A Lodge of the Storm Lords, The Lodge of Thunder isn’t subtle, nor do the lodge’s members want to be. They espouse the most direct and forthright form of leadership.
The spirit patron of the Lodge of Thunder is a potent storm spirit that enjoys being called the Duke of Thunder.
Overview[]
In an idealistic sense, the Lodge of Thunder stands for the idea of leadership by merit. At the core of the Storm Lord philosophy is the idea that the Forsaken need the strongest werewolves possible to lead them, and the Lodge of Thunder is a refinement of this mindset. Practically, however, the amount of idealism in the lodge varies quite a bit. Some of the Thunder Lords are outright brutes, using an iron fist to control their packs and any other “allies” they can overpower. Others are very pragmatic, reasoning that strength is necessary for a pack’s survival. And, of course, some consider themselves to be working for the greater good; to their minds, they strive to be the leaders that the Forsaken deserve. Not all members of the Lodge of Thunder wind up in a leadership position, of course. Some find themselves in packs in which the alpha is stronger or more charismatic, and others may operate in areas where most werewolves follow another local champion. This can be particularly true when the Thunder Lords are outnumbered in an area; a city with a predominantly Bone Shadow population may be unwilling to show deference a Storm Lord, even if the Iminir in question is stronger than the local Bone Shadows of note. A situation like this often triggers the most competitive streak of the Thunder Lord, sending them into an even greater fervor to increase their own might so that they can claim a rightful role. A few Thunder Lords are more accepting of subordinate roles if the leader is truly gifted — but the Lodge of Thunder isn’t exactly a haven for humility.
Despite the lodge’s forthright nature, the Lodge of Thunder is still full of surprises. One of the first things anyone learns about the lodge is that it promotes the idea of leadership through open displays of strength or charisma. While absolutely true, this fact can sometimes lead other werewolves into underestimating the Thunder Lords. Even though they put the majority of their faith in obvious displays of might or compelling words, the werewolves of the Lodge of Thunder are still Storm Lords in every aspect. They learn cunning from tribal politics, and still hold to the mysticism of Winter Wolf’s cult. There are Irraka and Ithaeur among the lodge as well as the brighter moons, and they don’t abandon their subtler crafts as they pursue the more obvious path. Those who assume that a Thunder Lord has laid all her cards on the table can be in for a nasty shock. The Lodge of Thunder, like the other two pillar lodges, is spread across the world. This lodge doesn’t have a very tight central organization, however; the lodge is not supposed to need one. Members of the lodge prefer to interact with one another on a strictly peer-to-peer fashion; it’s what keeps them from devolving into squabbles over prestige and who gets to order around whom.
Membership[]
Most aspirants to the Lodge of Thunder seek out the lodge on their own. The Thunder Lords aren’t exactly a secret society, and it’s easy enough to tell which leaders are likely members. Similarly, the Thunder Lords can usually guess quickly enough which werewolves have what it takes to excel as forceful leaders, and therefore don’t bother with as long an “apprenticeship” as the Crows or Winter Lords might require. Lodge members do demand to be impressed by the would-be Thunder Lord, however, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. It’s not enough to rise to the alpha position of your pack — once you’ve accomplished a few feats of true strength and compelled a rival pack to submit to your own, then you’re closer to demonstrating what it takes. The Lodge of Thunder’s initiation ordeal is usually simple and punishing. In some areas, all the local Storm Lords are invited to participate, regardless of their lodge affiliations. If enough werewolves turn up, the initiate can be subjected to a gantlet of blows and sometimes even claw strikes. Other ordeals may take the form of a voluntary stoning, with the assembled werewolves set against the applicant. These trials are even more vicious than the human equivalents; the initiate can heal bruises and lacerations, even broken bones, and the Thunder Lords know it. The object of the ordeal is to stand back up to the punishment and carry on, to run the whole gantlet even after passing out, all the while resisting Death Rage. It’s one thing to be strong — it’s quite another to be willing to use that strength even after being beaten down.
Game Mechanics[]
The following are an overview of the game mechanics.
Prerequisites[]
- Presence •••
- Strength or Stamina •••
- Glory ••
- Honor ••
Benefits[]
Thunder Lords gain access to the Inspiration and Strength lists as affinity Gifts.
Fetishes[]
Rallying Drum •: This drum is fashioned to resemble the drums sometimes carried by the Duke of Thunder, and is typically decorated with patterns of blacks, reds or yellows. The Rallying Drum is a fetish of leadership, designed to lend extra weight to a speaker’s words. The werewolf activates the fetish while drumming out a building rhythm, and rolls Dexterity + Expression. For each success on this roll, they gain a bonus die to the next Expression, Persuasion or Intimidation check made to inspire or lead. This bonus may not apply to speeches or arguments made against the spirit of the lodge; the bonus might apply to a Persuasion check made to convince another pack to set aside an old grudge for the good of the Forsaken, but the bonus would not apply to a Persuasion check made to seduce an attractive young wolf-blood. If the werewolf does not make an appropriate Expression, Persuasion or Intimidation check before the end of the scene, the fetish’s bonus is lost.
Roar of Thunder ••: The Roar of Thunder usually takes the form of a choker or collar, set with a gem or adorned with a large buckle that is the true focus of the fetish. This focus object is intended to ride over the wearer’s vocal cords. When activated, the fetish allows the user to unleash a terrible shout, howl or roar that strikes like a thunderclap. All those within 30 yards of the user must roll Composure + Primal Urge — successes gained on the activation roll; failure indicates that the victim is deafened for two turns and suffers a –1 penalty to Resolve rolls for the remainder of the scene. The fetish owner’s packmates receive an additional three dice to this roll. The fetish’s powers may inspire Lunacy in human witnesses, as other werewolf supernatural powers. Human witnesses frequently misremember the roar as a sudden thunderclap or explosion rather than a noise that could have come out of a living creature’s throat.
Tempest Cane ••••: This fetish is always fashioned into some kind of silver-headed rod, staff or cane and is a favorite of the Lodge of Thunder. It gives the wielder the ability to travel via a storm's fury. As such, it only functions outdoors and during a storm. Furthermore, the distance traveled is also limited to the area of the storm. There werewolf concentrates on his destination. Success indicates a bolt of lightning strikes the Uratha - he seemingly is evaporated, but actually appears at his destination instantaneously in another blast of lightning, unharmed. The werewolf can travel up to one mile per success on the activation roll; if he doesn't garner enough successes to travel the whole distance, he still travels the given distance in the appropriate direction.
- Durability 2 (reinforced to 6), Size 2, Structure 8, Damage 2(B)
- Action: Instant[1]
Thunder Klaive •••••: The Thunder Klaives favored by the lodge are two-handed weapons, usually axes or hammers, graven with runes and glyphs that warn of the thunder-spirit bound within. The majority of these weapons are treated as great axes; the hammer variants also inflict lethal damage, leaving terrible crushing wounds. Upon making a successful strike with a Thunder Klaive, the wielder may choose to spend additional Essence to add to the damage. Each Essence point spent in this way adds one lethal point of damage to the total; the werewolf is still limited by Primal Urge in the amount of Essence they can spend per turn. The additional damage manifests as a clap of thunder and blast of searing heat, virtually cauterizing any wounds created — not that the victim is overly likely to survive.
References[]
- WTF: Lodges: The Faithful, p. 100-102
- ↑ WTF: Lore of the Forsaken, p. 156
