Places

The Umbra does not belong to Helios; his light shines dimly within most of its reaches. This changes for those seeking the Aetherial sun. From the moment the traveler begins the journey her surroundings grow hotter and brighter, increasing the closer she comes to her goal but disappearing instantly if she abandons her journey.

Strangely, the journey to the Aetherial sun takes less time than reaching the moon. No more than a day passes before the visitor is challenged by fire elementals that erupt in golden flares of light and heat from the sun’s surface. When undisturbed they are content to leap in twisting fiery arcs and splash back into the shifting surface, but when they sense an approach they tumble and dart into the visitor’s path, forming a fiery gauntlet. Anyone who is determined to reach the Sun must subject themselves to the fire and push through this defense.

Though the elementals are not actually attacking the character, their touch still burns. Pushing through the gauntlet is resolved as five attacks, each with a dice pool of six dice. Successful ‘attacks’ cause three levels of aggra­ vated damage that can be soaked at difficulty 9; creatures normally incapable of soaking fire damage are just as susceptible to these flames. The Storyteller decides if any armor or Gifts help mitigate this damage. As the sun’s Incarna respects purity and strength the elementals follow his lead and don’t press as hard with pure blooded Garou or those from the pure lands. Garou with the Pure Breed merit are only subject to four attacks, as are members of the Uktena and Wendigo tribes. Pure blooded members of these tribes only receive three attacks.

The Garou inflicts damage on herself by trying to push past the elementals. At any time during the ordeal she may step back and the attacks stop. This won’t heal any damage she already sustained, but the elementals have no interest in seeing her dead.

If the traveler survives her ordeal she finds herself standing on the liquid fire surface of the sun. She still suffers from any wounds gained during the travel, but the surface is comfortably warm and harmless. The ground shifts and blazes with inner light but is solid enough to support her. Within this domain she may encounter a burning citadel of solid fire if the Incarna manifests as Hyperion, or as a tipi cloaked in pure white light if he chooses to appear as Katanka-Sonnak. The Incarna sometimes takes other forms and changes his buildings, but in any form he prizes valor and despises deceit. He appreciates travelers who stoically bear his elementals’ burns. He rarely offers to heal the injuries — to do so would be an insult to the visitor. The

Incarna’s strength, power and knowledge can be a valuable aid to the supplicant, but he is an exacting and intolerant spirit who is hard to please and quick to anger.