Werewolf: The Forsaken

The Hunt Continues
Werewolf: The Forsaken Daily
Posted: 2005-01-28

FRIDAY 1/28
Who Hunts the Hunters?

This week we take a look at the worst enemies of the Forsaken — those other werewolves who hunt them. Almost every strength the Forsaken have is turned against them by their fiercest enemies, the Pure.

MONDAY 1/24 UPDATE

Debts of Blood and Fury — Thousands of years ago, according to the teachings of the Forsaken, most of the First Pack of Uratha rose up and slew Father Wolf — but not all. The descendants of these werewolves do not consider themselves Forsaken; they levy the guilt of Father Wolf's murder entirely on the descendants of his killers. They call themselves the Pure and believe that the world will not be healed until the Forsaken have been scourged from it.

The Pure Tribes hold a great deal of territory across the world, just as the Tribes of the Moon do. They can be found at the center of an urban hellhole, or in the stark heart of the wilderness, and seem to have a great contempt for the human race. The Pure are said to collectively outnumber the Forsaken, and many a scarred pack has reason to believe this is true.

The Pure Tribes have a different relationship with the spirit world than the Forsaken do — and have different and stronger allies. According to the legends, the Pure seek to reestablish the supremacy of the lords of the Shadow Realm, forging a new Pangaea where humanity once more knows its role under the spirit kings — something that pleases the spirits greatly. If the Pure have a weakness, it's that they don't possess the favor of Mother Luna. They have no auspices, perhaps because, in their arrogance, they were never offered her blessing.

The Pure have three tribes: the Fire-Touched, the Ivory Claws, and the Predator Kings.

TUESDAY 1/25 UPDATE

Fire-Touched (Izidakh)

The Fire-Touched are the spiritual leaders of the Pure Tribes, getting their name from the ugly brands on their pelts. They label the Forsaken heretics who venerate Luna when they should have honored Father Wolf. As long as a single descendant of Father Wolf's murderers remains alive and unrepentant, they say, the bloodstain on their race will never be forgiven. Despite their zealotry, Fire-Touched are happy to accept converts from among the Uratha. Indeed, when they choose to address their prey as a preface to a feud, their words are carefully twisted appeals that can strike doubt into the hearts of the Forsaken.

Totem: The Fire-Touched follow Rabid Wolf, and their Gifts draw on the power of disease and religious conviction.

Tribal Ban: Rabid Wolf's ban is that he may not let a false statement lie. The Izidakh must challenge lies the moment they are uttered, even if doing so forces them to lose face in front of other werewolves.

WEDNESDAY 1/26 UPDATE

Ivory Claws (Tzuumfin)

Where the Fire-Touched rage with passion and fanaticism, the Ivory Claws are almost cold in their fury. They seem to possess the greatest foresight among the Pure and are frequently the ones who make the farthest reaching plans. They are the Pure most prone to maintain some semblance of a human life, though the humans who fall under their power are said to endure dire fates. They are the "purest of the pure" and only those with strong bloodlines rise to positions of power and influence among the Tzuumfin. Power passes hereditarily among them, rather than being based on merit through challenges, as it is with the Forsaken.

Totem: The Ivory Claws follow Silver Wolf, a harsh and haughty purist who will not accept a pledge of service and brotherhood from any werewolf who has served "Luna's weaklings."

Tribal Ban: The Ivory Claws use blood magic of their own to discern a werewolf's lineage. If the recruit descends from the Forsaken, rather than a Pure werewolf, she is not permitted to join the Ivory Claws. Only the "purest of the pure" are granted Silver Wolf's Gifts of blood absolution.

THURSDAY 1/27 UPDATE

Predator Kings (Ninna Farakh)

The Predator Kings are primitive monsters who vehemently eschew the soft human lives of modern convenience. They routinely hunt down opponents as enormous, ferocious dire wolves, and stand as the most feared warriors of the Pure Tribes. Even their allies give them plenty of room once a fight begins. Unlike the other Pure, the Predator Kings do not hate the Forsaken for the alleged slaying Father Wolf — anything that cannot defend itself has no innate right to live. What the Predator Kings cannot forgive is the loss of the hunter's paradise that was Pangaea. Generally they seem to follow the Ivory Claws' lead, but it's uncertain as to whether the Ivory Claws could actually truly control the Predator Kings if it came to it.

Totem: The Predator Kings follow Dire Wolf, oldest and most savage of the Firstborn.

Tribal Ban: Dire Wolf's ban is that he may not choose to touch anything made by the hand of humans except to destroy it. His children suffer a less stringent ban, but still tend to wear only clothes they have made themselves — often from the skins of prey.

FRIDAY 1/28 UPDATE

The Bale Hounds (Asah Gadar)

Impure and Insidious — The Pure aren't the only werewolves who plague the Forsaken. Indeed, a cancer grows within the Tribes of the Moon, a malignancy called the Ashah Gadar — the Bale Hounds. Not a tribe in any traditional sense, the Bale Hounds have sworn allegiance to spirit patrons darker in nature than even the most savage wolf-spirit.

Nature is fundamentally flawed, the Bale Hounds say, because the darkest emotions are the deepest and strongest within the human heart. In a sensible and just universe, positive, creative emotions would be the strongest emotions a human or werewolf could feel. But that is not the way of the world — the conceptual spirits of pain, rage, hatred and lust are far more numerous than the spirits of unadulterated love, joy or mercy. The Bale Hounds want to be on the winning side, and so bow before the unspeakable lords of these negative aspects of the world, mighty spirits who grow ever stronger as the soul of humanity decays.

They move subtly among the Uratha. Where they pass, more murders break out each year. More people commit suicide. Families self-destruct. A thick, corrupt perfume follows in their wake, along with the whispered word "Succumb." But the marks of their allegiance are invisible to all but their own. The depths of their cruelty and loathing are hidden behind the healthy strength of their gaze. They could be anywhere.

Next Week: Secrets of Lycanthropy — Next week, we look at some more details of the Uratha condition. Just what is Death Rage? How deadly is silver?