SCIURIY

By Mike Showel

Background

They know who they are and they are out there, somewhere. For over fifty years, they were thought to be totally extinct. Even their normal counterpart, the flying wooly squirrel, was said to be finished. With them all gone, and the Sciuriy all gone, it left one less enemy the Garou might have to face. It's common knowledge that there were once many, many, creatures of Gaia. The Sciuriy are but one of them, and like the rest, they are not happy.

They lived hidden in isolation from the garou onslaught so many millenia ago, in the Himalayan mountains, near Pakistan. Now they have been rediscovered. Without knowing it, zoologists have rediscovered them and not the they aren't Giant wooly flying squirrel they would like to believe they have found. Gaia had grown tired of their hiding from the Garou, and she grew wary of the battle she faces from the Wyrm, and now is when all of her protectors should be most active, and thus, she has began breaking their shroud to the other creatures she created. Now that they have gotten the hint, they have decided that they no longer have reason to fear the garou. The garou have beaten down their own numbers, and are not the great warriors they once were. They lost much of their ways, and skills, to the coming of the technological waste. Any Sciuriy matching blades with these newer oafs would win with ease.

The Sciuriy have now begun taking up their scimitars and have also began to learn how to use the modern weapons for back up, as they prepare to strike out at the Wyrm for all their worth. They ally with the Wyld, and thus they have a three front battle: The Garou, the Wyrm, and the Weaver. They re not afraid though. Once they were great swordsmen and powerful as a race. Their own arrogance was their downfall. Now they no longer underestimate their enemies, and the war is on

The Sciuriy have begun breeding rapidly now in an attempt to catch up with the other species. They have sent agents to the states, as well as many other countries to breed with the human and squirrel populations. They have also been working to convince the others to do the same, just in case the garou try to attack them again, they will all be ready. Those who are born away from Pakistan, may not learn the language of their origins, but they understand the ways of the blade well. When they can hold a scimitar, the lessons will begin. This means that sciuridae, in a year, will reach puberty, and have their first change. When they go homid, they will be taught immediately to hold a sword. The Sciuriy are still not used to the cities, and do not like their ways. They immediately take their city born out into the country side for their training. There are no Metis Sciuriy by both law, and rites. All Sciuriy are consecrated with a ritual preventing them from being able to create metis bominations. They also seek to destroy the Wyrm in all places, and the Weaver as well, who to them is the mastermind behind the Wyrm.

The Sciuriy society has a few simple rules to go by. All Sciuriy must learn to use a scimitar, or tai chi sword as soon as they can hold up a blade. This has resulted in many child kidnappings from human parents before the Sciuriy reaches puberty or can even ride a bike, so they can learn to hold a sword. There is no rank among the Sciurid in the sense that all must bow to the higher rank. Those within two ranks of another share similar status and respect. All Sciuriy must share with each other. They must harvest, plant, and do whatever they need for food, but it must be done for everyone to benefit from. There are no rules for respecting other creatures of Gaia, for they are the only ones who are truly important in the first place. No one person can be in charge of a group. They must have a group of leaders that must come to a consensus before acting on serious matters, unlike the foolish garou. During wartime, they take no prisoners, and spare none who have shown no mercy. They do not participate in the politics of the mundane, with exception to the Titkten. The Sciuriy are one of the only two tribes of flying squirrel to exist, and the latter tribe was small to begin with, and no longer exists. They are mourned for as they were the gentle ones, of peace, slain by the wolves.

Each individual Sciuriy has a totem of its own. The totem comes to it at the day of its birth and leaves a birthmark shaped in its image on the Sciuriy's forearms. The totem then makes itself known during the First Change. The common totems that adopt a Sciuriy are the rat, the bear, the falcon, and the unicorn, though any totem may adopt a newborn and take him under its wing. The Sciuriy form bands which are similar to the packs of the werewolves, with the exception that they do not fall into such a strict hierarchy. One member is usually respected more than the rest, out of accomplishments, but he can not force his will on those in his band. This leader is picked the leader usually because of a strategic skill for combat that would be the most likely to get his band to survive.

Breeds

There are only two possible breeds for the Sciuriy: The homid, or (Naked Ones), and the Sciuridae, or (Air Taught). The Homids are only a new thing for the Sciuriy. They have begun breeding them to infiltrate the cities of man. The homids always are aware that something about them is not quite right. In truth, many of them are born with a unique fondness of sword fighting movies, and a desire to wield such a weapon. Many have actually been able to convince their mundane parents to buy them such a weapon. If this is not the case then they are kidnapped, which usually happens as not too many seven year olds can convince their parents to buy them a scimitar. Those kidnapped are taught to do battle with the scimitar, or ancient japanese Samurai swords, and fight with great skill. No Sciuriy is considered an adult, or even allowed to enter real combat, until it can match its trainer in combat for three minutes. (All sciury must spend four initial points in melee, taking the scimitar as their weapon in other words.) Those who break this rule of their own free will, and are not fighting to defend themselves, are put to death as they have shamed the Sciuriy with such poor demonstration of fighting prowess.

The initial Gnosis of a Homid is 2, and the beginning Gift is Smell of Man.

Sciuridae are the wild children. They are the ones who take to the forest life the best, and they are raised always by their Sciuriy parent from birth. They are taught the proper ways to glide from tree to tree on the day of their birth, and are given a deeper respect for creation. However, they adjust poorly to the mundane cities, as they do not know the language of humans and must be taught. Their initial Gnosis is 6, and their beginning gifts are heightened senses, and razor claws.

Gitors

The Gitors, or what the garou would call auspices, are the moon sign they are born under. This is usually a birthmark on their left forearms placed by their totems on their birthdays. The totems usually then use the right arm to leave their marks. These usually look like well done tattoos, and they can not be removed by any means short of multiple rituals and acid burns.

As with the Garou, there are five stages of the moon:

Zieet:	The night warrior. Of the full moon.
Torkti:	The riddler of the Gibbous moon.
Ago:	The Minded ones of the half moon.
Titkten:	The wise keepers of peace of the crescent moon.
Gideous:	The spiritualists of the new moon.

There is no initial renown to choose from; the pool can vary in anyway, such as the garou Tagabash.

The Zieet are the trainers of the scimitar and Tai Chi swords. They are the ones who kidnap the Homids who are not given a weapon when they can hold one, and they are the ones who put to death those who fight untrained offensively. They are the one of the most emotions and battle with a ferocity of every predator in existence, even though their race is not a predatorial species. They lead the front of the battle line, and are usually second in command of small bands as their fighting prowess matches well with the tactition. They have an initial rage of 5 and their gifts are Luna's Avenger, Gift of the Porcupine , and Razor Claws.

The Torki are the riddlers of the Sciuriy. They thrive on mind games and riddles. They seek to build character in other squiriy, and invoke a stronger understanding of all things by all Squiriy who listen to them. They are not the heaviest of combatants, and in truth do not opt to fight much, but as with any Scuiriy if fighting is the only option, they will do so with lethal mastery. Their riddles always have a deeper meaning that causes enlightenment. Solving one of their riddles is grounds for granting experience points, like a bonus one or two extra. As a rule, these riddles should always be extremely complicated and hard to solve. It is preferred to have more than one storyteller come up with the riddle as it may be an extremely difficult task. If a player makes a riddle, he should do so with the help of the storyteller, if he can't come up with one that is extremely difficult, and unique. They have an initial Rage of 4, and their gifts are: Sense Wyrm, Inner Strength, Blissful ignorance.

The Ago are the sciuriy who follow the paths of thought. They are the greatest thinkers and writers, poets, artists, musicians, and philosophers of the day. They dress uniquely, different from the other sciuriy and unusual by anyone else's standards as well. They are the musician in grunge, the poet who dresses in all black, the starving writer who dresses so plainly it hurts. They are also the tactitions of the sciuriy. Their plans of battle are by far the greatest. A high ranking Ago could lead a small band of twenty against an army of a thousand, and win, with enough time to prepare and plan. They have an initial Rage of 3 and have the Gifts The Great Leap, Heightened senses and Constant lift.

The Titkten, are the wisest of the Sciuriy. They are the ones who try to create peace between all, including the enemy, if possible. They are not foolish enough to lose sight of danger, but they are wise enough to know when to stop trying and retreat for battle if necessary. They always give an alternative to combat to their enemy, and if the enemy still advances on them, they defend themselves, and then attack in return. If the enemy attempts retreat, they will not give chase, unless the enemy is heavy with Wyrm taint. In these cases there are no bonds of peace to be made. Many of these sciuriy have opted to become politicians in the countries they inhabit, to promote peace and global unity. They also use this political power to fight for the environment. They have an Initial rage of 2 and have the Gifts: Sense Wyrm, Gaia's Vengeance, Mothers touch, and Trackless waste.

The Gideous are the most feared among the sciuriy people. Not for their fighting prowess like the Zieet, but for their power. The are third in command, under the Zieet, and are thus kept from combat most often to prepare other things. The Gideous are great in spiritual and intellectual power. Their intelligence is the primary attribute always, and they have an extra gnosis point. They have an Initial rage:1 and have the Gifts: Call Breeze, Cutting Wind, Chill of Early Frost, Invoke the Spirits of the Storm, Avalanche, Wyld Warp,and Heightened Senses. They also have two extra background points to dispense in rites.

Advantages

Like the other shapeshifters, the Sciuriy regenerate back a health level per round. They are affected by silver, fire and toxins as are the other shapeshifting races. However they are not as susceptible to silver as the others. When wielding a silver weapon they lose no Gnosis. When being attacked by silver they can attempt to soak its damage as a normal attack. If they don't soak it, then it becomes aggravated damage that must be healed normally without regeneration. Sciuriy climb with a 2 modifier deduction from their difficulty. Squiridiy climb with a -2 modifier deduction from their difficulty

Movement Table

	Homid	Glabro	Crinos	Hispo	Sciuridae
Walk	7	7+1	7+1(9+1)	14	20
Jog	12+dex	12+dex+1	12(14)+dex+3	x2	x2.5
Run	20+dex x3	20+dex x3+2	20(22)+dex x3+4	x2.5	x3

Numbers in parenthesis is for quadrupedal.
x = multiplier to Homid movement rating.

Jump table

	Homid	Glabro	Crinos		Hispo	Sciuridae
Type of jump:	Amount of feet per success
Verticle	2	3.5	5		5.5	4.5
Horizontal	4	4.5	6		6.5	7.5

Sciuriy step sideways the same as the garou with the exception that they do not get caught in between when they botch, but rather they take a point of aggravated damage. Their bites and claws do the same amount of damage as garou, with the exception of landing. When they land from a glide they use all four libs, each are clawed. They latch on to their target, be it a tree or person. When this happens the target if a person, takes twice as much damage from each of the claws that strikes and latches on, due to the speed of the glide and descent, and momentum built force. In Crinos, some Sciuriy have severed trees to land themselves correctly.

Final note

Sciuriy are general friends to all the shape shifting races except the garou, and those heavily tainted with Wyrm. They hold no natural animosity towards vampires except those heavily tainted in Wyrm (tenth or better gen.) They do however hate the Black Spiral Dancers. The Black Spiral Dancers look too much like them with their ability to glide. It has caused recently a lot of confusion between who did what, and the sciuriy have taken this personally. Never call a sciuriy a Black Spiral Dancer, because it is immediate grounds for Rage roll.

Rage difficulty

7	New
6	Crescent
6	Half
5	Gibbous
5	Full