Lost Heroes
Story Seed · Werewolf · “Story Seed: Lost Heroes”
The Croatan never appeared here — their sacrifice ensured their memory was preserved and their legend lived on. The Bunyip were different; their secrets were lost to the fangs and claws of their cousins. The mystery of their deep connection to the Umbra is an enigma Garou still try to decipher.
Rumors have spread about rock paintings found at the mouths of caves deep in the pit, accompanied by the organic droning of didgeridoos. No one has seen who is responsible for these. Are these the remnants of the murdered tribe who fled into the Umbra before the Garou could exterminate them all? Are they ancestor spirits who have fallen into the Abyss because no one remembers their deeds? Are the secrets of the Bunyip about to be lost forever?
No one knows, but even though the risks are tremendous the Garou can’t ignore what may be their last chance to salvage some hope from past sins.
beings of corruption and decay climb from the unreachable far shores; one for every decent thing lost to its depths. The Corax tell none of their own stories. They hate and fear the Abyss but find its impenetrable mystery irresistible. Many come for answers but few speak of what they find.
Regardless of the legend, the Abyss is the ultimate destination of all lost things. Scraps of lore and forgotten spirits from long-dead tribes come here to wither and fade; some say the tribes themselves wander the caves before they finally fade from memory.
Entering the Abyss is simple. The Abyss has an affinity for those who are lost, even unknowingly. Many paths lead here although most do not advertise their destination; an unwary traveler may find herself standing at the edge of the cliff before she realizes what has occurred. One who falls from a Moon Bridge or who becomes otherwise disoriented may find themselves at the Abyss.
Departing the Abyss is more difficult because most exits are found deep in the pit, closer to oblivion. The Abyss is hungry. It doesn’t want anyone to leave. It wants them to stop existing. The destructive powers of the Abyss work to destroy its own Realm. More cracks and caves lead to exits in the depths because the Abyss has degraded its structure and torn holes back to the Near Umbra.
These holes appear as tributary cracks in the cliff. Many cracks are also home to Abyssal dwellers or other dangers. Characters seeking an exit may roll Rage or Gnosis (difficulty 7) each day to find a tear and escape back into the Umbra. A botch spills the character back onto the cliff face, higher up and further from escape than before. The Abyss somehow clings to characters suffering derangements or other mental conditions, such as Harano. Characters increase the difficulty of escape by 1 for each condition, to a maximum of 9.
Packs may climb, fly or follow one of the paths to descend into the Abyss, assuming they do not wish to leap to certain destruction. Each method has its own challenges as outlined below, but two hazards common to every route are the loss of sensation and the risk of staring into the Abyss (W20, p. 328).
See also 5
Places
- Moon Bridge werewolf/location/umbral_realm/moon-bridge
- The Abyss werewolf/location/umbral_realm/the-abyss