The Lodge of the Hunt is a lodge where any werewolf can join it.
The spirit patron of the Lodge of the Hunt is Blood Wolf, "Ortuz-Ur".
Overview[]
The Lodge of the Hunt is a true oddity among the Uratha in that any werewolf can join - even, if the most far-flung rumors are true, the Pure. Each pack of the Lodge of the Hunt comprises werewolves who've come together to hunt down a particular foe or group of foes. Each member of the pack is so consumed by his need to kill a quarry that he'll ally with werewolves of other tribes or philosophies, break the Oath and even betray the precepts of Harmony to see that enemy die. Needless to say, this kind of bloody-minded devotion is rare, and it's even rarer to find several Uratha who share the same tenacity regarding the same enemy. Yet it happens often enough that the lodge endures.
The Brethren, as members of this lodge call themselves, look to a spirit that claims to be a lesser child of Father Wolf, not quite Firstborn. This wolf-spirit, Ortuz-Ur the Blood Wolf, calls his children from the Shadow Realm with mourning howls and feral snarls. These cries grow louder as the Brethren approach their prey.
Central to each pack of Brethren is, of course, their quarry. Most often, this quarry is another werewolf or a pack of them, but packs of Brethren have also formed to hunt vampires, mages, spirits and even individual humans. Members of the Lodge of the Hunt always know their quarry's name, and normally know a great deal more. To hate someone so much as to set aside all other personal beliefs in pursuit of his heart's blood, an Uratha must have a very intimate attachment to that enemy. Whoever the quarry is, he isn't simply a rival or a political enemy. He's someone who has wounded each of the Brethren on a deep, personal level. Sometimes, the quarry doesn't even realize what he's done (this is especially common for beings such as vampires, who don't know enough about werewolves to know why the beasts track them down so viciously). This doesn't matter to the Brethren. If they've joined the Lodge of the Hunt, They've long since passed the time of forgiveness and explanation.
Once the hunt is complete and the quarry lies dead, the pack of Brethren separates, agreeing never to speak to each other again and never to enter each other's territory. Blood Wolf enforces this vow. Former Brethren packmates instinctively know if their paths are about to cross so that they can avoid each other. Once the hunt is complete, they have nothing more to say to each other.
Membership[]
Most members of the Lodge of the Hunt are Brethren, committed to hunting their quarry and nothing else. Some members, however, are full-time members and spend their time making offerings to Ortuz and aiding would-be Brethren in finding potential packmates. These werewolves were all Brethren at one point, but their quarry died before being found or they are the sole survivors of an unsuccessful hunt. These werewolves are called the Hollow. Forever barred from fulfilling their vows to Blood Wolf, they serve him directly.
To join the Lodge of the Hunt, a character must find one of the Hollow and state his intentions. The Hollow then attempts to find other Uratha who wish to hunt the same target. When enough Uratha are found to form a pack, all of the would-be Brethren must accompany the Hollow deep into the spirit wilds, to Blood Wolf's den. There, the great spirit hears each werewolf's oath: That he'll stand by his Brethren never betraying them or the hunt, until the pack takes its quarry down. After this simple oath, the pack is free to begin.
Game Mechanics[]
The following are an overview of the game mechanics.
Prerequisites[]
None except the burning hatred required to move a character to join the lodge.
Benefits[]
All packs of the Brethren gain a powerful servant of Blood Wolf as a totem. In return, they're forbidden from serving under totems other than Ortuz-Ur and this servant. The exact capabilities of this totem vary, but always reflect the specific needs of the pack in question. In game terms, the pack has 20 Totem points with which to build its totem spirit, but the ban is always the same: The pack is forbidden to take any action other than eating, resting and pursuing its quarry. Sometimes pursuing the quarry requires bartering services with other Uratha or spirits, and Blood Wolf understands this. If the Brethren begin exhibiting agendas other than the hunt, however, every pack member loses one dot of Stamina each day until the hunt begins again (even of only one pack member commits the offending behavior). Also, the Brethren are forbidden from violence against each other. Even attempting it leaves the offender crippled with pain for a full minute.
References[]
- WTF: Werewolf: The Forsaken Rulebook, p. 203-204
