Lunar Tells
Lunar Tells are an item of sometimes heated discussion on the White Wolf forums (sometimes in violation of the promise people have given to follow the use terms of those forums). There are plenty of source material reasons to have them, not the least of which are the Asian stories of the kitsune, and not the last of which are the ideas that there were physical ways to detect which humans were "werewolves" according to the stories of Europe. For me, the only part of the discussion I find interesting is implementation - the twink arguments that they shouldn't exist don't impress me much (and somebody said that Shania Twain says they don't impress her much either).
Tell or Mark - One idea that occurred to me was the following. What if the Tell is visible, in some manner or other, until the Lunar spends at least 1 point of Peripheral Essence (thereby causing some degree of caste mark activation)? Thus, a Lunar must always suffer the Tell (whatever that is) until she becomes Peripherally obvious as a Lunar.
The Tell IS the Tattoo - Another idea (which does not preclude the recent one listed above) is that the Tell is the Lunar's tattoo(s). When the Exaltation takes place, some sort of visible silver mark is placed upon the Lunar's body. This very fact may have inspired the moonsilver tattoos which the Lunars ultimately created to control the threat of the Wyld upon their bodies.
Mark Opens Tell Possibilities - In the Wyld, perhaps this silver mark, at the "hands" of the Lunar Essence (or Luna) caused the Lunars to be especially susceptible to specific mutations. A Lunar Exalted with a mark of silver representing the Fox, at the base of her back, might discover that the mutations of the Wyld cause her to sprout an actual fox tail. A human caught in the Wyld might suffer random mutations, utterly and completely random, but the Lunar who is sufficiently unprotected suffers mutations which fit the mark which Luna has laid upon her.
