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Territory is the physical area claimed by a single Uratha pack.

Overview[]

Packs will claim as much territory as they feel they can effectively patrol and defend. Even a "small" territory can encompass an entire town or several neighborhoods of a large city, however. Individual territories tend to be fluid: packs will expand when they're strong, withdraw when they're weak, and to go war over a particularly desirable area. Sometimes, several packs will unite to form a protectorate, usually in the face of threats larger than any one of them can hand alone.[1] Violations of territorial boundaries may send the Uratha into Kuruth, especially if their Harmony is far out of balance.[2]

A pack's territory extends to both sides of the Gauntlet, and they are responsible for managing its spirit ecology. Sometimes this is a matter of hunting down individual prey (a dangerous magath, for instance) but more often it's about cultivating the right environment in both the Shadow and the Flesh for both to prosper. A blighted neighborhood breeds spirits of despair and decay; improving living conditions will starve the undesirable spirits and help feed others.[3]

Some packs maintain a Den within their territory, which may or may not be a locus. These Dens are safe havens and communal meeting and working spaces, but they also represent an easy-to-find target for the pack's enemies — it's hard to hide the scent and Resonance of a big group of werewolves.[4]

Tribes[]

The Iron Masters and the Hunters in Darkness both make territory the focus of their tribal oaths. For the Hunters, territory is sacred and must not be violated; what counts as a violation varies from pack to pack. They are experts at using the terrain of their territory as part of the hunt, driving prey into traps or dead ends before closing in for the kill.[5] Iron Masters are a little less dogmatic: they concern themselves with the overall well-being of their territory and constantly try to improve it. While the tribe has a reputation as unrepentant neophiles, their tribal oath keeps them grounded, instead of pursuing change for the sake of change.[6]

Tending Territory[]

The day-to-day work of tending a territory often falls on the pack's human and Wolf-Blooded members. The Uratha are often occupied with hunting and fighting; sometimes they're away from the territory for an extended period in pursuit of particular prey. In the meantime, the rest of the pack ensures the territory is producing enough to meet their needs, whether that means running a business or a farm. They make sure the bills are paid and the spirits get their chiminage, and they deal with threats to the territory that don't require the Uratha's specific strengths.[7]

References[]

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