Hi all, I’ve been sitting on my World of Darkness rpg books for far too long (not much interest out here in the middle of nowhere I’m afraid) and thought, “Hey Purdika, you know what would be great? Starting a Werewolf: the Forsaken Story with people who probably also enjoy pen and paper roleplaying games when you have a guaranteed four(ish) days with them.” I haven’t been able to run a Werewolf Story since my early days of college, so I may be a bit rusty, but I do have two copies of the core book, and almost all the supplements. I have several sets of d10s and can photo copy character sheets with the best of them. I’ll give a little synopsis on the WtF world below for anyone not familiar with it. Whether you’re a veteran White Wolfer, or you’ve never thrown anything but a d6 for games in your life, I hope you’ll give it a shot. Bringing personal props (dice or LARP aids) is highly encouraged.
Werewolves have run the gauntlet of the Shadow since their sundering; fulfilling Father Wolf’s duty under Luna’s glow. The world exists in three planes, our world, the shadow, and the space where they touch. Long ago there was Pangaea (Shangri-La, the Garden of Eden, Nirvana), a paradise of balance. That balance was protected by Father Wolf, a great wolf spirit that used his strength and ferocity to protect that balance. He had many children; with flesh wolves, with other spirit wolves, and with Luna herself. The Uratha, werewolves, were the children born of himself and Luna, and the heralds of the Fall. For though Father Wolf was originally a spirit existing in Pangaea and not the Shadow aged him. Dark spirits that once stood no chance of spreading their tendrils in paradise ate and bred and corrupted where he could no longer smell, or see, or hear them. The Uratha did what wolves do when their alpha is too weak to lead: they slew him. Not all - for the decision divided them as surely as Father Wolf’s death cry sundered Pangaea and drove Luna mad. The consequences of this act continues to echo through the ages for the whole of the shadow, and Father Wolf’s children. The responsibility of balance fell to the werewolves, and they were not strong enough. They decided to seek help in the shadow, both Pure (those who refused to turn their fangs on their Father) and the Forsaken (those who did) needed strength and guidance. But the spirits of the shadow were beyond wary of the Forsaken who slew their own font of strength, and the Pure who could not do what needed to be done. Many lives and much blood were shed to chase their older siblings, the spirits born from Father Wolf and other spirit wolves, to their dens and make pacts with them to lend their strength to protect the Ruined Paradise. For in their absence the spirits their Father had banished to the furthest corners of the shadows have returned to enjoy the carnage left in sundered Pangaea’s wake. Eight spirit wolves agreed to aid the Uratha so long as they upheld their bans, three for the Pure, and 5 for the Forsaken. Emerging with the blessings of their elder kin, werewolves set upon the spirits to drive them back to the shadow.
That’s a summary of the origins of the werewolves of the World of Darkness. There’s a few more important things, like Luna. Luna shuns the Pure - they were too weak to do what needed doing, but she cannot forgive the Forsaken. They did kill the greatest love of her existence, yet they are still her children. So, depending on which phase the moon is in when a werewolf changes for the first time, it will imbue certain characteristics to the wolf. It also determines which role in a pack the wolf plays. The next is Rage. The Great Rage of Father wolf runs in all wolve’s veins, it can be a powerful tool or the cause of a player’s death. This rage the Pure and the Forsaken turn on each other. The Pure purposefully hunt the Forsaken with the intent of wiping them out of existence to make them pay for what they’ve done. Spirits that would normally be foes will team up with the Pure to kill the Forsaken. In this world, werewolves are born that way; they just turn at different times in their life. Someone’s First Change could be at 13 or 30. Something must trigger it. The bite by another werewolf will not Change someone without wolf blood. Established wolves that find an unturned wolf will bite them to mark them - get a taste of their blood so they can find them when they do turn.
There is so much lore to this world and all the other WoD core themes, it’s why I love them so much. If anyone has any more questions or wants to get in touch to start their character creations so we can get right in once camp starts, feel free to message me. I’m really looking forward to running this. Even if there’s only one person, I’ve run a one person Story before. Or if someone wants to be the Storyteller themselves, I will happily be a player character too.
The one-shot idea mentioned by Fakeman above sounds great, so perhaps your new pack idea would work well. I’m up for other story ideas too, but that one may be the easiest to pull off. Up to you, Oh Great Storyteller!