Oath of Urfarah

The Oath of Urfarah is the vow to abide by the principles that guide the Pure Tribes.

That the Forsaken swear an Oath to Luna disgusts the Pure. Worse is that this particular Oath was once howled to Father Wolf as an acknowledgement of his patronage - now that Oath has been thieved by Mother Moon, twisted in meaning and used by her children as a certification of slavery.

The Pure believe that their creed- the Oath of Urfarah - remains the same as it was when once it was sung to Father Wolf.

Parts of the Oath

Urum Da Takus

The Wolf Must Hunt: Werewolves are predators; they are nothing without the instinct to hunt. The Pure demand that this instinct be served. However, they do not serve it in the way that the Forsaken do. Luna's hunt - or so the Pure claim - is about diminishing the Shadow so that she may gain power. The Forsaken serving this part of their wretched Oath are hunting the wrong prey. Spirits are not prey by dint of their nature. The Pure care little about hunting the Ridden, the Hosts or wayward spirits. Yes, such hunting is necessary when such creatures disrupt Pure plans or invade a pack's territory, but otherwise the Pure don't hunt them as a rule.

No, the Pure have other quarry in mind. They first hunt as wolves do, tracking down and killing prey both human and animal. The second form of quarry - and easily the most important - is the Forsaken themselves. The Pure know it is their sacred duty to punish the transgressors and cull them from this world.

Anshega Nu Fir Anshega

The Pure Do Not Murder the Pure: The Pure phrase this differently from the Forsaken. The Pure believe that they are true werewolves. They - and only they - are the true children of Father Wolf, those whose paws are not stained with Urfarah's blood. The Forsaken are lesser. They are not true werewolves but cursed beasts kissed by the betrayer bitch, Luna.

In seeing the Forsaken as lesser, the Pure theoretically believe it's perfectly acceptable to murder the Forsaken. Not just to kill in the heat of battle - but to outright execute them. (Note that this still constitutes a Harmony violation. The Oath to Urfarah and sins against nature are not in accord.) In fact, some some grudgingly accept that murdering Forsaken is the only way that Pangaea and Father Wolf will be allowed to return. Still, killing Forsaken rattles many Pure, whether or not they admit it out loud.

The Pure openly abhor the murder of one another, however. To diminish their own numbers is to damage the future and to betray Father Wolf. Some Pure do kill one another in extreme territorial squabbles or during periods of penance and castigation - but many Pure are able to explain away such events, despite how badly it shakes them.

Sih Sehe Mak

The Low Honor the High: This tenet goes one way, and not the other. Pure society is about strength and dominance. One does not dominate another by respecting him. In fact, to many Pure, disrespect and humiliation can be powerful motivators.

The said, despite the lack of the phrasing "The High Shall Honor the Low," the Pure do not as a rule treat their lesser wolves poorly. Most packs recognize the faulty in doing so - far better to denigrate the enemy than to weaken one's own pack. The Oath simply guarantees that such respect needn't be a two-way street.

Anshega Safal Thil Lu'u

The Pure Shall Cleave to the Human: The Pure uphold this tenet just as the Forsaken do: the mating of two werewolves is a perversion against what Father Wolf demanded, and so it is punished severely.

All things are not perfect, however. Because the Pure have a different relationship with spirits, the Pure sometimes believe that they can make more of a relationship with the grotesque unihar. Some Pure have certainly forged relationships, however unhealthy, with their "spirit-children," but this rarely works out to any Pure's advantage. Pride blinds them, and for that they suffer.

Nu Hu Uzu Eren

Do No Eat the Flesh of Human or Wolf: Certainly many Pure consider this terrible violation: they are creatures made of both human and wolf, and to eat either is anathema. Still, this precept is broken often enough. The Pure hunt humans on instinct and as sport - while most hunts do not end in the consumption of mortal meat, it does happen. Death Rage, too, can easily push a werewolf to swallow a gobbet of long pig now and again.

That said, the biggest reason this tenet is violated is because of the level of nourishment gained from doing so. Essence is strong for those who perform such cannibalism, and the Pure can easily justify nearly any action when it helps them crush the Forsaken. Some Pure rely on the safety net of penance to slave their souls after breaking the Oath in this way (though many find that they can fall through that net, too).

Nu Bath Githul

The Herd Must Not Know: The human herd is dangerous - just as any herd of livestock, sometimes it stampedes when spooked. Plus, these cattle know how to use silver. Spooking the herd is a good way to get dead.

Still, some Pure break this tenet in a controlled manner. The Ivory Claws in particular seem to relish forcing humans to heel, building farms of human servants or towns of depressed mortal "employees." Such humans are made aware, at least in part, of the werewolves' nature. Of course, the humans are kept close at hand. Townsfolk never leave. Livestock don't escape the fences. It happens from time to time, and occasionally contravention of this precept has gotten some Pure werewolves killed for their cockiness. Most times, though, an appropriately small number of humans can be kept quiet - whether by threat of death or reward of a nice "payroll."

Another exception to this rule is some of the families of Pure wolves. Many Pure keep their families close, making quite clear what they are, and what purposes the bloodlines serve. In this is a kind of grudging respect.

Atone For All Transgressions

Many packs know that what they do degrades them over time. An Ivory Claw who can't help but dissect his prey and line the bones up in order of largest to smallest begins to get a glimmer of his own degeneration. The Pure demand penance of their own people.

Since each tribes has its own rites of penance, this isn't too hard - but some packs just don't care enough to make penance an obligation. In the constant madness of war, many lose sight of this, and let their penance taper off - and with it, their Harmony.

Refuse Thy Mother Despite the Costs

The Pure will not be made slaves like their Forsaken cousins. Luna conspired against Urfarah, and this very Oath is what reminds the Pure of that. This final tenet therefore caps the litany of pledges to Father Wolf, serving as a spiritual reminder of why they do what they do.

It also subtly serves as a practical reminder, however, Luna affords her children protection and power - by throwing off her shackles, the Pure do not gain the benefits of auspice, or are they protected in any way against the harm of silver.

Variants

Pangaea Must Be Restored

This ambiguous idea means different things to different Pure, though all seem to agree it's necessary in one form or another. To the Pure, Pangaea represented a hunter's paradise in which the two worlds were one, and the Pure were the crowned predators sitting comfortably at the top of the food chain. The exact machinations of restoring paradise are up to individual packs. It might involve exterminating Forsaken, or first converting them. Some assume that creatures such as the Rat Hosts have it right: whittle away the Gauntlet so the worlds may come crashing together. Others assume that by hunting humans, controlling lock and empowering the Shadow the job is already half-done.

Respect Your Totem

The totems lording over the Pure packs demand respect - through sometimes, "respect" really means sycophantic adulation. Most Pure know that their packs would be severely weakened without the aid from their potent totems, and to dishonor them or deny them not only weakens the pack but weakens all the Pure.

Claim New Territory

The Pure want control. Territory is very important to them - not only does it allow them tactical advantage but carving up more of the world for themselves allows them to bring the worlds closer together and exterminate the Forsaken. What territory the Pure own, the degenerates do not, and that is always a good thing. Hence, some werewolves put this into the Oath of Urfarah. It says nothing about defending that territory once claimed, but wise Pure recognize the necessity of protecting what is claimed.

Violation and Punishment

Castigation among the Pure Tribes is often swift and without mercy. They simply don't tolerate dissention or treachery (though, an individual pack's ideas of both can be quite subjective).

Minor infractions fall to the pack to punish. Such infractions might involve an unwitting breach of the Oath, or an inappropriate challenge to an elder. Such punishments might include the following:

• Isolation from pack for a pre-set period of time
• A significant wound that is not allowed to heal (when it starts to head, the pack reopens it)
• Humiliation (insults, mockery, forcing the target to denigrate himself, covering him in waste, making him hurt himself)
• Running the gauntlet (the target must run through a pathway formed of his packmates - as he passes each, they hit him, kick him, claw him, bite him)
• Stoning (for hours, packmates pelt the target with sharp stones)
• Forced penance

Major Oath-breaking is left to a confederacy to punish, if such a group is available. The local alphas deliver punishment for any serious violation of the Oath (mating with another Pure, consistently disrespecting elders, failing to venerate the totem). Reprimands for such a violation might include the following:

• The violator becomes the target of a hunt. They harry him and treat him as prey. He is often brought to the brink of death.
• They give him over to the totem and let the patron spirit decide the punishment. The totem may ask for a difficult task to be completed, or may simply take the target into the Shadow and torture his body and mind.
• Burial (the target is bound and buried 10 feet or more below the earth, usually in some kind of container so that he may have a supply of air).
• Castration or mauling of sexual organs, done in a manner so that the wound is not quick to heal (aggravated).
• Force the target into a pack omega role for a long period of time.
• Force the target to burn himself with silver.

Crimes worse than that are given no leeway. The judgment - whether delivered from a pack or the entire confederacy - is nearly always death. Some packs will exile the Pure and send him to the Forsaken, though the downsides to this are obvious.

Tribal Vows

Fire-Touched: Gab Aldh'Nunglu

Do Not Let a False Statement Lie Unchallenged:
The Izidakh have a tribal prohibition against letting untrue statements lie. That ban is a cornerstone of their faith, and thus plays a greater role in the day-to-day behavior of the tribe than, say, most of the tribal bands of the Forsaken. How often does a Blood Talon really have to consider whether a surrender is one he would accept, after all? But in the end, the ban is simply a tribal vow, and therefore most Fire-Touched do not suffer any immediate penalty from violating it. In mechanics terms, only at Harmony 7 or above does violating a tribal ban call for a degeneration roll, and few Fire-Touched remain at that level.

The tribe as a whole, however, takes this vow very seriously. Lying is a sin regardless of how moral the werewolf in question is, and the elders of the tribe are happy to enforce the ban in any number of painful ways. Of course, Fire-Touched at Harmony 6 or below (which is most of them) often view lying in the same way that a Catholic might view a minor sin - a bad idea in front of one's pastor, but not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Ivory Claws: Nu-ghima Zigh'esh

Call No Whelp of Lesser Blood Your Brother or Sister:
Silver Wolf demands the Ivory Claws to follow a concept of purity in First Tongue that has no single translation. Most modern Tzuumfin interpret the ban as refusing to accept any impure Uratha as family, but others see it as forbidding acceptance of any impurity, or willingness to accept anything of lesser quality. Silver Wolf appears to be satisfied if the Ivory Claw is true to her own interpretation and doesn't accept anything less of herself.

Silver Wolf's Laws

These laws come down to the Ivory Claws from the first days of their service to Silver Wolf.

Not every Ivory Claw obeys these rules at all times and none of the laws of behavior described here actually affect an Ivory Claw's Harmony score; these don't qualify as true tribal strictures. However, regular and blatant violations can make it difficult for a werewolf to gain Purity Renown.

Let the seeds rot uneaten; consume only the fruit of slaughter:
The Pure are children of Father Wolf. They have abandoned the alien heritage of the humaniform Moon-spirit who spawned them, and live only as shapechanging wolves. Wolves are carnivores first and foremost. Ancient human tribesmen who venerated the Moon collected nuts and fruit, and later planted fields of grain. Silver Wolf detests this part of his servants' heritage and forbids them to eat nuts, berries and grain. Fruits and vegetables that they do eat much have the seeds removed from them if the Claw wishes to remain truly obedient and pure.

We hunt; we do not sow. Plant fiber shall not be worn against the flesh:
The purest Pure werewolves wear only clothing crafted from animals. In the most ancient days, this meant leather, fur and wool. Truly pure Ivory Claws never wore garments of cotton or linen. Since the Second World War and the advent of materials such as polyester, Ivory Claws have had a much easier time obeying stricture.

Never venerate the monster of the night sky:
The Moon took on human form to mate with Father Wolf, but never forget this: she was not human. She is an alien creature, neither of the Earth nor of of the Earth's spirit wilds. The Uratha emerged from her womb, but the rituals of the Pure from the most ancient days have carved her alien taint from their souls. The Ivory Claws, just as all of the Pure Tribes, reject the Moon's heritage and her spiritual influence. The Tzuumfin never perform their rituals under the light of the full moon; if a rite must be performed on a night of the full moon, the rite must be performed indoors or (preferably) underground. Traffic with Lunes is forbidden

Abstraction leaves only doubt. Create no work that does not reflect the world as seen:
The Ivory Claws forbid themselves to create abstract works of art. Sculpture, painting and similar forms are to be as realistic as possible. Tales of fantastic fiction are forbidden (although the realm of the "realistic" is considerably more flexible in the World of Darkness). Strangely, perfect honesty is not required of the Ivory Claws; every member of the pack understands that there is a time for lies. But artwork - creation - must stand as a reflection of the slumbering world, rather than as a platform against which any viewer can apply his own philosophy.

Cleave only to the purest blood:
This law seems like common sense; Ivory Claws who want the greatest chance of bearing Uratha offspring try to mate with humans who have strong Uratha bloodlines. Some Claws insist that no member of the tribe may mate with a human who has the blood of the Forsaken; the most strictly orthodox Claws insist that only humans with Ivory Claw blood in them make appropriate mates. More pragmatic members of the tribe believe that too much inbreeding will cause problems within the tribe, and point to the relatively recent rise of obsessive-compulsive disorder and other maladies as evidence of this. Those pragmatists are more likely to mate either with descendants of the Forsaken, or "strong" humans with no obvious werewolf ties. Such "strong" humans may be exceptionally talented athletes, scientists, soldiers or politicians; if the werewolf believes that the human's genes will be a positive addition to the tribe, he may well violate this stricture in order to plant his seed there.

Let not the living and dead mingle:
One the surface, this is another representation of the doctrine of purity: the living and the dead are naturally separated by the grace, and each should remain in his own territory. Existence in a half-dead, half-alive state in unnatural and should be stopped.

Just as many of the dietary laws of ancient humans were originally put into place to protect those humans from hazards of food poisoning and animal-borne disease, some of Silver Wolf's proclamations exist to protect his children from spiritual; and physical calamity.

Orthodox Ivory Claws are forbidden to traffic with ghosts, to summon the spirits of the dead or to become involved in the activities of the walking dead. Ghosts and vampires have powers over emotion and it is said that they can possess the living. By forbidding the Ivory Claws to interact with such beings, Silver Wolf protects his children all from the dangers of possession and supernatural emotional manipulation; his children also benefit by allowing certain secrets to disappear into the grave.

Predator Kings: Sehe Nu Lu’u Thim

Honor Nothing of Human Craft:
The Predator King werewolves, by nature of their tribal ban, are the most removed and distant from the human lives they once lived. To be a Predator King is to suffer under a spiritual ban forbidding any of the tribe to ever wield tools created by human hands or shelter in havens crafted by human labor. This ban is not simply a ban on cities and civilization but a powerful declaration that none of the Ninna Farakh are ever to respect human workings if the Predator Kings wish to keep Dire Wolf's favor. If a Predator King lives within a city, rides the subway, catches a taxi, uses a telephone, wears store-bought clothes or even smokes a cigarette, the werewolf is violating the ban laid upon her by Huzuruth himself. Predator Kings can use tools created by werewolves, even the Forsaken or the Bale Hounds, but the Ninna Farakh may not use or benefit from anything crafted by humans.

In the modern world, with the spread of urbanization into much of the wilderness and the rapid advance of convenience technology, most Predator Kings finds this ban difficult to uphold.

Abiding by the ban can lead many Predator Kings into a violent rejection of all they once were, lashing out at humanity with a hatred that matches the tribe's loathing for the Forsaken. In some packs, Ninna Farakh reacting in such a way are considered blessed by Huzuruth, for they share his rejection and disgust at all things human design and craft. Packs with a less spiritual (and perhaps more pragmatic) outlook see such flagrant rejection as another mechanism for coping with the vast changes that occur in any werewolf's life once she is sworn to Dire Wolf.

Some among the Ninna Farakh believe their band (and by extension, Dire Wolf's hatred for humanity) reflects the fact that in the modern world, the human race is unnaturally powerful in comparison to all other life. Humanity almost stands atop Nature itself; humans are the main source of imbalance within the Skin World, as well as the most of the chaotic changes within the Shadow World, and many Predator Kings believe that humanity is one of the greatest threats that should actually be culled if Pangaea is to be reborn. For these reasons, the Predator Kings often feel no guilt for the deaths of humans.

For all this suspicion and talk of loathing humanity, many Predator Kings do hunt in urban packs and risk further disconnection from their totem. They might not be the majority in the tribe; but they are a clearly significant minority, and most Forsaken packs soon realize urban Ninna Farakh are common enough.

Living in an urban environment is a difficult choice, but the call of the pack is a strong one, and not all Pure packs claim territory solely out in the wilds. For a tribe the size of the Ninna Farakh, some members taking the Hunt into the urban sprawls of the world is not a choice at all; living in civilization has to happen given the vast number of Predator Kings and their packs. So while the majority of the most monstrous and traditional of Huzuruth's werewolves are out there in the wilderness, there is no shortage of Predator Kings stalking the cities at night. Some Predator Kings return to the cities because they are the werewolves packs' hunting grounds. Some return in spite of their tribal ban because of the familiar urban landscape. Some will never return, while others have never left.

In the end, it comes down to three things: the Predator King's own desires, how high her Harmony rating is and how she feels about defying her tribal totem.

References

• WTF: Werewolf: The Forsaken Rulebook, p. 35-36
• WTF: The Pure, p. 33-35, 51, 69-70, 93-94
• WTF: Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon, p. 14