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in: Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition, Werewolf: The Apocalypse glossary

Challenge (WTA)

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W5 Moot Challenge

Challenges are various forms of competitions among werewolves in order to settle personal or small-scale disputes. They are intended to serve as non-lethal alternatives to mere duels to the death, but things have a tendency to escalate to that point regardless.

Overview[]

Various challenges between werewolves are common events at any Garou gathering. They can range from deadly duels to friendly competitions. They often include a performative element, and dance contests, storytelling competitions, or tests of strength can be part of the moot’s entertainment rather than challenges of deadly seriousness.

Just as often, the challenges can be formal judicial events used to resolve minor crimes and disputes that do not violate the Litany. The conflicting parties engage in a challenge where the defending party chooses the type of contest. The loser may be ordered to perform restitution to the victor, but usually, basking in the glory of victory is enough.

The most serious challenges are those of dominance, where a Garou disputes another’s authority. The higher-ranking Garou chooses the type of contest, and afterward, the victor is considered superior to the loser. Formal challenges are issued and dealt with during the cracking of the bone and arbitrated by the Truthcatcher. Informal challenges can take place before, during, and after the moot, even during lunch breaks and on the dance floor. At larger moots or when challenges are a big part of the local tradition, there can be a separate role for a Master of Challenges.

List of challenge types[]

Facedown[]

W5 Average Facedown

The most common form of dominance challenge among the Garou is the facedown. Two Garou stare into each other’s eyes until one of them looks away, baring their throat. This challenge is always informal but may still happen during one of the arbitrations of Cracking the Bone. Facedowns can be done in either human or wolf form, and they occur daily in the sept as a simple way for resolving conflict.

The losing Garou takes Superficial Willpower damage equal to the victor’s success margin. If a Garou of high status loses to one of much lower status (whose Total Renown is at least three less than the loser’s), they’ll lose 1 point of Glory to chagrin and may intend to punish their challenger later. Similarly, when winning a facedown against a Garou whose Total Renown is at least the same as theirs, the victor gains 1 point of Glory.

Staredown and similar Gifts are typically permitted in facedowns to grant an edge to their users, but some septs or individuals may rule otherwise.

Gamecraft[]

Various games and competitions are a friendlier way to challenge someone without either party losing Glory. Informal contests of arm wrestling, dunking, pie eating, hunting, or video gaming can occur almost anywhere — at safe houses, caerns, on streets, in the wilds, or at moots. Sometimes, an audience is called for, and gamecraft competitions can even be in the official program for a moot, as much anticipated entertainment in between more serious topics. Gamecraft can be just for fun or to display dominance, but it can also be used to settle a dispute, typically on a philosophical concept or an ideological principle.

While usually low-stakes, gamecraft has been known to expand onto a grand scale, such as two Glass Walker businesspeople executing competing corporate takeovers. Sometimes, gamecraft challenges have resulted in large moot-like events built around massive scavenger hunts or sports tournaments.

Typically, the win conditions are clear at the start of the challenge, and whoever meets them first is the winner. Although such challenges may seem frivolous or playful, they tend to be one Brutal outcome away from escalating into something more serious.

Flyting[]

Rap battles, dance contests, riddle duels, fiddle competitions, political debates, and other performance challenges are a vital part of moot entertainment and often a good way to settle disputes. The word flyting refers to ancient verbal duels conducted through insulting the opponent and proving one’s wisdom. Flyting is almost invariably performed in homid form and in front of an audience.

Sometimes an honor system is enough to determine the winner with the help of the crowd’s cheers, howls, boos, and roars. At other times, a jury is appointed by the Ringmaster (typically including themselves) to determine who told the best joke or was the better dancer. However, a jury or an audience doesn’t only consider the quality of the show but also the popularity and status of the contestants, bribes, and threats, and how well the performance ties with the general mood of the moot. If the singer is a misogynistic lout, he won’t have much success at a Black Fury moot, no matter how well he hits his notes.

Dueling[]

The most serious and formal type of challenge is combat, ritualized as a duel. Duels are always permitted and their necessity acknowledged, but different septs and tribes have different rules governing them, and these rules are always made crystal clear by the Truthcatcher before the fighting starts. Sometimes weapons are allowed, sometimes not. Sometimes, the duel is to first blood, sometimes until one side yields. Sometimes, champions are used. Only one rule is constant: No one may interfere until the duel is over.

The duel ends when the loser bares their neck to the winner in submission. The victor is expected to ceremonially place their teeth on the loser’s neck, not rip their throat out. Not that it has never happened. If the loser remains defiant and refuses to bare their neck, the winner may kill them without losing Honor.

Rules of Challenge[]

It would be impossible to list all the unspoken rules of challenge and their exceptions, especially since they vary by sept, tribe and even circumstance. Below are some guidelines, applicable in most tribes, to keep in mind when taking a stand against another Garou.

Open Challenge[]

The instigation may be as complex as a ritual intoning of ancestry and grievance, or as simple as pointed glare, but however it is done there will be no mistaking what has occurred. A challenge must be given, acknowledged and accepted or rejected. An ambush isn't a challenge. Blindsiding an opponent and then issuing a challenge doesn't count. Either way will certainly incur a loss of renown and standing, as well as instigating a feud. (Perhaps wrongly, Shadow Lords are thought to contest this rule).

Witnesses[]

When possible, the challenge should have witnesses, even if only an ancestor-spirit. Packs or septs are preferred, for "neutral" parties add legitimacy to the result. Even if your duel to the death was legitimate and fair, the elders will be doubtful if you sought satisfaction in secret. Indeed, debates and song contests require outside judges.

Heed the Master[]

The Master of the Challenge wields a great deal of influence in such contests. She seldom forbids a challenge (though if she does so she'd better be sure her authority is backed up by the sept leadership) but she can impose onerous rules (or even delay a ruling, hoping the challenger will cool off or be talked out of going through with the challenge). Her job is to ensure that the sept is strengthened, or at least not weakened, by challenges, and usually this means resolving the dispute without crippling or killing a sept member. Crossing her not only brings swift retribution from the Master but probably a severe punishment from the other elders as well.

Level Playing Field[]

Unless stated otherwise a certain level of fair play is expected. For example, in a footrace where the opponents start in Homid form, they are expected to stay that way throughout. The first contestant to resort to a common advantage (in this case, taking Lupus form) loses face, and allows hos opponent to do likewise while still appearing to be the injured party. Some Garou allow their opponents to use advantages unilaterally (for instance, a Homid arm-wrestler letting his adversary to shift to Glabro) either to "make things interesting" or to show disdain for the opponent's skill. This could have psychological advantages (shaking up or angering the opponent, and possibly suffering a slight loss of dace for accepting the advantage), and makes him look all the better if he wins the contest anyway. This also applies to other aspects of a challenge, such as letting the opponent strike the first blow, use the better bow or get a head start. It is more common for the instigator of a challenge to take handicaps; most Garou figure that the challenger knew what he was getting into (although a particularly smug recipient of a challenge can also be magnanimous).

Honorable Surrender[]

In any contest save a fight to the death, surrender by one side is expected - there is certainly no dishonor in showing throat. Not accepting surrender is deeply dishonorable - indeed, it is a violation of the Litany! - and the offender can expect to face the elders and almost certainly a rite of punishment. Even if the death was accidental or in the heat of the moment (easy enough, once blood is on the air and the rage is up), such transgressions are not taken lightly, for few elders consider any squabble to be worth depriving the sept of Garou. Unfortunately, unnecessarily fatal challenges are all too common, and if a sect can't afford one dead Garou, they certainly can' afford to drive off the killer. Some young warriors see this as an opportunity to "inadvertently" take out rivals and be immune from the worst punishments.

Note that the Litany demands the acceptance of an honorable surrender. While the act of attacking after surrendering has occurred, it is quite uncommon. At the very least such dishonorable action merits a tremendous loss of renown and possibly banishment. More likely, the victor will kill the false Garou with impunity; if he can't, his pack can.

The exception to the rules of surrender is when the involved parties agree on a fight to the death. In this case, asking for quarter is a cowardly act, and the victor is under no compunction to spare the vanquished. If an obvious victor breaks off the attack and spares her opponent, she will receive great praise for her mercy, but in reality this rarely happens; if things are so bad that honor can only be cleansed by death, the winner seldom stops before victory is complete. The vanquished may feel the same way, rejecting the offered quarter.

References[]

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