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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 16:30:55 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 16:30:55 GMT
Here are the main Tribes allowed in the Sept of Light on Ice.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 16:36:05 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 16:36:05 GMT
Get of Fenris
Even among a race of warriors, the Get of Fenris are the most warlike. The Fenrir, as they’re also known, value a glorious death over a peaceful old age. They wear their scars with pride, howl the glory of their victories, and revel in the fear that they spread among the minions of the Wyrm. To the Get, compassion is a luxury, not a virtue — the greatest virtues are valor and strength.
The Fenrir have their origins in Europe, where they once called Germanic tribes and Nordic raider's Kin. Yet even the most brutal and violent sagas of the regions pale before the lore of the Get. Their Galliards (or skalds) joyously recount grim tales of bloody death against impossible odds, of the eternal glory to be found on the battlefield. They have told stories of Ragnarok, of the Apocalypse, for millennia — and they are ready for it.
Blood alone doesn’t make a Get of Fenris. A cub could have the finest Pure Breed, but if he can’t make it through the bloody tribal Rite of Passage, he’s of no use to the Fenrir. Some cubs don’t even survive that first test. Harsh as it is, the Rite of Passage reflects the grim and fatalistic nature of life among the Get. The battles against the Wyrm will be no gentler - and the Fenrir never run from battle. Every child of Great Fenris, no matter his or her auspice, must be ready to die gloriously for the Mother. This creed often seems contradictory to lupus cubs, who are used to survival as the first and most pressing mandate. Luckily, enough wolf-born find their Rage that the Get haven’t fallen too far behind in their ratio of homid-to-lupus members.
To make matters worse, many Get of Fenris embrace very elitist attitudes not just to strength and valor, but even to sex and ethnicity. This has been a source of internal conflict within the tribe for many years. Although modern Get are less prone to outright racism and sexism, the old prejudices against weakness run deep and take many forms. These haven’t done the tribe’s reputation among the rest of the Garou Nation any favors.
Although it’s not easy for outsiders to see, the Fenrir do possess admirable virtues beyond their courage. There are long-standing traditions of females doing as well as males in many Get septs — they frequently have to work very hard to earn respect, but this struggle is part of what earns them their status. Metis can excel as well, if their deformities don’t impede their actual strength — one who’s ugly as sin and has a terrible speech impediment will still earn much glory if he can fight to the tribe’s exacting standards. Many Get also care very deeply for their Kinfolk, taking family ties exceptionally seriously. This is a double standard for the Kin, of course: their werewolf relatives hold them to brutally high standards, but also defend them with great passion.
At every level, tribe society idealizes strength above all. Wisdom and cunning are valued, but as a complement to might, not a substitute. Fenrir leaders, or jarls, must earn their position through grueling physical trials, and be prepared to hold them in the same way. Tribal moots are full-moon affairs, beginning with a vicious gauntlet-running to determine who’s worthy to participate in the rites of the tribe. Rites of Renown entail bloody runes carved into werewolf hide; even mystical rites dealing with spirits involve ritualized combat between rite-master and spirit as often as not. Even their belief in an afterlife reflects the concept of Valhalla, a grand battlefield awaiting its heroes.
And for all their faults, the Get of Fenris produce many heroes. Their creed of strength is simple, but not simplistic — it teaches many Fenrir to master their Rage, to serve as examples of courage to the rest of the Nation, and to win battles that others would lose or abandon. They are remarkably loyal to those who earn their respect, and their harsh standards encourage other Garou to fight harder if they want to keep the Fenrir’s allegiance. With the Apocalypse at hand, no tribe is more ready to tear the Wyrm apart regardless of the cost.
Appearance: Strong Fenrir blood manifests as huge gray wolf forms with broad shoulders and vicious jaws. There are precious few Get whose hides aren’t marked with scars and tattoos. Some even brand their fur or ceremonially carve runes into their flesh.
Kinfolk & Territory: The Get of Fenris claim their oldest homelands in Europe, ranging from Scandinavia to Germany. They have followed their original Kin throughout many lands, and adopted new bloodlines wherever the local human population produced strong children. They favor rural territories, particularly where the weather is harsh, and are involved in more territorial conflicts than any other tribe. Their largest protectorates are in the Black Forest of Germany and the wilderness of Scandinavia.
Tribal Totem: Fenris, the Great Wolf, one of the mightiest of war totems. Other spirits allied to the Get include Aegir, Hrafn the raven-spirit, the Norns, and Surtur, spirits both warlike and wise.
Character Creation: The Fenrir naturally stress combat and survival Traits. They almost never purchase Contacts: they want true friends, not associates.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 16:42:16 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 16:42:16 GMT
Fianna
Grief and joy, love and war, life and death — life is a series of contradictions, and the Fianna embrace them all. The Tribe of Stag are passionate Garou who exult in the pleasures of the flesh as well as the more abstract delights of a song well-sung or a battle well-fought. Their philosophy is far from a shallow “live in the now” concept, though. The Fianna are prominent lorekeepers and bards, fascinated with the history of all tribes as well as their own. Their Galliards have a particular place of honor within the tribe, but every auspice is expected to learn lessons from the past.
The Fianna trace their origins back to Western Europe, where they had a particular fondness for the Celtic peoples. They stress this cultural identity perhaps more than most other tribes do; members aren’t as prone to marry outside Celtic descended bloodlines, and they prefer to adorn their weapons and fetishes with knotwork representative of “the old days.” They endure plenty of old rivalries with other European Garou that challenged their borders, as well as the Uktena and Wendigo, who were their enemies during the European migration to the Americas. The Fianna try to be generous and forgiving where these rivalries are concerned, remembering but not making too much of it — an attitude their rivals rarely share.
Strong passions and a powerful social streak run deep within the tribe. Their mirth is powerful, their loves intense, and their despair deep and prone to increasing into Harano. Introverted Fianna are rare, and don’t earn much sympathy; their tribemates tend to harass them to “loosen up” and enjoy the raucous gatherings more. Metis have it much worse. Fianna tradition holds that a deformed body reflects a deformed spirit, and treat their metis cubs with great severity — metis never hold positions of real authority within the tribe. It’s sadly ironic, then, that the Fianna, with all their hot-running passion and love of the romantic, are particularly prone to sin with other Garou and create these luckless children.
The passionate, mercurial nature of the Fianna manifests itself even in their wolf-born. Fianna lupus take to art readily, though of course they prefer songs and howls above all. Some (both inside and outside the tribe) suspect that this commonality represents a dose of fae blood — there are plenty of old stories of the Fianna fighting alongside the sidhe lords of Faerie, and engaging in tragic romances with the Old Ones.
In some ways, the Fianna consider themselves the guardians of Garou culture. They glorify the war every werewolf is born to fight, they sing tales of romance that stress the importance of clinging to one’s Kin, and they keep the stories of old victories and defeats. They leap into battle with exuberance, hoping to inspire their cousins to do the same. But even with no other tribe’s eyes upon them, the Fianna fight as ferociously as any Garou can.
Yet thanks to old rivalries and quick tempers, the Fianna can be a divisive presence as easily as a unifying influence. It’s hard for them to resist a particularly well-crafted taunt, or to shake hands with a rival who’s spoken ill of or mistreated Kin. Some Garou don’t take them seriously; others aren’t able to laugh off a Fianna’s bouts of temper so easily. It’s a good thing for the tribe that they’ve practiced the silver tongue as long as they have. Certainly whatever happens, the presence of a Fianna is prone to keep things lively and interesting.
Appearance: Fianna Pure Breed manifests itself as shining red or black fur, and often surprisingly large Lupus form. Fianna often use Gifts to make their eyes glow green, and teach their cubs to howl with beautiful eloquence.
Kinfolk & Territory: Although they always prefer places that remind them of “the old country,” such as rolling green hills and thick old-growth forests, Fianna can be found nearly anywhere their predominantly Celtic-descended Kinfolk have settled. Outside the British Isles, they are most common in Australia and New Zealand, Canada and the United States (particularly Appalachia). The Fianna are exceptionally protective of their Kinfolk — most of their bloody skirmishes with other tribes erupt over Kin issues. Most of their wolf Kin live in North America, save for a few hidden on protected European estates and parks.
Tribal Totem: Stag, who exemplifies the Fianna love of life. Stag’s brood largely comprises animal spirits such as Rabbit, Impala, the White Hart and the Hind, and some Naturae such as the Brook, Dawn and Grain.
Character Creation: The Fianna are a social tribe, and strong Social Traits are common among them. They encourage most members to at least dabble in Performance.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 16:45:12 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 16:45:12 GMT
Children of Gaia
The Children of Gaia seem to be a study in contradiction. They are Gaia’s warriors, yet they want nothing more than peace. No Garou work harder and plead more humbly for cooperation between the tribes than they do. None grieve more when forced to shed the blood of a fellow werewolf. More than any other tribe, they value compassion for all Gaia’s children, even those that hold them in contempt. Many Garou mistake this compassion for weakness, — only to discover that the Children’s hatred of war doesn’t preclude the ability and will to fight — and fight well.
The tribe has its origins in the days of the Impergium, when they protested the practice of culling humans and fighting over territory. When the Garou Nation came to an accord and agreed to end the Impergium, the peacemakers who had led the effort formalized a pact with Unicorn and became the Children of Gaia. They are the only tribe born from an act of peace, and they take great pride in of this origin.
The Children of Gaia’s primary purpose is that of all Garou — fight the Wyrm, wherever it breeds and wherever it dwells. But their chosen secondary purpose is to mediate disputes and alliances among septs and packs, strengthening the Nation as a whole. It’s a difficult job, made more difficult by the contempt they face from many more martial tribes. But as they argue, it’s critical.
The Children of Gaia are a comparatively numerous tribe. Rivals claim it’s because they shrink from combat — but that’s not true. They do well by adopting other Garou, any who ask. They are especially respectful of metis, treating them as equals. They have less of an advantage with lupus numbers, though several wolf-born that grew up not understanding the concept of “war” find the Children’s ideal most natural.
Unicorn’s children are less concerned with strict rank and hierarchy. Though still powered by wolf instinct, they favor fairly loose pack and sept organization. Each sept has two elders who must excel at mediation: the Voice of the Goddess (always female) and the Arm of the Goddess (always male). The Children constantly involve themselves in the arena of human politics, more so than many other tribes. They face the same limitations that all werewolves do where subtlety is concerned, but still they use what influence they can, particularly through their Kin, to promote agendas of compassion, peace and tolerance. The tribal creed states that the war for Gaia can’t be won without loyal human hearts. It’s an uphill battle, though, and boundlessly frustrating. When the time comes for war, more than one Child of Gaia lets out a pent-up Rage that’s horrifying in its strength.
With the Apocalypse so close at hand, the Children of Gaia are facing many internal crises of faith. Humanity seems to come so far, and then it falls back into old patterns of hatred and bloodthirst. There are so few Garou to protect the world, and they turn on each other so quickly. Many of the tribe have fallen into Harano as the enormity of their task seems to be overwhelming. Some Children even argue that the secrecy of the Veil prevents them from properly educating humans — that they would have the allies they need if they could just show the humans what’s going on. These arguments cause rifts even within the tribe.All told, the odds seem impossible. But if they were to give up, the elders growl, they wouldn’t be the Children of Gaia. They wouldn’t be Garou.
Appearance: Strong Children of Gaia Pure Breed usually manifests as a white dappling on a gray or brown coat. The most renowned Children have a calm and serene bearing that can be intimidating in its own right.
Kinfolk & Territory: The Children of Gaia are particularly inclusive when it comes to choosing mates. Their Kin usually display great passion for progressive causes that match the tribe’s goals. However, the Children haven’t had a dominant presence in their ancestral homelands — the Fertile Crescent, particularly the areas of former Canaan — for a long, long time. They claim territories across the world, particularly in North America.
Tribal Totem: Unicorn. The Children of Gaia tribal totem is a powerful spirit of purity, compassionate in peace but also ferocious in war. They prefer to strike pacts with totems such as Dove and Narwhal, as well as gentle spirits of glade and starlight.
Character Creation: Many Children of Gaia stress Social Traits at least a little, in order to make themselves heard. They don’t neglect their combat skills, but Abilities such as Empathy, Leadership, Streetwise, Performance and Etiquette are all valued .
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 16:52:47 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 16:52:47 GMT
Uktena
In the days before the Europeans reached the Americas, the Uktena acted as the wise Older Brother of the three tribes of Pure Ones. Where Wendigo focused on war and the hunt, and the Croatan were more sociable, the Uktena gathered mystical lore to themselves. They settled across the Americas, favoring more southern lands where the rivers they cherish were plentiful.
When the arrival of the Europeans changed everything, and their Kin were much reduced in number, the Uktena chose to adapt. They began to interact with humans of many other cultures, favoring those who kept old animistic traditions or those who had suffered oppression much as the Pure Ones had. Many Uktena bear the blood of former slaves, or people driven from their lands, or immigrants who were shoved into filthy ghettos.
But although the Uktena have learned new hope from their embrace of outside cultures (excepting, of course, the Europeans’), a river of dark bitterness still runs through their hearts. They ally with the rest of the tribes, but keep secrets to themselves. They haven’t forgotten any of the insults and injuries they’ve suffered. And they don’t trust nearly as much as they let on. They still use the word “Wyrmcomer” to describe the Europeans, even if they don’t do it to their cousins’ faces. When there’s a need to cooperate, they’ll do so — but if there’s an opportunity to discreetly settle a particularly painful vendetta, they may find it hard to resist.
Despite the old wounds between the Uktena and most of the other tribes, they are valuable members of the Garou Nation. They have spent millennia communing with spirits to learn obscure occult secrets, bartering quietly with lone members of other supernatural communities (such as the Corax, Nuwisha, and Qualmi), and devising rites unknown even to the Wendigo. The Uktena have mastered more occult mysteries than any other tribe, giving them a notable edge where the mystical side of the war is concerned. However, not all of the secrets they’ve learned are safe.
The Uktena don’t shy away from dealing with things darker and more twisted than Gaian spirits. They have a long history of dealing with true horrors. In their explorations, ancient Uktena uncovered a number of powerful Banes lying dormant below the earth’s surface. They enacted mighty rites to keep these monstrous Wyrm-spirits bound, and for generations the Uktena have maintained the tradition of “Bane Tenders” to watch over these blasphemous sites. Over the ages, the tribe learned more of the Wyrm’s evil than any Gaian Garou should perhaps know.
Yet this knowledge is very useful. The Uktena are masters at discovering Wyrm taint, no matter how subtly hidden. They know the weaknesses of Banes that few other scholars can even name. The tribe’s Theurges are virtually unparalleled, and even their No Moons and Full Moons have a canny knack for understanding the hidden corners of the Umbra. Curiosity is praised as a virtue among the tribe — the cub with the most potential is one who’s hungry to learn. Lupus members are encouraged to ask as many questions as they want to, and as a result learn at an accelerated pace. Their metis are typically held to a harsh standard, yet sometimes even overtake their homid and lupus brethren in mastery of the occult. They have never known a world without mysticism.
These are dark times, and the Uktena’s knowledge of evil offers a constant window to temptation. Garou of every tribe can fall to the Wyrm, and when an Uktena gives in to the whispers from under the earth, he becomes one of the most cunning and dangerous of all the fallen. Other tribes who suspect the extent of the Uktena’s lore cannot help but dread the thought that they may weaken as a group. But while the Uktena have strength and purpose, they continue to strike at the Wyrm using methods and approaches few others could master. They know it well, after all. They know its allure and strength,— but also its tricks, its taboos, and its weaknesses.
Appearance: Uktena Pure Breed often manifests as reddish-black fur, and many have a distinct resemblance to red wolves. The tribe is a peculiar mishmash of Native American and various dispossessed ethnicities, and many members have a penchant for occult trinkets from a wide range of traditions.
Kinfolk & Territory: The Uktena bred with native peoples throughout the Americas, and have brought many other oppressed ethnic groups under their wing. They favor secluded territories, often places that have a bad reputation in local folklore. Many of these places have earned that reputation with ancient horrors bound beneath the land and kept there only by the Uktena’s vigilance.
Tribal Totem: The Uktena is a Native American river spirit resembling a horned serpent with a few pumalike features. Like many water-spirits, it is sometimes tempestuous and sometimes nurturing. Uktena has many water and snake-spirits in its brood, including Feathered Serpents, Sea Serpents and serpentine dragons of Asia.
Character Creation: Uktena value high Mental Attributes, the better to perceive and master their many spiritual advantages. Occult is quite common among the tribe, and Uktena tend to learn rites and pick up fetishes whenever they can.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 17:00:50 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 17:00:50 GMT
Silver Fang
The Silver Fangs are first among the tribes, as they are quick to point out. Descendants of great heroes and monarchs, every one, the tribe of Falcon claims the role of leadership of the Garou Nation. They trace their bloodline back to the Progenitor Wolf, a genealogy of the noblest human blood and the finest wolf ancestors. Through the ages, they have been at the forefront of the war, the proudest and most magnificent Garou — and to hear the Silver Fangs tell it, that is still true.
Other tribes have their doubts, though. Some charge that the Silver Fang’s obsession with pure blood has brought them to inbreeding, and their once-clear minds have grown feeble and clouded through the generations. Weak kings demand respect for the deeds of their ancestors, not their own. Mad leaders care more for the details of their courtly traditions than for the war against the Wyrm. Far too many fall to Harano for them to be a healthy tribe.
Both viewpoints have some truth to them. The Silver Fangs do indeed descend from great heroes, and they have also suffered from their preference for aristocratic Kinfolk over healthy and intelligent Kin. Many are as bad as their critics claim, but some still shine with the light of old heroism. In some ways, they are exactly the exemplars of the Garou they claim to be — the strengths and the afflictions of the Garou Nation are reflected in the story of the Silver Fangs.
From their First Change, the Silver Fangs learn that they are meant to rule — not that it is their destiny, or their right, but their purpose. The best of them interpret this mandate as a form of noblesse oblige: that they must lead by example in peace and in war. The worst seize upon it as justification for tyranny. Their aristocratic Kinfolk families raise their children with a sense of being “above the rest.” Their lupus Kin, of course, have no real sense of nobility per se. But the Fangs carefully protect them with the fullness of their resources, so many Silver Fang lupus still enjoy a more privileged youth than do the wolf-born of other tribes. Metis are treated somewhat paradoxically: on the one hand they are signs of impurity that impugn the famous Silver Fang pride, but on the other, metis with two Fang parents have arguably some of the purest blood in the Nation. A metis may never be king, but he may still receive some respect for his forebears (if not for his parents’ shame).
Silver Fang society borrows a few “regal” traditions that are not seen in other tribes. They organize into Houses first and camps second, and their territories (or “protectorates”) are ruled by kings — by tradition, always Ahroun. They divide their courts into two lodges: the Lodge of the Sun deals with material and worldly matters, while the Lodge of the Moon focuses on spirituality and issues concerning the wolf lines. Their moots are emarkably convoluted, hinging on baroque rituals of etiquette that would scarcely be tolerated by any other tribe.
As the Apocalypse unfurls, the role of the Silver Fangs is deeply controversial. Many Garou uphold tradition by acknowledging the Fangs as still worthy of leadership. Others treat them as figureheads to be openly respected and then quietly ignored when necessary. Still others chafe to be rid of them, the Shadow Lords most of all.
But the Silver Fangs have yet to fall completely. The charisma of their forebears is still strong in the tribe; those that are willing to reach out to the other tribes are surprisingly adept at rallying septs to unite for war. Time will tell if these last vestiges of true nobility will be enough to keep the tribe, and by extension the Garou Nation unified, or if the Silver Fangs have been tarnished and blunted too long.
Appearance: Silver Fangs are of aristocratic human stock, and tend to have strong family resemblances within their bloodlines. Their wolf forms have clean silver or white coats, long jaws and full tail brushes. They are fond of jewelry and ornately worked equipment as a sign of their status.
Kinfolk & Territory: Silver Fangs are very concerned with the genealogy of their Kinfolk, keeping extensive records about the bloodlines of their human relatives. Their human Kin come from noble blood, not wealth; their wolf Kin obviously have no equivalent, but the Fangs still carefully protect their wolf cousins on tribal preserves. The Silver Fangs had their origins in the lands that are now Russia, and today they claim septs in the most desirable territories around the world, often commandeered from other tribes.
Tribal Totem: Falcon, who inspires from on high. Silver Fangs are particularly dedicated to allied avian or solar spirits, such as Firebirds, the Talons of Horus, and the Children of Karnak.
Character Creation: Silver Fangs stress the necessity of leadership, and consequently they are prone to have strong Social Attributes and corresponding Abilities. Many Silver Fang characters spend freebie points on extra Backgrounds to represent inherited resources and connections; all must spend at least three Background points on Pure Breed to qualify for the tribe.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 17:03:03 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 17:03:03 GMT
Shadow Lords
The strong dominate; the weak submit. This is the core of Shadow Lord philosophy. Intensely political and coldly pragmatic, the Shadow Lords practice a rigid internal hierarchy and promote an equally unforgiving value system for the Garou Nation. Their very presence is divisive. Other tribes view their manipulative tactics as a reason to distrust the Lords, or complain that anyone so ruthless is marked for eventual corruption. Some would argue that they should be cast out of the Nation entirely — but the Shadow Lords are far too valuable. Their methods are often dishonorable and sometimes cruel, but they get results.
Life among the Lords is one part oppressive and one part inspirational. Cubs are taught to fear their elders as much as revere them. But the tribe is also a meritocracy — those who have the ambition and skill to succeed will go farther than those who rely on a misguided sense of entitlement. The lupus of the tribe usually start by mastering this instinctive dominance before they begin to hone their more humanlike capacity for deception and politics. Metis begin with the deck stacked against them — but are in a unique position to begin learning the tribe’s manipulative tricks almost as soon as they can talk.
The Shadow Lords’ tribal strength is that they produce very strong, cunning champions; their elders and leaders have earned their position by constantly honing themselves. Their tribal weakness is that every Shadow Lord contends against his brethren. Those below you covet your position; those above you don’t want you coveting theirs. Their constant struggles for dominance have dealt them more than one setback in their ongoing quest for power.
This ruthless tribal philosophy has been at the tribe’s heart ever since its founding in what is now Eastern Europe. During the Impergium, they showed no mercy in culling their charges — and when the Impergium ended, they still believed it necessary that humans fear the dark. Over the years, the Shadow Lords have made all manner of alliances, only to turn on their compatriots when the opportunity and the excuse were there. Many of these alliances were even with other creatures of the night such as vampires. Of course, it’s not fashionable to be seen consorting with a Leech, even if you plan to eventually turn on it — because of course it will eventually turn on you — so the Shadow Lords aren’t seen doing so. Not if they can help it.
As ambitious and callous as they are, most Shadow Lords are still loyalists to the Gaian cause. They work to undercut and dethrone weak leaders, but a strong and cunning leader earns great loyalty from the tribe of Grandfather Thunder. They play one Garou against another, testing the loyalties of both. If someone in a sept is close to turning to the Wyrm, more often than not it’s a Shadow Lord who finds out first — and then exploits the information in the most advantageous way possible. As they reasonably point out, only the weak and corrupt have anything to fear from their investigations. The fact that it’s the Shadow Lords defining “weak” and “corrupt” does little to allay concerns. A Philodox of Grandfather Thunder rarely errs on the side of compassion. In these dying times, though, the Shadow Lords see weakness all around them. The Silver Fangs are doddering and foolish at the time they’re needed most. The tribes are splintered and squabbling where they should be unified against the Wyrm. The authority of royal blood has failed; the calls for reconciliation have failed. Perhaps the only thing that will unite the Garou Nation is fear. If that’s what it takes — if the Garou need an iron claw to bring them together — the Shadow Lords will certainly take the opportunity when it presents itself.
Appearance: Shadow Lords with high Pure Breed often lean toward the saturnine in all forms. In Lupus form, they are notably thick and stocky, with the dark coats that reflect their tribal name.
Kinfolk& Territory: The oldest Kinfolk families are of Eastern European stock, but the Shadow Lords are drawn to humans that demonstrate intelligence, power or excellence. They don’t coddle their Kin; they don’t breed with people (or wolves) that need it. They’re fairly opportunistic about territory, but prefer caerns in starkly beautiful settings like wildlands from a Gothic romance.
Tribal Totem: Grandfather Thunder, a powerful storm spirit that demands a clear hierarchy. The most famous spirits of his brood are the Stormcrows, which are inextricably linked to the Shadow Lords. Grandfather Thunder has also dominated other spirits that others would find difficult to control, such as spirits of night and pain.
Character Creation: Shadow Lords believe in being well-rounded, though they’re particularly prone to stress Mental Attributes and Manipulation. They favor a wide variety of Abilities, particularly those dealing with guile and persuasion. Allies and Mentor are discouraged Backgrounds; Shadow Lords generally prefer to hold associates at arm’s length.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 17:07:21 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 17:07:21 GMT
Black Furies
The Black Furies are the living incarnation of a woman’s anger. They are the daughters of Luna-as-Artemis, the Huntress of the Moon. Their legends trace their origins back to Greece and Asia Minor, where they were appointed defenders of the Wyld. Wherever there are tales of women who take up arms for honor, vengeance or blood ties, the spirit of the Fury dwells.
The Furies are almost exclusively female. Any male human or wolf cub of a Fury who breeds true is sent to another tribe for adoption; Pegasus, their tribal totem, will not accept male Garou. The sole exception is the male metis: Pegasus accepts these disfigured sons, perhaps out of mercy, perhaps out of a desire to ensure the Black Furies remember their own misdeeds. To make up for these losses of potential tribemates, the Furies actively recruit disaffected and angry female Garou who chafe under another tribe’s banner.
The tribe holds that women are worthy of respect, honor, sometimes even veneration. Though no Black Fury will suffer the hand of a man acting as master or tyrant, the tribe isn’t united by active misandry. Certainly some Furies will never forget or forgive. But others are willing to accept men as partners, helpmates, lovers, equals — but nothing more than equals. Lupus Furies have less of an immediate connection to the hardships of human women, as female wolves have no real discrimination to bear, but they are deeply tied to the Wyld and learn great empathy for their human and homid sisters.
Hatred claims the hearts of many Furies, but it’s not a tribal virtue. The true tribal virtues are honor, pride, the mysticism of the Wyld, and the will to exact change. A Fury aspires to keep her word, to stand tall rather than bend a knee, to guard and exult in the wildest places, and to fight until her dying breath to make the world a better place.
The Black Furies’ tribal rituals emphasize tradition and sisterhood. They hold private tribal moots frequently. Kuklokhoros are informal moots, often where the Furies conceal their werewolf nature and invite human women to attend and learn the particulars of woman’s spirituality. Ulaka magelis are more exclusive moots, open only to the Furies themselves. These meetings involve more physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding rituals, exposing the raw and bleeding heart of a wolf-woman’s oaths to Gaia.
Like other tribes, the Black Furies gather in like-minded camps internally. The Furies call their camps kukloi, or “circles.” Each kuklos answers largely to itself, although all must be held eventually accountable to Inner and Outer Calyxes, the high councils of the tribe. The Outer Calyx is the more public one: the elders who sit on this council are publicly initiated with much ceremony, and their names spread across the tribe. The Inner Calyx is more of a mystery (or a mystery cult), its members and their directives unknown to the tribe at large.
Ancient tradition and modern attitude frequently clash within the tribe, though they aren’t always at odds. Black Furies grow up aware of the many evils afflicting women around the world. Elders and cubs alike participate in struggles against modern slavery, sex trafficking, abuse, and other offenses that are all too persistent. A generation gap still persists in the tribe — many of the elders are crones who, if rumors are correct, are at least a hundred years old, and with the set in their-ways stubbornness to prove it. Some cubs know nothing of the Wyld places, and want to focus their efforts on the Scabs where they grew up and where their sisters are still suffering. But all the Furies are united in their Rage.
Appearance: Furies with strong Pure Breed have particularly dark fur in Crinos, Hispo, and Lupus, often with white, gray, or silver highlights. Pure Breed is rarer among Fury metis, as their fathers are inevitably of other tribes.
Kinfolk & Territory: The Furies stake vicious claim to many of the last, secluded virgin places of the Wyld. Their spirituality is deeply tied to these sacred groves and islands, but necessity drives them to take territories in more humans settled lands as well. The Black Furies don’t practice much ethnic preference with their Kin. They’re prone to “adopt” the Kinfolk from other tribes’ bloodlines, specifically women who found themselves poorly treated by their relatives. They value their male Kin, even if a male Kinfolk is unlikely to ever participate in any of the tribe’s inner spiritual traditions.
Tribal Totem: Pegasus. The great winged horse-spirit has a strong resentment of men, implying there’s some truth to the myth of Bellerophon. Some Furies use “the bridle of Bellerophon” as a poetic metaphor for the hand of Man as it tries to master the most sacred things of the Wyld. Other totems valued by the Furies include Panther, the Muses, and Medusae.
Character Creation: Black Furies have a proud martial tradition, and encourage training in Brawl or Melee. Survival, Occult, and Rituals are also common among those entrusted with the Wyld places.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 17:15:07 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 17:15:07 GMT
Silent Striders
Restless and haunted, the Silent Striders roam from caern to caern, always searching, always listening. They are messengers and advance scouts for the Garou Nation, rooting out things hidden to the other tribes and bringing word to the locals. Even in the modern days of electronic communication, the Striders prove themselves vital by bringing swift word of threats better spoken of face-to-face. They have a reputation for being taciturn and aloof, which lends extra weight to their words. When a Silent Strider has something to say, it’s often dangerous news.
The Silent Striders had their origins in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Egypt, but lore has it that they were exiled long ago. The tales have it that they were cursed by an ancient evil — a Wyrm-thing, an ancient vampire, perhaps both — a malignant force they called Sutekh. Now no Strider can rest within the boundaries of their ancient Egyptian homeland — and no ancestor-spirit of theirs can be found. Driven from their homelands, haunted by the spirits of the dead, severed from their ancestor-spirits and fated to wander until the end of days, the Silent Striders bear an immense burden on their shoulders. They have not rejected this burden — they still serve the Garou Nation, and take it upon themselves to aid the ghosts that pursue them — but any vampire that crosses their path runs the risk of feeling millennia’s worth of vengeance.
The tribe’s grim reputation earns them a mixed reception from the rest of the Garou Nation. It’s technically expected to offer hospitality to a Silent Strider, and wise leaders understand that any wandering follower of Owl may have critical information for them. But at the same time, Garou find it difficult to trust wolves that often don’t run in packs, and that defend no territoryof their own. The curse on the tribe also concerns other werewolves, who have every reason to believe in such things. If the Striders are always on the move to keep two steps ahead of disaster, then will disaster come and visit wherever they rest? Most septs welcome the Silent Striders out of pragmatism, but it’s rare that the wanderers ever feel fully accepted.
But even though they may feel some longing for a permanent home, the Silent Striders have difficulty resting anywhere for too long. They refuse to compound their troubles by laying claim to territories that aren’t rightfully theirs, and after so long, they have developed restless souls. Many join packs for a while, to stave off the solitude, but few can stay in one place for years. Usually they stay and listen for as long as they can — and the Striders are patient, perceptive listeners — and then move on.
While they remain, though, the Striders are fiercely loyal friends. They may not be fully at ease in large groups, but they value the true companions they earn, especially packmates. They feel much the same way about their Kin — some Striders have a lover at every crossroads, but many more have brief and intense relationships with a single partner that will see the Strider far less often than they might like. Homid Striders thus often grow up with rare and conflicting memories of their Garou parent, who visits rarely and often seems distracted even then. The tribe has comparatively few metis, as the Striders are more likely to pair with other Garou than with their own, and thus many metis cubs with Strider heritage grow up in the other parent’s tribe. The rest are usually carried and concealed on their parent’s travels, taking what education and socialization they can at the septs where they can be revealed, and becoming acclimated to the road at an early age. Still, the lupus Striders have comparable problems to face — it’s not easy for a wolf-born to accept a life without pack or territory.
With the road in front of them and their ghosts behind them, the Silent Striders can’t help but keep moving. They can stay in a place for a time, but if bound against their will, they become despondent and withdrawn, often falling into Harano. Even those who keep moving usually meet lonely deaths somewhere on their journey — it’s said that the aged or sorely wounded of the tribe walk into the Umbra on a final quest to find their ancestors, never to return. Whether they succeed or not, none can say.
Appearance: No matter where they were born, Silent Striders are almost universally lean and fit from constant travel. Those with high Pure Breed have long, lean wolf forms that resemble the jackals of ancient Egyptian art, and Crinos forms reminiscent of the Egyptian deity Anubis. Sleek black coats and yellow eyes are also a mark of high Strider Pure Breed.
Kinfolk & Territory: Striders keep infrequent contact with their Kin, who are often dispossessed drifters themselves. They have no real territory of their own.
Tribal Totem: Owl, the wise hunter who flies silently by night. Owl has a small, subtle brood of spirits to her name, peculiar creatures such as the Darklings and the tiny skeletal mice called the Twice-Born.
Character Creation: Silent Striders tend to be lean and hardy rather than thick and bulky. They pick up a wide variety of Abilities in their travels. Resources is a discouraged Background; Ancestors is restricted, thanks to the Curse of Sutekh.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 17:19:46 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 17:19:46 GMT
Wendigo
Besieged by the Wyrm and betrayed by their fellow tribes, the Wendigo have learned much about hatred over the centuries. The Europeans came to steal, murder, and conquer, and the tribes that came to the Americas with them were no better. Though the old wars over territory are now over, the Wendigo have forgotten little and forgiven less. Their anger is hot as blood on the snow; their hatred is cold and unyielding as glacial ice.
The Wendigo are named for their totem, the cannibal spirit of winter that has taught them much of their cold fury. They emulate him in many ways. They hunt as quietly as a snowfall, swiftly falling on their prey with the force of the North Wind. But they also view winter as the symbol of their purity: Vision clear as ice, heart spotless as fresh snow. They believe the European werewolves were caressed by the Wyrm long ago, and its corruption still lies within them. With the Croatan gone and the Uktena desperate enough to lie with the newcomers and delve into secrets best left forgotten, the Wendigo claim they are the only truly Pure Ones left.
Their rites and spiritual traditions reflect this concern with purity. The Wendigo meticulously attempt to expunge any trace of possible corruption from their rituals. Their moots are hidden well away from the eyes of any outsiders, and the Wendigo are not above killing even other Garou to defend their secrecy. Ritual purification is a common practice, particularly before or after hunting or going to war.
When they hunt, the Wendigo are terrifying even by the standards of werewolves. They do not bother with cruelty or mercy, instead killing with remorseless implacability. They are ghosts on the wind, dealing out sudden and bloody death. Even the Red Talons respect their skills — and, of course, understand their losses.
Outsider tribes know little of the Wendigo’s internal organization. In truth, the Wendigo are remarkably traditional. They have kept the Litany intact for long ages — even stressing the importance of avoiding human flesh, despite the influence of their cannibal totem. Leaders are expected to exemplify the tribal ideals of purity in particular. Homids and lupus are both well-respected, but unfortunately metis have a more difficult time within the tribe. They are living symbols of a failure to remain pure, and must work all the harder to prove their parents’ transgressions have left no inherent corruption on their souls.
Apart from their fairly strong alliances with the Talons and their Uktena brethren, the Wendigo have tenuous relations with the other tribes. They can work with any tribe if the need is great enough, but the situation must be dire indeed for a Wendigo to ally with a Fianna, Get of Fenris or Shadow Lord. The other “interloper” tribes are generally held at arm’s length, with the possible exceptions of the Silent Striders, Stargazers and Black Furies. But these days no tribe, not even the Uktena, is truly close to the Wendigo. Younger Brother’s scars run too deep.
At present, the Wendigo are on the defensive. The territories they have left are their primary concern. But they know that things just aren’t that simple. If they remain in their much-diminished holds, the other tribes will fall — it’s simply a matter of time, given their failings. And when that happens, the Wendigo, too, will be overrun. So their youngest and boldest roam out beyond the territories, entering cities and visiting other caerns to find how the war against the Wyrm is going — and where they may need to show the Enemy why it should fear the winter wind. Wherever they go, though, they remind the other tribes that they act from necessity rather than friendship. They still remember how they’ve been wronged. They still harbor an icy Rage.
Appearance: The Wendigo are not as ethnically mixed as other tribes: they are almost exclusively born to native peoples of North America, particularly in the north. Wendigo with strong Pure Breed are clean-limbed, strong timber wolves that with coats in varying shades of gray.
Kinfolk & Territory: The Wendigo’s human Kinfolk are exclusively Native American peoples, particularly those concentrated on reservations or in tribal communities away from the larger cities. Wendigo Kin usually understand more of the old ways than other Kinfolk do, having been entrusted with a surprising amount of tribal lore. The tribe has a relatively high number of wolf Kin in their strongest territories — Canada, Alaska and the plains states of the US — though they refuse to breed with wolves that have been raised in captivity.
Tribal Totem: Wendigo, the cannibal spirit of winter. They also strike pacts with lesser spirits of ice and storm, and with spirits that share Great Wendigo’s hunger, such as Wolverine and Mosquito.
Character Creation: Wendigo are a hardy, warlike group; strong Physical Attributes are prominent among the tribe. They favor Abilities that are most useful for war and the hunt, and there are precious few Wendigo that don’t have at least a dot in Survival. Contacts and Resources are discouraged Backgrounds.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 17:22:39 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 17:22:39 GMT
Bone Gnawers (*restricted)
Many disdain the Bone Gnawers as living proof of how far the Garou have fallen from grace. Ragged and luckless, hunting territories no other tribe wants and breeding with Kin no other tribe claims, the Children of Rat come across as mongrel scavengers taking whatever castoffs they can. The Bone Gnawers see it differently. They’re the most populous tribe in the Garou Nation. They’re not the picture of failure — they’re the picture of success, because they’re playing the game of survival.
The tribe’s actual origins likely lie somewhere in or across a band of land that stretches from Northern Africa to India, but the Gnawers stopped keeping track a long time ago. They spread out to follow humanity, and always attached themselves to the wretched and downtrodden. Their oral history is full of revolutionary stories of the oppressed defying and overthrowing their oppressors. Bone Gnawer folk heroes are creatures of the Robin Hood and John Henry mold — if somewhat more bestially violent when dealing out retribution and social justice.
The tribe’s mongrel reputation is bolstered by their seemingly haphazard traditions. Their septs are usually surprisingly democratic. Their fetishes and rites are scavenged from Gaia-knows-where. They propitiate bizarre totems like modern urban legends or strange pop-culture zeitgeists. They strike odd alliances with other supernaturals lurking in the lower strata of human society, maybe even Leeches or wererats, if the stories are true. They thrive in cities, occupy decaying suburban wastelands, even prosper in run-down rural backwaters. The Bone Gnawer creed is “Whatever works.”
But it does work, or at least it has so far. The Children of Rat have access to all manner of interesting secrets that come from listening to people other Garou disdain as part of the herd. They’ve mastered a variety of vicious guerilla tactics suited to their hazardous environments. They know where to find food, or even how to conjure it out of trash. The Gnawers’ major weakness is that the other tribes tend to keep them at a distance, so they have fewer true allies. But even this weakness has contributed to their strength of self reliance, out of necessity.
Another unfortunate weakness is a gradual thinning of the wolf blood. The Bone Gnawers have some lupus Kin, but not many, and have kept up their numbers mostly with human partners. They’re also thick with metis, which accusers claim shows little respect for the Litany. There’s a hint of truth in that — plenty of Bone Gnawers have given in to forbidden desires — but the Gnawers are also prone to adoption. Many a metis was abandoned by its parents in other tribes, but brought in to be a good soldier of Rat. Bone Gnawer pragmatism doesn’t overrule Renown, however. Honor, Wisdom and Glory still matter to them, and, the slurs of other tribes to the contrary, they aren’t all Ragabash. Admittedly, their catch-as-catch-can character shines through even in these higher ideals. An honorable Bone Gnawer Philodox isn’t afraid to lay down an unorthodox twist on a law. Likewise, a sagacious Theurge might be mistaken for a filthy homeless person, babbling to herself about the voices of trash and desperation.
Even though they might build shrines to fallen celebrities or hold sacred rites tied to human sporting events like the Super Bowl or World Cup, the Bone Gnawers zealously guard some very old traditions at their heart. They honor hospitality and generosity as a measure of a Garou — the Gnawer who has very little but gives it away freely is as esteemed as was any gift-giving Nordic king. They treat their tribe like a family; their elders consider “mother” and “father” the most prestigious forms of address. On the surface, their traditions look like reflections of the patchwork nature of modern culture — deep down, they represent the bonds that have allowed humans and Garou to survive as long as they have.
Appearance: Bone Gnawers’ wolf appearance is ragged, often mismatched or particolored; some can be mistaken for dogs at a distance, though even a Gnawer who looks something like a yellow dingo is clearly an animal that was never tame. Their blessings as Garou make them surprisingly healthy in comparison to impoverished humans: most have strong (if crooked) teeth and wiry muscle under the dirt.
Kinfolk& Territory: The Children of Rat interbreed with the savviest, toughest and meanest people that have been ground down by society. Lupus Kin are rare, and tend to be found in hardscrabble rural territories. The Gnawers also stake out territories that are difficult to challenge — places that nobody else wants, but that they can defend easily enough. Urban decay supplies plenty of junkyards, abandoned buildings, underpasses, burned-out wrecks and other patches of real estate that anyone in their right mind avoids. Rural Gnawers prefer isolated valleys or mountain-tops, swamps, and dead end roads. But the tribe also feels protective of institutions established for the average citizen’s betterment: museums, homeless shelters, public libraries and so on.
Tribal Totem: Rat. The Bone Gnawers venerate their tribal totem as a maternal figure, queen of a brood of ragged survivors. They also strike pacts with bedraggled spirits such as raccoon-spirits, Lost Dogs, and spirits of junk and rust.
Character Creation: Bone Gnawers have a penchant for Traits that represent adaptability, such as Stamina, Wits, and Manipulation, and Abilities such as Survival. Ancestors and Pure Breed are restricted Backgrounds; Resources are discouraged.
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Tribes
Jun 7, 2016 17:26:36 GMT
Post by The Northern Lights on Jun 7, 2016 17:26:36 GMT
Glasswalkers (**very restricted)
The Glass Walkers are werewolves unlike any other. They have largely abandoned the ancestral ways in favor of a cutting-edge, always-adapting blend of technology and shamanism. They actually prefer urban life to the wilderness, and defend the Scabs as centers of a vibrant ecology all its own. Even if that ecology is often wounded or diseased, it can be made healthy, the Glass Walkers argue. The other tribes often call them urrah, or tainted ones — but the children of Cockroach won’t give up the advantages of modern achievement just to repair their reputation.
The name “Glass Walkers” makes reference to the vast skyscrapers of the modern world. Before there were cities of glass, the tribe was known as Iron Riders, having embraced the trains and machines of the Industrial Age. In the times before then, they were the City Warders, associating themselves with urban life throughout the ancient, medieval, and Renaissance eras. And before there were even cities, they were the Warders of Men, a tribe that gathered where humans did and watched what their cousins would do next. Other tribes say this proves they have no pride in their identity — but the Glass Walkers’ identity lies in adaptation.
The Glass Walkers’ fascination with human achievement carries through to their tribal customs. They borrow political structures from human government and corporate organizations, bind spirits into technological devices to create techno-fetishes, create artworks that incorporate fashionable trends and techniques, even preserve some of their tribal lore in shamanically-encrypted hardcopies rather than keeping to the oral traditions. These practices can give them a much-needed edge — after all, most of the forces of the Wyrm, including the Black Spiral Dancers, haven’t adapted quite as well.
But their focus on humanity and its works has also weakened the Glass Walkers in some ways. They have few wolf bloodlines left to them —some of their lupus children find the tribal tenets too confusing and seek refuge with another tribe. They treat their metis well, but the number of metis in the tribe speaks to an all-too-human tendency to make bad romantic decisions. They have more enemies than most tribes: vampires are thick in the cities, and don’t care to have urban werewolves muscling in on their turf. Glass Walker Theurges are often over-specialized: they’re masters at dealing with spirits of electricity and the Weaver, but have more difficulty with older spirits of Gaia or the Wyld. If the Garou as a whole have trouble balancing their wolf and human natures, the Glass Walkers are a particularly skewed example.
Some say the tribe’s in danger of forgetting that they’re Garou. It may even be true for some — but the rest make very dangerous enemies of the Wyrm. They establish urban caerns that give their territories a centralized, organized source of spiritual power. They’ve made an art of sabotage, and delight in “monkey-wrenching” companies or organizations that prey too heavily on Gaia’s creation. They followed enough data streams and paper trails to assemble a more complete picture of Pentex and its activities than any other tribe possesses. They know how the system works. They know how to pull strings. And when the time’s right to hit the Wyrm with high explosives, silver bullets, and anti-personnel ordnance, they still remember how to use their fangs and claws as well.
Appearance: Glass Walkers have the easiest time blending in with other humans, but even they have a predatory presence that bleeds through from time to time. They have no Pure Breed, and their wolf forms are frequently mottled, multicolored, or brindled.
Kinfolk & Territory: Glass Walkers tend to treat their Kin almost like “human resources,” with all the subcontracting and delegation that implies. They breed almost exclusively with humans that catch their eye, save for a few protected packs of wolves on privately-owned land. Naturally, their territories are almost entirely urban, usually tied to some human source of power — corporate, scientific, or even criminal.
Tribal Totem: Cockroach may not be pretty, but it’s an avatar of adaptation and survival. The Glass Walkers honor Cockroach and its brood of technological and adaptive entities such as Gremlins, Scab Birds, and the bizarre financial Mula’Krante or “money spiders.”
Character Creation: Glass Walkers favor modern skill sets, such as Drive, Firearms, and Computer. Mentor is a discouraged Background: the Glass Walkers don’t believe much in the old ways. Their restricted Backgrounds are Pure Breed (which they stopped cultivating centuries ago) and Ancestors (their lack of interest in the past has eroded their spiritual ties to its wisdom). Most have at least a dot or two of Resources.
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