Places

Gafflings are at the bottom of the spiritual hierarchy. They’re the barely-sentient servants of Jagglings, as well as the Changing Breeds and shamans who can command them. Their instincts and guile are barely sufficient to survive in the wilds of their spirit realms, and many spiritualists consider them to be little more than tools. Shamans have little difficulty sacrificing them for the greater good, for sacrifice is nature’s way.

Like other spirits, Gafflings use supernatural powers called Charms to remain in constant contract with their patrons, largely because their patrons have no reservations about keeping them under complete control. Although some possess full intelligence, those are more the ex­ ception than the rule. Mysterious cosmic forces bestow their intellect and abilities. They’re known for complete loyalty, and many actually prefer of being dominated by their controllers, liberating them from such troublesome concepts as freedom and independence.

If you’ve never traveled to any of the Near Realms in a Werewolf: the Apocalypse game, you may want to skip this section. If you’re a Storyteller planning Umbral adventures, on the other hand, you’ll need to decide which rules to use for your Near Realms. These ideas are no means absolutes, since the spirit world is a capricious and unpredictable place, but each Near Realm needs a few guidelines to define the local reality in your campaign. Other Storytellers (and other sourcebooks) may have other variations of these guidelines. The rules here are a simplified version of more extensive spiritual sourcebooks.