The Hounds
of
Hell
How to play a Wolf:
Howling
Garou are wolf as well as human, and wolves communicate without human words, primarily with howls and body language. Because howls are the only way that wolves can communicate over distance, they contain a great deal of information in a few sounds. Much of the Garou language can be communicated through howls. Galliards at the very least should be familiar with the common howls; others should know a few of them as well. Any Garou with a little experience will know the Howl of Introduction.
Howls convey strong, emotional concepts and the details that go with those concepts. They may actually convey sensory impressions in a rudimentary way. Homids often find howling frustrating, as they do not have quite the control and versatility of language that they're used to. It requires a rather different way of thinking. It takes a great deal of skill to convey small details or complex ideas, or to pervert the meaning of a howl.
Howls vary from one pack to another, one tribe to another, and one geographic area to another. Some version of the major howls can be found in most areas, however, and most of them are recognizable to other Garou. A skilled Galliard may be able to recognize a Garou's tribe or homeland by the way he executes the common howls.
One Garou begins a howl, but others often join in. The Garou deliberately disdain harmony for cacophony, which makes the pack sound larger than it is and thus intimidates enemies.
As human voices aren't particularly well-made for howls, it is perfectly acceptable to call out the name of the howl you are performing instead of actually howling.
Wolf-Noises
“Howling” is actually something of a misnomer. The cries listed below incorporate various types of wolf-vocalizations. The five basic sounds that wolves make are the bark, the howl, the whimper (also called the whine), the growl (also called the snarl) and the squeak. The howl is the most expressive of these, and so may be used in the most different ways.
Barking is usually a more guttural sound than the barking of most dogs, but wolves sometimes make a barking sound as well. Barking normally indicates the concept of the chase or some type of excitement. It may also be used as an alarm call or a challenge to intruders.
Whining usually sounds soft and plaintive when made by a wolf, but the Garou have found various sharp and discordant ways in which to use this particular vocalization. In particular, the Black Spiral Dancers have made disturbing use of the wolfs whine. Some humans have called whining “talking” because it can be very expressive.
The low growl of the wolf is, obviously, an aggressive sound and usually reflects an aggressive attitude or idea when incorporated into a howl.
The squeak is a very soft sound, difficult to hear except at close range. It is only used in social situations.
Howling is the most common wolf-sound. It is a continuous sound that lasts anywhere from 11 seconds to half a second. The pitch may remain constant or vary smoothly. It may also change direction four or five times during the howl. The wolf may use her tongue and cheeks to shape notes. A single wolfs howling session will usually last a half-minute to a minute and will consist of several howls. When an entire pack howls together (they join in one at a time), it lasts about a minute and a half. After a howling session a pack of wolves will usually wait 15 minutes or so before howling again, often more than half an hour.
Types of Howls
The Anthem of War: This cry musters septmates to battle, and is usually called out by the Ahroun leading the charge. It may be used to rally troops whose morale wanes. Skilled Ahroun may use this howl to convey anything from the location of the enemy to their numbers. They may also use it to call for reinforcements. Information about their own side is not included on the chance that the enemy may understand the howl. This howl is loud and strong; if others join in, they sound as discordant as possible in order to frighten their enemies.
The Call for Succor: This is a call for aid in time of danger. Many Garou refuse to use it out of embarrassment (particularly because it sounds like the whine and squeak of a lost puppy). It may convey brief impressions of what the danger is.
The Call to Hunt: This low howl alerts the pack to the presence and position of prey. It is a long, deep, low sound designed not to spook prey, followed by several short, guttural barks.
The Chant of Challenge: This starts like a Howl of Introduction. However, instead of detailing the howler's breed, tribe and auspice, it details (in as bad a light as possible) the enemy's deeds, ancestry and bad habits. Some, particularly the Fianna, have elevated this howl to a satirical art form. This howl also conveys the reason for the challenge that is taking place. This howl is actually a series of growls with discordant whines worked in.
The Curse of Ignominy: This is a horrible, discordant whining sound that grates on the ears of all who hear it until they join in. It is used to insult those who violate the Litany, including a long, detailed, mocking listing of the villain's shortcomings and failures. The one who committed the sin is forced to listen to this chanting howl in all its painful detail.
The Cry of Elation: In battle, young warriors may attempt ridiculous feats of courage. This howl basically means, “Look at me”' or (in satirical translation) “Watch me do something really dumb!” This howl consists of a series of short, sharp barks.
Howl of Introduction: The Litany requires that Garou respect the territory of others. Thus, any Garou entering another's territory utters this howl, which details a Garou's breed, tribe, auspice and name. Some Garou include parts of their lineage. It may also include some impression of why the visitor is worthy of attention or what his mission is. This is a surprisingly non-threatening sound, incorporating the high-pitched howl and short, low barks.
Dirge for the Fallen: This somber, low-pitched, mournful howl acts as a requiem for the honored dead. The status of the dead Garou determines the length of the howl. A listener well-versed enough in howls may be able to determine which participants feel most hurt by the Garou's death, and may pick up brief impressions of the hero's deeds.
Snarl of Precedence: This is the howl used by Garou to claim an opponent for one-on-one combat, often used during battle. Packs use this snarl to coordinate their tactics. A higher-ranking Garou does not have to recognize this howl from lesser ranked Garou, and may “steal” the kill if he wishes. However, most recognize and respect this snarl. The Snarl of Precedence sounds like a vicious growl and is well designed to frighten enemies.
Song of Mockery: A Ragabash may take another howl and twist it into a mockery of its former self, incorporating discordant whines, used to insult and infuriate. If done well, the victim may be taunted into losing his composure or even attacking.
Symphony of the Abyss: The Black Spiral Dancers use this reverberating, maddening whine and snarl to terrify their prey. Those who listen too closely to this howl may hear the fate in store for them.
Wail of Foreboding: This is a general high howl of distress that warns of the approach of danger. While the Anthem of War warns of an attack, the Wail of Foreboding warns of natural disasters, odd spiritual phenomena or anything else bizarre and unusual. A practiced Galliard may be able to give cryptic impressions of what the danger may be.
Warning of the Wyrm's Approach: This sharply pitched call, consisting of a series of barks and growls, announces the presence of minions of the Wyrm. All who hear the howl see and feel the foulness that the howler experiences.
Acting like a Wolf
Most live-action role-players are human and have very little idea about how wolves get things done. These notes are provided for players of lupus Garou or wolf kin so that they may bring a taste of the wild to a game. Various aspects of wolf behavior will be discussed and how they might relate to your game, Garou in general and the roleplaying experience.
Keep in mind that some aspects of wolf behavior are harsh and, when seen in terms of modern human social behavior, quite objectionable. Make sure your players are comfortable with them before bringing them into your game. Only allow the more extreme instances if you trust your players to handle them sensitively and well. Otherwise you may tone them down if you wish or simply disallow them.
Wolf-Human Relations
Behavior: In general, wolves are quiet and shy, particularly around humans; they will flee from humans in the wild. While wolf cubs easily form social relations with others, including humans, in their first three months, after that they become very resistant to socialization. The socialization of an adult wolf may take six careful months of work – or more. No one is entirely certain of why this is. One theory states that most wolves spend their first three months with their own pack.
During this time it's good for them to easily form bonds with others. After that, when they explore the world with their pack and occasionally meet other wolves, the easy formation of social bonds would be detrimental, even dangerous.
Oddly, cubs do not tend to form lasting bonds with those they meet, even though they have an easier time adjusting to people. While adult wolves take longer to adjust to people, they form lasting bonds – when you've befriended a wolf, odds are you've made a friend for life. The best way to make friends with a wolf is to spend time with it from childhood into adulthood, so that it becomes adjusted easily to the person's presence and then forms a lasting bond. The Garou are well-aware of this (most of them), and make use of it when possible.
In roleplaying terms: An adult wolf or lupus Garou, particularly one who did not meet any humans in its first three months, should be very difficult to make friends with. She would view others with suspicion and some amount of fear. Physical proximity to strangers might make her physically ill if she hasn't really dealt with humans before. Because of this, Garou do their best to acclimatize their lupus Kin to human presence while they're young.
Wolves and Physical Activity
Behavior: A wolf may become so exhausted after a night's hunt that she won't even acknowledge the presence of an intruder in her den for the next few hours.Because of this, most septs have learned to put homid Garou on watch after long hunts or fierce battles. Wolves have a tendency to throw their all into physical activities, particularly those that satisfy base needs such as food and protection. This makes lupus Garou very dangerous foes as they will fight long past the point of exhaustion.
In roleplaying terms: Wolves and lupus Garou throw everything they have into a fight. At the Storyteller's discretion, lupus Garou and wolves may have an extra Willpower to spend during combat or hunts. Once the fight or hunt is over, the wolf will not be able to do anything but return home and sleep for the next four hours even combat will not awaken him. An actual wound will awaken him, but he will be down two Physical Traits for the duration of the combat. This is an optional rule, and the Storyteller may prefer to leave this element of wolf personality strictly to roleplaying.
Dominance
Behavior: There is a strict pecking order in wolf packs. It is linear – wolf A is dominant to B; B is dominant to C, and so on. Usually there are two lines in each pack, one male and one female. The alpha male tends to be dominant to the alpha female, except after the alpha female has given birth, when she is dominant to the alpha male for a short time.
In roleplaying terms: Wolves and lupus Garou believe in a strict order of rank even mote so than other Garou do, and theirs is more gender-specific. This is something you'll need to think about very carefully. You may decide that you can get a good story out of a lupus Garou who just doesn't understand that a homid female of supposedly equal rank is not actually subordinate to him. However, some male players may take this as an opportunity to lord it over women and the women will, for very good reason, resent this.
Behavior: Usually wolf packs form around a mated pair of wolves, the alpha male and alpha female. While either wolf may occasionally mate with a different wolf, their position at the top of the pecking order remains. If a wolf leaves the pack, however, for whatever reason, when she returns she will be at the bottom of the pecking order rather than at her old position, even if she had been the alpha.
In roleplaying terms: The dominance and rank order of lupus packs is more pack specific than in standard Garou society. A homid Garou might be very surprised to return to his old pack (made up of mostly lupus Garou) and find out that he's subordinate to Garou of lower rank. Luckily, he may achieve his status again in the same way as always by defeating those above him in challenges or in other ways proving himself to be their superior.
Behavior: There are four basic types of wolves in a wolf pack. First, the alpha pair. Second, mature wolves that rank subordinate to the alpha pair. Third, “outcasts,” who rank very low and must stay near the fringes of the pack. Fourth are juvenile wolves, which don't officially join the pack until they reach the age two.
The pecking order establishes two things: privilege and leadership. Higher ranked wolves may take the best pickings of prey, for example. Higher-ranked wolves also make decisions for the pack. There is an exception to the privilege rule, however any wolf is considered to “own” any item within one foot of its mouth; obviously this usually refers to food.
In roleplaying terms: Anything that a Garou does not have on his person is considered to be fair game for a higher-ranked Garou to take. Homid Garou may take strong exception to this point of view. The whole reasoning behind this “rule” is that possessions are considered to belong to the pack as a whole. The higher-ranked Garou get best pickings because it is believed that they may put things to better use than lower-ranked Garou would. A player should not use this as an excuse to randomly take items she desires from other characters.
Behavior: A wolf pack is run as a cross between an autocracy and a democracy. While the alpha male technically makes all of the decisions, he is expected to take the needs of the other wolves into account. For example, if he notices that the other members of the pack are tired and can't keep up, he won't push them to keep traveling.
In roleplaying terms: The alpha male is considered to have final say on any matter. However, he is expected to be fair and to have the best interests of the pack in mind. If he breaks this unspoken rule too often, he may find his pack doesn't listen to him.
Behavior: When a pack is stable (i.e., the membership does not change and does not undergo particularly hard times), the dominance order is likely to be stable. The more shake-ups there are, the more challenges there will be, and the more aggressively dominant the high-ranking wolves will be.
In roleplaying terms: Characters should not be jockeying for positions of dominance during times of peace, when the composition of the pack is stable. Such challenges and shows of strength should be common, however, during times of struggle and changing pack composition.
The Lowest Member of the Pack
Behavior: The lowest member of the pack can be very low indeed, forced to follow as much as a mile behind the rest of the pack. He is chased away from kills, and there may be no food left by the time he gets to feed. In times of peace, when the wolves have no release for their aggression, they may take it out on this unfortunate wolf. In rare instances they may kill this wolf.
In roleplaying terms: The lowest-ranked member of the pack will not be treated well by any lupus Garou. He will be pushed around, denied food from a kill and forced to walk separate from the pack in some instances (particularly in larger packs). He will probably be the butt of any jokes or pranks initiated by a lupus Ragabash. Before you decide whether to pay attention to this aspect of wolf behavior, talk to the player of the lowest-ranked member of the pack and find out whether he's willing to deal with roleplaying this.
Body Language
Behavior: Dominance and submission are both displayed in body language. If a dominant wolf approaches one of a lower station, the lower-ranking wolf displays submissive behavior. Dominant behavior may include growling with teeth showing, confident stance, a fixed stare, wrinkled forehead, standing tall. Of course it also includes various bits of body language that humans can't replicate, but almost any confident body language will do. Emotionally speaking, the dominant wolf will display self-confidence and occasionally aggression toward to the subordinate wolf. Submissive behavior may include closed mouth, a crouched posture, lowered head and a smooth forehead with slitted eyes. When the subordinate wolf is very subordinate (such as the lowest-ranked wolf with respect to the alpha), he may roll on his back and expose his throat. Emotionally speaking, the subordinate wolf will display friendliness and tolerance toward the higher-ranking wolf. The more subordinate the wolf, the more pronounced the behavior.
In roleplaying terms: A little physical expression of rank can certainly make life interesting, especially as it may be misinterpreted by homid Garou. In simple terms, high-ranking wolves display confidence and sometimes even aggression. Low-ranking wolves display a shrinking stance, friendliness and a giving over of control. In a stable pack, the displays are likely to be simple self-confidence issues. In an unstable pack, aggression is more likely. The strength of display of dominance or submission is related to the difference in station between the two wolves, more than simply which is of higher or lower rank.
Territorialism
Behavior: Wolves tend to be hostile to intruders of their own species. If a pack finds a lone wolf or a duo in an area they consider their territory, they will likely chase it away. If they catch it, even if it displays submissive behavior, they will likely attack it, and perhaps even kill it. Most outside wolves survive such attacks only by breaking away and fleeing. Every once in a while, though – and no one is quite sure why – a pack might take a lone wolf in and make it a part of the pack.
In roleplaying terms: One of the first things homid Garou learn to cure lupus Garou of is the tendency to attack others of their kind who are not of their pack. Lupus Garou take some time to adjust to septs that include more than one pack, and even once adjusted can often be rude and dismissive toward Garou of other packs. Lone packs of all-lupus Garou may sometimes kill lone Garou who have strayed into their territory, or at least chase them away. Lupus Garou doesn’t like Garou or wolves that stray into an area they consider their territory. Lupus Garou who lives in multi-pack septs have at least learned not to act on this dislike, although they may still feel it. This may result in rude or hostile behavior on the part of the lupus toward members of other packs. Some lupus come to consider the entire sept honorary members of their pack, and simply react this way against outsiders to the sept. This antagonism may be one way to encourage pack politics in your game.