Fera
The War of Rage destroyed some breeds of Fera entirely and devastated most of those who survived. To this day, Fera who don’t harbor some resentment against the Garou for the war are few and far between. Even the Corax, who continue to work with the werewolves and maintain cordial relations with them, are acutely aware of the history involved, and don’t extend any more trust than they absolutely have to.
TowersMUX permits several types of Fera as PCs. Both wererats and wereravens are relatively common in London, thanks to their comfort in urban environments and, in the case of the latter, their historic association with London and with Britain as a whole. Werespiders and werecats, though less common, are not unknown, even if they — particularly the former — are circumspect about letting the world know of their existence. And there is at least a possibility of werefoxes and werereptiles.
Uncommon, and especially Rare, Fera types are intended as quasi-NPCs — they can appear when and where their players desire, and their RP is not dictated by staff, but they are subject to a higher level of scrutiny than other characters, and their players are expected to create and advance storylines that provide screen and spotlight time for the rest of the Fera sphere, not just for themselves. It should still be fun — after all, it’s not a job! — but it should also be about creating fun for others by allowing them to shine.
Ajaba
The Ajaba are still so few in number after their massacre at the hands of the Endless Storm, and the problems that they still need to overcome in their home territory so massive, that they are rarely seen outside Africa — even in London, where there are significant numbers of immigrants (and descendants of immigrants) from the werehyenas’ homelands. Ajaba are not currently permitted as PCs.
Ananasi
By and large, when the Ananasi have a presence in the city, it’s in the form of a small number of individuals, rather than a group. While they are likely aware of one another’s presence and may even cooperate when the circumstances dictate, the werespiders do not live in groups, nor are they creatures prone to sentiment. They are also well aware of their reputation, and so they are extremely circumspect when it comes to revealing themselves to other Fera, or even to fellow Ananasi who they suspect of being prone to excessive socialization. So, while there are almost certainly some already in the city — probably for longer than anyone would guess, and possibly in numbers that would alarm any Garou observers — they remain largely unknown as such and are likely to remain so.
PC Ananasi, if any are approved, do not have to abide by this restriction (and indeed it’s suggested that they find some common ground with the other Fera, if only to provide them with roleplay). But there is nothing like a pre-existing Ananasi infrastructure in the city or even a particular werespider who is widely known to be such. They are on their own, with only whatever allies of convenience they can make — those are the only sorts of allies they ever truly have, whatever they might tell others. Hatar and Tenere are not currently permitted as PCs; Homid Kumoti are considered an Uncommon character type, while Arachnid Kumoti are considered Rare.
Bastet
The werecats aren’t one of London’s more common residents, but they have been known to call the city home — most commonly the tribes native to current or former territories of the Empire (that is, Bagheera, Bubasti, Khan, Simba, and Swara). Bastet like to wander, they’re inveterately curious, and they don’t have as strong objections to cities as some of their cousins do — besides which, hearing that a particular city is the home of Pentex’s corporate HQ is, if you’ll excuse the expression, catnip to them. While they have never been common in London, they’ve also rarely been absent from it entirely; for at least the past 100 years or so, it’s been rare for there to be a period longer than a few months when there have been no Bastet present in the city.
Most such Bastet have been present in ones and twos; only very occasionally have small prides of Simba made London their home, and then rarely for long. This has bred a degree of cooperation even among tribes that are not usually friendly — Khan will pass information along before departing the city, even to Simba, and vice versa. They won’t necessarily help one another out in a more direct manner, although this, too, is more likely than it would be in much of the rest of the world. For that matter, they are also somewhat more willing to cooperate with other Fera than is usual even for the relatively gregarious Baset — even though the Corax and the Ratkin both tend to be somewhat suspicious of their feline cousins.
The Bastet have somewhat tolerant relations with Garou of the Silent Striders and Stargazers, in that they won’t attack each other on sight and may be willing to exchange information if the situation demands it. They are if anything more hostile to the other werewolf tribes than the rest of the Fera are, having a strong instinctual reaction to them that dates back to the War of Rage.
While the majority of the Bastet who live in London do so for a few months, or at most a few years, and then move on, there is one who is somewhat broadly known among the werecats as a long-term resident. Nibir Kalita is a Bagheera who has made the city his home for at least two decades, residing in Wembley — the district, not the stadium. Now very old and completely blind, he enjoys a pleasant quasi-retirement being occasionally consulted by others of his kind who understand that being unable to see is not the same thing as being unable to think.
Players should not assume that the Yava outlined in the existing source material are accurate for TowersMUX. PC Bastet know what they are; they also know how dangerous it is to reveal them. Staff will provide information on them as and when it becomes relevant. Balam, Ceilican, Pumonca, and Qualmi are not currently permitted as PCs; Homid Bastet of other tribes are considered an Uncommon character type, while Feline Bastet of other tribes are considered Rare.
Corax
Ravens hold a mystical significance for London even in the popular imagination — legend has it that Britain will fall should the ravens ever leave the Tower of London. In the real world, this idea is widely thought to be based on the legend of the ancient king Bran the Blessed, whose head is supposedly buried at the site of the tower to ward off invaders — ‘Bran’ being Welsh for ‘raven’. In the World of Darkness, though, it’s just as likely that that legend in turn was based on the presence of Corax as far back as Roman times. Either way, the Tower Ravens are now a tourist attraction in their own right, and the Corax have taken advantage of this by placing some of their corvid Kinfolk among the flock and homid Kinfolk among the ravenkeepers.
The birds were not always so popular — not long ago the common raven was almost extinct in southeastern England — but their iconic status has led to their resurgence over the past few decades. Though their numbers are healthier in the more rural parts of the country, there are wild ravens in the city, as well — and the Corax numbers are even healthier. For centuries the city’s place at the center of a worldwide empire made it a prime spot for the wereravens to gather information (and, when necessary, distribute it). Even though that’s somewhat less true today, it’s still one of the world’s foremost centers for news, whether that’s the cause of, or an effect of, a burgeoning Corax population.
Although they haven’t forgotten the War of Rage, the ravens have a decidedly practical attitude toward relations with the other Fera, including the Garou: they’re very open about the fact that they’ll talk to anyone who serves Gaia, and find ways to pass information between groups who wouldn’t speak to one another — when the situation demands it. The Garou, in particular, are not entirely happy about this policy, but the older and wiser among them are smart enough to see that it helps more than it hurts — and the Corax are happy with the results, although they’re well aware that it’s a poor substitute for the various members of their dysfunctional extended family actually working together.
The London ravens aren’t particularly well-organized, but they are undeniably effective when it comes to information-gathering. They acknowledge the leadership of Sparkles, a corvid-breed Corax with extensive connections throughout (and beyond) the isles, even though they don’t feel the need to run absolutely everything past him. Which is a good thing, since the Corax leader has been absent from the city for several months now, leading to worried speculation about whether perhaps he’s gone Sun-Lost or whether some worse fate has befallen him. Answers are currently in short supply, frustrating the ravens to no end. Corax are considered a Common character type, whether Homid or Corvid.
Gurahl
As best can be determined, bears became extinct in England more than 1,500 years ago. The werebears have likely been gone for far longer than that, and, as solitary creatures who prefer to live well away from cities, they’ve made no effort to spend any time in London. The Corax know of a handful in Scandinavia or in Greenland who they occasionally consult on matters of sufficient importance — but these Gurahl are happy where they are and in no hurry to make it easier for the ravens to pester them, much less bring themselves closer to large populations of Garou. Gurahl are not currently permitted as PCs.
Kitsune
A relatively recent addition to the roster of Gaia’s servants, the werefoxes are found primarily in east Asia. Britain’s historic ties with that part of the world make it plausible for one to make their home in London, and it would be very Kitsune-like to settle in a nation known for its historic practice of fox-hunting — especially now that the practice is almost extinct. At the same time, most of their concerns are centered elsewhere, and one of the largest cities in the world is not an entirely congenial location for them either.
Despite their mischievous nature and their tendency to be smug and self-satisfied, the Kitsune have a role to play and principles to uphold. Aspiring Kitsune PCs will need to have a compelling explanation for their presence here in London. They’ll also need to be characters whose players are focused on helping create play for others — we aren’t looking for Kitsune whose entire schtick is believing that they’re smarter than everyone else, and acting like it. Being able to work with others, both IC and OOC, without aggravating them is a sine qua non of playing a werefox — Rare character types are a responsibility to the game and to other players, not a license to indulge yourself. Kojin Kitsune are considered a Rare character type; Shinju and Roko are not currently permitted.
Mokole
Given how many of the immigrants to London originate in area the Mokole call home, it isn’t impossible that one or two of them might appear there. They are, however, extremely rare in any part of the world, and do not, as a species, much care for large cities with dense human populations. This combination doesn’t generally make for their being enough of them in the city at one time to socialize with one another, assuming that they are inclined to do so — and often they are not, given the broad number of reptile types and human ethnic groups they draw from.
The unfortunate fact is that living in London is exceptionally dangerous for Mokole. Like many of the other Fera, their animal forms are not (or at least are no longer) native to England, meaning that they are very obviously out of place. They have a history of conflict with the Garou that neither side is particularly willing to let go of, with many of the werewolves continuing to think of the Mokole as tainted by, or even avatars of, the Wyrm. Meanwhile, the actual agents of the Wyrm, including the Black Spirals, are happy to target them for join-us-or-die type recruitment, both because of that same association and because the Mokole are relatively few in number and don’t have many allies. The Technocracy, which is reluctantly willing to look the other way for the occasional tall tales of wolf or great cat sightings in their home city, has a far less tolerant attitude when it comes to crocodiles or dinosaurs in the streets. It’s not a good situation, and the Mokole who have any sort of long- or even medium-term presence in London are those who are willing to keep their heads down and themselves out of the public eye. Wandering around Subterranean London, or even around the sewers and buried waterways, in nonhuman form is practical in a way that showing themselves off on the surface is not.
If PC Mokole are approved, in addition to the customary requirements for Rare Fera types, it is expected that they will be circumspect and cautious. Even more so than most non-Corax and non-Ratkin Fera, London is not a friendly city for them, and characters who make lot of noise about themselves are unlikely to last long. There are no NPC Mokole (or at least no friendly NPC Mokole) present in the city to offer them help or support, and while other Fera will probably be willing to work together with them, becoming known to the Garou or other spheres as a were-reptile is likely to have serious negative consequences. Even having it become ICly known that there is a Mokole in the city will cause things to get significantly more difficult for them. Homid Mokole are considered a Rare character type; Suchid Mokole are not currently permitted.
Nagah
As far as the Garou, and indeed the remainder of the Fera, know, the Nagah are extinct. If anyone knows differently — and certainly if there are any weresnakes still in existence — they’re keeping their mouths shut on the subject. Nagah are not currently permitted as PCs, and should not be used as NPC antagonists without explicit staff permission.
Nuwisha
Werecoyotes are widely believed — at least by the Garou — to be extinct. The Corax (and some others) know better, but the Nuwisha are still fundamentally creatures of the New World, rather than the Old. While they travel widely, and some have almost certainly passed through London in the past (and will again in the future), it isn’t a place where they feel comfortable staying long. Nuwisha are not currently permitted as PCs.
Ratkin
The rats of London are at war with the rest of their tribe — a cold, silent, invisible underground war that the rest of the world, and even most of the other Fera, are blissfully ignorant of. The conflict dates back to the outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London the very next year. Ratkin from abroad had poured into the city to spread the plague, and the native wererats went along with some misgivings until it became clear that their brethren had no intention of stopping there. Unsatisfied with the death of a quarter of the city’s human population, the outsider rats set and spread the Great Fire in an attempt to finish the job of extermination, without concern for the ratkin nests and young who would perish in the flames.
The local Ratkin fought back, and over the course of several weeks those who opposed the burning of the city ultimately triumphed, thanks in part to the appearance of rat spirits materializing when needed both to track down the interlopers and to defeat them in combat. The fire was also the start of the cautious detente between London’s Ratkin and Corax, with the latter providing aerial reconnaissance to help the former plant the gunpowder charges that helped to halt the blaze. Ever since, the wererats have been deeply suspicious of any advocacy for the complete elimination of humans, a suspicion deepened by the periodic reappearance of the spirit-rats when the question has been seriously reconsidered.
That doesn’t mean that London Ratkin are friendly to humans — there’s a wide spectrum of debate among them on just how far the human population should be pared back, and that spectrum ranges from “a lot” to “almost all.” But their elimination has been taken off the table, apparently by no less an authority than Mamma Rat Herself. What puzzles the wererats is why this edict has been received solely in London. Some suspect that the rest of the world is being somehow tricked by the Wyrm; others worry that they may be the ones being tricked by the Wyrm; still others shrug and admit that Rat works in mysterious ways. Wherever the truth lies, the result has been a decades-long defensive struggle against outside Ratkin who seek to eliminate this “English heresy.”
The city wererats are somewhat more egalitarian toward the homid vis-a-vis the metis and rodens. They maintain a colony hidden within the tunnels under central London, ruled over by the Rat Queen Veronica Anklebiter, and while the rats of the colony are tightly-knit even by the standards of their kind, they actively encourage the formation of Rat Packs throughout the undercity and in the streets above, serving as a clearinghouse for news of interest to the wererat community. They’re well aware that they’re badly outnumbered by Ratkin outside London, and hence, while merciless in dealing with them, they’re also willing to welcome any who seem prepared to adopt the local ethos. Of course, they don’t trust them, exactly, at least not until they’ve proven their commitment.
Ratkin are an exception to the rules laid out in Storytelling that deal with the use of PC factions as antagonists. Storytellers may use Ratkin as antagonists without consulting staff provided that they are explicitly “outside”, non-London Ratkin. They don’t have to be from outside England — angry Liverpool wererats are just as acceptable as those from across the Channel. Homid and Rodens Ratkin are considered a Common character type; Metis are considered Uncommon.
Rokea
Sharks are saltwater creatures, and while central London is only about 35 miles from the sea, that’s still 35 miles of fresh water too far to suit the Rokea. Even those very few who are willing to leave the water at all are primarily coastal creatures. While it’s possible, at least in theory, for a wereshark to swim all the way up the Thames (or, even more unlikely, travel that distance on land), there’s little to keep them there once they do so. Rokea are not currently available as PCs.
Hengeyokai
Details for Beast Courts characters are currently under discussion. By the book, hengeyokai are flat-out better than their western counterpart, having access to two additional Gift lists in addition to those the equivalent Fera have. It’s not a game-shattering advantage, but it does raise the question of why we would want to actively disadvantage characters from the area where the game is set, in favor of characters from the far side of the world.
The most likely course is that hengeyokai will just be an alternate allegiance for the existing Fera types: that is, Tengu will be mechanically identical to Corax, but with the Beast Courts faction rather than the Fera faction.
The next most likely course is that we’ll invent a countervailing disadvantage for the book version of hengeyokai — in exchange for access to more Gift lifts, they’ll sacrifice in some other aspect.
The least likely course is that they’ll be implemented as written. It’s not impossible, but it’s about as probable as our introducing a new vampire bloodline that has five in-clan Disciplines.