BSLunarWaningMoon

The Waning Moon

What one sees by the light of a waning mood is invariably half-cloaked in shadow and distorted. So, too, Luna's children who unite under this caste - they are sibilant shadows crossing the night, they are the flicker in the corner of one's eyes. Masters of disguise, stealth, and all forms of motion, the Waning Moon Caste are among the finest infiltrators in Creation. Before the Usurpation they were, paradoxically, the most numerous and the least-recognized of the Lunar Castes - some facet of their nature making them take perverse pleasure in wearing the identities of others.

They worked closely with the Zenith and Night Castes during the First Age, fulfilling those deeds that their Solar cousins could not. The sheer scale of a Solar's brilliance meant that, were one to send a Night Caste to seize a relic, the invariable perfection of the theft would mark it as the doing of a Solar Exalt - good for teaching subtle lessons but sometimes not politically desirable. The adaptable Waning Moons, therefore, took the role of the flawed infiltrator - they left subtle, arcane clues but were such cyphers that even if discovered they would never be identified. Legends tell of a Waning Moon who infiltrated the same castle a dozen times, each time wearing the guise of a different master thief.

It was their skill that led to their undoing - the Solars grew wary of their abilities, thanks in no small part to honeyed Sidereal warnings whispered in their ears. They began to monitor them, through magic and the Night Caste, and in so doing they ruined the perfect camouflage of the Caste - many a monitoring spell led a foe of Creation directly to a Waning Moon in his fortress, and many a Waning Moon was executed at the whim of his Night Caste minder. Nary a scant few of the caste survived the Usurpation - the Sidereals rightly feared them - and even now their numbers are difficult to ascertain - many Societies refuse to keep records of their Waning Moon members out of respect for what doomed the Caste before.

It is said that the Empress regularly dined with a Waning Moon, and was never the wiser. They are, after all, masters of disguise and deceit, and as such they adapted well to this rougher Age - they move quietly across Creation, filling all niches and seeing all secrets. Who they tell and what they take will have a large effect on the outcome of the future.

Totem Selections: Most Waning Moons have Deceiver or Cunning Totems. Deceiver Totems are stealthy animals, those who change color, appearance, and attitude to adapt to their surroundings. Cunning Totems are hoarders and sprint-footed small game. Mysteries Totems are the lurkers in dark places that make forays into the light, the quiet and fleet-footed children of the dark. Strength Totems are those beasts of might and tact, the lurking jaguar or patient brute. Alpha totems are almost unheard of for the Caste - they do not put themselves forward, but when they do they do so as deceptively brilliant animals.

Anima Banner: Waning Moons have dark, active animas - they hug the ground and are dark blue to purple in color, blending into shadows and seeping through cracks. They most resemble the distorted shadows cast by objects in odd light - they seem to move and flicker with their own intent. As they become iconic, the shadows writhe more, cloaking the Waning Moon in a shroud of black light.

Anima Effects: As Changing moon in E: The Lunars. I don't want to type all that.

Caste Abilities: The Waning Moons must get anywhere, be anything, and fool anyone. As such, their caste abilities are ones of misdirection and chicanery - Athletics, Dodge, Larceny, Performance, and Stealth.

Associations: The element of fire, the color blue, waning moons, masks, and owls.

Sobriquets: Does anyone really read these?

Concepts: Actor, former prostitute, bandit, bounty hunter, infiltrator in the Realm, leader of secret society.

I have slipped passed your guards and avoided your wards. I have come to you to ask you to change your ways and repent for your sins. If you do not, I will come to you again. You will not see me, that time.

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