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Rites of Accord

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Rites of Accord are a type of Rite from Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Rites like Rite of Cleansing and Rite of Contrition were first introduced in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse Rulebook, but weren't categorized as rites of accord until Werewolf: The Apocalypse Second Edition and The Apocalypse. Rite of the Hunting Ground was also introduced in the Players Guide, but wasn't categorized until the Players Guide Second Edition (It is also categized as a Seasonal Rite or a Minor Rite).

Overview[]

Rites of Accord restore a place or particular Garou to harmony and balance with Gaia. These rites purify and renew by bringing the object of the rite through a symbolic rebirth from Gaia's womb.

Background Information and Trivia[]

Out of all the rites listed below, one is noted for causing controversy between fans and the author, Jim Comer: Rite of the Clouds and Rain from Tribebook: Children of Gaia in 2002. Basically, fans did not like how the book was written, were upset over the rite and got into arguments with Jim on the White Wolf Forums. This also prompted attempts at re-writing the Tribebook from the ground up by fans as well.[1]

List of Rites of Accord[]

  • Basic
    • Rite of the Pack - In these last days, many packs are decimated by the raking claws of Death. Sadly, more than one Garou pack has been reduced to only one member after a surprise attack. For this reason, it has become important to create a means by which a pack may be made out of the fragments of other fallen packs. This has become a triumphant rite to perform, however. The Rite of the Pack is a statement of a renewed commitment to Gaia and a promise that the fight against the Wyrm will never end until victory is won. If Garou are adding a member to their pack, they have to all agree to the addition. The Rite of the Pack is begun by telling the tales of the fallen comrades who are no longer with them. Then the pack's Alpha (or the last remaining member of the former pack) will go to each Garou and ask the totem of the pack to recognize the new pack member. At the end of this rite, the new pack howls as one, and they go immediately to the nearest tribe or sept elder and announce their new name and members. Usually a feast or hunt is planned for this occasion. If an entirely new pack is formed, the Garou may attract a brand new totem and may also acquire a brand new quest.
  • Level One[1]
    • Rite of Cleansing - This rite purifies a person, place or object, allowing it to be used without fear of contamination by the Wyrm. To perform this rite the Garou must inscribe a circle on the earth, walking widdershins (counterclockwise) around the afflicted person(s) or object(s) while holding a smoldering branch or torch. She must use a branch (preferably willow or birch) dipped in pure water or snow to asperge the object or person cleansed. As this is done, all Garou present release an eerie, otherworldly howl in an attempt to "frighten away" and this banish the corrupting influence. Ideally, this rite is performed at dawn, but it can be performed at any time.
    • Rite of Contrition - This rite is a form of apology; it is often used to prevent the enmity of spirits or Garou whom an individual has annoyed, or to prevent war between septs or tribes. The rite most often involves the enactor dropping to her belly and sliding forward. The Garou may also whine and lick his paws or hands. If performed well, however, a simple inclination of the head may suffice. To enact this rite successfully, the Garou must either give a small gift to the offended individual or, in the case of a spirit, possess some aspect of the spirit in question (for example, a clay falcon if the Garou is appealing to the totem spirit Falcon).
    • Rite of the Hunting Ground – Lupus Garou mark their territory by urinating on trees and bushes. After the rite, no wolf or Garou can come into the area without immediately realizing they have entered another's territory. There is no compunction not to enter, however.
    • Rite of Discovery – This rite enables a Garou to questions a spirit who might be able to identify a callow family as probable Kinfolk. If the spirit is an ancestor spirit, the Garou may query it as to whether the callow family sparks any memories of a time when their ancestors were recognized as Kinfolk. (The spirit will need to be able to witness the alleged Kin in question, or be exposed to photographs and/or one or two of their close personal items.) Alternately, the Garou can question spirits in the area where the family lives to find out if they know of any signs that may indicate whether or not the subject family might be Kinfolk.
  • Level Two[2]
    • Rite of Renunciation - In this rare rite, a Garou rejects the auspice under which he was born and chooses a new auspice. The rite must be performed during the phase of the moon the Garou wishes to embrace. Water from a silver basin exposed to Luna's radiance is poured over the naked Garou, washing him clean of all he once was, including all Rank. He is now free to start anew as a member of his adopted auspice. Well, almost free - many Garou view such a "Shifting Moon" with suspicion. The Shadow Lords and Silver Fangs in particular see this rite as a grave insult to Luna and are loathe to trust those Garou who cannot bear the weight of their assigned burdens.
    • Rite of Renunciation (Rite variation for Pack Totem) - As a middle ground between the two extremes, a pack that wishes to part ways with its totem but cannot come to an accord with the spirit may formally renounce the bond by wat of a rite. This is no less an insult to the spirit than burning bridges, but the Garou consider a rite to be a more respectful way to sever ties. The problem is that the rite required is little known, as it's easily confused with the Rite of Excoriation.
  • Level Three[3]
    • Pledge of the Battle Mate - Galliard epics from around the world tell of the mighty deeds accomplished by pairs of Garou that fought side by side always, to the bitter or glorious end, known to the Garou Nation as battle mates. This rite allows two warriors who have fought together for some time to dedicate themselves to each other as sisters or brothers in arms, forging a bond in blood and strife that can only be broken by death or betrayal. Ritemasters are careful to asses the relationship between the two petitioners before consenting to perform this rite, ever mindful of the Litany. While most tales involving battle mates are inspirational, a few are tragedies that teach would-be mates not to grow too close to each other. The ritemaster performs a chant that details the battles the two werewolves have fought together, both victories they achieved and defeats they survived. The participants cut themselves, and mix their blood with a hallucinogenic brew. When the drugs take effect, the ritemaster appears as a monster that the two petitioners must fight, trying to restrain their Rage enough not to kill her. At the culmination of the rite, recite a blood oath: never shall one leave the other behind on the battlefield; never shall one fail to come to the other's aid in a time of need; never shall one betray the other to the enemy.
  • Level Four[4]
    • Rite of the Opened Sky - By sacrificing something of personal value and dancing a complex rain dance, the ritemaster can beckon great, purifying showers of rain to fall from the skies. This rain cleanses all Wyrm impurities, and can even heal wounds.
    • Clear the Miasma - Modern cities are choked with smog, brownish crud filling the air and suffocating the city's plant and animal life. Drive down any city highway and look closely at the tress that flank it: leaves and branches that face the roadway are brown and stunted. The emissions from heavy industry, automobiles, and power generation facilities combine to create this muck. Garou can use this ritual to temporarily cleanse the skies of the city around them. The most obvious benefit of this is that the sky becomes clearer, the air sweeter smelling. Pants grow more than usual; human residents with respiratory difficulty find that their day is easier. Performing this ritual also improves the attitude of Gaian spirits in the city and gently weakens the wall between the Realm and the Umbra. The ritual's effects only last for a day; with the morning dew, the city's poison will return.
    • Enchant the Forest - Everyone has heard about the mystically enchanted forests in which the trees themselves seem alive, strange voices whisper, wicked witches roam, and goblins and fae of all manner plague the early traveler. The Garou used to rule the wilds, but humanity encroaches more and more on their ranges. Hundreds of years ago, Theurges developed a rite with which to frustrate such expansion. This rite, Enchant the Forest, awakens the spirits of the land and urges them to protect the Wyld. These spirits awaken and move to resist any human settlements in the area. Suddenly, springs dry out. The winter grows harsher than ever before, yet the forest and the trees are remarkably fast-growing and resilient. Food decays and rots in no time, and vermin and insects infest the area. Attempts to lay in power or phone lines fail inexplicably. Not to mention the TV reception, which displays disturbing, unusual images when it functions at all. The humans eventually either leave or die, and the wilderness will reclaim its lost property. The area seems haunted for years afterwards. The trees are dark and threatening, strange sounds emanate from the woods at night. The spirits, once roused, do not rest again for a very long time. Superstitious tales of haunted lands circulate, and many humans give the area a wide berth - unfortunately, many others become very interested - government agencies, the press, other supernatural beings. The ritemaster takes a twig from a tree never seen by human eyes, and makes a container from the belly of an animal never hunted by humans, which he fills with water from a pond never touched by mankind. He then stirs the water, and pours it close to the borders of the wild woods, and calls on the spirits of nature to awaken and defend themselves. He sends messengers to the north, south, east and west, to call to the spirits there. The ritemaster must sing to the spirits for three days.

List of Auspicial Rites of Accord[]

  • Level One[5]
    • Philodox: The Rite of the Pack's Blood - Most Garou form packs that are bound with and dedicated to a totem spirit. In these days of mixed septs and thinning ranks, some werewolves are forced by necessity to run together temporarily. This ritual binds a group of werewolves into a pack dedicated to a particular purpose, such as a quest, a battle or a fortnight's stint of bawn-guarding. The effects of this expire after the task is done, or after a lunar month, whichever comes first. Elders usually expect more permanent associations to ask for the blessings of a totem spirit.
  • Level Three[6]
    • Ragabash: Rite of the Omega - It is often the duty of the Ragabash to add levity and defuse a tense situation. When division and anger threatens the unity of the sept, some Ragabash choose the dangerous and often sacrificial Rite of the Omega. Once it is performed successfully, the ritemaster becomes reviled; everything she says or does steps on the last nerve of everyone in the sept (plus any visitors there at the time the rite begins). Elders put her to work and punish her for being slack, and the Ahroun want to practice their Ragabash-throwing skills. Even the lowest metis says, "Sucks to be you." The ritemaster will be driven from kills, suffer beatings if she isn't quick and may even have her gear stolen or damaged for spite's sake. Even her own pack treats her like dirt. All the tension and hate and anger that threatened to tear the sept apart is now directed at one individual, bringing unity and catharsis to the Garou. The effects last a minimum of one day, although for an ongoing situation the Ragabash may continue to play the ultimate omega to ensure harmony.
  • Level Four[7]
    • Philodox: Rite of the Great Council - In these days when unity is so important, it is often sorely lacking. Too often, a rift pits pack against pack, tribe against tribe, or sept against sept. A popular Garou may be (possibly wrongly) accused and sentenced, or old resentments flare into open warfare. Despite the Half Moon's best efforts, the fabric of werewolf society is torn asunder. This risky but impressive ritual draws together the most powerful spirits involved in the contention - usually the totems of contending packs, although caern or tribal totems may also be involved. It is a perilous venture, but success will almost certainly bring peace; when the most powerful spirits of a sept speak with one voice, even warring packs will take notice.

List of Tribal Rites of Accord[]

  • Level One[8]
    • Black Furies: Rite of Motherhood - This simple Rite marks a Fury's shift from Maiden status to Mother status. As is noted elsewhere, the title "Maiden" is not strictly accurate; the spirits begin to treat a Fury as a Mother as soon as she becomes pregnant. In some septs, this spiritual change is sufficient, while in others it might take until the child is born, and in the most conservative septs a Fury is considered a Maiden until she gives birth to a child who lives for one lunar year. Regardless of when the sept declares the Fury to be a Mother, when the time is right, this ritual is performed. Mother and child are separated, and the young mother is bound - thus may be simply a symbolic binding, a rope lightly draped over her, or it may be shackles and chains. The mother breaks free of the bounds and comes to her child's side while the Mothers and Crones of the sept watch; when she reaches her child again, the older women of the tribe welcome her.
    • Bone Gnawers: Rite of the Pizza - Rabble-rousers sometimes try to bring Garou together for a quick, temporary enterprise. Buying them food (or beer) is one way to encourage them to work together, but this minor rite formally acknowledges the alliance and calls upon urban spirits for a quick blessing. This rite requires a public telephone and enough spare change for a call. The goal is to gather enough food to feed everyone for one meal. This may seem like a simple task, but because of a wide variety of urban traditions, it's actually fraught with peril. Take, for instance, its most common application: ordering a pizza. The Garou must decide where to order from, what toppings to get, what the tip should be, and most distressing, who gets which slices. If they can overcome this Herculean task, there is a chance they may work together to achieve greater goals. At the culmination of the ritual, the highest-ranking Theurge "gives thanks" (or "says grace"). This must be done very, very quickly, since many Bone Gnawers are ravenously hungry for warm pizza. The highest-ranking Philodox then declares the reason why the temporary pack has been formed. (The Storyteller should demand a more specific explanation if the definition is too broad. "Breaking into Warehouse #8 to recover a Croatan fetish" is a specific goal; "killing the Wyrm" or just "killing shit" is not.) While wolfing down hot morsels of food, the group then coordinates its plan.
    • Children of Gaia: Rite of the Pregnant Mule - This rite is known only to metis. No one else would ever want to learn it. It honors Father Mule, patron of the middle breed. It enables metis to adopt other metis as their children. Since most metis are abandoned or worse by their biological parents, older metis see these Crinos pups as a personal responsibility. And who better to raise a troublesome and often differently abled metis pup?
    • Silent Striders: Rite of the Midwife - This rite is taught as a rite of accord because it is enacted to protect a newborn from harm or taint by hurrying or delaying its birth. The unsullied focus necessary for this rite is an owl's feather, as Owl intercedes on the mother's behalf. The mother must ordinarily be a Silent Strider or one of their Kinfolk, though Owl may be convinced with proper chiminage to intercede on the behalf of Garou or Kinfolk of other tribes, or even a normal human woman. The rite may be performed for several days in a row to achieve the necessary result - in fact, it may be necessary to do so. This rite is often considered the province of female Striders, though most are willing to teach it to any make Strider who wishes to learn.
    • Silver Fangs: Rite of the Honorable Oath - The Silver Fangs take their oaths of service very seriously indeed. when anyone wishes to sweat service to a Silver Fang Lord who follows the old traditions of the tribe, the Lord may ask them to undergo this rite, but will never press the point. Many Silver Fangs voluntarily undergo it if offering service to another werewolf, but are offended if others demand it of them. To swear the oath, the character swears to undertake a single task, which is outlined by the recipient of the oath and repeated by the character undergoing it. The character offering service then gives a small object of value to himself to the recipient of the oath. Should the oath taker stay true to their word, he will receive Renown whether or not the mission is successful. The recipient of the oath should return the gifted item at the conclusion of the service. (Previously a Rite of Honor; Renown)
    • Stargazers: The Rite of Meeting - The population of living Stargazers is growing thin, and such, many of the tribe consider themselves fortunate when encountering a new (or previously unmet) Stargazer. This rite, known in India as the "Rite of Namah-te" and in China as the "Rite of Gong Xi" is meant to allow two tribe members to greet one another with proper respect. The rite is a traditional greeting that's been used for many centuries. Two Stargazers meeting for the first time place the flat of their palms against their chest, and bow their heads at one another. They hold the bow for as long as necessary, and then each Garou takes a small smear of ash or soil and anoints the other's forehead with it. Finally, both Stargazers utter a prayer to Gaia. The meanings to this ritual meeting are many. It is a wish for extended friendship, but in it is also the unspoken wish to have both minds joined in service to both Gaia (the Emerald Mother) and the Jade Emperor. Both Garou are equal in the eyes of those two cosmic forces, even if they are not technically equal in rank. In this meeting, egos are set aside and the two are - however, briefly - conjoined in the service of Gaia.
    • Croatan Song: Rite of the First Fruits - This rite thanks to the spirits for a bountiful harvest. Usually performed by Wendigo Kinfolk of the lakes region, some Wendigo participate in the rite to solidify their bons with their human Kin.
    • Croatan Song: Washing the Spirit - By going to water, attending a sweat lodge or performing some other sort of cleansing, the Wolf Changer purifies mind, body and spirit. He does so to make himself inoffensive, thus readying himself to speak with spirits and ask their aid. This rite shows the Garou's sincerity and respect to the spirits and incidentally cleanses him. Before undertaking greater rituals and rites, many Garou perform this rite so that no unclean or evil emanations sully him and leave him open to their influence or to inadvertently giving offense where none is intended.
    • Wendigo: Sweat Lodge - A version of the Rite of Cleansing, this rite specifically pertains to one's own self and health. The rite participants all gather in a sealed tent or lodge and pour water on heated rocks to create hot steam. Sage and cedar are sometimes burned to help cleanse the atmosphere. Tricky spirits sometimes interrupt ceremonies, often yanking things from a person's hand or even disrobing a participant. Ritualists should greet these visitations with patience. If one behaves properly, he may be rewarded with some tidbit of knowledge.
    • Wendigo: Song of the Longest Night - Even the wild spirit of Great Wendigo grows weary, after eons of battle against the ever-encroaching madness of the Wyrm and the Weaver. His cold fury, like all sources of Gaia's might, needs renewal and respite in order that he continue to guide and guard his children. In gratitude for the blessings he grants his tribe, for the enduring strength he lends them, once every year, Wendigo's children offer to him the gift of rest. On the longest night of the winter, all Wendigo gather respectfully at their closet caern, or simply in a place of safety with their pack. Upon the setting of the sun and the rise of Luna, the Garou join their voices together in a howling lullaby, serenading Wendigo into his only night of sleep. The sound of these gentle, sustained and soothing howls allows him to rest in the bosom of Gaia, replenishing himself from the uncorrupted and chaotic found of the Wyld. Meanwhile, Wendigo's children remain quiet and awake, keeping a vigil through darkness, protecting their Kinfolk and themselves. On Midwinter morning, when the sun rises, the Garou waken Great Wendigo with a howl of welcome and joy akin to the Cry of Elation, welcoming him back with pride and singing the glories of the coming year. Then the partying begins; all should rejoice with feasting, merrymaking, brawling, and reveling in their bond to each other and to Great Wendigo. Often Galliards regale their Kin with stories of exceptions have been known to last for several days. Usually all activities and travel come to a stop on the Longest Night, and it is considered a damnable crime to perform any rites or use any Gifts that would need Wendigo's attention or participation. Wendigo himself deals with the foolish Garou who wakes him before dawn immediately and severely, if other werewolves don't get to her first. Interrupting Great Wendigo's sleep may endanger the lives and spirits of the entire tribe - nobody knows for sure what horrible things may happen, though, because so far no one has been quite that stupid.
    • White Howlers: Rite of the Survivor - Being born into the war against the Wyrm does not necessarily give one the resources to endure the tragedies and horrors of that war. This ritual allows someone who has seen or experienced a debilitating event to purge it from her mind permanently.
  • Level Two[9]
    • Black Furies: Ritual of Acceptance - Although a Garou can give up her tribal affiliation with the Rite of Renunciation, the Black Furies have their own ritual to welcome a female Garou from another tribe into their own. The prospective Black Fury must fast for 24 hours to purify her body; afterward, she enters a ritual circle while her tribemates-to-be quietly invoke Pagasus from outside the same circle.
    • Black Furies: Soothe the Scars - Black Furies perform this rite on human women and children that have suffered at the hands of an abusive spouse or parent. Such abuse can harm the soul in ways still unknown to the Black Furies, but it is certain that sufficient abuse can open a hole wide enough for a Wyrmling to crawl into. It is in the Furies' nature to stop such a fate, and while it is their modus operandi to put a halt to such abuse (violently, if need be), Soothe the Scars is one of the Furies' best tools for healing abuse once it has been stopped. The rite itself is designed to put the victims at ease immediately; the smoke of gentle incense and scented candles should fill the air, and inoffensive soft music - not necessarily "spiritual" music; folk songs or children's music are equally appropriate - should play. In the case of victims not acquainted with Gaian spirituality, prayers are offered to the "spirit of motherhood across the world," though prayers to Gaia can be said in their place. Memories of abuse are coaxed from the victim, and each one is symbolically cast into a purifying fire. When the rite is over, the victim can begin the long road to real spiritual healing without risking a fall backward into a dangerous cycle of self-degradation. This rite has no game effect; the Storyteller should adjudicate its roleplaying effects.
    • Children of Gaia: Rite of Comfort - This rite is a healing ritual for Harano. It does not cure the condition, although the rite of Asklepios can indicate possible cures. The ritemaster can, however, prevent the afflicted one from passing any deeper into Harano. The ritemaster chants, burns mystic incense and engages the sufferer in breathing exercises. The dispirited one may leave before the rite begins, but nor after it has started. This ritemaster may perform this rite more than once for each werewolf suffering from Harano.
    • Children of Gaia: Rite of the Clouds and Rain - This rite is kept a careful secret by Children of Gaia, and all who so much as know of it must swear never to mention in among non-initiates - if revealed, anyone involved would likely be ostracized by the rest of the Garou Nation. It allows the partial control of Rage at the price of violating a basic Garou law: the first precept of the Litany. The rite involves channeling the force of Rage by having sex in Crinos form. To avoid injury or death to the partners, both must be Garou. Because the fear of producing a metis is so great, metis are often asked to perform the rite, as they are sterile. Some Garou actually enjoy multiple partners while performing this rite, although having more than one sexual partner during the rite can be somewhat confusing. Some say that the more Garou are involved, the more powerful the rite becomes. The truth of this is unknown.
    • Fianna: Rite of Hospitality - Hospitality is one of the three great virtues of the ancient Celts, and a similarly honorable virtue to the modern Fianna. Ordinarily, hospitality is given at a hearth, but occasionally it needs to be formally stated in a binding fashion; perhaps the seeker is a rival, or has bad blood with others at the sept and needs protection. In such circumstances, the rite is performed. The grantor (typically the righ or the owner of the hall or territory) is required to give his guest food, shelter and reasonable comforts for three days, as well as protection from foes (without or within). In return, the supplicant is expected to be the model guest, neither stealing, starting fights nor otherwise bringing trouble to the household. And be sure that even if the offense isn't obvious, the spirits that witnessed the oath will find a way to bring it to everyone's attention.
    • Stargazers: Feng Shui - This Rite of Accord is a more permanent version of the Rite of Cleansing. Through the use of geomantic lore and tools (small mirrors placed in just the right locations to divert bad energy), the Garou can cleanse a place and make it more conducive to good energies. There is a whole body of knowledge associated with Feng Shui geomancy, including the colors used in the area, the directions the walls face and in which lines converge, the topography of the area (hills, depressions, rivers, etc.). This lore must be called on for the rite to work.
    • Uktena: Rite of Adoption - This rite brings Garou from another tribe into the Uktena fold. A candidate for the Rite of Adoption must first undergo a period of testing by a council of Uktena elders from the sept she wishes to join. Similar in nature to the rigors of the Rite of Passage, these tests allow the council to assess the sincerity of her decision and her commitment to her new tribe. The actual rite consists of a ceremony in which the petitioner renounces her old tribe and casts aside any outward symbols of her previous membership, including tribe-specific fetishes and talens. In the presence of all participants in the Rite of Adoption, the candidate changes into Crinos form, symbolic of her First Change. The witnesses then proclaim her a "new Uktena," choose a name for her and welcome her into the tribe as a cub.
  • Level Three[10]
    • Black Furies: Fertility Rite - Many Garou and human women lack the ability to give birth on their own; perhaps they were born with congenital reproductive difficulties, or have become infertile due to the influence of Wyrm-created technology or chemicals. In the case of Garou, battle scares and similar wounds often lead to infertility. This ritual invokes spirits of fertility, often avatars of Gaia in the Mother aspect, to return fertility to those without. This ritual also improves any ordinarily fertile subject's chance of conceiving. The Fertility Rite does work on males, but it's almost never performed on them. It also works on wolves, and is occasionally used in secret by those Garou who have access to zoos and their wolf populations. The rite does not work on metis, not that Furies would be so arrogant as to try such a thing. The subject of the ritual removes all clothing save possibly a homespun robe, and sits or lays in an obviously growing area: in the midst of a healthy forest, or in tall grass. The mistress of the Rite traces a circle around the subject, using the menstrual blood of a fertile woman. The mistress of the Rite then invokes the spirits of Gaia for their aid in restoring the woman's birthright to her. In the case of battle scarring or injury, Gifts such as Mother's Touch may be brought to bear during the Rite, but those Gifts alone will not heal the woman's injury.
    • Children of Gaia: Rite of Anger's Purge - Rage makes a shapeshifter what they are. But it is a curse as well as a blessing. Some Garou can contain their Rage sufficiently to live with a Kinfolk family or enjoy a quiet dinner at a restaurant. But some are so out of balance that they can barely function without exploding. Others require punishment. For whatever reason, a Garou occasionally needs to have his potential for Rage lowered. In this rite, the subject changes into Crinos and is encircled by the participants who all wield whips, clubs, and other instruments of punishment (the "gauntlet"). They then proceed to beat the subject into submission, until he lies unconscious on the ground. A Garou can have the Beast beaten out of him in this way of such a punishment is required.
    • Silver Fangs: Rite of the Loyal Pack - This Silver Fangs do, despite claims to the contrary, understand that leadership is a two-way street. A leader needs respect from those that follow him if he (and they) wish to succeed. Usually, only packs that have been working together for some time and who trust each other enough to further cement those bonds perform this rite. The rite makes the whole pack's focus and commitment dependent on the pack alpha. In effect, they submit completely to him, in the hope of gaining an advantage from it if her is committed to working for the benefit of all. Each member of the pack must take a small item of personal significance and a length of his or her own hair and give it to the ritemaster. She then binds together all the objects using the hairs and buries the bundle within the pack's home caern.
    • Stargazers: Banishment of the Self - This rite allows a Stargazer to dampen her own ego so she may give aid to those closest to her (typically her pack or sentai). The werewolf meditates for an hour beneath the moon and continually recites the following in whatever language she chooses: "I give my body to the hungry, my blood to the thirsty, my skin to the naked, and my bones as fuel to those who suffer cold. I give my good fortune to the unlucky, and may the breath of my life restore the dying. Shame on me if I draw back from this sacrifice! Shame on all who hesitate to accept it!" Those she chooses to aid from this ritual find their spirits lifted and find a renewed sharpness to their minds.
    • Stargazers: Thaipusam - The rite called "Thaipusam" is an act of consecration meant to separate a Stargazer from the profane world and officially become part of the greater sacred sphere. Few Stargazers practice it; it's mostly prominent among the Stargazers of India, despite the fact that its origins actually lie among the native peoples of Malaysia. At its roots, Thaipusam is an act of ritual piercing. The Stargazer, after washing his hands in both milk and honey, then pierces his own flesh to insert a ring. While chanting the universal mantra (aum), salt is rubbed in the wound to heighten the pain and ensure that it won't heal over immediately. The ring itself needn't be made of any specific material, though may Stargazers favor simple rings of steel, jade, or hematite, though some decorate their bodies with more ornate trimmings. The bodily location of the piercing also is insignificant. Many pierce their ears, lips, nipples, and some even go so far as to pierce genitals, the flesh around the throat, or bunches of pinched skin around the forehead. Many elder Stargazers can be seen with countless rings adorning their scarred bodies.
    • Stargazers: Rite of Rebalancing - This variation of the Rite of Renunciation has been all but lost - though some Stargazers know it and see it as the only means to bolster their tribe's numbers. By means of this rite, a Garou of another tribe loses his tribal affiliation and instead becomes a Stargazer in blood, if not by birth. The Garou wishing to become a Stargazer may not perform this rite herself; it must instead be performed upon her by an able and willing ritemaster. In this rite, the ritemaster must take the Garou beneath the new moon and together must stand in a body of running water (a creek, stream, or river will do). The ritemaster must, with a claw, etch the Stargazer glyph into the Garou's body, and let the blood mingle with the flowing water below. The Garou mustn't let this wound heal right away, and instead must allow it to scab over and become a natural scar. After seven days has passed, the Garou is now a full-blooded member of the Stargazer tribe regardless of her tribe of origin.
    • Uktena: Rite of Balance - The Trait is in everyone, but sometimes one aspect touches a person more strongly than another. This imbalance manifests in many ways, from a Wyld-fed madness to Wyrm-spawned depression or the joyless routine of the Weaver. Packs delving into Cyber realms for extended periods or conducting raids on Black Spiral Dancer Hives come back changed, Tainted. This rite seeks to bring them back into balance, to restore the Garou's harmony with Gaia.
    • Croatan Song: Rite of the Black Drink - Some nations purify themselves and prepare to speak in council by partaking of a noxious black liquid that causes them to vomit. It is thought that purging their bodies in this manner cleans them of all impurities and thus gives weight to the truthfulness of their words. Despite its black color, many nations call this the White Drink because of its reputed cleansing properties. The Uktena (and later generations) call it the Black Drink and have built a rite around the consumption of this purgative. When consumed as part of this rite, the Black Drink not only purges as it is meant to do, ensures that all words spoken for the next hour are true and also reveals whether anyone drinking it harbors a Bane or other unclean spirit within his body. Those so afflicted will seek to escape drinking the liquid and if forced to imbibe it, will be unable to regurgitate it. Their skin mottles visibly with black patches which last for an hour.
    • Wendigo: Rite of the Heavy Heart - This rite is generally performed after the completion of any rite where a Garou is killed for her transgressions, in an attempt to restore Gaia's balance to the tribe. For example, the rite's ameliorating effects are cast upon a pack or sept after the conclusion of the Hunt of a cannibal Garou, the Rite of the Vipers, Gaia's Vengeful Teeth or the Summoning of the Tupilaq. The participants chant to Gaia and Great Wendigo their regret for the killing of a brother or sister; regardless of the face that she deserved to die, the loss of a Garou life is not a thing to celebrate. No matter how difficult it may be, each werewolf at the rite should recite something redeeming, worthwhile, or memorable about the dead Garou. The ritemaster and the participants then declare to the spirits their sorrow that they were unable to lead the traitor back from her offending path, and request that Gaia beat the traitors' spirit into the afterlife of the ancestors with forgiveness and relief from shame.
  • Level Four[11]
    • Children of Gaia: Rite of Resolution - (aka Rite of the Harena or Rite of the Sands) - This rite is enacted before ritual combat. The Garou join in affirming their respect for each other through howls of praise for all participants. When the rite has been concluded, the participants will not frenzy against one another in ritual combat. (Changed to a Mystic Rite in Revised)
    • Silver Fangs: Rite of Kingship - This rite, is used to crown the true kings of the tribe. The rite is rarely used for obvious reasons, but the shamans of the Silver Fangs traditionally teach it to multiple promising students, so that it will never be lost through a shaman's untimely death. To be taught the Rite of Kingship is a distinct honor, and many Theurges vie to be recognized as worthy of the rite.
    • Wendigo: Snow Walk - Snow Walk, a powerful but dangerous rite, is attempted only by individuals whose taint or spiritual sickness cannot be cleansed with a Sweat Lodge. The supplicant goes off alone, without clothing or tools of any kind, into the frozen tundra of the far north (or into a fierce local snowstorm) and must survive there for at least three days. The first day may be trying, but it is on the third that the real test begins. If the rite is successful, Wind-spirits summon harsh gusts, hard hails and piercing ice to attack the Garou. If she survives, she is cleansed of any Wyrm-taint or spirit toxins and may even be freed of Harano.
  • Level Five[12]
    • Wendigo: Rite of the Second Birth - This rarest of ceremonies is performed in order to absolve a cannibal Garou of their sin and remove the taint of their actions, at the cost of all their Rank and Renown. Because of the difficulty in completing this rite, and the ghastly nature of the situation itself, it is seldom finished, always performed in utter secrecy, and even more seldom discussed. Many ritemasters have argued that the risk of redeeming a cannibal can never be outweighed by the cannibal's usefulness to the pack or tribe. It is generally decided, in a secret Council of the Second Borth, that the Garou in question possessed an ability or asset that is absolutely vital to the survival of the tribe. Only when this Council has come to this conclusion will the rite be prepared. The details of the rite itself are simple in contrast to the politics surrounding it. At the full moon, the cannibal Garou is brought blindfolded, bound and gagged, to the center of a concealed earthen circle. If the circle is discovered by anyone outside the rite's council, the area is considered polluted and the rite fails. This ritual area must have been purified and consecrated to Gaia nightly over the course of one entire lunar month, using the Rite of Cleansing, the smoke of burnt birch or willow branches, and copious amounts of blood from two different ritemasters. One of the ritemasters howls the transgression of the cannibal Garou in a Curse of Ignominy, standing at the westernmost point of the circle, reviling the villain's deeds with discordant disdain. Simultaneously, the other ritemaster performs a Howl of Introduction from the easternmost point, reciting the new identity that the Garou will assume, assigning all the committed sins to the previous, vile persona. Both howls must end precisely at the same time. At this moment, the target of the rite, for all intents and purposes, has his Wyrm taint torn out by the hand of Gaia. Note that this taint remains a coherent spirit-thing in the nearby Umbra: it may evaporate, manifest as a spirit of some kind, or affix itself to another target, as befits the Storyteller's needs. Whether or not this reborn Garou (always an Ahroun) still possesses the very powers and Gifts that made him so valuable is an entirely different risk undertaken by the Council.

List of Tribal Camp Rites of Accord[]

  • Level Three[13]
    • Red Talons: Winter Pack: Rite of the Winter Pack - This rite is only invoked when a new Winter Pack - a pack of five young Red Talons, one of each auspice, specially trained to kill humans and bring chaos and devastation to the scabs - is formed. Currently, only one such pack exists, but no one can say for certain how many Talons septs house Winter Packs only waiting for this rite to sanctify them before they launch their bloody mission. The ritemaster assembles the prospective pack on the first night of the new moon, away from the heart of the caern. Other members of the sept may watch from the brush, but are forbidden to make a sound. At the ritemaster's command, each of the cubs in turn states her name and auspice and then howls a variation of the Anthem of War. The ritemaster then howls to the heavens, calling down blessings from Gaia, the pack's totem and Rorg, the Many-Taloned Hunter upon the Winter Pack. The Pack must then venture to the nearest human settlement and stalk and kill one human each (although they may act in concert to slay a group of humans). Afterward, they howl the Anthem of War in concert, and begin to execute whatever plan they have been given.

List of Black Spiral Dancer Rites of Accord[]

These rites draw their power from the Dancers' fundamental connection to the Wyrm, and they are characterized by taint and corruption. To channel this power the Dancer must use a talen, fetish or object that is tainted or corrupted. Dancers who have achieved the Sixth Circle of the Shattered Labyrinth are immune to this requirement. Rites of accord are based on the ritemaster's Social Traits for making challenges.

  • Basic
    • Rite of Blood Taint - If the Dancers suspect that someone contains the taint of Dancer blood in their heritage, they perform this rite. The ritemaster spends one Gnosis Trait. While the target does not need to be present, the ritemaster must have possession of something that the target touched within the past five days. This rite "activates" the tainted blood subtly, giving glimpses of violent and terrifying past lives, or causing Garou or Kinfolk to hear voices that urge them to commit atrocities. The stronger the taint of blood is, the more pronounced the effects are. A full-blooded Dancer Kinfolk might suffer a psychotic break, for example. These effects last for one session.
    • Rite of Vice Assumption - Dancers use this rite to uncover a vice or weakness in an opponent that might be used to corrupt her. The ritemaster spends one Gnosis Trait. For one full session, the vice that is strongest in their prey (be it greed, lust, envy or something more specific like gambling or alcoholism) is evoked in participating Dancers. The compulsion to follow the vice may serve to distract the Dancers from their attentions to their prey, but it can also give Dancers a way into someone's heart, if they use it cunningly. For example, a Dancer uses this rite on a Garou whose chief vice is gluttony, appetite for food. For the rest of the session, the Dancer finds that he's always hungry, sometimes for traditionally inappropriate things or for items that he doesn't usually like.
  • Intermediate
    • Rite of the Small Push - This rite increases the target's worst urges. The effects are mild, and they last for one session. The idea is to make the target believe that everything she did was of her own will, so the effects of this rite are not intense or dramatic. Using this rite may serve to push weak or guilt-prone people into their own downward spiral or to foul up their relationships. The ritemaster chooses one of the following options: He spends one Rage Trait to increase the subject's temper, and the subject considers her relevant Traits halved for the purposes of challenges to resist frenzy. The ritemaster spends one Willpower Trait to weaken the subject's resistance to temptation, and the subject must spend twice as many Willpower Traits as normal in order to resist bad actions. The ritemaster spends one Gnosis Trait in order to increase one vice in the subject, and the subject's interest in the vice expands accordingly. For example, our ritemaster performs this rite on our gluttonous Garou from the Rite of Vice Assumption, spending one Gnosis Trait. The Garou finds his appetite increased, making it easier for food to distract him from his duties. He's tempted by food that are inappropriate, such as human flesh or the flesh of other shapeshifters.
  • Advanced
    • Rite of Evocation - This rite drastically increases the subject's worst vice (the same on that the Rite of Vice Assumption would uncover) for one session. The Ritemaster spends one Rage Trait and one Willpower Trait during the ceremony. The target's vice becomes so pronounced that he has little interest in other activities or relationships, and allows it to override even common sense. For example, this rite is performed on our gluttonous Garou. He goes on a rampage of hunger, ignoring his duties, leaving his post and possibly attacking a human or fellow Garou in his hunger. During this haze, he may be a fine target for a Bane, or he may commit an atrocity that drives him to Harano or into the Wyrm's embrace.

Ajaba Rite of Accord[]

  • Level Three[14]
    • Song of Home - The first new rite developed by the Ajaba-in-exile tells the story of their homelands and tragedy through song and dance. This rite has three aspects. Remembrance recalls the loss of their homelands. Restoration reaffirms their link with Gaia. Revenge spits curses at the Simba and swears never to forget. Each aspect empowers the Ajaba in a different way.

Apis Rite of Accord[]

Ananasi Rite of Accord[]

  • Level Two[16]
    • Tapping Ananasa's Wisdom - Mother is knowledge. When the need arises to learn new Gifts, there is only one source to provide them, and that is Ananasa herself. This special rite opens the Ananasi to learning new Gifts through the connection in his Sylie. The Ananasi must seclude himself in his Sylie, and begin the ritual to await the Great Mother's attention. If Ananasa grants her attention to the spiderling, then the learning of the Gift can begin. Once Ananasa has brought her attention to the Ananasi, he must practice the Gift until it meets the Great Mother's approval - and Ananasa is a very exacting teacher.

Bastet Rite of Accord[]

  • Level One[17]
    • Cat Calls - The Bastet tend to be solitary, but like to know what other werecats are up to. This rite is one way of keeping each other informed. With it a werecat enciphers his message into the seemingly random movements of nature. Other Bastet who see similar patterns will know the meaning within them. Some Bastet use this rite with non-natural movements, such as the flow of vehicles in heavy traffic or the turning of a ceiling fan.

Gurahl Rites of Accord[]

These rites are listed as Accord from the Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 book, except for Rite of the Flawless Emerald from the Apocalypse book.

  • Level One[18]
    • Rites of Greeting and Leave-taking - These simple rites involve a formal acknowledgment of the presence of another Gurahl. The basic rite used when one Gurahl meets another involves the use of language and body gestures that tender mutual respect. Variations on the basic rite allow for meeting groups of Gurahl, encountering a werebear of higher or lower rank, entering or leaving the territory of another Gurahl and other kinds of meetings.
  • Level Two[19]
    • Rite of the Healing Winds - The Gurahl use this ceremony to cleanse the land of noxious poisons, whether in the form of gases, liquids (such as chemical spills) or airborne viruses and biological agents. To enact this rite, the Gurahl enters the Umbra (using Rend the Gauntlet), then summons and binds a Chinook-spirit. The Gurahl then sends that spirit to the place that needs cleansing. The Chinook's purifying cold scours the land, water and air as well as creatures and vegetation, ridding them of toxins. The spirit's presence causes the temperature in the vicinity to drop up to 10 degrees, an effect which lasts for no more than 24 hours and causes no significant damage to the local flora and fauna. This rite is a favorite of the Ice Stalkers, who regularly gather in groups to summon Chinook-spirits to send to other Gurahl whose lands need purifying.
  • Level Three[20]
    • Rite of the Pure Land - The Gurahl use this rite to purify a specific area of pollution, sickness, destruction caused by natural disasters or Wyrm-taint by reestablishing broken connection between Gaia and the damaged or tainted land. To perform this rite, a Gurahl mixes her blood with a handful of soil from the land that needs purification. She uses this paste of blood and earth to describe a line around the perimeter of the designated area. A Gurahl may cleanse as large a space as she wishes, but she pays for the cost in her own blood, taking damage in proportion to the amount of blood she spills to make enough paste to outline the area. (One square mile may be purified per Health Level of damage assumed.) A group of Gurahl may choose to perform this rite together in order to cleanse very large portions of land. Ritual dances and prayers for healing (spoken in the Gurahl tongue) accompany the drawing of the line to help focus the power of Gaia for the successful completion of the rite.
    • Rite of the Flawless Emerald - This rare rite enables a werebear to heal the land by making its wounds his own. The Gurahl stands on the land and binds it to himself, eating a small piece of earth or bark to make himself one with the land.
  • Level Four[21]
    • Rite of the Ban - The Gurahl use this rite to prevent the spread of secrets that, if known, might cause harm to their people or their Kinfolk. The rite acts as a mental deterrent, blocking the target of the rite from communicating a specific secret in any way. Gurahl frequently use this rite on humans who have either witnessed a Gurahl change forms or on those whom the Gurahl have brought to their Dens for magical healing. The Ban keeps the subject from speaking, writing or otherwise imparting his knowledge to anyone. It does not however remove the information from the individual's mind unless coercion is sed to force that person to overcome the Ban. In such a case, the power of the rite is such that it actually removes the sensitive information from the targeted individual's mind (a sort of mystical self-destruct mechanism). Some Gurahl willingly undergo the Rite of the Ban if they intend to spend long periods of time in the company of humans or non-Gurahl (especially Garou). This makes certain that the Gurahl cannot inadvertently give away any secrets. In the old times, when Gurahl acted as teachers and sharers of information for other Changing Breeds, the Rite of the Ban was no necessary. Since the War of Rage, however, few Gurahl have gone into the world without having the rite performed upon them. The rite itself requires the Gurahl performing it to intone a hypnotic chant, stating the nature of the information the Ban is meant to protect. The soothing sounds of the chant lull the target into a state on near-slumber from which she awakens refreshed and unchanged, except for the placement of the inner prohibition of the Ban.

Hengeyokai Rites of Accord[]

Accord is a very important matter to the hengeyokai, as reflected by the Mandates. The courts teach their versions of the Rite of Contrition and Rite of Cleansing to as many hengeyokai as they can, believing these rites to be of utmost value. The Courts have their own version of the Rite of Renunciation called the Rite of Great Burden used when hengeyokai wish to turn from the service of their Breed to the service of the Courts or vice versa. This is also used when a Western shapechanger is accepted into the service of the Courts.

  • Level One[22]
    • Rite of Feeding the Ghosts - This basic rite calls on one's ancestors to bestow their blessing from above, and offers up a sacrifice for their welfare. It is particularly popular among the Courts, and few hengeyokai beyond Rank Two or so are without knowledge of it. The rite is always performed in breed form, and almost always alone, although siblings or other relatives may honor their mutual ancestors in a communal rite. The ritemaster must make an appropriate offering of food to the ancestors - a Nezumi would offer plenty of rice, while a Kitsune would offer fine sake, candied sweetmeats and several fresh-killed rabbits. The hengeyokai then chants, howls, sings, dances or the like, whichever is most appropriate, while waiting for her Ancestor-spirits to devour the food. Although the food does not actually disappear if the rite is a success, the ritemaster's ancestors do consume the lingering spiritstuff of the sacrifice; anyone so callow as to eat the offering post-rite finds it bland, tasteless and without any real nutritional value.
    • Nagah: Rite of the River's Blessing - This Rite of Accord is an archetypal Nagah purification ritual, performed after the death of a great enemy. The Nagah must kneel at the bank of a river or stream to enact it, and make obeisance to the water running by. As she chants a litany of mantras and praise to the Three Mothers, she washes herself in the water, then shifts to Azhi Dahaka to shake the drops from her hood. This rite is considered most auspicious when performed by moonlight, in full view of the Three Mothers.
  • Level Two[23]
    • Rite of the Great Burden - (See Rite of Renunciation)
    • Rite of the Second Face - This rite declares to the spirit world that necessity decrees the hengeyokai must walk a different path. Like the Garou Rite of Renunciation, it is performed when a shapeshifter must change his auspice to one better suited to his current role. Most commonly, this is when a hengeyokai must give up the role of a sentai member and become a courtier, but circumstances might necessitate other changes. Aptly enough, this rite is always performed at a crossroads of some sort - even the crossing of two paths in a jungle or two currents in the sea suffices. The supplicant pleads for the spirits' blessing in his new role, and pledges renewed loyalty to the Beast Courts. At rite's end, his companions or fellow courtiers lead him away from the crossroads and welcome him to his new task.

Kitsune Rite of Accord[]

  • Level Two[24]
    • Proprieties of Conduct - The Kitsune serve a central role within the Beast Courts, smoothing tension between the different Breeds and ensuring visitors to the Courts follow behavioral expectations. This simple rite helps the foxes smooth things over.

List of Mokolé Rites of Accord[]

  • Level One[25]
    • Rite of Breeding - This rite is practiced by all steams of Mokolé. It consists of elaborate courtship protocols, exchanges of go-betweens, ceremonial singing and dancing, and mating. It ensures that Mokolé mate with a suitable Kinfolk partner and not with other Mokolé.
    • Shedding Hide - This rite may be performed alone or in groups. It is usually done once a year. The Mokolé sheds her skin over a period of days or weeks, and at the same time sheds any Dissolver-taint accumulated through toxins or through contact with Dissolver-creatures.
  • Level Two[26]
    • Silence of the Oracles - This merciful rite allows the ritemaster to protect a person from memories that would drive them mad. It is often used to protect survivors of torture, molestation, rape, or massacres. It allows the wounded person to live normally without going mad.

Nuwisha Rite of Accord[]

sually quite psychologically and spiritually effective for Kin who practice them.

Rokea Rite of Accord[]

  • Level Two[27]
    • Sea’s Distant Voice - This rite is used only betweeners and other Rokea who, for whatever reason, have to spend a great deal of time on land. The Rokea enters a mental communion with Sea, and sends word of her deeds and her whereabouts. Typically, this rite is used to gain Harmony and Innovation Renown.

List of Kinfolk Rites of Accord[]

Rites of Accord for Kinfolk seek to restore or create harmony within a Kinfolk family or group. An element of symbolic rebirth or new beginning is usually present in these rites. They have no supernatural power attached unless the Kin acting as ritemaster possesses Gnosis and chooses to spend it to add to the rite. They are usually quite psychologically and spiritually effective for Kin who practice them.

  • Level One[28]
    • Rite of Apology - When members of a Kinfolk family have a serious disagreement and wish to make amends and permanently put animosity behind them, they may enact the Rite of Apology. The concerned individuals stand facing one another and forswear any feelings of anger or blame, declaring that no disagreement, whoever is at fault, is worth enmity between Kin. Each person focuses on transferring her anger or blame or negative feeling onto a single sheet of good writing paper. Once this is done, each person enacting the rite exchanges papers so that each person touches each piece of paper. The papers are put together and each person takes a turn at ripping the paper in half. With each tear, the anger dissipates. The torn paper is burned and discarded, along with the ill feeling.
  • Level Two[29]
    • Rite of Unity of Purpose - This rite is enacted on one of two occasions. Either some major issue has divided a Kinfolk family and needs to be reconciled, or the family is about to undertake some major project as a group. This can involve moving from one location to another, or going into combat as a family unit.
    • Sway the Hand of Anger - This Garou rite protects a related Kinfolk from a Garou's frenzy. The ritemaster convinces a protective trickster-spirit to bone to the Kin. If the designated Garou (who must be related to the Kin by blood or tribe) loses control and attempts to attack or threatens the Kin (or if the Kinfolk feels threatened), the spirit awakens and redirects the Garou to attack other targets. Once this has happened, the spirit is freed. The rite must be repeated each time to continue to provide the Kinfolk with protection.

List of Rites of Accord from Werewolf: The Wild West[]

Rites of Accord are ceremonies of reconciliation and forgiveness. Though ritualistic cleansing, rebirth and apology, werewolves use these rites to purify themselves and small parts of Gaia that have been harmed or damaged.

  • Level One[30]
    • Rite of Cleansing - The very first European, stepping from his ship, brought the taint of the Wyrm to the New World, or so the Pure Ones believe. But the forces of change that come with the Europeans are nothing compared to the true corruption spread by the Wyrm. This rite ensures the purity of any person, place or object afflicted with such a taint. The rite commences with the ritemaster loping counterclockwise around the afflicted creature of object. In one hand she holds a flaming branch, in the other a birch rod dipped in pure spring water. Head down, arms held high, the Garou anoints the object to be cleansed with alternating flicks of ember and water. As the speed of her circling increases, any other Garou participating start a low howl. This slowly rises in pitch until, at the culmination of the rite, all present are screaming like banshees, thus frightening away the corrupting influence. Although it can be performed at any time, this rite is at its most powerful at sunrise.
  • Level Two[31]
    • Rite of Renunciation - Many werewolves who've come to the New World call this rite by a different name: the Rite of New Hope. The purpose of the rite is grave: a Garou who performs this ceremony has some reason to want to give up his old auspice and begin again with another. Whatever the reason, be it past disgrace or deep dissatisfaction, the decision is a difficult one to make and the cost is high. The rite is performed in the presence of the ritemaster and supplicant alone. The ritemaster strips the subject of all former Rank, renown and title, and the supplicant is symbolically born again under the light of the moon be wishes to adopt. After such a ceremony, the supplicant is again treated as a cub and must undertake another Rite of Passage and find a new place in the sept. The New World has seen a small influx of Garou who, having performed this rite in Europe, have made the journey to the Americas where their past doesn't haunt them and they can truly begin again.
  • Level Three[32]
    • Rite of Reconciliation - An unfortunate truth of Garou society is that feuds occur all too often. If not for rites such as this, werewolves might be even scarcer than they already are. Two warring Garou who have decided to end their feuding must confirm their resolve in the eyes of Gaia. This also applies if an elder or one of higher Rank intervenes and demands an end to the bickering. The preparations for reconciliation involve clearing a circle of ground. in the center of which a pit is dug. Placed next to this hole is a ribbon of twined hair from the heads of the rivals. Under the direction of the ritemaster, the two observe the three stages of Reconciliation. First is Intent: The two Garou stand on either side of the hole that symbolizes the rift between them. Their arms outstretched, empty hands palm upward, each in turn loudly declares to the assembled sept his determination to end the feud: "Before my brothers and sisters I, (Garou's full name), say my actions have been base. I say I have wasted my blood-fire and I say I have offended mother Gaia, my pack, my sept and my tribe. I declare my intent to end here and now this useless feuding and take again to my heart my sister (enemy's full name)." For the second part of the rite, Substantiation, each Garou must choose a symbol of aggression. This is most commonly a weapon: a favorite knife or a firearm. Both items are place in the hole and buried by the ritemaster. The third stage is Confirmation, in which the rivals must signal their acceptance of one another. As the two clasp each other's forearms, their wrists are tightly bound with their braided hair. The two now join in a single howl of appeasement directed at the heavens. The reconciliation is complete. If a Garou chooses to break the bond-pact she may be declared a criminal in the eyes of the sept. This rite is also used when larger groups are at odds, in this case, each side chooses a representative to participate. Europeans tend to merely break their chosen weapons rather than bury them. Fetish weapons are never sacrificed in this way.

List of Rites of Accord from Werewolf: The Dark Ages[]

Rites of accord are designed to restore and renew balance and harmony with Gaia in a place or a Garou. Rites of accord are also used to strengthen and reinforce such targets.

  • Level One[33]
    • Rite of Cleansing – This rite cleanses a person, place or object by removing all taint of the Wyrm from it. A common way to perform this rite is to draw a circle upon the ground and walk clockwise around the afflicted person, object or place while carrying a smoldering torch. Then a tree branch must be dipped in pure water or snow and used to sprinkle the target. As this rite is performed, the participants join in on a treeifying howl to scare away and expel the corruption.
    • Rite of Contrition – This rite is used as a form of apology to a spirit or Garou who has been insulted or annoyed, or even to prevent war between septs or tribes. This rite requires the ritemaster to offer a gift or offering to the offended individual, or possess an aspect of the offended spirit, such as a clay likeness of it. The ritemaster must then perform an act of formal apology, such as groveling at the feet of the offended while whining and showing her throat. If performed well, however, the act need not be that drastic.
  • Level Two[34]
    • Rite of Renunciation – Though it is extremely rare for this rite to be performed, it actually allows a Garou to abandon the auspice under which he was born and assume the another. Doing so is considered highly inappropriate, especially among the more structured tribes, and a Garou who has changed her auspice should count on experiencing social difficulties for a long time after her change. To perform this rite, the Garou in question must undergo a ritualistic cleansing, in which he is bathed and washed in water that has been exposed to moonlight for a full night. The water must be poured from a bowl of silver, and it cleanses the supplicant of everything about him. When the supplicant has been cleansed and the rite has been completed, the Garou is now effectively Rank 1, regardless of his previous rank.
  • Level Three[35]
    • Awakening of Gaia’s Strength – This rite used to strengthen and fortify a structure, such as the walls around a city, or a door or gate. The rite works only on walls and doors made of stone or wood (not metal, glass or any other material). The Warders alone practice this rite as a way to protect their Kinfolk and caerns; the other tribes see it as heretical and often speak out against its practice at moots. The Warders have been called upon to perform this rite for other tribes, however, and it is becoming more and more accepted. The ritemaster must carry a small article of the same material as the object he wishes to be fortified during this ritual. The participants walk the length of the object while called on Gaia to restore the stone or wood to its natural living strength.
  • Level Four[36]
    • Rite of the Wilderness – This rite prevents humans from settling an area, by calling on the spirits of the land to make sure that everything goes wrong for the would-be settlers. The interlopers find rope and leather gnawed through, food stolen or spoiled, and livestock driven away or scared so badly as to be unmanageable. Wells dry up or become infected by algae, and so on. Often called "Goblin Curse" by young Garou, it would indeed seem to the victims of this rite that goblins haunt their new home. The ritemaster must possess an object that has never felt the touch of humans. The participants gather in the area for three nights while calling on the spirits of nature to defend themselves. If they are successful, the woods are "haunted" for a full year. The affected woods take on an eerie, gloomy atmosphere, shadows lengthen and seem to move, and strange sounds can be heard.

Gallery[]

Rage Cards[]


References[]

  1. ↑ https://gaian-children.livejournal.com/

^  Level 0

Common: Rite of Abjuration (Cleansing) Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition Pg. 180-181
Common: Rite of Contrition Werewolf: The Apocalypse 5th Edition Pg. 182

^  Level 1

Bastet: Cat Calls Changing Breeds Pg. 91
Kinfolk: Rite of Apology Kinfolk: A Breed Apart Pg. 69
Mokolé: Rite of Breeding Mokolé Pg. 89
Mokolé: Rite of Breeding Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 Pg. 172
Rite of Cleansing Werewolf: The Apocalypse Rulebook Pg. 189
Rite of Cleansing GURPS Werewolf: The Apocalypse Pg. 142
Rite of Cleansing Werewolf: The Apocalypse Second Edition Pg. 139
Rite of Cleansing The Apocalypse Pg. 103
Rite of Cleansing Laws of the Wild Pg. 127
Rite of Cleansing Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition Pg. 157
Rite of Cleansing Laws of the Wild Revised Edition Pg. 152
Rite of Cleansing Werewolf: The Wild West Rulebook Pg. 168
Rite of Cleansing Laws of the Wyld West Pg. 170-171
Rite of Cleansing Dark Ages: Werewolf Rulebook Pg. 145
Nuwisha: Rite of Cleansing Werewolf Players Guide Pg. 143
Rite of Contrition Werewolf: The Apocalypse Rulebook Pg. 188-189
Rite of Contrition GURPS Werewolf: The Apocalypse Pg. 142
Rite of Contrition Werewolf: The Apocalypse Second Edition Pg. 140
Rite of Contrition The Apocalypse Pg. 103
Rite of Contrition Laws of the Wild Pg. 127
Rite of Contrition Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition Pg. 157
Rite of Contrition Laws of the Wild Revised Edition Pg. 153
Rite of Contrition Dark Ages: Werewolf Rulebook Pg. 145
Rite of Discovery Kinfolk: A Breed Apart Pg. 39
Croatan, Uktena and Wendigo: Rite of the First Fruits Croatan Song Pg. 118-119
Hengeyokai: Rite of Feeding the Ghosts Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East Pg. 110
Hengeyokai: Rite of Feeding the Ghosts Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts Pg. 121
Gurahl: Rites of Greeting and Leave-taking Gurahl Pg. 104
Gurahl: Rites of Greeting and Leave-taking Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 Pg. 92
Silver Fangs: Rite of the Honorable Oath Tribebook: Silver Fangs Pg. 78
Rite of the Hunting Grounds Werewolf Players Guide Pg. 44
Rite of the Hunting Ground Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 44
Stargazers: The Rite of Meeting Tribebook: Stargazers Pg. 74
Silent Striders: Rite of the Midwife Tribebook: Silent Striders Pg. 77
Black Furies: Rite of Motherhood Tribebook: Black Furies Pg. 72
Philodox: The Rite of the Pack's Blood Book of Auspices Pg. 80-81
Bone Gnawers: Rite of the Pizza Tribebook: Bone Gnawers Pg. 75
Children of Gaia: Rite of the Pregnant Mule Tribebook: Children of Gaia Pg. 71
Nagah, Hengeyokai: Rite of the River's Blessing Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East Pg. 82
Nagah, Hengeyokai: Rite of the River's Blessing Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts Pg. 80
White Howlers: Rite of the Survivor White Howlers Tribebook Pg. 67-68
Mokolé: Shedding Hide Mokolé Pg. 89-90
Mokolé: Shedding Hide Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 Pg. 172
Wendigo: Song of the Longest Night Tribebook: Wendigo Pg. 69-70
Wendigo: Sweat Lodge Wendigo Tribebook Pg. 50
Wendigo: Sweat Lodge Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 Pg. W: 50
Croatan, Uktena and Wendigo: Washing the Spirit Croatan Song Pg. 119

^  Level 2

Stargazers: Feng Shui Stargazers Tribebook Pg. 53
Stargazers: Feng Shui Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 Pg. SG: 53
Kitsune: Proprieties of Conduct Changing Breeds Pg. 135-136
Uktena: Rite of Adoption Uktena Tribebook Pg. 50
Uktena: Rite of Adoption Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 Pg. U: 50
Children of Gaia: Rite of the Clouds and Rain Tribebook: Children of Gaia Pg. 72
Children of Gaia: Rite of Comfort Children of Gaia Tribebook Pg. 51
Children of Gaia: Rite of Comfort Litany of the Tribes Volume 1 Pg. 51
Children of Gaia: Rite of Comfort Tribebook: Children of Gaia Pg. 71-72
Hengeyokai: Rite of the Great Burden Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East Pg. 110
Hengeyokai: Rite of the Great Burden Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts Pg. 121
Gurahl: Rite of the Healing Winds Werewolf Players Guide Pg. 147
Gurahl: Rite of the Healing Winds Gurahl Pg. 105
Gurahl: Rite of the Healing Winds Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 Pg. 93-94
Gurahl: Rite of the Healing Winds Players Guide to the Changing Breeds Pg. 96
Fianna: Rite of Hospitality Tribebook: Fianna Pg. 74
Rite of Renunciation Werewolf: The Apocalypse Second Edition Pg. 140
Rite of Renunciation The Apocalypse Pg. 103
Rite of Renunciation Laws of the Wild Pg. 127
Rite of Renunciation Werewolf: The Apocalypse Revised Edition Pg. 157
Rite of Renunciation Laws of the Wild Revised Edition Pg. 153
Rite of Renunciation Werewolf: The Wild West Rulebook Pg. 168
Rite of Renunciation Laws of the Wyld West Pg. 171
Rite of Renunciation Dark Ages: Werewolf Rulebook Pg. 145-146
Hengeyokai: Rite of the Second Face Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East Pg. 110
Hengeyokai: Rite of the Second Face Hengeyokai: Way of the Beast Courts Pg. 121-122
Kinfolk: Rite of Unity of Purpose Kinfolk: A Breed Apart Pg. 69
Black Furies: Ritual of Acceptance Tribebook: Black Furies Pg. 72-73
Rokea: Sea's Distant Voice Changing Breeds Pg. 205
Mokolé: Silence of the Oracles Mokolé Pg. 90
Mokolé: Silence of the Oracles Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 Pg. 173
Black Furies: Soothe the Scars Black Furies Tribebook Pg. 42
Black Furies: Soothe the Scars Litany of the Tribes Volume 1 Pg. BG: 42
Black Furies: Soothe the Scars Tribebook: Black Furies Pg. 73-74
Kinfolk: Sway the Hand of Anger Kinfolk: A Breed Apart Pg. 69-70
Ananasi, First: Tapping Ananasa's Wisdom Ananasi Pg. 96
Ananasi, First: Tapping Ananasa's Wisdom Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 3 Pg. 82
Ananasi, First: Tapping Ananasa's Wisdom Players Guide to the Changing Breeds Pg. 52

Basic

Black Spiral Dancers: Rite of Blood Taint Mind's Eye Theatre: Book of the Wyrm Pg. 96
Rite of the Pack The Apocalypse Pg. 103
Black Spiral Dancers: Rite of Vice Assumption Mind's Eye Theatre: Book of the Wyrm Pg. 96

^  Level 3

Awakening of Gaia’s Strength Werewolf: The Dark Ages Pg. 112-113
Awakening of Gaia’s Strength Dark Ages: Werewolf Rulebook Pg. 146
Stargazers: Banishment of the Self Tribebook: Stargazers Pg. 74-75
Black Furies: Fertility Rite Tribebook: Black Furies Pg. 74
Pledge of the Battle Mate Changing Ways Pg. 156
Children of Gaia: Rite of Anger's Purge Tribebook: Children of Gaia Pg. 72
Uktena: Rite of Balance Tribebook: Uktena Pg. 71-72
Croatan, Uktena and Wendigo: Rite of the Black Drink Croatan Song Pg. 119-120
Gurahl: Rite of the Flawless Emerald Apocalypse Pg. 217
Wendigo: Rite of the Heavy Heart Tribebook: Wendigo Pg. 70
Silver Fangs: Rite of the Loyal Pack Tribebook: Silver Fangs Pg. 78
Ragabash: Rite of the Omega Book of Auspices Pg. 35
Gurahl: Rite of the Pure Earth Werewolf Players Guide Pg. 147
Gurahl: Rite of the Pure Land Gurahl Pg.
Gurahl: Rite of the Pure Land Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 157
Gurahl: Rite of the Pure Land Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 Pg. 95
Gurahl: Rite of the Pure Land Players Guide to the Changing Breeds Pg. 96
Stargazers: Rite of Rebalancing Tribebook: Stargazers Pg. 75
Rite of Reconciliation Werewolf: The Wild West Rulebook Pg. 168-169
Rite of Reconciliation Laws of the Wyld West Pg. 171
Red Talons, Winter Pack: Rite of the Winter Pack Tribebook: Red Talons Pg. 72-73
Ajaba: Song of Home Changing Breeds Pg. 55
Stargazers: Thaipusam Tribebook: Stargazers Pg. 75

^  Level 4

Clear the Miasma Book of the City Pg. 114-115
Enchant the Forest Players Guide to Garou Pg. 196-197
Gurahl: Rite of the Ban Werewolf Players Guide Pg. 147
Gurahl: Rite of the Ban Gurahl Pg. 106
Gurahl: Rite of the Ban Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 2 Pg. 95-96
Gurahl: Rite of the Ban Players Guide to the Changing Breeds Pg. 96
Apis: Rite of the Earth's Womb Changing Breeds Pg. 235
Philodox: Rite of the Great Council Book of Auspices Pg. 81
Silver Fangs: Rite of Kingship Tribebook: Silver Fangs Pg. 78-79
Rite of the Opened Sky Werewolf Players Guide Pg. 44
Rite of the Opened Sky Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 44
Rite of the Opened Sky Players Guide to Garou Pg. 196
Rite of the Opened Sky Laws of the Wild Pg. 128
Children of Gaia: Rite of Resolution Children of Gaia Tribebook Pg. 51-52
Children of Gaia: Rite of Resolution Litany of the Tribes Volume 1 Pg. CoG: 51-52
Rite of the Wilderness Werewolf: The Dark Ages Pg. 113
Rite of the Wilderness Dark Ages: Werewolf Rulebook Pg. 146
Wendigo: Snow Walk Wendigo Tribebook Pg. 50
Wendigo: Snow Walk Litany of the Tribes Volume 4 Pg. W: 50

Intermediate

Black Spiral Dancers: Rite of the Small Push Mind's Eye Theatre: Book of the Wyrm Pg. 96-97

^  Level 5

Black Spiral Dancers: Rite of Evocation Mind's Eye Theatre: Book of the Wyrm Pg. 97
Wendigo: Rite of the Second Birth Tribebook: Wendigo Pg. 70
Werewolf: The Apocalypse Rites
Garou and Fera Rites Accord · Age Role · Ahadi · Astrological · Caern · Dark Umbra · Death · Frontier · Hengeyokai · Minor · Mystic · Punishment · Pure Ones · Renown · Seasonal · Wyld
Fifth Edition Garou Rites Common · Legendary · Social
Kinfolk Rites Accord · Caern · Homestead · Milestones · Minor · Punishment · Renown · Ritual of Sacred Rebirth
Unique Fera Rites Ajaba - Ananasi: First · Triumvirate · Viskr - Bastet: Kuasha · Moon · Need · Taghairm - Corax - Gurahl - Kitsune - Mokolé - Nagah - Nuwisha - Ratkin - Rokea
Rites of the Lost Breeds Apis - Camazotz - Grondr
Wyrm-Corrupted Fera Rites Blood Rituals · Defiler Kings · Buzzards · Histpah
Miscellaneous Rites 7th Generation - Fomori - Miscellaneous Rites
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