These Gifts are available to characters of the Ajaba (werehyenas) changing breed.

 

Basic Gifts

 

Curse of Hatred

Activation Time: Normal

Activation Cost: One Gnosis

Frequency: Once per target per scene

 Challenge: Social vs. target

Retest: Expression

Effect: You project into an opponent all the hate and bitterness you've built up through your Metis upbringing, demoralizing them. Your target loses two Willpower Traits and two Rage Traits.

 

Feral Grin

Activation Time: Automatic

Effect: With a snarl or a glare, the Ajaba forces her opponent to back down, unnerved. A hyena-spirit teaches this gift. The Ajaba adds + 2 to intimidate others of equal or higher Willpower. When attempting to intimidate lower-Willpower individuals, the Ajaba adds her Primal-Urge rating. This Gift’s effects are permanent.

 

Feral Laugher

Activation Time: Normal

Challenge: Socials vs rage

Retest: Expression

Effect: The Ajaba must make some comment mocking the present situation in which she finds herself, then laugh at it. Success causes those who hear the Ajaba’s comment and laughter lose hold of their ire, and forget what it was that had them upset in the first place- although their tempers will return if they are reminded of what the werehyena has made them forget. Laughter is the tool with which Gaia’s tricksters promote enlightenment and the knife that slashes through the veil of Rage. When the Ajaba laughs, those around her are compelled to follow along, forgetting their grievances. A coyote- or hyena-spirit teaches this Gift.

 

Eye of the Hunter

Activation Time: Normal

Challenge: Mental vs 7 Traits

Retest: Primal Urge 

Effect: Hyenas can sense which animal from a herd is sick or weak and therefore the easiest prey. Ajaba can do so normally when confronted with a herd of wildebeest, but more complex creatures like predators or pseudo-predators (like humans) make this difficult. This Gift, taught by a wolf-spirit, allows the Ajaba to pick out the weakest member of a group at a glance. It does not reveal why the target is the weak link in a herd, only that she is, but that alone is often enough to give the werehyena an edge.  If succeeds, the character knows which member of a given group is the weakest (determined by the Storyteller) and which is the leader. If the Ajaba enters combat against this group, she gains a re-test against the weakest member. 

 

Gift of Terror

Activation Time: Normal

Challenge: Mental vs Target

Retest: Primal Urge

Follow-up Cost: Willpower for each day you want the effect to stay (max ten)

Effect: Some humans can’t just be splattered all over the nearest tree. Some of them have to be taught a lesson and left alive, for whatever reason. However, the Ajaba know how to make the message stick. This Gift induces a terrible dread of and respect for the forest, and it makes a human target afraid to tamper with it in any way. Any predator spirit can teach this Gift. The Ajaba must make eye contact with the target, but she can be in any form when she does so.  The effects last for one day per success. During this time, the human must win a Willpower chop to leave his home, and he may not go near anything resembling a forest without spending a Willpower point. If the human does leave home, he is shaky and fearful until he returns, and his player down -two traits from all Mental and Social. This Gift functions on Kinfolk, mages, ghouls and other “supernatural” humans.

 

Gender Shift

Activation Time: Personal

Challenge: Social vs 7 Traits

Retest: Subterfuge

Effect: A favorite of the Hyena Kings of old, this Gift allows an Ajaba to effectively change "gender" in the eyes of onlookers. Her features and build become decidedly more masculine, and her garb seems of a masculine cut. Her hair, eye and skin color remain the same; the result is a man who shows a slight family resemblance to the werehyena.

Duration: The illusion lasts for one scene, or until the Ajaba shifts form. The disguise with stands casual tactile contact, although heavy or violent contact will reveal the truth 

 

Infectious Laughter

Activation Time: Normal

Challenge: Social vs 6 Traits

Retest: Expression

Effect: Laughter is the tool with which Gaia’s tricksters promote enlightenment and the knife that slashes through the veil of Rage. When the Ajaba laughs, those around her are compelled to follow along, forgetting their grievances. A coyote- or hyena-spirit teaches this Gift. The Ajaba must make some comment mocking the present situation in which she finds herself, then laugh at it. Success causes those who hear the Ajaba’s comment and laughter lose hold of their ire, and forget what it was that had them upset in the first place — although their tempers will return if they are reminded of what the werehyena has made them forget

 

Mask of Night

Activation Time: Personal

Frequency: Once per scene 

Activation Cost: One Gnosis

Effect: For centuries, mankind believed that hyenas were intersex, creatures existing between the sexes. Legends spread far and wide supporting this belief, continuing to this day, despite being long refuted by scientists. With this gift, you have harnessed the power of these legends, enabling you to embrace a gender fluidity and shift your appearance. Use your standard action to focus on your inner appearance. At the end of the round, your body shifts, your facial features changing just enough so that you are not immediately identifiable. This change allows you to take on more classically feminine or masculine features, building on your own. Once you have shifted your features, they will remain altered for 24 hours, unless you choose to change them back. Only those who have Familiarity with you  will be able to recognize who you truly are.

 

Odious Aroma

Activation Time: Normal

Activation Cost: One Gnosis

Effect: Your body odor intensifies to a horrific degree, hitting everyone nearby like a hammer. Anyone within twenty feet who has a sense of smell suffers a two-Trait penalty to all their challenges, thanks to the effort of not inhaling the debilitating stink. You gain a two-Trait penalty to all Social Challenges and Stealth Challenges.

Duration: One Scene

 

Primal Anger

Activation Time: Personal

Frequency: Once per scene

Activation Cost: One or more of your natural Health Levels (mark off as Aggravated damage)

Effect: You channel the abuse you have suffered as one of the Metis breed, mortifying your own flesh to gain Rage. You gain two Rage for each Health level you sacrifice. This Rage may take you over your permanent rating.

 

Sense Prey (AKA Fulfilling The Hunt)

Activation Time: Personal

Challenge: Static Mental vs. 6 Traits in the wilderness, or 15 Traits in the city

Retest: Primal Urge

Effect: A spiritual sense of direction leads you to the nearest large number of prey animals, enough to provide a good meal for a pack of wolves. In the wilderness, it's the nearest within 50 miles; in the city, it's the nearest within the limits of the city and its suburbs (and which often indicates an animal shelter or zoo). Humans don't count as prey for this Gift, although it's said that the Red Talon tribe might know a version that doesn't draw that distinction.

 

Sweet Hunter's Smile (as Homid Persuasion)

Activation Time: Reflexive

Activation Cost: One Social Trait

Frequency: Once per Social Challenge

Effect: Your ancestors have imbued you with sublime composure and a keen ability to drive an argument home. You may immediately retest a Social Challenge you've just failed.

 

Intermediate Gifts

 

Clan Loyalty

Activation Time: Normal

Required: Your target is a packmate or clanmate. Friend in Need itself may never itself be shared, by its own effect or any similar effect.

Activation Cost: One Willpower

Effect:  Choose one of the following: one of your Gifts, or a specific number of your Health Levels, Rage, or Willpower. For the duration, your target packmate or clanmate may use that Gift or those Traits as if they were their own -- and for the same duration you cannot use the Gift or Traits. If you choose a Gift, it cannot be a higher level than your target's Rank would allow them to learn.  When the Gift ends, you get these things back -- though any Traits spent are still spent, and any damage taken remains on the Health Levels. If your target dies while this Gift is in effect, you permanently lose whatever you lent -- except for Health Levels, which simply return having taken Aggravated damage.

Duration: One Scene, or until you choose to end the effect

 

Crushing Jaws

Activation Time: Reflexive

 Required: You make a successful Bite attack

Activation Cost: One Willpower

Effect: Only death can loose the Ajaba’s jaws. By using this Gift together as a group, several Ajaba can pull apart even the mightiest opponent. A hyena-spirit teaches this Gift. After executing a successful bite attack to lock her jaws. Each turn there after, the Ajaba automatically inflicts one health level of unsoakable aggravated damage as her jaws crush bone and rend flesh. She may take no other action, save to voluntarily let go of her prey. While she is locked in, all close-range attacks against her are made at -2 difficulty due to her relative immobility. Only death can pry her loose against her will.

 

Culling the Weak

Activation Time: Automatic

Effect:  The Ajaba use the strength Gaia granted them to mark the weak — and then allow their enemies’ very weakness to prepare them for the slaughter. This Gift is taught by a vulture-spirit. Whenever an opponent who has not yet managed to injure the Ajaba during the scene attempts to attack the werehyena, but fails to inflict any health levels of damage with that attack, they automatically lose one point of Willpower and one point of Rage (if applicable).

 

Gift of the Skunk

Activation Time: Normal

Challenge: Physical vs 8 Traits

Retest: Primal Urge

Effect: With this Gift, the Ajaba can swell her musk glands, allowing her to spray musk like a skunk. It is, of course, taught by a skunk-spirit. The spray is directed (maximum range of 10 feet). A target struck by this attack must spend a Willpower point to do anything but spend the first turn retching. Afterwards, he subtracts one from all challenges for the rest of the scene. Immersion in water negates this Gift, and it is ineffective against targets with no sense of smell.

Duration: One scene, or until immersed in water

 

Gnaw

Activation Time: Personal

Activation Cost: One Willpower

Challenge: Physical vs. hardness of the target material (5 for wood; 9 for steel; 15 for titanium)

Retest: Athletics 

Effect: The power of your jaws increases sharply, giving you the ability to gnaw easily through the target material. In addition, your bite inflicts one additional level of Lethal damage in combat.

Duration: One Scene or Hour

 

Gorge

Activation Time: Automatic

To Learn: You must learn this gift separately for each type of Trait you want to store (Rage, Gnosis or Willpower); you can only learn it once per type.

Effect: Just like you gorge on meat in the winter when you don't know if you'll get another meal, so too have you learned to gorge on spiritual power for dire situations. You may call on three additional Traits per night of one type you select when you learn the Gift -- Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower. You may refresh these spent Traits by normal means, but they do not add to your Trait totals in Challenges.

Duration: Always in effect

 

Laugh of the Hyena

Activation Time: At Will

Effect: Hyena follows no one; instead, she laughs and mocks anyone who tries to command her. In the same fashion, an Ajaba who can convince a hyena-spirit to teach her such defiance can steal the spirit it’s mocking laughter. The Ajaba can learn to resist any attempt to command, cajole, force, or demand her to do something she doesn’t want to do. This is never subtle. The Ajaba (and the player) must cackle like a hyena-spirit when calling upon this Gift. The Ajaba has a -2 difficulty to any Willpower test used to resist mental domination or control. This includes the Gift: Roll Over; all effects of the vampire discipline Dominate; all effects of the mage Mind Sphere; and all effects of the wraith Arcanos: Puppetry.

 

Laughter of the Soul 

Activation Time: Normal

Challenge: Social vs 9 Traits, extended challenge

Retest: Intimidation 

Effect: The Ajaba’s barking chuckle worms into enemies’ minds, becoming a harbinger of terror and madness. Fear-spirits teach this Gift. The Ajaba laughs. One success makes the target uneasy, three induces shivering paranoia and anxiety attacks, and five send him fleeing into the night screaming. Three or more successes drives creatures capable of fear frenzy into that state, unless they spend 2 Willpower to resist for the rest of the scene. Even then, they remain unnerved and jumpy. 

 

Advanced Gift

 

Survivor

Activation Time: Personal

Activation Cost: One Gnosis

Frequency: Once Per session

Challenge: Physical vs 10 Traits

Retest: Survival

Effect: This Gift confers temporary immunity to many environmental factors. The Ajaba has no need of food, water or sleep, and she does not suffer from temperature extremes. She is also immune to natural diseases and poisons. Wyrm toxins will still affect her, but at half their normal potency. The Ajaba can gain three extra points of Stamina, and she suffers no wound penalties, but the Gift will expire prematurely after 10 rounds of full combat. The Ajaba must sleep for at least eight hours when the Gift wears off, and she awakens ravenously hungry.