Gurahl Rites:

 

By their very nature, Gurahl enjoy participation in rites, rituals and other forms of ceremonial behavior. Gurahl originated many of the rites now practiced by the Garou (and often claimed by them), particularly those rites involved with purification or healing. As Gurahl age, they find themselves more and more concerned with rituals, spending much of their time performing old rites and creating new ones. In general, Storytellers may allow Gurahl to learn and use any Garou rite (with appropriate modifications), though the most common of these shared rites fall under the categories of Accord, Death, 
Mystic and Seasonal.

In general, Gurahl rites follow the same rules for rites outlined in the Garou section of this website, except that in most cases, only a single Gurahl is absolutely necessary for the performance of the rite. The Gurahl must know the rite well enough to act as ritemaster (and sole participant). In addition, the Gurahl must either possess the minimum number of Traits necessary for the performance of the rite or else must expect to spend a greater amount of time performing the rite.

 

Rites of the Gurahl

Since Gurahl tend to be solitary creatures, most of their rites require only one individual to enact them. A few rites, such as Rites of Greeting and Leavetaking, involve interactions between two Gurahl. Others derive more benefits from an increase in the number ofparticipants. The following rites are specific to Gurahl and reflect their unique relationships to the world, the Umbra and each other. Any variations from the rules set forth inLaws of the Wild appear in the description of the rite itself.

 

Basic Rites

 

Rites of Greeting and Leave-taking (Accord)

- These simple rites consist of formal acknowledgements of the presence of another Gurahl, particularly when a werebear enters or leaves the protected lands of another of her kind. The basic rite for first-time meetings between Gurahl consist of
language and body gestures that tender mutual respect. Variations take into account such qualities as age, Rank and other marks of status. The rite used when a Gurahl of higher Rank enters or leaves the territory of a Gurahl of lower Rank differs slightly but significantly from the one employed with a Gurahl of lower Rank petitions to enter or depart from the territory of a Gurahl of higher Rank. Unlike many Gurahl rites, these require at least two Gurahl. Failure to perform these rites may result in the loss of an Honor Renown Trait. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a Gurahl who faithfully performs these simple yet elegantly polite rites may receive an additional Honor Renown Trait as a reward for good roleplaying.

 

Rite of Rending the Gauntlet (Mystical)

- Gurahl use this rite to enter the Umbra since they do not step sideways as Garou do. The werebears have such a close tie to the physical world that they must physically rip a hole in the Gauntlet to enable themselves to enter the Umbra. To accomplish
this feat, the Gurahl transforms into Bjomen form, tears an opening into the Umbral plane and steps through the “hole in the world.” The opening seals itself immediately after the Gurahl has passed through it. This action invokes the Delirium in any creature normally subject to it who happens to witness the Gurahl stepping through a rent in the world. The Gurahl makes a Static Gnosis Challenge against half the local Gauntlet rating (Enigmas and Primal-Urge allow retests) in order to successfully
complete this rite. The Gurahl may spend Gnosis poin ts on a one-for-one basis to take others into the Umbra along with him. The Gurahl must make physical contact with anyone he brings with him into the Umbra, although groups may join hands with only one of them actually holding the hand of the Gurahl.

This action constitutes a rite rather than a Gift because any Gurahl, regardless of Rank or auspice, may learn how to rend the Gauntlet. In fact, a Gurahl does not leave her Buri-Jaan until she knows this simple but extremely vital rite. Only Gurahl with the Umbral Affinity Merit may enter the Umbra in any other fashion.

 

Rite of the Changing Moon (Mystical)

-This rite marks the Gurahl’s passage from one auspice to another. The subject of the rite undertakes a process of ritual cleansing, including a ceremonial bath and a day-long fast. At the end of the period of purification, he burns an item that symbolizes  his old auspice -such as a toy for Arcas or a wooden knife for Uzmati. The Gurahl then adorns himself in clothing and face paint representative of his new auspice. To complete the rite, the Gurahl presents himself to any other participants (who may have entered his territory specifically to take part in this rite), formally stating his name and (new) auspice. The other participants return his greeting, again using his name and new auspice title. This completes the formal portion of the rite. A celebration of some sort usually follows. This rite obviously takes more than a few minutes to complete. No Traits are risked and no challenges are required, but this rite should be played out as fully as time and playing environment permit. The Storyteller may rule that the Gurahl needs to absent himself from the game for a period of time to indicate his preparations, or he may allow the Gurahl to undertake the ritual cleansing between sessions. Storyteller and player should work together to make this rite a meaningful one.

 

Rite of the Healing Winds (Accord)

- Gurahl use this ceremony to cleanse the land of toxic poisons or other noxious substances, whether in gaseous or liquid form. This rite also counteracts airborne viruses and biological agents. The Gurahl enters the Umbra (using Rend the Gauntlet), where she summons and binds a Chinook-spirit. The Gurahl sends that spirit to the affected place, where the spirit’s purifying cold scours clean the land, water, air and any creatures or vegetation found in the targeted location, 
ridding them of any toxins that might have infected them. The Chinook- spirit’s presence drops the temperature in the affected area up to 10 degrees; this effect lasts no more than 24 hours and causes no permanent harm to local animals and vegetation. The Ice Stalkers often gather in groups in the Umbra, where they summon and bind Chinook-spirits to send to other Gurahl whose lands require purification. The offering of the proper chiminage to the spirit becomes part of the enactment of the rite. The rite takes as long to complete as is necessary for the Gurahl to enter the Umbra, summon and bind the spirit and dispatch it to the needy land.

 

Rite of the River-Portent (Mystical)  

- Gurahl use this rite for predicting the future. Using his claws, a Gurahl snags a fish from a stream, splits open the fish’s belly and reads the omens contained within the fish‘s entrails. The information gleaned from this rite usually pertains to the
Gurahl enacting the rite and involves events in the immediate future. The Gurahl may not obtain the fish through the use of Fiddlefish, but must catch the fish by normal means while in Ursine or Bjornen form. The Gurahl must win a Static Physical Challenge to determine if he can catch a fish, then a Static Mental Challenge against eight Traits (retest with Enigmas) in order
to“read” the omens. The Storyteller should inform the player of some event involving the character that is likely to occur within the next 15 minutes of play.

 

Rite of True Mating (Mystical)  

- Gurahl use this rite to find a suitable mate from among Kinfolk. Only Gurahl who have reached full adulthood (i.e.,
have passed from their Arcas auspice) may learn this rite, since werebears frown on casual acts of procreation. To enact the rite, the Gurahl fashions a small bag. Into this bagsheplacesadropofherownbloodandacuttingofhair.TheGurah1 wears this bag around her neck for three days and nights. After this period of time has elapsed, the bag acts as a homing beacon, pulling the Gurahl in the direction of a Kinfolk suitable for mating purposes. (Of course, once the Gurahl finds the selected individual, she must woo the targeted Kinfolk by normal means.) The Gurahl invests a Gnosis Trait in the making of the bag. 

 

Rite of Replenishment (Mystical)

- This simple rite, while it takes  some time to perform, enables participating Gurahl to replace lost Gnosis. The Gurahl involved in the rite must find a suitable place - either in the Umbra or in the physical world - in which to conduct the rite. For every 15 minutes spent dancing and intoning chants to Gaia and the Great Bear, each participant regains one Gnosis Trait. No challenges are necessary, but the rite must fulfill the necessary conditions of time and place in order to be effective.

 

 

Intermediate Rites

 

Rite of Finding the Ancient Cache (Mystical)

-With this rite, Gurahl may locate hidden sites containing ancient treasures of their people. Before the Gurahl withdrew during the War of Rage, they secreted many of their treasures and pieces of lore deep within the earth. Sometimes these Gurahl set
powerful bound spirits to guard these places; other treasures lie under the protection of hibernating Gurahl elders. Enacting this rite gives the participating Gurahl a sense of the location of the hidden cache. Successive performances of this rite clarify the original pull. Eventually, the rite draws the Gurahl to the exact location and opens a gateway or passage to the cache’s
hiding place. If the cache lies in an Umbral hiding place, the Gurahl must Rend the Gauntlet in order to gain access to it. Once the Gurahl discovers the location of the cache and goes to the spot, she must then discover how to open the locks or break the seals or dispel the wards that prevent the actual treasure from falling into the hands of intruders. The form of this rite consists of a long, slow and intricately choreographed dance containing movements and steps that recreate the actions of a search party. The participating Gurahl must spend enough Gnosis Traits to enact  the rite (as set out in Laws of the Wild) each time they perform it. (Fewer Traits result in a longer period of time and a lesser advancement toward learning the location of the cache.) When the cache is located, the Gurahl may need to win a series of challenges in order to unlock the secret of the
hiding place.

 

Rite of the Pure Land (Accord)

- Gurahl use this rite as a means of purifying a specific area, ridding it of pollution, sickness, the results of
natural disasters such as brushfires and earthquakes or Wyrm-taint. This rite re-establishes any broken connections between Gaia and the distressed piece of land. The Gurahl must mix her blood with a handful of soil from the land needing purification. (Naturally, the player need only  describe her action to the Storyteller; no actual blood is shed!) The
Gurahl uses the paste made from the blood and dirt to draw a line around the perimeter of the area. A Gurahl may use this rite to cleanse as large an area as she wishes, but she takes damage to herself from blood loss in proportion to the amount of blood she spills to make enough paste for the blighted area. For each square mile the Gurahl purifies, she takes one health level of damage. A group of Gurahl may perform this rite and cleanse larger areas with less damage to themselves. Ritual dances and healing prayers to Gaia and spirits of purification or cleansing (spoken in the Gurahl tongue) accompany the drawing of the line and serve as a  means of focusing Gaia’s power. If a Gurahl acquires more than two health levels of damage while performing this rite, the Storyteller may require a Physical Challenge from the character in order for the rite to continue. 

 

Rite of the Ban (Accord)

- This rite, when enacted, prevents the spread of secrets that might cause harm to the Gurahl or their Kinfolk. The rite serves as a mental deterrent by blocking the target from communicating specific information in any way. The most common usage of this rite prevents humans who have witnessed a Gurahl change forms or who have benefited from the Gurahl’s magical healing abilities or who have been brought into a Gurahl’s Den from telling anyone of their experiences. The Ban prevents the
subject from writing, speaking or otherwise imparting their knowledge to anyone. The rite does not remove the information from the target’s mind unless coercion is used at a later date to force an individual to overcome the Ban. The power of the rite is strong enough such that it actively removes the sensitive pieces of knowledge from the target’s mind, becoming a mystical
self-destruct mechanism. Gurahl often willingly undergo this rite if they plan to spend long periods of time among non-Gurahl or around Garou in order to prevent them from unwittingly giving away secrets of the breed. In ancient times,
when Gurahl acted as teachers for the other Changing Breeds, the Rite ofthe Ban was not necessary. Since the War of Rage, however, few Gurahl have gone into the world without having the rite performed on them to prevent them from revealing information that might harm them or be harmful in the wrong hands.
To perform the rite, the Ritemaster must intone a hypnotic chant, stating the nature of the information affected by the Ban. The soothing chant lulls the targeted individual into a state of near-slumber (similar to a hypnotic trance) from which she awakens refreshed and unaffected - except for the inner prohibition placed by the Ban. At the end of the rite, the Gurahl must spend a Willpower Trait and win a Mental Challenge against the target, unless the target relents (as Gurahl asking for the Ban
usually do).

 

Rite of the Freed Spirit (Mystical)

-This dangerous and powerful rite enables a Gurahl (or several Gurahl) to sever the bond between a Bane and a fomor, thus returning the possessed individual to his original, untainted state. Most Gurahl are reluctant to perform this rite, which places the ritemaster in a position of grave danger. When friends, lovers or companions have fallen prey to this hideous transformation, however, Gurahl who know this rite may decide to risk themselves in order to rescue the victim. A fomor usually comes to this rite unwillingly, a prisoner of the Gurahl who wishes to save him. The rite takes place in the Umbra, where the Bane inhabiting the targeted creature is clearly visible. The Gurahl must trace a mystical pattern in the air above the bound body of the target using a dagger consecrated to Gaia. The action of the rite severs the connection that binds
the Bane to the human form. The Gurahl sacrifices a permanent Gnosis Trait and a Willpower Trait to this rite, then engages in a Static Mental Challenge versus nine Traits. If the Gurahl succeeds, the separation is accomplished and the individual returns to her pre-fomori state. The Bane leaves the vicinity for a period of 24 hours and may not re-inhabit its former host. The dangerous nature of the rite manifests if the Gurahl does not successfully perform it (i.e., if the player fails the challenge and any retests). Failure either results in the death of both the Gurahl and the fomor or in the death of the fomor and the transfer of the Bane into the body of the Gurahl who performed the rite. The Storyteller should determine which of these
events happens if the rite fails.

 

 

Advanced  Rites

 

Rite of the Long Sleep (Mystical)

- The Gurahl use this rite to place an individual into a state that resembles suspended animation or hibernation. While in this state of being, the targeted creature does not age. Her bodily functions slow down almost to a standstill, respiration and heartbeat drop to the absolute minimum necessary to sustain life, and the subject does not need sustenance. In this fashion, it is possible to sustain Incapacitated individuals indefinitely, preserving their life force until they can receive natural or
magical healing to restore them to full functionality. Gurahl have used this rite on numerous occasions to save the lives of other Changing Breeds (including the Garou), as well as humans who have undergone massive trauma to their bodies and cannot receive immediate attention. The use of this rite on a vampire places that creature into torpor. The Gurahl must set 
the conditions that determine the length of the target’s stasis during the performance of the rite. Phrases like “DO not awaken until the next hard frost” or “Rise when the moon next reaches its fullest phase” provide a time frame for the length of time encompassed by the rite. If the target of the rite is Incapacitated, no challenge is necessary to effect the rite, though the Gurahl
must spend a permanent Gnosis Trait. If the target is conscious and unwilling (often the case with vampires), the Gurahl must succeed in a Mental Challenge in order to effect the rite.

 

Rite of Fighting the Death Bear (Mystical)

- This extremely powerful and seldom performed ritual allows - if successfully carried out - a Gurahl to return a departed soul to its body if the individual has been dead too long for the Gurahl to use the Gift: Gaia’s Breath. This rite actually wrests the spirit from the realm of the dead and brings it back to the world of the living. To perform this rite, the Gurahl must first enter
the Umbra through the Rite of Rending the Gauntlet. Once in the Umbra, the Gurahl calls upon Mangi the Death Bear using the appropriate forms of chiminage before issuing a challenge to the Incarna for the soul of the departed individual.
The second part of the rite involves Umbral combat with the Death Bear.  In order to retrieve the lost spirit, the Gurahl must defeat Mangi. If the Gurahl loses, the rite fails and the Gurahl is cast out of the Umbra. If the Gurahl should die in battle, Mangi occasionally claims the spirit of the Gurahl instead of the target of the rite, allowing the deceased spirit to return to its body as if the Gurahl had succeeded in the performance of this rite. Because the risk is so great, Gurahl rarely perform this rite - and then only on other Gurahl. The Gurahl must engage the Death Bear in combat in the Umbra, using the rules for Umbral combat given in Laws of the Wild. The Storyteller should use appropriate stats for Mangi, remembering that this spirit is an Incarna. The Gurahl should have a reasonable chance of defeating the Death Bear (who, after all, simply reconstitutes itself when it “dies”). This rite automatically fails if used on an individual eligible for Gaia’s Breath and is not intended for use on anyone who has failed to respond to the use of Gaia’s Breath. It simply offers an alternative for a werebear who has been dead too long for Gaia’s Breath to affect him. Only one attempt may ever be made on an individual.