These lists contain links to the members of the Werewolf Tribes.
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2022 9:35 pm
Tribe: Black Furies Plural: Black Furies Pronounce: blak' fyur'-ees Nicknames: Furies Faction: Garou Nation Totem: Pegasus Alpha: Unknown
These ferocious defenders of the Wyld call Greece their home, though they have established a strong presence in North America over the last two centuries. This tribe, almost entirely composed of female Garou, is renowned for its members' honor, ferocity, and attunement to the sacred. The Furies claim that Luna, in her aspect as Artemis the Huntress, created their tribe from she-wolves and appointed them to be protectors of the Wyld, defenders of women, and punishers of men. They uphold these duties with grim determination.
Other tribes look askance at the Furies, who give away or kill their male children. Many outside the tribe see the Furies as man-haters, but the truth is much more complex. Although the tribe tolerates male metis, the Furies have a definite gender bias; they believe that women share a deeper bond with Gaia than any man can know, and see themselves as aspects of the Goddess incarnate. In her name, they Rage against any insult to women, nature or the Goddess. They accept the Triat and the existence of the Wyrm, but when it encroaches on their territory, woe be unto it.
Black Furies maintain strong ties to ancient mysticism. Their rites are complex and quite beautiful, and their Gifts and spirit allies reflect a primal connection to the Wyld. Prior to any great test, a Black Fury will purify herself in a ritual bath in the open under the light of the moon, typically in a glade protected by the Furies. This protection is taken very seriously - though the Wyrm must be fought, if the Wyld places are not protected then there will be nothing left after the last battles. Fury Kin are protected just as righteously, and are often active in their own right working for protection of wilderness and the rights of women.
Black Furies place a high value on their honor; even their hated rivals concede that the tribe can be trusted. Although strong in character, they are few in number and their radical stance alienates many Garou.
Tribe: Bone Gnawers Plural: Bone Gnawers Pronounce: bown' naw'-uhrs Faction: Garou Nation Totem: Rat Alpha: Unknown
As hungry mutts, the Bone Gnawers have survived for centuries using their canny ability to sniff out food and sneak about unseen. It's possible that they were originally of jackal stock, although their legends say that they were the "runt" of the litter back in the old days: young, tough, and stringy. Today, they are all too used to the role of convenient scapegoats. Few Bone Gnawers have gained enough Renown to play in the greater political field of the Septs and Grand Moots.
Throughout history, Bone Gnawers have followed the dispossessed and the homeless. They hate slavery and oppression in general, but they're often too busy surviving to care about the subtleties of Garou politics. They are allied with all the dogs in any given city through a complex system of communication called the "Barking Chain". They also know the dark places in the city that are ignored, reviled, or just too dangerous for the uninitiated of the street. Because of this, the Bone Gnawers are well informed about what goes on in the streets of any metropolitan area. This is as much a survival tactic as it is a strategic activity: they need to know when it's time to flee a sinking ship once things go wrong.
There are some Bone Gnawers who feel that the ship is sinking, and not just Boston, but all of Gaia. These Seekers speak a tale of a newly reborn Gaia deep in the Umbra, far away from the rotting carcass that is this world. It is attitudes like this that encourage most tribes to look down upon the Bone Gnawers as dirty, hungry, and without dedication to the battle with the Wyrm. They would argue that they are simply very practical and thus tend to ignore the more high-minded tribes, even making fun of them from time to time. Ignoring old Garou traditions in favor of practicality often gets the Gnawers in trouble, such as their disregard for the ban on inter-Garou sexual relations. Indeed Metis are received better by the Bone Gnawers than by any other tribe save the Black Spiral Dancers, a comparison not lost on their critics.
While the Bone Gnawers are held as the lowest of the low of the Garou, they treat their own Kinfolk more as equals. This can be mystifying to some other tribes, for whom Kinfolk are lessers, usable primarily as breeding stock and for favors in the mortal world. Indeed the familial bonds between a Bone Gnawer and her extended family rival that of the intensely loyal Fianna.
Gnawers tend to collect things that they find of interest - trinkets and toys, places and people, and, more importantly, information. They are packrats every sense of the word, as all good followers of Rat should be. After all, information is an invaluable commodity; they are excellent survivors, and have learned to live in harmony with all the dwellers of the city, including Kindred. To this day, their relations with the Nosferatu are excellent.
Tribe: Children of Gaia Plural: Children of Gaia Pronounce: chill'-drun uv' gahy'-uh Nicknames: Gaians Faction: Garou Nation Totem: Unicorn Alpha:Diadora
When the Wyrm claimed the hearts of the Garou, when the blood of the tribes was shed by the claws of their kin, the Children of Gaia arose to lead the Garou back to the Mother's bounty. They lifted the Impergium, pressed for peace amongst the tribes and spread the words of Gaia's love among the lands of humans. To the Children of Gaia, life is a gift to be savored, not a battle to be won. They are the unifiers of the Garou, the heralds of peace.
The Children of Gaia insist that embracing violence grants the Wyrm victory by default. Death is ever a part of life, they concede, but hatred is the gateway to the inner Wyrm, and must be avoided. Even the Children of Gaia disagree, however, about when the time for talking ends and the time for fighting begins. When they do choose to fight, the Children of Gaia are powerful warriors, strengthened by their commitment to the Mother. Until then, these Garou search for a way to resolve conflicts without bloodshed, curing instead of killing.
The tribe shares a vision of Gaia as a loving, bountiful Mother, and sees the Wyrm as the denial of her love. The Children rightly predicted that the Impergium would forever drive a wedge between humans and Garou, but the tribe seems at a loss before the coming Apocalypse. Its leaders still wish to negotiate with the humans and enlighten them before it is too late, but even then the most optimistic Children wonder if the time for peace is past.
The Children have been given three great secrets by Gaia:
* All creatures who partake of the bounty Gaia freely offers become loving and generous, while those who heed the Wyrm and doubt that Gaia will provide for them become fear-ridden and stingy. Their fear and greed rule them, and drive them to acts of depravity. * Depravity is a powerful weapon, for it kills empathy. The Depraved are cut off from the purest of Gaia's gifts: the connection to all life,and the simple ability to feel the joy and pain of one another. This depravity drives animals to kill their kin, Garou to slaughter their rivals' children, and Wyrm creatures to try to destroy all life. * Depravity is a powerful weakness, for only in empathy can joy be found. Those lacking empathy lack the capacity for joy, and fell its loss deep in their hearts as an unending sadness. So they pursue idle diversions, seeking to be diverted from the sorrow in their souls. This weakness is the key to overcoming these foes.
Rather than meet hostility with hostility, the Child of Gaia can transcend his own Rage and visit the Peace of Gaia upon his foes. By meting hatred with understanding and compassion, the Child of Gaia can replace anger with bliss, hate with joy, and war with peace. Their Gifts heal, protect and nurther rather than harm. They are deeply attuned to Gaia and all of Her splendor, and prefer to spend time contemplating harmony over havoc. When angered, however, they are terrible in their Rage.
The Children are not ignorant of the Wyrm's capacity for destruction - they choose to confront it in their own way. While other Garou faced with a toxic waste dump spewing out Banes would simply kill the Banes and move on, a Child would likely arrange for a cleanup of the site to deprive the Banes of their source of strength, then track back to the source to work to change the corporation that made the mess in the first place. The human Kin of the Children are deeply enmeshed in politics, religion and education, working to educate and enlighten humanity in hopes of averting or at least diverting the Apocalypse.
Other Garou grant the Children of Gaia a grudging respect. Children are known as honorable peacekeepers, if a little soft in the head. They have proved right in the past, much to their rivals' annoyance, and radiate a deep faith in the Mother's love
The Fianna claim to be the second Tribe, after the Silver Fangs. It is said that the first Fianna was the first Garou to sing, the first to howl her joy into the air, the first to give in to her passions and breathe beauty into the world. While other Tribes may dispute this claim, they rarely do so to the face of a Fianna.
The Fianna are a moody lot. While other Tribes have an overall mood, the Fianna seem to embrace all moods. The Get of Fenris rage against their place in the world, and the Bone Gnawers brood over their lot in life, but the Fianna throw themselves into both extremes, often within seconds of each other. Fianna love deeply, and hold grudges beyond their deaths, and suck more marrow out of life than most people can even imagine.
While most Fianna come from Ireland or Scotland, others do come from other Celtic groups in Europe. Romania, Spain, anywhere that the Celts roamed is home to the Fianna. But most Fianna look to Ireland as their spiritual homeland.
The Fianna once shared Ireland with the White Howlers, until that tribe was destroyed by the Wyrm. The White Howlers followed the Wyrm into the bowels of the Earth, fighting it into its lair. No one knows exactly what happened to them down there, but those that came back were foul travesties of Garou. They had become the Black Spiral Dancers, monstrosities serving the Wyrm. These days, Fianna will proudly trace part of their lineages to White Howler families. They will drink a beer and weep bitter tears at their cousins' fates. And they will put aside decade old grudges to join each other in hunting down a Black Spiral Dancer and erasing its hateful visage from the Earth. Other creatures of the Wyrm suffer the same doom - the Fianna will take the battle to the Wyrm more vigorously than any other tribe.
The Fianna have a deep connection to the Fey. In the past, Faerie and Fianna intermarried, and many a Fianna can claim direct descent from the Tuatha de Danaan. But these days, the connection is more spiritual than lineal. Few Garou can honestly claim to have met a Faerie, and fewer still have spoken with one. But the Fianna keep their memory alive, out of a sense of respect and obligation, and in the hopes that some day the Fey will return to Earth.
Among the Garou, the Fianna have the closest ties to their Kinfolk. While most Tribes try to hide their Garou heritage from their relatives, the Fianna are fairly open about it with theirs. This provides the Fianna with a secure foundation from which to battle the Wyrm. Kinfolk ensure that their feckless Garou cousins always have a job available. They comfort them and bring them out of the depths of Harano. And they proudly talk of them after their heroic deaths.
On the other hand, this close tie with their Kinfolk can also place the Fianna in a precarious position. Looking too closely into the Garou flame can cause Kinfolk to turn to the Wyrm in order to match that flame. Love of their Kinfolk can be used to pressure a Fianna into unwise courses of action. And the loss of a beloved relative can depress a Garou unto suicide.
Tribe: Get of Fenris Plural: Get of Fenris Pronounce: geht' uv fehn'-riss Nicknames: Fenrir Faction: Garou Nation Totem: Fenris Alpha:Agmundr-the-Fiend-Reaper
The mission set before us by Great Fenris is not easy, nor should it be. We have made our lives into a conquest of any tribe too weak to stop us, and our brutal ways have made us strong. While other tribes ran and hid, we always stood ready to face the enemies of Gaia, and we have watched those enemies fall. We have challenged all of the other tribes, and we have seen the ones that are weak: the Digo, the Black Spiral Dancers, the Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers. They fear us because we are strong. They accuse us of brutality because they are unprepared for the challenges we set before them, because we alone refuse to hide from combat when the time comes for bloodshed.
The other tribes claim that we are mindless killing machines, but they spend too much time scheming in dark rooms and trying to sneak past the Wyrm instead of simply tearing Jormangundr's putrid heart from his chest! The Warriors of Gaia must never be weak. Even as we long for peace we must call for war. Let the other tribes play their foolish political games, let them thrive like cockroaches in the hearts of the Scabs, growing soft because they no longer understand the need to hunt and to kill. Let them breed with weaker races and raise their young as "civilized people". In the end they will understand that we are right, that there can be no peace without sacrifice, that there can be no pleasure without pain.
We lead them in battle and they will follow us as they always have,, fearing the threats we know are commonplace because they have never sought the Wyrm in its own foul nest.
We will bring war to them. We will call them forth for Ragnarok and show them the ways of combat. We will watch them run and hide, fearing their worthless hides while we bathe in the blood of the Wyrm and feast on the entrails of Jormangundr's followers. Those few who are worthy will fight with us, and we will accept them as family. Those who die a coward's death shall lay unburied in the fields of battle, reviled and despised as weaklings.
Ragnarok is upon us, and the time for friendship is past. Those who would flee from us must be destroyed, for surely they would fall to Jormangundr's wiles. Those that would fight us must be taught the error of their ways, and those who ignore us must be made to remember that we are here, no matter the cost. Those who would be our leaders must prove themselves in honorable combat.
Have no fear of death, for beyond death there is Valhalla. Valhalla, where Fenris waits for us, calling to his Get and sharpening the weapons that will help us in the final conflict. For each of us that falls, Ragnarok comes one moment closer. Do not fear Ragnarok. Instead, prepare for it. Know that Ragnarok is your destiny and the final time when Jormangundr will fall before our might.
The Get are divided; they fight amongst themselves as well amongst other Garou. Some demand the Impergium be brought back; some have even started enforcing it again. That is the first sign of Ragnarok. The metis population among Garou increases. Perhaps this increase is brought about by too long a time away from Kinfolk and too much time with packs of mixed heritage. This too is a sign of Ragnarok. The Garou must fight greater odds than ever before, and they must fight Pentex, the greatest whore to capitalism that has ever existed. These too are signs. So far the Get of Fenris is concerned, Ragnarok is coming.
The Glass Walkers see the city as just another kind of wilderness: the concrete jungle of the future. They feel that the city has a spirit and life all its own, and they seek to explore the diversity that this new wilderness provides. Maybe no other Tribe can begin to understand this except the Bone Gnawers.
The Glass Walkers originated in Mesopotamia, where they split with the Garou and came to live in the cities despite the proscriptions against doing so. They became enforcers and mercenaries for merchants in the Middle Ages and allied with guilds and the like. They were at the forefront of technological change during the Renaissance and later in the Industrial Revolution, learning that everything has spirits, even great steam engines and assembly lines.
The Glass Walkers developed Mafia ties as a result of their enforcer past, and in the 20s, Glass Walker gangs provided muscle to many Mob actions. With the advent of computers, the Glass Walkers learned about a new kind of spirit... the Net-Spiders, the computer spirits. Befriending these spirits, they found themselves in control of spirits that could alter and gather information from computers all over the world. The Glass Walkers believe it is their duty to guide the cities and technology of the world to a path allied with Gaia. Indeed, they see Gaia as a part of the city itself.
Glass Walkers view themselves as the next stage in Garou evolution. They believe that Gaia is leading them to be the rulers of a new world where the Weaver is an ally of the Wyld, not an enemy. They believe that they can help humanity and the Garou survive the coming Apocalypse by providing them with the technology and spiritual wisdom to survive. Because of this, they are often criticized as arrogant.
They are almost as subtle and crafty as their rival Shadow Lord cousins. Indeed, many conflicts between the Glass Walkers and the Shadow Lords are like great chess games using the other Garou as pieces. Their irreverence for tradition has earned them many enemies among more traditional Garou. Many of them prefer their homid names to their Garou names, and may use their traditional names only in communication with other tribes or in formal ritual. Indeed Lupus Glass Walkers are much more rare than Metis, another sore point for traditionalists.
Many Glass Walkers packs have a strong corporate hierarchy, and the Kinfolk are the bottom row on that org chart. They get a lot of the work done, and Glass Walkers respect that about as much as your average upper manager. They understand that the lower ranks need to have their morale maintained, because higher morale workers are workers that are more productive. Other packs have a distinct Mafioso feel, or can be as freeform as a group of hackers.
The Glass Walkers are often criticized for their traffic with Weaver spirits, as more rural Garou see it as a taint that weakens their bond to Gaia. But more disturbing is the constant presence of the Wyrm in the cities that the Glass Walkers control. Many Glass Walkers say there is too much for them to constantly combat the Wyrm, for they would be worn down and slain, and Gaia would lose her defenders. Instead, they choose their Wyrm-riddled targets for the maximum effect as compared to Garou loss.
Tribe: Red Talons Plural: Red Talons Pronounce: rehd' tahl'-uns Faction: Garou Nation Totem: Griffon Alpha: Unknown
This tribe is composed entirely of Garou born as wolves. They have not a trace of mortal kindness, nor do they need it. They hate mortals with a passion unknown to even the other tribes, for their history is full of tragedy of mortal cruelty to wolves. They aim to return this cruelty tenfold. The vast majority of tales about marauding wolves and rampaging werewolves come from Red Talon activity. No matter how the Silver Fangs try to prevent them from their depredations, they continue, sneaking into cities in packs and assaulting merchants in the squares, peasants at their hearths and even knights on the moors. Nothing can halt their anger.
The Garou culled humanity long ago, because they recognized the dangerous tendency of humans to spread across wide territories if not checked. The tribes eventually knew pity and ended the Impergium; now the cancer-like spread of humanity is beyond anything those elders could have possibly imagined. Yet one tribe still advocates a return to the old ways the tribe called the Red Talons. Lupus to the last member, they claim proudly that no human has ever tainted their tribe. Other tribes point to the Talons as a warning of what happens when Garou forsake one side of their being, for without humans in their bloodline they have become more bestial than the wolves themselves. Their savage howls make even homid Garou uneasy.
The Talons follow tradition closely not the tradition of Silver Fangs, but that of their wolf brethren. More than any other tribe, the Red Talons decide their hierarchy by strength, cunning and endurance. Pack members test each other at a sign of weakness, and the one most fit for leadership assumes the role of alpha.
The alpha demands unquestioned loyalty from the pack, and he gets it. He eats first of the best portions of the kill, followed by the rest of the pack in descending order of status, yet no member of the pack goes hungry. Tribal law is clear-cut. If a crime has been committed against the Garou, the pack doesn't indulge in haggling or soul-searching it delivers justice swiftly and moves on.
Red Talons dwell in wilderness, away from the noise and stench of human settlements. Their territory is often "posted" with the skulls of trespassers. More than any other werewolves, Talons are at home in the wilderness, following paths others fear to tread. Even their detractors among the other tribes must admit that the Red Talons have long memories, and that they probably practice rites and keep secrets long forgotten by the rest of the Garou.
Now, as forests are logged and caerns bulldozed, as their hunting grounds are subdivided and their Kin are poisoned and shot, the outrage of Griffin's tribe is beyond measure. The Talons' hatred of humanity is legendary; to the Garou Nation, they are living reminders of the Impergium and a constant to the species' existence. But not all Talons espouse the humans' extermination. Most believe that returning to a policy of culling would be sufficient. In fact, some humans actually live peacefully near Talon territories, if those humans are few and show the land proper respect. It is more common for a pack to make examples of any who wander too near, trusting that fear will keep the apes in the safety of their scablike cities. Many wonder if the Talons have been corrupted by the Wyrm, for rumors of their cruelty to humans rival tales of the evil rites of the Black Spiral Dancers. For the most part, Talons slay man, woman and child wholeheartedly, but they do so quickly. Some enjoy it, others take to the task as a duty, but wounding so the prey will suffer for hours or days isn't natural (although it may be just). However, the younger Talons have begun making elaborate rituals of their mini-Impergium in recent years, and it worries the elders. To savor the fear of the prey is one thing, but to draw the agony out over days... that is something the apes do. A dark secret of the Talons is that more than a few consume the flesh of their victims regularly, disregarding one of the Litany's tenets. These rogues insist that the Stargazers included that provision in the Litany, and since they're gone, it doesn't matter anymore.
Appearance: In wolf form, Talons are generally large framed, with noticeably oversized jaws and paws. Even in Lupus, their claws are almost catlike in sharpness. Their fur tends toward ruddy brown. Perhaps the most unusual feature of the tribe is the shock of blood- or flame-red fur always present somewhere on their bodies. Talons boast that it is a badge of honor from Gaia, showing her approval for the only tribe willing to advocate putting humans back in their place. Less extreme tribes contend (quietly) that it is Gaia's mark of shame to the last adherents of the Impergium. In Homid form (which they rarely ever assume), Talons are crude, hairy, slouching and unkempt; they never look when they can glare. They shamble, unused to walking on two legs, and find the human's mild sensory depravation unnerving.
Wolves are creatures of dominance and submission, mastery and servitude. The Shadow Lords take this quite literally and strive to master all they survey. Shadow lords see the Garou as the ultimate life form on the planet. Therefore, the Garou are the obvious rulers. Furthermore, as far as they're concerned, there is no tribe greater than the Shadow Lords. With that in mind, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the tribe's agenda. In the end, the only thing the Shadow Lords respect from Garou of other tribes is power. Even so, they are always ready to displace their rivals at the slightest sign of weakness.
Though some argue that knowing too well the lures and seductions of the Wyrm beats a quick path to corruption, the Shadow Lords cultivate a unique perspective on the Wyrm that few Garou share. After all, how better to understand its method and madness than to skirt around its edges, learning its scent? Experience not withstanding, the Shadow Lords recognize the enemy's face and understand is intentions better than most Garou - a strength of immeasurable value when resources are slight. Moreover, from their insights stem truly terrifying Shadow Lord Gifts. However, the Shadow Lords must be careful not to drink too deeply of the Urges, lest their dark strengths can become their greatest weaknesses. Their pride and arrogance is easily warped by the Wyrm into full-blown megalomania.
The Shadow Lords boast a chain of command that would make any corporate division proud. No member is ignorant of his position, power, or more importantly, responsibilities. At the lower end, eager young pups stand ready to fill any vacancy that opens up in the ranks, including vacancies that they sometimes create. Those already in positions of power are constantly on guard against capable upstarts. All in all, the Shadow Lord drive for dominance creates a constant current of change and uncertainty, as those in power inevitably miss a step sooner or later and are brought down. The Shadow Lords' believe in the right to rule through outmaneuvering, outgunning, overpowering, backstabbing and/or assassination - and the right to keep a position in the same ways.
It is the custom among them to undergo a tribe/pack Rite of Passage beyond that normally instituted by the Sept. Such ordeals are usually designed by the alpha of the pack to put the young Garou in a compromising situation in effort to acquaint him or her with the darker emotions of desperation.
When it comes to dealing with the Wyrm, the Shadow Lords use deception and trickery first, only putting themselves in physical harm when it seems that all other options have been expended. This strategy allows them to develop and maintain some indirect relationships with those elements that are close to the vampire and Black Spiral Dancer communities, manipulating them so that they may encourage the Wyrm's resources to destroy itself. They also possess a more intimate knowledge of Wyrm spirits and Banes and are usually best at noticing and tracking their scent. However, when Shadow Lords do resort to direct confrontation, they tend to organize very complete and deadly raids, designed to leave little trace of their involvement (which helps them maintain their contacts for future use)
No tribe or pack controls their families as strictly as the Shadow Lords. Though their brutal treatment of Kinfolk at times has raised the attentions of other tribal leaders, the Shadow Lords have maintained (albeit it not well received) obedience and submission. Problem elements within the family are quickly subdued most often through physical or social means. It is well known that the Shadow Lords have been trying for many years to produce as many offspring as possible. To this end, as soon as Shadow Lord Kinfolk become fertile, they are arranged to mate with members of the tribe.
Mysterious wanderers, tireless scouts, heralds, these are the Silent Striders. Their roots lie in Africa and the Middle East, but they can be found nearly anywhere, traveling and listening. For these wayfarers, home is the open road, and a caern or Kinfolk's house is a mere rest stop. Their feet are lightest when on a path, whether of blown sand, concrete or spirit-stuff. They explore where no werewolf or no one has been before. They poke their snouts in where they don't belong, and they move on if they don't find a Wyrm pit or something equally interesting. They visit caerns of many different tribes, and they have been known to consort with mages, spirits and the fae as well. Others have seen the Wyrm on the move in one aspect or another, even if they call it by a different name. Striders have even trod the paths of the dead in search of hidden knowledge from the restless spirits of those who have gone before. The scent of the Dark Umbra clings to them, adding to the eerie mystery that shrouds them.
Although no real rivalries exist between the Striders and other tribes, many werewolves don't trust Owl's followers. Perhaps it's because Striders typically travel alone or in pairs. A lone wolf is always cause for suspicion, especially one that chooses that path. Perhaps it's because they show up unheralded, with grim news on their lips and dark omens in their eyes. Or perhaps it's the way one walks away from a conversation with a Strider with the feeling of having revealed much more than one gleaned from the enigmatic watcher. Certainly, all these reasons are valid.
The Striders are a tribe of many contradictions. They crave the comforts of a home or territory, but they cannot bring themselves to claim any as rightfully their own. Like other Garou, they long for the companionship of packs, but they often find themselves driven to keep to themselves and on the road. A sept may have no notion that a Strider is in the vicinity unless she has something to tell them, and usually that takes the form of an urgent warning; the Striders have a deserved reputation as harbingers of ill omen. But it's quite true that Striders are experts at gathering information from casual conversation. Although most are quite skillful storytellers, they much - prefer to listen than talk. They have a variety of ways to manipulate a speaker into going on at length until the Strider has milked him for all he knows.
Apart from Banes and Black Spirals, they reserve their sharpest hate for vampires. No Garou trucks with the undead if he's wise, but the Striders are the Leeches' bitter foes, although few outside the tribe know why. Tribal legend holds that long ago, the tribe fought against an army of vampires led by the dark god-monster known as Sutekh. At the final battle, Sutekh wove a mighty curse that drove them from their homeland of Egypt and scattered them to the four winds. To this day, the land of the Nile is the one land where they can find no rest. But worse still, the curse severed all contact with the ancestor-spirits of the tribe. No Striders have been able to find their forbears, even though many have searched both spirit world and 'Underworld for some sign. Many Striders take an Egyptian name in honor of their lost heritage. As might be expected from nomads, Striders hold fewer caerns than any other tribe, and those they claim generally have a high turnover in membership. Sept members that stay for more than a season or two are usually old enough for the call of duty to drown out the call of the road. Still, as with the Wheel of Ptah sept in Casablanca, they are often located at crossroads, so tales of the road can soften loss of the road itself.
Striders form many friendships, but fortunate is the friend who meets the Strider more than twice. When they do join packs of mixed tribes, they show their unto death the Striders are so few that they greatly value those truly close to them. They are likewise known for brief but intense relationships with their Kin, for you don't have time for protracted preliminaries when tomorrow will see you far away. One of the worst things anyone, Garou or Kin, can do to a Strider is bind him to a place against his will through duty or force. Sooner than later, their hearts pine for the open road once more, as many lovers have learned. A Strider whose wings have been clipped is utterly miserable, and campfire tales say that a few actually wasted away and died from being denied their freedom.
It's a lonely life, and it brings a lonely death all too often. Striders rarely fall amid friends; they are simply never seen again. It is the custom that aged or infirm striders make a final journey into the Umbra, never to return. Some hope that they will find their loved ones there at last.
Appearance: The first Silent Striders hailed from North Africa and the Middle East, and much of the tribe wears that cast upon their faces. However, they have bred with humans of every stock. Whatever their ethnic background, they are almost universally lean and fit from constant travel. In wolf form, they are long and lean like the jackal-dogs of Egyptian art, often with sleek black coats and yellow eyes.
It is said that all Garou were Silver Fangs in the beginning. If one were to take the single best quality from each of the tribes and bring them together in a Garou, that Garou would be a Silver Fang. While many would contest this, none can deny that the Silver Fangs, more so than any other tribe, have been the rallying point, the leaders and court of last resort for the Garou race. The palpable charisma and confidence they exude has made them obvious leaders among Garou.
These noble Garou are known for their physical beauty, courage, wisdom, and honor. They tend to be very socially apt and a employ a wide variety of skills and gifts. Sadly, in recent generation many members of this tribe suffer from odd quirks - absent-mindedness, mild hallucinations, somnambulism - nothing overtly dangerous in and of itself, but noticeable nonetheless. The noble history of the tribe lays a heavy burden on the shoulders of its members, as many doddering old fools are too proud to ask for help. Still, those who mock the Silver Fang never do so to their faces.
Though the Silver Fangs espouse the superiority of the Garou, they consider meditation, not slaughter, to be their sacred duty. When their ire is raised, however, the Silver Fang shed blood as eagerly as the Get of Fenris. Silver Fangs lead by example. By exemplifying the most noble Garou traits - wisdom, courage, and honor - they inspire those around them to act likewise. The Silver Fang history is replete with heroism.
While certainly it is fair to label the Silver Fang as proud and at times snobbish, they view their leadership in Garou society as a service their ancestors have charged them to uphold. Their nobility is as much if not more an honor than a birthright. Fiercely loyal to each other, the Silver Fang view themselves very much as a venerable household, bearers of centuries of tradition among Garou society. Although learning how to be an effective leader is an expectation, the Silver Fang, when challenged are quick to aid and support one another without hesitation. The occasions when a Silver Fang must choose between loyalty to their tribe versus to their pack can become the source of longtime feuds between Garou. Such rifts, are rarely displayed in public however, since the discord sown often does more harm than good.
Though not nearly so bonded together by familial bonds as with the Fianna, the Kinfolk of the Silver Fang enjoy reasonable relations. Quite often Silver Fang Kinfolk parents will attempt to vie for the good graces of their Garou cousins so that their daughters and sons will be perceived as worthy spouses. This has led to a fair amount of politics among the Kinfolk, at times resembling the political atmosphere of the Elizabethan court. It is a continuing problem for which the Silver Fang have yet to find a desirable solution.
The Silver Fang often are the first to organize efforts against the Wyrm, trying to make best use of resources and public momentum, often appealing to the Garou sense of immediate action. Even in situations where rushing in is clearly undesirable, the Silver Fangs tend to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. And if their plans needs to be held back a bit, they will be in a better position to put the brakes on if they are the acknowledged leaders of the efforts. The Silver Fangs have no inherent strength against Wyrm spirits, but what they potentially lack in knowledge of the enemy, they make up for by being able to call upon distributed resources of the Silver Fangs' individual packs.
It is the Rite of Passage among the Silver Fang to welcome those of their tribe as brothers and sisters in a private banquet ceremony held in the new Cliath's honor. At such occasions, one is expected to recount one's lineage (by giving the name and title of their ancestors, complete with heroic anecdotes) as far back as it can be confirmed. First the new members begin, followed by the next highest ranking, and so forth until the Elder of the tribe finishes the evening. It is an old tradition that serves to give their ancestors the respect the Silver Fang feel is due. Though the tradition has critics among the other tribes, the Silver Fang nonetheless find the heroic tales of their ancestors so inspiring that they look to the next Rite of Passage banquet with an infectious anticipation and excitement.
Tribe: Stargazers Plural: Stargazers Pronounce: stahr'-gay-zurz Nicknames: Xingguan (in the Middle Kingdom) Faction: Beast Courts Totem: Chimera Alpha:Anumati
The Stargazers are an oddity among the Garou: they have mastered their rage. Tracing their roots to the Far East, they practice peculiar martial arts and a transcendent mysticism. While others dismiss them as aloof and eccentric, they know they alone have received enlightenment. And those who think Stargazers can't fight without rage, well...
There are four tribes that we consider our closest allies : The Children of Gaia The Silent Striders The Uktena The Digo
The Stargazers are perhaps the most peaceful and contemplative of the Garou tribes. During the Impergium, they were among the Garou who believed the treatment of the humans was unjust and criminal and sought an end to their persecution. Their pleas fell upon deaf ears, so they withdrew from werewolf society to study and meditate on their own, hoping to find inner peace and enlightenment in a bleak, violent world. Their tendency to gaze thoughtfully into the night sky was the inspiration for the other tribes to give them the name they carry still today.
The Stargazers, despite their peaceful nature, can be as fierce in times of war as any other Garou. They merely have different ideals. Working unseen in the shadows, they protect humanity from the hideous minions of the Wyrm. This has brought them great animosity from some members of other tribes, but their wisdom is widely respected among the Garou. Despite this, the Stargazers are considered untrustworthy by many Garou.
The Stargazers live a very spartan life, shunning civilization completely. They do not hold to material wealth of any kind, considering it to be a burden to spiritual enlightenment. They seek only truth. Due to their spiritualistic nature, they have strained relations with the Glass Walkers, who are children of the city and followers of mankinds ways. The Glass Walkers cannot understand their tranquil nature, so they condemn them for it. The Stargazers hold a special relationship with the moon. They believe that she guides them in all ways, watching over and protecting them from the horrors of the night.
The Uktena tribe is composed of animistic (some would say primitive) peoples from throughout the world. They are the "world beat" of the Garou Nation, yet as the most multicultural tribe, they've also inherited many of the legacies of the dispossessed. Throughout their history, other cultures have slowly encroached on and devoured their tribal lands. Their Kinfolk have been forced out of their homelands repeatedly, sometimes dragged away in chains. Generations of suffering have nurtured hatred and a thirst for vengeance in their dark hearts.
Therefore, it is often rumored that many of them are driven to the Wyrm as a result. While they have accumulated? mysticism and magic from throughout the world, many are drawn to dark arts, occult studies and forbidden loijte. At one time, however, the tribe was one of the three largest in the world, roaming across vast stretches of primal wilderness. Long before their descent into darkness, the Uktena, Digo and Croatan tribes made up one people. Modern Galliards refer to these ancestors as the "Pure Ones." When early Garou first led migrations of primitive humans across the Bering Strait, the Uktena settled in the south, wandering through what it is now the Southern United States and Central America.
Among the Pure Ones, Digo is still known as "Younger Brother" and Uktena as "Older Brother." In their travels, packs of Uktena communed with creatures and spirits unknown to other werewolves, trading mystical knowledge and stories. Coyote's children led them on, mocking and laughing; Pumonca and Qualmi erecats taught them secret wonders. It is regrettable that the War of Rage cut them off from these former allies, yet the knowledge they learned still survives, if only in a bastardized and diminished form. The tribe has handed down its mystical secrets carefully for generations. The Uktena have become wise in ways that other werewolves can never understand... and perhaps never should.
Natural wonders have since been conquered by unnatural horrors. Across the centuries, the Uktena have found powerful Banes sleeping in the Earth, and they have conducted epic rites to bind them. For generations, tribal "Bane Tenders" watched over unholy grounds, often gaining a thorough understanding of evil as a result. The tribe became unusually knowledgeable about the Wyrm suspiciously so, some say. They have also been renowned for their talent at scouting out Wyrm taint where no one else could find it. Many of the greatest Uktena heroes gained honor and glory by finding blights and horrors in the spirit world, usually by using ancient knowledge hoarded by the tribe. Despite their wisdom and vigilance, the Uktena couldn't predict that Europeans would settle in the New World. Bitter for disease and suffering followed in their wake.
When white settlers also brought African and Asian slaves with them, merciful werewolves took pity on these slaves and treated them as brothers; As the tribe's Kinfolk were enslaved, punished or wiped out, many Garou found solace in the spirit world, seeking answers beyond the veil of reality. Some turned to visionaries and prophets for aid, incorporating their dreams and nightmares into Uktena lore. As their power in the physical world : waned, .their mastery of the spirit world increased.
After centuries of supernatural exploration, the tribe's mystics have gained a legendary knowledge of spirits and a staunch respect for prophecy. Uktena cliath are encouraged to share in some of these teachings, more so than in most other tribes. From the moment a cub completes her Rite of Passage, elders praise her driving need to understand spiritual mysteries and encourage her boundless curiosity. While Uktena Theurges are often the most adept at investigating the occult and resolving enigmas, such talents are common within the tribe.
But the tribe's pursuits can be risky. Uktena are often tempted by forbidden knowledge during the course of their travels. Since their ancestors have lived among primitive peoples from all over the world, they have also gathered occult secrets from every place their forebears have lived. The modern world has forgotten the secrets of the ancient world, but lost magical arts are still passed from generation to generation. The Uktena's mystics and occultists are among the most powerful in the Garou Nation. Many claim rightful ownership of powerful fetishes, insisting that no other tribe could guard them properly. As a result, even their Digo brothers fear them... or at least demand to know what they are hiding. As long as the secrets of the past are kept alive, the Uktena will continue to confront the Wyrm as they have for thousands of years.
Appearance: In Lupus form, most Uktena have reddishblack fur; many skulk as though they are stalking unseen spirits. In Homid form, they project an aura of mystery and menace, with a disconcerting habit of staring intently at everything around them. Many adapt the clothing and appearance of their ancestors. Some "adopted" tribalists are very eclectic, gathering fragments of the cultures that interest them most. While many pure-bred Uktena are Native American, the tribe includes indigenous peoples from throughout the world. Maori warriors and Cherokee mystics work side-by-side with African shamans. When in meditation, an Uktena acts as cryptically as any Umbral spirit, but when angered, she radiates a cold ferocity as fiercely as the balefires of Hell.
As proud as any Silver Fang and almost as bitter as the Red Talons, the Digo consider themselves the purest of the Pure Ones, and the Garou least tainted by the Wyrm, According to their philosophy, the European werewolves have themselves, and the Uktena have degraded themselves with the blood of the Wyrmbringers -" the European invaders.
The tribe takes its name from its totem, the great cannibal spirit of winter. Digo has taught his tribe the power that lies in harnessing the ice storm, its strength and implacability. As quiet as falling snow, fast as the winter wind, the Digo are masters of their woodland domain. No prey can elude them on two legs or four. They engage in a covert war against the Wyrmbringer, focusing on those who seek actively to defile their lands and Kinfolk and steal away their culture. But don't all Garou of European stock bear some share of the blame ultimately? Doesn't their mere presence invite the Wyrm? Digo war parties can be found far from their lands, even into the heart of cities wherever corruption can be traced. '
The tribe's relations with other Garou are tenuous. While they are on good terms with the Silent Striders and Red Talons, and they respect the Black Furies, they have little but suspicion for the other tribes. After centuries of bitter struggle, they have come to loathe the Get of Fenris, Fianna and Shadow Lords. Digo may ally with the Europeans to accomplish short-term goals, but they remain aloof on the whole. Trust is a difficult thing for the tribes to earn. The Digo been given too many empty promises.
The Digo are a deeply traditional, deeply spiritual tribe that takes great pains to make sure that no hint of corruption taints its rituals. Digo hold their rites at sites too sacred for spectators, and any European Garou who tried to spy on their moots would never be seen again. Tribe members purify themselves ritually before hunts or battle; Digo seek spiritual aid to solve all manner of problems. Many packs quest through the spirit world looking for some sign of their brother tribe, the Croatan.
The goal of the Digo is to secure the lands that they now hold. What happens beyond that is a question that occupies many councils. Some elders, particularly the Half Moons, wish to open the Wyrmbringer's eyes to the old traditions so that they may leave the cities, return to nature and live in harmony with the spirits and the earth. Others, including many Ahroun, have set for themselves the equally impossible task of driving the invaders from the Pure Lands or to wash the Wyrm taint from the earth with the Wyrmbringer's blood. Although most Digo consider this last view a pipe dream, frustration has brought more and more to this way of thinking. An alliance with likeminded Red Talons may not be long in coming.
Although they are not the bookkeepers the Silver Fangs are, Digo are very picky about with whom they breed. They maintain exclusively Native American bloodlines, preferably from those who hold the old beliefs, and they breed only with wolves who live free and haven't forgotten the ways of the wild trapped in a zoo. They teach their Kin the old ways, although such teachings are easily drowned out in these days by the seductive promises of modern commercial society.
Now, crowded cities look toward the North with its open spaces and raw materials. Forces of the Wyrm and the Weaver are gathering for the next assault to extinguish the dwindling tribe and defile the last of the Pure Lands. But for the Digo in their wilderness homes, the line has been drawn. No more negotiations, no more treaties, no more retreats. Should the skidders and bulldozers come to lay the forest bare, they must first drive over the bodies of the fallen Digo.
Appearance: Virtually all Digo are born from the native peoples of northern North America (although a rumored few hail from Siberia). On four legs, they resemble the great timber wolves that make the tundra their home. Their coats are varying shades of gray so that they fade like ghosts into the forest.
Tribe: Black Spiral Dancers Plural: Black Spiral Dancers Pronounce: blak' spy'-rahl dan'-ser Nicknames: Wolves of the Wyrm, Black Spirals, the Dancers, Wyrm-wolves Faction: None Totem: Whippoorwill
Tragedy loves a martyr, and those who follow the path of righteousness often find corruption the price of their faith. Such is the story of the White Howlers, a noble tribe not dissimilar from the Fianna. Once the bastion of Gaia's grace, now grunts of perversion's army. The Black Spiral Dancers are Garou who have turned to the Wyrm. They live away from other Garou, generally underground, stroking the coils that bind them. Generations of inbreeding and radiation from close proximity to the Wyrm have twisted and warped this giggling gathering into ragged mutants; a curious, if not apropos parody of Garou themselves. Many have patagia, a thin membrane under the arms, similar to a pterodactyl, and ride the currents of darkness in delicious flight.
Insanity is nothing if not a trademark of these forfeit creatures. If Metis, they claim this pathological idiosyncrasy as their birthright. Those "turned" must undergo malicious, psyche rending ordeals, much like the initiation of Sabbot Malkavian, and are forced to walk the Black Spiral, after years of conditioning.
Their physical appearance in Homid is generally a bit... disconcerting, though some are breathtaking to behold. In Crinos, Dancers resemble Garou with large, oversized heads, and the long ears of a bat. Their eyes spark red or green, revealing the fevered insanity within, and their fur grows in either alabaster or grayish-green patches.
In return for betraying Gaia, the Dancers are granted magnificent boons; Wyrm gifts, as it were. Being of the Wyrm, they can sense others of a like kind. They can manipulate their senses like the sonar of a bat, and sense objects or foes, even in total blackness. They can use their bat-like "flaps" to glide at rapid speeds through the currents of the night. Rabid with taint, a bite from a Dancer can send even the most staunch and willful Garou into frenzy. Toxins are another heritage, and claw or tooth may unwrap Garou fingers from this mortal coil. And dire most foul, a Black Spiral can concoct spheres of Balefire to jovially toss in warm welcome of the coming Apocalypse.
Whatever you do, never ask a Spiral if he's ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight... and never tell them they look like a cross between a donkey and a flying squirrel.
Ronin are werewolves that are, for one reason or another, outcasts of the Garou Nation.
Overview: Most Ronin breached a tenet of the Litany too often, antagonized an elder or their pack and some even chose this life in order to escape the harsh, hierarchical society of the Garou or because they were overwhelmed by Harano. The Garou are not solitary creatures. Every instinct of human, wolf and Garou alike demands the companionship of other members of their species. As such, banishment from others of their kin is one of the most terrible judgements a Garou can face.
According to the legends of the Garou, the First Ronin was also the First Metis. The Garou had never before seen a metis, and they were disgusted by his appearance, with his warped spine and his pale white, furless skin. He lived with the Garou for almost 10 years before the truth of his parents’ sin became known. When the elders of his tribe decided to punish the incestuous mates, their child savagely attacked the sept’s leader. The leader survived, but his outrage was such that he demanded the misshapen creature begone, sending him to live out his life in solitude. Humans and wolves rejected him, because he was neither of them. At last, he allied himself with the Wyrm in order to get his revenge on those who cast him out. Because of this, Ronin are often mistrusted as possible harbingers of corruption.
Organization: Many Ronin do not realise at first how much they depend on others of their own kind for companionship. The Garou’s entire culture is built around the tribe. One of the many reasons the tribes shun their outcasts is for fear of their corruption. A solitary werewolf is more susceptible to the Wyrm’s seduction and suffers a greater deal of Lunacy.
Ronin are without Renown. They cannot turn to an elder who has judged and guided them to learn new Gifts or rites. For that reason, spirits will rarely deal openly with them. Many Ronin must barter their services to a more experienced Garou or find new spirits who are willing to teach them. Dealing directly with spirits can be dangerous for the untrained Garou and is one of the Wyrm’s favoured methods for tricking a Ronin into corruption. As a result, Ronin are often forced to work as mercenaries, chasing down other Garou who have offended a sept in return for learning Gifts. For many of them, it is a full-time occupation. It is a living, but it is a dangerous one. Most Garou frown on this, especially the more traditional Garou. But this method of learning Gifts is considered acceptable and is often the only safe way to avoid Wyrm-corruption. These bounty hunters are called Hyenas.
In a few isolated areas, some septs are known to let Ronin use their caerns, but only after paying a substantial fee in chiminage. They sept might demand a fetish the Ronin carries, or they might want him to perform several services before they consider him worthy to enter their caern.
The Pride: As a result of the rising numbers of tribeless Garou, some of them have gathered together in so called Prides, in an imitation of the pack. The elder and conservative members of the Garou Nation call these groups "Shames".
The biggest worry to the Children of Gaia and a few of the more tolerant tribes is that these Prides will stay together and fall still further from the Way. Many can see their point, as what purpose is enforced solitude if the Ronin are not alone to endure it? To ostracism forced on Ronin by tribes has less impact when there are other expatriate Garou with whom they can associate. Loneliness is lessened when there are Prides. On the hopeful side, the Ronin who run in these outcast packs have a far greater chance of avoiding the Wyrm’s corruption. Others who are versed in the Way, but do not always enforce all aspects of the Litany, can still offer companionship and a sense of balance. It is the solitary Garou who suffer the loss of equilibrium, but even small packs would make it possible to maintain the connections with Gaia and the Umbra that are so essential for all Garou. On the other hand, it alienates the outcasts from the rest of the Garou, possibly turning them against those who have outcast them or even let them pursue alliances with Black Spiral Dancers.
Redemption: It is possible for an outcast to return to the tribe. Theurges of every tribe have ways of keeping track of their Ronin, watching from afar to see if the Ronin fall prey to the Wyrm or learn to follow the ways of the tribe. Some use spirits to watch over their Ronin, and others just keep listening for news from other tribes who’ve run across them. Some use special skin fetishes. In this way, the 13 tribes watch over their lost members, hoping that the outcast can someday return.
The Ways of the Garou are not gentle in these last days. The Garou often require evidence of a change in mannerism, proof that the Ronin has learned from her previous follies. The confirmation is seldom a mere apology. Ronin have lost all honour, and their words are no longer enough to prove their intent. For that reason, a sacrifice is often required, one that shows physical confirmation of the changed ways. For example, a Ronin who has shown disrespect to the tribal elders might be required to show strict obedience for several months before being formally welcomed back into the tribe. During the months of obedience, any and all efforts on the part of the Ronin go unmentioned and unrewarded. Ronin among the Wendigo and Get who flee from battle might be required to hunt down and kill a greater minion of the Wyrm in single-handed combat in order to prove their courage and loyalty. Worst still, they might be required to prove their courage several times in the same manner. This practice can be fatal, particularly among the Get of Fenris.
Ronin: None Currently
Dancer Ronin
Sometimes a Black Spiral cub never dances the Spiral. Most often, it's because this cub was born to wayward kin or because some glimmer of conscience drives her to escape her tribe before initiation. And sometimes, even long-corrupt Dancers can be purified of their taint (although the only proven way of doing so is a long stretch in Erebus). Needless to say, very few of these "faux" Dancers survive such "betrayal". Ones who do, however, sometimes flee to other tribes. Although it usually takes some time to earn a tribe's trust enough to warrant adoption, Dancer Ronin who are later inducted into a tribe can prove loyal to the point of martyrdom, so elated are they to find acceptance at last.
Dancer Ronin begin play with 4 Willpower. They may not purchase Fetish, Kinfolk, Mentor or Rites Backgrounds; they also may not purchase Pure Breed less than 5, if they buy any at all. Many are mad (purchase the Flaw: Deranged), and most bear the twisted, grayish forms of their ancestors. A very few resemble the White Howlers of old; the Black Spiral Dancers hunt these throwbacks even more fervently than they do other Dancer Ronin. To date, not one of these "mock Howlers" has survived for more than a year outside the Hives.
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