Ananasi
Ananasi, or the Children of Queen Ananasa, are one of the changing breeds. They are werespiders that call themselves the Damhàn.
Overview
The Damhàn consider themselves children of Queen Ananasa, an ancient and powerful spider spirit created by the Weaver itself. As creatures of the Weaver, they seek to keep true balance between the forced of the Triat, fulfilling the Weaver's original purpose. Queen Ananasa's will is their law; she is the patron and totem of every Ananasi (excluding the traitors who abandon her). The children of Queen Ananasa have many of the advantages of spiders. This includes the ability to generate venoms, spin extremely strong webs, and even scale vertical surfaces, in the correct forms.
Having no connection to Luna, the Ananasi are one of the few Fera who do not possess Rage (and do not normally frenzy). Instead, like some of their spider kin, they draw sustenance and supernatural power from the blood of humans and animals that they ingest, expending it to power their abilities. They may expend this blood to move with supernatural quickness, heal themselves, change forms, create webs, or to power their other gifts. They lack the passive regeneration granted to other Fera from rage, and must expend blood in order to repair their forms.
The Damhàn do not step sideways in order to enter the Umbra; intead, they assume their Crawlerling form and crawl through along the strands of the web, which is how they think of the Gauntlet. Being creatures of the Weaver, they find this much easier in areas of high Weaver influence, such as in large cities with a high concentration of technology. They are considered bizzare and alien at best by the other changing breeds; in return, the Ananasi consider the other Fera beneath their notice. Perhaps because they are not Gaian offspring. Ananasi possess no vulnerability or allergy to silver, nor to any other substance as a Breed. They often point this out as proof of their superiority to the other Shifters.
Forms
The Ananasi may change into many different forms:
- Homid - An Ananasi in her human form is said to be wearing her Homid skin. The Ananasi cannot completely hide their true natures, even when they mask themselves in human skin. Their X-rays aren’t quite normal, pedipalps hide behind their human teeth, and their organs are never quite where they should be. While she appears to be human at first glance, her Homid form does not hold up under scrutiny, revealing a strange anatomy. The Ananasi are incapable of appearing perfectly human.
- Araneid - When an Ananasi shifts into her Araneid form, her skin ripples, as though something is pushing underneath it to be set free. The Ananasi grows half a foot in height, her features elongating and eyes filling black.
- Lilian - The Lilian form differs for every Ananasi—it may feature anything from extra arms to spiky armaments. When assuming this form, an Ananasi doubles in mass, growing up to 10 feet in height, her abdomen distending and becoming rounded. Those in Lilian form are prepared for war; nightmares and terror are a part of their arsenal.
- Pithus - In Pithus form, an Ananasi becomes a pit spider, with the height and bulk of a small car. Since this form lacks opposable digits, Ananasi in Pithus form cannot use weapons or most technological devices.
- Crawlerling - The Ananasi are unique in that they break down into a hundred different spiders when they assume their Crawlering form. The swarm stays within a five-step radius of itself, moving as a unit. Killing one spider won’t affect the Ananasi, granting her greater flexibility in escaping a foe. Since this form lacks opposable digits, Ananasi in Crawlerling cannot use weapons or most technological devices.
