
Lodge of the Shadow Throne member and King Solomon
The Lodge of the Shadow Throne is a Lodge of the Ithaeur of any tribe and Storm Lords of any auspice.
The spirit patron of the Lodge of the Shadow Throne is King Solomon.
Overview[]
Members of the Lodge of the Shadow Throne, comprising Ithaeur of all tribes (but mostly from the Storm Lords), believe their ancestors, the First Pack, misinterpreted Father Wolf's role in Pangaea. Father Wolf, according to the lodge, was not merely the warden of the Border Marches charged with maintaining the balance between flesh and spirit. He was, in fact, the king (or the god, sources differ and when you're talking about beings on that scale the difference is largely irrelevant anyway) of the spirit wilds and lord of all spirits.
Drawing on myth and legend from a variety of cultures, the Lodge of the Shadow Throne claims the state of the Shadow is inextricably tied to the state of its god-king. When Father Wolf was in his prime, all was right and balanced within the Shadow, and when Father Wolf grew weak and feeble, the Shadow became stagnant and befouled. It was in that time the the Spinner-Hag and the Plague King arose, and when the First Pack began to believe Father Wolf had lost his ability to perform his sacred duties. When Father Wolf died, all hell broke loose.
The totem of the Lodge of the Shadow Throne is something of an enigma. It calls itself King Solomon, and though it clearly exhibits the aspects of a spirit of rulership, it claims to be the actual shade of the ancient Hebrew king who mastered the demons and commanded them to build his temple. Since few Uratha outside the lodge have actually met this spirit, the veracity of Solomon's claims (or lack thereof) have never been ascertained. Nevertheless, the spirit is wise, powerful, and lordly - all aspects the Lodge of the Shadow Throne tries to cultivate within themselves.
Members of the Lodge of the Shadow Throne tend to form packs with their fellows, as the lodge's position is seen as somewhat extreme by many Uratha. Some Shadow Thrones work with others outside their lodge, in the hopes of spreading the lodge's philosophy. Unless such an individual is the alpha of her pack, however, she is more likely to be an advisor pushing her pack to seize more direct control of the Shadow rather than attempting to carve out a Shadow kingdom of her own. Pack leaders tend to see that sort of thing as a challenge, after all.
Not surprisingly, members of the Lodge of the Shadow Throne hate the Pure with an intensity greater even than most of their Forsaken brethren. Where Uratha should rule the Shadow, the Pure willingly swear allegiance to the lords of the ephemeral, debasing themselves in a perverted mockery of what the Shadow Throne sees as the natural order of things. The fact that many Pure territories are festering warrens overrun with spirits is only proof that the Anshega are not worthy of the name Uratha.
Membership[]
The Lodge of the Shadow Throne is open to Ithaeur of any tribe, or to Storm Lords of any auspice. The overwhelming majority of members are Storm Lord Ithaeur, and members of other tribes or auspices sometimes feel as though they've intruded on an "old-boys' club" in the lodge.
Joining the Lodge of the Shadow Throne is a fairly simple matter, but one rife with ceremony and ritual. All a prospective member must do is espouse a sincere agreement with the lodge's philosophy of rulership and demonstrate the Renown and political acumen the lodge requires. Typically, and established member interviews a candidate extensively to get a fell for his sincerity and to test his ability to lead. Once the candidate has been approved, he is brought before a gathering of all the Shadow Thrones in the area and, in an elaborate ritual reminiscent of a medieval knighting, the candidate is ordained a rightful Lord of the Shadow and sworn into the lodge as a full member.
Game Mechanics[]
The following are an overview of the game mechanics.
Prerequisites[]
Wisdom • or Honor ••, Politics •
Benefits[]
Members of the Lodge of the Shadow Throne may learn Dominance Gifts as though they were tribal Gifts. In addition, members may use Dominance gifts of spirits (including the Ridden), not just werewolves. Finally, the play may add two bonus dice to any roll made to intimidate or command a spirit through non-supernatural means.
References[]
- WTF: Signs of the Moon, p. 62-63