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Oz awoke at what he assumed was right after dawn, with just a touch of a hangover. It was cold being the middle of November. He was thankful for Hope's suggestion of keeping his cloths under his covers. He did his best to get dressed while still underneath. Remembering that a lot of people went barefoot last night, he decided to forgo his socks and shoes despite the cold.
Leaving the yurt he could see a low mist drifting through the glade. Thankfully it was not raining. He noticed that there was a cook pot over the fire pit, being tended by Wendy, the girl who introduced herself first last night.
"Good morning Oz!" She said cheerfully.
"Oh, a morning person, lovely" Oz said to himself. "Hey."
"There's oatmeal in the pot. Over on the table are butter and honey and some spring water. Help yourself."
Others were about as well. John and Hope emerged from the yurt. Oz could see some Garou in wolf form running about. One had a rabbit in his jaws, apparently wanting something besides oatmeal for breakfast.
"Good morning Oz."
Oz turned and saw Grandmother approaching him, a smile on her face."
"Good morning." He replied.
"I hope you had a good night's sleep. Today we shall begin your instruction. It promises to be a nice day weather wise, so we might as well do this outdoors. I've a couple of chairs outside my cabin," She pointed Oz to where they were. "We'll perhaps be more comfortable in them then on the ground. When you've finished your breakfast, go and bring them by the fire if you would, and then we shall begin." She then went to help herself to breakfast.
Nodding to her, Oz finished the last of his bowl and retrieved the chairs. They were made of wood, curved X's, with leather backs and seats, and pillows for cushions. Oz placed them on the upwind side of the fire pit.
Grandmother sat down and indicated Oz should do the same.
"The Garou society is a very formal one. Social interaction within our society relies on a complex system of rank and hierarchy. Every individual Garou is evaluated by where she stands in an intricate pecking order of Pack, Sept and Tribe. Since every Garou knows the intricacies of hierarchy, any violation of this order is obvious to all. If a Garou acts out of his station without good reason, he or she is punished appropriately."
"The actual punishment varies by Sept and tribe, but it can range from a harsh beating to a short period of lowered status. In most cases, it is resolved in challenges. If the accused feels she acted with good reason, she must convince the other of her Sept. Most often the resolution is handled through the challenge or the Council's interaction."
"Challenges are also used to reach a higher station, by making a formal challenge to the one who holds the station you seek. They can also be used to resolve minor crimes and discrepancies that don't violate Garou law. The conflicting parties engage in a challenge, with the defender choosing the specific method of contest. For those situations in which it is unclear which Garou is the wronged one, the Council of Elders declares the type of challenge. The challenge itself is considered an appropriate punishment."
"We have numerous rites and laws which you need to be familiar with. The most important of those is The Litany."
"The Litany is the core of Garou law. There are 13 tenets, from which grow all of the Garou tradition and ceremony. While the laws themselves are relatively simple, the applications become very complex. For each tenet there are hundreds of stories, histories and parables to help with interpretation and application. These combined stories form the Silver Record, the living history and mythology of the Garou Nation."
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 Submission to Those of Higher Station The First Share of the Kill for the Greatest in Station Ye Shall Not Eat the Flesh of Humans Respect for All Those Beneath Ye The Veil Shall Not Be Lifted 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"Hopefully most of these are self explanatory. There are two however, which probably are not. The first is "Garou shall not Mate with Garou." This is due to Garou genetics. Our gene pool is surprisingly shallow. When two Garou mate, the result is almost always what we call a Metis or mule. A mutation. It usually has one or more deformities, making it difficult to survive in our world. Some tribes kill them at birth to spare them."
"To increase our numbers, Garou mate with either a human or a wolf. The birth rate from such unions is usually only 1 or 2 out of 10, hence the few numbers of Garou in the world. Garou whose mothers are human are considered Homids, and their human form is most natural to them. Garou whose mothers are wolves are considered Lupus and so it follows that their wolf form is most natural to them."
"When a particular clan of humans or wolves appears to breed Garou more successfully, the Garou tribe usually tries to keep them close, even make themselves known to them. These we consider Kinfolk. It is one of a Garou's duties to protect their kinfolk. Sometimes, because of the nature of human and animal migration throughout the world, kinfolk can become lost to us. We suspect that your family may be one such lost group. Part of your Rite of Passage will be to discover if this is true."
"The second thing I must further explain is "The Veil". The Veil is what protects us from Humans. If the truth about us were known to the general human populous, an inquisition would be launched to hunt us down and destroy us. A single Garou could handle 10 or even 20 humans easily. But there are hundreds of thousands of them to our one. And they would not be armed with Tooth and Claw. They'd have guns and other such weaver tools. We wouldn't stand a chance. Yet, we are charged with protecting them from the Wyrm! Some Garou still have trouble reconciling that."
"Beyond that there are rites and gifts that you will learn as time progresses. Some of these are simple blessings, calling upon the spirits. Others are tools we use to hunt down and destroy our enemy, the Wyrm."
"Gaia, our Mother, was whole once. The forces of Creation; known as the Wyld, Organization; known as the Weaver and Destruction; known as the Wyrm were in dynamic balance. Each striving for ascendance but unified in a perfect, undivided whole. It is said that Weaver mis-set her webs, trying to control the Wyld and instead ensnaring the Wyrm, causing the balance to be broken. Gaia then created the werewolves - Garou - and charged us with defending her from a Weaver without control and a Wyrm gone mad."
"The Garou are creatures of the Wyld. The Wyld represents nature, all things that come from Gaia, life itself. The Wyld is also chaotic, always changing, evolving."
"The Weaver represents Man's influence on the Wyld, attempting to make order out of Chaos. Computers, science, logic, and mathematics are examples of the Weaver's influence on the material plane. The Industrial Revolution almost destroyed Gaia, but we helped her survive."
"The Wyrm represents entropy, or decay. These are normal processes of life. Things are born, they live and they die. But somewhere along the way, this natural process became corrupted. It seeks to accelerate the process of decay and to bring all into its realm. Toxic wastes, pollution, all of these are manifestations of the Wyrm. This is what the Garou were created to fight."
"The Wyrm has many faces, but its biggest incarnation is the Pentex Corporation. A holding company for many other large organizations, it seeks to corrupt the Wyld in any way it can. It has already done so with the Weaver. The Garou consider most products of the Weaver to be Wyrm-tainted. But one cannot function in this world without using at least some part of the Weaver, so we consider it a necessary evil."
"I feel safe in saying that your Hellmouth also has some relation to the Wyrm. The presence of a Black Spiral Dancer there is certainly a sign that I'm correct."
Grandmother continued for a while, talking about other rites and ceremonies the Garou hold, until she announced it was time to break for lunch. Oz was fascinated. He'd listened to her for hours and did not even notice the passage of time.
Lunch was a beef stew, prepared by Conn himself. He kept telling people he didn't trust anyone else to make it right. Stew was probably the wrong term though. Stew was usually vegetables with some meat. This was meat with some vegetables. Oz was surprised to learn it was not beef; it was venison with some lamb thrown in. He'd never had either before. It was delicious.
After lunch, Grandmother decided they'd continue the lesson while taking a hike around the Caern. After sitting all morning she wanted to stretch her legs. She told Oz to put on his shoes. "A little at a time dear, you can't "go native" overnight, those city bred feet of yours won't take it."
Oz had a question when they started out. "Grandmother, what about silver?"
She smiled and replied "Ah, one of the supernatural threats to Garou is the moon-metal, silver. In small quantities, it will cause a Garou to itch. Long-term exposure to large quantities of silver may cause madness, though that is debated amongst the Theurges. However, silver-coated weapons generally don't cause any more harm than a non-coated weapon. Some specialized preparation is necessary, and those skills are only known to a few Theurges. The work is dangerous, for a misstep could cause grave injuries."
"In addition, even though silver weapons can be used to great effect against Black Spiral Dancers, they can just as easily be used against other Garou - in some septs, possession of a silver weapon is even considered to be a violation of the Litany."
"Many we've done battle with have tried shotgun shells filled with silver dimes, which won't work past the physical damage and neither will a squirt gun filled with silver nitrate. I've heard someone tried that on Conn once and he almost laughed to death as he bashed the creature's skull in. Silver tableware won't do much good either. If you want a silver weapon, you need to take a properly made one away from someone who has it or talk to a Garou silversmith to see if she'll make you one."
"Another thing you'll discover during your Right of Passage is what Auspice you were born under. As you now well by now, the Garou have a strong connection to Luna, the Moon Spirit."
Oz groaned and nodded.
"You'll learn how to overcome that particular problem Oz, never fear. The Four Winds gifted the Garou with the power to change forms, to channel their passion and power, and to walk amongst the spirits. Luna, Gaia's sister, gifted them with her knowledge, both a strength and a curse as the moon waxes and wanes. Thus empowered, the Garou have done their duty ever since. What I was referring to was what phase of the moon you were born under. This will generally define your roll or position in Garou society, called your Auspice."
"Those born under the new moon are known the Tricksters or Ragabash. Much like the court jesters of Medieval Europe, the Ragabash brings wisdom and enlightenment through his tricks and pranks. He is tolerated, if not understood and looked at as a necessary nuisance and given pretty much free reign - but of course while still obeying the Litany."
"A Theurge or Seer is born under the Crescent Moon. No other Garou is so attuned to the Umbra or spirit world. By the sword like sliver of Luna's light, Theurges peer into the darkness of inner and outer mystery, much like Shamans of ancient cultures they are touched, aloof and mysterious. He often keeps to himself, talking to the spirits - he is the diviner, the planner, the thinker and the visionary. They guide the tribe through the mysteries that present themselves."
A Philodox is the Keeper of the Ways and is born under the half moon. As the half moon is the straddled split between light and dark, the Philodox straddles the line drawn between wolf and man. He is a mediator, and his honor is beyond question. Philodoxs often make good Sept leaders as befits their wisdom.
"A Galliard or Moon Dancer is born under the Gibbous Moon. They act as the lore keepers, the entertainers, the artists and the singers of old tales and new ways. Moon Dancers are the soul of the pack; they raise the other's spirits and remind them of what they are fighting for. They are fueled with the blazing passion of Luna."
"Cool" he replied. Oz hoped it turned out he was a Galliard. He often thought of himself as an artist more then a musician. It would be cool to know it was his destiny of sorts.
"Finally Oz, we have the Ahroun or warrior. Born under the full moon, The Ahroun is the vessel of Luna's rage, the talons of Gaia's fury. He is the slayer, the mad man-wolf, Rage incarnate, blood is his wine and war is his pleasure. Should he live long enough, wisdom will guide the Ahroun's hand, and nothing is more dangerous than an elder Ahroun. He is the hero of the Garou, the warrior of legend. Among all tribes, even the moderately level-headed ones, he is known for his bad temper. He does not fear death, but embraces it as a warrior's due."
"Your new friends Conn and Krieg are such. You've not seen them in action yet, but it is both wonderful and terrible to behold. Krieg is cold, precise. His anger fuels his rage and no foe escapes him. Conn on the other hand fights with reckless abandon, singing as he kills! His passion fills him. He's been known to jump in pits and over precipices without knowing what was on the other side. Some have called him an "Adrenaline Junkie" because of it. Sometimes I think he's part Ragabash. Conn is a force of nature in his own right. Other Ahrouns give him a wide berth in battle as he reaps a swath of destruction around him."
They spoke the rest of the day of the 13 tribes which make up the Garou society and their relations with one another. The Fianna, Get of Fenris, Children of Gia and others. These dynamics confused and angered him. It seemed that the Garou spent almost as much time fighting between themselves as they did fighting the Wyrm.
As the sun began to set, they made their way back to the Glen. This time Conn had a deer on a spit, which must have been roasting since they left. John had his guitar out and was playing a simple tune. Oz approached Hope.
"Hi Oz, how goes school!"
"Great, I've learned a lot so far. I've been meaning to ask you something though. Given the Garou view on humans and mages, how did you guys hook up with Derrick?"
"Hah, that's quite a story. Come on, I'll tell it around the fire so the rest can hear."
As they approach, Conn was starting to serve up the Venison. They took their portion and dug in. The assembled Garou made short work of the carcass. As plates were cleared, Hope stood up.
"Oz has requested a story and I'm only glad to tell it. It's the story of how the Red Moon Pack came West and met up with their Mage friend."
Most of the gathered Sept applauded and took a seat around the fire. They'd obviously heard this before and were looking forward to it again. Conn groaned and said "Not that one!"
Krieg slapped him on the back a few times. "Relax you don't come off too bad when she tells it!" Laughter came from all around.
Hope began to tell the story of the Red Moon packs first adventures together, which began in New Jersey of all places. While eating at a typical American fast-food restaurant, Conn discovered that there was a Bane spirit inhabiting the broiler that the burgers were cooked on. It was tainting the burgers; eat enough of them and you'd eventually turn into a Fomori, a corrupted minion of the Wyrm.
So Conn being Conn, he killed the stove. The problem was he didn't go into the Umbra to attack the Bane spirit; he just went after the stove! It was quite a sight, seeing the Mighty Conn hammering away at it. They barely made it out before the Police arrived. Conn then made it his mission to destroy all burger broilers. Quite a foe for a Garou who when in Crinos form was over 11 feet tall and weight over 2000 pounds!
A Wyrm creature was still worth killing tough, and the pack convinced Conn that doing this one stove at a time would never work. They decided to find the source. That turned out to be a factory in Kansas. It was as they were making their run against that factory that they met Derrick.
Derrick was not physically there, he was hacked into the facilities security system. The place made more than broilers apparently. It was also a laboratory for the Technocracy, which was also in league with Pentex, hence the Wyrm. Derrick was raiding the facilities data stores when he noticed the Garou coming in.
From the outside the place looked like any other factory. But due to the labs inside it had elaborate physical security that was cleverly hidden. The pack would have been cut to shreds had Derrick not interfered and disabled the exterior sensors. He followed the pack through their attack, opening doors for them, closing others in front of their foes, and finally warning them over the PA when reinforcements were arriving.
Derrick contacted them later. He liked the way they fought, and they appreciated the help. Given their missions in life, Derrick's to harass the Technocracy and the Pack's to harass Pentex, a mutual trust was arrived at that eventually led to a close working relationship. It also helped that Derrick was rich and could fund their exploits.
Other stories began to be told, some humorous, some not. Songs of past deeds were sung, and songs of remembrance. Conn's brews appeared again and everyone had their fill. Eventually Oz began to get the feeling that this was where he belonged. He'd always felt like sort of an outsider, even when running with the Scooby gang. Now he felt at home, and it was a nice feeling to have.
Everyone eventually headed to their beds. Tomorrow promised rain one of the Theurges said, so even Conn came in for some cover. He changed in to his full wolf form, which was still huge by comparison, and curled up inside his lean-too. Oz drifted off to sleep, thinking of what the future would hold.
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TBC