GurahlAuspices

 

 

 

Your tribe indicates primarily your place of origin rather than your family “lineage.” Each tribe has its own philosophy, strengths and weaknesses. More detailed information on the three Gurahl tribes accepted in Northern Star is given below.

 

 

Forest Walkers

 

Forest Walkers originated in the Pure Lands, according to their own legends. In the days before bears became endangered by the human population explosion, these Gurahl and their bear Kin inhabited the eastern woodlands of the American continent as well as the rainforests of Central America and Mexico. Some of them settled in the Pacific Northwest. The Forest Walkers lived among their human and bear Kinfolk, teaching them the ways of the land and how to live in harmony with the great forests that covered the Pure Lands.

With the coming of the Europeans, however, all this changed. The Forest Walkers suffered the first depredations of the European expansion, as their bear Kin were hunted nearly to extinction and their human tribes found themselves forced to leave their tribal lands for strange and unfamiliar territory. Some of the Forest Walkers and their Kin joined the Croatan in sacrificing themselves to defeat and banish Eater-of-Souls from the Pure Lands. The Forest Walkers also joined with theUktenaGarou to protect theirhumanKinfolkduring the period of forced relocation of the eastern tribes. In some cases, the Forest Walkers helped Kinfolk hide in the mountains and deep forests so that they could reemerge after the bulk of their people had gone westward. Forest Walkers not only accompanied the Cherokee on their long march to “Indian Territory” in the 1830s, some also stayed behind with the Cherokee who refused to leave, thus preserving their presence in the eastern United States.

After so much hardship, however, many Forest Walkers grew disheartened and withdrew from the world, seeking refuge in their Den realms. In recent years, however, Forest Walkers have made a comeback. Now they attempt to revitalize weakened bloodlines of human and bear Kinfolk in an effort to increase their numbers so that they can once again go about their business of caring for the forests of the world and the creatures that inhabit the woodlands. Forest Walkers have also involved themselves in human political  and social affairs, realizing that all human endeavors have a part in the great  pattern of life. Forest Walkers have participated in civil rights and Indian
rights movements, have helped environmentalists and conservationists in  their efforts to preserve and restore the wilderness and have made a special effort to rescue the black bear population from extinction.

 

Forest Walkers believe that the power of the stories they hear and tell can help them change the world for the better, carrying out their duties to Gaia and Her creation.

 

Totem: Bear (Generally, Arcas the Celestial Cub)

 

Tribe Advantage:

Forest Walkers gain an extra Influence due to their gregarious nature and their successful ability to communicate with others. Many Forest Walkers choose Media or University as their bonus Influence. 

 

Tribe Drawback:

Forest Walkers must spend a Willpower Trait in order to walk away from a story in progress or ignore the offer to tell a story.

 

Backgrounds: No restrictions 

 

Bear Form: Forest Walkers usually resemble the black bears that serve as their bear Kin. Smaller than other bears, black bears are not always black, but may also have brown or reddish-brown fur. 

Organization: Forest Walkers tend to form small groups of two or three individuals who travel together for mutual support and camaraderie. These gregarious Gurahl regularly attend council meetings, powwows and other gatherings since these affairs provide them with the chance to share their stories and learn new ones. Although Forest Walkers revere their elders and heed their counsel, they also retain a strong streak of independence and worldliness.

 

Habitat: Forest Walkers have the widest variety of territory to cover of all the Gurahl. Their versatility and adaptability allow them to reside in places as far away from each other as the southeastern woodlands of North America, the rainforests of Central and South America and the forests in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Forest Walkers have also taken up residence in the woodlands that remain in Europe. In the southern hemisphere, the Forest Walkers try to form alliances with the native Changing Breeds, such as the Bastet, in order to bolster the forces of Gaia. Most recently, the Forest Walkers have attempted to enter Asia in order to attempt to breed with the few bears native to that region, such as the spectacled bear. Unfortunately, they have run up against the reluctance of the local hengeyokai to mix with outsiders. 

 

Protectorate: Forest Walkers have a special affinity for forested lands and tend to set up their protectorates in areas where forests proliferate. In addition, these Gurahl seek out the black bear population as their special creatures. They also attach themselves to various Native American tribes as well as humans of many ethnic origins, including Hispanic, African and even some European.

Outlook: The Forest Walkers cherish storytelling as a means of communicating and preserving history and tradition as well as a supreme form of entertainment. These Gurahl have developed an eclectic sense of cultural values and display a very open attitude toward unfamiliar cultural practices. Forest Walkers see the task of spreading Gaia’s message of harmony and simplicity as best accomplished through stories.

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain Guardians

 

The history of the Mountain Guardians coincides with the history of the Pure Lands, for this Gurahl tribe arose after the Gurahl had crossed the land bridge into the American continents, seeking a place free of the ravages of the War of Rage. The Mountain Guardians spearheaded the efforts to create an atmosphere of cooperation and coexistence in pre-Columbian America among the Gurahl, Garou, Bastet and other members of the Changing Breeds. By focusing their attention on protecting the land and its inhabitants and fighting 
the Pattern Breaker and its servants, the Guardians managed to diffuse any residual hostility felt by the Wendigo and Uktena against the Children of Bear. 

 

The Gurahl assisted the three Garou tribes that settled the Pure Lands in their containment of the Wyrm creatures discovered there. In many cases, the Guardians served as the primary cleansers of the lands after the Garou had trapped and bound the spirits that had poisoned the earth or waters. Despite the atmosphere of tolerance fostered by the Guardians among the Changing Breeds of the Pure Lands, they maintained adistance from their Changing cousins, feeling it better not to tempt fate.

When the Europeans arrived, the Garou tribes most directly responsible for the War of Rage came with them. At this time, the Guardians withdrew from the world in large numbers, retreating to their Den realms or Umbral Glades and seeking refuge in the slumber of hibernation. During this period, however, many of the Guardians’ human and bear Kinfolk disappeared - driven to near extinction by the European settlers and, sometimes, their Garou relatives. The Guardians finally awoke with the loosing of the Storm Eater. After that creature was finally dealt with, the Mountain Guardians looked around and realized that their beloved grizzly bear Kinfolk had almost
disappeared along with many of their human tribes.

Since that time, the Guardians have remained in the world and worked to repair the damage to their Kinfolk, which they feel responsible for allowing to happen. Guardians in the modem world involve themselves in efforts to preserve the grizzly bear population and work with various Indian rights movements to reclaim tribal lands for the Native American tribes that once inhabited them. Since they comprise not only the strongest but the fiercest of the Gurahl tribes, the Mountain Guardians realize that they will most likely join the Garou in the front lines of battle in the final days of the Apocalypse. Because of this, they work hard to perfect their battle skills and to smooth over the resentment between the Gurahl and their potential comrades-in-arms. 

 

Totem: Bear (generally Mangi, the Death Bear)

 

Tribe Advantage:

As the strongest of the Gurahl, Mountain Guardians start play with an additional Physical Trait. Storytellers may also allow these
physically powerful Gurahl a free retest to any challenge involving physical strength.

 

Tribe Drawback:

Mountain Guardians have such a competitive nature that they cannot refuse a challenge or dare, especially one that involves a
physical contest of any kind. In order to overcome this weakness, a Mountain Guardian must spend a Willpower Trait and leave the vicinity or risk giving in to the desire to one-up the opposition.

Backgrounds: No restrictions

 

Bear Form: The ursine Mountain Guardians come primarily from grizzly bear stock, so their bear form most closely resembles the massive, dark reddish brown bears of the western mountains of North America. In general, Mountain Guardians have a greater physical bulk than other tribes, making them even more intimidating in Crinos and Bjornen forms. Human-bom Mountain Guardians usually, but not always, resemble grizzly bears in Ursus form.

 

Organization: More than most Gurahl, Mountain Guardians tend toward the solitary lifestyle. They rely on occasional, rare meetings between individuals to keep them abreast of current events in Gurahl society and attend the truly important gatherings to connect with others of their tribe. In instances where they need a tribal spokesperson, the Guardians rely on their oldest active member to speak for them and make any necessary decisions in the name of the tribe. In general, each Mountain Guardian is a law unto herself, acting independently. Only the relationship between a Buri-Jaan and her chosen cub forms an exception to this practice of solitary wandering.

 

Habitat: Before their numbers diminished, Mountain Guardians made  their homes, like their grizzly bear Kinfolk, throughout Canada, North America and even parts of Mexico. Many Guardians, particularly ursine born individuals, reside with their bear Kin in national parks and preserves. A very few have traveled to other parts of the world in order to attempt to expand their Kinfolk lines and take up guardianship over other mountain regions lacking proper protectors.

Protectorate: Mountain Guardians claim the mountainous regions of North America and, wherever possible, other parts of the world as their protected lands. They also look after the grizzly bear population and the Native American tribes that form their human breeding pool. In recent years, the Guardians have sought mating partners from among a wider cultural group. They find humans who enjoy testing their physical limits or who demonstrate excellence in the martial arts as good partners and companions. 

 

Outlook: Mountain Guardians display a fierce pride in their physical accomplishments. They are compulsively competitive, never turning away from a dare or a challenge and always willing to take risks that other Gurahl back away from as foolhardy or outright suicidal. To counter this seeming recklessness and daredevil-attitude, however, the Guardians put a great value on independence and self-sufficiency. An individual strong enough to risk his life and push himself beyond old limitations should also have the skills necessary to survive in almost any climate -with or without assistance.

 

 

River Keepers

 

Some Gurahl argue that the River Keepers form the oldest of the Children of Bear, since they prospered along the great rivers of the world - the sources of the first tribal civilizations. The Nile, Amazon, Volga, Mississippi and other massive water ways of Gaia’s surface served as homes and breeding grounds for these versatile Gurahl. Working closely with their human Kinfolk, the River Keepers served their human tribes as shamans, weatherworkers, mystics, oracles and healers. Not only did they fight sickness and tend wounds, they called the rain in times of drought and, in times of greatest need, sacrificed themselves so that their Kinfolk could have food.

River Keepers also mingled with the bears that congregated along the banks of the rivers, where food was plentiful. As with their human Kinfolk, the Keepers acted as leaders and protectors of the bear populations. The River Keepers, unfortunately, suffered more from the War of Rage than many of the other Gurahl. Since they existed in direct competition with many of the Garou for lands and human breeding stock, the werewolves targeted them as objects for their Rage. The Garou slaughtered scores of Keepers and forced hundreds of them from their homes along the rivers, causing them to abandon their lands along the Nile and the Amazon. The Bastet and Mokol6 who survived the War of Rage inherited some of the lands the Gurahl abandoned and the Garou missed. Their human Kinfolk fell prey
in large numbers to the Impergium while bear Kin dwindled under the weapons of human hunters.

Since that time, the River Keepers have occasionally emerged from hiding whenever they felt a sense of great urgency or need. They became skilled at concealing their identities and avoided rising to positions of prominence, but they nevertheless managed to serve their human Kinfolk in particular as advisors, teachers, spiritual leaders andseconds-in-command. InNorth America, the River Keepers suffered less from the aftermath of the War of Rage. They managed to work together with the Wendigo, Uktena and Croatan topurge the taint of the Wyrm from the Pure Lands. Despite their relatively harmonious coexistence with other Changing Breeds in the Americas, the River Keepers continued to maintain a low profile, not wishing to provoke matters by an obvious presence. Many chose to spend time in hibernation, rousing themselves only when necessary. Thus, a few River Keepers heard the cries of their Kinfolk when the Europeans drove them from their homes in the “new world” and emerged from seclusion to assist in taking down the Storm Eater.

Since their emergence in the late last century, the River Keepers have remained fairly visible in the world. They realize that their lack of involvement contributed to the loss of much of the brown bear population. River Keepers today spend much of their time and attention working to encourage the growth of the existing bear population worldwide. They also serve as advisors, consultants and workers for environmental groups that specialize in cleaning up the polluted waterways of the world. The River Keepers believe that if they can revive and strengthen their ancient pacts with the spirits who protect the rivers, they can provide the forces of Gaia with powerful allies for the final battles against the Wyrm.

 

Totem: Bear (any of the three forms of Bear).

 

Tribe Advantage:

River Keepers gain an extra Ability Trait in .Survivu[. These Gurahl also receive a free retest in any challenge that involves
swimming or maneuvering in the water. 

 

Tribe Drawback:

River Keepers are so fond of fish that they must spend a Willpower Trait to avoid accepting an offer of a fish dinner or a chance to
go fishing - even if these activities conflict with more important or pressing business.

Backgrounds: No restrictions.

 

Bear Form: Most ursine River Keepers resemble brown bears, though other bear species are represented. The Keepers exhibit some of the most varied physiotypes in both human and bear Kinfolk. Larger than the Forest Walkers, the River Keepers are more compact and less massive than theMountain Guardians.

Organization: River Keepers, because of their experiences during and after the War of Rage, do not maintain a formal tribal structure. Members of this tribe meet informally to exchange information and attempt to have one gathering each year - usually as part of the Council of Autumn. River Keepers generally travel alone, although occasionally they form small “family” groupings of two or three individuals for extended periods of time. Rather than leaders, Keepers consider their elders as advisors and teachers.

Habitat: Once they inhabited the fertile lands along the rivers of the world. Today, the River Keepers reside along the less inhabited riverways.Many live in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, where bears proliferate and humans are few and far between. European River Keepers try to maintain their ancient bonds with Europe’s waterways, but have difficulty doing so due to the high density of Europe’s human population. River Keepers also exist in Russia and, presumably in Asia as well, though little information has come from that
part of the world for many years.

Protectorate: Rivers and the creatures that dwell in and around them serve as the special charges for the River Keepers. As this tribe seeks to increase its numbers and expand its Kinfolk lines, they have also grown protective of humans who dedicate themselves to traveling and caring for the rivers of the world. River Keepers draw their breeding partners from many Native American tribes, the indigenous peoples of South and Central America, the tribal populations of Siberia and some of the Scandinavian and Baltic peoples. Besides the brown bear, the Keepers breed with the Himalayan (or moon) bear, the Malayan sun bear, the sloth bear of India and the spectacled bear of South
America, thus making them one of the most diverse tribes among the Gurahl.

Outlook: In many ways, River Keepers represent a strong conservative and traditional element within Gurahl society. Deeply involved in the cultural lives of their human Kinfolk, these Gurahl enjoy keeping alive the custom of gift-giving -whether as hosts or as guests. To River Keepers, gifts consist of material objects such as hand-crafted bead jewelry, woven baskets or hand-thrown pots as well as intangible presents such as songs, stories and poems. Though they do not possess the same martial skills or take as much glory in combat as the Mountain Guardians, River Keepers take pleasure in swimming, kayaking and other physical activities that keep them close to
their beloved rivers and waters.