Werewolf: The Forsaken - Blank It

accentuate their height and physique in strong, vibrant
colors that catch and hold the eye. Any jewelry they wear,
be it mundane or fetish, is displayed prominently and kept
meticulously clean. Their Gauru forms are hulking towers
of rippling muscle that not even the most ferocious storm
wind could hope to topple.
One can often tell the Storm Lords by how they carry
themselves and deal with others. They stand just a bit too
close and loom over whoever they’re talking to, lifting
their tails in lupine form or rolling their shoulders forward
in their bipedal forms. They hold eye contact longer than
most people prefer and show a lot of teeth when they talk.
They call people by their first names heedless of convention,
gesture expansively, and they’re never hesitant about
initiating informal physical contact — practically sweeping
anyone around them up into a passive, attentive orbit.
Totem: Skolis, the Winter Wolf, the second oldest
spirit child of Father Wolf after Dire Wolf. It was his
responsibility to mind and protect his brothers and sisters
when Father Wolf was otherwise engaged. The Storm
Lords demanded that he show that same responsibility to
his half-flesh cousins, and by force of will and strength of
sinew they compelled him to agree. He is a loyal patron
to his tribe for as long as he finds them worthy, but should
they begin to show weakness, he is sure to turn on them.
Background: Werewolves who become Storm Lords
tend to not only seek power, but seek to do something
worthwhile with it. They brim with self-confidence,
cavalierly taking what they want and working tirelessly
to change the minds of people who don’t respond favorably.
This behavior becomes overbearing very quickly and
pushes people away despite every intention to the contrary,
but it isn’t inspired by simple greed or arrogance. A
latent cub can subconsciously sense that his life is missing
something, and he futilely tries to fill that void. The frustration
of repeated failures (or an inevitable confrontation
with the people his behavior agitates most) proves enough
to bring on the First Change.
Talking to experienced Storm Lords once the initial
turmoil of the Change has passed helps cubs realize that
while power and authority are their birthright, what
they’ve been missing thus far is purpose. The Storm Lords
can provide that purpose, but only if a cub is strong
enough to endure the Rite of Initiation.
Initiation: The Storm Lords’ tribal ordeal is usually
a fairly straightforward test of survival. Some ritemasters
prefer a test of physical endurance, such as having a cub
calmly walk a brutal gauntlet. Others favor a variety of
medieval judicial ordeals that punish a werewolf’s body
to its extraordinary limits. Still others have prospective
Storm Lords stand alone and naked (or nearly so) in an
isolated spot outdoors and attempt to withstand the savage
forces of a killer storm without so much as a whine of
discomfort. As with all ordeals, these rites are meant to
weed out the weak, undedicated or unworthy. The deeper
underlying purpose of such tests, however, is to instill confidence
and self-worth. Its memory serves as a constant,
unshakable reminder that he is strong and that he can
survive if he has the will to endure.
Character Creation: The priority assigned to Attribute
and Skill categories depends on the individual Storm
Lord’s chosen path to power. A sneaky manipulator might
focus on Social categories, favoring Manipulation, Politics,
Persuasion, Socialize and Subterfuge. A forceful, dominant
commander could favor Physical Attributes and Skills
with a seasoning of Presence, Resolve and Intimidation. A
voice of wisdom who leads by example might favor Mental
Attributes and Skills, in addition to Composure and
Expression. Storm Lords tend to have higher than average
Survival and Stamina dots as an outgrowth of their initiation
ordeals, and it’s not uncommon for their Composure
and Resolve dots to result in a high Willpower.
Primary Renown: Honor
Tribal Gift Lists: Dominance, Evasion, Weather
Organization: Not every Storm Lord can be a pack
alpha, and realizing as much keeps their packs from shattering
under the strain of internal rivalries. Instead, those
who aren’t alpha prove their mastery in other ways. One
might study the knowledge and capabilities that pertain
to the duties of his auspice, such that he is the undisputed
master thereof. All other things being equal, though, a
Storm Lord is likely to try for leadership in a new pack.
A confident assertion of authority can undercut burgeoning
tensions in a pack and make it that much easier for
a group of relatively inexperienced werewolves to get to
work. Surprisingly, their tribal hierarchy is not as rigid
as others might expect. Though each Storm Lord is well
aware of where he stands, the wisest Storm Lords know
better than to formalize this hierarchy of respect any
further, lest they ignite a wave of petty, tribal infighting.
They frequently gather on stormy nights, where their
howls mix with the roll of thunder.
Lodges: Storm Lords of the Lodge of Crows practice
deceit and manipulation as a path to power. They are cunning
and evasive, often seeking to exercise what authority
they have second-hand through proxies or dupes who
don’t realize they’re being used.
By contrast, werewolves of the Lodge of Thunder
achieve power through straightforward dominance. When
they feel they’re in the right, they call out and ultimately
knock down opponents and then lead by force, ever
watchful for the day when someone new comes along to
supplant them.
Werewolves of the Lodge of Winter are neither so
sneaky nor so brazen. They determinedly practice rituals
that they hope will grant them enlightenment, and they
examine situations as thoroughly as possible to discover
the wisest course of action. When they are not in positions
of authority themselves, they ignore foolish orders
Storm Lords
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