Rites & Rituals

For every rite that reaffirms a werewolf's spiritual connec­ tion to Gaia, another reaffirms his life as a warrior in a raging conflict that spans countless generations. Even the most pacifist Children of Gaia and the most isolationist Uktena are soldiers in a global army. The great Pact was not simply a way for the spirits and Garou to forge an alliance. It was assurance that the Garou Nation would never grow soft, would never leave its post, would never back down. It was another tool in the box of Garou leaders to ensure that the People would always be ready no matter what bared its fangs to threaten Gaia's creation. At heart, whatever else he may be, a werewolf is a weapon.

In many ways, the warrior culture of the Garou is like human warrior cultures throughout history. Maintaining a warlike frame of mind, every day until victory or death claims the pack, can be absurdly difficult. Constant violence, vigilance, and paranoia take their toll on even the most hardened Ahroun veteran. The werewolf who relies solely on Rage to keep her going burns out fast, developing a death wish and throwing herself into the fight with no grounding to keep her sane. Rites that renew dedication, revive faith, and remind a werewolf what she's fighting for are crucial to thrive as a nation at war.

Harmony among the Garou is important not just to maintain spiritual balance and feel accepted, but to foster cooperation and unity. Rites encourage both unity in group identity and unity of purpose. Soldiers who fight amongst themselves or feel adrift in a meaningless vista of bloodshed are ill-suited to take on a foe of the Wyrm's magnitude. The enemy's numbers are staggering and its minions are utterly subservient. Even if two heads of the hydra work at cross-purposes, the result is still devastating. The Garou need to feel like a part of something larger than themselves to put them in the mindset for widespread resistance. Partic­ ipating in rites teaches them to work together and prompts them to identify more strongly with the group, which itself identifies with an even larger legacy through rites passed down through millennia of werewolves. Rites that keep the

relationship strong between the Garou and their ancestors are especially effective, since ancestor-spirits are eminently real and present proof that the sept is not alone in its fight.

Pavlov's Rite

Like humans, Garou are prone to social conditioning through ritual. The Rite of Passage and various rites of punishment, particularly minor ones that only the most straitlaced werewolf avoids, are a form of positive shared hardship. Common sacrifice through enacting rites that ask much of their participants: a test of wills, hunting down a former friend, or giving up something of personal importance, for instance, are similar experiences. Those who emerge stronger for it forge a bond with others who have done the same, ill-understood by anyone who hasn't.

The concept of cognitive dissonance breeding loyalty is not foreign to werewolves, either, particularly when Garou pride takes hold. If, the subconscious reasons, I have put myself through these ritual ordeals for the sake of the tribe, then I must have done so for a damn good reason. Therefore, membership in the tribe must be valuable. This isn't to say that Garou society is deliberately manipulating its members; it's just a side effect of ritual tradition that happens to contribute to the fierce dedication most werewolves have to their cause.

Rites encourage unity in much more straightforward ways, as well. A sept that mourns together in the Gathering for the Departed feels the kinship of shared loss. A sept that toils together in the Rite of Caern Building shares the exhilaration of having risked everything to build a home for everyone, and they can all now benefit from the group's efforts. A sept that embarks together on the Great Hunt practices cooperation in the field and learns how to fight alongside each other more seamlessly.

Group ritual also encourages other attitudes that are beneficial for a people at war. Rites force werewolves to get used to doing as they're told and having someone else clearly in charge. Garou learn discipline by conforming to the precise timing and practiced behaviors, and they learn to respect the chain of command by deferring to elders and those who hold specific positions of authority during the rites. Formal ceremonies also invest their participants more fully in the activities they represent; the Uktena obliged to fast for three entire days before enacting the Rite of the Shrouded Glen is more likely to stand by the defense of the now-hidden caern, having put so much time and effort into its protection already. Certain rites help draw a clear line between “us” and “them,” such as the Rite of Cleansing and Gaia's Vengeful Teeth, making it obvious that one who is not with the sept is against the sept, and no one wishes to be against the sept, especially the sept that just finished chasing down and murdering a traitor. Participating in these rites helps young Garou put Wyrm­ spawn, fomori, turncoats, and others like them firmly in a

category that is both “other” and “evil,” fueling their thirst for battle against these villains.

Each type of rite provides its own unique benefits to a society of warriors. Rites of accord are clear candidates for rituals that promote unity among the tribes and righteous dedication to the cause via a sense of belonging and a visible stand against corruption. Caern rites give the army a home base it can protect and find solace in between battles, and one that gives them a tangible connection to their long legacy. Rites of death help the Garou adjust to the realities of the war: that friends will die, kin will die, and ultimately the werewolf himself will die, in pursuit of the cause. These rites help him express grief alongside his comrades in a healthy fashion, and realize that though individuals fall in the final stand, the spirit of the Garou Nation fights on. Mystic rites serve to put the power of the spirit world directly into the hands of those who use it to stave off the Apocalypse, and make firmer allies of those denizens of the Umbra willing to lend aid. Punishment rites keep the Garou accountable for their behavior, emphasizing that the enemy is not within but without, and that taking actions against fellow werewolves is unacceptable. They ensure that Garou society remains stable and strong, to avoid giving the Wyrm any inroads through selfishness or destructive behaviors. Rites of Renown, on the other hand, give the People something to work toward and heroes to look up to. By recognizing champions, these rites inspire emulation of their heroism, and healthy competition in those who work to surpass it. Seasonal rites help to frame the long days and nights of conflict with natural structure, and remind the Garou that they fight not only for themselves and for humanity, but for all of creation. These rites show warriors steeped in bloodshed that beauty still exists and that life is still precious, renewing their faith and perspective. Finally, minor rites are the personal side of the war, the little things every werewolf can do to maintain his individuality in a heavily pack-oriented society, and forge a private connection with Gaia that is his alone.