Infobox
Type: Icon
Category: Spirit
Skillcheck: Folklore
Stats
STR INT SPI 4 4 5 AGI PER CHA 5 5 6 END WIS WILL 3 4 6 Initiative: 16
PD MD SD 8 9 12 Body Mind Soul 12 13 17 Body: 13
Mind: 17
Soul: 17
Deer Woman
Description
Wima Thaacha, or Deer Woman, is an immortal spirit of vengeance. She seeks out those that would do harm to others for their own selfish purposes and ends their lives in unspeakable ways. While people everywhere respect Deer Woman as a powerful spirit, her actions also spark controversy.
To most, Deer Woman appears as a beautiful human woman, though her visage is never the same. She has the ability to appear as anyone, of any gender, but seems to prefer feminine forms. A few gifted individuals can see through her illusion. To them, Deer Woman appears to have glowing antlers of a stag and the legs of a deer.
Skills
- Athletics Dice Pool: 7
- Charm Dice Pool: 12
- Coercion Dice Pool: 12
- Computers Dice Pool: 8
- Deception Dice Pool: 14
- Investigation Dice Pool: 12
- Knowledge: Psychology Dice Pool: 8
- Melee Weapons Dice Pool: 7
- Ranged Weapons Dice Pool: 10
- Skulduggery Dice Pool: 12
- Stealth Dice Pool: 9
- Tracking Dice Pool: 9
- Unarmed Combat Dice Pool: 8
Abilities, Gifts & Burdens
Another Pretty Face
Deer Woman can change her appearance to perfectly match any person she has seen. She can also create fictional faces. With 3 Successes on a Knowledge: Psychology Roll, she can make her appearance exactly what her target finds attractive. She can also make her appearance so nondescript that she often goes unnoticed. Success at either gives her -3 Success Numbers to related Skill Checks.
True Form
When enraged, Deer Woman can transform into her True Form. She gains +3 to Strength and Endurance and -2 to Intelligence and Wisdom. She returns to her human appearance when her rage has calmed.
Spirit Weapons
When not in True Form, Deer Woman’s natural weapons are invisible to most. At her will she can manifest them physically. She counts as being armed with Melee Weapons and gains +3 to her Melee Weapons skill.
Polyglot
Deer Woman can speak any language and mimic any accent perfectly.
Resurrection
Deer Woman is an immortal spirit. If she is killed, she reforms in the nearest forest in 10 days. She retains all of her previous memories, but none of her equipment.
Equipment
Notes
Warning:
The content of this section makes reference to topics of abuse, assault, and gender-based violence. We suggest having a conversation with your game group before including this content.
Background
Despite an overall equality among people in Makasing, power disparities still occur, and some people still seek to harm or control others. These individuals are Deer Woman’s prey. Many survivors of abuse honor Deer Woman through offerings or ceremonies. On the other hand, the families of her quarry often pray that she takes mercy.
There are countless legends of Deer Woman throughout Makasing. Some claim to have seen her seducing targets in nightclubs, while others say she plays the victim to get close to her prey. She has been spotted on battlefields, in board rooms, and in back alleys pursuing her quarry. Initial sightings are rare and follow no pattern that anyone has yet discerned. Once she makes an appearance, Deer Woman will often “clean up” a certain area before disappearing again, leaving many victims in her wake.
Older legends place her along forest trails or highways. In modern times, she’s often seen in population centers, like Cahokia, where prey is plentiful and the darker side of humanity rears its head.
Some fear her, while others see Deer Woman as a savior, restoring balance where power has been taken without consent. The threat of Deer Woman is often used to teach children to respect others, though some grow up to believe she’s nothing more than a story. Others view her as a symbol, taking on her mantle to defend the victims of assault or abuse. It is possible that many “crimes” attributed to Deer Woman are in fact perpetrated by her admirers.
Appearance
In the heat of combat or when her anger flares, Deer Woman may revert to her True Form. In these cases, she stands near seven feet tall, not counting her massive antlers. Her hands extend into vicious claws. Hooves and hairy legs burst from shoes and clothing.
Sightings of Deer Woman in this form are almost unheard of. She rarely loses her temper, and when she does, few live to report the sight.
Deer Woman is fearless in her pursuit of vengeance. She has no concern for her own safety, knowing that she will be reborn to fight again. She is a skilled warrior, using her antlers, claws, and hooves — though they may be invisible — along with conventional weapons. In addition to changing her physical appearance, she is adept at mimicking the voice and mannerisms of anyone she encounters.
She speaks all human languages and can fit seamlessly into any culture on Makasing.
Powerful though she may be, Deer Woman is only a single entity. She is not omniscient nor omnipresent. She must hunt her prey through conventional means. This can mean tracking known offenders or searching for victims of abuse. It can also mean placing herself in perceived-compromised positions to entrap those who would take advantage. This last tactic has led to much of Deer Woman’s negative reputation and the belief among some that she preys on (mostly) men indiscriminately.
Deer Woman does not moderate her vengeance. To her, death is the only just punishment for abuse. Because of this, many feel that she goes too far in punishing those who could be reformed. As a result, those seeking to convict assault and abuse cases by legal means may run into conflict with Deer Woman. Others may actually tip her off to the whereabouts of potential prey, aiding her vigilante justice.
Those who have spoken with her — when she’s not playing a role — say that Deer Woman speaks laconically and refuses to explain or justify her actions. Moreover, Deer Woman never intentionally provides evidence of her victims’ crimes when those crimes were not apparent. This also has led to her being characterized as an indiscriminate killer in the minds of some. Others see no reason why a powerful spirit such as this should have to prove the guilt of her prey.