
Daniel Thunderstar, Irraka member of the Lodge of Wendigo
A Lodge of the Blood Talons, the Lodge of Wendigo is made up of werewolves who seek a path different from their tribemates'.
The spirit patron of the Lodge of Wendigo is Wendigo.
Overview[]
Still Blood Talons through and through, members of the lodge nevertheless seek out and master unusual alternatives when approaching any physical conflict. This is not because of some desire to stand out or earn glory in the eyes of their tribemates — quite the opposite, in fact. The Uratha of this lodge take the hunt to the hidden places of their territories because they recognize the values of stealth, surprise and learning an enemy’s habits before launching the attack. The werewolves sworn to Wendigo do not fight their battles within the shadows, though they use the cover of darkness and distraction in order to get close enough to strike. Infiltration, observation, tracking skill — these are qualities that a member of the lodge displays in addition to any of their usual Blood Talon virtues. A Suthar Anzuth werewolf is a fearsome sight in battle. They become all the more terrifying when they lash out at their enemies from within their ranks; emerging from nowhere and letting out the howl that summons their packmates to the fight as they tear into them with Gauru claws. This lodge is one of the more widespread Blood Talon groups in the world, with regional differences existing between members of each continent or culture. Though the lodge cannot claim a great number of followers, it remains diverse and expansive in geographical scope.
The lodge members see their aims very clearly. While all Blood Talons must always be prepared for battle, these werewolves see great advantages in learning all they can of their foes before striking. When lodge members do finally attack, they attack from a position of surprise and infiltration, with the Blood Talon’s assault often serving as the signal for the rest of his pack to attack while the enemy is engaged and off-guard. The Uratha of this lodge spend hours, even days, scouting out an opponent’s territory. Though the bonds of pack are just as strong for these werewolves, they are ready to leave their friends behind for some time in order to achieve their ends. There is a darkness within the Uratha of the Lodge of Wendigo, something that can make extended contact with them uncomfortable. Though they are as outwardly loyal to their packs as any werewolf, lodge members hold secrets that are never shared with other Forsaken. No werewolf is forbidden from telling of his allegiance to Wendigo, but some of the suspicions of outsiders are in fact justified. Some of the lodge members practice secret rituals taught to them by Wendigo, rituals that hinge on the forbidden consumption of human flesh and blood.
Membership[]
Suthar Anzuth werewolves who show a willingness to engage in stealthy, hit-and-run tactics in the defence of their hunting grounds are in the minority of their tribe, but certainly not rare. Wendigo ignores most of these Uratha. He takes special interest in those Uratha who go beyond the obvious and easy ambushes, infiltrating deep into enemy territory (sometimes leading their packs with them) and remaining unseen for lengthy durations, long enough to learn much of their foes’ lairs, habits and personalities. Werewolves protecting their territories by such methods are likely to receive — in some form or another — a visit from Wendigo. When the spirit manifests before a likely candidate, Wendigo the cannibal-spirit is most often in the shape of the elderly, wizened man with bloodstained lips and chin. If the Uratha has a specific cultural notion of what a cannibal-spirit might look like, then Wendigo will occasionally shape his appearance to match the werewolf’s thought. Whatever the cannibal-spirit’s outward appearance, once it has discovered a Blood Talon that seems suitable for the lodge, Wendigo appears to the werewolf each time the Uratha is on a silent stalk through the Shadow and isolated from his packmates. Sometimes teasing, sometimes gravely serious, the spirit offers to teach the Blood Talon new ways of knowing his enemies’ secrets and conquering his foes by guile and strength. If the werewolf rebukes the spirit several times and clearly shows no temptation, then Wendigo will never reveal himself to the Blood Talon again. However, if the Uratha shows interest or accepts the offer outright, Wendigo will explain a little more; hinting at the hidden costs of gaining a foe’s strength and learning the secrets of the enemy. All the while, the spirit teases and insists that werewolves of little courage or conviction are unable to master the techniques, and that secrecy is paramount. If, finally, the werewolf still accepts the offers, Wendigo tells them that the first secrets to be revealed are found within the spirit’s own blood. The totem offers the werewolf a few drips of his Essence-rich ichor. Those Uratha who accept this offer find themselves spiritually refreshed and dizzied by revelations as they realize Wendigo has offered them a place as one of its children. Those who refuse at any point of this last stage will never see Wendigo again, and never learn the lodge’s real secrets
Game Mechanics[]
The following are an overview of the game mechanics.
Prerequisites[]
Glory ••
Benefits[]
Members may purchase the Rite of Blood’s Revelation and the Rite of Forbidden Flesh with experience points. Lodge members train vigorously in the disciplines of surgical combat, and purchase the Skills Athletics, Stealth and Survival at new dots x2 rather than new dots x3.
Rites[]
Rite of Blood’s Revelation •: This ritual steals the memories from the subject’s mind, ripping them in scattered shards and allowing the ritemaster to recall events as they happened to the victim. Though the process is painless for the victim and the victim retains their memory, some victims will experience momentary disorientation if they try to remember any of the memories that have been “stolen.” Unfortunately for the ritualist, they have no control over which memories are taken, which often end up being a clashing mixture of recent events and long-buried recollections.
Rite of Forbidden Flesh •••: The Lodge of Wendigo is well aware of the secrets and the strength within blood, flesh and bone. By taking into themselves parts of their enemies, those werewolves with particular loyalty to the cannibal-spirit also take in their enemies’ power — be it knowledge or physical might. This spiritual magic is clearly unacceptable within the greater body of Forsaken culture. The Uratha within the Lodge of Wendigo must be ever vigilant that they do not fall from Harmony by pursuing this rite too readily. Any werewolf ever caught teaching the Rite of Forbidden Flesh to an outsider is signing their death sentence. Wendigo himself senses the use of these rituals, and will appear in wrathful form should his lodge be betrayed. Overusing the Rite of Forbidden Flesh is a certain way to tempt degeneration and insanity.
Fetishes[]
Turndagger •••: The Lodge of the Wendigo fashion this knife to strike and flush out hidden foes. The Uratha activates the dagger and shows its wolfshead pommel the target. When thrown, the dagger has the ability to home in on its foe, even turning at nearly right angles to seek out his blood. The target gets no concealment modifiers from this attack. Additionally, if the target does not use a move action to remove the dagger after a successful wounding stroke, it remains in the wound, twisting from side to side, doing one additional point of lethal damage per turn. A contested Strength roll must be used to remove the Turndagger, which resists with Strength 3. A rather demanding Wolf Spirit powers this fetish; it demands chiminage in the form of a bowl of boiled blood after each use.
- Durability 3 (reinforced to 6), Size 1, Structure 7. Damage 2 (L)
- Action: Instant[1]
Reference List[]
- WTF: Lodges: The Faithful, p. 106-109
- ↑ WTF: Lore of the Forsaken, p. 155-156