Werewolf: The Forsaken - Blank It

marked off a major thoroughfare? Can local werewolves
drive down Main Street without asking permission?
SPIRIT DENIZENS
Spirits also pose a great hazard to a werewolf’s territory,
primarily because most reside in the spirit world
where the werewolves themselves cannot easily reach
them. Some spirits acknowledge the boundaries of Uratha
territory. That acknowledgement won’t keep them from
roaming as they please unless a particular ban forbids
it, but at least they know whose territory they’re passing
through, and they might take the time to pay chiminage
to the local pack.
The problem many Uratha have with spirits is that
spirits are not rational, predictable entities of humanlike
logic. They operate under a mishmash of bindings, bans,
traditions and expectations. Spirits do what they have to
do, all else be damned. Therefore, no matter how hard a
werewolf pack works to keep its territory and its corner
of the spirit world pristine and under control, the spirits
themselves remain beyond control, sometimes even
influence. Destroying all the nature spirits in the territory
is certainly no solution — it only reinforces the spirits’
prejudice against the murderous werewolves. Nearby spirits
start to haunt and come after the offenders or harass their
loved ones. More importantly, things in the physical world
with dead spirits are problems. They’re unnatural, unhealthy,
unholy. They no longer react the way one would
expect. They’re hollow inside even when they remain
physically strong.
IMPROVING A TERRITORY
It isn’t enough simply to hold a territory or destroy the
most immediate neighboring threats. No werewolf pack
ever finds a territory in ideal condition — the world has
decayed too far for that. The first months or even years
of a pack’s existence can be solely dedicated to rooting
out all the threats that have festered in their new territory,
and to securing their borders against new threats.
But most packs decide they don’t simply want to carve
out what cancers arise, they want to make their hunting
grounds healthier overall.
One method is to prune the geography of the place
in the physical world by getting rid of decrepit buildings,
changing roads or trails that interfere with the natural
flow of Essence. Essence flows more naturally through
empty rural settings than through dense urban areas, but
Essence still flows even in Times Square. Its flow is simply
more frantic there.
Another way to improve one’s territory is to eliminate
the most dangerous spirits — not just those who are a
direct threat, but those that are simply waiting for their
chance. Doing so might involve changes to the shadow
geography, as the spirit’s nest might need to be destroyed,
or spirit paths into the deep wilds from which dangerous
spirits hail might need to be blocked or destroyed.
Otherwise, a powerful spirit that won’t just leave requires
combat or a facedown against the pack.
THE ENEMY
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