Grondr were the wereboars, one of the extinct Changing Breeds of the Classic World of Darkness.

Apis, Camazotz, and Grondr
Overview[]

Symbol used by the Grondr to describe themselves
The Grondr were destroyed during the War of Rage when they came to the aid of the Gurahl. Their Kinfolk were enslaved and their beast Kin domesticated, though the last true Grondr Kin eventually sought the aid of the Wyrm, and were corrupted into the Skull Pigs. Only the Gurahl and Mokolé remember much about the Grondr, though hints of their nature survive in the folklore of some human cultures. Their purpose was to be Gaia's cleaners and groomers, tending to the Earth's health by rooting out filth and parasites.
The Grondr believed that they were nearly incorruptible as a result of their duty. Wereboars charged willingly into Bane nests, and waded into powerful Blights and Hellholes to cleanse the taint. Where other Fera might retreat for fear of corruption or possession, Grondr would advance, daring the minions of the Wyrm to steal their bodies or warp their minds. When a spirit attempted to posses one of their Kinfolk, the wereboar would not only repel the invader, but tear it apart in the process. This was enabled through their incredible strong metabolism, which could digest even Wyrm taint.
The wereboars also uncovered corruption hiding in the other shapeshifters. If the taint was not total, the wereboar would try to consume it herself, or attempt to cleanse the victim in conjunction with a Gurahl. When they could not remove the taint, the Grondr were perfectly willing to execute the victim themselves. The Grondr saw little difference between the taint of the Wyrm and overwhelming pride, ambition, and cruelty. Grondr investigators would stop short of murdering another Fera for the crime of vainglory, but they were not above teaching her a lesson. A Grondr’s lessons were rough, painful, and humiliating — made all the worse by the breed’s hypocrisy. For all that they thought pride a crime, few among the wereboars thought to look at their own actions.
Breeds and Duties[]
Grondr had three breeds: homid, metis, and scrofa. They lacked auspices; instead, each Breed had specific duties.
- Homid Grondr - defended and maintained lands cleansed by others of their kind. They had the most contact with humanity, and carefully monitored humans' use of their lands.
- Metis Grondr - were sterile, but lacked both deformities and any loss of status. Because metis could not propagate, the Grondr saw them as the most expendable. They acted as scouts and front-line warriors, since their loss did not also entail the loss of their possible offspring.
- Scrofa Grondr - followed the metis into dangerous areas, continuing the perilous work of purifying tainted locations and hunting down corrupted beings, thanks to their intense connection to their natural instincts.
Forms[]
Grondr forms were analogous to those of the Garou:
- Homid - Human
- Aperius - Near-Human
- Crinos - Terrible, boar-headed humanoid
- Daeodon - Huge, prehistoric, carnivorous boar
- Scrofa - Wild boar
Culture[]
The Grondr were an active and aggressive breed. They lived in pack-like groups called Sounders, each lead by a king or queen who held their title by defeating all who challenged them in ritual combat. Each Sounder ruler was equal to all others; they had no hierarchy beyond individual Sounders.
Gifts and Rituals[]
Most of the Gifts of the Grondr focused on cleansing Taint in any form. Other spirit-magics gave the Grondr even more powerful weapons against the Wyrm’s taint. The most potent was a rite that let them literally eat a Bane that had possessed a person, place, or object. While it languished in his belly, the ritemaster could use the Bane’s charms without running the risk of corruption.
- Rite of the Hungry Soul - Level Three, Mystic Rite
Relationships with others[]
The Grondr had particularly strong ties to the Gurahl, with whom they worked in tandem to heal Gaia. When the Garou attacked the werebears, the Grondr stood by their side and paid the price.
Other Fera had a relatively low opinion of the Grondr, believing them tactless and arrogant. Their powers over corruption led some Fera (mostly Garou) to the conclusion that they must have been in league with the Wyrm somehow. The Nagah in particular resented the wereboars for targeting corrupt Fera, a task that was their domain. Most Fera turned a blind eye to the initial conflict between werewolf and wereboar, hoping that the pigs would be taught a lesson in humility. When they discovered the genocide the wolves had in mind, it was already too late to stop it.
Gallery[]
Version Differences[]
First Edition[]
The Grondr didn't exist during First Edition's run (1992-1993). But the Skull Pigs did in Book of the Wyrm First Edition (1993); with their origins from prehuman Ice Age North America and no association to a Changing Breed.
Second Edition[]
A Wereboar race is published in Virtual Lore #2 (1994). While the magazine is non-official, it probably gave influence on the creation of the Grondr, as the official White Wolf website wasn't set up until 1996.
Book of the Wyrm Second Edition (1998) states that the Skull Pigs origins are from prehuman Ice Age North America and no link to the Grondr is mentioned.
The Mokolé Book (1999) names them the Grondr (Boar Skins). The book describes them being half-remembered in Old European mythology, they were the cleaners and groomers of Gaia, that they had five forms, their Crinos form had hoof-hands and was seven or eight feet tall, three breeds (Homid, Suid and Metis), sounders (packs), and Kings and Queens who won their titles by sparring jousts. Their last King was was Brazen Mightyhoof who fell to Garou claws. Humans of the First City seized most of the last Kin of the Grondr and domesticated them. The last true Grondr Kin sought the aid of the Wyrm and became the first Skull Pigs.
Revised Edition[]
The Grondr are given a gift list in the Past Lives book (2003). The book states that they were not able to spread outside of their homelands in Europe. A piece of art depicting the Grondr is in the Players Guide to the Changing Breeds (2003), they are also briefly described in Chapter One in the Europe section. It states that they became ephemeral creatures corrupted by the Wyrm that now only exist in the Umbra, "Skull Pigs" and "Flesh Hogs" are descended from them.
The Grondr are mentioned in the Mind Eye's Theatre book, Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 (2001) in the Mokolé chapter. Mind Eye's Theatre: Book of the Wyrm (2001) mentions the link between the Grondr and Skull Pigs.
Dark Ages: Werewolf Rulebook (2003) has a section on the Skull Pigs, mentions their link to the Grondr and how the Grondr all perished in the War of Rage.
20th Anniversary Edition[]
The Grondr are fully described in the Changing Breeds book (2013) with a Gift list, a Rite, Forms, Traits, Breeds and History. It retcons Past Lives statement about Europe being their only location in that the Asian Grondr left the Beast Courts to fight the Garou. The book offers ways in how to bring the Grondr back if a Storyteller wanted to go down that route.
Form Statistics
Strength | Dexterity | Stamina | Manipulation | Appearance | Performance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aperius: +2 | Aperius: - | Aperius: +2 | Aperius: -2 | Aperius: -2 | Aperius: - |
Crinos: +3 | Crinos: +1 | Crinos: +4 | Crinos: -3 | Crinos: 0 | Crinos: - |
Daeodon: +3 | Daeodon: +1 | Daeodon: +3 | Daeodon: -3 | Daeodon: 0 | Daeodon: - |
Scrofa: +2 | Scrofa: - | Scrofa: +3 | Scrofa: -3 | Scrofa: - | Scrofa: +1 |
Book of the Wyrm 20th Anniversary Edition (2014) links the Grondr to the Skull Pigs and how they attracted the attention of Lord Steel.
The Grondr are also featured in the non-canonical Shattered Dreams book (2016).
Howls of the Apocalypse (2023) has an adventure module chapter "These Things'll Kill You." In it, a Skull Pig named King Semyonov is able to shapeshift as the Grondr did. And offers a possibility of how the Grondr can come back, if a pack can win Semyonov to their side.
5th Edition[]
This is just speculation at this point since the Grondr haven't been introduced yet in 5th Edition or if they ever will be. At best, they might be re-named as Boar-Shifters. It is unknown if they will still remain a Lost Breed, or given 5th Edition's stance on avoiding Lore and Metaplot: An existing Changing Breed.
Trivia[]
- The Grondr are first named in the Mokolé book in 1999. However, a W:TA Wereboar race called "The Apres" was published in a Horror RPG Magazine known as Virtual Lore in 1994.
- The Grondr were probably inspired by the Wereboars in Dungeons and Dragons, as well as stories about Wereboars from Turkey and Greece.
- In Indonesian mythology, Babi ngepet was a shapeshifting boar demon.
- Their Kinfolk had no connection to the Skull Pigs in the first edition of Book of the Wyrm, as the Grondr only appeared late in Second Edition's run. it would be the Mokolé book that would connect them, as the Mokolé blame the Humans of the First City for doing this to the Grondr's Kinfolk.
- In Shattered Dreams, if one can change the outcome of the Grondr in the War of Shame section, they will be known as the Yezhu Yao (Boar Demons) among the Beast Courts.[1]
References[]
- ↑ WTA: Shattered Dreams, p. 107
- Tim Toner. "The Apres" Virtual Lore #2. The CaBil. 1994, p. 65-73
- WTA: Mokolé, p. 27
- WTA/cMET: Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2, p. 116-117
- WTA: Past Lives, p. 93-95
- WTA: Players Guide to the Changing Breeds, p. 29
- WTA: Changing Breeds, p. 242-247
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Fera | |
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Gaian Breeds | Ajaba · Ananasi · Apis · Bastet · Camazotz · Corax · Garou · Grondr · Gurahl · Kitsune · Mokolé · Nagah · Nuwisha · Ratkin · Rokea |
Wyrmish Breeds | Anurana · Kerasi · Samsa · Yeren |