Neomah, The Makers of Flesh
The neomah live by a pact, that they will perform the duties of a courtesan to any being willing to pay the neomah's price. A neomah will perform any sensual act, except those that involve the death of one of the participants, in exchange for a piece of flesh. Each neomah has within herself a tower of fire and brass and tin, which she can spin from her mouth into the shape of a nautilus shell. Inside this spiral tower, she sates the lusts and needs of any creature that comes calling. In the demon realm, these towers dot the landscape, rising over the course of a day and remaining for a week or more, until the neomah has gathered enough flesh to be stitched together into a small creature that is the amalgam of all the species that contributed to its making. Then, the neomah casts this lifeless child into the fires that burn from the tip of the tower's spiral, where it absorbs the life of the flame and takes its first breath. While it wails and screams, the neomah sucks her tower back into her mouth and moves on, leaving her strange child to fend for itself.
Neomah are humanoid female demons with pale lavender flesh. They have full, sensual lips and large, dark eyes with no pupils. Their bodies are completely hairless, and they often decorate themselves with piercings to make themselves unique. The neomah are not particularly beautiful by most standards, though they are far from ugly, and there is no creature in Creation or anywhere else that is as sexually appealing to as many species of being. With a combination of exquisite skill, a scent that is arousing to all beings and the power to alter her physical form slightly to accommodate any species, a neomah can seduce anyone who has the least interest in copulation. Neomah can alter their bodies to become male, androgynous, hermaphroditic or even some other stranger forms to accommodate rare demon species. These skills and powers are of great use in the demon realm, and many decadent sorcerers find neomah to be the perfect companions.
The neomah’s skill in weaving disparate pieces of flesh is prized by beings who wish to reproduce with each other but are biologically incompatible. A neomah finds it simple to combine the donated flesh of two creatures into a composite of the best qualities of both, including making a human baby from two mothers. A neomah may even weave together bits of flesh from many different would-be parents to produce an offspring that has only the best traits of each of them, though the difficulty of doing so increases for each creature that donates the required flesh. For each piece of flesh used in the making of a child, the neomah requires an equal piece of flesh for her own uses.
The neomah may be called into Creation without summoning by the mingled tears of parents mixing with the afterbirth of a stillborn baby.
Motivation: To fulfill the terms of the neomah charter: exchange services for flesh and weave that flesh into unique creatures.
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 5, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
Virtues: Compassion 4, Conviction 5, Temperance 1, Valor 1
Abilities: Athletics 2 (Contortion +1), Awareness 3, Craft (Flesh) 5, Dodge 3, Integrity 4, Linguistics (Native: Old Realm; Others: Body Language) 5, Melee 2 (Hairpin* +2), Presence 4 (Seduction +3), Resistance 3, Stealth 2, Thrown 3
Backgrounds: Backing 1
Spirit Charms:
- Harrow the Mind—Some clients prefer complete fantasy worlds, so the neomah use this Charm to aid in the experience. The demon must pay 10 motes of Essence and one temporary Willpower to activate this Charm for a scene. Then, the Storyteller makes a (Manipulation + Presence) roll for the neomah against the target's Mental DV, adding a number of automatic successes equal to its Temperance. Only one success is necessary to create the illusion, but each additional success adds to the difficulty of any roll made to break free of the illusion.
- Principle of Motion—Neomah typically keep seven extra actions ready.
- Reserve of Will (x3)—Neomah have three additional temporary Willpower.
- Shapechange—Neomah use this power to alter their outward appearance and gender to be more compatible with a prospective client. This Charm costs five motes and one temporary Willpower, and it lasts for one scene.
- Weaving of Flesh—This Charm is unique to neomah. To activate it, the neomah must spend 10 motes of Essence one temporary Willpower. Then, the Storyteller makes a (Compassion + Craft [Flesh]) roll for the demon, with a difficulty equal to the number of creatures donating flesh. The neomah may combine spirit and mortal flesh at an additional +1 difficulty. Neomah may also increase the likelihood of Dragon-Blooded Exaltation for a +1 difficulty. On a failed roll, a child is born, but without any exceptional traits or abilities. On a botch, the child is born wrong, with some kind of demonic taint.
- Neomah have the First, Second and Third Excellencies for the following Abilities: Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Presence and Stealth.
Join Battle: 5
Attacks:
- Spitting Fire: Speed 5, Accuracy 8, Damage 10L, Defense 2, Rate 2
- Aconite-Dusted Brass Hairpin: Speed 3, Accuracy 9, Damage 5L + poison*, Defense 6, Rate 3
Soak: 5B/5L
Health Levels: -0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/-2/-2/-4/Incap
Dodge DV: 6; Willpower 9 (12 temporary points)
Essence: 3; Essence Pool: 75
Other Notes: All neomah speak several mortal languages, but they have one of their own that is a universal form of body language, with which they can communicate with virtually any being.
* Poison [Aconite]: 6L/hour, 3M, –/–, -3.