Francis the Confessor, Elodoth member of the Lodge of Doors
The Lodge of Doors is a Lodge of the Bone Shadows further dedicated to the driving thirst for knowledge of their tribes patron.
The spirit patron of the Lodge of Doors is The Lurker in Doorways.
Overview[]
The Bone Shadows of the Lodge of Doors take their tribal philosophy of the quest for knowledge and the constant need for discovery and make the philosophy a way of life. The Lurkers feel that any knowledge not earned is dangerous, because the one who receives the knowledge bears no responsibility for it. That is, if humanity at large were suddenly to learn of the existence of the Uratha, or the Hisil or any of the mysteries of the World of Darkness, humans could wreak untold damage because they would not know enough to take the proper actions. If humans ever discovered these truths naturally, however, they would be responsible for whatever actions they took (and such discovery is more likely to take place on an individual, or at least small-scale, basis anyway, which is much less dangerous).
Membership[]
Bone Shadows are occasionally invited to join the Lodge of Doors, but most of the time an applicant stumbles across a Lurker during the course of their investigations and questions them. When this happens, the lodge member is as evasive as possible. Most of the time, the applicant backs off, but some Bone Shadows are curious enough to want to learn the truth. These are the ones who become new members of the Lodge of Doors.
The initiation is deceptively simple — the would-be Lurker has to confront a member of the lodge with evidence that the lodge exists. Testimony from another Bone Shadow is not enough, because everyone tells stories. A signed confession (or one spoken in person) from an existing member, photographs or video of a Lurker engaging in spying or investigation for the lodge or a credible third-party source that proves the lodge’s existence are all acceptable. The lodge members structure the initiation this way for two reasons. First, obviously, Lurkers must be skilled investigators, and what better way to hone their skills than by discovering the lodge on their own? Second, the lodge uses this method to plug any security leaks or points of weakness its members might be overlooking. Once the applicant has made their case and presented their evidence, any local members of the lodge come forward to meet the new Lurker and to watch for the Beckoning. (This can be as many as a score or as few as two, depending on when and where the initiation takes place.) Very rarely, the Lurker in Doorways takes a special interest in a new member and gifts them with the Beckoning directly after their initiation into the lodge. The Lurkers believes this is a sign that the new member will discover something very important during their life, meaning, of course, that the new Lurker can expect to have the eyes of the lodge on them frequently.
Game Mechanics[]
The following are an overview of the game mechanics.
Prerequisites[]
All applicants must maintain a Harmony rating of 6 or more, and have Cunning •• and Larceny or Investigation ••.
Benefits[]
Members may purchase Opening Gifts as though they were tribal Gifts.
Opening Gifts[]
Word of Opening: A common saying in the lodge is, “Try every door. You never know what’s unlocked.” Indeed, many Lurkers are surprised to find how easy it is to gain access merely by trying the most obvious methods. This Gift allows the Uratha to open an unlocked door, turn on a computer or even flip a rock with a gesture. A werewolf can use Clear the Way either on a deliberate target or simply to see what opens. In either case, the character simply makes a fist and then opens it, focusing either on his immediate area or on the object he wishes to open. The Gift only functions on objects with a 15-foot radius of the character and only on objects that might lead to knowledge or information (computers, filing cabinets, doors and books are just a few examples). If the object is locked or barred in any way, the Gift does not function. A book lying closed on a table can be opened with this Gift, but a book on a shelf wedged between other books cannot.- Lurker's Key: Bypassing barriers and locks is an important part of ferreting out secrets. Many Lurkers are capable of picking locks, hacking computers and simply smashing or tearing away the impediments to their goals, but sometimes a more subtle approach is necessary. This Gift allows the werewolf to bypass physical locks with a simple knock. Lurker’s Key works on electronic locks and can even be used to bypass computer security. In keeping with the lodge’s insistence on earning knowledge, however, the character must rely on her own skills to do so. Using this Gift on a mechanical or electronic lock uses the Larceny Skill. Bypassing computer security uses the Computer Skill. In any case, if the character attempts to use this Gift without any dots in the proper Skill, she suffers the usual unskilled penalty. The character must be able to touch the lock (or the computer’s monitor, in the case of computer security) to use this Gift.
- Create Opening: The initial Opening Gifts deal with already extant apertures. This Gift, however, creates new ones. The werewolf focuses on a seamless object, be it a steel plate, a brick wall or a living being, and wills the object to open. A single, smooth tear appears in the object, beginning as hairline fracture and widening as it goes. Used on a physical object, this Gift can render something useless, create a small portal through which the character can escape or even allow the character to peek through a wall. Used on a living being, of course, the effects are far more painful (and usually messy). The character need not touch the target for the Gift to function, but using the Gift at a distance imposes a –3 penalty to the roll. The maximum range for the Gift is one foot per dot of Primal Urge the character possesses.
- The Open Mind: The world is a constant rush of information, and only by filtering out most of it are we able to function. This Gift opens the target’s mind to not only the physical world, but all of the sensation of the Hisil. The target is inundated by a swirling onslaught of sensation, which normally leaves them incapacitated and terrified. Those who manage to cope with this madness, however, can draw strength from it. The Bone Shadow must make eye contact with the target or touch their skin. They then will their mind open. The results vary based on how strong-willed the target is. If succesful the target becomes overwhelmed by the chaos. For one turn per success on the character’s roll, the target is effectively blinded and deafened by the maddening rush of sensation. Any actions attempted receive a negative modifier equal to the character’s successes, or the character’s Primal Urge, whichever is greater. If unsuccessful, the target’s mind remains closed & the lurker’s own mind receives much of the chaos they were trying to foist on the target and loses 1 Willpower point.
- Gauntlet Key: The most experienced and wise members of the Lodge of Doors are granted a great secret — how to bypass the Gauntlet without a locus or a rite. Only the Lurker in the Doorway teaches this Gift, and only to Uratha whom the spirit believes will use the Gift responsibly and within the principles of the lodge. To activate the Gift, the character must be completely alone. If the character is observed by anyone on his side of the Gauntlet, the Gift does not function. The character must find a gateway — a doorway, two trees spaced a few feet apart, even a crude sketch in the dirt will do. The character steps through the gateway and, provided the Gift works, finds themself on the other side of the Gauntlet. The character cannot act as a pathfinder while using this Gift. When stepping into the physical world from the spirit wilds, the character must again step into a location where they are unobserved. The Lurker in the Doorway does not approve of using this Gift for purposes of assassination or surprise attacks (as the spirit is rather squeamish about violence) and revokes the Gift as well as the fifth dot of Renown that allowed the character to learn it if the Uratha attempts such a thing. Spying, however, is a perfectly acceptable use of the Gift.
Reference List[]
- WTF: Lodges: The Faithful, p. 49-52
