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"If I were to change my face, would it alter what I am? Appearances are deceiving, my brother; the heart sees better than the eyes."
Bastet Breedbook pg.65
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Riddle Dancers
Witty and clever, the riddling cats are among the smallest of the Bastet, pensive and cryptic, more given to sly tactics than head-on battles. The remaining Qualmi are native to the northern areas of North America; all of the European Qualmi were destroyed during the War of Rage. Qualmi tend to stay in one place, and favor the wilderness. Wandering Qualmi are the exception rather than the rule. They're seldom found outside the colder lands, and they are vigorous, enjoying swimming, ice fishing, and other wintry pursuits. Their kinfolk can be found ranging further south and west at times.
They are good friends and allies but often end up alone, because their inscrutable nature can drive away even Kinfolk. They see their purpose as questioners; they are here to make others think about their own natures and purposes. In many ways, they are intellectually-focused tricksters, occupying a sacred but difficult role among the Bastet. Their lives are often solitary, with matings ending before the kittens are born. If a child breeds true, it is usually sent back to its Bastet parent, if there is one, for teaching, but their training 'year' only lasts about six months, because that's about as long as they can stand one another.
They tend to be dark-skinned, small of stature and compact with wiry builds, suited for cold climates. They are most often of Native American stock, but aren't purists about choosing mates from that group. In lynx form they resemble the Canada Lynx most, with grey fur. Often, they seem to age prematurely, and go grey young. They have an air of knowing something others don't, and usually choose practical clothing well-suited to the weather. All Qualmi wear something with an insignia of the moon at all times.
With "two eyes made out of wind," according to the tribe's own (most common) origin tale, it's said the Qualmi see far, farther than their neighboring Uktena and Wendigo -- but that theirs is a cold sight, one that assesses and analyzes rather than empathizing. It's said that's why lynx kits have blue eyes.
Unlike most Bastet, the Qualmi tend to enjoy the friendship of some of the Garou -- their link to the Uktena is long-standing, existing to this day. While the Qualmi are not quite as martial as their neighbors the Wendigo, the two tribes share many common magics, suggesting there is more common ground than it might seem.
** Pictures and Title all taken from Bastet Breedbook pg.# 63-65 **
Qualmi Gifts
PGttCB 72-73, Bastet 113-114
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Level 1
- Breakfast of Stones
- Turned Fur
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Level 2
- No Hidden Thing
- Wind from the West
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Level 3
- Drop of Sea
- Nighttime Web
- Wisdom of the Ancient Ways
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Level 4
- Chill of Early Frost
- Dancing on Air
- Still Breeze Blowing
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Level 5
- Call Down the Stars
- Water's Vision
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| Qualmi Gift Details
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Rank 1
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Breakfast of Stones - As the Level 1 Pumonca gift Wanderer's Boon. Travel is hard, especially given the Spartan ways of the Pumonca. This Gift allows a cougar to adapt to changing climates quickly, or to ignore the pangs of hunger or thirst for some time. Bird and Bear spirits pass this Gift along.
System: By rolling Stamina + Survival and spending a Willpower point, the player allows her werecat to do one of the following things: ignore the worst effects of normal heat and cold for a week; go one day without water; or go three days without food. The difficulty for the roll is 6, although harsh conditions (blizzards, droughts, heat waves, etc.) can raise it by two or more. The Gift can be repeated, but the difficulty rises by one each time it's performed in succession.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p114)
Turned Fur - As the Wendigo Gift Camouflage, save the cat must discard any clothing or gear before the Gift takes effect -- the Lynx is the only thing that changes color.
System: The difficulties to spot the Qualmi increase by three, provided that he is in the woods. The bastet invokes the effects at whim.
(PGttCB p72, Bastet BB p114)
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Rank 2
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No Hidden Thing - By reading the riddles of the world as mystic patterns, a Qualmi can discover answers that aren't immediately obvious to mortals. It's hard to hide things from a lynx!
System: This gift combines the level One Common Gifts: Spirits' Sight, Dowsing, Pathfinder's Pride, Sense the Truth, Sense Unmaker's Hand, and Cat Sight. The roll is Perception + Enigmas, and the difficulty ranges from 5 to 9, depending on what the lynx is looking for and how well it's hidden. The Qualmi must spend one Gnosis, but retains the use of this Gift for the entire scene.
(Bastet BB p114)
Wind from the West - This Gift takes the form of a series of high-speed riddles designed to tie a victim's mind into knots. Most Qualmi are rather pleased if this Gift fails; it's not often they find someone clever enough to keep up with them.
System: The Qualmi rolls Manipulation + Enigmas (difficulty equals the target's Willpower). Success scrambles the target's sense of direction and relationship. Three or more successes send the target into a panic; Changing Breeds must check for Frenzy, and normal humans flee in terror. The Gift's effects last for about 15 minutes, then fade.
If the target is clever enough, he may try to figure out the puzzle (Wits + Enigmas, difficulty equals the Qualmi's Willpower) before it takes effect. If the players and storyteller wish, this can be simulated using the rules of Gamecraft, wherein the difficulty for each party increases by 1 until someone fails a roll. As mentioned above, Qualmi tend to be gracious losers when opponents prove to be clever enough to outwit the lynx.
(Bastet BB p114, PGttCB p73)
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Rank 3
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Drop of Sea - Qualmi are renowned shapeshifters; this Gift, which allows them to take a variety of forms, demonstrates why.
System: This Gift combines the powers of the Level Four Homid Gift Monkey's Uncle and the Level Five Swara Gift: All the Beasts Under the Sun, with the following differences: The roll is Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty 7); the animal shapes run from hare-sized to bear-sized; and an observer who makes a Perception + Enigmas roll (difficulty 9) may see the werecat for what she is. If he wants to undo the magic, he may ask the transformed werecat a riddle (Gamecraft); if she can't answer it, she changes back to her old form immediately.
(Bastet BB p114)
Nighttime Web - As the Level Three Common Gift Cheshire Prank, except that it works in all forms and doesn't require a grin.
(Bastet BB p115)
Wisdom of the Ancient Ways - As the Philodox Gift.
(PGttCB p73)
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Rank 4
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Chill of Early Frost - As the Wendigo Gift.
(PGttCB p73)
Dancing on Air - As the Level Four Metis Gift: Moon's Gateway, except that the roll is Intelligence + Enigmas.
(Bastet BB p115)
Still Breeze Blowing - Like the Lupus Gift: Elemental Gift, this magic allows the Qualmi to conjure a spirit to shift the elements to her advantage. Dwelling in the North as they do, most members of this tribe favor air and ice elementals over fire and earth.
(Bastet BB p115)
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Rank 5
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Call Down the Stars - Sometimes the best answer to a riddle is force. This gift recalls the days of Strange Owl Woman, when the white man dragged iron monsters across the open lands. By confusing the spirits inside machinery with a staggering riddle, the lynx causes fires, power generators, and other sources of combustion to explode. This tends to fix most problems for good.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Enigmas (difficulty 7) and spends a Willpower point to drive the riddle home. If she succeeds, the power source -- be it gas, coal, wood, electricity, kerosene, whatever -- ignites. The exact effects are left to the Storyteller; small fires may flare for one or two Health Levels per success, while car gas tanks or steam train furnaces might blow for four Health Levels per success. Some combustion must be involved -- a canister of gasoline will not explode on its own. No Qualmi has ever dared to find out what would happen if the spirits of nuclear power plants were confused; the results might poison the entire land.
(Bastet BB p115)
Water's Vision - With this Gift, the Qualmi can look through barriers to glimpse what lies beyond them. It doesn't matter if the barriers are mundane or spiritual -- all becomes like glass to Qualmi who wants to see past them.
System: Seeing through barriers requires a Perception + Primal-Urge roll against the local Gauntlet rating. For each success, the lynx can see 100 feet without obstruction. Every object, living or not, appears translucent and immaterial. It's unfortunately rather difficult to focus on one thing when you can see through everything; it often requires a Perception + Alertness roll to notice details. The vision stops at ground level, but the Qualmi ccan see into basements or cellars if her sight extends far enough. This Gift lasts for one turn per success.
(PGttCB p73)
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