(This page is tribes of the moon and was redirected from Forsaken)

Tribes of the Moon

Bonds of the Soul: Tribes

This story is true.

After the death of Father Wolf, the People had to take his place to keep the things of the spirit world from enforcing their rule on the flesh. But although Father Wolf had lost the strength and wisdom he needed to fulfill his role, the first packs were not yet strong enough to match him in his prime. We needed more strength to hold our own, and we needed to prove ourselves worthy of respect as well as fear.

Our father had sired children on female wolf-spirits only slightly less avidly than he had sired our own ancestors on Mother Luna. So the packs went to the spirit children of Father Wolf. The Firstborn among them had seen Father Wolf’s decline, and though they couldn’t love the Uratha for taking his death upon ourselves, most of them knew our purpose.

But they were Incarnae, and proud. They wouldn’t show their bellies to half-flesh wolves, no matter who their race’s mother had been. If they were to give us their patronage, we would have to fight for it.

So we did, pouring out our hearts’ blood. Many valiant children of Mother Luna died in the struggle, but we proved ourselves. Fenris Wolf, the destroyer, was bested in battle. The elusive Black Wolf was tracked to his den. Death Wolf was summoned with the strongest rites. Winter Wolf was brought to heel, and Red Wolf was made to swear an oath even he could not wriggle free of.

With the patronage of our half-brothers and half-sisters, we were now more than ever before. We were tribes.

What is a tribe?

Tribes among the Uratha are not like tribes among primitive humans. They aren’t tied together by blood, although blood ties within tribes are common. A particular tribe doesn’t claim a particular patch of land as a tribal home, nor do its members roam as a group across the steppe in search of fertile resources. Uratha tribes have neither acknowledged chieftains nor strong political structures — they don’t seem to need them. For example, although the Blood Talons were scattered across the world and separated by oceans, their tribal totem watched over each new generation of his children. All the children of Fenris were aware they had cousins even unto the ends of the earth. They didn’t know exactly who or where those cousins were, but they knew they weren’t alone. American werewolves did have lodges unseen in Europe, and vice versa, but otherwise the tribes remained remarkably unified despite their separation.

Two characteristics define werewolf tribes. First, all members of a Forsaken tribe follow the same one of five powerful Incarnae, said to be the spirit children of Father Wolf. These totems, called the Firstborn, look over modern Uratha tribes as elder siblings.

Secondly each tribal totem has a unique ban just as all spirits do. The totem’s ban informs its outlook and way of life, and it’s frequently reflected in the vow that binds it to its tribe, and its tribe members to one another. The tribal totems are all at least half-siblings with one another. They cooperate in the largest things but scuffle with one another over lesser issues. They are frequently rivals for status or particular treasures, but they also form factions. The various points of cooperation and rivalry among the totems are reflected within the Tribes of the Moon, even causing strains within individual packs. It is fair to say, however, that no rivalry among the totems of the Uratha is strong enough to do permanent damage to a pack’s internal loyalties.

Those strong bonds don’t exist between the Tribes of the Moon and the Pure Tribes. Cooperation occasionally occurs, but no packs exist that include both Forsaken and Pure. If two totem spirits on opposite sides of that divide happen to have a strong interest in common, they might encourage their tribes to cooperate. Any such cooperation is in the short term only, though, and likely to end in betrayal, as the mutual antagonism between the two groups is too great to be overcome even by great affection between totem wolves. The Pure Tribes’ culture of hate is simply too poisonous.

The proper choice of tribe resonates in a werewolf’s heart — sympathy for a particular totem, agreement with its goal, willingness to adhere to its vow and even a certain affinity for the other members of a tribe. The choice of tribe is the choice of how best to live up to the legacy of Father Wolf, and the bond of a tribal totem connects the souls of all those who share that choice.

Tribes teach specific philosophies and specific pacts with specific spirits, and they generally try to follow specific paths to knowledge, wisdom, renown and power. They also exhort their members to follow tribal agendas and their totems’ bans in order to make the world a better place — at least, a better place for the People.

• Blood Talons
• Bone Shadows
• Hunters in Darkness
• Iron Masters
• Storm Lords

ANST Desktop ~ Enemies ~ Events ~ Places ~ Resources ~ the Spirit Courts ~ Tales ~ Venue Style Sheets ~ Who's Who

Edit this page