Metis

Metis is a term used to describe a rare mutant breed of Garou: the offspring of two Garou who broke the Litany for love or lust. Metis are born in the Crinos form and that is their natural form - however, they are deformed and sterile. This result also comes from inbreeding in some other Changing Breeds, although some of the Fera have their own terminology to describe such creatures.

Overview[]

Except for the legendary Perfect Metis, all other metis are born with an innate flaw. This disability may be a physical deformity (such as a withered limb), a mental disability (such as severe mental illness), an intellectual impairment, or even a spiritual disability (such as always reflecting their Crinos form in mirrors).

Despite their deformities, metis do enjoy some advantages. Their natural form is Crinos, so they are naturally better at combat than their brethren. They also have more Gnosis than Homid cubs, giving them a spiritual advantage. Lupus have more Gnosis, but are often baffled by the human world. The idea of walking upright and having use of hands can confuse and frighten Lupus cubs. Metis cubs can walk on two feet or four feet (unless prevented by a limb deformity), and so are used to perceiving the world from multiple perspectives. Metis are also raised in Garou society, so they usually have a far better grasp of rituals, the spirit world, social customs, and other aspect of Garou society that homid and lupus cubs don't learn about until after First Change.

But because metis are born in the huge Crinos form, they live the first six to eight years of their life with their Rage close to the surface, giving them terrible tempers even compared to human babies. They can cause grave harm with their claws and teeth even by accident, starting with their mother's body. Metis also return to Crinos form when they die, creating a significant problem for the Garou Nation to maintain the Veil - as a deceased Homid and Lupus Garou would leave behind only human or wolf corpses, respectively, regardless of what form the Garou was in at the time of death. Metis corpses must be disposed of in some way that makes them completely unrecognizeable.

Not all metis are raised in Garou society, however. Because they are trapped in Crinos until First Change, they must be kept out of sight of humans. In an urban or suburban sept, this means they spend the majority of their childhood locked away from people and not even allowed outside. At small septs, they may well be the only metis, so will have no one to interact or play with, stunting their emotional growth. They may have extreme difficulty coping with groups of people once they undergo first change, and lack basic social skills for dealing with both humans and wolves.

Metis are generally looked down upon by most Garou as they are a result of two Garou breaking one of the tenets of the Litany: "Garou Shall Not Mate With Garou". Some tribes kill their metis outright or treat them so cruelly they might wish for death or even defect to the Black Spiral Dancers. Sometimes, the mother is punished by forcing her to kill her cub, although the fathers of metis rarely receive as much punishment. Other tribes require the parents to raise the cub as punishment for their sins, but do not officially punish the child itself. Unofficially, metis still have to work much harder than homids or lupus to gain respect.

Metis at larger septs are generally a bit 'luckier' since there may well be other metis cubs of similar age in residence that they can interact with. Larger septs are also more likely to have someone experienced with raising metis cubs, who may arrange for a visit to another sept with a metis pup to get a lone metis some much needed social interaction.

Garou views on Metis[]

The Fianna are known to be particularly abusive of metis, considering any physical deformity a sign of spiritual inferiority and inherent corruption. They treat even homids and lupus with minor physical flaws as lesser creatures. The Red Talons frequently kill metis because they are unable to keep up with the pack, but bear them little personal malice if they are strong enough to survive. The Get of Fenris and Shadow Lords often tolerate metis only so far as they prove useful in battle or politics, but also tend not to heap as much abuse on them as some tribes. Black Furies, who normally give away or even kill their male cubs, often keep male metis and accept them into the tribe. Treatment of the metis varies between septs, but none of any gender has ever been elevated to tribal leadership.

The Children of Gaia, Bone Gnawers, and Glass Walkers tend to have the highest numbers of metis. The Children of Gaia and Bone Gnawers will accept metis cubs from other tribes and raise them as their own, usually with little stigma or mistreatment. Thus, their reputation for producing an unusually high number of metis is not entirely deserved, since many are adopted. Accepting unwanted metis from other tribes has also helped bolster their ranks, so they are two of the largest tribes.

The Glass Walkers have occasionally been accused of advocating the production of metis so as to ensure a constant number of Garou, but this is likely a rumor. They have a higher than normal number because they keep virtually all of their metis, even ones that are so sickly they could never fight. These metis are sometimes augmented with technofetishes to make their lives easier, but most merely find a place in the tribe dealing with humans or computers, activities that do not require sound bodies.

Silent Strider metis have a hard lot, despite the tolerance and general attitude of respect in their tribe. Like many Strider cubs, their metis suffer the harrassments of ghosts from a young age. Unlike homid and lupus cubs, they cannot escape the ghosts by leaving the area, without tearing the Veil. In past centuries Silent Striders and their Kinfolk took the metis cubs on their nomadic travels, hidden in covered wagons or the like. But as modern nation-states have forcefully assimilated nomadic cultures this is no longer an option, leaving metis cubs trapped with "their" ghosts until their First Change.

The Black Spiral Dancers apparently do deliberately breed metis in large numbers, caring nothing for the Gaian Litany.

Other Changing Breeds[]

The Fera treat their metis slightly better than the Garou, overall. Due to their lower numbers, most Breeds need every cub they can get. Some Fera can not produce metis at all. The Bastet, Mokolé, and Gurahl have laws forbidding matings between two shapeshifters of the same Breed, similar to the Garou.

Ajaba metis are all hermaphrodites rather than being deformed, and serve as the social and spiritual intermediary between the male mystics and female warriors. Although metis might once have had a stigma, modern Ajaba are too few to care about breed and treat each other as equals.
Ananasi parings produce offspring, but these Atahsaia are kept in the Deep Umbra after birth to serve some purpose known only to Queen Ananasa herself.
Kumo pairings produce more typical, sterile metis, which invariably eat their mother alive on their way out. The Kumo consider this a wonderful event, for which they envy and honor the metis, but they do arrange Kumo-Kumo pairings with care knowing the mother must die.
Bastet produce deformed and sterile metis, as Garou do, but they do not suffer from the same social stigma, except the relatively small disdain show for ugly metis. As solitary creatures, most Bastet depend on themselves instead of society, so any metis who survives alone has earned respect.
Kitsune "metis", more correctly called shinju, are neither deformed nor sterile. However, only 10% of all Kitsune to Kitsune offspring are shinju rather than normal human or fox Kinfolk. Additionally, one of the Kitsune parents is likely to die if a shinju is born. Shinju grow up in the Courts, and typically become insufferably arrogant and perfectionistic.
Mokolé metis die before they are born or hatched, as their developing mind is incapable of Dreaming up an Archid form. These Innocents wander the middle-Umbra as ghosts, near-mindlessly seeking out Mokolé to attack for their misfortune.
Nagah parings under very specific conditions produce a single fertile, undeformed offspring called an ahi. A mother may give birth to only one ahi in their lifetime; all other pairings with male Nagah produce Kinfolk, though she can choose their breed. Their skin blisters when exposed to harsh pollution since they are raised in the pure waters of their mother's Ananta.
Ratkin metis are not only deformed and sterile, but have less endurance (this means they have lower Stamina, but also higher Strength from surviving their upbringing). They are infected with the Birthing Plague early in their lives, and few survive it. Their upbringing makes them fanatical, even by Ratkin standards.
Grondr metis were sterile, but not deformed. The Grondr breeds spiritually and socially functioned like the auspices and aspects of other Breeds; the metis were scouts, explorers, and front-line warriors among their species. Their lives were valued lower because of their sterility, but apparently they were not treated poorly.
Corax, Gurahl, Nuwisha, and Rokea do not produce metis at all. Among the Lost Breeds, the Apis and the Camazotz also did not produce metis offspring. The offspring of two Corax or two Nuwisha is Kinfolk, and such Kinfolk cannot receive a Corax Spirit Egg. Gurahl breed so carefully that they never inbreed, and Rokea never desire each other sexually, even when "swimming" on land. Apis, being masters of breeding, knew lineage far too well for a Metis offspring to happen.

Gallery[]

References[]

W20: Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 44, 69, 74-76