Uktena Tribe Rites

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"O Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to all the world. Hear me: I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people."

Since rites are the Garou's sacred ceremonies and celebrations, Uktena take great joy and pride in performing these rituals. Some rites are held to evoke a certain mood or connection among werewolves. Others ask for a specific blessing or aid from spiritual allies. Rites are important to the Uktena because they keep memories of ancestors and tradition vibrant and strong, despite the changes in the tribe through the long years. Even so-called minor rites are practiced regularly by cub and elder, for such elemental rituals are considered fundamental to building the trust necessary for strong relationships between Garou and spirit.

Tribe Rites

Level 1 Prayer of the Seeking Rite of the Sacred Fire

Level 3 Rite of Balance Rite of the Spirit Cage

Level 4 Rite of Invitation to the Ancestors

Level 5 Mockery Curing Way Rite of Bane Binding

Level One

Prayer of the Seeking (Mystic)

Source: WW3862 - Uktena Revised p. 73

Description: This is actually a modified (and much more complex) Prayer for the Prey, which is only taught to Uktena's children. Before a hunt for a specific item of lore or magic (such as a lost fetish or tome), the Garou prays while holding an attuned object (usually a water snake skin or, for the fortunate, an Uktena scale). If successful, the Uktena find the search much easier. If the attuned focus is lost, a new one must be found and attuned in order for the rite to work; attuned foci are personal and cannot be transferred. Smart Garou usually give some token of their gratitude for particularly successful uses of this rite.

System: Initial attunement of an ordinary focus requires the expenditure of a gnosis; an Uktena scale is already considered attuned to the owner. Before the search begins, the Garou prays to Great Uktena while holding the focus; the player makes a Wits + Rituals roll (difficulty 7, or 6 if the focus is an Uktena scale). For every two successes, the player may add one die to any Enigmas, Investigation or Occult roll related to the search for the object in question. Alternately, in difficult cases, the Storyteller may drop hints in the form of omens, waking visions or intuitive leaps to get the ball rolling. The object must be of lore or magical value. The bonus ends when the Garou diverts from the quest for any reason (including sleep or eating, not including fighting guards who bar the Garou's path to the goal).

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Rite of the Sacred Fire (Mystic)

Source: WW3862 - Uktena Revised p. 72

Description: The Sacred fire is a focal point of spiritual life in many septs, for like the heart of the caern it connects the physical and spirit realms -- the flame burns in both. Sacred fires are tended with reverence in medicine lodges or caves, or more rarely outside -- spirits are attracted to them like the proverbial moths to a flame, so such a fire would make a site pretty crowded even for an Uktena caern. Building a sacred fire in turn increases the effectiveness of other mystic endeavors.

A sacred fire is to be treated with respect. While an individual may remake sacred fires at need, it is considered more honorable to maintain one. Many septs maintain the fire for a year at a stretch, while others have kept theirs burning for years or even generations.

System: The fire is built using sanctified materials (including a small pinch of spiritually active tobacco) and started with flint sparks or with wood friction -- never a lighter or match. The base of the fire consists of four logs that point in the cardinal directions. At the moment of lightning, the Garou expends a gnosis point and makes a Wits + Rituals roll (difficulty is the local Gauntlet rating). Each additional Gnosis point spent lowers the difficulty by one. If successful, the flame ignites in the penumbra and all Mystic Rites or other Rites dealing with spirits (such as Contrition) may be performed at -1 difficulty per two successes (after the first). At the Storyteller's option, other spirit dealings may go more smoothly, for the building of the fire indicates a respect for the old traditions and knowledge of the ancient pacts between spirit and Garou. The are covered by this rite is typically as far as the flame's heat can be felt (a medium-sized room or medicine lodge counts). The sacred first lasts for as long as it is tended with sanctified materials.

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 (difficulty 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 consecutively, 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.

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Rite of the Spirit Cage (Mystic)

Source: WW3862 - Uktena Revised p. 73

Description: The Uktena believe that killing a spirit, even a Bane, is not always the best thing to do -- particularly when time is needed to question, bargain, or even bind said entity. This rite allows the Uktena to trap a spirit in a cage of energy.

System: The Uktena creates a circle (usually less than 9 feet in diameter) in the physical realm. The circle is often made of flint or obsidian chips, but sometimes of candles or burning wood. Succeeding in the Wits + Rituals roll (difficulty 7) "primes" the cage; when the spirit has been lured to the circle, the ritemaster spends a Gnosis point to spring the trap. The Penumbral air around the spirit comes alive with the spiritual representations of the circle -- in the above example, that would be rapidly whirling slivers of obsidian or leaping tongues of flame. The barrier inhibits the use of most Charms.

To push through the barrier, the captive has to score more successes on a Rage roll (difficulty is the ritemaster's Wits + Rituals) than the ritemaster had. Even if it manages to push through, it suffers Aggravated damage equal to the ritemaster's successes. This works both ways. Garou cannot breach the circle without damage, although the ritemaster can drop the cage at any time.

This rite lasts an hour per success, and each additional Gnosis contributed extends the duration by an hour. However, if the circle is disturbed (a candle flickers out or the boundary is broken), the power collapses.

Level Four

Rite of Invitation to the Ancestors (Mystic)

Source: WW3862 - Uktena Revised p. 74

Description: Most often used in conjunction with the Spirit's Horse Gift, this rite readies a moot or council of Uktena to welcome an ancestor spirit into its midst. Usually, the werewolves sing and dance to honor the tribal ancestors. Special foods are eaten, and invocations of sacred words may be made to the sun, moon or other natural elements, depending on the cultural backgrounds of the Uktena. Some werewolves use this rite without the Gift of Spirit's Horse, to honor their ancestors and fallen heroes.

System: While no rolls are needed, some werewolves expend Gnosis as an offering to their ancestors.

Level Five

Mockery Curing Way (Mystic)

Source: WW3862 - Uktena Revised p. 75

Description: From time out of mind, one of the worst nightmares for a Garou was for one of her Kinfolk to be possessed by a Bane. Taint could be cleansed, but the Wyrm-spirit joined body and soul too thoroughly to extricate without destroying the host; even with a powerful healer at the ready, an exorcism frequently left the host shattered in mind and spirit. Worse still, the Bane often escaped into the Umbra to possess again another day. More often than not, Garou saw killing the victim as an agonizing but necessary task.

Recently an Uktena pack returned from a decade-long quest with a ritual that offers a (slightly) better chance to both destroy the spirit and preserve the patient. Rather than ripping the Bane from the body, the rite drains its energy until it shrivels and pulls away like a withered creeper vine.

So far, the pack's sept has kept the Rite quiet as they perfect their practice of it. Several fomori have been cured, but many more have died; two Garou nearly died in the process. Soon though, they will present it to the Grand Council. It is hoped that the rite will disseminate throughout the tribe, and as word spread the Garou Nation will have a newfound respect for the dark questers of the Pure Lands.

System: The fomor is usually bound and rendered generally powerless, but state of consciousness is irrelevant. The chants that open the rite ensure the Bane is locked within the body - for better or worse. Other werewolves may assist the ritemaster, but all must be consecrated to the purpose beforehand by undergoing a purification ritual.

The ritemaster spends a Gnosis point; the player rolls Wits + Rituals (difficulty is the Bane's Willpower), adding one die for every additional Gnosis point spent (other participants may contribute). Successes count against the Bane's Essence; when Essence reaches zero, the Bane falls into Slumber. Seen from the Umbra the shriveled Bane is draped around the victim and may be pulled off and destroyed. A new roll can be attempted every hour with an additional expenditure of Gnosis, but the ritual is exhausting for all participants (See Endurance and Rituals, pg. 75). A very powerful Bane can take hours or even days to defeat. Unfortunately, the host may not be able to stand the strain.

The Bane fights back if it can. If it is unable to do so, it tears the victim apart, doing three levels of aggravated damage, minus successes for that hour (in other words, if the ritemaster gets two successes, the victim takes one health level of damage). On a botch, the Bane can make a break for it, doing its Rage in unsoakable aggravated damage on its way out. Damage may be healed by a Gift, assuming the healer can touch the subject.

Afterward, the ritual area and all participants are tainted by the corrupt Essence that hemorrhaged from the Bane during the rite, and all must be thoroughly cleansed through a purification ritual.

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Rite of Bane Binding (Mystic)

Source: WW3862 - Uktena Revised p. 74

Description: One of the Uktena's most important self-appointed tasks is the capture and binding of powerful Banes that, for whatever reason, cannot be destroyed. The Uktena performing this rite consider it one of the most sacred and dangerous of all their mystical duties; they know the chances are great that many will die in completing the ritual, so it is never undertaken without serious forethought.

System: The ritemaster begins by leading participants through a ritual chant and dance intended to subdue the Bane. All the werewolves then sacrifice Gnosis (usually many points) so the ritemaster may weave a net of power to contain the Bane; if all Gnosis is expended, then Willpower and finally Stamina is spent to successfully complete the rite. The ritemaster's player then rolls Wits + Rituals, difficulty 9. For every 20 points of combined Gnosis, Willpower and Stamina spent, the difficulty drops by one, to a minimum of difficulty 7.

One success is needed to create the cage that holds the Bane; additional successes add to the strength of the Bane's confinement. Should the ritemaster's player fail the roll, the character remains alive, but the Bane is not contained, and is extremely angry. A botch indicates the immediate and messy death of the ritemaster. All players must also make a roll on their characters' current Stamina. Even one success at the same difficulty indicates they survive, but are likely exhausted. A failure means the werewolf dies from the rigors of participating in the rite. Needless to say, living or dead, participants in this rite deserve a good measure of Renown for their bravery and honor. Note that while this Rite works for many powerful Banes, the greatest spiritual evils (such as the Storm Eater) require still more powerful rites, which are specific to the individual Bane.