Kinfolk: Unsung Heroes (Werewolf: The Apocalypse Sourcebook)
Werewolves
The Garou are the wolves of Gaia, born of both human and spirit, cursed and blessed to walk between two worlds. They are warriors, guardians, and prophets bound to the natural order, forever struggling against the corruption of the Wyrm - the great force of decay that seeks to unravel creation. To mortals, they are the monsters of legend, half man and half beast, feared as demons or servants of the Devil. But in truth, they are the last defense of a world slipping into darkness.
Every Garou is shaped by the moon under which they were born. Ahroun, born of the full moon, are fierce warriors; Galliards, under the gibbous, keep lore in stories and song; Philodox, under the half moon, judge and balance; Theurges, under the crescent, speak with spirits; and Ragabash, under the new moon, serve as scouts and tricksters. Bound to their roles and to their Tribes, they are a people of fierce tradition - but also fierce division, for rivalries and ancient grudges tear at their unity even as the Wyrm advances.
To play a Garou is to embody fury, tragedy, and devotion. They are monsters feared by the world they defend, champions of a war that mortals cannot even perceive. They carry Gaia's hope in their claws and in their howls. In their struggle, the question is never whether they will bleed, but whether their sacrifice will be enough to keep the balance from breaking.
Occult Knowledge & Beliefs
Below is a summary of what Werewolves believe about other supernatural factions:
Changelings
Faeries are spirits of the natural world, given life by human imagination and the pure quiet places in the wilderness. Only the Fianna claim to have any kind of dealings with the Fae, and their accounts make little sense to the other tribes.
Any Garou players of the Fianna tribe may open a ticket with staff for clarification on their unique knowledge.
Kinain & Enchanted
Little is known about the Kinain except that, for some reason, they possess peculiar features and tend to be prone to the fantastical and the whimsical.
Virtually nothing is known about the Enchanted, only that they talk about seeing the sorts of things that would make other humans believe them to be insane.
Fera
This section is still being written. Check back soon!
Fera Kinfolk
This section is still being written. Check back soon!
Fomori
Fomori are not the typical humans who have chosen, unwittingly or willingly, to turn to the Wyrm.
They undergo a process similar to possession in which a Bane merges with them and warps them into a form more suitable to a Wyrm servant.
They gain great power, but it always comes at a price. Nearly all Fomori are physically deformed, mindless cannibals who lurk near toxic sites, plague-ridden villages, poisoned stretches of wilderness or forgotten catacombs or ruins tunnels.
Some retain a semblance of sapience, free will and a near-human appearance, and these few infiltrate human society on the Wyrm's behalf.
The Fomor retains his personality and consciousness, but his fusion with a malevolent spirit warps his psyche in very nasty ways. If the person was already corrupt, violent or insane, the resulting monster is truly psychotic.
Hunters
Several loose networks exist to root out and destroy or learn about supernatural beings.
Hunters tend to view the supernatural through the lens of their own beliefs - whether religious, moral, or pragmatic - seeing creatures of the night as something wrong that needs to be put down. The reasoning varies; the intent rarely does.
Very few hunters pursue werewolves - not out of any sympathy for the Garou cause, but simply because few have the will and fortitude necessary to face a Crinos werewolf one-on-one. Additionally, hunters tend to operate in towns and settlements, where they can find their preferred quarry, and are simply unlikely to encounter werewolves there.
Wraiths & Risen
Some Wraiths bear Wyrm-taint, but it doesn't seem to correspond to how malicious or destructive the animating spirit may be.
Since Wraiths are not spirits of the Triat (all three forces of which are tied to the living universe), it's difficult to judge how one will act or react based on what a simple Gift may sense.
Knowledgeable Silent Striders say that malicious spirits of the dead have somehow crossed into the lands of the living and claimed bodies of their own, but no one is certain of the cause.
The truth is, most Garou see walking corpses as an aberration that should be corrected as quickly as possible. Werewolves simply don't hold to a cosmology that accepts the right of walking dead things to exist.
Mediums
Little is known about these peculiar mortals except that, for some reason, they claim to see, hear, and speak with spirits not of the Triat.
Vampires
Werewolves typically feel that the only good Leech is a Leech that's been burned to ashes, and the ashes scattered to the four winds.
Where most Garou prefer the open wilderness, vampires are creatures of the city, and the Garou often blame them for unchecked invasion of urban centers deeper and deeper into previously untamed wilderness.
Vampires survive and thrive on human blood, and they could not survive in the wilderness even if it were not for the werewolves ready to slaughter them at the first sign of intrusion.
Vampires are far from defenseless. The blood they steal from humans grants them an amazing variety of powers unique to them. It makes them much faster and stronger, especially if they've fed recently.
Vampires frenzy like Garou if presented with sufficient provocation such as insult, threat to life and limb, or humiliation.
Vampires suffer grievous wounds from werewolf claws and teeth, from fire, and from the sun itself.
Ghouls
Little is known about the thralls of vampires, aside from the fact that they seem to follow the commands of the Leeches with little to no resistance, even to their own detriment.
Kinfolk
Kinfolk are the blood of the Garou, the human and wolf relatives of the werewolves who carry the spark of Gaia without the full fury of the change. They are the bridges between worlds, connected to the Garou by lineage and spirit, yet never destined to take on the mantle of shapeshifters, themselves. Though they lack the Rage and Auspices of their true-blood kin, Kinfolk are far from ordinary: their bond to Gaia gives them faint echoes of spiritual power no mere human or wolf could attain.
Human Kinfolk often live closer to the land and the rhythms of nature than their neighbors, touched by something in their blood that sets them apart from the masses. Wolf Kinfolk, though beasts in form, are marked by uncanny insight, intelligence, and closeness to humankind. Both breeds straddle a line, belonging wholly to neither world, but essential to the survival of the Garou. Without Kinfolk, the werewolves would wither - they are allies, family, and the only bloodlines through which new generations of Garou may be born.
To play a Kinfolk is to embrace quiet significance. They are not the warriors chosen by Luna, but they are no less vital. Some are willing supporters of the Garou, giving their lives to the cause. Others resent the weight of their blood and struggle against it, seeking freedom from a war they never chose. In every case, Kinfolk show that even those without claws or Rage can shape the fate of Gaia.
Occult Knowledge & Beliefs
Below is a summary of what Kinfolk believe about other supernatural factions, depending on whether they are kenning or callow:
Kenning Kinfolk
Kenning Kinfolk are typically taught what their Garou brethren know in an effort to better avoid trouble and/or defend themselves in time of need. See the above section on werewolf beliefs about the supernatural.
Callow Kinfolk
Callow kinfolk, with little to no awareness of their own heritage, know and believe only what other humans know of the supernatural. This can change if your character learns of their heritage on screen (thus changing from callow to kenning), depending on what other Kenning Kinfolk and/or Garou share with the character.