolé — even those fallen to bypassing oceans as though the land were connected
the Dissolver — to do her bidding. A falcon-spirit as it was in the days of Pangaea.
teaches this Gift. •Army of the Ancestors (Level Five) —
System: The player rolls Charisma + This rare Gift allows a Mokolé to materialize her
Leadership (difficulty equal to the target’s Wits + 3). Archid-form characteristics in an entirely different
If the roll succeeds, the Mokolé can give the target one way. The Mokolé can call on the ancestors who gave
non-suicidal command, which he must obey for one him the shape he wears, bringing them out of the
turn per success. This Gift works only against Mokolé. mists of the Memory to challenge his opponents.
•Sun Enfleshed (Level Four) — The Mokolé This Gift is taught by an Ancestor-spirit.
becomes a living embodiment of the sun’s holy fire. She System: The Mokolé calls on his ancestor
bursts into silent, solar flames, burning her opponents while indicating his bodily “gifts” that came from them.
with a touch. This Gift is taught by an avatar of Helios. He then makes a Gnosis roll, difficulty 8. For each
System: The player spends three Gnosis success, one ancestor appears. For example, a Mokolé
points to activate this Gift. Any vampires looking with wings could call Pteranodon, while one with
upon the Mokolé must roll to resist fear frenzy as Huge Size could summon Apatosaurus. The ancestors
though they beheld the sun at full noon, and the are as intelligent as the one who summons them, and
Mokolé’s natural weapons inflict two additional dice usually cooperate (unless the summoner wants them
of aggravated damage, as well as being treated as to do something stupid or ridiculous). The ancestors
weapons made of gold. stay for one scene, then depart back to the depths of
•Halo of the Sun (Level Five) — As the Mnesis. Depending on the scene into which they were
Mokolé Setting Sun Gift. summoned, they may not wish ever to return.
•Stop Continental Drift (Level Five) — •Dream Semblance (Level Five) — This
The Crowned with this powerful Gift can travel the Gift may be exercised once in a Mokolé’s lifetime. It
world as though it were still the dawn of time. A allows the Mokolé to become a True Dragon for the
journey from the shores of Africa to South America, duration of one scene. Once the confrontation is over,
for example, may take only a matter of days. the dream will depart. This Gift is taught by Dragon.
Crocodile-spirits teach this gift. System: The Mokolé prays to Dragon and
System: Once the character begins her makes a Wits + Mnesis roll with a difficulty of 7. The
journey, the player rolls Stamina + Rituals, difficulty statistics of a True Dragon are up to the storyteller, but
7. The Crowning leads any companions traveling such a creature is extremely powerful. Its power is usually
with her in a song of the oldest times, of smoking focused on the routing of Dragon’s foes. The Gift cannot
mountains and gods that walk in thunder. The be invoked a second time, and often Mokolé who invoke
group passes in and out of the world as in a dream, it even once die after Dragon’s foes are routed.
72 MOKOLÉ
sky is appropriate to “illuminate” the wallow with System: Once the rite is performed, the
darkness. Note that the ritemaster must please not parent need only concentrate for a turn on a given
only the spirits, but the sleeping elder, if there is one. hatchling and the child’s relative condition (safe, in
The method for which these creatures can be bested immediate danger, wounded, and so on) is revealed.
varies from wallow to wallow. For example, if the
elder was a mancala player, playing a riotous game The Gator’s Burrow
in the wallow’s sands might illuminate a wallow of Level Four
laughter, while an elder who had fought the Garou The guardians of the wallow become so
all her life might demand a much darker ritual... connected to their bawn that they can sense all
System: To open a wallow, the character that goes on within its boundaries. The ritemaster
engages in a resisted, extended test of Wits + Rituals enacting this rite gazes intently into a bowl of water,
(difficulty 7) against the caern’s spirit, seeking to pool of ink, mirror, or some similar focus. At the same
gain a number of successes equal to the caern’s level. time, the Mokolé pours a small amount of witch hazel
The caern spirit uses the caern’s level as its dice pool or other strongly scented astringent (even urine)
(difficulty of the ritemaster’s Gnosis), seeking to gain on the ground in front of her. Any other Mokolé
(Ritemaster’s Willpower) successes. The first party watching or participating encircle the ritemaster and
to reach their target number of successes triumphs. growl softly in the backs of their throats.
If the character wins the test, she can add System: The celebrant must make a successful
the caern’s rating to her dice pool when performing Perception + Rituals roll against the given difficulty
actions appropriate to the caern’s focus. If she level. Each success enables the ritemaster (or the Wallow
loses, she takes lethal damage equal to the number Warder) to ask one question regarding a defined area.
of successes by which the caern beat her; a botch Failure indicates that the Mokolé sees nothing.
makes this damage aggravated. See W20, p. 310 for Area Difficulty
a list of caern types, their powers, and the spirits that Small room 5
can be encountered near them. Ballroom 6
House 7
Rite of the Nesting Mound Acre of land 8
Level One Small forest 9
This rite enables a mother to pile up earth
and vegetation to create a protective nest for her Opened Sun Bridge
eggs. Although this is common behavior among Level Four
crocodilians and monitors, the ritual version grants This rite enables Mokolé to open paths from one
the eggs an extra measure of spiritual protection. place to another “through the heart of the sun.” The Sun
System: If performed properly, the rite keeps Bridge can be invoked when Sun’s brilliance dazzles the
the eggs at optimum temperature until they hatch. eyes, and carries Mokolé from one wallow to another. A
The eggs will either hatch twice as quickly or twice normal means of using a Sun Bridge is to pass at sunrise
as slowly, depending on how the mother performed or sunset, allowing the “sun path” created by the motion
the rite and built the mound; some mothers try using of light in water to serve as a highway across the world.
this rite to ensure a certain sun auspice for their Travel is instantaneous or nearly so. The wallows involved
children. must have a pool or body of water to allow passage into the
Umbra. This water must be blessed with the rite at least
Save Hatchling once in living memory (not once a year as with a Moon
Level One Bridge). This means that as long as a sleeper remains who
Over 90% of potential suchid Mokolé and enacted the rite, Mokolé can open a way through the Sun
other reptiles die in their first year of life from disease Bridge by using the Gift: Open Sun Bridge or the Rite of
and predation. This rite creates a link between the Illuminated Wallow. However, to create a Sun Bridge,
parent and child, allowing the parent to know any to decide the destination to be reached, or to ascertain
one child’s condition at any one time. the safety of the passage, this rite is necessary.
Rites of Death
Cast Communion
Level Two
This rite enables a Mokolé adept to receive
Mnesis from a comrade. The two Mokolé must
gaze into each others’ eyes, and the giver of Mnesis
will speak of a memory which he or she holds, or
if unable to speak, will concentrate on it. She will
then breathe out the memory, and the taker will
breathe it in. Once the memory is passed, the donor
has no more access to it. This rite is often used on
battlefields to preserve the Mnesis of the dying, and
is the only reason that so much Mnesis survived the
Wars of Rage. Many highly emotional scenes have
centered on Last Communion.
74
System: Either the donor or the recipient
can be the ritemaster for this rite. If the giver is
Mystic Rites
unconscious or dead, the taker can breathe in her Burning the Library
last breath, but the Mnesis transferred will usually Level One
be confused. This rite is named for the day when fire
destroyed the Library of Alexandria. It can erase
Shed the Crocodile’s Tears a memory from someone who has witnessed (or
Level Three perpetrated) an event; if the rite is performed
This rite shows a Mokolé’s contrition for communally, remove all of the participants’
killing a foe. The Mokolé, before leaving a battlefield, memories of the event.
weeps over the corpse of a fallen enemy (or friend). System: The ritemaster rolls Charisma +
The length of time that she weeps depends on the Rituals, difficulty 7, while describing the memories
depth of feeling involved. that must be destroyed. She then intones the Words of
System: The Mokolé must expend a point Unmaking, which seek out and destroy the offending
of Gnosis as she enacts the rite. Success indicates memories. For each success, one memory (up to a scene
that the spirit or wraith of the person involved will long) can be destroyed. This rite can be performed on
not seek revenge on the ritemaster. If the Mokolé either the ritualist herself, or others; unwilling targets
sacrifices a permanent point of Gnosis, then even must be restrained or otherwise subdued.
the kin and allies of the fallen believe that the
Mokolé was not a crazed killer, but was only doing Silence of the Oracles
what was necessary. Level Two
The Mokolé’s control of memories allows
The Bones of Time them to heal minds and well as preserving the
Level Five past. This rite allows the weresaurians to protect a
This rare rite is known to a few Mokolé of person from memories that cause pain or madness.
the Americas and China. It allows a ritemaster to The Mokolé draws the damaging aspects of a
retrieve Mnesis from remains of the dead, including memory away, quarantining them safely within her
“dragons’ bones,” fossil dinosaurs, and similar Mnesis. No memory should be lost, especially those
items. To enact the rite the ritemaster must caress cataloguing the evils of an Age.
the remains while chanting the Song of the Bones, System: The ritemaster takes one memory
which lasts for many hours if all its cantos are sung. (up to a scene in length) from the target per success,
Other Mokolé sometimes dance as accompaniment storing it in her Mnesis, removing the parts that
to the ritemaster’s song. cause him pain and suffering. The victim does not
System: The ritemaster rolls Charisma + fully forget the events but has a level of detachment
Rituals as usual, difficulty 7 (if the remains are that locks away the pain and harm of the memory.
mutilated, such as a lizard-skin coat, the difficulty This rite may also be used on a character suffering
is 9). When the Song is done, the Mokolé may a Derangement or similar state. In such cases the
enter a Mnesis trance for one day. He may then individual acts free of the Derangement for one
add the number of successes gained on the rite to scene per success.
his Mnesis roll. The Storyteller will determine what
memories could be gleaned — the dragons’ bones Rite of the Stone
of Chinese medicine shops or the dinosaur fossils Level Three
of the Smithsonian might possess some interesting This allows the Mokolé to attach a mystical
memories indeed. Any number of Mokolé may stone to his body. The stone can be a belly stone,
attempt to gain memories from the bones, but if giving strength, or a skull stone, giving wisdom. A
more try than the ancestor’s Gnosis score (or more belly stone must be heavy, smooth, and properly
than one, if the ancestor was not Mokolé), the shaped — the search for the perfect stone can last
remains will crumble. a long time.
76 MOKOLÉ
Rite of the Eidolon Rite of Lost Dreams
Level Five Level Five
Mnesis is powerful: it is a direct exercise of This rite allows any person to be lowered
the Mokolé’s purpose as the Memory of Gaia. The into the Sea of Shadows with the express purpose of
Rite of the Eidolon allows the images (eidolons) regaining memories that have been lost on account
contained in Mnesis to take shape. It is different of a whole clutch being destroyed. The person who
from the Shadows by the Fire Light Gift in that the goes does not have to be Mokolé. This is more
image is not merely “backdrop”; it is as real as the than just a dangerous form of Mnesis; it allows the
mind of the remembrancer who imagines it. recipient to make those memories a part of them.
System: The rite may be performed alone In a sense, it brings a dead clutch back to life. The
or by a group. The ritemaster goes into a Mnesis reasons for doing this are varied, but are always
trance, focusing on a person or thing of the past serious; this rite is a deadly affair.
(such as an Egyptian inscription, African statue System: The ritemaster first summons
or a long-lost ancestor) and meditates for a spirits of War and Time, who will accompany the
number of hours equal to his Mnesis score (which quester. The ritemaster must find some way to
must allow him to behold the period of history compensate them. The storyteller should keep
that the eidolon is from). He then spends one track of the spirits and their nature and powers.
Gnosis to materialize the eidolon for one scene. When being lowered into the Sea of Shadows,
To preserve it for another scene, he must spend the subject of the rite will first fall blindly into
another Gnosis point. The number of successes the Abyss. If all goes well, the spirit guides will
on the rite roll is the number of things that the protect the subject from the ravenous Dead who
eidolon is capable of: lurk there. This won’t prevent them from vainly
Successes Eidolon’s Strength clawing, screaming and threatening the subject.
1 The eidolon is visible as a vague They can also offer to grant him favors, or offer to
outline to observers. “spare” him from harm. They are usually lying, of
2 The eidolon can be seen clearly. course. Occasionally, a powerful monstrosity may
3 The eidolon can answer questions by come along, and unless the quester can climb out
nodding, shaking its head, or gesturing, of the Abyss very soon, he will probably die, as he
but cannot speak. If the image is of will have to fight the attacker without being able
a nonliving thing, it can be seen clearly to see it. He will also risk losing his mind from the
enough to answer any questions about madness that these infernal beings carry or from
its appearance and is three-dimensional. fear. If you have Wraith: The Oblivion, use rules for
4 The eidolon can speak in response Spectres. Otherwise, assume that the attackers are
to a question, but cannot say anything Dark Umbral spirits roughly equal to the traveler in
that the remembrancer does not power. If he passes these spirits, he then goes into
already know. the Sea of Shadows itself.
5+ The eidolon can access the deepest If the subject goes deep enough into the
recesses of Mnesis and can speak as Sea, he will experience some part of the memories
if it were the living thing which it sought, and will incorporate them into himself. As
once was. If an object, it can be such memories would otherwise be lost, this is one of
touched and handled as if real. the most honorable feats a Mokolé can perform.
Note that the eidolon is a memory, not a
ghost. It does not come from the Shadowlands and Rite of the Sleeping Dragon
it probably does not know any cosmic secrets. The Level Five
storyteller can allow this to become a voodoo-like This rite enables the ritemaster to send
‘summoning’ with dark implications if he wishes to another into the Sleep of the Dragon; the effects are
do so, or allow it to be a glimpse of lost glories. much like those of the Gift of the same name).
78 MOKOLÉ
board during the rite. The tjurunga is then stored in
a sacred cave or other such place. Anyone seeking to
read it must sing and make a Expression + Rituals
roll, difficulty 7. The number of successes is the
number of memories that emerge.
Fetishes
Dragon Crystal
Level One, Gnosis 6
This is a semiprecious stone or amber chunk
polished into a lens, planchette, or disc and set
into a necklace, etc. When activated, it reveals the
presence of a true Mokolé; if the user looks through
it at the subject, the subject appears in his Archid
form, and if touched to a Mokolé’s body, the stone
shines with Sun’s light. For this reason, the gems are
sometimes worn as jewelry to a Gather.
To create a Dragon Crystal, a Sun-spirit may
be bound to the stone, or an Insect-spirit may be
awakened from insects preserved in amber.
Hatchling’s Tail
Level One, Gnosis 3
This fetish looks like nothing more than
a dried lizard’s tail, but when worn attached to a
belt by a Mokolé (usually the young) it gives the
wearer something extra when in Archid form. Upon
assuming the battle form of the Mokolé, the wearer Tray of the Teachers
of this fetish grows a second tail, which has all the Level One, Gnosis 5
properties of the owner’s actual tail. For example, This valuable fetish is a tray carved of tropical
the individual might gain a second tail lash attack (at marula-wood and decorated with the death-masks
+2 difficulty). All other actions involving the second of the Crowning. Usually it is inlaid with bone,
tail have a +1 difficulty, but the Mokolé also gains a precious stones, etc. When used to store and process
50% increase in Archid swimming speed. This item is the teacher-plants of Gaia, the potency of the plants
primarily used by hatchlings who have not yet gained is increased by one level for each dot in the user’s
experience in battle; most “grow out of” the fetish once Rituals trait.
they mature, passing it on to younger Mokolé. To make To create the tray, a spirit of visions must be
the fetish, a Glass-snake-spirit, a Palolo-worm-spirit, bound into the tray, such as the awakened spirits of
or a Father-spirit must be bound into the tail. ayahuasca, acacia, or cannabis, or such a spirit as Tree
Frog or Snake, who know medicines and poisons.
Scar Fetishes
Level and Gnosis vary Egg basket
Like the Garou, the Mokolé can and do Level Two, Gnosis 3
bind spirits into scars or brands. They usually brand This is a reed basket which can be used to
themselves with solid gold to make the wound stay store a Mokolé clutch of eggs. The basket itself is
open long enough to scar. Their scar fetishes are about the size of a single egg, but it can hold an
treated like the Garou’s in all relevant manners. entire clutch with ease. The eggs that are placed
within retain their temperature quite well, only
losing 5% of this heat each hour they are within the
basket. Needless to say, the basket is intended for
emergency situations only. If the wallow is attacked
or compromised, the mother typically uses the rite:
Save Hatchling while concentrating on the basket.
Of course the drawback is that the basket is as can be used in combat against creatures that are
vulnerable to destruction as any woven basket, and vulnerable to sunlight. When touched by a Sunstone,
contained within is an entire clutch. During the War a vampire or similarly solar-allergic creature suffers
of Rage more than one clutch was lost entirely when one health level of aggravated damage just as if
Garou warriors carelessly destroyed such baskets. exposed to sunlight; a hurled, activated Sunstone
To make this fetish, the basket must be inflicts Strength + 1 aggravated damage to such a
infused with a Weaverbird or Oriole-spirit. creature. In either case, this damage can be soaked
with Fortitude.
Spirit Jar A Sun-spirit must be bound into the stone to
Level Two, Gnosis 5 create this fetish.
Akin to some vodoun paraphernalia, this
fetish is a handmade pottery jar with the cover sealed Bowl of Mnesis
on with tar or wax. It holds an imprisoned spirit. The Level Four, Gnosis 5
owner can bargain with the spirit, promising it favors This simple earthen bowl is sacred to the
in return for the use of its Charms, such as Healing, Mokolé. Even possessing knowledge of this artifact
Flood, or Create Fires. Favors which the owner might is a death sentence to any who are not Mokolé. This
promise include giving the spirit Gnosis, allowing it bowl can be used to preserve the memories of a fallen
to possess a medium, or setting it free. If the jar is Mokolé or those of her enemy. First the corpse’s
broken, the spirit is freed. When freed, the spirit is intact brain is placed into the bowl, then filled with
usually fairly angry. water and allowed to sit undisturbed in the sun for
The spirit which is bound to create this fetish an entire day. With the setting sun, the liquid is
can be of almost any type. If the spirit is too weak, it then drunk by the chosen recipient of the corpse’s
will be no use. If it is too strong, it will probably free memories. The Mokolé then makes a Perception
itself and attack the owner. + Enigmas roll at a variable difficulty and spends a
Gnosis point.
Mirror of Amaterasu Omikami Fallen Creature Difficulty
Level Three, Gnosis 4 Mokolé 6
This mirror is made of bronze, with a solar Mokolé Kin, Corax, Nagah 7
design molded into the back. There are only a few such Other Bete, mortal, changeling 8
mirrors, said to be cast from the shards of the mirror Mummy or true fae 9
used to coax Sun from her hiding place long ago by Vampire, Bane, Wyrm-beast 10
the ravens. Though the face seems normal and reflects The number of successes reflects the
as does any other mirror, the reflection of the mirror amount of memory that is salvaged from the
contains the image molded on the back. In addition, fallen; in extremely rare cases (requiring at
the mirror can be used to store Sun’s light. To do so, the least 7 successes) the drinker can even retain a
Mokolé must expose the mirror to sunlight for several shapeshifter’s Past Life trait. If the fallen was a
hours and expend a number of Gnosis equal to the Mokolé or Mokolé Kin, the drinker’s Mnesis now
number of hours. When he later speaks the name of functions through their ancestral lives as well.
Sun and activates the fetish, Sun’s light shines out of The Mokolé truly honor those chosen to have
the mirror as on a cloudless day for a number of turns their memories thus preserved; this fetish is never
equal to the Gnosis spent in storing the sunlight. used frivolously. In some cases the recipient of
the corpse’s memories has been driven insane;
Sunstones this was usually if the “donor” was a vampire,
Level Three, Gnosis 4 Bane, mummy or some shapeshifter other than a
These roughly egg-sized, smooth ovoid Mokolé. This fetish grants abilities similar to the
stones retain the sun’s heat far longer than ordinary Rite of Anamnesis, but can be used even without
stones would. They are very useful in keeping eggs the knowledge of that rite. An Ancestor-spirit
warm at night, or during periods of sleep. Also they must be bound into this fetish.
Spirit Tether
Level Four, Gnosis 6
A spirit tether is a mummified umbilical cord
that anchors a Mokolé’s mind to his body. When
used for “going within” (Mnesis), one end must be
tied to the Mokolé and the other to some object
that is “of the now.” Generally, this object can be
anything created within the individual Mokolé’s
lifetime. When used in this fashion, the tether allows
the Mokolé to go as deep into Mnesis as possible
without fear of getting lost. It also allows the user
to return from Mnesis with a perfect sense of his
identity, totally eliminating the usual confusion that
can follow such sessions. It lowers the difficulty of
Mnesis rolls by one.
A second use for the Spirit Tether relates to the
Rite of Lost Dreams. When tied to the subject being
lowered into Oblivion and held by the participants of
the rite, it allows the subject to tug upon the tether in
order to signal danger. In this way, there is a chance the
ritemaster can pull the subject out of the trance before
he is consumed by whatever he sees there. The Spirit
Tether must be fashioned from a Mokolé’s umbilical
cord immediately after birth. Along with the ritual
mummification process, the spirit within the cord itself
MOKOLÉ
must be awakened. Note that because of this, the usual Pearlshell of Healing
practice of wearing the Spirit Tether around one’s waist Level One, Gnosis 4
like a belt tends to give the wearer a much stronger, This is an Australian pearlshell used to
almost Oedipan attachment to his mother. Also, a divine illness. When it is held over the body of a sick
Spirit Tether must only be used by the Mokolé whom it person, the medicine man or woman must make a
was a part of, making it useful only for homid Mokolé. Perception + Rituals roll, difficulty 6. The number of
Using someone else’s tether will cause the user to end successes is the number of things that the Storyteller
up somewhere else after going within... can tell them about the illness or injury: that it is
contagious, that it is caused by magic, that it is fatal,
Blade of the Kings etc. A Fish-spirit must inhabit the shell.
Level Five, Gnosis 6
This is a weapon (sword, edged warclub, Kurdaitcha
halberd, spear, axe, etc.) from the Mokolé of old. Level Two, Gnosis 5
Occasionally elders sleep the Sleep of the Dragon These are shoes made from emu feathers
with such a weapon by their side. The weapon causes knotted together with human hair and stuck together
aggravated damage and usually has a silver edge. It with one health level’s worth of the user’s blood. The
also shapeshifts to match its wielder; when the Mokolé maker must hind a spirit servant of Tokampini the
changes to Archid, the Blade of the Kings changes to devil-bird into the shoes. When activated, the shoes
match. If the Mokolé has Grasping Hands, he can use prevent anyone from hearing the wearer’s footfalls.
the weapon in Archid form. These weapons are made Gumagan wear them when stalking an enemy.
by binding a shapeshifting spirit, such as Butterfly or
Octopus, into the weapon as it is made. With each Rangga
blow that shapes the metal or stone of the blade, the Level Two. Gnosis 5
maker must call the spirit’s name. This is a figure molded of clay or wax and
used in hunting magic. It represents an animal,
Blowpipe of Anamnesis human, or Garou. A Perenty-spirit is bound into it.
Level Five, Gnosis 7 To activated it, the hunter speaks the name of the
This pipe is made of tropical ceiba wood, target softly. He then gets an extra die to one dice
harvested without killing the tree, and carved with pool of his choice for the remainder of the hunt.
the signs of the Kings, it is used to administer the
teacher plants by packing a dust made from them Tokoyanga
into the pipe, then blowing it into the nose of the Level Three, Gnosis 6
recipient, one nostril at a time. It allows the Rite of This is a ball of goose down worn round the
Anamnesis to be made easier; the ritemaster can neck and imbued with a Bird-spirit. It dispels grief,
lower the difficulty by one for each level of Rites he and anyone who bites it cannot cry. In addition,
has. A Poison-spirit is bound to create this fetish. nothing the wearer says is audible to a Suchid-form
Mokolé or any other large reptile. At the Storyteller’s
Fetishes of the Gumagan option, activating this fetish may relieve the effects
of Harano on the wearer for one scene.
Lungin
Level One, Gnosis 5 Warshell
This is a wooden pipe used for smoking tobacco, Level Three, Gnosis 6
or a mixture of tobacco and pituri. A Fire-spirit must This is a shell shaped into a triangle and
enter the pipe, although they are glad to do so if the sharpened. It can cut an enemy at a distance, at a
owner of the pipe is a frequent smoker. When smoked, range of 10 yards per success on the activation roll.
the pipe adds a die to dice pools for Gumagan rites. In The user slashes toward an enemy with the shell
addition, the smoker may smoke Awakened tobacco or and makes a Dexterity + Melee roll, difficulty 7.
pituri, and receive twice as much effect as usual. The number of successes is the number of health
84 MOKOLÉ
Spear of Mokolé-Mbembe
Level Six, Gnosis 5
This fetish may or may not have belonged
to Mokolé-Mbembe himself, but the Congo Clutch
swear that it is so. This weapon is in appearance
an Entoban war-spear, but examination of the
spear head will reveal that the metal is electrum.
Furthermore, the singular purity of this weapon
means that it affects shapechangers as if it were
both silver and gold. Bete are rarely be able to
discern the silver properties of this alloy (all rolls are
at 10 difficulty). All difficulties in using this spear
are increased by 1, but the weapon inflicts double
damage when activated. This fetish is unique.
Fetishes of the Mokolé-mbembe
Mask of Mnante Fetishes of the Zhong Lung
Level One, Gnosis 5 Box of Rice (Debabako)
This is a carved mask which can be worn as Level One, Gnosis 3
a necklace, over the face, as part of a headdress, or This wooden box contains a Snake-spirit.
so on. It is a tool devised during the Wars of Rage It is full of rice for as many people as the number
to enable Mokolé to survive. When it is invoked, written on the top. If the number is washed off and a
anyone trying to determine the Mokolé’s Breed, such new number written, the box will contain that much
as through Scent of the True Form, has the difficulty rice the next day. It fills with rice only once each day;
increased by the Mokolé’s current Gnosis, to a if the box is broken there will be no more rice.
maximum of 10. If the observer fails, she considers
the Mokolé to be a member of her own kind. If she Dragon Skin
botches, she sees herself and her hatred objectively, Level Two, Gnosis 4
as in a mirror of the soul. This experience should be This is the shed skin of a Zhong Lung,
articulated carefully by the Storyteller, and may lead which glows softly with five-colored light. It is an
to profound personality change. item of great prestige among clutches to have a
This mask contains a spirit of deception, fine shed skin. Of course, Eastern wizards and
such as Cuckoo, Chameleon, or Horseshoe Crab, or other hengeyokai will also wish to possess it. When
a Mirror-spirit. activated, this skin grants armor equivalent to the
Gift: Armor of the Tortoise. It must be shaped by a
Sword of Fever professional leatherworker, and a Sun-spirit must be
Level Five, Gnosis 8 bound into it.
This sword of Entoban steel incarnates the
wards of fever built by Mokolé-Mbembe himself Pearls of Flood and Ebb Tide
around Entoban. When it is drawn, even a finger’s Level Five, Gnosis 9
width, from its scabbard, it cuts the Sickness-spirits These are pearls kept in the palaces of the
free, and plague strikes. He who draws it may state Dragon Kings at the bottom of the sea and control
the enemy’s name, and they will sicken. An entire the ebb and flow of the tide. They are imbued
nation may be named. However, the Sickness- with Lune-essence and have Lunes bound into
spirits cannot be contained. Sickness will spread as them. They can cause the tides to rise and fall:
rapidly as it can, and many times, Mokolé have been the activator may use the Gift: Call the Tide (pg.
prevented from drawing this sword, lest the plague 83) with the same number of automatic successes
slay their own Kin. as her Rank.
86 MOKOLÉ
Message Stick
Gnosis 4 Mokolé Totems
A clutch usually shares a totem much as a Garou
This is a stick carved and painted with
symbols. It contains a message of as many words as the pack does. Totems attach themselves to wallows.
sender has Gnosis points. A Mynah-bird spirit enters The Rite of the Totem summons an Incama, who
the stick to deliver the message. If the recipient makes decides whether or not the clutch is worthy. Mokolé
a Gnosis roll, difficulty 5, he understands the message generally cannot have mammalian totems (though
and knows who sent it. The message then flies away. Echidna’s egg-laying breaks down barriers between
Mokolé and herself); it’s a gulf of identity rather
Pituri (Plant Talen) than blood kinship. Totems common to Mokolé and
Gnosis 3 Garou include Crocodile (“Iwai” to the Gumagan),
Pituri (“pitch-oorie”) is a narcotic plant Quetzal, Anaconda, Shark, Chameleon, Fog, Twister,
native to Australia. When un-Awakened, it Winds, Uktena, Rain, Raven, and many others.
suppresses hunger and thirst and induces a mild There are Mokolé who have remained Children of
euphoria. Awakened, the plant can be chewed or Turtle despite the fall of the Croatan, and claim that
smoked. It adds one health level of healing to all Turtle never departed, only withdrawing from the
healing rituals. In addition, the user will feel no blood-mad mammals. The Gumagan say the same
hunger, thirst or fatigue for one day. about Mu-ru-bul Tu-ru-dan the Bunyip. Note that
Mokolé who share a totem with Garou would refrain
Talens of the Makara from attacking them without cause, and might have
some basis for communication. Indeed, Crocodile
Thunder Dart demands that his Children leave Mokolé alone, or
Gnosis 6 try to make peace with them.
This powerful weapon is as large as any lawn Most Mokolé follow Dragon, a powerful
dart, but much more lethal. When hurled at an enemy, Totem of Respect.
it strikes with the force of a thunderbolt, inflicting seven
dice of aggravated lightning damage on the foe. To Dragon (Totem of (Respect)
fashion such a talen, the Makara must craft it from the Background Cost: 5
bone of a monster and fletch it with peacock feathers, Dragon personifies the 150 million years
then coax a Thunder or Rain-spirit into the dart. during which reptiles ruled the earth. Dragon is
great and fierce, burning all those who oppose him
Talens of the Zhong Lung with his poisonous breath. He asks that his children
succor his progeny reptiles and birds, and preserve
Dragon’s Spittle the memory of the Dinosaur Kings. Dragon has
Gnosis 4 never yet accepted Garou as his Children.
This is the gathered spittle of a Zhong Lung. Traits: Dragon gives the Gift: Dragon’s
When prepared with the help of a Dragon-spirit, Breath to those whom he favors; any one member
it adds Gnosis to other spirit workings. When the of the clutch can use the Gift at a time. When his
spittle is mixed into ink for mystic calligraphy, used children are in true need, he may teach them the
in rock paintings, etc., allow one extra point of Power Gift of Dream Semblance, allowing them to appear
or Gnosis for the work. as a true dragon for a scene.
92 MOKOLÉ
A clutch knows more of its own past than that of
other clutches. To prevent the lines of memory from
Mokolé and the Umbra
running apart and the Dragon Breed from being The Dragon in Flight
sundered into hostile “tribes,” the office of Wanderer Many Garou believe that the Mokolé are inept
was brought into being long ago. There have been at Umbral travel or ignorant of the Shadow. However,
many, many famous Wanderers, from the Time of the the Mokolé simply frequent different regions of the
Kings through the Age of Sleep and the Last Times. spirit world. As the “memory” of Gaia, the Mokolé are
The Wars of Rage curtailed Wandering severely. most interested in the Deep Umbra, also called the
The first Wanderer of the new era was Ornate Piers, High Umbra by mages. Here ideas and thoughts take
followed by Seeks-The-Forgotten and others. spiritual form, and here the Mokolé seek to gather
Wanderers are called “North Suns” in the those memories that have escaped them or been
Northern Hemisphere and “South Suns” in the forgotten. They even search for knowledge of the lost
Southern Hemisphere, because the Sun passes across times of the Wonder Work, although such searching
the south sky for the Northern Hemisphere and the can lead to Harano and death.
north sky for the Southern. They are also called “Hook-
Suns” and “Cross-Suns” by tale-tellers, because at night The Middle Umbra
the north sky is ruled by the Hook (Ursa Major) and the Mokolé do not normally like to travel the
southern sky by the Southern Cross. In both cases, the Middle Umbra. It is the realm which the Garou
image is of a sun outside the ecliptic. “Wayward Sun” prowl. Indeed, it requires the Gift: Walk Between
is another old term for Wanderers. There are Rising Worlds, for a Mokolé to be able to step sideways, as
and Setting Wanderers, Rising being younger ones well as a body of water to serve as a gate. Few of the
and Setting Wanderers being old. Young Wanderers children of Dragon risk the trip. The Garou are just
are usually male, while older ones can be either male as hostile to the Mokolé in the Umbra as anywhere
or female. Clutches which meet them are obliged to else. In addition, the Innocents attack any Mokolé
provide them with food and shelter for at least one day they see.
and to hear their words within one day of their arrival. Some Umbral paths lead to Pangaea and the Land
A visiting Wanderer usually stays “more than a day and of Dinosaurs. Concealing differ on the question of
less than a year.” whether the Land of Dinosaurs is located in the
Wanderers have three functions. First, they Near Umbra or in an Inner Umbra “Lost World.”
bring new stories and tales with them. These pass However, Pangaea is “Gaia as She was,” and at least
to the new clutch whom they visit either as they are one Mokolé has slept there since the Realm came
told, through Rock Art or Anamnesis, if anyone can into being. Spiteful Mokolé travelers sometimes go
perform this rites. Second, they breed when possible there to ambush Garou hunting parties and eat them.
with fertile Kin, preventing inbreeding and giving They consider this a hunt for the “most dangerous
new Mnesis to the clutch. Third, they forge alliances. game” and revel in the challenge. Most of the other
The Wanderers are ritually initiated into their office Middle Umbra realms are not accessible to Mokolé
before they leave, and they may learn the Rite of or would not interest them, such as Wolfhome. In
Rock Art and/or Anamnesis before they go to allow the Summer Country, Mokolé say that they meet
them to spread Mnesis directly. They may also have Garou who are not hostile to them. As no one can
the Rite of Anamnesis performed on them at clutches reliably enter the Summer Country to verify this, the
that they visit, or stay some time reading their Rock truth remains unknown.
Art created by the ritual of the same name. Their
journeys are arduous; many do not return home. The Deep Umbra
Player characters may be Wanderers, or The Deep Umbra is the portion of the spirit
their clutch may receive a Wanderer as a story seed world that reflects the Mind of Gaia. Its relation
(possibly with disturbing news and possibly being to the Realm is defined in a manner similar to that
a disturbance herself). Many chronicles could be of the Middle Umbra, but a different way of seeing
constructed around Wanderers and their hosts. is necessary to understand it. Simply stepping
96 MOKOLÉ
Mokolé Abominations from sheer fright. The undead Archid certainly inspires
Mokolé cannot be Embraced - Sun prevents this. If a the Delirium in vampires (Rotschreck checks if using
vampire tries to Embrace a Mokolé, the weresaurian Vampire: The Masquerade rules; at the Storyteller’s
is allowed the standard Gnosis roll. The Mokolé option, botching this roll can even inflict damage on
may succeed, in which case she dies and enters the the luckless vampire as Sun enfleshed rages before
Memory of Gaia. She may fail, in which case she dies him). The frenzy lasts till sunrise, when the Mokolé
slowly and in great pain. If she botches she becomes dies, releasing the final shards of her spirit.
an Abomination, unfortunately for everyone in the Mokolé Kin can be Embraced, but any Kin
area (including its sire), a Mokolé Abomination with Gnosis may make a Gnosis roll as above to
spends the entirety of its short unlife in a brutal, return to Gaia. Should Mokolé learn that a Kinsman
mindless frenzy. has been Embraced, they will almost certainly try to
It’s said that Leeches, on seeing the raging destroy him at once, as well as his “sire” and any
Archid “Abomination,” have died the Final Death other Leeches they see.
THE INNOCENTS
Metis Mokolé can be conceived but they die before birth, often immediately after conception. Those
who develop further are stillborn and manifest as either horribly deformed fetuses or a clutch of eggs
within which lurks foul embryos too misshapen to live.
The strongest stillborn souls, called “the Innocents” by those who would appease them, linger on
in the spirit world where they torment any Mokolé foolish enough to enter the Umbra. With motivations
both reptilian and infantile, these Innocents are sufficient motivation for Mokolé to seek outside their
own kind for breeding purposes.
Generally, the Innocents are treated as spirits, with statistics of the Storyteller’s discretion; some
are little more than Gaffling-level, while others have transcended the upper limits of a Jaggling’s power.
In addition to the usual Charms, the Innocents have dark powers of their own. These can include:
•Dark Whispers: The Innocent can speak to the living, even through the Gauntlet.
•Umbra Passage: The Innocent can leave the Dark Umbra and enter the Middle or Deep Umbra, in
pursuit of prey.
•Mnesis Travel: The Innocent can enter the Dreams of other Mokolé to haunt them.
•Take Homid Form: The Innocent can take Homid shape, effectively passing as an ordinary ghost.
•Take Suchid Form: The Innocent can appear as the ghost of a crocodile, alligator, or other appropriate reptile.
•Give Power: The Innocent can give Gnosis to another spirit.
•Take Power: The Innocent can steal the power of another spirit. The difficulty is the target’s Willpower.
•Steal Mnesis: The Innocent can take Mnesis away from its owner. She comes into contact with the
target’s mind and rolls Power vs. a difficult of the target’s Willpower. The effect depends on the number
of successes.
One success: A memory within Mnesis becomes confused.
Three successes: A minor memory is gone.
Five successes: An ordinary memory is gone, or a great memory is blurred.
Seven+ successes: A great memory is destroyed.
•Corrupt Mnesis: The Innocent can change Mnesis into Bad Mnesis, warping the dreams of the
Mokolé. The system is as above, save that instead of being gone, the memories are altered — a kind
friend becomes an enemy, or a skill learned is guaranteed to backfire. The damage done can be healed by
Gifts, by a Mnesis quest, or by pilgrimage to the Deep Umbra.
98 MOKOLÉ
ruthlessly practice their Gifts on their own memories,
changing regrets to relief, and excising unpleasant CREATING MNETICS
and unwanted recollections. As a result, the Mnetics Mnetics are mostly the same as other Mokolé and
are unreliable witnesses but have one of the most follow usual character creation rules. Mnetics may
positive outlooks of any shapeshifter. learn the Steal Mnesis and Corrupt Mnesis powers
Other Changing Breeds have Gifts that normally restricted to Innocents, who delight in the
alter, suppress or fool the memories of their victims, partnership with the fallen reptiles and sometimes
but these do not affect the true Mnesis and the act as totems.
Mokolé look upon them with disdain. A Mokolé A Mnetic may alter her own memories at will
may be irritated to learn her mind was violated by through a Mnesis quest, taking several hours. She
another Breed, but she knows a healing sleep will may attempt to alter the memories of those she meets
cleanse her memories as they wash through the with a Manipulation + Mnesis roll. The difficulty
tides of Mnesis. This attitude instils great faith in depends on how many people share the memory —
Mnesis, which makes the Mnetics’ manipulation of difficulty 5 for memories known only to the victim,
the memory source all the more devastating, and difficulty 6 if known by less than 10 people, difficulty
shocks an ever-increasing number of weresaurians 7 for 10 to 100 people, and difficulty 8 for more than
into falling to the Wyrm’s blissful embrace to 100. The Mnetic can reduce the difficulty by 1 by
escape the realization. touching the victim while attempting the alteration.
The Mnetics have a special affinity with The Mnetic may attempt to quickly alter
the Innocents, who also twist and remove Mokolé the Mnesis of members of her clutch, stream, or
memories. Many Mnetics who didn’t experience Mokolé she can physically touch. The player makes
their crisis of faith at the hands of another Mnetic a Manipulation + Mnesis roll (difficulty 7 for clutch,
experienced their first doubts of Mnesis from the 8 for stream), resisted by the victim’s Perception +
powers of Innocents. The stillborn spirits both Mnesis (difficulty 7). Each success for the Mnetic
love and hate their fallen cousins. They delight allows one minor alteration.
in tormenting the once-Mokolé by twisting their With more time and extended Mnesis quests,
memories when they think they can do so without the Mnetic may more slowly alter her stream’s Mnesis.
being noticed, but also teach memory-corrupting She makes an extended Manipulation + Mnesis roll
powers to their Mnetic partners. (difficulty 6) per night of Mnesis quest. Every 10
The Mnetics tend to work well together, successes allow her to make a minor alteration to the
as they have the best defenses against the memory collected pool of memory, such as changing the name
tampering of their own kind. They also don’t tend of a storied hero. Alternatively, she can save those
to care if their memories are accurate — it’s no successes to attempt to gain 50 successes, to make a
trouble to edit them afterward. Clutches may work major Mnesis alteration, such as having an ancient
together for years with each member having a very human civilization existing alongside the dinosaurs.
different recollection of the experience. Mnetics The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what constitutes
are also notoriously difficult to interrogate — if a minor or major modification. Rolling a botch at any
they think capture is inevitable, they quickly erase time during this extended roll leaves a memory stain
their memories or rewrite them to prevent giving that everyone sharing that Mnesis can find — some
up their co-conspirators or to reveal their plans. may have the skill and clarity to follow the stain back
Mokolé find it particularly frustrating when they to the Mnetic.
finally capture one of their fallen kind, only to Secret, precious memories are the most
discover his last remaining memory is to tell them vulnerable to the Mnetics and are those considered
he deleted it all. most interesting. Memories that everyone recalls
The Mnetics hide in plain sight, twisting are harder to change or eliminate because of their
the memory of those around them to forget when distribution through the Mnesis. Those held by only
they’re gone. Some delight in confounding others a few — or ideally just one person — are targeted by
through their tinkering. Mnetics for surgical strikes.
Step Sideways (7-pt. Merit) Bite of the Monitor: (1-5 pt. Merit)
Unlike normal members of her Stream, the This Merit is common among Mokolé of the
character may step sideways in the manner of the Ora varna. It makes the Mokolé’s bite more dangerous.
Garou. While almost all members of her Stream Any bite inflicted by the Mokolé can be healed as usual
can access the Umbra through Gifts or Rites, the as the aggravated damage it usually is. However, after
character has an inherent connection to the spirit time the wound reopens. When this happens, the victim
world. Perhaps this is a particular blessing from a loses the same number of health levels they lost with the
powerful spirit, or perhaps it is as much a mystery to initial bite after soaking. The frequency in which the bite
her as it is to everyone else. reopens depends on the strength of this Merit.
NIGHT: LIZARDS SKIN 101
•Once a year (1 point) Retain Seed: (2 pt. Merit)
•Once a season (2 points) This Merit may be purchased by female
•Once a month (3 points) Mokolé only. It allows them to retain their mate’s
•Once a week (4 points) seed for a number of years equal to their Gnosis.
•Once a day (5 points) At any time during this period, they may spend
The bite will open a number of times equal to a point of permanent Gnosis to produce a clutch
the Mokolé’s Gnosis, and after that will not reopen. It of eggs (for suchids) or a baby (for homids) with
is up to the Storyteller exactly when the bite reopens. A the usual chance of being Mokolé or Kin. Suitable
being can suffer from only one “infected” bite at a time. mates are rare, so this Merit enables more Mokolé
and Kin to be born.
Mnesis of the Lost Ones: (1 pt. Merit)
You belong to a Mnesis lineage that, through Temperature Control (2 pt. Merit)
crossbreeding, sharing of mates, or the Rite of You can control your body temperature.
Anamnesis being performed in the distant past, You will never suffer from fever, heat exhaustion,
has some memories from an extinct Changing heatstroke or hypothermia, save in the most extreme
Breed, such as the Camazotz (werebats), the Khara conditions. In addition, if you concentrate intensely
(sabertooth Bastet) or the Grondr (boar-skins). This enough, you can avoid being spotted by heat sensors.
Mnesis will be fragmented, imperfect and difficult Your body temperature cannot usually go over 110°
for you to understand. The Storyteller will convey to or under 65° Fahrenheit, however.
you what this memory contains, although you will
not be able to use it as easily as Mokolé memories. Farm Ties: (3 pt. Merit)
You are associated with an alligator farm at
Terrible footsteps: (1 pt. Merit) which crocodilians are raised to stock zoos, to restock
When shapeshifting, the Mokolé can invoke the wild, or for human tourists to look at. The staff
this Merit by spending one Gnosis. The ground are usually Kin, and there may be other Mokolé at
trembles, the trees sway, and the birds and animals the farm. You have a reasonably sure supply of food
flee. This is not connected to Delirium and the and a place to stay. However, you have to work on
Veil, but is a function of Mnesis. The Mokolé is the farm, probably including breeding. Also, the
remembering the mighty tread of the Kings. farm is a likely target for enemy attacks.
102 MOKOLÉ
purchase the Kinfolk background, the worshippers Silver Tolerance: (7 pt. Merit)
and priests don’t know that you are Mokole, and will You can soak silver, although it still does
be frightened if you shapeshift, start to talk, etc. This aggravated damage to you, and you only lose half
Merit is particularly appropriate for historical games. the usual amount of Gnosis for carrying silver
items. This is an extremely powerful Merit and
Gold Tolerance: (5 pt. Merit) is not to be taken lightly; there must be some
You can soak damage from gold, although explanation for your immunity, such as a pact
it is still aggravated. If you choose to carry golden or supernatural intervention. This Merit cannot
weapons, talismans or the like, your Gnosis loss is under any circumstances be taken along with
halved. Other Mokolé find this tolerance unusual Gold Tolerance.
and a little suspicious. This Merit is most common
for Midnight Suns. Veiled to Garou: (7 pt. Merit)
This is an extremely powerful Merit,
Eidetic Memory: (5 pt. Merit) available only to Mokolé. The Mokolé and the
You forget nothing and can “photograph” Kings hunted and slew the Garou and their
scenes and texts into your memory with the mammalian ancestors for ages. There are a few
appropriate effort. This Merit costs a lot more for Mokolé who retain that ancient aura of mind-
Mokolé than for any other creature, for obvious shattering terror. The Mokolé with this advantage
reasons. Once any fact or scene has been recalled causes the Delirium in Garou, although not in
through Mnesis, the Mokolé can call it to mind other Awakened creaturcs. Garou react as per
again, although every single detail of an ancestor’s the Delirium chart according to their Willpower
life isn’t available to him unless the ancestor also had or Rage, whichever is higher. Garou, too, can
eidetic memory. The player may ask the Storyteller make a Wits + Occult roll to move up the chart
for any fact or event that his character witnessed. at the Storyteller’s option.
The Merit makes learning anything memory-related
cost half the usual experience points (although things
that have to be practiced are as costly as usual). The
Flaws
Merit also brings respect, as other Mokolé appeal to Albino: (1 pt. flaw)
the character to settle disputes and the like. You have no pigment in any form. You are
white-skinned and have pale pink eyes. In the sun,
Backwards Mnesis (7 pt. Merit) you will be burned within a few minutes. In addition,
You can “remember” the future, although you receive two fewer dice on all social rolls because
most of what you remember will be meaningless or of your bizarre appearance. This Flaw is common
useless to you. This is treated as normal Mnesis, among sacred crocodiles.
although the Storyteller makes the roll and tells
you what you see. Tragically, this Merit is useless Deaf: (1 pt. flaw)
for playing the stock market. This Merit is most You are mostly without hearing, like some
common for Shining. large lizards. You are able to hear some things in
your Homid and Archid forms, but are entirely
Color Change: (7 pt. Merit) deaf in Suchid.
You can change color like a chameleon in
your Suchid and Archid forms. This happens as Diurnal: (1 pt. flaw)
quickly as blushing. You cannot change to any color You are strictly diurnal and sleep all night.
of the rainbow, but you can become light, dark, or You must spend a Willpower point to function with
strongly colored. This usually makes you harder to a full dice pool after the sky is dark. If there are
spot, although the Storyteller can judge how much lights as bright as the sun (Storyteller’s decision)
more difficult it will be. This Merit is most common you may act as if it were day.
among the caiman varna of South America.
104
Speechless: (1 pt. flaw) you remembered the time and place wherein it
Due to a gap in your Mnesis, you are not lived. Whenever it gets a chance, it will attack
fluent in the Dragon’s Tongue and cannot converse you in Mnesis, trying to kill you or drive you
with other Mokolé when in Archid or Suchid, save mad. Your battles with it take place in Mnesis;
for primitive body language. You can eventually buy using spirit combat rules. Unless you are able to
off this Flaw by learning the Dragon’s Tongue over kill it permanently by finding the place and time
time, but be warned that it’s a difficult business, and in the Memory whence it came and destroying it
there are few Mokolé patient enough to give you the completely there, or by erasing Mnesis with the Rite
lessons you need at times convenient for you. of the Burning Library, it will continue to hunt you
and anyone who inwits with you. This Flaw actually
Slime: (1 pt. flaw) may include more than one Dream Hunter, but
Your Archid form is slimy, and your human usually only one will appear at a time. More details
form sweats a great deal or has horrible body odor. on the statistics of these creatures in page 96.
Wherever you go, a trail of ooze follows. You receive
-2 dice to Social rolls. Exclusive Herbivore: (2 pt. flaw)
You are an herbivorous creature in your
Bad Mnesis: (2-5 pt. flaw) Archid form. Your bite attack is 1 die lower, and the
Your Mnesis contains memories so horrible taste of blood sickens you. The Storyteller may force
and tainting that any attempt to use the Memory is you to spend a Willpower point to avoid retching.
fraught with peril: you may retrieve false memories, You may not eat or digest anything that comes out
remember something incorrectly, enter Harano or of an animal’s body, including milk or eggs, in any of
suffer Derangements. The more points in this Flaw, your forms; this will sicken you and cause you to lose
the more dangerous it is: three points means that one health level.
there is a fair chance of any Mnesis quest ending
badly, while five points means that using Mnesis for Infamous Elder /Clutch: (2-4 pt. flaw)
anything is sure to cause trouble. An elder in your clutch, who has authority
over you, has a bad reputation. Perhaps he has
Cold-blooded: (2 pt. flaw) shown cowardice or broken the Duties. You may be
In all your forms, you have no natural insulted or shown dishonor on his account. You are
ability to regulate your body temperature. In warm three dice lower to dice pools for gaining Renown
weather, you get +1 Dexterity, but after each hour anywhere but your home clutch. Alternatively you
of exertion you must rest or cool yourself (such may come from an entire clutch that is notorious
as with water) or lose a health level. If it grows for its words or actions. The Storyteller will develop
too hot, high temperatures alone have the same the exact details of the dishonor but will not reveal
detrimental effects of exertion. In cold weather you everything to you right away.
suffer -1 Dexterity and -1 to Mental Attributes. In
below-freezing weather you take one health level of Insane Elder: (2 pt. flaw)
damage per hour from the cold, and you continue An elder in your clutch, one who gives you
to get colder until you tall unconscious. After a orders, has Bad Mnesis and is horribly mad. His
number of hours equal to your Stamina, you will mental illness may not be obvious to you. Indeed, you
die. You may reverse this by heating yourself, such may not even know that he is insane. However, any
as with heated coveralls or in a hot bath. This Flaw information he gives you is suspect (the Storyteller
is most common for suchids. may provide you with false information on the
chronicle setting through him) and his judgments
Dream Hunter (2 pt. flaw) and sayings will be out of touch with reality. The
Your Mnesis contains a powerful and other Mokolé you know will be more and more
dangerous memory, called a Dream Hunter. This aware of his foibles as time goes by and will distrust
deadly creature was roused from slumber when you on his account.
106 MOKOLÉ
Merits of the Makara Flaws of the Zhong Lung
High Caste: (1 pt. Merit) Fear of Iron: (1 pt. flaw)
You were fortunate enough to be born in to the You can be banished by means of iron. A hunter
Kshatriya or Brahmin caste, and thus are accorded a may throw iron into your pond, or strike you with iron.
fair amount of respect among your society. You receive If his Willpower overcomes yours in an opposed roll,
two extra dice to Social rolls when dealing with the you must flee.
humans of your homeland. Only homid Makara may
take this Merit. Fertile Essence: (1 pt. flaw)
You are filled with life-giving essence, to
Char: (3 pt. Merit) the peril of anyone who knows you. If anyone
This Merit is for Gharials only; it indicates a drinks from the same glass as you, uses the same
swollen red lump on your Suchid-form snout. This adds bathing pool, or even handles your clothing or
two dice to Social rolls among other Makara, and allows utensils, they can have children who will resemble
the Mokolé to spend Gnosis to add to chances of siring a you. Even people who are sterile or barren might
true offspring. For each Gnosis spent in mating rites, 1 % become pregnant because of you (Storyteller’s
is added to the chance of a true Mokolé being born. option, and certainly not applicable to metis
characters). This can become annoying, and cause
Merits of the Zhong Lung some serious misunderstandings.
111
Whatever Mokolé-mbembe lack in territory.. Harpy eagles are 2 ft 10 in–3 ft 6 in long
organization or pacts with spiritual courts, they (0.8–1 m) and their wingspawn is 5 ft 9 in to 7 ft 4 in
compensate it with raw physical power, use the next (1.7m to 2.2m). They can reach speeds of up to 50
trait modifiers for their base Archid form: mph (80 kph) in flight.
Strength +4, Dexterity +1, Stamina +3, Harpy Eagle: Str: +1, Dex: +2, Per: +3, Rage 3.
Manipulation –3, Appearance 0 Note: Claws do Str +1 Damage.Bite does Str Damage.
Save for the gumagan, all streams lacked of Soak rolls for bashing damage are made at +1 difficulty.
knowledge of the secret ways in the Umbra, and going Crowned eagle: Str: +2, Dex: +1, Per: +2, Rage 4
to the spirit world for whatever the reason was a suicide Note: Can lift up to 66 lb (30 kg) in short flights. Claws
mission. Eventually the Wars of Rage forced most of do Str +1 Damage. Bite does Str Damage. Soak rolls for
the weresaurian to break their bonds with the Umbra, bashing damage are made at +1 difficulty.
this made a lot harder to learn Gifts from denizens of
the spirit world. The mokolé can learn gifts through Makara
Mnesis, but the Mokolé-mbembe managed to be Exclusive Varna: Snakes are an important part
especially talented at it, even to this day. of Hindu culture, some times as gods; and other
When a Mokolé-mbembe attempts to learn a like symbols of rebirth, death and mortality, due
Gift through Mnesis the roll its made at a -1 difficulty. to its casting of its skin and being symbolically
Exclusive Varna: After the passing of the Dinosaur “reborn”. Over a large part of India there are carved
Kings, there was no other kin to the mokolé but representations of cobras or nagas or stones as
crocodiles and monitor lizards, most of the weresarian substitutes. To these human food and flowers are
entered in the sleep of the dragon while others stayed offered and lights are burned before the shrines.
to see the world slowly change for worse. Centuries of the continent culture and the use
Some weresaurians dream of the time of of the gift Steal Shape shaped the Makara in a unique
the Bird Kings, specially the Mokolé-mbembe, physical and spiritual way, adding two creatures to their
who remember like no other the times when their Varna list. Those are the Paradise flying snake and the
feathered cousins where kin for them. Through black-tailed python, at first sight it looks like that would
the course of the strange millennia two bird varna put the weresaurian in conflict with the weresnakes,
persisted in the Mokolé-mbembe lineage, the but the Nagah only take the most poisonous snakes
Crowned Eagle and the Harpy Eagle. as mating partners, leaving behind the constrictor or
Nowadays its no secret to the weresaurian the weak poison ones. Even more, the tales of a snake
society that the stream of the fighters has kin among shapeshifter who ended up being a Mokolé helps a lot
the birds, however no other stream has managed to to keep the idea that Nagah are extinct.
add their feathered cousins to their varna. Paradise flying snake is commonly found in
The crowned eagle lives in the sub-Saharan South and Southeast Asia; it glides by stretching the
Africa; in Southern Africa it is restricted to eastern areas. body into a flattened strip using its ribs. It is mostly
Its preferred habitats are principally riparian woodlands found in moist forests and can cover a horizontal
and various forests. Its wingspawn ranges from about 5 distance of about 100 meters in a glide from the top
feet ( 1.5 m) up to 6 (1.8 m). Despite the spectacular and of a tree. They grow up to 2 meters long.
conspicuous nature of their display flights, the crowned Black-tailed Python is found in many tropic
eagle is sometime considered a “clumsy” flier out in the and subtropic areas of Southern and Southeast Asia.
open, lacking the grace and speed attributed to a few Lethargic and slow moving even in its native habitat,
other eagles in a high-flying context. they exhibit timidity and rarely try to attack even
The Harpy Eagle is the largest and most when attacked. Locomotion is usually rectilinear,
powerful raptor found in the America. Their territory with the body moving in a straight line. They are very
extends from México (almost extinct), through good swimmers and are quite at home in water. They
Central America and into South America to as far can be wholly submerged in water for many minutes if
south as Argentina. The eagle is most common in necessary, but usually prefer to remain near the bank.
Brazil, where it is found across the entire national They usually grow up to 3 meters (9.8 ft).
112 MOKOLÉ
Paradise Flying Snake: Str: –1, Dex: +2, Sta: +1,
Man: 0, Rage 2
Note: Running speed is halved; swimming speed equals
Homid form’s land speed. Can glide 2 meters forward
for every meter she is above the ground. Bite inflicts
Strength –1 damage.
Black-tailed Python: Str: +3, Dex: -1, Sta: +3,
Man: 0, Rage 3
Note: Running speed is one third of homid form;
swimming speed equals Homid form’s land speed. Bite
inflicts Strength damage. Has Constricting Coils like the
Archid Characteristc.
Makara Gifts: All Makara have access to
Kitsune Kojin Gifts save for “Call to Allies” (see
W20CB, p. 131); its not like the Makara are linked to
the Werefoxes, its just they can learn those same gifts.
Makara who are members of the beast courts
cannot take Gifts from the Garou’s Galliard list like the
Zhong Lung do, however they can access to Hengeyokai
Gifts like any otter member of the Beast courts.
Gumagan
The Gumagan are the memory of Bandaiyan and
preserve all of its past, through the Ice and back to
the time of the Kings. The Ancestors who walked
the red desert in the Dreamtime (alcheringa) are the
source of their visions and their Archid forms, which
range from dinosaurs to fantastic Dreamtime things
unknown to science. This powerful connection to
the spirit world, untainted by the Wars of Rage,
has led the Gumagan to have unusual abilities with
the Umbra. All Umbra-related Gifts cost one fewer
experience point for Gumagan to purchase (this
doesn’t apply to freebie points, however). In ancient
times the Gumagan could simply wander in and
out of the Dreamtime at will, but the coming of the
Gauntlet changed all that.