Editing Werewolf: The Forsaken (section)

==Werewolves and You==
In contrast to their predecessor in the Old World of Darkness, all werewolves are the result of werewolf on human sex or werewolf on werewolf sex; in 1e werewolves mating together was a Harmony-shattering event that can spawn evil, werewolf-hating demons called Unihar, but this has since been retconned. Werewolves ''don't'' mate with wolves (but, if they must, all that happens is a litter of normal wolf pups - you sicko!); while one of the books does refer to one wolfborn werewolf of the Pure, he is specifically referred to as being the only known exception to the rule.

As beings possessed of dual natures -wolf and man, as well as spirit and mortal- their morality replacement is Harmony, which represents how well they can strike a balance between the two aspects of their existence. This is expanded upon in 2.0, where in place of a ladder of sins your harmony is more like a spectrum from 0-10; at low harmony you're much more connected to your spirit-aspect, and can more easily leave the Flesh for the Spirit, change more easily, but under stressful situations you might shift involuntarily and will have trouble leaving the Shadow. You'll also pick up spirit bans and start acting weird(er). At high harmony you're much more connected to your flesh-aspect, and can more easily leave the Spirit for the Flesh. It's harder to shift forms or enter the Shadow, but you don't wig out under stress and turn into a wolf. In either case, however, you'll be more susceptible to Kuruth and will be handicapped should you need to work in the realm you aren't attuned to- hence the need for balance. At the highest extremes of 0 and 10 you'll be completely unable to leave or enter the Shadow, respectively.

Most human/werewolf matings produce wolfblooded, which are basically the game's equivalent to kinsfolk; in 1e they're more resistant to Lunacy and that's about it, but 2e makes them immune to it and gives them a minor supernatural ability based on the Uratha's powers at the expense of a feature marking them as not quite human.

Werewolves have five forms; Hishu (ordinary human), Urhan (ordinary wolf), Dalu (near-human; looks human from a distance but distinctly hairier and with bigger teeth when you can get a better look at it), Urshul (near-wolf; a very big and very nasty wolf), and Gaur<s>o</s>u
(a wolf-man mixed with a walking murder-machine that is very good at fighting but is  prone to going into Death Rage and trying to kill everyone around it if used for anything other than that). There's also a high-level power called Primal Form, which adds a "dire wolf" form that is... well, picture a wolf big enough to eat a human in one bite, and you got the idea.

Werewolves are protected by Lunacy, a form of Luna's favor which drives humans who see a werewolf in any of its intermediate forms (i.e. not fully human or fully wolf) mad with fear and blurs their memories if they survive the encounter. It also has the potential to open them up to spirit possession as of 2.0 and may even turn them into Wolf-Blooded. 

===Auspices===
The Forsaken each have an Auspice, a blessing of Luna dependent on which phase of the moon they underwent the First Change in. This acts as their "racial" splat, and determines one of their initial Renown points, their choice of Auspice skills, their starting Gifts, and their innate racial ability. The Pure reject all of Luna's blessings, and so they don't gain benefits from Auspices. 
[[File:WTFAuspiceIrraka.jpg|right|100px]]
*'''Irraka'''
**Lunar phase: New Moon
**Gifts: New Moon, Stealth, Evasion
**Skills: Larceny, Stealth, Subterfuge
**Renown: Cunning

Unlike their oWoD counterparts, the Irraka have a well-defined role. Specifically, they serve as trackers, scouts, and silent hunters whose prey never knows that they're being hunted until it's too late for them. Other Uratha can be a bit unnerved by them due to their habit of observing others (including their packmates) to determine the ideal ways to murder them, and they have a bit of an undeserved reputation as lone wolves since they're best at what they do when on their own.

An innate connection to the new moon's uncertainty allows Irraka to get much closer to their quarry than they might seem to be, both literally and metaphorically. In practice, this translates to an initiative boost, a few less Doors in Social Maneuvering, or a surprise attack against an unwary opponent. 
[[File:WTFAuspiceIthaeur.jpg|right|100px]]
*'''Ithaeur'''
**Lunar phase: Crescent Moon
**Gifts: Crescent Moon, Elemental, Shaping
**Skills: Animal Ken, Medicine, Occult
**Renown: Wisdom

The Uratha are half-spirit, and this is especially clear in the case of the Ithaeur. Whether it takes the form of negotiations, fetish-crafting, or flat-out combat, the Ithaeur are the auspice that specializes in interacting with the denizens of the Shadow. But they do tend to be a little bit crazy. Being around spirits as long as they do has some rather unusual effects on their behavior, and some of them are far more comfortable with spirits than they are with humans or even other werewolves. Still, they're highly effective in their role as shamans and spirit masters. 

The Ithaeur's howl resonates through the Shadow, causing lesser spirits to fall dormant or retreat before the werewolf's passing. Even stronger spirits feel compelled to allow the Ithaeur to pass by peacefully, which can be a valuable asset when pursued by some of the nastier murder-spirits or pain-spirits. 
[[File:WTFAuspiceElodoth.jpg|right|125px]]
*'''Elodoth'''
**Lunar phase: Half Moon
**Gifts: Half Moon, Insight, Warding
**Skills: Empathy, Investigation, Politics
**Renown: Honor

Counselors, mediators, and negotiators, the Elodoth try to see both sides of every story and are trusted as expert judges on account of their reputation for fairness. Against their prey on the other hand the Elodoth will use every one of his contacts to make the prey's life a living hell long before the werewolf himself shows up. Some might consider this sociopathic, and there are a few Elodoth who find that they're better as manipulators than they are as arbitrators.

The connection to the fine line between light and dark Elodoth possess allows them to relieve other werewolves of Death Rage. It also allows them to ''induce'' Death Rage as well, and while this may sound like an extremely bad idea it can be surprisingly useful in the right circumstances.
[[File:WTFAuspiceCahalith.jpg|right|100px]]
*'''Cahalith'''
**Lunar Phase: Gibbous Moon
**Gifts: Gibbous Moon, Inspiration, Knowledge
**Skills: Crafts, Expression, Persuasion
**Renown: Glory

Part loremaster, part prophet, and part warleader, the Cahaliths are visionaries who both rally their kin in battle and keep track of their legends and exploits. But the Cahalith's own story has to be a memorable one as well, and as such they give up subtlety in exchange for just scaring their prey shitless before going in for the kill. Or not necessarily killing them, at that matter- after all, what good is a story if nobody is able to tell it? The visions they receive mean quite a few tend to be fatalistic, or at least of a nature that isn't averse to planning out their own death scene. 

Cahaliths are prone to receiving prophetic dreams in their sleep- a part of their blessing from Luna, some say. While these dreams are often cryptic and difficult to figure out, the events they portray always seem to come true for better or for worse. 
[[File:WTFAuspiceRahu.jpg|right|100px]]
*'''Rahu'''
**Lunar Phase: Full Moon
**Gifts: Full Moon, Dominance, Strength
**Skills: Brawl, Intimidation, Survival
**Renown: Purity

Though they're warriors first and foremost, the Rahu shouldn't be written off as dumb brutes. The werewolves that change under the full moon are often expert tacticians and leaders as well, and their inclination towards Purity means they also can act as the moral center of the pack- at least as far as the Oath of the Moon is concerned. However, they do tend to be stubborn and at times they need to learn that they don't always have to be in charge. 

The Rahu's sheer stubbornness lets them fight on through even the most grievous of injuries as if they weren't even there. In crunch terms, they can ignore the effects of negative Conditions or Tilts affecting them for up to two turns in combat. It's not long, but it can be just enough to make the difference.

===Tribes===
The allegiance splat for Werewolves is the Tribe, a sort of extended spiritual family/club you become a part of after being initiated. There are five (known) Forsaken tribes, which owe their allegiance to Luna and take the Oath of the Moon, and three (known) Pure tribes which owe their allegiance more directly to their Tribal Totems or an ideal of Father Wolf - it varies between region. Each Tribe is bound to a Firstborn, which depending on your interpretation are spirit children of Father Wolf, primordial Werewolves, or unique beings - their origins are contradictory and vary between regions. Each of these Firstborn has chosen a Sacred Prey that its tribal members are ordered to focus The Hunt on. They also have a tribal oath that can be kind of convoluted despite its seemingly straightforward wording. 
[[File:WTFGhost Wolves.jpg|right|150px]]
While it's theoretically possible to refrain from joining a tribe (which is known as being a Ghost Wolf), this only serves to deprive any such werewolf of the advantages of being part of a tribe and furthermore puts them at risk of their hybrid nature going out of control in horrible, horrible ways. 
*'''Ghost Wolf Tyrants''' pervert the pack bond, acting as the overlord of a group of humans that they gain power over through terror and intimidation. Their urge to hunt is similarly twisted into a drive to expand their fief and grow stronger when they acquire new followers. 
*'''Ghost Wolf Devourers''' are insane cannibals that gain strange powers when they consume the flesh of other werewolves. Some have become organized, and a cult of them centered in Russia and China has gained considerable influence lately. 
*'''Void Reivers''' are werewolves tainted by the Essence of void spirits, driving them insane and cursing them with a hunger for Essence that can never be satisfied. Worse, they can spread their corruption to other werewolves through their bites and the Sacred Hunt- as predator or prey. 

====Forsaken Tribes====
=====Blood Talons=====
[[File:WTFTribeBlood Talons.jpg|right|125px]]
*Totem: Fenris-Ur (Destroyer Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Other Werewolves
*Oath: Offer no surrender that you would not accept. (In other words, don't give someone terms of surrender that you wouldn't take in their situation. This is complicated by the fact that most Blood Talons don't like the idea of surrendering at all, and thus will offer no surrender themselves.)

If the name didn't give it away, the Blood Talons are the meathead all-war violent soldiers of the Forsaken. On the more bloodthirsty end of Forsaken ideology, these guys tend toward pursuing the Hunt as some form of warlike activity. Their initiations tend to be hyper-violent, bloody affairs, they like the color red...generally speaking the more Metal of the tribes. They hunt other Werewolves as their Sacred Prey (most often the Pure, but sometimes other Forsaken that are thought to have violated the Oath of the Moon- this second part does not endear them to the other Tribes) and on the Hunt they can see another werewolf's Renown to determine how powerful they are and which faction they're a member of. 

Their Totem, Fenris-Ur, was renowned for his ferocity and the extreme violence he displayed in bringing down his prey.

=====Bone Shadows=====
[[File:WTFTribeBone Shadows.jpg|right|125px]]
*Totem: Kamduis-Ur (Death Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Spirits (possibly other denizens of Twilight)
*Oath: Pay each spirit in kind. (An eye for an eye, etc.)

Bone Shadows are the necromancers and shamans of Werewolf society, in addition to fulfilling a role of mystic, secret-gatherer, wanderer, and everything else involving interaction with spirits. This tribe values the gathering of secrets, Shadow Lores, bans and banes that are hard to discover (weaknesses of spirits who are otherwise quite stolid), crazy rituals of power...you get the idea. This tribe hunts spirits that are being troublesome or ghosts that won't fuck off to the hereafter, and on the Hunt they can strike incorporeals with their natural weapons. 

Their Totem, Kamduis-Ur, was known for chasing metaphysical impossibilities and posing mind-bending questions to her children.

=====Hunters in Darkness=====
[[File:WTFTribeHunters In Darkness.jpg|right|150px]]
*Totem: Hikaon-Ur (Black Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Hosts (See "The Many Enemies of the Uratha")
*Oath: Let no sacred place in your territory be violated. (This is subjectively interpreted, but in general you should try to keep out of their territory if you haven't been specifically invited.)

This tribe seems to have a thing for fear. In 1.0 they represented the more wolf/rural leaning Uratha, in 2.0 they still have a bit of a rustic thing going on but their focus has been shifted more toward the archetypes of fear, darkness, and paranoia to dissuade their victims and make them pee themselves. Their Sacred Prey as Hosts, the fragmented remains of the ancient spirits that Father Wolf fought against. Rather than detail an entire foe unique to Werewolf the Forsaken here, suffice to say on the Hunt this tribe can sense where they've either eroded or over-reinforced the wall between the Flesh and Spirit worlds. 

Their Totem, Hikaon-Ur, was even more obsessed with hunting than her siblings, giving her a certain purity of purpose that other Firstborn seemed to have lacked.

=====Iron Masters=====
[[File:WTFTribeIron Masters.jpg|right|125px]]
*Totem: Sagrim-Ur (Red Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Humans (as well as Vampires and Mages when warranted)
*Oath: Honor your territory in all things (Similar to the Hunters in Darkness, but with a greater focus on making your territory a better place instead of blindly defending it.)

Associated primarily with Change and Adaptation rather than being the 'technological' or 'humie-focused' tribe, the Iron Masters nonetheless excel in screwing with technology and harnessing the changes that Humanity makes to the Spirit World. Consummate wolves among sheep, Iron Masters pare down the Herd when it threatens territories or spirit domains. Serial killers, slashers, dirty cops, and other Supernaturals closely associated with human society are their prey. 

Their Totem, Sagrim-Ur, was always asking questions, never satisfied with the way things were, and welcomed the change that came with Father Wolf's death because to him Change is all that matters.

=====Storm Lords=====
[[File:WTFTribeStorm Lords.jpg|right|125px]]
*Totem: Skolis-Ur (Winter Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Claimed (humans/animals/werewolves possessed by spirits and mutated into fucked up hybrids)
*Oath: Let nobody witness or tend to your weakness. (Never let others see your resolve falter; as a leader, this would only demoralize those who follow you.)

The Alphas of Forsaken society, Storm Lords are flinty eyed commissars and merciless monsters. Forced to endure really trying ordeals involving lightning and snow and storms, their Totem's primary fetish, these wolves lead by example of being noble badasses and excelling as paragons in their roles (think Emperor's Children minus Slaanesh). The Sacred Prey of the tribe would be Claimed, horrific fusions of spirit and flesh which occurs when a spirit decides to possess a body and melds with it, gaining dangerous new powers in the process. Although not very often explored in other games, Claimed are a serious threat due to their ability to warp the Shadow in a way that suits the spirit and its meat-suit. 

Their Totem, Skolis-Ur, is the eldest of the Firstborn aligned with the Forsaken, and is considered to be the protector of his siblings; it is said the only time he ever showed weakness was after the death of Father Wolf.

====Pure Tribes====
When the first werewolves turned against Father Wolf alongside the Firstborn, not all of them agreed to do so. Issue is, Luna punished ''all'' werewolves for the actions of those who were involved. This pissed off the werewolves who weren't involved, who (somewhat understandably) decided to tell mom "screw you, you psychotic bitch, we're doing our own thing!" 

That's the Pure; three tribes who blame Luna in some way, shape or form for their current predicament and who want to try and bring back the glory days of Pangaea.

Unfortunately for the Forsaken, the Pure are a lot more common than they are. Also, because they favour spirits over humans, ''they'' are in the good books of most spirits, meaning they get a lot more spiritual backup in the form of gifts and allies. About the only thing the Forsaken have going for them is the distant and unreliable support of Luna, and the fact that their repentance has earned the Forsaken a minor reprieve from Luna's curse of silver's bane. Silver weapons do Aggravated damage to them, but otherwise the Forsaken can handle silver without any problem. The Pure, on the other hand, start burning if they so much as ''touch'' the stuff, meaning Forsaken can bring silver weapons to bear their enemies can't match against them.

A brief note: as the Auspices are a gift from Luna meant specifically for the Forsaken, the Pure Tribes neither have Auspices nor do they particularly want them. Any Forsaken who wishes to join the Pure must first purge themselves of Mother Luna's blessings (or "chains", in their opinion). This is about as painful as you might expect it to be, and strips them of their Auspice. Which also brings the iconic Pure vulnerability to silver.

=====Fire-Touched=====
[[File:WTFTribeFire-Touched.jpg|right|150px]]
*Totem: Gurim-Ur (Rabid Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Those who disrespect the Shadow and its denizens (Anyone who harms or commands a spirit without provocation, as well as anyone who tries to seal off the Shadow. Naturally, this does not apply to disrespect of Luna or her servants.)
*Oath: Let no false statement go unchallenged. (Do not lie, and do not allow others to lie in your presence without denouncing their lies as such. This applies to "white lies" as well.)

The Fire-Touched ask for only one thing of their members: absolute faith in the wisdom of their totem and the cause of the Pure. Though at first glance they may seem like a bunch of fanatics, they believe that any Uratha can be restored to spiritual wholeness if they would only accept it. Consequently, they are more than willing to accept any Forsaken willing to repent of their service to Luna into their tribe. And their proselytizing  can be surprisingly persuasive, too. If that fails, there's always their other preferred weapons of choice: fire and disease. 

Their Totem, Gurim-Ur, is said to be the runt of the firstborn on account of his sickly constitution. The Forsaken claim that he shirked the duties given to him by Luna out of cowardice and instead sided with the Pure. The Fire-Touched, on the other hand, say that Gurim-Ur never trusted Luna due to her ever-shifting nature, and when Father Wolf was slain he decided he would not suffer any more of Luna's falsehoods.

=====Ivory Claws=====
[[File:WTFTribeIvory Claws.jpg|right|150px]]
*Totem: Hathis-Ur (Silver Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Those who disrespect their lineage (People who defy family traditions or disrespect their elders, as well as parents who prevent their children from choosing strong mates or consign them to failure. This definition also includes the Forsaken as a whole as they are seen to have dishonoured Father Wolf.)
*Oath: Call no whelp of lesser blood your equal. (They will tolerate working with the other Pure Tribes, but only reluctantly. Forsaken, on the other hand? They won't even consider it unless they absolutely have to, and even then they'll make it clear they're the ones in charge. Humans are right out. There's also a bunch of lesser oaths they follow, like a ban against consuming plant seeds, but generally Hathis-Ur is content if any given Ivory Claw is consistent in upholding their interpretation of the oath)

The self-proclaimed purest of the Pure, the Ivory Claws hold the purity of their bloodlines above all else. As a result, they take great pains to track their pedigrees, as well as those of other supernatural beings. Though they're as dangerous as the other Pure Tribes if crossed, they tend to be more isolationist than actively aggressive and can be somewhat reasonable as long as they're left alone. They treat all human beings as slaves and cattle, much like the other Pure, but unlike the other Pure can actually feign sanity to the point of integrating with human civilization; this means the Ivory Claws actually have money, resources, and human cannon fodder to throw at their rivals. They are also the ''only'' Pure that will never, ''ever'' cooperate with the Forsaken for any reason or accept defections of any kind.

Their totem, Hathis-Ur, is said to be the proudest and most pained of the Firstborn. The Forsaken say this is because he once fought Father Wolf and lost and is now jealous of the Forsaken for succeeding where he failed. The Ivory Claws, on the other hand, say that he once loved Luna but was enraged when she commanded her children to kill Father Wolf; in revenge, he sought to kill her, but was defeated and had his coat turned into pure silver, leaving him in constant pain.

=====Predator Kings=====
[[File:WTFTribePredator Kings.jpg|right|150px]]
*Totem: Huzuruth-Ur (Dire Wolf)
*Sacred Prey: Those who do not properly honour the hunt (Any human that does not hunt once per season, or attempts to interfere with hunting; werewolves who end a Sacred Hunt without killing their prey are also valid, as is any being that hunts for sport rather than a higher purpose such as culling an overgrown population.)
*Oath: Honour nothing of human craft. (Predator Kings cannot use any man-made objects unless they intend to destroy them; they may only use tools made by werewolves or spirits.)

Take the [[Red Talons (Werewolf)|Red Talons]], remove even the possibility they could be interpreted as protagonists, and you have the Predator Kings in a nutshell. Apart from their oath, the only law they recognize is the law of the jungle: the strong live, and the weak die. Though their oath makes it all but impossible for them to live among human society, their contempt for civilization means they couldn't care less about such things anyway. 

Worryingly, their belief that Pangaea might be restored through savage revelry might be true; their hunts have been known to change the relationship between the Flesh and the Shadow in the past. Ironically, they get along better with the Forsaken than either of the other Pure tribes.  After all, as evil Nietzschean assholes, they love worthy enemies that make them strong. Now if only they'd stop interfering with their grand design to recreate Pangaea and pretending those useless prey-animal hominids are fit for anything but slaughter...

Their Totem, Huzuruth-Ur, is the eldest of the Firstborn and the bitterest by far. According to the Forsaken, he merely scoffed at Father Wolf's death, believing that anything weak enough to be slain by its own children was unworthy of being mourned over; he turned from the Forsaken only because their actions had created the Gauntlet and brought an end to Pangaea. The Predator Kings do not deny this story; they merely ask why the Forsaken would disagree with Huzuruth-Ur.