The Garou

[Destination Darkness]

The Garou are beings of both physical strength and spiritual depth. Created by (and in most cases fighting on the side of) a force known as Gaia, Garou are shapeshifters capable of changing their physical form at will to appear as humans (a form they call homid), wolves (lupus), or several intermediary mixed forms. There are: glabro; physically strong and brutish humans, crinos; the traditional wolf-man, and hispo; wolves of unnatural size and strength. Unlike werewolves in most traditional folklore, Garou in Werewolf: The Apocalypse are neither mindless predators nor lunatics. Instead, they are depicted as defenders of Mother Earth and its Umbra (or spirit world)

Forms:
Unlike conventional werewolves, Garou may take any one of five forms a long a sort of spectrum. On one end is the homid, or human form, and on the other is the lupus, or wolf form. Every form between them is a sort of transitioning point from one to the other.

Homid: The human form. This is the normal state of characters who wish to interact with humans and is generally mortal, with the exceptions of increased (but nowhere near keen) senses and a sensitivity to silver (it does not burn this form but if ingested or inhaled, can make the Garou sick).

Glabro: The near-human form. This form could pass as a human from a distance in very poor light but differences are apparent. The Garou gains anywhere from 100% to 200% of their body weight (none of it in fat) and somewhere around 6 inches in height. The body becomes massively muscled, the face more angular and sloping, the teeth shaper and the nails longer. Body hair is profuse in this form and some Garou even go as far as to have a tail and wolf ears. It's a quick and easy shift from homid and is perfect for fights in relatively populated areas since it could very easily pass as a human from afar.

Crinos: The wolf-man. From homid form, a Garou gains 50% of their height (meaning a 6 ft man becomes 9 ft of crinos) and an additional 100%-200% of the body mass (200% to 400% in total). The body is covered in fur with long, ape-like arms and digigrade bestial legs. The head is angular and long, the shape of a snarling canine's with massive fangs and tall pointed ears. A thick, fluffy tail helps the Garou balance when standing up right or running on all fours. Though this form is capable of speaking human speech, it is crude at best, a few childish sentences like "Me hungry." or "You die now." Beast speech is far more effective, though not as effective as when in Lupus form.

Hispo: The near-wolf form. This form is a huge hulking wolf-like beast resembling the prehistoric dire wolf. The head and jaws are massive, the bite amazingly powerful and capable of crushing almost anything. If need be, the hispo can stand on its hind legs but it is far better suited for life on all fours, despite a semi-opposable thumb on its forepaws. It weighs nearly as much as the crinos, big and bulky but faster and more agile. However, despite the semi-thumb, the hispo cannot really manipulate objects with its forepaws very well and is usually stuck using its jaws.

Lupus: The wolf form. This form pretty much resembles a normal wolf, totally canine with smallish teeth and dull claws. However, this form is the fastest of the five and the most agile and perceptive, with the keenest senses and the fastest reflexes.

[Destination Darkness]

Breeds:

The three breeds of Garou- homid, lupus, and metis- represent the circumstances under which an individual is born and consequently raised. Some Garou live as and believe themselves to be human beings while others run wild with the wolves in the forest. Most metis are born right into Garou society but are consequently shunned, raised as abominations, deformed and shameful. Each breed has its own separate strengths and weaknesses and a Garou may transform into their native (or true) form with little to no time or effort.

The breed determines how a garou is perceived by others, much the same way race influences human beings. Metis for example are strongly hated by most other Garou to the point that they are often sought after and killed. So, a metis garou will often have a difficult time communicating with and even living amongst their fellow garou, who will most likely look down on them. Breed isn't just a biological affair, it is a reflection of one's primal connection to Gaia, a reflection of ones spirit and what the Mother has in store for them.

Homid

-Nickname: Ape

These Garou are born of at least one human parent and often raised by man, living their early years as a normal human being. Some may be aware of their wolfen heritage, but many are not, only to be hounded by nightmares, visions and wild urges that strengthen in intensity as the subject hits puberty. Then, it happens. The Homid is faced with the school bully or dumped by their most cherished significant other... and something snaps, something primal and terrifying is unleashed and all hell seems to erupt from within. At this point, they are often ushered away by more experienced Garou, taken to learn of their new life and how to control it.

Homids, as all of the breeds do, have numerous advantages. First, they are familiar with human society and technology and often enter this World of Darkness with knowledges and skills that many Garou haven't even heard of. They can use guns, computers, drive cars and so on, all with relative ease. They know the best hiding places within human cities, the best ways to get around without being noticed and they're mind set is the most rational and logical of all the Garou. They are less likely to succumb to sudden primal urges and thrills, though this results in a poor connection with the Wyld and with Gaia, resulting in poor senses by werewolf standards and a pathetic grasp on the magical level, as seen by their low initial Gnosis. However, a huge plus comes in their true form (the homid form, obviously) which can handle silver without any sort of damage or penalty. Still, Lupus and Metis often resent the homid for their superior numbers and the devastation caused by their human cousins.

-Initial Gnosis: 1
-Beginning Gifts: Persuasion, Smell of Man

Metis:

-Nickname: Mule

Metis are the hated scum of Garou society, the badges of shame upon the species. Created from a direct disobeying of the first tenet of the Litany, they are hated by almost all other Garou for it. Even if they were never the ones to break the rules (it's impossible actually, since almost all Metis are sterile), other Garou view them as criminals nonetheless, treating them as terrible monsters and outcasts. They are seen as the Mother's sick state by others, since when the world was pure, the Metis were few and far in between, often dying young one way or another. But now they're growing in number, while "pure" Garou breeds dwindle, whether others like it or not.

Born when two Garou mate, their true form is in fact the mighty crinos and, therefore, they must be raised amongst other Garou until they have mastered the change. Some are raised in equality of the lower more understanding tribes, such as the Bone Gnawers and the Children of Gaia. These metis are often quite compassionate and noble, while others are constantly tormented by their breed, fueled by pent up rage and frustration at their forever low status in life. However, their knowledge of Garou society is profound and their ability to balance logic and instinct is well noted. Even more well noted than that is the one thing that physically defines the Metis breed: the deformity. Due to conflicting genes that come about when two garou make offspring, every metis is sterile and, more notably, physically deformed in some way or another. These deformities not only hinder the Metis' physical abilities but also give other Garou something to pick at, a sort of footing on which they can stand while they beat the metis down with hatred and disapproval. The fact that most Black Spiral Dancers are metis simply can't be overlooked.

-Initial Gnosis: 3
-Beginning Gifts: Create Element, Sense Wyrm
-Deformity suggestions: hunchback, malformed/oversized limbs, madness, hairlessness, human face, no claws, cleft lip, musk, missing/malformed tail (among many many others)

Lupus:

These Garou, born and raised as wolves, are the epitome of wild hatred, of fury untamed and Gaia's raw power. Lupus live their earliest years, probably the first two or so, as normal mortal wolves, learning the ins and outs of the dog-eat-dog world life can really be within the ranks of a real pack. However, eventually, they do in fact change and must be carted off to learn about humans as well as garou, a rather stressful time period, no doubt. Wolves live to fear humans while Garou live to protect them, in some instances (if only for the sake of breeding stock) and Lupus often react violently to their first meeting with mankind.

As such, Lupus are a bit clumsy when it comes to doing human related activities, such as talking. While the "beast speech", the language of animals, comes as second nature to Lupus, human speech is much more difficult to grasp, along with complex knowledges such as computers, weaponry, and politics. However, the advantages weigh out. The Lupus are masters of the wild, with keener senses than any other breed and a deep primal connection to Gaia that shows in the high gnosis level. Still, in a world of logic and rational thought, the lupus are a bit slow to catch up, if you know what I mean.

-Initial Gnosis: 5
-Beginning Gifts: Heightened Senses, Leap of the Kangaroo
-Restricted Abilities: The following abilities are unavailable to beginning lupus characters but they can be acquired later on through role-play:

• Drive
  
• Etiquette
  
• Firearms
  
• Computer
  
• Law
  
• Linguistics
  
• Medicine
  
• Politics
  
• Science
  

[Destination Darkness]

Auspices:

[[coming]]

[Destination Darkness]

Society:

Garou are not solitary creatures. They live in packs like wolves do and organize themselves into septs (groups of packs) and tribes. Garou tribes resemble human tribes in that they are a community of members sharing common lineage, traditions, rites and values. Unlike most human tribes, however, the tribes of the Garou span the globe, with its members spread thinly over large areas of influence. The Garou tribes each claim descent from the human peoples of particular geographic areas or demographic subset of human/wolf society. There were once sixteen tribes, but only thirteen remain servants of Gaia in the modern age. Twelve of these tribes form a great alliance known as the Garou Nation.

Black Furies- Avengers of the Wyld, this tribe is almost entirely female and originated in Greece, where their harsh enforcement of the Impergium inspired a wave of horrible mythology among the people in that area. They typically dwell in the deepest darkest woodlands, protecting what little remains of the Wyld and their kin.

Bone Gnawers- The lowliest of all the tribes, Gnawers live on the streets of human society, eking out a living in the grime of urban slums. Scrawny, mangy and resilient, this tribe is revered as the ultimate survivors of the Weaver, cunning and crafty with a disregard for authority that can only come from someone who does what it takes to see to tomorrow.

Children of Gaia- Of all the Garou, the Children of Gaia are most in harmony with the collective will of the planet, seeking true unity among all of Gaia's children. Though they prefer a peaceful, harmonious existence, they can be as ruthless and merciless as any warrior when the time is called for.

Fianna- Masters of language and song, these Celtic Garou are the preservers of history and lore. Collectively, they are the most creative or the Garou and prefer to occupy their days with wordplay, song, drink and revelry. When angered however, these descendants of the mighty dire wolf can be among the most savage and relentless of the Garou.

Get of Fenris- The harbingers of war and destruction, these mighty savages live for combat and victory. They are always on the front line, shock troops in the war against the Wyrm. Their blood-lust unnerves even the most composed Garou, who watch in something between fear and admirational awe as the Get through themselves heedless and howling into their foes.

Glass Walkers- Most Garou find the city a concrete abyss out to swallow them whole. The Glass Walkers are the upbeat exception, quirky and rebellious purveyors of technology and wealth. Willing to accept the changing urban landscape and involved in various activities therein, this tribe is probably least trusted of all the Garou but their numerous connections within other species that make their homes in the cities as well as their wealth and skills with technology means this mistrust is never discussed openly.

Red Talons- Composed entirely of lupus garou, this relentless tribe has only one goal in mind: preservation of Gaia via the destruction of mankind. As their breed restriction might suggest, Talons are the most in tune with their bestial natures with wild secrets that have been forgotten by most other Garou. However, this results in a very irritable very unjustified tribe of man-eaters.

Shadow Lords- Cold, regal, vengeful and ruthless, these are the dark warriors, mighty in battle but cunning in peacetime and constantly on the look-out for a new quest for dominance and leadership. Their courage and tenacity are unquestioned, just as their arrogance, and many are scorned for their constant search for total domination of both mankind and Garou alike. Prideful and confident, they rarely dare to mention the relatively vast number of their kin who have been lured to the Wyrm with the promise of power.

Silent Striders- One of the most mysterious tribes of Garou, Striders hold no homes, no single locations and are seen as the Wandering Wisemen by some of the newer generation garou. They travel almost constantly, never truly settling down anywhere for more than a short time and always picking up new tricks and knowledges from the people they meet. They learn much through their wandering and few know more secrets than they.

Silver Fangs- No Garou are more revered, more respected than the aristocratic Silver Fangs. The mighty hero, the wise sage, the creative virtuoso, have long been recorded in history as Silver Fang. However, this ancestral pride might be getting the better of them. Their bloodline is limited, their gene pool narrow and their reproductive rates weak. Their children teeter on the verge of madness, a sickness that is slowly beginning to rot the Garou's greatest lords.

Utenka- The remnants of one of the Garou's three great North American tribes, these sly, reticent almost devious Garou are known for their knowledge of the spirit ways and magic. To what use these skills are put to is anyone's guess. Their rituals are dark and secretive, their moots quiet and reserved, conducted in the most shady of places. Many wonder if this tribe is not already owned by the might of the Wyrm, but superstitions keep the rest of the Garou from seeking finute answers.

Wendigo- Gray Ghosts of The Deep Forest, this powerful North American tribe once ran rampant across all of the Americas. They were the masters of survival, the spirits of war, only to be massacred by the Europeans along with their native American breeding stock. What remains of the justified, prideful and powerful Wendigo hides in the Canadian taiga, where they struggle to regain what is rightfully theres.

Three tribes have been lost to Gaia: The Bunyip of Australia (destroyed in the War of Tears), the Croatan of North America (who sacrificed themselves to protect their homeland), and the White Howlers of Scotland, who were corrupted by the Wyrm and became the Black Spiral Dancers. A fourth tribe (the Stargazers) remains loyal to Gaia but have withdrawn from the Garou Nation joining instead with the Beast Courts (a loose conglomeration of lycanthropes of other species called Fera) of Asia in an effort to reclaim and protect their native Tibet.

Aside from tribes, almost all Garou are part of a sept. A sept is a group of packs that have come together for a common purpose, usually for a ritual celebration called a 'Moot'. Septs usually consist of numerous packs in a given area and often work together to protect territories and destroy major Wyrm-spawned threats to Gaia, though generally Septs are unimportant.

Packs are, however. These are the fundamental gatherings of Garou, the basis on which all other social life in constructed, just as wild wolves do. Packs often have a tribal totem all members use as either a mascot or for inspiration, depending on the Garou in question. These totems often allow the pack members to learn gifts typically outside of their abilities and bring them closer together as a whole, though most packs are brought together by a common goal. Anything from revenge to a cyber cafe can bring about the creation of a pack, though it's usually something more profound such as the defending of a Caern or to reclaim lost secrets. The totem spirit creates a sort of spiritual connection between pack members, bringing the Garou closer than the mightiest of siblings. They are bound together by a Totem Spirit, who speaks and acts through them. This spiritual connection is holy, and any Garou who leaves his pack is outcast, having betrayed the central Garou beliefs of honor and loyalty.

The Rite of passage is an important part of Garou society and is quite literally 'a rite of passage', a test or quest bestowed upon newly discovered Garou immediately after they've come to terms with their First Change. What exactly the rite of passage is varies not only by tribe, but also by the pack or sept over-seeing the rite and the location of said sept. It can be anything from a battle with Wyrm spawn to a visionquest to find ones guardian spirit. All garou must do it, however, no matter the breed, auspice, gender or age. If they fail such a quest, the individual will never be recognized as a full-fledged member of Garou society and will be treated even lower than the Metis until they can prove themselves again... unless they are a metis who has failed. Then they are simply slautered...

[Destination Darkness]

Traits:

Garou have three interesting traits about them, three things most creatures are totally unaware of. Gnosis, Rage and Willpower.

Gnosis refers to a character's magical/spiritual ability, when looked at from a rational level. When looked at more abstractly, it's a character's spiritual connection with Gaia and the Umbra, their skill with talking to spirits and wielding weapons of supernatural tendencies. Most importantly, it is this that allows Garou to use the "Gifts" they are given at birth, to do magical, mystical things that put them a cut above Gaia's other children... or so they believe. Gnosis is awared at creation/birth and is determined (as seen above) by a character's breed. Lupus or wild-born Garou are naturally more in tune to Gaia and the spirits of the wood and naturally have more Gnosis at creation. Homid, human born, Garou are less in tune with nature and the spirits there in and therefore have less Gnosis. Luckily, Gnosis can be gained (or lost) over the course of the Garou's lifetime. Practicing spells and rites and using one's gifts in frequency will cause gnosis to pile up, and, as Garou gain more gnosis, they consiquently gain more spells and more magics they can therefore use.

Rage refers to a character's primal connection to the Wyld, to Gaia's most deep and inner hatred and savagry, to the spirits of war and destruction. It is Rage that makes a Garou what he/she is and it is determined by Auspice. It is Rage that allows them to change, to shift between skins and charge into battle with a great and powerful cry. Obviously, Rage is a very important aspect of the Garou, the source of their power as shape-shifters and the force behind their prowess. However, Rage works inreverse as well. While Garou can usually use Rage without consiquence to shift quickly from one form to the other and to indimidate their enemies, it does have the potential to backfire. Commonly, a Garou will loose control of his or her Rage, being thrown into a massive bloodthirsty Frenzy, as it is called. A Frenzied werewolf is under total control of his/her animal side, the beast so to speak, ruled by the instinct to fight or to flee. Unfortunately, many Garou choose fight during a frenzy and anyone and everyone nearby will pay. Packmates, life-long friends, even mates are in danger. Metis Garou with the "Madness" deformity are particularly prone to Frenzies.

Willpower refers to a Garou's rationality and tangeable thought processes.