The Lodge of Prophecy was allegedly the first to form from the Hirfathra Hissu, and is one of the oldest of all the tribes' lodges.
The spirit patron of the Lodge of Prophecy is Blind Owl.
Overview[]
The Prophets recognize that even with all of the knowledge on Earth, all of the wisdom of the spirits and all of the experience of the ancestors, the future is uncertain because it hangs by a single thread. One unforeseen event, one tiny coincidence, can topple an empire, and no amount of planning can circumvent this destruction. Only by knowing the future can one be truly wise. Only by seeing the unforeseen can one know everything. The members of the lodge strive to know and understand the future, and this involves interpreting prophecies from ancient texts and making sense of more recent ones. In contrast to the Harbingers, who seek to put prophecies in a context that can help them on a day to-day basis and identify immediate threats, Prophets study portents that span years or decades. They study trends that might take lifetimes to unfold completely and destinies that might affect a generation of Uratha not yet conceived. The members of the lodge, therefore, tend to be older, more experienced werewolves, many of whom have split with their packs or retired from the strenuous activity of patrolling the spirit wilds. Solitary Prophets hold small pieces of territory, and often work out accords with local packs to help them protect and patrol their turf. Many Prophets are not above dropping seemingly dire hints about a pack’s future and only agreeing to share the “truth” if the pack agrees to help the Prophet in some way.
What the lodge members have come to realize over the years, and what they try to explain to other tribes with little effect, is that, because the future is not set, prophecy can never be literal or absolute. “Seeing the future” is a misnomer, because the future is shaped by everything that happens in the present — even looking into the future. The Lodge of Prophecy does not seek to control the future or to set in stone that which is to come, because that would invalidate everything that has been or is being done. Instead, they seek to be prepared, to control for the unexpected. The difference is subtle, but highly important (and this is why only Bone Shadows are allowed to join the lodge — even though other Uratha do display the gift of prophecy, neither Death Wolf nor Blind Owl trusts that members of the other tribes will approach prophecy with the proper attitude).
Membership[]
Becoming a Prophet isn’t simply a matter of asking to join. Much of the decision-making process is out of the applicant’s hands entirely. A would-be Prophet must petition a member of the lodge and ask to be considered for membership, whereupon the senior werewolf consults whatever oracular method they favor to see if this new applicant has the makings of a lodge member. If the result is unclear or if the Prophet feels that the applicant’s destiny lies elsewhere, they may turn the applicant down flat. The applicant is within their rights to petition another Prophet, but the chances of two members of the lodge disagreeing are extremely slim (though two members locked in some sort of rivalry might provide a window of opportunity).
Another option is for the applicant to find and petition Blind Owl, the totem spirit of the Lodge of Prophecy. This involves an extended quest into the Hisil, since Blind Owl never manifests in the physical world. It might be possible to summon him with rites, but a werewolf who does this loses any chance of being inducted into the lodge, as Blind Owl regards summoning spirits to be a great affront to their dignity. No werewolf that Blind Owl has approved has ever been subsequently turned down for membership, but the spirit’s requirements are more stringent than the lodge’s as a whole.
After the applicant has the blessing of either an existing member or Blind Owl, they begin the five tests. The applicant may take as long as they need on each of these tests, but they only have one lunar year to complete them all or else their application for membership is rejected. The first of these tests is the Vision. The werewolf uses whatever form of oracular ability they are most comfortable with and predicts where they will be one lunar year from the present date. They write the vision down and give it to their mentor within the lodge, and it remains unread for the remainder of the test. The second test is the Riddle. The werewolf faces a seemingly impossible question or challenge, sometimes concocted by another Prophet, but usually asked by an Ithalunim. The question might or might not have an answer, but the true purpose of the Riddle is to hone the werewolf’s skill in lateral thinking, symbolism and most of all, thinking like a Prophet. The werewolf must learn to recognize what a question is truly asking rather than what the words in the question mean. Third, the werewolf must complete a Hunt. The mentor names a specific location, usually a famous locus or stronghold of the Bone Shadows (though not always of the Lodge of Prophecy). The Uratha must journey there and back and share what they have learned. The generally accepted method of passing this test is gaining Renown of some kind, but returning with a new prophecy or just a story with a good lesson is enough. At any time during these tests, the werewolf might be called upon to face the Lie. The applicant is attacked, distracted or simply informed that they have not been accepted into the lodge. The point of this test is to recognize false wisdom or futile action and to be able to walk away from it. While it might seem that just remaining focused on the task at hand is enough to avoid this pitfall, this is the stage of the test that disqualifies the greatest number of applicants, as their natural curiosity works against them. Finally, at the end of the year, the werewolf revisits their vision for the Revelation. If their vision was correct, they are immediately inducted into the lodge. If not, they aren't necessarily disqualified, but are asked to explain why they were mistaken. Sometimes a careful reading of what they wrote or explanation of what they saw leads to a reinterpretation of the symbolism that validates the vision, but, sometimes, the only conclusion that the applicant can come to is that prophecy is not infallible. Depending on how they performed on the other tests, they might still be inducted. Their mentor and four other members of the lodge, one from each auspice, meet and discuss the new applicant. The decision rests in their hands. If the applicant is not accepted, they are told so and barred from ever attempting to join the lodge again without direct intercession from Death Wolf or Blind Owl. If they are accepted, they participate in a ritual lasting for an entire night under their auspice moon, during which they receives the blessing of the five lodge members who accepted her and any other Prophets who choose to attend. After that, they have earned the right to add the title ihitar (“seer”) to their name.
Game Mechanics[]
The following are an overview of the game mechanics.
Prerequisites[]
Members must maintain Harmony 7 or higher, as well as Wisdom •••• and Occult ••••. In addition, applicants must know the following rites: Bind Spirit, Call Gaffling, Call Jaggling and Wake the Spirit.
Benefits[]
Members may learn Knowledge Gifts as if they were tribal Gifts. In addition, Prophets can purchase the Omen Gazing Gift at a five-point reduction in cost. They may also purchase the Prophet’s Voice Merit with experience points.
Merits[]
Prophet’s Voice •••: Some people seem tuned in to the myriad possibilities that the future offers, and can predict with eerie accuracy what a given person’s destiny might entail. Humans have developed hundreds of different methods of seeing the future, but most agree — some people have the gift, others do not. Your character has the gift. You might decide that your character has a focus for her prophecy or that it comes through dreams, hallucinations, momentary flashes of insight or even automatic writing. Whatever the case, once per story you may activate this Merit. Spend a Willpower point and the Storyteller rolls your character’s Resolve + Occult. (Thus, you can never be sure whether or not the information you receive is helpful, harmful or merely interesting.)
Fetishes[]
Prophecy Bone ••: Upon acceptance into the Prophecy Lodge, a werewolf may use this small talisman. It is made from a knucklebone fashioned into a teardrop shape with three flat sides smoothed along its axis, down to a point. Two sides have a marking in the First Tongue. One says "expected," the other, "dubious." The final side is blank. After sunset, the Uratha can pose a single, one phrase, yes/no question to the stone concerning some future event and spin the bone on its pointed end, like a top. The Storyteller must give an answer, although if the question is worded in such a way as to make an honest yes or no answer difficult or impossible, the stone will turn up blank. Any Lune can power this device.
- Durability 2 (reinforced to 4), Size 0, Structure 4
- Action: Instant[1]
Reference List[]
- WTF: Lodges: The Faithful, p. 77-80
- ↑ WTF: Lore of the Forsaken, p. 154
