Werewolf: The Apocalypse

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Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Image:Werewolf - The Apocalypse cover.jpg Werewolf: The Apocalypse (Revised edition) cover
Designer(s)	Mark Rein·Hagen
Publisher(s)	White Wolf
Publication date	1992 (1st edition) 1994 (2nd edition) 2000 (Revised edition)
Genre(s)	Savage Horror
System	Storyteller System

Werewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game from the old World of Darkness line by White Wolf. In this game, players take the role of werewolves known as Garou (as well as other lycanthropes), warriors who are locked in a two-front war against (on the one hand) the spiritual desolation of urban civilization and (on the other) supernatural forces of corruption that seek to bring about the Apocalypse.

Along with the other titles in the original World of Darkness, Werewolf was retired in 2004. Its successor title, Werewolf: The Forsaken, was released on March 14, 2005.

1 Garou
2 Spirituality
3 The Creation Myth of Werewolf: The Apocalypse
4 History
5 The Fera
6 List of Books
7 External links
8 References

[edit] Garou

The Garou are beings of both physical strength and spiritual depth. Created by (and in most cases fighting on the side of) a force known as Gaia, Garou are shapeshifters capable of changing their physical form at will to appear as humans (a form they call homid), wolves (lupus), or several intermediary mixed forms. There are: glabro; physically strong and brutish humans, crinos; the traditional wolf-man, and hispo; wolves of unnatural size and strength. Unlike werewolves in most traditional folklore, Garou in Werewolf: The Apocalypse are neither mindless predators nor lunatics. Instead, they are depicted as defenders of Mother Earth and its Umbra (or spirit world).

[edit] Breeds

In the World of Darkness, lycanthropy is not a disease but a heritable trait. As dual beings (being both wolves and men), Garou can (and do) interbreed with both species. A Garou's extended non-shapechanging family is called its Kinfolk. Most often, Garou are born to one human and one Garou parent but in families (both wolf and human) where Garou blood is especially strong, Homid or Lupus Garou sometimes are born from non-shapeshifting parents.

The circumstances of their parentage determines their breed. A half-human Garou are called a homid, and is born in homid form. A half-wolf Garou is called a lupus, and is born as a wolf. A Garou born from two Garou parents is called a Metis and is invariably deformed as a result of this inbreeding, as well as completely sterile; however, Metis have Gifts and advantages exclusive to their breed, including the ability to regenerate in all their various forms. Once pariahs in Garou society, trying times have led to the partial integration of the Metis breed into the ranks of the Garou. A werewolf's breed determines (to some extent) their Gnosis, or spiritual awareness (Lupus Garou being more in tune with the primal spirit world than Homids, and Metis Garou being in between).

In general, while most Garou leave their native societies to live among their shapechanging kin (engaging in a modern primitive lifestyle), they retain healthy contact with their Kinfolk to ensure their protection as family and the overall health and vitality of the Garou line.

[edit] Society

Garou are not solitary creatures. They live in packs like wolves do and organise themselves into septs (groups of packs) and tribes. Garou tribes resemble human tribes in that they are a community of members sharing common lineage, traditions, rites and values. Unlike most human tribes, however, the tribes of the Garou span the globe, with its members spread thinly over large areas of influence. The Garou tribes each claim descent from the human peoples of particular geographic areas or demographic subset of human/wolf society. There were once sixteen tribes, but only thirteen remain servants of Gaia in the modern age. Twelve of these tribes form a great alliance known as the Garou Nation. They are:

Three tribes have been lost to Gaia: The Bunyip of Australia (destroyed in the War of Tears), the Croatan of North America (who sacrificed themselves to protect their homeland), and the White Howlers of Scotland, who were corrupted by the Wyrm and became the Black Spiral Dancers. A fourth tribe (the Stargazers) remains loyal to Gaia but have withdrawn from the Garou Nation.

[edit] Garou Litany

As a whole, the Garou Nation follow a set of rules called the Litany as listed here.

Garou Shall Not Mate with Garou Because of the deformities and psychoses displayed by metis werewolves (and the age-old prejudice correspondingly levied against metis), Garou are forbidden to mate with their own kind. Werewolves must instead seek mates amound either human or wolf society. This tenet embodies one of the great Garou tragedies; Moon Dancers often move audiences to tears with ballads of Garou who fell in love and could not express their passion - or who did and were torn to pieces by their outraged tribe.

Combat the Wyrm Wherever It Dwells and Whenever It Breeds The Garou were spawned, say the bards, to fight the Wyrm, and much of their early history comprises battles between their heroes and the Wyrm's minions. Most Garou pay at least lip service to this tradtion.

Respect the Territory of Another The practice of this portion of the Litany has changed over the last few centuries; humans have spread to the extent that urinating one's territorial marking has become impractical. Instead, a Garou visitor or immigrant must first ask permission by singing the Howl of Introduction, reciting name, sept, lineage, totem and tribe.

Accept an Honorable Surrender The Garou realize that they are a dwindling race and that intraspecies duels commonly occur. Realizing that continuous battles to the deat would only advance the Wyrm's cause the Children of Gaia and Fianna incorporated this element into the Litany. In theory, a Garou combatant may end a duel by exposing her throat; the opponent is honor-bound to accept the surrender. The loser suffers no reduction in Renown, although the winner may certainly gain Renown.

Submission to Those of Higher Station Garou's wolf nature practically enforces a hierarchical structure within their society. Thus the Garou have implemented the concepts of Renown and Rank. Within reason, any request by a Garou of higher Rank is to be obeyed.

The First Share of the Kill for the Greatest of Station This portion of the Litany is much favored by the Garou elders, as well as such tribes as the Silver Fangs and Shadow Lords; it is grudgingly acquiesced to by the rest. The "kill clause" also applies to the spoils of war - thus, in theory, the prey's most powerful fetishes and the like may be garnered by the Garou with the highest renown.

Ye Shall Not Eat the Flesh of Humans This portion of the Litany was first sung in the post-Impergium days; the Stargazers are believed to be responsible for its insertion. They noticed that Garou who routinely consumed human flesh often grew Wyrm-tainted; furthermore, cannibals had a hard time stalking and killing more challenging prey, such as woolly rhinos or Banes. Additionally, in these modern times, this rules serves a funtion similar to the "kosher" laws of the Hebrews; modern humans' chemical-laden diet makes their flesh bitter and unhealthy.

Respect for Those beneath Ye - All Are of Gaia Garou tend to think of themselves in communal terms, and they thus realize that most creatures have some sort of contribution to make toward the whole. When all is said and done, Garou were created to be the world's protectors. The chivalric ideal is much in vogue among some septs, and Garou who display a great deal of noblesse oblige may get Renown.

The Veil Shall Not Be Lifted This is perhaps the most inviolate portion of the Litany. There is no "reality" here - Garou are aware that both the Wyrm and the Inquisition hunt for them. Garou who disobey this edict die at the claws of their brethren.

Do Not Suffer Thy People to Tend Thy Sickness In ancient days, an injured, infirm or aged Garou was simply torn to pieces by his peers. As time went on, however, it came to be considered more dignified to let such a Garou end his own life.

The Leader May Be Challenged at Any Time during Peace Though Garou are known for their pack mentality, this does not mean they must slavishly obey their leaders. If no immediate threat is pending, Garou of sufficient standing may challenge another's position of leadership. A contest of some sort is usually staged. If the challenger wins, she assumes the mantle of leadership; if she loses, she must accept the leader's dictates with good grace.

The Leader May Not Be Challenged during Wartime Certain creatures of the Wyrm are monstrous in size and power, and no one Garou can best them. Pack tactics are vital to the Garou's success against such creatures, and obedience is vital to successful pack tactics. In battle, the word of the leader is immutable law. A Garou who disobeys a superior will be destroyed as soon as circumstances permit.

Ye Shall Take No Action That Causes a Caern to Be Violated Like the preceding clause about the Veil, this rule is fairly ironclad. The caerns are Gaia's lifeblood and if they are destroyed, the Garou will cease to exist. Even a Garou who accidentally leads an enemy to a caern is often severely punished.

[edit] Auspices

Garou society is divided into five auspices, or spiritual life-paths that a Garou is born with. They are tied to the phases of the Moon and considered gifts from Gaia's sister Luna. These auspices determine (to some extent) a Garou's Rage, or violent predatory instinct. The auspice system is one of the pillars of Garou society as it helps to describe social caste, predispositions, and calling. The auspices are:

Ragabash: Auspice of the new moon, the Trickster.
Theurge: Auspice of the crescent moon, the Seer and Shaman.
Philodox: Auspice of the half moon, the mediator.
Galliard: Auspice of the gibbous moon, the Bard.
Ahroun: Auspice of the full moon, the Warrior.

As a Garou performs deeds fitting with their auspice, they rise in rank in Garou society. While Garou can renounce their auspice and select another more suited to their true calling, this is a grave action, done only in cases where a Garou's auspice truly does not fit their destiny.

[edit] Spirituality

Garou are spiritual creatures. It is said that they once were animistic spirits themselves, and upon entering flesh they retained their spiritual affinities and pacts. The culture of the Garou nation is centered around venerating various spirits (every pack, sept, and tribe has its patron spirit or totem) that can help them in their war against the enemies of Gaia. While it is Theurges who deal with spirits most often, every werewolf has to deal with spirits, in order to gain favors and knowledge, and to learn Gifts, the quasi-magical powers of Garou.

The thematic conflicts of Werewolf: The Apocalypse is largely driven by a spiritual war being waged by the Triat, incarnations of the three aspects of reality:

Wyld is the force of primal creation and chaos
Weaver is the force of stability and stasis
Wyrm is the force of corruption, decay, and destruction.

[edit] The Creation Myth of Werewolf: The Apocalypse

According to Garou mythology created as backstory for the game:

In the beginning there were the three members of the Triat: the Wyld, the Weaver, and the Wyrm. They were balanced with one another in the beginning. Creation began with the Wyld. The Wyld is chaos and the vast endless of possibility, constantly swirling with change, shifting forms endlessly. From the Wyld's heedless creation came growth. Gaia sprang from the Wyld.

The Weaver, the embodiment of order, selected portions of creation from the Wyld and gave them structure; kept them from dissolving back into chaos at the moment of their birth. In doing so, the Weaver began to create the fabric of the universe - the Pattern Web.

The Wyrm was once the restorer of balance. Residing between the Pattern Web and the chaos of the Wyld, it ensuring that neither the order of the Weaver nor the chaos of the Wyld prevailed throughout reality, removing all that was not harmonious.

According to Garou myth, this was the true cosmological cycle of chaos, creation, and destruction. It lasted an eternity, but was ultimately shattered when the Weaver gained consciousness. The Garou disagree on exactly how this happened.

Regardless, the Weaver subsequently tried to spin the entire Wyld into full, patterned existence. The futility of such an impossible task drove the Weaver insane. In its desperation, the Weaver ensnared the Wyrm within the Pattern Web in its pursuit of the Wyld, in turn, driving the Wyrm insane as well.

Now the balance of pattern and chaos has been replaced by stagnation and decay, as the Weaver madly weaves its patterns unchecked or balanced, while the Wyrm, trapped within the Pattern Web, works to devour Gaia and destroy all of creation from the inside out. ^[1]

[edit] History

According to Garou oral history, it was always their duty to keep the balance in nature on behalf of Gaia. They did so by culling overgrown populaces, hunting too powerful predators that otherwise would rampage unchecked and fending off otherwordly spirits that overstepped their stance.

The formation of nations and cities was the first radical change wrought on the Garou by humanity. The Garou prevented it declaring the Impergium. During this period, Garou are credited with destroying large human cities and retarding the technological and scientific progress of the human race. Though the Impergium dates back to the Mythic Age before recorded history, humanity has retained an inborn fear of the Garou. Humans seeing Garou in their hybrid (Crinos) form may be struck with a condition known as Delirium, a state of panic and denial that has been largely responsible for modern humanity's disbelief of the existence of the Garou.

The Garou maintained an active role in the direction of humanity until the Industrial Revolution. During such time the Garou had taken to war with the other Fera dramatically recuding the numbers of the other shifters as well as completely destroying at least 3 Fera breeds, this time is known as the War of Rage. The overwhelming societal transformation of the Industrial Revolution weakened Gaia and pushed the Umbra away from terrestrial reality, giving it less influence over the world. This period was marked by the withdrawal and extinction of many spirit varieties, but also heralded the birth of new "urban" spirits (such as glass and electricity elementals). These changes were visible in the Umbral landscape, as sites associated with Gaia became fewer and weaker, while the Pattern Web of the Weaver and the corrupt influence of the Wyrm became more prominent.

As the defense of Gaia becomes more difficult, the Garou have found their tasks increasingly harder to perform. Once able to act as silent warriors and guides, many have been reduced to guerrilla tactics and monkeywrenching. These ill omens have led to a general consensus that an Apocalypse is nigh, in which a final desperate battle will be waged by all sides. In addition to discrete threats such as the Wyrm and its minions, Garou find themselves opposed to the faceless foe of general disinterest in Gaia. Environmental disasters and modern warfare have done considerable damage to Gaia in recent decades. This callousness is sometimes spread by the Wyrm itself (as best exemplified by the Pentex corporation, a global conglomerate dedicated to spreading the Wyrm's influence).

[edit] The Fera

Though the most widespread, Garou are not the only shapeshifters in the World of Darkness. The Fera (also called the Changing Breeds) is a term used by Garou to refer to other shapechangers. The affiliation of these other beings is not necessarily to Gaia, but by and large this is the case.