Werewolf: the Apocalypse: R.I.P.

Most will say that Gaia is the spirit of over all good.

However this is a general description, one that doesn't even begin to describe the what or even who Gaia really is.

Gaia is a Spirit of the Earth. Responsible for bringing the Garou and most of the other Fera into being, it is no surprise that she has been given her the names "The Mother Spirit" or "The Mother."

She has been said to be responsible for also bringing into existence the three powerful Triad Spirits. The Wyld, The Weaver, and The Wyrm. In the beginning, it is said that She existed within nothingness, but grew tired of nothingness. And from the darkness, from her will came forth the Wyld. With it, the birth of the universe. Raw energy, chaos and constant change were brought into being. But she grew tired of all this noise, and as if on her will alone, the Weaver came into being. The Weaver brought order and structure to the chaos and noise. But Gaia could see that these were two extremes of each other, there needed to be a balancer between them. And thus the Wyrm came into being. Consuming the things that the Weaver had created, in order to make way for new things, whiles at the same time returning the energy back to the Wyld so that more change and possibility could happen.

Some argue however that these three spirits were first, and that the first cycle was what created Gaia. When the Wyld spread energy into the cosmos, the Weaver ordered it, and the Wyrm consumed it; only to return it back to the Wyld. And thus Gaia was born.

What ever the creation story, Gaia is the spirit that nearly all Garou and other Fera turn to.



The Wyld is one of the three spirits of the triat representing the forces of pure and unbridled creation. The Wyld symbolizes nature at its fullest, with none of the order brought upon by man.

The Weaver

The Weaver is one of the great spirits of the Triat whose function was to spin order from the chaotic creative energies of the Wyld. The Weaver symbolizes the order and control brought on by civilization.

The Wyrm

The Wyrm is an incarnate level spirit of the Triad whose original purpose was to maintain the balance between the chaos of the Wyld and the rigid order of the Weaver. Over the great span of time, the Wyrm has become corrupted, and is hell-bent on corrupting all others. Thw Wyrm symbolizes polution, wars, and all other things like that.

Garou Umbral Lore 101

The Umbra is a world that is beyond the world we know, and defies even the most basic of natural physical laws. The physical plane is a place of static laws, where science rules with an iron fist, yet the Umbra exists simultaneously atop it, in it and through out it, but at the same time, remains apart from it, reflecting the very being of the physical world and influencing it ways that no mere mortals can comprehend. It is a world of dreams, and mysticism.

There was a time when the World of Matter, and the World of Spirit were as one. However this perfect balance was broken when the Weaver raised the Gauntlet. From one world now sprung two, the Earth and the Umbra. Over time these two slowly drifted farther and farther from each other, all the while creating smaller realms. Realms birthed from the minds of the Garou and the dreams of mankind --- as well as their nightmares. In the farthest reaches of the Umbra, Garou can see the world as it was, how it is, how it can be, and how it never was. It is truly a place were the only limit is the imagination. And whiles the Weaver and the Wyrm continue to wreck the influence on the Umbra, the Garou continue to forever quest to its farthest limits. Seeking out secrets to questions that plague them, searching for hidden lore, questing for long forgotten powerful relics, or fighting the Weaver and the Wyrm on their home turf. From the cub that takes his or her first steps in to the Penumbra to packs of elders seeking the distant shadows of other planets, the Umbra is a place for Garou to pursue great and epic quests. Along the way, heroes face the greatest horrors the mind can conceive.

Umbral Realms

Whiles the Umbra can be separated into many different realms, sub-realms and smaller umbral pockets, to do so would be enough to drive anyone mad. Therefore there are different Umbral markers that most all Garou can recognize. The first of these are the umbral membranes. These act much like the Gauntlet (What seperates the Umbra from the World of Matter) does, separating each “layer” of the umbra from the other. These different layers of the umbra radiate from the physical realm.

Soft Umbra: The wall of the Gauntlet isn't a hard structure as most Garou believe it to be. In fact it is rather porous in some parts. In these weakened sections, the spirit world may “bleed over” to the physical world. Most humans disregard the spirit world believing it does not really affect them. However the Spirit World doesn't offer the same courtesy Like a living day dream it touches and sometimes even inspires those who experience it. Yet it remains just out of reach to all but the most enlightened of human minds. Here feelings and emotions are lit with colorful hues and textures that normal reality doesn't give off. Lovers can appear to have a rosy color about them, a depressed person might have a cloudy, blueish aura around them or a rather violent man will appear with a flaming redness. Most people who have slipped into it the shrug their experience off. However some artists and poets use the Periphery to gain a stronger spiritual link to their inner-selves, drawing from the strong creative energy, they produce raw expressions of the spirit world. Such expressions can have a strong effect on humanity, because they draw at humanity's subconscious. And whiles it is too weak to be a focus for Garou, Kinfolk can be easily touched by this “sub realm” of the umbra. Receiving messages, omens or even send impressions to Garou who are traveling the umbra.
The Penumbra: The Penumbra, or Shadow, is the Umbra that most any garou can recognize. When cubs talk about the Umbra, they are really talking about the Penumbra. And when it comes down to it, if you do not wish to explore the umbra any further, it is all that you need to know. The Penumbra is the closest approximation of the immediate spiritual reflection of the surrounding area. Here things are not so strange as they would be in the Far or Deep Umbra. Buildings cast their shadows, covered in pattern webs, with hundreds of pattern spiders running up and down their surfaces. A factory may glow sickly green from the toxic gases it produces. In turn places that waste products are buried maybe invisible to the eye in the physical world, but depending how long they have been there, they will start to show much quicker in the penumbra, as hoards of banes gather and feed of the suffering of the land. Places that are over grown and un-kept in the physical world may be a public eye sore to some, however in the penumbra, these places are marked by the forces of the Wyld, and are even more lush and green with life. The Penumbra also marks those whom travel to it. A Glass Walker who may be a bit untidy most of the time, will appear much cleaner and more organized. His hair slicked back, his clothes neatly pressed, his eyes even showing a steely sheen to them. A Fianna teenager may look more like a mystical lore keeper, his hair wild and brazen, Celtic knot work tattoos on his arms, and a passionate look in his eyes. The Penumbra shows things about a person that would other wise be hidden from the common looker.
The Near Umbra: Not quite the Penumbra not quite the Membrane, this realm is the realm in between. Again here is were most people's understanding of the umbra breaks down. Whiles it isn't the direct shadow of the Earth, it contains not only the reflections of the physical plane, but the thirteen well known Near Realms. Each one is a world unto itself, with different fauna and flora, different rules and laws of physics. These places are places of highly concentrated spiritual energies, and according to legends, the Near Realms are not set places. Meaning that they have changed and evolved with the spirit world throughout the ages.
The Deep Umbra: The strangest and most dangerous part of the Umbra, Aspects of the Umbra that are not of Gaia but are only found away from The Realm exist here. The farther one goes here, the more fragmented "reality" becomes.

The Rest of the Umbra

Domains: Places in the Umbra sustained by spiritual energy that comes from outside their bounds. The Tribal Homelands are some of the strongest here.

Mini-Realms: These strange and exotic realms do not derive power from any other area in the Umbra. They are connected through other areas by spirit trails and moon. Paths. The Garou classify anything they don't understand as a mini-realm however.

Sub-Realms: Sub-realms are reflections of the Near Realms or Zones. All sub-realms are connected to a Near Realm, but sub-realms contain enough spiritual power to sustain themselves.

Vistas: Vistas are areas Garou cannot enter, only watch. They are images and meanings adrift in the Umbral flow. They may not have any connection with any other areas of the Umbra, or anything in particular.

The Garou

Garou is the name that the wolf-shifters of Gaia have given themselves. However to stop here and say that is all there is to it, is not only an understatement but a dire insult to all that the Garou are. Being Garou is completely, 100% genetic. It can't be transferred through a bite, scratch, etc., you just have to be born into it. In short, Garou are major freaks.

The Tribes

The werewolves of the Garou Nation seporate themselves into 12 Tribes. Tribes, aside from the Children of Gaia, are very picky about heritage. As in, if you're not born into the tribe, you're not getting in. And even if you were born into the tribe, you might get kicked out.

Black Furies: Amazons(women-warriors if you're unfamiliar with the term) hailing from Greece, now modern protectors of women and children. All female tribe except for a few male Metis that are born into the tribe. Normal males are kicked out. Their Totem is the Pegasus.
Bone Gnawers: Indigent urban dwellers, with their ears on the streets. Their Totem is the Rat.
Children of Gaia: Peace-makers and politicos who desire to unite all Garou. They'll accept anyone, no matter what they've been through. Their Totem is the Unicorn
Fianna: Revelers, tall singers, warrior-poets hailing from Ireland. Their Totem is the Stag.
Get of Fenris: Fierce berserkers bent on defeating the Wyrm by any means necessary. All male tribe, fierce rivals with the Black Furries. Their Totem is Fenris.
Glass Walkers: The other half of the urban equation. They seek to use the Weavers tools against her, and minions of the Wyrm, but are seen mostly as technophiles and executives. Their Totem is the Cockroach.
Red Talons: Feral and wild, this tribe is almost completely lupus and Hates humans and barely tolerate Homid Garou. There are three factions in this tribe. Some believe that they should wipe out humans altogether, some believe that they could never do that and only kill the ones that enter the forests or other nature-based places, or some that tolerate the humans' presence. Their Totem is the Griffon.
Shadow Lords: Conniving and arrogant, they seek to take up the mantle of leadership of the nation. Their Totem is Grandfather Thunder.
Silent Striders: Wanderers, banished from their homeland Kemet (Egypt), they are cut off from their Ancestors, frequently commune with the dead. Their Totem is the Owl.
Silver Fangs: Former Kings of all Garou, proud and mighty, but mad control freaks. Their Totem is the Falcon.
Uktena: Mystical and mysterious tribe from South Western North America, Pure Ones Tribe. Their Totem is the Uktena (A horned snake)
Wendigo: Fierce and savage tribe from the cruel north, lead by a cannibal spirit, Pure Ones Tribe. Their Totem is the Wendigo.

Auspice

Ragabash -Auspice of the new moon, the Trickster. The Questioner of the Ways. Ragabash have a duty to question Garou society and, by so doing to show what needs to be changed and what doesn't.
Theurge -Auspice of the crescent moon, the Seer and Shaman. The Searcher of the Ways. The Theurge serve as intercessors between their Garou brethren and the spirits.
Philodox-Auspice of the half moon, the Mediator, Counsellor and Judge. The Keeper of the Ways. The Philodox are tasked with knowing the laws of the Garou by heart, thus discerning right and wrong as well as settling disagreements.
Galliard -Auspice of the gibbous moon, the Bard. The Lover of the Ways. The Galliard remind the other Garou of their heritage and history with their passion for the ways of the garou.
Ahroun -Auspice of the full moon, the Warrior. The Protector of the Ways. While all Garou are warriors, the Ahroun excel at the arts of war, even if they are often unstable. Their task is to enforce the ways with skill, tactics and, if necessary, with brute strength.

Breed

Werewolves are born one of three breeds. Most werewolves are a result of a human/Garou or wolf/Garou matings. The matings are usually with Kinfolk (Kinfolk are the non-Garou family of a werewolf, i.e. the pack a Lupus was born into or the family a Homid was born into) of the Garou, and in rare cases, a mating of two Kinfolk can produce a Garou.


Homid
A homid is a werewolf born in human form. Usually undergoing the First Change between 10 and 18 years of age. Homids make up the bulk of Garou in most tribes, the exception being of course the Red Talons. Whiles they have the advantages of being brought up around technology, matters dealing with spirit and the Wyld tend to be lost on them.

Metis
A metis is a werewolf born of two Garou parents. The metis is considered a product of sin and Wyrm tainted, as the Litany strictly forbids Garou from mating with Garou. A metis is always born in Crinos form and suffers a severe physical or mental deformity of some sort along with being sterile. Metis are universally treated poorly by other Garou, if they are allowed to live at all. Metis undergo the First Change around 12 years of age, close to what could be considered puberty.

Lupus
A lupus is a werewolf born in wolf form. Lupus undergo the First Change generally between 1 and 2 years of age. This dying breed has a strong connection between the Wyld and things that are based in spirit matters. However technological things are a bit of a puzzle to your average lupis. After the First Change, a lupus Garou no longer ages like a wolf, but instead matures at a rate closer to that of a homid. After their first change, instead of looking about one or two years old like their actual age, they look about fifteen or sixteen.

Shapeshift Forms

Homid
The homid form is the standard human form for all garou. Apart from The Curse, it is relatively difficult to tell a garou in homid form apart from that of a normal human without supernatural assistance. Garou who are born as wolves tend to be a bit more animalistic in this form, ranging from physical features (more hair, lithe build) to behavioural patterns (attentiveness, sniffing the air, "wolflike" behaviour).

Glabro
In glabro form, a werewolf gains height and weight as compared to homid form, as well as added strength. Werewolves in this form tend to take on some characteristics that of old werewolf horror movies; additional hair, sharp nails, sharp teeth, etc. Most people can realize that a werewolf in this form is not a normal human. However in some uncommon cases, a garou is able to take this form and still pass for that of a bulky human.

Crinos
The crinos form is the war form of the werewolves. They gain exceedingly more mass and become incredibly strong in crinos form, which stands roughly around nine feet tall. The head becomes savagely wolflike as the rest of the body is covered in fur, the subject gains a tail, and the body adjusts to that of what could be explained as a bipedial canine (Although the crinos is just as comfortable running on four legs as much as it is on two). The claws and teeth of a crinos become weapons of destruction, able to cause massive damage easily to most anything that can be torn into.

Hispo
A werewolf in hispo form resembles that of a dire wolf. It appears to be a large, prehistoric-looking beast with great power. The hispo form is quadrapedial, however the claws are capable of massive damage similar to that of the crinos form. The hispo's jaws are stronger than the crinos form's, however, ravaging an opponent with even more damage.

Lupus
The lupus form is the standard wolf form for the garou. as said before, it is difficult to tell the garou apart from that of a normal wolf without some sort of supernatural aid. Regular wolves can usually tell that something is amiss about the werewolf, though. As a result they will often attempt to avoid the garou, but in some cases a pack will accept one into their family (in most cases only if it is born into a wolf pack).

The Litany (Kind of like a Garou's version of a Christian's Ten Commandments)

Garou Shall Not Mate with Garou
Combat the Wyrm Wherever It Dwells and Whenever It Breeds
Respect the Territory of Another
Accept an Honorable Surrender
The First Share of the Kill for the Greatest of Station
Submission to Those of Higher Station
Respect for Those beneath Ye - All Are of Gaia
Ye Shall Not Eat the Flesh of Humans
The Veil Shall Not Be Lifted (The veil is the term for the belief by humans that werewolves aren't real)
Do Not Suffer Thy People to Tend Thy Sickness
The Leader May Be Challenged at Any Time during Peace
The Leader May Not Be Challenged during Wartime
Ye Shall Take No Action That Causes a Caern to Be Violated (A Caern is a Garou holy place. Its where the Umbra spreads over to the real world.)

Profiles

Profile skeleton:

Code:

(Picture goes here)
Name:
Age: (Garou age the same as humans, so there aren't going to be any three-hundred-year-olds, okay?)
Gender:
Bio:
Tribe:
Auspice:
Breed: (Metis, Lupus, or Homid. Metis MUST have some kind of major deformity.)
User:

Name: Nines Skelter
Age: Seventeen
Gender: Male
Bio: Nines was born into the Black Furries tribe, but seeing as he was a normal male Garou, and as his bad luck would have it, he was kicked out after his first change at fifteen. So, since he was tribeless, he sought out the only tribe that would accept someone regardless of heritage- the Children of Gaia. The f****** tree-huggers. Nines isn't exactly fond of his tribe but he's loyal to it and he'll stick up for it, even though his personality is more like a mix of the disposition of those from the Fianna and Get of Fenris tribe.
Tribe: Children of Gaia
Auspice: Ragabash
Breed: Homid
User: Kaido Kalru

((Finally Open!))

((Good night, this is confusing as heck...))

((I know, now imagine an idiot like me trying to understand it... its not easy. But I got it after a while. Just ask questions if your confused and I'll try to answer. In the IRL forum though.))