Dramatic Systems: Taint

[Xenia]

There are three different kinds of Taint that stand as a threat in the current setting, all detailed below:

Wyrm, Weaver, and Wyld.

[Xenia]

Wyrm Taint
The most common sort of Taint that many Garou worry about, though the Weaver and the Wyld also can taint those that get too close to them, Wyrm taint is a spiritual affliction triggered by exposure to emanations of the Wyrm. Once afflicted, the taint metastasizes into a degradation of the soul and sundering of the spiritual connection that links Garou to Gaia. Sometimes called "The Siren Call of the Wyrm", for taint is both temptation as well as corruption.

Gaining Wyrm Taint
A Garou enters the initial stages of Wyrm Taint when exposed to emanations of the Wyrm or by committing a consciously evil act brings her closer to the mindset of the Wyrm. As spiritual infection takes hold of her body, her soul is corrupted and seduced until the Garou submits to the Wyrm's will. Wyrm emanations can come from a variety of sources, such as poisons carefully crafted by the servants of the Wyrm left to infest ground water, to the overt powers of the Wyrm such a balefire.

Common ways to gain Wyrm Taint via Environmental Factors:

• Entering a building, place, or Umbral Realm tainted with Wyrm Affinity
• Consuming a bane spirit or corrupted spirit
• Battling a creature with Wyrm Affinity, such as a bane, fallen Garou, or formori within Brawl or Melee attack range.
• Exposure to damaging radiation
• Some toxins and poisions
• Drinking the blood of a vampire

Common ways to gain Wyrm Taint via Conscious Choice:

• Eating the flesh of a human, Garou, or Fera
• Profaning the land or spirits of the Wyld
• Willingly following the tenets of the Wyrm

Stages of Wyrm Taint
There are five stages of Wyrm Taint, each representing a degradation of the soul, dissolution of the covenant with Gaia, and acceptance of the Wyrm. Each stage is cumulative, incorporating the penalties of the stages beneath it.

• First Stage: You feel unclean, as though there is something wrong with your flesh, and your soul feels heavy and listless. You might find that your skin itches as though you're suffering from a rash, and you always feel on edge.
• Second Stage: The corruption of the Wyrm is now viable on your flesh as you appear pale, ill, and clearly uncomfortable in the presence of untainted servants of Gaia. This malefaction has begun to penetrate your soul. You take twice as long to recover Gnosis as you would normally.
• Third Stage: The siren call of the Wyrm is almost subliminal in your mind. Your perception alters, causing you to see the world in a continual state of decay. You believe it is your purpose to help it along. You gain the derangement, Destruction: Call of the Wyrm. This derangement persists for as long as you are at this stage of Wyrm taint and cannot be cured before then. Wyrm-affiliated creatures such a bane spirits, fallen Garou, and formori sense your potential and will naturally be friendly to you. They may even try to aid you, as long as your aren't acting against their interests. After all, you are just a step away from where they are now.
• Fourth Stage: Your spiritual orientation has shifted away from Gaia to the Wyrm. You can no longer recover or gain Gnosis in the usual fashion, but rather you must be located in a Wyrm affiliated zone or in the presence of a creature affiliated with the Wyrm to regain Gnosis. In addition, Garou or other creatures without Wyrm Taint gain a point of Wyrm Taint if they are in your presence for longer than five minutes.
  
  Following the Wyrm is not without it's own temptations. You may choose two formori taint powers (Staff will discuss your options with you should you achieve this level of taint) to add to your character sheet, without XP expenditure, so long as you remain at the fourth or fifth stage of Wyrm Taint. Using these tainted blessings will quickly drag you to Wyrm Affinity.
• Fifth Stage: Your spirit has almost completely surrendered to the Wyrm, and now your flesh reflects this state. Your body has begun to mutate, featuring putrid pustules, weeping sores, and other deformities associated with fallen Garou. You may exchange any Tribal Merits or Gifts for Wyrm Merits or Gifts of the same cost or level while you remain at the fifth stage of Wyrm Taint.
  
  Further, you may purchase (or if you have either of the other two Affinity merits, swap your Affinity merit for) the merit: Wyrm Affinity (Staff will discuss this merit with you if you have interest). Should you purchase this merit your character falls to the Wyrm and becomes completely Wyrm Affinity. Characters that become Wyrm Affinity are beyond hope and can no longer be cleansed (at least through conventional means).

[Xenia]

Weaver Taint
Rarer than Wyrm Taint, and not exceptionally common, it is still a force to be reckoned with should it be encountered. Such taint can lead a Garou astray and prevent them from moving and changing as servants of Gaia should. The influence of the Weaver is most insidious in the fine line between reason and banality: the more things are codified, labeled, and broken down scientifically, the more the chaos of the Wyld is fed to the Weaver.

Gaining Weaver Taint
A Garou enters the initial stages of Weaver Taint only under the rarest of circumstances. Such a Garou would need to be dealing with the most serious of Weaver servants, or act completely in accordance with the Weaver's will, denying the innate flux and malleability of the world around them.

Common ways to gain Weaver Taint via Environmental Factors:

• Entering a building, place, or Umbral Realm tainted with Full Weaver Affinity.
• Consuming a weaver spirit.
• Battling a creature with Full Weaver Affinity, such as a weaver spirit or drone within Brawl or Melee attack range.
• Drinking the blood of a vampire.

Common ways to gain Weaver Taint via Conscious Choice:

• Willingly following the tenets of the Weaver to the exclusion of the tenets of Gaia.
• Actively codifying the unknown (through science or reason or other processes of understanding).

Stages of Weaver Taint
There are five stages of Weaver Taint, each representing a degradation of the soul, dissolution of the covenant with Gaia, and acceptance of the Weaver. Each stage is cumulative, incorporating the penalties of the stages beneath it.

• First Stage: You feel stiff, as though you don't want to move. Your thoughts tend to drift towards efficiency and structure more than anything else, it can be easier to focus on tasks, but often such tasks are handled with only the necessary energy.
• Second Stage: The corruption of the Weaver is now viable on your flesh as you appear pale, and clearly uncomfortable in the presence of untainted servants of Gaia. This malefaction has begun to penetrate your soul. You take twice as long to recover Gnosis as you would normally.
• Third Stage: The desired structure of the Weaver is almost subliminal in your mind. Your perception alters, causing you to see the world as it is now, and any change becomes anathema to your senses. You believe it is your purpose to help keep everything as it is now. You gain the Derangement, Compulsion: Call of the Weaver. This Derangement persists for as long as you are at this stage of Weaver taint and cannot be cured before then. Weaver-affiliated creatures such a weaver spirits, fallen Garou, and drones sense your potential and will naturally be friendly to you. They may even try to aid you, as long as your aren't acting against their interests. After all, you are just a step away from where they are now.
• Fourth Stage: Your spiritual orientation has shifted away from Gaia to the Weaver; you hear the Onesong clear as day in your mind, well aware that differences are superficial and everything has its right place. You can no longer recover or gain Gnosis in the usual fashion, but rather you must be located in a Weaver affiliated zone or in the presence of a creature affiliated with the Weaver to regain Gnosis. In addition, Garou or other creatures without Weaver Taint gain a point of Weaver Taint if they are in your presence for longer than five minutes.
  Following the Weaver is not without it's own temptations. You may choose two Drone Taint Powers (Staff will discuss your options with you should you achieve this level of taint) to add to your character sheet, without XP expenditure, so long as you remain at the fourth or fifth stage of Weaver Taint. Using these tainted blessings will quickly drag you to Weaver Affinity.
• Fifth Stage: Your spirit has almost completely surrendered to the Weaver, and now your flesh reflects this state. Your body has begun to mutate, you almost might appear like a statue to a casual observer, things do not change about you and you avoid taking any unnecessary movements, or perhaps you glow with strange sigils signifying the codifying you have instilled on the world around you. You may exchange any Tribal Merits or Gifts for Weaver Merits or Gifts of the same cost or level while you remain at the fifth stage of Weaver Taint.
  Further, you may purchase (or if you have either of the other two Affinity merits, swap your Affinity merit for) the merit: True Weaver Affinity (Staff will discuss this merit with you if you have interest). Should you purchase this merit your character falls to the Weaver and becomes completely Weaver Affinity. Characters that become Truly Weaver Affinity are beyond hope and can no longer be cleansed (at least through conventional means).

[Xenia]

Wyld Taint
Rarer still than Wyrm or Weaver Taint, is the taint of the Wyld. Though, to say it's rarer would be wrong, it is simply rarer for Garou to succumb to such taint, for all other creatures that walk upon Gaia it is among the most common forms of taint and many are under it's effects even without knowing it.

Gaining Wyld Taint
A Garou enters the initial stages of Wyld Taint only under the rarest of circumstances, such a Garou would need to be dealing with the most serious of Wyld servants, or act completely in accordance with the Wyld's will to the detriment of Gaia. The influence of the Wyld manifests in the refusal of order, fostering growth without direction or resolution.

Common ways to gain Wyld Taint via Environmental Factors:

• Entering a building, place, or Umbral Realm tainted with Full Wyld Affinity
• Consuming a wyld spirit of jaggling or stronger
• Battling a creature with Full Wyld Affinity, such as a wyld spirit or gorgon within Brawl or Melee attack range.

Common ways to gain Wyld Taint via Conscious Choice:

• Willingly following the tenets of the Wyld to the exclusion of the tenets of Gaia.
• Devote yourself to ceaseless, chaotic creation, denying the rigidity of structure.

Stages of Wyld Taint
There are five stages of Wyld Taint, each representing a degradation of the soul, dissolution of the covenant with Gaia, and acceptance of the Wyld. Each stage is cumulative, incorporating the penalties of the stages beneath it.

• First Stage: You feel a pressure, a pressure to change, to grow, to do something. Any moment you are not in motion feels to be a moment wasted, many individuals at this level appear to be manic as they flit from task to task.
• Second Stage: The corruption of the Wyld is now viable on your flesh as your appearance begins to mutate and change, and you are clearly uncomfortable in the presence of untainted servants of Gaia. This malefaction has begun to penetrate your soul. You take twice as long to recover Gnosis as you would normally.
• Third Stage: he desire for constant flux carried by the Wyld is almost subliminal in your mind. Your perception alters, causing you to see the world in a constant state of change and mutation. You believe it is your purpose to help bring about these changes. You gain the Derangement, Compulsion: Call of the Wyld. This Derangement persists for as long as you are at this stage of Wyld taint and cannot be cured before then. Wyld-affiliated creatures such a wyld spirits, fallen Garou, and gorgons sense your potential and will naturally be friendly to you. They may even try to aid you, as long as your aren't acting against their interests. After all, you are just a step away from where they are now.
• Fourth Stage: Your spiritual orientation has shifted away from Gaia to the Wyld. You can no longer recover or gain Gnosis in the usual fashion, but rather you must be located in a Wyld affiliated zone or in the presence of a creature affiliated with the Wyld to regain Gnosis. In addition, Garou or other creatures without Wyld Taint gain a point of Wyld Taint if they are in your presence for longer than five minutes.
  
  Following the Wyld is not without it's own temptations. You may choose two gorgon taint powers (Staff will discuss your options with you should you achieve this level of taint) to add to your character sheet, without XP expenditure, so long as you remain at the fourth or fifth stage of Wyld Taint. Using these tainted blessings will quickly drag you to True Wyld Affinity.
• Fifth Stage: Your spirit has almost completely surrendered to the Wyld, and now your flesh reflects this state. Your body has begun to mutate, you appear to be in a constant state of small changes, and any attempt to stay groomed or to maintain your appearance is all but impossible. It's common to manifest chaotic physiological changes (sprouting horns, leaves, feathers, a second tail, etc.), but these never last long. You may exchange any Tribal Merits or Gifts for Wyld Merits or Gifts of the same cost or level while you remain at the fifth stage of Wyld Taint.
  
  Further, you may purchase (or if you have either of the other two Affinity merits, swap your Affinity merit for) the Merit: True Wyld Affinity (Staff will discuss this merit with you if you have interest). Should you purchase this merit your character falls to the Wyld and becomes completely Wyld Affinity. Characters that become Truly Wyld Affinity are beyond hope and can no longer be cleansed (at least through conventional means).