Canon Class: Werewolves

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Sections of this guide have been lifted from the White Wolf Wiki.




WHAT ARE WEREWOLVES?

Long ago the world was a paradise known as Pangaea, where the spirit and material worlds mingled freely. Balance was kept by Father Wolf, a being of great power who patrolled the borders between the worlds. Luna, spirit of the moon, was impressed by his strength and wisdom and, in her human form, took him as her lover. From their union the Uratha - Werewolves - were born: part spirit and part flesh, part man and part wolf.

As the years went by, some of Father Wolf's children saw that he had become weak, and to prevent him failing in his duties rose against him and killed him, intending to take his place. The death of Father Wolf also raised a barrier between the worlds, making it impossible for any being to cross except at certain places. Luna, stricken with grief, cursed all Uratha, though those who participated in Father Wolf's death later swore an oath to her to carry on Father Wolf's tasks, regaining some of her favor - but costing them the enmity of the spirit world. These Uratha became known as the Forsaken.

The Pure are Werewolves descended from those who chose not to rise up and slay Father Wolf. They once blamed their Forsaken cousins for the loss of Pangaea and view the extermination of the Forsaken as a holy crusade. They were superior, for a long time, in number to the Forsaken, and their culture of hate and battle prowess has made them the Forsakens' most implacable enemies. The Pure used to have nothing but contempt for humanity and feel no duty to defend them from spirits, which makes spirits far friendlier to them than to the Forsaken.

Events between 2012 and the present have recently revealed a number of startling truths to Werewolf kind as a whole, leading to the unprecedented union between the Uratha and the Pure. Many Werewolves now refer to the entirety of their race as the Great Tribe of the People. Not all Werewolves have joined their brethren, of course, but given the violent history of the two Tribes, this binding together is much more than anyone could have hoped for in centuries.

THE TRIBES

It is easiest to determine a Werewolve's lineage by the Tribe that they belong to. Each one follows the teachings of one of the totems, five powerful wolf spirits who were among the original children of Father Wolf. Each promotes a certain attitude to or agenda behind the hunt.

The five tribes of the Uratha, with First Tongue names in parentheses, are:

• Blood Talons (Suthar Anzuth) - the tribe of Fenris Wolf, who promotes the warrior and wolf aspects of the Uratha.
  
• Bone Shadows (Hirfathra Hissu) - occultist and shamanistic Uratha who seek to restore relations with the spirit world and gain a greater understanding of them with the guidance of their patron, Death Wolf.
  
• Hunters in Darkness (Meninna) - animalistic scouts and mysterious stalkers; protectors of loci, the spiritual centres of the world. Black Wolf is their totem.
  
• Iron Masters (Farsil Luhal) - this tribe, following the teachings of Red Wolf, embrace change and new ideas. They feel a stronger bond with humanity, keep up with the latest in human technological advances and prefer to claim cities for their territory.
  
• Storm Lords (Iminir) - the tribe of Winter Wolf feels that it is their personal responsibility to lead all of their Uratha brethren and seeks to do so through strength of will, force of personality and a higher sense of nobility
  

The three tribes of the Pure, with First Tongue names in parentheses, are:

• Fire-Touched (Izidakh)
  
• Ivory Claws (Tzuumfin)
  
• Predator Kings (Ninna Farakh)
  

Werewolves who do not belong to any Tribe are referred to (in a notably derogatory fashion) as Ghost Wolves. Werewolves who operate with their own agenda and believe in allowing Twilight to completely overrun the Fifth World are the Bale Hounds. The Bale Hounds are the true enemies of the Great Tribe of the People.

POWERS & ABILITIES

Werwolves are fierce territorial predators who feel the compulsion to hunt. Many have trouble containing their aggression, hindering their ability to live normal human lives. Like wolves, the Werewolves form packs in order to hunt more efficiently and better guard their territory.

Werewolves are also spiritual creatures, able to channel spirit energy, which they call Essence, to make use of supernatural powers called gifts to aid them in their hunts. They also possess an instinctive (if rudimentary) understanding of the First Tongue, the language spoken by their ancestors and spirits (possibly also the original language of all humans). Many Werewolves learn to speak the First Tongue fluently.

WEREWOLVES IN TODAY'S VIGIL

The Gauntlet and the Spirit World, as with all other realms bordering the World of Light, went through its own ruptures and upheavals as a result of the breaking of the Veil. Inasmuch as they have always been the mediators and guardians of such places, all of Werewolf kind found themselves increasingly harried after 2013 by their usual affairs, as they were coupled with an increased human interest (and human resentment) with regard to their nature and their activities. While this surprisingly started a move to unite the Tribes, Pure and Uratha alike, as one Great Tribe, it also pushed the People in general to retreat from human society, settling in reserves of their own creation – or, worse yet, reserves that were reluctantly handed over to them by local communities.

The few werewolves who continue to try to integrate themselves into “regular” society face all sorts of new challenges now, as werewolves are viewed with unhealthy amounts of paranoia and suspicion by mundanes, and werewolves themselves have never completely gotten along with other supernaturals. Their conflict with the Changing Breeds has also been aggravated by the Darkest Vigil, and – while there have been a few breakthroughs – it only looks like it’s going to get worse between the two camps. The ominous presence of Bale Hounds – the “true” enemies of Werewolf kind in general – has not helped either.

NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHITE WOLF WEREWOLVES AND WAKING THE DEAD WEREWOLVES.

Because Pure and Uratha are (generally) united under one standard in Waking the Dead, Pure and Uratha characters can learn each other's Gifts. Pure Werewolves who are connected to the Great Tribe also do not suffer from the aggravated weakness that their kind usually have against silver. They must, of course, undergo a Spirit Journey in order to Redeem themselves in the eyes of Mother Luna.

Werewolves in Waking the Dead, like Changing Breed, also live for a much longer period. The average Werewolf, Pure or Uratha, can live anywhere between 300-500 years.

GOT QUESTIONS?

This is a canon class of White Wolf. Players who are interested in playing a Werewolf may refer to the rulebook and other reference links from White Wolf in order to learn more about them.

We will, however, have a guide on how to stat a Werewolf up soon! For the full document on general character creation, download our guide here.