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GlyphGarou

The Garou symbol for themselves. Literally a wolf inside a human.

Garou is a term used by the werewolves breed to identify their race and culture. The term is used nearly interchangeably with Garou Nation.

In the Middle Kingdom, the corresponding term is Langren (Wolf People) or Ookami Senshi (Wolf Soldiers).[1]

Overview[]

According to their own mythology, the Garou were designed to be Gaia's fangs and claws and they are quite adept at this. Today, after the War of Rage, they are among the most numerous Changing Breeds that still exist.

Garou Forms[]

Five forms of the Garou.

Garou have access to five forms:

  • Homid: Indistinguishable from a normal human (except for the Curse).
  • Glabro: Roughly resembles a human, but has too many bestial features to be one.
  • Crinos: The "War-Form", a terrifying hybrid of human and wolf with superior strength. Resembles the typical "Hollywood werewolf".
  • Hispo: A prehistoric dire wolf.
  • Lupus: Indistinguishable from a normal wolf, but with superior speed.

Garou Breeding[]

Werewolves cannot breed among themselves to preserve their lineage; their blood is too potent, and the result is always a deformed Metis. To continue their bloodlines, werewolves must mate with humans and wolves.

However, the chance that any children or cubs that result from such a pairing will breed true is small. In most cases, the spirit half of the werewolf may or may not be passed on and the offspring is either a normal human, or a werewolf. However, some, called Kinfolk, inherit a spark of their parents' spirit and may develop minor supernatural abilities.

Werewolves born to human families are initially indistinguishable from their mortal siblings. There is no detectable "Garou gene" and DNA testing does not reveal anything amiss. Newborn werewolves simply appear to be normal humans or wolves in almost every respect. Only a very few are even told by their parents that werewolves exist at all. However, young werewolves are prone to strange dreams and fits of temper that alienate them from their relatives or friends.

Garou Society[]

Garou adhere to the Litany, a code which depicts the laws of the Garou Nation. The place of each individual Garou is dictated by the moon phase under which he or she is born. There are five Auspices that mandate a Garou's function within werewolf society.

Garou are divided into different Tribes since the Impergium. Werewolves are not bound to a tribe for ancestral or hereditary purposes and causes but personal philosophies instead and they usually have to pass a Rite of Passage to fully adhere a tribe in which Totems are crucial.

12 out of 14 existent tribes form the alliance called Garou Nation while the tribe of Stargazers and some of the Hakken tribe are part of the Asian Beast Courts which are cross-species alliances of shapeshifters and the Black Spiral Dancers tribe are servants of the Wyrm.

Trivia[]

  • The word "Garou" comes from the Old French garoul, meaning "werewolf", which in turn likely comes from the Frankish "wer-wulf", meaning "man-wolf". Alternatively, the word can stem from the Japanese word "餓狼" (garō), meaning "hungry wolf".
  • Some of the concepts of the Garou may be inspired by the novella, "Skin Trade" by George R.R. Martin from 1988. And the secret history/society aspect from "Darker Than You Think" by Jack Williamson from 1948.
  • In the first Vampire Hunter: D novel, there is a werewolf antagonist called Garou. Though whether this naming convention is intentional or coincidental is difficult to say.

Gallery[]

References[]

Werewolf: The Apocalypse Fera
Gaian Breeds Ajaba · Ananasi · Apis · Bastet · Camazotz · Corax · Garou · Grondr · Gurahl · Kitsune · Mokolé · Nagah · Nuwisha · Ratkin · Rokea
Wyrmish Breeds Anurana · Kerasi · Samsa · Yeren
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