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Character Totems
Topic Started: Jan 3 2011, 11:37 AM (60 Views)
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One of the first and strongest ties that binds Elithyraan and Garou to their ancestry and the land is their totem spirit. Although the shifter may choose the totem that they think best represents them, it is honestly more a case of the totem adopting the shifter. Totems often refer to the creature it chooses as its 'children'.

Totem spirits are typically animal spirits, but many Garou and Elithyraan have mythological beings, elemental forces, or other spirits as totems. When a totem spirit chooses a shifter (or when the shifter chooses the totem spirit), it sends a representative known as a totem avatar to attend the shifter. The devotion of the Garou or Elithyraan gives the totem and its avatar power, and their actions further the totem's goals. In return, the totem bestows some of its knowledge (and may bestow some of its powers) upon the Elithyraan or Garou.

All totems have what are called ‘bans’, or things the totems ask of its adopters. If one does not follow the ban, the totem may decide to cut ties with the shifter who adopted it.

Please note that even though totems are usually only taken by Elithyraan and Garou, a particularly spiritual human or other mythical humanoid may take a totem as well.

Please note that you do not have to take a totem. These were thrown in here so that you may give your characters more depth and personality.



Falcon
Falcon is a most noble spirit. His keen eyes look deep into the heart, rewarding and inspiring the valorous and honorable. A respected totem, Falcon brings unity to the creatures who adopt him as their totem.

Ban: To Falcon's children, dishonor is worse than death; they can never allow themselves to lose their honour. If they do, they must either put right the wrong or atone for their offense by hurling themselves at a powerful evil. While essentially a suicide run, their blood will wash away the stain on their names.

Special: Rally Cry // When fighting any kind of evil enemy, a child of Falcon may utter a great battle cry to rally his or her allies. The allies who hear the call stand more closely and fight harder, but it only lasts for a short while.

Stag

Great Stag is an ancient spirit, older than the wolf creatures who claim him as totem. He is associated with masculinity, virility and the wild raw power of nature. Light and dark are both in Stag. He gave both the Elithyraan and Garou their affinity with nature, and he teaches responsibility toward humans, but he is also the master of the Wild Hunt. An avatar of Stag occasionally appears to lost creatures, leading them to safety or otherwise aiding them.

Ban: Children of Stag must always show respect toward prey, including performing a prayer for the prey after a successful hunt. Children of Stag must always aid the fae.

Special (Garou only): Call the Hunt // The Garou may let out a long, piercing howl, calling forth the Celtic Huntsman of mythology and his hounds to help slay an evil foe. Once called, the Garou must join in the Hunt, or the Huntsman turns on the summoner after the foe is slain. This power may be activated only once per month, and only in dire circumstances.

Bear

Great Bear is wise in peace and fierce in war. He is renowned as a master of healing and mystical rites. Most Garou do not favour this totem due to a mistrust of his true children, the Gurahl wearbears. Garou and Elithyraan with this totem are well regarded by bear Elithyraan and bear spirits.

Ban: Bear asks nothing of his children. Asking for his favor has already cost them much standing among their own people.

Special (Elithyraan only): Bear grants his children the special ability of quick healing, and the ability to heal others. In order to heal wounds quickly, an Elithyraan must say a quiet prayer to Bear. Small wounds such as scrapes, small cuts, etc. heal almost instantly. Larger wounds like exceptionally deep gashes and torn skin or ears may take up to a day to heal, depending on the extent of the damage. Broken bones and grievous wounds take much longer.

Boar

Boar is feared by hunters, and with good reason. He is too angry to pass up a challenge, too fierce to concede a fight and too ornery to die with good grace. Many combative young creatures choose Boar as their totem.

Ban: Children of Boar must never hunt or eat boars.

Special: Ignore Pain // When severely bloodied or half dead, the children of Boar lose all their feeling for pain, thus making them more frightening fighters. Unfortunately, even though they can not feel pain, this does not mean the wounds aren’t affecting them.

Griffin

Griffin mourns those lost to extinction, and his rage against humans--so often the killers of entire species--makes him one with his children, who harbor a dislike of humans as well. Always hungry, always hunting, Griffin strikes like lightning and without warning.

Ban: Griffin's children may never associate with humans. To do so is to lose him as their totem.

Special: Hide From Humans // Griffin’s children may effectively hide from humans, even in plain sight. They must take care not to draw attention to themselves when hiding, however; if they make a noise or anything that would draw attention to them, they will lose their hiding place until the human is distracted again.

Rat

Silent and quick, Rat is adept at hit-and-run warfare. Rat fights to weaken, cripple and overwhelm, but he can be as vicious as any other when cornered.

Ban: Rat's children must never kill vermin.

Special: Disease Resistant // Rat’s children hardly ever get sick with disease. Viruses and bacteria don’t seem to affect them like they do the others.

Chimera

Chimera is an enigmatic spirit, mysterious She of Many Faces, who invites one to find the inner wisdom beneath layers of puzzles and deceptions. Chimera's children are granted the ability to disguise themselves or something else when in the Umbra. Chimera also teaches how to find the truth behind a tangle of deceptions.

Ban: The creature must seek enlightenment, but otherwise Chimera places no restrictions.

Special: Umbral Disguise // When in the Umbra, Chimera’s children may disguise themselves as anything they wish, be it a rock, other animal, a tree, or even a flower. They may not, however, choose something that is not affiliated with nature.

Owl

Silent watcher, Owl strikes without warning in the darkness. Owl holds much hidden wisdom. The totem is also associated with secrets of death and the shadows. Some believe that owls are vengeful spirits of the dead.

Ban: Owl asks that the creature leave small tied or helpless rodents in the woods for him and his kind.

Special: Eyes of Dusk // Owl’s children are nocturnal creatures, and hardly ever venture out in the daylight. Because of this, they are more adapted to hunting at night. They can see better in the darkness. Unfortunately, they can no longer see well in daylight, and are considered partially blind in bright light.

Raven

Raven is perhaps the cleverest bird. He likes to play, baiting wolves and then flying out of range when they lunge for him, in turn granting the wolves hunting practice. Raven is wise, feeding without hunting by following wolves and picking over their kills. If he finds an animal dead in the snow he summons the wolf to tear open the carcass for him. For time out of mind Raven has been companion to the wolf, finding food and feasting with the hunters, teaching them wisdom through his games (after all, who wants to look foolish by trying to catch the uncatchable bird?). Raven is also a totem of wealth, making sure the wolves want for nothing, although he himself is always hungry.

Ban: Raven expects his children to carry no monetary wealth, instead trusting in him to provide.

Special: Shadows of the Night // Raven’s children are tricky, stealthy creatures. They may summon shadows that writhe about their bodies in tiny wisps. These same shadows allow the creature to hide anywhere there is shadow, even in broad daylight. Raven’s children also have a higher rate of successful hunts than other totem children.

Unicorn

The totem of most nature lovers, Unicorn is a wise totem of peace, purity, healing and harmony. She is the embodiment of the blissful and encompassing love of the earth.

Ban: Unicorn's children must aid and protect the weak and exploited.

Special: Wilderness Survival // Unicorn’s children have a special bond with the earth. Thus, they are able to survive longer in the wilderness than others, and may even live in their human forms in the wild. They never get lost in the woods, are gifted at hunting and gathering, and always seem to know where shelter is if they need it.

Coyote

Coyote is the consummate trickster. He's an outlaw by heart. Utterly unpredictable, remarkably lusty and sometimes even foolish, Coyote is a clever warrior and a master of deception. Although Coyote is cunning, he isn't considered particularly wise. If something goes wrong, everyone blames the Coyote's children, regardless of culpability. Coyote's children have more than their fair share of difficulties, but at least they never get bored.

Ban: Coyote wouldn't think of limiting his children.

Special: Trickster // Coyote grants his children one extra animal form. For instance, a wolf may be able to turn into a raven, or a fox into a rabbit. Humans who take Coyote as their totem are able to shift only into a coyote.

Fox

Fox likes to confound both prey and enemy, be it a rabbit who doesn't see danger approaching or a pack of hounds who follow him into a hornet's nest. He loves to trick opponents into trusting him, then ensnare them in a cunning trap. He loves it even better if the trap also teaches the foe a lesson.

Ban: Fox asks only that his children not participate in fox hunts, and that they always help foxes subjected to such hunts. Most view Fox's children as untrustworthy.

Special: Joker // Fox bestows his children with some part of his personality. His children are particularly crafty with their pranks and jokes, and will often drive enemies into a trap just to laugh at them as they get stuck in the pit, only to watch the shifter run away unharmed.


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