Werewolf: The Forsaken - Blank It

258
Appendix I: The Spirit World
convenient locus through which to return to the material
realm. The trouble is that the spirit wilds can be far more
dangerous than their physical counterpart, and the Uratha
have few allies there.
SHOALS
Negativity isn’t just a subjective human concept. Some
actions and their spiritual repercussions are so damaging to
the fabric of the world that they actually start to unravel
it. These pools of negativity, of destructive spirits and
nihilistic taint are known as shoals. An unwary werewolf
might wander into one of these areas without knowing it,
but the shoal quickly makes itself felt. The landscape becomes
gray and sketchy, as if it were half-drawn. The spirits
within it are listless and unresponsive, seemingly preferring
their own company. That same mood of bleakness begins
to overcome the travelers, who drift away from each other.
Soon, they lose interest in their destination and become
unwilling to move. Depression and introspection creep over
them. The longer the travelers remain within the shoal, the
harder it is for them to leave.
System: For his character to leave a shoal, the player
must roll the character’s Resolve + Composure. A success
allows the character to leave. A failure prevents departure,
and the next roll is made with a –1 dice modifier, which
builds cumulatively. Once the player runs out of dice, the
character can only be extracted from the shoal by being
physically dragged from it. Even crossing the Gauntlet
won’t help. The spiritual tendrils of the shoal are too deep
into the character’s psyche.
GLADES
There are also rare positive areas within the spirit
wilds as well, formed at places where resonance of
growth, healing, peace and friendship gathers. Great
Helios and Mother Luna seem to shine brighter in such
places. The worries of the world sink into a smaller
proportion and friendships come to seem more important
to travelers within a glade than whatever troubles and
disagreements might plague them. Most people within a
glade find it almost impossible to fight except in self-defense.
If they do come under attack, the terrain and combat
always seems to favor the defender over the aggressor.
These havens within the Shadow are incredibly
rare these days, though there are legends of them being
more numerous when Father Wolf lived. Some packs of
werewolves see creating a glade within the boundaries of
their territory as one of their ultimate goals. And why not?
They make perfect places of rest, healing and planning,
as well as points to camp while on a journey. Creating a
glade is easier said than done, of course. A glade is grueling
to create and even more difficult to defend.
System: To initiate a fight within a glade, the player
rolls the character’s Resolve. If the roll succeeds, he may