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When a Garou senses a portion of the Triat, the im­ pression can be anything from a vague instinct to a specific sensory impression. Psychics and spiritual mediums often experience events on the more cryptic end of that scale: the presence of an active spirit in the real world might manifest

as a shiver down the spine, goosebumps, or a vague feeling of premonition, but shapechangers feel stronger impressions. After all, they’re creatures of both flesh and spirit. They not only sense a sympathy (or antipathy) to each portion of the Triat, but can also identify it for what it really is. Here are some typical sensory impressions one might experience using one Gifts like Sense Wyrm.

Wyld: ozone, euphoria, flowers, an unseen breeze, the calm after a thunderstorm, the sound of crashing waves, the smell of a primal ocean, the anticipation of limitless possibility

Weaver: patterns of sound, the smell of cleansers or sanitizers, a brief touch of a web or silken thread, a me­ tallic taste, a sudden draining of energy, flashing lights, alarms and sirens

Wyrm: stench, decay, rot, fear, the taste of an animal who died in fear, a wave of depression, hopelessness, twinges of pain, lengthening shadows

Farther from the physical world, flashes of synesthesia become more common, substituting one sensory impres­ sion from another. When sensory Gifts are insufficient (or inactive) this sensory information can be incredibly confusing. “Smelling” the color blue or “tasting” ozone may feel like a psychedelic episode or bout of madness, but it does alert the Garou that something powerful is occur­ ring. Deeper in the Umbra, a sensory impression normally bestowed by part of the Triat may be experienced by an entirely inappropriate or unusual sense. Consider pain and ecstasy, regret and triumph, nostalgia and fulfillment to all be part of that spectrum.

Of course, since the most immediate impression of a spirit is its appearance, and the spirit world excels at showing facets of reality for what they truly are, Garou encountering a spirit for the first time may attempt to identify what it is purely by how it looks. Veteran trav­ elers develop skills and abilities for interpreting these impressions.

Based on skill descriptions and situations, Storytellers can choose to call for Perception + Alertness, Perception + Occult, even straight-up Gnosis rolls. Alertness works best with the obvious or physical; Occult works well with the unseen, hidden, and metaphysical; Gnosis serves as a measure of enlightenment and spiritual sympathy. A sensory Gift tends to cut through all this interpretation and cut straight to a direct answer. If something carries the corruption of the Wyrm, the Gift: Sense Wyrm de­ finitively identifies it, justifying the need to hunt it where it lives and breeds.