CERBERUS

By Dave Kahn (x92kahn1@wmich.edu)

Description
     In the time before there were tribes, a great seer foresaw the
splitting of the Garou. He saw that in the far future the Weaver and
the Wyrm would each have a tribe loyal to them. He saw that the Wyld
would be threatened by the other two parts of the Triat. Realizing the
damage Gaia would suffer as a result of the attack on the Wyld by the
other two, he gathered as many Garou as he could and set out to insure
that the Wyld was protected.
     The Garou traveled to the deepest parts of the Umbra. Once there they
offered themselves to the Wyldling spirits there, abandoning the
protections afforded them by their powerful rites. The Wyld accepted
their sacrifice, and, when they returned to Gaia they
were....different. Their battle forms now reflected the appearance of
their favored totem, Cerberus, the three headed wolf.
     The Cerberus settled in the lands surrounding the Aegean Sea, near
where the Black Furies dwelled. The two tribes developed a deep bond
due to their shared commitment to the Wyld. The two tribes consider
each other almost one and the same. The Cerberus also developed a
strong friendship with the savage Red Talons, due to their love of the
deep wilds.
     True to their ties to the Wyld, the Cerberus are an eccentric tribe.
They have a few consistencies within the attitudes of their people: a
strong code of honor, an equally strong dislike of technology, and a
deep love of the wilderness areas of the physical world. All Cerberus
are sworn to the guardianship of Gaia and the Wyld as part of their
rite of passage.
     In modern times, the bulk of the tribe has taken to spending their time
combating the Wyrm in the Umbra. On Earth, the Cerberus are most
commonly found near the Mediterranean Sea at hidden caerns or among
their cousins. Many also reside in remote wilderness areas.. The tribe
favors the lupus breed and has many wolf kinfolk around the world
(compared to most tribes). The tribe has few human kin; most homid
Cerberus are lost pups (hard to mistake as a member of another tribe)
or grow up in small towns.
     The Wyrm is the primary target of the tribe's offensive push. While
they see the Weaver as a threat to Gaia and the Wyld, the Glass Walkers
do some to blunt its destructiveness. The Wyrm is slowed by no one, man
or wolf. Only the Garou.

Tribal Totem
     Cerberus

Initial Willpower
     4

Backgrounds
     May not buy Allies, Contacts or Resources.

Beginning Gifts
     Heightened Senses, Sense Wyrm

Physical
     Over the years, the Cerberus have intermixed with people from all areas
of the world. The grand majority, however, hail from the countries
along the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, largely Greece.
It is the Crinos and Hispo forms of a Cerberus which draw the most
attention. In these forms, they are broad shouldered with three wolf
heads, just like their totem. Each head can bite, turn, speak, glare,
etc. seemingly on its own. The lupus form appears as a normal wolf.
Their coats are grey or black.
     Territory/Protectorate: In some remote parts of the world, the Cerberus
still assist Black Fury and Red Talon packs with preserving the
remaining natural and Wyld areas of the world. The Cerberus' main
protectorate, though, is the ever-shifting tracks of the Umbra.

Quote
     "Your actions are a threat to the Wyld and to Gaia. That threat shall
now end."

Gifts
     The gifts of the Cerberus assist the tribe in their dealings with the
spirit world and to defend Gaia and the Wyld from those who would see
them harmed.

Level One

  Heightened Senses (as the Lupus gift)

  Sense Wyrm (as the Metis gift)

Level Two

  Sense the Unnatural (as the Lupus gift)

  Tap the Wyld
     The intense ties of the Cerberus to the Wyld allow them to draw on its
strength. In areas where the Wyld is strong, such as the deep
wilderness and caerns, the Garou may replenish his gnosis.
     System: The Garou must concentrate, oblivious to events around her,
tuning into the Wyld. The Garou then makes a Wits + Rituals roll (diff 7).
Each two successes restores one point of Gnosis up to her maximum.

Level Three

  Hell's Breath
     Legends tell of the fiery breath of a hell hound. The Black Furies are
rumored to associate with hounds which can spout flame. The Cerberus
have been granted this gift by their totem. With this power, the Garou
can shoot a gout of flame up to 15 feet away.
     System: The Garou must spend 1 Rage point. To aim, he must roll Wits +
Primal Urge (difficulty 7). The attack inflicts three Health Levels of
aggravated damage, plus one Health Level for every two extra successes.

  Spirit Friend (as the Children of Gaia gift)

Level Four

  Immovable Guardian (as the Get of Fenris gift: Hero's Stand)

  Unweaving
     The Cerberus are the undisputed masters of Umbral pathways and
traveling. An old Cerberus trick is to cut through the web of the
Gauntlet, thereby making passage through the velvet curtain a simple
task.
     System: The Garou spends one Gnosis point and rolls Manipulation +
Enigmas (diff gauntlet). Every two successes drops the Gauntlet in the area
by one for the remainder of the scene.

Level Five

  Reach The Umbra (as the Silent Strider gift)

  Wyld Warp (as the Black Fury gift)

Forms
     Two heads are better than one, and three . . .. A Cerberus has three
heads in both the Crinos and the Hispo form. This provides some unique
advantages which require some attention.
     A Cerberus can still only perform one action per turn unless she spends
Rage, like any other Garou. That out of the way, a Cerberus can operate
each head separately for simple actions such as speaking, staring, etc.
If in doubt as to what constitutes "one action", ask yourself if the
character could perform the act without the benefit of multiple heads.
If not, it's not a simple action.
     A Cerberus should not receive any sort of bonus to a roll for his extra
heads. Appropriate uses include: scanning more area at once or holding
on to a guy with one set of fangs while chatting with your packmates.

Maneuver: Multiple Bite
     The Cerberus makes a bite attack with more than one head. The
difficulty is 5 + 1 per additional head. The bite does an extra die of
damage per additional head.

Homid
     Our "apes" give us more warriors and an understanding of our enemy.
Sadly, some have difficulty abandoning the Weaver's lures.

Metis
     Our packs are smaller and it is rare for our tribe to discover a homid
born pup. We are a small tribe; necessity demands we welcome all our
warriors to the battle. And their actions prove them worthy members of
the tribe.

Lupus
     Our wolf-born are the heart of the tribe. They most easily adapt to our
way of life in the deep wilds and dark Umbral pathways.

Litany

  Garou Shall Not Mate with Garou
     We need all our warriors these days.

  Combat the Wyrm Whereever It Dwells and Whenever It Breeds
     Let not one who hunts your father or your mother live. Worm or bug.

  Respect the Territory of Another
     Greet your cousin's properly when you visit their lands. Remember, not
all live on lands that are theirs.

  Accept an Honorable Surrender
     Accept an honorable surrender. It is a rare event to find one.

  Submission to Those of Higher Station
     Those above you have fought, bled and earned their place. Respect their
wisdom and skill. When you have done as much, then you may speak.

  The First Share of the Kill for the Greatest in Station
     It is a sign of respect to your elders. One with honor will not hoard
what you have bled for.

  Ye Shall Not Eat the Flesh of Humans
     Don't prey on your own kin. Leave such an act for the Wyrms beneath
your feet.

  Respect for Those Beneath Ye -- All Are of Gaia
     Respect all those of Gaia. If they also serve one of the two hunting
her, respectfully rip out their throats.

  The Veil Shall Not Be Lifted
     Don't tell your secrets to the one hunting you.

  Do Not Suffer Thy People to Tend Thy Sickness
     If you have nothing to offer, have the honor to free the rest of the
pack so they may hunt without hindrance. Few have nothing to offer
these days.

  The Leader May Be Challenged at Any Time during Peace
     Peace is when you are not on the hunt.

  The Leader May Not Be Challenged During Wartime
     Don't fight with your packmates when going tooth and claw with worms or
bugs.

  Ye Shall Take No Action That Causes a Caern to Be Violated
     Exactly.

Camps

  The Aegis
     The members of this camp have taken Cerberus' role as a guardian as
their motto. They are surprisingly knowledgeable of fortifications and
ways to hold an area against attack. The are experts at ambushes and
man-traps. Most of the tribe's homids belong to this camp.

  The Raging Storm
     A common phrase amongst the Garou is, "Gaia's most powerful cleansing
force is the Raging Storm." The Crinos is one of the most powerful
physical forces on the planet and these Cerberus use it to full effect.
Members of the Raging Storm often make the Get of Fenris seem timid.
They insist on the destruction of any threat to Gaia or the Wyld and
they use ruthless brute force to accomplish this goal.

  Travelers of the Styx
     This camp spends near all of its time in the Umbra. They are constantly
exploring and traveling the moonpaths and spritways. Many assaults on
Umbral domains originating in Malfeas are defeated by packs "stepping
off the Sytx." More Cerberus belong to this camp than either of the
others. Travelers of the Styx have strong ties to the Nuwisha. Many
Garou interested in the secrets of the Umbra seek out the Travelers.

  On the Impergium
     The Cerberus were in favor of the Impergium. They saw it as a necessary
act to keep the Weaver in check.. In modern times, they point to the
devastation of the environment by human actions, by technology, as
reasons it should never have ended. However, the tribe refuses to hunt
human, as the Red Talons still do, because their code of honor demands
they respect the decision of the ages old moot.

  On the War of Rage
     The Cerberus realize that all of the shifter-kin are part of the
natural order and Gaia's plan. They opposed the War of Rage and regret
the results.

Stereotypes

     Black Furies: Honor and respect our cousins. They are wise and rage
justly.
     "Honorable, brave and fair to their women, a tribe I am proud to call
our cousins."
          -- Pandora (Black Fury Philodox)

     Bone Gnawers: A once respectable tribe, now content to wallow in Weaver
rot. Occasionally, one will earn your respect.
     "I've been trying to forget the last of those I met."
          -- Kaleidoscope (Bone Gnawer Theurge) as he takes a slug of Popov

     Children of Gaia: Not every tribe is built for combat. The Children are
wise, respect that. But keep your eyes wide for they miss many threats
in their trust.
     "Dedicated Garou; too bad they are unwilling to change their views."
          -- Rainbow Dreams (Child of Gaia Philodox)

     Fianna: True warriors and wonderful moon dancers. It is sad that they
are so fond of the Weaver's lures.
     "Damn BLOODY hell!!! Now if they'd learn to relax."
          -- Laughs At Wyrm (Fianna Ragabash) after seeing a Get of Fenris
          say "Hi" to a Cerberus

     Get of Fenris: Arrogant pups, full of rage and stupidity. If you're
feeling kind, teach them a lesson. If you're not, introduce him to your
cousin and let her.
     "Crazy wild monsters that bow to the Furies. Worthless!!"
          -- Karl Mountain-Shaker (Get of Fenris Ahroun)

     Glass Walkers: Weaver-spawn!!
     "All we need, someone who supports the Talons. Wonderful!!"
          -- Datastream (Glass Walker Philodox)

     Red Talons: One of the few tribes left who truly appreciate the Wyld.
These warriors are true friends and Garou.
     "The Wyld's chosen pack. They see what others won't"
          - Red Claw (Red Talon Ahroun)

     Shadow Lords: Lie. Cheat. Deal with bugs. Deal with worms. Let me
think, I may come up with a good quality.
     "Fortunately, these savage lunatics are rare."
          -- Heart Of Darkness (Shadow Lord Philodox)

     Silent Striders: A wise and well traveled people.
     "The best of guides when exploring the Umbral pathways."
          -- Elsibet Tanarov (Silent Strider Theurge)

     Silver Fangs: Once upon a time they were a great tribe. Once in a long
while you can find one who still is.
     "Not very good at following orders, but great to have on your side in a
pinch."
          -- Rust Proof (Silver Fang Ragabash)

     Stargazers: Why are all the great tribes scarce?
     "They have explored deeply into the mysteries of the Wyld, but they
have abandoned much in doing so."
          -- Watches The River (Stargazer Theurge)

     Uktena: Wise and knowledgeable of our home, but they come too close to
the Wyrm in their quest for secrets.
     "They know so much of the umbra, if only we could get them to share it
all with us."
          -- Heart Of Stone (Uktena Philodox)

     Wendigo: Take a couple of Wendigo when you visit the Get of Fenris.
     "They still regard us as the true masters of our lands. We could use
more of them at the great moots."
          -- Fang Death (Wendigo Ragabash)

     Bastet: The felines were wronged long ago. They deserve better than
they received. If you meet one treat her with respect.
     "Excellent sources of information about the spirit world. And they had
little to do with the War of Rage."
          -- Screams In Night (Pumonca)

     Corax: I haven't made up my mind on the ravens. They can be useful in
tracking down Wyrmspawn.
     "Just stay on their good side. You should hear what this ratkin told me
about them..."
          -- Poe (Corax)

     Gurahl: It is said that the teachers are not found easily anymore.
     "Few of the wolf tribes are as respectful and eager to learn as these.
If only there were more."
          -- Gared (Gurahl Galliard)

     Mokole: Never met one.
     "............."
          -- unnamed mokole

     Nuwisha: Gaia's answer to stress. I love these guys. And only they
appreciate the Umbra like us.
     "I love these guys. You'd be surprised at how many Black Spiral Dancers
they...discourage for us."
          -- Shrooms (Nuwisha)

     Ratkin: I already had lunch, thanks though.
     "One of these guys tried to EAT me!!"
          -- Grubby No Tails (Ratkin)

     Rokea: The who?
     "Who the?!?"
          -- Gnasher (Rokea)

     Ananasi: Now here is something bad, made worse. Weaver-spawn corupted
by the Wyrm. We should make their life more peaceful...permanently.
     "Would someone explain what we ever did to piss these...things off?"
          -- Sherry (Ananasi)

Merits and Flaws

Hellhound Kinfolk (1 point merit)
     This merit may only be taken by a character with the background:
kinfolk. It allows some of the characters lupus kinfolk to be
hellhounds, possessing fiery breath (as per the gift: hell's breath).
No more than ten such hounds may be taken, regardless of the total
number of kinfolk.

Dual Minded (3 point merit)
     Most Cerberus, despite having many heads, can only perform one task at
a time. Just as any other character. This merit allows the Cerberus to
use each head for a different task. For example, he could peek through
the Gauntlet into the umbra with one head, and, sniff out a trail with
another, while the last keeps watch in the physical world.

Common Merits & Flaws
     Code of Honor, Higher Purpose, Berserker, Dual Nature, Vengeance,
Untameable, Daredevil, Illiterate, Uneducated, Animal Magnetism, Huge
Size, Any Past Life Merit or Flaw, Physically Impressive, Natural
Weapons, Breeding Pack, Ward Pack

Weakness

Code of Honor
     While every Cerberus as his own views and quirks of personality,
without exception all members of the tribe are intensely honorable.
There may be variations as to the code followed, but, some traits are
common to all.
     Cerberus always keep their word (although their ragabash have a knack
for twisting it like a pretzel and still doing what they said they
would do, to the letter).
     Cerberus show respect to those with wisdom and those who are themselves
honorable.
     A Cerberus who violates his honor is deeply troubled and does not
function at his best until he rights his error. In game terms, the
storyteller should feel free to add one to the difficulty for almost
every roll the poor fool must make.

Totems

CERBERUS

  Totem of Respect
  Background Cost: 6

     Cerberus is the legendary guardian of the gates of the underworld,
Hades. He is ever alert, fearsome and powerful. He is aware of much
that occurs in the lands of the dead and on the spirit paths.
     Packs of the three headed wolf receive +3 to an Alertness Dice Pool and
+1 to an Enigmas Dice Pool. Each pack member also gains a point of
honor and a point of wisdom. Packs of Cerberus will be treated as
family by members of the tribe. They will stand by the pack in all ways
so long as it brings honor their totem's name.
     Ban: Cerberus demands that his children never surrender anything or
anyone they are guarding.

CHARON

  Totem of Wisdom
  Background Cost: 8

     The boatman of the River Styx knows many routes and ways to travel
around the spirit world. He also transports souls across the barrier to
the realm of the dead.
     Charon grants his packs +2 to an Enigmas Dice Pool, he also teaches
them the spirit paths, providing each pack member the equivalent of the
spirit charm: Airt Sense. It costs a Gnosis point to power the charm,
allowing the Garou to unerringly find her way to any one destination.
Any pack members with Past Lives find it easier to reach their
ancestors on the other side (-1 difficulty).
     Ban: Children of Charon are expected to help the dead to rest. Spirits
of the dead will seek them out for this reason. Also, the boatman asks
that they not hinder anyone on their voyage to the next realm
unnecessarily.

  Other totems: Pegasus, Griffin, Owl, The Medusae, Old Wolf of the
Woods, Raven, Winter Wolf and Sphinx.

Templates

     Stalker: A Lupus Ragabash of the Raging Storm. The Stalker delights in
silently tracking down and ambushing any foe, worm or bug.

     Umbral Walker: A Metis Theurge of the Travelers of the Styx. The Umbral
Walker is a master at charting paths through the spirit world and an
expert at dealing with the spirits found there. Disfigurement: no claws

     Claw of Justice: A Metis Philodox of the Travelers of the Styx. The
Claw of Justice represents the warriors commonly found in the
Travelers. Plucked from his mother's dying body after a Dancer attack,
the Claw of Justice shall never let anyone else suffer such a loss.

     Voice of Truth: A Homid Galliard of the Aegis. The Voice of Truth is a
listener and an empath. People feel comfortable talking to her and she
has a knack for helping them reach an understanding with themselves.

     Hound of Hell: A Lupus Ahroun of the Raging Storm. The Hound of Hell is
the most fearsome, savage aspect of the Cerberus. He is often found
leading his pack into battle against the Wyrm, wearing the hispo.