Ananasi Errata and Clarifications

The Ananasi are quite different from the other shapeshifters, and with a number of unique features. This combined with numerous rule changes and multiple books      , there are quite a lot of things to clarify. CB20 (Werewolf the Apocalypse - 20th Anniversary Edition: Changing Breeds) has been used as the deciding factor when sources are in conflict, while the first edition of Player's Guide only has been used where it does not contradict anything written in any other source.

Version Differences
In older sources there are no clear distinction between Hatar, Antara and Kumo (goblin spiders). Ananasi are also depicted much more as "living vampires" than they are in later sources (only nocturnal, dependent on blood and incapable of eating anything else). They were also described as being very rare, sensitive to pesticides, and only following the Weaver or the Wyrm. The distinction between leaders and drones in Crawlerling was not present in older sources, and the Ananasi did not have to worry about loosing memories.

Biological Terms
In a few places, the Ananasi are refereed to as "insects" rather than "spiders". This is a taxonomical error, as spiders are arachnids, and not insects. Where it says something like "spiders and other insects" it should read "spiders and other arthropods" (arthropods includes insects, spiders, millipedes, scorpions and others).

The fangs of the Ananasi are in several places called "pedipalps". This is wrong, as that is the term for the small arms that spiders have aside from their eight legs. The correct term is "jackknife chelicera", though simply "fangs" is also correct.

Anatomy of the Ananasi
Animal attraction: Despite their cooler nature, Ananasi can be just as, if not even more of, sexual predators than the Garou. The rules are identical as for Garou in W20, but in older editions the difficulty depended on the user's own Rage, so Ananasi were instead given a difficulty of 4. Many Ananasi use this as a way to get to feed blood from humans.

Sleep cycle: An Ananasi can choose their own sleep cycle freely in the same way as ordinary humans can, though most prefer to be nocturnal, and many have a preference to dark, desolate places out of the sun. They need the same amount of sleep as ordinary humans. It is not unusual for an Ananasi to live as an ordinary human at day, but at some nights acting out their other nature, to hunt for blood, meet other supernatural creatures, carry out their duties, etc.

Ananasi suffer no more ill effects of sunlight or other bright light sources than ordinary humans do.

Health
In the Crawlerling form, health works very different (see the Crawlerling form section).

Healing: Ananasi heal both as normal humans, and can heal themselves by spending blood. Lost limbs can also be healed but will take a week, and is painful. Ananasi with lots of blood in their system, and who easily can get lot more can actually heal aggravated damage much faster than other shapeshifters, and can theoretically come back from aggravated damage that have brought them Incapacitated to full health in a single 24 hour period (one aggravated damage can be healed per scene if the Ananasi has enough blood), but without blood, they can only heal as ordinary humans do.

Illnesses and toxins: Due to their lack of regeneration Ananasi are actually just as receptacle to toxins and illnesses as ordinary humans. They may however purge such things from their system by healing themselves with blood, but that might take large quantities, and hunting for blood is not east for someone who is ill. So it does happen that Ananasi die from normal sicknesses. Despite this, they do age in about the same way as other Fera. Ananasi are vulnerable to each others venom.

Despite the rumors, Ananasi are not particularly vulnerable to insecticides and other toxins designed to kill arthropods. They suffer the effects of such things roughly as a human in most of their forms, however in Crawlerling, such things can be a serious problem.

An Ananasi who carries a disease is a carrier until she has fully purged it from her system. STD:s may transmit though the feeding process (both ways).

Battle scars: As Ananasi lack Rage and do not regenerate, they do not have the option to try to remain active through wounds that would incapacitate or kill them, and so, they have no "normal" way to suffer battle scars. If an Ananasi through some strange circumstance still should suffer such, it would not award her any Renown. An Ananasi with the Gift Mother's Touch may still try to heal a battle scar in the same way as other Fera.

Aggravated damage: Ananasi do not suffer aggravated damage (or other complications) from weapons made out of silver (nor gold), but they do suffer aggravated damage from other things in the same way as other Fera (such as fire, garou claws and cleaves). Despite the rumors, Ananasi are not more sensible to pesticides than humans are (unless they are in their Crawlerling form).

Kumo take aggravated damage from weapons made out of hong mu (a rare variety of red rosewood).

Forms and Shape shifting
The forms of the Ananasi are unique among shapeshifters in several ways.

Forms: At the Storyteller's discretion male Ananasi in Lilian and Pithus may be smaller and physically weaker, but more nimble, than their female counterparts. This is to reflect this dimorphism in most types of spiders. Crawlerling form is not affected by this in game mechanics, though may be reflected in the individual sizes of the composing spiders. The rare Araneid (requires the level 2 general Gift Man-Spider Form) is also not affected. Dimorphism was omitted from Player's Guide to the Changing Breeds and CB20. The following table have this dimorphism in the same way as in Breedbook Ananasi, but for the updated attribute modifiers from CB20. Ananasi that are not clearly male (like those who can shift sex) should go with the normal (female) attribute modifiers. Claws and bite: Lilan and Pithus are considered to have the equivalent of claws (the sharp ends of their spider-limbs) and may use such attacks (not all limbs are required to have them, but some will). The claws does Strength +2 aggravated damage in both forms. Their bite does Strength +1 aggravated damage in Lilian Strength +3 aggravated damage in Pithus, and Strength lethal in Homid and Araneid (the Ananasi choose whenever or not to inject venom). This was omitted from CB20.

Speech: Ananasi are capable of human speech in Homid, Araenid and Lilian (though it may sound like a hissing mockery in Lilian), and capable of using their own language in Lilian, Pithus and Crawlering, a language that all Ananasi instinctively know.

Shifting form: Unlike other Fera, the forms of an Ananasi do not come in a specific order. They can shift directly from any form to any other (it takes one turn, unless a Blood Point is spent to shift instantly). Only one success at the Stamina + Primal-Urge roll is required for any shift, no matter the start and goal forms. This is stated in CB20, but is very easy to miss. The difficulty to shift in Homid, Lilian or Crawlerling is difficulty 6, while shifting in Pithus or Araneid is difficulty 7. This was missing from CB20.

No roll or spending of Blood Points is required to reflexive instant shift to Breed form. Crawlerling Form is considered Breed form for Arachnid Ananasi for this purpose, whom reverts to this form automatically if falling unconscious, or are killed.

Movement and jumping: Araenid counts as equivalent of Glabro for this purpose, Lilian of Crinos and Pithus of Hispo for the purposes of calculating speed and jumping distance. Due to the many limbs in Lilian the bonus to movement always apply. Crawlerling is not meant for running, and the quickest it can more is as fast as a human walks, and while the spiders in the form may jump an impressive amount for their size, it is still just a few inches at the most (unless using a Gift).

Adapting and changing: An Ananasi can by eating lots of spiders of approbate types and with time and effort actually adapt and change all of their non-Homid forms. It does not affect Attribute modifiers, but it can be used to better blend in to a particular environment or to confuse someone who has not met the Ananasi in years. Even the composition and effects of their venom can be modified this way.

The Crawlerling Form
The Crawlerling form is very hard to grasp and only Breedbook Ananasi goes into any detail about it.

Assign leaders: The Ananasi decide each time she shifts into this form which and how many spiders are leaders, and what memories are kept in which one. Most Ananasi have a default set of leaders with predetermined sets of memories. Any number from one to ten works just fine, but over this there is a +1 difficulty on all Perception and Willpower rolls for each extra leader, and a +1 difficulty on all Wits rolls for every two extra leaders. This was omitted from CB20.

Taking damage: Once in Crawlerling form the Ananasi does not take health levels when damaged, but individual spiders are instead killed. Losing drones just cause loosing mass, but with enough mass lost the ability to shift form is lost. For each leader that dies, the memories stored in that one is lost forever. At the storyteller's discretion this might include Ability dots, Gifts, or even basic motor functions like how to control the bladder. If all leaders are killed, the Ananasi is reduced to a collection of spiders that will go their separate ways and live normal spider lives. What really is dangerous in this form are things that causes damage over a large area, and especially fire. Strong pesticides also causes serious problem (but not in the other forms, at least not more than for an ordinary human).

Ignore all effects of lost health levels while in Crawlerling. Even an Ananasi that would be Incapacitated in her other forms will be just fine in her Crawlerling form.

Gifts and rites: Unless otherwise specified, an Ananasi in Crawlerling can use these just fine.

Healing damage: An Ananasi in Crawlerling does not truly heal. But neither does an Ananasi in this form truly suffer from wounds taken in other forms (ignore wound penalties while in Crawlerling). The mass from lost drones are replaced by eating animal protein (usually insects, but especially spiders as that is far more effective). Once the spiders collectively have reached enough mass, the Ananasi can once again shift to other forms. An Ananasi can not spend blood points in this form to heal health levels in this form. Neither does she heal naturally, and she can't even be healed with Gifts. She will therefore be just as wounded when returning to another form as when shifted. She may however regain both lost Gnosis and Blood points, just as in other forms.

The Gift Replenishment of the Flesh can however be used to heal health levels while in Crawlerling.

Recovering from massive loss: As long as a single leader survives, the Ananasi still lives. Loosing most leaders can have more consequences that simply loss of some memories. The Ananasi who eventually reforms is likely to have at least somewhat changed personality (Nature and Demeanor), changed appearance in all her forms (including Homid) and might even have changed sex.

Unconscious Archanids: If an Archanid Ananasi fall unconscious she will automatically assume this form, and have her usual set of leaders, with their usual assigned sets of memories. If she does not have a usual set of leader, there will be only one single leader (with all memories). In this form she will be completely aware and unharmed (some drones might be dead), but generally it a good idea is to escape. Note that Ananasi (like other shapeshifters) who simply fall asleep usually remain in the current form. An Arachid Ananasi who is killed in another form will assume Crawerling for one final time. Her usual set of leaders (if any) will be dead, but her drones (some of them, most likely most of them) will be alive and scamper away and from this moment be just ordinary spiders.

Combat: Crawlerling is not meant for combat. Just about any attack from any kind of weapon will instantly kill any spider (if necessary think of each spider as having a single health level, and not being able to soak). They can however use two kinds of attacks; engulf, and injection. The normal Bite attack do not really apply in this form. While the venom of each individual spider is weak, a lot of spiders can bite collectively injecting a large amount of venom. If as many spiders that can fit bite a single individual all inject, assume combined the potency to be comparable to the venom in Pithus form (counts as a having spent a dosage in the other forms).

The engulf maneuver do Strength in lethal damage. This is however not the Strength 0 in the Crawlerling form, but the unmodified (Homid) level that is used for this purpose. An Ananasi who engage in this maneuver can't exactly dodge attacks, but the opponent can usually at most kill a few spiders per attack. A swarmed opponent are open for the injection maneuver, but unless the Ananasi spend a blood point for an extra action or split her actions for two attacks, the engulf maneuver is temporary broken, and the opponent can breath.

Movement: The Crawlerling form can get trough very narrow openings, and independent of if the Ananasi have the Gifts to in other forms climb on walls and similar, she may do so in this form. The total mass of Crawlerling may be roughly equal to that of the Pithus form, but it is so spread out that most surfaces easily can bear it's weight. This form is however not fast, and it may at most move as fast as a human walks.

Partial transformation: It is possible for an Ananasi to partially transform into Crawlerling, just like to any other form, as per the usual rules. Just like other transformation to and from Crawlerling this induces full Delirium in humans, and it is very unsettling even for many supernatural creatures. This can for example be that an Ananasi transforms her arm into a number of spiders of a mass roughly equal to the mass of the arm, transform her jaw into a single quite large spider, or a bit of blood to a few small spiders. If this "mini Crawlerling" is to do something a bit more sophisticated a bit away or in another room, one or two leaders must also be created to coordinate the drones. Most (at least three quarters) of the Ananasi's consciousness and memories must remain in her main body. If most of the spiders that composes the limb are killed, it is in affect amputated, though it may be healed back as if it was aggravated damage. It is even possible to transform for the head, neck, torso or abdomen to Crawlerling in this way, though extremely risky, because if those most of those spiders should die, the Ananasi is most likely killed instantly, not to mention how hard it is to maneuver when missing the head or being "cut" in two parts like that.

The other way around is also possible, that the Ananasi in Crawlerling manifest a hand, limb or even head from any of the other forms. At least one leader must be part of this transformation to control such body part. These manifested body parts are however quite useless, as the Crawlerling form is to weak to move it around. A manifested human mouth may however speak, or bite something that is placed between the jaws, a manifested hand might turn a knob, and a manifested head can pretend to be dead. If a manifested body part is destroyed, the spiders that composed it is killed, but the Ananasi may reform it from other spiders. That means that if a manifested head is "killed", the Ananasi is just fine (aside from the lost memories).

Spread out: There is actually no theoretical limitation on how far away the different drones and leaders that constitutes the Crawlering form can be (except for those with the Merit Hive Mind). However, few Ananasi are willing to spread out their Crawlerling form very far, as that would mean that it would take more time to reform. If a few drones are unable to get to the rest, it is no big deal, but if to many of them or a leader or two are missing, the Ananasi is forced to do both a normal shifting and a partial transformation to leave for example a limb in Crawlerling to compensate for the missing mass. If either of these fail, the Ananasi is at the moment unable to change form from Crawlerling.

Downtime: If an Ananasi spreads out her consciousness through the entire mass of Crawlerling she will lose herself to the instincts and act like lots of individual spiders, with the only real difference that they will remain in the general area and will not attack one another. The Ananasi will reform when a simple rite wake her up, Queen Ananasa calls her to service, or she instinctively feels that her "vacation" is over. This downtime can be for as short as a few days or as long as several decades. About half of all Ananasi are slumbering like this at any given time.

A new start: An Ananasi who in Crawlerling has been reduced to just a few spiders have the option to try to eat her way into the brain of a living (preferable unconscious) human, and from there eat the body from the inside. If the process succeeds the Ananasi will assume the form of the human she ate as her new Homid form (including age, gender, etc), and she will even have the memories of the human she ate (though they are a bit muted and she usually can distinguish them from her own). The process costs the Ananasi one permanent dot of Gnosis. Queen Ananasa's blessing is required for this process to work, and she will deny it to those she feels abuses it (and to those who are not loyal to her).

Procreation: Despite the increased opportunities for procreation in the Crawerling form, and the incredible vast number of offspring afterwards, the overall chances for having a single Ananasi as an offspring as a result is still roughly comparable to that of other Fera.

Venom
Venom glands: Ananasi in Homid do have venom glands, but these are quite small and the venom is weak. The Merit Venomous provides the same kind of venom glands as Pithus (and strength of the venom), not only in Homid but also in Araneid and Lilian, as well as the ability to use Gifts relying on venom in Homid form, something that is otherwise not possible. The rule texts in the description of Venom and for the Merit are unclear on this in CB20.

An Ananasi usually only have two to three doses of venom and it takes a day to replenish each dose, but eating lots of venomous spiders replenish it a lot quicker.

Type of venom: The exact effects of the venom is left to the player and storyteller for each individual Ananasi, as different spiders have very different types of venom and it might be affected by the Ananasi's aspect and faction. Some examples are venom that paralyses, tranquilizes, causes necrosis, cramps, bleeding from orifices, fever, nausea, headaches, extreme pain, sever rashes, or even an euphoric ecstasy similar to the Kiss of the bite of a Kindred, or even do two or three of these things at the same time.

Given enough time to experiment and consume a large quantity of spiders of appropriate species, an Ananasi might even be able to change the composition of her venom.

Strength of the venom: As a general guideline a full dosage of venom given in Pithus form should quickly kill (aggravated damage), or in some way quickly incapacitate, a healthy human for many hours. The Ananasi may of course inject less for a milder effect. In Lilian the effect is diluted, so it should slowly kill or cripple a healthy humans for a few hours. In Homid and Araenid the effect is even more diluted, so it is unlikely to kill, but if it does, is it takes a long time, or it seriously inconvenience a healthy human for about an hour.

The bite of a single spider in Crawlerling is very unlikely to kill, but might inconvenience a healthy human for about half an hour. This however varies widely. And if more spiders bite the effect is more powerful, up to the same strength as in Pithus is the Crawlerling form is biting with as many as it can fit on a person.

Without medical assistance a human might never recover from the venom completely.

Supernatural resistance: Supernatural creatures such as Fera and vampires are generally very resistant, if not completely immune, to the usual effects of the venom (but not to Gifts that utilizes the venom). A general guideline is to cut the effects and duration in half, and that any damage is lethal rather than aggravated, and no long term effects. There might however be exceptions, for example a venom that causes blood clots might cause a vampire to loose blood point.

Ananasi are not immune to the venom of each other, nor to the venom of Nagah or other toxins, and suffer that at full effect. Mages, hunters and similar are not considered supernatural for this purpose unless they have some kind of special protection against venom.

Overcoming supernatural resistance: At the Storyteller's discretion, some Ananasi can make their venom effective at almost full strength against creatures like Fera and vampires, by spending a point of Gnosis at the same time as she injects the venom. However, even very lethal venom is very unlikely to kill such creature, but might still paralyze or in some other way incapacitate it until it has neutralized the venom through regeneration or healing it.

Blood
Ananasi use blood instead of Rage, but unless otherwise specified they can not us it the same way.

Feeding on blood: Ananasi gains Blood Points from blood more dependent on the volume than the quality or type, as long as it is warm blooded (mammal or bird). That means that a pint of blood from a human, a cow, an ostrich, and a Garou is worth the same to the Ananasi (one Blood Point), even though they may taste different.

An Ananasi does not gain any blood points from drinking the blood of another Ananasi, a vampire, revenant or the plasm of a manifested ghost. Blood from mages, other Fera (even cold blooded ones), changelings and even demons in human form are just normal human blood to an Ananasi (though it might taste different, especially blood from other Fera is exotic).

Blood from other vertebrates such as reptiles, fish and amphibians also works, though a larger quantity is required for the same amount of Blood Points, and many Ananasi do not like the taste. Some develop a taste for human blood, or even for the blood of Fera. This was unclear in older sources, but made clear in CB20. Invertebrates such as arthropods, mollusks and others do not give any blood points at all, but might still provide a good meal, and many Ananasi like eating insects or spiders.

Blood bags, blood soup and even undercooked stakes also provide blood points, though the less fresh, less fluid, and more cocked it is, the less effective it is, so a large quantity is needed for a single blood point.

An Ananasi can drain one blood point per turn from her victim if she can do so undisturbed and can manage to hold her victim steady (or paralyzed by venom). This can be done in any form, including Crawlerling, but that requires to swarm over the victim. Each blood point drained do one unsoakable lethal damage to the victim. Vampires instead looses their own blood points (but the Ananasi gains no blood points). Health levels lost in this way can be healed or regenerated as usual.

An Ananasi can heal the small wounds on their victims by secreting a special enzyme onto the wound through their own saliva. This however only works on the small wounds left from her small fangs in Homid or Crawlerling. The massive fangs in Araenid, Liliand and Pithus leave wounds to large to heal this way. Using this enzyme does not drain the Ananasi's store of venom. It can't be used to heal anything other than tiny wounds, and can't heal health levels.

Spending blood: Ananasi may only gain one extra action per turn by spending blood, may only heal one level of bashing or lethal damage per turn by spending blood, and may only use one Blood Point per turn to create great webs (really large webs takes several Blood Points, and therefor several turns). Ananasi may only use blood to one effect per turn. This in affect limit them to spending one blood point per turn, except for the purpose using a gift that requires more to activate. This was a bit unclear in CB20, but is stated clearly in older sources.

Activating the Gift Blood Pump completely removes all these limitations for the rest of the scene (both numbers of Blood Points, and the number of types of effects), though it does not remove the limitation that Gnosis and Blood Points can't be spent in the same turn (save for that the user may use blood in the same turn as activating this Gift).

Out of blood: Most Ananasi that have spent all their blood points feel just fine, and are not weakened. Their skin does not become pale, as it is not their normal ichor (blood) in their veins they use, but blood they have ingested. Though they do feel a thirst for blood, they can easily keep that at bay, and can theoretically go decades without blood without any problems. They simply can't use any more blood until they have ingested more. What they do need is food and drink, just like any other living creatures, or they will starve or die of thirst.

All Ananasi do feel an irresistible need for warm blood one time in their life, around the time for their first change, though most will find an opportunity to taste a little bit of it in a controlled way out of intellectual curiosity, rather than having to kill an animal or person in a blood crazed fury in order to get it.

An Ananasi can not "lose the spider" in a way similar to how a Garou can "lose the wolf". So, even if an Ananasi has spend all her Willpower points and Blood points, she may transform just as usual.

Food: Many Ananasi dislike ordinary food and prefer to live only on blood and liquid food. Others are just fine with ordinary human food. An Ananasi can eat normally in Homid, Araenid and Lilian, but in Pithus and Crawlerling they are only capable of eating liquid food, and have to inject digestive juices into meat and other harder foods to liquidize it first. Or they perhaps only drink the blood and leave the rest, as blood is booth fuel, food and drink, and so is the only thing they really need.

Overfeeding: An Ananasi can theoretically ingest a bit more blood than their usual maximum. However, the Ananasi will be very sluggish until she has spent the excess blood, similar to how people and animals react to eating to much.

The Metamorphosis
The first change for a Homid Ananasi is a much slower process than for other changing breeds. It is both emotional and physiological, giving them time to adapt, experiment and understand. It can take weeks before the Ananasi actually changes her form for the first time. Around this time she will for the only time in her life feel an unresistant urge to taste warm blood, and her own will not suffice. Still, most manages to find a way to do this in a controlled way, rather than being forced to kill. The first change for Hatar is a much more violent affair.

The first change for an Arachnid Ananasi is also a slow process, and the spiderling will literary have to eat her way to sufficient mass. While any protean will do the trick, it works much faster by eating ordinary spiders, and lots of them. The young Ananasi's first victims are usually her clutch mates. The hole process can take years while the small spider slowly grows into the Pithus form, and finally is able to transform for the first time.

Around the time of the first change, many Damhàn will hear the whispers of Queen Ananasa in their dreams, soothing them and explaining a few things for them. Instincts also goes a long way to understand what is going on.

Spider species and human ethnicity
What species of spider an Ananasi is will reflect some things, like the kind of venom they have, and the appearance in all their forms except Homid. Where each of the other Fera all belong to a single or a few species, the Ananasi incorporate tens of thousands of species of spiders. What species an Ananasi belongs to is however not permanent, as eating a large quantity of one particular species of spider can change this (hundreds, perhaps thousands are required, a process that can take weeks). The change of species lasts until the Ananasi changes it again, and the new species will be inherited by her offspring. However, some Ananasi are not of a single species, but are instead more of a collection of lots of different types of spiders.

The Ananasi have no tribal distinctions or other kinds of discrimination between different kinds of spiders. What species of spider an Ananasi belongs to will not however hinder her from using any of her innate abilities, nor any Gifts. That means that all Ananasi are capable of producing webs, etc.

An Ananasi's human ethnicity is likewise inherited, but through a different process (described in the Crawlerling section), this is likewise not necessarily permanent. Ananasi are well spread over all kinds of humans, though Sub-Saharan Africa has long been their stronghold and so African heritage is a bit more common.

Despite being able to do so, most Ananasi do not change their species of spider, but others change many times during their lifespan. There are rumors of Ananasi that have managed to incorporate or even change species to, not true spiders, but other arachnids such as opiliones (daddy longlegs), amblypygi (whip spiders), ricinulei (hooded tickspiders), solifuges (camel spiders), or even scorpions. If this is true, those who have manage would however still remain Ananasi, and it would be more correct to call the Ananasi "werearachnids" rather than "werespiders".

Damhàn Culture
Equality: As a hole, the Damhàn culture is actually not dominated by women, but is rather very equal between the genders, and not a few Ananasi are transgender, or does not view themselves as one particular sex, but rather as something in between, or shifting back and forth (requires a Merit). As a hole, they are also very accepting of different gender identities. This being said, there are slightly more female Ananasi of higher ranks, and if two Ananasi of equal ranks and different gender cooperate, it is more common that the female is taking the lead than that the male do so.

Love and mating between two Ananasi is discouraged, but it is not against their laws and there is not social stigma to it. However, the eventual offspring of two Damhàn will be Athasaia.

Falling to the Wyrm
Damhàn are just as likely to fall or to resist being corrupted by the Wyrm as other Fera. Hatar may have a better chance to resist, but they are also tempted much more, so overall it cancels out. Normal Damhàn, not even Hatar, do not smell of the Wyrm, nor register as Wyrm-creatures to any test (no more than other Fera), unless they truly have fallen. This however does not stop the suspicions from other Fera, and especially not from the Garou.

Most of the eastern type of Ananasi, the Kumo, do serve the Wyrm (the corrupter), but have not totally given over their minds and souls, so even most of them do not smell of the Wyrm. Antara, who truly serve the Wyrm, even if it is out of a desire to be free from Queen Ananasa, generally do smell of the Wyrm.

Note that Ananasi do not have access to any gifts or rites that let them simply smell the taint of the Wyrm.

Obedience
The list of sample behavior for the Obedience Renown was left out of CB20. It should read:

Numbers
It is very easy to get the impression that Ananasi are very rare. Most Fera are of the impression that they are next to extinct. They are in fact most likely the most numerous of all shapeshifters (including Garou and Ratkin), and are perhaps as many as all of the others put together. They are however usually far apart, and most of them live their lives only knowing of a few other Ananasi, and rarely see even those, and they have very different life styles.

Some "hibernate" spread out in their Crawlerling form, some live in the Umbra, some in cities, towns or villages, some in the wild, some in Wyrm infested areas, some are more nomadic. Some infiltrate vampire societies, or hives of Wyrm creatures, some live decades only as ordinary humans, som in caverns deep underground. Some work often with other Ananasi, some with other Fera, and some have hardly any contact with others at all.

Queen Ananasa as a totem
No other totem: An Damhàn can't ever have totem spirit other than Queen Ananasa. She might cast out an individual Damhàn from her grace (and stop teaching Gifts and grant the bonuses in the Sylie) and refuse to listen to pleas of mercy and acts of redemption, but she will not willingly relinquish one of her children to another.

Working with Ovid: A Damhàn who joins a group of Ananasi or even a mixed group of Fera is not considered to have broken the decree to not join a pack. That ban is only for Ovid who follow her, not her own children.

Ananasa as a teacher: Queen Ananasa is the personal teacher of all of her loyal followers, and most of them learn their Gifts and Rites only from her. The Damhàn usually do not have to barter for their Gifts, but they could try to convince her. Note that most of the time, the only response an Damhàn will receive is ether silence or the knowledge of the Gift or Rite. If denied, she is free to try again as soon as she has a new argument (such as having gained a new Rank, or is facing a new threat).

The Kumo do not have Ananasa as their totem but rather Rati, Marawa or Nareau, whom are great spirits of the Wyrm with one of the Kumo houses each. The Kumatai and other renegade Ananasi do not have any totems at all (they can't). Antara, whom are the only Ananasi completely beyond her control, could theoretically take a totem spirit, but that is against everything they stand for.

As totem for others: It is rare that Queen Ananasa agrees to be the totem spirit of other Fera, and when she does it is only for individuals, and never for packs. She will never accept a Corax.

Personal freedom
It is very easy to get the impression that the Damhàn only obey Queen Ananasa, who is their queen, totem spirit, true mother and goddess all in one, but that is far form the case. In fact, each individual Ananasi is usually given an incredible amount of personal freedom after they have been taught the basics. True, most do try to follow the laws of Ananasa, and to fulfill the goals of their Aspect and Faction, but that is by personal choice. They are free to live (somewhat) ordinary lives if they so choose, work with or against whomever they choose. The Damhàn are even free to rebel against Queen Ananasa and even to become Antara. That most show respect for elder Ananasi is also a choice. Even if an Ananasi meditate in her Sylie every day and commune with her Queen, it can be years between commands from her, and many never receive a single request or even advice from her in their entire life (except for the introduction to her that all Damhàn receives shorty after their first change). Other times an Ananasi will receive explicit and detailed instructions, to keep to themselves, or to share with others.

It is also true that Damhàn are supposed to help each other against others, and that law can even make bitter enemies save each other. But as soon as the external threat is dealt with, the same Ananasi who just worked together can go back to being enemies.

The closest kind of tie an Damhàn gets with another of her kind is usually that of mentor and student. Most Damhàn will drop almost anything they might be doing in order to find, teach and help a newly transformed Ananasi the basics, even if they are not related, or the spiderling is of a completely different aspect and faction. The teacher may later introduce the spiderling to other Ananasi who can complete the training. After the teaching period is finished many former teachers and students keep in touch. Not all Damhàn do get a teacher this way however, some are taught only by Queen Ananasa.

Except towards very young Ananasi who still are learning the basics, it is unusual for a Damhàn to pull rank and try to order other Ananasi around. Above all, Ananasi are schemers. And to scheme successfully, one must be free to do so.

There is no ban from Queen Ananasi for Damhàn to kill another of her kind, and that happens more often that most think, both of personal reasons, and for conflicting ideas between the different Aspects and Factions, not to mention the more direct conflict between the Damhàn, Antara and Kumo. Cannibalism among the Ananasi is not just an ill rumor among the Ovid, it does happen. However, aside from a meal, this practice only offers the same chance of adaptation that an Ananasi would get by eating lots regular spiders, and nothing more (the practitioner can gain the blood points the victim has ingested, but not from the ichor in the veins). Physical conflict is however not the preferred way among the Ananasi to settle scores or resolve conflicts. They much prefer to scheme.

Despite all this, the Ananasi are all part of the web that Queen Ananasa has woven, and sometimes this can be very restrictive in subtile ways. Some speculate that even the rebellious Antara and Kumo still unwillingly serve her purpose.

Kinfolk, humans and spiders
As Ananasi do not have rage, and do not risk frenzy, it is relatively easy for them to live as ordinary humans with ordinary humans, even for decades. As such, many Ananasi do not take into concern if a human is kinfolk or not when choosing a life partner.

An Ananasi can live a quite ordinary life as a regular human, even for a very long time, if she so desire. Ananasi may not have Rage to unnerve humans with, but their emotionally cold nature may be just as unsettling. If examined thoroughly, it is however clear that an Ananasi is not a human, as they even in Homid still have some arachnid traits like ichor for blood (a somewhat purple mixture of spider blood and human blood), retractable mandibles, venom glands and a few strange organs.

Among spiders it is very hard to tell the difference between kinfolk and other spiders, so most Ananasi do not even bother to try most of the time. Most Ananasi are just as willing to eat their spider kinfolk, even close relatives, as they are to eat other spiders. Remember that due to the enormous amount of spiders in the world, there is a also a huge amount of spider kinfolk.

Vampires
Unless otherwise specified Ananasi can not use their blood points the same way Kindred or Kuei-Jin can. Though most Ananasi have nothing at all to do with vampires, some interact with them quite a lot, and a few even pretend to be vampires.

Drinking Kindred vitae or Kuei-Jin blood: Ananasi are immune to all direct affects of Kindred vitae (blood): They can not become ghouls (they gain no benefits), are immune to being blood bounded and can not be embraced (they simply die). The blood of vampires does not give them any nourishment, it feels disgusting to taste and an ananasi that tries to drink blood from a vampire is most likely to throw up. Some Ananasi (mostly Hatar) instead enjoy the taste, but still gain no benefits, nor side effects, and might still throw up later. Blood from ghouls do function as normal human blood, but do taste quite bad.

The Kumo, however, gain full nutrition from the blood of vampires, as well as cold corpses (as long as the blood still is somewhat liquid). Marawa's Brood prefer this kind of blood in lieu of the blood of the living.

Ananasi are just as vulnerable to other affects of vampiric blood (such as Disciplines) as other creatures.

Drinking Ananasi ichor: A vampire that tastes the somewhat purple ichor (blood) from an Ananasi will find it has a revolting and alien taste. If that isn't discouraging enough actually drinking it cases most to throw up. This makes it extremely hard to classify (aside from that it definitely isn't vampire blood, nor normal human blood, in fact it hardly tastes or feels like blood at all to a vampire). If the vampire should manage to keep it down, a Kindred will find it potent to the same degree as with blood from other shapeshifters, but without any particular side effects from drinking it, and a Kuei-Jin will find in nourishing as if it was ordinary human blood.

Ichor drained from an Ananasi does not drain her blood point, but rather Health levels, as with most living creatures. This counts as lethal damage. The reason for this is that an Ananasi does not store the blood points in her own ichor, but rather in her digestive system. An Ananasi may heal damage caused this way this as any other. Ananasi are also immune to the effects of the Kiss of the Kindred (though many are informed and clever enough to pretend the are affected).

Pretending to be a vampire: Despite having fangs and being blood drinkers, Ananasi are not vampires in any real meaning of the word. They are living, not undead, they need food, they need to breath, etc. In fact they don't actually need blood at all, and they do not have any of the weaknesses of vampires. They do not register as something related to neither Kindred or Kuei-Jin, nor werewolves, to most tests vampires (and their servants) can do, but rather as either mortals or something else (and quite strange).

The fangs of an Ananasi in Homid at closer inspection look nothing like the usual fangs of vampires, as they are in fact hollow the claws of their chelicerae (spider fangs) that they can retract to hide or extend to display (and bite). Their bite do not give a sense of euphoria like the Kiss (there are exceptions). Vampires are immune to most kinds of venom of Ananasi.

Despite all this, most vampires seem to accept an Ananasi as a fellow Kindred or Kuei-Jin (though a strange one) given the slightest excuse to do so, if the Ananasi have the Gift Wyrmling Kinship (level 1 Hatar Gift). As vampires are not direct servants of the Wyrm and more individualistic, they are not however as ready to directly accept an Ananasi as an ally as other Wyrm-creatures would, though the Gift's usual social advantage against them do apply otherwise.

Wyrmling Kinship is however not effective against those few vampires who are not tainted by the Wyrm. Against such vampires (or without this Gift), it is much more difficult for an Ananasi to pretend to be a vampire. The few vampires who actually knows about the Ananasi, and those with an investigating scientific mindset, are also much less likely to be fooled if given time and opportunity to investigate. Pretending to be an ordinary human might be a better option against those.

The ways the Ananasi are very similar to vampires is how many of them prey on humans, often through seduction, using hollow fangs to drain some blood out of two tiny puncture wounds, and often later close those those wounds on their victims.

Other concerns: Vampires are immune to most Ananasi's venom, and are not affected by their Animal Magnetism (though they might still be impressed by the display). Ananasi can't learn Disciplines, nor vampires learn Gifts. Vampires can't be healed by Mother's touch or similar Gifts. Ananasi might be immune to the Blood Bound, but not to Dominate, Presence and similar Disciplines. Ananasi are however not affected by Animalism powers that targets animals or their beasts (they are not true animals and they do not have a beast, however a vampire could use Animalism to communicate with an Ananasi in her Crawlerling form). Unlike other Fera, the aura of an Ananasi as seen by Auspex will not reveal them as werebeasts, but display them as ordinary humans (a few vampires also have similar auras).

Most vampires (Kindred with Humanity 6 or less, Road of the Beast 6 or less, Path of the Feral Heart 6 or less, Path of Harmony 6 or less, or followers of any other Path of Enlightenment regardless of rating, as well as Kuei-Jin with Dharma 6 or less) are considered Wyrm-creatures (and do smell of the Wyrm), but most are still not willing servants of the Wyrm. Ghouls are generally not considered Wyrm-creatures, but might still smell a bit of the Wyrm. There is however no easy way to differentiate a ghoul from for example a Pentex factory worker. Note that Ananasi do hot have any gifts to simply detect Wyrm-taint.

Vampires and ghouls are immune to the Delirium, but might still find the strange forms of an Ananasi, and especially the transformation to or from Crawlerling, unsettling.

Spirits
It is easy to get the impression that Weaver-spirits are allies of the Ananasi. The opposite is actually true. The more powerful and intelligent Weaver-spirits know that the Ananasi actually work against the Weaver's designs. However, most Weaver-spirits, even powerful ones, tend to mistake Ananasi for servants of the Weaver.

In their Pithus or Crawlerling form in the Umbra, most spirits will mistake Ananasi to be spider spirits, unless the Ananasi give them a reason to not think that (like shifting form). Weaver-spirits will simply mistake Ananasi for being just other Weaver-spirits, Banes are likely to assume Ananasi in Pithus or Crawerling to be another kind of Wyrm-spirits (if they have the Gift Wyrmling Kinship), while other spirits often take them for "normal" spider spirits.

That Weaver-spirits tend to think of Ananasi as allies and in their Pithus and Crawlerling forms mistake them for other Weaver-spirits make an Ananasi practically anonymous in places like the CyberRealm, and heavily Weaver dominated areas in the Penumbra, unless they shift form or in other ways act weird.

Queen Ananasa is usually the only one who teaches an Ananasi all Gifts she will ever know. But the queen has not banned her children from learning Gifts from spirits, it is just that most Ananasi would not even consider that, and anyway, many spirits would not teach an Ananasi a Gift. Of those that are loyal to their Queen, the Hatar are the most likely to learn Gifts from spirits, and that is mostly from banes, mad spirits and spider spirits (of all of the Triat). Antara, Kumo and Kumatai only learn their Gifts from such spirits.

Others
Ananasi have distinct advantages when trying to socialize with or pretend to be vampires, are often mistaken for spirits while in the Umbra by the spirits (if they are in their Pithus or Crawlerling form), and are often accepted as allies by Wyrm-creatures (if they have the Gift Wyrmling Kinship). But aside from that, they have just as hard time as other Fera, if not harder, to socialize with or trying to infiltrate other kinds of creatures.

In general Ananasi are deeply mistrusted, if not downright hated, by Werewolves and the other Changing Breeds. The more ill-informed often think the Ananasi are servants of the Wyrm (despite that most do not smell of the wyrm), and many others think they are servants of the Weaver. The chance of pretending to be one of the other Fera is practically nil. Many Ananasi think of the Ovid, as they call the other Changing Breeds, as inferior and unimportant compared to themselves. Despite this, some Ananasi successful establish working relations with other Fera.

Ananasi can however quite easy infiltrate other groups of Ananasi. Damhàn, Antara and Kumo often infiltrate one another for one reason or another. No wonder most Ananasi are suspicious towards others of their kind.

Gifts
● Replenishment of the Flesh (Level Two General Ananasi Gift): In lieu of spiders and insects can fresh, uncooked human flesh also serve just as well. Humans can't be summoned with this Gift the way spiders and insects can be in most locations. Human flesh and insects must be consumed orally, while spiders simply assimilate into the wound and mend it that way (or replenish the numbers in Crawlerling). Even aggravated damage may be healed this way, but at the cost of two points of Gnosis rather than one, per lost Health level. This Gift can be used in all forms, and is the only way to truly heal in Crawlerling. The time it takes to heal depends mostly on availability of spiders, insects and fresh human flesh, but at most one health level per turn can be healed this way.

● Blood Pump (Level Three General Ananasi Gift): Though this Gift removes the usual limitation of how much blood to spend, the limitation of not spending blood and Gnosis in the same round still apply. However, the user may spend blood in the same turn as activating this Gift.

● Wyrmling Kinship (Level One Hatar Gift): Most vampires may technically be Wyrm-creatures, but this Gift does not make them view an Ananasi as an ally as vampires are far to individualistic and do not serve the Wyrm directly. But it will on the other hand make most think of the Ananasi as a fellow Kindred or Kuei-Jin given the slightest excuse to do so. Banes tend to mistake an Ananasi with this Gift for fellow Banes if encountering them in their Pithus form in the Umbra (independent of that, Banes will still likely view the Ananasi as an ally).

● Image of the Great Mother (Level Five Myrmidon Gift): Only Ananasi loyal to Queen Ananasa, and at least somewhat in her favor can use this Gift. Queen Ananasa does not like this Gift being used flippantly and will always ask any of her children using this Gift to perform a special task afterwards.

● Minor Unweaving (Level 2 Viskr Gift): The Ananasi must detect the magical effect in order to try to unweave it. She must however not know anything else about it in order to try to unweave it. This also apply to the more powerful versions of this Gift.

Rites
Rite of Spinning: After explaining what an Ananasi is, the first thing a Damhàn or Queen Ananasa teaches a young spiderling is this rite. All Damhàn knows this rite for free, even if they are unable to perform it if they do not posses any dots in Occult (without assistance of a more experienced Ananasi).