Red Talons (Werewolf: The Apocalypse)
Werewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game from the World of Darkness line by White Wolf Game Studio. This time, players take upon the roles of Garou, raging Werewolf and wage holy war defending Gaia the Mother Earth from overwhelming corruption.
Werewolf depiction
Werewolves depicted in the game aren't mindless rabid monstrosites but sacred warriors - Garou - chosen by Gaia to die for her if need be. As history goes, eons ago they were spirits of nature embodied into changing flesh. They were meant to be guardians of Nature's balance and warders of men.
Lycanthropy is not some strange affliction but heritage. While it is not said that child of werewolf will become werewolf himself, for sure that child retains Garou heritage so that it can show up in him, his children or grandchildren. Werewolf family members that have the heritage but is not Garou is called kinfolk - be it wolven or human.
Garou mingle characteristics of humans (intelligence and toolmaking) with that of animals (pack mentality, instincts, closeness to Nature). Of course they can change their shape - indeed they have 5 forms: Homid (human), Glabro (monstrous human), Crinos (true werewolf), Hispo (monstrous wolf) and Lupus (wolf). They generally can change shapes at will, but at times they become overcomed with rage inherent to their nature and are forced to assume Crinos form, rampaging blindly.
They are drawn from both human society and wolven populace. They commonly leave their former society (especially human) to live with their kin, living modern primitive life close to nature.
Garou society
Werewolves are not solitary creatures. They live in packs (like wolves do) and also in septs and tribes. Garou tribes are just like human tribes: a community of members sharing common lineage, traditions, rites and values.
The Garou societes are divided into system of auspices and ranks. Every Garou is expected to fit its role in society according to its auspice and station. As Garou are spiritual beings they recognize and revere spirits, especially Luna, the spirit of Moon. It is the Moon that destines a Garou to given auspice:
Following Tribes exist:
Once there were other tribes, namely Bunyip, Croatan and White Howlers, but they have all either perished or betrayed Gaia.
Spiritual perspective
Garou are spiritual creatures. It is said that they once were spirits themselves and upon entering flesh they retained their spiritual affinities and pacts. Thus their culture is centered around venerating various spirits (every pack, sept, and tribe has its patron spirit or totem) that can help them in their holy war. While Garou society has its Theurges, every werewolf has to deal with spirits - they heal, assist in war and finally - teach Gifts, quasi-magical powers every Garou can employ.
But only Theurges deal with spirits on a daily basis - it is their role to parley with them, tend to totems, passing their wisdom and ask for guidance.
Finally it is their role to preserve the fundamental truth about universum and Garou role in it.
What are that truths? The truth is that it was civilization of men that caused downfall of Nature. With the neolith, the permanent instability in spirit world was introduced. The Triat of mighty spirits ruling the world: Wyld the Wild Creator, Weaver the Form Maker and Wyrm the Destroyer that once managed the creation in harmony were thrown off the balance. The Weaver strenghtened and yearned to entangle whole world with the web of Form. So she strangled the Wyrm so that he couldn't undo her workings. And Wyrm went mad and began blindly destroying and corrupting. That was the root of present times misery - while form-bringing civilization expanded it was inevitably corrupt.
Next men formed nations and cities. It was the werewolves duty to ward and cull them as necessary. Impergium was enacted, werewolves destroying biggest and most blasphemous dwellings of men. It ended, but men still fear the werewolves at subconscious level - when human sees Garou in its true (Crinos) form, the human is struck with Delirium, his mind covering with panic, refusing to accept what he've seen.
Garou upheld their role with glee until industial revolution. Then Gaia began to surrender before encroaching Wyrm and world of spirit, the Umbra, became more distant. Moreover, much of spirits of nature became extinct along with sacred sites they inhabited, the other spirits became corrupt. Even Umbral landscape - the spiritual residue that surrounds all the matter - became polluted, producing malignant Bane spirits that urge humans to revel in wicked and immoral activities so that they further the cause of Wyrm.
At this point Garou began to lose. Entire growing human populace - depraved and resourceful as they are - were against them. Glorious heroes became guerilla warriors hoping nothing more but worthy death in battle for Gaia. Battle that no Garou hopes to be won.
Apocalypse
Present times are hostile both to Gaia and to spirituality - so to Garou as well. Humans have severely devastated and poisoned their environment and with it they became sick themselves. They produced prone to corruption governments that eradicate whole cultures and corporations that urge the governments to allow them more opportunity to grow rich on harming the environment.
And while humans need little help to do this, the Wyrm has its special agents here to pave the way for human entrepreneurship. This agents take varied forms: there are human cultists that manage vile Pentex corporation, deranged and mutated fomori to deal with minor threats to Wyrm and finally mad Black Spiral Dancers werewolves (former White Howlers) to deal with Garou.
As if it were not enough, the omens announce doom, the Apocalypse, when all the Garou will perish in final battle and Wyrm will be triumphant.
Out-of-game Summary
Werewolf: the Apocalypse is sometimes accused of being dark game that gives the player the opportunity to play the monster and revel in violence. While it is generally true (of course it can be played like mindless hack-and-slash) the accusers fail to notice that Werewolf is really about humans and their culture.
It is about role and need of spirituality in life, contrasting spiritual life of Garou with emptiness of modern culture and often corrupt ways of modern human. Also it reminds that spirituality begins at home - every individual has its roots, heritage and traditional wisdom of ancestors. Moreover he belongs to community that both needs and supports him and expects some dedicated work. While Werewolf depicts tribal society, this it true and needed in modern societes as well, where seemingly corrupt authorities discourage citizen activity and individuals without roots are loosing their moral guidance and place in society and became prone to corruption and being hapless pawn of higher powers.
Werewolf just uses supernatural to exaggerate things so as to better show that themes.
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