Everything

Spirit Gates are mysterious portals mistrusted — and rightly so — by most werewolves. Once they were common in Umbral travel and guarded by Lunes, allied spirits and other shapeshifters. Now many of them are gone; destroyed or scattered to the spirit wilds. When used properly they allow instant travel from one area to another, even between Near Realms. Indeed, all the Near Realms had Gates leading to the other Realms at one point, though much knowledge of them has fallen as another casualty in the war. Several of the gates were destroyed, but most survive, even if their secrets do not. The rediscovery of a useful Gate — perhaps one leading from Wolfhome to Pangaea, or anything leading to the Summer Country — might yet tip the scales in Gaia’s favor.

Activating a Spirit Gate is a fairly simple matter for spirits and creatures with strong spiritual aspects, like Gaian shapeshifters. It requires just a moment of concen­ tration, calling upon the Gnosis that ties a spirit to Gaia and the world. Once the gate opens, it floods the traveler with sensations that vary between individuals. Some feel a sinking feeling like they’re riding a descending elevator. For others it’s a tingle and a rising glare behind their eyes, like a head rush, that leaves them standing in a new place once it recedes. The first few trips through a Spirit Gate are disorienting, but eventually the traveler learns to master the new sensations.