“Patrons” and shapeshifters

Before the event, changing breeds had “totems”, spirits that would guide a user, a group, or even an entire changing breed. The problem is that in the current day, this term has a few… problems. Firstly there’s the obvious cultural appropriation elephant in the room, but there’s also semantic issues as well. Does the totem have a bond with only one person? Do they have a bond with an entire team of shapeshifters? Or is the Totem the leader of even more, with a family of other spirits under their wings? A totem could be all of these at once, with context and tradition explaining the differences.
However those traditions have been largely swept away, the spirits themselves mostly being the ones who remember them. The nature of how shapeshifters are made has changed as well: flareups from Gaia make a person into some sort of shapeshifter, and then the Incarna- some of the most most powerful of the spirits, take the proto-shapeshifter and claim them as their own. With the loss of changing breed society, it mostly relies on these beings and other spirits to guide a new shapeshifter, record their deeds, and teach them their responsibilities. In this form they have more direct contact with the shapeshifter, and so these days they mostly go by the title of “patrons”.
Choices, and choices made for them

A patron’s first start in the shapeshifter’s life is when they either catch notice of a new shapeshifter. Each changing breed Patron looks over the new shapeshifter and decides if they fit what the patron is looking for. If so, they mark it as one of their own and claim responsibility for the shifter’s well-being and care.

However sometimes the choice isn’t made by a Patron. Some, like Lion and the Patrons of formerly lost breeds, are too weak to claim a new shapeshifter. Others, like Griffin, have standards that are just about impossible to fulfill, In which case the flareups from Gaia sometimes “choose” for the Patron, and essentially drop the new shapeshifter on their proverbial doorstep.
What causes a person to become a shapeshifter varies wildly, from a near-death experience, to accidentally wandering into a place where too much supernatural buildup has occurred, even to somehow slipping between the physical and spiritual world in places where the barrier is too thin. However no matter the event, they find themselves in a half-aware state, getting visions and dreams about their Patron, until said Patron boots the new shapeshifter’s consciousness back into the physical world.


Testing and the first change

After this, life goes back to almost normal for the new werewhatever. They’re not fully awakened to what the world is really like, but they get flashes of it. The veil that keeps humanity unaware of the spirit realms slips a bit, things feel slightly off sometimes, and then there’s the little jabs that Patrons do to help spur on the first change. These all depend on the Patron, but they serve as an introduction to the Patron’s nature, and what they expect out of their new charge.

Owl for example, has a slightly morbid sense of humor and likes to see what her children will do when faced with the macabre or potentially deadly situations. The clusterfuck of fox legends like to put a new kitsune on the spot and give them an opportunity to show their skills. Griffin… mostly just wants to make it clear that he hates who he’s been given, but also show that they had better not fuck up around animals or nature. Lion pivots back the other way, just glad that he has any to call his own, and tries to maneuver his children into convenient celebration, while also setting up a good fight or three.

All these little stress fractures build up, and eventually the new shapeshifter goes through their angry, frightened, or bloody first change. After this point their Patron makes themselves known. This can either be directly, through dreams, or through slightly worrisome circumstances that bend the shapeshifter’s view of reality just that bit more. You know you’re having a bad day when Mother Rat starts speaking through a chupacabra at the zoo, and you’re the only one who can see or hear it.


Perks and responsibilities

From then on the Patron is a major figure in the Shapeshifter’s life, either in what they will or won’t do, and what they do and don’t demand. Some Patrons keep their distance, being hard to reach or even dangerous to contact, but can be found through trial and effort. Some are more than willing to help, but are either so weak that they can’t do much, or have such high expectations that it’s really best to try and avoid bugging them too often. Still others are all too happy to stay in touch and assist, but require that they never serve another spirit, or that they serve any spirit.

Mechanics-wise, a shapeshifter makes a gnosis roll, difficulty 8, plus or minus any difficulty at the storyteller’s discretion. How many successes indicates how “clear” the quality of the line is to the Patron. At this point it’s all up to the shapeshifter to try and do whatever, from asking advice, to seeking aid, to even just expressing frustration in the most colorful of tones. This isn’t a proper background like Totem or Spirit Heritage, so asking for aid is more like getting a story hook or a new quest. Even the most adoring of Patrons don’t want to be bothered for every little thing.