Fylfot

Fylfot is the Ananasi term for a fetish.

Overview

Fylfot are similar to Garou fetishes, with a few notable differences. The Ananasi prefer manmade items that have been imbued with spirits; such innocuous objects are easier to carry in the world of man, where the Ananasi are most likely to need them.

Also, the spider is a trapper, not a negotiator, and the spirits that inhabit these items are rarely placed there by choice; if a werespider creates a Fylfot version of a fetish, the Gnosis will tend to be higher than the original fetish’s gnosis.

Perhaps most noticeable is the fact that the Ananasi refuse to use a spirit-imbued weapon. There is no werespider equivalent to the klaive, nor do any of the spiderlings want to own one. They claim that relying on fetish weapons proves that you have forgotten how to use your intellect. Even the Myrmidon prefer using their natural talents and cunning over an external weapon.

Another difference that helps distinguish a Fylfot is the concept of uniqueness. Most of the items that the Ananasi use are one-of-a-kind. They consider it insulting to duplicate another’s Fylfot, and strive to create or obtain a unique magical item. To the last, they all enjoy obtaining and owning a Fylfot object, and love to create one that they can attach their name to for future use.

List of Fylfot

• The Armoire of Abiele - Level 1, Gnosis 5 - Never go out under- or overdressed. That was the basic motto of Abiele Dumont, a fashion designer from the 19th century, who took the message very literally. She created a classic French armoire that contained everything that she would ever need to wear, literally. By whispering a simple request into the armoire's keyhole (thus activating the Fylfot) and then opening the doors, the owner can find the perfect clothes for whatever the situation the owner was seeking. The clothing from the armoire is always crafted of silk (lending credence to the theory that the armoire is filled with Spider-spirits that weave each outfit). It always fits perfectly, and is typically appropriate for either male or female attire. The armoire itself is four feet wide, two and half feet deep, and almost seven feet tall. It appears to be crafted from mahogany, and is accordingly quite heavy.
• Arnoch's Bait - Level 2, Gnosis 6 - Arnoch, it is said, was a perpetually hungry spider, and he could never find food with the ease that he wanted, so he developed the proper bait. Arnoch's Bait is actually an enchanted tin, looking very much like a classic snuff tin, that allows its user to withdraw a small piece of bait, shaped almost exactly like a lemon drop. This bait attracts any food in the area that the Ananasi can see. If the Ananasi places the bait in front of her - on the ground, on a table, anywhere solid - and asks anything that he can see to come pick it up, they will. For that brief moment they lose control of their actions and come to pick up the bait. What the Ananasi does once they pick up the bait is entirely up to her. In game terms, the Ananasi must place the bait on a surface, and activate the fetish; the target must roll Willpower (difficulty 5 + the successes on the activation roll, maximum of 9) to resist. Failure indicates that the target comes over and picks up the bait. The bait is quite edible, and tastes exactly like what the target enjoys, from sugar to excrement, depending on personal taste. Only one piece of bait may be drawn from the box per day; it takes a full 24 hours for the box to create a new bait drop.
• Caen's Lace Kerchief - Level 2, Gnosis 6 - Leave it to a Welsh dandy to bind a spirit into a handkerchief. It is also said that this particular dandy had a true taste for blood, and would feed for his own pleasure rather than need, but needed something to hide his actions. This coarse lace handkerchief was his solution. When placed over the skin, if a character bites through the lacing it will not leave a mark, and will heal the puncture almost instantly. The owner need not make any roll to use this item, but must place the kerchief over the skin before making the wound; if the kerchief is placed over an already existing wound, it will do nothing except become bloodstained. The character must attack through the openings in the lace; if he accidentally breaks the lacing then the Fylfot loses its enchantment until it is repaired. Any attack made through the lace heals when the kerchief is removed, but the holes in the lave are only large enough for small puncturing weapons. Any health levels of damage sustained remain, but the surface area is repaired when the kerchief is removed.
• The Ruby Eye of Tomas - Level 2, Gnosis 6 - "The eyes of Tomas are everywhere," or at least so boasted the creator of this Fylfot. This enchanted gem grants clairvoyant vision, allowing an Ananasi to see things from a distance. The gem appears to be a smooth-cut ruby about half an inch in diameter, and has been found set in a necklace, a ring, on a scepter, and floating loose in a pile, but it has always functioned perfectly in any setting. In game terms, the possessor of the Eye is able to see through the gem as though they were looking through a glass, with slight distortion, in a three-hundred and sixty degree arc. The owner simply has to stare into a mirror and activate the fetish; this allows him to link with the gem and look around any given area within a mile as though he were in the room. No sound is carried through the gem, only visuals - and of course, as it's viewed through a ruby, the vision is tinted red.
• The Catcher: Web-Net - Level 2, Gnosis 6 - This Fylfot (fetish), which resembles an old-fashioned butterfly net, allows an Ananasi not only to generate webs while in Homid form, but can store up to 10 Blood Points worth of webbing in it.
• The Music Box of Chien-Tu - Level 3, Gnosis 6 - Chien-Tu Phillips was the son of a Chinese immigrant and a San Francisco lawyer, who liked nothing more than peace and quiet. His mother and father seemed to enjoy nothing more than arguing all hours of the day, and he got to hear it all through the time he grew up. Once he was out of house, and his true heritage was revealed to him, he took the steps necessary to ensure his sanity. This magical music box creates a calming, soothing song that fascinates anyone that hears it. When the box is opened, characters must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) or fall into a state of calm relaxation. Characters effected by this music cannot act out of anger, and cease all hostilities while under its spell. The music is even powerful enough to quench the Rage of a Garou or other Ovid; in this case, the Ananasi opening the box must roll the Gnosis of box, with the difficulty being the Rage of the targeted character. Every success subtracts one temporary Rage point, and the target must then must make a Willpower roll as above to see if he is calmed.
• Tracking Web - Level 3, Gnosis 6 - Ananasi frequently make these fetishes for their own use, but once one is made any shapeshifter can use it, though they must expend Gnosis in place of Blood Points. The Ananasi may activate the fetish by spending a Blood Point rather than using Gnosis. To make a Tracking Web the Ananasi excretes a pound of web (this is easiest in Pithus form) and weaves it into a tight sphere no bigger than a grape. She then teases an inch of web out of the weave, which hangs from the otherwise perfect sphere. To use the fetish the Ananasi pulls on this thread, which extends another inch before breaking off. The small piece of web is sticky to anyone but her, and she can place it on almost any surface. At any time thereafter, she may activate the fetish. It will gently tug in the direction of the lost thread, becoming stronger as the tracking web nears the thread. The fetish may have as many active tracking webs as the Ananasi's Gnosis. She may sever the link to any one as she desires but if she makes a new tracking web beyond her Gnosis the oldest thread crumbles to dust.
• Piccola's Picture Frame - Level 4, Gnosis 7 - A romantic by the name of Rena Piccola developed this Fylfot for reasons of relative triviality (at least by Ananasi standards). Piccola, though desperately romantic, was also highly jealous, so she created this device that would let her keep track of her lover at all times. By placing a well-crafted image - a painting, charcoal drawing, photograph, etc. - in this large wall frame, the owner is able to know the exact location of the person depicted. If there is more than one person in the image in the frame, the Fylfot does not function at all. To use the frame, the owner must place the image in the frame, hang the frame on a wall, and stare at it while concentrating on the person. The Ananasi then makes a Gnosis roll, with the difficulty equal to the target character's Willpower. If successful, the Ananasi gets a mental image of where the character is and what he is doing. The werespider doesn't receive directions to the location, or any more information about the location than the image and possibly a name (not all places have a name; Joe's Bar does, Mike's bathroom doesn't). The frame cannot relate dialogue, though the character might get a vague impression of what the conversation is about, if the target is sufficiently engrossed in the discussion. In all, the information is moderately vague, but includes enough details to make things interesting.
• Skeleton Closet Key - Level 4, Gnosis 7 - There are skeletons in everybody's closets, and this is the key to unlock them. Anyone who holds the key reveals their deepest secret to the owner of the key, whether they want to or not. No one knows who created this key, and there are many that feel this Fylfot is too dangerous and frightening to own. Others, of course, seek its owner their entire lives in order to puzzle out its mysteries. The Key looks like a five-inch, archaic key made out of cured bone. No one knows what type of bone it is, but it has allegedly been around since the dawn of man. Once an Ananasi has bonded with the Fylfot, anyone that subsequently holds the key will reveal one secret to its owner; if the owner doesn't ask directly, the holder will reveal the one thing that they hold most secret. When anyone other than the owner holds the key, they must make a Willpower roll, difficulty equal to the key owner's Gnosis. If the holder of the key gets less than three successes, they tell a secret to the owner of the key, but not the deepest secret they know. If the holder gets no successes, they cannot resist relating their deepest, most feared secret. If they get more than three successes, they are able to resist the lure of the key, and keep their secrets to themselves. Many Ananasi know of this Fylfot, and avoid touching it at any cost.
• The Watch of Second Sight - Level 5, Gnosis 8 - Some will tell you that this is the most powerful Fylfot ever made. An old pocketwatch, with elaborate inlay crafted in brass, this Fylfot keeps perfect time. It also allows its owner to look into the past. The owner of the watch is able to view the recent events of an area by activating the mechanism's inner workings. Some say that the craftsman was able to capture a Paradox-spirit, allowing him or her to break the walls of reality and glimpse the actions and events of the area. The owner of the watch is the only one able to use the item. Every success on the activation roll allows the owner to see up to five minutes into the past. The effect of the watch is such that the events of the past are played out around the owner, almost like a ghost play, with immaterial actors on a phantom stage. The Storyteller must be extremely careful if they allow this Fylfot into their campaign; this is a mystery-buster of the highest degree.
• Luk'aathihko - Level 4, Gnosis 7 - Luk'aathihko is an untranslatable word within the language of the Skein-Spiders (Ananasi aligned with the Weaver), who created this fetish and many others like it. Outwardly, it appears as two objects. The first of these is a long mental cylinder, exactly 15 inches long and with a diameter of 2 inches. It is perfectly circular. At the top of this cylinder is a thin hole 1" long and less than a fifth of an inch wide at the surface, tapering away to a point at the end. This accommodates the other object, a thin needle. At the base of the cylinder are three small holes, each exactly a third of an inch in diameter. Internally, the cylinder is filled with a curious system of pumps and tubes filled with three different liquids. The first of these liquids is red, the second blue, and the third green. To activate the fetish, the Ananasi must first prick the intended victim with the needle, drawing blood. The needle is then inserted into the top of the cylinder, activating the fetish. By then placing two fingers upon two of the holes at the base of the cylinder, the spider can drain one of the liquids from the fetish. (This liquid is mysteriously replaced within exactly twenty-four hours, to the second.) As the liquid drains, bodily fluids such as saliva or blood immediately drain from the victim from the nose, ears and moth. As these fluids drain from the body, so does Rage, Gnosis or Willpower; one point is lost for each success gained on the activation roll. This fetish may only be used once per 24 hours and is bound with a limestone-spirit.
• Flood Web - Level 5, Gnosis 8 - This massive fetish web is primarily the creation of the Kumoti, the Wyld-aligned Ananasi. Bound with either a rabbit or a vine-spirit, the Flood Web does one thing very well - it grows. The web sprouts new strands at a frightening rate, shooting out toward the nearest object to hold onto. In the open, this is of little use. Objects like trees make the web grow erratically, creating holes and spaces in the web. But against foes dwelling in caverns or tunnels, it is a weapon of massive power. The web finds objects in all directions to cling to and quickly fills such tunnels almost completely, leaving no room to move and often no room even to breathe. Once activated, the fetish rolls its own Gnosis against difficulty 7. Each success means that the web grows uncontrollably for one minute. A single success fills an enclosed area the size of an average suburban home. Three successes fill a small shopping mall. Five successes could easily fill a very large part of a subway system. Those engulfed in the rapidly growing web must make a Wits + Athletics roll (difficulty 9) or be instantly crushed and suffer 8 health levels (not dice), of aggravated damage. Most humans are slaughtered instantly, though some supernaturals could plausibly survive. Digging through the web is an extended Strength + Athletics roll at difficulty 8; every five successes dig away the equivalent of one minute's growth. However, if the characters only intend to dig their way from one place to another, it might take less work. Once the web has expanded to its full size, it can be cut or burned away; each strand has the consistency of sticky rope, and is quite flammable. The most difficult part of this fetish is creating the web itself. Since it needs to be spun in the place of attack, it is an inconvenient process. Spinning the web itself takes a full twenty-four hours and cannot be hurried along by multiple spiders spinning; the intricate designs require that only a single Ananasi perform this ritual. As such, foes expecting such tactics can bombard those trying to create the web with constant attacks.

Fylfot Talen

• Psychotrope - Gnosis 7 - A strange talen most often employed by the Hatar, the Ananasi who side with the Wyrm, the Glass Walkers coined the Psychotrope's common title - the spiders use a word of their own language to describe this foul device. A large steel spike attached to a bladder full of liquid, the Psychotrope is imbued with a Bane of fear. The spike is bound with the spirit and then crafted into a trap that allows the spike to jab out and stab its victim. (It is occasionally employed as a weapon, but most commonly is worked into traps.) When this occurs, the victim's body and senses are warped and altered by the Bane-powered drugs, causing him to hallucinate and subjecting him to physical phenomena such as sudden swears, cramps and pains. The overall effect is harrowing. The talen rolls its Gnosis against a difficulty of the victim's Perception + Enigmas (difficulty 6). Every success removes one point of Willpower from the victim. Once reduced to zero Willpower, the victim falls prey to the hallucinations spawned by the talen and the Storyteller should feel quite free to describe scenes in warped and incorrect ways. Willpower lost to this device is regained normally. Once one point of Willpower is regained, the hallucinations do not end, but can be seen through and distinguished from reality. After all Willpower lost is regained, the hallucinations end. Once activated, this talen stays activated until it is used.

Hengeyokai Fetishes

(Kumo) See Hengeyokai Fetishes here.

References

• WTA: Ananasi, p. 99-101
• WTA/cMET: Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3, p. 87-91
• WTA: Hammer & Klaive, p. 100-101
• WTA: Book of the City, p. 60
• W20: Changing Breeds, p. 69