been, guarding against sickness and monsters in equal measure. This way of life continued unbroken until the modern age.
The sanctity of their jungles broken at last by those who would profit from its pillage, the Uchumallki were utterly unpre- pared for the onslaught of bulldozers, miners and missionaries. They fought as best they could in sporadic guerilla raids, but they soon realized that they could not win. Even with the efforts of the rainforests’ other defenders, the jaguar skinchangers and cai- man people, the mallki knew they fought an enemy too massive and well-organized, with technology too alien — too modern — for their ancient ways of war to overcome. So, swallowing their pride, they sought other allies. They followed the scent of magic blowing from the west and found, much to their surprise, the nascent Teomallki. Turned away by the Sun Spears and unable to gather more than a few Word Bear- ers to their cause, the Smoke Dancers finally turned to the peaceful Stone
Pillars as a last resort. With nothing else to give, the Pachamallki shared the new Spell of Going Westward.
Armed with the magic of the join- ing, the Uchumallki finally believe they have a chance. Now their illi prowl beyond the jungles to the boardrooms of major corpora-
tions and the streets of Rio de Janeiro, hunting for souls to recruit to their cause. Beggars can’t be choosers, and the illi are just as likely to return fused with thugs and hoodlums as they are with more principled members of society. Guided by the modern knowledge of their new Teomallki, the Smoke Dancers have lately begun to shift their focus from gathering physically powerful individuals to joining with corporate executives and bureaucrats — those who have a chance at shaping public policy in their favor.
Views
Chaskimallki: They seem almost eager to die for a cause. It’s a shame, really. Martyrs make such limited allies.
Intimallki: The ages have not been kind to the Sun Spears. Their bitterness burns even us.
Pachamallki: We now owe them a great debt. Who knows, we might even live long enough to repay it….
Amenti: They are of no concern to us. Wu T’ian: Who?
Rebirth: As noted, Uchumallki illi are the least restrictive
dynasty when it comes to picking hosts for the joining. Anyone with the least bit of promise — even a complete foreigner
— will do if he seems worthy. Once reanimation takes place, the new Smoke Dancer makes its way back to the Amazon to receive true rebirth. Although Uchumallki draw on centuries of sneaking through jungle brush to avoid detec- tion, their primary focus is speed. After all, the Amazon war needs its soldiers yesterday.
New Life: Harvested in death by an
ancient spirit to fight a hidden war, a new Smoke Dancer’s existence is stressful at best and often quite traumatic. The illi’s residual desperation spills over into the subconscious, coloring every experience with shades of unease. Of course, the atavistic impulses of rage the mummy feels whenever he sees imple- ments of modern technology or civilization don’t particularly help, either. It takes months (if not longer) to contain and reconcile these urges, though Uchumallki can eventually learn to view their inner anger as a source of strength rather than as a hindrance.
Smoke Dancers chosen for their martial prowess receive training in sur- vival skills and jungle warfare strategies. Such recruits can find themselves on the front lines, engaging in sabotage and acts of so-called “eco-terrorism” under the leadership of more experienced Uchumallki within weeks of arriving in the Amazon. Experience, more than training, is the warrior’s teacher. Those who learn quickly become extremely formidable. Slow learners spend a lot of unnecessary time in death cycles.
Politicians and businessmen granted immortality — “white collar warriors,” as they half-jokingly refer to themselves — return to their previous lives whenever possible as deep-cover operatives for the Uchumallki. Drafting environmental laws and shifting corporate investments away from the rainforests might not be as immediately dangerous as blowing up bulldozers, but it’s still hard work.
Affiliations: Uchumallki have con-
flicting feelings regarding everything and everyone they know. On the one hand, they are children of the modern age. Cellular phones, computers and cars are as natural to them as cities and highways. On the other hand, the ancient xenophobic and technophobic mallki spirits within them resent these “diabolical” creations and yearn for the security and simplicity of the
jungle. As such, many Smoke Dancers have difficulty connecting to either world. Neither the jungle nor the city feels like home. Filled with confusion, it is unsurprising that many Uchumallki prefer to associate with their own kind rather than those mortals who can- not possibly understand. Of course, deep-cover operatives cannot
afford this luxury and must simply press on in spite of their unease. Smoke Dancers on the front lines occasionally
work alongside other magical beings such as skinchangers and wizards. Even when so
allied, mummies find these creatures alien, and they seldom build anything more
than “professional” relationships. Half- remembered dealings with jaguar men
centuries ago are one thing; actually watching a petite woman transform into a snarling nine-foot-tall killing machine is quite another. Similarly, Teomallki Smoke Dancers fear and respect their mallki forebears. The mallki are relics — extremely powerful and mistrustful relics — of an age long past. One does not simply engage such elders in idle conversations about the weather.
Internally, Uchumallki so- ciety divides roughly along the two fronts of the war. Operatives and soldiers each have their place and generally respect one another, but a healthy rivalry between “pencil-pushers” and
“grunts” does exist.
Character Creation: Uchumallki selected as
soldiers prize Physical Attributes and combat-related Abilities (Brawl, Dodge, Firearms, etc.) as well as hefty Survival and Alertness ratings — at least those who tend to last do. White-collar warriors tend to prefer Mental or Social Attributes and Knowledges, particularly Finance and Law. High Samapa helps soldiers recover from ignominious defeats, while Memory comes in handy for remembering trivial details such as which flowers are poisonous and the proper titles for addressing jaguar skinchangers. Covert operatives make better use of Allies, Contacts, Influence and Resources; such individuals were often chosen pre- cisely because they either had Backgrounds themselves or a notable propensity for accumulating such. Highly placed operatives also find Alternate Identity invaluable.
Primary Hekau: Alitu
Purpose: Created in fire, the Uchumallki
gain preternatural resistance to heat and flame. Only direct exposure to fire can inflict injury, and such damage is considered lethal instead of
aggravated.
Liability: Their attunement to fire
also makes Smoke Dancers vulnerable to cold. If exposed to weather below freez- ing, living Uchumallki suffer one health level
of aggravated damage each hour (unless they have adequate protection from the elements). Smoke Dancer corpses do not suffer this damage.
Wu Feng
From their vantage as advisors to the August Personage of Jade, the Eight Immortals have watched the passage of Ages with sorrow. The depredations of corrupt shen and demonic minions of the Yama Kings have ravaged the faith of the people and consumed the sacred wellsprings of the Middle Kingdom. Petty shadow wars over blood and jade have seen the beast-changers, the once-proud hengeyokai, fading away to extinction while gibbering hordes of bakemono goblins run unopposed. Spirits cry feebly from behind the wall cleaving the worlds, their duties as members of the Celestial Bureaucracy all but forgotten in their pain and confusion. And the vampires — wretched remnants of fallen heroes — pretend enlightenment with sto- len breath, while Lightning People pledge their power and souls to godless machines. The world bleeds and weeps, and heaven bleeds with it.
Divided according to the timeless duality of yin and yang, each incarnation of the Wu T’ian has an important role in the greater mission of the Eight Immortals. As heaven’s ministers have learned through experience, Ages have no set time limit. Their epochs are defined by cataclysm rather than calendar. Wu Feng exist to fulfill two objectives: the lengthening of the present age and the shortening of the next. They achieve the former by driving out Yomi-spawned infestations and by healing the spiritual and physical blights of the world to remove the footholds of corruption. When the next Age finally comes, the Wu Feng will work to shorten it by
waging a persistent guerilla war against the demon emperor. They will be the thorn in the foot, the singular force of righteousness in an unrighteous world. They will cure the plagues bred in the Thousand Hells and shine as bright beacons of hope and heroism to the enslaved people of the Middle Kingdom. But all that is in the distant future, hopefully. Now is what matters. Forestalling the rise of evil is most assuredly task enough for the present.
Infused with a living spirit of yang, Wu Feng are generally passionate, warm and outgoing. They draw their name from the Scarlet Phoenix (sometimes known as the Scarlet Queen), the goddess who personifies the force of yang. As the Chinese Na Kua, she created humanity; as Japan’s Izanami she birthed their islands. She is life, and all life derives from her. The Family of the Phoenix gives homage to the Scarlet Queen by living and respecting life. It is for this reason that Wu Feng value their healers more than their warriors. Warriors are a sad necessity of the twilight years, but it is those who give life and restore life