Post by Tami on Aug 5, 2006 23:13:52 GMT -5
Nuwisha are werecoyotes, part-human, part-coyote, and part-spirit. They are clever, sneaky, skilled survivors, curious explorers, and born tricksters. Nuwisha are the teachers of the Changing Breeds, who prefer to instruct their students through jokes, pointing out flaws, and hiding lessons in riddles. They value quick thinking over prowess in battle, and will often go out of their way to knock chips off shoulders and deflate overblown pride. Nuwisha themselves are not terrible foes in a fair fight, but the point is that a good Nuwisha will never fight fair. And if the Nuwisha is allowed to determine the sort of battle it will be, they almost never lose. Even if they do lose, well, it all makes for a good story that will probably make people laugh.
To hear a Nuwisha tell the story, Coyote was the maker of the world, creator of all the animals, and the one responsible for making humanity. Of course, the Nuwisha themselves tend to laugh when they tell these stories, so it's hard to say how much they believe in the tales.
Nuwisha are native to North America, but as natural explorers they have traveled across the Earth and through the Umbra. They delight in new experiences and can be found almost anywhere there are humans, watching and laughing.
The Nuwisha remained apart from the Wars of Rage for a long time, even after the Wars came to the Americas. They are not naturally inclined to fight, and so they tried to advise all sides to stop and listen to each other. When this did not work, and some Nuwisha were killed for getting in the middle, they then turned their attention to teaching painful lessons to the combatants; messing with scouts, confusing all sides, making the battlefields as dangerous as the warriors, and more.
Unfortunately, this backfired after several on all sides suffered injury or death after a few of the most dramatic of the Nuwisha pranks. Suddenly they found themselves without few friends and a lot of enemies. The Nuwisha suffered many losses, and soon retreated into the Umbra to protect themselves.
Over the centuries, the Nuwisha would rely on their youngest shifters to watch the other Bete and to fulfill Coyote's demands on Earth. The darkest parts of the 20th century threatened to stop even a Nuwisha's laughter, but then they saw the glimmers of hope. The Nuwisha quietly returned from the Umbra in larger numbers, spreading their people wherever they could. They put people in every paranormal group, but focused primarily on the Bete. They spent years encouraging these people to think about the mistakes of the past and to create a better future together.
The Balancing was a victory for all Bete, but none more so than the Nuwisha. They nudged and hinted and outright goaded the other Bete into working together for this great cause, and willingly sent their bravest along with those charging the gates of Malebolge. They also helped lead others into the heart of the Wyld, knowing that they would likely never return.
The Nuwisha's role in these events is known but not emphasized by the Bete Order, often at the urging of the Nuwisha themselves. They are considered a small and quirky Changing Breed that doesn't do a great deal in the larger scheme of things. The Nuwisha know that if they were taken more seriously, they wouldn't be able to observe, make jokes, and teach their subtle lessons before moving on.
Like wolves, coyotes were hunted as pests for decades, but unlike their cousins, they were never truly endangered. The coyotes proved very adaptable, and not only spread their territories across North America and deep into Central America, but increased their numbers along with it.
Breeds
Nuwisha may be born to humans or coyote. It is known that two Nuwisha can have children, who appear to be completely normal Kinfolk of either breed. If there ever was a Nuwisha metis, his story has been lost to the ages.
Homid
Human-born, these Nuwisha are trouble-makers throughout their lives. They are often charming in an incorrigible sense, but have a talent for finding exactly the wrong business to put their noses into. They used to be primarily Native American, but now can have almost any ethnic background.
The Nuwisha rarely has any clue what they are before their First Change, even if they are raised by Kin or their actual coyote parents. This is because the Nuwisha think it's useful (and funny) to see how the child will react the first time he grows ears, a tail, and has to run on all fours. Most Nuwisha tend to be shocked and then delighted at the transformation, but a few cannot handle the change and will try to run away. Sometimes they're even allowed to go.
A Nuwisha tends to be good-looking and have a rangy build and bright eyes. There are as many homid as latrani Nuwisha, not so much out of a concerted effort as that's just how things seem to work out.
Latrani
Coyote pups are cute and curious, and their number-one danger to overcome while growing up is themselves. They tend to be given a lot of room to run and explore, because their parents know that whatever trouble they're getting into now will be nothing like what they'll face when they're older.
Latrani Nuwisha learn the ins and outs of survival fairly quickly, and are consummate thieves from a young age. When they First Change, they are often very happy at the ability to open doors with their hands and to sneak through windows without a loud ruckus.
The latrani adapt quickly to human societies after their change, since they have usually spent their lives living in humanity's shadow. They are often more wild and open to their instincts than the homid breed, but that is usually only visible in that their jokes tend to be more crude and blatant.
There are large numbers of coyotes in the Americas, and a few have cropped up in Asia, Europe and parts of Australia.
To hear a Nuwisha tell the story, Coyote was the maker of the world, creator of all the animals, and the one responsible for making humanity. Of course, the Nuwisha themselves tend to laugh when they tell these stories, so it's hard to say how much they believe in the tales.
Nuwisha are native to North America, but as natural explorers they have traveled across the Earth and through the Umbra. They delight in new experiences and can be found almost anywhere there are humans, watching and laughing.
The Nuwisha remained apart from the Wars of Rage for a long time, even after the Wars came to the Americas. They are not naturally inclined to fight, and so they tried to advise all sides to stop and listen to each other. When this did not work, and some Nuwisha were killed for getting in the middle, they then turned their attention to teaching painful lessons to the combatants; messing with scouts, confusing all sides, making the battlefields as dangerous as the warriors, and more.
Unfortunately, this backfired after several on all sides suffered injury or death after a few of the most dramatic of the Nuwisha pranks. Suddenly they found themselves without few friends and a lot of enemies. The Nuwisha suffered many losses, and soon retreated into the Umbra to protect themselves.
Over the centuries, the Nuwisha would rely on their youngest shifters to watch the other Bete and to fulfill Coyote's demands on Earth. The darkest parts of the 20th century threatened to stop even a Nuwisha's laughter, but then they saw the glimmers of hope. The Nuwisha quietly returned from the Umbra in larger numbers, spreading their people wherever they could. They put people in every paranormal group, but focused primarily on the Bete. They spent years encouraging these people to think about the mistakes of the past and to create a better future together.
The Balancing was a victory for all Bete, but none more so than the Nuwisha. They nudged and hinted and outright goaded the other Bete into working together for this great cause, and willingly sent their bravest along with those charging the gates of Malebolge. They also helped lead others into the heart of the Wyld, knowing that they would likely never return.
The Nuwisha's role in these events is known but not emphasized by the Bete Order, often at the urging of the Nuwisha themselves. They are considered a small and quirky Changing Breed that doesn't do a great deal in the larger scheme of things. The Nuwisha know that if they were taken more seriously, they wouldn't be able to observe, make jokes, and teach their subtle lessons before moving on.
Like wolves, coyotes were hunted as pests for decades, but unlike their cousins, they were never truly endangered. The coyotes proved very adaptable, and not only spread their territories across North America and deep into Central America, but increased their numbers along with it.
Breeds
Nuwisha may be born to humans or coyote. It is known that two Nuwisha can have children, who appear to be completely normal Kinfolk of either breed. If there ever was a Nuwisha metis, his story has been lost to the ages.
Homid
Human-born, these Nuwisha are trouble-makers throughout their lives. They are often charming in an incorrigible sense, but have a talent for finding exactly the wrong business to put their noses into. They used to be primarily Native American, but now can have almost any ethnic background.
The Nuwisha rarely has any clue what they are before their First Change, even if they are raised by Kin or their actual coyote parents. This is because the Nuwisha think it's useful (and funny) to see how the child will react the first time he grows ears, a tail, and has to run on all fours. Most Nuwisha tend to be shocked and then delighted at the transformation, but a few cannot handle the change and will try to run away. Sometimes they're even allowed to go.
A Nuwisha tends to be good-looking and have a rangy build and bright eyes. There are as many homid as latrani Nuwisha, not so much out of a concerted effort as that's just how things seem to work out.
Latrani
Coyote pups are cute and curious, and their number-one danger to overcome while growing up is themselves. They tend to be given a lot of room to run and explore, because their parents know that whatever trouble they're getting into now will be nothing like what they'll face when they're older.
Latrani Nuwisha learn the ins and outs of survival fairly quickly, and are consummate thieves from a young age. When they First Change, they are often very happy at the ability to open doors with their hands and to sneak through windows without a loud ruckus.
The latrani adapt quickly to human societies after their change, since they have usually spent their lives living in humanity's shadow. They are often more wild and open to their instincts than the homid breed, but that is usually only visible in that their jokes tend to be more crude and blatant.
There are large numbers of coyotes in the Americas, and a few have cropped up in Asia, Europe and parts of Australia.