Credits Special Thanks

Authors: Danielle Lauzon, David A. Hill, Chris Shaffer, Danielle “Bone-Cracker” Lauzon for getting down and
Mark Stone, Stew Wilson, Eric Zawadzki dirty to show the variety of the Wyrm’s depravity.
Developer: Stew Wilson Chris “Shallow-Tracks” Shaffer for demonstrating both
Editor: David A Hill Jr the benefits and the drawbacks to embracing the Weaver.
Creative Director: Rich Thomas Eric “Lobo del Lago Lunar” Zawadzki for touring the
Art Direction and Design: Mike Chaney Wyld places of the world, and remembering that wolves
Cover Art: Tomek Tworek are people too.
Interior Art: Tomek Tworek, Andrew Trabbold, Leath “What Typo?” Sheales whose name I got wrong
Jeff Holt, Chris Bivins, Dugnation, John Bridges, James in the credits for Changing Breeds.
Denton, Josh Timbrook, Leif Jones, Steve Prescott, Ron Mark “Sept Elder” Stone, for showing off what makes
Spenser, Mitch Byrd the Garou tick on a day-to-day basis.

© 2013 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission
of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for
blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf,
Vampire, World of Darkness, Vampire the Masquerade, and Mage the Ascension
are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Vampire the Requiem,
Werewolf the Apocalypse, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Promethean
the Created, Changeling the Lost, Hunter the Vigil, Geist the Sin-Eaters, W20,
Storyteller System, and Storytelling System are trademarks of CCP hf.
All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by CCP hf.
CCP North America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CCP hf.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are
fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.
Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com/ Check out the Onyx Path at http://www.theonyx-
path.com

2
 Table of
Contents
Introduction: What It’s All For 36 Chapter Four: The Wyrm 85
Hunting Ground 5 The Weaver’s Tools 37
Pittsburgh 37 The Amazon 85
The Dying World 5 Shanghai 40 Baton Rouge,
Beyond Human Eyes 5 Cairo 43 Louisiana 88
Sept Chronicles 6 Seattle 46 New York, New York 91
Using the Travelogue 7 London 49 Three Gorges Dam, China 93
Spanning the World 7 Norilsk, Russia 97
The Fire Dies Down 52
Chapter One: Mechanics 52 Francistown, Botswana 100
A Life Among Warriors 9 Fetishes 54 Mechanics 104
Totems of Wisdom 55 Antagonists 104
Prelude:
Totems of War 56 Totems of War 106
The Interloper 9
The Home Front 59 Appendix: Gaia 108
Daily Life 10
Organization 11 Chapter Three: Wyld 59
(Why We’ve Lost) 108
Sept 12
Minnesota 62 New Guinea 109
Tribe 13
Yellowstone The Birds of Paradise 109
Interlude:
National Park 64 Singing Dogs 110
Conversation
Iberian Peninsula 67 The Arctic Circle 111
in the Dark 14 The Rising Tide 111
Australian Outback 68
Law and Justice 14 Vaygach Redux 112
Ethiopia 72
Consequences 16 The Ice Stalkers 113
Central Asia 73
Interlude: Choices 17 In Conclusion 113
Chernobyl
The Bad 18 The Bright Side 114
Exclusion Zone 76
The Good 20 Tanzania and Kenya 114
Mechanics 80
Postlude: The Family 21 The Simba 114
New Gift 81
New Systems 22 Rites 81
The Ajaba 115
Sept Positions 23 My Folly 116
Fetishes and Talens 81
Caerns 28 In Conclusion 117
Features of the World 82
Sept Totems 29 Good Night 117
Minnesota 82
Totems of Respect 30
Yellowstone National Park 82
Mechanics 118
Totems of War 31 New Gifts 119
Iberian Peninsula 82
Totems of Wisdom 32 Rites 119
Australian Outback 82
Totems of Cunning 33 Totems 120
Ethiopia 83
Chapter Two: Weaver 35 Totem of Cunning 120
Central Asia 83
Totem of Honor 121
The World Wide Web 35 Totems of War 121

3
 Introduction:
Hunting Ground

The Dying World

as law-enforcement cracks down on protestors. The Wyrm’s
still winning — for every place that the Garou block a Pentex
Gaia is dying. The Wyrm would corrupt and then devour operation or destroy a nest of fomori, the Corruptor has ten
the world. The Weaver would strangle her in tight webs of plans that go unopposed.
stagnation. And the Wyld, weak as it is, would create endless
things without form to swamp everything that is. Gaia may be
dying, but she has defenders — the Garou, each one of whom Beyond Human Eyes
feels a fraction of her pain burning within his heart. This Rage This book presents the world from a werewolf’s perspec-
drives them to fight any threat to Gaia, anywhere in the world. tive. It first turns inwards, looking at how the Garou live with
From Cairo to Pripyat, from Norilsk to Botswana, the Garou one another on a daily basis. A sept in Mumbai may have
fight. Too often, they die. But the werewolves will not stop. different customs from one in Moscow, but both have a lot in
What does it mean to be a people fighting a losing war? The common — werewolves the world over have more in common
Garou fought the Wyrm’s forces for millennia, far longer than than some myths and rituals. Septs hold to strict systems of
any human war. They fight humans and monsters alike, battling rank and position, much as with a military force, to keep the
corporate malfeasance with the same fervor as nightmarish Garou focused on fighting the Wyrm, rather than one another.
horrors. The Garou spend every day ready for battle, living lives It also covers caerns, sacred places of power that don’t look like
of formality and ritual not because they want to, but because much to human eyes, but that play a pivotal role to the Garou.
it’s only through structure that a werewolf can find any peace. Werewolves have a built-in idea of the structure of a caern, and
War takes its toll. Wolves face new challenges around so many share similar features — the separation of the caern
the world, and their dwindling numbers bodes ill for the heart from the bawn, and a number of areas that appear in the
future of lupus Garou. Enclaves of the Wyld spring up in bawn of many caerns. Finally, it covers caern totems, powerful
the strangest places, but some places where the chaotic cre- spirits who can bless entire septs of Garou in times of need.
ator is at her strongest are in the heart of the Wyrm’s taint. The second part of the book is a tour of the world through
Crushed by the Weaver’s webs, city-dwelling humans look a werewolf’s eyes, as told by three Garou who have walked
for any way to release the pressure and face the consequences far and wide:
Introduction: Hunting Ground 5
 WHAT THIS BOOK ISN’T EXPERIENCED CHARACTERS
Rage Across the World isn’t a travel guide. Players Storytellers may want to allow players to create
and Storytellers — and Werewolf characters — have more experienced characters, especially if those char-
access to online travel guides and maps to get a general acters will take on significant positions in a large sept.
sense for what a place looks like and where characters Some Werewolf players prefer picking up at Fostern
might end up. If you don’t have easy Internet access, or Adren to starting out every new character at Cliath.
the same information can be found in libraries.
We recommend that players first create a Cliath
The travelogue in this book presents a series of character, then spend a quantity of experience points
situations that occur in specific locations, often tied determined by the Storyteller to raise their Traits to
in to real-world events that affected those locations. levels suitable for their Rank. Characters start with
While we’ve tried to be accurate, some details may not the minimum Renown requirements for their Rank.
mesh with how things played out in the real world. In general, an “idle” Garou will have one Gift appro-
Please accept our need for dramatic license — the real priate to his Rank, three of the next-lower Rank, and
world doesn’t have fomori and spirits of destruction four Gifts each of any lower levels. Remember, the
trying to corrupt everything that is. pack is likely not “idle” like Storyteller characters — if
they’re out taking the fight to the Wyrm rather than
tending a sept they’ll rapidly outpace this guideline.
Garou Rank Experience Points
• Jonathan Shallow-Tracks relates his journeys throughout Cliath 0-35
the world, sharing his expertise on the Weaver. While they’re Fostern 45-75
often great tools for the Garou, Shallow-Tracks’ experiences in
Adren 85-220
places from Cairo to Shanghai to London demonstrate both
the benefits and drawbacks of the Great Spinner’s methods. Athro 250-500
• Lobo del Lago Lunar shares his findings on the state Elder 600+
of lupus Garou and their wolf Kinfolk. His research took him
to wild places all over the planet, from Australia to Ethiopia
to Yellowstone. Along the way, he’s become quite an expert
on those places where the Wyld remains strong, and he has
seen new creation in the most unlikely places. If the players would prefer to dive into the political side of
the Garou, the Storyteller can create a Chronicle centered on the
• Deidra Bone-Cracker learned how to best fight the
pack’s home sept, with individual pack members taking positions
Wyrm in the Amazon and hasn’t stopped yet. She’s killed
of responsibility. This can work particularly well if the pack are
fomori, landed a blow against a subtle head of the Wyrm in
relatively inexperienced Garou who have banded together with
New York, and led her pack into one of the most polluted
some other werewolves to found a new sept —either around a
places on Earth. Her tales serve as both caution and inspira-
newly-discovered caern, or a sept without a caern in a place that
tion for any werewolf desperate to fight the Wyrm head-on.
hasn’t had a strong Garou presence before. The young werewolves
find themselves thrust into the limelight, where they must deal

Sept Chronicles with trouble both internal and external. One story may involve
rallying the other Garou to face down an attack by minions of
Sometimes, it’s a good idea to take a step back from the the Wyrm, while the next features the pack resolving a dispute
action. Rather than focusing on your pack’s daring exploits between other members of the sept before it spills over into
against the Weaver’s forces or minions of the Wyrm, you spend bloodshed and slaughter. Further stories involve quests to appease
a session or two dealing with the characters’ home sept. It’s the caern’s totem spirit, tense negotiations with representatives
up to the players and Storyteller both whether the pack uses of a neighboring sept, and the pack facing down accusations
these interludes as a chance to catch their breath — increasing of terrible crimes (real or imagined) from their own septmates.
Renown, seeking out new Gifts and rites, or petitioning other Sept chronicles grow in scale as the pack grows in power and
Garou for training — or whether they embroil themselves in Rank. While starting at the bottom is fun for some groups, other
sept politics, getting even with rivals and forging new alliances. troupes may prefer to create experienced werewolves. That way,

6 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

the pack can start out as big players in a large sept like the Sept Some troupes may prefer to play through the stories
of the Green in New York. At that level, the pack is responsible presented, with one player taking on the role of the narrator
for keeping the peace between many more werewolves, and fac- and the others creating the other characters featured in the
ing down more powerful external threats — from concentrated story. Rather than listening to the Storyteller reading from
assaults involving Black Spiral Dancers, fomori, and powerful the book, or handing the book over to the players, introduce
banes, to local governments handing over the caern’s grounds, the beginning of the story as normal. At a dramatic moment,
to a corporation looking to build a new out-of-town mall. the Storyteller should ask the players “What do you do?”
The Storyteller should keep the sept’s location in mind, as The story progresses from there. If the players have read this
that can affect the kind of threats that work best. An urban caern book, they may want to stick to how things worked out for
will see planning challenges, infiltration attempts, and challenges the narrator, or they may have a different idea. The Story-
in City Hall, rather than facing down a team of ex-special forces teller should improvise in return, building the story around
mercenaries. A sept in the Scottish Highlands is far more vulner- the players’ actions while keeping the original tale in mind.
able to direct attack, especially from Black Spiral Dancers, but If you use this last option, remember that the players
could still face threats from an eccentric billionaire who wants are portraying characters in a story within the normal
to make the caern heart into a feature of his new golf course. story of the game. The characters cannot die — if they did,
Septs who keep far from human eyes, whether in the Australian nobody could tell the story to begin with — but otherwise,
outback or the Siberian wilds don’t have to worry about human anything goes. If the players get into the idea of telling a
intervention, but that same isolation makes them excellent targets story within a story, the Storyteller could allow them to
for all-out attacks featuring terrifying banes and massed fomori. spend a point of Willpower or Gnosis to add something
Even when the Wyrm doesn’t have the sept in its sights, they still to the scene that nobody had thought of, effectively saying
need to focus on food, fuel, and shelter. “No, that’s not how it happened, it was like this.”
Don’t be afraid to break from how things “actually”
Unless the players have made clear their desire to focus
happened. Though you’re using the travelogue as a way to
on one aspect of running a sept, the Storyteller should show
frame the story, once the Storyteller hands control over
off the variety of stories possible at any sept. She should fre-
to the players, it’s up to them what happens and what the
quently ask her players which stories they enjoyed most, and
characters do. React to what happens in the story as you
tailor the chronicle based on their responses. While it’s true
would at any other time in the game, and use the existing
that a sept consists of multiple packs, the Storyteller should
story as inspiration, rather than a straightjacket.
remember that the players’ characters are the protagonists of
the story, so it makes sense for them to be front and center
of important events, rather than mere spectators.
Spanning the World
One thing the travelogue chapters really bring home is
that Werewolf is a global game. For all that a pack is usually
Using the Travelogue based at a single sept, some spend months or years travelling
the world. Most Garou prefer to travel by moon bridge between
As a player or a Storyteller you can use the travelogue caerns, as they can bring all manner of weapons and cross
chapters in a number of ways. Perhaps the most straightfor- national borders without alerting the authorities.
ward is as a background resource — either have one of the Some werewolves deliberately maintain a full identity in human
featured characters visit the characters’ sept, or encourage society, and use that to travel. While taking a commercial flight
players to mention encounters with them in downtime, so between two cities does bring the risk of security checkpoints, and
they can draw parallels between the situations that the pack limits what items a werewolf can bring with him, Garou who travel
finds itself in and moments from the stories presented. among humans can reach places without warning local werewolves.
The Storyteller can also draw from the individual If a pack is investigating evidence of another sept’s corruption or
stories in each travelogue if a particular entry inspires doesn’t want to flag their arrival to any spiritual watchers, travelling
her. One week the pack are swept up in a protest with the with humans is often the best way to go about it.
Occupy movement, the next they’re trying to bring a rogue If the pack’s destination is on the same landmass, it’s often
City Father on side, then travelling to investigate claims easier to avoid borders and security checkpoints in lupus form.
of Wyld energies released in Pripyat, and on to face down A pack of wolves travelling from Russia to the Ukraine arouses
a Pentex subsidiary in Norilsk, and on to tracking down less suspicion (and has less chance of being seen outright) than
links between the mining company and a cult in New York. a group of humans who may not have the necessary papers.
Each entry provides enough detail to either drop it into an The Weaver’s webs enmesh human transportation authorities,
existing story, and each section presents new antagonists, and werewolves who want to avoid the Spinner’s notice must
new totems, and the chapter’s narrator in game terms. do what they can to travel off the record.

Introduction: Hunting Ground 7

 Chapter One:
Life Among
the Warriors

Prelude:
Claire turned to face the interloper. An aura of cool
silver fire blazed to life on her skin. Suddenly, Claire

The Interloper
was the brightest thing on the lake. The rising and
falling water reflected her light back at her, temporar-
ily dazzling her. However, the light also let her see the
Luna hid her face that night. The only light came from
interloper’s face.
scattered stars; the only sound was the soft whisper of the
Claire knew that her first change hadn’t come any sooner
lake against its shores. It wasn’t hard for Claire to pick out
than the boy’s, but he seemed so young. Of course, Claire
the sound of the interloper’s feet scuffling in the clay. Even
had enjoyed the benefits of an upbringing in the Garou
his breathing was too loud to ignore. Nation — this boy was a lost cub, raised by Kin who were
“You don’t have to just stand there,” she called out. ignorant of their heritage, or whose wolf blood had become
“This dock is as much yours as it is mine.” so thin that they were little more than ordinary humans.
As the young man tripped and stumbled his way Claire arched an eyebrow and nodded to the duffel
out onto the dock, the night breeze carried his scent to bag slung over one of the boy’s skinny teenager shoulders.
Claire’s nose, confirming his identity. Claire sighed to “Going on a trip?” she asked. The kid shrugged, letting the
herself, confident that he wouldn’t hear her over his own bag fall down onto the dock.
racket. Jacob had warned her that the pup might want to “This place sucks and you’re all crazy. People act like I
talk to her, but she’d hoped that he’d find his own way can’t leave, but I don’t think anyone will stop me if I decide
without her. Living her story had been painful enough, to walk out of here tonight. Everyone keeps on saying ‘if you
and the hard parts were far from over — Claire didn’t feel think you’ve got it bad, talk to Claire.’ So, you’re Claire.
like sharing it just yet. What have you got to say that will convince me to stay?”
But then again, it wasn’t really up to her. Claire sighed. “So, what do you know about me?”

Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 9

 “I know that you’re, like, the old Alpha’s daughter, and In any given sept, the Garou and Kinfolk fall into one
that’s why the new Alpha doesn’t like you.” of three different groups. Some try to balance their lives.
Claire could have laughed. The first time she had to They might have jobs and apartments — sometimes even
deal with one of the Garou who didn’t know, and it was families — somewhere else, but they also try to maintain
nothing but a pain in her ass. Instead, she just shook her living quarters here. They spend half the day working
head and looked the kid in the eyes. a human job, and the other half of the day performing
“I’m a lesbian. If you know enough about your people some duty for the sept, though they have a hard time
to say we’re ‘all crazy,’ then you know enough to understand advancing in either world. These Garou sometimes give
why that’s not an easy thing to be.” a lot of money to the sept, to make up for the time they
It was obvious that the kid was taken aback, but he didn’t can’t spare.
let it stop him for long. “So, just because you’re gay you’ve got Others prefer the human world. They only come out here
it tougher than me? You can tell me why I should put up with when the need — theirs or the sept’s — is dire. They might
this?” He almost shouted the last few words, but Claire noted still be involved with their packs, but they aren’t interested
proudly that despite his anger he didn’t lose control of his shape. in the larger community.
“No. Everyone thinks that you should talk to me because If someone picks the world of the Garou, then they
I know what it’s like not to fit in perfectly.” probably live in or near the sept itself. They might do some-
“They want you to convince me?” thing in the human world to make a little cash. Money is
“I think so.” She stalled his angry retort with a raised useful. But they also might not, trusting the sept to provide
hand. “But, that’s not what I’m going to do. I’m just going for them. Working for the sept lets them give something
to talk to you. I’m going to teach you about the Garou Na- back for the resources they use..
tion, and then let you make your own choice.” She laughed. Most have been one, two, or all three of these groups
“Hell, if you still want to go when we’re done, I’ll give you a throughout his or her life. Some Garou find it too hard to give
ride into town. All you have to do is listen to me for a little up their old, human expectations of life. They try to balance
while. Do we have a deal?” their lives out. Some stick with it, but usually one or the other
The boy narrowed his eyes, then shrugged and flopped side wins out, for a little while. Then something happens to
down onto the dock. He didn’t speak out loud, but his body upset their lives, and it starts all over again.
language said ‘go on.’ And, of course, you have the lupus. I don’t much under-
So Claire did. stand the appeal, but many lupus try to maintain lives as wolves,
leading packs and siring wolf Kin. Others throw themselves

Daily Life
into the world of the Garou — believe it or not, they have as
much to learn as you. Believe it or not, a few lupus, usually
At its heart, a sept is a group of Garou, living together the Ragabash, become fascinated with the weaver’s world and
under some version of the ancient laws and customs that have spend a while living as humans.
governed our people since the dawn of time. I could tell you Whatever your choice, your sept supports you. Some Kin
about the history of our people, but that doesn’t matter right and Garou stay a part of the world outside so that you don’t
now. What matters is that you know what a sept is. A sept isn’t have to, if you don’t want to. Others dedicate themselves to
a caern. I’ve been to septs without caerns — a sad sight, but the sept full-time so that you can have the luxury of a normal
all too common these days. Once I was lucky enough to see a job, a normal home, and normal friends.
caern without a sept; we fixed that right away. What’s it like to live in a sept? I suppose it’s a lot like
I’m sure you’ve walked around the sept. If you bothered living in a commune or a kibbutz, or maybe a really small
to take your headphones out and look around, you’d seen town. You wake up in the morning, and there’s usually a
what this place is really like. There isn’t a single word for it in gathering of some kind. I’ve visited septs that had morning
any human language I know. We’ve got homes, a mess hall, a meetings like Quakers. I’ve been to septs where they had a
place for us to gather, so I guess you could call it a village. We’ve breakfast in the great hall and everyone mocked each other
got an armory, shooting platforms rigged up in the trees, and for their hangovers. Communal breakfast is common.
a defensive perimeter, so you could call it an armed camp. At Unless the sept is in serious trouble, most people go
the same time, with the caern itself, the bawn, and all the little about their business without having to be told what to do.
shrines scattered around, so you could say that it’s a temple. Everyone knows what their responsibilities are, even if it’s
I think the best word for a sept is a community, but in just to meet their mentor and follow her around throughout
a way that most Western humans haven’t had a community the day. Garou can be irritable and territorial creatures, but
in a long time. to those who belong septs can be friendly places.

10 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 Communal lunches are rarer, but I’ve visited very few to the company you keep. A typical Garou will assume that
septs where everyone doesn’t gather for dinner. After dinner, the Ahroun of a pack known for dealing with spirits knows
there’s almost always some kind of ritual, even if it isn’t a formal more about the Umbra than the Theurge of a pack known
holiday. Those who aren’t too tired from their day’s labors for its combat prowess — especially if the former pack gen-
have time to indulge themselves in the evening, hunting in erally ranks the latter.
the wilds or hitching rides into the nearest human city. Some When you understand this, you’ll get why I was so scared
septs have electricity — and even those that haven’t accepted that my pack would turn on me when I came out, and why
the human technology of candles — so life doesn’t necessarily I was so happy that they didn’t.
stop with the sunset, but it does slow down. Most packs have a purpose. This can be as simple as
supporting their leader in performing an important duty

Organization for the sept, or as complicated as hunting down corruption

within the Garou Nation, as expansive as defending a terri-
tory from the Wyrm, or as specific as the quest for a storied
When my father taught me about this, he put it like
this: ‘wolves like hierarchy.’ Of course, that’s too simple. In fetish or lost caern. When the pack achieves its purpose — if
reality, there isn’t a one of Gaia’s children — except for the it’s the kind of purpose that can be achieved — it will either
stupidest, I suppose — that isn’t more comfortable when it find a new one or drift apart. Some packs — like the Silver
knows who’s above and who’s below. Even humans, for all Pack, which you might have heard of — are always temporary
their intellect, like to jockey for position — only in some and formed with a very specific purpose in mind. Elders
parts of the world, they’re less likely to do it with violence. will often arrange for a temporary pack to be created if they
want something done and no existing pack is interested.
Even so, Garou hierarchy is more fluid than most animal
hierarchies. In addition to purposes, packs have status. It can be hard
to wrap your head around this at first, because packs don’t
First and foremost, Garou respect rank. That’s something
have rank in the same way that individual Garou do. Pack
you’re going to have to get used to if you stay with us. Out
status is a lot less formal and more fluid than an individual’s
in the human world it’s much the same — even if you decide
status; it relies a lot more on what the pack does for the sept.
that you’re going to spend the rest of your life on the streets
Hunting down Wyrmspawn is a path to glory, but improving
and never get a job, you’ll be expected to show respect to
the sept for Garou and spirit alike is a path to status.Unlike
those who have been on the streets longer. The difference
rank, pack status is more of commodity. Packs trade it away to
is that in Garou society, Rank is all encompassing. A Garou
get what they want — this can include the time and attention
who ranks you is just plain better than you at everything — at
of the elders, influence over sept policy, and borrowing or
least, that’s how everyone is going to see it. Of course, that
even claiming fetishes held by the sept — and they earn it by
doesn’t mean that you can’t respectfully disagree or try to
taking on duties for the sept. You can tell a pack’s status by
sway an older Garou to your way of thinking; it does mean
how they get treated. Do other Garou defer to them? Do they
that if you just contradict her, you’re going to look like a fool.
usually get what they want? Do Garou without packs compete
Why are we like that? Part of it is that we’re an old people, for the chance to join them? Do other packs and other Garou
deeply seated in our customs. Part of it is our armed camp try get the pack into their debt? If so, than chances are that
mentality. Enemies surround us, and the only way we’re this is a pack with high-ranking members, a good reputation,
going to survive is unity. and plenty of favors owed to them by individuals and the sept
And part of it is that it’s true. This might seem odd to itself — a high status pack. Odds are, they’ve done a lot for
you, coming from the human world where people live to the sept in the past.
eighty without trying hard — it sounds odd to hear myself say Within the most successful packs, Garou hierarchy is
it, given how many of the elders are the ones who give me the at its most informal and most fluid. Although a pack might
most grief — but if a Garou survives long enough to be called have an alpha, that person is only the leader as far as wider
“elder,” then he or she has got to be tough, clever, and lucky. Garou society is concerned, or whenever there is an internal
Chances are that your elders do know better than you, and you disagreement that needs to be solved. Usually, the leader
should listen to them and learn what you can. of the pack is whoever’s expertise is most important at any
The smallest unit that Garou society recognizes is the given moment. The Garou with the most experience with
pack. Oh, sure, we acknowledge the rights of the individual, spirits leads when the pack ventures into the Umbra, but the
and some sept duties are performed by individuals rather Garou with the best grasp of tactics takes command when
than packs. However, you’ve got to understand that you will the pack plans a battle, and when the pack has to venture
be judged first by your pack. Your auspice, your tribe, even into the world of politics, they listen carefully to what their
your personal reputation — all of this pales in comparison most socially adept members have to say.

Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 11

 That’s not to say that packs are entirely harmonious. Generally, if you feel like Garou society is too rigid
It wouldn’t be a Garou pack if there weren’t the occasional and too demanding, what you need is a pack. In all but the
struggle for dominance. But in case you haven’t noticed saddest cases, your pack is the place where you can be valued
yet, that’s the way we like it; the Garou with the strongest for your ideas and your expertise instead of your rank.
personality and the greatest certainty that her way is right
— she’s the one who’s likely to win out in any contest, claim Sept
control of the pack, and lead them to victory. Intra-pack Standing above pack in the ladder of hierarchy is sept. I
relationships can also be surprisingly violent. Your pack is don’t think I have much to say about sept — I already covered
your closest family, and they know exactly what you can take. the basics earlier — but it’s important that you understand
Of all the Garou in the sept, they’re the ones most likely how sept fits into everything else. Your sept is like your city.
to respond to your stupidity with a friendly punch to the It colors your reputation, but doesn’t determine it.
face. If you lose control of your inner beast, they’re also the Think of it this way. You’re from New York, right? What
ones who will take personal responsibility for beating you are the first three things you think of when you imagine
into submission –as you get to know yourself better, you’ll people from Atlanta? We’re racist — unless you’re thinking
understand that this is a good thing. I know that this kind about the black folks — in which case they’re poor and op-
of casual violence seems odd to someone raised outside pressed, we’re fake and superficial, and we all talk like we’re
the Garou Nation, but remember that with our healing, it out of a Civil War movie?
doesn’t matter much. A beating that would leave a human Come on, don’t sulk. I’m not saying I think you actually
incapacitated for a week is unlikely to take a Garou more believe any of that nonsense. But, you do think it. These are
than an hour or two to recover from. the stereotypes that come to mind as soon as you think of
That’s the ideal, anyway. In truth, there are packs Atlanta, before your thinking mind has a chance to take
dominated by a single, strong alpha who does as she pleases over, and unless you’re careful, they will continue to sneak
and only listens to the pack’s advice when she feels like it. in and influence your opinions. Of course, it doesn’t help
Some Garou find that kind of authority comforting. Packs anything that stereotypes are often based on truth — Atlanta
are families, happy and otherwise. is a city with a history of racial conflict and injustice, and my
12 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
family, at least, is very status-conscious — but being based on Fenris are more or less the same way, to a somewhat lesser
truth doesn’t make any stereotype true for all the people, all degree. Only the Silver Fangs are sufficiently picky to reject
the time, and you’re a fool if you act like it does. a cub entirely based on ancestry.
Septs are the same way. Everyone knows that the Blood Once you consider all the tribes you could join, you
Clay Sept up near Cleveland, Georgia, are a bunch of dangerous need to decide which tribe you will join. On some level,
and untrustworthy weirdoes. Is that true? Well, ‘weirdo’ is a that choice belongs to your elders. They’ll get to know you
pretty judgmental term, but it is true that the sept was founded during your training and Rite of Passage, and gradually
in the1890s by a preacher-Theurge who mixed evangelical influence you towards the choice they think is best for you.
Christianity, Hebrew mysticism, and Gaia worship, and they Unfortunately, this process can become political. In some
still practice a lot of the rites that he discovered and invented. septs, the tribes compete for the best cubs, or try to pawn
That doesn’t make them weirdoes, but it does give them a the difficult cases off on each other. It’s sad, but in septs
unique perspective on the spirit world. that have gone that dysfunctional, the choice of tribe can
Just like stereotypes, your sept gives others a starting seem like picking teams for a middle school basketball game.
point for knowing who you are. This can be an advantage One another level, the choice belongs to the spirits.
in that it’s flattering or true, and a disadvantage in that it’s In part, tribal spirits influence matters through the elders,
unfair and untrue. In some ways, it’s just another part of who will consult with the spirits throughout your training.
how Garou society involves a lot of pre-judgment — another In part, the spirits can make the call on their own: if you or
way in which we’re backwards by modern human standards the elders chose a tribe that’s wrong for you, the tribal spirits
— but it’s also something you can take pride in. Let them might reject you at your right of passage. It’s embarrassing,
say that the Blood Clays are weird — I’ve known some of but it happens, and the elders will just try again and find a
them who were able to find solutions that more traditional tribe that’s a better pick.
Garou couldn’t even imagine. And on some level, it’s up to you. Your heritage matters,
If you join our sept — and I hope you chose to stick but it matters a lot less than the kind of Garou you want to
around long enough to join us — you’ll be known as trust- be, and the tribe that you think can lead you to that destiny.
worthy, aggressive in the defense of Gaia, eager for glory Of course, not everyone has the luxury of choice. My
and unwilling to rest on your laurels, and perhaps a little bit father was a Silver Fang, as was his father, and his father
conservative and too ambitious for your own good. before him in a nearly unbroken line of fathers and mothers
going back until the names and deeds are lost to history. I
Tribe think my family has a tiny thread of Fianna blood — a lot
of Silver Fang clans in the American South do — but too
Tribe is a funny thing in Garou society. To hear people
little for the Fianna to really accept me. More importantly,
talk about it, your tribe is a deep truth about your person-
if I tried to join any other tribe, I’d have faced unbearable
ality. All Silver Fangs are arrogant, all Shadow Lords are
censure from my family. I would have been cast out. They
untrustworthy, and all Uktena meddle in things they don’t
wouldn’t have been much kinder if Falcon had rejected
understand. me, even if I’d wanted to be a Silver Fang with all my heart.
Of course, that’s nonsense. They’d have seen it as my failure that Falcon didn’t want me.
In reality, you chose your tribe and your tribe choses you. Why do the Garou talk about tribe as though it were
Most tribes will take anyone regardless of bloodline, black and white? Part of it is that it used to be. We have
provided you meet their other various qualifications. For always followed the breeding patterns of our kinfolk, and our
example, the Glass Walkers are happy to accept any Garou kin follow the breeding patterns of the human populations
with a mind to exploiting the tricks and technologies of the they’re embedded in. As mankind has spread and different
Weaver, the Black Furies will accept abused or under-appreci- races and nationalities have mingled, our kin have done the
ated women of any blood, the Uktena are happy to support same, and our kin’s choices of mates have influenced us,
almost anyone who seeks after knowledge, and the Children gradually changing the meaning of tribe. This makes a lot
of Gaia will take just about anyone’s cast-offs. of Garou, especially the older ones, uncomfortable. They
Some tribes do consider ancestry. However, for most miss the days when tribe was tied to bloodline. I’m not sure
of them it’s only one of many factors. The Shadow Lords, why they care so much — tribe hasn’t been just a matter of
for example, prefer to recruit from certain bloodlines, but bloodline for more than two hundred years, if it ever really
if you have the right combination of ruthlessness and ef- was — maybe it made them feel more secure to imagine that
fectiveness, they’re happy to take you. The Wendigo show world is still that knowable and uncomplicated.
similar favoritism for their favorite Native American tribes, Maybe that’s something that elders have in common,
and almost never accept Anglos. The Fianna and the Get of among Garou and humans alike.

Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 13

Tribe and Sept “Well, a lot of people talk about you like you are a screw-
up, just because you’re gay. I want to know what these assholes
A lot of people talk about sept and tribe as though will do to me if I screw something up. If I stick around.”
they’re almost the same thing. When you hear someone “It’s not always that bad,” Claire admitted. “There’s
mention about a ‘Black Fury sept’ or a ‘Child of Gaia sept,’ nothing in the Litany about sexual orientation, you know.
what they tend to mean is that it’s a sept dominated by that Since I haven’t actually broken any rules, no one can do
tribe’s history and culture. anything to punish me, at least not officially.”
However, that’s not usually the case. Outside of each tribe’s “Then why does everyone give you shit?”
heartlands — and not all tribes even have those any more — most “Not everyone; just some people, a vocal minority. And
septs are pretty mixed. Especially in places like America, with why? For some of them, it’s because of their own assumptions.
its huge immigrant population, you’re unlikely to find a sept
They assume that just because I don’t like men, I’ll never do
that’s all anything.
my duty to Gaia and have babies someday. They treat me like
In reality, when someone says a ‘Glass Walker sept,’ what I’ve already dishonored my line and forsaken my family, even
they usually mean is a sept that has taken on Glass Walker though I’ve done nothing of the sort.” Claire swallowed the
ways. They embrace using the Weaver’s tools against the lump in her throat — her father had done just that, almost
Wyrm, they take on human customs, and place emphasis right until his death — then continued. “For others it’s because
on respecting humans and their achievements. It doesn’t of the biases they’ve picked up from the human cultures they
mean that the sept actually is entirely, or even mostly, Glass were born in. You’d be surprised how often that happens, even
Walker. It could be that the sept was founded by Glass in unbroken Garou lines like mine. I’ve had to overcome my
Walkers and no one has questioned their rules, even though own share of human prejudices that I discovered, when I really
another community has since come to dominate the sept. thought about them, were at odds with the Litany and Gaia.”
Maybe the sept has Glass Walker leadership who influence
Claire laughed before she could continue. “And for some,
the sept’s culture even though actual Glass Walkers are now
it’s just a convenient excuse. They don’t like my policies and
a minority. Maybe it’s an urban sept that’s smart enough
they’re looking for any reason they can to discredit me, or
to adapt to the world around them, rather than clinging to
they’re nursing some grudge against my father and don’t
customs that don’t serve them in their current environment,
want to see his daughter claim any honor for his family.
even though it’s never had more than an average number
of Glass Walker members. “But look, you want to hear about how the Garou
handle crime and punishment. The first thing you need
More to the point, a sept isn’t a Glass Walker sept — or
to understand is that the only law the Garou need is the
a Black Fury sept, or a Child of Gaia sept, or whatever —
Litany. Everything else is just custom…”
because of its membership, even if one tribe dominates its
demographics. Organizationally, culturally, and historically,
every sept is its own entity. Tribes don’t found septs — Garou
do. When they do, they make choices informed by their Law and Justice
tribes, true, but once founded, a sept has a life of its own, A lot of lost cubs I’ve spoken to have a hard time with
and it will grow and change — or wither and die — based the idea of the Litany. They’re used to some degree of secu-
on its own virtues. larity. Even the American Christian right wing wants laws
inspired by their religion, not derived legalistically from

Interlude:
the Bible. The idea of a religious law, literally interpreted,
is pretty alien to most people on this side of the Atlantic.

Conversation The fact is, though, that that’s what the Litany is: a
received tradition, a law handed down by Gaia to help us

in the Dark to govern our behavior. No loyal Garou truly questions the
basic tenants of the Litany. Even the most radical Glass
“I want to hear more about what they do to you when Walker might do something a little odd with the Litany,
you screw up,” the kid said when Claire paused to collect like make a Litany App for his smartphone, and he might
her thoughts. Claire grinned wolfishly in the dark — the chose some interpretations that would make Elder Catherine
flame of her spirit Gift had long ago died away. The one Standing Stone blanche, but he isn’t going to stop living
flaw in her strategy was the possibility that the young Garou the Litany as he sees it.
would become bored and disengaged. That didn’t seem to I don’t want you to think that every Garou is faithful.
be a problem. Sure, we all know that Gaia and Luna exist, but that doesn’t
“Why’s that?” Claire asked. mean that we all worship them. Some Garou only give lip

14 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

service to the worship of Gaia and Luna and the Litany even if we wanted to, the Wyrm isn’t going to stop coming
they gave us. Some Garou are mystically inclined and don’t after us. You should respect the territory of another because
care much about the law, viewing it as the least sacred and failing to do so is a good way to get your butt kicked. And
transcendent part of our religion. The fact is, though that as much as I’d like to duel Elder Jeremiah and take back
the Litany contextualizes everything in Garou society. Even the position my father intended for me, I acknowledge that
the ones who argue against the Litany have to do it in the a time of open conflict is not the time to start infighting.
Litany’s terms. Even those who try to twist the Litany until And just like the Ten Commandments, there’s a lot of
it justifies them doing exactly what they were going to do room for interpretation. What counts as war and peace for
anyway — and yes, I include a lot of the Garou who give me purposes of challenging the leader? It makes sense that the
trouble about my sexuality in that — have to do it by using the leaders of the sept should get the best share of the kill — af-
Litany. This is something that the Garou have in common ter all, if they’re worthy of their positions, they also accept
with other traditional theocratic societies. the greatest share of the risk and danger — but what exactly
I understand if you’ve got a problem with it, coming does that mean?
from modern America, but you’re better off learning to Ultimately, deciding on the answers to these questions
deal with it than beating your head against the wall. It can is something that each sept does for itself. These local cus-
be pretty jarring to go from a secular society to a traditional toms aren’t carved in stone like the Litany is. They change
shamanistic theocracy. We’re an ancient people, a signifi- with the times and the leader’s personal style — Gaia knows
cant portion of our population started their lives as wolf there are things I’ll change around here if I ever take this
cubs, and we’re pretty sure our myths are true because the sept back for my family.
world-eating devils we were made to fight are actually out Local customs can be messy. They’re only rarely written
there. If you judge us by modern standards you’re just going down. Usually, they’re a sort of an informal oral tradition. For
to confuse yourself. example, in this sept right here, everyone knows that “Submis-
It’s not so bad. The Litany is a lot like the Ten Com- sion to Those of Higher Stature” means Elder Jeremiah has
mandments — you do know about those, don’t you? — in that the right to boss around Thomas and the rest of the kin who
they’re simple, straightforward, and hard to argue with. We work in the kitchen, and anyone who gets in between will be
can’t stop combating the Wyrm wherever it breeds, because punished for defiance. You did the right thing when you stood
 Consequences
up for them last week, but you also violated an unspoken local
custom that everyone else knows better than to question. Some
local customs are related to the tenants of the Litany, while
But what you really wanted to hear about was what
others are made up whole cloth. When you find yourself in a
happens when someone breaks the rules? The short answer
new sept — especially if you’re only visiting — it’s usually good
is, it depends on what he did wrong. The long answer, of
to find a tell-it-like-it-is sort of Garou and have a frank conver-
course, is more complicated than that.
sation. Ragabash are good for this, as long as they aren’t the
kind who is likely to fill your head with nonsense for a laugh. The lowest kind of punishment is called shaming. When
a Garou commits a petty crime — insubordination, misuse of
Like everything in Garou society, it all comes down to
sept resources, or irresponsible behavior that doesn’t get anyone
who makes the decisions, which varies from sept to sept.
killed — we hold a mocking rite during one a sept gathering. The
I can draw you a few generalities based on tribe, though.
details vary from sept to sept — some septs even use rituals with
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that this is all literally
real magic, like the Stone of Scorn or the Voice of the Jackal
true. There’s no ‘tribal councils’ enforcing these customs,
— but the gist of it is always the same: by the end of the ritual,
and a lot of septs these days have customs that are weird
the Garou being punished has been thoroughly humiliated.
combinations of their founding or most populous tribes.
Everyone has a good laugh and the repentant Garou can count
Some septs decide things by relying on groups of elders.
on being the butt of a few jokes over the next month or so. Until
Black Furies, for example, like to establish triads, one young-
then, no one will take what she says seriously, and she’s likely
er — but still high ranked and respected — one middle aged,
to end up being ‘invited’ to take on unpleasant responsibilities
and one as ancient as they can find. Children of Gaia, Red
as a way of clearing her shame — that, and no one will trust her
Talons, Shadow Lords, and Stargazers prefer for a single
with anything else. Eventually, the shame wears off. It’s even
elder to lead, though that elder often has advisors, who may
possible to win some honor in the sept’s eyes by accepting the
wield significant power and influence on their own. When
shame with a mixture of good humor and aplomb.
someone is accused of breaking the Litany or trampling over
local customs in a way that caused harm, the elder or elders Shunning is a little more serious. It’s sort of like a taste
will interview everyone involved and make a decision. Once of exile. No one will speak to the Garou or acknowledge his
the decision is made, there’s no appealing it. A duel — the existence until the punishment is formally lifted. Shunning
only higher law the Garou can agree on — is the only way out. rarely lasts for more than a lunar month, but can last for up
to a year. Even her packmates will act like she never existed.
Other septs — especially those influenced by the Bone
No one will let her starve or freeze to death, if she doesn’t
Gnawers, Glass Walkers, Silver Fangs, and Silent Striders —
have the resources to take care of herself, but she can count
prefer trials that kind of resemble those in human society,
on eating food no one else wants and sleeping in dingy or
modern or archaic. The sept elders sit in judgment, both the
accused and the accuser are represented by professionals, flea-infested blankets. No eye contact, no acknowledgment
usually Philodox. Bone Gnawer trials are pretty weird, with if she says ‘thanks’; just a plate of scraps out where she’ll find
bribes, nepotism, and a great deal of informal and disre- it, an unclaimed jacket left on a peg. It’s so bad that some
spectful behavior. It makes sense, in a way — the chamber Garou will actually let themselves waste away or seek honorable
of judgment is just another field of combat, and whoever death in battle rather than wait for the punishment to end.
can gain the most support and apply the most pressure is You can’t turn shunning to your advantage, no matter how
the one who will serve the Garou best whether he’s right hard you try, but you can make it a lot worse. If you have a human
or wrong. The other tribes prefer a great deal of formality life to retreat to, don’t. That’s cowardice. The only way to deal
and ritual to their trials, sometimes going so far as to wear with shunning is to slink around the sept looking suitably pitiful
costumes. It sounds silly, but we are an ancient people, and and repentant. Keep a book in your pocket — only be careful
we do love our pageantry. that no one sees you reading it — or spend the time in your wolf
And then there are the septs that prefer some kind of shape, practicing your hunting skills.
conflict. The Fianna, Get of Fenris and Wendigo prefer trials The thing is, you only get shunned if you seriously screw
by combat. Like the Bone Gnawers, all they really care about up. If you steal from the sept, give in to your inner beast
is who’s stronger, though their idea of ‘strength’ is a little and do something incredibly stupid like attack your elders
more primal. Uktena-dominated septs like to summon spirits, or flee your post, or anything else that puts other Garou in
who will then use their powers to ferret out the truth and danger, you could end up with this punishment.
reveal it to the assemblage. If the accused is clever enough In some cases — if you’re tricked into helping the Wyrm,
to redirect or escape the spirit’s attention, well, then he or you kill another Garou without meaning — the sept will
deserves to go free. It works for them, I suppose, but you banish you. You can’t come back. Word spreads fast, so good
wouldn’t be surprised to find out that things usually go the luck finding a sept that will take you in. Some banishments
way the most powerful Theurge present wants them to go. go one further, especially if you commit a crime against
16 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
your tribe, and your whole tribe casts you out, leaving you State government—but then again, I was born to be a politician
to wander without anyone. among the Garou. I won’t subject you to the same treatment
The Garou have the death penalty — though some tribes, unless you decide that you’re interested in politics.
like the Children of Gaia, use it so rarely that it may as well
not exist — but we save it for the most serious crimes. The only
crimes that call down death are treason and murder. By treason,
I mean collaborating with the Wyrm, not just cooperating with
Interlude: Choices
Claire paused for breath. The sky was beginning to
the political enemies of your sept’s leaders. Killing one of your brighten with the first hints of dawn, and except for listen-
fellow Garou is really a kind of treason, since by your act you ing to her audience’s questions and concerns, she’d been
have denied Gaia one of her rightful defenders. Two, if you talking all night. The kid interrupted her before she had a
count the fact that you will die for your crimes, too. chance to decide where to take the lesson next.
And, yes, killing humans isn’t punished the same way “So, why should I stay?”
as killing Garou. I’m not proud of that particular quirk of “Pardon me?”
our law, but it’s the way things are. For all that many of us “That’s what you’re here for, to convince me, right?
were raised among them, humans are too often either the Yeah, I know, you said you just want to educate me. But
enemy or deeply in our enemy’s thrall for us to see killing you think I should stay. You want me to stay.”
them in the same light as killing each other.
Claire spoke carefully, unwilling to strain their fragile
In some ways, death is a mercy. If you commit a crime alliance. “I do think it’s best for you to stay with the sept,
worthy of death, chances are that you’ll just be hunted down yes. Are you willing to hear me explain why I think so?”
and killed, informally. Receiving a formal execution means
“I just asked you to that, didn’t I?”
that you turned yourself in, accepted your trial with humil-
Claire opened her mouth to respond, but the kid wasn’t
ity and dignity. Like taking a shaming with good humor,
finished. He carried on angrily, almost speaking to himself.
accepting your execution is about the only thing you can
do for your family — and your own legacy — to save it from “I know what you’re going to say, though. You’re going
some of the shame of what you’ve done. to tell me that it’s my duty to stay, that I don’t really have
any other choice. You’re going to tell me all about Gaia
The very worst thing we can do to someone is called ‘casting
and Luna and all your other magic sky fairies. You’re going
out.’ It’s a euphemism. Really, ‘casting out’ is the very worst,
to tell me that the ‘Black Spiral Dancers’ and the ‘Banes’
most painful and prolonged execution possible. The details
are going to kill me or brainwash me as soon as I leave. It
vary between septs. Some use a ritual that causes everything
seems to me like you’re just trying to keep me here so that
of Gaia to turn into silver blades for as long as the condemned
you people can brainwash me, first.”
touches it. Then, the sept organizes a hunt, and the chases
Claire bit back a laugh. “You don’t believe in Gaia,
the condemned through the wilderness until her tattered legs
Luna, the Black Spiral Dancers, or Banes?”
can’t support her anymore, and she falls to the ground, which
turns into razored silver and just… devours her. Sometimes, “Why should I? I haven’t seen any myself.”
before the condemned is killed, the sept use a ritual curse that Claire shook her head. “Not yet,” she mused. Was I ever
sunders the condemned’s soul so that she can never find peace that innocent? Certainly, I’ve never been that ignorant. Then she
or forgiveness in Gaia’s embrace or take a place, however small, turned her full attention back to the kid.
among her tribe’s ancestor spirits. Sometimes they do both. “How about this,” she suggested. “I’ll start by telling
But you don’t need to worry about casting out. If you’re you all the reasons that someone might want to leave Garou
incredibly unlucky, you’ll only see it done once in your life. It’s society behind.”
even less likely that you’ll be called upon to participate in one. The kid looked incredulous. “Really?”
Only the very worst criminals the Garou Nation has to offer are “Sure. I won’t hold anything back. I won’t tell you about
condemned to die in such a way: rapists, serial murderers, and why you should stay until I’ve told you everything crappy
Garou who devote themselves to the Wyrm in body and soul. about the Garou, everything you might already know, ev-
Septs are treated the same way. They can be mocked and erything that hasn’t happened to you yet.”
shamed, cut off from other septs and shunned, or declared “And if I want to leave after that you’ll give me a ride
anathema and destroyed. Additionally, a sept can lose its kinfolk, to the bus station?”
either permanently or temporarily, be blacklisted by the spirit “And I’ll do my best to make sure no one comes after
world, or have their leadership forcibly replaced. That gets into you, and if they do catch you and decide to punish you, I’ll
the politics of the greater Garou Nation. I learned about all of take your punishment on myself.”
that from my father at the same time that my middle school The kid leaned forward, clearly interested. Claire steeled
social studies class was covering the structure of the United herself. This was it. So far, he’d heard almost everything she
Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 17
had to share, and somewhere behind his dark eyes, he was of human kin. The Black Furies embody women’s anger,
making his choice. which sometimes drives them to conflict with traditionally
“I won’t lie to you,” Claire said, “I don’t love everything patriarchal tribes. The Children of Gaia — and yes, despite
about Garou society. We are an ancient people, and we’ve their reputation as gentle peacemakers the Children of Gaia
acquired a lot of scars over the years. We are divided against can be some of the Nation’s most divisive Garou — sometimes
ourselves, riven by ancient grudges, and we have short tempers…” act like they want to muzzle us. While I respect that there
is a time and a place for conflict, there is also a time and a

The Bad
place for peace, and we are a race of warriors.
However, I think that the most insidious divisions are
based on tribal culture. You can apologize for ancient wrongs
My father used to say that if the Garou could only unite
and offer reparations, and you can bridge ideological divisions
behind a single leader, support a single vision for the world,
with compromise. ‘They have wronged us’ and ‘their ideas are
we could turn the apocalypse into a rebirth for Gaia. I like
wrong’ are both easier to resolve then ‘they are wrong.’
to think that it wouldn’t take some kind of totalitarian
takeover — that all our points of view could learn to coexist One of the most famous conflicts of this nature is the
and fight our common enemies — but he did have a point. one between the Shadow Lords and the Silver Fangs. We
For almost our entire history, our worst enemy hasn’t been have fundamentally different styles of leadership. While the
the Wyrm and its servants — it’s been us. Silver Fangs want to be respected, the Shadow Lords merely
want to be feared. While the Silver Fangs believe that honesty
First and foremost are the tribal divisions. These divi-
is a virtue, the Shadow Lords are ruthless and deceptive.
sions can be fierce — sometimes even violent — but they are
constantly undermined by the connections between indi- Almost every tribe has its foibles, and every foible can
vidual Garou. For the past few hundred years, most packs produce its own kind of conflict. Ask a dozen Garou and
and septs have been inter-tribal. Some hardliners, political you’ll hear three dozen negative stereotypes about the tribes:
ideologues who continue to pursue divisive agendas, insist the Fianna are insensitive and hold grudges, the Silent
that inter-tribal packs go against Gaia’s will. Most Garou have Striders are aloof, the Stargazers are arrogant, the Get of
a hard time condemning other werewolves purely based on Fenris are insubordinate unless you’re willing to beat them
tribe because they know people from other tribes. They’ve into obedience, and on and on.
fought together, called upon the spirits together, mourned Within the tribes, the breeds also often fail to work
together, celebrated together, and might even belong to the together. Homid and lupus just don’t get each other. No
same pack. However, a vocal minority — those who have never matter how hard they try, even homid and lupus who love
belonged to a mixed community, or turned their backs on each other dearly will always have divergent needs and am-
wider Garou society as a result of bad experiences with other bitions. The Metis among us are a despised minority, and
tribes — can do a lot to influence politics. Even though these probably always will be. It’s hard for many Garou to despise
divisions are limited by inter-tribal connections, most Garou the sin that produced them without also despising the Metis
can’t throw off the idea that the radicals are somehow the born of that sin, even though it isn’t their fault.
‘best’ or ‘purest’ members of the tribe. Shameful as it is, the Garou also have deep conflicts
Ancient wrongs drive some tribal conflicts. Uktena and with our own kin. Some Garou think of their Kinfolk as
Wendigo are still angry about what was done to their kinfolk nothing more than breeding stock; while others treat their
when European settlers first came to the New World. They Kin as cannon fodder — sometimes I don’t know which is
think we should have done more to stop the settlers, and maybe worse. Garou who sympathize with the Kin and demand
they’re right, though I still think that almost six hundred years that they be respected as members of the Nation fight those
is too long to hold a grudge — especially if that grudge stands who don’t. Worst of all, some Kin have turned against
to prevent us from uniting against the foes we were created their Garou relations. They demand exorbitant fees for aid
to fight. Although they don’t often show it openly, the Bone that they should give freely, humiliating us when we come
Gnawers are angry about how they have been treated by the to them for help. Some even divorce themselves from the
rest of the Garou Nation. They have chosen to live among the Nation entirely — your grandparents or great grandparents
hardiest survivors of humanity, and they are upset that the might be just such kin. That’s the case for a lot of lost cubs.
Garou have failed to honor their choice because humanity’s Divisions run up and down the entire ladder of Garou
stalwarts are also the poor, homeless, and outcast. society. While some competitiveness can be healthy, as long as
Ideological divisions drive other tribes apart. The Red it spurs every side towards excellence, many Garou take it too
Talons, for example, want to take direct action against hu- far. Rival packs often forget that the quest for glory should be
manity. Unfortunately, their idea of ‘direct action’ looks a secondary to the war against the Wyrm, and when the time comes
lot like genocide, or at least mass murder, to those of us born to battle they focus on shedding more enemy blood than their

18 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

counterparts, rather than actually winning. Sometimes it goes
far enough that they skirmish in the wilderness, wounding
each other rather than our natural foes. Rival septs usually
fight more subtly, but I have seen septs destroyed by these
conflicts. An argument over resources — water, kinfolk, spirit
allies — turns into a feud, the septs start refusing each other
aid or sending packs on missions of sabotage. Then the
enemy finds out about the rivalry, and the next thing you
know one of the septs is under attack. If the other can’t find
a way to forget the past, soon there is only one sept serving
Gaia where once there were two.
You already know what it’s like to be Garou, con-
stantly struggling with your inner monster. We are a
violent people, and we have never been able to confine
our aggression to our enemies. It’s true that internal
violence is less meaningful for us than it would be in
human culture. You can quickly recover from a beating
that would put a grown man in the hospital. However,
the fact is that even when the pain and disability are
transitory, violence hurts. No one likes taking a punch.
And when that pain can come from anyone, even your
friends and family, it has consequences. A lot of Garou act
as though might makes right and they can just challenge
or informally beat down anyone who disagrees with them.
Garou who are physically weaker learn to hold back, only
contributing their wisdom when they are certain that
there won’t be painful side effects, while strong Garou
can become overconfident, speaking their minds freely
when the Nation would be better served by tact.
Of course, the Garou Nation likes its violence con-
strained by ritual and custom. Most septs will punish
brawls outside of formal challenges. That’s not to say that
they don’t happen, and a sept’s leadership often choses
to turn a blind eye to a certain amount of unofficial
violence, especially among the younger Garou, and when
it serves their own agendas. Every sept has a Master of
Challenges, a respected Garou whose job it is to make
sure that everyone follows the rules and customs of the
challenge. The Master of Challenge’s word is final when
it comes to challenges — though that isn’t to say that
he’s immune to politics.
First, we have rules about who you can challenge and
when. The best known of these restrictions comes from
the Litany itself: “The Leader May Not Be Challenged
During Wartime.” However, the leaders of a sept can delay
or even outright prevent any challenge if they feel that it
would weaken the sept. Rank also affects challenges. We
use challenges to determine who is right — or at least who
is stronger — of two Garou when the issue is contested.
You don’t need to worry about your elders beating up on
you — though there’s nothing saying they can’t let it be
known that someone should put you in your place and wait
for some ambitious young Ahroun to do it for them. At the
same time, an elder can ignore challenges by those who are judgment. Your choice of mate, your choice of clothes, your
far below him, which prevents young Garou from distracting political leanings, the totem your pack agrees on, the territory
their betters with a series of meaningless challenges. they chose to hold — all of it is up for public debate.
We also have rules about how challenges proceed. First- The constant attention of your family can be comforting, like
ly, challenges have to be completely transparent. Someone a warm blanket. When someone dear to you is killed in battle
— sometimes a Garou formally designated as the witness, and the entire community turns out to support you, it really
sometimes the entire community — monitors the entire does help. If you fall into Harano and everyone knows about
process, from the moment the challenge is issued to the duel it, so everyone crowds around you to pull you out of your shell,
itself. The presence of witnesses at the challenge itself is very and help you find the wolf again, it can save your life. At other
important — in some septs, the entire community will gather times, however, like when you’re trying to keep a secret or just
to watch the duel. Challenges are also supposed to be fair. get some space, it can be frustrating and cloying. We’re human,
While a clever but relatively non-violent Ragabash might not as well as wolf, and sometimes we need to be solitary.
be able to get out of fighting an Ahroun that he insulted,
he can count on the Master of Challenges to include some
mitigating factor to keep it from being a one-sided contest.
At least in theory, all Garou respect the importance
The Good
With all of that division, violence, and intolerance, why
of accepting an honorable surrender, especially during a would anyone ever stay?
challenge. Don’t try surrendering to Black Spiral Dancers, The first answer is that the Garou Nation is your family.
though. Don’t assume that you’re safe during a challenge. I know you might not feel that way right now, but it’s true.
Garou die by accident, and if your opponent hates you No one will ever understand you like we will. Some of us
enough, there are some Garou who consider it worth the already know that, because we were born here. Some of us
risk to make sure you don’t leave the dueling circle alive. — like you — aren’t that lucky. You came to us later in life.
However, it’s a pretty big risk; most septs will investigate But think about it. Has any ordinary human ever really
deaths during a challenge, and a Garou who makes a habit of understood you, ever really accepted and trusted you? It
killing his opponents will eventually become extremely unpopular. isn’t impossible — I know some Garou who maintain very
One of the only times I saw a challenge end in death and the meaningful friendships with humans — but I’m sure it was
matter conclude without further investigation, the deceased was hard. We know what it’s like for you to carry a beast inside
a Garou well known for using duels to eliminate his rival. The your heart. We know what it means to struggle with strange
sept considered itself better off without her, and they were right. urges, with the need to fight. We can help you channel those
Of course, not every challenge is violent. Some challenges urges in constructive ways. Most importantly, we understand
are spiritual, duels using spirit surrogates, or challenges of you. You have more in common with anyone in this sept
cunning and strategy. However, the fact remains that conflict than you do with any human in the world.
is at the heart of Garou society. We believe in nurturing Born or chosen, we are your family.
each other, to a point, but we also believe in sharpening And as your family, you can count on our support. I’m
each other. This way has served us, but it also makes us not just talking about supporting you in battle; I’m also talking
contentious and can waste time, blood, and lives. about practical, everyday emotional and material support.
In addition to being violent, Garou society is also Unless the sept you someday choose to settle in is completely
dogmatic. As I’ve said before, we are an ancient people. dysfunctional, the Garou there will help you. Do you want
Many of us believe that we shouldn’t have to change with a normal human life? Garou who have been maintaining
the times. I don’t just mean the tribes that are commonly that balance for years are there to teach you. Do you want to
viewed as ‘traditional.’ A Glass Walker who refuses to see immerse yourself in sept life? Your community will be there
that the Weaver’s web needs pruning because his people have to make sure that if you do need something from the human
always believed in using the Weaver against the Wyrm is as world, you have the human cash to pay for it. If there’s a skill
much a traditionalist as a Red Talon who stubbornly refuses you want to acquire — anything from a Gift to learning how
to allow human kinfolk armed with submachine guns to to set up a tent or make a fire — I can guarantee that someone
provide covering fire during an assault on a Pentex facility. in your sept will be happy to teach you. All they will ask in
Oddly enough, I think the biggest flaw of Garou society return is that you do the same for them.
is something very pedestrian: poor boundaries. I’m sure Of course, there’s a big difference between what you
you’ve noticed this already. We may be one family, but we need and what you want. No Garou will ever go hungry as
are a clannish and insular family. For a people of warriors, long as she has a sept to support her, but if you want luxury,
we are also incurable gossips and busybodies. You can count you’re going to need to either get a job or convince your
on everything you do being held up to public scrutiny and sept that you are worth the expense.

20 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 However, the emotional support is even more important. we are. Out in the world, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever find
Life is hard for the Garou Nation. People you care about are anyone to share your life. Here, though, I can almost guarantee
going to die — sometimes slowly and in pain, from wounds or that you will, whether you’re looking for a modern idea of love
Wyrm poisons, sometimes abruptly and without warning on and partnership or a Kinfolk woman to tend your hearth and
the field of battle — and the Garou Nation is here to help you bear you strong children. At the very least, you’ll have a chance.
through that. You probably already know something about the Finally, and most importantly, you are Garou. We are an
emotional rollercoaster that is life as a Garou. Everyone here ancient people, made by the spirits to save the world. Some
understands that, too, and they’re happy to help. Whatever have called the Garou Nation ‘the wolf of one heart, one mind,
you need — whether it’s to run wild in the forest or curl up one soul.’ We are a nation with a mission. We have a reason to
and cry — there are Garou in every sept who know what it’s exist that is higher and more universal than just pursuing our
like and want to make sure you don’t have to do it alone. own prosperity. What human nation can say the same thing?
You might think that leaving the sept means turning your Why should you stay with us? Because you are already
back on the war against the Wyrm, but you’re wrong. Even if one of us, and you always will be. Do you think you can
you were the kind of person who could close his eyes to the turn your back on the war? If you go back to your hometown
harm agents of the Wyrm do to ordinary humans — and now and discover that a Bane has infiltrated your old high school
that you know about it, you’ll see it everywhere — the Wyrm and is turning your old friends into corrupted mockeries
and its minions aren’t going to leave you be. Lone Garou of themselves, could you really say that it’s none of your
are easy pickings, and they’ll kill you even if you don’t offer business? If the forest where you run wild when the moon
them any trouble. They’ll kill you out of spite, or against the takes you is in danger of being clear-cut to make room for
possibility of you rejoining the Nation one day. They’ll kill condos, will you really stand aside and let it happen? You
you because they like to kill things, and even a young Garou won’t. Being a werewolf is in your blood, but it’s also in your
on his own in the world offers a greater challenge than some soul. That’s why Gaia and Luna chose you, personally, to be
human off the street. Or worse, they’ll take you alive and change one of us, quickening your potential and making you Garou.
you. You could call what we do here indoctrination, and you You can turn your back on us, Ismael, but you can’t
wouldn’t be wrong, but what they’d do to you is different. change what you are. Stay with us, be one of us, be part of
They’ll break your mind, steal your soul, and transform you the wolf of one heart, and help us save the world.
into a monster. They’ll teach you to savor the taste of human

Postlude: The Family

flesh and human pain, and then they’ll turn you out to kill
and maim until we have to put you down.
On to happier topics — the Garou Nation is indispensible
“You know my name?” By the growing light of dawn,
if you want to get a date. I’m not saying that you can’t have
Claire watched his eyes widen with surprise.
sexual encounters with ordinary humans — it’s foolish, but some
Garou take pride in seducing and attempting to impregnate Claire laughed. “Of course I do. You’re my cousin, Isma-
humans to spread our blood — but your inner beast sets you el. I don’t need to know you to be interested in you and care
apart in the dating pool, too. Some humans find that Garou about you. Remember all that stuff I said about how the Garou
have a certain appeal, an animal magnetism, but try building a Nation supports each other? Why else do you think I’ve been
relationship on that. Remember how I said that I know Garou talking to you all night?”
with good human friends? I don’t know a single Garou who’s They stood in silence for a few moments as the lakeshore
managed to maintain a serious romantic relationship with a came to life around them. Turtles, shaggy with lake weed,
human. It’s hard to love someone that you’re afraid of. sunned themselves on rocks while the birds at the water’s
Kinfolk, on the other hand, usually know what they’re edge announced to the world that are here, that they own
getting into. Some of them have been raised by a Garou parent, their territory, that they are ready to mate. Beneath it all,
alongside Garou siblings. Some kinfolk understand the ways Claire felt the humming spiritual life of the caern. She knew
of our inner beasts as well as we do. The Kinfolk you’re likely that Ismael could feel it, too, and wondered how aware of
to meet in a sept — understand and accept, or at least put up it he was.
with, their place as supporters and helpmeets. Even if they’re “I want to make a deal,” Ismael said.
wary of us — not at all uncommon among Kinfolk who are “More deals? Go ahead.”
familiar with our violent, dogmatic ways — it’s easier to over- “I’ll stay, but I want you to be my teacher.”
come because there’s no supernatural compulsion involved. Claire shook her head. “You don’t want me, Ismael.
It might be hard for you to think about this seriously, young I’ll get you into more trouble than I’m worth. There are a
as you are, but the Garou Nation can help you find a mate. Even lot of Garou who will look down on you for that choice. I
setting aside the Kin — and some Garou — who support the can’t teach you everything, and there are some who will be
sept as professional matchmakers, Kinfolk are almost as rare as reluctant to educate you because you’re associated with me.”
Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 21
 Ismael stood up. “No, listen. I don’t really get it. I don’t pack uses it, or until the end of the story. As a general rule,
really get what you’re talking about — all this stuff about any heroic deed that’s worth Renown could be worth half its
being ‘one wolf’ — but I do get that you care about me, even highest Renown reward (round down) as dots of temporary
though I can’t figure out why. The thing is, I’m not from pack status. Packs do not gain additional pack status for taking
some little village community or hippie commune. I grew on sept duties, even though they can gain Renown for taking
up in Maryland. So if you want me to believe all of that, on sept duties. If a pack has taken on sept duties, that should
you’re going to have to show me yourself. You’re different be reflected with the Sept Status Background, since it is less a
from everyone else. You tell it like it is. I don’t want to take one-time boost and more a reliable source of goodwill.
it from them — I want to hear it from you. Deal?”
Reward Cost
“Deal,” Claire agreed. She shouldered Ismael’s duffel
bag. “Now, let’s get back to the cabins and see if we can’t Crash for a night in a tent on sept grounds •
catch a couple of hours of sleep. If I’m going to be your Borrow one of the sept’s vehicles •
teacher, then we’d better not waste any more time.” Gain a Talen from the sept’s stock •
Someday, Ismael might be revered as a hero. Someday Spend a night in a cabin at the sept ••
there might be people who were alive because him — his
Take up permanent or semi-permanent ••
own sons and daughters, and those whose lives he had
residence in a tent on sept grounds
touched and preserved — and after he was gone, they might
sit together and recount his deeds. Borrow common tools and supplies from ••
the sept’s stock
But at that moment, Ismael was nothing so significant.
He was just another part of the Garou Nation, a young man Borrow a minor (one to two dot) fetish ••
walking with his teacher across the bawn of his sept, in the for a week or two
light of a gathering day. Borrow rare or specialized tools and •••
supplies from the sept’s stock

New Systems Take up permanent or semi-permanent

residence in one of the sept’s cabins
Borrow a large quantity of cash (enough
•••

•••
The Pack Status and Sept Standing Backgrounds
presented here, along with the expanded rules on Sept to make a single Resources •••• purchase)
Positions, can help give weight to a game focused around from the sept.
a pack finding their place within a sept. They’re optional, Borrow a significant (two to three dot) •••
and the Storyteller should work with her group to decide fetish for a week or two
whether to include them. Become the permanent owner of a minor •••
Pack Status (one or two dot) fetish
Pack status differs from Rank or Sept Standing. Unlike the Permission to open the caern and benefit •••
various forms of personal status respected by the Garou nation, from its blessing
pack status is fluid, more like a kind of social currency than a Live comfortably as guests of the sept for ••••
hierarchy. Packs spend their status in a variety of ways to make several months
their lives more comfortable or open up new opportunities Borrow magical tools and supplies from ••••
for glory and advancement. Pack status functions as a Pooled the sept’s stock, of the sort needed to craft
Background (see W20 p. 140 for details). klaives and other major fetishes.
Pack status is not formal. When the sept is pleased with Borrow a major (four or five dot) fetish ••••
a pack, everyone is happy to do them favors and lend them for a week or two
resources. As members of the pack justifies its withdrawal from Benefit from the expertise of one of the sept’s ••• to •••••
the sept’s stores by basking in their own glory, they eventually high-ranking experts (e.g. a custom fetish
wear out their welcome and have to perform more great deeds made by one of the sept’s shamans,or combat
in order to regain the social currency that they have spent. training from the sept’s Master of Challenges)
Pack status is used in the same way as the Resources Live comfortably as guests of the sept in- •••••
background. The chart below details how packs can spend definitely
their status to acquire various benefits.
Become the permanent owner of a signif- •••••
If a pack performs some extraordinary service for the sept,
icant or major fetish (three to four dots)
the Storyteller might decide that it’s appropriate to reward
the pack with a dot or two of extra status that last until the

22 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 It’s important to remember that many of these “rewards” in Sept Standing to reap the rewards of the position. Any
are still available to packs that don’t have the Pack Status to pay additional dots of Sept Standing grant one extra die per dot
for them, especially if the pack needs them to perform a duty for to social rolls when dealing with septmates, including Kinfolk.
the sept. Only the most poorly run or dysfunctional sept would Garou crave hierarchy, but they are also creatures of
ask a pack to dig a ditch and then fail to lend them a shovel! action. There’s a limit to how far you can get by relying on
The difference is in how hard it is for the pack to get its hands how much people like you. The total bonus from social
on sept resources. When a pack purchases a reward with pack Backgrounds and Merits cannot exceed five dice; any addi-
status, the items, training, or favors are given freely by a sept tional dice can only cancel out penalties.
that already views itself as in the pack’s debt. When a pack has • Known: You have established yourself as capable
to beg and borrow resources, they often find themselves having of pulling your own weight.
to perform favors for more influential Garou, or even kinfolk. •• Respected: You are viewed as more then competent.
Secondly, the Garou have more respect for packs who Your septmates ask for your advice and the elders
contribute to the sept without drawing on its resources. Nearly invite you to take on responsibilities.
anyone can defend a sept with the community’s most powerful ••• Valued: You are a resource to your sept. The sept
fetish; only a real hero can do so on his own, with the treasures does its best to make sure you are comfortable and
that already belong to him. Anything that a pack acquires with appreciated so you don’t seek a place elsewhere.
Pack Status counts as something that belongs to the pack. In
•••• Honored: Formally or informally, you are one of
other words, if a pack achieves something by begging the shaman
the sept’s leaders, with much of the sept’s resources
to lend them her powerful spirit guide for an Umbral journey,
at your disposal.
it counts for less than it would if they had done without any
••••• Lauded: You are one of your sept’s greatest heroes.
help, or if they had acquired the spirit guide by reminding the
shaman of what she and the sept already owed them.
Most importantly, while any sept will loan its packs resources
Sept Positions
when they are on sept business, getting ahold of sept resources Septs only survive because Garou fulfill their various
for personal matters is something else entirely. Anyone can bor- functions, from simple cleaning and maintenance to orga-
row a van to bury some freshly killed Pentex executives — only nizing the caern’s defense or rallying the Garou to attack the
a respected member of the community can borrow it to move Wyrm. Septs — and their spirits — honor those Garou who
house. Most Garou don’t view using sept resources to pursue take on these jobs, which makes sept positions an important
individual agendas as inappropriate or corrupt thanks to their part of the Garou struggle for dominance.
“survival of the fittest” culture — to a point — but they are also These positions are traditional, but not written of in
clear that this is a “withdrawal” from an individual’s social the Litany, and vary from location to location. Some of
account with the sept, and needs to be paid for, before or after. these positions may be absent in some septs, due to local
custom or practicality. For example, a very small sept might
Sept Standing do away with the position of Keeper, forcing the Keeper of
You are accorded a greater degree of respect within your the Land to recruit informally when she needs help. Other
sept for one reason or another. You might perform some septs might split more complex positions into two or more
valuable function for the sept, come from an important or simpler positions — for example, embodying the Wyrm Foe’s
influential lineage, or your deeds might speak for themselves. ritual and tactical responsibilities in two different Garou.
Either way, you can count on your sept’s support. Kinfolk Many of these positions, especially those that don’t
characters can normally purchase up to two dots of Sept involve combat or interacting with spirits, can be filled by
Standing, granting them some duties in the sept. Kinfolk. In particularly small or troubled septs, Kinfolk
A character with an unusually high Sept Standing might will be called upon to fulfill even some of those positions
have been tutored by a famous Garou or come from a well- that do involve combat or magic to the best of their limited
known family — or perhaps she was thrust into an unusually abilities. Because Kinfolk are not full members of the Garou
advanced position when her elders and betters were killed. nation, they cannot take on leadership roles. Most of the
On the other hand, a character with unusually low Sept time, Kinfolk are limited to positions requiring Sept Standing
Standing for his Rank might be a newcomer, or grappling •• or lower. Kinfolk characters with sept positions reap the
with a bad reputation, deserved or not. same mechanical and social benefits as Garou characters.
A character’s Sept Standing has two facets. The first is The sept positions — and the number of dots of Sept
the degree to which his sept respects him and the second Standing required to take them — are described in more
is a character’s position within the sept — his job in Garou detail below. Every position also carries a special benefit for
society. Each position in a sept has a Sept Standing require- the Garou who fills it, reflecting the respect Garou earn for
ment (see below). A character must possess that many dots working on behalf of their sept.
Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 23
Caller of the Wyld instructing them in the ways of the Garou. While some Septs
view the Den-Parent as a glorified babysitter for werewolves
(Sept Standing •) who need coddling before experiencing the real world, the
Responsibilities: It is the Caller of the Wyld’s respon- post has its benefits. The Garou under a Den Parent’s care
sibility to summon the sept’s totem spirits — including the learn more about Garou society, and often have an easier
spirit of the caern itself — to most moots. This requires time integrating with the sept. The Den Parent is also re-
knowledge of Garou rites, to perform that actual summoning, sponsible for allowing cubs to undertake a Rite of Passage.
and Umbral politics, to ensure that a spirit is not summoned The Den Parent has a more thankless task — looking
out of turn or accidentally snubbed. The Caller of the Wyld after the metis offspring of sept members. Some take to
is only needed during moots, so this is a good position for the task, while others bridle at being nursemaids to Garou
a young Garou whose quest for glory and honor could take who do not know their strength. Because of this, Kinfolk
her far from the sept. Young werewolves, especially ambitious are never Den Parents.
Theurges, also enjoy this position because it helps them Benefits: The Den-Parent gains a +2 bonus to Social
build a relationship with the sept’s local spirits. dice pools involving cubs in the sept who have not yet gone
Most Kinfolk cannot interact with the spirit world, through their Rite of Passage.
which makes it impossible for them to serve as Caller of
the Wyld, even in the most embattled sept. However, the Keeper (Sept Standing •)
rare Kin who have developed the skill to summon spirits Responsibility: The Keepers do the maintenance work
occasionally fill this position. and heavy lifting around the sept. Most Keepers are young
Benefits: The Caller of the Wyld gains a +3 to Social Garou trying on serious responsibility, or those convicted of
dice pools involving interaction with the sept’s totem spirits, minor crimes trying to avoid a worse punishment. Keepers
and a +1 to Social dice pools involving other Gaian spirits must spend some part of each day in the sept, looking for ways
in the region. to contribute, but they have plenty of time to pursue their
own business. Keepers work under the Keeper of the Land
Den Father/Mother (Sept Standing •) (described below) and assist her with her duties.
Responsibilities: The Den Parent looks after new- Kinfolk frequently become Keepers. Even the most
ly-changed Garou, teaching them to respect their elders and conservative Garou agree that Kin can perform petty, but
24 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
necessary, work for the sept. In conservative septs, Kin gain Benefit: The position of Gatekeeper conveys three bonus
much more respect for taking on this job than they do for dice to Social dice pools when dealing with the sept’s totem
ambitiously claiming a responsibility that some Garou believe spirit. Although the Gatekeeper doesn’t enjoy a bonus when
should be for werewolves alone. dealing with the Garou of his sept, many Garou seek his
Benefits: The spirits of the sept understand that the favor, since he can either expedite or delay their requests to
Keepers are the minions of the Keeper of the Land, and use the moon bridges.
grant them some respect. Keepers enjoy a +2 bonus to Social
dice pools involving spirits that live in the sept’s Umbral
Guardian (Sept Standing •)
reflection. Responsibilities: All of a sept’s Garou are ready to lay
down their lives to defend it on a moment’s notice, but the
Master of the Howl sept’s Guardians have made it their personal responsibility.
(Sept Standing •) Guardians act as a sept’s sentries, patrolling its borders and
Responsibilities: The Master of the Howl is a largely cere- responding to threats. They do not take the offensive or
monial position, often given to a young Garou as a gateway to investigate potential danger, at least not in their capacity as
greater responsibilities. The Master of the Howl is responsible Guardians. Most septs have between five and ten Guard-
for leading the sept in howls and songs, including the howl ians — the equivalent of one or two packs — and it isn’t at
that formally begins and ends every meeting. Young Garou all unheard of for an entire pack to collectively take on
also covet this position because its public nature gives them this duty. In times of war, the Guardians are on duty at all
an opportunity to showcase their skills and earn the respect times and cannot leave the sept. In times of relative peace,
of the community, but it is still a position that leaves them a Guardian might be able to work out an arrangement that
plenty of free time to pursue their own agendas. lets her leave the sept to pursue her own agenda.
Only Crinos, Hispo, and Lupus forms have the anatomy Most septs view it as an unforgiveable shame for their Kin-
to make the sounds necessary to fulfill the Master of the folk to take up arms. Even though almost every sept has armed
Howl’s responsibilities. Human kin have the wrong bodies, its Kinfolk at one point or another, only a sept on the edge of
and wolf kin lack the intellectual complexity. As a result, extinction would actually name its Kinfolk as Guardians. Some
the Caller of the Wyld is always Garou. progressive septs dodge this issue by giving their Kinfolk war-
Benefit: A character fulfilling this role reduces all difficulties riors some other title, like “commandos” or “support squads.”
to express himself through howls by 2, thanks to the constant Benefit: A Guardian’s constant training and familiarity
practice. He also gains +1 die to Social rolls with anyone who with the terrain allow her to reduce all difficulties by 1 when
attended a moot for three days afterwards, provided his perfor- fighting within the sept grounds.
mance was adequate, thanks to feelings of fellowship towards
Keeper of the Land
the Garou who led the community in howl and song.
Because the Master of the Howl has procedural duties,
(Sept Standing ••)
he also wields great power over the way the sept meets. A Responsibilities: The Keeper of the Land maintains
Master of the Howl can, in theory, convene a meeting at any the sept’s physical appearance. However, she is more than
time — or refuse to convene a meeting when called upon by just a glorified janitor — not only do the Garou deeply re-
the leaders. Abusing this power or using it politically will spect someone who takes responsibility for protecting and
probably result in the Master of the Howl being replaced, beautifying the natural environment, Gaian spirits find a
but sometimes the sacrifice is worth it. well-kept sept more attractive. Thus, the Keeper of the Land
is a combination gardener, park ranger, and shaman.
Gatekeeper (Sept Standing •) In an urban caern, the Keeper of the Land makes sure
Responsibilities: The Gatekeeper maintains the caern’s that the caern reflects the wishes of the local spirits. She
moon bridges, opening and closing them for certain rituals or at spends a lot of her time rearranging piles of trash, moving
the request of Garou who wish to travel through the Umbra to dumpsters, and planting small gardens. Instead of shrines in
another sept. The Gatekeeper also keeps and defends the caern’s secluded caves and hollow tree trunks, urban spirits prefer
Pathstone. Not all Gatekeepers are Theurges, but all must know things that resemble community memorials to the victims
the Rite of the Opened Bridge and the Rite of the Opened Caern, of car accidents and gang violence, except with strange sigils
at least. The Gatekeeper is usually tied to the caern, especially replacing photographs and the addition of an offering bowl.
when the moon bridge is in demand, making this an unattractive The result looks like a strange combination of urban renewal
position for most young and ambitious Garou. and modernist feng shui.
Like the Caller of the Wyld, the Gatekeeper’s respon- The Keepers, described above, assist the Keeper of the
sibilities are primarily spiritual. As a result, Gatekeepers Land in her duties, giving her plenty of free time to leave
are never Kin. the sept and pursue her own goals with her pack.
Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 25
 The Keeper of the Land has limited interaction with spirits. Benefits: The Master of Challenges is widely respected
It’s possible, though difficult, for a Kinfolk to fulfill the Keeper and gains a three extra dice to all Social dice pools when
of the Land’s responsibilities, though she might have to rely dealing with septmates. In fact, the position of Master of
on Garou to let her know if the spirits needs are neglected. Challenges is regarded so highly that even outsiders will
Benefit: The Keeper of the Land is beloved by all the bow to her will, granting her a +2 bonus to Social dice pools
sept’s spirits and can count on their advice and help. A when dealing with outsiders in sept territory.
Garou who fulfills this position well enjoys a +4 bonus to Finally, long practice dealing with the dangerous passions
all social dice pools when dealing with spirits associated of the Garou grants the Master of the Challenge a special
with the sept, including the sept’s totem. benefit. As long as she is acting in her capacity as Master of
the Challenge, she does not need to make Rage rolls due
Talesinger (Sept Standing ••) to frustrating or infuriating trigger situations.
Responsibilities: Technically a minor position, the
Talesinger is honored far above her station. The Talesinger takes Master of the Rite
the stage during moots and tells stories that serve a variety of (Sept Standing •••)
purposes, from entertaining and educating with stories of the Responsibilities: The Master of the Rite is the sept’s chief
past, conferring news of the wider Garou nation, and keeping shaman. Almost always a Theurge, the Master of the Rite is
the wider sept aware of the great deeds — and embarrassing responsible for overseeing all the rites and rituals performed
failures — of its packs. Like the other positions related to the in the sept. The Caller of the Wyld, the Gatekeeper, and to
moot, the Talesinger is a good position for a young Garou who a lesser extent, the Talesinger and the Keeper of the Land are
wants the freedom to come and go from the sept as she pleases. subordinate to the Master of the Rite. In addition to perform-
Because the Talesinger’s responsibilities are mostly social, ing many important rites himself, the Master of the Rite must
Kinfolk can theoretically fill this position. However, most act as the sept’s repository of spirit lore, whether this means
septs have found that this usually ends badly. One of the memorizing extensive lists of local spirits and their preferences
Talesinger’s jobs is to mock Garou who make mistakes. That’s or maintaining a written library. When other Theurges and
hard enough for some prideful Garou to bear, and almost Umbral questers need advice, they come to the Master of the Rite.
impossible if the Talesinger were Kin. Worse, a Kin Talesinger Although he needs to be available to the sept’s mem-
would have a hard time defending himself if a Garou flies bers and leadership and must attend all moots, the Master
into a frenzy at his words. As a result, most Talesingers are of the Rite does not need to stay at the sept at all times.
Garou, even in septs with low Garou populations. However, his knowledge and expertise is an important
Benefit: The greatest benefit of this position is its political resource. The rest of the sept would see it as a sin against
capital. Many Garou want to court the Talesinger’s favor, since the principles of Wisdom for the Master of the Rite to risk
the Talesinger decides how to interpret their packs achieve- himself unnecessarily.
ments and relate them to the rest of the sept. The Talesinger Benefits: The aid and advice of the sept’s various spirits
gains a +3 bonus to Social dice pools when dealing with all counts as three dots of the Allies and Mentor backgrounds,
Garou of her Rank and lower. which the Master of the Rite can call on at will. These Back-
Master of Challenges ground dots are only available from the sept itself, and the
spirits aren’t as willing to aid a Ritemaster who spends too
(Sept Standing •••) much time away from the sept. The Master of the Rite is
Responsibilities: Given how prone the Garou are to known and greatly respected by the spirits of the sept, which
internal fighting and disputes of honor, the Master of Chal- grants him three extra dice to Social dice pools when dealing
lenges is possibly most important member of the sept. Her with the sept’s totems and local spirits.
responsibility is to oversee challenges of all kinds. She protects
the elders against distraction by meaningless challenges, and Wyrm Foe (Sept Standing •••)
is the first line of defense for young Garou against being Responsibilities: The Wyrm Foe’s responsibilities are
humiliated by their betters. The Master of Challenges must partly practical, partly ritual. At the end of each moot, the
be a powerful and respected Garou, with the strength of arm Wyrm Foe leads the sept in declaring its solidarity with the
and personality to enforce order on impassioned werewolves. Garou Nation and readiness to do battle with the Wyrm. More
Unlike other members of a sept’s judiciary, like the Truth- practically, the Wyrm Foe is the offensive counterpart of the
seeker or the Council of Elders, the Master of Challenges Warder, in charge of coordinating the sept’s packs in their
must remain at or near the sept at any time. When passions assaults against the Wyrm. When the sept needs to defend
run hot, sometimes only the rituals of Garou society stand itself, the Wyrm Foe works under the Warder to make sure
between a relatively normal conflict and a sudden frenzy that the sept’s packs are armed and positioned for defense,
that ends in tragedy. instead of offense. Because he must submit to the authority

26 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

of the Warder, the Wyrm Foe is seen as a position of lesser his sept. He also gains three extra dice to all Enigmas and
status, and many Wyrm Foes aspire to replace the Warder, Law dice pools when investigating a crime.
either by serving honorably and receiving a promotion when
the Warder steps down, or through scheming and challenges. Warder (Sept Standing ••••)
Benefits: The Wyrm Foe is the focus of the sept’s martial Responsibilities: The Warder is the highest military
fury and discipline. He urges the Garou to make use of their position in the Sept. The Wyrm Foe, martially inclined
inner beasts, but to do so constructively. All Garou who hear packs who follow her authority, and the Guardians all bow
the Wyrm Foe speak before a battle require an extra success to his authority. When the sept is under attack, the entire
on Rage rolls to give in to frenzy for the duration of the fight. community defers to the Warder to defend the safety of the
sept’s resources, including Kinfolk and other non-combat-
Truthcatcher ants. The Elders have final say, but the Warder is usually the
(Sept Standing ••••) first to declare martial law, suspending the laws of challenge
Responsibilities: The Truthcatcher is a combination in favor of uniting against a common foe. When the sept
judge and jury, charged with settling disputes between is not under immediate attack, the Warder coordinates the
members. In some septs, the Truthcatcher may also serve efforts of the Guardians and decides about how much of
as a lawyer, advising and representing Garou when they the sept’s military resources can be put at the Wyrm Foe’s
stand before the sept’s elders. The Truthcatcher needs to be disposal, and acts as the Elders’ second in command..
intelligent, persuasive, and possess an exhaustive knowledge The Warder can only rarely afford to leave the sept — no Garou
of the Litany. The Truthcatcher needs to hold court at every community can ever be completely sure that they are not about to
moot, and should make herself available at regular intervals be attacked — and when he does he usually deputizes his respon-
between moots, but need not be available at all times. Any sibilities to either the Wyrm Foe or his most veteran Guardian.
dispute that can’t wait a day or two is probably the domain Benefits: The Warder can bring a great deal of social
of the Master of Challenges, rather than the Truthcatcher. might to bear. In times of relative peace, the Warder is still
Benefits: Everyone wants to court the Truthcatcher’s a highly respected member of the community and enjoys a
favor, because no one knows when they might be called three-die bonus to all Social dice pools when dealing with
upon to defend themselves or stand in accusation of a Garou members of the sept. The Warder has nearly unlimited dis-
who has wronged them. The Truthcatcher has a three-die cretion to draw resources from the sept when need be. This
bonus to Social dice pools when dealing with the Garou of translates to a pool of three dots of the Fetish or Resources
 some septs there is an alpha and his second, in some just
an alpha, and in some large septs a council of seven, nine,
or even thirteen Elders makes decisions. In some septs, the
STACKING BONUSES Elders are representatives of tribes or major political factions.
In some septs, the Elders must be respected as warriors and
At first glance, this seems like a lot of bonuses
are mostly Ahroun, in others they must be mediators and are
stacked upon each other. Between pack totems, sept
overwhelmingly Philodox, and in others they are the sept’s
totems, Gifts, and the natural blessings of Garou
boldest and wisest shamans and magicians. Whatever the
biology, a werewolf can rack up a pretty impressive
case, one Elder holds the position of septleader.
set of abilities.
Benefits: The Elder is the leader of the sept. Her power
This is intentional because it reflects the Garou is only limited by the Litany itself and the power of the sept
way of war. An individual werewolf is a powerful foe, to unseat her if she proves herself corrupt or incompetent.
but a pack is even more so — especially if they are This translates as a +5 bonus to all Social dice pools when
bound together by the patronage of a totem spirit. dealing with the Garou, Kinfolk, and spirits of her sept.
An entire sept mobilized for war, packs fighting Even outsiders will accord an Elder great respect, granting a
alongside each other, is a rare and impressive sight. smaller (+3 dice) bonus to social dice pools. The Elder also
If the Garou can stack dice and dots upon each has the ability to marshal every resource the sept has at its
other, calling upon spirit allies and wielding pack disposal. The Elders can theoretically call upon every spirit
tactics, how can they lose? ally, financial resource, and fetish the sept has to offer. The
Storyteller should judge what is appropriate, since different
Firstly, their enemies have benefits, too. Pentex
sized septs have such radically different resources to offer.
is an enormous multinational corporation with
a private army of monsters and money to spare.
Black Spiral Dancers have pack totems, “sept”
totems, Gifts, and allies of their own. The Weaver Caerns
controls corporations as well and has several courts The heart of almost every sept is its caern. This is the
of subservient spirits, not to mention the entire sept’s sacred place, the focus of all sept rituals. This is where
weight of human civilization on her side. The the sept comes to celebrate its victories, mourn its dead, and
Garou are formidable, but their enemies are on a sanctify the turns of life’s wheel. Septs unlucky enough to
whole other scale. lack a caern are barely real septs, and usually do everything
Secondly, the Garou aren’t good at organizing in their power to find or build a proper caern. Caerns and
themselves. Septs don’t fall because all of these septs are so closely related that sometimes the terms are
benefits aren’t enough to keep them alive — they used interchangeably. Technically, however, “sept” refers to
fall because selfishness and pride keep them from a community of Garou living together, while their “caern”
uniting. Septs lose the patronage of their totem is the magical and spiritual center of the sept.
spirits, cast out their revolutionary leaders, and A caern has two parts: the bawn and the heart. The
pursue old grudges rather than uniting against a bawn is the majority of the caern’s area of influence, and
common foe. contains the memorial, the living area, the shrines, and the
assembly area. Garou consider a caern’s umbral reflection
just as much part of the bawn as its physical surroundings.
The bawn consists of everywhere under the caern’s
spiritual influence. In some septs, the edge of the bawn
backgrounds for personal use, provided he spends most also marks the outermost border of the sept; larger septs,
of his time in the sept. He can also draw on an additional however, may claim far more territory. In most rural caerns,
three dots to equip his Guardians or other packs under much of the bawn is a broad field with most of the trees
his command. The Storyteller should keep an eye on the and undergrowth cut away. This has the dual purpose of
resources the sept has on hand — no amount of authority providing the Garou with an open place to run and play, as
can cause a klaive or a cache of landmines to materialize well as limiting an attacker’s cover and making it easier for
where none existed before. a sept to erect defenses. In an urban caern, the bawn might
be a block or two with an unusually low crime rate and an
Elder (Sept Standing •••••) unusually high number of trees and small gardens. Some
Responsibilities: The Elders are the leaders of the sept, urban bawns are just the lobby of a single building, with
though what that means varies from one sept to another. In the caern itself somewhere above — or below — the ground.

28 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 The bawn is a spiritual region, as well as a physical lo- where the spirit world and the material world have achieved
cation. As a result, it might be separated from the outside a sort of primordial union. The caern’s heart is where the
world by natural boundaries, like a river or series of rocky Garou come to pray. When the caern is about to fall, this
outcroppings. In many cases, the sept marks the outer bound- is where they come to make their final stand, warriors of
ary of the bawn with fences, standing stones, or graffiti tags. Gaia until the end.
In the bawn the spiritual energies of the caern usually come Caern hearts are as varied as the caerns that surround
across as a vague feeling of peace and well-being, even in a them. The form of a caern’s heart always reflects the emotions
sept dedicated to a spirit of Glory. associated with the caern. A tiny sweat lodge that forms the
Almost all septs maintain a memorial in their bawn. heart of a caern of Glory might smell like blood and have
Although this area may be called “Graves of the Hallows walls decorated with weapons and grisly trophies, while
Heroes” or “Glade of the Honored Dead,” only a few septs the heart of a caern dedicated to Wisdom might be a glassy
can actually afford to inter their dead. Instead, most septs pool that sometimes seems to reflect the sky of the Umbra
honor their dead with memorials. These memorials can vary rather than the sky of the physical world. The emotion of the
wildly depending on a sept’s aesthetics and resources, from caern leaks into the minds of those who stand at its heart, a
statuary depicting the hero in his prime, to a climate-con- subtle influence at first that can build into powerful waves
trolled room where acid-free scrolls recall the life stories of emotion given enough time.
of the dead, to a forest clearing with simple Garou runes Hearts also have practical uses. The heart always has a
carved into the trees. very weak Gauntlet, making this an ideal place to summon
Most septs provide a separate living area so that as spirits, bind packs to totems, and craft fetishes. It is also the
many Garou and Kin wish to can live within the bawn. The safest place for the Pathstone used for opening moon bridge.
kind and quality of a sept’s living quarters vary wildly, from Most importantly, the heart of the caern is its link to
tents to cabins to grand rustic manors for rural caerns, and Gaia. If anything harms the heart, the entire caern will
seedy dives to small apartments to penthouse apartments wither; if the heart is tended and protected, the caern might
for urban caerns. Most communities interpret the Litany even grow. Some Garou believe that the connection flows
to mean that high-Rank Garou should also receive the best both ways, that if they feed the hearts of their caerns, Gaia
housing. Depending on the needs and culture of the sept, will become stronger. Even those who disagree usually lack
the living area may also include other structures dedicated to the conviction to voice their thoughts — who can argue with
the practical needs of life, including kitchens, dining halls, keeping the heart of the caern healthy and strong?
an infirmary, a library, a practice field, and more. The Umbral reflection of the caern is a strange place.
Most caerns have many shrines to the sept’s various spirit Usually, the Umbra is an idealized version of the physical
patrons, including at least one dedicated to the sept’s totem world. In a caern, however, the spiritual is an almost perfect
spirits. Many septs also honor the totems of the tribes that mirror of the physical. In the caern heart, almost everything
make up the sept’s population, as well as the totem spirits that could contain an awakened spirit does. Some Garou
of the sept’s packs. A few septs go so far as to build shrines find the spiritual clamor unnerving, but most find it more
to other members of the local spirit courts, including their like returning to a place where everyone speaks your own
totem’s allies and underlings. Some caerns gather all their language after a long time abroad — busy, but comfortable.
shrines into one place, while others have many small shrines
hidden all over. In old caerns, the shrines can be somewhat Sept Totems
mysterious, honoring spirits that no one Garou in the sept Much like packs, septs have totem spirits. The sept’s
recalls. Wise septs continue to worship at these shrines, totem spirit rests inside the caern, basking in its spiritual
making guesses as to which offerings will please their spirits; energies, and can be called forth by the Master of the Rite
less thoughtful septs let these shrines fall into disrepair. to give advice, act as the sept’s emissary to the spirit courts,
The living area of a sept always includes some kind of lay his blessing upon the sept’s packs, or even fight on the
public assembly area. Some smaller septs just repurpose sept’s behalf.
one of the living structures, clearing room in the center of Mechanically, sept totems are similar to pack totems, with
the dining hall by pulling chairs and tables to one side or three special considerations. Firstly, when the caern is opened,
simply gathering in a likely part of the bawn. Other septs the totem spirit can grant bonuses to the members of the sept.
have a special area dedicated to meetings, like a natural am- Sept totems bless the entire sept, granting Common Traits to
phitheater. Usually a central feature, like a large flat stone every member of the sept and Pack Traits to packs. When a
or tree stump, or ancient fire circle, acts as a focal point. sept blesses a pack, every member of the pack enjoys the bonus.
The most important part of the caern is its heart. This Unlike pack totems, sept totems can divide their bonus dice up
is the epicenter of the caern’s spiritual power, the place among packs. For example, as a sept totem, Boar grants every
Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 29
Garou in the sept a dot of Stamina, and can furthermore grant a sacrifice to attract the spirit’s attention. Then, one or
single pack two dots of Brawl, or two different packs one dot of more champions acting on the sept’s behalf proves their
Brawl each. Bans and benefits related to Renown don’t apply to worth with a display of strength or skill. A sept hoping
every member of the sept, but they do have narrative effects. For to attract the attention of a Totem of War might pit its
example, a sept dedicated to Bear has a mixed reputation, and champion against a captured Bane in ritual combat, while
its members might need to work a little harder to earn Honor a sept attempting to woo a Totem of Respect might per-
Renown, but they don’t actually lose five points of Honor or form a play commemorating an ancient Garou victory. A
reduce all Honor awards by one. Totem of Wisdom or Cunning, on the other hand, might
Sept totems are also willing to do battle alongside their be impressed by a ritualized debate on arcane details of
Garou, either materializing to fight in the physical world or the Litany. Finally, if the rite is successful, it ends with a
fighting in the Umbra. The Storyteller should design the sept second, even larger thanksgiving sacrifice and a celebration
totem as a spirit with (fifteen plus twice the Caern’s Rating) honoring the sept’s new totem.
points divided between Gnosis, Rage, and Willpower, and the System: Although the champions and the sacrifice are
following Charms: Materialize, Open Moon Bridge, Peek, Realm necessary components, only the ritemaster needs to roll. This
Sense, and a number of additional Charms equal to the Caern ritual must be performed in the presence of an opened caern
Rating. Thanks to their long association with the Garou, sept (see W20 p. 206). A sept can only have one totem at a time;
totems are very likely to employ spirit versions of Garou Gifts. this ritual automatically fails if the caern is already occupied.
The sept can only summon their totem once per lunar
month, and the totem’s blessing normally only lasts for a single
night, though a pitched battle may cause the spirit to extend its
Totems of Respect
influence for longer. Sept totems cannot simultaneously bless the Falcon
sept’s packs and fight alongside them. When it is summoned, As a sept totem, Falcon demands unity, valor, and honor.
the totem choses whether to manifest as a combatant or to Septs dedicated to Falcon are marked by just and fair lead-
bless the sept’s warriors, though most totems chose to honor ership, though they are also stiff and devoted to hierarchy.
the requests of the Master of the Rite, Wyrm Foe, or Warder.
Common Traits: Falcon’s children all gain the Truth
Sept totems don’t have Bans in the same way as pack
of Gaia Gift when Falcon is summoned.
totems. The presence of so many Garou makes it nearly
Pack Traits: When Falcon lays his blessing upon the
impossible for the spirit to be cognizant of all their choices
at all times. Instead, the Ban applies to the sept as a whole, sept, he can divide three dots of Leadership and four dots
a sort of “guiding principle” of the sept. If the sept acts of Willpower among its packs.
against its guiding principals then they will not be able to Ban: Septs dedicated to Falcon must maintain an
summon their totem for a lunar month. If a sept makes a Honorable reputation in the eyes of other Garou. If Falcon
habit of violating their principals, their spirit will eventually ever withdraws his support, he will only return if the sept’s
abandon them. At that point, they must work the Rite of leaders perform an act of heroism in his name… or die trying.
the Guardian Spirit or the caern will wither.
Almost every pack totem detailed in the W20 rulebook and
Grandfather Thunder
supplements could be an appropriate sept totem. The additional Grandfather Thunder is a patient and subtle totem.
totems described below embody themes that are not appropriate His septs act swiftly and decisively, and their leaders do not
to individual packs. Instead, these spirits act exclusively as the tolerate dissent.
totems of entire septs. As such, they have Common Traits in Common Traits: Every member of a sept dedicated to
place of the Individual Traits of pack totems. Grandfather Thunder gains two bonus dice to Intimidation
When creating a sept, the players and Storyteller may rolls.
choose any totem spirit that best suits their needs and is Pack Traits: Grandfather Thunder can distribute three
most compatible with the sept’s character and type, rather points of Etiquette to his sept’s packs.
than to the individuals of a pack. The Storyteller can still Ban: Grandfather Thunder demands that his septs’
request an explanation why an avatar of Fenris might be the leaders are Garou of action, rather than words. He will
totem of a caern of healing support them as long as they lead from the front and earn
Rite of The Guardian Spirit the respect they demand from their septs and abandon them
if they rest on their laurels.
Level Four Mystic Rite
This rite binds a spirit to a sept, making it into the Standing Stone
sept’s totem. The details of this rite vary depending on Standing Stone is an old and respected totem. He
the spirit. However, the rite always begins with a lavish was born with some of the earliest human civilizations.
30 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
Standing Stone represents the desire of a community to
come together and create something eternal. Patient and
uncompromising, Standing Stone represents the desire for
immortality through great works.
Common Traits: Standing Stone’s children are as
durable as the earth itself — they gain a point of Stamina.
Pack Traits: Packs that attract Standing Stone’s personal
attention can share three dots of Crafts and an extra two dice
to all soak rolls.
Ban: In order to attract Standing Stone, the sept must come
together to create an impressive feat of architecture. The feat is
more important than the actual result, so a sept that erects a
menhir using stone age techniques is as valid as a sept that builds
and designs a skyscraper with modern tools. The sept must
keep this monument in good repair and boast of it to visitors.

Totems of War
Rat
Rat is a totem of asymmetrical warfare, the master of
hit-and-run attacks, stealth, and sabotage. His septs work
mercilessly to weaken their enemies one step at a time,
then overwhelm them. They fight viciously in defense of
their own territory.
Septs dedicated to Rat often find it easier to coexist
with the local Ratkin population.
Common Traits: Members of Rat’s septs subtract one
from the difficulty of all bite rolls, as well as roles involving
the Stealth ability or otherwise remaining quiet and unseen.
Pack Traits: Rat can distribute five Willpower points
among his sept’s packs.
Ban: Septs dedicated to Rat cannot do anything to
kill or drive away rats that nest in the caern.
Wasp
Wasps are dispassionate creatures, working together to
hold territory and drive out invaders. Wasp is a totem of
cooperation. She demands that Garou followers emulate her
children: tireless, harmonious, and vicious in defense what
is theirs. Because female wasps rule the nest, Black Furies
have a certain fondness for this totem.
Common Traits: When she is invoked, Wasp grants
all her children the Mental Speech Gift, though it can only
be used to communicate with septmates.
Pack Traits: A pack that is imbued with Wasp’s blessing
deals an extra point of damage with all unarmed attacks.
The pack’s unarmed attacks deal lethal damage even in
Homid form. The pack also gains the effects of the Resist
Toxin Gift.
Ban: Wasp will abandon a sept if it is riven by internal
strife. She also asks that her followers sing while they work.
Totems of Wisdom
Common Traits: Septs dedicated to Cockroach subtract two
from all difficulties involving computers, electricity, and applied
science. They have the power to perceive the content of data
Chimera streams in the Umbra, including cellphone calls and information
As a sept totem, Chimera seeks to build communities travelling through the Internet, with a difficulty 6 Gnosis roll.
dedicated to learning and introspection. Chimera’s septs Pack Traits: When Cockroach is summoned, he can divide
often have some way of recording and protecting the wisdom three bonus dice among the packs he blesses. Those bonus
accumulated by their members over the years. They always dice apply to any roll to activate a Gift that effects technology.
have many secluded spots where Garou can find a moment Ban: Septs dedicated to Cockroach cannot do anything
for quiet and contemplation. to kill or drive away cockroaches that nest in the caern.
Common Traits: Chimera’s septs subtract two from
the difficulty of all rolls involving riddles, dream interpre-
Dog
tation, and other enigmas. They have the power to disguise Dog is a humble spirit who represents the power of co-
themselves as other beings in the Umbra with a difficulty operation and adaptability. Dogs have thrived by becoming
7 Gnosis roll. mankind’s companion, working alongside mankind to both
Pack Traits: When Chimera is summoned, she can species’ benefits. Septs that follow Dog stress harmony over
divide three points of Enigmas and one point of Perception everything else. Some of the wilder tribes — especially the
among the packs she chooses to bless. Red Talons — disdain Dog as a sell-out, but more patient
Garou understand that Dog’s ultimate victory has been to
Ban: Septs dedicated to Chimera must seek enlighten-
teach compassion to humanity.
ment above all things.
Common Traits: Dog can grant all of his children an
Cockroach extra point of Stamina and an extra point of Survival.
Cockroach is the patron of many urban septs. He is Pack Traits: A pack that receives Dog’s special blessing
hardy and adaptable, always watching and waiting for the gain a pool of three Willpower points and an extra two-die
ideal moment to act. bonus when they use Pack Tactics.

32 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 Ban: Septs must grant sanctuary to wild dogs, allowing himself too seriously will be the subject tricks and traps until
them free run of the bawn. he learns his lesson.
Unicorn Common Traits: When Fox is summoned, he grants
all his children one dot of Manipulation.
Unicorn embodies the all-encompassing love of Gaia. She Pack Traits: Fox can divide two dots of Stealth, Street-
is a totem of peace, healing, and harmony. Septs dedicated wise, and Subterfuge among his sept’s packs.
to Unicorn are harmonious places, by Garou standards,
Ban: Septs must grant sanctuary to wild foxes, allowing
with less infighting than a typical sept and a pervading
them free run of the bawn.
atmosphere of calm.
Common Traits: Unicorn’s children move at twice their Hidden Glade
normal speed in the Umbra. They also subtract two from Hidden Glade represents the secret beauty of Gaia. Even
all difficulties involving healing and empathy, but add two as the Wyrm and Weaver overwhelm the world, Gaia’s beauty
to all difficulties to harm other Garou (except Black Spiral survives. Life blooms in blasted warzones, humans include
Dancers and others tainted by the Wyrm). parks in their biggest cities, and small glades and springs
Pack Traits: Unicorn may distribute three bonus dice escape the notice of developers and despoilers. Among the
among the packs of her sept. These bonus dice apply to most precious of Gaia’s hidden redoubts are her caerns,
Gifts of healing, strength, and protection. and Hidden Glade’s avatars are more than happy to dwell
Ban: Septs dedicated to Unicorn must aid the weak in such places.
and exploited, though they must avoid accidentally aiding Common Traits: Hidden Glade grants his children an
the Wyrm when they do so. extra dot of Gnosis. Garou blessed by Hidden Glade add

Totems of Cunning one to the number of successes necessary on a Rage roll to

succumb to frenzy.
Pack Traits: When Hidden Glade graces a pack with
Fox his presence they gain the Territory Gift.
Fox’s septs use stealth, sabotage, and other dirty tricks Ban: Hidden Glade’s septs must work tirelessly to found
to protect themselves and attack their foes. They tend to more septs and build more caerns.
play fast and loose with hierarchy, and any Garou who takes

Chapter One: Life Among the Warriors 33

 Chapter Two:
Weaver

You didn’t catch me in the middle of anything important, steel connected by asphalt veins. That’s mostly metaphorical,
cub, I can talk. but I’ve seen enough different types of cities to question how
Yes, I’m aware you are not a child. But you’re here because long it remains a metaphor. Cities are growing and aging
you have something to learn. I am older than you, although and renewing things. They consume and they excrete and
probably not as old as you expected when someone told you they can even die.
to ‘go talk to the Stargazer bivouacking on the far side of the The City is the place of the Weaver; her webs cover the
fire pit.’ Were you expecting to snatch a pebble from my hand? buildings and she no more wants them disturbed than a
If you’re too young to get the reference, then I have mundane spider wants you to dust the corner where it has
every right to call you ‘cub.’ Now let’s talk. I don’t know been catching flies. When you peek into the Umbra, you
how much time we have so let’s get this started. can see it in some places. The Weaver’s web is more than just
No, another time wouldn’t be better. I don’t stay in the strands of spirit-stuff connecting a pair of skyscrapers.
one place long. So let’s see how far we go today because Cities are made up of people as much as buildings and those
tomorrow I might not be here. I’m not dying, but I tend to people are using Weaver-webs to communicate like they were
travel as the whim takes me. tin cans with string.
Someone sent you to me for my perspective, I’d guess.
I’m an outsider, you see. Wiser elders understand that some The World Wide Web
of their number might be... complacent regarding the lessons The Internet connects humanity in a way that was
you have to learn. So they send you to me for an alternate unthinkable 20 or even 15 years ago. The net was originally built
viewpoint. Worst-case scenario, they get to ‘set the record for sharing research across physical distance and has become
straight’ later. a place where most humans get their news, meet each other,
I’m Shallow-Tracks, Stargazer Galliard and perpetual and seek out entertainment. Their scientists say that the way
wanderer. I’m here to learn new and interesting things to our brains store information is changing because of it. We’re
pass on to other Garou. becoming worse at remembering and better at indexing. Not to
You are here to learn about the city. No, not this city, be alarmist, but you know what else generally has streamlined
the City — urban life, with organs of concrete and glass and its thought processes to look up what it needs to know?

Chapter Two: Weaver 35

 Pattern-Spiders. They’re the most common of the Sites like Facebook allow humans and Garou to
Weaver’s drone-like spirits. They exist to enforce those coordinate with each other at unprecedented levels — and
frameworks and most of them are parts of a hive-mind for every page dedicated to celebrities or video games there
feeding off a central database. A Theurge can fill you in on is one where activists and passionate humans are arranging
the details of their communication if you want to work out protests to improve the world around them. Twitter allows a
a way to disrupt it.. pay-as-you-go cell phone to broadcast messages to the world,
Sure, the Glass Walkers could probably store every tale and Youtube hosts footage to show everyone exactly what
their Galliards have ever told on a gizmo small enough to happens. Results vary, but that sort of visibility keeps some
dangle from an earring. Most Garou prefer to tell and sing people in line and inspires others. I’ve seen a lot of good
these tales passing them from muzzle to ear so the actual come of these networks in my travels.
telling of the tale is an event, something more impressive than
just knowing which file name to reference. What would you What It’s All For
rather be proud of: being able to speak your ancestors’ deeds The drive to protect one’s territory from invaders and
from memory with strength and conviction, or having a large oppressors is powerful, and anything that threatens that
library of stories that you’ve never so much as read? drive riles up the people in power. Once upon a time, a
Of course, I doubt that the sept elders sent you to me man would fight for change in his country by taking up
to get a lesson in how the Internet is a bad thing. Unless arms against his corrupt leaders. But we have gone far from
they wanted to make sure you heard an opinion from muskets and cannons; a military on the defensive can mow
someone who doesn’t take it all for granted, in which case down resistance like a scythe through wheat. Fighting back
they have proven their wisdom after all. We must consider against such a force without killing even more innocent
all possibilities, these days. For instance, there is the likely people than the tools of oppression is nigh impossible.
possibility that it’s not all bad. We have our claws, our physical strength, and the
Yes, I know I just got a little worked up and went off blessings of the spirits to aid us in these struggles. Those
on a little rant about the dangers of the Internet. But it without must rely on communication, diplomacy, and
is still a tool like any other and even a simple sharpened bureaucracy to improve their lot, and it’s heartening to see
blade carries the Weaver’s touch. The original purpose of how well they make up for it. Weaver-tools or not, they use the
the ‘net — sharing valuable information with people not in Internet to coordinate public protests, resist the suppression
the room — remains as useful to us as ever. All manner of of information, and get the message out to the world. When
social networks exist for this purpose. the Egyptian government shut down Internet access to stifle
36 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
the protestors, people in other countries provided phone whether the world has sped up to justify the technology
numbers for old-fashioned dial-up modems to get messages because they’ve become so dependent on it.
out. Even the Glass Walkers didn’t see that coming. This is where we get into moderation. When used for
This is, as the old saying goes, an interesting time. For positive ends, the ability to reach dozens if not hundreds of
as much as people have pushed for progress and even seen people wherever they are and put them all on a task or share
substantial levels of success, those who resist such progress information is an amazing one. But falling into the habit of
have pushed back even harder. The Internet may have given living your life around the little box in your pocket is little more
a voice to the people but it has also given a voice to hate- than an easy way of attaching yourself to a spider silk puppet
mongers and oppressors who feed the Wyrm to keep their string. It turns social interaction into a machine. A very efficient
own pockets lined and egos stuffed. machine, perhaps, but who knows what that machine is doing?
When someone asks if using the Weaver’s tools in service In fact, that reminds me of a story...
of Gaia is ignoring a bigger problem, a sadly common — and not

Pittsburgh
entirely incorrect — answer is that it’s necessary when those same
tools are used in service of the Wyrm. Enemies of progress use
the Internet to build armies fueled by hateful hyperbole. The My most recent visit to Pittsburgh was right after
best way to fight back is to strip away their smiling facades. It’s Halloween 2009. This was, oh, five or six weeks after the
an arms race of information itself and I for one am thankful that G-20 Summit. The president picked Pittsburgh specifically
it is not our only means of protecting Gaia. because ‘Steel City’ bounced back quickly when the economic
Sometimes it seems that we only have one advantage over prospects of most of the country went right down the spiral.
the victims of the Weaver’s control and the Wyrm’s corruption. You could do worse for a big economic summit.
Everyone who fights with us knows that we’re fighting a battle My first contact with Pittsburgh’s Garou set the tone
and what that battle is for. A school administrator who cuts for my trip. A Glass Walker calling himself Works-the-Lines
art classes for standardized testing doesn’t know he’s helping with whom I spoke before arriving told me to meet him at a
to build the Weaver’s preferred people. The convenience park that, as luck would have it, was only a few blocks from
store manager who accepts an absurd discount to let Kings the bus station.
Distilleries take over more shelf space doesn’t know he’s selling
It had been a long time since I was last in an American
Wyrm-poison. They’re not doing this out of any passion to
city. The ‘park’ turned out to be a handful of trees and a
strip children of creative outlets or sell liquid corruption and
fountain on the roof of an underground parking garage.
they don’t have the dedication that we have when we serve I’m not one to curse cities in general but I had hoped
Gaia and strengthen the Wyld. for something more, something that at least aspired to
We should remember the importance of our devotion wilderness. The route refreshed my memory of urban life,
because it’s a spark of the Wyld within us, but we should taking me through a typical city in a microcosm; over the
also remember that not all of these people need to be slain course of only a few blocks I passed by greasy spoon diners,
in the name of Gaia. It’s important to know, as in all things, adult bookstores, neighborhood dive bars, and no less than
how far is too far. three skyscrapers all in the shadow of the U.S. Steel Tower.
The Weaver’s Tools I was standing in this park of which the city is so proud
— they claim it as early adoption of the ‘green roofs’ trend —
Let me show you an example of the importance of when Works-the-Lines arrived. He worked in the Regional
moderation. Let me see your cell phone. Enterprise Tower, a building with outer walls made entirely
Yes, you’ve seen through my cunning ruse: my point is of aluminum right next to the park.
that I knew you have one. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, So here he was, showing me around the office that
as I have one of my own. It’s not one that plays games and contained the large pack that managed the Tin Tower
identifies a song playing on the radio, but it’s also not one that Caern, and–
tracks my movements or broadcasts my personal information. Of course you can have a caern in a skyscraper! Have
What I’m getting at is that you can assume almost anyone you learned nothing? They tend to be rather weak, the
who doesn’t have a smartphone knows someone who does. ‘bawn’ usually consists of extra floors rented as a buffer
The cell phone has become the new pocket watch; ask what zone. Soundproofed meeting rooms ensure that moots don’t
time it is and everyone checks their phone. Having the ability cause a problem, but the same can’t be said for revels. Urban
to reach out and contact someone at a moment’s notice is caerns perform all of the same functions of a more traditional
useful, especially in the pace of today’s world, but it’s reached caern. I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned this to you. For a
a point where most of the humans in any given group have long time, few tribes outside the Glass Walkers would spend
an uplink to the web in their pocket. Few of them question any effort on one, but that’s changed in the last few years.
Chapter Two: Weaver 37
This is one of the oldest in America — its name originated
as mockery from other tribes, but the sept embraced it as a
badge of honor. In big cities, you take what you can get and
every caern is important. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. THE CITY FATHER
He showed me around the office, which was a pretty Three-River Rat, Bone Gnawer Ragabash, addresses
standard cubicle farm aside from glyphs scratched into the a common question regarding Pittsburgh’s City Father:
fabric walls of the cubicles and computer casings. We were
in his office to get phone numbers of Pittsburgh Garou he Nobody’s ever found any evidence about whether
thought I should meet when someone poking their head in Joe existed even in the folklore before he popped up in
to say “It happened again” interrupted us. Naturally curious, a newspaper article back in ‘31. Some folks think he was
I asked what ‘it’ was. either made up by the steelworkers or the reporter that
shared the story. It don’t help much that ‘Magarac’ could
Some unknown source was telling groups of humans,
translate as ‘jackass.’ I only say that because nobody’s
via messages on their cell phones, to go up to the roof of
quite sure as to whether the City Father took his form
the U.S. Steel Tower. Given how many of them followed
because of the stories or whether he appeared as some
the instruction the sept suspected just a bit of supernatural
sorta... oh, what’s the word... archetype and some
coercion involved. It wasn’t overtly sinister because it was just
humans from the ‘old country’ who caught a glimpse
directing them to the roof where nothing at all happened to
started making up stories to explain him.
them. Nothing connected the people involved other than
they were downtown when someone messaged the entire I will say this, though. When the Magarac
group at once. The police assumed it was just some prankster stories went around, the workers took it as a badge
and the sept thought likewise — with the addition that it was of pride. Even came up with sort of a ‘donkey ears’
likely a supernatural one. gesture to use with each other. And I think, in part,
My curiosity inadvertently revived an argument among that it sums up Pittsburgh all too well: A city that
the pack about theories involving techno-wizards and rogue finds its strength in places that some would find
Pattern-Spiders. I broke it up as politely as I could by asking embarrassing or even dirty. As a Gnawer and a
what the city’s other packs thought. Works-the-Lines told Metis, I’ve got untold amounts of respect for that.
me that they hadn’t checked since everyone knew his pack Just ask the Glass Walkers at the Tin Tower Caern,
was taking point and would certainly tell them. After some I think they understand.
chitchat I thanked them for their hospitality, took the list
of phone numbers, and excused myself to get something to
eat with a promise to let them know if anything came to me.
One of them recommended a Pan-Asian restaurant in Even from the Umbra I could clearly see the borders
North Oakland, a neighborhood centered on the Cathedral between the prosperous parts of town and the run-down areas.
of Learning. It was a bit of a hike so I made the trip in the Steel and shiny glass stood right up against rusted slums that
Umbra to get a better feel of the spiritual landscape and also hadn’t seen the benefits of Pittsburgh’s economic health.
to take the Lupus form for speed and insulation against the No border or buffer more substantial than a line on a map
damp weather. Each city’s Penumbra is different and I highly separated these very different parts of the city.
recommend stepping across for at least a few minutes in any city Banes scuttled through the webs, more that I’d expected.
where you have time to linger. That said, the thickness of the Some looked like mutant spiders, belching diesel fumes and
urban Gauntlet means it’s sometimes easier said than done. smoke. I wondered if these might be corrupted Weaver-spirits,
I passed through a less-affluent neighborhood with many but they gathered in enough numbers that I did not want to
run-down buildings old enough to have substance in the get too close I returned to two legs and found a place near
Umbra. Strands of Weaver-web stretched from structure to my destination to step back across unmolested. As I entered
structure like phone lines and the whole area bore marks of the restaurant I dropped a few dollars into the cup of the
the city’s identity. The webs resembled steel cable and rust panhandler on the front steps, and while waiting for food
flecked the walls of buildings. The U.S. Steel Tower was I left a message for a Child of Gaia Ahroun named ‘Duck
a monolith of ominous matte-black steel, looming visibly and Cover’ at another caern in the city.
even when other buildings should be in the way. Newer He called back as I was on my way out of the restaurant.
skyscrapers appeared as translucent facades, like dotted A different panhandler was out there in the same spot with
lines indicating where a building would one day be, but the the same cup and I shared with him what change I had left
Tower was important enough to Pittsburgh that it was as a over. My attempt to get directions from Duck and Cover
tree towering over high grass. became awkward acceptance of a ride in his pickup. Hays

38 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

Woods, the largest piece of undeveloped land in the area, held
its own caern called — appropriately enough — the Hays Woods
Caern. My host regaled me of how he had found a believed-lost
bomb shelter, originally for the use of a nearby ammunition
factory some decades back, which was put to the use of the caern
and inspired his deed name.
The 630-something acres, despite having to fend off interest
from developers and mining companies, provided a good bit
of undisturbed space for a cosmopolitan mix of tribes beyond
Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers. Unsurprisingly, it was a much
stronger caern than the ones nestled amongst the steel, glass, and
brick of the city and surprisingly traditional given the location.
That said, the high Bone Gnawer population and the caern’s
dedication to a totem of the American Dream marked it as a
‘city’ caern nonetheless.
While being introduced around I discreetly asked about the
impulse sending groups of people up to the roof of the tower. While
nobody at the caern had witnessed the phenomenon first-hand,
the Bone Gnawers had an extensive network of informants among
the homeless population. The information let them put together
a map of the spots where these impromptu flocks of people had
simultaneously pulled out their cell phones, read a message, and
walked towards the U.S. Steel Tower like zombies.
The sept at the Tin Tower Caern, earlier, showed me a map on
a touchscreen monitor where I could tap a marker for an incident
and see the time and date of the event with links to detailed files.
It was extremely efficient. The Bone Gnawers of Hays Woods,
conversely, had a road map from a gas station covered in scribbled
notes and food stains. The information on both maps was the
same, although this one also had assorted glyphs and markers
scrawled in places indicating traditional stomping grounds and
informal territory claimed by hobos in the city. While less efficient
than Works-the-Lines’ map, it indicated the Bone Gnawers’
information network — more chaotic, but just as detailed, as any
professional surveillance web.
What caught my attention was not the clumping of incidents
along a particular stretch of blocks, running from the U.S. Steel
Tower to a spot on Sixth Avenue, but a sketch at the far end of that
stretch. It depicted a shirtless, muscular man ladling something
from a vat. I asked what the sketch signified. Duck and Cover
saw my look of ignorance, and explained.
“Joe Magarac is a local folk hero from the 30’s and the City
Father of Pittsburgh,” Clang-Bang, a Bone Gnawer Galliard,
explained. “Like a local John Henry.”
“They say he was born in an ore mine to help the Slavic
steelworkers,” Duck and Cover chimed in. “And that he was
physically made of steel. That spot on the map is an image of
him on a building on Sixth Avenue.”
“Where is the City Father normally seen?” I asked. “Has
anyone asked what he thinks of this?”
Of course, normally, a pack or even a sept can’t summon
a City Father or Mother. They appear when they feel the city
is suffering some sort of crisis. Sometimes one sees a crisis “Because the people don’t understand what they should
before we do or it is simply having trouble coping with be seeing,” the Bone Gnawer said. “But maybe we can work
an upheaval. My instincts suggested that, given that the together to do something about that?”
activity was stretched between an image of Magarac and the “If you can, I would be very grateful. We must work
Tower (which boasts a statue of him in the lobby), he would together to help make this building — and the city — as great
definitely have an interest. as it can be. To begin, I give you a simple task. Build me
Works-The-Lines agreed to meet me on the roof of the something here. Not just a statue or a monument, something
Tower with a pair of Glass Walker Theurges who worked with a function, something people can use. If you do that,
in the building. The Gnawer Galliard I met earlier was an I would be in your debt.”
expert on the lore of the city’s industrial past, so Duck and Even if he’s having trouble keeping up with what
Cover got him some clean clothes so he could join us at the human advances can do, like a number of City Fathers and
Tower without drawing too many stares. Mothers these days, the gratitude and benefits of pleasing
Duck and Cover introduced Clang-Bang and me to the a City Father can echo for years. Last I heard, they’re still
Glass Walkers. Both were slightly confused as to what we working on that little project for Big Joe Magarac but
were doing up on the roof. I asked them all to join me in the they’ve got someone working on making a memorial garden
Umbra with promises of explanation once we were through and observation deck up there. Works-the-Lines tells me
the Gauntlet. Stepping across was an ordeal, as thick as the he thinks that Joe’s influence may help them get better
Gauntlet was, but I pushed through. A truth spirit taught business inroads in U.S. Steel Tower. Even if it doesn’t
me how to reflect upon myself to get by without, but the always look like it, Pittsburgh’s influence in the humans’
Walkers all pulled out their smartphones to use the screen economic landscape is an important one, and whatever
as a mirror — remember that trick, by the way. you think of such things, you can’t deny that importance
The broad, triangular roof of the building seemed in the bigger picture.
broader at first, an optical illusion from the webs stretching This reminds me, though, of another City Father with
off the edges of the roof to reach buildings below. The view identity issues.
was breathtaking even in the Umbra, but we had little time

Shanghai
to take it in because the hulking form sitting at the edge of
the roof immediately drew our attention.
The steel man, wearing a factory worker’s coveralls, was They say Stargazers walk in two worlds even more than
easily the size of one of us in the Crinos form. He heard our other Garou. Which is true — we seek balance with our
approach and stood up to greet us. Though he looked pleased human sides as much as our wolf sides and try to embrace
to see us, I thought I noted a hint of repressed sadness in the both the West and the East. I understand that a little more
shine of his metallic skin. than most. The Stargazers adopted me, but I find myself
One of the Theurges, Diane, glanced at me before occasionally having to reconcile my more traditional Gaian
addressing the City Father. upbringing with my years spent learning the Middle Way.
“Is there something we can do for you?” she asked. My late mentor, Lotus-on-the-River, always assured me
“I thought they were going to do something with this.” that I am always what I was meant to be but sometimes
His accent suggested an integrated Slavic immigrant — or an the contrast between us made me feel like I stand out at
English speaker’s rough approximation of such. He made a those rare Stargazer gatherings.
sweeping gesture with his arm to indicate the empty rooftop. I explain this to help give you an idea of just how
“They said they were going to build something here, and I alienated I feel whenever I visit Shanghai. Lotus-on-the-
think it should be done. This building — my tower — was once River had family there so I visit at least once a year to
something glorious, but the world has forgotten it and must pay my respects to his Kinfolk in the area. They cared for
be reminded of what it can be. I want them to see it again.” him deeply but it still confuses them that he would take
The Glass Walkers all looked at each other, confused. a meiguoren — an American — as his pupil, especially one
Clang-Bang stepped up and cleared his throat for attention. who doesn’t speak the local dialect. Lotus only taught me
“Nobody with the money to do anything about it can Beijing Mandarin and while it is more generally useful
agree what to do with the roof, Big Joe. But you’re right, elsewhere and is enough to get by, in Shanghai it makes
more people should see it. That’s why you’ve been bringing me stand out more than I already do. I do have a Gift that
them up here, isn’t it?” could allow me to get around the language barrier but it
“I saw that if you send the messages on their little phones, still doesn’t do anything about my accent and I’d rather
you can get the people to go places and that will bring the news not become reliant on it.
crews,” he said with a slow nod. “So why isn’t it working?” But I was telling you about the City Fathers.

40 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 These days, what do the Garou call a powerful spiritual learn just how bad it was until later, though.
entity that watches over a city and helps represent it? Right, I first viewed it in the Umbra, called the Mirror Lands
a City Father. Well, in older times every Chinese city by Asian shifters. The Umbra is normally so vibrant there,
had a god watching over it, often the spirit of a deceased almost appearing alive from the energy of the humans
official or soldier who received a promotion to the celestial who work and pray in the area. Even with the Chinese
bureaucracy. Important cities, prefectural capitals and the government’s grip on the country helping to layer on the
like, would have temples for the worship of their city gods Weaver’s webs, a well-tended shrine is still a holy place
and Shanghai was more than important enough that it and the contrast between the Weaver and Wyld energies
received one. While this is an aspect of history now relegated produces an effect like an aurora. That’s how it should
to mythology, the Garou know the truth behind it. look, anyhow.
While not every city today has a City Father, the cities I approached the temple in the Umbra and found the
of China used to each have several gods. Most of the City site under siege. Black Spiral Dancers and Pattern-Spiders
God Temples were destroyed or repurposed as part of a were both clambering over the building, fighting each other.
campaign of ‘casting out the old ways and moving forward There was no way I was going to dive into that hornet’s
as a country,’ but Shanghai’s still stands. Even today it still nest alone even if I knew the specifics of the situation.
venerates three historical heroes. Daoist priests care for it. I dropped into the Lupus form and took off running
Shanghai’s City Father appears as a composite of before they saw me. I hadn’t been there in a while but the
government officials and magistrates from the country’s Five Constants Court was maybe a couple of minutes away
history. Today he answers to ‘The General,’ as the youngest on all fours even with dodging through the streets between
city god was a general killed in the First Opium War back the buildings of Shanghai’s Old City. The court operates
in 1842. But every now and again, he forgets that the out of an old Confucian temple that was renovated back
old dynasties have fallen and for a little while one must in the 90’s. It also hosts a book market today, but they’ve
indulge his anachronistic lapses. He does not lapse often, held on to the site too long to give it up.
but twice now he has refused to aid werewolves because I stopped outside the front gate and quickly howled
they do not know ancient rituals of praise that locals have for help before returning to the Homid form. It was mere
long forgotten. moments before a pair of shark-like monstrous guardians
Shanghai is a very cosmopolitan and chaotic city, owing appeared, armored and carrying spears. Were they some
in part to its continued importance in international trade. Wyrm-creatures? No. You must remember that the Beast
It’s one of the wealthiest cities in the world and one of the Courts have many strange Changing Breeds among their
largest, balancing communist and capitalist concerns and number. In this case I called upon the spirit of speech to
thriving by that balancing act. France owned a portion of make my words clearer. I explained the situation whereupon
Shanghai until World War II and much of the Western I was ushered to a ‘waiting room’ of sorts while a sentai — a
architecture in that district remains, serving as a tourist war party, not unlike a pack — went to investigate my claims.
trap and the home of St. Ignatius Cathedral. A few minutes after arriving, one of the Kitsune fox-
The Beast Courts, a melting pot of different Changing shifters entered the room with some tea. Under the guise of
Breeds, are the predominant force in the city. The Boli pleasantries she introduced herself as Luo Wá and politely
Zousizhe — the Hong Kong ‘branch’ of the Glass Walkers interrogated me as to where I’d come from, my purpose in
— maintain a presence there, as do the Stargazers and a town, how long I was staying — it was like going through
single pack of Fianna from Beijing. customs at the airport again, only more polite. I told her
Yes, Fianna. They’re descended from Celtic and Dutch the truth and even did so without Gifts so she wouldn’t
traders that intermarried with the locals and brought with think I was attempting to deceive her. Fortunately for me
them a recessive gene for red hair. The bloodline is known, the reputation of my mentor still lingered even now and
appropriately enough, as the Firehair Family. They have a that helped smooth things over.
single pack in Shanghai. After the interrogation transitioned into sincere
When I visited in the chilly spring of 2012, Shanghai pleasantries I was invited forth to introduce myself to the
was adapting as best it could to an ever-changing situation. court. The sentai had returned, more or less intact, with
The Three Gorges Dam, upriver, has been having issues with guests. Some time after I left to get help from the Five
flooding for some time and it’s been quite the battleground. Constants Court, a pack of Boli Zousizhe from the Suzhou
Garou and other shifters from Shanghai have traveled there Creek Caern heard the commotion and showed up to help
to fight the Black Spiral Dancers and their diseased Bane protect the temple. Because of the attack, the two groups
allies, while refugees from the flooding and the destruction were arguing as to who should be the ones to guard the
of a sept have come to Shanghai to recuperate. I didn’t temple and the adjoining garden.
Chapter Two: Weaver 41
 CITY FATHERS BEFORE
THERE WERE CITY FATHERS
Chen Huà Canvas-of-History, Boli Zousizhe
Galliard, offers a lesson:
Conventional Glass Walker wisdom suggests
that the first known City Father was discovered in
London in 1882. Conventional Glass Walker wisdom
also has a firm view of how City Fathers may act or
appear. There’s evidence to suggest that City Fathers
from outside that profile have existed for a long time.
For instance, China’s city gods.
It’s possible that there’s some fundamental
difference between the City Fathers of earlier eras
and the ones we know now. The stories we have
tell of city gods that cared for the people who lived
there, but modern City Fathers care more for the
city itself — the bricks and stones, rather than the
population. It’s also possible that as a tribe that
doesn’t owe as much to oral tradition, somewhere
along the line we’ve lost some vital knowledge.
Papers rot. Libraries burn.
City Fathers are likely older than we know and
still carry aspects of the cities that predate their
emergence. The General is a good example — visually,
he appears closest to Chen Huacheng but his clothing
carries elements of civil servant uniforms from the
Han, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties. Even the pocket
watch of London’s City Father carries hints of the
city’s Roman origins. A City Father or Mother can
be a living relic of that city’s history and they have
much to teach us if we can find more of them.

As the one who inadvertently brought them together

I suggested that we at least go down to the temple to find
out what the Black Spiral Dancers wanted. Both sides
glared at me, like this was all part of my plan from the
start, but Luo Wá spoke up on my behalf and gave her
honest opinion that I was trustworthy — or at least not
dangerous. The pack of Glass Walkers, the sentai that
investigated in the first place, and I all stepped sideways
to return to the Umbral reflection of the temple.
We were quite the motley crew: An American
Stargazer, five Glass Walkers from Hong Kong, a Kitsune,
a Tengu, two Nezumi, and a Khan.
To translate for you, that’s a Corax raven-changer,
two Ratkin, and a weretiger. The guardians I mentioned
earlier were weresharks — no, I’m not messing with you. and many successes since then but those are beyond the
The Hengeyokai of the Beast Courts call them Same-Bito scope of my experiences there.
but coastal Garou might know them as Rokea. Many of the Before arriving in Cairo I’d had the very good fortune
Garou here at this caern haven’t even met other shifters to share an evening of conversation with a Silent Strider by
with the possible exception of the Corax. I’ve traveled the name of Samir the Jackal. Judging by the look in your
widely but even I can’t get over what it was like to work eye, I suspect that even you have heard of the Galliard Who
with such a disparate group, all strangers to each other Speaks ‘Til Sunrise. Speaking of which, he certainly does.
despite sharing such close space. Samir and I swapped stories at his sept and it was he
We arrived to find the Pattern-Spiders working overtime who encouraged me to visit Cairo despite the unrest. I’d
to web up the structure. Not only were they attempting to expressed some interest in getting a first-hand look at the
patch and brace damage to the Umbral side of the temple progress of the Arab Spring protests and he told me that
but the energies that normally kept them at bay were stunted even though he had difficulty staying, he felt that the
and they took advantage of the opportunity to increase the Garou working and fighting there would appreciate my
Weaver’s influence. perspective. And I must admit, the idea that I might be able
The Beast Court changers, much to the Glass Walkers’ to genuinely do some good in addition to learning valuable
frustration, immediately started clearing off the Pattern- lessons to pass on to others sounded too good to pass up.
Spiders while the rest of us moved inside the temple to To help get my foot in the door with the Glass Walkers at
find that they had begun wrapping the City Father up the Sept of the Solar Barque, he gave me a padded envelope
in their web. And at that point, the Boli Zousizhe were filled with important data to deliver to a Theurge helping to
honor-bound to help free him. He was hurt. coordinate the Garou’s interactions with allied protesters.
“The river,” he said. “They were after the river and Next time I encounter him I’ll have to thank him, because the
I am its chief protector. They’ve already struck the Dam, delivery soothed a lot of nerves. The Glass Walker in charge
and now this end...” He trailed off. of the caern, a woman named Leila Veil-Shredder, owes a
“If something’s not done,” I thought aloud, “Then the lot of her ability to manage Garou and business affairs to a
river and its spirit could die. Surely that’s a worthy reason certain amount of paranoia. Being a woman of influence in
to cooperate, regardless of whether you think I planned a traditionally male-dominated region and also taking care
this or not.” of a particularly strong urban caern, it’s understandable.
After a round of grudging agreement, the representatives She wasn’t inhospitable but I could even during our
of the court and caern came to an arrangement. The Suzhou brief meeting that everything going on was demanding too
Creek Caern would protect the temple and the river in the much of her attention. Haytham Eyes-Across-The-World, the
physical world, while the Five Constants Court would deal aforementioned Theurge and the caern’s Gatekeeper, was
with Umbral threats in the hopes of heading off whatever doing a lot of work with Arabic Children of Gaia and other
plans the Black Spiral Dancers have for the Yangtze. Glass Walkers to put spirits of electricity and technology
I’ve been keeping an ear on that part of the world, to use in helping to protect the protesters’ message and
and some time soon I plan on going back to check up on get it out into the world. I’m no slouch with spirits or
them. I think if there’s any place to look for clues as to how technology, but I must admit that the sophistication of
we can fight threats to Gaia, it’s in seeing how different their work was definitely over my head.
societies of changers can work together. One of their biggest problems at the time was the
This reminds me of another city that sometimes Leeches. Cairo is thick with vampires, many of whom
struggles with itself. worship some sort of Wyrm-creature that takes on the
form of the Egyptian god Set. They often clash with

Cairo Garou in the city but the government upheavals gave

them innumerable opportunities to get their fangs into
politicians and military figures who were still adjusting
With the events of the revolution, Egypt is a country
that’s changing on an almost weekly basis. During my last to new duties and authority. In the wake of the Maspero
trip to Cairo in October 2011, the peoples’ struggle against demonstrations the vampires stepped up efforts to connect
the corruption over their heads was reaching a fever pitch. protest activities to us to point police and military forces,
The Supreme Council of Armed Forces, which had been eager for targets, at Garou supporters who may only have
put in charge following President Mubarak’s resignation, tangential connections. This only encouraged the efforts
had yet to follow through on its promises of stabilization of a local Strider, Buries-the-Dead, in combatting them.
and rebuilding and were lashing out at the protestors who I took it upon myself to ask about the situation and
called them to task. The country has seen vast improvements see where I might be able to help while I was in town. I was
Chapter Two: Weaver 43
 more than a little disturbed to see just how many incidents
the sept blamed on the vampires’ influence until I could
see that a lot of Leila’s information appeared born of
paranoia and conjecture. I was particularly disconcerted
to learn that the two Bone Gnawer septs in the city did
not talk to the Sept of the Solar Barque, and that one of
which was openly hostile to outsiders. Leila stressed that
they had not necessarily rejected the Bone Gnawers but
it was in fact the other way around, and for the sake of
diplomacy I did not argue the matter.
Cairo is rather crowded. Vampires — not only the Set
cultists, but Leeches of many ‘tribes’ — maintain control over
large parts of the city and have profited greatly from unrest
in the country over the decades. The ghosts of the human
dead are exceptionally plentiful in the City of the Dead,
a necropolis and slum known to the locals as el’arafa and
containing one of the aforementioned Gnawer caerns. Many
of Africa’s shapeshifters, particularly the catfolk, put the city
to use although I did not encounter any of them myself.
Leila invited me to accompany a few of the Garou of
the Solar Barque to check in with a group of protestors,
some of them Kin, who had been laying low since the
Maspero massacre. They loaned me some clothes that
blended in with local styles, something that would fit
better in the slums. The others didn’t say anything to
suggest this would be the case but between the weapons
they concealed and their body language I knew to be
ready for trouble.
The sheer density of Cairo’s population — the only
part of the world more tightly-packed is India — made
itself known once we were out of the Qasr al-Baron
office complex. The city smelled of a uniquely human
despair, mixed with an undercurrent of nervous energy.
The crowds outside the car windows gave off a pall of fear
as though it were a color tinting a photograph. Even in
October, the city felt like an American summer and the
heat pounded at us. As we approached the slums where
the Garou-allied activists were hiding I got the distinct
impression that the city was holding its breath, waiting
for something.
The name ‘Dar al-Salam’ roughly translates to
‘residence of peace’ and I couldn’t help but imagine
that whomever originally applied that label to the
neighborhood would die a little inside to see what it has
become. We parked a distance away, in what we knew
to be a safe spot, and the seven of us walked down the
tightly packed streets past piles of trash. Aside from
curious glances and people keeping their heads down
out of habit, pairs of eyes watched us like living cameras.
“Pardon me,” I asked one of the Glass Walkers with
us, a young American Philodox by the name of FIGMO.
“Are you aware we’re being watched?”
 from the building. He’d seen a sign in a window suggesting
a trap. I volunteered to scout out the Umbra, just in case,
while the others performed mundane reconnaissance, and
STREET’S-EYE-VIEW ducked into an empty alley to step sideways.
Nassir Tarnished-Scarab, Bone Gnawer Ahroun, The heat was present even there, although the lack of
offers some perspective: a physical sun took the edge off. An Umbral wind blew
more strongly, and the spirits were all foreign to me. They
The Glass Walkers live in a world where they think were a little less ‘abstract’ than I was used to and reminded
everything operates the way they do, like it’s all about me of creatures out of legends and stories that they either
shadows cast by supernatural forces with money. They emulated or inspired. The city’s despair bled through to
think every human who looks a little pale either is a feed and attract hungry things. I could understand why
gûl or is serving one. If Leila were any more paranoid Silent Striders were so worried here, but I didn’t see any
she’d think sunset was a Leech plot. Whatever helps immediate threats to the operation.
them sleep at night.
I stepped back across, left the alley, and slipped through
The problem comes when they see a vampire’s the open door. Haytham was reassuring a slim — almost
hand in everything the government does, as if undead scrawny — Egyptian with three bandaged fingers. As I got
fingers pull every trigger. It’s all too easy to lose sight my bearings the others scattered through the small house
and think that everything bad that happens to oppress and made a big show of settling in, going through papers,
the people or thwart our duties to Gaia is the work of and getting reports from our frightened allies. Nadir Night-
a Wyrm-creature or something else. At the same time, Wire, a Ragabash serving under Leila, ducked into a dark
you can fall into the trap of thinking that everything corner and I lost track of her.
that strikes back against them is something you or The building was small and cramped, with trash and
one of your allies did. papers strewn about. Smashed furniture was subtly piled
Our people are the ones fighting and suffering up or shoved into the corners like a token effort had been
and dying over all this. Not the Gnawers, but the made to clean up after a scene of violence. It was stuffy
poor and downtrodden, the ones who want help and reeked of old sweat and ozone.
that’s not looking down on them from a fancy office “Count to ten, close the door, and watch our backs.
building. I’ve seen for myself that the enemy of the Try to stay out of Crinos in here unless it goes south;
revolution is not the Wyrm or the Leeches. Sure, it’s awkward in this space and hell to clean up,” FIGMO
they profit a little more when good people lose hope quietly said to me. “You wouldn’t happen to be one of
or die for speaking up. But the dark forces shaping those ‘Shaolin monk’ Stargazers I hear so much about with
all this are human greed and hatred. At the same improbable intergalactic kung-fu, would you?”
time, no matter how many Kinfolk organizers and Despite being used to the question, I never know quite
Garou sympathizers you have, it’s human hope and how to answer to anyone’s satisfaction. As I usually do
drive that’s fighting it back. when asked, I gave a simple nod of assent as if to say ‘close
This is a revolution of humans fighting humans enough.’ I took a deep breath and shifted to Glabro in case
with human strength and human weapons. It’s not the extra muscle would be necessary, although normally
a supernatural chess match, no matter how much I prefer the balance of Homid form. As much as I’d like
the Leeches or the Glass Walkers might like it to be. to say we didn’t do anything as obvious as holding our
breaths, the fact remains that an ambush was coming and
not all of us could pretend we didn’t know it.
When my silent count reached ten, I nudged the door
shut and stepped to the side. Less than a minute later,
“We’re near one of the Gnawer caerns,” he said grimly. the door kicked open with a bang as did the back door
“A plague ravaged the... less well-off humans some years and some of the closets. As predicted, some of them were
back and both caerns have been a little anti-social ever waiting inside for the signal from outdoors. We were ready.
since. Just leave them be for now.” The fight took only moments. I won’t bore you with the
“Shouldn’t they be helping us?” details. Not all of the Garou in the group acted as a well-
“You’d think,” he murmured under his breath before oiled machine but it startled me how ready the others were
he picked up the pace to cut off further conversation. for this sort of violence. I did not hurt my opponents any
We approached the building where our human and Kin more than necessary, for I knew they were likely misguided
allies holed up. Haytham held a hand out to stop us a block servants of a greater evil. By the end, half of our attackers

Chapter Two: Weaver 45

lay on the floor dead from bullet wounds or broken necks. The Garou tongue threatens well but rarely have I heard
They were clearly expecting a smaller group that would it sound so ominous. I remembered the earlier suggestions
submit to a display of firearms, not experienced warriors of anti-social Bone Gnawers and hesitated for a second.
with the gifts of Gaia. In the end, for the sake of diplomacy I did not argue the
“We need to move fast,” Haytham said, rubbing at matter. I returned to the house, wary of followers, to find
a massive knot on the side of his head that was already the vampires bound up for transport and later interrogation.
shrinking. “The one dead in the bedroom smelled of When asked what happened to the vampire, I told them
blood and Wyrm-taint and was much stronger than any the Bone Gnawers got him and the looks on the Striders’
human should be. Some of these men are direct servants faces told me more than I wanted to know.
of the Leeches.” That set the tone of my entire experience there. I
“So what now?” one of the Silent Striders with us asked. remained for about a month, carrying messages when
“You three,” he indicated the two Striders and myself, Facebook and Twitter would not do and helping to carry
“Stay here while we relocate our people. See who comes to new phones and laptops with the blessings of Gaia to
investigate. I suspect that after dark at least one of the gûls protestors allied to the Garou. When necessary, I chased
will come to find out what happened. Find out what you snake-tongued vampires through the slums although I was
can get from them and we’ll check in with you.” fortunate to avoid any further entanglements with the
“Pretty convenient, leaving everyone not in your current Bone Gnawers. When things escalated in November with
pack here while you take care of this. Is there something the reoccupation of Tahrir Square, the increased visibility
we should know?” I asked. forced many of the Garou to take a step back from the
I wasn’t trying to challenge him but wanted to make ‘front lines.’ I took advantage of a good opportunity to
sure we were all on the same page. move on as well, and have spent a lot of time-sharing my
“It’s nothing personal,” FIGMO chimed in. “But the first-hand accounts with other Garou.
fewer people that know our security precautions the better. What matters is that we weren’t just arming the people
And we have to leave someone here.” against an oppressive regime that was in the pockets of
I wanted to hear them say it more than anything else, so vampires and oil companies, but we were also bringing them
I believed him. The others left as we heard sirens.. We made hope. The move back into Tahrir Square, while leading to
our way to an abandoned apartment nearby, and waited. setbacks for the Garou, was one born of the Egyptians’ need
We went back inside after the police had gone over to take back their government and their country. The goings
the building with a fine-toothed comb and removed the on in Egypt reminds me of another experience of mine.
bodies. We found a spot to wait until nightfall, passing
the time by whittling wooden stakes from chair legs. We
didn’t have to wait long in the darkened rooms before Seattle
someone came looking. Are you familiar with the networking site ‘Voicebox?’
The two vampires moved with smooth, silent steps It’s one of a number of small tech startups that have popped
and left no scent in their wake. They murmured among up in the wake of the social networking boom, trying to
themselves in Arabic and while I couldn’t make out their get in on the action. Like so many others, it’s building its
conversation the Striders with me both tensed up and foundations in Seattle. If it plays its cards right, it could
readied their weapons. be the next Facebook. One of my Kinfolk relatives learned
I followed their lead when they struck at the Leeches enough about company law to follow the trail of ownership.
and the two of them went down quickly... but the third, Eventually, much of the startup’s funding comes from
which we hadn’t seen, threw open the door and made a Sunburst, a software company ultimately owned by Pentex.
run for it. I was closest to the door so I gave chase as he I was out on the West Coast in the summer of 2012
pulled out a cellphone to report in to someone. He was when I received a call from Broken Staff, the younger
familiar with the streets, and would have lost me were I brother of the Stargazer who mentored me. He’d learned I
not much fitter than him. was in the area and invited me to come visit him in Seattle.
I followed him down an alley that came out into a Even if I’d wanted to I couldn’t deny such an invitation.
small cul-de-sac. He was pinned to the ground by three Seattle is not as rainy as pop culture suggests. Their
Garou in Glabro and Crinos forms with ragged clothing summers are actually rather mild and warm and the city’s
draped over them. Four more stood around me, watching. climate is pleasant at that time, as I learned first-hand. Broken
“This is our territory,” one of them snarled in the Staff, who is practically an uncle to me, was waiting for me
Garou tongue. “You can go, but we keep this one.” at Sea-Tac and we took the light rail into the city proper.

46 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 Seattle lives up to the hype of a city of the future website’s security was also selectively dismal, causing some
between the affordable mass transit, technology-oriented private conversations — all the more damning out of context
companies, and Earth-friendly business concerns. The — to appear on public pages while others vanish into the
biggest concentration of Glass Walkers in the northwest electronic ether behind inscrutable ‘censorship’ filters.
is hard at work within various enterprises, keeping them Jean and her pack asked for Garou to help them get
honest and turning what resources they can to benefit Gaia into the Voicebox offices and see what they can do to
and the Garou Nation. Garou of almost every tribe have disrupt their efforts and retrieve information to use later.
found Seattle palatable enough for a city and our efforts The plan was to cause a disruption at the office so someone
have made sure there’s plenty of light to go with the city’s could sneak in and get a look at their files. A Wendigo in
share of darkness. attendance asked why they just didn’t hack in. She explained
We arrived in the middle of a protest at the Uwajimaya with some embarrassment that the company’s security was
Village. Apparently the Uwajimaya company wanted to not only watertight against everyone up to and including
expand their shopping and residential complex, leading Anonymous — unless a leak suited them — but was backed
to opposition from locals who didn’t want to see the up by unidentified spiritual assistance.
neighborhood reshaped any more than it already had Broken Staff and I volunteered, as did most of the
been. Things grew heated because of accusations that a Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers in attendance and a
manager of the complex had hacked the Voicebox accounts couple of young glory-seeking Wendigo.
of some of the protestors and presented damaging private
A few days of preparation later, we gathered at the Little
information that had ruined their reputations.
Water Caern. As Broken Staff and I made our way towards
I was not familiar with the site and while asking a the target we could feel the Gauntlet thickening around us
couple of people off to the side what happened, I met a
like stepping out into high humidity. The concentration of
Glass Walker blogger named Melissa Press-Pass who was
human businesses, many of them Internet and technology-
writing up the protest for her website. According to her,
based, couldn’t help but feed the Weaver and thicken the
the Voicebox website was likely the guilty party and if I
local Gauntlet.
wanted to know more she could get me into sort of a ‘town
hall’ meeting hosted by a nearby sept. I was too intrigued Jean split us up into three teams. One team would cause
not to get involved and Broken Staff came along to find a commotion outside and two more would go inside where
out what was going on. one would cause more trouble to distract security while the
rest of us moved in to get at the files we needed. Broken
The meeting was held in Capitol Hill, an entertainment
Staff was on the team outside while I was on the retrieval
and nightlife center of the city, at a Walker-owned coffee
team, being what one of them referred to as ‘the hitter.’
house called the ‘Coast of Java.’ The crowd appeared to
We trickled in a few at a time, pretending to be there for
be mostly Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers with a light
sprinkling of other tribes including a surprising number of the various companies in the building, while the protest
Wendigo given the location. The crowd mostly consisted they arranged ramped up outside. About the time police
of Garou from the Menagerie Caern in Discovery Park were to be called, the second team got into motion, pulling
and the Little Water Caern, which is located in a South fire alarms and committing acts of random vandalism in
Lake Union high rise. a few different offices.
A Glass Walker Philodox from the Little Water Caern, Employees in the building, not at all used to this
Jean Broadcast-Depth, led the meeting. She put the call out sort of carnage, ran for the exits in a near-panic. Security
to ask local Garou to assist in an impending investigation guards from all over the building scrambled every which
into Voicebox centered on their office in South Lake Union. way trying to get ahead of the vandals and we managed to
The website, she explained to us, was officially focused get into the Voicebox cubicle farm. We made a big show
around bringing people together through the medium of of directing employees towards the exits while looking
discussion groups much in the same way some sites do it around for their private files.
through common interests. This made it a natural fit for The place smelled, not only of faint Wyrm taint
a lot of major protest groups, and had been used as an but also of rotten food. A couple of the Walkers on the
alternative to Facebook for a lot of event planning. team ducked into offices with fetish USB drives to steal
However, Jean had reason to believe that the site also information. That left me with a Bone Gnawer Ragabash
intentionally directed disruptive elements to good causes. named Grabby-Hands, so the two of us checked the corner
She suspected that Voicebox’s influence in an incident office that was the source of the odd smells.
where elements of Occupy Seattle used the ‘People’s Mic’ A skinny woman sat at the computer, staring
to interrupt their own speakers and sow discord. The dispassionately at the screen. Her hands rested on the

Chapter Two: Weaver 47

 keyboard, unmoving, as the computer appeared to work
itself. Next to her on the desk sat four bags of O’Tolley’s
takeout, left by co-workers but untouched. She turned
ALLIANCE? and looked at us, her body oddly clean for someone in a
Five-Rounds-Rapid, a Glass Walker Theurge, reports in: place like this.
Grabby feigned concern and rushed over to help her
The programmer encountered during the raid on out of the office. The woman refused to move and explained
the Voicebox office is colloquially called a Drone, a how important it was that she be allowed to continue her
human with a Weaver-spirit bound up in her much like work. Her voice reminded me of the hum of an A/C unit
a fomor. They’re as hard to kill as we are, can strengthen and Grabby’s eyes glazed over. A fog settled in my own mind.
the local Gauntlet, and to our embarrassment can I reflected on koans to snap myself out of it. I shook the
do a lot of the same technology-tricks that we can. Gnawer’s shoulder and woke him. He jumped back, panic
Sometimes a human falls to the seductive song of the in his eyes, and his body tensed for a moment.
Weaver and is ‘welcomed’ into the fold.
“She did something, I can’t shift,” he gasped, backing
Incidents like the Voicebox raid reinforce towards the door to yell for help.
irrational fears that the Weaver and Wyrm work Not being as reliant on my other forms to engage
together. Sometimes an employee of a technological enemies, I moved in to get her away from the computer. I
company that’s already a thorn in our sides will lose grabbed the woman and physically pulled her out of the
himself to Weaver-song and be remade into a Drone. seat but she calmly laid both hands on me and a massive
It’s becoming more common now that the Wyrm’s electrical charge hit like a live wire had fallen on me. Next
forces are getting more cutting-edge technology. thing I knew I was laying on the floor looking up at her
We’ve yet to see anything to seriously suggest that standing over me with a lazy, curious look.
it’s more than just coincidence at the moment. A series of gunshots rang out from the doorway, bullets
Of course, try telling the other tribes that. ripping through her and splattering the wall. She staggered
and as she turned around to face one of the Glass Walkers
with us I could see tiny filaments crisscrossing the bullet
holes and weaving together over the wound. I swept her to companies that were all known Pentex subsidiaries — the
legs out from under her and sprung to my feet. Another final confirmation some needed as to Voicebox’s true masters
Walker at her computer yanked the fetish flash drive out, — and also gave the company legal loopholes to withhold
tossed it to me, and shouted for me to step sideways (since information from police in the case of child predators using
I can get by without a mirror) and get it out of there. the site. Melissa started emailing contacts of hers to leak the
I made a run for the stairs, not wanting to step across information and I asked Jean what that would accomplish.
into an empty Umbral reflection if I could help it. I “It should do a lot of damage to the company, although
heard more commotion downstairs, presumably from the I imagine they’ll find the funds to weather the storm. It
vandalism team. Rather than wade through the chaos, I will buy us time to find ways around their defenses for the
closed my eyes, put the USB drive in my mouth, and focused long haul. Maybe we can find ways to exploit their ties to
on stepping sideways. The Gauntlet was even thicker than the rest of Pentex.”
I’d expected and it took a few agonizing minutes to push I nodded with sincere approval and then asked her
through to the Umbra. I shifted to Lupus in mid-air to about the obvious interest the Weaver’s brood had taken
better handle the landing, as the building was too new with the place. After a moment’s thought during which
and not yet important enough yet to exist on both sides her face registered confusion, frustration, and a hint of
of the Gauntlet. The flash drive, a sturdy model for just defeat, she told me they’d do what they could.
this reason, was already held in my muzzle. Forest for the trees, cub. Forest for the trees.
As I turned to leave the empty space I saw the

London
programmer appearing in the Umbra. In the distance,
Pattern Spiders skittered closer as if summoned. I didn’t
stick around to question how she was able to follow me.
Whew, I just realized what time it is. You still seem
I took off on all fours for the Little Water Caern, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, so to speak. Ah, to be your
moving at the best speed I could manage. I didn’t slow age again; even with Garou health I already feel my youth
down until I was close to the caern. I stopped and returned leaving me. I think we’ve got time for one more tale. The
to Homid form and thanked Gaia she hadn’t followed me. conflict on Jean’s face when I suggested the possibility of a
All I saw were the buildings of Seattle’s Umbra and flashes Weaver ‘problem’ reminds me of a recent trip to London.
of light coming off the Weaver webs like dew caught in a Recently, the British government has demonstrated
spider’s web. I slipped into the Umbral representation of what I will politely call an issue with priorities. They
the building where someone from the caern was waiting have, in the last few years, wasted a great deal of money
for me. I gave him the data and we stepped back across. on pompous displays of excess. It’s been one spectacle
I told them what happened while I caught my breath after another. At about the same time all that began, the
and they started decrypting the data. The others returned, government slashed funding for education, and benefits
more or less in one piece. I took a moment to track down for the poor and disabled.
Jean while we were waiting for results on the flash drives. I happened to be in the area when that particular
I asked the obvious question: “Does the Weaver have bomb dropped in November 2010. I was visiting with a
any real stake in Voicebox?” pack of Indian Stargazers living in North London and when
“No,” she said with the weary sigh of having heard this the protests started they heard that some of their human
question before. “She benefits, but no more from Voicebox Kinfolk were among the students marching. They headed
than any of those other services. Honestly, slightly less down to catch up with the protestors as quickly as they
given how much instability it causes.” could while I tracked down some of the Garou I thought
I admit I wondered if making Voicebox more stable might be close enough to be getting directly involved.
would be worse in the long run, then. But our goal was Most of the ones I could have contacted were already
finding something that could be used to bring it down down at the protests. A number of Garou with the city,
altogether so I kept any further commentary to myself. I primarily Children of Gaia, Fianna, and Glass Walkers,
found a quiet spot in the corner to meditate so I don’t had Kinfolk who’d be affected by the government’s actions
know how much longer it was before Broken Staff was one way or another. Everybody who could get there was
gently shaking my shoulder to get my attention. involved in some capacity or another, and to say that
Jean and the rest of her pack explained that the prize was tensions ran high is like saying that Red Talons don’t get
a beta version of the new website, complete with new privacy along well with humans.
policies and security software. The new policies made it harder Some Garou marched with the students while others
to prevent online harassment, sold users’ personal information remained on the sidelines for fear of being pushed into

Chapter Two: Weaver 49

 The Fianna and I rushed at the Bane-possessed humans
to get them off the streets. It didn’t take much to chase
them off and the distraction, ironically, helped keep the
TERRITORIALITY Fianna from completely losing their cool at the police’s
Duane ‘Talks-the-Talk’ Garrahan, Fianna Philodox impromptu incarceration of the marchers. Word spread
explains what makes the Old City Sept special: among the Garou at the site; those capable of it drove off
the fomori and those who’d been kettled kept the fomori
One thing that surprises American Garou is how pinned down as best they could. The nature of the scene,
a fair number of European septs are predominantly unfortunately, prevented us from doing much more than
of a single tribe. They’re not the majority, but we’ve driving them off and capturing a few for interrogation or
got enough are traditionalists and hard-liners that exorcism.
you can still find someone who thinks mixing
It was a mess. The actions of a few protestors, some
tribes in a pack is practically breaching the Litany
of them possibly influenced by Banes at that, were being
right there. They may not have numbers, but those
blown up and put on the heads of everyone at the protest.
septs have power on their side — they’re some of
And the police, seeing that the situation was beyond them,
the oldest around. Old City is an exception, being
turned to violence with blinding speed. I remained there
a properly historic sept with attitudes that don’t
at the site as long as I could, offering support to Garou
come from the fifteenth century. Between us and
and Kin still in the area well into the evening.
the Sept of Sun’s Glory in the Alps, we’re trying to
force the traditionalists to get with the times. But The other Stargazers returned to their homes but I found
it’s an uphill struggle. myself swept along to the home of the Old City Sept: a
building with lofts altered and converted for Garou use with
Single-tribe septs are one thing, but these an atrium of sorts in the center. It was abuzz with activity,
days even they don’t complain about multi-tribal in between Garou seeking out legal contacts to protect
packs — as long as their own members don’t think their relatives, allies, and others gathering information on
of joining one. But that idea’s settling in, and with people who appeared to be shaping events at the protest.
examples from both Europe and America, we’re They were looking for police and protestors believed to
finally giving the modern world a voice. Don’t trust be Wyrm agents and trying to track down those who got
anyone who goes on about how we should “respect away. Things weren’t going well for the sept, for all they had
our history;” half the time that’s just code for “stick access to government systems, they had to share bandwidth
it to the foreigners.” and processing time with legitimate users without tipping
Just don’t trust anyone who goes on about anyone off.
how we should “respect our individual cultures and Hey, look at me like that. I may look like I can barely
histories,” they’re all just pining for the glorious days spell ‘Google,’ but I’ve got hidden depths.
of the Roman Empire. I recounted of what I’d seen and done to Nicola River-
Runner, Fianna and elder of what’s largely a Glass Walker
sept, and volunteered my time to do what I could. Over
the next couple of weeks, through some intense detective
work, we managed to track down a few of the fomori who’d
frenzy. As I was in a position to risk deportation I stayed shown up at the protest. They were in the middle of trying
back at first until things started ramping up at Millbank to escalate other, low-key protests. They weren’t strong
Square. The police, rapidly losing control of the situation, enough to stop us from grabbing them and dragging them
started corralling protestors who fought back in turn. As I back to a safe location. We were even able to get a Theurge
watched, Garou pushed through the fray as best they could to to force the Banes out of them, although we couldn’t save
get their packmates and Kinfolk out before things reached a them all from the resulting trauma.
boiling point. Something smelled a bit ‘off’ to me, however. The next big march was a couple of weeks after the
I focused and expanded my senses. A group of first. Thousands took off work and school to be a part
troublemakers caught my eye, about to blindside some of the event. This time, we spotted fomori on both sides
already-edgy police officers. Wyrm taint wafted off of them escalating violence and vandalism, knowingly playing off
and I grabbed the first Garou I could find, a small pack of each other. The police charged at the protestors with horses
Fianna, and pointed at the wild-eyed trio. and trapped protestors for over nine hours in the bitter
“Fomori,” I said as quietly as I could while still being November cold with no food, water, or toilet facilities.
heard. “We need to get them out of here before they make Of course, the police denied the excesses on their side
this worse.”
50 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
and for the most part got away with it. For all of the talk London’s Umbral reflection is far different from what
of London having more CCTV cameras than anywhere we are used to, here. The Weaver has been working on old
else, the news networks avoided the protests and accepted European cities for a lot longer than anywhere in North
statements from the Metropolitan Police Service. This bit America and her webs cover absolutely everything. In some
of irony opened up a niche for the protestors to fight back, areas, they bristle with spines like barbed wire, and it’s like
though, as they started using Youtube to show what was the smoke from the Industrial Revolution still clings to
really happening to the world and garnered a lot of public the webbing even now. It’s ominous, to put it lightly, and
support. Trust me, it may be ‘just the Internet,’ but you’d I’m told it’s getting worse all the time as events have given
be surprised how much it helps morale to know how many the government more and more reason to clamp down.
people are behind you. Just when we thought we had a handle on all of it,
Starting with the second protest, the sept asked us to the attack came. There was a close call in early December
teach the younger Garou who wished to join the protest between a royal motorcade and a protesting crowd. Nobody
how to cope without giving in to their Rage. Personally, was hurt, but the incident gave a few people in high places
I thought even risking it was far too much, but when it all the justification they needed.
occurred to me that they were going to get involved one The police, by this point, were recording the protestors
way or another, we held a few basic meditation classes. as much as the protestors were recording the police so they
I’m used to teaching, but I do it through anecdotes and could track down participants later and target them. For
stories. Actually leading a class was different. most of them we were just faces in the crowd, but some of
If nothing else, though, it made it possible for more of us the well-placed fomori knew we were worth going after. We
to be on the ground and put forth whatever effort we could to saw something like this coming so diverted anyone who
keep the worst elements under control. And in addition to the showed their face at the protests to an impromptu safe
obvious, we also provided some basic first aid and brought in house a distance from the sept with most travel back and
food and supplies for people trapped in the sealed-off areas. forth taking place in the Umbra. We kept a few people at
Some of us spent hours in the Umbra fighting off Banes that the safe house for appearance’s sake, though, and to make
came to feast on the pain and anger just across the Gauntlet. room for those who came in from outside the sept to help.
 The fomori who attacked weren’t experienced soldiers, Glass Walkers buried some paper trails and planted a few
thank Gaia. They were willing slaves of the Wyrm, yes, but things in the police’s files, but in the end we were able to
the small squad was more interested in violence than good make the problem take care of itself.
at it. The attackers were a mix of police and anarchists, all

The Fire Dies Down

corrupted by the Wyrm and united to sow discord. They
came at us without official sanction or backup so they
wouldn’t have to answer any awkward questions later, Speaking of problems taking care of themselves, if I
armed only with their warped abilities and a pair of Banes don’t get some rest soon I’m going to fall over.
to back up their need for destruction.
Yes, I’ll still be here tomorrow. I have many more stories
They caught us off-guard at first as we were still going to tell, and I still haven’t had as much time as I’d like to
over data after the protest, making sure our Kinfolk were catch up with a few people here at the caern. Come back
okay. The whole place went dark — later, we saw that tomorrow, with your elders’ permission of course, and maybe
they’d cut the power and the phone lines, apparently not I’ll share a story I heard once about a Red Talon Ragabash
expecting us to have battery backups and cellular internet who willingly ventured into the cities to learn for himself if
connections. Then they rushed in, lashing out at anything any humans were worth saving.
that moved. We couldn’t hear them talk to one another at
I do want to ask you one thing before you go, though.
all, and when I distracted one he slew one of his comrades. Was it the Fury Crone, Deathgrip, who sent you to me?
Their movements told me that the fomori had never fought
I thought so. Maybe I’ll have to have a long chat with
together. Inspecting their bodies, we found that they didn’t
my mother after our lesson tomorrow. Ah, and the look on
even think to bring silver. On top of that we had three
your face is worth it. As I suspected. Pleasant dreams, cub.
advantages that even their lack of planning couldn’t have
Pleasant dreams.
accounted for.
First was that surprised or not, we were still all on edge
and ready for action. The second was that half of our forces
were perfectly poised to come up on them from behind.
Mechanics
The third was that far too many of us had been spoiling Jonathan “Shallow-Tracks” Rossini
for the opportunity to tear something apart.
Jonathan grew up in the Spot Pond Caern just outside
Were this a moot, I’d go into far more detail of a battle
Medford, Massachusetts, born to a Black Fury Philodox
that even I found glorious. Were this a moot, I would named Alice ‘Deathgrip’ Rossini and her Kinfolk husband,
describe what it was like for someone as repressed as me Keith. As the spirits made it clear that young Jonathan was
to indulge in some base desire and adopt the war form. almost certainly going to Change one day, he was raised
Were this a moot, I would probably demonstrate some of close to the sept and with full knowledge of his heritage.
the moves I made as I divided the fomori into tiny chunks. Alice cared for her son, not minding that he would go to
But it’s not a moot. It’s me simply reliving an another tribe when he Changed. He was her son and he
opportunity to cut loose for once. I may be a Stargazer, but was Garou. That was all that mattered. Knowing he would
my blood comes from a... more passionate tribe. likely be Garou, they taught him all they could.
In the end, the students’ message was sent and heard When he showed an intense wanderlust as a boy,
if not necessarily heeded. Since then, the ongoing struggle everyone thought he wanted some time to himself. Despite
has shifted to a more even keel, for the most part. After his parents’ best efforts, about once a month or so he’d
staying a couple more weeks to make sure there wouldn’t wander off and get into some sort of trouble. The rest of
be any more attacks, I moved on having made a number the sept kept an eye on him; afraid his wandering would
of friends there. take him to close to some dangerous spirit or Wyrm-beast.
Oh, what did we do with the bodies of the fomori? On more than one occasion he wandered off into the
Okay, I’ll admit I’m not as proud of this part but our city with what little money he had and his journal, took
options were few. After all, it’s not like we could just tell the a random bus to someplace else, and the police brought
police that a number of their officers had become Wyrm- him home. Every time he had a new story to tell anyone
monsters and teamed up with some similarly monstrous who would listen.
anarchists to kill us. By the time he was 13, the bus station had his picture
The solution was simple. We had to get rid of a number posted up where employees could see it to cut off his
of dead police officers and a number of dead anarchists. escapes. Once he figured this out his next trip out of town
We had a safe house to hide dangerous protestors. The began with a well-packed backpack and a random direction.

52 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

He walked out of town and this sudden change in tactics The caern saw its first-ever Stargazer initiation ceremony
panicked the sept rather than simply frustrated them. They the next morning.
sent out search parties to comb the nearby woods and sent Jonathan, deed-named ‘Shallow-Tracks’ for his inability
a young pack to nearby towns. to remain in one place, traveled with Lotus for the next
Jonathan returned almost two weeks later at the side thirteen years after that. The two of them traveled all
of an old Stargazer Ragabash named Lotus-on-the-River, over the world, visiting caerns and collecting stories and
also an experienced wanderer. Lotus-on-the-River joked knowledge, until Lotus’ death at the claws of Black Spiral
that he sensed a powerful kindred spirit in the boy and Dancers while defending a caern. Since then Jonathan
wanted to visit the sept of which he spoke so lovingly. Alice has continued alone, visiting new places and learning new
asked the Stargazer how she could repay him for bringing things with the hope that he will have students of his own
her son back and he simply asked for a couple of hours to with whom to share.
talk privately to her and her husband. Description: Jonathan, now 33, is 5’7” in his Homid
Jonathan was never able to get the exact details of this form with dark hair and eyes and a complexion that shows
conversation out of any of them, but the next day the old a strong Mediterranean heritage. He’s lean from years of
Ragabash approached him with a deal. If Jonathan could living off the land but constant physical activity has kept
keep himself planted in one place and not wander off, him in shape. He wears loose, comfortable clothing with
Lotus would visit regularly with stories and souvenirs of little regard for style although he has absolutely no shame
other places. To seal the deal, Jonathan shared his travel in asking his allies to borrow outfits that match local styles.
journal with the Stargazer and asked him to record his He’s rarely seen without a battered duffel bag that contains
own travels in it so Jonathan could read them. Lotus- everything he owns (mostly clothes, identification, a cheap
on-the-River readily agreed and he became like a second cell phone, and some camping gear). In his Lupus form,
father to the boy. he has a thick coat of black fur with a white star-shaped
The two continued in this way for a little over two patch on his chest and streaks of white fur along his belly,
years. Lotus’ visits were to him like a treasured grandfather sides, and flanks.
or uncle coming by with presents and a few times Lotus Roleplaying Notes: You don’t waste a lot of time
even took Jonathan off on hiking trips. Given his past, it because you don’t know if you’ll be here tomorrow. You
was a surprise to everyone that his First Change happened keep on the move as much as possible, for there’s something
at home. new to learn around every corner and over every rise. If
On a particularly difficult day at school right before your skills or knowledge are needed, you’re willing to stick
Christmas break, a wave of illness and stress overtook around but you getstir crazy after about a month. While
Jonathan. His chest felt tight, like his heart was about to you don’t embrace the enlightenment of chaos as readily
burst, but his knowledge that he was Garou told him what as some of your tribe, it’s important to lighten up with
was happening. He took off between classes and ran as some irreverence when you tell stories. After all, you’re
hard as he could for the nearest uninhabited spot. He ran sharing experiences — not reading off a memorized script.
through the forest on the edge of town, the sky growing Breed: Homid
dark with the early winter sunset, when everything blurred. Auspice: Galliard
The next thing he knew he was waking up at the caern Tribe: Stargazers
with Lotus-on-the-River sitting on one side of him and his Rank: 3
mother on the other.
Physical: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6),
The old Stargazer had arrived for his visit just in time Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5)
to find the Rage-maddened Jonathan and bring him back
Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 2 (0/0/0/0), Appearance
to the caern. Alice, with tears in her eyes, told him their
3 (2/0/3/3)
time together would be short; he was Garou, now, and
could not take the Rite of Passage with her tribe. She Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
explained that, traditionally, male Garou of Black Fury Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Empathy 1,
stock went to the Children of Gaia but for obvious reasons Expression (Storytelling) 4,
he should make his own choice. Jonathan turned to Lotus Leadership 1, Primal Urge 3, Streetwise 1
at this point, who suggested that the young man sleep on Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 1, Etiquette 1, Melee 2, Stealth
it before making his decision. 1, Survival (Navigation) 4
“I’ve been sleeping on it, sir,” Jonathan said with a voice Knowledges: Academics 1, Enigmas 3, Investigation 1,
beyond his years. “I’m awake now and I know what I want.” Medicine 1, Occult 2, Rituals 2

Chapter Two: Weaver 53

Backgrounds: Ancestors 1, Contacts 3, Rites 5 that mode, the werewolf never has to enter a password or
Rage: 5; Gnosis: 5; Willpower: 7 answer a security question, even for secure sites that require
Gifts: (1) Falling Touch, Master of Fire, Perfect Recall, Sense a keyfob or similar hardware ‘key.’ The In-A-Flash Drive
Wyrm; (2) Inner Light, Speech of the World, Surface can store one imaged machine at a time; cloning another
Attunement; (3) Calm the Savage Beast, Merciful Blow computer overwrites the drive’s contents. A level three,
Rites: Rite of Talisman Dedication, Rite of Passage, Rite Gnosis 7 version of this fetish can store any number of cloned
of Summoning computers, and can steal from any machine it can contact
over Bluetooth or that’s attached to the same WiFi hotspot.
Fetishes People’s Microphone
The City’s Pulse Level Two, Gnosis 6
This fetish, common among the Children of Gaia and
Level Two, Gnosis 5
rabble-rousing Bone Gnawers, is a megaphone with a spirit
As cities become more like living things all their own, of revolution bound into it. It has the ability to channel the
certain metaphors become literal. Just as fat can block a ephemeral spirit that forms when a crowd of people gather,
living person’s circulation, so can the arteries of a city clog using the spirit’s power to enhance the speaker’s words. If
up with traffic. This fetish, made from a stethoscope and a the user of the fetish is speaking on behalf of (or to raise the
spirit of flowing water, can find where the city’s life flows. morale of) a crowd of up to 100 people, his relevant Social rolls
The werewolf puts on the stethoscope and presses the receive a +1 die bonus. A crowd of 101-500 people provides
chestpiece against a permanent structure within the city. a +2 bonus, a crowd of 501-5000 provides a +3. Every 5000
Activate the fetish and make a Perception + Streetwise roll people beyond that provides another +1 up to a maximum
at difficulty 6 to learn if the city’s services are being blocked bonus equal to the speaker’s Willpower. Normally, this fetish
or cut off and roughly where. ‘Services’ in this case includes does not require spending Gnosis to activate but a werewolf
roads, utilities, or waterways big enough to carry boats. The who does can hand it off to a human or Kinfolk for their use.
fetish reveals traffic jams, power outages, or similar events,
from power going out in a single apartment to traffic snarls Profile Skimmer
that gridlock several blocks. The werewolf receives a vague Level Three, Gnosis 6
mental image of the event and a rough idea of its direction This is an example of a variety of technofetish referred
and distance. Multiple successes can pinpoint specific to as ‘softwere.’ It’s not a device but a program that has
buildings where the power or phone lines have been cut. had a spirit bound into it that can be sent off to do dirty
The stethoscope can also find places where unusually high work. This one in particular is bound with a Pattern-Spider
levels of pollution taint the water supply. This awareness and can be sent out to put together a profile on a target.
gives the werewolf a better appreciation of a city as a whole The user searches for a person based on either name and a
rather than individual parts. For the rest of the scene, she rough description, or a photograph. The softwere uncovers
gains a two-die bonus to Social dice pools when dealing with any available information about the target. The player rolls
spirits of the blocked services. the Profile Skimmer’s Gnosis with a difficulty set by the
In-A-Flash Drive Storyteller based on how much information is available on
the target, with 6 being the head of a country or famous
Level Two, Gnosis 6 television personality and 9 being an average Joe seen on
Once upon a time there was an easily-reproducible the bus. With a success, the Skimmer comes back with a
technofetish that took the form of a 3.5” floppy disk bound profile on the person composed of all publicly available
with a spirit of a magpie (or another animal known for information, along with police and government records,
theft) called the ‘Stretchy Disk.’ Upon being inserted into a and full records for known aliases. With 3+ successes, the
computer, it would copy the entire contents of that computer, Skimmer can dig up information protected by supernatural
regardless of size or software, onto the disk for later retrieval security systems.
in an instant. The In-A-Flash Drive is a modern update using
a USB drive. The user plugs it into the target computer and Videophone
activates it. It takes about three seconds to copy every single Level Three, Gnosis 7
byte of data on the computer, and just enough of the user’s The Videophone is a perfect spy’s tool, made with a
spiritual residue to unlock every password on the machine.. mobile phone and a spirit of a hive-insect, like a termite
On plugging the drive into another computer, the werewolf or bee. It lets the user see what’s happening on the other
can either search the cloned hard disk at incredible speeds, end of a phone call. The Garou activates this fetish while
or start the cloned copy of the machine. When running in making a telephone call. The werewolf’s player must then

54 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

make a Perception + Empathy roll with a difficulty equal to around to packs potentially interested in O’ Mighty Dolla
the Willpower of the person on the other end of the line (in and has been offering them her ‘support plan.’ The two are
the case of a speakerphone, the target is the person standing obviously connected in some way but neither will explain
closest to the phone). If the werewolf succeeds, for the length how aside from the bitter rivalry they share.
of the call he can see through the eyes of the person on the Individual Traits: Each Garou serving either totem gets
other end of the line by looking into the phone’s screen. 2 dots of Resources.
If the target knows about the fetish and is willing, they can Pack Traits: All rolls involving Commerce have a -3
let the user automatically succeed.
difficulty bonus.
Totems of Wisdom Ban: O’ Mighty Dolla’ insists that his ‘children’ use American
currency when possible and won’t adopt a pack outside the
O’ Mighty Dolla’ and Easy Credit United States. When his packs are outside the country, they can
Background Cost: 4 only use his benefits to make a profit. In either case his packs are
prohibited from using credit cards, which is becoming more and
O’ Mighty Dolla’ started as a Gaffling and worked his
more of an issue these days.
way up after World War I as the American economy grew.
Normally he takes the form of a man wearing modern Easy Credit is international, by contrast. She demands
‘cowboy’ chic with a ten-gallon hat, a suit with an obvious that her ‘clients’ always finish each financial year with more
Old West influence and with a Bane-stuffed cigar clenched money than they started and never use coins or paper money.
in his teeth. In the past he’s been obviously ‘well-fed’ but
the current state of the American economy has him looking
City Father/Mother
a little ragged and hollow, like he’s been on a diet — but he Background Cost: 6
wouldn’t dare let you fuss over him by bringing it up. He’s A City Father or Mother is the manifestation of the
still quick with a smile and a boisterous laugh although his city’s inhabitants both human and machine. It represents
bad knee’s certainly not getting any better. the city’s history and quirks but is also capable of acting of
His recent competition has come out a little better. its own accord to advance the city’s interests.
Easy Credit, who manifests as a seductive young woman in The totem will only manifest in what locals think of
a sharp suit, has been around since 1995. She’s been going as a city. In some parts of Europe, anywhere with at least

Chapter Two: Weaver 55

50,000 people living in it generates a City Father, while in work needs to be done and cannot take time away from their
much of the United States a city needs at least a quarter of assigned duties unless ordered by a superior.
a million people to produce a City Father. It cannot leave
the city limits except to travel into the Near Umbra and even The General,
then it can only visit urban realms. The totem appears in City Father of Shanghai
an anthropomorphic form that somehow represents the city Background Cost: 6
and its people. San Diego’s City Father, for instance, takes The General first came into existence in the form
on the form of a Spanish missionary. Paris’ City Mother of Shanghai’s city gods. It’s tough to say whether he’s an
only ever appears to foreigners, as the city has always been amalgamation of the three city gods worshiped by Shanghai’s
its most beautiful in the imaginations of its admirers. population over the years or whether he is the latest in a
Individual Traits: Followers of the City Father may series of City Fathers. He appears in roughly the human
interact with the spirits of their city as if they had the Bone form of Chen Huacheng, a general who died in 1842 but
Gnawer Gift: Attunement. Glass Walkers gain one point his outfit contains aspects of a Ming Dynasty examiner’s
of temporary Wisdom Renown when accepted by a City uniform and a Han Dynasty statesman. The exact makeup
Father, but members of other tribes lose one temporary of the outfit shifts depending on his mood. He is unerringly
Honor. Also, the totem may on occasion offer warnings of polite and tactful except when dealing with leaders whom he
impending danger, either directly or through a messenger. feels haven’t earned their place. He is often found in or near
Pack Traits: Packs of the City receive three additional the City God Temple in Shanghai, where he accepts worship
dice to any Streetwise tests relevant to their city. from humans even if they don’t realize exactly what he is.
Ban: City Fathers or Mothers will often ask their packs Individual Traits: Packmembers serving under the
to perform tasks for the good of the city. If the pack refuses, General can call upon a version of the Uktena Gift: Call
the totem will withdraw its support. Elemental. But owing to the Daoist temple where he is
Some individual City Fathers or Mothers will offer worshiped, he grants the ability to summon elementals of
slightly different traits based on their individual nature. the five Daoist elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and
A pair of sample specific City Fathers are presented here. water. Glass Walkers gain one temporary Wisdom Renown
when accepted by the General, but members of other tribes
Big Joe Magarac, lose one temporary Honor. Also, he may on occasion offer
City Father of Pittsburgh warnings of impending danger, either directly or through
Background Cost: 6 a messenger.
‘Big Joe Magarac’ is a figure of Pittsburgh folklore, a Pack Traits: Packs under the General’s leadership
literal man of steel born to help the immigrant steelworkers receive three additional dice to any Streetwise tests relevant
of the city. His only joy was in working as long and hard as to Shanghai.
he could and helping his ‘brothers’ in the factories. The Ban: The General, owing to an oath Chen Huacheng
‘character’ has popped up in the stories of workers all along swore in life, insists that his packs protect the Yangtze River.
the Rust Belt but the City Father knows his true home is in Also, his followers are duty-bound to ensure that their leaders
Pittsburgh. He usually appears as a muscular 9-foot tall man (both at the pack and at the court or caern level) are truly
made of living steel with an accent suggestive of non-specific the best candidates for the job.
Slavic extraction. He’s good-natured, honest and generous
and respects few things more than a hard worker. Totems of War
Individual Traits: Big Joe’s ‘co-workers’ can call upon
a version of the Homid Gift: Reshape Object with the One Voice
limitation that they can only affect steel, iron, or some related Background Cost: 4
alloy. In Big Joe’s version of the gift, the roll is Strength + Spirits of revolution are nothing new and have
Crafts instead of Manipulation. Glass Walkers and Bone empowered packs in some form or another for centuries. In
Gnawers gain one point of temporary Wisdom Renown when the last few years, though, advances in instantaneous mass
accepted by Big Joe, but members of other tribes lose one communication both cultural and technological have given
temporary Honor. Also, he may on occasion offer warnings rise to a new variety of totem. One Voice is the spirit of a
of impending danger, either directly or through a messenger. crowd speaking in unison to make their voices heard, having
Pack Traits: Joe’s packs each receive three additional quickly pulled together a full protest while the adrenaline
dice to any Streetwise tests relevant to Pittsburgh. was high. While it is not going to complain about planned
Ban: Joe Magarac insists that his packs remain busy. protests, it prefers flashmobs and sudden protests thrown
Garou following him are expected to volunteer for whatever together through chains of telephone calls or Internet posts.

56 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 One Voice speaks in the whispers of forgotten thoughts. Individual Traits: Packmembers each gain two dots
Its voice is a composite of words said to the dialing tone, of Leadership, the better to gather and coordinate crowds.
brought together to make new words, urging its pack to action. Pack Traits: One Voice’s packs gain access to the
It communicates through cellphones whenever possible, either Philodox Gift: Command the Gathering.
speaking to the pack directly or flashing up text messages from Ban: One Voice’s packs cannot through action or
an unknown sender. If it must physically appear, it manifests as inaction subvert the will or purpose of any group with which
a faceless everyman with physical characteristics and clothing they’re working.
who is entirely average’ for the local area.

Chapter Two: Weaver 57

 Chapter Three:
Wyld

The following are El Lobo del Lago Lunar’s reports to give the Garou an honorable battle, because it
from his worldwide census of wolf Kinfolk populations, as knows that in a toe-to-toe confrontation against our
well as some letters to Julia, Kinfolk in the service of the full strength we would defeat it.
Hard Earth Sept. In them he identifies several places in
need of Garou attention, as well as some places of general But we Garou are not at our full strength — not
interest in their war against the Wyrm. even close to it. Why? Without a doubt the Wyrm’s
corruption has spread throughout the world, not
because it is more powerful but because the Garou
The Home Front are less numerous. In every battle we fight, even un-
deniable victories, we place the lives of our brothers
Respected Elders of the Garou Nation, and sisters at risk, and each Garou death depletes
our numbers a little more. That does not make their
We Garou are used to thinking of the war against the deaths empty gestures or meaningless. We are all
Wyrm in terms of Banes slain, corrupted spirits destroyed, called upon to die in the service of Gaia, to be the
and fomori put to an end on our claws and fangs. That’s a teeth at the throats of the Wyrm and its servants.
worthy fight, a noble fight, a necessary fight. But the fight is But the death of Garou is only half the equation.
not the war, and if we ignore that, we can win every battle My mentor would argue — and I with her — that
against the Wyrm and still lose. it is the less important half. The most serious threat
During the first half of the 20th century, we very to our victory in this war is our failure to breed more
nearly did just that. quickly than we fall in battle.
This is a provable fact, but most Garou have no I know this prospect makes many homids uncom-
idea how close the Wyrm came to defeating us even fortable. Humans do not view mating the way wolves
as we howled in victory over one corrupted enemy do. Female human Kinfolk do not always want chil-
after another. The Wyrm is ruthless, and its servants dren simply because there is enough food and territory
can be very subtle. It was never the Wyrm’s intention to support the enlargement of their pack. Most human
Chapter Three: Wyld 59
 females have no more than three or four children in
a lifetime and rarely give birth to more than one at a How much do you remember of your first two years
time. Even the outliers seldom whelp even twenty pups of life? An impression here, and image there? Perhaps
in a lifetime. Their bodies simply are not equipped to a recollection based more on the stories you’ve heard
endure the stress of repeated childbirth. Moreover, her of the event than something you can truly remember?
pups take sixteen years or more to mature, and that is And yet those experiences you have forgotten define
considered very young among humans. Human Kinfolk you, shape you into a human. If you were cherished
are valuable members of Garou society, but we cannot and encouraged in those early years it will echo in who
rely on them to replenish the ranks of Gaia’s fallen you grow up to be. If you were neglected or abused, that
warriors. too will mark you for the rest of your life.
By comparison, wolves have litters of 5 or 6 pups each My memories of my life as a wolf are a lot like that.
year, if food is plentiful, and those cubs are full grown in It has been nearly eight years since my First Change.
perhaps two or three years. Those born Garou usually expe- I was only a wolf for two. Certainly I was at least an
rience their First Change before their third year of life. adolescent by the end of those two years, but a wolf brain
The Children of Gaia praise the wisdom of my men- is not a human brain. I don’t remember much about my
tor and grandmother, Cub Finder, for her role in sav- life before I Changed, but sometimes I’ll catch the whiff
ing the population of the Mexican wolf from extinc- of a scent or hear the call of a bird that brings me back
tion. Because of this, four more werewolves have joined to my birthplace, back to that den a few yards away from
the war against the Wyrm. If not for her intercession, Lake Luna in the wooded mountains of Arizona.
none of them would even have been born. I wish to Homids often wax poetic about the sensations of
follow in her footsteps but on a larger scale. being in Lupus form — the intensity of the sounds,
I propose a survey of wolf populations worldwide, es- the sharpness of the scents, the pure joy of running on
pecially in areas where they are endangered by humans all fours. These are all wonderful sensations, but lu-
or by agents of the Wyrm. Werewolves quite often send pus don’t obsess over them nearly as much as homids
news of their activities to the Garou nation, but they do — or even as much as humans obsess over their
seem more interested in talking about their enemies own humanity. That’s simply not our way. Lupus is a
than about their Kinfolk. As a lupus, I understand familiar form, a useful form — swift, strong, sharp of
wolves better than my homid siblings do because I was nose and ears, and capable of holding its own against
born among them. I was born under the half moon, so I most natural opponents. Crinos and Homid have
am adept at investigating situations, weighing the facts their advantages, as well.
impartially, and identifying the most beneficial course In spite of what you might hear, lupus are not
of action. I ask only your leave to complete this survey wolves — at least no more so than homids are humans.
and assistance in reaching each destination. If you wish Think about that for a moment. An ordinary human
to make me your envoy, I will accept that honor. If you cannot understand a werewolf’s Rage. A human who
would prefer I make these visits in a less official capacity, lost her temper as easily as a Garou would not survive
I can still carry out the survey by presenting myself as a very long. It’s not your fault, but you’re simply too physi-
traveler with a scientific interest. cally frail to lash out at every enemy that opposes you.
Respectfully, A homid, though, is a different creature. Even
Lobo del Lago Lunar in his breed form he knows he has Gaia’s gifts to call
upon. If things get really bad, he knows he can shift
to Crinos and tear any opposition into bloody meat.
What’s more, a homid radiates that quiet confidence,
Living Lupus that almost smug certainty that any fight with
Letter to Julia from Lobo del Lago Lunar, Lupus another human is really beneath him, and other hu-
Philodox Child of Gaia mans pick up on that even if they’re drunk and have
no idea what kind of beast is grinning in the face of
their empty threats.
What is it like to be born a wolf, you ask? Turn
your question on its head. What is it like to be born a A lupus is so much more than a wolf that can
human? change shapes. A lupus is all the instinct, power, and
cunning of a wolf, plus the full reasoning faculties of

60 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

a human. Yet in some ways this also makes us less- wolves than to other humans. They are unnecessarily
than-wolves, too. Homids feel more confident and closer cautious and more than a little clumsy. They have
to Gaia after their First Change. The rage introduces a wolf’s senses, but they haven’t figured out what all
complications, but it makes decisions simpler somehow, those scents and sounds mean. Yes, we may even lose
renders all the tiny dramas of ordinary human life in- our patience with them, sometimes, but most of them
consequential. Who cares what brand of gizmo is in style practice diligently and grasp as much as they’re
when there are world-destroying monsters to fight? likely to need of the tricks to being in Lupus. Those
The lupus come to the First Change from the oppo- who let frustration win out simply avoid shifting into
site direction. Oh we’re proud to be Gaia’s chosen war- Lupus unless they absolutely have to.
riors, to be sure. You’ll never find a prouder werewolf Compared to the lupus, homids have it easy.
than a lupus! But we lose our innocence in the process. Lupus have no native tongue to use in Homid — a
We can frolic and rejoice in our wolf bodies. We can form that’s incapable of comprehensible wolf howls
hunt with our Kinfolk and rightfully lead their packs. — so we’re forced to learn human language. We
But we are wolves no longer, for have more awareness don’t have the benefits of an education in mathe-
of context as once we did. We can look to the future. matics, science, or reading. Gaia in her mercy gives
We can regret the past. These are gifts we did not ask us as much coordination in our Homid form as most
for — could not even have imagined when we were humans have, but that doesn’t mean we automati-
still wolf — but they are ours. cally know what to do with our hands. And human
How does the First Change feel to a lupus? Take social graces? Definitely not a part of the starting
all the cognitive development a human child goes package, as the Glass Walkers say. Unlike homids,
through from her first birthday to about twenty years lupus don’t usually have the option of shunning their
old — from facial recognition to “cogito ergo sum” human shape. Our enemies largely hide in or near
— and cram it into a few minutes. All that happens human places, and a wolf would stick out there.
at the same time thatyour body completely changes I know what a lot of homids say about lupus
shape and size. Throw in a surge of rage that no wolf when they don’t think we’re listening: they think
and certainly no human can comprehend. Sound we’re too stupid to understand human things like
terrifying? That’s because it is. tools and technology. They think that we’re too
Unlike a homid, a lupus can’t just curl in on backward in our thinking to attend a human social
himself afterward and maybe pretend nothing hap- event without acting inappropriately. They think
pened. The rage rises and falls, and a quick bath can that we’re just too ignorant to grasp the nuances of
wash the blood out from under a human’s finger- politics and law. They think that they have to speak
nails. But a lupus cannot just walk away from his to us in human languages very slowly if they want us
newfound self-awareness. We’re stuck with it, and it to understand what they’re saying.
takes us some getting used to. None of this is true. Lupus learn human skills
Homids and lupus are both a little emotionally quickly — much faster than humans do, in fact —
conflicted after their First Change. For homids I’d but we start out knowing so much less that it still takes
guess there’s a sense that maybe they’ve become a months or even years to achieve mastery. Our pride can
monster, and all those fictional portrayals of were- also be an impediment. It goes against our instincts
wolves wash over them. Maybe they even feel guilty if to admit weakness. It’s often easier to snort in disdain
they hurt or killed someone. The flood of emotions a about the weaknesses of Homid or complain about the
lupus experiences aren’t colored with superstition or uselessness of “monkey babble” than it is to master the
morality. On the contrary, I think that if we weren’t form or become fluent in human languages. The impa-
so completely perplexed by our newfound sapience tience of many of our homid tutors does not help matters.
and confusing new bodies we’d probably immediately But we can learn all these things. It was not easy
go on a killing spree. for me, either. If it hadn’t been for my extremely pa-
It takes some time after the First Change to tient mentor — a lupus who had spent most of her
adapt to our new situation. We lupus often tease life in Homid form — I doubt I would have gotten
homid cubs when they first start spending time this far in my human education. And I speak as a
in Lupus form. They forget they don’t have hands. lupus who doesn’t favor Homid form in the slightest.
They forget that humans react very differently to I’ve learned that all our forms serve a purpose, else
Gaia would not have given us so many.
Chapter Three: Wyld 61
 Respected Elders, accessible by automobile, a feature that has contributed
Enclosed, find my first report on our wolf Kinfolk. to the area’s appeal to humans who come here to escape
Respectfully, the trappings of modern life. Some of the forests in the
Boundary Waters have never been logged, and that has
Lobo del Lago Lunar allowed Garou to preserve two of the local caerns — the
Misquah Caern and the North Woods Caern.
• Misquah Caern: Located on a steep, rocky hill near

Minnesota
the highest point in the Boundary Waters, this caern was
once a source of flint for warriors of two Native American
tribes who made war long before the coming of Europeans
Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwest — the
to the area. It is frequented by Spirits of War and earth
farthest north of the continental 48. Its weather tends
elementals. Members of several tribes act as caretakers for
toward extremes. It is no more a stranger to wildfires,
the caern and maintain its moon bridges.
tornadoes, and droughts than it is to ice storms, blizzards,
and subzero temperatures. Its main geographic claim to • North Woods Caern: Hidden deep in a forest un-
fame is its 10,000 lakes. touched by logging is a circle of eight small standing stones that
mark the boundaries of this caern. The Black Furies currently
Minnesota currently boasts the largest wolf population
control it, but they often let Garou of other tribes use the space
of any state other than Alaska, with a population of nearly
for rituals in exchange for favors done or services rendered.
3,000 wolves. Wolf territories are expanding, and while that
Owl, Beaver, and Bobcat spirits come to the caern regularly.
has led to more collisions between wolves and humans, our
Kinfolk in the area are flourishing, especially in the less urban Twin Cities Sprawl: Minneapolis and Saint Paul surely
northern half of the state. Vast, wooded state and national have problems the same as any large urban area, most of
parks shelter the wolf population and give Garou places to which do not concern wolves in the slightest. One trend
organize and train safely beyond the eyes of humans. that does is the sudden explosion of the cities’ suburbs that
includes lands that wolves are expanding into. There used
Although the state once had hundreds of caerns, only
not to be many of these, and most of them were in a tight
a handful remains. Most of those have passed out of the
circle near the cities. Another circle of suburbs has sprung
hands of the Garou, stolen by mages or corrupted by servants
up around those suburbs, which they call the “outer ring.”
of the Wyrm. This is the story of the Garou in Minnesota,
Construction on the first developments of a third ring has
really. They look successful and healthy to outward appear-
just begun. Pretty standard Weaver behavior so far, right?
ances, but when you study their situation closely you can
see ugly problems hidden beneath the surface. However, according to the Glass Walkers, these new
developments are spiritually different from ordinary suburbs.
Places of Note They feel mystically sanitized, as if every spirit that once dwelled
Itasca State Park: This 50 square mile park of old there had been driven away or destroyed. The Gauntlet is a
growth red pine forests contains the headwaters of the nearly impenetrable barrier. Worst of all, movement in the
Mississippi River. Established in 1891, it is the second Penumbra reflection of these suburbs is greatly impeded — like
oldest state park after Niagara Falls State Park. There are walking through deep water. This only seems to affect only
more than 30 known archaeological and cemetery sites in spirits that are not related to the Weaver. Kinfolk who spend
the park dating back as many as 8,000 years. Unfortunately, much time in the area — wolf and human alike — cannot pass
the practice at the time of excavating these sites erased the their Garou blood to their cubs. Their offspring are born as
spiritual power of at least three caerns. The only one to have ordinary humans without exception.
survived — Headwaters Caern — is probably the weakest of
the ones the park once had.
Threats
Minnesotans have a reputation for niceness — for being
• Headwaters Caern: Inhabited by ghosts and Ancestor
courteous, reserved, and mild-mannered. Some humans in
spirits of the Uktena who once lived here.
Minnesota are nearly as pro-wolf as the Red Talons without
Boundary Waters: The Boundary Waters Canoe Area sounding as unreasonable. Others politely recommend
Wilderness, referred to by locals as simply “the Boundary the slaughter of 80% of the wolf population annually
Waters,” is a 1,700 square mile wilderness area within the until our numbers match some ideal they’ve plucked from
Superior National Forest. It is renowned as a destination the air. While “Minnesota nice” can be a boon for social
for canoeing and fishing and is the most visited wilderness interactions, it also allows some people with extremely
in the United States. It is located in the northeastern part dangerous ambitions to look harmless and likeable. And
of Minnesota, along the Canadian border. Almost none that’s the real danger in Minnesota. Our enemies hide
of the lakes and campsites of the Boundary Waters are behind well-meaning and eloquent pawns.
62 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
 The official policy of the state is to control wolf pop- After Summer Laughter fell to one of these culls while
ulations to prevent them from killing livestock or straying she was in Lupus, Garou started taking these helicopter
into areas populated by humans. The state has not made hunts more seriously. The high-powered rifle round that
any move to wipe out all wolves, and the population is took her life was made of silver. As far as the local Uktena
growing in spite of these killings. However, Garou in the can tell, all the bullets used in such culls are silver. They
area are rightly concerned. all come from a single ammunition supplier that won a
Humans are specifically targeting our wolf Kinfolk for government contract — a supplier that is unquestionably the
extermination. enemy of Garou but one that has thus far kept its identity
I don’t know exactly how they tell the difference, but hidden even from the Glass Walkers.
considering even human Kinfolk can learn to recognize • Traps: Farmers who lose livestock to wolves are com-
the signs, this isn’t unthinkable. The goal of these targeted pensated for the damage by the state. The DNR dispatches
hunts isn’t to wipe out wolves but to wipe out us. This is a trapper to capture the offending wolves and move them to
exactly what I meant when I first came to you with my an area where they are less likely to come into conflict with
concerns about the dwindling wolf Kinfolk population. humans — all carried out as humanely as possible. Something
The Wyrm is at work here, and Garou have thus far done always happens to the wolves along the way, however.
next to nothing to fight it on this front. Here are some of Those wolves that are not Kinfolk are simply fitted with
the tactics local Uktena believe agents of the Wyrm are radio collars and other scientific tracking equipment. The
using against us: trappers chemically sterilize or outright replace Kinfolk
• Culls: In years past, the Minnesota Department of with non-Kinfolk wolves from other regions. In addition,
Natural Resources (DNR) culled wolf populations to prevent the radio collars they receive are more advanced, with tiny
them from killing livestock. These hunters are government cameras and microphones that no doubt turn them into
employees, which means that although they are few in num- spies for the enemy. Removing these radio collars invari-
ber, they have access to cutting edge equipment to get the job ably kills the wolf that wears it, and the last Garou who
done. Shooting wolves from a helicopter isn’t exactly sport- attempted an undercover investigation of these trappers
ing, but these aren’t sport hunters. They’re just doing a job. disappeared completely.

Chapter Three: Wyld 63

 • Hunters: In the past only DNR personnel were The region has one of the highest densities of caerns
allowed to hunt Minnesota’s wolves. This year the state in the world, and several tribes of Garou have disputes over
announced that they would be issuing 6,000 wolf-hunting control of them. The Uktena held these lands for millen-
licenses for this fall and winter. The interest in these has nia, but the wolf Kinfolk from Canada used to repatriate
been overwhelming, with 23,000 applicants so far — most the region include Children of Gaia, Get of Fenris, Red
of them local but many hailing from California, Florida, Talons, Shadow Lords, Silver Fangs, and even Wendigo. All
Texas, and Alaska, as well as a handful from foreign shores. of these tribes have some claim on the region, though have
Everyone, it seems, is suddenly very interested in hunting only two or three werewolves in the area at any one time.
Minnesota’s wolves.
If this doesn’t have the stink of the Wyrm all over it,
Places of Note
Mountains: The Continental Divide passes through
I don’t know what does. Who are these hunters? Their
Yellowstone, with approximately one third to its west and
identities aren’t made public, so who can say whether this
two thirds to its east. The Snake River and the Yellowstone
army of wolf-killers will be made up fomori, Black Spiral
River have sources quite near each other but on opposite
Dancers, or ordinary humans supplied with the same silver
sides of the divide, so the Snake River flows west into the
bullets used by DNR’s helicopter hunters? One thing is
Pacific Ocean while the Yellowstone River flows south and
certain: it will be a bloody winter.
east until it ultimately empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Recommendations There are 70 named mountain peaks in Yellowstone Park,
and Garou control a few caerns of note in the mountains:
The Wyrm’s quiet assaults on our wolf Kinfolk in
Minnesota have been going on for several years, but these • Snake River Caern: This caern lies between the
conflicts may soon escalate into a full scale war for which sources of the Snake and Yellowstone Rivers, on the Con-
tinental Divide exactly between them. The Children of
the local Garou are not currently prepared. A Kinfolk
Gaia currently occupy it, although it is open to anyone in
population spread out over a large area and a dearth of
need of healing. It is inhabited by Water and Wolf spirits,
active caerns make it impossible for them to fend off the
as well as peaceful earth elementals.
kind of all-out attack that may be coming.
• Eagle Peak Caern: Named because the mountain
They need reinforcements, and quickly. The Wyrm’s
resembles a spread eagle, this peak is the highest point in
aim in this hunt may not be to wipe out Minnesota’s Garou,
the park. The Silver Fangs currently claim this caern over
although it certainly could be given the size of the force
the objections of the Uktena. Eagle and Falcon spirits visit
they are directing into our wolf holdings there. It is more this caern frequently.
likely the enemy intends to strike a heavy blow against
• Electric Peak Caern: Electric Peak is the tallest
our breeding stock there. If we lose our wolf Kinfolk in
mountain in the Gallatin Range of southern Montana.
Minnesota, we could lose the state entirely.
This caern lies near the top of the mountain, between two
arms of rock on the northern face. The Shadow Lords guard

Yellowstone it fiercely, and with good reason. The Get of Fenris have
already made one attempt to claim it as their own and are
National Park unlikely to give up after the first sortie. It is inhabited by
Storm spirits that take delight in destroying any electronics
Yellowstone is widely held to be the world’s first national that enter their territory.
park. It spans over 3,500 square miles of lakes, canyons, • Roaring Mountain Caern: Roaring Mountain was
rivers, and mountain ranges, primarily in Wyoming but with named for the numerous fumaroles on the western slope
parts in Montana and Idaho. Forests cover about 80% of of the peak. These openings in the ground emit steam and
its area, particularly sub-alpine forests. It’s especially famous were once loud enough to be heard for several miles. The
for its large number of geothermal features, including the Uktena control the caern located among these fumaroles,
geyser Old Faithful, most of which are fed by a massive although they sometimes grant access to outsiders.
and entirely active supervolcano. Rivers and Waterfalls: Although fire spirits make their
The wolf population of the park itself is relatively small presence known more keenly, water spirits have plenty of
due to purges that took place in the first decades of the places to play among Yellowstone Park’s dozens of waterfalls,
20th century. Wolves only returned to the area in the late many rivers, and deep canyons. As with its mountains,
1990s, and there are currently about 300 in and around Yellowstone’s waterfalls hold secrets:
the park. Despite competition with grizzly bears, which • Undine Falls Caern: Between the upper and lower
outnumber them by nearly 2 to 1 and compete for food, waterfalls is a small, swirling pool. Under the light of the
the wolf population is slowly growing. full moon, it sometimes reflects events in far-off places or
64 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
even in the past and future. Water spirits called Undines moon at this caern dreams of one of her ancestors and can
are garrulous and friendly so long as visitors do not at- carry on a short conversation with him, possibly learning
tempt to enter the pool. Legends say the river bed hides Gifts or recovering lost knowledge. On other nights, she
a secret treasure the Undines are tasked with protecting. may dream of Chimerlings. By day, spirits of Shadow and
The caern is nominally under the control of the Uktena, Forest gather in the caern. The Shadow Lords currently lay
although a pack made up of three different tribes are its claim to this place, but the Wendigo have their eyes on it.
official guardians. Yellowstone Hot Spot: Yellowstone lies on top of the
• Tower Fall Caern: The top of this 130 foot water- massive supervolcano that has produced four of the ten
fall is flanked by numerous towers of stone created by the most violent volcanic eruptions the world has seen in the
erosion of the soft volcanic stone on the upper ledge. This last 28 million years. The visions of some seers warn that
caern itself is located in the pool at the bottom of the falls, the next such eruption is coming soon.
but any moon bridge opened here can only be accessed The Yellowstone Caldera, the ultimate source of Yel-
by leaping off the top of the falls from one of the stone
lowstone’s impressive geothermal repertoire, lurks beneath
towers. However, the range of this caern’s moon bridges
Yellowstone Lake. Fire spirits and elementals dominate in
is much greater than usual, as it can open moon bridges
the fumaroles, hot springs, and geysers of Yellowstone Park,
to caerns up to 3,000 miles away. Get of Fenris lay claim
but they are playful insects compared to the spirit of the
to this caern, which is populated by spirits of Travel and
caldera. Uktena legends claim one of the few Incarnae left
Lunes, as well as water elementals.
on Earth is imprisoned beneath Yellowstone Lake, in the
• Childhood Dream Falls Caern: This caern is hidden
magma chamber below the great caldera left after the last
in the woods a few hundred yards from the base of this small
supereruption. The exact nature of the Yellowstone Spirit is
waterfall — just close enough for a wolf’s ears to hear the
anybody’s guess, but its province appears
murmuring of the water as it strikes the rocks below. A Ga-
to be the primordial fire
rou who sleeps in Lupus under her auspice
of Gaia herself.
 wipe out the entire population of wolves and humans on
much of the North American continent. Uktena legends
claim that these eruptions are inextricably linked to the
YELLOWSTONE SPIRIT Yellowstone Spirit, although they disagree on whether the
The Yellowstone Spirit does not communicate next major eruption will release the Incarna or whether
with Garou directly, but sometimes it behaves in releasing the spirit will cause the first such eruption in the
ways that seem to indicate restlessness. A thousand last 640,000 years.
earthquakes in a year is normal for the region, but Finally, the Yellowstone Spirit has an often-dangerous
when that climbs to 3,000 in a year or a thousand influence on local Garou, as it grants its powerful Rage
in a month, every werewolf in the area knows the to any who sacrifice a part of themselves to it. This is
reason. The magma chamber below Yellowstone probably one of the main reasons the Wyrm has never
Lake fills more each year, pushing the roof of the gotten a foothold here, and even the Weaver’s servants
caldera above ever higher, but when it rises eight show respect for Yellowstone and do not disturb its caerns.
inches in a single year, wise Garou enact rituals However, this Rage enflames most Garou far beyond their
to calm the spirit. The annual forest fires are a capacity for self-control. Many succumb to frenzy with little
sacrifice to the Yellowstone Spirit by the Uktena provocation, and I’ve seen two incidents of Garou falling
to placate it so it will not erupt yet. into the Thrall of the Wyrm during what was supposed to
be merely ritual combat. Add to this the conflict between
tribes over control of caerns, and you have a recipe for
bloody and wholly unnecessary tribal war in the area. Of
You can feel the Yellowstone Spirit’s power through- course, warning these Garou of the danger will likely only
out the geysers and fumaroles of the park, in every hot infuriate them, which is a losing proposition considering
spring and mudpot. It accepts the sacrifices of Garou the degree to which they’ve allowed their Rage to rule them.
who deliberately subject themselves to the furious heat of
the area’s geothermal features. A blast of boiling water or
Recommendations
superheated steam scalds and scars but also fills the Garou Increasing the wolf population in Yellowstone further
to the bursting point with Rage. may attract unwanted attention from human hunters. It
makes a good breeding ground, however, and we can use
Threats it as a staging area for expansion into other parts of the
Yellowstone National Park is perhaps one of the only continent.
places in the world that remains virtually untouched by the We need to take steps to defuse the tension between
Wyrm. Wolves in the area are no longer considered endan- Garou in the area. If we can bring them to bear against
gered, but humans have shown little interest in hunting agents of the Wyrm their Rage will no doubt prove a valuable
our Kinfolk. The greatest threat the wolf population faces asset. I can imagine using the Yellowstone Spirit’s blessing
is from the Wyld. to raise veritable armies of shock troops where subtlety is
No one knows what if anything prevents the Yellowstone less of a concern than brute killing power.
Spirit from leaving the magma chamber below the caldera. If Finally, I would urge you to take steps to identify
some other power binds it there, what will it do if it breaks who is trying to set the Yellowstone Spirit free and put a
those bonds? If it chooses to remain there, what happens if stop to it. The battlefield value of a manifested Incarna,
something inspires it to leave its lair? How does an Incarna although not inconsequential, still is not great enough
of Gaia’s fiery rage behave if it is not confined to an under- to justify the risk of loosing a weapon we cannot control
ground sea of magma? I’ve heard rumors that some Garou in and that may just as easily turn on us. Even if the Incarna
the area actually hope to bring forth the Yellowstone Spirit as ultimately joins our war, setting it free may well trigger a
a weapon in our war against the Wyrm. Never mind that we catastrophic volcanic eruption with consequences no less
can’t know whether it would devour our enemies or simply terrible than would have resulted from a nuclear war. I’m
consume the world in its primordial fire. not convinced that the Garou behind the efforts to unleash
The Yellowstone Caldera itself presents a potential the Yellowstone Spirit have not considered this. More than
deadly danger to all living things within a thousand miles or likely they consider such an eruption a doomsday device, a
more. If its dome of rock collapses into the magma chamber, weapon of last resort capable of wiping out all the servants
the scale of the resulting eruption would dwarf anything of both Weaver and Wyrm. That doing so would likely
humans as a species have ever experienced. Empowered by also obliterate nearly all of Gaia’s creatures is simply an
an unleashed Yellowstone Spirit, such an eruption could unfortunate side effect to them.
66 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
Iberian Peninsula
• Rock of the Three Kingdoms Caern: Inhabited
by spirits of Peace and Calm, as well as earth elementals.
Sierra Morena: This system of steep, rocky mountain
Western Europeans spent centuries hunting the native ranges stretches about 250 miles east-west across southern
wolf population and were nearly successful in wiping them Spain. In former times bandits and highwaymen haunted
out in places like France, Germany, and Denmark. Until the mountains because the area was so inaccessible to pa-
recently, it seemed certain that while Eastern Europe might trols. Its Penumbra is still haunted by the ghosts of these
still shelter our kin, our foothold in Western Europe was desperados, some of whom have grown quite powerful.
lost. This is no longer the case on the Iberian Peninsula.
Although humans have taken shelter in its caves and
The Iberian Wolf inhabited much of Spain and Por- tapped its mineral wealth since prehistoric times, it has
tugal until the 1900s. An active extermination campaign always been the domain of the Wyld. The Penumbra of its
in the 1950s and 1960s wiped out all the wolves in Spain valleys, canyons, and caverns hides several chimares, glens,
except in the northwest part of the country, and similar and trods. There are not as many wolves here as in Sierra
policies in Portugal almost wiped out the wolves there. de la Culebra, but it has the highest density of lupus in
Conservationists successfully argued for the protection of Western Europe.
the remaining population. Despeñaperros: This park in the Sierra Morena derives
A sizeable population of Iberian Wolves roams in Sierra its name from the canyon that runs through its center. The
de la Culebra, and some isolated areas in Sierra Morena, main gorge cuts through the mountains in a natural pass
and the population is expanding south and east. There have flanked by walls as high as 1,600 feet, which has made it a
been reports of wolves returning to Navarre and the Basque choice route for human travel since Neolithic times. This
Country, as well as the provinces of Extremadura, Madrid, canyon, as well as Cimbarra Falls and the area’s caves, has
and Guadalajara. A male Italian wolf found its way into many important examples of Neolithic cave paintings.
Catalonia, where the last native wolf was killed in 1929. Of course, not all the cave paintings in Despeñaperros
In all, the wolf population on the peninsula is growing, are so mundane. Some predate the arrival of Man on the
and we have been able to reclaim a lot of abandoned terri- Iberian Peninsula, placed there by beings that no longer
tory. Three caerns have returned to our control, although walk the Gaia Realm, and no one has been able to decipher
many more now lie within the boundaries of human cities them. Others are the occult scribblings of the witches and
like Granada and Barcelona. sorcerers who took refuge in the area during the Spanish
Places of Note Inquisition so they could continue to practice their arts.
A few cave paintings hidden deep under the earth are of
Sierra de la Culebra: This is a mountain range in north- great interest to Garou, as they imprison Banes or hint at
west Spain and northeastern Portugal, forming a natural something sinister lurking deeper still against which we
border between the two countries. The largest wolf popu- must be vigilant.
lation on the Iberian Peninsula lives here, and thousands El Camino de Santiago: The Way of Saint James is the
of human eco-tourists visit the area to watch the wolves. pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compos-
On the Portuguese side, wolf hunting is forbidden, but the tela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has
Spanish side sells licenses to hunt wolves — ostensibly to it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried. It
fund the upkeep of the park and to prevent overcrowding. has been a Christian pilgrimage route for over a thousand
These licenses are expensive and largely purchased by rich years, and while it saw its peak during the Middle Ages,
thrill-seekers who have convinced themselves that hunting modern day pilgrims still travel this old path on foot.
with a rifle what Gaia only equipped with teeth is somehow Shrines and rest stops along the way offer travelers shelter
sporting or even dangerous. along the way. The scallop shell is the traditional symbol of
The Rock of the Three Kingdoms: This caern is a this pilgrimage, for all the lines converge at one place as all
rocky formation in the Sierra del Marabón, part of the roads lead the pilgrim to Compostela. Those who complete
mountainous system of Sierra de la Culebra. It is located the journey usually bring a scallop shell home with them.
within Sierra de la Culebra at the meeting point of the Despite this long history, human researchers have
medieval kingdoms of Portugal, Léon, and Galacia. found no evidence of pagan origins for this pilgrimage.
It has long served as a place for Garou to meet and And with good reason, for it is actually a shadow of an even
overcome their differences and remember that we all serve older Garou pilgrimage route that begins in San Sebastian
Gaia first and foremost. In centuries past, homid warriors near Spain’s eastern border and leads to Compostela more
would meet here even if their home countries were at war. than 400 miles away. A spirit of the ocean blesses Garou
Tribes have ratified many treaties at this site. who make this pilgrimage on foot. It usually grants minor

Chapter Three: Wyld 67

boons, although it has been known to give greater rewards familiar to Garou, at least on the Iberian Peninsula. The
to those who choose to take a longer route — a thousand recent economic struggles and scandals in these two coun-
miles or more. tries, although largely outside the scope of this report, are
According to legend, Garou willing to make the pil- probably not accidents. They may seem like mere human
grimage entirely in the Penumbra find something other problems to Iberian lupus, but something deeper is surely
than the cathedral at Compostela at the end of their at work. Unfortunately, history has taught us that humans
journey. The tales claim El Camino de Santiago’s Umbral are only environmentally conscious when their civilizations
reflection works much like a moon bridge, except it can are stable. When uncertainty grows as it has in Spain and
lead the wanderer to any caern in the world, even those Portugal, cuts to conservation funding cannot be too far
thought to have been lost. If the Garou concentrates on a off, and that can lead to acts of desperation like selling
specific destination, she is more likely to reach that caern protected land to refill government coffers.
if she knows it well. If the Garou focuses on a problem
instead of a destination, the pilgrimage ends near a place
Recommendations
that holds a solution to that problem. If she embraces the There is nothing I would immediately change about the
journey without judging the destination, Gaia leads her way the Iberian wolf population is currently being managed
to where she is needed most. by the Garou here. Improving the communications between
Alas, the journey hasn’t been safe for hundreds of years. rural and urban Garou might be helpful, but these two
Spirits lurk like bandits along the Umbral route, and the groups have a long history of conflict throughout Europe.
road itself has many obstacles. Also, time seems to move In fact, it wasn’t until quite recently that the tribes here
more quickly on the pilgrimage route. Garou traveling it stopped actively fighting each other for territory and wolf
suffer the effects of Disconnection after only half a lunar breeding stock.
cycle, but if they step off the road and through the Gauntlet
the pilgrims must return to San Sebastian and begin the
journey from the start. Australian Outback
A few wise ones whisper that if a Garou could make The outback is a vast, remote, arid area of Australia
the Umbral pilgrimage from an even more distant starting that is home to a diverse mix of animal species, including
place — France, Italy, or even Russia — the reward at the kangaroo, emu, and (of particular interest to Garou) din-
destination could change the course of our war against the go. The number of humans that scrape out a living in the
Wyrm. Of course, that would be a truly impossible journey dirt of the outback is quite small, and most of those are
for any but the most resolute Garou. engaged in mining or in raising sheep and cattle on the
sparse rangelands.
Threats While dingoes are often described as wild dogs, pure-
As wolves reclaim territory they haven’t dominated in blooded ones are closer to wolves in pedigree than any
a century, ever-superstitions humans inevitably worry over domesticated breed of dog. However, the past century
their flocks, herds, and children, and that creates conflicts. of contact with European dogs has tainted the blood so
Wherever humans have taken to culling wolf populations much that the pureblood dingo is dying out. Humans,
for any reason, there is a risk that our pureblooded Kinfolk who cannot generally tell half-bloods from purebloods
will be specifically targeted by the enemy, so we should and consider both nuisances, wage a never-ending war on
remain wary. After consulting with the lupus who live in them with guns, traps, and poisons.
wolf territory, as well as with those Glass Walkers adept at The presence of Garou in Australia greatly predates the
following money trails, it does not appear that the Spanish arrival of the first dingoes from Asia. We cannot think about
wolf hunters are Wyrm-inspired. If they were originally Australia without recalling the tragedy that befell the Bunyip
initiated by servants of the enemy, any Wyrm influence and their Kinfolk at claws of our ancestors. It is right that we
they bear is a mere echo undetectable even by our sharpest should grieve for that terrible chapter in our history, but we
Wyrm-sniffers. The money for hunting licenses pays for are at war with an enemy that threatens Gaia herself, so we
park patrols and maintenance. In fact, the recent decline must put it behind us. The Bunyip are no more. They left
of sales of these licenses due to the real estate crisis, which behind and countless caerns that Garou have neglected far
has hit Spain and Portugal particularly hard, is probably a too long out of shame over the War of Tears.
greater threat to the wolves of the Iberian Peninsula than
the hunters themselves. Places of Note
The Wyrm cannot be ignorant of the resurgence The Dingo Fence: This pest-exclusion fence was built
of Iberian wolves, but for some reason it has chosen to in the 1880s to keep the dingoes of the outback out of the
concentrate on the heavy-handed gambits that are all too relatively fertile southeast part of the continent (where they
68 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
had largely been exterminated) and protect the sheep flocks has become a ghost town. To all appearances, it looks much
of southern Queensland. At nearly 3,500 miles in length, the way it did before humans arrived with the exception
it is the world’s longest fence and one of the largest human of a few concrete pads and the radioactive tailing pond.
structures in the world — the Great Wall of China of fences. The tailing pond unleashes the occasional rampag-
It is six feet high and extends a foot into the ground. The ing Bane or campers-turned-fomori, but it is far enough
ground for 16 feet to either side of the fence is cleared of from most population centers that local Garou have little
vegetation, and much of it is illuminated, which makes difficulty identifying and eliminating these threats. They
wolves approaching it by night easy pickings for a human have had less luck cleansing the Wyrm taint from the
with a gun, a grudge against dingoes, and too much time mine site, as their three unsuccessful attempts attest. The
on his hands. Banes of the tailing pond are almost lazy in their assaults
While the dingo fence is not impenetrable, it has been on the surrounding countryside, but they are terrible when
very effective at keeping our Kinfolk away from the areas it defending their radioactive lair from Garou.
is meant to guard. Feral camels have knocked down parts Also, local governments miss the revenue the mine
of the fence in Southern Australia. Dingo pups squeeze once generated and point to nearby sites that show promise
through the fence when they are still small enough to do as uranium mines. One of those is near Battle Mountain,
so, and this allows our Kinfolk to spread that way. However, one of the caerns the Garou claimed before the end of the
the farmers and ranchers on the other side of the fence are War of Tears. Is this simple human greed or the beginning
zealous enemies of dingoes and shoot, trap, and poison of a Wyrm plot to corrupt the caern?
them to protect their herds. Plans for restructuring the • Battle Mountain Caern: This was the site of the
dingo fence to be taller and electric are in progress. last stand of the Kalkadoon, an Aboriginal tribe that
Mary Kathleen: Mary Kathleen was a mining settle- revered Battle Mountain as sacred. Once a place of peace
ment in the northwestern part of Queensland, Australia and healing, the Kalkadoon’s battle against the invading
— in the Selwyn Range between Mount Isa and Cloncurry. Europeans changed the spirit of the caern. It is inhabited
Humans discovered uranium in the area in 1954. The ura- now by War and Pain spirits, as well as many ghosts from
nium ran out after about thirty years, and the community both sides of that battle.

Chapter Three: Wyld 69

 Central Ranges: This dry region of sandy plains and uranium deposits in the region and are actively lobbying
rocky highland lays near the center of Australia. The remote governments to open up mines. We all know that creations
city of Alice Springs is the only large human settlement, of the Wyrm often spring up out of radioactive waste. So
and one doesn’t need to go far from it before the wilderness far, humans in the area have resisted requests to tap these
closes in all around. Garou have traditionally shunned dangerous resources, but the servants of the Wyrm can be
this region because it contains so many reminders of the patient and convincing.
War of Tears. Caerns lie fallow near the Ochre Pits, in
the MacDonnell Ranges, at Gosses Bluff, and many other Recommendations
places in the region. Respect for the dead is admirable. The War of Tears has
The last Bunyip Kinfolk among the Indigenous Aus- been a tremendous source of shame for Australian Garou
tralians who live in the area still guard these sacred places. for centuries and rightly so. However, leaving powerful
Their truce with servants of the Weaver has prevented caerns unguarded does not serve Gaia. Rather, it affords
humans from disturbing the caerns, and they have even the servants of the Wyrm ample opportunities to plunder
proven they can even hold their own against lesser Banes. and corrupt the sacred places of the Bunyip and to use
However, local Garou point to the recent corruption of the them against us. Australia already has too many Hellholes
Sad Spring Caern as proof that the Central Ranges cannot because werewolves refused to reclaim and were too slow
hold out against the servants of the Wyrm for much longer. to defend Aboriginal caerns.
Dreamtime: The Dreamtime is Australia’s Penumbra. Many werewolves remember how terrifying the Bunyip
In the Dreamtime, prehistoric and extinct animals live could be when provoked, but they can neither aid nor
next to Aboriginal spirits. The boundaries between Dream- threaten us now. At this point in the war, we need to move
time and the physical world have always been weak, and on the caerns the Bunyip left behind. Many of these places
the Dreamtime of the outback has not been reshaped by are dangerous, but Garou who snarl in the faces of Banes
Weaver and Wyrm the way the densely populated coastal and fomori should not cower in fear of the sacred places
areas have. Before their disappearance, the Bunyip placed of a tribe that vanished from the Earth a century ago.
powerful wards on the Dreamtime that have preserved We need to adopt the Aboriginal Kinfolk the Bunyip
the Penumbra of the outback as it looked when they first left behind and preserve them from further human purges.
came to Australia. Moon Paths in the Dreamtime lead to It could take decades or even longer to regain their trust, for
the prehistoric realm of Pangaea and the mystical world they have every reason to resent and fear us. After all, we
of the Legendary Realm. Garou stood by and did nothing as the Aboriginal Protection
The Dreamtime of the outback is dangerous even for Board separated children from their parents for more than
Garou who know the Umbral realms well. The Bunyip a century. Even the Children of Gaia fought this atrocity
warded or left behind traps in the Penumbra of caerns with empty words when we should have taken action.
and many other places once sacred to them. The invading
European Garou largely eliminated the coastal wards, but
Physiology of a Death Beast
the closer one comes to the center of the continent, the Letter to Julia from Lobo del Lago Lunar, Lupus
more powerful and dangerous and creative the Bunyip Philodox Child of Gaia
wards become. You’re just full of questions, aren’t you? An
Threats Ahroun might have better answers for some of these,
but I suppose talking to a Full Moon about Garou
The Garou of the outback face threats on a number
battle forms can be a little intimidating to a Kin-
of fronts:
folk — certainly more intimidating than asking a
• Dwindling Kinfolk: The dingoes appear to have Philodox on the far side of the world. But I was never
unlimited capacity to breed and spread, and there is no any good at sleeping in midair — I’m too curious for
immediate danger that they will be wiped out. However, my own good — so I’ll explain as best I can.
interbreeding with domesticated dogs has reduced the
population of pure dingoes to only 30% of its size a century The bodies of werewolves behave differently than
ago. While the Red Talons often blame the depletion of those of other animals. This has a lot to do with the
our stock of breeding Kinfolk on human measures, the spirit side of our natures. We’re not just flesh-and-
threat of thinning dingo blood is a much more serious blood, so we don’t follow all the rules humans have
one. Half-dingoes don’t bear Gaia’s touch: they are never about how the world works. There are some humans
Garou and cannot be Kinfolk. out there who try to study or even capture Garou for
• Wyrm Predation: Mining companies, some of exactly that reason. They think we’re breaking their
them known Pentex subsidiaries, have identified several
70 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
laws of physics, but it’s actually just their under-
standing of the world that’s flawed. Of course, when the danger has passed so too
does the pain tolerance. A shattered ribcage with a
A Garou in Lupus or Homid weighs much less punctured lung hurts a lot, believe me. Of course,
than one in Crinos. This in itself is handy. Need to even pain serves a purpose, because it helps us stay fo-
cross thin ice? Lupus is the best form for it — light- cused on our Rage, and that stops our bleeding, forces
weight with a lower center of gravity. Need to keep the bone fragments back into place, and generally
an enemy you’ve grabbed from getting away? Crinos is returns us to full strength shortly after the battle is
ideal both because it is incredibly strong and much done.
heavier than other forms.
Garou healing is another one of those things that
Of course, being heavier or lighter, larger or gets nosy humans too excited for their own good.
smaller is just a tiny piece of the advantages of shift- While I’ve heard a few ideas about how it works, I
ing. The form I choose says a lot about how I intend don’t think anyone can really say they understand
to solve problems in the near future. Hispo is more it completely. My favorite theory goes something like
graceful than Crinos or even Lupus. Glabro is good this:
when quarters are too tight for Crinos but the Homid
form isn’t strong enough for the task. Like I’ve said Garou are equal parts flesh and spirit, and these
before, every shape has its purpose. halves reflect each other. When something damages
a werewolf’s body, it makes the flesh an imperfect
Most werewolves learn to shift rapidly during version of the Garou’s spirit image. The spirit self
combat in order to keep opponents off-balance. Some knows what the werewolf’s body should actually look
take this a step further, using the shift itself as a like and works diligently to restore the body to its
weapon. They will shift to a smaller form to present natural, proper shape. We don’t need to reattach a
a smaller target or to slip out of an enemy’s grip. Or severed hand or even eat and drink to restore our
they will lock jaws in Lupus and then shift to Crinos strength. Our spirit self simply spins new flesh and
to bring their claws into play, as well. A werewolf blood to replace whatever we lost.
knocked prone while in Homid or Glabro shifts into
Lupus or Hispo and can rejoin the fray without Of course, some attacks can damage the spirit
needing to stand up. Some tribes have created special self, too — silver or fire, for example, or the claws of
fighting styles around shapeshifting in battle. Garou or certain fomori. Fortunately it can usually
heal its injuries over time, but it takes a lot longer.
A Garou is also exceptionally resistant to physical Moreover, these injuries hurt for as long as we have
punishment, healing most injuries in mere sec- them. If the injuries are especially bad, they can scar
onds. Does that mean we don’t feel pain when we’re the spirit self, and the physical body reflects that
injured? Yes and no. When a human is in a danger- injury ever after.
ous situation, adrenaline gets her ready to fight or
flee, temporarily dulling the pain of any injuries she Not all werewolves care for this explanation, of
might sustain. Of course, once the danger passes all course. Some confuse the idea of the spirit self with
the pain comes flooding back and the human feels what many humans think of as the soul, and they
every pulled muscle and cracked rib. think that this is a case of the Children of Gaia
telling them that the battle scars they earned make
Werewolves are creatures of supernatural Rage, them somehow spiritually less than those who have
so the pain tolerance we gain when we’re under not yet endured lasting harm. These are very dif-
stress makes human adrenaline look like a sugar ferent concepts, however. A round rock is a different
high by comparison. I’ve been in a more than a few shape from a flat one, but one shape is not morally
fights, and even terrible injuries are little more than superior to another. The same with a werewolf’s
an itch so long as there’s danger. You won’t hear a spirit self. A battle scar changes who you are in some
Garou yelp or scream in pain no matter how vicious way, but it doesn’t make you lesser or greater —
the blow, although he might growl with renewed simply different. The Garou Nation set great stock by
fury. If our wounds slow us down at all it isn’t be- scars, but their Renown is an external validation,
cause they hurt but because they have broken some- not an intrinsic statement of worth.
thing. A severed hamstring might not hurt beyond a
tingle, but it’ll still make it difficult to run!

Chapter Three: Wyld 71

Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the second-most populous African nation
and one of the oldest known sites of human existence.
ARKWASIYE THUNDEREGG
Ethiopia is an ecologically diverse country, with deserts, These spirits take the form of a single thun-
tropical forests, and an extensive highland complex of deregg — a stone the size of a baseball with a nodular
mountains and dissected plateaus divided by the Great outer shell and a heart of crystal or agate — hidden
Rift Valley. Ethiopian wolves roam in the higher altitudes in a difficult-to-reach spot. To complete the hunt,
of the nation, but only about 550 remain after a rabies the Garou at the moot must work together to locate
outbreak in 1990 wiped out one third of the population in the spirit, climb sheer cliffs to reach it, and take
a matter of two weeks. Despite attempts to pin the blame turns trying to break it open. Once the werewolves
for this outbreak on agents of the Wyrm, the culprit turned reveal the heart of the thunderegg as a part of the
out to be nothing more sinister than infected dogs. This ritual, they refresh their supply of Gnosis.
plague among wolves has put the Ethiopian wolf on the
endangered species list — only a short step removed from
those animals that are extinct except in captivity.
The caerns of Ethiopia are as powerful as they are an- The population of wolves here is much smaller than in
cient. Without them, the Silent Striders and Bone Gnawers the Bale Mountains. Deforestation and encounters with
that occupy in the area would have long since been swept humans in the small villages that dot the area have made
away by the many Fera tribes that dominate the rest of Af- the situation worse. Arkwasiye Pass is a ridge that connects
rica. While the tribes are used to working together, homid the two highest mountains in Ethiopia — Ras Dashen and
males hold many of the same attitudes toward women as Mount Bwahit.
their human Kinfolk. In a nation where nearly 70% of • Arkwasiye Caern: This caern lies in a cleft of rock
marriages are by abduction and almost three-quarters of just below the ridge of Arkwasiye Pass. Spirits of War and
women have undergone some form of genital mutilation, Cold are common here, but perhaps most notable are the
the handful of Black Furies who have come from Egypt to strange Englings known as Arkwasiye Thundereggs that
reinforce the caerns against threats from without have been inhabit the area. [Level 3 Caern of Strength.]
forced to waste much of their energy resisting the attempts Erta Ale: This continuously active volcano in northeast-
of their fellow Garou to “civilize” them. No doubt Fera ern Ethiopia lies in the Afar Depression, a badland desert
spies are watching this development with interest. area. The area surrounding the volcano is below sea level.
Places of Note It has one or sometimes two lava lakes at the summit that
occasionally overflow on the south side of the volcano. The
Bale Mountains: Located in the southeast part of
surrounding terrain is some of the most inhospitable on
Ethiopia, this range of mountains is the territory of the
Earth, a desert stripped of any soil or vegetation at all. The
largest part of the country’s wolf population. It acts as a
native humans have a legendary reputation for viciousness
sort of lookout point for the Silent Striders of North Africa.
toward outsiders.
Populations of Fera control Harenna Forest to the south
The Wyld exerts a powerful influence over the area.
of the mountains, and there have been several skirmishes
Wyldlings and capricious elementals flit around the skirts
with them even though the War of Rage officially ended
of the volcano, alternately aiding and attacking anyone
long ago. These werewolves also act as guardians of Mount
they meet. Rumor has it that one of the last Vortices on
Tullu Demtu, the highest mountain in the range and the
Earth dwells in the Penumbra at the volcano’s summit and
location of one of the powerful Ethiopian caerns.
occasionally materializes during major eruptions.
• Tullu Demtu Caern: Bird and War Spirits are com-
Blue Nile: Ethiopia’s highlands are the source of the
mon sights at this caern. The Silent Striders who guard
Blue Nile, beginning at the sacred spring of Gish Abbai,
this caern know a special rite unique to this caern called
flowing into Lake Tana, descending 150 feet from Tis
the Rite of Luna’s Eye. With it, a Garou who looks out
Isaat Falls, and runs 500 miles through Ethiopian gorges
from the rocky outcroppings of this mountain caern can
as deep as 4,900 feet before entering Sudan. It provides
see impossible distances.
nearly two-thirds of the water that reaches Egypt.
Semien Mountains: This mountain range lies in the
Sadly, most of the Blue Nile caerns in the Ethiopian
northern part of Ethiopia and consists of plateaus separated
highlands are now defunct. While ambitious Theurges
by valleys and rising to pinnacles. The Semien Mountains
propose rebuilding these dead caerns every few years,
are one of the few places in Africa with regular snowfall.

72 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

nothing has ever come of it. The Garou in the area are not
numerous, and they face troubles enough from humans
and Fera without calling down the forces of the Wyrm.
• Gish Abbai Caern: Even humans have long felt the THE WATERS OF GISH ABAI
intense power of this place, and legends claim the spring In addition to the ordinary healing powers of
marks the spot where the first humans were driven out of a caern, those who simply bathe in the waters of
Eden in the book of Genesis. Additionally, some scientific Gish Abai — Garou, human, wolf, or otherwise —
theories about the origin of the human species claim that can heal one level of lethal or aggravated damage
the first Homo sapiens to leave the African continent were each day. Moreover, the spring has been known
hunter-gatherers who lived near this caern. The waters of to perform more impressive miracles of healing.
Gish Abai have miraculous healing properties that have These impossible feats have included bringing life
made this caern an irreplaceable treasure for the Garou. to the dead, reviving extinct species, and creating
The caern is positively thick with spirits of Healing and new species of animals. It does not perform these
Water elementals. miracles often or easily, however.
Threats Perhaps once a decade a gateway opens on
The Ethiopian wolf is on the verge of extinction. the western edge of the caern’s Penumbra and
Deforestation, attacks by humans, and rabies outbreaks remains open for one lunar month. The gateway
have almost wiped out our wolf Kinfolk. Human biologists guardian, which looks like a winged human made
interested in preserving the remaining population are of light and wielding a sword of flame, bars passage
making plans to capture the remaining wolves and create to the garden that lies beyond. The presence of
a captive breeding program. While this may benefit our this guardian has only fed speculation about the
Kinfolk in the long term, in the short term (anything less caern’s spiritual significance.
than a century) it will be little different for the Garou than No one has ever bested the gateway guardian in
if those Kinfolk died out. combat, but on a handful of occasions a Garou has
Nor are the wolves our only Kinfolk who are vulnerable persuaded it to bring wondrous healing gifts out of
to disease. HIV will not kill a werewolf nor even produce the garden. Only the wisest of all supplicants have won
noteworthy symptoms, but we can still be carriers and our these blessings, and the guardian demanded nearly
Kinfolk are no less vulnerable to it than other mortals. Given impossible tasks of them before bestowing them.
the proliferation of this disease in the human population
of Ethiopia, even our human breeding stock is in peril.
Skirmishes with the Fera have likewise reduced the

Central Asia
number of Garou and human Kinfolk. The caerns the
Garou hold in Ethiopia are very powerful and so make
tempting targets for anyone who can benefit from them.
The Fera are simply the most numerous and obvious, but While the exact definition of Central Asia varies, my
other supernatural beings have come sniffing around our survey is focused on the five ‘stans’ of the former Soviet
caerns. Union — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
and Uzbekistan. Historically, the main human livelihood in
Recommendations the area is herding, since the arid land is largely unsuitable
The situation in Ethiopia has become desperate, and for agriculture. Its millennia along the Silk Road made
the Silent Striders of North Africa and the Middle East the region a crossroads for the exchange of ideas, but this
are, to be perfectly frank, too tied up with the events of the central location also made it a battleground between groups
Arab Spring and its aftermath to devote much attention of steppe nomads. Periodically, several of these nomadic
to a country that isn’t under relentless assault by servants tribes would unite into a powerful military force — the
of the Wyrm. We need to send reinforcements to defend Huns who invaded Europe, the Wu Hu who attacked
the caerns. While I applaud the Black Furies’ willingness China, and the Mongol conquest of much of Eurasia.
to perform a necessary task that many werewolves have Many Silent Striders, Shadow Lords, and Stargazers lived
no interest in, I fear that the native Garou are not taking among these nomads as great warriors among mortals, and
them seriously enough. We may need to send some high they often had their choice of human Kinfolk as mates.
ranking werewolves who can win their respect. I honestly The Red Talons spread their legacy among wolf Kinfolk,
believe this is a job for the Silver Fangs. and the tribes fought each other often.

Chapter Three: Wyld 73

 When the Soviet Union conquered the area, the Ga- prison camps. It often seems that every government official
rou and their human Kinfolk suffered many losses during is corrupt, and local rulers often flout the law without hes-
Stalinist purges. Perhaps even worse than this, the Soviets itation or fear of consequences. Many people are hooked
desecrated or destroyed most of the caerns and other places into drug addiction or lured into prostitution. The region
sacred to the few Garou who survived. The fall of the Soviet also suffers from human trafficking, with victims sent to
Union left several power vacuums in the region that were China, Russia, Iran, or even farther away as slave labor or
largely filled by dictators, petty warlords, and crime bosses. as food for Wyrm spawn.
It will be many years before democracy truly touches these
nations, if ever it arrives at all.
Places of Note
Aral Sea: This body of water shared by Kazakhstan
Approximately 40,000 wolves live in these nations
and Uzbekistan is one of the planet’s worst environmental
(30,000 of them in Kazakhstan alone). In spite of a lack
disasters. Once one of the four largest lakes in the world,
of government protection and, in the case of Kazakhstan, the Aral Sea has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s
a bounty on their hides, wolves grow more numerous by after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation
the year. The Red Talons guard their Kinfolk jealously projects. By 2007, it had declined to 10% of its original
from rival tribes, who must rely almost entirely on human size, destroying the nation’s fishing industry and altering
Kinfolk to replenish their numbers. the local climate. The receding sea has left huge plains
I would go so far as to say that the wolves of Central covered with salt and toxic chemicals — the results of
Asia actually enjoy better lives than many of the humans weapons testing (including the biological weapons facility
there. Dictator-presidents use sham elections to legitimize at the former island of Vozrozhdeniya), industrial projects,
their repressive governments, and anyone who speaks out pesticides and fertilizer runoff — which are picked up and
against them vanishes, often winding up in hard labor carried away by the wind as toxic dust and spread to the
surrounding area. at peace as they are in this mountain range, with local
The heavy pollution of the lake and the economic humans even being permitted near Lake Moutniy, one of
hardships of the local humans have spawned many Wyrm the region’s two caerns. Kidnapping is on the rise, however,
threats. The Red Talons often point to this catastrophe as with many victims being sent to nearby Afghanistan to work
proof that humans are the enemy of the Garou and are the opium fields or perform other hard labor.
largely responsible for betraying Gaia to the predations of • Lake Moutniy: This small mountain lake is populated
the Wyrm. Some Get of Fenris talk of mounting a campaign by Spirits of Peace, Calm, and Water elementals. Nomadic
to cleanse the Wyrm taint from the dry lakebed, but even ancestor spirits often pass through the caern on their way
the most idealistic Garou realize they can achieve victories to other destinations.
much more easily elsewhere in the region. • Chimtarga Peak Caern: War and Ancestor Spirits
Bayanaul National Park: This national park in Ka- guard this caern and discourage anyone — human, Garou,
zakhstan is one of the few areas in the country that was or otherwise — from climbing to its peak. These spirits
left largely untouched by the Soviet occupation. While reward those who overcome its challenges for the first time
many humans come here on camping trips or to take in by replenishing all their Willpower.
the sights of its lakes and remarkable rock formations, the Gaplangyr Nature Reserve: This nature reserve on
park largely belongs to wolves and Garou. The Baba-Yaga a plateau in northern Turkmenistan was once home to
Stone, one of the few remaining caerns in Central Asia, many wolf packs. It lies within 30 miles of Sarygamysh
stands in this park, as does the suggestive rock formation Lake, which sits approximately halfway between the Aral
known as Masculine Dignity. Sea and the Caspian Sea and is not nearly as polluted as
• Baba-Yaga Stone: This rock formation resembles a either. In 1971, during the Soviet occupation, the Get of
huge human head, complete with a crone’s hooked nose. Fenris established a base of operations in the area due to
A path to Erebus appears in the Penumbra near the caern its proximity to these Wyrm-tainted bodies of water. They
during on the first night of each new moon. The Shadow organized several raids on corrupted government operations
Lords and Red Talons maintain an uneasy truce, taking along the lakes and in the desert. They destroyed a fertilizer
turns guarding and making use of the caern for a month at company whose product would turn the little arable land
a time. Despite the wisdom aspect of this caern, it attracts in Turkmenistan into poisonous desert, drove supposed
a number of trickster spirits and faeries. natural gas exploration companies away from areas where
• Masculine Dignity: This rock formation looks like a Banes lay buried, and put a stop to a plot to divert the
penis standing upright on a cliff. Local humans have long flow of fresh water from Sarygamysh Lake into poorly
come here for fertility rituals of all kinds. Although it is constructed aqueducts and irrigation canals.
not a caern, Kinfolk who successfully breed in the stone’s As the Wyrm sent more minions, the Gaplangyr Garou
shadow are almost twice as likely to give birth to Garou. found themselves on the defensive. They determined they
Unfortunately for us, it is also one of the main tourist needed to build a caern in order to fortify their position in
attractions in the park, and its remarkable properties only the nature reserve. They organized a coalition of Shadow
work by day. Lords and Red Talons to simultaneously attack several
Ala Archa National Park: This national park is locat- targets in near the Caspian and Aral Seas, where Wyrm
ed in the Tien Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Although activity most often originated. They hoped this would
popular with human hikers, campers, and skiers, the park hold the enemy’s attention long enough for their Elders
is large enough to support a sizeable wolf population. In to complete the rite.
centuries past, the Stargazers held sway here, but the Red As the rite began, however, a great fiery hole opened
Talons have since claimed the resources of the area. up in the desert fifty miles to the south, at a place called
The archa, a species of bright, many-colored juniper, Derweze. The official story goes that Soviet geologists
is valuable in the making of certain Fetishes and Talens. accidentally tapped a vast cavern of natural gas and were
The Kyrgyz have long believed that the smoke made by forced to set fire to the 230 foot pit in order to prevent
burning archa wood chases away evil spirits but that the catastrophic methane pollution. In truth, a small army of
living tree drains away the life energy of humans who spend Banes and scores of Black Spiral Dancers swarmed up from
too much time near it. the crater in response to the rite. The Get of Fenris guards
Fann Mountains: This mountain range in Tajikstan who served as a last line of defense fought to the last. By
boasts hundreds of rivers, lakes, valleys, and mountain the time the Red Talons and Shadow Lords received word
peaks. The Shadow Lords keep many human Kinfolk in of the attack and reached the site of the rite, the Derweze
the villages in the area, and wolf Kinfolk prowl the empty Banes had massacred every werewolf, as well as all wolf and
spaces in between. It is rare to see humans and wolves so human Kinfolk for a dozen miles in every direction. The
Chapter Three: Wyld 75
 Chernobyl
Derweze crater — called “The Door to Hell” by locals —
still burns 40 years later and shows no signs of ever being

Exclusion Zone
extinguished. Its reflection in the Penumbra is a path to
Malfeas. It serves as a grim reminder of the terrible strength
of our enemy.
Following the 1986 explosion of Chernobyl nuclear
Threats reactor #4, this area was evacuated and placed under mil-
The wolf populations of Central Asia are reasonably itary control by the Soviet Union. Today, the Chernobyl
stable. They aren’t protected by law, but the humans in Exclusion Zone is one of the most radioactively contam-
the region have bigger concerns than the likes of our wolf inated areas in the world and draws significant scientific
Kinfolk. interest due to the high levels of radiation exposure in the
The Shadow Lords and Red Talons waste some of their environment, as well as increasing interest from tourists.
energy growling at each other at the borders of their terri- Abandoned by humans, Gaia’s creatures have reclaimed
tories. This seldom escalates into open violence between the zone. This includes nearly 2,000 wolves, which face
the tribes, but a migration forced by ecological disaster, for few natural threats. Make no mistake: all these animals are
example, could turn idle threats into bloody, large scale living in the shadow of a major victory for the Wyrm. The
action. If this happens, the Garou of other tribes are likely radioactive materials in the area haven’t disappeared, and
to get dragged into it. No one trusts the Shadow Lords, something as simple as a grass or forest fire can release new
but they’re a lot less stingy with their resources than the radioactive fallout. While the number of animals living in
Red Talons have been. the zone is higher than it was before the Chernobyl disaster,
The region is rife with Wyrm activity. The long history this is only because humans aren’t hunting or fishing there.
of pollution, weapons testing, and ecological catastrophe The background radiation sets a hard limit on the number
has made it as fertile a feeding ground for Banes as it is an and diversity of the area’s flora and fauna. Even animals
infertile place for crops. The Wyrm gains the largest part of that survive in the area often suffer mutations ranging from
its power from the misery of the humans who live here. Yet sterility to partial albinism to hideous deformities usually
humans are far too numerous to simply cull those likely to seen only in servants of the Wyrm.
be seduced or ensnared into the ranks of the fomori, and Places of Note
wholesale slaughter of the population would only increase
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant: The power plant had
that suffering and so increase the Wyrm’s power. Besides
four reactors, and two more were under construction. The
which, these nations have nuclear weapons from the time
infamous explosion at Reactor #4 forced the evacuation
they were part of the Soviet Union, so further destabilizing
of the area, and the 1991 fire in Reactor #2 convinced the
the region could make matters much, much worse.
post-Soviet government to shut down the plant entirely,
Recommendations which was completed in 2000. It is expected to take about
We need to focus on reducing the suffering of Central 300 years for the site to be relatively safe for human oc-
Asia’s humans, to raise them up beyond the easy reach of cupation.
the Wyrm. Yes, this may sound like a strange suggestion The human authorities locked the remains of Reactor
coming from a lupus, but I see no other solution to the #4 inside a concrete and steel sarcophagus to prevent its
endemic influence of the Wyrm in these five nations. The radiation from causing more damage than it already has.
Red Talons and Shadow Lords of the area will not like it, However, this sarcophagus is not reflected in the Penumbra,
but we need to bring in new tribes who are used to fighting and the area within 10 km of the power plant is a partic-
these kinds of wars where Weaver meets Wyld. The Black ularly nasty Hellhole responsible for bringing countless
Furies and Glass Walkers are the first ones to come to Banes into the immediate vicinity.
mind, but it also needs Get of Fenris warriors, Silver Fang Pripyat: Pripyat was founded in 1970 to house workers
generals, and Silent Strider scouts. The wolf population of for the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Pripyat was also
Central Asia is large enough to support many more Garou intended to be a major railroad and river cargo port. It was
than currently claim territory in the region. officially proclaimed a city in 1979 but was abandoned in
Even then, this may not be a battlefield where we will 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster, which required the
carry the day. Gaia bears deep scars in Central Asia. With evacuation of nearly 50,000 people.
the exception of the wolves, there is really very little left of Many of the building interiors in Pripyat have been
strategic value to the Garou Nation. I simply don’t know if vandalized and ransacked over the years. The roofs leak
we can spare the resources that would be required to wage and most of the windows have long since broken, so many
war on the Wyrm’s minions here. rooms have flooded. Trees grow on roofs and even inside
76 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
For the attention of the residents of Pripyat! The City Coun-
cil informs you that due to the accident at Chernobyl Power
Station in the city of Pripyat the radioactive conditions in
the vicinity are deteriorating. The Communist Party, its offi-
cials and the armed forces are taking necessary steps to combat
this. Nevertheless, with the view to keep people as safe and
healthy as possible, the children being top priority, we need
to temporarily evacuate the citizens in the nearest towns of
Kiev Oblast. For these reasons, starting from April 27, 1986
2 p.m. each apartment block will be able to have a bus at its
disposal, supervised by the police and the city officials. It
is highly advisable to take your documents, some vital person-
al belongings and a certain amount of food, just in case, with
you. The senior executives of public and industrial facilities
of the city has decided on the list of employees needed to stay
in Pripyat to maintain these facilities in a good working or-
der. All the houses will be guarded by the police during the
evacuation period. Comrades, leaving your residences temporar-
ily please make sure you have turned off the lights, electrical
equipment and water off and shut the windows. Please keep calm
and orderly in the process of this short-term evacuation.

Chapter Three: Wyld 77

buildings, and these are slowly pulling down the vestiges of
human habitation. There are about 30 high rise apartments
in the city, as well as a Ferris wheel that is visible even in
satellite photos. Although the clean-up efforts buried most SPONTANEOUS METIS
of the radioactive materials, there are still many radioactive Elsewhere in the world, metis are the deformed
“hot” spots throughout the city ruins. offspring of two werewolves. Within the Chernobyl
The Glass Walkers would not recognize the urban warfare Exclusion Zone, however, this is not always the case.
going on here. By night werewolves trade blows with the fomori Any werewolf and any human or wolf Kinfolk who
and Banes that seem to lurk in just about every corner of the has been exposed to the region’s radiation and
city. Garou patrol the streets openly in Crinos, for the chance would otherwise produce Garou offspring runs
of a human glimpsing them is very low. While there are a few the risk of bringing a metis into the world, instead.
tactically valuable positions, the city has few useful resources.
Exposed Kinfolk who become pregnant have a
An entire night’s battle might be fought to reclaim the Fetish
10% base chance of birthing a metis (20% if both
of a fallen ally. Minions of the Wyrm engage in these raids
Kinfolk parents are exposed). Exposed werewolves
and skirmishes for love of killing Garou, while the werewolves
instead have a 20% chance (30% if her Kinfolk
seek only to destroy the corrupted servants of the enemy and
mate has also been exposed) of producing a metis
annihilate the fomori spawning nests.
offspring. This condition is universally fatal in
Red Forest: This area received the highest doses of female Kinfolk, and most of these children do not
radiation from the Chernobyl accident, and the pine trees
survive the deaths of their mothers. Male Kinfolk
turned ginger-brown as they died. Most of the trees were
and werewolves exposed to the radiation are just
buried during the clean-up efforts, but the radiation they
as likely to sire metis offspring.
contain leaks into the soil and ground water. The Banes
this corruption attracts find no humans nearby. However, This mutation risk appears to be hereditary,
the animal population of the Red Forest has swelled in the as well, although it diminishes by with each gener-
absence of humans, and the Banes are content to twist them ation that hasn’t been exposed to the Chernobyl
into fomori. These corrupted creatures are little more than Exclusion Zone’s radiation. This has resulted in
mindless monsters with many of the same twisted Charms as a much higher than average metis population in
their urban cousins. Most soon join the endless war for the Belarus and the northern half of Ukraine.
streets of Pripyat, but some stay in the forest or even leave the The status of spontaneous metis among Cher-
Exclusion Zone in search of fresh victims to corrupt. Most of nobyl Garou is complicated. Some treat them with
our wolf Kinfolk in the area live in the Red Forest, so these special respect as werewolves born with battle scars
Wyrmspawn pose a serious threat to Garou breeding stock. of the war against the Wyrm. Others see them as
Chernobyl: This port city nine miles south-southeast corrupted creatures little better than the fomori
of Pripyat was abandoned after the explosion. Once a they fight. Some werewolves who have been exposed
town of about 14,000, it remains mostly uninhabited. A to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone refuse to breed
small number of people, including a handful of human at all for fear that they will spread their corruption,
Kinfolk, still live in houses here. Workers on watch and while others use the excuse of spontaneous metis
administrative personnel of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to hide their violation of the Litany.
are stationed in the city on a long-term basis, since it lies
near the edge of the zone.
The port and its nearby parking lot are a graveyard of
abandoned cargo ships and automobiles, including many horizon radar system. Due to the secrecy of this unit, rumor
trucks and rigs that were used in the human efforts to clean holds that it was the real cause of the disaster. Humans fear
up or bury the most dangerously radioactive areas of the the accidental collapse of the rusting iron superstructures
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Banes and other Wyrm-tainted of the now-defunct station could cause a microearthquake
creatures frequently emerge from these husks, and the terror- that might damage the radioactive storage of the installation.
ist attempt to breach the dike to the Dnieper River so that The human government has vowed to dismantle the station
radioactive water in the harbor could escape downstream before that happens, but they haven’t yet taken action. No
was almost certainly a Wyrm-inspired plot. doubt such a collapse will unleash more Banes.
Chernobyl-2: This former Soviet military installation A large underground military complex located about
located relatively close to the power plant consists of a gigantic two kilometers from this installation was once used for an-
transmitter and receiver belonging to the Steel Yard over-the- ti-missile defense, space surveillance and communication,

78 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

and research. I am assured by the werewolves that the area is they would not let me see, places they would not let me
entirely abandoned and holds nothing of interest to Garou. go. I can’t help but wonder if the Wyrm has chosen it as
They were unwilling to let me see these ruins because they a breeding ground for its minions and a place to train its
feel that it is not safe due to high radiation levels. I have my Black Spiral Dancers — or even a place where it can create
doubts. The Soviet Union kept the location of most of their a new werewolf tribe devoted to Gaia’s destruction.
nuclear arsenal secret, and rumor has it that this facility We may soon be called upon to contain a major incur-
conceals a stockpile of abandoned and stolen warheads. sion by the Wyrm in this region. Even now, it is probably
While the Chernobyl disaster had catastrophic effects felt as for the best if we prevent werewolves and Kinfolk with any
far away as Germany, Sweden, and Turkey, the detonation significant exposure to the area from leaving it to breed.
of a nuclear warhead would have far worse consequences. At the very least, we need to watch the zone carefully.
Threats Monitoring the spread of corruption among the Garou and
Kinfolk population might give us a better understanding
This region is a war zone. In the nearly total absence of of the enemy and so allow us to fight it more effectively.
humans and servants of the Weaver, the children of Gaia and Any such inspectors we send must not be allowed to spend
the creations of the Wyrm battle fiercely to contain or spread more than a month or two at a time in the zone. Exposure
the damage the disaster caused. The Garou who patrol the can begin to corrupt the flesh of a Garou in as little as
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone do so at great peril. Even those three months, and Kinfolk are even more vulnerable to
werewolves who have not yet engaged with the enemy can be its influence.
marked by merest proximity. I have met several of what the
local Garou describe as “spontaneous metis” — werewolves Close to Home
born metis even though both parents were not werewolves. Letter to Julia from Lobo del Lago Lunar, Lupus
In spite of dire government warnings and severe criminal Philodox Child of Gaia
penalties for illegal activities in the Chernobyl Exclusion
Zone, the poaching of game, illegal logging, and metal The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is a
salvage have been problems within the region. Intruders 2.76-million-acre National Forest which runs along
evade human police and infiltrate the perimeter to remove the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains in
potentially contaminated materials, especially in Pripyat. east-central Arizona and into New Mexico. It bor-
The records of human authorities note that an average of ders both the Fort Apache and the San Carlos Indian
300 violations of the area take place annually. The Garou Reservations. It has very little to recommend it to
of Chernobyl know the problem is much larger than that, Garou — no caerns, no major Wyrm threats, and
for they often encounter nests of fomori that clearly were only a tiny population of Kinfolk.
once human.
Prolonged exposure to radiation has put the Garou of It is dear to me, however, because it is my home
the zone at risk of being corrupted by the Wyrm far beyond and because it is a tiny success story in a world that
the curse of spontaneous metis. Some of the deformities has endured a century of disasters for our wolf Kin-
of local metis bear a worrying resemblance to those of the folk. In the 1960s, the Mexican wolf was on the point
Black Spiral Dancers. I also witnessed no fewer than three of extinction and with it the last wolves native to
Garou using Gifts in battle that have more in common with the American Southwest. Too many Garou watched
fomori powers than to anything taught by Gaia’s spirits. the tragedy unfold with a sense of helplessness. They
Because everyone and everything in the Chernobyl Exclu- had seen it happen in the British Isles and Western
sion Zone carries the smell of the Wyrm to some degree Europe and so many other places throughout the
or another, it is almost impossible for me to say how deep world. The human Kinfolk of the Children of Gaia
this taint has become. While I have no doubt that they are refused to sit idle, though. They wrote letters to
valiantly fighting against the Wyrm, I fear that in another politicians, published newspapers, and pleaded with
decade or two the Chernobyl Garou will ultimately suffer scientists in the U.S. and in Mexico in a desperate
a fate similar to that of the White Howlers. effort to save the Mexican wolf.
Humans rounded up all the Mexican wolves
Recommendations they could find to create a captive-breeding program.
The Chernobyl Elders tried to impress upon me Many Garou openly questioned this move. Some even
their dire need for reinforcements. However, I remain claimed it was tantamount to genocide, for a captive
unconvinced that this is in the best interests of the Garou wolf population could never be returned to the wild.
Nation. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has too many Even those who admitted that the movement these
secrets, far more than anyone there would admit — things

Chapter Three: Wyld 79

 an entire subspecies, after all. But that project had taken decades
Kinfolk started was well-intentioned largely doubted to bear fruit, and it would not have been necessary if the Mexican
that anything of worth would come from it. However, wolf hadn’t nearly been wiped out. Lobo del Lago Lunar felt that
one lupus Child of Gaia named Cub Finder spent the the Garou were not doing enough worldwide to protect wolves
next twenty years in Homid so she could spy on the from the minions of the Wyrm. Many werewolves didn’t even
program from within. know where in the world wolves were thriving and where they
During this time Cub Finder secretly includ- were threatened. Lobo del Lago Lunar vowed to change that.
ed herself in the breeding program, adding several With some guidance from his mentor, he presented a formal
Kinfolk and even two Garou to the population. The proposal to the Elders, and he has been traveling ever since.
humans in charge of the program declared the Appearance: Lobo del Lago Lunar has a golden brown
captive-breeding program a success, and in 1998 coat except his white belly and dark grey back. He has
they reintroduced the Mexican wolf to the Apache- surprisingly few scars for a werewolf of his rank — just one
Sitgreaves National Forest. To everyone’s surprise J-shaped scar on his chest that is usually covered by fur.
the wolves returned to the wild with relatively few When he takes Homid form, he appears as a short Latino
problems, and there are now over 40 wolves in the man in his mid-20s with dark brown eyes and short black
area. It is a small population, to be sure, but it’s a hair. Although he usually takes care to look and act human
start, and Cub Finder’s werewolf children soon mated in that form, he almost always has dirt under his fingernails.
with wolf Kinfolk, one of which whelped me in the Roleplaying Notes: You’re exceptionally observant, and
mid-2000s. Eight years later, and I’m traveling the your keen nose eventually gets to the truth about everyone
world assessing the health of wolf populations for the and everything. A person’s reaction to a question is often
Garou nation. Not bad for a young wolf, eh? more important than his answer, so you’re outwardly friend-
My next destination is Russia, which I under- ly and seldom confrontational when hunting for the facts.
stand has tens of thousands of wolves, so I’ll have to Even so, you’re constantly measuring everyone you meet
break my report into chunks. Why is it that most of to ensure they are doing their duty to the Garou Nation.
my wolf Kinfolk must live in places that are so much You spend a lot of time thinking and talking about
colder than my native climate? Actually I know that wolves in the same way that a military officer in charge
answer is humans prefer warmer places, too, but it of keeping an army fed thinks and talks about food. This
still doesn’t make me look forward to arctic tem- survey of wolves isn’t just some environmentalist mission to
peratures. I’ll send you a letter when I send my next you. You know that what you’re doing is critical to the war
report. against the Wyrm’s servants, and you have little patience
for Garou who dismiss its importance.
Breed: Lupus

Mechanics
Auspice: Philodox
Tribe: Children of Gaia
Rank: 3
Lobo del Lago Lunar Physical: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
History: Cub Finder took Lobo del Lago Lunar under Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5)
her tutelage soon after his First Change, and he spent the Social: Charisma 3, Manipulation 3 (1/0/0/3), Appear-
first four years of his new life as her assistant. Recognizing ance 2 (1/0/2/2)
he would need to prove himself to the larger society of Mental: Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Garou, Cub Finder sent him north to the Eldest Sequoia Talents: Alertness 4, Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Empathy 4,
Sept — a longtime stronghold of the Children of Gaia. Expression 3, Leadership 2, Primal Urge 4
In addition to participating in several attacks on the Skills: Animal Ken 3, Etiquette 3, Stealth 2, Survival 3
Wyrm’s servants, Lobo del Lago earned a reputation as a
Knowledges: Academics 2, Enigmas 2, Investigation 4,
teacher for helping homid cubs master their Lupus form.
Law 2, Medicine 1, Occult 2, Rituals 3, Science 2
Garou of other septs invited him to provide similar instruc-
Backgrounds: Mentor 4, Resources 1
tion to their cubs. On one such trip to Ireland — an island
where no wolf has roamed for centuries — Lobo del Lago Rage: 4; Gnosis: 7; Willpower: 5
experienced a revelation: it is so much easier to protect a Gifts: (1) Brother’s Scent, Heightened Senses, Jam
wolf population than to replace one. Weapon, Mother’s Touch, Persuasion, Scent of the
Lobo del Lago Lunar admired his mentor for her work with True Form, Truth of Gaia (2) Calm, Grandmother’s
the Mexican wolves. Cub Finder had prevented the extinction of Touch, King of the Beasts, Luna’s Armor, Name the

80 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

 Spirit (3) Sense Balance, Sense the Unnatural, Scent The number of successes the ritemaster’s player scores
of the Oathbreaker, Spirit Friend on this roll determines how much the Garou can focus on
Rites: (Minor) Breath of Gaia, Greet the Moon, Hunt- a particular place:
ing Prayer, Prayer for the Prey (1) Baptism of Fire, Successes Effect
Moot Rite, Rite of Binding, Rite of Cleansing, Rite 1 A view as wide as a satellite image of
of Contrition, Rite of the Opened Caern, Rite of a single location.
Talisman Dedication (2) Rite of Accomplishment,
2 A view of an area the size of a small
Rite of Summoning (3) Rite of the Omega Wolf
forest, and the ritemaster can view
New Gift several such areas before the vision
passes.
• Trapper’s Bane (Lupus Level Two) — Dingoes through- 3 A view of an area as small as an acre,
out Australia, but especially near the dingo fence, face a constant and the ritemaster can maintain this
threat from human traps — snares, steel traps, and poison. The watch for as long as she remains
dingoes have become adept at detecting these dangers and even conscious.
disarming them. This Gift allows the werewolf to identify lures,
4 A view as little as a few yards to each
traps, and even ambushes. Dingo spirits teach this Gift.
side, allowing the Garou to identify
System: The Storyteller rolls Perception + Primal Urge individual humans and animals.
when the werewolf comes within (Gnosis x 5) yards of a trap’s
5 The Garou can peer through solid
trigger. The difficulty is 5 for the werewolf to detect simple
objects, such that he can observe the
snares, pits, and poisoned bait in the area. Identifying more
interior of a house or scrutinize a
technologically complex traps such as electrified objects and
cave deep under the earth.
motion-activated traps is difficulty 6. Supernatural traps are
difficulty 7. Additionally, whenever the werewolf approaches
an ambush, the Storyteller rolls Perception + Primal Urge
Fetishes and Talens
against difficulty 6 for the werewolf to recognize the ambush A werewolf looking to create an Archa Torch or Mon-
before it springs. The werewolf does not have to activate this keysbane must use the wood of the archa, found in the Ala
Gift, it provides a “sixth sense” at all times. Archa National Park, while the Compostela Scallop Shell
is a reward for those Garou who complet the Compostela
Rites pilgrimage.
The Rite of Luna’s Eye is one of the best weapons of Monkeysbane
the Garou of the Tullu Demtu Caern. Level Four, Gnosis 7
The Rite of Luna’s Eye This slender wand of still-living wood has a wolf or
archa spirit bound to it. When activated, it incites panic
Level Three Mystic Rite
in humans who can see it. This includes human Kinfolk,
The War of Rage made the Garou many enemies humans turned fomori, mages, changelings, and other largely
among the Fera that claim most of Africa as territory, and human supernatural beings, but it doesn’t affect Garou.
werewolves travel those lands at their own peril. As well, The victim flees from the Fetish by the safest available route
Garou cannot keep vigil over every place on Earth to spot unless she either succeeds on a Willpower check (difficulty
places where the Wyrm will strike. With this rite, however, 8) or spends a point of Willpower. A human who stands her
nothing is beyond the gaze of those Silent Striders standing ground instead takes one point of lethal damage per turn
watch from Tullu Demtu (p. 72). until the werewolf no longer holds the Fetish in its hand
System: The ritemaster’s player must make a successful or until the human flees. This damage ignores armor but
Perception + Rituals roll against a difficulty based on the can be soaked by other supernatural means.
distance the Garou wishes to see:
Distance Difficulty Archa Torch
Less than 500 miles 5 Talen. Gnosis 6
500-1,000 miles 6 When lit, this torch emits sweet-scented smoke that
shrouds an area a few dozen yards across for up to six hours
1,001-2,000 miles 7
(less in windy conditions). Banes and other spirits tainted
2,001-3,000 miles 8
or twisted by the Wyrm increase the difficulty of all their
More than 3,000 miles 9 actions by +1 (maximum of 9) so long as they remain within

Chapter Three: Wyld 81

the torch’s smoke. A spirit of an archa tree or a Wyld spirit
must be bound to this Talen.
Yellowstone Spirit
The superheated water geysers eject deal damage the same
Compostela Scallop Shell way fire does (see W20, page 258), but the soak difficulty is
Talen, Gnosis 6 5. The hottest springs in the area can also cause devastating
A werewolf who completes the Compostela pilgrimage injuries, although many are harmless and most of the others
(p. 67) often receives this as a gift from the ocean spirit at have a soak difficulty of only 3. The steam emitted by fuma-
the end of the journey. To use it, the Garou thinks of a roles can have a soak difficulty of as high as 7.
destination and activates the Talen. The werewolf wakes A Garou who deliberately places herself in the path of a
each day with the knowledge of the next step he must take geyser’s spray or submerses herself in a hot spring and suffers
to reach that destination. Once he reaches that destination, at least one point of aggravated damage as a result increases
the power of the Talen guides him home in the same way. her temporary Rage to 10. A Garou may only benefit from
The Talen’s spirit departs once the Garou returns home, this sacrifice once per lunar cycle.

Iberian Peninsula
even if he has not completed the journey he had in mind.

Features of the World Rock of the Three Kingdoms Caern: Level 3 Caern
of Diplomacy; using the Rite of the Opened Caern gives a
bonus to Empathy and Expression rolls.
This section provides rules information for the caerns
and other features detailed in Lobo del Lago Lunar’s trav-
elogue. Australian Outback
Minnesota Battle Mountain Caern: Level 2 Caern of Rage.

Headwaters Caern: Level 1 Caern of Gnosis.

Bunyip Caern Wards
Misquah Caern: Level 2 Caern of Strength. The spirits that defend the many caerns the Bunyip left be-
North Woods Caern: Level 3 Caern of Wisdom. hind are not friendly to werewolf intruders. These include many
Bunyip ancestor spirits who have shed their peaceful natures
Third Ring Penumbra in order to defend their territory to the end. In addition, many
The Gauntlet rating of the area is 9. Travel through Bunyip caerns have some nasty surprises in store for intruders.
the Penumbra is slow — halve all speeds or double all travel The Storyteller should select one of the following options:
times, and spending Rage for extra actions in the Penumbra • Angry Dreamtime: The Penumbra within several
costs 1 additional Rage per turn (regardless of the number miles of the caern is actively hostile to travelers. Garou
of extra actions). will be attacked by maddened beasts and lashed by wicked
Garou Gifts that cost Rage cost 1 additional point of foliage, and earthquakes, sandstorms, and wild storms with
Rage. Gifts that cost Gnosis but not Rage cost 1 more point torrential rain and deadly lightning smite them. Outside
of Gnosis. Spirit Charms that cost Essence cost 1 additional the Penumbra the effects of these attacks by Nature are
point of Essence. up to the Storyteller and will probably involve appropriate
Weaver spirits are immune to all the deleterious effects Survival and Primal Urge rolls to avoid the worst effects. A
of the area. Further, the difficulties of all their rolled actions werewolf suffers 10 dice of lethal damage per hour that she
are reduced by -1. This affects rolls to activate Charms, in- spends within the Penumbra.
cluding the damage dice of Charms such as Blast. The caern’s anger is even more potent within a few hun-
dred yards of its center. A werewolf outside the Penumbra
Yellowstone National Park suffers 10 dice of lethal damage per hour as the land rises up
to smite her. Werewolves who enter the Penumbra within this
Snake River Caern: Level 1 Caern of Healing.
area instead suffer 10 dice of aggravated damage per hour.
Eagle Peak Caern: Level 2 Caern of Leadership.
• Shifting Moon Paths: Moon Paths to and from the
Electric Peak Caern: Level 1 Caern of Rage. caern disappear, stop dead, turn in circles, change directions,
Roaring Mountain Caern: Level 2 Caern of Rage. lengthen, or otherwise change in ways that frustrate Garou
Undine Falls Caern: Level 2 Caern of Visions. traveling them. In some cases, the path instead leads to
Tower Fall Caern: Level 1 Caern of Journeys; using obscure Umbral Realms, particularly the Atrocity Realm.
the Rite of the Opened Caern gives a bonus to Athletics Recognizing this shifting of the Moon Path in time to turn
and Survival rolls. back before being misdirected into a dangerous realm re-
Childhood Dream Falls Caern: Level 1 Caern of Enigmas. quires a successful Perception + Occult roll at difficulty 8.
82 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
 • Dreamtime Banishment: Garou within several miles Garou must succeed at a Willpower roll (difficulty 8) or be
of the caern who enter the Penumbra find the Gauntlet overcome by a sense of guilt and futility, losing all temporary
resists their return to the material world, increasing the Willpower and motivation. Those already close to Harano
Gauntlet for that werewolf by 3 until next she successfully tip over the edge into an abyss of self-loathing and despair
returns to the physical world. This holds true even if the from which only death is an escape.

Ethiopia
werewolf travels thousands of miles from the caern before
attempting the crossing.
• Drain Gnosis: Werewolves within several miles of Tullu Demtu Caern: Level 4 Caern of Visions.
the caern cannot regain Gnosis normally in the physical Arkwasive Caern: Level 3 Caern of Strength.
world or Penumbra. Further, the caern saps the Garou of 1
Gish Abbai Caern: Level 5 Caern of Healing.
Gnosis each day at sunset for as long as he remains within
the range of this mystic maelstrom.
• Tears Unnumbered: Garou within a mile of the caern
Central Asia
experience intense guilt and sadness as long as they remain Baba-Yaga Stone: Level 2 Caern of Wisdom
in the area and are unable to regain Willpower normally. Lake Moutniy: Level 2 Caern of Healing.
At sunset of each day the Garou remains in the area, the Chimtarga Peak Caern: Level 1 Caern of Healing

Chapter Three: Wyld 83

 Chapter Four:
The Wyrm

My name is Diedra Bone-Cracker and I’ve been asked to the local population’s desire to prevent deforestation. This
tell you stories of my travels. The den mother thinks exposure created a hostile environment for Pentex within many of
to older and well-traveled Garou will be good for your edu- the local governments. Pentex is adept at changing tactics,
cation. While I am not the oldest, I am the worldliest in the that’s why the war has gone on for so long. Now instead of
sept, so here I am. Sit down and I will tell you all there is to cutting down the forest, they are working on building major
know about fighting the Wyrm. I’m sure you have all heard roadways from the Chilean mountains to the coast of Brazil.
the history of the Triat, so I won’t bore you with those bits. I first went to the Amazon when I was eighteen. Four
The Wyrm? What does that have to do with traveling? of my septmates – Moon-Eyes, Strong-Back, Lorelei, and
I follow and investigate rumors of the Wyrm’s control Long-Claws – and me had just finished our Rite of Passage
wherever they happen in the world. My duty in life is to and we formed a pack in search of Glory and Honor. In
seek out the Wyrm where it hides and destroy it. I am one fact, we stylized ourselves For Glory. We were raised on
of Gaia’s champions, her chosen warrior, an Ahroun. If stories of the war in the Amazon, and we foolishly wanted
you were born under a full moon, you might understand to get our teeth wet on Pentex’ evils. I say foolish because
better. Let’s start with a story about the longest of the most we didn’t know what we were in for, not because killing
recent wars with the Wyrm, the Amazon. Wyrmspawn isn’t an honorable goal.
My pack and I spent the first two months learning

The Amazon tactics and how to stay alive. You would think that this is
an intuitive process, but in a wartime situation, the smallest
mistakes could get you killed. We were taught simple tricks
In the many years since the war in the Amazon started,
the silent campaign against Pentex created a very good cover like fading into the jungle, hit and run tactics, and how to
for the Garou in the Amazon. The deep cover and sleek leave the right kind of trap to disable a moving truck. We
campaigning gave the Ragabash a chance to shine. A few of trained with other packs who already knew the ins and
them took up a propaganda war against Pentex that affected outs of the jungle.
Chapter Four: The Wyrm 85
 Our first missions were to watch and learn. We traveled in a tree for sniping and we set explosives along the path.
through the forest looking for Pentex outposts and supply lines. When the caravan arrived, Moon-Eyes shot at the lead caravan
We observed and follow, but do nothing more. I am impatient truck. The supply team stopped their vehicles and took up a
and these missions tested my limits. They were designed to do defensive position. They watched the jungle, trying to spot
so; another form of training that forced me to keep my cool. us. I reminded my pack to not engage, this was a learning
The scouting wasn’t futile though; the enemy followed patterns mission only. The enemy waited for nearly ten minutes.
and repeated techniques. Our scouting taught us those patterns They fired a few warning shots into the jungle. When they
and showed us weaknesses in their organization. After a few loaded back up, they reversed and went back the way they had
days of watching, we designed our own plan of attack. come. We didn’t even get to see what would happen when
We needed to disrupt the supply line for road building the explosives detonated. When we went to the supply line
and make the whole venture too costly for Pentex to contin- for the next scheduled trip, they weren’t using it any more.
ue. I had some ideas about tactics I thought would work, We found a different caravan that made regular trips
but I’m sure new ideas are a fable in war. Anything I could to camps with food and medical supplies. We tried our
think of was something someone had done before and the attack again, using the explosives first. The result was
enemy would be prepared for it. So, I decided to find out much of the same, but it took longer for them to scramble
how they would react to our attacks and work around it. into defensive positions out of the smoking wreck of the
The Garou we learned from spoke of constant learning and lead truck. We did several test runs of different scenarios
adapting and I assumed the enemy did the same. and each time we saw how the enemy reacted. I used that
I led our first foray to gauge reaction times. We set up to come up with a plan that we could use multiple times
an ambush along one of the supply lines. I had Moon-Eyes before the enemy would adapt.
86 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
 We set explosives along the trail for a food supply line. What were they?
Most of them were at the edges, where the personnel would Fomori. Men who turned to the Wyrm, now horribly
be setting up their defenses. The goal wasn’t just to destroy or twisted abominations. The one I attacked was ready for
disrupt, we wanted to take the supplies for our own people. my teeth and claws and jammed his gun-arm up into my
We watched the caravan trundle along until they reached the chest and threw me away with ease. Despite their armored
designated mark, and blew the explosives under the main truck. appearance, they were wickedly strong and fast. I charged
The truck rocked, but seemed unaffected by the blast. They back at him, avoiding his attack, and knocked him to the
had employed some kind of armoring to protect from the blast, ground in one touch. My claws sunk into his chest. He
and kept moving. Determined for my plan to work, we set coughed and gurgled as blood poured out of his mouth
off an explosive further to the back of the caravan, originally grate. The blood was deep red, almost black, and burned
intended to prevent escape. The truck went up in a blaze of like acid. I swore and jumped back from the thing, shaking
smoke and fire. The caravan stopped and the men scrambled, my hand. I saw thin trails of smoke where the drops of
shooting wildly into the jungle. We blew the explosives under blood touched the surrounding greenery. I wiped my hand
their feet. Blood and bits of bodies rained down around us as clean and looked around for another enemy. Moon-Eyes
we moved in to secure the trucks. More men came out and shot three of the fomori during my short fight.
we fought. Moon-Eyes in the trees picked off quite a few of Lorelei bit one of the men’s head clean in two and gouts
them before they got to us, and we quickly killed the rest in of blood sprayed into her mouth and face. She howled in
a frenzied melee. Our enemies grazed two of my packmates, pain and clawed at her face in panic. I moved to assist her,
but we had four of the five supply vans intact and captured. fomor aiming at her blocked me. I jumped on him just as
We rejoiced over our little victory as though we had a stream of dark red blood exited the end of his gun-arm.
turned the tides of war. For us, we had, and we were eager to They weren’t shooting bullets, they shot their blood. I
do it again. We brought the supplies to camp like champions clawed at him, taking care not to get any of the blood on
of war returning home to tell the commoners they had nothing my skin. Lorelei fell unconscious before I could reach her.
to fear. Our attitude was met with relative calm. I am sure we Avoiding the acidic blood was difficult. Small points
weren’t the first young pack to come tromping through the of burning sensation riddled my uncovered body. Six of
jungle with egos large enough to fill the entire river basin, the creatures were still alive and only Moon-Eyes, Strong-
nor would we be the last. The jungle is a rough place, and Back, and I still stood. Moon-Eyes abandoned his position
they knew that we would learn our lessons eventually. in the trees to join us on the ground. The fight was taxing
We cleaned up, ate our fill, and set out again the next and just attacking the fomori was dangerous. We danced
day, ready for success. The second time we tried our tactic, around the group making small cuts and slices where we
we managed to flip the armored lead truck and blast some could, but it was going too slow for us to keep it up for long.
of the infantry without losing any of the supply trucks. The I heard a rustling in the jungle just before I saw a large
ensuing fight was worse than the first. They expected the spotted creature in Crinos form jump on one of the fomor
blast on the outside of the trucks and many of the men and claw into it. As the blood sprayed, it reared back in
survived the attack. I took several gunshots to the leg during pain, a parody of what I had done earlier. My heart nearly
my initial charge. I figured they were using silvered bullets, leapt out of my chest for joy at the arrival of aid.
because I felt like my leg would melt right off my body.
“It’s acid.” I called out, as I jumped on one of the closer
I kept moving though, adrenaline and rage pushing me
fomor who was distracted by the newcomer.
forward. Long-Claws took a bullet to the head; he fought
for another full eight seconds before his body fell limp to It growled by way of reply. It attacked another fomor,
the ground. I lost control of myself at the sight, changed this time avoiding the blood. The attack style was curious-
quickly to Crinos and lunged at the nearest Pentex soldier. ly graceful and lithe, at first I was confused since didn’t
realize what it was.
These weren’t normal men. They were shaped like men,
but the resemblance stopped there. A dull gunmetal colored What kind of Garou was it?
armored hide covered their bodies. Now that I was close, I It wasn’t a Garou. It was a werecat, they’re called Bastet.
could see that they were not carrying guns. Some of them had Specifically, it was a werejaguar, a Balam. We had heard a
hands that were mutated and shaped similarly to assault rifles, lot about them from the packs back at camp.
but I could see large veins pulsing along the outside edges. It made quick work of the thing and turned its atten-
Others had deadly edged blades instead of fingers. Their eyes tion to the next one. My pack took out the last two with a
were silver slits with red centers. Their mouths were grates renewed energy from this unexpected assistance.
that spewed noxious gas and exhaust. As I drew close I could When we finished I turned to it and held out my hand
smell the reek of phosphorus and oil emanating from them. in a greeting. “Thank you. I owe you my life.”

Chapter Four: The Wyrm 87

 The werejaguar let out a low guttural growl and charged and contact with the North American septs was spotty.
at me. It had me on the ground with its teeth at my throat Moon-Eyes and I went to North America after only a year
before I could react, I was so surprised by the attack. of being in the Amazon. I have never gone back.
Thankfully, Strong-Back had better reflexes and barreled

Baton Rouge,
in and knocked it off me before it could sink its teeth in.
I could still feel the points of teeth on my neck as I stood
and readied myself. Strong-Back was no match for the lithe
Bastet, who tossed him away like a rag doll. Moon-Eyes and
I moved in tandem to maneuver around the cat.
Louisiana
In 2010, the largest oil spill in United States history
“What is your problem?” I growled at it. devastated the waters of the Gulf Coast. Crews from all
It didn’t respond and rushed at Moon-Eyes. I followed over the country, both human and Garou, spent months
to jump on it which gave Moon-Eyes a chance to latch on. cleaning the oil from the beaches all across the Gulf of
Strong-Back jumped in as well, and the three of us wrestled Mexico. The Sept at Lake Pontchartrain sent calls for aid
it to the ground. within days of the spill. What seemed a large accident to
“Seriously, we don’t want to hurt you. Why do you most of the world was clearly an act of agents of the Wyrm
insist on attacking us?” We were so close that I could feel to the Garou. Oil Banes surfaced all along the coast of
hot breath on my face. Louisiana, and it took all of our time to fight them off. The
“Intruder.” It spat in a broken form of the Garou lan- humans took three months to seal off the well spilling oil
guage. It arched its back and pushed with a surge of strength. into the gulf. The delay was mostly due to corrupt Louisiana
We went flying. Turning with blinding speed, it gutted government officials. The fact that Louisiana was infested
Strong-Back before he had time to stand. Moon-Eyes went with the petroleum industry did not help matters either.
into a rage and flung himself at the Bastet. They struggled Several packs went down for cleanup duty, killing Banes
and I jumped on the cat’s back and sunk my claws into the with abandon. We spent the better part of a year rooting out
flesh of its neck. It released Moon-Eyes and scrambled at and destroying Banes that had taken up residence within
me in an attempt to dislodge me. Moon-Eyes bit into its Lake Pontchartrain as well as the Mississippi River. My
throat and we brought the thing struggling and fighting to pack and I had sought out and killed a major Bane almost
the ground again. I pushed my claws deep into its chest, once a month during that time period, and we were not
and Moon-Eyes held on tight until the struggling ceased. the only ones. The number of Garou in the Sept at Lake
We stood and looked at a giant man’s unconscious form. Pontchartrain swelled from fourteen to about fifty in the
We could have killed him, and maybe we should have, but course of a few weeks, then the number settled to about
he had saved Moon-Eye’s and my life, even if he did kill twenty-six for the next year.
Strong-Back. We took Strong-Back and Long-Claws further The presence of the Oil Banes emboldened a Pit of
out into the jungle and buried them there. Black Spiral Dancers nesting in New Orleans. They moved
Our victory did not feel as sweet as the first. We re- into an abandoned area of St. Bernard Parish after its near
turned subdued with the hard won supplies and Lorelei’s destruction during Hurricane Katrina. The group fed the
unconscious body. We brought her to a healer to apply Banes to make them strong allies in strikes against the sept.
herbs and medicines to her wounds. We were told she With the increased number of Garou at the sept, we beat
would survive, and that was enough. Later, we howled the back the Dancers. As the Bane population dwindled, so
deaths of Strong-Back and Long-Claws. We were not the did the Black Spiral Dancers’ tenacity. Though they still
only ones howling deaths that night, and it was the first infested New Orleans, we saw less and less of them. A few
time that we noticed just how many howls were taking place. scouts checked on them, but when they failed to return,
With half of our pack dead and Lorelei out for a the missions were called off. Cleaning out the Banes was
while, Moon-Eyes and I joined some of the other packs a higher priority at the moment.
engaged in some larger raids into the mountains. When My pack routinely scouted north along Mississippi
Lorelei recovered, she left the pack and the Amazon, the River near Baton Rouge. We consistently found Banes
loss of her sept-brothers too much for her. Moon-Eyes and near a huge refinery situated along the river. I assume they
I stayed for six more months, but the rigors of war became were drawn to the large amounts of crude oil in the plant.
depressing. We wanted to make a difference, but no matter We just finished scouting the area one evening, and were
how many small victories we won, the price always seemed returning to the sept, when Moon-Eyes caught the stench
too high, and the road construction continued. I think I of petroleum coming from the river. We did not see the
mentioned that I’m not very patient. We heard rumors of pollutant at first, until we realized that it completely filled
Wyrm creatures invading the lands near our home caern the river from bank to bank. Without a contrast, it was hard

88 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

to tell the slick from the normal, murky, brown water. We and clawed the man I disarmed earlier, who also changed.
followed it upstream directly to the refinery. We had been Jonathan and Moon-Eyes continued to lay down covering
in that area a few hours before, and the river was clear, so fire as Stacey and I ripped into the three Garou. Though
we knew this was a recent development. they were outnumbered, the three fought with a terrible
We called it in to the sept and they sent us the nearest force and a deadly pack mentality that rivaled our own.
Garou that could help, a Glass Walker named Jonathan. I wouldn’t say we were equally matched though. Stacey
He came from Baton Rouge and showed up within an was deadly with her ancestral weapon, and was keeping her
hour. During that time, I came up with a plan to break combatant at arm’s reach, cutting into him if he got too
into the refinery, find out where the oil was coming from, close. Speaks-With-Trees and a Theurge Get of Fenris from
and stop it. My pack and I were ready to go when Jonathan my home sept flanked my gunman and we harried him with
arrived, much to his dismay. He told me that breaking in tooth and claw. Moon-Eyes and Jonathan abandoned their
would get us in trouble, maybe arrested, and that we should guns and fought dark and greasy together. I was impressed
wait for him to do some investigation before barging into by how easily Jonathan fell into an easy cadence with Moon-
the building. The ensuing argument only lasted a minute Eyes. While Speaks-With-Trees distracted blond and greasy,
before I was able to convince him of the merits of my plan. I slammed him to the ground with a touch. I fell upon
How did you do that? him, my claws sliding easily into his flesh to disembowel
I Throated him. I also had the benefit of logic; time was him. I could see Stacey’s target got a few claws in on her,
an issue since the oil still spilled from the refinery. In the but she wore him down. Jonathan suffered from a bite
end though, we went with a combined plan of advanced wound, and I directed Speaks-With-Trees to help him out
scouting and infiltration. Jonathan found a blueprint of as I joined Moon-Eyes to finish off dark and greasy. I bit
the refinery, and we planned a route to the most probable into his neck, my teeth turned to ice and froze the flesh in
sources of the spill. Jonathan spent a few minutes trying my mouth. I gave one hard jerk and his head snapped off
to hack into the security cameras for the refinery only to with a loud crack. His body dropped to the ground Stacey
find that the system shut down. This sent up red flags, shouted her battle cry as she brought her labrys down on
something more than just a break in a line was going on. her enemy’s head, cleaving it in two.
I led my pack and Jonathan to the closest entry point We looked at the forms of the Dancers while we cleaned
to the facility, prepared to break the door down. This was our wounds and let Speaks-With-Trees tend us.
wholly unnecessary; the door was slightly ajar showing “What do you think they were doing here?” Stacey
the dark interior of the building. We moved slowly into asked as she came over, cleaning her labrys.
the building and crept silently along, on the lookout for “Probably causing that oil spill. If we are lucky, they
whoever had come in before us. I extended my senses all were the only ones, but somehow I doubt it.” Jonathan said.
around me and heard scuffling sounds coming towards “I wonder why?” I mused aloud.
us fast. We pressed ourselves to the corridor wall, just as No one spoke, so we sat and listened for the sounds
three men rushed from inside the facility. They caught sight of more Black Spiral Dancers coming up the corridor. I
of us and stopped short, two of them pulling guns from was certain we had made enough noise to alert the entire
holsters at their sides. One of them was dark haired and facility to our presence, so they should have shown up pretty
greasy, one was light haired and greasy, and the third was quickly. We waited, but no one came, so I proposed that we
completely covered from head to toe. These men reeked of continue on to find the leak and seal it up. We followed the
Wyrm taint and oil, and I was certain that they had caused foul trail left by the Dancers back the way they had come.
the spill flowing into the Mississippi River. We tracked the scent deep into the facility to a pump-
I kicked the nearest man’s hand and sent his gun ing station. Pipes lead out of the building and up stream,
skidding away. The second gunman shot me, and the one possibly to a holding facility. The exhaust vents had been
covered up pulled off his jacket and began a quick change welded shut and the pressure valves closed, which more
into Crinos. than likely caused a crack in the pipe further on. Jonathan
“Shit, Dancers!” Jonathan cried as he pulled out a gun took a look at it, and figured out how to release the pressure
and fired. The barking of gunfire drowned out anything valves and seal off the pipe completely, stopping the flow
else he might have said as Moon-Eyes grabbed the fallen of oil into the river. I wanted to make sure the leak had
gun and joined Jonathan. stopped. We backtracked to the entrance and Jonathan
Stacey, a Black Fury that had recently joined the pack, pulled out his tablet and marked on the blueprint where
changed quickly to Crinos form and rushed at the Dancer we had been and where the pipe should exit the facility on
who was just finishing his transformation. She backed him the outside. It only took us a few minutes to find the pipe
down the corridor with her labrys. I quickly changed as well on the outside. Oil drifted slowly up to the surface of the

Chapter Four: The Wyrm 89

river and made lazy swirls as it caught in the current and yelled for Jonathan and Stacey to fall back and help them,
was swept downstream. As we watched, the last trails of oil but they were just as stuck in the muck as I was. I cut into
plumed to the top and drifted away. the creature at a fevered pace trying to reach its center to
While we watched, Speaks-With-Trees looked down- destroy it. Stacey started in the other direction and Jona-
river and snarled. I turned and the stench he caught on than followed her.
the wind wafted over the river, the noxious fumes stung I’m not certain if they were trying to get out to help the
my eyes. The oil slick bulged and convulsed in the river, others, or if they were trying a different direction for the
and roiling bubbles released bouts of putrid air. The river center. Either way, I lost sight of them in the sludge within
level rose as the sludgy crude oil coalesced and rose into moments. Unable to do anything else, I continued to cut
the air taking the form of a large cresting wave moving right my way through the Bane, my rage and fury building with
towards us. We broke into run, Moon-Eyes and Speaks-With- each attack. The sounds of battle were loud in my ears,
Trees dropped to all fours as they changed to Hispo form. and it kept me on track as I waded towards the middle of
I heard the sickening glop and gurgle sound of the filth the Bane. Soon I was half swimming, half floating in the
as it reached the east bank of the river and moved across thick grotesque body of the Bane. The river current pulled
land. I spared a glance back to see the grass and reeds near at me, threatening to take me under. I struggled to stay
the river sizzle and smoke under the touch of the Bane. afloat, but the Bane worked with the river and plunged
“We have to fight it; it’s going to spread filth everywhere me into the murky depths. Sight, sound and smell lost to
if we don’t.” I called out to my fleeing companions and me, I felt cut off, completely alone. I felt the slippery mass
turned to face it. around me and the warmer water cut through. I followed
For the second time that day, I changed to Crinos the slippery feel down and towards a center. As I moved
form and stood in the way of the Wyrm. Moon-Eyes and deeper into the water, I felt the slick narrow down to a
Speaks-With-Trees rounded to either side of the large mass thin tendril. I grasped it and pulled hard, propelling myself
of what looked like oil, trash and other waste runoff from towards the mass of toxic waste, oil and refuse that made
the river. We tried to hedge it in, but it came at me, forcing up the heart of the Bane. By this time, my lungs burned
me to move back. Moon-Eyes swiped at it, and the stuff for air and my eyes stung with the pollution in the river
sizzled and evaporated under his claws. This thing was larger water. I gave a sharp tug and sliced into the heart with my
than any of the other Banes we had fought and I guessed claws, severing the tendril I was holding. The thing tried
the Black Spiral Dancers had brought it with them to the to slip and move away from me, but I kept an iron grip on
refinery. The body of it snaked back all the way to the river it. It moved to slip around me and cover me, and the pain
and continued downstream. We were only dealing with the of its touch forced a cry out of me. Water slipped into my
very tip of the creature, and even that was massive. mouth and my lungs. I thrashed at the thing with all my
Stacey came back around and we clawed at the thing, limbs, claws digging deep into the pile of filth. I felt it stop
trying to force it to go back towards the river. It pushed moving and disperse around me, as I attempted a desperate
forward and washed over us like a wave. Wherever the goop swim for the surface.
touched us, it clung and burned. I swiped at it and only I blacked out before I reached it. When I woke up,
served to spread it around more. Stacey dropped to the Speaks-With-Trees was ministering to my wounds. The pack
ground and rubbed herself into the dirt, causing streams killed three of the Black Spiral Dancers, and the other two
of smoke to plume up around her. I steeled myself against ran off. Stacey and Jonathan had been released from the
the pain and ran straight at the thing, claws flashing. My Bane when I severed its tie to the oil slick, and were able
relentless attack forced the creature to back away from me, to join into the fight with the Dancers. Apparently, when
and the rest of my pack joined in. I even saw Jonathan at the Dancers saw that their Bane had been defeated, they
the edge of the mess trying to hem it in. I knew from pre- attempted to break and run. It had turned the fight in my
vious experience that we would have to find the heart of pack’s favor, and I was relieved to hear that no one had
the thing and cut it out before it would go away. I waded died in this trip.
through the muck, healing the burns, and ignoring the We returned to the Sept at Lake Pontchartrain and
pain as best as possible. Stacey and Jonathan followed me reported our findings. Another pack that had been scouting
in, as Moon-Eyes and Speaks-With-Trees herded the thing around New Orleans found evidence that the Black Spiral
back towards the river. Dancers were planning another large scale assault on the
We were there for what felt like hours, but I’m sure caern. We waited for nearly a month, but the attack never
was only minutes. Of course, as soon as I got good and in came. I deduced that they were trying to feed up the Bane
the middle of the Bane, Black Spiral Dancers showed up in preparation for the assault, and after I destroyed it, they
and started attacking Moon-Eyes and Speaks-With-Trees. I had to abandon their plans. The Bane also seemed to be

90 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

the last of the Oil Banes that had been plaguing the area, The sept was concerned about the deaths of two younger
and after some long and heartfelt goodbyes, my pack picked Kinfolk. The first died the year before. His thymus had
up to move again. been removed to cure a rare autoimmune disease, myas-
I was so impressed by Jonathan’s bravery and aplomb, thenia gravis, as a child. After struggling all his life with a
despite being a Glass Walker, that I asked him to join our repressed immune system, he died at twenty-three from the
pack. He accepted, with some conditions attached. flu. While this was not completely strange, another younger
What kind of conditions? Kinfolk in his early teens was diagnosed four months ago
I think his pride was still sore about the episode outside with myasthenia gravis and died shortly after his thymus
the refinery. We argued about the practicality of going at had been surgically removed. The boy had shown signs of
a problem head first. His take was that the Garou Nation undergoing the change and the Garou planned to bring
needed every werewolf it could get, while I think that some him in shortly before he died. Two weeks ago, another
things are worse than death. It’s why I fight as hard as I Kinfolk, again showing signs of the change coming on her
do to make sure the Wyrm doesn’t win. While we both soon, was also diagnosed with the autoimmune disease.
agreed on that point, I couldn’t see how it would ever be The doctor told her parents that the only course of action
advantageous to sneak about and just hope that the Wyrm would be to remove the thymus, but the Glass Walkers were
will go away on its own. concerned that she would die just like the boy. The Garou
So, how did you resolve it? planned to kidnap her before she could undergo surgery,
Let me tell you about New York. but they needed to determine the underlying cause of this
disease and try to prevent more Kinfolk from contracting it.

New York, New York

Jonathan introduced me to the internet. While I am
a modern American and I have a smartphone and I look
at Facebook, I had no idea how much information was
The most insidious thing about the Wyrm in New readily available on the internet.
York is how easily humans fall to its corrupting power.
What? Don’t you know about Wikipedia and Google?
Sure, there’s pollution from the 8 million or so residents
and the infrastructure maintaining them, but the amount What? Oh no, I still just let Jonathan do all of that.
of money and power coursing through the city is a subtle But, it was eye opening to see what a great resource it is. I
influence that is hard to fight. Entire cults have risen out will point out that investigating is important for planning,
of greed, desire, and privilege. Some think they pay lip even if your plan is to go kick it in the butt.
service to the Wyrm and have no idea how strong a hold I suggested looking at background information or envi-
it has over them. Others are full scale nut jobs that think ronmental exposure to something that might have caused the
the Wyrm gives them power and intentionally spread its disease. Jonathan told me that we needed to understand the
corrupting force. The stock traders on Wall Street making big picture first. His idea of big picture was city demographics.
insider deals, the corrupt bankers accepting millions of New York City had the highest diagnosis rate of myasthenia
dollars in government bailouts, the politicians and city gravis in the country. Some of the best thymectomy surgeons
leaders who encourage a massive divide between the rich worked in the city and people came from several states away
and the poor, the crazed wife beaters and child molesters to see them. New York is a big city, and so far, I wasn’t con-
protected by society from retribution are all tainted by the vinced this was a theme. Most patients are diagnosed with
Wyrm. The city is inundated with their filth, and dealing the disease in their thirties and forties yet those diagnosed
with them is a constant unsavory task. in New York were between six and thirteen. I was sure some
Jonathan said he had a test for me. He was going home kind of environmental influence caused the illness in these
to New York for a week and he wanted me to come with children. Jonathan wasn’t convinced so we looked into the
him to follow his sept’s guidance in dealing with issues. doctors and the patients. When Jonathan hacked into the
I’m never one to decline a good challenge, so I agreed, sure hospital system to take a look, he couldn’t find any of the
that I could show him that taking on the Wyrm head first patient files. They had either been deleted, or were under
is never the wrong option. further security he couldn’t breech.
Jonathan brought me to the Glass Walkers of New I decided we should pay the doctors a visit, starting with
York and told them that I was there as a student. The sept the one treating the young Kinfolk girl. Though Jonathan
was welcoming despite my Get of Fenris heritage. We were complained that this was the exact attitude he was trying to
immediately set to task to find out some information about dissuade, I told him that it was just an information-gathering
an ongoing issue having to do with the Glass Walkers’ mission. Jonathan came along, but was clearly not happy.
Kinfolk. While it wasn’t the Wyrm per se, I was obliged to Once we got to the hospital, I was at a loss for where to
let Jonathan put his money where his mouth was. find them. Most doctors have offices, but I had no idea
Chapter Four: The Wyrm 91
how to find a surgeon. Jonathan suggested asking the desk “Let’s start with myasthenia gravis. How do you go about
clerk, which did not go well for me. diagnosing such a disease?” I kept my tone conversational.
I asked for Dr. Busby and the plump woman at the desk “Are you afraid you might have it?” He said.
told me that he didn’t have any appointments today. When “No, I think my younger cousin might though.” I
I asked her to tell me where his office was, she just stared at figured a little lie couldn’t hurt.
me. Jonathan had to step in and charm her into giving us the His eyes lit up for just a moment, so brief that I would
information. He said something about not making demands swear I was imagining it if I didn’t see Jonathan react as
of people, but I’m not really sure what he was talking about. well. “Oh how terrible. You would have to bring her in
We went up to the ninth floor and were greeted by a nurse’s for a proper diagnosis.” He was a master at schooling his
station. Getting past them was them was actually easier than emotions.
the front desk. I just walked to his office like I belonged there “You seem rather excited at the prospect of a new
and no one stopped me. I opened the door on a thin lanky patient?” I wasn’t going to play nice with this man. He
man in his mid-fifties with a bald spot shining through his was clearly doing something wrong, and I was going to get
graying hair. Though entire hospital smelled aseptic and clean, down to the bottom of it. I stood and stepped to his desk,
his office smelled of cigar smoke and cinnamon. I was pretty leaned over and grabbed the front of his shirt. I pulled
sure there was some regulation about smoking in hospitals. him towards me and growled into his face, “What are you
Dr. Busby looked startled to see Jonathan and me doing to the children?”
barging into his office, and he stood in surprise. “Who His stammered, “What? Who sent you? Was it Chief
are you? How did you get in here?” Dudek? You can tell him that I didn’t do anything to them,
“My name’s Deidra and I walked right in. Your nurses if his last order was bad it was because he was rushing me.”
aren’t very good door guards. We have some questions if That was completely unexpected.
you have some time.” I told him as I pulled out one of the Jonathan caught my eye, and I could see that he was
chairs in front of his desk and sat down. just as surprised as me.
Jonathan sat in the other chair, and it seemed that Dr. “Yes, Chief Dudek sent us. What, did you think we
Busby’s good manners had the better of him, because he wouldn’t notice?” Jonathan chimed in with a gruff voice,
sat as well. “What kind of questions?” only a slight twinge betraying his nervousness.
 “I’ll tell you like I told him, there was nothing to Feeling rather sick, I suggested killing them all in
be done about it. I have to cultivate for weeks to get the retribution for their vile crimes against Gaia. This was
proper taste, and rushing me can’t produce that. Not to immediately shot down, and Jonathan reminded me of
mention all the records I have to go through just to get my trip down to the precinct. These men were in control
the thing out of here.” He pulled on his shirt front, trying of the city and a direct attack on them was sure to bring
to loosen himself from my grip, indignation warring with trouble down on the Garou in the city. So, instead, I let
fear on his face. Jonathan lead me through a more subtle plan of exposing
I tightened my grip and shook him once. “So you didn’t their black market ring to the public to shut it down.
do anything to the children?” I hissed. I wasn’t putting on So, what did you do? How did you convince the community
an act. Whatever this guy was doing was seriously wrong. it was true?
“What? No. I didn’t do anything that would change That’s a very good question. We went to the mother
the flavor. Of course, I gave him treatments just like the of the young girl and told her about the situation. She was
others, but those are necessary for the diagnosis.” Fear rose skeptical at first, but we showed her the void in the medical
so strong I could smell it wafting from him. files and told her that the treatment the doctor was giving
“Treatments?” Jonathan’s cool collected calm was was making it worse. She gave it a week, and afterwards
completely shattered. the girl was starting to look and act healthier. That was
Dr. Busby’s eyes went round, “Wait, who are you?” all the proof she needed. She took the story to the other
He started shrieking and screaming and everything went two families whose children had died and they compared
to hell. A nurse ran into the office and saw me shaking notes. Then the three families took the story to a reporter,
the screaming doctor. She started yelling and ran out the recommended by Jonathan, who did a short piece on it. A
office door. Soon two male nurses ran in and tried to pull nightly news reporter who happened to be another of the
me off of him, and I resisted for a moment until Jonathan Glass Walker’s Kinfolk took the piece. His fact checkers
yelled at me to let him go. By that time, the men were us- discovered the strange disconnect between diagnosis ages
ing brutal force to try to remove me, and I could see that in New York City versus the rest of the nation. We had a
they were starting to get anxious from being around me. I small hold up while they tried to quench the story, which
released my grip and made a run for the door. I ran right only made the reporter more avid to tell the world. After
into a security guard who was hustling into the office and that, the information caught like wildfire and families of
we tumbled to the ground. Another security guard grabbed misdiagnosed children came forward in droves to demand
my arms and thrust them into a thin plastic tie behind my justice. Some payoffs were made and some money got
back. A look from Jonathan told me that I shouldn’t break dumped into a public relations campaign for many of the
the tie, normal people can’t do that. men involved, but the surgeons took the fall and the entire
operation was shut down.
I let the security guards hold me until the police arrived,
and then we took a nice trip down to the city precinct. All in all, the plan was so simple and elegant that
Jonathan was not arrested, since he was not being violent, I’m not sure I could really call it a plan. It took no more
and he had some excuse that I was a mental patient that than a month, but with the right push here and there, the
got out of his control. Somehow he had certifications to cascade of reaction was remarkable. I didn’t get to go out
show them and they let me out on bail. As I was leaving, and murder the bastards, but I got to watch as an outraged
I noticed a placard on the wall reading Robert Dudek, community called for resignations and indictments of some
NYPD Chief of Police. I pointed it out to Jonathan, whose very corrupt men.
eyes went wide. I’m confused. You wouldn’t have ever known what was going
We brought our new information to the sept, and on if you didn’t go talk to that doctor. So going at it head first
they were able to help us piece together some more infor- was still the best way.
mation. Chief Dudek was a member of a group of men in You’re very smart. Just don’t let Jonathan hear you
New York well known for acts of corruption and possible say that.
dealing with the Wyrm. He had suspected associations
with the Seventh Generation, whose ranks were filled with
some of the most vile and corrupt members of the city’s Three Gorges Dam,
political and economic sectors. Based on our disturbing
conversation with Dr. Busby, we pieced together a grim China
story of doctors in the city removing children’s thymus A call for assistance went out from a small gathering of
gland to later be eaten. Definitely by Chief Dudek, quite Stargazers from the Tranquil River Sept near Sandouping,
possibly by others he associated with. China about a month before the Three Gorges Dam went

Chapter Four: The Wyrm 93

fully operational. For years the local Garou had fought tinct acrid odor of the Wyrm. With the city nearby and the
against the Chinese government to delay the start up oper- dam looming in the distance, it was hard to tell where that
ations of the dam, but they had finally lost out. The initial particular scent was coming from. I hoped beyond hope
flooding started much sooner than originally anticipated, that it wasn’t coming from inside the caern.
and the caern was under threat of being lost to the flood All was quiet and still. The sept was gone, and I was
waters. The sept wanted to expedite the move, and were the only one who knew about it. I wondered briefly about
asking for any able bodied Garou to come and help. It wasn’t the other septs in the region, and where they all went. This
something my pack and I normally did, but I decided to go, is why I will never go anywhere alone again. I couldn’t
if only to make sure they didn’t leave anything important both look for the missing Stargazers and contact the other
behind. I went alone. I wasn’t expecting to do anything Garou. I would have to do one and then the other. So I
other than act as bodyguard to Garou moving across the set out to find what became of the sept, and either rescue
moon bridges, so I took my time getting there. them or howl their deaths.
By the time I arrived, the caern was cleared out. Not Scenting a trail on the Stargazers was difficult, a thou-
in that “we finished moving and you missed it,” kind of sand different smells of coming and going from the past
way. More like the, “where the hell is everyone and why few days’ travel muddled everything. Instead, I tracked
did they leave half their things behind?” kind of way. I the Wyrm scent. I followed the trail into the small city of
could see signs of violence and a struggle. They didn’t go Sandouping and to the main entrance of the Three Gorges
without a fight, but I couldn’t tell what took them. Blood Dam. By that time, the stench was burning my eyes and
splattered structures, but not enough to constitute even making me sick to my stomach.
one dead body. Whatever came in hadn’t left any tracks. I couldn’t find the source in the city, which meant
I sniffed the air and smelled the sharp coppery scent of it was in the dam. Men in guard uniforms and workers
blood, the musky smells of sweat and spittle, and the dis- swarmed the place, and going in was tricky. I waited until
94 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
dusk for the workers to change shifts then waylaid one in of pain and fury that sent chills up my spine. Invigorated
an alley to take his clothes. The clothes were baggy on me, by this new knowledge, I leapt on the Bane and grabbed
but I didn’t think anyone would be checking. I followed its head in my good hand and twisted it off in one swift
another worker up the ramp and into the dam without motion. Both the head and the body sloshed to the ground
molestation, and picked up my trail again. in an oily mess.
My stomach lurched from the nauseating odor, and I stood panting and trying to regain my breath. In just
I had a hard time keeping myself together. Deep in the the few moments I stood there, the ooze congealed into
bowels of the dam, near the churning generators, I lost the the top of the Bane’s head, its grey eye hole fixed in my
trail. I don’t mean that it suddenly went away. It was there direction. I knew I couldn’t go another round with that
all around me, filling the room with the putrid smell of thing, so I did the only sensible thing I could do; I ran.
decaying water-logged flesh and disease. I found it, whatever You ran?
it was. I checked the room for evidence of the Stargazers, Yes. Sometimes, part of being a successful warrior is
but only found a few oil-slicked water spots. knowing when you need help. The thing was more power-
While I wandered around the room I became aware of ful than I could handle alone. I left the dam and the city
the faint sound of trickling water. The sound was strange behind me. I set out to find other Garou and tell them
and unnatural, and made the hairs on the back of my neck about the fate of the Tranquil River Sept. Travel to the
stand on end. The water sounds moved through the room, nearest populated caern took me eight days of running
creating an eerie sense of footsteps. I changed to Crinos in Lupus form. My Wyrm tainted wounds took nearly as
form and readied myself for an attack. My senses sharp- long to heal. I passed one other caern on my way, but it
ened and I could feel heaviness in the air, as though I was was half flooded and I could tell it had been abandoned
breathing water. I heard it move towards me and wheeled, months before.
but it landed on my back. Its scrabbled at me with clawed A stout looking lupus with dark fur and a musky scent
hands, trying to get a good grip. The icy fire of its claws stopped me at the border.
sinking into my skin sent shocks of pain through my body, “You stink of the Wyrm, yet you look like a Get. Ex-
and I spun around to dislodge it. It held tight and bit down plain.” He was succinct if nothing else.
hard on my shoulder. Blood welled up and I could feel
“I came to assist the Tranquil River Sept with their
cold numbness spreading through my arm and I quickly
move. When I got there the place was in disarray. I followed
lost all feeling there. I reached back with my good hand
a Wyrm scent to the dam. We fought, but I didn’t kill it.”
and wrenched it off of me and hurled it into the far wall.
This last admission kindled an anger I didn’t realize I was
I could see it now, a small humanoid looking thing harboring.
with pale watery flesh and long black hair that fell past its
He looked at me and nodded. “I can see the wounds
head and chest. The thing’s face was a large toothy maw
are not healing.” He sniffed and stepped aside.
with grey sunken eye holes. It hissed at me and lurched
The sept was larger than I had expected, filled with
forward, but I was expecting it this time and dodged to
refugees of the flooded lands further east along the river. I
the side, letting it graze my bad arm. It had its back turned
came before the sept leader and his pack, and was surprised
to me, and I sank my claws deep into the back of its neck,
to see a Silver Fang leading the sept. I nodded in deference
where the head meets the spine. It felt as though my hand
and took a submissive sitting position.
passed through ice-cold water, and thick green pus oozed
around the wound, knitting the flesh back together. The “I am one of a few surviving from Russia. Ask me later,
scent of pestilence and decay filled my nostrils. The thing and I will tell you about it. Maybe you will want to go there
pulled away from me and turned; its mouth a mockery and cut out the Wyrm where it shelters?” He said, clearly
of a toothy grin. I roared in frustration and charged at it. noticing my surprise.
Every time I clawed or scratched it, I went through it like “Maybe, Jarl, when this is finished. Now I am here to
water. Its bites and scratches created a burning fever that deal with the Wyrm infestation at the dam.” I told him.
drained my energy. “What is your name?” He asked me, not yet dismissing
I knew that if I didn’t get out of there soon, I was formatlities.
going to die. My Rage threatened to take hold of me and “Diedra Bone-Cracker.”
my fighting turned from tactical to brutal fury. I caught “Your reputation precedes you, warrior. I am Nikolai
its thin frail arm as it made a pass to cut me. I gripped Kozlov, Elder of the Sept of Ashes. We are a deliberate people,
hard, yanked, and then I could hear a tearing sound and which I’m sure isn’t to your tastes. You are in our territory
a sickening slosh as the arm popped off the shoulder and and I expect you to behave as though you were one of us.
turned to oily slime in my hand. It fell to the floor with Can you handle that, or should I send you on your way
a thick splat and sat motionless. The Bane let out a howl now?” His face was stern and his tone brooked no argument.
Chapter Four: The Wyrm 95
 “I’ve worked with Glass Walkers, I’m sure I can handle of light. We set out to the dam armed with powder packs
your ways.” I nodded in deference. “You have a Bane holed that would supposedly evaporate any water they contacted;
up in the dam.” a handy weapon versus the Bane. My small team slipped
“Do you think we don’t know this already?” I could into the dam through the Umbra and entered the Bane’s
detect a hint of exasperation in his voice, though I could pumping station. This time, it was easy to find.
tell he was trying hard to hide it. “I like to make a plan The thing looked bigger than I remembered, and it
before going into a fight. Something I’m not sure you are smelled worse too. We herded it by tossing packets of the
familiar with.” I could see an internal struggle play across powder at it, which generated a deeply satisfying hiss when
his face. He hardened his resolve and told me what was they hit. The Bane shied and skittered away from them.
going on. Nikolai explained that a nest of Black Spiral Once we got outside, it fled to the river and pulled water
Dancers brought the Bane from an ancient well in the all around it as a protective shield. We ushered it further
Jiangsu Province. The river started flooding soon after. The downstream and past the dam to a scheduled rendezvous
Stargazers in the Tranquil River Sept were caught off guard point. The Bane was pulling the river water behind it
by the speed of the rising waters, and weren’t prepared to and the level of the river rose dangerously high. It almost
move quickly enough. The last they had heard, the sept seemed too easy to me.
was moving along slowly in their excavation, but there had Then the Black Spiral Dancers came at us. Maybe they
not been news in several days. were attuned to the Bane, maybe they heard us coming.
I had to think about that for only a moment, and the Better still, maybe the whole thing was a trap to begin with
realization that struck me made me angry. No news meant and they had attacked the Tranquil River Sept to goad the
no survivors. “They are all gone. I saw blood and signs of rest of the Garou into a fight they couldn’t possibly win.
a struggle, but no bodies. The only thing I found out that I’m certain Nikolai underestimated the Dancer’s num-
way was the Bane.” I told him. bers. I lost count at about thirty when the nearest ones
Nikolai’s face drew together in consternation. “You were within range to threaten me. My team’s attention was
saw the Bane?” He asked, genuinely curious. divided between the Bane and the Dancers. I tossed my
“I fought it too. Hell of a piece of work you have there.” remaining handful of powder packets directly at the Bane’s
I pointed to the wound on my shoulder. body. The resultant chemical reaction released a wave of
“We haven’t seen it. Our plan was to take a team to heat and light that nearly bowled me over, but I expected
the dam, and flush it towards the Dancer nest dug in the it. The Dancers coming at me were not, and they fell back
dry riverbed on the east side of the dam. We would flood in surprise. I took the opportunity to dive at the nearest
their Pit and kill them and the Bane as they tried to escape.” one on the ground and rip its throat out with my teeth.
The plan was sound, except for the part about the Bane. The Bane fled under water, and the rest of the team
“I think that plan will need to change some. We need turned their attention to the Black Spiral Dancers surround-
a way to kill the Bane and without something that will ing them. The subsequent fight was grueling. I could hear
truly threaten it, you can’t flush it anywhere.” I told him. the sounds of battle all around, and knew that the rest of the
“What do you mean? Explain.” He commanded me. Sept of Ashes was also engaged. Fighting without my pack
“It’s made out of some vile ooze. It doesn’t seem to was a challenge. I was surrounded with trained warriors,
be affected by claws. I ripped its head off and watched as and they worked well together, but it just wasn’t the same.
it reformed itself before my eyes. Got any ideas on how to All of my nonverbal communications were lost to them. We
deal with it?” I had puzzled over this point during my entire did well enough though and killed the dozen or so Dancers
run to the caern. “The only thing I could think of was fire.” that had ambushed us with little casualty. Then we joined
“Fire?” He said tentatively. “Yes and no. We could use the main fray. The Dancers had us outnumbered three to
something that will make it evaporate. A chemical would one. Nikolai raised a call to fall back, and several Garou were
work better. Something we can spray or throw on it. I’ll already running. My team served to distract the Dancers long
talk the Theurges about something they might have on enough for some of the weaker Garou to flee. I stood fighting
hand. Go rest now; be ready to leave at sundown. We will until the last of the sept was able to make a break for it. I
take the moon bridge to the caern by the dam. With the would have stayed even longer if I hadn’t seen a group of the
information you have brought, I can see that we have no Black Spiral Dancers break off to give pursuit. I dispatched
more reason to wait.” those around me and followed the hunting party. A few of
Instead of resting, I had a Theurge tend to my wounds. the sept warriors fell back to defend the fleeing party and
The entire sept vibrated with energy and by the time the between us we were able to beat back the pursuers.
first rays of pink dawn stretched across the sky, we were I do not remember how many Black Spiral Dancers
ready to go. We arrived at the caern with the last vestiges I killed that night. I do remember as clearly as if it were

96 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

yesterday every Garou we lost in that fight. I remember their we were close enough to see buildings take shape. Military
names, faces, and how they died. We lost so much that night outposts blocked the roadways into the city, stopping and
and gained nothing. We lost the Bane, and killed no less checking any vehicles attempting to pass through.
than fifty Black Spiral Dancers, but that wasn’t even half We set up a camp on the outside perimeter of Norilsk,
of them. We lost twelve good warriors in the fight before as none of us wanted to spend a single night inside the
we were finally able to make a full retreat. confines of the polluted city. In the morning, we scouted
We crossed back over the moon bridge and Nikolai to see if we could find out the largest source of Wyrm taint.
decided to seal it off to prevent the Wyrm taint from Instead of passing through the checkpoints, we entered
spreading through it. The Tranquil River Sept members through the Umbra. We had to fight our way in anyway.
were never found. I suspect they were taken and murdered Though we easily bypassed the human guards, we ran into
by the Black Spiral Dancers. Their hold on the dam was a number of small Banes that were hanging around the city.
absolute, and all the surrounding caerns were lost to the Nikolai was not wrong when he said the place had fallen
Garou. Eventually, the flood waters forced the Sept of completely to the Wyrm. Larger Banes were near the nickel
Ashes to move yet again, further inland and away from the smelting facilities and mines. All of the spirits that would
river. The number of septs in the region has been reduced normally be in the area were long gone. The Umbra was
to just the one, and they hold a line against the spread of as uninviting a place as it could be and we stepped back
the Black Spiral Dancers further west into China. over as soon as we were well away from the outside border.
I still have a scar from that wound on my shoulder. As with any other over-industrialized city, the people
Do you want to see it? were downtrodden, the air was putrid, stagnant, and pollut-
Oh, yes please. ed with the sounds of industry. Traveling through Norilsk
was both depressing and rage-inducing. We did not find

Norilsk, Russia
evidence of any large Wyrm creatures or influence within
the city proper. We went on to Nadezhda, the nickel smelter.
As we circled the complex, we caught sight of a few
Nikolai Kozlov told me chilling stories about the
workers milling about the outside lot. They spotted us
history of Russia. Several cities turned over to military
and walked over. At first I thought they wanted to talk, or
control and were sealed off to outside residents for decades.
maybe they were going to tell us to go away, but then I got
They were referred to as closed cities, and all the caerns
a better look at them. They were repulsive. They had no
in the surrounding areas had either disappeared or been
visible hair on their bodies, which looked shriveled and
irreparably tainted by the Wyrm. Initially, Kinfolk living
pasty white. Some had open sores on their arms and faces;
there reported strange experiments and nuclear weapon
others had large pustules that clearly preceded the sores.
productions. Soon communications with the Kinfolk
Their heads were misshapen and their hands were elongated
stopped due to tightening regulations on travel in and out
and enlarged. They jerked as they moved, as though their
of the cities. Several septs attempted to invade to combat
joints did not work correctly. One opened his mouth as
the Wyrm controlled leaders, and possibly rescue their
though to say something, but I could see that his tongue
Kinfolk. They were met with brutal force, and lost many
was a black wormy mass in his mouth, and he just groaned
lives in the attempts. Nikolai assured me that most of this
as they moved closer.
was ancient history, yet the closed cities still remained.
Norilsk was one such city, and was reportedly so polluted Oh, I know. They were fomori, right?
and covered in Wyrm taint, that Nikolai was sure it housed At the time I thought they might be. They were definitely
something particularly terrible. Wyrm tainted. Later, Speaks-With-Trees said he didn’t see
The conversation sparked a desire to go and see these any Banes, so the answer is no.
cities for myself, and test my mettle against what I found Then, what were they?
there. So, I gathered up my pack, and we set out for Russia. I’ll explain in a little bit, that is part of the story.
The nearest moon bridge brought us several days’ travel I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I just stood my ground as
away from the city via foot. Running kept us warm, and they came. The rest of my pack took up defensive positions.
we got a good look at the scenery. When the forested The men shambled forward and attacked us. I wasn’t sur-
landscape turned to barren plains we knew we were getting prised, but it was completely unnerving. They were relentless,
close. The signs of damage to Gaia were evident in every yet methodical. A few of them moved with the slowness of
dead tree trunk and patch of shining metal-filled dirt we pain, yet they were determined to continue. They clearly were
came across. The heavy metals in the air tasted like blood not trained killers either. We easily dodged their lumbering
and rot. They choked us and slowed our run. The city swings and ill-aimed kicks. Though they clearly wanted to
materialized as a dark smudge on the horizon a day before do us harm, I almost felt sorry for them. That stopped when

Chapter Four: The Wyrm 97

one of the men with open sores caught me with a powerful I tracked them to the ore quarry just outside of Norilsk
left hook. Even though they were slow, they packed a lot of to the southwest. My heart broke to see the giant scar on
force when they did connect. I kicked him in the knee and the face of Gaia. The belly of the land had been laid open
was rewarded with the distinct sound of bones cracking as to the sky, and dust hung in the air just above the entire
he collapsed in a howling heap on the ground. I didn’t think pit. The place also reeked of the Wyrm. We scanned the
I had kicked him hard enough to break bones. perimeter but saw no evidence that the men had gone
Three of the more intact looking men scattered and around the mine. Miners worked in the pit, pulling ore
ran, spooked by the sound of their friend’s broken bone. from the ground and loading it into trucks with the Pentex
My pack mates rounded up the remaining few, and knocked symbol and the name Norilsk Nickel emblazoned on the
them unconscious. We checked each of them and found side. After all we had seen, I was completely unsurprised
that they had neither identification nor other personal be- to see that Pentex was involved.
longings. The life force filling them was sickly and twisted, The Umbra was full of Banes milling about the quarry,
and the foul Wyrm smell emanating from their bodies was so we didn’t dare enter the spiritual realm to continue
strong enough to make me sick. After a lengthy discussion, tracking them. Instead, we waited until dusk, when the
we decided that killing them and putting them out of their miners packed up to leave for the night. As they left, we
misery was the best course of action. watched for the mutated men, but they did not emerge.
We set out to follow the three who had run off. We Wherever they had gone, they were not returning, and I
had lost sight of them, and no one saw which way they suspected that we would find the source of whatever had
went. I changed to Lupus form to better track them. I caused their mutations in the mine.
could smell their distinctive scent heading to the west, The quarry was completely still in the hours following
and began running that way, my pack trailing behind me. dusk. Lights from the smelting complex lit up the night
sky and cast a yellow gloom around the quarry. We passed pened, and I bared my teeth at the burning pain in my
the trucks and the mining equipment and ventured into left arm as I wrenched the gate away from the rest of the
the ore veins. We followed the Wyrm stench down into enclosure. The sound of tearing metal drew the attention of
the deepest part of the quarry. I felt a prickle of something the men like moths to a flame. They came running at me,
strange nearby. It was the kind of feeling you get when and I moved out of the way. They came through the gate
you know something is hot, but you haven’t felt the heat in a disoriented mass. As they realized they were not alone,
yet. My hairs stood on end as the smell wafted to me and they became violent and those behind starting pushing the
burned the inside of my nose. I turned and followed the ones in front. They writhed and seethed forward. Soon, the
scent down a crevice large enough across for two men to entire mass of people was surging towards us. We moved to
walk side by side. I could see a faint green glow from deep in let them get past, but they turned on us. A violent madness
the crevice and I knew what it was before I saw it, balefire. had taken them and they seemed completely unaware of
What is balefire? their surroundings.
What do they teach you around here? Balefire is The gate acted as a funnel, and we were able to main-
produced by the Wyrm, kind of like a waste product. It tain a fighting advantage, but their numbers threatened
is by far the most corrupting substance found on Earth, to overwhelm us. My left hand was useless, and burned
and I had found an entire lake of the stuff. I scrambled with the residual balefire glowing green against my coarse
away and out of the crevice as fast as I could, and I didn’t arm-hairs. In the beginning the size of the group worked
dare look back until I reached my pack. I brought them to against itself. They trampled each other and pushed those
the crevice, and we scouted along the ledge I had found, in the front into the balefire. Despite their inhuman
careful not to make too much noise or to get too close to strength, they were still brittle and fragile. We engaged the
the balefire. Along one side of the lake was a large metal horde gingerly at first, afraid of killing them. They seemed
enclosure, nearly fifty feet long. Hundreds of men stood immune to pain and were freakishly strong. Soon we were
at the back of the enclosure, grouped as far away from the fighting for our lives. I made a painful change into Crinos
balefire as they could possibly get. They all had pale skin form, as did my other pack members. The men were not
and sunken eyes. Some were covered in oozing pustules, trained fighters, but their strength more than made up for
but some still looked relatively healthy. The enclosure was what they lacked in skill. Several of them grabbed at my
clearly a prison of some kind. legs and succeeded in pulling me to the ground. I kicked
at them and heard bones crunching under the blow, but
These people were being intentionally exposed to the
they still pulled at me. They realized that my left hand was
balefire. I didn’t know why they were imprisoned there,
useless and a few tried to attack me from that angle. I felt
but no one deserved that kind of torture. I hesitated for
like prey cornered by a pack of wolves. The irony of my
a moment then jumped off the ledge onto the near side
predicament was not lost on me. I taught them that despite
of the lake and sprinted around to the enclosure. I moved
pain, I could still crush them between my teeth, which only
so fast that the rest of my pack had to scramble to keep
seemed to make them more determined. I could hear the
up. The sudden movement startled the men inside the sounds of my pack fighting all around me, and the screams
pen and they huddled closer to the wall. Some of them of dying men filled the air. I had the scent of blood in my
were so far gone that they didn’t even seem to notice the nose, and it drowned out all the other smells from the
press of bodies around them. I grabbed the metal of the quarry, which was an unexpected blessing.
gate to rip it open and was thrown back from the force of
Weariness mixed with the searing pain in my left hand
the electricity flowing through it. I landed heavy on the
to make me falter. Stacey called out inspiring battle cries in
ground with the wind knocked out of me and my left arm
an effort to keep us moving. But even that started to lose
half in the balefire. Searing pain from the contact forced
its meaning after a while. Someone grabbed my left hand
me back on my feet, burning all over with lack of oxygen
with such force that I was knocked off balance. I roared
as I gasped for breath between screams.
in pain and my Rage took over me. I lifted him into the
Did it leave a scar? air with the arm he was clutching and flung him out over
Yes. Look here at my left hand. See how it looks like it the balefire. He landed with a hiss and disappeared. I
was on fire? That is the best we could do with it after the tore into another man that had come up behind the first
Rite of Cleansing. I can barely open and close it properly and then snapped the arm of a third man in two. This
anymore. change in attitude finally seemed to invoke fear into the
Moon-Eyes was at my side, pulling me away from the few remaining men, who attempted to flee. Jonathan and
balefire. Jonathan had cut power to the generator powering Moon-Eyes cut them down before they could escape the
the fence. I shrugged Moon-Eyes off and gingerly touched crevice. Suddenly, the fighting was over. Relief flooded into
the gate again, expecting the pain of shock. Nothing hap- me, along with the bleary fatigue that comes after a long
Chapter Four: The Wyrm 99
battle. We assessed the carnage, and killed the wounded expected Red Talons to be running the place. Francistown
and the dying out of mercy. We didn’t stay long after; the is the second largest city in Botswana, completely modern
nearness to the balefire was taking its toll on us. and very wealthy. The place was a host to diamond miners,
Once out of the quarry, the cool crisp night air felt with three mines within 150 miles of the city.
almost clean and refreshing, despite the stench of sulfur. We The Wendigo were welcoming enough. They knew of
regarded the place for a long moment, and then discussed Norilsk Nickel, and mentioned the mines to the east as well
a plan for burying the lake of balefire and cleansing the as a smelting plant they had been fighting the Botswana
area. Speaks-With-Trees was certain that it would take more government to shut down ever since it was built a few years
than his talents to cleanse the area, but burying the thing before. They managed to introduce strict emissions laws
would be a start. I knew this would only be a temporary to prevent an outpouring of pollutants into the fragile
fix. Norilsk Nickel would more than likely dig right back river ecosystem. The effort resulted in less pollution than
into the land in search of mineral deposits, and Pentex what we found in Russia by leaps and bounds. They did
would find another way to seek the corrupting presence not know that Norilsk Nickel was a subsidiary of Pentex,
of the Wyrm. But, it was the best option we had on such but they were not surprised by the news. They noticed an
a short notice. I made a point of stopping by the Sept of increase in violent acts of greed from the locals ever since
Ashes to tell Nikolai of what we found there. the company had arrived a few years before.
In the end, we packed all of the explosives from the We told them the story about the Russian operation,
mining equipment into the crevice and used the gasoline which set the sept on edge. The Elders gave us permission
from the trucks as an accelerant to blow that portion of to lead a team into the nickel mines and find out what
the quarry sky high. When the dust settled, more than Pentex was doing there. We set out the next morning with
half the quarry had caved in over the balefire and the dead three of the sept’s defenders; Listens-Through-Winds,
mutants surrounding it. We performed Rites of Cleansing a Wendigo Ahroun lupus; Tsania, a Wendigo Galliard
on the whole pack and set out the same night. None of us homid; and Anton, an Uktena Philodox homid. We rode
were eager to sleep in proximity to such a place, despite our in cars, since the mines were several miles away and we
exhaustion. We walked until sunrise and I called a halt. wanted to check both mines. They brought us first to the
We collapsed to the frozen earth, warmed by the bright Phoenix mine, an open pit similar to the one in Norilsk. We
sunlight shining in a clear sky above. explored the site, but it was clean of Wyrm taint, though
Did you ever find out what really mutated those men? we did spot a few of the Pentex trucks around the site.
No, but we were fairly certain that it was their exposure The Selkirk mine was an underground mine about 10
to the balefire. We talked about slaughtering them in that miles away from Phoenix site. Tsania told us this mine had
pit. Such a large scale loss of humanity worried me, but been out of commission since the early 2000s, due to ore
I felt we had done the right thing by putting them out of depletion. I expected to find it empty and abandoned, but
their misery. Speaks-With-Trees suggested that if we had three dozen Norilsk Nickel trucks with Pentex logos were
more time and more Garou, we might have been able to parked near the mine entrance. I knew that we could not
cleanse them all of their Wyrm taint, just as he had done sneak the eight of us into the mine without notice, at least
with my arm. I agreed, but we didn’t have those things, and not on this side of the gauntlet. Speaks-With-Trees was
we had done the best for them we could have. loath to bring us into the Umbra for fear that we might
run into a Bane congregation like the one we found in

Francistown, Botswana
Russia. Moon-Eyes and I offered to scout.
The mine entrance was unguarded, and we slipped in
with relative ease. The mine was narrow and dark. Though
After the events in Norilsk, Jonathan decided that
our senses were dulled in Homid form, it was the easiest
we should try to take out Norilsk Nickel to prevent them
for traveling the tunnels. Both Moon-Eyes and I sensed
from ever reopening the balefire deposit we had found
for the Wyrm, but could detect no taint this close to the
in Russia. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to know more about
entrance. I was certain that we would find something
the enemy. It was no surprise that they were a subsidiary
deeper in. The mine twisted in on itself in a honeycomb
of Pentex. The company owned one other set of nickel
pattern and delved deep into the earth. We traveled down
mines in the southern part of Africa, in Botswana. None
all the lesser branches we passed, and followed them
of us liked the thought of Pentex mining balefire again,
until we either hit the main thoroughfare or a dead end.
and we decided to check it out.
Evidence of fresh mining indicated that we were getting
We arrived at a caern near Francistown, watched over
close to the end of our route. So far we sensed nothing.
by the Shashe River Sept, predominated by a Wendigo
We could hear men’s voices and the sound of hammer
presence. I was a little surprised to find them here, and

100 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

and pick echoing up to us from further down in the mine. “So, the nickel mines give them a reason to be here.
“I don’t think we are going to find anything by going But how do they profit in that way? And what is so inter-
down there with them. I think this mine might be clean.” esting in the Selkirk mine?” Stacey asked.
Moon-Eyes whispered to me. Jonathan chimed in. “They still profit. Look at how
I nodded once and we returned to the group. They the Shasha River Sept has been fighting to get rid of the
told us that while we were in the mine, three of the trucks nickel smelter. I bet it’s some kind of diversion to draw
left carrying crews of men geared for mining. We hadn’t attention away from the real reason they’re here.”
passed anyone in the mine, but the honeycomb formation “Then let’s go follow those trucks.” I told them, and
easily hid movements in and out. I asked if they saw which started back towards the cars.
direction the trucks went, and they pointed out west. I am an excellent tracker, but I’ve never gotten the
“Let’s follow them, maybe they will lead us to the hang of tracking vehicles. Jonathan is excellent at using
real reason Pentex is here. I doubt they would be in this Weaver magic to find electronics, which made following
country for so long and against such resistance if there the trucks easy. We drove for nearly two hours to the
wasn’t something making it worth it.” I said. outskirts of a small town called Letlhakane. From there
“I agree. The only thing to the west of here that we could see the giant open pit of the diamond mine.
Pentex might be interested in is the diamond mines.” The Norilsk Nickel trucks were parked some distance
Anton told us. from the mine, the crew missing from sight. We parked
“The diamonds cause corruption in this land. It and trekked up to the side of the mine pit. Crews were
spreads like a plague to consume the men.” Listens- working in the mine with large bulldozers and dump
Through-Winds said. “I have fought long against greed trucks filled with rocks. I could feel an overwhelming
and corruption because of those mines. The arrival of sense of the Wyrm. Whatever was down in that mine
Norilsk Nickel has made it worse.” was worse than the balefire we found in Russia. My
“I can see how Pentex would be interested in that kind pack and I gave each other knowing looks. The other
of place. But why purchase the nickel mines when they Garou traveling with us picked up on the grave tension
could just buy the diamond mines instead?” I responded. between us.
“Because the diamond mines are owned by the gov- “It’s bad, isn’t it?” Anton asked.
ernment of Botswana. As one of their largest sources of “Yes.” I said simply.
income, I can’t see them being persuaded to sell, even “Deidra, we should go back to the sept and inform the
by Pentex.” Tsania said. Elders of what we have found.” He addressed me directly.

Chapter Four: The Wyrm 101

 “And what have we found?” I asked simply. Anton “Grab the light, let’s go.” I told them and started
was their alpha, if I could convince him to stay, then I down the tunnel at a run. The end of the tunnel wasn’t
wouldn’t have any problems from the rest. far, and I stopped just before I would have run straight
“The Wyrm, and Pentex, is clearly involved.” He pulled into a deep black hole. Thankfully, flimsy wooden boards
himself up to face me. I could tell he was stubborn, and served as a fence to prevent just that. Three more men
I’m sure he had a lot of prejudices about taking orders were standing on the far edge of the hole and looked up
from a Get of Fenris. at me with startled expressions. I didn’t stop to think and
“We do not know anything yet. We have no idea what instead ran at them and punched the nearest one in the
this is. The first thing the sept is going to want to do is jaw. One of them was faster than the others and had a
send a scouting team to find out. So, let’s cut the time gun pointed at me.
in the middle and scout now.” I stared him in the eye, “Stop or I’ll shoot.” He cried at me, his hand shaking.
putting as much authority and anger into that stare as I ignored him and hit his friend again. The sound of a
I could muster. I’ll give him some credit; he lasted for a gunshot echoed through the chamber. When I looked
good thirty seconds before he backed down and simply up, I saw that Jonathan had shot the gun wielding man.
nodded his assent. The other two nodded as well, and Stacey had wrestled the third to the ground.
we were decided. I pulled the one I had been hitting to my face by his
We again waited for the cover of night to enter the shirt front. “What are you doing down here?” I growled
pit. For the rest of the day, we watched the miners for at him. He sputtered, blood and spittle splashing on my
signs of the Norilsk Nickel crew, but could not determine face. I put him down and wiped it away. “I said talk.”
where they had gone. Moon-Eyes noticed a section of the “We are watching the hole.” He said, his voice lisping
mine that people avoided completely. This was the first through broken teeth.
place we checked on once we entered the mine. The area “Watching it for what?”
was clear of rubble and debris and looked as though the
He started to laugh which devolved into a coughing
miners hadn’t touched it for a while. A barricade indicating
fit. He didn’t say anything more.
danger covered a hole near the wall on that side. I pulled
the metal stand out of the way and walked into the cave As I reached down to hit him again, Moon-Eyes grabbed
entrance. It was large enough for one of the trucks to my shoulder and pulled me away from him. I turned to
drive into, and it was cut out of the stone by hand. The ask him what he was thinking and I heard a dry crackling
floor was relatively clean, and we could see evidence that noise coming from deep within the chasm. The rest of
despite the warning signs, it had been entered recently. the Garou were backing away from the pit, and some had
started changing to Crinos form. I let Moon-Eyes pull me
The air grew stagnant and had a sulfurous tang as we
away from the hole and willed the change as well. Listens-
traveled deep into the earth. The sense of the Wyrm felt
Through-Winds changed to Hispo form and bared his teeth
stronger here, and we knew we were on the right track.
in a snarl. Jonathan pulled out a large gun — I wondered
We walked for almost an hour in the dark, always going
deeper, before Listens-Through-Winds stopped us and where he kept the thing. Stacey had unstrapped her ancestral
pressed his body against the wall. We all stopped and labrys from its harness on her back.
strained to hear what his superior wolf ears had picked Anticipation and tension filled the space and made
up. Faints sounds drifted up to us, of voices and boots on my heart beat faster in my chest. Four creatures, about the
the ground. Someone was coming up the shaft towards size of large dogs and made entirely of gemstone climbed
us. We pressed against the cave walls, attempting to blend out of the hole. They had shards of metal embedded in
seamlessly into the shadows. A light preceded them, and their skin, and large slits at the front of their heads filled
two men wearing Pentex uniforms walked past us, too with sharp rows of metal teeth. As they climbed, we could
busy chatting to notice the group of Garou pressed to the see the gemstone was armor plating over thin ephemeral
walls. As they passed, Stacey reached out and grabbed one bodies. They crested the edge of the pit and caught sight
by the shoulder, swung him around and punched him so of us then emitted an earsplitting screeching sound. Jon-
hard in the face that blood erupted from his nose as he athan unloaded four shots into the one nearest him and
fell to the ground. The other man whirled just in time it fell back into the pit with a spray of ichor. The rest of
for Listens-Through-Winds to bite his leg and tear out them sprang forward to attack.
his hamstring. He fell to the ground whimpering and Stacey and I cornered one and took turns snapping
crying. I pulled Listens-Through-Winds back before he and swiping at it to divert its attention. They were slow
could rip out his throat. I shook my head once and the but strong, and neither of us wanted to find out what
lupus backed off. Stacey kicked the uniformed man in happened when you got bit. Listens-Through-Winds
the head and knocked him unconscious. pounced on the back of one of them and worried at the
space between its head and its body. He eventually worked I fell back into the tunnel with Jonathan as he con-
his way between the armored plates and was able to snap tinued to shoot at the creature with little effect. The top
its neck. I followed suit and leapt on the back of the one of the chamber was high, more than likely large enough
Stacey and I were fighting. Its diamond armor was near for the creature to emerge totally from the pit, but the
impenetrable, but my sharpened claws were able to gouge tunnel wasn’t quite big enough by my estimation. I called
into it and chunks of stone went flying. It reared back to my pack to join me in the tunnel in hope of luring the
to shake me, and revealed a soft underbelly. Stacey took thing all the way out of the pit and exposing its underside.
the opportunity to cut into the creature with her labrys They followed my order, but the creature did not emerge
and it fell under my weight. I looked around to see that any further. It nearly filled the entire chamber, but I knew
Moon-Eyes, Anton, and Tsania felled the third one. we were only seeing about half of it. Anton and Tsania
Jonathan had his gun pointed down the hole and fell back as well, but Listens-Through-Winds continued
was firing shots at something that had yet to emerge. I snapping and biting at the thing, tenacious as hell. I
could hear the ping of the shots hitting something solid reentered the room and took up a flanking position and
below. A wide sliver of diamond armor crested the hole started slashing at the creature with my claws. The stone
chipped away, but we didn’t seem to be hurting or slowing
followed by another and two more before I realized that
the creature at all. I remembered how Listens-Through-
it was a large hand of a creature similar in shape to the
Winds snapped the neck of one of the smaller creatures
smaller ones that had come up before. The thing’s hand
earlier. The next time the creature came close enough, I
indicated it should be ten times their size, but I swear it
sank my claw into its stony hide and latched on. I swung
was bigger. It barely fit through the edges of the hole as
myself up and started climbing, hand over hand.
it came crashing out and filling the chamber.
The other Garou saw what I was doing and rushed
“That.” The forgotten miner gasped through choking
into the room to divert the Bane’s attention. I crested
laughs. its back and thrust my claws into the spot between its
What was it? head and body and started to dig. The creature reared
Based on the reports from the sept, it was a Greed back and started whipping around, and I nearly flew off.
Bane. More than likely it had been sealed in the earth Then it extended to its full height and crushed me against
years before, and the mining operation had inadvertently the chamber ceiling. I flattened myself across its back to
uncovered it. I’m guessing it spent the years forming the reduce the force of the blow, but it started to grind me
gemstone shell around itself as armor for just such an back and forth between against the ceiling. I could feel
occasion. Pentex more than likely heard about it and my bones bending under the pressure, and I was sure I
came to try to harness its power. had lost three layers of skin. The Garou on the ground
started attacking its vulnerable underbelly, forcing it to Description: Deidra is a tall Scandinavian looking wom-
stop its assault on me. It doubled over and I was able to an with thick blond hair and wide set blue eyes. She is not
recover my grip on its neck. I started digging in again. beautiful by anyone’s description, and is riddled with scars
This time I worked fast and furious and held on tight as from her numerous encounters with the Wyrm. The hard
it swung me back and forth. I cleared away the armored set of her jaw and the half crazed glint in her eye is enough
carapace and plunged my claws deep into its neck, my to warn anyone that she is not a woman to be messed with.
arms disappearing in reddish grey flesh. I felt a resistance Storytelling Hints: Deidra is not just a strong woman,
and pushed harder until I felt my claws snap past what- she is cunning and thoughtful. Though her first inclination
ever was there. It instantly stopped moving and crashed is to kill first and ask questions later, she will not needlessly
down sliding back into the chasm with me on its back. I endanger herself or her pack. She has learned patience over
pulled my arms out of the thing, but it was falling faster the years, but only for strategy and war. She will quickly
than I could move. I had just freed myself as I was falling lose her temper to frustration if she is presented with
past the wooden barriers and I leapt from the creature’s stupidity. She is always frank and open, even when she is
back. I was off by only a foot, but it was enough to make being respectful. She never sees reason to hold back her
the difference. Anton reached out and grabbed my hand opinions, or say what needs to be said. She doesn’t believe
as I hurdled past. Tsania was holding onto him and I in the concept of the elephant in the room.
swung hard into the side of the pit wall. Despite having
Breed: Homid
the breath knocked out of me, I scrambled up and over
the side of the pit. Auspice: Ahroun
I stood panting next to Anton as the other Garou Tribe: Get of Fenris
took stock of the situation. The Pentex workers had been Rank: 4
trampled in the fighting. Speaks-With-Trees checked us Physical: Strength 5 (7/9/8/6), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
over for injuries and helped us heal. He also performed a Stamina 4 (6/7/7/6)
Rite of Cleansing on the area and on me again, just in case. Social: Charisma 2, Manipulation 3 (2/0/0/0), Appear-
We returned to the Shasha River Sept victorious, ance 2 (1/0/2/2)
and Tsania sang our deeds to the sept in a moot called Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 5
in our honor. Talents: Alertness 2, Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Intimidation
Okay, that’s it for tonight. I think you have a better 3, Leadership 5, Primal-Urge 4
understand of how the Wyrm works across the world? Skills: Animal Ken 2, Drive 2, Firearms 4, Melee 5,
Is that it? There isn’t any more? Stealth 2, Survival 3
There is more, but it will have to wait for another Knowledges: Academics 2, Enigmas 3, Investigation 2,
time. I think we’ve talked enough for one night. Law 1, Medicine 2
Backgrounds: Allies 3, Ancestors 4, Pure Breed 3,

Mechanics Rage: 8, Gnosis: 6, Willpower: 7

Gifts: (1) Falling Touch, Razor Claws, Sense Wyrm; (2)
Deidra “Bone-Cracker” Fangs of the North, Spirit of the Fray, Staredown;
(3) Cowing the Bullet, Might of Thor, Wind Claws;
History: Deidra comes from a family of Get of Fenris
(4) Stoking Fury’s Furnace; Heart of the Mountain
Kinfolk. When she was ten, she was introduced to the Garou
Nation, and was inundated with the teachings of a people
she had nothing in common with. She experienced her first
Antagonists
change when she was twelve, and spent the next six years
living and learning from her tribe. She was raised in the
Disease Bane
traditional Get of Fenris fashion, with bloody lessons and The Bane released from the Jiangsu Province well is a
near death experiences. She was always strong and these type of H’ruggling that spreads disease and pestilence through
only served to give her discipline. As an Ahroun, she was flood. It had been sealed away for hundreds of years before
prone to violence, and her tribe directed that rage against the Black Spiral Dancers released it on the Yangtze River
the Wyrm. After her time in the Amazon, rooting out and during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam in a plot
killing the Wyrm became more than a goal, it was a duty. to flood out all of the Garou caerns in the area.
She has always been a natural leader, and her conviction Willpower: 5, Rage: 4, Gnosis: 6, Essence: 15
draws warriors to her side like flies to honey. Charms: Blighted Touch, Flood, Materialize

104 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

Oil Bane
The spill of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico released
thousands of barrels of crude oil into the waters. Wakshaani
from all over were attracted to the spill and fed from the
oil washing up in southern Louisiana, growing fat on the
toxins. Even after the spill was mostly cleaned up, the
Banes continued to thrive all along the Mississippi River
due to industrial complexes routinely dumping wastes
into the river.
Willpower: 8, Rage: 6, Gnosis: 10, Essence: 40
Charms: Blast, Flood, Materialize
Greed Bane
A particularly powerful Psychomachiae had been
trapped in a volcano by Garou centuries ago. It had
slowly worked its way up and through a vent before it was
stopped by the immense pressure. Later, the Bane was
freed when its prison was exposed by diamond mining. It
immediately began influencing the local populous intent
on pulling diamonds from the mine. Soon, Pentex took
notice of the activity and moved in to harness the ancient
Bane’s power.
Willpower: 6, Rage: 8, Gnosis: 7, Essence: 30
Charms: Blighted Touch, Corruption, Materialize
Blighted Men
Attributes: Strength 4+, Dexterity 1+, Stamina 3+,
Charisma 1, Manipulation 1+, Appearance 1,
Perception 2+, Intelligence 1+, Wits 2+
Abilities: Alertness 2, Brawl 1 or 2, Intimidation 3,
Melee 1 or 2, Stealth 2, Survival 2 to 4
Powers: While The Blighted Men are not fomori,
the effects of the balefire have given them each one of
the following Powers as a fomori: Berserker, Numbing,
Regeneration, Unnatural Strength.
Equipment: The blighted men wear tattered and worn
clothing. They carry whatever was on them when they
were picked up an imprisoned by their Pentex captors.
Often they have wallets with identification and some
have cellular phones with dead batteries.
Description: The Blighted men are mutated due
to an exposure to an extraordinary amount of balefire.
Those who do not die immediately from exposure develop
a strange supernatural strength and resistance to pain.
They are also driven completely insane by the nearness to
the Wyrm and the only thing they know now is violence.
Shock Troopers
Attributes: Strength 3+, Dexterity 3+, Stamina 2+,
Charisma 1+, Manipulation 1+, Appearance (usu-
ally) 0, Perception 2+, Intelligence 1+, Wits 2+

Chapter Four: The Wyrm 105

Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 2 to 4, Brawl 1 to 3, In- warrior, but also a great tactician and leader. She takes on
timidation 3, Firearms 3 to 5, Melee 1 or 2, Survival the form of an iconic war machine of an age; while many of
3, Investigation 2, Medicine 2 her packs still see her as a stealth bomber, some werewolves
Powers: Each fomor gains the power Fiery Discharge now see their totem as a Predator drone. The Garou that
to represent their acidic blood. from the Bane infesting follow her are fierce and disciplined soldiers.
it. Chose two more from the following list for each fomor: Individual Traits: Followers of Clashing Boom-Boom
Armored Skin, Body-Barbs, Chameleon Coloration, Extra gain two extra dice on their Firearms and Melee rolls and
Speed, Immunity to Delirium, Noxious Breath. the maximum difficulty for any roll involving weapons is 8.
Equipment: These fomori wear military grade armored Pack Traits: Packs that follow Clashing Boom-Boom
vests and clothing. They rarely carry spare weapons, as their gain three dots of Leadership.
own bodies constitute their weaponry — treat each one as Ban: Clashing Boom-Boom does not tolerate insubordina-
carrying an assault rifle or assault shotgun. One of them tion of any kind. Her followers must follow any orders given to
might have a cellular phone or some other communication them by a higher-Ranked Garou. Refusing a direct order from
device to keep in touch with their paramilitary units. Clashing Boom-Boom herself will result in her turning on the pack.
Description: These formori are bound to Banes of
violence. They have mutated weapon-like appendages and Trapdoor Spider
acidic blood that they can spit or shoot from their bodies. Background Cost: 6
These troopers are covered in a thin metal covering which A cunning strategist, Trapdoor Spider is patient and
protects them. Unfortunately, they do not live long, as they aggressive. It will wait days for prey to come along before it
are not immune to the acid in their own blood and it slowly strikes. It waits for the precise moment, and then attacks,
devours them from the inside out. quickly and efficiently. The target rarely knows it has fallen

Totems of War
into a trap until it is far too late for escape.
Individual Traits: Followers of Trapdoor Spider gain
one dot in Dexterity.
Clashing Boom-Boom Pack Traits: Packs that follow Trapdoor Spider gain
Background Cost: 8 three dots of Athletics as well as four points of Willpower
Clashing Boom-Boom is the ancient spirit of War. per story.
She chooses only the greatest warriors as her children, and Ban: Children of the Trapdoor Spider are forbidden
expects to be obeyed at all times. She is not only a great from entering any combat situation without a plan.

106 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

Honey Badger Background Cost: 7
Individual Traits: Followers of the Honey Badger gain
Most predators are loath to attack a Honey Badger, a dot of Strength and reduce all wound penalties by 1.
and they are right to do so. Not only is the Honey Badger Pack Traits: Packs who follow Honey Badger gain
a fierce and tenacious predator, but it is a tireless fighter access to the Gift: Resist Pain.
and has a tough defensive hide that allows it to escape
Ban: Honey Badger’s children may never back down
most dangers. The Honey Badger is reckless and will enter
from a fight, no matter how bad the odds are against them.
a fight even if the odds are against it.

Chapter Four: The Wyrm 107

 Appendix:
Gaia

(Why We’ve Lost)

tion. Some of the other cubs repressed chuckles. “There’s
a lot to learn from people of different experiences and
viewpoints. Tonight, I’m going to tell you about some of
my travels. That way, you can learn all about the places
“I’m just going to start off by apologizing. This is going I’ve been, without stepping foot outside your privileged
to get preachy at times. As far as Children of Gaia go, I’m comfort zones.”
a pretty awful stereotype. Bleeding heart. Hippie. I do the The Silver Fang stood stoic. The other cubs nodded
liberal causes. I rip up fracking rigs. All that shit.”
and looked on with curiosity.
Thomas stood from an old leather executive chair,
“I’ve been all over, and I’ve found some essential les-
and looked over the bonfire to each of the cubs in atten-
sons I don’t think we express upon our cubs. Fortunately,
dance. The tanned, old blonde man kept his hands in the
the sept’s been kind enough to let me jaw at all of you.
front pockets of a gray hooded sweatshirt. The bonfire
The first thing I want to say is that nature is overrated.”
was the centerpiece of a long-abandoned warehouse. Piles
The young raised eyebrows and looked among each other.
of musty old office supplies acted as a makeshift border
march around the bonfire; the cubs each sat in an office “I know, I know. I’m a Child of Gaia. I’m hurting the
chair that had seen better days. Some had missing wheels. trees’ feelings by saying this. Don’t worry; I’ll hug them later.”
Some had moldy, gaudy, 1970s style knit upholstery with One of the cubs, a young African American teen in a
holes torn in it. purple flannel shirt raised her hand.
The cubs were a rag-tag collection from various tribes “Janelle?” Thomas motioned to her, nodding his head
and backgrounds. A young Silver Fang refused to sit, he toward her, but not removing his hands from the hoodie.
crossed his Armani-laden arms, and looked to the old chairs “Mr. Thomas. You said nature’s overrated. But isn’t
with disdain. “So why are we even here? What can we learn Gaia nature? Or, isn’t nature Gaia?” She quickly ducked
from weaklings?” He rolled his eyes at Thomas’s preface. her head down, to avoid visual judgment from her peers.
“What can you learn? Well, first off, you can learn “Of course. But that’s the thing. Gaia is everything.
a heaping helping of shut the fuck up and respect your Gaia is this office chair.” He patted his leather seat. “Gaia
elders.” Thomas barked. The Silver Fang bit back a reac- is this bonfire, the petroleum I used to help start it, and
the black smoke curling up. Gaia is this cinderblock. Gaia Most Americans don’t even know the capitals of most of
is this can of Coke.” their states, let alone other parts of the world. New Guinea
The cubs looked between each other, suspiciously. One is a thousand miles from one side to another; a thousand
whispered, “Is this a test?” to another. miles of rainforests, volcanoes, and harsh beaches. You’d
“Remember the Triat. Just because you’re taught from think it would be a Garou paradise. It has all the things
a young age that the Weaver and Wyrm are bad, doesn’t big, burly Ahroun brag about loving. But really, the Garou
mean you get to ignore the places they take hold. But we’ll population is slim to none. This is partly because it was
get back to that in a few minutes. I’m going to tell you Bunyip territory, partly because frankly, homid need some
about my travels. degree of comfort, and they can’t get it there. In 2014,
“Before I get into travels, I want to warn you, I’m not Garou follow the flow of their homid majority.
a Galliard. In my experience, the best lessons don’t come This walk took me through the rainforests. Let me just
from stories. Hell, most of my travels aren’t really stories. get it out of the way now: the rainforests of New Guinea are
There’s no narrative arc. This isn’t Breaking Bad. This is beautiful. They’re intensely, incomprehensibly beautiful,
Friends. In the big scheme of things, most lessons come and you will never see anything like them. If you get the
from really corny teaching moments that don’t really relate chance, go. It’ll give you a great story to tell your children,
to the real driving bits. Life isn’t that literary. If anything, if you choose to have them.
it’s arbitrary. Beautifully arbitrary. Intelligently arbitrary.
“Because we’re doing the campfire thing, I’ll probably try The Birds of Paradise
to make it sound like a story. That’s how we work, right? We While traveling through the rainforest, between the
build patterns where there are none? So, if the first lesson is Umbra and the Earth, I found peculiarities in some of the
‘shut the fuck up and respect your elders,’ the second lesson animals. In particular, the birds of paradise appeared on both
is that you have to let those patterns unravel. The Wyld is all sides, and appeared sacrosanct to all but humanity. I spent
about raw creation without order. You can find amazing les- some time watching them. Who couldn’t? They’re gorgeous.
sons in disorder, but your human brains obfuscate disorder.” But while I watched, I noticed that the birds stood proud,
without fear of predators. The wild birds fear very little in

New Guinea the rainforests; only the odd snake or larger bird could pose
a threat. But mostly, the birds’ greatest predator is humanity.
People have hunted them closer and closer to extinction.
Let me tell you about the time I traveled to New
Guinea. I spent a few weeks in Port Moresby on a project What’s strange about this? Nothing, really. Species that
dealing with the raskol gang epidemic. We brought a boat would remain healthy were it not for humans are common
full of canned foods, and offered up carts full of food to all throughout the world. I’m sure your mentors have
anyone that turned a gun over to us. We destroyed a crate beaten you over the head with this fact. Also, the Exxon
of automatic weapons. They took the food home to their Valdez spill was awful, right? But what occurred to me was,
families. A few people tried to steal food. We judged them. before my trip to New Guinea, I’d never heard of the birds
If we thought it was an honest effort to feed the hungry, of paradise. Had they gone extinct I would have been none
we let them think they got one over on us. If we thought it the wiser. While yes, it’s tragic to see Gaia’s creations fall
was an effort to terrorize the people or to hoard for a gang, to the wayside, it happens. We lose species every single day
we went Crinos and eliminated a threat to the public good. to both natural causes and manmade threats.
I used to like that shit when I was a kid. But in retro- Do you know when this really hit home? When I
spect, it all feels like academic exercise. We never changed returned. When I got back to the big city, our local soup
anything. We went all over the world, patching wounds kitchen closed. It was a complicated issue, one we’d seen
and treating symptoms, but we never addressed the real coming for a while, but didn’t quite know how to fix. It was
problems. No amount of fur and claw will fix poverty. No partly a public funding issue. It was partly due to local stigma
amount of Umbral guerrilla warfare will fix a history of from the high crime rates around the building. It also had
colonization. You can blame the Wyrm or the Weaver, but a lot to do with a competing church that had more interest
that’s a cop out. It’s never that simple, or we’d have solved in filling seats than solving the underlying societal problems
world hunger by now. It’s not like we don’t have the desire, that made us need a soup kitchen. If I stayed home, if I stayed
the will, or the strength. focused, that kitchen would likely still be open.
The real adventure happened when I went outside Port This is one of those places I’m going to be preachy, and
Moresby. After the ship ran out of food, but we still had this is part of the overarching theme of tonight’s campfire
some time left on the schedule, I decided to go walking. tales. If I focused on my territory, my territory wouldn’t
Now, I figure most of you aren’t familiar with the area. be falling to shit. Those birds might have handled them-
Appendix: Gaia 109
selves, they might not. But while I was looking at their worry. As far as I can tell, they’re functionally identical to
tails, contemplating the universe, that kitchen closed and any other Garou. But it’s interesting to see non-standard
now people are hungry. Those rainforests are amazing, and variations on the form. I tell you, they call them singing
preserving them should be someone’s priority, but I, like dogs for a reason. Their pack howls are amazing; you can
most of humanity, live in a city. hear them from almost anywhere on the massive island if
You know what’s worse about that? I really love Colum- your hearing’s sensitive enough.
bus. It’s a wonderful little city. It’s full of interesting people. They’re a great crew to run with. I met them in the
It’s a very self-aware place, and one I’m proud to call home. rainforests, but they’re technically from Jayapura. They
But while I was out marching through the rainforests, I have what’s maybe the single biggest territory a Garou pack
wasn’t proud. Breathing that fresh air, seeing all that rare could hope to maintain — they patrol the whole damned
wildlife, and listening to the sounds of the natural world, I island. Most of their dealings lately have them struggling
got smug. I looked back at my home with an elitist disdain. with the border between Indonesian Papua and Papua
While I stood between those trees, if you told me the soup New Guinea. It’s hardly a black and white issue on either
kitchen was closing, I’d have shrugged. I was that hippie. side of the Umbra. Without getting deep into the human
I was stupid and shortsighted. My city comes from politics, I saw terrifying creatures coming from Indonesia,
people. People are part of Gaia, just as much as everything and from Papua New Guinea. They were largely of the
else is. Hound Dog’s Pizza? Sure, it’s a great joke to say that Wyrm, but otherwise unaffiliated. They crossed back and
it’s good at the time, but in the bathroom later you’ll think forth, mingling and infecting. Either side would have been
it’s of the Wyrm. But it’s just part of the city’s ecosystem. manageable without the other, so the Birds of Paradise
It’s easy to write off the city, because it looks like all the fight to keep the border marches strong.
horror stories. “But fomori come from the cities,” you say? Wa hates the border police. That’s an understatement.
Listen to yourself, and think a little deeper at what you The pack has to keep Wa from killing the border police.
sound like. Statistically, fomori are only a tiny percent of When asked, Wa wouldn’t even explain it. Wa just spat
the population. Of course they’re going to saturate cities; on the ground and kicked dirt in response. Megawati’s
that’s where the people are. But you can’t blame the people unfortunate condition left it with almost no visible flesh;
for being victims. Is it okay when people blame all African its muscles bled and kept it from any significant interactions
Americans for crime, just because they see African Amer- with humans. So Boas and Gema kept the border, and
icans plastered all over the local news? Of course it’s not. dealt with the border police, while Wa ran rapid patrols
You’re Garou. You can be better than that. up and down the territory, and Megawati kept its eyes on
Rant aside, I met a single pack of Garou, a pack ded- both sides from a high vantage point just in case something
icated to Bird of Paradise. snuck through. I’ve heard rumors that the Fera are doing

Singing Dogs
something on the island, but I didn’t come across them,
and the Singing Dogs claimed that they didn’t know what
I was talking about. I decided not to press the matter.
The pack of four claimed to descent from none of the
tribes we know. Part of me wonders if they’re not an off- Right along the border, they maintained a lovely wa-
shoot branch of the Bunyip; one divergent by a great deal terfall caern. It was the type of place that was completely
of time and as close to their parent tribe as the Siberakh inhospitable to tourists, inaccessible to helicopters, and
to the Silver Fangs. On the other hand, they could have downright hostile to anything traveling on feet. The pack
been wanderers like I was who decided to stay. As far as used the Gifts of Singing Dog to move through the trees,
they were concerned, Bird of Paradise was the only totem so they could access the bawn safely.
they needed. One, Wa, was lupus, two homid, and one The waterfall’s conflict related to the water itself. As
metis. The lupus Garou was born among the New Guinea lumber milling operations boomed in the rainforests, they
singing dogs. One of the two homids came from a Korowai dumped more and more contaminants into the water.
clan, and one was native Indonesian. The Korowai called Mines stripped the soil and poured Gaia-knows-what into
himself Boas. The Indonesian called herself Gema. The the groundwater. You can fight off all the monstrosities that
metis came from a past indiscretion from the late fifth and come into your territory, but you can’t stop the water from
sixth pack members. It was called Megawati; it preferred flowing, so you can’t stop those contaminants. They’ll flow
not to be identified by gender, so I’m honoring its request. no matter what you do. So they’re fighting this uphill battle
It’s worth noting that all their lupus forms were those that they can’t attack as it comes to them. Sound familiar?
of singing dogs, not common wolves. They’re still canids, For years, they’ve fought off the lumber companies and
but they’re pretty much extinct in the wild. From my mining tycoons. But as soon as you take one out, another
travels, I know this isn’t the case, but it’s close enough to pops up in its place. They told me a local Tok Pisin saying.

110 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

I can’t remember the exact phrase, but the gist is that cor-
porations are like herpes; you can treat the outbreak but
the disease can’t be cured, so you will always get blisters.
Their struggle sounds like our struggles. This isn’t
a coincidence. Just because they’re in one of the thickest
forests in the world, doesn’t mean that our cities are re-
ally any different when you get into the thick of it. Our
struggles mirror their struggles, because we’re all of Gaia.
When someone goes off on you, waxing nostalgic about
the deep, dark woods of wherever, remember that their
bullshit’s the same as your bullshit. We Garou have a
downright sickening manifestation of “grass is greener
on the other side” syndrome.
So that’s my bit about New Guinea. I told you it
wasn’t much of a story. That’s why the Galliards usually do
this. I’m Ragabash, I do dismissive, flighty, and sarcastic.
But I also do relationships. I met Bird of Paradise and
Singing Dog. I talked with them about spreading their
presence. If they don’t find packs to patron, both run the
risk of dying off. While they’re not Tribal totems by any
stretch, it’s always a sad day when there’s an extinction.
If you’re starting a pack instead of joining an established
crew, talk to me later about totems.

The Arctic Circle

Very few humans make their homes in the Arctic
Circle. My perception of the Arctic Circle is unique.
I’ve been on expedition there twice; once I was human,
once I was Garou.
Mostly, I’m speaking of Siberia, but that’s on ac-
count of my particular experiences. Different parts of
the Arctic all suffer from the same ecological concerns.

The Rising Tide

Before my change, my father took me on a trip to
Murmansk, where he worked with the climate scientists
at the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute. This was
back in the early 1990s, when every bright eyed and bushy
tailed cheerleader wanted to be a marine biologist, but
their fathers beat into their heads that climate science
was liberal propaganda. Dad fought an uphill battle,
working on conservation legislation proposals that used
polar ice measurements and other inconvenient facts
that flew in the face of big business.
Dad made headway. He fought for lofty goals, but
he wasn’t disappointed when the status quo argued his
points down to less significant changes. But let’s just put
it out there: my dad made change. He fought the Wyrm.
He did it because it was the right thing to do. He didn’t
have some spiritual imperative. He didn’t know about
the impending Apocalypse. He stared down some of the
most powerful men in the world during a United Nations by our very natures, since we’re going to be standing on
summit on climate change, and he didn’t fucking flinch. He the brink when everything ends. Sure, we have our little
probably made more change with pencils and paper than Tribal clichés, but that’s all set dressing. We, Garou, are
most of us ever make with tooth and claw. Rending and like museums of unwritten tradition. We’re like shrines,
raging have their place, but let’s not play the martyr game homages to spiritual tradition.
where we pretend the weight of the world is completely on Anyway, the idols. I felt like it was my first legitimate
our shoulders. spiritual experience. I found one of the Nenets totems,
At the ripe age of 12, I imagined that being trapped it was maybe a penis, maybe a face. You can’t really tell
on a boat to nowhere with a bunch of 19 year old blondes with old weathered rocks. It looked like a penis. But then
would be a dream come true. I couldn’t have been more again, I was 12. Everything looked like a penis. Unless — of
wrong. We traveled to Vaygach Island on an exploratory course — it looked like a vagina. I couldn’t keep my eyes off
mission. The idea was to determine whether or not the this idol. While my father dug around for animal dung, I
island could be made into a valid wildlife preserve for stared for over an hour. Eventually, I gave in and fondled
dwindling polar bear and whale populations. Little did I the statue. With my retroactive clarity, I know that I must
know that this trip would become relevant later, even if have been looking into the Umbra. I saw ice spirits, death
we couldn’t establish the preserve at the time. spirits, and water spirits. I saw a magnificent vista in the
When we got to Vaygach, we did the classic white guy distance, where the Aurora Borealis is in the night sky. It’s
thing. We found a settlement, I think it was Dolgaya Guba, difficult to remember exactly what it looked like; at the
and we offered the local Nenets people a bunch of cheap time it was just an awe-inspiring streak of colors I didn’t
manufactured crap so we could stay with them for a few have words to describe. I’ve struggled ever since, trying to
days. We ate their food. We learned a few choice phrases. apply my Garou senses to the vision.
In retrospect, it was painfully condescending. But then I don’t know if it was just me, or if the Nenets could
again, if you really want to see a people that embody the see what I saw with those totems. I want to assume it’s the
animist, Theurge outlook, learn from the Nenets. latter, but maybe that’s hopeful thinking. It’s such a touchy
topic, even when I returned, I wasn’t comfortable bringing
Nenets Totems it up. We have laws, after all.
The Nenets lifestyle centers on reindeer herding.
Reindeer comprise much of the Vaygach Nenets diet, their Vaygach Redux
transportation, and their textiles. Vaygach is known for its
In 2006, I returned to Vaygach. A lot changed in a
idols, over 200 ivory, wood, and stone statues observing
decade and a half. For one, I changed. I returned because
traditional Nenets religious and spiritual practices. Many
my experience the first time was downright transformative,
feature deities, many feature reindeer. Even among the Ne-
and I wanted to approach the island again with my Garou
nets, it’s not clear what every idol stands for. Many Nenets
perspective. Again, I went with my father, but on the pretense
people travel to the Vaygach as a pilgrimage.
of a vacation, a chance to spend some time with him in a
While I was there, I visited as many of these idols as I familiar place. He couched it in another ecological study.
could. I found them deeply fascinating.
My return raised more questions than it answered. I
At times, I’ve attributed this fascination with Nenets spoke to the Nenets people this time, using my Gifts to
idols to my nature as Garou; I felt that since eventually I bridge the language gap. They painted a bleak picture. They
would change, some spark inside of me knew that, and drew told me “the right doors are closing, and the wrong doors
to something so much like the Gaian truth. Then, I realized are opening”. They weren’t kidding. Stepping sideways
I was full of shit. We — the Garou — are not leaders. We’re felt like I never left the city. The Umbra didn’t want me.
warriors. Cultures worldwide created, developed, sometimes
The worst part, that aurora I mentioned? It wasn’t
abandoned, and practice rituals very similar to ours. This
there. I imagined a sky that a child blond paint across, but
isn’t a coincidence. We didn’t teach all of humanity; they
all I saw was blackness, with a red, almost eye-like hole that
taught us. Everything we do is a mirror of culture. It’s a
stared me in the face, no matter what direction I looked.
warped mirror, a mirror covered in a predator’s saliva. But
You all know Siberia’s cold, right? It’s one of the coldest
it’s a mirror. We’re reflections of human animism.
places on Earth. That eye was colder. It drew the warmth
Before you take up arms, I’m not saying that’s a bad from all around.
thing. It’s a good thing, in my opinion. We’re a strange
The idols did not exist in the Umbra. That’s strange
mishmash of human mythology, belief, and ritual, all melted
— not everything has a mirror in the Umbra, but the idols
and dished out worldwide. It’s really cool when you think
were negative space, like you might imagine antimatter.
of it. In essence, we’re an iconic, homogenous expression
You could see a gap where the idols should be, but if you
of human devotional practice. We preserve that beauty
112 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
touch them, your hand goes right through; it like they are Moral of the story? If you ever find yourself torn between
non-spaces or a dimensional anomaly. fighting a Gurahl and not fighting a Gurahl, go with not
The Nenets still make pilgrimages to Vaygach, but they fighting the Gurahl.
aren’t celebratory observances; they’re voyages of lament.
Their prayers are more like apologies and promises than In Conclusion
devotionals and requests. They don’t know what’s going We came because climate change is ruining the eco-
on any more than I do; they can’t see that red hole in the system. As temperatures increase, arctic ice melts and sea
sky, they can’t see the voids where the idols should be in levels rise. I’m sure you’ve seen it all over the news. But I’ve
the Umbra. They just know something’s wrong, and they seen it first hand. There’s no embellishment. If anything,
feel responsible for fixing it. the media downplays the effects because they’re afraid the

The Ice Stalkers public won’t believe the whole truth.

From the 90s to a few years ago, it got worse. You could
I barely met any Garou on my trip. The Nenets had a see the effects back then if you knew what you were look-
Silver Fang and his pack among them. I had a brief con- ing for. If you knew the plant life, you’d see the structural
versation with the Silver Fang alpha, but mostly just for weaknesses. If you knew the animals, you’d see the subtle
permission to camp on their island for a few weeks. They differences in body mass. But when I returned, it would
weren’t keen on outsiders. What I did meet, though, was have been obvious to even the most fervent denier. You
two Ice Stalkers. What’s an Ice Stalker? They’re a type of couldn’t walk the ice without finding rotting carcasses.
Gurahl, or werebear. Ice Stalkers — like you might guess — Let’s not forget, this is a part of the world too harsh
are polar bear shifters. for your average Silver Fang. Most Garou wouldn’t make
I admire the shit out of them. Basically, they stay in it for much longer than a short expedition. The people
these ridiculously extreme environments, and they defend living in this region are some of the hardiest imaginable,
and heal wherever possible. They’re surprisingly welcoming; and their land is literally disintegrating under their feet.
they’re open to anyone with an interest in protecting the But then again, this happens all over. Wastewater destroys
frozen islands. I guess I gave off that air, or they assumed homes. Strip mining devastates entire regions. It’s not like
that any lone Garou traveling up there had to be traveling the nearly uninhabitable Arctic Circle has a monopoly on
on good will. ecological devastation.
I met two, but they are lone warriors. One, Nise, lived Natural gas fracking efforts produce toxic and radio-
in a cave on the west side of the island. The other, Pirnu, active waste. All over Ohio, all around Columbus, you
lived in a house along the eastern shore. can find patches where it’s unsafe to live thanks to greed
The most exciting part of the trip was a battle against a and oil. Recently, a family’s drinking water exploded from
cluster of ultraviolet jagglings. I don’t usually fight spirits of methane infusion. Parts of Ohio have non-potable water
light; that’s a strange proposition. But these were infected, that can give the runs to a Garou, Gaia knows what it’d do
Wyrm spirits dedicated to destroying everything on the to a human. The whole state’s known for its ghost towns.
island. Let me just put it out there: if it weren’t for Nise I think the term “ghost town” is a complete fucking cop
saving my ass, I would not be here tonight. She put herself out. It’s not like those people just disappeared. Corporate
on the line, and those jagglings tore her all to fuck. I’ve interests decided the people were no longer viable after
seen a lot, but I’ve never seen anything that could survive disasters, or just economic shifts.
the brutality those jagglings brought to Nise. Nise laughed, You don’t even need to go further than Columbus.
and ripped them apart with her remaining arm. It was that On the north side, you can find remnants of Flint, a rail
kind of brutal. town that died with the old railroads. On the southeast,
As the jagglings fell to Nise’s massive claws, they stopped Hibernia used to be a little community that faded into
fighting. They didn’t resist their killer at all; they instead nonexistence over the course of a century. Now, there’s a
looked to the sky, to the terrifying red hole. Strange enough, cookie cutter apartment complex standing there; the old
Nise doubled down and intensified her assault to destroy cemetery is the only remnant of the old village. If you go
them quicker. I asked her later what drove her urgency once further, down toward McArthur, you can find the skeleton
the danger subsided. She said she doesn’t have the ability of Moonville out in the woods. It was a booming little town,
to explain to something so young. I imagine she meant and it thrived up until the corporations pulled every drop
that Garou are younger, but I didn’t press the issue out of of coal and iron out of the Hocking Hills. If you go East to
respect. Well, partly respect. Partly because she regrew her New Straitsville, there was a coal seam fire that damned near
arm while I wasn’t looking. ended the town back in 1884. The fires burn underground

Appendix: Gaia 113

to this day; they’ll probably never stop. Those fires might all melt with the shock? That is what the roar feels like.
very well be a road to Malfeas. It was a disgusting story. The Your blood pressure drops. You lose your sense of position
mining companies blamed striking workers for the fires. and direction for just a split second.
Nobody should have believed a word of it. I’ll add, this was from miles away. From close, it’s a
Dolgaya Guba’s no bigger than any of these towns. whole different animal.
It’s never even compared to Moonville in its heyday. But Curiously enough, that roar was the friendly variant.
nobody cares about Moonville. Nobody wonders what Ohio That’s just their way of acknowledging someone, and telling
town’s going to be the next Moonville. I’m not telling you them they’re not currently being hunted. Very straightfor-
to ignore the melting arctic ice, but be aware that external ward. You’ll find that of the Simba; they like direct and
problems can sound sexy and epic, when they’re really just they like honesty. If they don’t like you, you won’t be left
the same problems on a different scale, or just in a different wondering. You may be left breathing, if you’re lucky.
time zone. You’ve got to make your own bed, first. There’s no Fodor’s Guide to traveling through Simba

The Bright Side territory. They don’t communicate in a familiar language to

Garou. Don’t forget this for a second, because ignorance of
Before I move on to the next tidbit, I almost forgot: their language is no excuse to them. Come with someone that
in 2007, we got our wildlife preserve. We’re already seeing can translate with Gifts, or who knows a few rudimentary
more whales, polar bears, seals, and walruses than before. sounds. That said, it’s difficult to explain their language.
We know that in the end, the big story won’t have a happy We just don’t have the same vocal capabilities; anything I
ending for anyone. But I think this small story is shaping tell you is going to be told with Garou vocal chords. It’d
up better than I ever would have expected. be pale emulation. If you’re going to rely on third person
tutelage, make sure you know your shit.

Tanzania and Kenya

They followed the message with a command to meet
them, and a rough direction. This is a classic tactic; they
tell you basically where to go, but not specifically. This way
If you haven’t gathered this, I’ve done the whole back-
they can watch you, and control the circumstances of the
packing thing. If it’s a popular tourist hub, I’ve probably
meeting. I knew the tactic. I’m pretty sure they knew that
been there. If it’s a classic challenge for foreigners, I’ve
I knew the tactic. But for them, it was a formality — a terri-
faced it. For a prime example, let me tell you about the
fying formality. You see, when I got so far on my path, they
time I went to Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. This
surrounded me. Twenty Simba, representing all their forms,
is a little more story-like. This will make me sound much
circled in. A young woman charged, leapt, and shifted in air
more like a character in traditional fiction.
to her war form. I shifted if only to survive the assault. She
Kilimanjaro is a classic exotic place for tourist validation.
knocked me to the ground, and quickly had jaws around
If you climb Kilimanjaro, you can somehow tell yourself
my neck. I froze. Fighting would have been fatal. Seconds
that you’re “authentic” or “traveled”. I went as Garou, so
later, she released me, stood, and offered a hand to show
I didn’t feel particularly impressed with myself, but it is a
me to my feet. She introduced herself as Rehema.
lovely view.
I shifted back to Homid as I stood, and offered a
The Simba sculpture from my knapsack. This is a thing I do. I make
sculptures out of iron, and I give them to people that im-
The area I visited primarily existed in the human presses me in my travels. She took the sculpture, nodded,
bounds of Tanzania, but it bled a bit into Kenya. For the and motioned the pride to follow her. I ran with them,
Gaian breeds, no such boundaries existed. The territory back to a outcropping they’d made into a lair. We cooked
I visited was the land of a massive pride of Simba. Simba, and ate a zebra. Before you ask, it was delicious. I think
if you’re unaware, are lion shifters. And no, they’re not they cooked it for me, but that’s just a sneaking suspicion.
named after the kids’ movie. It’s an old name. We told stories all night. You might have guessed it, but
When I arrived, I announced myself with a proper story time was like crack for me.
howl. The response was difficult to describe. The pride They told me an amazing story about their conflict
roared back. But the roar was unlike anything I’d ever with the Ajaba — the hyena shifters — about forty years
experienced. Close your eyes for a second. Picture a large ago. Without getting into the long of it, the hyenas refused
man, twice your weight. Imagine him punching you square to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Simba king Black
in the chest, and following through with all his weight. Tooth. The Simba didn’t really agree with Black Tooth’s
Stand up to the pressure. Now, that’s not what the roar complete dominance; they figured they’d always find fringe
feels like. But the moment afterwards, where your body elements outside even the mightiest kingdom. The problem
bounces back, your lungs rapidly refill, and your muscles
114 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD
was, Black Tooth was a mean fucker, and would rip the
throat out of dissidents in his court. So the Simba fell in
line, and oppressed the Ajaba.
Black Tooth ruled for years. He kept allies amongst THE FALL OF BLACK TOOTH
the leeches, and kept much of the continent down. From
a political standpoint, he tried positioning the Ajaba as an The events depicted in this story happen after
inherent enemy of the crown. While the Simba complied the death of Black Tooth. More information on
with his orders, they never really bought into the line of the tyrant’s fall, and on the Ahadi alliance, can be
thinking. Eventually, with the help of an Ajaba named Kisasi, found in W20: Changing Breeds.
and numer-

ous other Changing Breeds, the Simba overthrew

Black Tooth. Those allies formed the Ahadi, a
cosmopolitan council of Ajaba, Silent Striders,
Bagheera, Makunguru, Bubasti, Kucha Ekundu,
and whatever Simba stood against the tyrant.
You may have heard of the Ahadi, but even
if you have, let that sink in: numerous Breeds
banded together, and formed a council to peace-
fully govern and maintain mutual interest. Could
you imagine? Here, we can’t even get the Thirteen
Tribes to get along most of the time. What if we tried
forming an alliance with the Ratkin, the Corax,
and the Pumonca in Ohio? Well, they succeeded
somehow and the Ahadi stands today. Each
representative breed has a council mem-
ber. It’s not perfect, but what is?
Rehema and I became fast friends.
She was born homid. Growing up, she
attended the Muhumbili University. She
wanted to be a doctor before her change. I
don’t know if it’s regular, but she changed
much later than most Garou. I had similar
aspirations as a teen, but my change kept me from
medical science. It didn’t keep me from dabbling.
She and I spent the rest of the night drinking and
sharing tales of our travels. If meeting
her was the only take away from my trip,
it’d be the best voyage of my life. But it
wasn’t. More on that later.
So, I shared my stories with them,
they shared their stories with me, and after
a night’s sleep, I continued my journey.

The Ajaba
You probably know enough about me by now
to know that I wasn’t about to leave that story
alone. A collective of different breeds work-
ing together for the common good?
I had to hear more. I sought out
the Ajaba.
 My Folly
Interjection for important lesson time: just because a
group is part of a larger group working toward the common
good, does not mean that the given group members are
We convened at the pride’s outcropping, along with
inherently peaceful. Some of the Ajaba, apparently, have
representatives of all the breeds. Apparently, Tanzania had
not gotten over Black Tooth’s reign. They carry grudges,
given the green light to a Pentex-subsidized power plant.
even though they’re part of the Ahadi. So, when Simba
Construction was underway near one of the rivers much
travel alone through Ajaba territory, they’re looked at as
of the population relies on for water. Because that never
potential threats.
goes bad, right?
More importantly to this story, Children of Gaia that
The plant exploded, probably as part of a nefarious plan.
smell like Simba thanks to a night of drinking, feasting,
The explosion dumped thousands of gallons of toxic waste
and story time are looked at as a potential threat.
into the water supply. First reports suggested radioactivity.
In this particular case, they pulled out all the stops. Worse still, the place hid a massive nest of banes. At the
I walked through the Ngorongoro Crater, where I heard moment of the explosion, a swarm emerged and circled
they nested. When you picture a crater, you picture a bowl, the ruined plant. They appeared to be guarding something.
a dip into the ground. Ngorongoro is too big to see it as a
The Ahadi debated and argued potential plans. They
dip. You can look from any direction, from great distances,
scrawled maps into the rock floor. Scouts described the
and not see both edges of the volcanic caldera. So really,
enemy. Time passed. Far too much time passed. I lost pa-
it felt more like the biggest valley you’ve ever seen, with
tience, and stepped forward. I told them of a time our sept
wildlife-strewn plains all throughout. I hit a built-up area,
faced a meat packing plant full of nastiness, which had a
with trees, numerous elephant skeletons, and a small pond.
similar layout and enemy population. It was one of those
The moment I noticed that the wildlife seemed suspiciously
beautiful, Oscar-winning moments. Impassioned speech.
vacant, the noonday sky around me turned dark.
Rallying cries. You know the gist, right?
Apparently, the Ajaba share an affinity for the day and
Long story short, they went with my plan. They figured
night, the darkness and the light. They turned clear skies
my experience and fresh perspective was the solution. Sure,
into a soupy, inky darkness I could barely smell through,
there was some grumbling. But once the council decides,
let alone see through. I should have shifted. I snapped out
grumbling goes by the wayside.
a statement of peace, of non-confrontation. They didn’t
We moved into position, and camped that night. We
buy it. I don’t know how many attacked, but they struck
chose to attack in the morning, because the Simba are crea-
rapidly, with shallow, harrowing bites. Each time I tried
tures of Helios, and have certain edges in the daylight, the
to stop one, another attacked from behind. They weren’t
way we rage under Luna. We surrounded the location in a
going for the kill, they wanted to tire me out. So I shifted. I
series of strike teams, positioned to move in and cripple all
stood, and I grabbed one by the snout. I told them I wasn’t
avenues of escape. The idea was a fierce, heavy, thorough,
there to hurt them, but I would if I needed to.
and final strike to eliminate the threat by surprise. We’d
They stopped.
move in from all angles, and guarantee at least some of
It turns out, they couldn’t tell me apart from the Simba the strike teams would maintain an advantage. With our
because of the scent I carried. At least, not until I took my Makanguru friends — the white-necked raven Corax of the
Crinos form. I dropped the snout, and they dropped the region — we even had attacks from above.
darkness. By the time my eyes adjusted, only one of the Ajaba
Come dawn, we moved in for the kill. It was a sight to
remained. He asked my purpose for coming, I explained
be seen. Warriors from so many breeds attacking in uni-
that I came interested in hearing the story of the Ajaba,
son; for the moment, it felt like a full thematic reversal of
Black Tooth, and the Ahadi. More of them appeared from
the War of Rage. We tore through their ranks. The initial
behind trees, and from within bushes. They looked to one
assault went without a hitch. The main force pulled back
other, and yipped and chittered quickly. Either they had a
toward the center of the wreckage, toward the heart of the
method of blocking my Gifts, or they were simply trying to
would-be power plant. We pressed forward to keep them
fool me, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying.
on their feet.
They simultaneously quieted, and the one stood forward
Everything looked good for the Ahadi forces. By the time
again to tell me they would share their story. Right around
we fought to the center, most of the banes fell. However,
that time, though, the savannah shook with a Simba roar.
when our first warriors found the heart, the battle shifted
It expressed a great danger, and a call to the local Ahadi to
hands. Our Ajaba advance fighters screamed out a warning,
gather quickly. Despite their suspicions, the Ajaba broke
a demand to withdraw. In my rage, I insisted we push on.
into a run immediately.

116 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

This, coupled with the voice of the Simba, kept us moving. a pride of lions into victory? Of course I did, because I
Rehema roared to keep our forces fighting, not fleeing. was an idiot.
We should have fled. The whole thing, the power plant, I look back to the War of Rage. I wonder if this sort of
the explosion, the hive, it was all a trap. The banes needed as benevolent prejudice might be to blame. I wonder if one
many of us as possible in that plant when they released their arrogant Garou thought he was doing best for everyone,
secret weapon — they’d harnessed a Nexus Crawler to anni- and if shit just snowballed from there. I’ve met many of our
hilate us. Almost all the advance forces fell within seconds, Changing Breed cousins. I’ve heard all the horror stories.
as it warped their bodies into different chemical structures. They’ll steal your fetishes. They’ll murder you on sight.
The Ajaba I only recently met became puddles and splashes. They’ll sell your kin to the Wyrm. But in my experience,
The Simba and Kucha Ekundu warriors stomped over the they’re all just people. They may be suspicious, but mostly
deceased to charge the fiend. They fought valiantly, but half they just come from different cultures, so they have differ-
of them fell to its first attack. I shouted for withdraw, but ent expectations and traditions. Remember, the majority
they were too embroiled to flee. The Makanguru dove to of us come from human stock. It’s not like we can shake
distract the beast, but time shifted and the building returned our upbringings. Others come from wolves. Which I don’t
to its completed state, blocking their advance. need to labor the point, but wolves aren’t lions, ravens,
I had no choice but to charge, to help the Ahadi I had or bears. They have different backgrounds, and different
endangered. A dozen lions and wolves, alongside the few values. Ironically, our metis seem most able to empathize
remaining Ajaba and a Mokole, swarmed and overwhelmed with other groups, because they’ve always been on the shit
the Nexus Crawler. It dissipated into nothingness. As far end of our cultural stick.
as we can tell, we won. Find beauty and grace in others. I guarantee you,
As we regrouped, the Mokole, called Swali, told me you’ll be better for it. With some of the other Breeds I’ve
that I’d be best served to walk the savannah for a week. met over the years, I feel a closer kinship than with some
I abided her commandment. When the week was up, I Garou, because we don’t have artificial tribal lines. When
returned to the outcropping. The council, featuring new I met with the Ice Stalkers, they didn’t assume I was weak
members representing the Simba and Ajaba, convened and unwilling to fight because I’m a Child of Gaia.
there. Because I urged them to rash action and cost them a Travel. Please travel. But don’t assume that you’re going
significant part of their population, they ruled I’d be exiled to save the world. Let your travels save your world. Learn
from the region. Because I engaged with best intentions from other Garou, other shifters, other animals, and other
and good will, they would let me live. Head hung low, I humans. Take those lessons home with you, and apply those
couldn’t argue the point. tools to the problems that stand before you. Those lessons

In Conclusion
will make you invaluable to your pack, your sept, and your
tribe. If your tribe gives you shit about travel, ignore them.
They didn’t need me. I wasn’t the Great White Hope. Yes, I said ignore them. This is 2014, and you need to be
I taught them some valuable lessons, but ultimately, they’ve a global citizen if you want to be useful.
gotten by for thousands of years without me. Apocalypse
permitting, they’ll go on for many more. The Ahadi exiled Good Night
me from their territory, and with good reason. I hope my ramblings helped. I hope you learned a
Rehema died because of my arrogance. Gaia lost an little from my mistakes and my arrogance. If you have any
amazing warrior, because I couldn’t get my head out of my questions, you can find me with my pack around Hound
ass. Why did I think I could guide them to success in an Dog’s. My specialty is finding totems for new packs. So if I
unfamiliar land, in an unfamiliar situation? I don’t know. mentioned a spirit in my stories, and it sounds interesting,
Maybe it was racism. At the time, I certainly felt capable. hit me up.
Maybe it’s a Garou thing. What did I think was going to If you find yourself in Tanzania, tell Rehema’s pride
happen? That one werewolf from Ohio was going to lead that I’ll never stop being sorry.

Appendix: Gaia 117

Mechanics
Thomas Lives-Nowhere
History: Thomas’s mother was a United States Marine, his
father was a climate scientist. Both traveled the world as part of
their work, dragging Thomas along. By the time he Changed,
he’d already seen much of the world, and he refused to settle
down just because he was Garou. He kept up his travels, even
though his pack remained in Columbus, Ohio. They tolerated his
wanderlust, because he had a knack for bringing home powerful
fetishes and other curios.
During his time in Tanzania, he accidentally caused the
death of numerous Changing Breeds. They exiled him from
the region, and he never let himself live it down. He blamed
himself for every life lost, and not a day goes by where he does
not attempt some form of penance. Upon returning, he tossed
himself head-first into sept duties, and vowed to keep the young
of Columbus from repeating his mistakes, while maintaining
open minds and global spirits.
Appearance: Thomas is in his mid thirties, and very healthy
for it. He’s fit, upbeat, and hearty. His skin shows extensive tan-
ning from his travels, he keeps his sandy blonde hair short and
functional. He has a handsome, confident look, though there’s
a strong burden in his eyes. He always dresses in extra layers,
to accommodate for changing weather. He prefers hand-made
clothing, but it can come from anywhere in the world depending
on his mood and most recent travels.
Roleplaying Notes: You’re a teacher by necessity. You’ve
learned lessons that you’ve got to share. Nobody can make the
same mistakes you have, so you teach by whatever means you feel
are best. Among the young, this means by getting in close and
being friendly. With adults, it sometimes means hard, chiding
lessons. You have a strong, sarcastic sense of humor. You prefer
to question traditions and institutions whenever possible.
Breed: Homid
Auspice: Ragabash
Tribe: Children of Gaia
Rank: 3
Physical: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4),
Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5)
Social: Charisma 4, Manipulation 3 (1/0/0/3), Appearance
3 (2/0/3/3)
Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 4
Talents: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Empathy 3, Expres-
sion 3, Leadership 2, Primal-Urge 2
Skills: Animal Ken 1, Crafts 2, Drive 2, Etiquette 4
(Multi-Cultural), Performance 3, Stealth 2, Survival 5
Knowledges: Academics 3, Computer 1, Enigmas 2, Investiga-
tion 2, Law 2, Medicine 2, Occult 2, Science 1, Technology 1
Backgrounds: Allies 4, Contacts 3, Resources 1, Rituals 1
Rage: 3; Gnosis: 6; Willpower: 9 home culture. A culture similar to hers is difficulty 5, most
Gifts: (1) Apecraft’s Blessing, Blur of the Milky Eye, City other human cultures are difficulty 7, and cultures that are
Running, Free Flowing, Mother’s Touch, Persua- lost, unnatural, or alien are difficulty 9. With a point of
sion (2) Blissful Ignorance, Global Citizen, Grand- Gnosis, she can temporarily establish relevant Allies and
mother’s Touch, Speech of the World, Unicorn’s Contacts Background dots equal to her Wisdom dots,
Arsenal (3) Singing Dog’s Cry, Speech of All Things divided however she likes.
Rites: (1) Rite of the Hearthfire Singing Dog’s Cry (Singing Dog Level Three) — The

New Gifts
New Guinea Singing Dog is known for its intense, loud
vocalizations. Alone, they can express complex, very clear
sounds over great distances. As a group, they harmonize
For the purposes of learning their Gifts, the Singing Dog
into a full choir. With this Gift, the Garou reaches out
pack is considered its own Tribe. It’s not, but if an outsider
with the power and intimacy of her voice, and can touch
learns their Gifts, they’re considered out-of-Tribe Gifts for
others with her song. As long as a subject can hear her
experience costs. Are they really their own Tribe? That’s a
voice, she’s considered to be touching them. Singing Dog
good question. They have a couple of unique Gifts. They
teaches this Gift.
have a totem (Bird of Paradise) that’s in addition to their
pack totem (Singing Dog). So technically, they could be System: Spend a point of Gnosis to activate Singing
considered a Tribe, if only in the same way as the Hakken Dog’s Cry for the scene. Roll Charisma + Expression,
or Siberakh. But only four Singing Dogs exist. difficulty 7. For each success, the Garou can effectively
“touch” one person that hears her voice, as long as she
Free Flowing (Singing Dog Level One) — The Singing
continues singing. Each “touch” caused by this Gift uses
Dog moves through trees like a monkey. With this Gift,
one success, even if she touches the same character twice in
the Garou can move through the air at high speeds, so long
a row. This “touch” counts for the purpose of other Gifts
as she has something to grab. In the rainforests, Singing
activation — she may use Falling Touch over a mile away, as
Dog’s followers move at blinding speeds through the trees
long as the victim hears her baying cries. She can “touch”
and crags. Urban Garou with this Gift can move through
as many subjects as she wishes simultaneously, up to the
windows, over rooftops, along laundry lines, and whatever
limit of her successes, but each uses one success.
else might be in their way. Singing Dog teaches this Gift.
Speech of All Things (Children of Gaia Level Three)
System: This Gift costs nothing to activate. Once
— The Children of Gaia must communicate if they wish to
it’s learned, the Garou can move her full running speed
accomplish their goals of unity and understanding. This
through the air while still taking an action, so long as she
Gift is a greater version of the Homid Gift: Speech of the
can climb, grab, or vault over something each turn. She
World. The Garou can understand, read, write and speak
must also move in the same general direction from one
any language as fluently as she physically can. She can
turn to the next.
emulate the roars of the Simba, but any member of that
Global Citizen (Homid Level Two) — Some homid
Breed would know the difference since she does not have
Garou have a propensity for travel that has them able to
the vocal capacity to make the correct sounds. Within those
fit in wherever they go. This Gift takes this principle a step
limits, she can speak the languages of various Changing
further. The Garou blends into different cultures, and in-
Breeds, she knows the secret rune languages of dead magi,
herently understands minor cultural traditions, faux pas,
and if she were so inclined, she could even understand the
and quirks. To the untrained observer, she appears part
dread tongues of the Wyrm. This Gift does not protect the
of the group. Her skin and facial structure doesn’t change,
Garou mind from what she hears. A servant of Unicorn
but nobody seems to notice any difference in heritage. She
teaches this Gift.
does not become able to understand languages associated
System: The character can understand any language
with the group; that’s the purview of other Gifts such as
once she has learned this Gift. With an Intelligence + Ac-
the Homid Gift: Speech of the World and the Child of
ademics roll (difficulty 7) she can read and write in those
Gaia Gift: Speech of All Things (below). A chameleon-spirit
languages for the scene. If the language is not in common
teaches this Gift.
usage by more than a single, small group or culture — or
System: This Gift effectively makes the Garou part of
does not have a written form — the difficulty increases to 9.
whatever culture she immerses herself in. Any active efforts
to out her as a non-member suffer a +3 difficulty. Any time
she needs to fake a behavior with which she’s unfamiliar, she
Rites
can emulate it if she succeeds at an Intelligence + Etiquette These rites reflect some of the cultural practices in
roll. The difficulty depends on the commonalities with her Thomas’s various travels.

Appendix: Gaia 119

Rite of the Hearthfire Totem of Cunning
Level One, Caern Rite
The Nanets people have few Garou amongst their popu- Singing Dog
lation. But those few Garou have taught this important rite Background Cost: 7
to any gifted Kinfolk. The group make a fire and with a few Singing Dog is a shy, clever canid. She’s an amazing
quiet, contemplative blessings, the fire becomes the center communicator; her namesake voice is complex and carries
of a small sanctuary — a warm field that remains protected over great distances. She’s also adept with interpersonal
from the elements. While the area within isn’t luxurious, interaction, her skill with body language is remarkable in
it becomes comfortable enough for safe, secure sleeping. the animal kingdom. She’s immensely rare; singing dog is
System: Once the fire is built, roll Wits + Rites (diffi- almost certainly extinct in the wild today.
culty 7). If successful, the fire creates a safe zone, a bubble Individual Traits: All members of Singing Dog’s pack
big enough for three people plus one per success. It lasts gain the Gift: Singing Dog’s Cry (above) for free, and de-
a full night. During this time, snow, wind, rain, and other crease the difficulty of the activation roll by 1. They also
environmental phenomena remain outside the bubble. gain a dot of Charisma.
Inside the bubble, people remain warm and the ground is
Pack Traits: Members of Singing Dog’s pack gain access
comfortable for sleeping.
to three dots of Expression, and three points of Gnosis.
A level three version of this rite exists. This version
Ban: Singing Dog is all but extinct in the wild. How-
affects a large area — equivalent to the bawn of a caern —and
ever, her iconic howls ring out across New Guinea. For
lasts one day per success.
one full day of every full moon, Singing Dog’s pack must
Totems go completely unseen, but a great number of people must
hear their howls.
The various packs and Garou in these stories patron
the following totem spirits.

120 RAGE ACROSS THE WORLD

Totem of Honor Lion
Background Cost: 8
Reindeer Lion is king of the savannah, and for good reason. His
Background Cost: 7 immense roars and powerful jaws put him on top of the
Reindeer stands tall, stands proud, despite the terrible food chain, and guarantee his position against any would-
conditions of his living space. Reindeer is a totem of pride be predators. Lion’s folly is that he is hardly a team player.
and survival; he teaches his followers to not let setbacks His pride might work together, but his aloof nature keeps
and circumstance weigh them down. Reindeer is all the him distanced from them. While the women hunters of the
stronger for his ability to stand against the odds. He’s not pride work to feed the young, he rests lazily awaiting tribute.
Cockroach, who will hide from the environment. Individual Traits: Followers of Lion gains a dot of
Individual Traits: While standing their ground — not Charisma and Strength. Additionally, on any contested
moving more than a few steps on their turn — a follower roll using a Social Attribute, a follower of Lion wins on
of Reindeer reduces the difficulty of soak rolls by 2. Addi- any ties as if she were the defender. This effect requires a
tionally, Reindeer’s followers gain a dot of Stamina. point of Gnosis.
Pack Traits: A pack to Reindeer has three points of Pack Traits: Lion’s pack can belt out a powerful roar.
Willpower available to spend, and can share three dots of One member at a time can use the Shadow Lord Gift:
Survival to share. Thunderclap, but focused on the sound of her roar. Addi-
tionally, Lion’s pack can access two Gnosis and two Rage.
Ban: Reindeer’s followers rise to the occasion, and they
stay standing. While they can dodge attacks in the heat Ban: Lion is known as a glory hound, taking credit for
of battle, they can’t dodge without attacking. Sometimes, his pride’s kills. For this reason, followers of Lion lose one
Reindeer forgives avoidance of massive Wyrm emanations, point from any Glory rewards, and increase the difficulty
and other grievous attacks. But that’s all at Reindeer’s of any teamwork rolls by 1.
discretion. Polar Bear
Totems of War Background Cost: 10
Bear is a long-standing totem among Garou. Due to
Bird of Paradise Bear’s ties to the Gurahl, his followers are considered less
honorable than their comrades. Polar Bear is a similar to
Background Cost: 6
Bear but specifically relates to the Ice Stalkers, the Siberi-
Bird of Paradise is a bright, colorful, small corvid; a
an bear shifters. Where Bear is a resting defender, Polar
distant cousin to Raven. What he lacks in Raven’s wis-
Bear fights the rising tides and sinking landmasses of her
dom, he has in pure glory. He uses his brilliant plumage
homeland. This makes Polar Bear a much more urgent
to attract mates, in spite of the many vicious creatures in
and violent totem.
the rainforest. He fancies himself the king of the trees,
Individual Traits: Followers of Polar Bear gain a dot of
and all evidence supports that claim. He laughs down at
Strength, and a dot of Stamina. They can also use the Gift:
Crocodile, and flies far too fast for Cobra. His followers
Mother’s Touch once per day. They can regrow limbs with
pride themselves in drawing attention.
a Willpower point. This heals any non-aggravated health
Individual Traits: By reflexively spending a point of
levels that resulted in the disabled or removed limb. As
Rage when an opponent’s player has announced an attack,
with Bear’s followers, adopting Polar Bear causes distrust
the follower can force the opponent to attack her instead
within the Garou community. Followers lose five points
of the opponent’s intended target. She can still roll to
of temporary Honor, and all Honor rewards are reduced
dodge and soak as normal. Additionally, Bird of Paradise’s
by one point.
followers gain a dot of Dexterity.
Pack Traits: Polar Bear’s pack gains access to two dots
Pack Traits: A pack to Bird of Paradise has access to three
of Medicine, and two dots of Brawl.
additional points of Rage, and two points of Willpower.
Ban: Unlike Bear, Polar Bear does not accept her honor
Ban: Bird of Paradise demands its followers bear bright
loss as ban enough. She also requires her followers strike
obvious adornments to their clothes, and remain majestic
out at any threats that threaten to end a species.
and obvious at all times. His followers cannot hide, even
when fleeing from an assailant.

Appendix: Gaia 121