                                 GRUNTITUDE



   This Discipline was developed by the 5th of Kevin and is primarily
   known by the elders of the family. Grunts have always been able to use
   some of these powers (notably the level 5 skill), but they were able
   to use them more efficiently when developed into a Discipline. It is
   not known outside the Brothers Grunt.

   * Grunt's Luck: This Gruntitude ability is possessed by nearly all
   Grunts. In some ways it is more powerful than the other Gruntitude
   levels, most Grunts learn it quickly nevertheless. Essentially, it
   allows a Grunt to get out of seemingly impossible situations. For
   example, one Grunt escaped from prison with only a toothbrush as a
   weapon -- the guards all just happened to be extremely afraid of
   having their teeth cleaned. Note that this power is of absolutely no
   use in most combats, though it might help if the Grunt was facing a
   vastly more powerful opponent. The escape will usually take on the
   form of a wildly improbable event that somehow allows the Grunt to
   escape.

   System: Note that this ability does not guarantee the Grunt gets away
   from the situation unscathed. It also should not be called into play
   more than than once a game session, or even, if the lucky event was
   particularly wild, more than once a story. The exact form the Luck
   takes is entirely up the the Storyteller.

   ** Obfugrunt: An obfuscate-like power, this allows the Grunt to
   interact with mundane society without attracting undue attention. This
   power is not the equal to Mask of a Thousand Faces, however, and does
   not actually change the Grunt's perceived appearance. What it does do
   is prevent people from reacting as if they had seen a monster. If
   questioned about the Grunt, they will describe him accurately and even
   remark that he was a little odd looking, but they will not think he
   was extremely unusual.

   System: This power generally only works on the Unawakened. To
   understand that the Grunt is indeed very much out of the ordinary,
   they must make a successful perception+empathy roll against difficulty
   8.

   *** The Long Distance Grunt: This power allows a Grunt to contact any
   other Grunt and telepathically speak to him. The Grunt may even
   include a telepathic prod to influence the actions of the receiving
   Grunt. This power has been used numerous times to get the questing
   Grunts back on their track to find Perry.

   System: The power is automatic if the receiving Grunt is not
   resisting. Otherwise, it requires a Willpower roll with the difficulty
   being the target Grunt's willpower. If a suggestion is included, the
   receivng Grunt can ignore it by making a successful resisted willpower
   roll.

   **** The Call of the Grunt: A Grunt possessing this ability is able to
   call out to all the Grunts of the world. The Grunt stands on a high,
   isolated place and makes the characteristic cry, "Wah Ooo Ooo Ooo!" It
   may require several hours or even days of calling to insure that all
   the Grunts get the message, with longer periods required for more
   involved messages. Note that the Call does not obligate the Grunts to
   any action, but they will be aware of the Caller's situation and will
   react accordingly. The 5th of Kevin used this ability to call the
   Grunts to the Monastery.

   System: Roll Charisma+Leadership, with the number of successes
   determining how successful the call is. The exact effects should be
   left up to the Storyteller and will be influenced by how long the
   Grunt Calls, the subject of the message, how far away the nearest
   Grunt is, etc.

   ***** The Exalted Gruntus Primus Maximus: This ability initiates the
   transformation from Grunt to Maximus. Very few Grunts have actually
   reached this level of ability and fewer still have chosen to use it.
   This power can only be used once, and once started, it can never be
   reversed. The Grunt will begin a long and painful transformation that
   never truly ends. First, the Grunt gains the ability to levitate. Note
   that this does not confer powered flight, but rather allows for
   floating on the breeze like a hot air balloon. The proto-Maximus grows
   larger, until after a few years, it is no longer able to land. It will
   never stop growing and as the years wear on, it will grow more
   incubation patches. The embryonic Grunts grow underneath these mounds
   of flesh and are jetisoned when they are ready to be birthed. The mind
   of the Maximus also changes, growing more alien and distant over the
   years. By the time it is producing young, which takes many years of
   growth, the Maximus has virtually no contact with the "real" world.
   The Maximus may live for hundreds, even thousands, of years; the
   "Exalted Gruntus Primus Maximus" that lives beneath the monastery, is
   the same one that birthed the 5th of Kevin himself. However, no new
   Maximi have been created in several hundred years.

   System: The Maximus gains a point of strength of stamina and loses a
   point in dexterity and manipulation every five years. After the
   Maximus gains a 10 in an attribute, it increases at a rate of one
   every hundred years. Once the Maximus has reached a 0 dexterity, it
   can no longer move on the ground. Once it has a 0 manipulation, its
   mind has been come so alien that it cannot relate with creatures other
   than Oracles, vampires who have reached Golconda, Incarna, etc.
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