the celestine of tau

Kintana-Mehrza, the Waiting Mother

Somewhere, in a distant corner of the Aetherial Realm, there lies a realm only theorized about by the most scientifically-minded Glass Walkers. Within this realm lies the Incarna known sometimes as the Sun's younger sister. Though she is smaller and calmer than Helios, she is no less mighty than her older brother, able to shed almost as much light as the Incarna of the Sun - certainly enough to sustain human and Garou life, if they ever should break free of their solar system. Indeed, she carries with her five young planets, not yet aware enough to have their own Incarnae, as she patiently waits for her older brother to grant the living things that live beneath his light the wisdom to travel to her.

She woke from a slumber long and quiet in 1603, when the first astronomers gave her terrestrial star a name, though her power did not begin to grow again until the first novel set its tale among her five infant planets in 1949. Since then, her dreams of meeting her brother's creatures has burned bright, and she is at the peak of her power now as she features in a wide breadth of video games. From the horror classic System Shock, to the well known MMO game Warframe, each human mind made aware of her grows her power and makes her so much more eager to meet them.

Her domain is a strange, empty space, through which the only means of travel are her own Solar Winds, and paths of asteroids and stardust that wind through the Umbral air to her center. Though this space is empty, it is full of potential, swirling with energy and hope, as she has prepared it for the day that her brother's children finally arrive. Though her surface is as bright and fiery as her brother's, entering the core of her domain does not attract the ire of her celestial attendants the same way entering the domain of Helios does. Instead, elemental spirits of stardust and the hopes and dreams of astronomers welcome the few travelers, and invite them further in to greet their stellar mother.

This quiet domain is, however, not without its dangers. Those who travel here who are bereft of their own families are drawn in by the pull of Kintana-Mehrza's love for those who dance under her brother's light. They find themselves unwilling to leave the Waiting Mother's embrace, and may well refuse to leave if pressed. This is a very similar danger to the domain of Lu-Bat, but rather than promise peace and understanding in a world of violence and hate, Kintana-Mehrza represents the embrace of mothers and siblings that are lost to many of those that seek her patronage.

Many Celestine Incarnae take patron tribes under the scrutiny of the Stargazers, but the little-known Kintana-Mehrza has only recently shown her hand. On the day that the Garou who called herself Daughter-of-Gaia emerged from the Underworld with the patronage of Brass Dragon, Kintana-Mehrza was attracted by the potential of a great totemic Incarna rising from the sands to forge a tribe. She has watched the formation of the Wings of Brass with intense interest, believing that their creed of life from death will lead them to one day bring humanity to her waiting womb on the eve of the Apocalypse, and so favors the Garou Nation's new whelps.

Aetherial Realm: Tau Ceti
Auspice: Lunar Eclipse (or, Ragabash)
Colors: Violet, crimson, gold
Element: Spirit
Other Names: Natah (but only by Daughter-of-Gaia)
Quality: Determination
Tarot Card: Death
Tribe: Wings of Brass
Vices: Bitterness
Virtues: Perseverance, understanding
Zodiac Correspondence: None

There is no traditional sign in the zodiac which aligns to Kintana-Mehrza, and she prefers it that way. The Stargazers have deemed it such that the sign of the Waiting Mother burns bright in a pup's future when the star of Tau Ceti shines particularly brightly in the Umbral sky. This, they say, is a mark of the Celestine Incarna taking interest in that pup's destiny. This, in particular, occurs frequently with births within her patron tribe, but can occasionally be seen in the tribes of others. Those born under the sign of Kintana-Mehrza were exceedingly rare prior to the emergence of Daughter-of-Gaia from the underworld, but have since become almost as common as births beneath the other signs.

Kintana-Mehrza wears three colors of her own. Violet, as the color of mystery, intrigue and mysticism, represents the unknowns and potential of new life beneath a sun not unlike our own. Crimson, the color of blood and sunsets, symbolizes the impetus with which her brother's children must come to her if they wish to survive the coming days of war and strife. And gold represents the warming sunlight beneath which all live thrives and survives.

Kintana-Mehrza is said to shine twice as bright when there comes a child born at the nadir of a lunar eclipse. It is those with this flexibility that she is said to grant her boons to in the highest, rare as they are. Ahroun born beneath the Waiting Mother express a will unlike that of any other sign, not willing to relent even to death itself to bring the changes through blood that will eventually save the world. Galliards who are born beneath Kintana-Mehrza's light carry with them songs about the future, about hope and perseverance. A Philodox with her as their sign follows the spirit of the law rather than the letter, and refuse to punish unjustly, even in the face of Litany breaks and other normally-serious crimes. Theurges born with Kintana-Mehrza bright above them are said to be blessed (or cursed) with visions of the next life and those beyond, and may possess an uncanny ability to speak with and interact with more incorporeal things than just spirits. If the Waiting Mother were said to have any favored traditional auspice, though, it is the Ragabash. To her, the New Moon is the mark of somebody with the talents and wits to bring the change she represents, and indeed, the Ragabash carrying her sign is especially talented at changing minds and hearts without coming to blows with her more Rage-filled brothers.

All Celestine Incarna eventually take a patron pack, and Kintana-Mehrza is no different. Though from her distance, all the thirteen tribes were claimed by the time she witnessed them, she waited. Patiently, she waited, for the last great Totem Incarna to rise from her slumber. When Brass Dragon finally rose from the sands, so too did Kintana-Mehrza finally draw close to her brother again to witness the tribe she called her own. The Waiting Mother believes that this tribe full of outcasts and societal dregs will be the ones, above all others, to change the world and bring Helios' children to her side to finally meet her. She has witnessed even corrupt Black Spiral Dancers cast aside the banner of the Wyrm by their unconventional ways, and this representation of new life from the Apocalypse pleases her.

There is no analogue to Kintana-Mehrza's sign in the western zodiac, and unlike Rorg, she carries no influence in other ways. Yet she does not fear destruction and oblivion as Rorg does. His awareness fades away in the minds of humans, and many doubt these days that the Asteroid Belt ever really was a planet at one time in the first place. Her awareness and power, conversely, only grows larger and larger as more and more scientists observe Tau Ceti, and especially as more common humans become aware of her through their media. She is wholly unique among the Celestines, as her influence is new, yet just as strong as those who came before.

At their highest points, Garou born beneath Kintana-Mehrza are absolutely implaceable, fighting until their final breath for a better world, a more peaceful world where all are equals. However, the Waiting Mother's fatal flaw is bitterness. She harbors some resentment toward her brother for all the life below him that she does not have. So, too, do Garou born under her harbor quiet grudges and petty spite within their hearts, though they fight to stave it off.

AS A TOTEM
Background Cost: 10

The Waiting Mother, though she loves all her brother's children, does not simply act as a patron without due cause. Those too stuck in their ways to see change, and those who would take claws to the ones who buck tradition, displease Kintana-Mehrza. She views them as stained with the Weaver's immutability, and ejects them from her Aetherial realm. Her dislike of the immutable means she is ill-inclined toward the Silver Fangs, but a Silver Fang may be forgiven if they willingly pack with her chosen tribe, the movers and changers known as the Wings of Brass.

Individual Traits: Children of Kintana-Mehrza gain an extra two permanent dots of Gnosis and Willpower, though these stats may not be raised above 10 in this manner. These dots are lost should she ever withdraw her patronage. In addition, they gain a free Skill Specialty in Academics (Astronomy), whether or not they have the requisite four dots in the skill.
Pack Traits: Kintana-Mehrza, distant as she is, acts as a beacon to her packs. As long as the constellation of Cetus (and therefore, the star Tau Ceti) is visible in the sky, the entire pack benefits from the Direction Sense merit, and should they meditate to regain Gnosis while she is visible, they will gain an additional point of Willpower per point of Gnosis gained.
Ban: Kintana-Mehrza's packs must further humanity's efforts to travel into space, by any means necessary. She wishes so dearly to meet her brother's charges.