From: [med 12] at [cornell.edu] (Mike.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.storyteller,alt.games.whitewolf
Subject: Children Of The Sun
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 16:39:37 -0500

This is my idea for a new bete of WereDogs tenatively referred to as the
Children Of The sun. This is only the first edition, and I'm marking all
the sections I'm not so sure about with an *. Any comments would be great,
but I'd prefer constructive criticism. Comments like, "It Rocks!" would be
quite welcome too. Now, without further ado, The Children Of The Sun.

The Children Of The Sun:
(Canus)

"I have this theory that if we're told we're bad
Than that's the only idea we'll ever have
But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty
Someday we will become what we see"

Jewel-"I'm Sensitive"

Chases Cars, a Homid Dew Puppy:

        "Well, back in the beginning of all things, things began. No, I'm
not going to tell you how it all started, 'cause I'm not really sure. I
mean, the whole Gaia, the incarnation of all living things made all living
things? Isn't that circular reasoning? How do I know what you believe? Who
am I to tell you you're wrong? Anyway, Does it really matter? I know I
don't care."
        "So, Gaia after making the humans and the animals and everything,
yes I know I'm contradicting myself. I'm relating one viewpoint, and it's a
damn, good story and as good an explanation as anything else. Anyway, Gaia
made everything, and her friends or relatives or aquaintances, the Triat
started getting involved with her creation. The Wyld befriended the animals
and nature, and The Weaver took pity on the poor, hairless, clawless humans
and starting teaching them some new tricks. The Wyrm hung back, because he
was basically only good at making things fall apart and didn't want to harm
Gaia's creation. Gaia felt bad for him, and wasn't sure how things would
work out without some kind of management system. So she got together with
her sister Luna, a crazy old bitch, and the Wyrm, who Gaia thought was
kind-of cute in a dark and mysterious sort of way. After a lot of thought
discussion and passionate love-making, the Garou resulted, and like Adam in
the Christian religion were given dominion over all creatures, including
man. They were also supposed to separate the wheat from the chaff and keep
track of problems like overpopulation and the like. The Garou served as
middlemen between the Triat and all the creatures of the Earth."
        "After a while, Gaia realized she fucked up. The Garou were
egotistical bastards who were very aware of their position and took
advantage of it. They, perhaps rightly so, saw themselves as the chosen of
Gaia and lorded it above the other shifters like the Gurahl who kept the
Earth safe and pure and the Nuwisha, who kept the Spirit beautiful.  The
Garou also suffered from a massive Oedipal complex and opposed their father
the Wyrm at every chance in a misguided attempt to win the love of their
mother. The Garou may atempt to believe the Weaver or the Wyrm for the way
things are now, but the true blame lay with the Garou, who drove their
father mad with grief and Rage, throwing off the balance and forcing
retaliation from the Weaver."
        "Worst of all, the Garou lorded their authority over the humans,
engaging in the corrupt Impergium against the humans, masking the joy they
found in hunting them as an act necessary for the balance. Gaia took pity
on the apes and tried several times to create a better guardian for her
defensless children. First came the Bastet, who enjoyed playing with the
humans and watching their every move, but cared little for their
well-being. Then came the Ratkin, who thinned the heards less directly than
the Garou, through their tools of famine and pestilence, but cared only for
the things humanity could do for them, and not what they could do for
humanity."
        "Gaia saw the world, her body, falling apart around her, and her
children at war with each other. Gaia looked around at how the madness of
Luna infected her children, how the Weaver was teaching the humans to
dominate the world around them in a last ditch effort for survival, and how
the Wyrm and the Garou, like chips of the old block, were destroying
everything around them. Gaia looked to the Wyld, which provided no answer,
spinning raw chaos without guidance, and almost gave up hope. In defeat she
began to cry and tears fell from the clouds. When all looked dark a ray of
sun came through the clouds, and Gaia saw Helios, and hope."

History:

        The Children of the Sun or the Canus are the last of the shifters
Gaia created. When all looked dark, she realized the human race needed
protection and the world needed hope. Humanity was quickly being devoured
by the Weaver in it's smothering attempt at protection, and her Wyld
children the Bete all seemed bent on it's destruction. The Wyrm had long
since spurned her for the darkness and Luna's madness was too dangerous to
risk. When Gaia had all but given up help, Helios appeared to her, and
showed her the answer. The way of hope lay in balance, and an animal that
was not of the Wyld, yet not completely of the Weaver. That animal was the
Dog, tamed but not controlled companion of man. Together, Gaia and Helios
creted the Canus, protectors of man and guardians of Hope.
        The Canus worked among the homids to create peace, beauty and joy
and protected them from the ravages of the Garou. For a time, the Garou
puzzled over these new defenders of man, and it was a Red Talon Theurge who
discovered the truth. In a jealous rage that some say was the true cause of
The War Of Rage, the Garou began their attack. Oddly, the Children Of Gaia
said nothing and the Bone Gnawers, became heroic leaders of this attack, as
the Garou killed the Canus males and raped their females dilluting their
stock with that of the Wolf, both absorbing their strengths and destroying
their culture.
        Few Garou noticed until it was too late that Children Of the Dog
had tempered their rage, and this genetic influence helped to end the
Impergium at the loss of a people. No one noticed when more canine members
of the Bone Gnawers began to appear, as the tribe had always been known to
sate it's passions in ignoble ways. In much the same way, no one noticed as
the Children Of Gaia's veil became weaker and weaker, as everyone knew they
had never acted to control the population of man.
        In these end times, the Children Of the Sun, long believed
eliminated work among mankind to prevent the coming darkness and heal the
rift between man and nature, all the while protecting humanity from the
creatures of the night. Few Garou are aware of their existance, believing
them to be myths of peace, or dead and forgotten. Only the Bone Gnawers,
and their brothers and sisters in the Mokole and Corax remember the truth.

Culture:
       "I was thinking that I might fly today
        Just to disprove all the things that you say"
Jewel-"I'm Sensitive"

        "So, we've been hunted to near extinction, suffered incredible
torments and indignities, and the world is falling apart around us; it
sounds bad doesn't it? But we haven't given up hope, in fact I don't know
if it's possible for us to do so. Just because things are bad doesn't mean
they have to stay that way. While I'm not suggesting the magi, humans who
believe themselves to be gods, are right, and we create reality by our
beliefs, thinking negatively doesn't make anything better. Our existances
are dedicated towards thinking positively, making things better, and
restoring hope. If we were to give up, who would be left to stand against
oblivion?"

Organization:
        Canus tend to have great love and affection for others of their
race and are overjoyed when they meet another of their species, but they
spend most of their time in self-imposed exile ministering to those who
need their help. Occasionally, a Canus will join a Garou pack pretending to
be a Child Of Gaia or Bone Gnawer, but all Canus packs are almost
non-existant. The Children Of The Sun will also run with other
supernaturals to attempt to steer them in the right direction without ever
revealing their true nature, appearing as simple, loving mortal friends and
confidantes. Canine Canus will sometimes bond with a human and live as
their "pets" for a time and homids will often form similar bonds of
friendship and love, although many forsake these joys, staying stray or
single for the benefit of mankind as a whole.

Habitat:
        Canus follow humans throughout the world and appear wherever things
are dark, and hope seems non-existant. *The Canus tend to avoid the Umbra
as it is primarily a place of Luna. *The Canus do dwell perpetually in the
Periphery and may draw in other beings through the use of Joy, sharing the
love of Gaia. The Canus are also rumored to have a special relationship
with the perhaps mythical realm of the Summer Country.

Renown:
        The Canus place far less emphasis on Glory than do Garou, and
instead focus on Hope, which is gained through doing good deeds, creating
peace, and bringing joy into people's lives. Honor is also very important
to the loyal Canus, as is Wisdom.

Breeding:
        Canus are capable of breeding with humans, dogs, other Canus,
wolves, and Garou. Due perhaps to Canus's lack of Rage, the offspring of
two Canus is another perfectly healthy Canus. When a Canus mates with a
wolf or Garou, the child, if a shapechanger, is almost always Garou.

Rage and Silver: As Luna did not really participate in the creation of the
Canus they lack Rage, and are also immune to silver. The Moon Doggies,
Children Of The Sun born at night are an exception to this rule.

***Joy: I want the Children Of The Sun to have Joy or Love points. They
would be like Rage, but be used for healing, comfort, or defense, but I
can't think of an appropriate mechansim for their use. Also, in terms of
Game balance they probably ought to gain some disadvantage for this power,
but I can't think of an appropriate one, except something about
difficulties at night, harm from negative emotions, or problems with the
Umbra, but I'm not sure if these are too debiliatating/inappropriate. I'd
really like feedback on this idea.

Character Creation:

"Dogs are Man's best friends"
traditional saying

Nickname: Mutts

Totem: The Children Of The Sun lack a totem, but Hyperion is well-disposed
toward them as the Children Of Helios.

Breeds: Same as the Garou

Starting Willpower: 3

Auspices:

the Auspices of the Children Of The sun are based on the position of the
sun atb the time of their birth. An incredibly small number of Canus are
born at night and they are known as Wolfhounds or Moon Doggies, and are
believed by some to be the result of interbreeding between Canus and Garou.

Dew Puppies: These are the Children Of The Sun born in the morning. These
Canus are full of hope and joy and are the epitome of some of the best
qualities of their race. However, they also tend to be naive,
inexperienced, and overly playful. Dew Puppies serve a role somewhere
between trickster and healer, bringing  joy and hope to even the coldest
hearts.

Beginning Joy: 5
*Beginning Backgrounds 1( No Past Life, Contacts, or Resources.)

*Sheltering Suns: These Canus born at noon when the sun is full in the sky
are similar to the Philodox among the Garou, but also serve different
purposes. No dishonesty can be hidden from a Sheltering Sun, and the full
wrath of the blistering noon day will come to any who hurt their friends
and lovers. However, the Sheltering suns have a terrible lazy streak, and a
tendency to live in the present forgetting the past and avoiding the
future.

Beginning Joy:3
Beginning Backgrounds: 3

The Glorious: Canus born in the evening, as the sun is beginning to set and
the sky is painted in a beautiful pallette of colors are the Artists and
great heroes of the Canus, known as the Glorious. Known for their great
deeds and incredible wisdom, the Glorious possess one tremendous fault;
their emphasis on achievemnet has limited their time of fun and enjoyment
and reduced their joy.

Beginning Joy: 1
Beginning Backgrounds: 5

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OK, I'm going to stop here now, 'cause I have to go to work. Hopefully
there will be comments when I return so I can begin gifts (including or
dissing Joy), rites, and new Pure Breed rules allowing for Labs, German
Shephards, Dobermans, Poodles, and Chiuaua's, and the cost of inbreeding.

Thanks for reading,

Mike!