Accord Rites
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Rites of Accord |
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Rites of Accord restore a place or particular Garou to harmony and balance with Gaia. These rites purify and renew by bringing the object of the rite through a symbolic rebirth from Gaia's womb.
System: Any Garou attempting to perform a rite of accord must possess a talen, a fetish or some piece of Gaia never touched by minions of the Wyrm or by human hands (for example, a willow branch from a remote forest or a stone from a protected caern). The ritemaster makes a Charisma + Rituals roll (difficulty 7 unless otherwise stated).
General Rites
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level One
Rite of Cleansing
Source: WW3801 - Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 157
Description: This rite purifies a person, place, or object, allowing it to be used without fear of Wyrm-taint. The most common form of this rite involves the ritemaster inscribing a circle on the earth, walking widdershins (counterclockwise) around the afflicted person(s) or object(s) while holding a smoldering branch or torch. She must use a branch (preferably willow or birch) dipped in pure water or snow to sprinkle the object or person cleansed. As the ritemaster does so, all Garou present release an eerie, otherworldly howl in an attempt to "frighten away" and thus banish the corrupting influence. Ideally, this rite is performed at dawn, but it can be performed at any time.
System: This rite can be cast upon more than one person or object, but the leader must spend one Gnosis Point on each extra thing or person in need of cleansing. The difficulty level depends on thelevel of taint. For instance, taint cause by a spirit might set a difficulty equal to the spirit's Gnosis. Only one success is required. If the character performs the rite at dawn, the difficulty of the rite decreases by one. Note that this rite can't heal wounds or damage caused by contamination. This rite cannot cleanse taint of the most innate sort, either. The rite inflicts agonizing pain when performed on a fomor, vampire, unrepentant Black Spiral Dancer or other similary accursed creature, but it cannot wash the recipient clean.
Rite of Contrition
Source: WW3801 - Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 157
Description: This rite is a form of apology used to prevent the enmity of spirits or Garou whom an individual has annoyed, or to prevent war between septs or tribes. The rite most often involves the enactor dropping to her belly and sliding forward. The ritemaster may also whine and lick his paws or hands. If performed well, however, a simple inclination of the head may suffice. To enact this rite successfully, the Garou must either give a small gift to the offended individual or, in the case of a spirit, possess some aspect of the spirit in question (for example, a clay falcon if the Garou is appealing to the totem spirit Falcon).
System: The difficulty level of the rite equals the Rage of the target spirit or werewolf. A single success suffices for a gracious apology, but may not be enough to mend friendships or forgive grievous errors. The more successes, the greater the wrong that can be forgiven. Werewolves who refuse to recognize a Rite of Contrition are looked upon badly by elders. Most spirits will always accept a well-performed rite. This effect lasts until the Garou performs another action that could harm or insult the other.
Rite of the Hunting Ground
Source: WW3108 - Werewolf Players Guide 2nd Ed p. 44
Description: Lupus Garou mark their territory by urinating on trees and bushes. A fter the rite, no wolf or Garou can come into the area without immediately realizing they have entered another's territory. There is no compunction not to enter, however.
System: Typically, the Garou mush spend an hour marking her territory. Special messages, such as a greeting to other Garou, can be left with an Intelligence + Primal-Urge roll (difficulty 7).
Rite of the Pack's Blood
Source: WW3812 - Book of Auspices p. 80
Description: Most Garou form packs that are bound with and dedicated to a totem spirit. In these days of mixed septs and thinning ranks, some werewolves are forced by necessity to run together temporarily. This ritual binds a group of werewolves into a pack dedicated to a particular purpose, such as a quest, a battle, or a fortnight's stint of bawn-guarding. The effects of this expire after the task is done, or after a lunar month, whichever comes first. Elders usually expect more permanent associations to ask for the blessings of a totem spirit.
Though the supernatural benefits of this rite eventually end, mutual respect and friendships are a common byproduct. Rival septs may join their warriors with this rite to improve relations. It is not uncommon for such packs to reform into "true" packs down the road, devoted to a specific and appropriate totem spirit.
System: The members of the prospective pack each swear their united purpose as they slice a palm or pad and dribble a small amount of blood into a cup. The blood is mixed and painted on face, hand, and chest (over the heart) of each member. Upon a successful completion of the ritual (Charisma + Rituals, difficulty 7), the pack may take on benefits such as simultaneous initiative and special combat maneuvers. Note that packmembers already in a "true" pack may join this temporary pack, but will likely have some explaining to do to a miffed totem.
Level Two
Rite of Renunciation
Source: WW3801 - Werewolf: the Apocalypse Revised p. 157
Description: In this rare rite, a werewolf rejects the auspice under which he was born and chooses a new auspice. The Garou must perform this rite during the phase of the moon he wishes to embrace. Most commonly, water from a silver basin exposed to Luna's radiance is poured over the naked supplicant, washing him clean of all he once was, including all Rank. He is now free to start anew as a member of his adopted auspice. Almost free, that is, for many werewolves view such a "Shifting Moon" with suspicion. The Shadow Lords and Silver Fangs in particular see this rite as a grave insult to Luna and they are loath to trust those Garou who cannot bear the weight of their assigned burdens.
System: A character who changes auspices must start anew at Rank 1. Although he may keep any Gifts already learned, he may never learn new Gifts from his old auspice. However, Gifts of his adopted auspice are now available to him. Sometimes this rite is performed for purposes other than shifting auspice, such as when a Garou wishes to give up his name and start over in Garou society. (See Renunciation, p. 185.) A variation on this rite also allows a werewolf to renounce his tribe and join a second tribe. Doing so, however, is a severe insult to his formal tribal totem, who will likely view him poorly for the rest of his days. In no case can a werewolf return to an auspice or tribe that he formerly renounced. He's made his bed, so he must lie in it.
Level Three
Rite of the Omega
Source: WW3812 - Book of Auspices p. 35
Description: It is often the duty of the Ragabash to add levity and defuse a tense situation. When division and anger threatens the unity of the sept, some Ragabash choose the dangerous and often sacrificial Rite of the Omega. Once it is performed successfully, the ritemaster becomes reviled; everything she says or does steps on the last nerve of everyone in the sept (plus any visiotrs there at the time the rite begins). Elders put her to work and punish her for being slack, and the Ahroun want to practice their Ragabash-throwing skills. Even the lowest metis says, "Sucks to be you." The ritemaster will be driven from kills, suffer beatings if she isn't quick and may even have her gear stolen or damaged for spite's sake. Even her own pack treats her like dirt. All the tension and hate and anger that threatened to tear the sept aparat is now directed at one individual, bringing unity and catharsis to the Garou. The effects last a minimum of one day, although for an ongoing situation the Ragabash may continue to play the ultimate omega to ensure harmony.
System: Using her own blood mixed with the soil from teh caern site, the ritemaster inscribes the Garou glyph for Shame on her chast and intones a chant. If successful, the Ragabash drops to Rank One for the duration of the rite.
If the tension in the sept is the result of a singular event (a death, a divisive challenge, etc), the rite's effects last a single day. In the case of an ongoing crisis (Intersept negotiations or a heated concolations), the rite may last as long as a week. At the end of the rite, the glyph disappears and the Ragabash's Rank is restored, plus 3 temporary Honor (up to 5 for an extended rite) and hopefully some decent treatment to make up for the sacrifice. The sept members will be more inclined to compromise and have greater understanding of opposing views, and staying unified for a time.
The put-upon ritemaster may end the rite prematurely simply by wiping the glyph away and shouting "I've had enough!" but loses 2 Honoe and 1 Wisdom, and worse, teh sept loses all benefits of the rite.
This is specifically a Ragabash ritual; any other auspice (assuming they can find a teacher) has a +2 difficulty to the roll and gains or loses only 1 Honor.
Level Four
Clear the Miasma
Source: WW3811 - Book of the City p. 114
Description: Modern cities are choked with somg, brownish crud filling the air and suffocating the city's plant and animal life. Drive down any city highway and look closely at the trees that flank it: leaves and branches that face the roadway are brown and stunted. The emissions from heavy industry, automobiles, and power generation facilities combine to create this much.
Garou can use this ritual to temporarily cleanse the skies of the city around them. The most obvious benefit of this is that the sky becomes clearer, the air sweeter smelling. Plants grow more than usual; human residents with respiratory difficulty find that their day is easier. Performing this ritual also improves the attitude of Gaian spirits in the city and gently weakens the wall between the Realm and the Umbra. The ritual's effects only last for a day; with the morning dew, the city's poison will return.
System: The Garou must enact this rite at a site within about a quarter-mile of the city's geographic center. The rite begins an hour before dawn; the character beseeches spirits of the sky, rain, and sun to cleanse the filth from the sky. At the culmination of the hour-long rite, the cahracter spends one Gnosis and rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty of the local Gauntlet, which means that a careful spirit survey of the grographical center of the city may be worthwile before performing Clear the Miasma).
If the Garou achieves three or more success, the smog in the sky precipitates as ordinatry dirt into the morning dew. The local Gauntlet drops by 1 for the day, and the general attitude of nature-spirits int he city improves as they don't need to spend their time fighting pollution and Wyrm taint. This last effect reduces the difficutly of all Social rolls dealing with local Gaian spirits by 1 for the next day.
Enchant the Forest
Source: WW3806 - Players Guide to the Garou p. 196
Description: Everyone has heard about the mystically enchanted forests in which the trees themselves seem alive, strange voices whisper, wicked witches roam, and goblins and fae of all manner plague the weary traveler. The Garou used to rule the wilds, but humanity encroaches more and more on the ranges. Hundred of years ago, Theurges developed a rite with which to frustrate such expansion. This rite, Enchant the Forest, awakens the spirits of the land and urges them to protect the Wyld. These spirits awaken and move to resist any human settlements in the area.
Suddenly, springs dry out. The winter grows harsher than ever before, the the forest and the trees are remarkably fast-growing and resilient. Food decays and rots in no time, and vermin and insects infest the area. Attempts to lay in power or phone lines fail inexplicably. Not to mention the TV reception, which displays disturbing, unusual images when it functions at all. The humans eventually either leave or die, and the wilderness will reclaim its lost property.
The area seems haunted for years afterwards. The tress are dark and threatening, strange sounds emanate from the woods at night. The spirits, once roused, do not rest again for a very long time. Superstitious tales of haunted lands circulate, and many humans give the area a wide berth - unfortunately, many others become very interested - government agencies, the press, other supernatural beings.
The ritemaster takes a twig from a tree never seen by human eyes, and makes a container from the belly of an animal never hunted by humans, which he fills with water from a pond never touched by mankind. He then stires the water, and pours it close to the borders of the wild woods, and calls on the spirits of nature to awaken and defend themselves. He sends messengers to the north, south, east and west, to call to the spirits there. The ritemaster must sing to the spirits for three days.
System: The immediate effects of this rite last for a full lunar year, if not disrupted by some sort of supernatural intervention. The area so charmed cannot exceed the furthest distance the messengers have traveled by foot in the three days. Larger areas can sometimes be ensorcelled, with the expenditure of a Willpower point, and an addition of +1 to the difficulty per mile beyond. If the Garou's caern is located within five miles of the ritual location, the difficulty is reduced by one. Larger caerns, at the storyteller's decision, can call to the spirits of a wider area. Whole swathes of the Black Forest, for instance, are thus "haunted." If tribal totems are called upon, the protected area retains a little of the character of the totem, or the tribe. Fianna areas retain a little of the faerie aura, Get areas are colder and boast harsher weather, Shadow Lord domains are haunted by terrifying, ghostly creatures. Some even claim that the Glass Walkers have developed a version of this rite, which allows them to enchant areas of cities, and claim them for Cockroach.
Rite of the Great Council
Source: WW3812 - Book of Auspices p. 81
Description: In these days when unity is so important, it is often sorely lacking. Too often, a rift pits pack against pack, tribe against tribe, or sept against sept. A popular Garou may be (possibly wrongly) accused and sentenced, or old resentments flare into open warfare. Despite the Half Moon's best efforts, the fabric of werewolf society is torn asunder. This risky but impressive ritual draws together the most powerful spirits involved in the contention — usually the totems of contending packs, although caern or tribal totems may also be involved. It is a perilous venture, but success will almost certainly bring peace; when the most powerful spirits of a sept speak with one voice, even warring packs will take notice.
System: The target number for the Charisma + Rituals roll is equal to the highest spirit type summoned (as per Rite of Summoning, page 161 of the core book). What follows should make for some intense roleplaying (although the Storyteller may adjust the totems' initial attitude by the number of successes rolled). Once all the spirits are in attendance, the Philodox must lay out the situation and/or plead the case. The spirits give council to, or perhaps interrogate, the Half Moon. If they agree with his decisions, they'll stand behind him as if he makes (or reiterates) the judgment. If on the other hand, they disagree with the arbiter's decision, that too will be made abundantly clear (usually resulting in a loss of Honor Renown and credibility).
Rite of the Opened Sky
Source: WW3806 - Players Guide to the Garou p. 196
Description: By sacrificing something of personal value and dancing a complex rain dance, the ritemaster can beckon great, purifying showers of rain to fall from the skies. This rain cleanses all Wyrm impurities, and can even heal wounds.
System: The rite works in much the same way as the Rite of Cleansing (Werewolf, p. 157), but can encompass and entire caern and those within it. The ritemaster expends only one point of Gnosis to cleanse an area, but for every two additional points he spends every character within the caern heals one level of damage. The difficulty of this rite depends on the level of tain, such as a tainted spirit's Gnosis rating. Like the Rite of Cleansing, the difficulty of this rite can also be lowered by one if performed at dawn. Beings of the Wyrm and vampires suffer excruciating pain if exposed to this rite, though they are not cleansed or genuinely damaged. To use this rite outside a caern, the ritemaster must sacrifice three permanent points of Gnosis.
Tribe Rites
Below are Accord Rites for each tribe. Tribe Rites are only available to learn within your own tribe. Click to expand for details on the boxes. By clicking on the name of the tribe, you can view all of their Tribe Rites.
Black Furies
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Level One Rite of Motherhood (Accord) Source: WW3851 - Black Furies Revised p. 72 Description: This simple Rite marks a Fury's shift from Maiden status to Mother status. As is noted elsewhere, the title "Maiden" is not strictly accurate; the spirits begin to treat a Fury as a Mother as soon as she becomes pregnant. In some septs, this spiritual change is sufficient, while in others it might take until the child is born, and in the most conservative septs a Fury is considered a Maiden until she gives birth to a child who lives for one lunar year. Regardless of when the sept declares the Fury to be a Mother, when the time is right, this ritual is performed. Mother and child are separated, and the young mother is bound — this may be simply a symbolic binding, a rope lightly draped over her, or it may be shackles and chains. The mother breaks free of the bonds and comes to her child's side while the Mothers and Crones of the sept watch; when she reaches her child again, the older woman of the tribe welcome her. System: There are no game mechanics to this rite, though the Fury may have to make a Strength or Willpower roll to escape from sufficiently strong bonds.
Ritual Of Acceptance (Accord) Source: WW3851 - Black Furies Revised p. 72 Description: Although a Garou can give up her tribal affiliation with the Rite of Renunciation, the Black Furies have their own ritual to welcome a female Garou from another tribe into their own. The prospective Black Fury must fast for 24 hours to purify her body; afterward, she enters a ritual circle while her tribemates-to-be quietly invoke Pegasus from outside the same circle. System: The invocation takes a few hours (the Mistress of the Rite should roll Charisma + Occult with a target of the local Gauntlet; the invocation takes 5 hours, minus one for every success after the first, with a minimum of 1 hour). At the end of the period, an avatar of Pegasus arrives. The prospective Fury must prove her worth to the avatar. This may involve a test, at the Storyteller's discretion, or it may simply involve a roll of Charisma + Etiquette (difficulty 7). A failure on this roll means that the Fury-to-be must complete a spirit quest to join the tribe; a botch means that she has somehow offended Pegasus isn't welcome to join. Should the character succeed, however, she's welcomed into the Black Fury tribe, and will be treated as a child of Pegasus from that point forward.
Source: WW3851 - Black Furies Revised p. 73 Description: This rite is for Black Furies only. Black Furies perform this rite on human women and children that have suffered at the hands of an abusive spouse or parent. Such abuse can harm the soul in ways still unknown to the Black Furies, but it's certain that sufficient abuse can open a hole wide enough for a Wyrmling to crawl into. It's in the Furies' nature to stop such a fate, and while it's their modus operandi, Soothe the Scars isn't one of the Furies' best tools for healing abuse one it has been stopped. The rite itself is designed to put the victims at ease immediately; the smoke of gentle incense and scented candles should fill the air, and inoffensive soft music — not necessarily "spiritual" music; folk songs or children's music are equally appropriate — should play. In the case of victims not acquainted with Gaian spirituality, prayers are offered to the "spirit of motherhood across the world," though prayers to Gaia can be said in their place. Memories of abuse are coaxed from the victim, ad each one is symbolically cast into a purifying fire. When the rite is over, the victim can begin the long road to real spiritual healing without risking a fall backward into a dangerous cycle of self-degradation. This rite has no game effect; the Storyteller should adjudicate its Role-playing effects.
Fertility Rite (Accord) Source: WW3851 - Black Furies Revised p. 74 Description: Many Garou and human women lack the ability to give birth on their own; perhaps they were born with congenital reproductive difficulties, or have become infertile due to the influence of the Wyrm-created technology or chemicals. In the case of Garou, battle scars and similar wounds often lead to infertility. This ritual invokes spirits of fertility, often avatars of Gaia in the Mother aspect, to return fertility to those without. This ritual also improves any ordinarily fertile subject's chance of conceiving. The Fertility Rite does work on males, but it's almost never performed on them. It also works on wolves, and is occasionally used in secret by those Garou who have access to zoos and their wolf populations. The rite doesn't work on metis, not that Furies would be so arrogant as to try such a thing. The subject of the ritual removes all clothing save possibly a homespun robe, and sits in an obviously growing area: In the midst of a healthy forest, or in tall grass. The Mistress of the Rite traces a circle around the subject, using the menstrual blood of a fertile woman. The Mistress of the Rite then invokes the spirits of Gaia for their aid in restoring the woman's birthright to her. In the case of battle scarring or injury, Gifts such as Mother's Touch may be brought to bear during the Rite, but those Gifts alone won't heal the woman's injury.
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Bone Gnawers
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Level One Rite of the Pizza (Accord) Source: WW3852 - Bone Gnawers Revised p. 75 Description: Rabble-rousers sometimes try to bring Garou together for a quick, temporary enterprise. Buying them food (or beer) is one way to encourage them to work together, but this minor rite formally acknowledges the alliance and calls upon urban spirits for a quick blessing. This rite requires a public telephone and enough spare change for a call. The goal is to gather enough food to feed everyone for one meal. This may seem like a simple task, but because of a wide variety of urban traditions, it's actually fraught with peril. Take, for instance, its most common application: Ordering a pizza. The Garou must decide where to order from, what toppings to get, what the tip should be, and most distressing, who gets which slices. If they can overcome this Herculean task, there's a chance the may work together to achieve greater goals. At the culmination of the ritual, the highest-ranking Theurge "gives thanks." This must be done very, very quickly, since many Bone Gnawers are ravenously hungry for warm pizza. The highest-ranking Philodox then declares the reason why the temporary pack has been formed. (The Storyteller should demand a more specific explanation if the definition is too broad. "Breaking into Warehouse #8 to recover a Croatan fetish" is a specific goal; "killing the Wyrm" is not.) While wolfing down hot morsels of food, the group then coordinates its plan. System: The Theurge rolls Charisma + Rituals (difficulty 8); increase the difficulty by 1 for every ten Garou participating in the ceremony. Each success yields one temporary die; for the sake of convenience, we'll call this dice pool the "pizza pool." This temporary dice pool lasts until the temporary pack achieves its temporary goal. On any dice roll that directly relates to the goal at hand, a Garou can burn off one of the temporary dice for the pizza pool. The whole group shares the pizza pool. This rite can't be performed more than once a day by anyone in the alliance, and the pizza pool can't last for more than 24 hours. Additionally, Garou who are already in a pack can't perform this rite. At the Storyteller's discretion, if the players actually RolePlay this further by ordering a pizza during the game session, paying for it, and offering up a slice or two to the Storyteller, he may lower the difficulty to 6. |
Children of Gaia
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Level One Rite of the Pregnant Mule (Accord) Source: WW3853 - Children of Gaia Revised p. 71 Description: No one else would ever want to learn it. It honors Father Mule, patron of the middle breed. it enables metis to adopt other metis as their children. since most metis are abandoned or worse by their biological parents, older metis see these Crinos pups as a personal responsibility. And who better to raise a troublesome and often differently abled metis pup? System: The adoptive parent asks the consent of the child's biological parents, if they can be found; if not, she asks the sept elders. (They may refuse.) She then takes the cub to the sept's caern and calls Garou, Kin and spirits (especially Mule, whos coming is taken as a blessing on the cub) as witnesses. The cub is put on the earth and allowed to crawl between the adoptive parent's legs as if being born again. The adoptive parents are then counted as the true parents of the child in every way (including Renown). Metis of rank 5 or greater are very rarely allowed to adopt an orphaned homid or lupus cub; the rite is the same.
Rite of the Clouds and Rain (Accord) Source: WW3853 - Children of Gaia Revised p. 72 Description: This rite is kept a careful secret by the Children of Gaia, and all who so much as know of it must swear never to mention it among non-initiates — if revealed, anyone involved would likely be ostracized by the rest of the Garou Nation. It allows the partial control of Rage at the price of violating a basic Garou law: The first precept of the Litany. The rite involves channeling the force of Rage by having sex in Crinos form. To avoid injury or death to the partners, both must be Garou. Because the fear of producing a metis is so great, metis are often asked to perform the rite, as they're sterile. Some Garou actually enjoy multiple partners while performing this rite, although having more than one sexual partner during the rite can be somewhat confusing. Some say that the more Garou are involved, the more powerful the rite becomes. The truth of this is unknown. System: The sexual partners invoke the spirits of peace and of desire, spending a point of Gnosis. They must demonstrate genuine affection for each other, or the rite won't work. If it works, the Garou can control the tendency to frenzy for the rest of the story. The Storyteller must determine the chance of pregnancy, if it's possible at all. Everyone involved in the rite loses a temporary point of Honor; the spirits who empower the rite, permissive though they may be, are still witnesses to the participants' transgression.
Source: WW3853 - Children of Gaia Revised p. 71 Description: This rite is a healing ritual for Harano. It doesn't cure the condition, although the rite of Asklepios can indicate possible cures. The ritemaster can, however, prevent the afflicted one from passing any deeper into Harano. The ritemaster chants, burns mystic incense, and engages the sufferer in breathing exercises. The dispirited one may leave before the rite begins, but not after it has started. This ritemaster may perform this rite more than once for each werewolf suffering from Harano. System: The ritemaster chants, leads the sick one in breathing rituals, and makes a Charisma + Rituals roll. The recipient takes the number of successes as extra Willpower, which she may spend to resist Harano. She may not harm herself (such as through self-mutilation or suicide) until all the bonus points of Willpower are gone.
Rite of Anger's Purge (Accord) Source: WW3853 - Children of Gaia Revised p. 72 Description: Rage makes a shapeshifter what they are. But it's a curse as well as a blessing. Some Garou can contain their Rage sufficiently to live with a Kinfolk family or enjoy a quiet dinner at a restaurant. But some are so out of balance that they can barely function without exploding. Others require punishment. For whatever reason, a Garou occasionally needs to have his potential for Rage lowered. In this rite, the subject changes into Crinos and is encircled by the participants who all wield whips, clubs, and other instruments of punishment (the "gauntlet"). They then proceed to beat the subject into submission, until he lies unconscious on the ground. A Garou can have the Beast beaten out of him in this way of such a punishment is required. System: Each participant in the rite must expend at least one point of Rage. The subject loses one point of permanent Rage for each point spent in this way. If he frenzies shortly thereafter, the Storyteller may decide that the loss of Rage isn't permanent, although few Garou have enough Rage to endure this rite and still be capable of frenzy in any but the most extenuating circumstances. |
Fianna
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Level Three Rite of Hospitality (Accord) Source: WW3854 - Fianna Revised p. 74 Description: Hospitality is one of the three great virtues of the ancient Celts, and a similarly honorable virtue to the modern Fianna. Ordinarily, hospitality is a given at a hearth, but occasionally it needs to be formally stated in a binding fashion; perhaps the seeker is a rival, or has bad blood with others at the sept and needs protection. In such circumstances, the rite is performed. The grantor (typically the righ or the owner of the hall or territory) is required to give his guest food, shelter and reasonable comforts for three days, as well as protection from foes (without or within). In return, the supplicant is expected to be the model guest, neither stealing, starting fights nor otherwise bringing trouble to the household. And be sure that even if the offense isn't obvious, the spirits that witnessed the oath will find a way to bring it to everyone's attention. System: Typically only the grantor needs to know the ritual. The supplicant formally asks for hospitality, usually reciting lineage and titles in the formal way. The host replies in a formal language, granting protection and a place in the hall. If the rite fails, the delivery seems awkward and forced and all present will feel the awkwardness of the moment. If successful, both parties are bound to their bargain. Should either one break the bargain, that party loses an Honor Renown. Ordinarily, no Renown is gained if both live up to their ends of the bargain, but if there is an element of danger (guest and host are bitter rivals or even enemies, for instance) the righ and guest may both make a claim for an Honor Renown. The Storyteller should be careful that this doesn't become a font of "free Renown"; Honor should be awarded only if there's something at stake -- for instance, being a polite host to a guest that's insulted you or is a rival, or being a model guest despite constant provocation. After three days (usually measured to sunset, but typically stated during the rite), all bets are off; if the guest is in trouble, he'd better make tracks. |
Red Talon
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Level Three Rite of the Winter Pack (Accord) Source: WW3857 - Red Talons Revised p. 72 Description: This rite is only invoked when a new Winter Pack -- a pack of five young Red Talons, one of each auspice, specially trained to kill humans and bring chaos and devastation to the scabs -- is formed. Currently, only one such pack exists, but no one can say for certain how many Talon septs house Winter Packs only waiting for this rite to sanctify them before they launch their bloody mission. The ritemaster assembles the prospective pack on the first night of the new moon, away from the heart of the caern. Other members of the sept may watch from the brush, but are forbidden to make a sound. At the ritemaster's command, each of the cubs in turn states her name and auspice and then howls a variation of the Anthem of War. The ritemaster then howls to the heavens, calling down blessings from Gaia, the pack's totem, and Rorg, the Many-Taloned Hunter upon the Winter Pack. The Pack must then venture to the nearest human settlement and stalk and kill one human each (although they may act in concert to slay a group of humans). Afterward they howl the Anthem of War in concert, and begin to execute whatever plan they have been given. System: The ritemaster performs the aforementioned ceremony, and the player rolls Charisma + Rituals (diff 7). If the roll succeeds, the Winter Pack need only complete their first hunt, to complete the ritual. If the complete this hunt before sunrise, they each gain three temporary Glory and three temporary Honor. |
Silent Striders
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Level One Rite of the Midwife (Accord) Source: WW3859 - Silent Striders Revised p. 77 Description: This rite is taught as a rite of accord because it is enacted to protect a newborn from harm or taint by hurrying or delaying its birth. The unsullied focus necessary for this rite is an owl's feather, as Owl intercedes on the mother's behalf. The mother must ordinarily be a Silent Strider of one of their Kinfolk, though Owl may be convinced with proper chiminage to intercede on the behalf of Garou or Kinfolk of other tribes, or even a normal human woman. The rite may be performed for several days in a row to achieve the necessary result -- in fact, it may be necessary to do so. This rite is often considered the province of female Striders, though most are willing to teach it to any male Strider who wishes to learn. System: The midwife and the mother must first decide whether they will try to hurry the delivery of the child or delay it. Simple success delays or hastens the birth by one day. If the rite is begun at the onset of labor, it ceases immediately and will not begin again for a full day -- in all other cases it is difficult to be sure if the rite was effective at all. It may require several days of ritual to bring a child into the world early; usually it is considered preferable to delay the birth unless a healer is sure the child is viable, or the mother is headed into great danger. |
Silver Fangs
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Level One Rite of the Honorable Oath (Accord) Source: WW3860 - Silver Fangs Revised p. 78 Description: The Silver Fangs take their oaths of service very seriously indeed. When anyone wishes to swear service to a Silver Fang Lord who follows the old traditions of the tribe, the Lord may ask them to undergo this rite, but will never press the point. Many Silver Fangs voluntarily undergo it if offering service to another werewolf, but are offended if others demand it of them. To swear the oath, the character swears to undertake a single task, which is outlined by the recipient of the oath and repeated by the character undergoing it. The character offering service then gives a small object of value to himself to the recipient of the oath. Should the oath taker stay true to their word, he will receive Renown whether or not the mission is successful. The recipient of the oath should return the gifted item at the conclusion of the service. System: The player of the oath giver spenda one Gnosis to activate the rite. If the character keeps her word and attempts the mission to the best of her abilities, she gains four points of Honor, irrespective of the quest's outcome -- if she does not do so, she loses four points of Honor. The recipient of the oath is under no compulsion to return the object gifted to them, but risks losing two points of Honor if they do not do so.
Rite of the Loyal Pack (Accord) Source: WW3860 - Silver Fangs Revised p. 78 Description: The Silver Fangs do, despite claims to the contrary, understand that leadership is a two-way street. A leader needs respect from those that follow him if he (and they) wish to succeed. Usually, only packs that have been working together for some time and who trust each other enough to further cement those bonds perform this rite. The rite makes the whole pack's focus and commitment dependent on the pack alpha. In effect they submit completely to him, in the hope of gaining an advantage from it if he committed to working for the benefit of all. Each member of the pack must take a small item of personal significance and a length of his or her own hair and give it to the ritemaster. She then binds together all the objects using the hairs and buries the bundle within the pack's home caern. System: The player of the werewolf enacting the Rite rolls Charisma + Rituals (difficulty 9 - the pack alpha's Leadership). If the roll succeeds, the entire pack gains two extra points of Willpower for as long as the pack alpha is acting in the best interests of the whole pack. However, if the alpha has not been doing so, the entire pack loses two points of Willpower for the chapter. The gain or loss is entirely at the Storyteller's discretion. Should the pack alpha change, the rite's effects immediately end.
Rite of Kingship (Accord) Source: WW3860 - Silver Fangs Revised p. 78 Description: This rite, as described in Chapter Two (p. 51) is used to crown the true kings of the tribe. The rite is rarely used for obvious reasons, but the shamans of the Silver Fangs traditionally teach it to multiple promising students, so that it will never be lost through a shaman's untimely death. To be taught the Rite of Kingship is a distinct honor, and many Theurge's vie to be recognized as worthy of the rite. System: Standard roll. Success indicates that the recipient has been properly marked as a Silver Fang king and that all spirits that owe allegiance to Gaia, Luna or Helios will automatically recognize him as such (as may some Banes). As noted, certain omens may overturn this result, depending on circumstances. |
Stargazers
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Level One The Rite of the Meeting (Accord) Source: WW3861 - Stargazers Revised p. 74 Description: The population of living Stargazers is growing thin, and as such, many of the tribe consider themselves fortunate when encountering a new (or previously unmet) Stargazer. This rite, known in India as the "Rite of Namah-te" and in China as the "Rite of Gong Xi," is meant to allow two tribe members to greet one another with proper respect. The rite is a traditional greeting that's been used for many centuries. Two Stargazers meeting for the first time place the flat of their palms against their chest, and bow their heads at one another. They hold the bow for as long as necessary, and then each Garou takes a small smear of ash or soil and anoints the other's forehead with it. Finally, both Stargazers utter a prayer to Gaia. The meanings to this ritual meeting are many. It is a wish for extended friendship, but in it is also the unspoken wish to have both minds joined in service to both Gaia (the Emerald Mother) and the Jade Emperor. Both Garou are equal in the eyes of those two cosmic forces, even if they are not technically equal in rank. In this meeting, egos are set aside and the two are -- however briefly -- conjoined in the service of Gaia. System: A Stargazer may only enact this rite when meeting another Stargazer for the first time. If the two have met previously, the rite may be performed, but without any benefits. If successful, the Stargazer is considered two traits up on all friendly Social tests with the other Garou for the rest of the session. At ST discretion, using this rite when meeting a particularly prominent or spiritually significant Stargazer to the ritemaster may also grant a temporary Willpower Trait.
Rite of Rebalancing (Accord) Source: WW3861 - Stargazers Revised p. 75 Description: This variation on the Rite of Renunciation has been all but lost -- though some Stargazers know it and see it as the only means to bolster their tribe's numbers. By means of this rite, a Garou of another tribe loses his tribal affiliation and instead becomes a Stargazer in blood, if not by birth. The Garou wishing to become a Stargazer may not perform this rite herself; it must instead be performed upon her by an able and willing ritemaster. In this rite, the ritemaster must take the Garou beneath the new moon and together they must stand in a body of running water (a creek, stream, or river will do). The ritemaster must, with a claw, etch the Stargazer glyph into the Garou's body, and let the blood mingle with the flowing water below. The Garou mustn't let this wound heal right away, and instead must allow it to scab over and become a natural scar. After seven days has passed, the Garou is now a full-blooded member of the Stargazer tribe regardless of her tribe of origin. System: The rite is performed according to the description above. The player rolls Charisma + Rituals (difficulty of the Rage + 2 of the changing Garou, to a maximum of 10). The river washes away a Garou's tribe, and it also removes any semblance of Rank. Garou with this ritual performed willingly upon them begin at Rank 1. The Garou may keep the Gifts she has learned from her old tribe, but she is unlikely to learn any new ones except under very special circumstances. However, Stargazer Gifts are now available to her. The Garou may never return to her old tribe, nor will she ever gain favor again with her past tribal totem.
Source: WW3861 - Stargazers Revised p. 75 Description: The rite called "Thaipusam" is an act of consecration meant to separate a Stargazer from the profane world and officially become part of the greater sacred sphere. Few Stargazers practice it; it's mostly prominent among the Stargazers of India, despite the fact that its origins actually lie among the native peoples of Malaysia. At its roots, Thaipusam is an act of ritual piercing. The Stargazer, after washing his hands in both milk and honey, then pierces his own flesh to insert a ring. While chanting the universal mantra (aum), salt is rubbed in the wound to heighten the pain and ensure that it won't heal over immediately. The ring itself needn't be made of any specific material, though many Stargazers favor simple rings of steel, jade, or hematite, though some decorate their bodies with more ornate trimmings. The bodily location of the piercing is also significant. many pierce their ears, lips, nipples, and some even go so far as to pierce genitals, the flesh around the throat, or bunches of pinched skin around the forehead. Many elder Stargazers can be seen with countless rings adorning their scarred bodies. System: The player rolls Stamina + Rituals (difficulty 7). If the roll is successful, the ritemaster takes a single, unsoakable aggravated level of damage. For the month following the enacting of the rite, the Stargazer may freely step in and out of the Umbra without a roll. Merely concentrating on the cleansing pain of the Thaipusam rite allows her to ease between worlds with nary a thought. This rite may only be performed (for its benefit) once a year.
Banishment of the Self (Accord) Source: WW3861 - Stargazers Revised p. 74 Description: This rite allows a Stargazer to dampen her own ego so she may give aid to those closest to her (typically her pack or sentai). The werewolf meditates for an hour beneath the moon and continually recites the following in whatever language she chooses: "I give my body to the hungry, my blood to the thirsty, my skin to the naked, and my bones as fuel to those who suffer cold. I give my good fortune to the unlucky, and may the breath of my life restore the dying. Shame on me if I draw back from this sacrifice! Shame on all who hesitate to accept it!" Those she chooses to aid from this ritual find their spirits lifted and find a renewed sharpness to their minds. System: The player rolls Strength + Rituals (difficulty 7) and must spend a Willpower point for each werewolf within her pack or sentai that she intends to aid with this rite. If she desires to extend the benefits of this rite to another outside pack or sentai, she must spend two Willpower points per individual not in her pack. For the next 24-hour period, those "gifted" with the advantages from this rite can ignore all wound penalties. At the end of that 24-hour period, the Stargazer who performed this rite must sleep for a full eight hours. Until she does, she acts at +1 difficulty to all rolls. |
Uktena
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Level Three Rite of Balance (Accord) Source: WW3862 - Uktena Revised p. 71 Description: The Triat is in everyone, but sometimes one aspect touches a person more strongly than another. This imbalance manifests in many ways, from a Wyld-fed madness to Wyrm-spawned depression or the joyless routine of the Weaver. Packs delving into Cyber realms for extended periods or conducting raids on Black Spiral Dancer Hives come back changed, Tainted. This rite seeks to bring them back into balance, to restore the Garou's harmony with Gaia. System: The ritual varies depending on the relative strength of each of the Triatic influences within the subject. The ritemaster and her assistants paint glyphs and sigils of power on the subject, followed by a bath in a stream to wash away the markings (this cleansing ritual is similar to the rite Washing the Spirit, given in Croatan Song). Then, in a medicine lodge or other neutral place, the ritemaster conducts a series of chants and songs and drumming, using sacred herbs, bones and stones, as well as a sacred fire. At the end of the rite, the player rolls Wits + Rituals (difficuly 7, higher if the Taint is particularly strong). Three successes completely restore the balance within the subject, while fewer successes indicate partial rebalancing. In addition, the untainted subject regains a temporary Willpower point. The rite lasts half a day and usually begins at sunrise or sunset. For particularly strong Taints, the rite may be repeated up to three more times (but must be held consecurtively, with no one leaving the lodge). At the beginning of each repetition, the ritemaster must make a successful Stamina + Rituals roll (see Endurance and Rituals on pg. 75. Alternately, if you use the 1 - 5 Taint rating system given in the Players Guide to the Garou, the difficulty will be 4 + Taint level; each success decreases the Taint rating by one). Note that when a Taint runs more deeply, performing this rite alone won't cure it. Taints bought as Merits or Flaws must be bought off with experience points, and usually require a more rigorous treatment (often a quest to a sacred place of balance). This rite treats symptoms - a Triatic Imbalance - without addressing the cause. Someone recently exposed to Wyrmish spiritual energies could be brought into balance, while a Fomori still possessed by a Bane would regain his Taint immediately. |
Wendigo
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Level One Song of the Longest Night (Accord) Source: WW3863 - Wendigo Revised p. 69 Description: Even the wild spirit of Great Wendigo grows weary, after eons of battle against the ever-encroaching madness of the Wyrm and the Weaver. His cold fury, like all sources of Gaia's might, needs renewal and respite in order that he continue to guide and guard his children. In gratitude for the blessings he grants his tribe, for the enduring strength he lends them, once every year, Wendigo's children offer to him the gift of rest. On the longest night of the winter, all Wendigo gather respectfully at their closest caern, or simply in a place of safety with their pack. Upon the setting of the sun and the rise of Luna, the Garou join their voices together in a howling lullaby, serenading Wendigo into his only night of sleep. The sound of these gentle, sustained and soothing howls allows him to rest in the bosom of Gaia, replenishing himself from the uncorrupted and chaotic fount of the Wyld. Meanwhile, Wendigo's children remain quiet and awake, keeping a vigil through darkness, protecting their Kinfolk and themselves. On Midwinter morning, when the sun rises, the Garou waken Great Wendigo with a howl of welcome and joy akin to the Cry of Elation, a welcoming him back with pride and singing the glories of the coming year. Then the partying begins; all should rejoice with feasting, merrymaking, brawling, and reveling in their bonds to each other and to Great Wendigo. Often Galliards regale their Kin with stories of exceptional bravery, gratitude and wisdom. Camp celebrations have been known to last for several days. Usually all activities and travel come to a stop on the Longest Night, and it is considered a damnable crime to perform any rites or use any Gifts that would need Wendigo's attention or participation. Wendigo himself deals with the foolish Garou who wakes him before dawn immediately and severely, if other werewolves don't get to her first. Interrupting Great Wendigo's sleep may endanger the lives and spirits of the entire tribe -- nobody knows for sure what horrible things may happen, though, because so far no one has been quite that stupid. System: In addition to the usual roll of Charisma + Rituals made by the ritemaster at a difficulty level of 6, in order to mark the beginning of the rite, every participating Garou has the option of spending a point of Gnosis, as their personal offering of energy to aid in Great Wendigo's rejuvenation. Whether Wendigo returns the favor later remains at the Storyteller's discretion.
Source: WW3078 - Wendigo 1st Ed. p. 50 Description: A version of the Rite of Cleansing, this rite specifically pertains to one's own self and health. The rite participants all gather in a sealed tent or lodge and pour water on heated rocks to create hot steam. Sage and cedar are sometimes burned to help cleanse the atmosphere. Tricky spirits sometimes interrupt ceremonies, often taking things from a person's hand or even disrobing a participant. Ritualists should greet these visitations with patience. If one behaves properly, he may be rewarded with some tidbit of knowledge. System: In addition to the usual roll made by the ritemaster (Charisma + Rituals, difficulty 7), each participant makes a Willpower roll. If the roll is successful, all Stamina rolls are made at one less difficulty for the next two days. In addition, characters are considered cleansed, as if they had participated in a Rite of Cleansing.
Rite of the Heavy Heart (Accord) Source: WW3863 - Wendigo Revised p. 70 Description: This rite is generally performed after the completion of any rite where a Garou is killed for her transgressions, in an attempt to restore Gaia's balance to the tribe. For example, the rite's ameliorating effects are cast upon a pack or sept after the conclusion of the Hunt of a cannibal Garou, the Rite of the Vipers, Gaia's Vengeful Teeth, or the Summoning of the Tupilaq. The participants chant to Gaia and Great Wendigo their regret for the killing of a brother or sister; regardless of the fact that she deserved to die, the loss of a Garou life is not a thing to celebrate. No matter how difficult it may be, each werewolf at the rite should recite something redeeming, worthwhile, or memorable about the dead Garou. The ritemaster and the participants then declare to the spirits their sorrow that they were unable to lead the traitor back from her offending path, and request that Gaia bear the traitor's spirit into the afterlife of the ancestors with forgiveness and relief from shame. System: The rite master spends one point of Gnosis to awaken an untouched talen of Gaia, symbolizing the purity that is sought, and then makes a Charisma + Rituals roll at a difficulty 8. All participants in the rite also spend one point of Gnosis. Finally, at a difficulty of the Storyteller's discretion, each participant should roll their Charisma + Empathy, in order to manage a sincere offering-tale for the redemption of the traitor Garou's spirit.
Rite of the Second Birth (Accord) Source: WW3863 - Wendigo Revised p. 70 Description: The rarest of ceremonies is performed in order to absolve a cannibal Garou of their sin and remove the taint of their actions, at the cost of all their Rank and Renown. Because of the difficulty in completing this rite, and the ghastly nature of the situation itself, it is seldom finished, always performed in utter secrecy, and even more seldom discussed. Many ritemasters have argued that the risk of redeeming a cannibal can never be outweighed by the cannibal's usefulness to the pack or tribe. It is generally decided, in a secret Council of the Second Birth, that the Garou in question possesses an ability or asset that is absolutely vital to the survival of the tribe. Only when this Council has come to this conclusion will the rite be prepared. The details of the rite itself are simple in contrast to the politics surrounding it. At the full moon, the cannibal Garou is brought blindfolded, bound and gagged, to the center of a concealed earthen circle. If the circle is discovered by anyone outside the rite's council, the area is considered polluted and the rite fails. This ritual area must have been purified and consecrated to Gaia nightly over the course of one entire lunar month, using the Rite of Cleansing, the smoke of burnt birch or willow branches, and copious amounts of blood from two different ritemasters. One of the ritemasters howls the transgressions of the cannibal Garou in a Curse of Ignominy, standing at the westernmost point of the circle, reviling the villain's deeds with discordant disdain. Simultaneously, the other ritemaster performs a Howl of Introduction from the easternmost point, reciting the new identity that the Garou will assume, assigning all the committed sins to the previous, vile persona. Both howls must end precisely at the same time. At this moment, the target of the rite, for all intents and purposes, has his Wyrm taint torn out by the hand of Gaia. Note that this tain remains a coherent spirit-thing in the nearby Umbra: it may evaporate, manifest as a spirit of some kind, or affix itself to another target, as befits the Storyteller's needs. Whether or not this reborn Garou (always an Ahroun) still possesses the very powers and Gifts that made him so valuable is an entirely different risk undertaken by the Council. System: Due to this rite's inherently dramatic and potentially contentious results, it is highly recommended that the Storyteller be present to adjudicate the rite and its results. They are also encouraged to make this rite as mysterious, haunting and memorable as possible, and to emphasize the story value of this rite over simple in-game mechanics. As the rite's success or failure is determined entirely by the will of Gaia, (a.k.a the Storyteller), players should accept and understand that the rite's outcome is completely in the Storyteller's hands before undertaking it. |
