Ceilican Revised

All credit for this must go to Chris Campbell, not me.

Disclaimers
This is my work. It is not done on behalf of, or sanctioned by, White Wolf. Ethan has been kind enough to look it over and offer suggestions (twice!), but that doesn't mean any of this is to be considered official material. It's just the Revised Bastet's writer's take on the tribe; take that with as much salt as you care to. Second, the Ceilican got more in the way of revisions than most of the other Bastet tribes did, mainly because the original writeup was so...well, not Bastet. Parts of the original tribal writeup just couldn't be salvaged. I've tried hard to tapdance around the silliness in the original (i.e., keeping the blatant retcons to a minimum) and the recent events in A World of Rage, but the end result here falls somewhere between Ceilican Revised and Ceilican Rebooted. Be warned. Finally, for Changeling fans: you won't like the way the Fae are portrayed here. This is because I refer to Fae from a Werewolf perspective, which is to say I treat them like the unholy bastards they are, not the sanitized versions written up in Changeling. As you'll see below I don't talk about the Fae in any great detail, but be warned that they aren't friendly sorts, and are viewed as such by the Ceilican.

Ceilican
Long ago, in an age before the time of Man, the children of Abuja fled their ancestral homes. They journeyed north, binding their fates to those of the barbarian tribes, and became the Mor Grian, mighty kings who ruled with the wisdom of men and the hearts of lions. However, as is always the case with the Lords of Sunlight, there were those who were jealous of the great kings power, and they sought to destroy the Mor Grian the only way they could - by destroying their feline Kin. And so it was that the lions of Europe were driven to extinction, and the Lords of Sunlight learned to revile Gaias chosen warriors. The Mor Grians dynasty was over, their very lifeblood crushed to dust. Or so the stories say. The survivors tell a different tale, one of secret alliances with Sidhe lords and a shift in purpose that utterly transformed the tribe. The Mor Grian were no more, torn to pieces by Garou claws. In their places stood the Ceilican, beings of glamour and rage who tore at the throats of Gaias foes even as they hid themselves from those who would destroy them. They have died a thousand deaths and will live a thousand more, for that is the role Gaia has chosen for them.

The Role of the Ceilican

Officially, the Ceilican are dead to the world, and thus play no role whatsoever in the World of Darkness. But it doesnt take much imagination to see that at least a handful of Ceilican might have escaped the Black Spiral Dancers wrath, and hence might even now seek to unravel the mysteries surrounding their tribes Recent History annihilation. These fae cats are mystics and saboteurs, The Ceilican are dead. After centuries of suffering under the yoke of Fae treachery, fallen kings who battle the forces of the Wyrm using a the tribes death blow came when a horde of Black Spiral Dancers besieged their unique blend of Fae and Gaian magic. They have a last great Den Realm in Scotland, an attack aided and abetted by Gaian hands. The fondness for human society, and they have a gift for blending in with even the most outrageous folk without few Ceilican who survived were spirited away, drawn into Spiral pits to suffer causing much in the way of suspicion. This leads their unimaginable torments. The tribes structure has been destroyed, and there is foes to underestimate them, and the Ceilican use this nothing left but ash. complacency to strike at the Wyrm with terrible ferocity. But then, there are questions. Centuries ago, when the Ceilican first came to Scotland, their Sidhe allies granted them access to a powerful Freehold secreted away in the moors of Scotland. Fae magic was supposed to hide it from prying eyes, When the Garou slaughtered the Mor Grian and their Kinand had in fact done so for well over a millennium. How, then, were the Spirals able oh so long ago, the survivors found themselves facing to ignore these safeguards, entering the Ceilicans domain as though it was their extinction. They were desperate, willing to take aid from own? Were the werecats betrayed by their Fae allies? The Good Folk are known just about anyone, and this prompted them to make for their treachery, but does their wickedness extend to pacts with minions of the some rather unfortunate decisions. Chief among these Wyrm? Only time will tell, and these are the mysteries that haunt the memory of the was an alliance with the Sidhe lords of the Fae. While it tribe today. no doubt seemed like a good idea at the time, the werecats soon discovered that their so-called saviors Organization were every bit as vicious and proud as their Garou neighbors. But where the werewolves were content to Before the slaughter on the Scottish moors, the Ceilican tended to operate alone tear the exiled lions to pieces, the Fae instead chose to whenever possible. Such was not always the case, naturally; when the Mor Grian enslave them, holding their feline Kin hostage so as to were at their height, they organized themselves into prides just as the modern Simba press the Bastet into their service. The Ceilican thus got do. But once those lions became the Ceilican their role among Gaias guardians their wish - they were saved from the claws of the Garou, changed, and as a result their social organization reverted to the default mode for but had to make a deal with the devil for the privilege. Bastet and their Kin. In modern times, the Ceilican operate largely independent of Their lack of vision has cost them dearly, and theyre still one another, only coming together in times of need or at the behest of their Fae paying for that mistake. allies.

The Fae Connection

Distribution and Kin

The Ceilican once roamed all over Europe, but nowadays they stay close to their Sidhe allies and try to keep their travels to a minimum. Some have spread to the United States, exploring all the wonderful things that culture has to offer, but most find their way back home sooner or later. Some of the fae cats spend a great deal of time in the Faerie realms, a fact that disgusts their earthbound brethren. Their role in the
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order of things is to protect Gaia, after all, and one can hardly do that if he is gallivanting around with the Fae. These days, the Ceilicans homid Kin tend to be of European ancestry. This is due more to accident of geography than any real preferences on the parts of the Ceilican, as the fae cats arent terribly picky about their Shortly after the fall of the Mor Grian, the Ceilican elders created expansive Den mates. Their feline Kin, on the other hand, are an entirely Realms as a means of protecting their feline Kin. At the time, these Den Realms different matter. These are none other than the were scattered all over Europe, and each was large enough to accommodate descendents of the European lions of old, who have been several lions along with their prey. With the passage of time, however, most were living in Umbral protectorates for the last two millennia. either abandoned or lost as the Ceilican were destroyed and their lands fell under This has changed the lions dramatically, giving them long, the control of others. silky white fur, brilliantly colored eyes, and a leaner, more compact form. Gaining feline breeding rights is a matter Of course, the Ceilican knew full well that their Kin could not survive in Umbral of great import for the Ceilican, and one must have strong realms forever; they needed periodic contact with the physical world to maintain their identity and their viability as Kin, and as a result the Ceilicans ties with the connections with the elders of the tribe to even be Fae became more and more important. With Faerie Freeholds at their disposal, considered for the privilege. the Ceilican found that they could keep their Kin alive and grounded in the reality of the physical world and at the same time hide them from the prying eyes of the Appearance world. Clever as this strategy is, the Ceilican have found that it has succeeded only The Ceilican are a tribe of fallen kings, and as such they in enslaving them to the Fae and forestalling the inevitable -- extended contact with the Umbral world has taken its toll on the few remaining European lions, ensuring exude an aura of tragic nobility in all of their forms. In that the Ceilican will be dead within a generation. Homid form they tend to be wiry and strong, and they wear their pride like a cloak of defiance. Their Feline Today, nearly all of the fae cats feline Kin are secreted away in Fae Freeholds of forms are truly striking; they are smaller than normal Simba, but their pelts are covered with long white fur and one sort or another, and the only major Den Realm remaining in Europe can be found on the Scottish moors. The Gauntlet of the place is high enough that it likely their eyes are a brilliant shade of blue, green, or other survived the Black Spiral incursions into the area, but its time grows short - if the even more unusual colors. Their Crinos forms trade strength for speed, and they are surprisingly resilient for Ceilican dont tend to the lions within soon, the Realm itself will become superfluous. their size. Ceilican Form Statistics Glamour (Level One) - This minor Gift allows the Ceilican to make minor changes to his appearance. He cannot change his gender or gross physical characteristics The Ceilican have changed dramatically over the (such as height or weight), but he can change things like hair and eye color, hair centuries, and so two sets of form stats are presented length, presence or absence of facial hair, clothing, and so on. In Feline form he can here. The first is for the Mor Grian, the great change the color, texture, and patterns within his fur, as well as eye color (which werepanthers who migrated to Europe from Africa allows him to appear to be a mountain lion, leopard, or any other cat of similar size centuries ago. The second is for the Ceilican of today, and build). the fae cats whose feline Kin have been dramatically transformed by extended exposure to the spirit world. System: The character rolls Manipulation + Expression and spends a Gnosis point. The effects of the Gift last for one scene.

Keeping Kin Safe

Sokto
Str +1 Dex +2 Sta +1 App -1 Man -1

Crinos
Str +2 Dex +3 Sta +3 App 0 Man -3

Chatro
Str +3 Dex +3 Sta +2 Man -3

Feline
Str +2 Dex +3 Sta +2 Man -3 Glib Tongue (Level One) - As the Level One Fianna Gift. Sense Magic (Level One) - As the Level One Uktena Gift. Faerie Kin (Level Two) - As the Level Three Fianna Gift, but easier for the Ceilican. Note that the Gift only calls Fae who know of the Ceilicans ties with the Fae, and that overuse of the Gift will get the fae cat in trouble. Fire in the Belly (Level Two) - As the Level Two Fianna Gift. Sorcerers Blade (Level Two) - By means of this Gift a Ceilican can enchant a weapon such that it is damaging to supernatural beings. The weapons thus created inflict terrible wounds on the Bastets foes, all without the need for a valuable (and spiritually exhausting) fetish weapon.

Sokto
Str +0 Dex +2 Sta +1 App -1 Man -1

Crinos
Str +2 Dex +2 Sta +2 App 0 Man -3

Chatro
Str +2 Dex +3 Sta +2 Man -3

Feline
Str +0 Dex +3 Sta +1 Man -3

Beginning Rage: 3 Beginning Willpower: 3 Starting Gifts: Glamour, Glib Tongue, Sense Magic

System: The Ceilican spends a point of Gnosis and rolls Manipulation + Occult.
Success indicates that the blade so enchanted inflicts aggravated damage until the next sunrise. Only melee weapons may be enchanted in this manner.

Phantasm (Level Three) - As the Level Four Fianna Gift. Scrying (Level Three) - As the Level Three Uktena Gift. Monkeys Uncle (Level Four) - As the Level Four Homid Gift. Shadow Pride (Level Five) - As the Level Five Shadow Lord Gift: Shadow Pack. Ceilican tend to use this Gift to create extra sets of eyes, either when spying or travelling through particularly dangerous areas. They also recognize its utility in combat, but since they try to avoid combat when they can the use of the Gift in such situations is rare. Cut from the Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds: [BEGIN SIDEBAR]

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Simba Pride
There are few things in the world as glorious, as inspiring as a Simba fighting in defense of Gaia. It doesnt matter how desperate the situation is; when you hear that roar, you know that the day can still be saved, and that you can make it happen. This is what the Simba do: they inspire others, and they serve as examples of all the best that Gaias children have to offer. Storytellers who wish to include this trait in their games can allow Simba character to roar as a standard action. Everyone allied with the Simba who hears the roar recovers two Willpower points that last for the duration of the battle. The points fade at battles end, regardless of the outcome. Further, each character can only benefit from a single roar at a time, no matter how many Simba are on the battlefield. [END SIDEBAR]

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