CAPÍTULO ÚNICO

Mokolé are descended from long chains of human and reptile ancestors. They carry the memories of these creatures as well as those of their true Mokolé ancestors.

Memories from human ancestors have clear views of scenes, and elements of the scene such as the social status or relationship of people present are more obvious. Language, if any is used, it a little easier to understand (the remembrancer gets the meaning of a speech if the ancestor understood what was being said), and the thoughts of the ancestor are more comprehensible in terms of analysis of the scene or event. Suchid ancestors think in much more sensory terms, in terms of patterns and textures or variations in scent. Animals, birds, plants

and weather are familiar to the ancestor, though she may not know the names of them, and any implications such as a coming storm, are obvious. The suchid ancestor remembers sounds, including language but not what the words mean. Suchid awareness is much sharper than human. They can identify species and even individuals from a single footprint, and tell from the smell and taste of the water what is going on.

In terms of game mechanics, allow the guidelines above to govern how useful Mnesis will be. If the character is looking at a swamp through human eyes, she may see only water, trees and mud. A suchid looking at a war, however, sees only humans killing each other and does not see the meaning of the battle.

Mnesis Rapture

The Mokolé link to the past is profound. This is expressed not only through Mnesis trances but in daily life. Although spontaneous expression of Mnesis is rare, it does happen and can be a powerful Storyteller’s device.

On infrequent occasions, a Mokolé may see an object or place that is also in Mnesis. When this happens, the Storyteller may allow an instant Mnesis roll. If the player gets one success, allow a vague sense of déja vu. Three successes allow the character to access the memories of what the ancestor saw. Five successes grant the “story” of what happened. If the roll botches, the character spasms with nightmares of bad Mnesis for a period of time. It’s likely that the character will be enraptured for a number of hours equal to the number of successes; the Storyteller might allow the player to spend a Willpower point to avoid this.

Mnesis Rapture may introduce a story, a new theme, or even serve as a catalyst for a First Change.

The Wanderers

Mnesis is passed from parent to child usually from mother to children. Mokole are sedentary, usually requiring only small areas to survive by hunting, fishing and gardening. As the millennia have passed, this has led to Mnesis being extremely local.

A clutch knows more of its own past than that of other clutches. To prevent the lines of memory from running apart and the Dragon Breed from being sundered into hostile “tribes,” the office of Wanderer was brought into being long ago. There have been many, many famous Wanderers, from the Time of the Kings through the Age of Sleep and the Last Times. The Wars of Rage curtailed Wandering severely. The first Wanderer of the new era was Ornate Piers, followed by Seeks-The-Forgotten and others.

Wanderers are called “North Suns” in the Northern Hemisphere and “South Suns” in the Southern Hemisphere, because the Sun passes across the south sky for the Northern Hemisphere and the north sky for the Southern. They are also called “Hook- Suns” and “Cross-Suns” by tale-tellers, because at night the north sky is ruled by the Hook (Ursa Major) and the southern sky by the Southern Cross. In both cases, the image is of a sun outside the ecliptic. “Wayward Sun” is another old term for Wanderers. There are Rising and Setting Wanderers, Rising being younger ones and Setting Wanderers being old. Young Wanderers are usually male, while older ones can be either male or female. Clutches which meet them are obliged to provide them with food and shelter for at least one day and to hear their words within one day of their arrival. A visiting Wanderer usually stays “more than a day and less than a year.”

Wanderers have three functions. First, they bring new stories and tales with them. These pass to the new clutch whom they visit either as they are told, through Rock Art or Anamnesis, if anyone can perform this rites. Second, they breed when possible with fertile Kin, preventing inbreeding and giving new Mnesis to the clutch. Third, they forge alliances. The Wanderers are ritually initiated into their office before they leave, and they may learn the Rite of Rock Art and/or Anamnesis before they go to allow them to spread Mnesis directly. They may also have the Rite of Anamnesis performed on them at clutches that they visit, or stay some time reading their Rock Art created by the ritual of the same name. Their journeys are arduous; many do not return home.

Player characters may be Wanderers, or their clutch may receive a Wanderer as a story seed (possibly with disturbing news and possibly being a disturbance herself). Many chronicles could be constructed around Wanderers and their hosts.

Mokolé and the Umbra