Credits Special Thanks

Developer: Matthew Dawkins For Patrick Schelle: You helped me love Werewolf.
Writers: Hiromi Cota, Matthew Dawkins, Cat Evans, Thank you for being you, may you rest in peace.
Joshua Heath For Zak and Lydia: You provided fantastic insights that
Additional Writing: Zachery Naldrett went into this book’s construction.
Editor: Richard Stratton For all those backers who submitted Gifts and Rites:
Art: Paul Tobin, Ken Meyer Jr., Laura King, Farri Lensen We hope the finished articles make you proud.
Art Director: Mike Chaney and Maria Cabardo
Graphic Designer: Mike Chaney
Creative Director: Richard Thomas
Consulting Developers: Lydia “Project Ragabash”
Herbison and Zachery “Project Theurge” Naldrett

© 2023 PARADOX INTERACTIVE AB.

All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written consent of the publisher is expressly
forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be repro-
duced for personal use only. Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and the World of Darkness are registered
trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB (publ). All rights reserved.
Visit World of Darkness online at www.worldofdarkness.com

2
 Table of
Contents
Introduction 6 Occupants 15
Events 15
Howls of Apocalypse 6 Floor B3 15
Storyteller Advice 6 Room 3: VR Bay 15
New Advantages 8 Environment 15
Regina’s Secret 8 Events 15
Killbox’s Colt Special 8 Room 4: Cell Block 15
Techgnosis 8 Environment 15
Rite of Harano’s Folly 8 Occupants 16
Events 16
The Glass Cage 11 Special Feature: Shackles 17
Special Feature: Cell Doors 17
Synopsis 11
Room 5: Break Room 17
In Detail 11
Environment 17
Floor Null 11
Occupants 18
Floor B3 11
Events 18
Floor B2 12
Floor B2 18
Floor B1 12
Room 6: Live Subject Experimentation 18
Ground Floor 12
Environment 18
Background 12
Occupants 18
Neuro-Dynamic Laboratories 12
Events 19
Free-X 12
Room 7: Storage 19
Site Baker 12
Environment 19
The Characters 12
Occupants 19
The Last 24 Hours 12
Events 19
Cast 13
Floor B1 19
Cellmates 13
Room 8: Security 19
The Staff 13
Environment 19
Floor Null 13
Occupants 19
Room 1: Construct Alpha 13
Events 19
Environment 14
Room 9: Primary Elevator 20
Occupants 14
Environment 20
Events 14
Events 20
Room 2: Construct Bravo 15
Ground Floor 21
Environment 15
Room 10: Aboveground 21

3
 Environment 21 Repercussions 40
Occupants 21 First Intermission 42
Events 22 Sunday Supply 42
Special Feature: The Helicopters 22 Chapter Two: Ronin of Turtle 43
Epilogue 23 Scene Four: Tar Bay 43
Aftershocks 23 Burned-to-the-Bone 43
New Allies and Foes 23 Desiree Jefferson 43
Fine Details 23 Geoff Maublanc 44
Appendix: Cellmates 24 Emily Opened-Cell 44
Silverwhisker 24 Taking the Plunge 44
Jasmine O’Malley 24 Scene Five: Something Unexplainable 44
Sean O’Malley 24 The Totem? 45
Hector Gonzales 24 The Messenger 45
Chell Chan 25 Emerge from the Waters Renewed 46
Appendix: Staff 25 Scene Six: Pig Stink 46
King 25 Your Home is a Pigsty 47
Kent Carver 25 The Bait 47
The Pains of Patience 48
Those Things’ll Kill You 27 Umbral Possibilities 48
Scene Seven: Hot Trail 48
Setting 27
Second Intermission 49
Who are Circinus Brands? 27
Weekend Denouement 49
What is Turtle? 29
A Snowball’s Chance 50
What are Skull Pigs? 29
Chapter Three: Sea of Possibilities 50
Background 29
Scene Eight: The Totem Returns 50
The Big Secret 30
Surveying the Battlefield 51
The Characters 32
Scene Nine: Old Rag Mountain 52
Pack vs. Ronin 32
Body on the Path 52
Cast 32
Cracked Spine Caern 53
The Ronin 32
Old Rag Blight 53
The Sept Elders 33
Dive into Battleground 54
The Wyrm’s Servants 33
The Way Out 54
Caught in the Middle 33
Scene Ten: Sharp Top Mountain 54
The Sept of Memories 34
Mountain Ambushes 55
Broad Rock Pack 34
The Long and Bloody Clash 55
Stained Leaves Pack 34
Sharp Top Blight 56
Spades and Clubs Pack 34
The Lost Caern 56
Whispering Rovers Pack 34
The Way Forward 57
Snake Tracker Pack 34
Scene Eleven: Circinus Piedmont 58
Chapter One: Incident on and off Main Street 35
Chemical Plant 58
Scene One: Big Yellow Joint 35
Circinus Fields 59
Destruction, Self and Otherwise 36
Fink Mansion 60
Investigating the Scene 36
The Tour 61
Snowball 37
Epilogue: Emerge From Your Shell 61
Scene Two: Howl of Agony 37
Unanswered Questions 61
Gutted in the Cemetery 38
The State of the Ronin 62
Sounder Slaughterhouse 38
Semyonov’s Court 62
Hail to the King 39
Wacky Backy 62
Fuck the Penumbra 39
The Turtle Mystery 62
Scene Three: Urgent Moot 39
Awoken Turtle 63
The Address 39
Moving On 63
Who Invited Her? 40

4
Appendix: The Wyrm’s Army 63 Straight to Hell 76
The Supervisors 63 Insights 76
Skull Pigs 64 Other Outcomes 76
King Semyonov 64 Scene Six: Make Amends 76
Horned Lizard’s Perspective 77
Keeping it in the Family 67 Salvaging Something 77
Insights 77
Background 67
Other Outcomes 77
The Characters 67
Scene Seven: New Friends 77
United We Stand 68
Rainbow Lake 77
Cast 68
Other Ties 78
Horned Lizard 68
Insights 78
The Black Spiral Dancers 69
Other Outcomes 78
The Sept of Long Shadows 69
Chapter Three: Breaking Point 78
Chapter One: It’s All Moot 69
Scene Eight: Secession 79
Scene One: Our Tale 69
A Better Outcome 79
Watchful Eyes 69
Scene Nine: War and Peace 79
Tonight’s Agenda 70
Gathering Before the Storm 80
Come To Blows 70
Face the Future 80
Otherworldly Vermin 70
Alecto’s Challenge 81
Departure 70
Scene Ten: The End of the War 81
Apologies 70
Battle for the Long Shadows 81
Scene Two: Flashpoint 71
The Cleansing of Seeping Rock 82
Scene Three: We Reconvene 71
Epilogue 82
Vermin Cull 72
Appendix: Friends and Enemies 82
Peacemakers 72
Discord Gaffling 82
Prowl 72
Malicet 82
Reach Out 72
Black Spiral Dancer 82
Every Kinfolk for Themselves 72
Eats-the-Fallen 82
Assignments 72
Alecto 83
Intermission 73
Anton Blunt-Claw 84
Chapter Two: The Great Unraveling 73
Scene Four:Lingering Discord
Walking the Bawn
73
73
Ready-MadeCharacters 85
Symptoms of Discord Part I 73 JoAnna Woertz 85
Peaceful Resolution 74 Soft as Snow Falling 87
History Lesson 74 Alexander Jacobson 88
Mated Malice 74 Larmina “Red Sky” Ahmadi 89
Symptoms of Discord Part II 74 Jakov Ogundadegbe 90
Insights 74 Jo “Ms. Fix It”Packard 92
Other Outcomes 74 Javon “Keeper of the Family Stories “Molin 93
Scene Five: Tread Lightly 74 Katla “Gandr Dancer” Valsdottir 94
A Bad Place 74 Henry “Seeker of Spirits” Fournier 96
Getting In 75 Zack “Litigates the Wyrm” O’Brien 97
Poking Around 75 Beth “Spirit’s Pathstone” Page 98
Company 76

5
 Introduction
The end is never truly the end. There is always something. And something can always grow.
— From the Turtle analects

It is said that a werewolf only meets their end one way: Keeping it in the Family: This chronicle examines a sept
in a frenzy of blood and fur. There’s no peaceful conclusion falling to internal dissent while the Black Spiral Dancers pick
for the noble Garou. There’s no retirement, pension, and at its fragile remains. Garou and Kinfolk alike are at risk in
time to watch the grandkids grow into a better world. For this story of the importance of family, community, and trust.
the werewolf, the world is one of permanent conflict, and Ready-Made Characters: A host of characters and
to deny that — to resist it — is to deny nature, purpose, and their character sheets, made to fit in any of the chronicles
the sacrifices made by fallen kin. in this book, and for play in stories that take place outside
How one meets a bloody end is the true question. Does it. These characters can also be used in place of non-player
the werewolf fall to save others? What if their body or spirit werewolves in any of the chronicles presented.
are corrupted in the process? What becomes of those who New Advantages: In the war against the Wyrm, the
flee the battle, or are captured and die with no kin around Garou need every weapon they can wield. This section of
them to sing songs and howl mourning hymns in their honor? the Introduction provides a selection of fun and interesting
Every tale is different, every fate unique, and every battle new powers for use in your Werewolf chronicles.
a personal challenge. Every howl is the voice of another war-
rior fighting for what they believe is their Gaia-manifested Storyteller Advice
obligation. Storytellers should always be prepared to improvise
Howls of Apocalypse and adjust pre-written content on the fly. Therefore, it’s
extremely useful to read the content of this book ahead
Howls of Apocalypse presents three full chronicles of time, especially when intending on running one of the
exploring different aspects of the battles Garou fight in scenarios in this book or permitting players access to one
Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition, of the new Gifts.
though nothing prevents players from taking on the roles New Storytellers may feel daunted by the prospect of
of other Fera in these tales. making combat and navigating the Umbra interesting. Both
The Glass Cage: What happens when you pen a pack can require a lot of bookkeeping or florid description to make
of werewolves inside an experimental laboratory with other them feel evocative and more than just dice rolling exercises.
shapeshifters? A breakout tale of rage and vengeance allowing The following advice is for Storytellers who want to
Gaia’s warriors to truly use their fangs and claws. ensure such scenes are as rich as possible:
Those Things’ll Kill You: In this tragic tale of Turtle, Always describe the environment
Ronin, Skull Pigs, and Pentex, a werewolf sept is pulled The best dramatic scenes take place in an interactive,
between multiple conflicting demands and subjected to flavorful environment. To put it another way, battles in a
sabotage, assassinations, and betrayals from within. white room are dull. Therefore, if a Storyteller’s planning a

6 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
fight, they should have a short list (five to ten) of obstacles, Play with olfactory senses
environmental features, and tools, for instance, that the players Describe the smell of the place, the sounds, the taste
can interact with to make the combat more evocative. The of a location. Whether it’s a battle site in our world or in
archetypal example is a battle in a disused factory (a similar the depths of the Umbra, a flavor can tell a much stronger
location shows up in Those Things’ll Kill You), where the tale than paragraphs of descriptive text. A line like “As you
battlefield contains gantries and walkways, vats of acid, rusted emerge from the Blight, your skin feels greasy and raw,
barrels, conveyer belts, and girders. Allow rolls that tell the stripped of its top layer, while the taste of bile and rancid
players about any useful features that could be used as weap- mucus hangs thick in your mouth” is a good way to set the
ons or cover. Players will remember a scene in such a place. tone and will make the players throw their characters in the
Focus more on action than dialogue nearest shower.
This advice applies particularly in the case of combat and Fights don’t always need to end in death
the Umbra. The Wyrm servant explaining their plan is far Establish this early on. Battles don’t always have to be to
less interesting than the Wyrm servant demonstrating their the death and are often weaker when they are. Have a pack
plan’s effects. The putrid entrance to Malfeas is far more Totem intervene to advise backing away because the odds are
evocative if it’s dragging the characters inside and scouring against the Garou, or have the antagonist escape through ma-
their skin with acid than if a Pentex executive is standing nipulative means. The old favorite of “You either capture me or
over it, telling the werewolves what will happen to them if save your loved one!” is tried and tested, but can be mixed up
they fall in. Werewolf is a game thick with action, so where a little. Throw more minions at the player characters, have the
possible, allow actions to describe the scene. antagonist display a heretofore unseen power, or have human
cops or reporters show up, thereby threatening the werewolves’
INTRODUCTION 7
secrecy. Battles with recurring antagonists are far more satisfying is one such tool. The eponymous Glass Walker Ahroun
for when they do end in death, but only because the antagonist once dropped a thieving Ratkin, drawing the attention of
has escaped the net multiple times before. Owl. The gun itself is a custom Colt Anaconda Longbarrel
Keep combat short(ish) (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 303) affixed with a laser
Werewolf is arguably the most combat-driven World scope, black matte finish, and a hand-molded grip. 
of Darkness game, but lengthy fights become an exercise On activation, the laser site becomes viewable only to the
in number counting, dice rolling, and can feel draining. holder. Firing the weapon makes no more sound than an owl
Having an event taking place in the background — such in flight and ignores armor up to the number of successes
as the aforementioned cops being on their way, a bomb rolled. Against a follower of Rat — be it pack, Bone Gnaw-
ticking down, or the building collapsing — is a good way er, or Ratkin — Owl’s talon’s manifest, causing aggravated
to inject a little speed into proceedings. Don’t be afraid to damage. In addition to the damage dealt, anyone hit must
allow players the chance to unload all their biggest, brightest make a Dexterity + Stamina roll (Difficulty 7) in order to
powers before tapering off into a montage of quick dice rolls stay on their feet. The wound from the gun appears on the
and, therefore, quick actions, ending with a final full round flesh like the claw mark from an owl. The spirit refuses to
before things conclude. activate the weapon when loaded with silver bullets.
To create Killbox’s Colt Special, one must bind the

New Advantages spirit of an owl to a gun that has wounded a child of Rat.

Techgnosis
When facing the Wyrm’s many servants, it’s crucial
werewolves go in prepared for the fight. This new selection Lupus Gift, Level Two
may give them an edge against their eternal foes. For many lupus-born, mankind’s technology proves dif-
Regina’s Secret ficult to grasp. This Gift allows a wolf in a bind to make use
of human devices via the connection to the world afforded by
Fetish, Level Three, Gnosis 6 Gnosis. Use of the Gift does not grant actual understanding
The Garou entrust Kinfolk with their secrets and often of the device or system accessed; from an outsider’s perspective
task them with transporting important items. Using ritual the technology simply cooperates with the Garou.
scarification to mark a Kinfolk, a Garou enables a Kinfolk System: The Garou rolls Wits + Primal-Urge (Difficulty
to absorb an item into their body. While the exact process 7) and spends a point of Gnosis. For the remainder of the
varies from tribe to tribe, the ritemaster carves the glyph of scene, the Garou can substitute her Primal-Urge for rolls
her tribe into the Kinfolk’s back between the shoulder blades calling for Crafts, Drive, Etiquette, Firearms, and Larceny.
in an excruciating ordeal. The size of the glyph determines With the expenditure of a point of Willpower, they can use
how many items the Kinfolk can hide; she can bind one Primal-Urge in place of Academics, Computer, Law, Science,
item to her for each point of aggravated damage inflicted and Technology rolls. 
during the fetish’s creation. 
Once completed, an item can be bound to her through Rite of Harano’s Folly
the Rite of Talisman Dedication. While she is still unable Mystic Rite, Level Five
to enter the Umbra or change shape, by making a successful Harano dulls Garou claws and leadens their steps. Its
Willpower roll — or Gnosis if she possesses it — (Difficulty 6) whispers stoke black flames of helplessness, inadequacy,
she can meld the item into her body. It takes on the appear- loneliness. In its grip, despair seems rational in ways other
ance of a tattoo on her skin in the shape of the moon she Garou simply must not comprehend. When a Garou feels
was born under. Items can only be unbound by a Garou who they can’t go on, it creeps in and takes hold. Overcoming
spends a Gnosis point. If the scar is ever healed, removed, or Harano is no simple task.
covered up with a tattoo it no longer functions. Any items Using the Rite of Harano’s Folly taxes the body and
bound become permanent tattoos on her body unless she spirit of both the subject and the ritemaster. Harano can’t
undergoes the Rite again and gains a new scar. be overcome if the participant is unwilling, nor can it suc-
To create Regina’s Secret, one must bind the spirit of a ceed if the ritemaster and other Garou in attendance don’t
trapdoor spider to the scar while it is being carved. believe the participant is worthy of his place with the pack,
Killbox’s Colt Special tribe, or sept.
Knowledge of this rite vanished when the Croatan sac-
Fetish, Level Four, Gnosis 7 rificed themselves to banish Eater-of-Souls into the Umbra.
It takes a remarkable act for a Wyld spirit to agree to An elder Child of Gaia Theurge has recently rediscovered
be bound into a tool of the Weaver. Killbox’s Colt Special it as part of her Rank challenge. Many whisper it was her
8 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
own struggle with Harano which allowed her to tap into the the spirit of the accomplishments of the subject and how they
spirits necessary to return this ritual to the Nation. Others feel he will be of use to the Nation once he has overcome
excitedly suggest that it’s a sign that Middle Brother, while Harano. Collectively, they need to roll enough successes
forever gone, is not completely lost, and still aids their cousins. to equal the Gnosis and Willpower of the subject and the
System: The subject of the rite needs to ask for help spirit for it to agree to aid him. 
overcoming Harano. In addition to the ritemaster and the If successful the spirit agrees to the subject and attempts
subject’s pack, one Garou from each auspice and breed must to pull them back from Harano. The Storyteller makes an
participate in the rite. The participants form a circle around extended roll of the spirit’s Gnosis (Difficulty 8), requiring
the subject as the ritemaster covers the subject’s face with successes equal to the subject’s Gnosis. Each roll inflicts 1
a mixture of dirt, warm ash, and water, all collected from lethal damage on the subject. The subject heals as if in com-
within the caern’s boundary. As she applies the mixture, the bat but must roll Stamina (Difficulty 8) to do so while the
ritemaster chants, petitioning for spiritual aid in reclaiming rite is ongoing. On a botch, the spirit discovers something
the subject from Harano. Once completed, the ritemaster rolls unworthy about the subject and marks them spiritually,
Wits + Rituals (Difficulty 8) to call a spirit to aid the subject, dissuading any other spirit from participating in this rite
with 1-2 successes summoning a Gaffling, 3-5 summoning a with the subject and allowing Harano to tighten its hold.
Jaggling, and more than 5 summoning an Incarna. A botch If the spirit is successful, the subject overcomes Harano.
summons a Wyrm spirit. When the spirit has arrived, the The ritemaster gains three Honor Renown, and all other
ritemaster joins the Garou circling the subject. Garou who participated gain one. Any Garou who spent
One by one, the Garou in attendance spend a Gnosis Gnosis or Willpower beyond the minimum needed to per-
and roll Charisma + Performance (Difficulty 8) as each tell form the rite gain one Wisdom Renown.

INTRODUCTION 9
 The Glass Cage
“If someone puts their hands on you, make sure they never put their hands on anyone ever again.”
— Malcolm X

This adventure throws the pack into a dungeon-like At some point, two of their cellmates go missing, presum-
Pentex laboratory facility, forcing them to fight their way ably abducted during a fight with guards. The pack works
through realities in order to escape and then get their revenge their way through the laboratory, recovering their missing
on those responsible. cellmates, with evidence suggesting that one — a Ratkin
The Glass Cage explores the nature of Rage, how it can named Silverwhisker — is secretly working for Neuro-Dynamic
trap Garou by locking their minds behind their instincts and Laboratories. This is a lie to allow the real Free-X agents to
bloodlust, and how it can empower them to destroy their embed themselves further into the pack.
foes. Characters will discover the limits of their Rage and The pack finally gains access to the elevator shaft and
whether they can tread the line between beast and human. escapes, just as the facility director is attempting to escape
This scenario also involves mind games and betrayals, and a pair of strike teams are inbound. The aboveground
making it perfect for players looking for complications. battle is full of potential explosions and ways for the wolves
to escape.

Synopsis In Detail
Glass Cage is divided into five floors, with the first
Glass Cage is an action and puzzle-heavy scenario. Al-
though this book presents Baker Site as a sandbox — with ‘floor’ being the virtual prison.
the rooms presented separately — the layout of the under-
ground facility will constrain the pack, making the scenario
Floor Null
relatively linear. Because of this, most packs will experience Construct Alpha: NDL interrogators disguised as trusted
Glass Cage as follows: allies gain the pack’s trust
Each pack member individually wakes up after an intense Construct Bravo: The interrogators try to extract in-
night of celebration that has their head still pounding. Shortly formation from the pack
after, they meet a trusted ally and head off to a safehouse Floor B3
or similar location. As the day goes on, wolves realize that
VR Bay: The first wolves to break out of VR free their
details do not add up and that they’re being interrogated in
allies and break out of their first room.
a virtual reality prison. Once they escape VR, they discover
the very real cage they’re in, along with several fellow captives Cell Block: The pack meets another group of Fera and
(and two undercover Free-X agents.) learns just how bad things are. They can fight the guards,
help their new cellmates, and break out.
With the help of their cellmates, they break out of the
cell block and into the security room, gaining a better un- Break Room: The wolves take the fight to the guards
derstanding of where they are and what they’re up against. and gain access to the next floor.

THE GLASS CAGE 11

Floor B2 — buy into their marketing and sign up to become what they
think are superheroes. Instead, they become Bane-infected
Live Experimental Subjects: The characters discover a fomori and other foot soldiers of the Wyrm.
dozen experimental fomori and fight the guards once more. Among Free-X’s numerous atrocities is their participa-
The guards capture Silverwhisker and Jasmine. tion in Neuro-Dynamic’s IEI sites: capturing Garou, other
Storage: The pack catches up to Jasmine in a room full Fera, Kinfolk, and even ordinary humans caught in the wrong
of equipment. place at the wrong time. Free-X heavily drugs the abductees
Floor B1 and turns them over to NDL researchers at Baker and other
IEI sites for the scientists to perform their evil.
Security: They find Silverwhisker,  who’s doing suspi-
ciously fine, and learn more about what’s going on.
Elevator: The pack must figure out how to escape.
Site Baker
The facility has three subterranean levels (B3-B1), where
Ground Floor NDL researchers interrogate and experiment on abductees,
Aboveground: The pack gets their chance at revenge. largely Garou and other Fera, but also ordinary humans and
Kinfolk. The site’s personnel live aboveground in personal
trailers for tours of six months, allowing them to tell their
Background family members that they work as fly-in, fly-out mineral
workers. While the facility is not terribly remote distance-wise,
With the exception of the virtual reality portions of this no roads lead to Baker, preventing people from accidentally
scenario, everything takes place at Site Baker, a Neuro-Dy- stumbling upon it. Instead, most personnel rotate in and
namic Laboratories compound about an hour drive from out via helicopters.
Wagga Wagga, Australia. The site director for Site Baker is Kent Carver (p. XX).
Neuro-Dynamic
Laboratories The Characters
Originally a Pentex front company, NDL operated Glass Cage is especially well-suited to take several Garou
publicly without drawing undue attention to Pentex. Within who’ve recently experienced their First Change, giving them
a few years, they had become deeply involved in Project the opportunity to create their own pack over the course of
Lycaon, helping create War Wolves and other Mockery the adventure. This creates possibilities for deeper intrigue —
Breeds. Despite a spate of bad press that briefly pulled the as the pack will have fewer reasons to trust each other — and
mask from their face, NDL remains at the forefront of Wyrm permits characters to be from around the world.
abominations, with virtually no public knowledge of their Because of the misdirection in this adventure, each of
sinister activities. the characters should have at least one contact before the
If anything, Neuro-Dynamic has accelerated their evil, game begins. If you have a Session Zero (a session for dis-
using their interrogation, experimentation, and infiltration cussing characters, goals, and boundaries), set aside time to
(IEI) sites like Baker to extract information from prisoners. flesh these contacts out, as you’ll want to know as much as
Afterwards, NDL performs monstrous experiments on the you can about the characters’ allies, since you’ll be playing
prisoners, such as implanting Banes and cybernetic implants. versions of them in Floor Null.

The Last 24 Hours

Even more insidiously, they also craft situations to embed
specially created and trained Free-X agents into prisoner
groups that they allow to escape. Before the events of the session began, Free-X agents
The regional vice president of Neuro-Dynamic Labora- abducted and drugged the characters, preventing the wolves
tories for Australia is a wereape named King (p. XX). from clearly recalling recent events. The thugs injected

Free-X the pack with sensory override nanites, which replace the
characters’ senses with a virtual reality controlled by Neu-
The newest incarnation of the First Teams, Free-X is ro-Dynamic’s interrogators.
part paramilitary security company and part slick public If you’re using this scenario as part of an existing chron-
relations firm, spinning off from their predecessor with icle, you should not have the players play out the abduction
all of the positive press and none of the notoriety. Even scenes, as this tips off the players that the VR interrogation
non-Pentex-owned news stations give Free-X a pass when it isn’t real and creates the possibility that the players roll
comes to their oppressive handling of protests. As a result, exceptionally well and bypass the entire scenario.
many — even some Kinfolk bitter that they haven’t Changed
12 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 Instead, they might be captured between scenes, perhaps wanted to join Free-X and that she didn’t have her First
after successfully repelling an attack by Free-X operatives. Change before she was infected, although he doesn’t trust
This way, the behind-the-scenes explanation for how the his memories of the massacre, constantly drifting between
wolves got kidnapped is that the Free-X operatives used being relieved that Jasmine is still alive to being scared for
toxins with delayed effects and simply returned later to grab her life to wanting to kill her.
the drugged Garou. Silverwhisker (Nezumi Rodens Tunnel Runner): A

Cast shifty-eyed wererat who’s looking out for himself, Silverwhis-

ker knows that if everyone were outside, he’d be seconds away
In addition to the player-controlled Garou, there are from being lunch. He believes his best chance of survival is
seven Storyteller characters. sneaking ahead of the Garou before they attract the attention
of the entire base, although there aren’t many opportunities
Cellmates to sneak anywhere. As a Japanese-American Ratkin from
Hector Gonzales (War Wolf, posing as a Child of Gaia Hawai’i, he’s desperate to get word back home that it’s no
Lupus Theurge): An undercover member of Free-X who longer safe on the islands, although he doesn’t relish the
Jasmine isn’t even aware of, Hector is an experimental War idea of having to go there in person to deliver the message.
Wolf. Unlike Jasmine, Hector was born an ordinary wolf
before NDL technicians radically altered his body. Although
The Staff
NDL believes his loyalty is absolute, he only obeys his orders Kent Carver (Bane-infested human): The director of
because he knows it’s his best chance for survival and that NDL’s Wagga Wagga lab and its talent recruitment initiative.
most Garou would kill him if they ever figured out what he Mr. Carver has an incredibly punchable face, the sort of
really was; he’s more than willing to let NDL personnel die looks that scream “corporate asshole.” Unfortunately, he’s
if it increases his odds of survival. also supernaturally persuasive and dangerous, powered by a
Jasmine O’Malley (War Wolf, posing as a Fianna Homid Bane and the best biological and cybernetic enhancements
Ragabash): Hailing from Dublin, Jasmine’s an undercover Neuro-Dynamic Laboratories has in stock. As a talent recruit-
member of Free-X, posing as a prisoner. She’s a Gallain er, Carver is a relatively public figure among Neuro-Dynamic
and an experimental War Wolf, created by a Bane infection and would rather flee than fight if he feels the outcome is
artificially triggering a First Change-like transformation. She in doubt. That said, he’s also a cruel man, excited at any
has a conflicted relationship with her uncle Sean, who beat opportunity to physically or psychologically abuse the pack
her and left her for dead after he discovered she’d been in- to demonstrate his “human superiority.”
fected by a Bane. Sean raged and slaughtered the rest of her King (Homid Yeren): As the vice president for NDL’s
family, a fact that convinced her that all Fera are dangerous operations throughout Australia, King is the highest ranking
animals, which is why she volunteered for this assignment. Yeren in the company, and he has his eyes on even more
Carver recruited her before Sean’s attack. Afterwards, he power. In Crinos form, he resembles the biggest, meanest
patched her up and completed her procedures, effectively silverback gorilla anyone has ever seen. Most of his meteoric
taking her from her weakest point to her strongest, a fact rise in authority within Pentex is due to his utter ruthlessness,
that she will never forget. which often leads people to underestimate his cunning and
Michelle “Chell” Chan (Shadow Lord Homid Philo- ability to twist consequences against others.
dox): This Macanese Garou has been analyzing the situation
in her cell ever since she woke up and has reached the in-
escapable conclusion that the only reason she’s still alive is
because Neuro-Dynamic wants to embed a mole in a group
Floor Null
As the story begins, the wolves awaken one by one,
of escapees. She’s certain of this because it’s what she’d do seemingly in the care of a trusted friend. In reality, they’re
in their position. She wants to get back home to Macau, inside of an NDL simulation.
partly because that’s where her pack is, but also because
someone must have sold her out, and she wants revenge. Room 1: Construct Alpha
Sean O’Malley (Fianna Homid Ragabash): Jasmine’s Construct Alpha is Neuro-Dynamic’s basic VR interro-
uncle, Sean’s received the worst torture of any of the pris- gation program. Each wolf is in their own simulation of a
oners, mainly to keep him from talking. He mainly sits safehouse near their home, along with an interrogator who
silently, wallowing in grief and tending to his torn tongue looks and acts like a trusted ally. Key to this scene is keeping
and broken jaw. Between his guilt over slaughtering his the players in the dark, along with their characters, and
Kinfolk, the silver shackles impairing his regeneration, his keeping the players from getting bored while each person
frequent beatings, and more VR interrogation sessions than takes their turn. To help with both of these problems, you
anyone else, his memory is fragmented. He knows Jasmine
THE GLASS CAGE 13
 SAFER MIND GAMES
Because this scene involves types of stress unusual for a Werewolf game, make sure that your players are
comfortable with this kind of torment before starting. If your players are particularly eager for these kinds of
themes, feel free to use any of the following techniques to rachet the stress and surreality up, keeping in mind
that the What Did I Do? option is a form of gaslighting.
• Déjà vu: Have two or more characters talk to the same trusted contact, with the contact providing slightly
different details, such as denying they talked to the other character.
• Doppelganger: Have one of the wolves talk to a version of one of the other characters.
• Loss of control: Have two of the characters talk to each other before taking over, as in Doppelganger.
• What Did I Do?: Repeatedly insinuate that a character did something unspeakable and refuse to elaborate
when directly asked.

can keep things interesting for your players by switching

between them frequently. A good rule of thumb is to switch Events
to a different player about every 30 seconds or after a dice Each character wakes up in bed (or the floor) with a
roll (but before the results are revealed). This helps keep headache and the feeling of toxins in their system. They each
players interested since their turn to act is never far away. have their interrogator by their side to get them back onto
their feet. While the relationship between the characters
Environment and their allies will make each of these solo scenes feel a
Each simulation is different, as they’re designed based little different, they have a common structure:
on the intelligence Team-X has gathered on each pack • Good Morning: The interrogator welcomes the
member. City-dwelling wolves see a familiar neighborhood, character and talks about some sort of amazing party that
while more rural wolves may find themselves on a lush farm they were both at.
or remote desert outpost. Regardless, all constructs share • Have You Seen…?: The interrogator notes that another
the same basic layout — a central building filled with and trusted ally wasn’t at the party and asks the character if they
surrounded by sleeping Garou and Kinfolk. know where the missing ally can be found.
Occupants • Let’s Get Out of Here: The interrogator suggests
going to meet either the trusted ally they just named or an-
Despite the other Garou, humans, and/or wolves lying other one, suggesting a foot race and letting the wolf win or
around the building, the only person each character is able offering to let the wolf drive their fancy car. If the character
to talk to is their “friend.” The rest are “sleeping off the takes the bait, skip to Room 2: Construct Bravo.
party,” according to the friend. This interrogator appears
In addition to any rolls that make sense for the simulated
as one of their trusted allies created at character creation.
scenes, the characters can also make the following rolls when
If one or more of the players have not yet created that part
you feel it’s appropriate:
of their backstory, here are a few suggestions:
• Detecting that they’re suffering something worse
• Uncle Jackie: A sassy, older wolf related by blood.
than a hangover: Wits + Alertness (Difficulty 6)
He’s excited that the character has finally had their First
Change (even if it happened years ago). • Resisting interrogation drugs: Stamina + Athletics
(Difficulty 5)
• Deb: A shy wolf that the character grew up with and
may be in the early stages of a romantic relationship with. • Detecting lies: Wits + Empathy (Difficulty of the
She had avoided using her Lupus form until last night, interrogator’s Manipulation + Empathy — 7 dice)
when she had the chance to transform with the character. • Realizing they’re in a simulation: Wits + Computer
• Auntie Aji: A doting, older wolf with unclear, but (Difficulty 6)
long-lasting familial ties to the character. She really wants • Escaping VR: Wits + Computer (Difficulty 6) or Wits
the character to drink water and stay hydrated. + Primal-Urge (Difficulty 6)

14 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 If any of the characters attack their interrogator, skip
to Room 2: Construct Bravo’s Fight Like Hell event. If any Environment
of them break out of the simulation, skip to Room 3: VR The VR Bay is a small concrete room with just enough
Bay for that character’s next action. room for the gurneys that the wolves wake up on. Each of
the Garou is in their breed form. Wi-Fi antennae dot the
Room 2: Construct Bravo ceiling, one over each of the gurneys. The gurneys themselves
have well-fitted, silver-infused straps that hold the wolves
This part of the simulation is designed to trick the wolves
in place. There is a single door set into the wall, leading to
into giving away the location of safehouses.
Room 4: Cell Block. In addition to the straps, each wolf
Environment also has silver shackles, which are designed to adjust in size,
Construct Bravo emulates whatever roads or paths exist preventing shifting forms from releasing the wolves from
between the wolf’s home and the way to a friend’s home. their bondage.

Occupants Events
The interrogator impersonating the wolf’s trusted ally The most immediate opportunities for action are for
is the only other person present. the Garou to free themselves from their restraints and then
free their allies before escaping.
Events Unrestrained: Successfully shifting forms either breaks
Road Trip: If the wolves don’t catch on to the fact their gurney’s straps or allows them to slip through the straps.
that they’re in a simulation or that their companion isn’t Attempts to unstrap another wolf are automatically successful.
who they appear to be, they eventually arrive at a safehouse The Shackles: Thanks to the silver in the shackles, the
which doesn’t quite match the wolf’s memory and can roll pack effectively has no Gnosis, making it impossible to use
Perception + Alertness (Difficulty 5) to notice something’s their Gifts. Each of the shackles has a sharp needle embedded
wrong, giving them a +1 bonus to any of the rolls listed in in the skin, making outside forces (such as anyone trying
Room 1: Construct Alpha. If the wolf doesn’t notice, the to remove the shackle) stab into the wolf’s flesh, inflicting
interrogator continues having the character lead them to 1 aggravated damage. Removing them by force requires 5
safehouse after safehouse, each of them empty, giving the Strength and causes 2 aggravated damage.
interrogator an excuse to travel to the next safehouse to Waking the Pack: Freeing the other Garou from their
figure out where their mutual friend is. simulations can be accomplished by destroying the Wi-Fi
Fight Like Hell: Wolves who figure out someone is antennae, trying to shake someone awake, or by triggering
impersonating their friend can fight their interrogator. Inter- a change.
rogators have 6 dice in their combat pools and 4 health levels. Out the Door: The door is locked from the outside,
Garou who successfully incapacitate or kill the inter- but not particularly sturdy. A Strength 4 Feat of Strength
rogator immediately escape the simulation and arrive in destroys it.
Room 3: VR Bay on their next turn. Additionally, anyone
still imprisoned in VR receives an additional +1 bonus to Room 4: Cell Block
all of the rolls listed in Room 1: Construct Alpha. This is Although the pack has successfully broken down digital
cumulative. and physical barriers, they’re still trapped.
Environment
Floor B3 This area features two rectangular cells on opposite sides
of the room, each with a door connecting to a VR bay. The
The bottom level of Baker Site, most walls are difficult
to destroy and simply lead to the foundation of the under- only other cell doors open to a shared passageway that runs
ground structure. The facility’s Gauntlet is thick enough between the two cells, ending in another cell door, ensur-
that anyone attempting to enter the Umbra from here are ing that even if one door is opened, there’s still another to
“caught” (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 309). prevent escape. Aside from the two side doors leading to
VR bays, there is a security door leading to Room 5: Break
Room 3: VR Bay Room. Both cells have rough cots with a single toilet each
and toilet paper.
Equipped with cutting edge, but disposable, technology,
The bars are thick steel and covered with silver-coated
this room allows Neuro-Dynamic’s interrogators to question
barbs, making it virtually impossible to force them apart
the pack over a Wi-Fi connection while remaining safe in
and extremely painful to try.
Room 8: Security.

THE GLASS CAGE 15

Occupants say I’m thrilled to be stuck with him; him beating me and my da’
is what gave me my First Change. He’s family, but he’s also a son
Four Garou and a Ratkin look at the characters from of a bitch, you understand?”
the other cell. Sean: Badly beaten and almost uncommunicative, Sean
Chell: Like Silverwhisker, Chell doesn’t trust anyone barely acknowledges the characters, even if they directly ad-
present, believing that everyone around her is a plant. She’s dress him. Anyone trying to get a deeper understanding of his
more right than she knows, but because she sees enemies psyche will have quite the journey, as even he isn’t sure what’s
everywhere, few are likely to take her seriously. Though she real anymore. He’s wracked with guilt over killing Jasmine’s
won’t fully believe anything the characters have to say to her, family, a fact that NDL’s interrogators have exploited heavily.
she’s willing to listen, believing that it’s better to learn as As a result of frequent torture and Jasmine’s sticking to her
much as she can, even if it’s just lies. story, he’s no longer sure that she was infected by a Bane
A Garou woman in Homid form looks you up and down. before her First Change and is doubting his own memory.
Her high cheekbones accentuate her movements, and you catch The elder in the far cell’s hair is the same reddish-grey color as
her eyeing her cellmates warily. She speaks matter-of-factly in a the younger woman’s, and he seems to regard her with alternating
hard-to-place accent, “Who are you?” shame and joy. In a broken Irish accent, he mutters, “Jasmine?
“This is a little too convenient. You show up and smash their She’s — she’s a good kid. No. Can’t ye trust those NikNak phones.
equipment like nothing just as we’re starting to lose hope? Don’t Can’t trust ‘em. Carver. That motherfucker.”
get me wrong: You get those doors open, and I’ll go out them with Silverwhisker: As the only Ratkin present, Silverwhis-
you, but I’m definitely walking behind you all.” ker’s an outsider. This means that his guard is always up, as
Hector: Hector would rather melt into the background he doesn’t trust anyone else in the cells. Feel free to make
of any scene, rarely offering information or voluntarily Silverwhisker seem to be an opportunistic coward (he is). To
speaking. Surprise is his only real advantage here, so while anyone with any skill at Empathy, he gives off the sense that
his mission is to be Jasmine’s backup, he doesn’t want to he’s out for himself and would sell anyone out in order to
be connected to her. After all, if they agreed all the time it escape captivity — which is true. Of course, he doesn’t trust
would cast suspicion on both of them. his captors when they promise him rewards, either. This
A lean, orange-and-black Garou in Glabro form regards you is the only reason he doesn’t ultimately betray the wolves.
carefully from the other cell’s door. He pulls his hands away from The Ratkin stares at you, regularly smoothing his whiskers
the lock, hiding something in his pockets, and asks, “Any of you and hair, grooming himself. He hisses conspiratorially, “Good job
know how to jimmy a lock? It’s suddenly a very useful skill.” breaking out of VR. Hope you didn’t say anything you’ll regret. You
“Yeah, I know no one says ‘jimmy a lock’ anymore. I run a think you can use that industrious spirit to getting us free? Eh?”
ViewTube channel on classic films. Fourth best Spanish-language “Me? Name’s Silverwhisker. I’m surprised you’re talking to me,
channel on them. Name’s Hector or h_movies if we ever get out but you’re probably surprised that you’re talking to me, too, so I guess
of here. I don’t know what I’m doing here. I’m just a film nerd. it’s fair. They got me at some point after a nomikai — uh, Japanese
Can you get us out of here?” drinking party. Shit, I was up for a promotion, too. I thought some
Jasmine: Playing her part as damsel in distress to a T, nice people were helping me onto the subway, but I guess not.”
Jasmine’s exploiting her experience in her high school drama
club. She never allows herself to appear helpless, but takes
Events
many opportunities to appear targeted, such as pointing The most obvious course of action is to try to escape,
out that her uncle Sean murdered her whole family during although the dangerous nature of the bars poses a problem
a Frenzy or getting a little too aggressive with the guards, with that. Talking with their fellow captives to gain more
cueing them to hit her. She wants to get information out of information is a more sensible first step.
the characters but intends on playing the long game, letting Attacking the Bars: Smashing the bars down is nearly
them spill secrets incidentally instead of directly asking them impossible, requiring a Strength 10 Feat of Strength. At-
for intelligence. tempts — successful or not — inflict 3 aggravated damage.
A young-looking Garou in a hulking Crinos form with red- In Between: The bars are narrower than a wolf in Lupus
dish-grey fur stands close to the cell bars, gazing at you as if she’s form, but not to the point that it’s impossible to squeeze
seeing her salvation. She calls out hopefully, “I’ve never seen anyone through. The silver-coated razors make it clear this is a bad
break out of the simulation on their own. Who are you lot?” idea, but a desperate wolf can attempt a Stamina + Athletics
“I’m Jasmine O’Malley. And that sad sack’s my uncle Sean. roll (Difficulty 3) to squeeze through. Each failure rolled
They’ve screwed his head up good. I don’t know what they’ve been inflicts 1 aggravated damage. Silverwhisker can easily fit
doing to him, but he’s been totally out of it for a week now. You’ll through in his Rodens form, although he doesn’t see much
be lucky to get his eyes to focus on you, let alone a response. I can’t reason to do so at the moment.

16 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 Carver: A few minutes after the pack smashes down the door • Science: The stun weapons stolen from the guards
from their VR bay, guards enter. This should give them enough can be adjusted to melt through silver, albeit at some risk
time to chat with their fellow abductees, but not so much that to the person currently wearing the shackles. Modifying the
they get bored of conversation. There are as many guards as there weapons requires an Intelligence + Technology (Difficulty
are player characters, along with Mr. Carver. Carver taunts and 6) roll, and using it to cut off a shackle without injuring the
insults the strongest looking wolf, attempting to goad them into wearer requires a Dexterity + Alertness (Difficulty 7) roll.
agreeing to a fight in the area between the cells. If they do, the cell Failure inflicts one level of lethal damage, as the metal heats
door buzzes open. If they enter the passageway alone, the door up too quickly and burns the wearer.
shuts behind them, and the door by Carver opens, allowing him Disguising Freedom: If the characters don’t realize that
(or the wolf who entered) to rush into combat. openly displaying that they’re unshackled tips off the guards
The guards are simply there to back him up and get unnecessarily, Silverwhisker will inform them of this. He
him out of trouble if he happens to lose. The fight distracts reveals that he’s wearing dummy shackles made of his old
the guards, which anyone making a Wits + Empathy (Dif- gurney. Chell shows that she’s modified hers so that the parts
ficulty 6) roll notices. Stealing keys, keycards, medical kits, actually touching her are covered in aluminum. The charac-
and even stun clubs are possible with a Dexterity + Larceny ters can emulate either with a Wits + Crafts (Difficulty 6).
(Difficulty 6) roll.
Carver himself is heavily armored and unlikely to suffer
Special Feature: Cell Doors
serious injury. If he does, his guard rush into the narrow The Cell Doors: The doors have powerful magnetic locks
passageway between the cells. If Carver incapacitates the controlled from Break Room or Security. The locks have in-
character instead, he throws the character in front of their ternal voltameters that detect whether the lock is engaged. An
cell door and mocks them, proclaiming “the superiority of external power source is needed to override the lock. Garou
the human race.” can cobble together electronics equipment from the Wi-Fi
As a parting shot, he grabs Jasmine through the bars antennae to learn this with a Wits + Technology (Difficulty
and slams her face into the barbs, while his guards hit her 6) roll. Wolves can also cut the lock open to get a better view.
with their stun clubs. The previously barely conscious Sean Either way, they’ll also need a successful Intelligence + Tech-
immediately frenzies in response to seeing his niece being nology (Difficulty 6) roll to understand how the locks work.
beaten. Carver and his guards hastily exit, shut the outer Opening the Doors: Besides violence, there are several
door, then open both inner cell doors, joining the two cells. ways to open the doors:
The inhabitants of the other cell try running into the pack’s • Blocking Bolts: The lock’s sensors only detect if
cell to escape his wrath. Unless the wolves have a way to the lock is active or not; they do not detect if the lock was
snap Sean out of his rage, they’ll have to incapacitate him successful. Anything with sufficient compression strength
somehow. Thankfully, he’s already badly beaten (2 aggravated (such as carefully folded paper) can be inserted into an open
damage), making it a little easier to take him down. lock to prevent it from relocking. Realizing this requires a
Escape: Getting into Break Room requires a guard’s Wits + Science (Difficulty 6) roll. Inserting it takes no roll.
keycard or simply rushing through the door while the guards • Gifts: If the pack remove their shackles and wait until
have it open during one of the regularly scheduled meals. It they’ve recovered Gnosis, they can use a Gift like Open Seal
can be forced open with Strength 7 or an equivalent Feat of to unlock the doors.
Strength, although this triggers the alarm, alerting guards • Stunning: Stealing a guard’s stun club and carefully
throughout the facility. wiring it to a lock with a Dexterity + Technology (Difficulty
6) roll will force the lock to disengage (or engage), without
Special Feature: Shackles triggering an alert.

Room 5: Break Room

Although the shackles have sharp barbs that make forcing
them off a bad idea, they prevent the pack from regaining
Gnosis, making getting them off important.
Part armory, part lounge, part security outpost, the
• Lockpicking: Characters can cut, bend, or otherwise guards’ break room is just outside the Cell Block, ensuring
manipulate the metals available in the cells into picks with that the most dangerous part of the facility (most danger-
a Wits + Crafts (Difficulty 6) roll. Picking a shackle’s lock ous to Neuro-Dynamic Laboratory’s staff, anyways) is the
requires these improvised tools and a Dexterity + Larceny best-guarded.
(Difficulty 6) roll. This takes five minutes, lowered by one
minute for each additional success. Environment
• Force: Breaking a shackle with bare hands requires The Break Room is somewhat a mess, with piles of
5 dots of Strength or an equivalent Feat of Strength. It also equipment, personal belongings, and food wrappers near
inflicts 2 aggravated damage.
THE GLASS CAGE 17
where each of the guards sit. The walls are lined with snack It won’t reveal the existence of the undercover agents (the
food, stun clubs, riot shields, armor, and medical supplies. guards don’t know about them), although it will explain that
In addition to the security door leading back to Cell Block, they were told to be extra mean to Jasmine and Silverwhisker.
there’s also an elevator platform that lifts up to B2’s Live Subject
Experimentation. The elevator has a horizontal hatch above
it that blocks movement between the floors while it’s closed. Floor B2
Occupants Despite B2’s large size, there are only two rooms.
There are six guards in the room. If the pack breaks Room 6: Live Subject
into the room without raising suspicions, the guards are
only partially armored, reducing their soak pool to 5 dice. Experimentation
Events This room serves as an operating room for implanting
Banes and cybernetics into test subjects, as well as those
Fight the guards: Regardless of how the pack got inside subjects’ prisons.
the room, it’s all but guaranteed to end in a fight. The guards
try to bunch up around the door, hoping to keep just one Environment
wolf inside at a time, using the wall to their advantage. If the Twelve glass and steel cells line the sides, with surgical and
wolves break through, the guards will lose some of their cool. autopsy tables dotting the center. Despite the lingering odor of
To the Victors: With the guards down, the pack’s free cleaning chemicals, this room reeks of blood, death, and suffering.
to take as many keycards, armor, food, water, and weapons A door leads to an office with several terminals to operate the
as they like. machinery of the room. The office shares a large glass window
Going Up: If the pack took the guards by surprise, the with the rest of the room. The door also leads to Storage.
hatch to B2 is open. Otherwise, they’ll have to defeat the
lock before they can go up. The locking mechanism can be Occupants
bypassed physically or electronically with an Intelligence + At least six of the cells have a living fomor inside. If the
Subterfuge (Difficulty 7) roll. The lock can also be destroyed guards in Break Room had time to close the hatch, there
with Strength 5. If the hatch is shut, Carver uses the room’s are eight guards here with a technician trying to override
intercom to insult the pack. the floor’s security computer to open the cell closest. If not,
People Skills: Questioning the guards gets the pack there are only five guards, with six technicians currently trying
answers to the basic questions of where they are and why. to restrain a Freakfeet fomor (Book of the Wyrm, p. 133).

18 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Events one of the computers reveals that they all contain a frozen
Bane. Between the explosives, poisons, and acids, the pack can
Lab Fight: As soon as the guards spot the pack, they kill all of the Banes if they want to spend the time doing it.
trigger smoke cannisters, filling the room in seconds, mak- Rescuing Jasmine: Pulling the ammo crates off of
ing it impossible to see for anyone without a sense that cuts Jasmine one at a time is simple for anyone with at least
through the smoke, like the guard’s thermal goggles. As Strength 3, although it takes a few minutes. Carver uses
soon as the room’s smoky enough, Jasmine “accidentally” the intercom to insult the pack as they do so. A Wits +
punches Silverwhisker, knocking him towards the guards, Perception (Difficulty 8) roll determines that she probably
who try to capture both of them, while the rest of the guards smashed the lift controls, although she’ll deny it until it
try to keep the pack too busy to notice or prevent it. If the becomes obvious that she’s wrong, at which point she’ll
guards capture Jasmine or Silverwhisker, they immediately concede that she must have been mistaken.
take their captives out of the room. Repairing the Lift: Although the controls are thoroughly
The technicians cannot see in the smoke and lack the broken, the wolves have everything they need to make new
tactical training to do much but continue to restrain the ones with a Technology + Wits (Difficulty 6) extended
fomor or blindly run for cover. Adding to the chaos, Carver action that requires 15 successes. They can also destroy the
uses the room’s intercom to shout orders and insult the pack. lift’s hydraulic systems, causing it to drop suddenly. Anyone
Purge the Sickness: The security computer just outside standing under the platform at the time can attempt to
the room will allow authorized users (or wolves with an dodge with a Dexterity + Athletics (Difficulty 7) roll. Treat
authorized user’s credentials) to open the fomoris’ cells or the lift as an attack with 6 lethal damage.
to flood the cells with poison, killing them.

Floor B1
Medical Equipment: If the pack needs any medical
treatment, this room is well-outfitted, containing anything
they might need.
The top floor of the underground facility, B1 contains
Non-Smoking Room: Lowering the elevator to Break Baker Site’s security center, as well as the cargo elevator, the
Room will help pull smoke out of the room, as will operating only exit from the underground base.
the emergency ventilation system with a computer in the room’s
office with an Intelligence + Computers (Difficulty 4) roll.
Jasmine & Hector: If Jasmine wasn’t captured, she
Room 8: Security
briefly mentions that this room was where the NDL exper- Responsible for keeping tabs on the compound and its
imented on her and her uncle, infecting them with some experiments, as well as external threats, the Security room
sort of Bane that they’re still fighting off. Hector tersely is a trove of information, though the pack may not have
admits that they also infected him here. enough time to fully investigate it.
Environment
Room 7: Storage Part hidden bunker and part security nerve center for
Storage contains everything from office supplies to Baker Site, this room contains a large operations center with
cryogenically frozen Banes, storing everything Baker site monitors for virtually every part of the compound, a row of
needs except food and fuel (which are on the Ground Level). virtual reality interrogator booths, and a small data center
Environment with dozens of servers. In addition to the smaller elevator
down to B2, it also connects to an enormous elevator leading
Although the storage racks here are clearly separated to the surface.
into different departments, it’s still jarring to see crates of
guns and ammunition in the same room as #2 pencils and Occupants
sticky notes, to say nothing of the sturdy cannisters that reek If the guards captured Silverwhisker, he’s here, un-
of Banes. Storage has a large lift currently in the up position. harmed. If the pack killed any of the interrogators in VR,
Occupants those NDL technicians are still here, unconscious and
abandoned by their peers. In the unlikely event that the
If Jasmine was ‘captured,’ she’s beaten and underneath pack has made it this far undetected, there are 20 unarmed
a rack holding roughly one ton of ammunition. She has also technicians and two armed (but unarmored) guards.
destroyed the control panel for the lift.
Events
Events Silverwhisker: Unlike Jasmine, who was badly beaten
Destroying Banes: The sturdy cannisters are all labeled and crushed by thousands of pounds of ammunition, Sil-
things like Subject #0652. Investigating that number with
THE GLASS CAGE 19
verwhisker looks entirely unharmed. As soon as he spots guards are lined up outside the elevator door, planning to
Jasmine’s bloodied body, he realizes what’s happening and ambush the pack as they come out or retake the facility once
panics, blurting out accusations that are true, but hard to they get reinforcements. If the pack knows about this before
believe. If anyone searches him, there is a listening device they leave, they receive a +2 to their combat pools for the
hidden in his fur. He denies he knew it was there. He has a first turn of combat in Aboveground.
keycard that he stole from a guard, although he’ll only reveal Although the staff don’t appear to be leaving, Carver’s
this if he thinks the pack will help him escape. If it seems loading equipment into a helicopter as it’s being prepared for
like the pack is going to kill him, he’ll attempt to flee back flight. It doesn’t look like the pilot or Carver are ready to go,
into the compound, hoping to escape later. but that could change in a few minutes. Anyone inspecting
“It’s her! She shoved me towards the guards. She must have been the monitors who makes a Wits + Perception (Difficulty 6)
in on it from the beginning! She’s a plant! One of those Dancers or roll spots a helicopter already en route from Wagga Wagga.
something! You’ve gotta believe me! She’s one of them!” If the wolf making the roll gets a second success, they learn
Jasmine: When pressed, she calmly, yet angrily refutes it’s carrying a Free-X strike team, along with the regional
Silverwhisker’s claims, admitting that she might have vice president.
accidentally pushed the Nezumi, but that his explanation
doesn’t account for him being unharmed. She doesn’t Room 9: Primary Elevator
directly accuse him of being a spy, leaving the pack to leap A mere 50 feet separate the pack from the surface.
to that conclusion.
Hector: Once Silverwhisker blames Jasmine, Hector Environment
loudly accuses the Ratkin of being part of Free-X. If he’s The elevator is huge, easily able to fit several cars. It’s
disagreed with Jasmine at least once in the scenario, he’ll currently parked at the Ground Floor and powered down,
point out that he never agrees with Jasmine, but that he complicating the pack’s lives since it’s in their way. In addition
thinks she’s right this time and urges the pack to beat up to not having an easy way to access the elevator, they’ll have
Silverwhisker. to get both the elevator’s and the hoistway’s doors open.
Chell: The skeptical Shadow Lord believes one of the
two must be lying and suggests leaving both Jasmine and
Events
Silverwhisker behind as the only safe move. Hacking: Wolves with computer skills (including Hec-
Sean: The damaged elder alternates between extreme tor) can use Security’s terminals to restore power to the
fear, relief, and hate, unsure of who to focus it on. A success- elevator, allowing them to bring it back down, go back up
ful Wits + Empathy (Difficulty 7) roll confirms that Jasmine to the Ground Floor, and open the elevator’s door. They
is at the center of this, although why he has these feelings can accomplish this with an Intelligence + Computers roll
towards his niece is anyone’s guess. (Difficulty 7). The exterior door is locked by Carver’s per-
sonal code, making it virtually impossible to hack it open
Computers: The room is full of terminals, several of
— Intelligence + Computers (Difficulty 9).
which are still logged in, making snooping through Neu-
ro-Dynamic Laboratories’ network fairly simple. If any of Electronics: It’s entirely possible (although not altogether
the wolves looks for information on other sites or for a safe) to bypass the computer-controlled power switcher and
better idea of what NDL is up to, they may learn some of restore power directly to the elevator with an Intelligence +
the details in Epilogue: Fine Details (p. XX). More restricted Technology roll (Difficulty 6). Anyone attempting to do so
information from the Epilogue may require an Intelligence is shocked for 3 aggravated damage. Each extra success on
+ Computer (Difficulty 7) roll. the roll reduces this damage by 1, minimum 0.
Technician: Any interrogators who lost their mental Brute Force: Climbing up the elevator shaft is relatively
battle with the pack in VR are still unconscious. The pack easy for wolves with at least 3 Strength, but it takes one
can wake them with an Intelligence + Medicine (Difficulty minute. Tearing open the elevator car requires Strength 6,
5) roll. They can provide information similar to the comput- opening the inner elevator door requires Strength 5, and
ers, as well as confirming that they were attempting to get forcing the outer hoistway door open requires Strength 9.
the wolves to reveal safehouses and locations of important Explosives: Demolitions-minded Garou can create a
Garou. They also have a keycard that will let them exit to bomb and set it inside the elevator to blow the armored
the elevator. hoistway door out. Storage has more than enough charges
Surveillance Monitors: Baker Site’s Aboveground is to accomplish this, although handling the explosives safely
buzzing with activity. Anyone checking the monitors sees requires an Intelligence + Technology (Difficulty 6) roll.
the staff torn between hunkering down in their trailers and Failing this roll means that the wolf fails to notice a flaw
arguing with security guards about possible evacuation. The that may prevent the bomb from going off or cause it to
detonate at an unknown time in the next minute. Botching
20 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
the roll detonates the bomb immediately, dealing 5 aggra- Pad 2 at the far side of the compound, roughly 1,500 feet
vated damage. from the lab’s elevator. Pad 1 is only 50 feet from the elevator
If the pack blows the door, the explosion kills half of and is currently empty. If reinforcements arrive, they land
the guards in Aboveground. at Pad 1. Each helipad also has a small fuel depot adjacent
Physics: Creative wolves and those with high Enigmas to it (see Fuel Depots).
or Science Abilities may invent alternate solutions, such as Trailers: There are 60 small trailers within the facility’s
attaching heavy cables to the hoistway door and then cutting fences. None of them are particularly interesting, although
the elevator’s brakes, using the elevator’s tons of force to they’ll each have personal belongings for the site’s per-
rip the doors off. sonnel, allowing wolves to identify NDL researchers and
impersonate them at a later date, threaten their family, or

Ground Floor
other long-term plans.
Carver’s Trailer: Although the director’s trailer is
alarmed and locked, disabling or destroying the security
The characters finally have their foes on the back foot,
measures isn’t particularly challenging. A Wits + Subter-
giving them the chance for bloody vengeance.
fuge (Difficulty 7) roll accomplishes the former, while any
Room 10: Aboveground significant amount of violence accomplishes the latter. If
Carver hasn’t already removed it, his trailer has his laptop
Out of the subterranean portion of the facility, the and attaché case with encrypted hard drives.
wolves have the opportunity escape, kill Carver, and more. Mess Hall and Bathrooms: Neither of these structures
Environment are notable unless the wolves need food or a shower. All
food is raw, toasted, or cooked with an industrial sous vide
The exterior of the site is nearly 10 acres. It includes
machine.
trailers where the site’s personnel live, as well as a mess
Motor Pool: There are a dozen ATVs, several off-road
hall, bathrooms, a small motor pool, and two helipads. The
trucks, and a van. None are armed or armored, but they do
entire facility is surrounded by a chain-link fence that has
have full tanks of fuel and GPS navigational systems.
earth-colored plastic slats woven through it, making the site
virtually disappear when viewed from the outside. Occupants
Helipads: There are two concrete helipads in opposite At the beginning of the scenario, there were 36 re-
corners of the compound. Carver’s helicopter is parked at searchers, 24 guards, and Kent Carver. Assuming the pack
THE GLASS CAGE 21
 FUEL DEPOTS
Although Baker Site has been established for years, it doesn’t have a permanent fueling station. Instead, each
of the two depots has a pair of 1,000-liter fuel bladders that resemble five-foot-tall rubber barrels. The bladders are
durable by human standards, but not designed to resist gunfire or Garou claws. By default, each of the helipads
has one fuel bladder, although you may choose to include more.
Dealing one level of lethal damage to bladder causes it to gush fuel, creating fuel trails that can be ignited.
Any aggravated damage will rupture the bladder, emptying its contents in a few turns. The bladders contain JP-8
jet fuel, which is not generally explosive. Nevertheless, feel free to bend the rules of physics and make it explode if
it improves the scene. Anyone adjacent to burning JP-8 suffers 2 aggravated damage per turn. Combatants covered
in it or standing in it suffer 3 aggravated damage per turn. The Difficulty to soak this damage is 7. If a bladder
explodes, those within the 30-yard radius center suffer 10 aggravated damage. This damage is reduced by one
level for each yard of distance from the center of the explosion. Explosive damage can only be soaked with armor.
Wolves learn the basics of these hazards with an Intelligence + Science (Difficulty 5) roll.
The bladders weigh about 2,000 lbs., requiring an 11 Strength + Athletics dice pool to lift and 13 to throw
significant distances. You may wish to remind your players that they can take a Feat of Strength action to tem-
porarily increase their Strength (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 270).

eschewed stealth, only 10 guards are still alive by the time characters. If the wolves brutally dispatch their foes, he might
the Garou get to the surface. escape with them and keep tabs on them as long as he can.
At a dramatically appropriate time, a helicopter from Silverwhisker: He’s uninterested in combat, especially
NDL’s Wagga Wagga office arrives with a Free-X strike team, if it’s a fair fight. If pressed, he’s willing to skulk through
led by King. You can decrease the Difficulty by reducing the the shadows and stab foes in the back. Convincing him to
number of guards, and you can increase the Difficulty by actually take part in the fight requires winning a Manipula-
adding a second strike team. tion + Leadership roll, resisted by his Willpower (7). If they
fail, he’ll pretend to go along with whatever plan they come
Events up with, but will take the first available chance to escape,
With the angst of having broken out of several cages, the which might cause him to steal a helicopter.
pack’s probably looking for blood, and they’ll find plenty of Sean: The wounded elder will not fight Jasmine, even if
it here. They can chase Carver down before he has a chance it costs him his own life. In fact, he’ll protect her against any
to escape, battle a Free-X strike team to buy time to fully mortal perils he perceives. The wolves can persuade him that
investigate the site, or even just get out. they merely want to incapacitate her with a Manipulation +
Carver: Having taunted the pack several times, the di- Empathy roll, resisted by his Willpower (6).
rector knows he’s in danger and will flee via the helicopter. Chell: Ready to unleash her rage, the characters will
If he has to, he’ll abandon his staff and fly the helicopter have to work to keep her from losing control. Of course, if
away on his own. He can fight well enough to deal with a they don’t mind her frenzying, they can simply leave her to
single Garou but has no illusions about his chances against exact her violent revenge.
a whole pack.
Jasmine: She wants to maintain her undercover status Special Feature: The Helicopters
(if she hasn’t already been discovered), but values Carver’s Each of the two helicopters (Carver’s at Helipad 2 and
life above her cover (and her life). If the pack corners him, the one with King’s Free-X strike team) are UH-60 Black-
she’ll attack to buy her boss time to escape. hawks. All passengers and crew receive cover bonuses and
Hector: A schemer, Hector knows his cover won’t stand penalties as though they were behind a wall (Werewolf: The
scrutiny outside of this area but wants to keep his options Apocalypse, p. 295). If burning fuel impacts the helicopter,
open in the meantime. If Carver or Jasmine are in danger, everyone inside is at risk of getting splashed. The helicopters
and he thinks there’s a chance of victory, he’ll turn on the themselves have 10 health levels and 8 soak dice. They do

22 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
not take bashing damage. On any turn the helicopter takes
damage, the pilot must roll their Pilot pool (10) against the New Allies and Foes
number of health levels taken or begin losing altitude. The Freeing their fellow captives can create complications
pilot suffers a –1 penalty to their Pilot rolls for each health and benefits for the characters later on, depending on how
level their helicopter has lost. they part ways.
Anyone trying to fight inside a helicopter in flight must • Carver: If he managed to avoid death through sheer
generate at least one success on a Dexterity + Athletics (Dif- luck, the next time the pack sees him, he’ll have new cyber-
ficulty 7) roll each turn or suffer a –3 penalty to their attack netic modifications.
and defense rolls for that turn. Combatants who botch this • Chell: After getting her freedom, she’ll be appreciative
roll cannot act and risk falling out of the sky if they fail the of the characters, even if she doesn’t fully trust them. She
next round’s roll. Grappling, throwing, tackling, or body will, however, fully trust anyone who deals a fatal blow to
slamming someone may also force a target from the vehicle. Carver, Jasmine, Hector, or King. If the pack ever need a
Carver’s Helicopter: Once the pack makes their way to friend in Macau, Chell’s willing to help.
the surface, Carver tells his pilot to lift off ASAP. It takes her • Hector: If his cover’s intact, he insists that the char-
10 turns to get the engines up to speed. Unless prevented acters keep in touch and maybe put him in touch with an
from doing so, Carver’s pilot attempts to climb and fly away important elder who can help him with his Bane. If they do,
from the site, moving 10 feet in both directions for every Neuro-Dynamic may capture the elder. If you wish to twist
success on her Drive roll (8 dice). the knife, Hector might lead the assault team. If you don’t
King’s Helicopter: There are as many Free-X agents in want to reveal Hector’s betrayal, he might inform the group
the chopper as there are characters, not counting King and of the attack after the fact, offering to help them investigate
his pilot. The pilot orbits the facility on the first two turns, what happened, while steering them towards danger.
allowing the passengers to open fire on the characters. These • Jasmine: If Jasmine’s cover somehow survived the
attacks are made at a +2 Difficulty because of the helicopter’s scenario, she attempts to part ways as soon as she can,
speed and cover. On the third turn, the guards and King leap claiming that her uncle needs help or that she needs to
down to the nearest rooftop to the wolves. On the fourth, bury her family. She knows that her cover will not withstand
the pilot lands on Pad 1. Attempting to hit the helicopter scrutiny by anyone with skill in reading spirits and will do
while in motion suffers a +1 Difficulty. anything she can to avoid that. She’s more than happy to
correspond with the characters via phone or messages, luring

Epilogue
the characters into another NDL trap.
• King: If the wolves escaped before King arrived (or
As the Garou leave NDL’s lab, they’re left with more simply left him in the dust), he might hound their efforts
questions than answers. Most pressing on that list is “What to escape Australia. He knows the area better than they do
now?” Whether they stole a helicopter or a truck, they’re still and has massive resources at his disposal. If they left him
left in rural New South Wales, Australia. Wagga Wagga isn’t for dead, his desire for revenge becomes near limitless, and
a large city, but it’s only an hour away. Of course, any Garou he’ll pursue the group around the world.
not from southeastern Australia is likely much, much further • Sean: If Jasmine is still alive, he will get recaptured
from home. Getting home can be its own ordeal, especially within a month, although he may be useful to the charac-
since none of the former captives have their passports or ters in the meantime. If Jasmine died, he’s heartbroken.
driver’s licenses. They’re left with five basic options: Regardless, a group of Fianna eventually catch up to the
• Remain in southeast Australia. pack to learn what happened to him.
• Seek clemency and aid from a local Garou sept. • Silverwhisker: If the characters gave him the ben-
efit of the doubt in Security, he’s appreciative and offers
• Steal or forge money and documents.
assistance to the group in the future. If they beat him or
• Stowaway on vessels. allowed the others to rough him up, he leaves the characters
• Travel the Umbra to return home. as soon as he can.
Aftershocks Fine Details
This scenario has lasting consequences that can impact Several of the scenes in Glass Cage set up dangers and
the pack in ways not immediately apparent. The following problems that may not be known to the players for several
list contains the biggest moments that may have future re- sessions.
percussions for the Garou. Be sure to look over your notes VR Interrogation Consequences: If any of the characters
from the scenario to see which are relevant to your game. revealed safehouses or the last known whereabouts of their

THE GLASS CAGE 23

allies, NDL has that information now. The pack might have Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 2 (4), Brawl 3, Empathy 2,
to race home to warn their friends or else discover that their Primal-Urge 2, Subterfuge 3; Etiquette 2, Performance
friends have been killed, abducted, or forced into hiding. 3; Academics 2, Computer 2
Fallen Wolves: If any of the pack’s cellmates (except for Powers: Immunity to the Delirium, Masked Aura*, Regen-
Hector and Jasmine) died, the wolves may have to answer eration, Shapeshifting
some awkward questions, especially if Sean died; a group of Rank: 1
Ragabash were already narrowing down what part of Australia Rage: 4 Willpower: 6
he’d been abducted to and will catch the pack’s scent soon. Shapeshift: Jasmine can shift between Homid and Crinos
Security Data: If the Garou took time to raid the site’s forms.
network for data, they find plenty of information, although Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated
it might take them days to decrypt it or figure out what it
Masked Aura*: Thanks to her muddled background and
means. Here are some leads they may gain:
Baker Site’s Gauntlet strengthening, any attempt to
• Amazon Outposts: The logs of outlook posts suggest examine her spirit identifies her as a werewolf infected
Neuro-Dynamic experiments in rural Brazil (see The Apoca- by a Bane.
lyptic Record, Chapter Four.) While there are few details in
the files the characters stole, it certainly looks like the outposts
are designed to keep creatures from getting out, suggesting
Sean O’Malley
potential allies or something too dangerous to be left alone. Attributes: Strength 4 (6/8/7/5), Dexterity 2 (4/3/4/4),
Stamina 5 (7/8/8/7); Charisma 3, Manipulation 4
• Corporate Raider: Payment records and false docu-
(2/1/1/1), Appearance 4 (3/0/4/4); Perception 4,
mentation outlines the existence of a Yeren in Melbourne.
Intelligence 3, Wits 4
Her personnel file indicates that she’s in the middle of a
hostile takeover of Green Seas, an environmental firm looking Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Intimidation 3,
into unusual ecological activity in southeastern Australia as Primal-Urge 3, Subterfuge 1; Larceny 2, Melee 2, Stealth
well as the acidification of the Great Barrier Reef. 3, Survival 3; Medicine 2, Rituals 2
Gifts: Apecraft’s Blessings, Hare’s Leap, Infectious Laughter,

Appendix: Cellmates
Jam Technology
Rank: 2
Rage: 4
This appendix includes all of the pack’s cellmates,
including Hector and Jasmine. Gnosis: 3
Willpower: 7
Silverwhisker Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated
Attributes: Strength 1 (2/0), Dexterity 4 (8/6), Stamina 1 Shapeshift: As a werewolf, Sean can shift between all Garou
(3/3); Charisma 1 (–1/1), Manipulation 3, Appearance forms.
2 (1/2); Perception 4 (5/7), Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 4, Empathy 3, Primal-Urge 3, Subterfuge
Hector Gonzales
3; Firearms 2, Larceny 4, Stealth 5, Survival 2; Investi- Attributes: Strength 4 (6/3), Dexterity 4 (5/6), Stamina 4
gation 3, Medicine 3 (5/4); Charisma 2, Manipulation 3 (2/2), Appearance
Gifts: Blur of the Milky Eye, Cooking, Scent of Running 1 (2/2); Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
Water, Trash is Treasure Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 4 (6), Brawl 3, Primal-Urge
Rank: 1 3, Subterfuge 3; Stealth 3, Survival 4; Computer 2
Rage: 5 Powers: Immunity to the Delirium, Masked Aura*, Regen-
Gnosis: 5 eration, Shapeshifting
Willpower: 5 Rank: 1
Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated Rage: 5 Willpower: 6
Shapeshift: Silverwhisker can shift into Homid, Crinos, Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated
and Rodens forms. Shapeshift: Hector can transform between Glabro, Crinos,
and Lupus forms. His base form is Glabro.
Jasmine O’Malley Masked Aura*: To anyone examining his spirit, Hector
appears to be a normal Lupus breed Garou infected
Attributes: Strength 3 (6), Dexterity 3 (5), Stamina 4 (6);
by a Bane.
Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3 (0); Percep-
tion 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
24 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Chell Chan King
Attributes: Strength 4 (6/8/7/5), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4), Attributes: Strength 4 (7), Dexterity 2 (4), Stamina 5 (7);
Stamina 5 (7/6/7/7); Charisma 3, Manipulation 4 Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 4 (1); Percep-
(2/1/1/1), Appearance 4 (3/0/4/4); Perception 4, tion 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
Intelligence 3, Wits 4 Abilities: Alertness 4, Athletics 4 (6), Brawl 4, Intimidation
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 4, Empathy 3, 5, Leadership 4, Primal-Urge 3, Subterfuge 3; Etiquette
Leadership 3, Primal-Urge 3, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 3, Stealth 3, Survival 3; Science 2, Technology 3
3; Etiquette 3, Larceny 2, Melee 2, Stealth 3; Computer Gifts: Acid Talons, Dressing Down, Fistful of Filth, Immu-
2, Medicine 2, Rituals 1 nity to the Delirium, Regeneration, Shapeshifting, Shit
Gifts: City Running, Fangs of Judgment, Fatal Flaw, Persua- Rolls Downhill
sion, Whisper Catching Rank: 3
Rank: 1 Rage: 5
Rage: 3 Gnosis: 4
Gnosis: 1 Willpower: 7
Willpower: 4 Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated
Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated Shapeshift: Like all Yeren, King can only transform between
Shapeshift: As a werewolf, Chell can shift between all Homid and Crinos forms. The figures in parentheses
Garou forms. are for his Crinos form.

Kent Carver
Appendix: Staff Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2; Charisma
4, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3; Perception 3, Intel-
This appendix features the facility’s foes. Guards have 6
dice in their combat pool and 6 health levels. Any technicians ligence 3, Wits 2
in combat have 4 dice in combat pools and 4 health levels. Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 4, Brawl 3, Leadership 3,
King’s Free-X strike force is composed of two “classic” Gore- Subterfuge 2; Firearms 2, Survival 2; Academics 2,
hounds and four “Take Two” ones (Book of the Wyrm, p. Computer 1, Law 2, Science 2, Technology 3
133). Any Banes or fomori released can be drawn from the Powers: Armored Skin, Claws and Fangs, Deception, Im-
pages of Werewolf: The Apocalypse or Book of the Wyrm. munity to Delirium, Infectious Touch, Regeneration
Willpower: 7
Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated

THE GLASS CAGE 25

 Those Things’ll
Kill You
“Have you seen Circinus’s new ad copy? Those malicious bastards are trying to make smoking cool again.”
“What? Oh, hey, do you got a light?”
— An exchange between George Arctic-Shock and Misery-Loves-Company of the Snake Tracker Pack

Werewolves of the Garou Nation like to claim that all none of the characters or metaplot events in this tale must
werewolves are Gaia’s chosen, and that in the face of the take place in Virginia. Likewise, the totem of Turtle is a
great enemy — the Wyrm and its many heads — they possess key figure in this story, and due to its links to the sacrificed
solidarity of purpose. Croatan tribe of the Americas, it likewise makes sense to
History has shown the Garou time and again to be hyp- place this tale in the USA.
ocritical in their espoused unity. Tribes have fallen, totems However, Circinus is a global company owned by Pentex,
have fled into the Deep Umbra never to return, and any like Marlboro, Dji Sam Soe, and L&M are global brands
werewolf bold or foolish enough to break away from the owned by Philip Morris, and like Dunhill, Pall Mall, Roth-
will of the sept is likely to find themselves without friends mans, and Lucky Strike are global brands owned by British
or allies when they need them the most. American Tobacco. Plus, Turtle is a powerful spirit entity
This chronicle is all about how the Garou enable these with no fixed geographic location. In short, this chronicle
tragedies, and how some fight against this endless cycle of can conceivably take place anywhere the Storyteller chooses.
purity politics, betrayal, and abandonment. To some, the Don’t let guidelines restrict your imagination.
ideals the Garou Nation upholds are more than mere lyrics
or runes: they’re truth, and a truth that needs maintaining. Who are Circinus Brands?
In Those Things’ll Kill You, the players find a chance to Circinus Brands are a Pentex subsidiary based in Virgin-
show that there’s more to Garou society than singing the ia and Kentucky, owning huge tobacco fields in both, and
words, as they have every chance to succeed or fail at saving entering the cannabis trade in Virginia (where cannabis is
their abandoned brethren, reviving a lost totem, and scoring legal, unlike in Kentucky). Circinus has long flouted the
a great victory for the lost and disenfranchised. rules when it comes to advertising their products in the
United States, finding loopholes through digital media such

Setting as podcasts, via product placement in TV shows, movies,

and especially in video games (through partnership with
Tellus, another Pentex subsidiary), and especially on social
The events of this chronicle take place near Richmond,
Virginia, though it could be placed in any American region media in the form of TikTok influencers, and YouTube
or state with a heavy tobacco-growing presence. Circinus and Facebook ads.
Brands — one of Pentex’s many subsidiaries — is an antagonist Circinus are unable to advertise on billboards, in TV
faction in this story, so it makes sense to place the events in commercials, or in magazines, but in states like Virginia,
a location where tobacco growing is commonplace. However, where Circinus is a key recruiter for school-leaver age teens,

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 27

and where Circinus tobacco is “in the state’s blood,” as Circi- If we kill all our customers quickly, we won’t make a profit.
nus like to say, it seems everyone knows at least one Circinus Serving our god doesn’t just mean murdering people. We’re far more
ad word for word. They’re an anomaly in their industry for effective as a fuel for antisocial behavior, crippling debt (via addic-
their comparative profitability and perception as a marketing tion-driven purchases and the inevitable medical bills), and abuse.
powerhouse, to the extent the viewpoint of Circinus as “cool” Fink’s questioning of his Pentex masters’ directives
overshadows the reality that Circinus products kill. Their get- resulted in Newberry forcing Fink into retirement (his
ting into the legal cannabis market early cemented their pole yacht sank before it reached Barbados), installing a raft of
position with American pot smokers and, to a lesser extent, “supervisors” at all levels of Circinus with the promise to
young and left-leaning smokers, who prefer the brand’s image Fink’s successor — his daughter, Miriam Fink-Chandleton
over something old and stuffy like Marlboro or Newport. — that they won’t interfere with the company’s day-to-day
Circinus is a constant presence in and near Richmond. operations if she does as she’s told. Through research, player
They’re a well-known employer, an economic hub, and characters can find out about Oskar Fink, his removal from
a part of the cultural fabric. In recent years, Garou have power and subsequent disappearance, and can even read
attempted to burn through tobacco crops, murder critical news articles about the change in management at Circinus
employees (and not always the ones with Bane infestations), (“new managers appointed at every level!”), but as ever,
and even work in the Umbra to banish malign spirits grow- Pentex keep their name out of the papers.
ing cancerously under Circinus plants and fields. None of Circinus supervisors are now responsible for cultivating
it has caused more than a peripheral scratch, because when Banes in the tobacco fields, the processing plants, and even
Circinus is harmed, the people of Virginia rally around it the rising star of Green Indica (“Roll your own or smoke
and take their complimentary packs of cigarettes (or vape joints right from the tin!”). Newberry actually agreed with
or cannabis products, nowadays) as a thank you. Fink’s summation that discretion was the better course in
For much of its 90-year history, Circinus has had a Circinus’s case. He arranged for the supervisors (every one
strained relationship with their distant Pentex overlords. of them a Bane host, and some relatively stable fomori) to
They have a desire to spread addictive substances, turn a nurture Banes less focused on death and destruction and
blind eye to the medical conditions their products cause, more focused on twisting the emotions of users unable to
and watch their stock price go up while doing their best to satisfy their addiction, while at the same time developing
dodge tax penalties on their industry and fend off litigious around them an aura of unnatural charisma and appeal. In
cancer victims. In these regards, they’re no different than other words, Circinus smokers look cool and attractive, and
any other element of Big Tobacco. Where Circinus bucked it’s only when they’re without a Circinus cigarette, joint,
against Pentex’s directives is in the instructions to make gum, or vape pen that they start lashing out.
their products more addictive and toxic than those of their The added sting in the modern Circinus is that their
competitors, and market them predominantly to the impres- products are considerably less carcinogenic than tobacco from
sionable and vulnerable. Circinus executives held many a their competitors. In fact, they render cancer dormant. This
heated argument with their Pentex liaisons due to Dr. Oskar has yet to be discovered and proven medically (the supervisors
Fink (the previous Circinus CEO) believing that chemically only got involved last year), but already, smokers of Circinus
altering their products to the extent Pentex desired would products with cancer have found their symptoms alleviated.
be a sure way of getting sued into oblivion, and attaching The reason is a simple, yet awful one: The Banes in new
Banes to every pack of smokes would put a bullseye the size Circinus products shrink the cancer and fill the cavity left
of the Labyrinth on his company. Last year, Fink wrote a behind, strengthening their hosts’ bodies before absorbing
memo to Pentex Director Adrian Newberry that amounted control and transforming their victims into fomori. Should
to the following: such a smoker be purged of their Banes, the cancer would
The tobacco industry is under too much scrutiny to get away rapidly return.
with putting more poison in our products. The FDA will shut us Circinus’ latest range of products are Green Indica, Hy-
down if we noticeably alter our products’ makeup. brid Yellow, Black Sativa, and Baked Brown — each cannabis
If we’re discovered to be marketing a chemically addictive products of varying strength and harshness, with Baked
cannabis, our customer base will revolt. At least the ones who aren’t Brown confined to edibles while the others are smoked.
utterly hooked or toasted will. Better to temper our other, less pleas- Each has been wildly popular with the increasing decrimi-
ant products, with something seen as a harmless party substance. nalization of weed smoking, and Circinus currently weighs
We’re doing fine with our brand of toxicity, and cancer cases up the benefits of kid-friendly pastel blue and bubblegum
keep going up, so why risk ruining a good thing? While spirits used pink for the next release wave.
to enhance this toxicity might be undetectable to doctors, our wolf The Storyteller (but not the players) should be aware
friends will sniff them out. that Hybrid Yellow offers some smokers a distorted glimpse

28 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 SMOKE CIRCINUS
You’ve climbed Everest. You’re at the pinnacle of human physical achievement. You can see the world
stretching out before you in all directions. What are those feelings you’re experiencing?
Euphoria? Pride?
What’s the only thing that could make this feeling better, make you feel cooler, put an edge to those emo-
tions you’re experiencing?
The only answer can be a Circinus cigarette.

into the Umbra due to the infestation of seed Banes present large boars with near-skinless heads rank low on the threat
within it as a product. This is an unintended side effect that scale. Such an assumption is an error: between the grievous
appears in this chronicle. blow dealt to Virginia’s Black Spiral Dancers and Circinus’s

What is Turtle?
overtures, Skull Pigs are prepared to fill the void.
At the Skull Pigs’ head in this chronicle is a massive
Of the many totems, especially those closely linked hog named Semyonov, styled as “King Semyonov” among
to a tribe, few are mourned or revered nearly so much as the few Skull Pigs who can speak in more than grunts and
Turtle. A totem of earth and water, defense and sacrifice, screeches. Unusually, Semyonov can transform, and as the
Turtle was said to carry Gaia on his back and be capable player characters discover in this chronicle, he can even access
of enduring more hardship than any of his peers. At the the Umbra. Player character research during the story reveals
same time, Turtle was so emotionally bonded to his favored that many werewolves have heard of King Semyonov and
tribe — the Croatan — that when these Garou sacrificed his ability to herd Skull Pigs into a sounder (their collective
themselves to banish Eater-of-Souls in 1589, Turtle sank into noun), but none have ever knowingly encountered the villain.
an impossibly deep slumber. Despite attempts from many
a brave and intrepid pack, Turtle has never been awoken
from his resting place in the Deep Umbra.
Of note to the Storyteller (but not the players), some-
Background
In this tale, multiple stories run parallel until they inter-
thing claiming to be Turtle plays a part in this chronicle. sect, drawing the players’ pack into each plot and forcing them
The Storyteller should make the decision as to whether the to deal with past Garou tragedies and current Wyrm-serving
Turtle making his presence known is the real deal or an threats. Before the chronicle begins, the following events
impostor of dangerous potency, such as an Urge Wyrm or occur, with notes in italics to be kept from the players until
truly powerful Bane of deception. revealed in the chronicle:

What are Skull Pigs? The packs of Richmond and the surrounding region
form the Sept of Memories and diligently guard their terri-
Since the Black Spiral Dancers at the Cracked Spine tory from Wyrm influences. The most prominent threats
hive were driven out or killed in recent months, Skull Pigs are the recently destroyed Black Spiral Dancer hive known
have appeared as the most overt Wyrm servant in Virginia. as the Cracked Spine, frequent skirmishes with Skull Pigs,
Skull Pigs are Wyrm-mutated descendants of one of Gaia’s and four large companies: Circinus (their tobacco fields are
Fera — the wereboars known as the Grondr — and while the expansive in Virginia), Endron (logging, coal, and water,
Grondr are an ancient memory, the Skull Pigs persist. They in this part of the country), Magadon (an array of animal
lack the ability to transform (typically) but can gain great testing and pharmaceutical production), and Young and
intelligence and ability for Gifts through consuming toxic Smith (mass production of everything from candied snacks
waste and the bodies of others. to personal hygiene products that often cause more harm
Garou have always viewed Skull Pigs as shock troops, than good). Characters played in this story should have had
scavengers, and little else. When compared to Black Spiral run-ins with at least one of these groups before and should
Dancers, Pentex, and some of the more calculating fomori, have taken part in the flushing out and destruction of the

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 29

Cracked Spine hive — a cause for jubilation among East Coast states where cannabis use has been legalized. Young
Coast werewolves. werewolves and Kinfolk are as prone to lighting up as anyone
Circinus is one of the core antagonists in this chronicle and else, with Circinus just another shelf brand. The Spades and
the Skull Pigs are another, while the rest exist mainly for flavor. Clubs pack in Richmond are known for their recreational
Storytellers are encouraged to elevate or diminish any of the others use of drugs, and since the Cracked Spine battle they’ve
in prominence, as they see fit. been turning up to moots half or even fully baked. So far,
Despite recent victories and constant battles, the Sept the elders have allowed this so they can “work through the
of Memories has a reason for shame. A Shame of Ronin, glory and horror of war.”
to be precise. Some Virginian Garou failed to answer the Most Garou are unaware of Circinus’s conscious ties to the
call to eliminate the Cracked Spine hive. Once the war was Wyrm. One could argue most of Big Tobacco is unconsciously tied
fought and the survivors stumbled back to their caerns, the to the Wyrm through their destructive self-interest and disregard
few remaining sept elders cast out the Garou who failed for lives. In the case of the Spades and Clubs pack, they don’t buy
to stand alongside their brethren. These Ronin — five in Circinus’s products directly (there are enough rumors about the
total, named Desiree Jefferson, Geoff Maublanc, Emily company to give them pause), but their dealer does, supplying the
Opened-Cell, Singing Lark, and Burned-to-the-Bone (they werewolves with cannabis along with whatever other drugs they
had deed names stripped from them, though Singing Lark want to purchase. They don’t buy pot over the counter because they
and Burned-to-the-Bone were named such as lupus pups) — believe it costs too much, whereas their dealer — a Kinfolk named
now exist on the fringes of Richmond, forced together due Snowball — has a supplier inside Circinus who has been stealing
to their collective shame. Each provided a different reason from the company stores, allowing him to cut costs.
for not joining the battle, but no reasons were good enough Word is out that Emily Opened-Cell has been experi-
for the sept elders. encing visions, which isn’t uncommon for a Theurge like
Two of these werewolves did indeed give in to fear and chose her. What is uncommon is her claim that Turtle visited her,
self-preservation over sacrifice. Jefferson and Burned-to-the-Bone and that the totem calls to her. These claims have caused
were afraid of the Black Spiral Dancers’ might. Weaver spirits the Sept of Memories to decry her even more vehemently.
meddled with Maublanc’s phone and home computer, however, Opened-Cell has indeed been experiencing visions and visi-
meaning he never received the call to battle. Opened-Cell and tations, though whether it’s Awoken Turtle, one of his proxies, or
Singing Lark were ambushed by Skull Pigs en route to joining the another entity masquerading as the totem is up to the Storyteller.
battle, and barely fended them off. The sept elders recognized none Skull Pigs have been spotted in and around Richmond
of these reasons as valid. with increasing frequency in the last week. Every pack in
Something was found to have gored and killed Singing the Sept of Memories is responsible for reporting sightings
Lark a few weeks ago, murdering his kin — a family of wild of and eliminating these demented Grondr.
wolves in Whiteoak Canyon — alongside him. The sept el- The Skull Pigs are setting up to ambush and murder one of
ders refused requests to celebrate or mourn Singing Lark’s the sept elders, Enrico “Pallazzo” Caltante. They plan to plant
life for what they deemed his “betrayal” during the assault evidence taken from Emily Opened-Cell during their attack on her,
on Cracked Spine. Singing Lark’s reason for not attending hoping to divide the Sept of Memories even further.
the Cracked Spine battle was that he was separated from his During play, the characters may seek counsel or perform
pack in a Skull Pig ambush, but the rest of his pack found research on subjects such as Cracked Spine, the Skull Pigs,
no evidence of this attack and declared their Galliard a the Croatan, or Circinus. The Storyteller shouldn’t keep
coward. Some believe the Skull Pigs returned to finish off general information from the players, with strong successes
the job and were on this occasion successful. (or innovative ways of obtaining this information) earning
The death of Singing Lark and his family is truly a tragedy, them access to deeper lore, such as Skull Pig abilities or
but the hard-headed Philodox of his former pack refuses to believe Circinus’s recent leadership change (though subjects like
the elders could have cast him from the sept in error. In truth, the supervisors should be kept secret for now).
the sounder of Skull Pigs (they don’t have a formal name, though
local Ragabashes call them “the Virginia Hams”) were directed by The Big Secret
Circinus CEO Miriam Fink-Chandleton to separate Garou from The players will discover the big secret in play, and
their packs ahead of the battle with the Black Spiral Dancers, absolutely shouldn’t be made aware of it ahead of the game.
suspecting that doing so would lead to later accusations of betrayal Miriam Fink-Chandleton (Circinus CEO) has been
and the sept fracturing. personally meeting with the largest Skull Pigs to direct
Circinus Brands recently launched their cannabis range: their assassination attempts, first against some of the were-
Green Indica, Hybrid Yellow, Black Sativa, and Baked Brown, wolves who became Ronin, now against a sept elder, and
with sales rolling out starting in Virginia and other East later against one of the player characters. The mantle she

30 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
inherited from her father came with her company’s loyalty newly inherited company. She’s long been infested with
to the Wyrm (though she has no name for it), but like her Banes of paranoia and suspicion. This means through
father, she has no desire to see Circinus destroyed through investigation and interrogation, the Garou could discover
the supervisors’ addition of Banes to products, advertising, she’s been giving the Skull Pigs orders.
crops, workers, and customers. She prefers the Sun God’s • The supervisors don’t know about Fink-Chandle-
slow burn, which she feels Circinus has practiced perfectly ton’s actions, and their actions if/when they discover
well through 90 years of addiction and cancer. them are unpredictable. While some Pentex underlings
Fink-Chandleton knows she can’t question the supervi- are bureaucratic and painfully by the book, others are
sors. As they don’t seem to care about werewolf attention, barely controlled fomori, and the supervisors fall into both
she feels it’s her responsibility to distract and weaken the camps. They could applaud her initiative or eliminate her
Garou presence in Virginia. The best way she knows is for interfering with Pentex’s Circinus plans.
through deception, betrayal, and infighting. Skull Pigs and Secondary to this is an unexpected twist that might
werewolves are wild animals, after all, so they can’t be that draw the Garou to Circinus for apparently unrelated
hard to manipulate. Therefore, she enlisted Skull Pigs to reasons:
disrupt the werewolf sept, suspecting the wolves will fight • Hybrid Yellow is the supervisors’ largest dump of
each other, and if they eventually target the Skull Pigs they’ll seed Banes, to the extent they don’t fully know the effects
spend so long trying to catch loose hogs that their attentions it might have on a habitual user. At the start of this story,
won’t be focused on Circinus. one smoker of Hybrid Yellow glimpses the Umbra, and
The major flaws in Fink-Chandleton’s plans are as his actions rapidly become homicidal as the Delirium
follows, and appear during play: takes root. The player characters are brought into this
• She’s been meeting with Skull Pigs personally scene as it unfolds.
because she doesn’t trust anyone else well enough in her

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 31

The Characters
• They swore an oath of pacifism and believed killing
an entire hive of Black Spiral Dancers would only serve the
Wyrm’s destructive ends.
This chronicle is appropriate for characters of any
power level or Rank (less than the sept elders is preferable),
though as always, a balanced pack containing werewolves
Cast
of each Auspice is most workable. Characters from across A run-down of the characters in Those Things’ll Kill
the assortment of Fera can be played in this story without You, some of whom are influential, others are incidental.
issue. The sept’s prejudices are against any shapeshifters Where characters are Ronin, their former tribe is named.
who failed to join in on the attack on Cracked Spine the The Ronin
month prior, rather than against Gurahl or Corax. Players
Burned-to-the-Bone (Red Talon Lupus Theurge): To her
and Storytellers who want to play up the historic issues
great shame, the elder known as Burned-to-the-Bone gave into
between the various Changing Breeds should be careful
fear ahead of the assault on the Cracked Spine hive. Perhaps
to handle such conflicts with sensitivity and gauge their
it was her age and the amount of bloodshed she’d witnessed
appropriateness, as this chronicle doesn’t account for such
in her life, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer the call.
feuds in the story as written.
The Stained Leaves pack (of which the destroyed Singing
Characters in this tale are best off as permanent fixtures Lark was also a member) cast her out for her cowardice, and
in the Virginia sept, though if this is an issue, it’s easy to say now she lives a silent existence on the outskirts of Richmond.
their pack arrived last month and participated in the battle
Desiree Jefferson (Silver Fang Homid Ragabash): Jef-
and will soon move on. This take does lessen any potential
ferson is only a pup compared to most of the Garou in the
links with characters in the territory, however. Another option
Sept of Memories, but this didn’t prevent the elders from
is to relocate this chronicle to a territory the players already
casting her out. She was certain of her demise if she charged
know. With a few tweaks, it’s easy to change Circinus to
into battle and still believes she made the right choice,
King Breweries and Distilleries or O’Tolley’s, as the alcohol
despite all the admonishments she’s received. “Better to
and junk food industries bear many of the same hallmarks.
be a werewolf who can learn and grow than one destroyed
Pack vs. Ronin because she had no knowledge of how to fight,” she says.
No members of the Broad Rock pack have spoken with her
If the players want to take on roles as some of the Ronin since she failed to show for the fight.
in this chronicle, they’re more than welcome, though this Geoff Maublanc (Glass Walker Homid Ahroun): No
would make for a tougher game (Difficulties on Social rolls, werewolf has pleaded and begged more to be admitted to the
at least, should come at a +1 to +3 when dealing with most Sept of Memories than Geoff Maublanc. His personal tech
werewolves). If the players want to take this challenge, don’t was targeted by Pattern Spiders due to his pack’s sabotage
have them play the already-named Ronin as they appear in of a prominent Weaver operation (Shinzui Industries were
this story. Instead, establish why they’re recently Ronin with planning on setting up a major tech operation in Virginia,
one of the below reasons, given secretly to the player before but the Pure Planet pack of which Maublanc was a member
the game. They can come up with any excuse for why they prevented it from coming to pass), resulting in his taking a
were absent from Cracked Spine, but this is the true reason: vacation with his husband and missing all notifications about
• They were afraid of the upcoming battle and suc- the battle. When he returned, he was dumbstruck, having
cumbed to their fear. never realized the Weaver’s spirits could be so manipulative.
• They were ambushed by Skull Pigs on their way to Maublanc has been bullied and castigated more than any
the battle. other werewolf who missed the assault on Cracked Spine, as
• They were deep undercover investigating Endron, other Garou like to rub in his face that he was “sunbathing,
Magadon, Circinus, or Young and Smith in or near Rich- eating truffles, and getting fucked while his kin were dying.”
mond and couldn’t be reached. Tragically for Maublanc, the entirety of the Pure Planet pack
• They thought the call for battle was a ruse by servants were killed in the battle.
of the Wyrm. Emily Opened-Cell (Wendigo Homid Theurge): Like
• They were given bad advice that the battle was an Singing Lark, Emily Opened-Cell was on her way to the
orchestrated slaughter of all attending Garou and tried to Old Rag Mountain when Skull Pigs ambushed her. Unlike
convince others not to go. Singing Lark, who was attacked in the wilderness, Opened-
• They were on a pilgrimage into the Umbra when the Cell was making her way through the Penumbra when other
battle took place. Skull Pigs found her there and set a flurry of Banes loose to

32 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
slow her down. The tactic worked and Opened-Cell exited outside Richmond. Though she’s in her 60s and smokes
the Penumbra, only to then be on the receiving end of a constantly, she looks to be a well-preserved 40 years old, at
savage beating from the Skull Pigs who tracked her. She most. Fink-Chandleton is highly efficient in her new role
recounted this event to the sept, but the elders rejected her as company head but is also a victim of immense paranoia
tale, having heard enough excuses by the time Opened-Cell and insecurity. She doesn’t trust the Pentex supervisor
came to present her reasons. Since she was drummed out of team to not make her disappear as they did her father, she
the Broad Rock pack, she’s experienced numerous visions doesn’t trust the werewolves to leave her operation alone,
and visitations of a spirit she believes to be Turtle, though and she doesn’t trust the rest of her board to remain inside
she’s afraid to answer his summons. her influence. Resultantly, she’s already enacted one purge
The Storyteller can decide one of the newly Ronin of division heads and will soon enact another. She enlists
werewolves was a member of their pack before the events Virginia’s Skull Pigs as her shock troops and compensates
of this chronicle, to form a personal connection. The story them with the immense chemical run-off from her plants.
as written doesn’t account for this but requires little work King Semyonov (Skull Pig Scrofa): Once in a fat blue
to make such a twist function. moon, a Skull Pig is born with the ability to change form.
These Grondr throwbacks lack all their ancestors’ nobility,
The Sept Elders but do possess their powers. King Semyonov is one such Skull
Enrico “Pallazzo” Caltante (Glass Walker Homid Pig, born as a wild boar and capable of shifting from Scrofa
Philodox): The youngest of the sept elders, and the harshest to Homid, with all stages in between. His powers were further
with it; Caltante abides by and enforces every rite and law enhanced after he devoured the remains of several Croatan
in the Litany and brooks no break from tradition. He is on Sharp Top Mountain, granting him the ability to traverse
the sept’s Master of the Rite. Caltante has no pack of his the Umbra and take other Skull Pigs with him. This giant
own but advises the entire sept on matters requiring elder of a shapeshifter is cunning and deadly, and all Skull Pigs
judgement. He hates it when pups call him “Pallazzo” — ap- in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
parently a reference to a comedy he’s never seen. Caltante defer to him. He’s smarter than Miriam Fink-Chandleton
is ambushed by Skull Pigs early in the chronicle, and his believes and is working on forming contacts with Pentex so
survival is down to the players. one day he might oust her from her CEO role and make
Titania (Get of Fenris Lupus Ahroun): When one Circinus a Skull Pig-led operation. He’s growing tired of
pictures a hunched, snarling, Garou warlord, Titania very Fink-Chandleton’s intrigues.
much fits the archetype. She is the sept’s titled Wyrm The Supervisors (fomori and Bane-Infested Humans):
Foe. She led the charge into Cracked Spine and somehow They may look like downcast humans with glazed-over
emerged, though the scars on her body and spirit have yet expressions, wearing suits, overalls, or whatever apparel
to fully heal. She is of the belief that Ronin should be made suits their division at Circinus, but the supervisors are all
to perform great, near-suicidal deeds to earn their places in horribly twisted monsters tasked with two responsibilities:
the sept. She also believes the sept needs to spend less time poisoning Circinus’s products, workers, and crops, and en-
memorializing and instead prepare for their next battle: a suring Fink-Chandleton doesn’t get in the way of Pentex’s
fresh assault on another of the Wyrm’s minions when they objectives. Supervisors all speak in a low, uninterested tone,
least expect it. and never react with anger or fear. If threatened, their skins
Mountain Crawler (Wendigo Lupus Theurge): Distant burst and they reveal their true forms shortly before attacking
from the rest of the sept and spending most of his time in whoever’s unlucky enough to have crossed them.
the Umbra, Mountain Crawler nonetheless participated
in the scourge of Cracked Spine. He is the sept’s named Caught in the Middle
Warder. Despite his wisdom, he’s never encountered Skull Snowball (Kinfolk): Snowball’s a Richmond drug dealer
Pigs smart enough (or frankly capable enough) to act within who gets most of his product via a contact at Circinus Brands.
the Umbra, and so led the condemnation of Emily Opened- He’s also the chief supplier to the Spades and Clubs pack,
Cell when she claimed they assaulted her on the other side known for their enjoyment of intoxicants. At the start of
of the Gauntlet. this tale, Snowball supplies a customer with some stolen
Hybrid Yellow, with disastrous consequences.
The Wyrm’s Servants Lexi Sunday (Human): A farmer and packer at Circinus,
Miriam Fink-Chandleton (Bane-Infested Human): and Snowball’s supplier of chemicals and cannabis. Sunday
The CEO of Circinus owns many properties, but her home isn’t Wyrm-tainted; she’s just a thief and drug peddler.
is Virginia, and her favorite house is the mansion on the Where some Pentex subsidiaries might turn a blind eye to
edge of the first (and still active) Circinus tobacco field staff stealing product (it all makes the world worse, however

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 33

it gets out there), the supervisors are keen to facilitate their about this — at least, not yet — due to the ongoing mourn-
brand of corruption their way. If Sunday’s operation is dis- ing for those who died in the onslaught. Their remaining
covered, she’ll be eliminated. members since exiling Singing Lark and Burned-to-the-Bone
Awoken Turtle (Possible Totem): A powerful spirit are Mechanicsville Mutt (Bone Gnawer Lupus Ahroun),
Emily Opened-Cell believes is a revived Turtle has been Old Fur (Red Talon Lupus Philodox), and Howls Quietly
reaching out from beyond the Gauntlet. The possibility of (Wendigo Lupus Theurge). The Stained Leaves are a deeply
the Croatan totem communicating with her terrifies her, spiritual pack.
but she’s more scared of what the sept elders might do if
they declare her claims a heresy. Until now, Awoken Turtle Spades and Clubs Pack
has communicated only in riddles and abstract images and The Spades and Clubs are nominally members of the
sounds, so Opened-Cell isn’t sure what the spirit wants Sept of Memories, but like most werewolf biker gangs,
with her. rove between territories as the mood takes them. Despite
their frequent drug use and perceived unreliability, they

The Sept held themselves in good stead in the recent battle with the
Black Spiral Dancers, though they lost two of their own to

of Memories the fighting. Their remaining members are Big Geri (Get
of Fenris Homid Ahroun), Little Geri (Fianna Homid
Theurge), and Whistler (Wendigo Metis Galliard).
The Sept of Memories formed in Virginia in the 18th
century to protect Dancing Caern on the James River.
The reasons for the sept’s naming aren’t recorded, though Snake Tracker Pack
they’ve been inferred and interpreted many times since its The Snake Trackers remain largely aloof from sept
founding, with spirits providing different accounts, confusing business, being primarily Monkeywrenchers involved more
the matter. The most common belief is that their caern was in the habits of the Wyrm’s human servants than the men-
once under the protection of the Croatan tribe, and with ace of spiritual erosion. They’ve never had a Theurge in
the Croatan werewolves long gone, it’s the sept’s duty to their pack but prize Ragabashes. Their current membership
remember them and their sacrifice. includes George Arctic-Shock (Wendigo Homid Galliard),
The Sept of Memories was significantly larger before the Misery-Loves-Company (Uktena Lupus Ragabash), Mike
destruction of Cracked Spine. Unsurprisingly, the cleansing Midlothian (Fianna Homid Ragabash), and Hana Bone-
of a hive resulted in the deaths of many Garou and Kinfolk wind (Black Fury Homid Ragabash).
from multiple septs up and down the East Coast. The Sept
of Memories lost close to half its Garou, with three packs Whispering Rovers Pack
wiped out and most elders destroyed. The Storyteller is
The Whispering Rovers pack has arrived in Richmond at
encouraged to name the lost. The remaining packs, not
the summons of the Sept of Memories’ elders, only recently
including that of the protagonists, are as follows:
having formed from a disparate selection of Garou. The sept
Broad Rock Pack elders know their numbers are weakened, which is why they
called through the Umbra for any werewolves willing to help
The oldest pack in Richmond, originally being formed defend their territory. The first two to arrive were former
in the 1880s, the Broad Rock pack are best known for US Army Sergeant Marius Kane (Silent Strider Ahroun)
being highly focused on tradition and ritual. Since Desiree from Chicago and White Howler (and subsequently Black
Jefferson and Emily Opened-Cell were cast out, and they Spiral Dancer) history expert Fion “White Fire” ap Nhuada
lost their Ahroun during the battle for Cracked Spine, the (Fianna Ragabash) all the way from the British Isles. The
pack only now contains Horrorshow (Bone Gnawer Metis famously tailless Travels-With-The-Wind (a high-ranking
Galliard) and Madame Peters (Uktena Homid Philodox). Silent Strider Galliard) — who left her position as Master of
They refuse to dissolve the pack and would prefer to recruit the Howl in Salem, MA to attend to the Sept of Memories —
new members. and Meredith Wynne “She-Who-Heralds-Gloriana” (Silver

Stained Leaves Pack Fang Theurge), who likewise crossed the Atlantic (in her
case from Wales) to bring her fae expertise and close bonds
The only all-lupus pack near Richmond, and former to the Fianna to the Virginian sept both joined them soon
home to Singing Lark and Burned-to-the-Bone, the Stained after. Lastly, the deliverer Cheek “Shining with Laughter”
Leaves are ferocious and defensive, and by some miracle lost (Corax) from the Hermetic Order of Swift Light in Montreal
none of their members in the recent battle. They don’t boast showed up one week ago to round out their number, making
for an unusual, and, to date, distrusted pack.

34 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 TAKE A RISK WITH CIRCINUS
With risk comes excitement.
You’re in the city with a date. You know she likes you, and you clean up well. But do you know what will
set her over the edge?
Put a Circinus cigarette between your lips.
You’re driving 80 down the highway, cutting through traffic to meet that crucial appointment. Do you know
what you need to sharpen those senses and feel the moment?
Put a Circinus cigarette between your lips.
With risk comes excitement. With risk comes cool.
Put us between your lips.
The only answer can be a Circinus cigarette.

Chapter One:
from near their restaurant destination. No roll is required
to tell them the first is a scream of surprise and the second

Incident on and off

is a scream of terror and agony. If they remain at a distance,
a Perception + Alertness roll (Difficulty 6) reveals a man on

Main Street
his knees in the middle of Main Street, clawing the skin
off his face and gouging at his eyes. Approaching reveals
The characters are on Main Street Richmond, heading this without the need to roll and reveals the body of an old
for a night-time bite to eat at the Capital Ale House (a woman behind a car, apparently with head injuries.
frequent hangout for the protagonists) when they see the Just as they acknowledge the incident on Main Street,
effects of Hybrid Yellow on one of its smokers. Meanwhile, at least one of the pack’s Garou (ideally a Theurge or Glass
a sept elder is attacked in an assassination attempt, and they Walker, though if neither are present, they can make a
can split up to address both situations or handle only one. Perception + Primal-Urge roll) hear a werewolf’s howl of
pain that seems to ripple across the Umbra not far from
Moon Phase: New their location.
Scene One: The Storyteller should describe Main Street — it’s raining

Big Yellow Joint lightly, and each store and restaurant emits a glowing haze
through the misty atmosphere; onlookers stand around in
The players should introduce their characters and the way shock, though some record the incident on their phones
they travel into the heart of Richmond (on foot or paw, by car, on with blank expressions, and even a few sick grins. Traffic
train, etc.). The Storyteller should tell them it’s been two weeks has come to a stop due to the young man kneeling in the
since they last got together at the sept moot, where the elders center of the street, and drivers impatiently beep their horns
made it clear that all who failed to join the battle at Cracked rather than climb out to assist. No sirens can be heard yet,
Spine are beings of shame, unfit for the Sept of Memories. as this incident only just occurred. The night’s sky is empty
The declaration shook many werewolves, but for others, of the moon but filled with stars vaguely visible through the
it reinforced their zeal. The packs were each left with much rainfall. Flavor can always be added or taken away, along
to consider as they went their separate ways. Now, the charac- with supporting characters of interest or who might distract
ters’ pack is getting together to discuss the Ronin situation. from the scene.
Just as the characters enter Main Street and start with For werewolves who remain on Main Street, continue
their customary greetings, shaking of hands, touching of reading Destruction, Self and Otherwise. For those who
elbows, and comradely embraces, they hear two screams pursue the howl, read Scene Two: Howl of Agony.

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 35

Destruction, Self and Otherwise the thinness of the fissure in her skin. Anyone (especially
a lupus werewolf) who tries to tie her injury to the young
The young man — pale, bloody, his waxed red hair a man by scent can easily do so without a roll: He has a waft
mess and his clothes torn — babbles and screams that he of her strong perfume on his jacket, and she has a sticky
can see monsters trying to reach into his head and heart. cannabis odor to her, which coats him entirely.
He’s viewing the Umbra, but what’s more, he can see the Stopping the old woman from bleeding requires an easy
werewolves’ true forms, meaning if any metis or lupus Garou Medicine-linked roll, but the damage is to her skull and
are a part of the players’ pack, he’s convinced they’re part could be internal. Without a Gift such as Mother’s Touch,
of the horrible tapestry before him. she needs medical treatment in a hospital.
Any attempt to physically restrain the man finds him
resisting with seven dice (his enhanced physicality is a result Investigating the Scene
of the Hybrid Yellow he’s been smoking). He lashes out at If the werewolves are fast, they can examine the scene
anyone who tries to grab him, though he’s barehanded. of the crime before the cops arrive and take matters into
He rolls seven dice for all physical actions and attempts official hands. Ask the players what they’re looking for be-
to tear at the eyes and faces of anyone interfering with his fore volunteering places and people for them to talk to, as
bad trip. Characters need to inflict 8 bashing damage to they should lead the investigation. Rolls are only required
the man before he stops his self-destructive activity, as he where the Storyteller wishes to implement a challenge.
falls unconscious. He cannot be reasoned with without very Keep in mind that the Storyteller should never block plot
successful (Difficulty 8) Empathy or Expression-based rolls, advancement behind a roll.
and even then he just slows down to explain he can see the Possible outcomes of investigation actions:
real world, spirits, and monsters (tell the players he can • Onlookers might have witnessed what caused this.
see the Umbra, if they’ve not made the connection) before Anyone interviewed or interrogated explains either that
renewing his self-harm. they only took notice when they heard a scream (the old
The characters may be concerned about the unconscious woman) and then couldn’t look away as the man started
lady behind the car once they’ve spotted her. Nobody else mutilating himself, or that the man seemed to be fine and
appears to have seen the body and no attacker lingers close was walking with a friend, before he suddenly shouted and
by. An Intelligence + Medicine roll (Difficulty 7) tells a lunged at the old lady.
werewolf that she’s likely been pushed and cracked her head • Investigating where the man initially began freaking
open on the concrete, based on where the wound is and out reveals a discarded joint, half-smoked, in the gutter. It’s

36 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
still dry, so it can’t have been there for long. The cannabis everyone from the Spades and Clubs pack to regular or
is a thick combo of brown and gold. If any of the characters random customers who know where to find him. His main
smoke it (don’t tell them they can do this, but allow them trade is in pot, but he’s happy selling whatever he can get
to do it if they wish), they immediately catch glimpses of his hands on.
the Gauntlet and the Umbra, which even requires them to When questioned about the events on Main Street, he
make an easy (Difficulty 3) Fox Frenzy roll to avoid fleeing expresses confusion and alarm. He offered his buddy Jordan
down the street. a spliff (it’s perfectly legal to smoke in Virginia) and within
• The man has ID on him identifying him as Jordan minutes, Jordan was freaking out like he’d taken a bad dose
Brittas, a self-employed mechanic who lives and works in of bath salts or MDMA.
Richmond. He has no overt connection to the Garou. The Snowball knows very little about the Umbra, Gauntlet,
old lady likewise has ID, naming her as Dot Merton, a or other spiritual matters, and has no clue as to why Jordan
retired resident of Philadelphia. She has a pair of tickets in could perceive them, musing that maybe Jordan is about to
her purse and was on her way to see Jesus Christ Superstar experience his First Change.
at the Altria Theater. The Storyteller should wait for the pack to ask about his
• If the characters hang around long enough for the supplier rather than volunteering the information. Snowball
cops to arrive and watch the crowd disperse, they see one is a character they can revisit later to probe about his supply,
kid hanging back before slowly peeling off too. Alternatively, if they fail to do so now. What he does give up, if pushed, is
they may be told about this teen, as he was walking with that a young woman named Lexi sells him (and other dealers)
Brittas before the bad trip occurred. If they approach, his Circinus products and chemicals at low prices. He doesn’t
eyes widen, and he starts running. It only requires a Dex- know that Lexi works for Circinus, however.
terity + Athletics roll (Difficulty 4) to catch up — he’s no The werewolves may obtain Lexi’s number from Snowball
sprinter, though he tries to stick to the main street unless or arrange a meeting using his name as cover. She responds
forced into an alley (he’s afraid of what the pack will do to to say “It’ll take 24 hours. Meet at the Battery Park Pool in
them if they catch him). Northern Barton Heights at 10pm tomorrow.”

Scene Two: Howl of Agony

• A character with Allies or Contacts linked to one of
the other packs in Richmond recognizes the kid as Snowball,
one of the Kinfolk to the Spades and Clubs pack, and he
Characters who left in pursuit of the Garou howl can
in turn recognizes them as werewolves and wants nothing
feel it reverberate through the Umbra. It doesn’t require a
to do with a potential inquisition.
roll for the werewolves to realize one of their brethren is on
However the investigation goes, the fates of Brittas and the other side of the Gauntlet and in a state of distress. It
Merton are inconsequential unless the players decide to does require a roll of Perception + Animal-Ken (Difficulty
focus on them. Brittas enters a catatonic state from which 7) or having him as a Mentor to recognize the howl as that
he cannot recover without a great deal of spiritual healing, of Enrico “Pallazzo” Caltante, one of the sept elders.
while Merton can recover from her injury after a short
Accessing the Penumbra is a matter of stepping side-
hospital stay. If healed, Brittas can explain that Snowball
ways, and despite the urban environment that is Richmond,
provided him a joint to smoke, but the pack is likely already
there are many panes of glass making up shop windows, and
aware by such a point.
plenty of puddles from the rainfall, to make this possible
Snowball (Difficulty 8 in Downtown Richmond, Difficulty 7 in the
Hollywood Cemetery). Anyone who wishes to follow the
The Storyteller should ensure the characters spot Snow-
howls in the Umbra can do so with a Perception + Survival
ball looking shifty, attempting to flee the area, or that they
roll (Difficulty 5), while anyone trying to follow them in
recognize him from affiliation with the Spades and Clubs
the mundane version of Richmond must make the same
pack. If he’s confronted in a public area such as Main Street
roll at +2 Difficulty.
he’ll call out for help, whereas if he’s chased into an alley,
an interrogation can go a lot smoother. The trail leads the characters west from Main Street,
across or under U.S. 301, and into the Hollywood Cemetery.
However he’s caught, he tries to keep his mouth shut
It’s just under two miles away in terrestrial Richmond, but
until a werewolf succeeds at a Charisma + Intimidation
in the Umbra the journey takes longer due to the Weaver’s
roll (Difficulty 6) or finds some other means of threatening
presence in the city calcifying and binding up most of the
him. Snowball isn’t particularly brave but is afraid of the
accessible routes.
consequences of his actions. He confesses he’s a drug dealer
(the contents of his pockets are a pretty big giveaway) and The Storyteller should describe the Penumbra from
that he doesn’t discriminate as to his market; he supplies Downtown Richmond to the Hollywood Cemetery. The

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 37

temperature is cloying, humid, and polluted, making skin to indicate his status is his immense size (he’s the largest
and fur feel sticky and rank; Pattern Spiders and other Skull Pig here), as he doesn’t transform until the scene’s end.
minor urban spirits are visible in the shadowed versions of Note: If the characters only enter this scene after the
buildings, people, and roads, cultivating their environment entire pack has dealt with the event on Main Street, Pallazzo
or observing the werewolves. If the pack has a totem or bonds is already dead, and the Skull Pigs are feasting on his remains.
to any spirits, they feel its presence close by, keeping them This should be taken into account for the following action,
safe and watching over them as this city forms a part of their as the Skull Pigs are more inclined to flee if Pallazzo’s been
territory. The howls are louder, more strained and punctuat- killed. Semyonov still transforms (as per Hail to the King)
ed with gasps, stirring the werewolves’ hearts. Imprints and before disappearing into the Umbra.
open wounds in the Umbral fabric imply something’s been
goring and tearing at it, leaving areas of spiritual vacancy, Sounder Slaughterhouse
which are all horribly disturbing. The Storyteller should have the combat between Garou
If the Storyteller wants to make the characters’ experi- and Skull Pigs take the Penumbral environment into account.
ence in the Umbra dangerous this early in the chronicle, “White room” combat is nowhere near as much fun as battles
minor Weaver spirits might cling to their feet, legs, and with interesting scenery and surrounding effects. Take into
waists, trying to slow them down. It’s apparent with a Wits account the following environmental pieces that might be
+ Occult roll (Difficulty 7) that these spirits are trying to fill used as obstacles, cover, tools, and weapons:
the void-like gaps in the Umbra with the werewolves, thus • The Penumbra here is thick with a copper red mist,
fixing the holes. It’s simple enough to escape these spirits, reducing any kind of medium range visibility and making
but if the werewolves linger to examine these holes, they may long range visibility impossible without Gifts affecting per-
have to scare off or harm the Pattern Spiders (Werewolf: The ception. The Storyteller should therefore adjust the Difficulty
Apocalypse, p. 448) before they’ll allow the pack to move on. of Perception rolls and rolls used for ranged attacks.
Gutted in the Cemetery • Tombstones litter the cemetery even in the Penumbra,
though they’re a part of the natural environment. Characters
The scene at the Hollywood Cemetery is one of carnage. can still rip them out and use them as bludgeons, though
One of the sept elders, Enrico “Pallazzo” Caltante is in a doing so requires a Strength + Athletics roll (Difficulty 8),
fierce struggle with a sounder of Skull Pigs, which makes for with the weight of each marker dealing between Strength
a disturbing sight, as they’re threats typically present in the +2/B damage and Strength +4/B damage, depending on its
physical realm rather than the Umbra. Pallazzo’s in Crinos size and spiritual resonance.
form, clutching his abdomen with one claw as his guts hang • Headstones and mausolea each provide up to full
loose, his back to a monument visible in the Penumbra (many cover, preventing anyone from charging directly through
of the gravesites and markers are visible to varying degrees them. This can slow down a Skull Pig looking to gore a
of definition, depending on their spiritual resonance), the werewolf but can likewise impede a werewolf intending on
other claw swiping at the Skull Pigs as they take turns to sprinting and clawing one of the deformed boars.
charge the werewolf, taking more of his insides with them
• The Penumbral earth falls away where the Skull Pigs
with each gore and bite. It’s apparent they’re toying with him
dig their hooves and tusks into the ground and rip at it,
and dragging out his pain as well as his intestines.
providing unsteady terrain, and grave plots may suddenly
The size of the Skull Pig sounder is that of the werewolves’ collapse, dropping those who fall into chasms that may lead
full pack +1 (so if half of them are still on Main Street, you as deep as the Dark Umbra or the Battleground Near Realm.
still need to take them into account). The hogs range in size Falling into either of these, exploring, and returning is the
from that of a wild boar to pigs the size of bulls, but notably stuff of a whole chronicle, but Storytellers are encouraged to
each of them lacks skin on their faces, instead bearing heads allow werewolves the opportunity of falling, catching ahold
of bone, tusk, and ligament. They screech and squeal as they of roots, and climbing up as they hear the wails of the dead
take their time with Pallazzo and aren’t aware of the pack’s or the sounds of swords clashing, guns firing, and roars of
presence until they get involved in the conflict, allowing war beneath them.
a surprise attack. Pallazzo doesn’t acknowledge the pack’s
• The battle can take to the roofs of the larger mauso-
presence, but their actions here will influence how he views
lea, resulting in dramatic clashes above the cemetery where
them in the future (if he’s alive to do so).
the loser falls to the ground (and possibly through it, as
The Storyteller should note for this scene that all but described above).
one of the Skull Pigs use the traits on p. XX of this book.
• A Perception + Alertness roll (Difficulty 8) reveals Se-
The last is King Semyonov, whose traits are detailed on p.
myonov’s holding a turquoise beaded necklace (this comes up
XX. King Semyonov shouldn’t die here, and the only thing
again later, but Pallazzo won’t know its significance if asked).

38 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 • Pallazzo fights physically, but also possesses a great to pull him back through the Gauntlet and to the caern on
command over Gifts, his claws and fangs crackling with the James River so he might heal. Depending on how they
electricity. At a crucial part in the battle, he summons a acted in combat, he’ll be gracious (they used smart pack
spirit of the grave earth to grip two of the Skull Pigs and tactics), commanding (they rushed into battle blindly), or
drag them down into the ground (see Electroshock and indignant (they got to round five before they saved him).
Elemental Favor in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 184).
• In the fourth round, Pallazzo falls to his knees
Fuck the Penumbra
seemingly near death, spurring the combat into a frenzy of If the characters elected to remain “surface-side” and
desperate motion. not delve into the Penumbra, Pallazzo dies before they reach
The point of this combat isn’t to defeat the players’ pack, him. They can see the scratches, goring, and blood stains
but Pallazzo is at risk of being killed. Rather than tracking his in the earth, on tombstones, and can sense (with no roll)
Health, he survives for six combat rounds before he expires. that one of their elders has been murdered at the foot of the
largest monument in the cemetery. If they later investigate
Hail to the King his remains, they find the turquoise necklace mentioned
Regardless of the battle’s outcome, at its conclusion earlier clutched in one of his claws.
the largest surviving Skull Pig shifts form before the player Luckily for them, Pallazzo isn’t around to judge them
characters’ eyes, with no roll required for the werewolves to for their cowardice if he’s dead, though if one or more of
know Skull Pigs shouldn’t be capable of doing that. After the werewolves is close to one of the territory’s Ronin, they
the abrupt, bone-wrenching transformation, a bulbous, may feel he deserved what he got (though being eaten alive
muscled, tall, and broad humanoid with the skull of a boar by Skull Pigs is pretty harsh).
stands and squeals at the characters. If they don’t act scared,
have them make a Fox Frenzy roll (Difficulty 8) in the face Scene Three: Urgent Moot
of this disturbing, impossible sight. Whether the pack handles the Main Street incident or
King Semyonov doesn’t stick around. He drops into the Skull Pig attack on Pallazzo, or both, the next move is
an empty grave and the ground seals up around him. If to call an emergency moot. A human perceiving the Umbra
Pallazzo was killed and none of the werewolves are by his and a sept elder being attacked are both causes for alarm. If
side, Semyonov drags the elder’s body down with him. It’s the player characters have Contacts among the other packs,
important for Semyonov to escape at this point, so if that Kinfolk to call upon, or spirits who might do the notifying
requires an assault from more Skull Pigs or local Banes to on their behalf, this is a good opportunity for a rallying cry.
start distracting the Garou, do so for the Skull Pig leader They can choose to summon the Sept of Memories to their
to leave the scene. personal territory (which the players should define with the
King Semyonov is the only Skull Pig present who can Storyteller) or to the James River caern in the Powhatan
communicate in more than squeals and grunts (though he State Park, northwest of the city.
chooses not to), rendering interrogation of any captured
Skull Pigs a difficult proposition. Spirits may be able to The Address
ease this, though Skull Pigs are utterly of the Wyrm, and The sept gathers at the designated location over the
anything intelligible from one is likely to be along the lines course of the night. If Pallazzo is there and injured, were-
of “your mother” and other such invective. wolves immediately demand answers. Otherwise, most Garou
Fleeing Skull Pigs can be tracked through the Penumbra present are cordial and curious, if a little worried. The last
with a Wits + Survival roll (Difficulty 6), though they quickly time a moot like this was called was before the attack on
dig holes through the Gauntlet to burst through into the Cracked Spine. The players’ pack can choose when to address
mundane world (or deeper into the Umbra). If a pack is the convened Garou, though it’s considered best form to
dedicated to following the Skull Pigs, they can do so as far wait for each pack to send a representative. The two other
as a chemical dumping site rife with Banes and openings sept elders both arrive, though they wait for information
to a local Blight where the fleeing Skull Pigs have been instead of demanding it. The Sept of Memories is bound
slaughtered by King Semyonov, who isn’t sentimental. The in many ways to tradition.
site was used historically by Young and Smith and Endron The players are free to make their address as they see fit,
International for hazardous waste disposal, but they aban- though the Storyteller should take the following into account:
doned the location several years ago. In the mundane world • If any but the Galliard (or, failing their presence, the
it’s now a landfill. In the Penumbra it’s a hideous pockmark. Philodox) provide the address, the sept’s werewolves make a
If Pallazzo survived, with all Skull Pigs barring King lot of rude noises and dismissive comments toward the pack
Semyonov driven off or destroyed, he asks the werewolves for not following the correct order. They’re less obnoxious

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 39

if the Ahroun describes any combat, the Philodox how they
enforced the Litany, etc., but would prefer a Galliard as pack Who Invited Her?
representative. Only the newly arrived Whispering Rovers As the address goes on, the speaker should become aware
remain respectful. that various werewolves present are no longer listening. The
• If the pack mentions Snowball and the contaminated sounds of discontent, anger, growls, and spitting are clear,
joint, the Spades and Clubs vow to deal with their Kinfolk as Emily Opened-Cell — one of the sept Ronin — arrives at
but explain they’re not about to stop smoking what he the moot with one hand to her forehead as she murmurs
supplies, and if his dealing days are over, they’ll just have to and mumbles to herself. The Broad Rock pack quickly kick
buy over the counter Circinus shit (they’re unaware that’s out her legs and start beating her.
what they’ve been smoking). This draws howls of anger and Garou society is unkind to outsiders, especially when
irritation from other werewolves present. they bring shame on their pack.
• At the talk of human sight piercing the Gauntlet, The player characters may intervene during this display
Mountain Crawler (a sept elder) dismisses the thought or allow the beating to continue (risking Honor in the latter
immediately, explaining that drugs are known to impart all case). Either way, Opened-Cell eventually rises to her feet
kinds of visions. He questions how the werewolves can say to bloody and still mumbling. She raises her voice to name
a certainty that this individual could see the Umbra, when “Awoken Turtle” and tries to move to the front of the gath-
he could have just been witnessing brain-conjured phantoms. ering, but sept elder Titania and the Broad Rock pack stop
• The entire sept reacts with a combination of fury and her, with Titania growling that she needs to leave this moot.
fear if Pallazzo was killed, though they lean more toward If the players don’t make the connection, the Storyteller
fury if the player characters did nothing to help Pallazzo can ask them to make an Intelligence + Enigmas or Investigation
and admit it (such an admission is grounds for a trial, and roll to remind them that Opened-Cell claimed she couldn’t
at the very minimum exile as Ronin with the pack Philodox reach the Cracked Spine assault because Skull Pigs ambushed
losing their head). her in the Penumbra. As long as the characters investigated
• If Pallazzo survived, he can barely communicate the attack on Pallazzo (even if they didn’t get there in time
due to his wounds (which in system terms are aggravated), to save him), they’ll be aware Skull Pigs were present in the
but agrees with the characters’ account if they say he was Penumbra there, too. If a player character raises this point in
attacked by Skull Pigs. He stops short of saying they were in defense of Opened-Cell or just in general, Mountain Crawler
the Penumbra and didn’t witness King Semyonov transform. shouts down such propositions. “Skull Pigs cannot enter or
Pallazzo falls into a meditative healing sleep before he can navigate the Penumbra, and Elder Caltante would not have
confirm anything of the like. Spirits summoned to the battle exiled Ronin Opened-Cell for no reason.”
provide conflicting accounts filtered through their own sense If the characters discovered Opened-Cell’s turquoise
of reality, as spirits always do, though if the pack totem is necklace and the link’s been made between her and it, the
called upon it speaks truth, and the sept listens. events of this scene can take a horrible turn. The Skull Pigs
• If the pack mention Skull Pigs in the Penumbra, ripped it from her when they assaulted her in the weeks prior
Mountain Crawler loudly denounces the possibility. “Skull and were intending on staging Pallazzo’s death to make it
Pigs have no means of entering the Umbra, let alone possess- appear as if Opened-Cell killed him. If the characters found
ing the intelligence to ambush or assassinate.” Questioning the necklace in Pallazzo’s remains and no evidence of the
Mountain Crawler’s wisdom is a good way of receiving jibes mutated boars, given the sept elders’ refusal to believe in
and growls from the assembled Garou, though werewolves Penumbra-dwelling Skull Pigs, Opened-Cell could be mauled
in the Stained Leaves pack are noticeably silent (Singing to death right here.
Lark was murdered by Skull Pigs and once of their pack). Repercussions
• If the pack mention the turquoise necklace (do not
After the address, what should be clear is the sept are
prompt this), members of the Broad Rock pack call out that
roundly dismissive of the idea of dangerous cannabis (even
it belonged to Emily Opened-Cell. This puts a horrifying
if it happens again, they don’t see it as a Garou problem)
spin on things if they found it among Pallazzo’s remains
but are worried about the possibility of Skull Pig attacks,
and muddies the waters if they saw Semyonov holding it.
if the player characters found evidence of their attack on
If the characters only attended one of the incidents, Pallazzo. In such a case, Titania calls for an immediate
news regarding the missed event reaches the sept during this hunt of the Skull Pigs in the Virginia territory but has no
moot. The deliverer of this news is up to the Storyteller, but plan beyond scouting out their usual hiding spots of waste
it’s best if it’s conveyed by a character, spirit, or pack with dumps, landfills, chemical factories, and farms. Titania
whom the player characters have contact. doesn’t instantly ignore the idea they could be hiding in

40 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 EVERY CIGARETTE IS A POEM
Every cigarette has meaning.
For every cigarette bought, scrounged, stolen, or smuggled.
For every cigarette smoked quickly, savored, or stubbed out before its time.
For every cigarette that accompanied us on a long journey, saved for just that perfect moment.
For every cigarette we burned through because we needed it more than anything else.
For every cigarette we smoked because we were happy, and every cigarette we smoked because we were sad.
For every cigarette we smoked because we were full, and every cigarette we smoked because we were hungry.
For every cigarette we smoked because we were lonely, and every cigarette we smoked because we were with
friends.
For every cigarette we smoked because we were cold, and every cigarette we smoked under the heat of the
summer sun.
Our cigarettes are more than props, fetishes, stimulants, or sedatives. They are stories.
The need to smoke isn’t a demand, a request, or a fetish.
The need to smoke is a question.
The only answer can be a Circinus cigarette.

the Penumbra, instead saying, “If they’re in there, they’ve the pack to meet with Awoken Turtle, who has promised
got to come out to eat sometime.” to provide great wisdom “when the Theurge is eminent.”
The players may feel frustrated here, especially if they She’s referring to the waxing crescent moon due in a few
made compelling arguments with good rolls or presented days and instructs them to attend Tar Bay on the James
evidence, such as a Skull Pig tusk or the contaminated joint River at that time. If she was mistakenly executed due to
from earlier. Rather than having the entire sept ignore them, her implied role in Pallazzo’s attack, another member of
the Storyteller should have some packs (the Stained Leaves the Ronin hesitantly approaches the player characters after,
and Spades and Clubs are the best options, as the former lost maintaining Opened-Cell’s innocence and explaining they
a member to Skull Pigs while the latter are very interested need to attend Tar Bay in three days.
in the drug trade) approach and share ideas. This chronicle is written assuming Opened-Cell is still
The conclusion of this chapter varies depending on alive, but it’s easy to remove her and reduce the number of
Emily Opened-Cell’s state. If she’s alive, she approaches Ronin, having her place in the next chapter taken by the
the pack once the sept has started breaking away. Opened- excitable Desiree Jefferson or morose Burned-to-the-Bone,
Cell appears glazed over as if in a lethargic state but invites who seeks to repent for her cowardice.

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 41

First Intermission
• It’s the responsibility of every pack to send a patrol to
the remains of the Cracked Spine hive each week to ensure
it isn’t being reinhabited. Some Garou in Richmond believe
In the few days before the waxing crescent moon’s time, this is overkill (the caern has already been revived and sept
the pack are apt to fill their time with investigation into elder Mountain Crawler defends it), but it’s an opportunity
these Skull Pigs or the suspect cannabis, diplomacy with to be at one with nature. Slowly, werewolves who attend the
their fellow packs, or trying to convince the sept elders that caern can see nature, the Wyld, and Gaia’s love returning
they need to consider other possibilities. to this once-ruined part of the environment.
This intermission can be played or rolled, depending
on the amount of time the group have allocated for play.
It’s always useful to provide depth to an area, its people,
Sunday Supply
It’s likely the pack will want to speak with Lexi Sunday
and the characters present in a chronicle, so this is a good
about her drug supply at some point during this chronicle.
opportunity for the Storyteller and players to invest in their
Characters will only know her name as Lexi from Snowball’s
setting. It’s also a fine time to pursue personal plots this
phone, but it’s possible one of them used a Gift such as
chronicle can’t account for (we don’t know the characters
Signal Rider (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 184) to travel
you’ll be playing), especially if they can be tied into this
to her location via a moon bridge or negotiated with Pattern
chronicle’s plot. Here are a handful of ideas:
Spiders or Net-Spiders to find out more about her identity.
• A character catches one of their Kinfolk lighting up
However they do it, they discover Lexi Sunday near the
a joint. When questioned, the relative explains that 1) it’s
towers at Northern Barton Heights (where she lives) and
legal, and 2) they bought it over-the-counter at a pharmacy.
hanging out at the community pool. She doesn’t sell to
It’s Green Indica, which is pretty mild. If the character tries
random people. Sunday doesn’t consider herself a dealer
to detect Wyrm taint on the product, they find none.
so much as a supplier and is only interested in shifting bulk
• A panel on the local news discusses the proliferation orders. If threatened with the law, she explains she never
of Circinus ads via podcasts, TikTok, and YouTube, and asks keeps anything illegal on her or at her home, but if threatened
if it’s ethical to advertise smoking via any form of media. with violence on a successful Charisma + Intimidation roll
The panelists are split on the subject, with some decrying (Difficulty 6) or persuaded she’s dealing with new custom-
these ads as “clearly targeted at kids,” while others advocate ers on a Manipulation + Expression roll (Difficulty 5) she
them as “freedom of choice and a fundamental question of explains they can put together a shopping list, Venmo her
American liberty.” When a panelist jibes that “in America the money or get it to her in BitCoin, and she’ll call with
we can choose the method by which we kill ourselves,” the the name of a pickup location.
Circinus spokesperson on the panel storms off set.
Of course, the characters may want to find out where
• One of the characters finds the marks of pig trotters Sunday procures her drugs. On that matter, she’s determined
in their back yard and can follow the scent back to a sewer to stay silent; she doesn’t want to be fired and lose her
outlet not far from their home. The sewage odor drowns out connection. Whether bullied, charmed, or supernaturally
the trail in the drains, but if a character enters the Umbra affected to reveal her drug source, the werewolves must
down here, they find openings to half a dozen Blights. overcome a Difficulty of 9 to get her to admit she works for
• The characters catch news from one of the other and steals cannabis, tobacco, and all manner of drug-making
packs that seven toking students on University of Richmond chemicals from her employer, Circinus.
campus all succumbed to self-destructive psychoses and If the players can’t overcome Sunday’s difficulty (she
have been taken to the hospital for treatment. One of them shuts down completely if they fail with one roll), they can
peeled his entire face off and blinded himself; the others still determine this quite simply from paying for some of
are in lesser states of mutilation. In their unhinged states, her stock; many of the drugs she distributes come in Circi-
all they’re able to confirm to the police (or the Garou, if nus-branded packaging.
they sneak in to ask) is they were “just smoking weed — the
Virginia is littered with Circinus fields and plants, but
yellow stuff.”
the one Sunday works at is Circinus Piedmont, west of
• Hana Bonewind of the Snake Trackers pack vanishes Richmond. It was their initial farm and factory setup, and
completely. She told her pack she was investigating activity still acts as the company headquarters. If the characters have
around the Magadon Pharmaceutical animal testing facil- persuaded her sufficiently, she promises to show them the
ity and never came back. They’ve been unable to locate a facility if they meet up with her in three days at this same
trail, and even spirits appear to have turned a blind eye. time and place. She needs to scout out security arrangements
Whether this is related to the story or a red herring is up before bringing in a group of “friends to tour the facility.”
to the Storyteller.

42 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Chapter Two:
here. These Garou have been cast out and subjected to all
manner of humiliations and bullying since their exile; they

Ronin of Turtle
don’t trust the player characters until they make honest and
kind entreaties.
The characters arrive at Tar Bay to meet with Emily Burned-to-the-Bone
Opened-Cell and find out the truth behind her “visions.” Burned-to-the-Bone remains in her wolf form, in a fixed
In doing so, they also encounter the sept’s other Ronin, state of depression close to Harano. None of her fellow Ronin
who each have their own take on Awoken Turtle and their shift to Lupus form to chat in barks, sniffs, and howls, and
future in the sept. The characters undergo a spiritual journey she hasn’t adopted Homid form to communicate with them
and come away with uncertain answers. By the conclusion since Singing Lark was killed. If one of the player characters is
of the chapter, Skull Pigs ambush one of the characters at a lupus werewolf or takes to that form to communicate with
their home. her, they can make a Charisma or Appearance + Expression
Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent roll (Difficulty 8) to pry some thoughts from her.

Scene Four: Tar Bay While she’s not communicative, she appreciates a kind
gesture, and through a combination of low growls and (if
It’s important to establish how fervently the characters permitted) nuzzling another lupus Garou, it’s clear she’s
feel about the Shame of Ronin’s perceived cowardice, wheth- still in a state of fear and trauma. She conveys that she was
er there’s any hope for redemption, or if harsher measures close to Singing Lark (she’s scratched runes resembling his
should have been taken against them. Have the pack discuss epithet into the boathouse and rocks surrounding it) and
this among themselves if they haven’t already, perhaps as can’t stand to see any more bloodshed in her life as a Garou.
they make their way to Tar Bay. If asked about her cowardice, Burned-to-the-Bone clams up
Tar Bay’s a rather non-descript coastal indentation and says nothing further.
between two headlands on the James River. It’s the site of Burned-to-the-Bone believes Opened-Cell has been
a long fallen caern, lost to nature and Gaia, but likewise experiencing spiritual visitations from something powerful
ignored by the Wyrm. The Sept of Memories is aware of it but is beyond caring about their provenance. While she
but has never seen to its renewal as in the Umbra the space doesn’t say it, if she were presented with the Skull Pigs who
is utterly vacant of spirits or energy of any kind. The sept’s killed Singing Lark, she’d likely spring back into action in
Theurges (including in the players’ pack, if they have a a suicidal act of violence.
Theurge) have heard the rumors that it was once a Croatan
caern. In the present day, Tar Bay’s where the Richmond
Desiree Jefferson
Ronin have settled for the time being and is where Emily The young Jefferson only experienced her Rite of Passage
Opened-Cell invited the protagonists’ pack. within weeks of the assault on Cracked Spine and is still
woefully naïve to the ways of the Garou. Blithely optimistic
The Storyteller should describe Tar Bay: It’s a muddy
and compensating for her trauma, she chatters away, sure
inlet with several boats moored and bobbing on the water
that her Kinfolk (and immediate family) will accept her
of the James River, with ill-kept boathouses on decking
back soon enough, the sept will forgive her, or failing both
overlooking the water. A café on the largest river jetty emits a
those things, the Ronin could form their own pack. She’s
low light and would appear to be closing up for the evening;
very friendly and glad of the visitors, though any signs of
the rainfall is heavier now, bringing down with it an odor
intimidation send her cowering as her former packmates
of acrid smoke that stains clothes and skin, all the while
treated her horribly in shaming her, and the psychological
making the mud of Tar Bay difficult to navigate. The Shame
wounds have yet to heal.
of Ronin are visible standing and sitting in a boathouse
around a woodfire, sharing drinks and freshly grilled meat, Jefferson is the first to offer to cook the player characters
the smell of which combats the pollution in the air. The some food or grab them a beer, though she refrains from
crescent moon cuts like a sickle through the clouds in the drinking herself (she’s only 16, plus Maublanc has been
night’s sky, but the stars are barely visible tonight. preventing her from falling to vices in despair). She asks all
kinds of questions about what’s been going on in Richmond,
Introduce the player characters to the Shame of Ronin.
whether the D’Angelo concert was good (she had tickets to
At the very least they’ve already met Emily Opened-Cell at
attend a gig with friends, but her family cancelled them after
the moot. Historically, they may have encountered and pos-
she was cast out), and is generally a curious, good-natured
sibly even fought beside Burned-to-the-Bone, Maublanc, and
werewolf. If asked about her failure to attend the battle
Jefferson. The Ronin are cautious around the approaching
with her pack, she maintains her reasons for not showing
werewolf pack, despite the invitation that brought them

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 43

up are still valid: She didn’t (and still doesn’t) know enough responds with clipped statements such as “insignificant”
about how werewolves on either side act to be of any use, or “Awoken Turtle will show us the way.”
and would have likely got other Garou killed through her Despite her discomforting presence, Opened-Cell
doing something stupid or hasty. seems mildly pleased that the pack have come to see her,
When it comes to the subject of Awoken Turtle, Jeffer- promising that Awoken Turtle is near. She invites them to
son’s excited and bounds about like an excited wolf, despite join her in Tar Bay’s water, where the next visitation will
being in Homid form. She’s convinced Awoken Turtle is take place. Maublanc, Jefferson, and Burned-to-the-Bone
speaking with Opened-Cell so the Ronin can find a road don’t join her, with Jefferson explaining it’s for the player
to redemption. characters to witness Awoken Turtle. Nobody would believe
a Shame of Ronin.
Geoff Maublanc
Maublanc is desperate and it shows. He’s drinking Taking the Plunge
heavily, looks unwashed, and is incredibly twitchy. If any If the werewolves accept the offer to enter Tar Bay’s
of the player characters are Glass Walkers or Ahroun like water, Emily Opened-Cell leads them between a cluster of
him, he recoils from them in shame, aware he’s disgracing bobbing boats, out to where the river sinks to neck height
his tribe and Auspice. He’s more comfortable speaking with (if in Homid form). The water’s flowing fast, requiring any
Bone Gnawers, perhaps because he foolishly believes he characters to make Strength + Athletics rolls (Difficulty 6)
now knows what it’s like to be one. These attitudes should to remain steady.
be reflected in an increase or lowering of Difficulty when And then, Opened-Cell sinks into the water, entering
interacting with him. the Penumbra through its moonlit surface. The characters
Maublanc is slow to speak, but when he gets going, he are expected to follow, with no Difficulty applying to their
begs for advice on how to get back into the sept, what he attempt.
needs to do to prove himself, and what he needs to sacrifice The Umbra wants the werewolves to enter.

Scene Five:
to prove himself worthy. He starts offering increasingly tragic
ideas, most of which had no bearing on his relationship
with the sept. He’ll lead the charge against the next enemy
the sept points him to; he’ll close down his tech security
Something Unexplainable
company as a sacrifice to Gaia; he’ll never use a cellphone The Penumbra at Tar Bay makes for a disturbing,
again; he’ll divorce his husband (who he hasn’t seen since draining sight. The Garou stand in a flow of rushing water
his shame began and who has reported Maublanc missing). that flows over and through them, but in which they can
The list goes on. Maublanc is in a sorry state. If asked about breathe perfectly well. That’s where their level of comfort
his non-attendance at the battle, he just breaks down and ends, as beyond the spirit of the James River, the area is
damns the Weaver as more pernicious than the Wyrm. utterly absent of life, spiritual or otherwise. The characters
Maublanc doesn’t know what to make of Opened-Cell’s can’t even identify the Ronin back on the shore through
claims but is prepared to grab hold of any lifeline offered. this deeply shadowed Penumbral space. The characters may
The character speaking with him should make a Wits + roll Intelligence + Cosmology (Difficulty 6), or if they lack
Empathy roll (Difficulty 6) to identify he’s in such a needy that Expert Knowledge, Intelligence + Occult or Rituals
state. He’s the kind of werewolf that might succumb to the (Difficulty 8) to identify that this space is fragile and on the
Wyrm’s temptations — such things have happened before. precipice of the Deep Umbra.
He’s been advising Opened-Cell to accept Awoken Turtle’s The James River spirit is uncommunicative, unless a
advice, no matter the cost. Theurge, Wendigo, or Uktena succeeds on a Gnosis roll
(Difficulty 7, unless they sacrifice something significant to
Emily Opened-Cell the river, such as a fetish or access to a Gift for the remain-
Just as at the moot, Opened-Cell appears to be in a der of the chronicle, in which case the Difficulty drops to
trance, slowly eating, slowly communicating, as if her mind is 5). The river burbles “similar but different,” “the Wyld has
only half-focused on anyone addressing her. She’s unkempt, taken hold,” “once defensive, now aggressive,” “cannot trust
but where Maublanc appears like someone who’s been them,” and “vengeance for Croatan.” It doesn’t answer any
dragged through a hedgerow, Opened-Cell just appears to questions directly.
have foregone her personal appearance as she’s sunk deeper Opened-Cell shifts to Lupus form and starts howling into
into her near-fugue state. the Penumbra. Her howl is one of plaintive and sorrowful
Opened-Cell is so fixated on spiritual matters at this summoning. She looks to the player characters, gesturing
time, that if questioned on subjects such as Cracked Spine, for them to join her. Half or more of them must succeed
the Skull Pigs, or the human witnessing the Umbra, she at a Charisma + Expression or Performance roll (Difficulty

44 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
8) for the Storyteller to read The Totem?, otherwise read
The Messenger. Galliards and Garou in Lupus form have The Messenger
a reduced Difficulty of 7. The river’s flow slows, ending with the area becoming
completely still. A spirit, resembling a werewolf in Glabro
The Totem? form, wades through the deep waters toward the pack, their
The river abruptly appears to cease its flow, but then fur scored with deep scratches and their eyes missing. In
it becomes apparent the waters are changing direction as it their sockets a dark green energy pulsates. On an Intelligence
parts and a colossal spiritual entity swaddled in shadow and + Occult roll (Difficulty 6), they may associate this power
mist emerges from the soft Umbral silt. Werewolves must with balefire, a weapon of the Wyrm. This spirit emits no
succeed on a Willpower roll (Difficulty 6) to look directly at Wyrm taint, however. Instead, a Perception + Primal-Urge or
the figure, otherwise they cannot help but avert their eyes. Survival roll (Difficulty 7) picks up a combination of scents:
Those who look upon the spirit identify the great shape of age, tobacco, dried blood, and salty tears — all embedded
a turtle the size of a large house, but he appear only half- in the werewolf’s fur.
formed, as if their features trail away in embers and wisps Any spirits accompanying the pack swarm the recent
of smoke. Any spirits accompanying the pack flee the scene arrival, curious about them. The werewolf spirit doesn’t
immediately, unless the werewolves have summoned their pay them any attention, even as talkative spirits bombard
own totem to them, in which case it stands behind them it with questions. If the pack’s totem is present, it stalks a
straight and bold, eyeing the turtle keenly. side perimeter around this meeting but never takes its eyes
In a rumble of earth and roar of water, Awoken Turtle from the werewolf.
addresses the gathered Garou. His words appear as images In a voice out of history that reverberates through the
in the werewolves’ minds, elemental sounds in their ears, characters’ bodies and minds, the werewolf addresses the
and feelings on their fur and deep in their hearts. The Story- assembled pack. Their words are clear, crisp, singsong in
teller should explain that this entirely spiritual experience is nature, and make the werewolves’ hearts swell, even if they
akin to the time they first encountered their pack totem but don’t understand the words. The ancestor spirit paints pic-
comes with even more gravitas. Unless they choose to resist tures in the air with their claws, hops from paw to paw and
with Willpower (Difficulty 9), the experience reduces them howls in a song of sorrow and hope. Finally, they shift to
to tears, like shaking pups, before Awoken Turtle disappears Lupus form, approach the pack Philodox (and if they don’t
back into the earth and the river corrects its course. have one, they approach Opened-Cell) and warmly nuzzles
But what does Awoken Turtle say? It’s abstract and open the target, enabling them to recover all spent Gnosis. The
to interpretation, but the Storyteller is advised to convey werewolf then slips away into the Umbra and the waters start
the following: rolling again. Unless they choose to resist with Willpower
• The screams, howls, and songs of an entire tribe of (Difficulty 8), the experience leaves every Garou present
werewolves leaping into a hurricane of fangs, claws, tendrils, shaken and excited.
and blood. But what did the ancestor spirit say? If any characters
• People on burning streets — recognizable as Richmond in the pack speak the extinct Lumbee language (unlikely) or
and other territories up and down the East Coast — clawing at possess Speech of the World (W20 p. 154), they understand
their eyes as Banes pour into them from across the Gauntlet. most of what was communicated (the Storyteller should
• The thick smell of burning tobacco, cannabis, indus- still make some of it indecipherable) or they can make an
trial chemicals, and pig manure. Intelligence + Academics roll (Difficulty 7) to understand
• A wolf skull exhumed from a mountain caern, crushed the modern day’s English dialect Lumbee, or an Intelligence
between a boar’s jaws. The pack feels the pain of their skulls + Rituals roll (Difficulty 9) to glean meaning from the were-
crushing as this desecration takes place. wolf spirit’s gestures more than their words. To anyone who
understands the basics:
• Young wolves being mauled by their elders until
they’re left bloody and limbless. • The ancestor spirit is of the Croatan tribe, or at least
claims to be.
• Spirits and totems retreating into the depths of the
Umbra, only for the Wyrm’s tendrils to rush in and occupy • The spirit claims to represent Turtle, who stirs in his
the empty space. slumber, and requires the purification of desecrated lands.
The visions leave the pack exhausted (deducting a • Whether Turtle requires this purification to wake or
Willpower point from any character who possesses one). to sleep more easily isn’t relayed.
Emily Opened-Cell, however, seems utterly elated. She’s • Sacrifices must be made against the “Grondr” enemies
no longer in her trance. who recently desecrated a Croatan burial ground and the

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 45

new Wyrm carriers in Virginia (this refers to the supervisors and Maublanc wrap her in a blanket and dry her off. If she
at Circinus, but this isn’t relayed clearly). encountered Awoken Turtle, she’s alive with energy, but if
Players may already know that the Skull Pigs were once the she met the messenger, she remains half-asleep in her vision
Changing Breed known as the Grondr, but if not, characters state. Either way, she’s certain that the Ronin must prove
can make an Intelligence + Enigmas or Occult (Difficulty themselves to Turtle and sacrifice themselves to destroy the
7) or ask their totems for this information. Skull Pig nest, wherever it is, just as the Croatan sacrificed
The experience leaves the pack drained (deducting a themselves to Eater-of-Souls in 1589. In this way, they’ll be
Gnosis point from any character who possesses one, except redeemed and purify the land for Turtle to wake once more.
for the werewolf the messenger touched). Emily Opened- The player character pack may take this time to commit
Cell remains distracted and in her trance if the messenger to assisting the Ronin, but the Storyteller should make it
touched anyone else. clear that Opened-Cell is committing to the cause because
she’s spiritually distracted, to put it mildly, while Maublanc
Emerge from the Waters Renewed and Jefferson are in their own ways desperate for redemption.
In the case where the pack encountered Awoken Turtle, If any characters elicited a response from Burned-to-the-
their totem is visibly perturbed and voices that it can’t con- Bone earlier, she approaches and takes them aside, in the
firm if Awoken Turtle is the same spirit as Turtle. They felt direction of the now-closed riverside café. Through snarls,
familiar but irrevocably changed. The totem is concerned the twitching of her ears, and the shaking of her head, it’s
that if this is Turtle, they may have fallen to the Wyrm and clear she thinks Opened-Cell is compromised and being
buried the corruption deep beneath their shell to make it manipulated by malicious spirits. Burned-to-the-Bone looks
undetectable. to the Shame of Ronin and lowers her nose sadly before
In the case where the pack encountered Awoken Turtle’s brushing up beside the Garou with whom she’s speaking.
messenger, their totem is certain the werewolf was an ances- She’s communicating that regardless, she’ll follow Opened-
tor spirit of the Croatan but had believed that almost every Cell on this path. She has nothing else.

Scene Six: Pig Stink

Croatan spirit and memory was consumed in the tribe’s mass
sacrifice half a millennium ago. What disturbs the totem more
than anything is the green glow of balefire emitting from the The players are likely going to want to plan how best
ancestor spirit’s eye sockets, but no trace of Wyrm taint. The to tackle the Skull Pigs, handle the Ronin, or tie Turtle’s
totem doesn’t know how well this spirit can be trusted. images together with events they’ve experienced. Allow them
As the pack emerges from the waters of the James River, the time to discuss. At this point as Storyteller, it’s useful to
Opened-Cell returns to her Shame of Ronin, where Jefferson note down your players’ theories. If any conflict with content

46 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
in this chronicle but really appeal to them or you, feel free scribe its environment, fixtures, and fittings. The Storyteller
to change the game’s direction. Allow their theories to bear should be mindful of the location and what’s likely to be
out if it’ll provide a satisfying narrative. Likely outcomes of present within to make for a dynamic encounter with lots
the recent scenes include: of props, obstacles, and flavor.
• Wanting to track the Skull Pigs to their source. No matter what occurs during the upcoming fight, em-
This can be done, with difficulty, via the Penumbra and phasize the heady mix of odors, from wild boar to skunky
Battleground Near Realm, as they use this method to pass cannabis, and the rich, intoxicating smell of tobacco and blood.
through Richmond and surrounding territories without
notice. Tracking the Skull Pigs is much easier with a fresh The Bait
trail. Luckily for the pack, one of them will soon encounter As the player character enters their home, they must
a sounder of these vicious beasts. make a Perception + Alertness roll (Difficulty 6) to avoid
• Address the sept at another moot to explain they also the Skull Pig barreling toward them from the shadows. It
encountered Turtle (or one of their messengers). Due to the was lurking in wait with the express purpose of tackling the
doubt with which the sept met them last time, the elders werewolf. If they fail, the Skull Pig rolls to initiate a grapple
don’t permit such a gathering at the territory’s caern. If the (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 297).
characters have befriended any of their fellow packs, they What the werewolf sees when they enter — whether
may be able to form a fringe force of believers. they’re being grappled and gored or evaded the ambush — is
• Encourage or discourage the Shame of Ronin. If the massive Skull Pig from before (King Semyonov) holding
the pack encourages them or says nothing, the Shame sets their roommate/family member/landlord/neighbor up by
out immediately on a hunt for these Skull Pigs, with Emily the neck as he slowly guts them and allows their insides to
Opened-Cell identifying the Blue Ridge Mountains from one uncoil while staring at the newly arrived Garou.
of her visions. Old Rag Mountain (the home of the Cracked The Skull Pigs’ intent here is to drive the werewolf into a
Spine hive) is one such mountain, so it will be a fine place rage, which shouldn’t be difficult. Semyonov then draws his
to start the hunt. If they’re discouraged, the Shame stays put sounder of Skull Pigs in from the Penumbra, where they’re
for only 24 hours before they head off anyway. currently waiting for the signal to pounce. The offal on the
• Look more deeply into the issue of humans sighting floor is their window and Rage acts as a way of weakening
the Umbra. This may appear to be a side-concern to that the Gauntlet for them (see p. XX). While it’d be easier for
of Skull Pigs (which fixate Opened-Cell), but one of the Semyonov to kill a sedate or unsuspecting werewolf, he’s a
clearest visions Turtle sent was of humans witnessing spirits Skull Pig dedicated to battle and enjoys the fight. Plus, it
and finding themselves subjugated by Banes. looks more like a werewolf conflict if the place of battle is
Whatever they decide, it’s now late at night and time utterly ruined.
to travel back to Richmond. The Storyteller should note that there are Skull Pigs
equal to the player character pack size +1 involved in this
Your Home is a Pigsty battle. Semyonov is one of these hogs, the ambushing Skull
The Storyteller should pick one of the player characters. Pig is another, and any more are lurking in the Penumbra
Ideally, they should opt for one who’s had the least to do in until they can break through.
this chronicle so far (it’s likely the Theurge and Galliard have Unfortunately for the player character, the Skull Pigs are
been reasonably busy), one who doesn’t live with their pack- intent on killing (and devouring) them. Their number advan-
mates, and one who has a housemate, Kinfolk who live with tage is likely to give the werewolf considerable problems, but
them or nearby, or a wolf pack with whom they share a den. this wouldn’t be a chance for Glory and ultimately Renown
As they arrive home, they immediately notice something if it were easy. Nonetheless, if the battle’s turning against
amiss in their house or den. There’s a thick smell of pig shit the player character, they shouldn’t die unceremoniously.
and tobacco, as if a party of smokers were hanging around Allow them rolls on Wits + Brawl and Wits + Survival (both
outside burning through pack after pack before entering Difficulty 6) to identify features around them they can use
and despoiling the place. And then, the werewolf hears a to boost their chances, such as:
wailing cry from inside. • Any environmental features already discussed between
How the player character acts in this scene determines the player and the Storyteller.
what follows. If they charge straight in read The Bait. If • The werewolf’s howl reaches the ears of their closest
they call their pack with a howl (or a phone call) and wait packmate (and cuts through the Umbra to any werewolves
outside for backup read The Pains of Patience. in the territory who share their tribe or Auspice).
Note that the setup of the werewolf’s home is between • Attacking Semyonov is a good way of driving the other
the player and the Storyteller, so this chronicle doesn’t pre- Skull Pigs into an uncoordinated frenzy. They attack each

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 47

 Phase Two: If the Garou waits for phase two to charge
in, the ambush from The Bait takes place, and Semyonov’s
victim detailed in that section dies.
Phase Three: If the Garou waits for phase three before
CHEW CIRCINUS entering, the ambush no longer takes place (the Skull Pig
We’re in the business of making people feel grows impatient) and the victim in The Bait dies.
better, but we know you’re scared of smoking. Phase Four: If the Garou waits for phase four, the am-
It’s okay. We understand. bush doesn’t take place, the victim dies, and the sounder of
Skull Pigs has been summoned from the Penumbra.
Have you tried nicotine gum, just to make you
feel better? It’s likely that patience punishes the player character
spiritually, potentially causing a loss of Honor as their friend/
The only answer can be Circinus gum.
relative/acquaintance dies on their watch. If the Garou doesn’t
enter until the entire pack joins them, Semyonov departs, and
the sounder of Skull Pigs remain to fight. His purpose is to
pick off solitary werewolves, not fight entire packs of them.
other to get at the werewolf if they find themselves blocking Umbral Possibilities
each other’s path.
Entering the character’s home via the Umbra opens a
• The Storyteller should always encourage the use of new raft of possibilities for this combat. Notably, the sounder
friendly spirits and the werewolf’s Gifts. If the werewolf is of Skull Pigs are present in the Penumbral version of the
close to death’s door, their pack totem intervenes. It may not home, meaning the character could miss Semyonov and
be enough to turn the tide (King Semyonov is no pushover), the ambushing Skull Pig and instead encounter the hiding
but it buys time. hogs. Alternatively, the rest of the pack (if summoned) may
• The werewolf can always flee, leaving the victim of come to battle the sounder in the Penumbra while the set
Semyonov’s torture to die. This is an outcome Semyonov up character has to fight in the mundane world.
desires, next to the Garou’s death, as it brings even more It’s possible this fight may flow into and out of the Umbra
shame on the Sept of Memories. as Skull Pigs jump in and out of puddles of gore, fueled by
• In the unlikely event the werewolf mentions their werewolf rage, and the Garou follow suit via mirrors, win-
encounter with Turtle or their vision of a boar crushing a dows, and their use of Gnosis. If the Storyteller is prepared
wolf skull, it makes Semyonov back off and disappear into to follow this route it requires a little more bookkeeping to
the Umbra, leaving his Skull Pigs to do the fighting. They, remember where characters are, but can make the combat
too, flee if the werewolf isn’t dead in the next five rounds, a truly memorable, interspatial clash with a lot of fluidity.
as they notice their king has departed.
The Pains of Patience Scene Seven: Hot Trail
If the player character calls their companions before The first thing to address is whether the ambushed player
heading inside, the Storyteller should calculate the “battle character was killed. If so, the group should play on in the
phase” at which they’re likely to arrive. These phases are short term. If the pack didn’t arrive for the battle, they soon
constructs for this sub-scene and Scene Eleven: Circinus discover the werewolf’s half-eaten remains and the destruction
Piedmont only. within the home. If they did arrive and the character still died,
provide time for howls of mourning and vengeance, all of
With a moon bridge or close physical proximity, the
which call Garou from the sept to the location.
characters arrive in phase two. Having to pass through the
Penumbra outside rural Richmond (if the character is in the A player who loses their character in this way has possi-
suburbs or beyond) allows them to arrive in phase three. bilities open to them, with the territory’s Ronin a ripe place
Having to navigate physically from a distance or through the from which to pick a new character if they don’t want to
urban Penumbra has them arriving in phase four. design one afresh.
Phase One: The Garou must decide whether they’re going Secondarily, the Skull Pigs that escaped (even if it’s only
to charge in on phase one or wait for backup. If they charge King Semyonov) leave a reeking trail through the Penumbra.
in, they’re subject to the same ambush as in The Bait, but The pack totem advises them to hold from pursuing it in case
at least have the knowledge their companions will show up it leads to another trap and suggests it follows the trail and
soon (convert the phases to combat rounds as soon as combat discovers where it leads before returning to the werewolves.
commences, with dialogue not advancing phases or rounds). Most Garou follow their totem’s suggestions, but if they’re
reticent, the totem vows not to endanger itself.

48 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 The totem’s findings are returned to the pack in the Sharp Top Mountain, near Piedmont and west of Richmond,
next chapter. but it’s proven inaccessible even via the Umbra.
• If the characters consult with wise spirits or another

Second Intermission pack’s totem, they’re told that it’s possible Skull Pigs — who
gain power through consuming others — could have taken the
ability to pass through the Gauntlet via consuming the remains
As the characters await wisdom and advice from their
totem, it’s possible they spend time burying the dead or of an elder werewolf. The players may correctly connect this
getting the injured to a hospital, then look deeper into the to the vision of a boar crushing a wolf skull in a mountain
Skull Pig activities in Virginia. Given the frequent hints caern, which happens to be inside Sharp Top Mountain.
regarding smoke and the abstract clues from Turtle and his • Even with claims of encountering Turtle, no sept
messenger, the pack have plenty to investigate. elders are convinced the Ronin need to be readmitted to
As with the previous intermission, it can be played or the sept. They still sinned against their brethren and must
rolled. This is another opportunity for players to cement their prove their worth.
characters in the world and elevate supporting characters,
such as other packs in the sept, Kinfolk (who the characters Weekend Denouement
may now feel are at risk), and the Ronin. This chronicle If the characters continue pursuing the Lexi Sunday
doesn’t provide all the answers regarding each of them (the link to the mind and spirit-altering drugs, they discover
Storyteller can add depth as needed), but provides a few something awful. Sunday’s absent from the designated
hooks to expand the tale. The following are some examples meeting place — the community swimming pool — but
of what might occur: witnesses can be questioned with successful Expression or
• A character trying to get their Kinfolk somewhere Intimidation-based rolls (Difficulty 4, as they know Sunday
safe gets shut down by these belligerent relatives, who insist well). They all confirm she was practically frog marched to
that if there’s a battle to fight, they’re not going to spend it her nearby apartment (some of the locals know where she
tucked away on vacation. They’re Gaia’s warriors too, even lives and can point the pack in the right direction) yesterday,
if they can’t shapeshift. and she hasn’t emerged since. The individuals who accom-
• A news interviewer discusses with a Circinus rep that panied her to her apartment were a group of three or four
there’s been ten instances of cannabis-induced mania in Rich- expressionless, suit-wearing executive types.
mond and the surrounding area in as many days and asks whether As the werewolves approach Sunday’s apartment in
Circinus is adding anything to their product. The representative Northern Barton Heights, no roll is required to pick up
states that it’s nothing but pure cannabis and has been tested the putrid, rage-inducing Wyrm taint emerging from her
by Magadon, the FDA, and thousands of happy customers, but apartment. Normal humans in the vicinity have all devel-
unfortunately some people have a lower tolerance to pot than oped hacking coughs and smokers (tobacco or pot) among
others and are advised to start on Green Indica. them find that only smoking takes the edge off. Entering
• The remaining sept elders acknowledge the possibility Sunday’s apartment is no challenge, and even if the Garou
that Skull Pigs must be able to access the Umbra, though bust the door down, nobody in this neighborhood’s likely
neither understand how this can be. Titania requests two to call the cops. Unfortunately, the state of the apartment
packs accompany her into the mountains to track down interior is more like an abattoir than a homely flat.
and support the Shame of Ronin if they’ve already left, but The entire apartment is covered in a spray of blood and
Mountain Crawler denies the decision, explaining that gore, and loose skin and unidentifiable chunks of organs and
Cracked Spine is his responsibility, so he’ll meet the Ronin muscles hang from lampshades and over furniture. An Intel-
there if they’re committed to their course. ligence + Medicine roll (Difficulty 6) identifies that yes, all of
• A player character suffers nightmares similar to the this could have come from one person, but they would have
vision from Turtle, of people on the streets of Richmond been dragged around the apartment and taken apart piece by
gouging their own eyes out as smoke pours from the empty piece while alive to leave this mess. It’s impossible to tell if the
sockets. deceased was Lexi Sunday without a Gift like Visions of Duat
• Researching werewolves of the region through con- (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 191) or the Descent into the
versation with spirits and sept elders reveals that once, long Underworld rite (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 213), though
ago, the Croatan were dominant in this territory. Most of it may be inferred. If the aforementioned Gift or rite are used,
their caerns disintegrated with the tribe’s death, but the or the characters have contact with a mortal or (Gaia forbid) a
revived Cracked Spine caern (now Mountain Crawler’s vampire necromancer, they do indeed discover Sunday’s tortured
responsibility) on Old Rag Mountain and the vacant Tar spirit in a state of intense shock. All she can communicate is
Bay caern are among them. There was another caern inside that she “shouldn’t have stolen from Circinus.”

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 49

 Searching the apartment for clues is tricky with the volume Spades and Clubs, the Storyteller can reward the players
of bodily remains in attendance and requires an Intelligence + for their quick thinking and form tighter bonds between
Investigation roll (Difficulty 7) or a friendly relationship with all the parties involved.
spirits of technology or bloodshed to locate something of use. It’s possible the player characters never pursued a meet-
Even on a failure, it’s possible to find her company ID (she ing with Sunday in the first place, meaning the characters
works for Circinus Piedmont) and a stash of drug money (her are unaware of her death. If they confronted Snowball in
killers weren’t looking for cash). On a success, the werewolves the alley off Main Street, however, and he has cause to
find a still sealed letter postmarked two days prior in her mail, know any of their numbers (perhaps they enlisted him as a
confirming her employment with Circinus has been termi- contact), he hurriedly dials the first number in his phone
nated and her shares absorbed into company funds due to an and screams that he’s being chased, providing his rough
unspecified breach of contract. If they rolled more than one location. Therefore, the werewolves can get to this point
success or spoke with their friendly spirits, the werewolves are via a different arc.
also pointed in the direction of a hidden camera in Sunday’s If Snowball survives, he explains that Sunday got in
lounge wall. It appears her landlord has been spying on her. touch with him a couple of nights ago. Sunday expressed
The Storyteller and players can choose whether a con- her fear that Circinus supervisors had discovered her theft
frontation with the predatory landlord is necessary to the of company materials, and things tended to “end poorly”
plot (it might prove cathartic), but he voluntarily yields the for thieves. She apologized, as she thought she’d have to
filmed footage, which he hasn’t viewed yet, assuming that by slow down the drug supply, not realizing it’d come to a
turning it over the werewolves won’t report him to the cops. dead stop one night later. This is another route for the
The footage is essentially the contents of a snuff film, and protagonists to discover her remains and the actions of the
Storytellers are advised to keep the grotesqueries limited to Circinus supervisors.
what the player group are comfortable handling. In brief, Lexi

Chapter Three:
Sunday comes home with four suited individuals, who push
her through the door and lock it behind them. They demand
to know how much she stole from Circinus, she denies any
such wrongdoing, and then the torture begins. Two of the
suited individuals morph and split until they barely resemble
Sea of Possibilities
The characters’ totem returns to them with guidance
anything human while the others passively watch. Eventually on the Skull Pigs’ trail, but also issues a warning. They’re
she confesses to everything (and more extravagant things just pointed in two directions: Sharp Top Mountain and Circinus
to get them to stop) before they murder her after four excruci- Piedmont, the former closely linked to the Ronin, Turtle,
ating hours. The werewolves can identify the transformations and the Croatan, the latter linked to the human instances of
as those of fomori. Before the suited individuals leave, one Umbral visions, Lexi Sunday, the abstract images of blinded
says to another, “Make a note: We need to tighten operations. mortals, and the pungent smell of smoke all over Richmond.
We need to find out what Fink-Chandleton has in terms of This chapter is very much open to the characters explor-
security. We need to handle any dealers this thief used.” They ing the plot of their preference. While the Skull Pigs likely
then exit through the door into the cover of night. appear to be the more immediate threat, Circinus’s actions
A Snowball’s Chance risk the Veil’s sanctity. As the werewolves make their decision
on how to progress, contacts within different packs should
If the players were very successful in their search of the offer their take on which threat is more severe and whether
apartment, they discovered that Sunday’s dealer would be the sept should move as one or handle both simultaneously.
an upcoming target. They found her via Snowball, and as
Moon Phase: Half
Snowball is Kinfolk, they may feel obliged to warn or save
him, or at least notify the Spades and Clubs pack. Scene Eight:
This scene is deliberately left open due to the variables
in play. If the Storyteller wishes to have another combat The Totem Returns
scene, they might track Snowball down in an alley, on the By now it’s likely the werewolves have shared informa-
receiving end of two fomori ripping him to pieces. The tion with other Garou in their sept, unless the actions of
supervisors’ traits are detailed on p. XX and as ever, the the elders and other packs (Spades and Clubs’ drug abuse,
Storyteller is encouraged to use scenery such as dumpsters, Broad Rock’s bullying, the Whispering Rovers being new
fire escapes, and even vagrants and flaming barrels (don’t and therefore not trusted, etc.) have ostracized the player
make it too Donkey Kong) to enhance the fight. Alternatively, characters from their comrades. If it has, this plays to the
if they get word to him that he needs to run, or warn the Skull Pigs’ plans while furthering Miriam Fink-Chandleton’s

50 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
desires to keep the werewolves away from Circinus. something monstrous on the mountain, it’s possible they’re
The totem returns to the pack shortly after Lexi Sun- still there, or Mountain Crawler’s killer is. Mountain Crawler
day’s remains are discovered (or at an equivalent time, if the seemed certain the caern was purified in the weeks before
Garou didn’t walk down that path), and asks them to enter his death. Thankfully, not many tourists are hiking Old
the Penumbra at the James River caern so it can speak with Rag right now, so the area could be investigated without
complete clarity. As before the Storyteller should describe the danger of witnesses. Revisiting this site would no doubt
the environment: James River caern is a verdant bastion open a lot of old psychological wounds for veterans of the
in an urban hub, with enormous floral growth around it Cracked Spine battle. A Survival-based roll (Difficulty 6)
and crystal-clear waters washing over it; the rain has finally allows the characters to prepare everything they need for
stopped, leaving a sticky humidity in the air. The half-moon a hike here, though convincing other packs to accompany
in the sky sits boldly among the stars, providing reassur- them requires an Expression-based roll (Difficulty 7) due
ance to the pack if they’ve been following their sept laws, to the previous traumas linked to the mountain and the
or judgment against them if they’ve consorted too closely fact that the werewolves endangered there are Ronin. Old
with Ronin or against the elder. Spray from the river feels prejudices die hard.
refreshing near the caern and allows all characters in the Sharp Top Mountain is close to Roanoke, a city with
Penumbra to recover a point of Gnosis and Willpower up profound importance in the Croatan myths and history.
to their maximum. It’s a much tougher hike than Old Rag, but also one of the
When encountered, the totem speaks with urgency most popular mountains for hikers and mountaineers to
but without the riddles and symbols so many spirits use. It tackle, making witnesses likely. The rumors of a caern in
explains that it followed the Skull Pigs’ trail, though it split Sharp Top have never been verified as the caern is said to
into two directions. One led to the Blue Ridge Parkway, be inside the mountain, and no werewolves have found a
near Roanoke, where the Wyrm’s stink obscured the trail means of accessing it physically or via the Umbra. A Surviv-
as it closed in on Sharp Top Mountain. The other trail led al-based roll (Difficulty 7) tells the pack the only reasonable
to Piedmont and the Circinus tobacco and cannabis fields way of tackling Sharp Top Mountain is via the Umbra, as
and plant there. The totem is certain the Skull Pig leader mountaineers could become collateral damage in a pitched
headed in the direction of the mountain and doesn’t know battle, not to mention it’s a physically arduous climb even
who or what left the trail leading to Circinus, though it along the hiking trails. As the Skull Pigs’ trail leads here,
suspects a confluence of major Banes. other werewolves in the sept are hot to trot and require no
This isn’t the only piece of information the totem must persuasion rolls to convince them to head that way. The issue
convey. After the encounter involving Emily Opened-Cell, is how to get inside, if the caern is the goal. The totem said
it was concerned about the Shame of Ronin who headed it reeks of the Wyrm, so there may be Blights a pack could
into the mountains. The totem sought out the Ronin, only drop into, but even the bravest of werewolves are fearful of
to find the remains of sept elder Mountain Crawler in Old risking contamination in such a way.
Rag Mountain to the north, who apparently died defending Circinus Piedmont is the company headquarters. While
the renewed Cracked Spine caern. Again, the stench of the it’s not the largest of the Circinus fields or plants these days,
Wyrm was strong around his remains, but the totem con- it’s the one that appears on all the ads and is also where the
fesses, scared, that it doesn’t know whether the Ronin killed company CEO Miriam Fink-Chandleton has her mansion,
Mountain Crawler, if it was the Skull Pigs, or something else. on the outskirts of the tobacco fields. Despite the risk to
The players have several weighty choices before them, the Veil, the sept’s werewolves require a lot of persuasion
and only one or two sept elders remaining in Titania and to head this way, the Expression-based roll (Difficulty 8) is
possibly Pallazzo. They fall into a somber mood if told about truly challenging, because the Skull Pigs are taking werewolf
Mountain Crawler’s death. If pushed, Titania’s desire is to lives while Circinus just appears to be meddling with some
take the entire sept to Sharp Top Mountain as a final, all-or- human minds, and they’ve barely scraped double digits (in
nothing assault against the Wyrm. She says, “It’s what the Richmond, anyway). Finding out the layout of the Circinus
Croatan would do,” but doesn’t seem convinced of her words. plant and fields requires a Computer or Investigation-based
roll (Difficulty 7). Alternatively, the Garou could book
Surveying the Battlefield themselves as part of the Circinus tour: the Piedmont plant
The player characters may exercise caution before racing is popular enough to take groups of prospective investors
off in any direction and research the prospective fields of and interested tourists around the safe parts of their facility,
battle. and even gives you a complimentary pouch of tobacco on
Old Rag Mountain is hours away from the other two your way out.
sites, but was also the staging ground for the sept’s assault Whichever route the player characters choose shouldn’t
against the Black Spiral Dancers. If the Ronin encountered restrict them from accessing the other scenes in this chapter.
THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 51
However, the Storyteller should be prepared to move the the players for their characters to recall a moment from the
plot forward to express the passage of time. Thus, if they battle that took place across the mountain and down into
go to Old Rag Mountain first, by the time they reach Sharp the hive near its peak. If they can tell a short tale of glory,
Top Mountain the rest of the sept have paid the toll to enter honor, or wisdom, the characters should gain a point in the
the Skull Pigs’ lair, losing many of their number. If they go linked trait. Memories of loss, trauma, and horror should
to Circinus Piedmont before Old Rag Mountain, they may be awarded with gained Willpower.
get there before King Semyonov, but Burned-to-the-Bone Characters may opt to reach the Cracked Spine caern via
likely dies on the mountainside, and Geoff Maublanc is lost a moon bridge, though with Mountain Crawler’s death the
forever to the Battleground Near Realm, etc. moon bridge falls short and deposits them in the Penumbra
There’s no perfect route. Each one comes with sacrifice. on the mountainside. They can also climb the mountain

Scene Nine:
exclusively in the Penumbra (it’s only a Difficulty of 5 to
enter here), where despite the purification it’s undergone,
Old Rag Mountain cancerous lumps and barely healed Blights still scar the sur-
face, with minor Banes clustering around them like maggots
Old Rag Mountain has hiking trails and rest stops, but on a rotten wound. The Storyteller can have these Banes
the pack will already be aware that the Cracked Spine caern attack the werewolves or flee. A battle on the mountainside
isn’t on any tourist route. Reaching it requires scaling sheer is dramatic and dangerous if the scenery is involved in play,
surfaces and prying their way through narrow crevasses to and if it takes place in the Penumbra, a fall from the moun-
reach otherwise inaccessible parts of the mountain. Forcing tain may result in a drop into a deeper level of the Umbra.
rolls for every step of the climb isn’t much fun, but the However, the Storyteller should weigh up whether a battle’s
Storyteller should have the characters make a few Athletics appropriate at this point depending on the players’ tastes
and Survival-based rolls (Difficulty 7) covering the dramatic and the momentum of the story.
moments, such as climbing with their fingertips, vaulting
over gaps in the rock, and the point at which hooks or Body on the Path
ropes (if they’re using such equipment) pop free from the As the characters make their ascent, they hear the pitiful
mountain surface. mewls of an injured wolf somewhere nearby. With a success-
The Storyteller should combine descriptions of the ful Perception + Survival roll (Difficulty 6) or by spending
high-altitude conditions (harsh winds, low temperatures, time scouring the area, they find the horribly injured body
tumbling rocks, the distant view of the land below) with the of Burned-to-the-Bone in Lupus form wedged between
traumatic memories of their assault on Cracked Spine. Rather two jagged, tight slopes. She would appear to have fallen
than relying on a prescribed list of remembered events, ask here. Removing her from the crevasse requires a Strength

52 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
+ Survival roll (Difficulty 7), and doing so without causing up here following the battle. It’s so safeguarded that even a
further injury requires another character to assist with a moon bridge cannot breach its protective aura.
Perception + Medicine roll (Difficulty 6). A failure renders Spirits in the region of the caern can be addressed,
her unconscious, while a botch at this point kills her during though if they’re threatened in any way, they launch the
the extraction as her heart gives out. offending werewolf from the cave and off the mountain,
If removed alive from the gap in the rocks, it’s apparent requiring a Stamina + Athletics roll (Difficulty 7) to resist
Burned-to-the-Bone’s injuries are of two forms: something their force. The spirits witnessed Mountain Crawler’s battle
gored and bit her before the rocks broke her bones and body. with a sounder of at least twelve Skull Pigs, including one
She’s close to death but can be stabilized with a healing Gift they refer to as “King Semyonov.” They attempted to assist
or an excellent (and fast) Wits + Medicine roll (Difficulty 8). the sept elder but Semyonov confused them with his pres-
If conscious, she explains the Ronin first visited Sharp Top ence, as he felt strongly like he was a follower of Turtle. The
Mountain, where they followed the lead Skull Pig’s trail here. Shame of Ronin arrived during the battle and attempted
They arrived at Cracked Spine caern only to find Mountain to assist Mountain Crawler, but he was already gravely in-
Crawler under attack from these Skull Pigs, and while a battle jured and the Skull Pig numbers were too many. Mountain
was fought, she was injured and thrown from the mountain Crawler fell, Burned-to-the-Bone was thrown from the cave,
by the Skull Pig leader before she could see the outcome. and the remaining three Ronin were snatched away by King
Burned-to-the-Bone asks to be left at the mountainside Semyonov and the surviving Skull Pigs.
(or carried to the caern, if the characters insist on her being This scene was Semyonov’s last attempt at implicating
moved) to die or find Gaia’s healing. She feels she sacrificed werewolves for the deaths of other werewolves (it’s a plot he
herself for the caern, as she was meant to do at the battle thinks is overly elaborate). Opened-Cell’s necklace at the scene
against the Black Spiral Dancers, and is now content to proves little at this point, especially if the characters spoke
meet her reward. with the spirits in this area. If Semyonov dropped it here, it’s
because he’s tired of playing Fink-Chandleton’s game.
Cracked Spine Caern
The caern sits near the mountain peak in a cave filled Old Rag Blight
with thick moss and fungus. The cave once led to tunnels As before, Semyonov and his Skull Pigs escaped this area
stretching into a Black Spiral Dancer hive, but most of those (dragging the brutalized Ronin with them) via the Penumbra
tunnels have been collapsed, with the remaining ones just before entering the Battleground Near Realm via one of the
leading to verdant grottos. Mountain Crawler’s eviscerated Blights on the mountain, which the Skull Pigs forced open.
body lays in the caern, the turquoise necklace (remember that, This means the trail leads directly into an open Blight and if
from Chapter One?) amid the remains if it wasn’t left with the player characters want to follow, they’ll need to squeeze
Pallazzo’s body. Also surrounding the caern are the rapidly through the Blight themselves.
decomposing, ripped apart bodies of at least five Skull Pigs. If the pack enters the Blight in pursuit of the Skull Pigs,
An Intelligence + Medicine roll (Difficulty 8) tells the they find themselves in an enormous rancid pigsty filled
werewolves that some of Mountain Crawler’s remains are with wolf remains, unidentifiable gore, and the strong reek
missing, and given their encounters with the Skull Pigs so of tobacco and cannabis smoke. Banes coalesce freely in this
far, it’s likely they were eaten. place and are unlikely to allow the werewolves safe passage
An Intelligence + Investigation roll (Difficulty 6) reveals without trying to lead them into traumatic visions or taking
the scuff and gouge marks in the dirt and rocks are from chunks from them as they pass. The Storyteller should define
boars and wolves, some of unusual size, and not all matching some of these experiences as the characters follow the trail
Mountain Crawler’s dimensions. There was a fight here through the Blight, with some examples including:
between Garou and Skull Pigs, but the only wolf remains • A farmhouse where a hazy image of a pig-man cleaves
here are those of the sept elder. up the corpse of a wolf before feeding it to a family of skull-
On the Umbral side, the caern feels utterly peaceful and faced piglets. Characters must make a Rage roll (Difficulty
rich in power. An uneven sphere of sorts surrounds the area 7) to resist diving at the pig-man, who is a Bane-constructed
in which the caern sits, formed with a great expenditure of illusion. If they fall for the trick, the Banes attempt to enter
Gnosis and spiritual sacrifice. No roll is required to identify the angered werewolf, ripping at the Garou’s mind and re-
that this caern is now in Gaia’s hands due to the valiant moving one Willpower for every round the illusion’s believed.
battle the Sept of Memories fought. Spirits of nature, of • A swamp of mulch, manure, and bones with the
the mountain, and fragments of the lost Garou linger here, tormented remains of fallen werewolves reaching up to
basking in the caern’s warmth. Mountain Crawler hasn’t left drag the characters down into the muck. Characters must
any traces here (perhaps due to his being partially consumed), succeed at a Strength or Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty
but it’s clear to see why the sept elder spent so much time 6) to pull free or risk having their flesh sucked from their
THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 53
bones, suffering one aggravated damage for each round If the characters follow the trail through Battleground,
spent immersed in the pigsty. they stumble upon the raging Geoff Maublanc — one of the
• The Banes cursing and spitting at the characters that sept’s Ronin — locked in combat with Black Spiral Dancers
“King Semyonov’s going to eat your guts” and “the Time of and defending the spiritual remains of his pack. He’s covered
the Wolf is now the Era of the Pig.” in scars and in the thick of battle, spinning like a dervish
• Noxious gases fill the air and choke the werewolves, as he cuts through the Wyrm’s wolves and cries out for his
sprayed from suppurating orifices in this Blight’s surfaces. kin. He lashes out at the Garou if they engage him, though
Characters must succeed on Stamina + Survival rolls (Dif- he doesn’t strike out lethally unless attacked. It requires an
ficulty 7) to not take one aggravated damage for each round Appearance + Expression roll (Difficulty 7) to turn him from
spent in the poisonous gas cloud. this battle into which he’s become locked.
• A scene plays out of Semyonov — then just a Skull If a character can free Maublanc, he explains that fighting
Pig like any other — unearthing the bones of a wolf and in Battleground is how he intends to make it up to his fallen
crunching them up before placing the remaining pieces of pack. He’s completely blinded to the plight of his fellow
the wolf’s skull atop his head and changing form. Ronin or the broader sept and requires a Manipulation +
Once they’ve experienced these visions, they must dive Empathy roll (Difficulty 8) to convince him to leave this place
into a bloody pool leading them deeper into the Umbra if and speak with any kind of lucidity. If they’re successful,
they wish to proceed. Retreat is always an option. Maublanc confesses the Near Realm played on his grief and
failure. He was able to escape the Skull Pigs as they pulled
Dive into Battleground Jefferson, Opened-Cell, and he through here, but then he
If the werewolves take the plunge into the bloody witnessed the Pure Planet pack — his people — locked in
pool, they find themselves rising to their feet and paws in conflict with the Black Spiral Dancers who killed them
the phantom scene of several great battles taking place on and became muddled. A lucid Maublanc explains that the
Old Rag Mountain. Most recognizable among them is the big Skull Pig mentioned taking the Ronin to the “Circinus
battle for Cracked Spine involving the Black Spiral Dancers. supervisors” and “ending this ridiculous subterfuge.”
Characters will recognize their fallen comrades still locked Maublanc remains here unless a character refers to the
in conflict with similarly fallen Black Spiral Dancers, now Ronin as his pack now, or explains he’ll regain his lost honor
forever engaged in the war they fought here. only by saving them. In such a case, he realizes this is his new
The other battles taking place are less obvious but are truth, and accompanies the player characters on their journey.
clearly historical. With an Intelligence + Academics roll
(Difficulty 7, 6 if there are Wendigo or Uktena in the pack)
The Way Out
they might recognize the runes and paint of the Croatan Characters follow the trail through Battleground, which
battling here against European invaders, their fellow Natives, appears on an increasingly steep incline, until they dive into
and even Skull Pigs once prevalent in this place. the gunpowder and tobacco-smelling fog of battle and find
themselves in the Penumbral reflection of Circinus Piedmont.
Battleground is a Near Realm of constant conflict and
strife (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 330) and the battles The Storyteller should read all of Scene Eleven: Circi-
taking place here aren’t illusions. Werewolves can fight nus Piedmont and determine the best place (and time) for
here and temporarily die here. Or, they can find fresh glory, the characters to arrive, along with events that have already
make amends for previous wrongs on the battlefield, and occurred there, before heading to that part of the chronicle.
save brothers and sisters who fell in times past. The Skull Battleground was an intense place, so this is a fine area for
Pigs have been using Battleground as their primary plane players to take a break as the Storyteller plots their next move.
of transit since Semyonov developed intelligence and the
Scene Ten:
Sharp Top Mountain
ability to navigate the Umbra.
The Storyteller should be sure to emphasize the cacoph-
onous noise in a place like this. Constant howls, the clashing Sharp Top Mountain is a place of mythical significance
of metal, the screams of the dying and the victorious, the to the local Garou, as it’s believed to have contained a major
pleading of the pained and desperate, are unending in Bat- Croatan, Turtle-dedicated caern within it. If the werewolves
tleground. The players should also feel the pull of engaging are making their way up the mountain along hiking trails in
in old fights, regardless of their present intentions, due to daytime, they must contend with tourists making the same
the warrior’s call all Garou feel. This is a good opportunity popular trip, with the added complication that the caern
for characters to explore their past actions (even ones that isn’t accessible via the surface (if it even still exists). Night-
took place in the character’s history rather than in this time hiking is tremendously difficult here if done off-trail
chronicle) and relive or alter them. (check some of the example climbing challenges in Scene

54 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Nine: Old Rag Mountain and increase the Difficulty by If the characters succeed their Stealth-based rolls, they
up to two for each). get the drop on the Skull Pigs guarding the mountain,
The only discreet method of accessing Sharp Top though in all cases, the Skull Pigs attempt to retreat before
Mountain is via the Umbra, though doing so provides the dying. They’re charged with protecting the caern within
werewolves with a disturbing experience. In the Penumbra, (which does exist) and lead any pursuers right to the Blight
physical reflections of geography, structures, and sometimes that takes them to it.
even people are distorted due to their spiritual energy and
leanings. In the Penumbra, Sharp Top Mountain is a per-
The Long and Bloody Clash
manently storm-battered mountain of even greater size than The caern’s been a thing of mystery for so long since the
in the physical world, its peak inaccessible even to totems Croatan’s great sacrifice, no werewolves have been able to
with the capacity for flight, as wind, hail, and jagged rocks access it. Where the Garou failed, the Skull Pigs succeeded.
whip around it like a hurricane. Characters can make an When King Semyonov devoured Croatan remains, he was
Intelligence + Cosmology or Occult roll (Difficulty 6) to know able to dig a Blight through to the caern. This Blight exists
Sharp Top Mountain hasn’t always been this way. Theurges only in the Umbra, though in the Penumbra and on the
used to talk of how placid the entire area was, as if it was surface world alike, the area where the Blight is situated has
completely abandoned one day and nothing ever returned a sounder of at least ten Skull Pigs lurking, hidden around
to repopulate it. If they experienced Tar Bay’s Umbra, they’ll it. In the mundane world, the Blight’s location appears as
have experienced such a spiritual vacancy before. a barren stretch of rocky ground marked with scores from
If the player characters consulted with the remaining Skull Pig tusks. In the Penumbra, the Blight appears as a
sept elders before heading to Sharp Top Mountain, they’ll festering red wound in the earth — a wound carved into Gaia.
find themselves in good company: Titania is commanding The combat at the Blight entrance is a fierce one. The
an assault on the Skull Pigs of Sharp Top Mountain and has Skull Pigs won’t hold back, won’t retreat, and are more tacti-
dispatched the Broad Rock and Stained Leaves packs into the cally sound than most of their brethren (they don’t push each
Penumbra while the Spades and Clubs and Snake Trackers other aside to reach a bleeding Garou, for instance, and they
handle the surface. Only the Whispering Rovers hang back issue commands and suggestions to each other with squeals).
in Richmond in case of a surprise counter-offensive. The This is a good opportunity for a long and complex combat
players’ pack can opt for whichever route they prefer while on a precarious surface, involving several packs and a large
Titania does the opposite, her abilities matching those of contingent of Skull Pigs. As before, invoke the scenery, the
an entire pack at the protagonists’ Rank. harsh (and unnatural) weather, and crucially, invoke the spirits
This scene involves a lot of fighting, so Storytellers need active in this battle as Banes conflict with spirits friendly with
to be prepared with the rules for combat and to invoke all the Garou, and totems even rise to the occasion.
that glorious mountain scenery and, if in the Umbra, the The fight is not supposed to be easy, and to punctuate its
raging storm smashing into anyone on its surface. deadliness, the Storyteller should occasionally call out how
one of their sept brethren has taken a grievous wound or
Mountain Ambushes been killed, and have the characters notice another member
As the characters ascend, they must make Dexterity + of their sept in distress on occasion and ask if they’re going
Stealth rolls (Difficulty 7) to avoid the notice of the Skull to save them from toppling over the precipice, from being
Pigs and their watchful Banes. If any character fails this roll, pincered between two ferocious Skull Pigs, from succumbing
the Skull Pigs don’t cluster together to attack; they squeeze to an onslaught from Banes getting into their head, or from
into crevices between the rocks, hunker down on ledges, taking a suicidal action.
and lurk behind boulders. Their preference is surprise as Ensure every player character has the opportunity to
frankly, a werewolf jumped and pushed off a ledge, before make at least one potent, memorable move or take at least
being smashed on the rocks, makes for a fine buffet. one devastating blow from the enemy before drawing the
The Storyteller should vary their description of the combat to a close. The opposition numbers are left vague
mountain as gorgeous and untouched with sudden bursts because the combat should run for as long as the players
of violence from these Skull Pigs. This surprise is unlikely enjoy it. The Storyteller should keep in mind, however, that
to work more than a couple of times, so choose shocking it’s better to end a fight dramatically than to drag it out until
moments to suddenly barrel into one of the werewolves with the Garou (or Skull Pigs) are stomping paste. When they
a Skull Pig or send down a cascade of heavy rocks. No such reach this dramatic conclusion and some Skull Pigs remain,
action should result in immediate death, but a werewolf but are engaged with other members of the sept, Titania (or
tumbling down the mountainside gripping hold of a Skull another appropriate Garou) commands the player characters
Pig, trying to ensure the Skull Pig lands first, is an exciting to “Jump into the Blight!”
scene to play out.
THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 55
Sharp Top Blight on the back of a giant turtle or taking shelter under their
totem’s shell. If the characters don’t make the connection,
When the characters enter the Blight, they immediately an Intelligence + Enigmas or Rituals roll (Difficulty 6) tells
notice something strange: None of the Skull Pigs follow. them this was once a Croatan caern.
They can’t linger on this thought for long, however. They’re • The newer markings on the walls are cruder but clear
sucked through this pulsing wound in the earth, exposed with it. They’ve been daubed in offal and excrement and
to all manner of reaching tendrils and burning oozes, make the werewolves think of the scrawled ravings of some-
requiring each character to make three rolls on Stamina + one in a padded cell. They don’t need to roll to understand
Primal-Urge (Difficulty 6) to avoid losing a choice of one someone has been self-aggrandizing in these markings, laying
aggravated damage, the loss of one Gnosis, or the loss of them over the Croatan pictures to paint themselves as a king
one Willpower for each roll failed. If they drop to zero in or god. They depict a pig who became a man, wore a wolf
Gnosis or Willpower, they become lost in this Wyrm-tainted head for a crown, and was then worshiped by pigs, humans,
aspect of the Umbra, sucked into Gaia’s corrupted flesh. and wolves alike. Worryingly, this illustrated Skull Pig is
They drop through the crack and land unceremoniously depicted with a turtle shell and eyes that glow green in this
on an immense mound of broken bones and dried skins. The Umbral environment. On a Wits + Alertness or Investigation
opening above them seals shut. This place is still clearly the roll (Difficulty 6) the pack can identify the depicted Skull
Umbra, as any werewolves who try to reach through to the Pig as King Semyonov, as he’s accurately drawn despite the
real world find the place collapsed with stone. Somewhere materials used to illustrate him.
in this mountain of wolf, human, and even some visibly • Some of the scrawled markings on the walls are de-
metis remains is the former Sharp Top caern. Nothing cipherable with an Intelligence + Enigmas roll (Difficulty
lives within here but the memories of the dead. The cavern 7). While many have been scratched out, it appears the
housing these remains is the size of a house, and the walls writer is mainly marking the surface to remind himself of
are painted with symbols and scrawled with words. certain facts (there’s a lot of repetition and correction).
This Blight feels like death. Unlike others of its kind, Words include, “Miriam Fink-Chandleton Circinus patron,”
its not riddled with Banes or other scales of the Wyrm. It’s “supervisors hold my crown,” “pick the wolves off one by
a tomb with no obvious way in or out. one,” “Circinus expands too fast monitor,” and a marking
Once the characters have their bearings, they may choose that once read, “turn wolves on each other” now reads, “too
how to investigate this Blight. They might pursue any of the complicated just kill.”
following paths: • Any attempt to summon spirits or their totem into
• Haphazardly digging through the bones makes the this caern are failures, as are attempts to leave this place
entire cavern shake, and somehow even more bones fall before the markings on the walls have been examined (the
from the ceiling and walls where they weren’t visible before. hidden caern remains hidden unless the Garou part the
They collide with the werewolves sharply, dealing two lethal bones with their howls). After examining all the illustrations
damage for each attempt at digging, unless the werewolf and writings, a character can cleave through the Umbral
succeeds on a Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty 8) to walls of this Blight with a Strength + Brawl roll (Difficulty 7,
avoid these bone flechettes. requiring 10 successes), though each failure results in toxic
• Howling for the Croatan or Turtle in this cave is a way bile burning their skin for two lethal damage.
of parting the bones in a way that doesn’t draw retaliation. If the pack succeeds in carving their way free, the Umbral
The sonic force from the howl makes the bones burst with caern closes behind them. Whether they can find it again
energy and forms a pathway through the mound. Doing is up to the Storyteller. If one leaves the rest behind, they
this may not feel intuitive, but an Intelligence + Enigmas still need 10 successes on the previous roll to cut themselves
or Rituals (Difficulty 7) roll encourages the characters to do out. Escapees are deposited 500 feet down from their pre-
this by instinct. Each howl requires a Charisma or Strength + vious location on Sharp Top Mountain and emerge from
Expression or Performance roll (Difficulty 6, requiring seven a blood-red rockface.
total successes). Each time they fail, the werewolf loses one
Willpower as the howl is taken from them, consumed amid The Lost Caern
the bones. Each time they succeed, the bones part further. If the werewolves took the risk of howling their Willpow-
Once the werewolves have successfully howled seven times, er away and succeeded, they reveal the ancient stones of a
read The Lost Caern. long forgotten caern, now exhumed from its bone carapace.
• Studying the oldest pictures on the walls requires The caern bears a flickering light in the Umbra, as if life
no roll. They can identify the oldest pictures as hundreds, in there is struggling to exist. As no spirits are present in
maybe thousands of years old. They depict wolves becoming the cave, werewolves must interact with the caern directly
men and vice-versa, and the werewolves alternately riding to benefit from it.
56 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 The player characters may choose any number of ways They see Semyonov opening a Blight in the mountain to reach
to handle this caern. Continuing to howl at it, speaking the caern and forbidding the other Skull Pigs from following. This
to it, or in any way verbally communicating with it makes is his throne.
the embers within flicker with more light and a little heat, They see Turtle stirring in his slumber.
but it’s insufficient to revive it. A single Garou touching And then the vision ends. The walls now shimmer
the caern loses one temporary Gnosis just through contact reflectively and the Garou can hear the concern from their
with it. Nevertheless, it draws that same werewolf to touch totem and the ongoing clash between their kin and the
it again. It wants the contact. What it needs, however, is remaining Skull Pigs. They can pass into and out of this
contact from the entire pack. If the players don’t come to caern as they see fit. Each one of them regains one point of
this conclusion on their own, they can make an Intelligence Gnosis and Willpower.
+ Rituals roll (Difficulty 6) to work it out. Otherwise, each
individual Garou who touches the caern loses one temporary The Way Forward
Gnosis, and this goes on until they all touch it. Characters emerging onto the mountainside can conclude
Touching the caern — truly just a small mound of ig- the battle with the Skull Pigs (which should be a montage of
neous rocks with a glowing ember inside — bombards the swift actions at this point) before making their choice of how
Garou with visions. to proceed. If they consult with the sept’s survivors and inform
They see the Croatan in this cave centuries before, preparing them of their discovery in the mountain, Titania or Pallazzo (if
for their war with Eater-of-Souls. alive) suggests that the pack takes on Circinus in Piedmont or
They see the last remaining Croatan sealing themselves and investigates Old Rag Mountain (unless they’ve already been to
their Kinfolk away in this cave, sacrificing themselves to keep the either). The pack totem said there was a confluence of Banes
caern safe and out of the Wyrm’s reach. heading toward Circinus Piedmont, and Mountain Stalker’s
They see each one of those individuals opening their veins or killer could still be at the Old Rag caern. Whatever the pack
succumbing to thirst or starvation as they die for the caern. do, the remainder of the sept do the alternative once they’re
sure the Skull Pigs have been mopped up.
They see the caern going for centuries without molestation.
However they proceed, the Storyteller should read all of
They see King Semyonov unearthing a Croatan wolf skull and
the next scene and determine the best place (and time) for
breaking it between his teeth.
the characters to arrive, along with events that have already
They see Semyonov wading into the James River and screeching
occurred there.
for Turtle.

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 57

Scene Eleven:
retinal and lung damage. This is where the werewolves appear
if they came here straight from the Battleground Near Realm,
Circinus Piedmont and where King Semyonov and his few remaining Skull Pigs
have dragged Emily Opened-Cell and Desiree Jefferson. As
Circinus Piedmont offers different challenges depend- with the events in Scene Six: Pig Stink, events that take place
ing on the time of day it’s approached. During the day, the in the chemical plant come down to phases.
pack will run afoul of day workers in the fields and plant. At If the Garou came to Circinus Piedmont before visiting
night, it’s more likely they’ll encounter security. One thing’s either mountain, they arrive here on phase one (unless
for certain: They’ll encounter the supervisors whenever they something slowed them down in another part of Circinus
arrive, as there’s one in every division of Circinus. What’s Piedmont).
more, the fomori among them are mentally bonded and If the Garou followed Semyonov through the Battle-
can summon each other with a simple mental flex, ripping ground, they arrive here on phase two.
through the Umbra to arrive at each other’s sides.
If the Garou handled one of the mountains and came
The Storyteller’s encouraged to make Circinus Brands to Circinus Piedmont after, they arrive here on phase three.
appear as a legitimate, thriving tobacco, chems, and cannabis
If the Garou handled both mountains and then came
plant (it is), with 90% of its workers lacking supernaturally
to Circinus Piedmont via the Umbra, they arrive here on
malevolent intent. The crops and chemicals here aren’t in
phase four.
themselves Wyrm-tainted (except where the supervisors plant
seed Banes) — tobacco isn’t more evil than any other crop by If the Garou handled both mountains and then came
its nature — but in the decades Circinus has operated as part to Circinus Piedmont via mundane means, they arrive here
of Pentex, Banes have sprouted in the earth, occupy much on phase five.
of the machinery, and have grown in the hearts of some of Any conflict that takes place in the chemical plant
its employees (Miriam Fink-Chandleton being key among should be awash (literally) with toxic liquids and gases. Fights
them, though anyone with a vice has likely been targeted). should take to gantries and be on the edge of seething vats
Due to the variety of reasons for which the characters of acid. Barrels of corrosive chemicals should be launched,
could be coming to Circinus (on a hunch, following the and the risk of flammable products exploding be ever pres-
Bane trail their totem told them about, following Semyonov ent. Make this a battle in the Wyrm’s modern lair, though
through Battleground, any other reason), this scene doesn’t don’t forget to apply penalties to any werewolves fighting
follow a linear progression but handles the encounter at the inside this place. The air is acrid and destructive, meaning
facility through means of geography. difficulties to concentrate, see, and even exert oneself for
an extended period increase the longer a character’s in
If the characters arrived here via Battleground, they
there (consider increasing the Difficulty of actions by one
appear in the Penumbral reflection of the Circinus chemi-
for every two rounds spent fighting). Fomori and Skull Pigs
cal plant, and the Storyteller should read Chemical Plant.
and unaffected, but human supervisors must wear breathing
Otherwise, the Storyteller should review the possibilities and protective apparatuses.
of Circinus Fields, Fink Mansion, and The Tour, and pick
In terms of antagonist action during any conflict, the
whatever matches the players’ designs, making modifications
supervisors and Skull Pigs fight until destroyed. King Semy-
and choosing elements from other parts of this scene to
onov has no qualms about cutting open one of his own Skull
make for the most gripping tale.
Pigs and fleeing into the Umbra if the battle goes poorly
Chemical Plant for him. If he’s caught in battle, such a fight should span
The Circinus chemical plant is where the crops get the world above, the Penumbra, and Battleground, shifting
treated, where the chems are mixed for their various vape constantly between all three in a fluid manner.
and gum products, and where Wyrm-tainted members of the If Miriam Fink-Chandleton is present, she attempts to
Circinus organization dispose of the bodies. They discovered flee. If caught, she physically bursts open into a swarm of
long ago that burying bodies among their crops harms the Banes. The Storyteller should adjust the numbers of Skull
tobacco, and these days consider it more expedient, less Pigs and supervisors present to make for a tightly contested
costly, and ultimately less likely to be discovered if they just battle, in whichever phase a battle takes place. In phases largely
dissolve their enemies in one of the many highly potent acid given to conversation, the player characters can interrupt at
mixtures they have in vats and barrels. any point. Doing so draws an aggressive response.
Due to the chemistry at play in the plant, the air around Each phase is described as follows:
this place tastes as bad as it smells. People don’t enter this place Phase One: The characters arrive before Semyonov,
without goggles and respirators on because spending too long which means when he and his sounder of Skull Pigs arrive
exposed to this plant is a good way of suffering permanent via the Penumbra with the two Ronin alongside them, the

58 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
pack has the drop on them. They can remain hidden (jump Phase Four: Two things occur abruptly if the player
to phase two) or ambush the Skull Pigs. If jumped, King characters arrive at (or wait until) this phase. Supervisors
Semyonov announces “Circinus betrayed us!”, mistakenly drag Miriam Fink-Chandleton into the chemical plant at
believing the Garou are in the company’s service. this point but simultaneously, with a terrible scream, the
If the characters attempt to engage Semyonov in conver- hurt Desiree Jefferson is launched from one of the gantries
sation, he’s wary and prepared to bolt back into the Umbra at into a vat of chemicals.
any moment. He’ll divulge that he’s a Skull Pig king with the Fink-Chandleton’s alarmed to see the sudden murder of
mind and spirit of a Croatan (his words and belief, though a young woman (she doesn’t know initially that Jefferson’s a
it may not be accurate) and that Miriam Fink-Chandleton werewolf), though a Perception + Empathy roll (Difficulty 6)
enlisted him and his sounder to cause dissension among reveals she’s startled rather than appalled; she’s clearly wit-
the Garou to distract them from Circinus activities. At the nessed and orchestrated her own share of killings. Before Emily
first moment of conflict, he spends the first round cutting Opened-Cell takes a similar plunge, the various Wyrm servants
one of his Skull Pigs open and entering the Umbra via its start arguing. The supervisors admonish Fink-Chandleton
blood, leaving the Ronin and remaining sounder of three for acting with the Skull Pigs without consulting them; King
Skull Pigs to fight. He prefers battles tipped in his favor. Semyonov proclaims he won’t be treated like some ignorant
Phase Two: King Semyonov and the Skull Pigs are slave by rank fomori; Fink-Chandleton announces that this
already at the chemical plant, with the Skull Pigs screech- kind of activity will draw too many eyes to Circinus and get
ing and whining loudly, signaling the Circinus supervisors the company closed and people arrested.
to attend this emergency meeting. If the characters arrive It’s highly likely the werewolves will get involved at this
stealthily, with a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 7) to point. If they attempt to vault over the chemical vat and save
remain hidden, they get to observe the fomori supervisors Jefferson, it requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty
arrive and question what brings the Skull Pigs to Circinus. 8), though some werewolf Gifts could boost their chances
Semyonov offers that they’ve murdered Garou at at succeeding.
Fink-Chandleton’s behest, and just today killed a sept elder Phase Five: In the event characters reach this phase
(Mountain Crawler) at their behest, and they’ve now bring without combat breaking out, Desiree Jefferson’s already in
these werewolves (the Ronin) as sacrifice. Semyonov expresses the chemicals, a raging argument between Wyrm servants
that he’s tired of playing Fink-Chandleton’s distraction games takes place at ground level, and the Skull Pigs on the gantry
and wants the supervisors to install him and his sounder as attempt to hoist Emily Opened-Cell into the acid. The su-
the bosses at Circinus. pervisors have had enough of this chaos, and as the phase
If the Garou go on watching, it’s apparent the fomori starts, they surround Fink-Chandleton and absorb her body
are disturbed that Fink-Chandleton’s been arranging deals into theirs in a horrific scene of body horror. Even King
behind their backs. They signal their non-fomori counter- Semyonov backs away, disgusted.
parts to seize Fink-Chandleton and bring her to the plant. This is the final opportunity for the player characters to
Phase Three: The supervisors explain to Semyonov intervene before Opened-Cell is killed and Semyonov and
that he should deal with them now, but contemptuously the Skull Pigs depart. Semyonov intends to return to Sharp
state that Pentex (it may be the first time the werewolves Top Mountain, which of course may have benefited from
have heard the word) won’t stand for pigs in charge of one Garou interference by this point. The supervisors just file
of their most profitable subsidiaries, regardless of whether back to their Circinus stations, now completely in control
one wears a crown. They do however agree that the Ronin of Circinus (though convincing the board to transfer own-
should be forced into the acid vat to clear up that problem, ership may be a hassle). The Ronin bubble away in Circinus
after which point the supervisors and Skull Pigs can discuss chemicals, adding to the company’s rich Bane production.
a different form of compensation. As the Skull Pigs drive the
injured Ronin along a gantry and toward a Circinus vat, it’s
Circinus Fields
clear Semyonov bristles at the supervisors’ dismissiveness. The grand, sweeping fields of Circinus Piedmont are
This phase is an important one for character place- extravagant each time you experience them. The sweet and
ment. Several Skull Pigs are on the gantries hanging above rich odors of untoasted tobacco and earthy, woody scents of
the chemical vats, herding the two Ronin (Jefferson and cannabis are thick in the air. In daytime, planters, growers,
Opened-Cell) toward a tipping point. If battle commences and harvesters work these fields. At night, each field is locked
now, those Skull Pigs will attempt to force the Ronin into off by tall, razor-wired fences and patrolled by armed guards.
an acid bath before fighting the player characters. Semyonov, Those fences are there during the day as well, of course, and
a couple more Skull Pigs, and the fomori supervisors are so are the guards (to a lesser degree), but under the sun the
at ground level. entire expanse looks free and vibrant.

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 59

 Roads and trails cut through the fields to the various company encourages them to chew gum while they work).
plants (processing, packaging, chemicals, staff office facili- Additionally, injuring the earthbound Banes in this way
ties, etc.), and far in the distance on a human-built hill sits results in their vomiting out their corrupting presence in the
the bleached white mansion the company owner occupies. form of a Scrag (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 446) with the
There’s little to discover in the Circinus Fields in the way added bonus of the Hazardous Heave, Noxious Breath, Poison
of criminal or Wyrm-related activity, at least on the surface. Tumors, and Tar Skin powers (Werewolf: The Apocalypse,
And the surface is the key here, as since Circinus was founded, p. 434, p. 435, p 436, and p. 437, respectively). Given the
Oskar Fink’s activities have cultivated Banes that grow into number of Banes in the ground, this could result in a lot of
and twist the crops in this dry earth. They’ve been here for Scrags possessing field workers and engaging the werewolves.
so long, that were someone to dig five feet into the ground, On the positive side, a dead Scrag means the Bane in the
some of those Banes would be visible in the mundane world ground is also dead. If a Scrag survives (even if it’s possessing
as fleshy, cancerous lumps spewing tendrils that hook into a host) and the werewolves leave, it climbs back into the earth
the roots of the plants above. These Banes can be detected and cocoons itself again to go on its poisonous way.
with the Sense Wyrm Gift (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. By passing through the Circinus fields successfully, the
156). If such a Bane is disturbed, it releases an awful con- Garou can reach Fink Mansion or the Chemical Plant.
coction of hot tar in a jet akin to the Poison Tumors power
(Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 436), and poisonous fumes Fink Mansion
in a cloud as per the Noxious Miasma power (Werewolf: Fink Mansion is a grand house built in the colonial
The Apocalypse, p. 435). They both stick to surfaces and style, overlooking the Circinus fields from a small hill. A
bodies. Avoiding the jet requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll household of servants run the building silently (Miriam
(Difficulty 6) while the poisonous fumes require Stamina + Fink-Chandleton finds chatter, and especially whispering, to
Primal-Urge (Difficulty 8) to withstand them. be disconcerting), and Fink-Chandleton’s family laze about
The Banes in Circinus Fields are incredibly visible were the place while she works feverishly in her office on the top
one to approach them in the Penumbra, as each acts as its floor. She only leaves her office during the evening for her
own mini-Blight. These Blights don’t lead anywhere but to one meal of the day: mandatory dinner with the family.
a sizzling cocoon of tar and toxins however, so if a werewolf The Fink-Chandleton family consists of three generations.
is foolish enough to dive in, they are stuck as if by the Tar Miriam’s her deceased father’s eldest and sole surviving child.
Skin power (Werewolf: The Apocalypse, p. 437) in a grapple She’s married to a retired investment banker and former
(Difficulty 8 to escape) and incur two lethal damage for each partner at Consolidex Worldwide (another Pentex subsidiary)
round stuck in one. Unlike some Banes, these spirits don’t named Robert Chandleton, though he spends his time on
move. They’re planted in the ground and poison everything tropical islands and big boats with women far younger than
within it, occasionally spreading their seeds to grow more his wife. Their three children all still live at the family home
Banes just like them. despite their age range (between their 30s and 40s) and play
Approaching any of the Circinus facilities via the fields various ancillary roles at Circinus, though none of them have
requires a Dexterity + Stealth roll (Difficulty 7 at day, 6 at a lick of business sense. In turn, Miriam’s grandchildren also
night). If caught during the day, a field worker’s likely to ask live in the mansion with little comprehension of their family’s
the lost werewolf what they’re doing there (if they’re in Homid part in the world’s moral and health erosion.
form) or call for security (if they’re in any other non-Delirium If the werewolves show up at the front door, the house-
inspiring form). Convincing Circinus workers that they got hold servants won’t permit their entry without a truly con-
separated from the tour, that they’re interested investors, vincing argument or bribe (Difficulty 8). During the day, the
or new to the company requires a Manipulation-based roll pack must contend with the multiple people running about
(Difficulty 5). The Banes in the earth reduce these workers’ the mansion, while at night, security patrols the exterior as
capacity to care. At night, security forces issue a warning they do the fields. Accessing Miriam is tough (she’s locked
before shooting rubber bullets at anyone who doesn’t sur- in her office during the daytime, and the house is locked
render themselves and then depart. Rubber bullets from up at night) but reaching her can result in some answers.
their rifles inflict five bashing damage. If a werewolf puts Fink-Chandleton is terrified of werewolves. She’s never
up a fight, security calls for the supervisors, who appear en actually seen one, but her father told her stories about the
masse to handle the situation (see The Supervisors, p. XX). Garou. The Banes riddling her body render her immune to
If the pack decides the best thing that can be done with the Delirium, but this doesn’t stop her screaming out if she
Circinus is to burn their crops down, they won’t have been sees one in any form other than Homid. She’s quick to state
the first Garou to try (and fail). The fields are equipped with that any activity against the werewolves in recent months has
sprinkler systems in the case of sudden wildfires, arson, or been the work of the company supervisors; she just wanted
accidents (a lot of Circinus workers are smokers, though the to produce tobacco, cannabis, and draw a healthy profit.
60 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 The tour is mundane, until one of the supervisors spots a
Garou, or vice-versa. The supervisors reek of Wyrm taint, with
half of them being fomori and the other half being pretty close
to it. They know werewolves when they smell them, and while
BREATHE IN AND BREATHE OUT they don’t pounce in front of the rest of the staff, they quickly
Do you want energy? Breathe in and breathe out. organize among themselves to track and attack the intruders
Do you want to relax? Breathe in and breathe when they find an opportunity. They prefer to attack — still clad
out. in their suits, overalls, and laboratory gear, depending on the
supervisors — when they have a numerical advantage and when
Do you want to make your work more reward- witnesses are absent. To kill the werewolves, they’re not opposed to
ing? Your game more exciting? Your TV show even running them over with tractors, causing massive chemical spills,
more gripping? Your drink last longer? Your sex the or setting fire to their own fields to flush the werewolves out. The
most fulfilling you’ve ever had? greatest capacity for carnage is through battle with the supervisors.
Breathe in and breathe out. Circinus supervisors can barely contain their true na-
You don’t need smoke in the room to make tures. Beneath their skins, they’re roiling masses of parasites
you feel this way. You need vapor. and vile spirits. If Garou provoke them, they literally shed
their outer layer and lunge, utilizing whatever equipment,
But which one to breathe in and breathe out? bodies, and poisons may be on hand. A fight in front of
The only answer can be Circinus vape. regular Circinus staff is likely in such a case, with the con-
sequences for such a rending of the Veil extreme.

Epilogue: Emerge
She neglects to mention sending the Skull Pigs to distract
Garou attention from the supervisors’ prolific use of Banes.
If confronted with talk of her products inducing visions,
From Your Shell
By the time this chronicle ends, the Sept of Memories
she again squarely blames the supervisors, saying she doesn’t has undoubtedly endured some grievous blows, and with
even think they’re human. She says she knows they’ve been any luck, the player characters dealt similar wounds to the
adding seeds and chemicals to her products, and the thought Wyrm. Perhaps they helped reignite the Sharp Top Mountain
makes her sick. She’s “happy” to point the werewolves in caern, maybe they dismantled some of Circinus’s operations,
their direction so Circinus can be returned to her control. and hopefully they slaughtered some murderous Skull Pigs.
In truth, Fink-Chandleton knows nothing of visions or the The central mystery residing in the background involved
Umbra but is dismayed the supervisors have done exactly the Shame of Ronin and Awoken Turtle. It’s possible every
what her father predicted and overplayed their hand. To one of the Shame of Ronin has been destroyed by this point,
her mind, contamination on a supernatural scale is too far, but the player characters experienced something relating to
and exactly why Garou are now knocking her door down. Turtle or their messenger just days before.
Of course, Fink-Chandleton gives off immense Wyrm taint, The epilogue handles the various outcomes available
and as soon as the werewolves agree to her suggestion she reaches in this story. The Storyteller should carefully consider each
out to Semyonov if he’s available and her security personnel if possibility and deliver the most satisfying conclusion for their
not. She orders the werewolves terminated with extreme prejudice group, as well as a setup for their next chapter of the tale.
and their bodies dumped in the chemical plant.
Moon Phase: Gibbous
Miriam Fink-Chandleton is no combatant, but she is a
force for evil and corruption. If the player characters spend
too long in her presence, the supervisors come for her (see
Unanswered Questions
phase three and phase four of Chemical Plant), and a battle The player characters no doubt reconvene with the
may end up raging in the mansion. remains of their sept to discuss the events of the previous
days. While this chronicle can’t account for every decision
The Tour made and action taken, the central questions in need of
Characters may take the subtle method of joining a addressing are the following:
tourist or investor tour of the Circinus facilities and fields, • Did the Ronin redeem themselves in the sept’s eyes?
in which case they’re shown how Circinus Piedmont works • Is the Skull Pig threat vanquished?
at a surface level, told the history of the company, and given • Are humans still at risk of piercing the Veil?
handy flyers and free samples.
THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 61
 • What cause did this “Awoken Turtle” serve during to packs across the country to perform the same successful
this event? actions and break Circinus down piece by piece.
As central players in the previous days’ events, the pro- Most Werewolf books tell you that it’s impossible to do
tagonists can steer the sept’s decisions. The only thing that lasting damage to Pentex, but this isn’t the case for its sub-
might work against them is large, earlier misdeeds, such as sidiaries. Circinus Piedmont is the company headquarters,
if they left Pallazzo to die. so if the characters want to reduce the company to ruin,
this is a good place to start. However, just killing a few staff
The State of the Ronin members, destroying some fomori, or setting fire to crops
Any Ronin still alive by this point are glad to rejoin their is unlikely to result in Circinus’s closure. Characters who
packs or form a new one of their own if given the possibility. want to dismantle Circinus at a legal level need to do the
If he survived, even hard Pallazzo is inclined to forgive them following:
after they took the fight to the Skull Pigs on their own. • Present evidence to the FDA of chemical contam-
If she survived, Emily Opened-Cell still hears the voice ination in Circinus products, which could be planted at
of Turtle in her head and is convinced a new pack with her Circinus Piedmont. The FDA will be drawn to investigate.
as a member will benefit from Awoken Turtle as their totem. They won’t pick up on Banes, but if the werewolves spoiled
She defers to the player character pack and remaining sept Circinus’s chemical apparatus, the company would have to
elders as to whether such a union is allowed, given Turtle’s temporarily halt production.
lengthy absence and unknown agenda (which Opened-Cell • Present evidence to the police that Miriam Fink-Chan-
believes is nothing but benevolent). dleton’s culpable in any way for someone’s death (the more
Semyonov’s Court deaths the better).
• Expose to the press that illegal activities (fraud,
King Semyonov may well have escaped the final clash
threats, murder, concealment of evidence) has taken place
after realizing Circinus doesn’t value him or his Skull Pigs,
on Circinus facilities and was something of which multiple
though if the player characters worked to purify Sharp Top
people in the upper echelons of the company were aware.
Mountain, he only lingers there briefly before heading away
However, Circinus has excellent lawyers, and the super-
from the region to lick his wounds, rebuild his pride, and draw
visors weren’t the only individuals Pentex could ship in or
more Skull Pigs to him. He knows that devouring werewolf
elevate to take over operations if the current regime falls.
remains grants him great power and still feels as if Turtle
Therefore, the player characters would also need to pursue
blessed him, so he has a clear objective for his next meals.
the following actions on the Garou side:
If King Semyonov was destroyed, the Skull Pigs in
• Purification of the land, resulting in the elimination
Virginia are left leaderless and return to their scavenging,
of the Banes under the Circinus fields and installation of
despoiling ways. They’re a far easier threat to handle without
more positive spirits.
a strong master, though there’s always the risk another one
will eat some of the wolf bones left on Sharp Top or Old • Destruction of every supervisor at Circinus Brands.
Rag Mountain and restart the cycle. These are all big asks, and in many cases, burning crops
and randomly killing personnel is a good way to engender
Wacky Backy sympathy for the company that could “bounce back” from
The supervisors continue rolling out their Bane-con- such a terroristic attack. Characters need to be smart when
taminated stock if Circinus’s operation was left intact. handling Pentex.
Increasing reports emerge, nationwide, that cannabis
smokers are experiencing psychotic breaks in public places
The Turtle Mystery
and turning violent. Though Circinus is initially under The mystery remains: what is Awoken Turtle? This
fire for this, their lawyers and experts (including Magadon part is down to the Storyteller, though they can feel free to
scientists) claim this is just a result of cannabis’s prolifer- collaborate with players on the most satisfying conclusion.
ation rather than the brand’s fault. They invite anyone to The spirit may indeed be Turtle, roused from his
prove otherwise, which is tricky, as the main poisonous slumber due to several things: King Semyonov devouring
influence in Circinus products is untraceable (except by Croatan remains, the Ronin being cast out, and the sept’s
those who can sense the Wyrm). great battle at Cracked Spine. Whether this means Turtle
If Circinus Piedmont was disrupted sufficiently, it is a force working for Gaia is another question entirely. The
cuts down but doesn’t eliminate the issue, as Circinus has werewolves picked up aspects of the Wyrm in their encoun-
many more farms. The player character pack shouldn’t be ter with Turtle and his messenger. They also encountered
expected to handle the entire company, however, with sept Semyonov, who claimed to be Turtle’s champion. Whether
elders and even their totem recommending they reach out Turtle was compelling werewolves to sacrifice themselves to

62 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
fuel or kill the Skull Pigs is another conundrum. Werewolves
would be wise to approach Awoken Turtle with caution until
they know the great spirit’s motives.
The spirit could of course, not be Turtle. If the Wyrm’s CIRCINUS IS GOOD FOR YOU
at play, it may be a powerful Urge Wyrm of paranoia or
anarchy sent to sabotage an already weakened sept. All the It’s time to tackle the wolf in the room.
signs were there, and one could argue the sept lost more Health concerns.
than they gained in this conflict. The polls are in. The answers have been collated.
Importantly, if Turtle disappears again, does that mean The report for you, our customers, is a good one:
he’s asleep once more, or the entity posing as Turtle is done
We guarantee that 100% of our smokers and
meddling with the Garou? Conversely, if he remains, would
vapers, when polled, expressed that the satisfaction
the player character pack want to adopt Awoken Turtle as a
that comes from our products far outweighs their
totem? If so, the following traits apply:
fear of any associated risks.
Awoken Turtle Our polled customer base confirmed, “We
Background Cost: 7 appreciate food and drink more when followed
Prepared to defend his followers and Gaia with every- by a Circinus vape,” “Time passes more quickly
thing it has, the Awoken Turtle is fast, armored, and will with Circinus tobacco,” “Sex is EXPLOSIVE when
snap at and steamroll anything threatening it. Turtle presents followed with a Circinus cigarette,” and, “My imag-
with pragmatism and hardness when advising his followers ination fires on all cylinders with Hybrid Yellow.”
but is prone to periods of great melancholy. When asked for their preferred brand, every
Individual Traits: Awoken Turtle’s children each gain a single one of our polled customers came back with
dot of Stamina (even if this takes them over 5) and they all one response:
learn the Gift: Turtle Body (see Werewolf: The Apocalypse, “The only answer can be Circinus.”
p. 395). Followers start each new story gaining one point
of temporary Honor Renown and one point of temporary
Wisdom Renown.
Pack Traits: Awoken Turtle’s packs may draw upon

Appendix:
an extra five points of Willpower per story, shared among
them. Any Croatan or Croatan Kinfolk look favorably upon

The Wyrm’s Army

Awoken Turtle’s followers.
Ban: Awoken Turtle withdraws his favor from any fol-
lower who loses permanent Honor or who refuses to stand This appendix contains traits for Skull Pigs, King Semy-
and struggle to defend the pack’s territory. onov, and the Circinus supervisors. For other werewolves in
Moving On the sept, assume they have 6 dice in abilities they’re skilled
at and 4 in other dice pools. Ahroun have 8 dice in combat
The player characters’ pack now needs to decide how pools, others have 7. Sept elders should receive a boost in all
to move on from here. It’s possible the Sept of Memories traits. Characters like Snowball and Miriam Fink-Chandle-
requires rebuilding, that enemies require mopping up, and ton are easily vanquished and go without traits, while the
that caerns such as Sharp Top or Tar Bay could now be assorted Banes in this tale can be pulled from the pages of
renewed. The threats present in this chronicle aren’t the Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

The Supervisors
only threats in the Richmond area, either. If Circinus was
put out of commission, the werewolves can best believe eyes
from Endron, Magadon, and Young and Smith will turn Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3; Charisma
on them. If the Skull Pigs were scattered, there’s room for 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 1; Perception 4, Intel-
Black Spiral Dancers to return to the state or for Heart ligence 3, Wits 4
Eaters or Thunderwyrms to occupy the position of central
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Expression 3,
antagonist in the region.
Intimidation 4, Primal-Urge 3, Subterfuge 3; Firearms 2,
For Garou, the battle may be done, but the war never Leadership 3, Melee 2, Stealth 2, Survival 3; Academics 2,
ends. Enigmas 2, Expert Knowledge (Bureaucracy) 4, Occult 2
Powers: Deception, Eyes of the Wyrm, Immunity to the
Delirium, Malleate, Molecular Weakening
THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 63
Willpower: 7 The Wyrm’s Creativity
Health Levels: OK, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated Semyonov believes he was born capable of changing form
The supervisors prefer to attack by grabbing their targets like the Grondr of old, but only after devouring Croatan
and using Malleate or Molecular Weakening, if they can’t remains was he capable of mastering the skill. Whatever
terrify them with Eyes of the Wyrm. Some supervisors are his genesis, the self-proclaimed king of Skull Pigs leads his
humans with Banes nesting inside them and not fully fo- less intelligent sounder, numbering close to thirty, on a
mori. In such cases, when attacked these supervisors split campaign of ambushes and assassinations against Virginia’s
into pieces as their Banes escape and either flee or attack. werewolves. While Miriam Fink-Chandleton set him to this

Skull Pigs
task in exchange for Wyrm tainted chemicals and products
(which he feeds his sounder, to improve their intellect and
manipulative ability), it’s likely he’d have pursued such a
Attributes: Strength 7, Dexterity 4, Stamina 8; Charisma
campaign of terrorism against the Garou even if she hadn’t.
0, Manipulation 0 (1-4), Appearance 0; Perception 2,
Intelligence 1 (2-5), Wits 3 At the time the chronicle takes place, King Semyonov
rankles at Fink-Chandleton’s orders. With his boosted intel-
Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Intimidation 4,
ligence, sense of importance, and success against the Garou,
Primal-Urge 3; Stealth 2, Survival 4
he intends to sell Fink-Chandleton out to the supervisors at
Powers: Consumed Persona, Regeneration (as Garou), Toxic
Circinus in exchange for the company as payment.
Flesh, Umbral Gore Shift
Rage 5, Willpower 3 Plots and Ambitions:
Health Levels: OK, OK, –1, –1, –1, –2, –2, –2, –5, Inca- • Spread misrule among the Garou: Miriam Fink-Chan-
pacitated dleton employs King Semyonov to waylay, assault, or murder
Garou so the Sept of Memories falls to anarchy. While
Attacks: Body Slam, Tusks (Strength +3)
she told him the plan is to turn werewolves on each other,
Consumed Persona: Each meal of Wyrm-tainted bones
Semyonov quickly tires of her cunning plans involving the
increases the Skull Pig’s Intelligence by 1, to a maximum
planting of evidence (such as Emily Opened-Cell’s necklace)
of 5, or Manipulation, to a maximum of 4. These increases
and prefers to just kill isolated Garou.
last for one year. An intelligent Skull Pig learns at least one
• Embrace my role as Turtle’s chosen: King Semyonov
Black Spiral Dancer Gift per dot in Intelligence. Manipu-
genuinely believes his consuming Croatan remains led to
lative Skull pigs use their talent to mimic voices and lure
Turtle blessing him. This in turn directed him to the Sharp
their victims into traps.
Top Mountain Croatan caern and to new greatness. He
Toxic Flesh: Any creature biting a Skull Pig suffers a
intends to consume more werewolves and develop his array
point of lethal damage per turn for the next six turns.
of Gifts, all the while drawing more Skull Pigs (and other
Umbral Gore Shift: Typically, Skull Pigs are unable to Wyrm servants) to his banner.
enter the Umbra as they lack Gnosis. Umbral Gore Shift
• Be seen as more than just a pig: Semyonov believes he
changes this, requiring a pool or mass of blood and guts to
is fit for more than just assaults and murders. He identifies
act as the reflective surface Garou use. Umbral Gore Shift
Miriam Fink-Chandleton as weak and the supervisors as
is a power King Semyonov received from Awoken Turtle (or
strong (if alien). His goal is to take over Circinus Brands,
the Wyrm) that allows any Skull Pigs near him to enter the
cutting out Fink-Chandleton and sending the supervisors
Umbra if Semyonov makes a successful Gnosis roll (Difficulty
back to wherever they came from.
6). Alternatively, if Skull Pigs make a successful Intelligence
+ Primal-Urge roll (Difficulty 7, though it becomes easier if Territory:
there’s a mass of gore and harder if the blood is spread thinly • Sharp Top Mountain One of the harder mountain
or barely present), they can pass into the Umbra without Se- climbs in Virginia and, importantly, the former home to a
myonov’s presence. Whether the Skull Pigs lose this power if Croatan caern. Sharp Top acts as a pigsty for Semyonov’s
King Semyonov dies is a decision the Storyteller must make. sounder while he makes his personal den inside it.
For more details on Skull Pigs, see Book of the Wyrm, Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies:
p. 154. • Miriam Fink-Chandleton (Employer): The Bane-in-
King Semyonov fested Circinus CEO has been useful due to her great supply
of Wyrm tainted chemicals, but what she represents more
Squeal: The king the Skull Pigs deserve than that is an opportunity to enter a morally repugnant
Quote: “Now is the era of the pig! Blessed by Turtle, we shall human industry.
rise to greatness!” • Emily Opened-Cell (Victim): Semyonov has no
Breed: Scrofa personal feelings toward Opened-Cell, but he dutifully (on

64 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Fink-Chandleton’s order) assaulted her and stole her necklace Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 5, Brawl (Tusks) 5, Empathy
during the Garou raid on Cracked Spine hive. Semyonov 1, Intimidation (Unnatural) 4, Leadership (Regal) 4,
has been told to plant the necklace on the body of another Primal-Urge 3, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1; Animal-Ken
dead Garou, but he finds this plot a shade too intricate. 2, Crafts (Tunnelling) 3, Etiquette 1, Larceny 1, Melee 2,
Whispers: Stealth 1, Survival (Mountains) 4; Academics 1, Enigmas
3, Expert Knowledge (Cosmology) 3, Investigation 1,
• King Who?: For werewolves who’ve heard of King
Occult 2, Rituals 2
Semyonov, a prominent question is “where did he get his
name?”. What nobody but Semyonov knows is that when Backgrounds: Allies (Sharp Top Sounder) 4, Contacts
he’s in Homid form, he visits libraries and reads up on (Circinus) 2, Totem (Awoken Turtle) 7
history and war, and named himself after a Cossack general Gifts: (1) Brother’s Scent, Resist Pain, Root, Spirit Speech;
of the 20th century. (2) Furrow, Thunderous Charge, Tusks of Judgement
• Return of the Grondr: As despicable as he is, King (as the Gift: Fangs of Judgment); (3) Desperate Strength,
Semyonov represents a possibility both horrifying and Odious Aroma; (4) Stoking Fury’s Furnace
hopeful. Garou who know of him wonder if it’s possible to Rank: 4
redeem Semyonov and use his ability to shapeshift to restart Rage: 7
the fallen Grondr line. Gnosis: 8
• Fooled: If it’s not truly Awoken Turtle giving Semy- Willpower: 6
onov his Gifts, who’s the true puppet master working from Health Levels: OK, OK, –1, –1, –1, –2, –2, –2, –5, Inca-
the Umbra? pacitated
Image: Shapeshift: King Semyonov can shift between Homid,
• Homid: a tall, bald, mustached man of dark skin, Aperius, Crinos, Daeodon, and Scrofa form, as Grondr
broad shoulders, and a round belly. He tends to wear ex- once could.
pensive clothing (as befits a king), though it’s always dirty, Root: Roll Perception + Primal-Urge (Difficulty 7) to
bloodstained, and torn in places. The skin on his face looks detect sources of corruption up to 100 × Rank) yards down.
unnaturally thin, stretched tightly over a skull bearing many Furrow: Roll Strength + Primal-Urge (Difficulty 6 for
small bumps and lesions. For this reason, he prefers wearing soft earth, 8 for hard rock). The furrow created may be up to
a fur hat like his namesake, Grigory Semyonov. one foot deep, one foot wide, and ten feet long, per success.
• Scrofa: a wild boar of immense size, coated in stiff Thunderous Charge: When using a Body Tackle ma-
black fur except for where scars have left his skin bare. His neuver, spend a Rage point, adding three dice to both the
tusks are always bloodstained. As with other Skull Pigs, attack roll and the roll to remain on Semyonov’s trotters.
his head looks to be only bone at first glance but is in fact The damage from the body tackle is considered lethal.
coated in a thin layer of leathery skin. Skull Pigs Powers: See Skull Pig traits in the previous
Semyonov’s traits are presented as Homid form by de- section.
fault, though he’s a Scrofa Skull Pig. The figures in brackets For more details on the Grondr and their powers, see
are for his Aperius, Crinos, Daeodon, and Scrofa forms. Changing Breeds, p. 242.
Attributes: Strength 5 (7/8/8/7), Dexterity 4 (4/5/5/4),
Stamina 5 (7/9/8/8); Charisma 4, Manipulation 4
(2/1/1/1), Appearance 1 (0/0/0/1); Perception 2
(2/2/2/3), Intelligence 5, Wits 4

THOSE THINGS’LL KILL YOU 65

 Keeping it
in the Family
“Family isn’t all it’s made out to be, you know?”
—Enzo Giovanni, former Pentex Director

The Sept of Long Shadows, nestled around a small caern Sam’s crusade sucked in more and more of the sept,
in the Californian desert, is on the brink of collapse after the and the Hive’s night strikes left the Long Shadows’ Kinfolk
disgraceful missteps of its former Philodox, Chase-the-Sun. A and cubs fearful and few. It became a vortex of revenge that
leadership contest among its members could destroy what’s threatened to drag down the entire sept. Until Sam died. Or
left of the sept’s identity, and a stronger, neighboring sept at least, until she was lost in a final, decisive action against
stands poised to swallow up the Long Shadows for the good the Black Spirals only a month before the start of this story.
of the Garou Nation. Meanwhile, the Black Spiral Dancers The war decimated the sept, but with victory seemingly
of the Seeping Rock cackle from the shadows, ready to sweep in their hands, the remaining Garou are still tearing them-
in and wipe out the dregs of their once proud enemies. selves apart. Alecto claims the right to lead based on her
Keeping it in the Family explores how the relationships glorious deeds in the war; Anton Blunt-Claw stakes his claim
within a sept — between werewolves, between Garou and Kin- on never becoming involved in the first place. Both Garou
folk, and with neighbors — can save it or doom it, and offers are young; all the elders were lost, either in the fighting or
the players’ characters the opportunity to take a proactive the defense of their homes. If Long Shadows doesn’t find a
role in shaping those relationships, choosing between the leader, and a clear direction, soon its totem, Horned Lizard,
comforts of tradition and the needs of the future to create a will turn her back on them. Worse, the Sept of Rainbow
strong, stable family that can face the Apocalypse head on. Lake will step in. The Garou of the region can’t afford to
risk losing a caern, even a small one.

Background The Characters

Chase-the-Sun, a Child of Gaia and one of the Sept of
Long Shadows’ elders, was an eternal optimist. When his This chronicle’s appropriate for any characters with an in-
pack captured a Black Spiral Dancer who called himself terest in the Sept of Long Shadows. They might be fully-fledged
Wretch, Chase-the-Sun spent over a year attempting to “cure” members of the sept, in which case players should decide which
him of the Wyrm’s corruption. Not only was it dangerous side of the recent conflict they chose. They might be cubs,
and impossible, Chase-the-Sun kept his activities secret fresh from their First Change and stumbling into the world
from his pack and sept — from everyone except his niece, of obligations, expectations, and conflict that is the Garou’s
Sam Wakes-to-Starlight. When Wretch’s pack returned to birthright. Or they might be outsiders from the Sept of Rainbow
claim him, they killed Chase-the-Sun and defiled his body. Lake, there ostensibly to observe as the Sept of Long Shadows
Afterwards, the Sept of Long Shadows split in two, half fixes itself — and either sincerely wanting to see their neighbors
of them following Sam Wakes-to-Starlight down a path of thrive or preparing to seize power themselves.
glorious revenge against the Hive, and the others deeming This storyline even works if characters are in the area
Chase-the-Sun a traitor who endangered them all. temporarily, pursuing their own goals: Long Shadows’ prob-

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 67

lems are too immediate to ignore. It doesn’t matter what the agree that the best direction is to merge with Rainbow Lake.
characters decide is the right direction for the sept, as long Leaps-the-Stars is slight for a Garou, with intense, dark eyes
as they’re proactive enough to guide it forwards. and a long face.
It doesn’t work if the characters outrank everyone in Mild-as-May (Bone Gnawer Homid Theurge): Mild-
the sept, so Rank 0-2 characters are strongly recommended. as-May’s responsible for communing with Horned Lizard

United We Stand
and conveying her perspective to the sept. She’s the only
one who suspects Horned Lizard is unhappy, though the
The single most important question is how strong the Totem keeps her own counsel and has told her nothing.
pack’s bonds are. A strong, unified pack will experience this She fears speaking out in case she’s seen as using Horned
chronicle very differently to a fractious one without clear Lizard’s name to advance her own agenda. Mild-as-May’s a
direction. A divided pack is likely to reenact the chronicle’s long-toothed woman with frizzy brown hair (and a curly coat
questions on a small scale: What kind of leadership do in Lupus form) and a crooked grin.
the Garou need, how valid are the traditions of selecting a Red Eye Ruth (Black Fury Homid Galliard): The sept’s
leader, and at what point does personal ambition become storyteller. Her left eye’s badly scarred from Black Spiral claws,
less important than a united front? but she survived the war. She’s prickly in temperament, quick
That kind of struggle can be narratively rewarding, but to anger if she feels underestimated, but she’s also tired of
only if all the players (including the Storyteller) enjoy it. If the sept’s bickering and starting to detach herself from its
you don’t want to get embroiled in intra-pack politics, ask affairs, retreating into moody silences.
each player to come up with a debt of gratitude their character Toad (Child of Gaia Metis Philodox): A squat metis
owes to another pack member. It’s a quick way to generate with dry, scaly skin and bulging eyes. Nobody listened to
a healthy respect for one another and promote teamwork. Toad when the sept was strong, and nothing’s changed since.
You still might have a small civil war on your hands, but the Nobody remembers that he fought hard in the war, and no-
chances are lower this way. body cares that he lost both parents. He’s so far outside the
Garou’s notice that he sees the power struggle as ridiculous.

Cast
Linnea Dawes: Linnea is human Children of Gaia
Kinfolk, a mother and grandmother, and seriously pissed
off at the sept’s direction. The Kinfolk never got a choice
A run-down of the influential characters in Keeping it
in whether the sept went to war, but Linnea spoke loudly
in the Family. Spaces are left in the sept for the Storyteller
against the idea. She’s 63 years old and tired of her voice
and players to insert their own characters, their Allies and
not counting, especially now that two overgrown cubs are
Contacts, or characters introduced in other scenarios such
fighting for leadership. Linnea’s close to walking away
as Those Things’ll Kill You if you’re crossing content over
from the sept, and she’d take most of the Kinfolk with her.
or running a long chronicle.
Linnea’s a plump woman with thick grey dreadlocks and
Alecto (Black Fury Homid Ahroun): Young Alecto callused hands.
distinguished herself in the war against the Black Spiral
Dancers and has the scars to prove it. She is the sept’s Horned Lizard
Wyrm Foe. Forceful and charismatic, the other survivors Background Cost: 5
are proud to stand behind her. She’s got no time for those Horned Lizard is the totem spirit of the Sept of Long
who refused to fight; the caern belongs to its defenders, as Shadows. She’s patient and forgiving and has always been
she’s fond of saying. willing to let her children resolve their own conflicts, trusting
Anton Blunt-Claw (Child of Gaia Homid Theurge): them to find the right path themselves and offers guidance
Anton refused to fight, claiming the sept’s totem, Horned only when asked. However, when the Garou are neither
Lizard, was against it. This is true — but it’s also true that patient nor forgiving of each other, Horned Lizard is forced
he hated Chase-the-Sun and never considered him worthy to conclude they no longer respect her. If she must leave
of respect or trust. He doesn’t want to split the sept any them, and let them find another, more appropriate guide,
further, but he also can’t stand Alecto’s bluster and bully- it will make her heart heavy, but she’ll do it.
ing. Anton is the sept’s Master of the Rite, but doesn’t feel Individual Traits: Horned Lizard’s can squirt Rage from
worthy of the title. their eyes as blood, in a bizarre display. When it hits a target
Leaps-the-Stars (Uktena Homid Ragabash): Emissary (requiring a Dexterity + Firearms roll, with a range of 5 yards)
of the Rainbow Lake sept, Leaps-the-Stars is a guest at the the target must make a Rage or Willpower roll or fall into a
Sept of Long Shadows, supposedly there to support the berserk frenzy (or a furious equivalent for non-werewolves),
leaderless sept during its difficult time. In truth, they’re requiring the same expenditure of Willpower to end it before
already gently swaying people, including Linnea Dawes, to the scene concludes.
68 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 Pack Traits: Horned Lizard’s packs gain three dice to was traditional, with a Sept Leader, Council of elders, and
Stealth and Survival rolls in forest and desert environments Warder, now there are fewer than a dozen Garou wondering
or when dressed for camouflage. whether there’s any value in those roles for such a small
Ban: Horned Lizard abandons any pack that falls to sept and two strong characters determined there should at
in-fighting (drawing blood) without following the correct least be a leader.
rituals and customs.

The Black Spiral Dancers Chapter One:

Eats-the-Fallen/ Sam Wakes-to-Starlight (Black Spiral
Dancer Homid Philodox): Sam’s not dead. The Spirals had It’s All Moot
far worse in mind for her. She walked the Spiral, against The characters attend a moot intended to build bridges
her will, and came back as warped and depraved as every and rebuild fragile relationships, which only serves to sour
other Spiral. them further.
Wretch (Black Spiral Dancer Metis Ragabash): Wretch Moon Phase: Gibbous

Scene One: Our Tale

watches from the shadows, fascinated by the chaos he created
through his own suffering. If he can get the whole sept to
collapse, maybe opening themselves up to hatred and Wyrm- Give the players a few minutes to establish their char-
taint, he’ll succeed beyond his wildest dreams. acters, settle in, and make small talk with some of the Sept
of Long Shadows’ members.

The Sept of As the gibbous moon rises and the moot begins, Linnea
and a few of the other Kinfolk finish building a bonfire.
Long Shadows Bottles of wine are opened just as the sun goes down, and
the sept’s remaining storyteller, Red Eye Ruth, calls everyone
The sept is both battleground and prize in this chron- to sit and listen to her opening tale: Wakes-to-Starlight’s
icle, and it’s as much a character as any Garou. In eastern crusade, and a litany of those who lost their lives to it.
California, close to the Nevada border, it’s named for the It’s quickly apparent that, although Ruth is a talented sto-
dark shadows that stretch between ridges and pillars of or- ryteller, her heart’s not in the performance; no surprise, when
ange-red rock. By day, the heat is continuous and ruthless, half the sept isn’t listening to her. They talk among themselves
and by night the cold is implacable. or gaze out into the desert as though waiting for some new
The caern was untended for decades until a pack of disaster to lumber out of the darkness. Alecto makes a show
Children of Gaia took it, holding off a mining operation of listening, but her attention’s on the other Garou, reading
with the peaceful protest of hundreds of Kinfolk and sym- their behavior; Anton Blunt-Claw actually does listen, becoming
pathetic environmentalists, and the more forceful action of engrossed to the point of ignoring the others’ disrespect. Leaps-
the Garou supported by a largely Black Fury pack. The caern the-Stars listens attentively, but from a position just outside the
became the center of a commune, and over sixty years, the firelight, where they can see everyone else’s reactions.
humans who lived there interbred with the Garou, raised Characters who either join in or chastise the audience
their children and cubs, and the camp became a community. gain Ruth’s gratitude and a modicum of respect. Being too
It’s still a shanty town made of decrepit VW campers, assertive irritates Alecto and Anton, but neither can openly
richly decorated breeze block cubes, and a hundred ever-grow- oppose the characters’ behavior.
ing art projects interspersed with cacti and sturdy desert trees. The characters are welcome to sing, dance, play music, or
It’s off-grid, supplied by a single well, and over a day’s hike tell tales of their own. It’s an excellent way to gain attention
from a human settlement. On the edge of the territory, atop and prominence, though it doesn’t afford formal status.
a gnarled lump of red rock, are the burned out remains of
Chase-the-Sun’s cabin, where he experimented for a year on Watchful Eyes
a Black Spiral Dancer prisoner. Since that episode, privacy There’s an interlude after the tale’s done. Nobody is
and trust have been in short supply at the Long Shadows. sociable. Cliques stay clustered in their groups, the Garou
The population’s dwindled from its peak. There are splitting into Alecto and Anton’s packs except for Mild-as-
two dozen Kinfolk and off-grid dropouts, down from over a May and Toad. The Kinfolk keep to themselves, Linnea
hundred a fraction of a generation ago. Until the devastating glaring daggers at Garou’s requests for them to serve drinks
war against the Seeping Rock Hive, there were twenty-eight or start grilling food.
Garou. Now there are eleven (excluding any players’ char- Only Leaps-the-Stars moves between groups, cracking
acters who are members). Where once the sept’s structure jokes, breaking the ice, and asking questions about who
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 69
everyone is and how the sept works. They don’t ask any- • It’s rare to find just one Discord Gaffling; usually
thing pointed, but characters who succeed on a Perception there are dozens of them (there aren’t currently any around,
+ Empathy roll (Difficulty 7) infer that Leaps-the-Stars is though if interrogated this one indicates there are many
encouraging people to air their grievances. If called out, more close by)
they breezily apologize, assuring the characters they meant • They’re attracted to conflict rather than causing
no offence. it (though if enough of them gather, they can exacerbate
Tonight’s Agenda tensions)
• If they get overexcited, they attack and eat the sources
Alecto’s first on her feet to insist the sept should be of conflict (thereby destroying their own sources of food and
monitoring the Seeping Rock Hive. There’s a general lack entertainment; they’re not particularly clever)
of interest. Anton Blunt-Claw asks for volunteers to visit
neighboring septs and packs and spread word of what hap- Departure
pened at the Sept of Long Shadows; he suggests they might When a fight looked likely, Linnea gathered up the
even welcome new members without caerns of their own Kinfolk and ushered them out of the immediate area to
to protect. Again, there’s a general dearth of enthusiasm. safety. When the danger’s passed, she returns, so furious
Come To Blows that keen Garou senses can smell and taste it like smoke in
the air. She tells the two would-be leaders this can’t happen
After their calls for action amount to nothing, Alecto again. “This community, that we made, is on death’s door,”
and Anton’s tempers are shorter than ever. Alecto begins and if they don’t “get [their] shit together and make it a place
bickering, asking why Anton would raise such a stupid idea worth being,” she and the other Kinfolk will leave.
when there are problems enough at home; he responds by
This unites the Garou, all of whom insist the Kinfolk
wondering loudly why she can’t let the war end. Matters
have no right to do that, nowhere to go, and no power to
escalate rapidly and within minutes, hackles are raised, and
leave if the Garou don’t want them to. It’s not an ideal
the two packs are facing off, snarling.
cause to rally behind, but for a moment, the two packs act
If the characters don’t play peacemaker, Leaps-the-Stars as one. Alecto goes so far as to threaten to shut Linnea up,
does, assisted by Toad. They’re silver-tongued, using well- and Anton Blunt-Claw coldly tells Linnea to stay out of
judged, self-deprecating jokes to de-escalate the situation, Garou business.
leaving both pack leaders embarrassed and chastened. Alecto
Linnea retreats to her small, sturdy house and bolts the
becomes sullen, Anton evasive and sheepish.
door. She’s not interested in talking while the rest of the
If the characters pick a side or keep inflaming tempers, Garou are awake, but if the players’ characters come to her
the quarrel ends in blood. Run two rounds of combat, nar- later, when the moot has officially dispersed and the Garou
rating any skirmish the characters aren’t directly involved in have all retreated to rest, she gives them a curt summary of
to keep up the pace. At that point, Horned Lizard’s shape years of disrespect, the Garou increasingly treating their
appears in the shadows cast by the fire. The fire immedi- Kinfolk and companions as servants or wards instead of
ately sinks down to smoldering ashes, and lassitude sweeps equals. If the characters voice active support for her and
over the Garou present. Every Garou’s Rage drops to 0; it helped defuse the tension earlier in the evening, she even
replenishes normally. With the fight sapped from them, the mutters that if the Garou had any damn sense they’d let her
Garou of the Long Shadows slink away from the dying fire lead, as she’s been “running most everything since 1996.”
and lick their wounds.
Otherworldly Vermin Apologies
After the near fight, Mild-as-May collects a few hot stones
Sharp-eyed characters (a Perception + Alertness pool from the campfire and a bottle of wine, and leaves to sit with
of 7 or more, or relevant Gifts) spot a scrap metal statue the big, painted, found objects sculpture of Horned Lizard.
of a saguaro shivering, its needles lengthening. Anyone She places the warm stones underneath the statue — for
who glances into the Umbra sees a grey-skinned spirit Horned Lizard to bask on — pours out the wine before
with rows upon rows of grinning teeth and long, hooked her, and quietly apologizes for everything that transpired.
barbs all over its hide perched on the statue, watching
Anyone with dots in Primal-Urge knows the spirit’s
avidly. Characters familiar with spirits know it’s a Discord
not present.
Gaffling: a manifestation of conflict and strife. They’re
If questioned, Mild-as-May explains she knows Horned
not Wyrm-creatures, but they’re unpleasant little things.
Lizard’s shocked by the sept’s path, but the totem spirit
More info than that calls for an Intelligence roll (Difficulty
supports her children, rather than demanding anything
6 with Cosmology, Difficulty 8 if the character’s relying
of them. If the Long Shadows don’t care for her ways of
on Occult or Enigmas):
patience, planning, and purpose, she’ll simply leave them
70 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
and let them find a more appropriate totem. Packs and
septs do change allegiance, but to be abandoned by one’s
totem rather than bidding it a respectful goodbye would be
deeply shameful. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
Scene Two: Flashpoint If the characters set wards after spotting the first
Discord Gaffling, or took any action to prevent more
The night grows ever darker. A couple members of from arriving, this scene plays out differently. The
Alecto’s pack (Nita Steals-the-Victory, Black Fury Homid Gafflings gather, forming a wall of spirits pressing
Ragabash; Cries-Like-Rain, Black Fury Lupus Ahroun) stay against the wards, chittering and shivering, excited
up, sitting around the dying fire to keep watch — though but deprived of an opportunity to feed. Characters
one of Anton’s pack spends a few minutes teasing the Furies with any dots in Primal-Urge or Empathy are alerted
about their paranoia and jumping at shadows. The other to their presence, waking up if they’re asleep. The
members of the sept retire to sleep. If the players’ characters sept of Long Shadows Garou still decide to step
are used to another sept, this is a stark contrast to the usual, outside the wards and fight the Gafflings, but the
amicable end of a moot, where packs mingle and socialize, Kinfolk are in no danger.
often until the sun rises (or sets, depending on the sept’s
traditions).
This is an opportunity for the characters to seek out
Garou or Kinfolk to talk to, explore their environment, or
stand watch themselves (though the Furies need to be reas- flings (and in this case, very much Wyrm-tainted), and the
sured that the characters aren’t disrespecting their ability characters get first go at engaging it while others are tied
to protect the sept). up with smaller foes.
In the small hours of the night, the fire flares back into • Realizing they’re easier prey, and because the blame
life and the sourceless sound of war drums (a long-standing they immediately assign to the Garou is a sweet and delicious
ward that sept members recognize) from all around the sept musk, many Gafflings turn on the Kinfolk, who are pow-
signals trouble. Characters who are still awake see the shadows erless to hurt them. Alecto’s pack muster a defense, joined
come alive with long-limbed, skittering spirits with barbed, by Leaps-the-Stars, but they’re too late to save everybody.
grey hides: dozens more Discord Gafflings. There are hundreds of Gafflings, more than enough for
The Gafflings are distinctly overexcited, meaning they’ve every Garou present to rend, skewer, and destroy without
come to feed. They tear open doors and creep through any fear of running out of foes. Keep running the battle
windows, happiest when they can isolate a Garou (who are turn-by-turn until all the listed events are resolved (or the
much better sources of strife than mere human Kinfolk) characters have chosen to ignore them). Then take stock of
and shred them. Not that they’ll turn down human meat. the battle, and depending on how effectively the sept have
The packs don’t even try to work together, and only fought, narrate the outcome:
Toad thinks to drag a couple of people away to defend the • Effective, organized defense: The Garou drive off
Kinfolk. This disunity only makes the spirits stronger (they the remaining Gafflings with few casualties.
regain two points of Essence each turn the sept is in dis- • Disorganized defense, but the characters fought
array). On a happier note, inflicting damage on a Discord well: The Garou drive off the remaining Gafflings, but
Gaffling, or taking damage from one, each allow Garou to many Kinfolk are injured (if the characters protected them)
regain a point of Rage. or dead (if they didn’t).
Several events take place against the backdrop of this • Disorganized defense, and the characters didn’t fight
combat: well (whether through poor tactics or malevolent dice):
• When Anton starts shouting orders, Alecto shoves Many Kinfolk, and even two Garou, die in the skirmish,
him to the floor and takes command herself. This attracts and the Gafflings leave only because they’re sated.
dozens of Gafflings to them, and they’re effectively out of
the fight. They’ll both survive, but unless someone assists, Scene Three: We Reconvene
they’re both wounded. After the attack, the sept’s members collect around the
• A large, longer, spirit drags itself out of the shadows, cold stones and ashes of the bonfire. Most people shiver in
following the Gafflings. Like a slate grey alligator, with too the deathly cold of the desert night with hours left until
many heads and a thousand wicked hooks dripping poison, sunrise. The mood is tense, but more focused than earlier.
it prowls through the battle, murdering indiscriminately. Some of the Garou still aren’t back in their breed forms,
It’s a Malicet, a spirit of strife, a nastier version of the Gaf- clearly expecting more trouble; several Homids wear their

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 71

hulking, muscular, Glabro forms and some of the sept’s severely in need of allies. When Alecto retorts they’re too
lupus prowl as Hispo. few to lose defenders on a publicity tour, Leaps-the-Stars
Despite the recent hostilities, Alecto and Anton still vie suggests sending some Kinfolk.
for control. Alecto is first to speak, but Anton ignores her Both Alecto and Anton are outraged by the suggestion…
and speaks over her. If the characters don’t step in, Red Eye then even more outraged to realize they’ve just agreed on
Ruth does: She plucks two unburned twigs from the fire pit something of their own volition.
and makes them draw lots to speak first. It’s demeaning to Leaps-the-Stars lets the suggestion drop without fur-
both Alecto and Anton and reduces their Renown. ther attempts at persuasion. The natural conclusion is that
Anton draws the longer straw and gets to speak first. someone will ask why they don’t go themselves — not that
He confidently sets forward several issues that need to be anyone could make them: Leaps-the-Stars is an Athro, and
addressed urgently: thus outranks everyone at the Sept of Long Shadows.
Vermin Cull Every Kinfolk for Themselves
The Garou must determine where the Gafflings came When everyone’s done talking, Linnea looks the self-ap-
from, and if there are more nearby. Volunteers are needed pointed leaders in the eye and announces that in the morn-
to explore the nearby Penumbra and deal with whatever ing, she’ll be going into town and buying a shitload of guns,
they find. Toad is the first to volunteer, but Anton cautions and she doesn’t want to hear one dumbass remark about
them to wait; there are other problems to solve where their Weaver tools or choosing peace over conflict. She’s taking
expertise might better serve them. a load of the sept’s savings, and she’s spending it on guns.
Mild-as-May tentatively joins; there may well be a more
powerful spirit that they serve. Based on the Malicet’s
Assignments
presence, it seems likely there’s Wyrm taint in play here, The characters are welcome to volunteer for one or
not merely a response to a petty argument amongst Garou. more of these duties. They have the most intact pack of
Characters with more than minimal spirit knowledge know any at the Sept of Long Shadows. Some activities take more
this is possible, but not necessarily the case. time to arrange than others, so they’ll have the opportunity
to participate in several during Chapter Two, even if they
Peacemakers don’t immediately volunteer. If the players are looking for
Mild-as-May quickly adds that they all owe Horned Liz- guidance, steer them towards Scene Five: Tread Lightly.
ard some restitution for creating an environment where her The pack might also not volunteer at all. They’ll lose a
sacred land could be infested with malicious spirits. She’d point of temporary Honor, but that’s entirely up to them.
appreciate volunteers to accompany her on a walk into the Barring the characters’ intervention, the duties are taken
deeper Umbra to pay her respects. She’d also appreciate a up by the following people:
gift for Horned Lizard: anything that shows long thought, • Hunting down additional Discord Gafflings: Anton’s
contemplation, and the learning of a lesson (particularly pack handles this. They begin the same day as the end of
from the battle just fought) is likely to be well received. Chapter One, but they have several days of searching ahead
Prowl of them. They sleep out on their excursion, only returning
to the sept on the third evening.
Alecto, done waiting her turn, rises to insist that to-
• Investigating the Seeping Rock Hive: Three members
night’s incursion must be a sign that the Black Spirals are
of Alecto’s pack, led by Cries-Like-Rain, take on this duty.
still lurking, waiting to trouble them again. Even she doesn’t
They depart one full day after the end of Chapter One.
think the sept can put up much of a fight, but she insists a
• Visiting Horned Lizard: Mild-as-May goes, with one
pack go check out the lands around the Hive and look for
member of Anton’s pack to accompany her. It takes several
any signs of activity. Anton objects, gesturing around at the
days to create a suitable gift for the totem spirit, and Mild-
number of injuries, and exclaiming the sept can’t afford to
as-May prefers to travel by the new moon rather than the
take the risk right now.
full, so they depart four days after the end of Chapter One.
Reach Out • Defending the sept: Alecto and the rest of her pack,
When it looks like Alecto and Anton are heading towards including Red Eye Ruth, take over defense of the sept’s territory,
another showdown, Leaps-the-Stars takes the floor to speak. with patrols both in the physical realm and in the Penumbra.
They diffidently suggest sending emissaries to other septs, Tighter defenses begin the same day Chapter One ends.
just as Anton suggested earlier that evening, and reaching • Firearms: Linnea does exactly what she says, facing off
out for aid. Whether there’s a malicious spirit at work or with Anton’s second-in-command, Dolores Knows-Loss. She
some remnant of the Black Spirals still active, the sept is and a dozen other Kinfolk buy as many guns and boxes of

72 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
ammo as they can at a number of supermarkets (the World
of Darkness is not hot on strict background checks, purchase
limits, or any other controlling factors), and spend the next
several days learning to shoot them safely. Two artists among A CHANCE TO TALK
the Kinfolk research bullet manufacture online and start
working on silver bullets, since those are the only things Many of the upcoming scenes involve travel.
they know will hurt, say, a rampaging Black Spiral Dancer. For the most part, you can cut to the destination.
They don’t mention the silver ammo to the Garou. But long stretches on the road, or an overnight
stay, are good opportunities for players’ charac-
• Reaching out to allies: Nobody. This goes undone,
ters to talk amongst themselves or to Storyteller
and the sept continues to stand on its own.
characters. They get to ask questions and receive
Intermission (sometimes unreliable) answers from their traveling
companions, and maybe bond with them a little.
From this point onwards, the story’s very much in the Remember that outside of the tensions of the sept,
characters’ hands. They may not see all the scenes in Chapter everyone is more relaxed. More open, more talkative,
Two, and they may add scenes to further their own interests. and less prone to snap or take offence. Take the
You should still read the whole of Chapter Two, however. opportunity to show the characters another side of
There’s important information to give out in each scene to some characters they didn’t immediately click with.
set up for Chapter Three. If it looks like players are going to Conversations are also great intel gathering
skip any of the “scripted” scenes, find a way to work those opportunities for the Storyteller. You can figure
insights into whatever they spend their time doing. It’s for out what players’ current understanding of the
their own good. situation is and decide what you need to tell them,
or tell them again.

Chapter Two: The

Great Unraveling
The characters come to better understand the tensions scrubby bushes, and cacti abound. Vultures and hawks wheel
in the Sept of the Long Shadows and identify some of the overhead, snakes vanish into shadows at the approach of
threats to its future. Garou, and coyotes race parallel to the characters, though at
Scene Four: a distance. It’s unspoiled, and especially at the start and end
of the day, glorious. It’s almost identical in the Penumbra —
Lingering Discord a miracle for any characters used to cities and other places
ruined by human- and Wyrm-corruption.
Moon Phase: gibbous through full
Unless the characters press for another approach, the
The characters, either with or in parallel to Anton’s searchers start from the bawn and work their way in towards
pack, sweep the sept’s territory in search of any more Discord the caern, forcing Gafflings into an ever-smaller space, so the
Gafflings. If the pack is working alone, they break into two task becomes easier as they close on its conclusion.
trios, and if the characters are with them, they work as one
team, loaning one member — the Child of Gaia Galliard Symptoms of Discord Part I
Pierce-the-Silence — to the character pack as a guide to the There are plenty more Discord Gafflings. They’re
sept’s territory. breeding in every shadow, coalescing out of translucent grey
Walking the Bawn pimples that grow on the underside of rocks. Out by the
bawn there are relatively few Gafflings; whole hours go by
The Sept of Long Shadows has a lot of territory; it’s a des- without encountering any. Closer to the caern, where the
ert, so there’s no competition and no encroaching humans. It Garou spend more time, they’re more numerous.
takes days not only to walk it but to check it thoroughly, looking
Skirmishes with them are minor and for the most part
under every rock. The Long Shadows packs are exhausted,
not worth running as turn-by-turn battles. Injuries are rare
many still injured from the last, devastating battle of the war,
and trifling: Lethal damage the characters should heal in
and they’ve let this duty slide over the past month. Pierce-the-
minutes. To give them some relevance, describe encounters
Silence is chagrined by the omission but admits it if pressed.
with the Gafflings ending at the introduction to another
There’s an austere beauty to the desert, and it’s far from scene, or starting when you want to conclude one.
featureless. Small, saline lakes, groves of Joshua trees and

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 73

Peaceful Resolution follow along in hiding, slipping in and out of the Umbra
to avoid the characters’ notice.
On the first day, Pierce-the-Silence laughs that he feels If there’s no tension amongst the group, the Gafflings
terrible murdering a bunch of spirits that can barely put up try and create it: stealing a character’s possessions and
a fight, and he wishes there was a more peaceable way to placing them on another’s person, arranging obstacles so
deal with them. By day two, if the characters haven’t come that someone will trip and push another… or just laugh at
up with it, he suggests an alternative way to disperse them: them when they fall down. With the Garou dispersed, all
to just sit down where their numbers are thickest and drive on different tasks, they’re going hungry and they’re ready
them away by having an aggressively good time, telling stories to take matters into their own hands and sow some chaos.
and singing songs or playing games.
It works, inasmuch as the little spirits don’t wish to be Insights
around such emotions as camaraderie and levity, but it doesn’t The characters understand just how much the sept’s
get rid of them, only moves them on to another part of the tensions have proliferated, and also more of the conflict’s
sept. Reluctantly, Pierce-the-Sun goes back to plan A, killing history. If they don’t accompany the Children of Gaia on
every Gaffling the group can find. But the intermediary time this hunt, Pierce-the-Silence might tell the story at the caern
is an excellent opportunity to get the characters talking (see while Alecto’s pack aren’t around, or Mild-as-May might
A Chance to Talk, p. XX), and Pierce-the-Silence appreciates reveal it on that group’s Umbral walk.
the characters at least trying a peaceful approach, especially Most importantly, while there are plenty of Gafflings,
at the full moon when tempers run hot. there’s no powerful, malevolent spirit inflicting discord and
History Lesson strife on the sept. It’s all just a product of mundane, banal,
interpersonal conflict.
Towards the end of the first day, the group passes the
burned-out ruin of Chase-the-Sun’s shack, where he kept Other Outcomes
Wretch the Black Spiral Dancer prisoner and experimented If the characters entertained Pierce-the-Silence’s attempt
unsuccessfully with ways to save him. Pierce-the-Silence, after to get rid of the Gafflings by having too much fun, they
a pensive hour or so, starts telling the story of Chase-the- gain his respect. He and his pack are more attentive to the
Sun’s folly (see Apocalyptic Record, p. XX), then of Sam characters’ opinions and suggestions in future scenes.
Wakes-to-Starlight’s all-consuming revenge.
If the characters are willing to listen, he ends with some- Scene Five: Tread Lightly
thing the Children of Gaia rarely speak of: their reason for not
participating in the war against the Seeping Rock Hive. The Moon Phase: full or new (depending on travel time)
call to war split the sept’s Children of Gaia. Some, including The characters investigate the Seeping Rock Hive, with
the elders, were deeply ashamed of Chase-the-Sun and felt or without Alecto’s pack members (Cries-Like-Rain; Deme-
obliged to join Sam’s quest for vengeance to cleanse their tra Long Fang, a Homid Ahroun; Irene Walks-Backward, a
consciences. The others, including Anton, were shocked by Homid Ragabash who acts as a scout).
Sam’s departure from Unicorn’s teachings and called for The Hive’s an overnight journey away by cars or other
more time to grieve, process, and plan. Although Alecto vehicles; the Furies aren’t comfortable with that mode of
doesn’t acknowledge it, the latter groups fought alongside travel, making it almost a week’s trek on foot or paw. The
their siblings for most of the war, just not its earliest stages. characters might persuade the Furies to tolerate using a tool
of the Weaver (Charisma + Leadership, Difficulty 8), or they
Mated Malice can opt to go ahead and meet them there.
Towards the end of the second day, the group finds the
lair of a pair of Malicet in a dried out lakebed where they’ve A Bad Place
been feasting on smaller spirits of discord and growing fat. Seeping Rock’s the festering scar left by a brief period
They’ve laid a clutch of tarry black eggs; they’re not the of nuclear testing carried out in the desert. When a nuke
cause of the tensions, but if the characters don’t defeat them is detonated underground, it vaporizes the closest rock
and destroy their eggs, they’re going to make it a lot worse. and turns a ring of stone further out to liquid, which
in turn runs and flow, creating a radioactive labyrinth
Symptoms of Discord Part II perfectly made for Black Spiral Dancers. Cries-Like-Rain
On the third day of searching, as the characters and believes it was made especially to create a home for them;
Pierce-the-Silence close in on the caern, they attract a kite- she refuses to believe even humans would do this to
tail of Gafflings. This bunch are well-fed, a little more canny Mother Gaia except to consciously and wholeheartedly
than the ones they’ve met before, and sneaky enough to serve the Wyrm.

74 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 The Hive is underground, and it’s not difficult to The really serious problem for Garou is that the site
see where it lies. The land above is sunken into a shallow is highly radioactive above and below ground (but more
basin, and the rock is oddly smooth, shining under the so below). Garou take a level of aggravated damage for
sun and marked by rippling rings of different shades from every half hour they spend inside the fence. If, at any
white through deep red where it softened, flowed, and point, they fail to soak that level of aggravated damage,
reformed. The characters sense it long before they arrive they regenerate lethal damage at the rate of one level per
at its boundary, marked by a sturdy wire fence. The air hour (instead of the usual level per turn) until a day after
tastes bad, acidic, and the light breeze that blows across they’ve left the Hive.
the desert seems malicious, intent on carrying dust and The traps are an immediate sign the Hive hasn’t stood
dirt into every open orifice. empty: If they’d been in place when the Long Shadows
Getting In fought here, they’d all have been removed or detonated.
They must be new.
The fence and its rusty “NO TRESPASSING” signs are
no barrier to a pack of Garou. It’s decorated with several nasty Poking Around
little extras, courtesy of the Black Spiral Dancers. Makeshift If the characters are with the Furies, Cries-Like-Rain
signs, scrawled in blood and feces, reading “CoME RiGhT insists on investigating further. The traps on the fence in-
iN!!!” or “WELCoME StrANGERs” are an unpleasant dicate someone or something has visited, but not whether
addition; the signs directing readers to the “GUeST eN- they’re still here — or whether the sept should be worrying
TRanCe”, with lurid red arrows, are an obvious trap, but about one occupant or dozens.
if the players don’t figure that out, give their characters a Once past the fence, signs of battle are everywhere: dried
Wits + Primal-Urge (Difficulty 4) roll to notice that while blood on the rock, arrowheads, and the broken tips of long
the arrows point to gaps in the fence, those gaps are booby blades wedged into stone. No bodies are in evidence, but
trapped with tripwires and grenades. the sept’s survivors took their dead with them, and pock-
The grenades and tripwires make a nasty combo for marked, black stretches of corroded rock mark where Spirals
the character who triggers the trap. Characters who fail a fell. Cries-Like-Rain explains that most of the fighting was
Dexterity + Athletics roll (Difficulty 6) stumble over the beneath the ground.
tripwire and don’t get a chance to dodge the grenade; those There are plenty of entrances to the hive to choose from.
who succeed on the Dexterity + Athletics roll get to make They’re all crevices in the rock, easy to miss on first glance,
another roll (Difficulty 7; 4 successes required) to dodge the but obvious after a few minutes of investigation (don’t call
grenade’s explosion (15 feet blast radius; 12 lethal damage). for rolls; the characters aren’t under time pressure).
KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 75
 The interior of the Hive is lightless in a way no fire The two Black Spirals can elude the characters forever
or flashlight can penetrate, though any Gifts or rites work down here. There’s too much Hive and too few Garou to
normally. It smells foul, like the quintessence of rot, mingled pin them down.
with the meaty scent of decaying bodies and decades of ex-
crement. Without light, the characters’ best hope of finding Straight to Hell
the surface again is their Primal-Urge, which is hyper-alert After a couple of hours of exploration, the group are
to the fresher air above. deep into parts of the Hive the Black Furies don’t recog-
The characters explore for a long time without finding nize. Tunnels wind ever deeper and stop at cliffs that drop
any signs of life. They do find plenty of other things: bodies directly into darkness. And those depths are full of life.
of both Garou and Black Spiral Dancers (though more of The stink of living creatures — and the particular stench of
the latter); more traps, most of them disarmed or detonated Wyrm-taint — is overwhelming, and shrieks and howls echo
(usually with a body count of their own, including some of up from the pits, mingling and colliding. There are dozens
the defenders); hints at the foul purpose of the labyrinth’s of creatures down there.
many chambers — deep wells of black water that twist and Cries-Like-Rain insists the group return to the surface:
writhe away from any light; foul pantries of meat still on “If we die down there, the sept’s chances die with us.”
recognizably human bones; evidence of battles and blood If the characters insist on descending (without the
sports; and inscriptions carved deep into the walls, ceiling, Furies), present them with horrors: porous, corrupted
and floor in unsteady glyphs that prompt images of uncon- rock; intense nausea and febrile heat that tricks the senses;
trollable rage and the desire to scream until the human- or glimpses of capering Black Spiral Dancers engaged in profane
wolf- skin tears, and something new and foul breaks free. rites. If they stay more than a couple of minutes, they will
But no living Black Spiral Dancers. If there are occu- be spotted. Fighting’s a death sentence; there are dozens of
pants, it’s fair to assume there can’t be many. Black Spiral Dancers. Fleeing is the only survivable course
The exploration is a continuous flashback to hell for all of action. Do not bring dice into the characters’ escape;
the Black Furies present. They fought battles down here in describe it in narrative terms and keep it fast.
the dark and nearly died doing so. Cries-Like-Rain jumps
at every change in her environment, one shock away from
Insights
losing her self-control. Demetra whimpers softly when she The characters should take two things from this scene:
thinks no one can hear her. Irene Walks-Backward seems There are still Black Spirals at Seeping Rock, and they are
fine until she puts her foot through the ribcage of a body she numerous. Fortunately, if the characters don’t go themselves,
recognizes as her packmate Jenna, at which point she’s swept Cries-Like-Rain draws these conclusions and relays them to
away by screaming terror she can’t get a handle on without the rest of the sept on her return.
help (extended Charisma + Empathy roll, Difficulty 8). Other Outcomes
Company If the characters console Irene (or goad her out of her
The only Black Spirals still in the upper Hive are Sam despair), the Furies gain a lot of respect for them and are
and Wretch. They stay out of the Garou’s way: They can more willing to listen to them in later scenes.
see in the unnatural dark, Wretch knows the passages
like the back of his hand, and they have no intention of Scene Six: Make Amends
getting trapped in a confrontation where they’re outnum- Moon Phase: new (Mild-as-May’s preference) or full (char-
bered. However, they do follow the group. If the visitors acters’ choice).
leave markers to guide them back to the surface, the two The characters accompany Mild-as-May into the Um-
Black Spirals remove or distort them. Otherwise, once bra to appease Horned Lizard. This scene should ideally
the characters are on their way back to the surface, they occur as a result of player choice, but if the characters are
lob Jenna’s rotting head down at Irene from a hole in the reluctant, Horned Lizard can come to them to admonish
passage ceiling (much too narrow for the characters to climb or guide them.
through and pursue them). Sam — now Eats-the-Fallen —
It’s a long, slow-paced journey with plenty of time to talk
makes sure they see her: a tall, rangy creature, her coat
if the characters so desire. This journey goes deeper than
still dappled grey where it’s not black. She’s recognizably
simply stepping into the Penumbra to deal with Discord
a Child of Gaia lost to the Wyrm.
Gafflings: Horned Lizard’s realm is deeper and less eroded
If neither of those options is appropriate, Sam tries to by the matters of the physical world. A constant heat haze
lure them into dangerous parts of the Hive (neck-breakingly hangs over the landscape, the colors are more intense, and
steep drops or more grenade traps) by weakly calling for help doing anything with haste requires intense willpower.
from some distance away.
76 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 After a long period of travel during which the sun never
dips from its zenith, and the heat suffuses the Garou’s bodies Other Outcomes
and slows their thoughts, the landscape is the craggy, warty, If the characters successfully persuade Horned Lizard
dust-colored back of Horned Lizard. To converse with her, to be patient with her children, they not only gain Mild-
the group must descend from her back, down a scaled fore- as-May’s respect — and she’s influential with both Alecto
limb, and onto her claws where they can make eye contact and Anton — but Horned Lizard’s. That amounts to both
with her. Mild-as-May does so effortlessly, having traversed significant influence in the sept, and a permanent additional
her totem’s terrain countless times. For everyone else, it’s a point of Wisdom renown.
heroic endeavor requiring an extended Strength + Athletics
roll (Difficulty 7), achieving 8 successes over 3 rolls. Scene Seven: New Friends
Characters who don’t make the required number of suc- Moon Phase: full (to visit Rainbow Lake) or later.
cesses scrabble down Horned Lizard, causing her significant The characters travel outwards from the Sept of Long
discomfort in the process; making a bad first impression on Shadows to find allies against the (at the moment, hypotheti-
a sept’s totem spirit is both disgraceful and, in this scene (see cal) Black Spiral Dancers or the (equally hypothetical) greater
Salvaging Something, below), a major hindrance. spirit of Discord that may be feeding or preying on the sept.
Horned Lizard’s Perspective Rainbow Lake
Horned Lizard speaks agonizingly slowly, thoughts hang- The obvious place to turn for help is Leaps-the-Stars’s
ing tantalizingly unfinished for what feels like eons before sept, the Sept of Rainbow Lake.
completion. She very slowly expresses her deep sorrow at the
They’re a long day’s travel away by car and several days’
infighting her children have fallen into. It’s the antithesis
run for wolves. Not that running is advisable, when almost
of her slow, accepting, forgiving nature. She wants them
every route involves passing around or through human cities.
to be strong and self-sufficient, but she wants them to do
Usually, the sept’s territory is extremely hard to find: Paths
so as they always have: as one strong family, who trust and
twist away from it, and the desert itself contracts, expands,
respect one another.
or reshapes to carry accidental visitors out before they know
If they can’t, she’s taught them nothing, and she’ll leave where they are.
them and let them find a more suitable patron. This would
If Leaps-the-Stars knows the characters are visiting, they
bring profound shame to the Garou and great censure from
negotiate with a minor spirit of air, which appears in the
others of their kind, but that’s their responsibility, not hers.
form of a vulture soaring overhead, to guide the characters
Salvaging Something directly there; if not, have the pack designate one character
Mild-as-May knows Horned Lizard well, but her admis- to guide them. That character makes a single Perception
sion leaves her tongue-tied; like her totem, she needs time + Survival roll (Difficulty 7). If they fail, it takes an extra
to process and respond to this huge change in her world. day to reach the sept: frustrating, and probably something
While she’ll remain in the Umbra with Horned Lizard they’ll be teased about for a while, but no serious narrative
and eventually convince her to wait, hoping that the Long consequences.
Shadows Garou return to her teachings, the characters have Arriving at Rainbow Lake is a very different experience
an opportunity to do so much faster. to entering the Sept of Long Shadows. The bawn is marked
This requires a Charisma + Expression roll (Difficulty with glyphs carved into the red desert rock and patrolled by
8), with a total of 4 successes. Characters can participate as inquisitive coyote Kinfolk. In only a couple minutes, Chases
a group, with up to three speaking. Smoke, one of the sept’s Guardians (a tall, rawboned Black
woman with amber eyes), finds the pack. If Leaps-the-Stars’
Of course, this is much harder if the characters almost fell
air spirit is leading them, she approaches with an open,
off Horned Lizard’s hide and jabbed their claws into her to
friendly grin; otherwise she’s cautious, and has already called
avoid a perilous drop. If more than one of the characters failed,
in the new arrivals via radio to Shilah Fights-Best-Blind, the
increase the Difficulty to 9; if more than half of them failed,
sept’s Warden. After a couple of brief questions about their
the Difficulty’s 9 and the characters need a total of 6 successes.
origin and intentions, she leads them deeper into the sept’s
Insights territory, towards the heart of the caern.
The characters should finish this scene with no doubt Most of the sept’s territory is another desert community,
that the sept’s squabbling is shameful and needs to be but this one’s made up of RVs, trailers, and the dens of
resolved. Though Horned Lizard doesn’t command the coyotes. There’s a verve about the place, a buzz of purpose
group to settle the matter, she expects it… and ignoring a and activity, that makes Long Shadows feel like a ghost
totem spirit’s expectation is profoundly shameful behavior. town. Activity stops for visitors, Garou and Kinfolk alike

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 77

dropping what they’re doing to curiously watch newcomers
walk through their midst.
Heart of the Matter
The heart of the caern, where the characters are taken, WORST CASE SCENARIO
is a kidney shaped lake, the water made into a rainbow If the characters know Seeping Rock Hive is
by the many mineral deposits in the rock beneath. Shilah still swarming with corrupted Garou, Rainbow Lake
Fights-Best-Blind, the Warden, and Vera the Truthcatcher insist on sending several packs, either to finally
wait there to meet the characters, sitting under the shelter cleanse the Hive or to defend against an incursion
of a canopy made from dead wood and blankets. they assume is coming.
Shilah Fights-Best-Blind (Uktena Homid Ahroun) is
a huge, Northern Paiute man, almost six and a half feet tall
and three hundred and fifty pounds in Homid form. He’s
open and easygoing, but a shrewd judge of character. keeps a caern in Garou hands and enforces order on chaos.
Vera Swordtongue (Uktena Homid Philodox) is a Some might even say it’s cruel to let a dozen Garou, most of
sunburned Latina woman in her mid-forties, covered with them young and inexperienced, be responsible for running
tattoos of desert plants and creatures, and with thick, pre- an entire sept. Alternatively, they might plant the idea that
maturely grey hair. She listens patiently, speaks firmly, and the characters’ pack should take over themselves, since they
exudes an air of capable authority. seem to already be taking on the duties of leaders.
Once the characters explain the situation, they’re hap- While the pack’s allies might help temporarily, they’re
py — almost too happy — to lend assistance to the Sept of unlikely to be much use in the long term, especially if the
Long Shadows. They’re led by what the characters say they characters think the sept should retain its sovereignty under
need, but agree to send whichever people are best suited one or more of the Storyteller-run Garou.
to help: skilled warriors if the characters expect the sept to
be attacked or negotiators and calming influences — even Insights
interim leaders — if the characters focus more on the sept’s This branch of the story’s less about gathering informa-
internal struggles. tion and more about recruiting more Garou to be present
It only takes a single Wits + Empathy roll (Difficulty at the sept, which has important consequences in the two
6) for a character to realize they’re getting their claws into confrontations coming in Chapter Three.
the Sept of Long Shadows… and probably won’t let go. If The one important piece of information delivered in
confronted, Vera says plainly that the Long Shadows are this section is that Rainbow Lake will step in and take over
sprinting down a road to self-destruction. If someone doesn’t if the Sept of Long Shadows can’t run itself. If the characters
step in and get them back on track, their pride will let in don’t hear it from Vera Swordtongue herself, any Garou
Wyrm-taint or the sept will collapse. She’s not about to allow they speak to can suggest it.
that; it puts other septs in the area at risk. If asked about
Leaps-the-Stars she says (truthfully) that they’re at the Sept Other Outcomes
of Long Shadows to observe, but they’ll step in or send for If the characters accept Rainbow Lake’s help, a six-strong
help from Rainbow Lake if the situation calls for it. pack of werewolves accompany them back to Long Shadows.
The pack composition depends on what the characters asked
Other Ties for: a warrior pack contains four Ahrouns, a Galliard, and
Established characters, with ties of their own, will a Theurge; a more diplomatic pack includes two Philodox,
likely visit their allies, contacts, and elders. Some of those a Theurge, a Galliard, and two Ahrouns.
characters might be willing to help or owe the characters a

Chapter Three:
sufficient debt — but in general, remember that the plight
of a small sept, one that’s already nearly destroyed itself in

Breaking Point
an ill-judged battle led by a Garou scarcely older than a cub
(Sam Wakes-to-Starlight), isn’t a priority for most Garou
elsewhere. They have their own issues.
The characters better understand the Sept of Long
If they hear that the Rainbow Lake are interested in tak- Shadows and have forged some stronger connections with
ing over guardianship of the Sept of Long Shadows, they’re its members. The sept’s problems are about to become acute,
likely to agree that’s the most sensible course of action. It and unless the characters hold it together, it will collapse.

78 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Scene Eight: Secession
Moon Phase: New
The sept’s been peaceful while Alecto and Anton have
OBSERVERS
been productively occupied. As soon as the urgent activities If Rainbow Lake has sent more people, the
are done and it’s time to think about strategy, the two camps brawl never happens; the two packs are too proud
immediately fall back into hostility. to fight in front of outsiders. However, they’re also
too proud to tolerate dissent from their Kinfolk in
While the Garou have been busy, Linnea’s been run-
that situation, so Alecto outright threatens Linnea,
ning things: keeping track of where everyone is, making
and Anton doesn’t stop her.
sure nothing’s missed, as well as ensuring that normal
duties — like making sure people eat — keep going. She’s
also been overseeing the Kinfolk’s weapons training. Now
that the Garou have returned, she’s shunted back into the
background while Alecto and Anton bicker about strategy. • Keep the situation under wraps: if the characters
Matters come to a head one morning when the silver stop Toad from telling them, Alecto and Anton never find
bullets are discovered. There are too many of them: Leaps-the- out about it. The characters might then be able to persuade
Stars senses the itching, irritating presence of silver among the Linnea to at least get rid of the silver (doing so requires a
Kinfolk’s homes. He asks Linnea about them and whether the Manipulation + Expression roll, Difficulty 7).
other Garou are aware of them. The conversation’s tense and • De-escalate: Using Expression, Etiquette, or Intim-
draws attention, first from Leaps-the-Stars, who immediately idation, the characters can defuse the immediate conflict
draws it to the attention of Alecto and Anton, curious to see and get those involved to sit down and talk. They’ll have
how they’ll respond. The answer, of course, is poorly. to keep managing all the egos involved and facilitate the
If the characters don’t intervene, the argument escalates discussion, but it gives them a chance to…
quickly. • Get Linnea to stay: This requires acknowledging her
• Alecto asserts Linnea had no right to take matters grievances (she’s older and more experienced than most
into her own hands. Guns have no place in the Sept of Long of the Garou and wants her voice heard; this is far from
Shadows, and silver bullets are anathema. She orders Linnea traditional, but the sept’s in dire straits, and she argues they
to get rid of the Weaver’s tools. Before she’s done shouting, need some non-traditional approaches).

Scene Nine: War and Peace

she’s shifted into Glabro form. Linnea doesn’t flinch.
• Linnea refuses, as she no longer trusts the Garou
to protect their Kinfolk. She won’t have them treated like There’s a Hive of Black Spiral Dancers a matter of miles
afterthoughts. away. Even if the characters don’t acknowledge the threat,
• Anton tells Linnea if she can’t abide by the sept’s rules, every other member of the sept, as well as every visitor, does.
there’s no place for her here. He’s bluffing, fully expecting
her to back down and fall in line.
• She doesn’t. Linnea turns away to pack up her stuff.
Most of the other Kinfolk are prepared to go with her.
• Toad tries to talk Linnea down, but she’s past the WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
point of listening (and has been since she watched most of For a sept to lose most of its Kinfolk is effec-
the sept throw themselves into a Black Spiral Hive for the tively a death sentence. It punches a hole right
sake of vengeance, instead of taking a more considered, through the community. More practically, Kinfolk
strategic stance). are a sept’s breeding stock, though it’s distasteful
Alecto’s ready to fight Linnea, but Anton restrains her to acknowledge that out loud. Without siblings,
(physically, with the assistance of two of his pack). Alecto’s cousins, parents, and potential mates, the sept has
pack, naturally, object, and without intervention an all-out no choice but to break into packs and find other
brawl erupts between the two packs, with Mild-as-May, Toad, homes, in the long term. Or, of course, find new
and Leaps-the-Stars eventually breaking it up. Kinfolk, but the Sept of Long Shadows has too
A Better Outcome many other problems to deal with that right now.

Characters have several opportunities to make this

difficult moment play out differently.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 79

These Black Spirals are particularly fond of cruel
games, like the one Wretch played on Chase-the-
Sun, and nobody believes they’ll miss a chance
to strike while the sept are weakest. It’s time to
mend the sept’s divisions, or at least drag it into
fighting shape.
By this point, the characters should have
acquired some influence in the sept, primarily
amongst the groups they accompanied in Chap-
ter Two, but possibly also with Linnea and the
other Kinfolk, depending how they resolved the
situation in Scene Eight. Whether they realize it
or not, people now look to them for guidance.
Just a couple of hours after Scene Eight,
Alecto and Anton separately instruct Mild-as-May
to call the sept and any visiting allies together for
a council of war. The characters get a couple of
hours’ notice before the meeting’s due to convene,
giving them time to decide what they want out of
it and how to prepare.
Gathering Before the Storm
As the sun starts to set, Red Eye Ruth opens
the meeting with another tale; this time of the
sept’s victory over the corporation Barron Land
Assets, which tried to turn a swathe of nearby
desert into a landfill site. It’s well told — stirring
and passionate — and well-received. When she’s
done, she announces it’s time to talk about the
sept’s future: With war looming on the horizon,
who should lead?
Immediately after she sits down, Alecto and
Anton start to speak simultaneously. Before they
devolve into snarling and insults, Leaps-the-Stars
orders them to “Stop. If one of you can’t bring
this circus to order, I will.”
It’s an implied threat; if Leaps-the-Stars has
to take charge, the sept clearly can’t manage itself.
Mild-as-May is quick to head this off, suggesting
the characters lead the meeting.
From there, they have the floor if they want
it — or they can throw their support behind
someone else, whether a member of the sept or
a visitor. Whoever leads the meeting becomes de
facto leader of the sept and Leaps-the-Stars vocally
supports the victor. Disharmony is undesirable,
at this time.
Face the Future
The meat of the discussion is whether to take
the fight to the Black Spirals or let them come to
the Long Shadows. There’s no question that they
 Scene Ten:
have to be destroyed: Even though the sept are outnumbered,
Black Spirals multiply like rats, and they’ll outnumber the
Garou by an even bigger factor if they wait.
The decision rests with whoever leads the meeting, but
The End of the War
if that’s not the characters, their opinion carries a lot of Moon Phase: Crescent
weight. Anyone who gained their respect in Chapter Two The characters have three days before the Seeping Rock
agrees with their course of action (including Alecto’s pack, Hive attacks, though of course they don’t know that. The
but not Alecto — see Alecto’s Challenge, below). The other climactic battle can end in one of three ways:
factions vote as follows: • At the Battle for Long Shadows, with or without
• Black Furies: Take the fight to the Seeping Rock Hive; reinforcements
catch them off guard, and keep any of them from setting • At the Cleansing of Seeping Rock
foot over the sept’s bawn.
• Children of Gaia: Wait until the Black Spirals attack. Battle for the Long Shadows
Every extra day allows the sept to gather more allies and The Black Spiral Dancers attack just before dawn on
shore up defenses. the third day. They descend shrieking and cursing, tearing
• Kinfolk: Take the fight to the Hive, so that children at their own flesh in their eagerness to rend and destroy.
and Kinfolk who can’t fight aren’t put in harm’s way. There are somewhere between two and four dozen.
• Mild-as-May (speaking also for Horned Lizard): Wait. The following happen simultaneously. The characters
Invest time in restoring Horned Lizard’s faith in her children, can stick together and tackle one of these offensives at a time
and let the Spirals attack the sept, where the Long Shadows or split up and risk spreading themselves too thin. The other
are strong and Horned Lizard can best protect them. packs are engaged in their own versions of Pitched Battle.
• Leaps-the-Stars: Fight at the Sept of Long Shadows. Protect Horned Lizard
Defeat the Black Spirals’ strongest warriors, then descend The scrap metal statue of Horned Lizard is a link to the
into the Hive and cull whatever monstrosities still linger totem, and Mild-as-May would die rather than see it torn
down there. down. If the characters don’t defend her from the three Black
• Toad: If anyone asks the metis’ opinion, he tentatively Spirals who try to destroy it, she dies defending it alone.
suggests there’s time to move the non-combatants to Rainbow Duel
Lake, then lure the Black Spiral Dancers into a trap. Surely,
The Black Spiral Dancers are led by a female, whose war
they’re spying on their enemies, so it must be possible to
form is ash grey, dappled with white, where it isn’t streaked
convince them the sept’s weak (the Kinfolk have left, and
with oily black: marks of a purebred Child of Gaia. This is
the remaining packs are at each other’s throats). If they were
Eats-the-Fallen, who was once Sam Wakes-to-Starlight, and
to fake Alecto’s pack leaving in anger, and Rainbow Lake’s
none of her former brethren want to fight her.
visitors departing, they’d have forces for an ambush.
If the characters don’t intervene, Anton takes her on.
Nobody’s ready for Toad’s input. They’ve never expected
He’s badly injured and out of the fight afterwards, and his
much from him, and none of the Garou quite know how
pack take heavy losses as a result, including the death of
to respond. Linnea supports him and, after a polite period
Pierce-the-Silence.
waiting for sept members to have their say, so does Leaps-
the-Stars. Defend the Kinfolk
Without the characters’ backing, the sept follows the If Linnea and others have left, there are fewer Kinfolk to
plan of whoever’s in charge. defend, but they’re still one of the Black Spirals’ first targets.
Five Black Spiral Dancers, led by Wretch, immediately set
Alecto’s Challenge about slaughtering them.
Now that there’s an acknowledged, if not official, leader, If the characters don’t intervene, Toad and Leaps-the-
Alecto can formally challenge them for the position. If the Stars eventually do. They’re not enough, and most of the
sept doesn’t decide to take the fight to Seeping Rock, she Kinfolk, including Linnea, die.
issues a challenge, demanding a duel. If the characters don’t If the Kinfolk have silver bullets, they win this fight
defuse it, the challenge is settled at dawn, with a tooth-and- with heavy casualties, and Linnea survives. If the Kinfolk
claw battle to first surrender, with every Garou in the sept have evacuated to Rainbow Lake, this event doesn’t happen.
forming the perimeter of the circle.
Pitched Battle
Alecto won’t surrender: if she’s bested; she dies in that
The characters also need to help thin out the Black
ring, and the sept loses one of its finest warriors.
Spirals’ numbers. If they manage to kill at least as many

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 81

 Discord Gaffling
enemies as there are pack members, the Long Shadows
Garou take fewer casualties; otherwise, Red Eye Ruth and
Cries-Like-Rain die in the battle.
Minor but numerous spirits of strife.
If the sept has a warrior pack from Rainbow Lake, the
Rage 4, Gnosis 5, Willpower 3, Essence 15
characters don’t need to achieve this objective.
Charms: Corruption, Incite Frenzy, Peek
Reinforcements
If Alecto’s pack and the Rainbow Lake support arrive as Malicet
reinforcements, double the number of Black Spiral Dancers Moderately powerful, Wyrm-tainted, spirit of strife.
in the previous objectives — but the reinforcements, who
Rage 10, Gnosis 8, Willpower 6, Essence 21
arrive shortly after battle is joined, achieve two objectives.
Charms: Armor, Incite Frenzy, Re-form, Tracking
The Cleansing of Seeping Rock
If the characters take the battle to the Hive, they face Black Spiral Dancer
a terrifying, claustrophobic fight through lightless tunnels, Warrior of the Wyrm. Use this profile for most members
trapped with explosives. The characters are quickly separat- of the Seeping Rock Hive. For Wretch, increase Dexterity,
ed from the other packs and ambushed by six Black Spiral Manipulation, Stealth, and Subterfuge to 5.
Dancers. Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
The last survivor flees, luring the characters into another Stamina (Implacable) 4 (6/7/7/6); Charisma 1, Manipula-
trap: another tripwire that unleashes homemade napalm tion 2 (0/0/0/0), Appearance 1 (0/0/1/1); Perception 3,
on the first three characters into the chamber (3A per turn, Intelligence 2, Wits 3
requires a whole turn to extinguish). While the characters Abilities: Alertness (Paranoid) 4, Athletics 4, Intimi-
are burning, Wretch, Eats-the-Fallen, and four more Black dation (Disturbing) 4, Occult 2, Primal-Urge 3, Stealth 3
Spirals arrive to take them out. As the characters defeat Gifts: (1) Resist Pain, (2) one in each group encountered
Eats-the-Fallen, Alecto howls the retreat from deeper within also has Wyrm Hide
the Hive: the bloody, gory work is done. Rank: 1 or 2
There are casualties. Choose or roll a d10 for each Rage: 6
Storyteller character: on a roll of 1-2, they’re dead, on 3-7
Gnosis: 3
they’re injured but limp home.
Willpower: 5

Epilogue
Health: 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated

With luck, the sept has found its purpose, and a lead-
Eats-the-Fallen
er, again. Rainbow Lake is there to provide support and Howl: Fallen crusader
assistance as the Long Shadows regain their strength, and Quote: “Home isn’t home anymore. Tastes like bone with
now they’re confident the smaller sept can shape their own the marrow sucked out.”
destiny and don’t need to be absorbed into Rainbow Lake. Breed: Homid
Auspice: Philodox

Appendix:
Tribe: Black Spiral Dancer
Revenge Run Amok
Friends and Enemies Sam Wakes-to-Starlight lost it after Seeping Rock mon-
sters slew her uncle, Chase-the-Sun. She led most of her sept
This appendix contains game traits for the story’s an- in a crusade against the Hive and was lost in the radioactive
tagonists, and Alecto, as the characters may come to blows labyrinth. Her sept-mates assumed she was dead; the rest of
with her. For other Garou characters, assume they have 6 her pack were. She survived, to be nursed back to health,
dice in abilities they’re skilled at, and 4 in other dice pools. then lured into dancing the Black Spiral by Wretch.
Ahroun have 8 dice in combat pools, others have 7.
Plots and Ambitions
As per W20 p. 366, spirits use their Willpower to attack
• Misery Loves Company: Bring more of the Long
and Rage to damage on a successful hit. They use Willpower
Shadows to dance the Spiral; take their caern for the Wyrm.
to soak damage and can dodge attacks by splitting their dice
pool and using part for their Willpower-based dodge attempt.
Damage is subtracted from a spirit’s Essence.

82 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Territory Plots and Ambitions
• Seeping Rock Hive A radioactive labyrinth in a bleak • Mine By Right: Alecto’s determined to be leader of
stretch of desert. the sept, mostly because she’s scared any other leader would
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies let it collapse.
• Wretch (Mentor) A trickster and tormenter, Wretch • Lead By Example: There’s no excuse not to fight when
spent a year in the Long Shadows’ captivity and emerged the sept is drowning in Wyrm taint. Fight to the bitter end.
from it with a powerful desire to see the entire sept destroyed. Territory
Bringing Eat-the-Fallen into the fold, a parody of what her • Long Shadows Sept A small, faltering desert com-
uncle tried to do to him, is what he calls “story-shaped.” He munity.
likes that, so he likes Eats-the-Fallen.
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies
Whispers • Cries-Like-Rain, Irene Walks-Backwards Older
• Presumed Dead: The Sept of Long Shadows believes Black Furies in Alecto’s pack, and the only people she takes
Sam’s dead. They’re half right. Sam is dead, long live Eats- advice from.
the-Fallen. • Seeping Rock Hive Every living Black Spiral Dancer
Image in the Hive is Alecto’s personal enemy
• Homid: a small, stocky woman with sore eyes and • Anton Blunt-Claw …And so is this incompetent
flaking skin, her human teeth filed to points. coward.
• Lupus: a mangy black wolf, with ragged patches of Whispers
dapple-grey fur she’s partially torn out by the roots. • Shame: When she’s leader, she’ll drive out everyone
Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4), who shirked their duty to fight.
Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5); Charisma (Natural Leader) 4, • Death before Dishonor: She’d rip out Anton’s throat
Manipulation 2 (0/0/0/0), Appearance 1 (0/0/1/1); before she’d let him become leader.
Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Image:
Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Empathy 1,
• A broad shouldered, muscular, mixed race (Caucasian
Leadership (Compelling) 4, Primal-Urge 2, Etiquette
and Latina) woman in her early twenties, with cropped hair
3, Stealth 3; Academics 2, Computer 1, Law 2
(black except for one white patch) and a crooked nose. She’s
Backgrounds: Allies (Seeping Rock Hive) 3, Fate 2, Mentor
missing an incisor.
(Wretch) 2
• A barrel-chested black wolf with a patch of white hair
Gifts: (1) Persuasion, Resist Toxin, Shroud
and a missing fang.
Rank: 1
Attributes: Strength (Grip) 4 (6/8/7/1), Dexterity 3
Rage: 5 (3/4/5/5), Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5); Charisma 3, Manipu-
Gnosis: 6 lation 2 (0/0/0/0), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception
Willpower: 3 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Health: 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics (Feats of Strength) 4, Brawl

Alecto (Dirty Fighting) 4, Intimidation 3, Leadership 2, Pri-

mal-Urge (Danger Sense); Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 2,
Howl: Young, overconfident warrior Melee 3, Survival 2; Academics (History) 1, Medicine 1
Quote: “The caern belongs to her defenders.” Backgrounds: Ancestors 2, Pure Breed 3
Breed: Homid Gifts: (1) Heightened Senses, Pack Tactics, Razor Claws; (2)
Auspice: Ahroun Kali’s Tongue, Staredown, True Fear; (3) Wind Claws
Tribe: Black Furies Rank: 3
Rage: 7
Last Woman Standing
Gnosis: 3
Alecto’s young. Her First Change is only a couple of
Willpower: 7
years behind her, and she only came to the Long Shadows
a year ago, following a set of visions. She’s brave, tough, and Glory: 7
unfailingly ready to fight, and she distinguished herself well Honor: 3
in the final battle against Seeping Rock Hive. Afterward, Wisdom: 1
she became pack leader despite her age and inexperience. Health: 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY 83

Anton Blunt-Claw
• Alecto Not only a brash, grating person but a danger
to the sept.
Howl: Guilt-wracked observer Whispers
Quote: “What’s past is past. Turn your eyes to the future.” • Craven Heart: Anton’s reluctance to fight had nothing
Breed: Homid to do with principles, and everything to do with cowardice.
Auspice: Theurge Images
Tribe: Children of Gaia • Muscular, athletic Caucasian man with sun-bleached
Too Little Too Late hair. Rarely wears a shirt.
Anton was never ambitious. He fought because it was • Long-furred wolf with golden brown fur.
his duty and abstained from conflict where he could, willing Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4),
to support rather than lead. The first time anyone really Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5); Charisma (Approachable) 4,
knew what he thought was when he refused to fight to Manipulation 3 (1/0/0/0), Appearance 3 (2/0/3/3);
avenge Chase-the-Sun, whose deeds shocked and appalled Perception (Intuition) 4, Intelligence 3, Wits 2
him. He regrets joining the fight too late, but he wants to Abilities: Brawl 2, Empathy 3, Expression 3, Leadership
see the sept move past its defeat… and that means opposing 2, Primal-Urge 2; Animal Ken 2, Drive 2, Etiquette 3,
Alecto’s obsession with war with every bone in his body. Firearms 1, Survival 2; Academics 1, Investigation 2,
Law 1, Rituals 3
Plots and Ambitions
Backgrounds: Allies 2, Contacts 3, Resources 1, Rites 1,
• Run the Show: Anton truly believes he’s the leader
Totem (Horned Lizard) 2
the sept needs to take them into a time of peace.
Gifts: (1) Brother’s Scent, Mercy, Mother’s Touch, Smell of
• The Great Forgetting: Chase-the-Sun’s experiments
Man (2) Speech of the World, Umbral Tether
and Wakes-to-Starlight’s crusade are a dark chapter in the
Long Shadows’ history, and he’d prefer they were never Rank: 3
spoken of. Rage: 3
Gnosis: 6
Territory
Willpower: 5
• Long Shadows Sept
Glory: 2
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies
Honor: 2
• Dolores Knows-Loss (Ally) Second in command of
Wisdom: 7
Anton’s pack. A patient woman who keeps her thoughts to
Rites: Rite of Cleansing
herself; he knows she disagreed with his decision to keep
the pack out of the fighting, but she was loyal anyway. He Health: 0, –1, –1, –2, –2, –5, Incapacitated
values that loyalty more than he can express.

84 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 Ready-Made
Characters
“We fight this fight because we have no other choice. But what a grand and righteous obligation it is!”
— Katla Gandr Dancer Valsdottir, Get of Fenris Theurge

Perhaps it’s redundant to say werewolves come in many JoAnna’s First Change was a minor breach of the Veil.
forms, but it’s the task of this chapter to show you some It’s still on the internet somewhere. She had made a series of
of the many ways in which a Garou may appear in your Short-Vids about dismantling corporate subsidies, and well,
chronicles of Werewolf: The Apocalypse. her passion got the better of her. She destroyed her room
The characters presented here are perfect for use either and put her best friend in the hospital. Alice is fine, but this
as playable characters, as supporting characters, or even as situation still eats at JoAnna, and she doesn’t see her friend
antagonists in a story. It’s a simple task to change a tribe or often these days. She chose the Furies as her tribe from the
shift a dot from Attribute to another, if you want to tweak moment she was told about their overarching mission. She
them at all, and names, genders, and every other aspect of was a lost cub anyway, so there weren’t any tribal elders to
a character is utterly flexible. get in her way.
Meet some of Gaia’s youngest prospective champions, While still young, JoAnna made a splash during her Rite
and perhaps start telling stories while occupying these roles. of Passage, planning and leading an attack on a Wyrm-cor-
rupted city councilman. She’s been pushing the use of

JoAnna Woertz
effective social media messaging to get the sept’s Kinfolk
candidate elected, and he has a strong lead in the polls due
to her work. This has earned JoAnna the deed name Medu-
Howl: Social Media Influencer
sa’s Advocate, which she wears as a badge of honor. Some
Quote: “Hey, fam! Hit like and subscribe so we can keep of her tribemates accuse her of buying into man’s tools and
dismantling systemic injustice together!” constructs, particularly around “being cute” as part of her
Breed: Homid social shtick. JoAnna laughs at these barbs: “I’m my own
Auspice: Ragabash woman. I control this image. I control this narrative. I’m
Tribe: Black Furies cute because I like it and it works. What’s your plan?”
Subversively Cute Video Star Plots and Ambitions
Systemic injustice is a Garou problem. Patriarchy is a • Local Elections First: JoAnna leads the social en-
Garou problem. Racism is a Garou problem. Protecting Gaia gagement campaign for a local Shadow Lord Kinfolk, Mark
isn’t only about stopping ecological disaster, it’s also about Sanders. Getting him elected is an uphill battle against the
eliminating the reasons the humans create to crush the world monied interest of the local Pentex subsidiaries, but things
beneath their heels. JoAnna sees these issues and doesn’t are looking up.
care who she must go toe-to-toe with to prove her points. • Talesinger’s Apprentice: “It’s a job for Galliards.
She’s been like this since she was able to walk, and she’s Go away No-Moon.” The Talesinger of JoAnna’s sept is a
not stopping now she’s back to four legs part of the time. staunchly conservative Galliard with zero interest in her
READY-MADE CHARACTERS 85
 mix of screen reading tech and magnification to engage with
the virtual world. They have caught on to CubeIncel and
others stalking JoAnna and are considering PMing her to
ask if she needs help. Being on the other side of the pond
doesn’t help either, as Cries in Light is a cloistered metis of
the Fianna on the Isle of Man.
• Charlotte Spits at the Serpent Woertz: While she
doesn’t know what her granddaughter spends all her time
doing, she does love and respect her. As an elder she could
step in and mentor the young wolf, but Charlotte thinks
JoAnna is doing alright without guidance. She doesn’t tell
her, of course; coddling a Cliath does no one any favors.
Still, she’s a quiet advocate for her granddaughter’s skills,
mission, and methods.
Whispers
• Glass Walker in Training: A persistent story around
the sept is JoAnna is planning to leave her tribe for the Glass
Walkers. If anyone were to approach her about this she’d
growl and walk away.
• Edge of Harano: A bright personality is a great mask
desire to apprentice for the position. JoAnna wants it and for being close to falling into the hell of harano. Falling into
is cooking up a way to make it happen. that state may explain some of the strain around JoAnna’s
Territory relationships.
• The Hot Take (Contacts, Resources) A coffee shop • Talks with Wyrm Beasts: Another young Garou
downtown, it’s also where JoAnna holds open mic nights. is whispering about JoAnna having regular meetings with
The event pulls in the normal crowd of barely capable art- Wyrm beasts. So far this has been dismissed as youthful envy.
ists, poets, and modern-day beatniks. It also attracts a weird Image
cross-section of night creatures, and JoAnna uses this as a
JoAnna changes her hair color about twice a month, if
neutral ground for exchanging information with beings she
not more. She also cycles through a series of wigs for when
should probably avoid. She gets a cut of the door fee and
she picks a poor hair cut choice. Her closet is stuffed with
tips for promoting the event online.
all manner of clothes of various styles: in, out, or retro,
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies depending on her mood for the day. She’s 5’4” and usually
• CubeIncel: Dancing the Spiral doesn’t always make she’s stabbing a finger in the air to add some specific em-
one an incoherent rage monster. The Black Spiral Dancer phasis. Some days she adds piercings in her nose, ears, and
known as CubeIncel is smart, too smart. He revels in his lips, but since none are permanent, being Garou, she cycles
identity as both a Wyrm-tainted Garou and a misogynist. through those nearly as frequently as she does hair color.
He recently noticed JoAnna’s feed and realized through In any shape with fur, she is a gray wolf with white feet and
subtle cues she is Garou. He’s begun a counter-campaign, legs. She has a white star pattern over one eye.
with the goal of catching her attention so he can lay a trap Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4),
she’ll be unable to avoid tripping. Stamina 2 (2/5/5/4); Charisma 3, Manipulation 3
• Stewart Cameron, JD.: Stewart hated being reminded (1/0/0/0), Appearance 4 (3/0/4/4); Perception 2,
he was Kinfolk. Particularly because his kin are Bone Gnaw- Intelligence 3, Wits 4
ers, and Stewart saw himself as better than them. When Abilities: Empathy 1, Expression 2, Intimidation 2, Lead-
Pentex came calling, he ran headfirst into their arms. Now ership 2, Subterfuge 2; Etiquette 3, Firearms 1, Perfor-
he’s running for his second term on the city council and mance (Dancing) 3, Stealth 2; Computer (Social Media)
facing all kinds of flak for his corporate interests from his 4, Enigmas 3, Investigation 1, Law 2, Technology 3
opponent. Thankfully, he’s got a First Team at his beck and Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Cries in Light, Mark Sanders),
call, and the IP address for where his opposition is launching Ancestors 1, Contacts 2, Resources 1
their social media messaging. Gifts: (1) Apecraft’s Blessing (Homid), Persuasion (Homid),
• Cries in Light: The internet is a safe place for a metis, Infectious Laughter (Ragabash), Wyld Resurgence
because no one needs to know you’re hated by your family, (Black Furies)
sept, and culture. Cries in Light is legally blind and uses a
86 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Rank: 1 (Cliath) Sometimes they hit, bite, or claw. Soft as Snow Falling doesn’t
Rage: 1 like these times. If called to a pack, he will join them, but only
Gnosis: 1 if the pack will give him time to be gentle, maybe take a mate
Willpower: 4 and raise pups. He likes pups. In fact, the one fight he started
was against a kin wolf who nipped a pup too hard.
Glory: 1
Honor: 1 Plots and Ambitions
Wisdom: 2 • Join a Wandering Pack: The Red Talons of his sept
are insular, but they have an alliance with another multi-tribal

Soft as Snow Falling

sept a hundred miles away near the city. Packs of young wolves
are forming there, and Soft as Snow Falling is considering
petitioning to join them.
Howl: Gentle Wolf
• Spirit’s Voice: The spirit of his mother has been
Quote: “Can we have a snuggle after this mission? It helps plaguing his dreams. She keeps prodding him awake at night.
calm me.” “There are bad scents in the air. Human-Thunder-Beasts in
Breed: Lupus the distance. You cannot protect the pups if you do not get
Auspice: Ragabash up.” The dreams fade quickly, but maybe there is something
Tribe: Red Talons prophetic about them.
Not Everyone is a Warrior Territory
As the “Big Wolf,” Soft as Snow Falling was in charge • High Trees and Rock: A quiet place to rest, Soft as
of the pack when his father was gone on Man-Wolf business. Snow Falling sleeps here when he needs time to himself. The
Mother was dead, so it made sense. He loved to play with the spirits keep the place gentle and soothing for him, except for
second litter, but sleeping next to them and protecting made the soft, distant call of the Whippoorwill in the distance.
him most happy. The hunters caused his First Change. They • Dens of Wyrm-Humans: Near to the forest are a series
shot the youngest of the second litter, and this made Soft as of Endron offices, where Pentex is planning both a strategic
Snow Falling rage. The men were dead quickly. He cried in natural gas drilling and wolf-hunt tourism. While the Talons
human-form afterward, and then his father came. Soft as Snow raided them, they were recorded, and the company is now
Falling doesn’t like the Garou world. It’s about rage: fight, kill, planning more aggressive response measures.
hunt, hunt, don’t stop. No time for rest or exploration. No time
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies
for warm cuddles after a nice run. His Rite of Passage was hard.
• Sky-Fire: The leader of Soft as Snow Falling’s pack,
It was all about human things, going into evil human dens and
Sky-Fire is a Galliard warrior who wishes his Ragabash took
taking their secret paper. He did this deed and was recognized
his role as a warrior more seriously. He’s made contact with
as part of the tribe. Still, the tribe push him and growl a lot.
a sept far from their home, seeking to offload the “weak”
Garou.
• Rain Flows Under Her Nose: A young pup who has
recently had her Change, this Garou is being trained to take
on Soft’s role in the pack. She admires him though and has
no ill will toward the older wolf.
• Tree Speaker: Being a Theurge in the Talons is hard.
The Umbra is closer in the wilderness, and the spirits are
angry. Tree Speaker has noticed Soft has the essence of the
spirit-touched upon him and is using this connection to help
with calling upon the spirits of the land around their caern.
Whispers
• Broken Litany: The other Talons snarl and question
if perhaps Soft as Snow Falling is actually a Metis pretending
to be lupus because he was raised away from the sept.
• Weaver Touched: Other snarls tell a story about a
Weaver spirit visiting the wolf late one night and messing
with his mind.
• Fallen to the Wyrm: When fighting Wyrm beasts,
Soft drank their blood and is in thrall to a leech-human.
READY-MADE CHARACTERS 87
Image
Named for his fur as much as his demeanor, Soft as
Snow Falling is a nearly pure white wolf with small lines of
black fur on his paws. In homid form he appears to be a very
short man with uncannily blue eyes. He will only choose
aggression if a child or pup is in harm’s way or if ordered
to by a higher ranking Garou.
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
Stamina 2 (4/5/5/4); Charisma 3, Manipulation 1
(–1/–2/–2/–2), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception
3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 1, Empathy 2,
Expression 2, Leadership 1, Primal-Urge 1; Animal
Ken 3, Etiquette 2, Larceny 2, Survival 2; Enigmas 1,
Investigation 3, Occult 1
Backgrounds: Fate 2, Pure Breed 2, Spirit Heritage 1
Gifts: (1) Scent of Running Water (Ragabash), Prey Mind
(Lupus), Beast Speech (Red Talon)
Rank: 1
Rage: 1
and dove headfirst into a nest of vampires in Ankara, Turkey.
Gnosis: 5
Since then, he’s been on training duty, moving from one sept
Willpower: 3 to another to train new Garou on tactics and ethics informed
Glory: 0 by the Litany. He’s taken on his uncle’s view of things; war
Honor: 1 must come before peace. To make war effectively, the Garou
Wisdom: 3 must work together, and bridging disagreements is important
to said goal. He often surprises more senior Garou by saying,

Alexander Jacobson “Fight the Wyrm now; bicker about bullshit later.”
Plots and Ambitions
Howl: Warrior first, peace after • Bomb the Bank: Alexander has recently discovered a
Quote: “We need Wyrm-be-damned unity of purpose, now! bank president in Rio with connections to the devastation
Shut your mouth and let’s plan this attack before it’s too late, in the Amazon who stinks of the Wyrm. While it’s low on
understood?” the mission list, he’s been advocating for a quick, explosive
Breed: Homid strike on the bank while the president works late one evening.
Auspice: Ahroun • Back to Basics: Alexander is generally avoiding re-
Tribe: Child of Gaia turning home, but his uncle keeps pressing him to return
to at least visit his parents. If he does, his neighbor has been
We make war that we may live in peace watching and waiting for him to return.
“Violence begets violence and becomes a cycle of self-harm • Bar None: Sometimes Alexander pushes too far. At a
as much as anything.” This was the lesson Alexander was taught Shadow Lord bar, he recently insulted an Adren Ragabash,
by his parents, who struggled with the violent actions of their Sven Stormcrow, who is now planning his revenge. Whether
nation against their Palestinian neighbors. At the same time, his it will be violence, or simply social embarrassment, is some-
uncle was a Garou, and violence against key targets of the Wyrm thing Sven is still mulling over.
and Weaver was a necessity for survival, wasn’t it? Alexander’s
First Change was presaged by his involvement in pro-Palestinian Territory
protests and environmental activism. The pressure mounted • The Oasis (Mentor) This natural oasis is home to a
and finally he exploded, murdering a squad of police and their small caern and sept of revelation. Alexander’s uncle is a
military backup. Getting him smuggled out of the country was member of the sept but currently holds no official position,
easier than expected, and smart, considering he was only a few freeing him to travel with his nephew.
months away from mandatory military service. • The Synagogue (Ancestors) Having dreams of being at
Alexander earned the deed name, First to Fight during his prayer is fairly common for Alexander, but these particular dreams
Rite of Passage, where he quickly took command of his pack are active and pressing. One shows the outline of an older syna-

88 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
gogue with elegant, woodcut designs. It’s unclear exactly where this Rank: 2
is, but Alexander’s ancestors seem to be begging him to find out. Rage: 5
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies Gnosis: 1
• Nails/Nessie Bates (Contact) Alexander is making Willpower: 4
enemies in the Nation because he doesn’t know when to Glory: 4
keep his mouth shut. Nails, of the Broken Tusk pack of Honor: 1
the Three Princes Sept (see Apocalyptic Record p. XX), Wisdom: 2
is impressed with Alexander’s skill but is being pressed by

Larmina
her packmates to demonstrate to the Fostern that he has
stepped out of his lane.

“Red Sky” Ahmadi

• Peter Eisenberg (Enemy) This old man seems innoc-
uous, boring even. However, he’s been the eyes and ears of
the Wyrm in his village for nearly 40 years now. Peter isn’t Howl: Rural School Girl turned Wolf
anything more than an informant, which is bad enough.
Quote: “I will not be silenced.”
• Saul Jacobson (Pack Member) Alexander’s uncle is
Breed: Homid
an Athro of the Children of Gaia with a pile of secrets in
his closet. Rumor persists among Kinfolk that he has been Auspice: Ahroun
passing on scraps of the Rite of Sacred Rebirth. He’s been Tribe: Stargazers
pulling these secrets from a Mithraic temple only he’s aware of. Learning On the Job
Whispers Sadly, being shot by the Taliban for attempting to go to
• A Target: A few kin have been saying Saul is plan- school has not been uncommon in rural Afghanistan. What
ning to throw Alexander in front of some powerful Wyrm is uncommon is one of those girls transforming into a ram-
creatures so he’ll die, and his skin can be given to a more paging Hispo wolf and ripping the attacking men to ribbons.
worthy Kinfolk to appropriate and draw power from. Larmina’s parents were only vaguely aware they were Kinfolk
• Prophecy of the Sacred Stream: Several Theurges and were unsure what to do with their daughter. Thankfully
have begun receiving spirit visitations with Alexander’s name a wise Sufi lived in their village, and he took the girl to meet
attached to them. Each has the image of a small waterfall her Stargazer family. When Larmina demanded to be trained
stream in them and end with a powerful flash of light. in Afghanistan, the pack’s Theurge smiled and agreed.
• Lost Fetish: Alexander is said to have lost a minor Over the last year, Larmina has gone from being in-
fetish in a fight recently, which has given his detractors volved in attacks against Wyrm-diseased targets around the
ammunition to show his actions and decisions are careless. country to leading these strikes. She has earned her deed
name due to the bloody rain she has created from men’s
Image
Alexander is a strong, slightly stout man barely under
six feet tall. He has dark swept back hair and used to wear
glasses before his change. When he’s not angry he usually has
a gentle smile. In Lupus he is a dark grey wolf. He’s normally
pacing back and forth if he doesn’t have a specific place to
be and when he does, he moves with intense purpose.
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
Stamina 4 (6/7/7/6); Charisma 3, Manipulation 2
(1/–1/–1/–1), Appearance 1 (0/0/1/1); Perception 3,
Intelligence 3, Wits 2
Abilities: Alertness 2, Brawl 2, Expression 1, Intimidation 2,
Leadership 2, Primal-Urge 1, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 1;
Animal Ken 1, Firearms 2, Larceny 1, Melee 2, Stealth
2, Survival 1; Academics (Military Tactics) 1, Computer
1, Investigation 1, Law 2
Backgrounds: Ancestors 1, Contacts 2, Fate 1, Mentor 1
Gifts: (1) Persuasion (Homid), Inspiration (Ahroun), Resist
Pain (Child of Gaia); (2) True Fear (Ahroun), Unicorn’s
Arsenal (Child of Gaia)
READY-MADE CHARACTERS 89
corpses. Recently, she has been contacted by relatives living Whispers
in the United Kingdom, with an open request to travel to • Choosing Another Path: Some are saying Larmina
their sept whenever she would like. She’s considering the is considering leaving her tribe to join the Black Furies, as
move, as it will give her an opportunity to learn from other she finds herself agreeing with their worldview.
Stargazers farther afield and provide training for when she • Scared of the Wolf: Because she spends so little time
returns home. in lupus form, a few members of her pack have started to
Plots and Ambitions wonder aloud if she is scared to be a wolf.
• Rank Challenge: Larmina is close to having enough • Too Much Power: Such a young Garou should not
Renown to challenge for her next Rank. However, her men- have a fetish at all, and it’s scandalous — Larmina has two!
tor, Runs-Like-Light, seems to be pushing back against her Her parents were the caretakers of both and gave them to
right to do so. This makes her angry, and part of why she is her soon after her Rite of Passage.
considering moving to another sept is to take advantage of Image
a different Master of the Challenge. Larmina is generally quiet until she knows those around
• Full Copy of the Discourse on the Form Breaking Fist: her. When she does, she is unafraid to state her opinion. She
A small scrap of this manual was translated into English and is a short young woman in her late teens with dark, straight
given to Larmina. She is aware of where Master Gonji lives, hair and piercing greenish-brown eyes. In wolf form she is
due to the whisper network of the tribe, and is considering a very average looking grey wolf.
requesting permission to seek out and apprentice to him. Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6),
Territory Stamina 4 (6/7/7/6); Charisma 2, Manipulation 2
• The School (Kinfolk) This small school was built by (0/–2/–2/–2), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception 3,
NATO coalition forces during the mid-2010s and acts as an Intelligence 2, Wits 3
important central location for Larmina’s village. It also acts Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Empathy 1, Ex-
as a strategic planning location for her and her pack for their pression 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 1, Subterfuge 1;
attacks. The building has a central meeting place, a small Animal Ken 1, Crafts (Weaving) 2, Etiquette 3, Stealth
office for the teacher, and two western style locker rooms 2, Survival 1; Academics (Political Science) 2, Enigmas
used by many locals. Unknown to the pack, the location is 1, Investigation 1, Law 1
bugged, and someone is listening to their plans. Backgrounds: Fetish 3, Kinfolk 1, Mentor 2
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies Gifts: (1) Master of Fire (Homid), Falling Touch (Ahroun),
• Runs-Like-Light (Mentor) A Stargazer lupus from Iron Resolve (Stargazers) Sense Wyrm (Stargazers)
Tajikistan, he is an Athro Theurge who followed spirit signs Rank: 1
leading him to Larmina. Normally, Stargazers in training Rage: 5
are brought to Tibet or Nepal for training, but Runs Like Gnosis: 3
Light and Chimera agreed she should be trained close to Willpower: 6
home, for now. He has been receiving messages from tribal Glory: 3
elders for two weeks to return home but has so far ignored Honor: 1
this summoning.
Wisdom: 1
• Gulraiz Hamadi (Kinfolk) Before her Change, Larm-
Fetishes: Nyx’s Bangle (see Werewolf: The Apocalypse,
ina’s father was sympathetic to the Taliban, as he had briefly
p. 222), Dagger of Retribution (see Werewolf: The
fought alongside them as a boy during the Soviet invasion.
Apocalypse, p. 223)
However, he was also raised on stories of his ancient warrior
women ancestors and is slightly in awe of his child. Gulraiz
will do anything to protect his daughter, which is why he
keeps paying off the Taliban who Continually demand she Jakov Ogundadegbe
marry one of their fighters. Howl: Cross-Cultural Team Builder
• Bahrom Victory over Resistance (Packmate) Larm- Quote: “I hear what you are saying. Why don’t we take a
ina’s packmate, Bahrom, was born to a very conservative moment to consider her point of view?”
Tajik family and still carries some of those ideas in his head. Breed: Homid
So far, he’s not gotten too vocal in his disagreement with Auspice: Galliard
Larmina joining the pack, but now that she’s leading raids Tribe: Shadow Lord
he has started to push back.

90 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 assume he’s playing some form of Shadow Lord game of
dominance. Maybe he is, but if so, he’s doing the job with
a lot more earnestness than his tribe are known for.
• Ahadi in America: Jakov’s father introduced him to
members of the Ahadi, and he’s convinced this cross-fera
alliance can be replicated in the Americas as well. So far, he
has made connections with a Corax, Adrian Sun-Seeds Sword
Siegel and a Ratkin, Matt Speaks With Wind, with the goal
of getting them to work with him, his pack, and the sept.
He’s kept these connections quiet, because he doesn’t want
them to disrupt his overall plans for regional unification.
Territory
• Baldwin’s Court (Contacts) Jakov is tall, closer to 7
feet than 6, and he was pushed as a kid to pick up basketball
because of his height. The truth is, he’s good at the game and
plays to keep his Rage in check, finding it nearly meditative.
He’s made quite a few connections and contacts via playing
pickup games at the court.
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies
Turn Those Stereotypes Upside Down • Juris Pupcenoks, a Margrave (Ancestors) Juris claims
to have been a Margrave in centuries past and appears to
Conniving, sneaky, backstabbing, power hungry — all
Jakov as a mysterious, shadowy mist. He seems to know a lot
stereotypes of the Shadow Lords, and Jakov is doing all he
about the Storm Eater and mentions the spirit in cryptic ways.
can to turn these ideas on their ear. Jakov’s mother, Elina,
is a Croatian Shadow Lord, and his father was Kinfolk from • Adrian Sun-Seeds Sword Siegel (Contacts) Adrian is
Nigeria. The two met in Atlanta, Georgia and settled down a courier for the Hermetic Order of Swift Light, and this
there. Jakov speaks four languages and grew up completely makes him a contact with lots of his own Contacts. Adrian
aware of his heritage, traveling regularly to Europe and has recently been worried about a rumor of rampaging Skull
Africa. With all of this, it would have been easy for him to Pigs and feral hog fomori.
feel “other,” but he has the ability to make friends quickly • Hannah (Contacts) This strange woman wears a pale
and tear through stereotypes and objections to really under- Greek tragedy mask and covers herself in a veil. She knows
stand people. He does sometimes feel separate or other, but a lot of interesting things, but she’s clearly some form of
often he’s quickly holding court as the center of attention monster Jakov shouldn’t know and trade information with.
in a room. Whispers
Assuming he wasn’t going to Change, Jakov entered • Meeting With Monsters: A known leech frequents
college for cross-cultural business and sprinted through Baldwin Court after nightfall, and there are some who
his MBA in 4 years. Getting hit by a cab after graduation wonder if Jakov has willingly met with this monster.
should have been a death sentence, but instead it was the • Clearly Planning Something: Of course, this charis-
force needed to kickstart his Change. The cab was ruined, matic young Shadow Lord is planning some sort of under-
but Jakov quickly got control of himself and threw himself handed assault on the Garou of the region, right? There is
headfirst into Garou issues, using the skills he’d picked up no way anyone can take him at face value.
to quickly make himself a trusted diplomat. As a Galliard, • Breaking the Litany: Jakov is particularly close to
people expect him to talk, but they aren’t usually expecting Alicia Breaks their Feet Simmons, and there are rumors
to like him so damn much. milling around about their relationship becoming sinful.
Plots and Ambitions Image
• Unite the Region: There are several septs in the area • Jakov is an impressively tall Black man with noticeably
around Atlanta, and they have been at war more often than long fingers and large hands. He has a quick smile and an
they have been allied over the years. Jakov is convinced he attention-grabbing voice and demeanor. He dresses for the
can bring everyone to the table and get a fully organized situation but tends toward light shirts and basketball shorts
Garou presence in the region. when he wants to relax. In Lupus form he is a slate grey wolf
• Everything He Appears to Be: Very few Garou who with flecks of black at the edges of his fur.
hear about Jakov think he’s who he claims to be. They Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6),
READY-MADE CHARACTERS 91
 Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5); Charisma 4, Manipulation 4 Can We Fix it? Yes, We Can.
(2/1/1/1), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception 3, Jo’s life started at the doorstep of the Packard Metalworks
Intelligence 2, Wits 2 factory warehouse, but at least she was somewhat loved and
Abilities: Alertness 1, Athletics (Basketball) 4, Empathy 1, cared for. The Glass Walkers weren’t ready to raise a wolf
Intimidation 1, Leadership (Team Building) 4, Street- pup in such a setting, but they had a strong feeling she
wise 1, Subterfuge 1; Etiquette (Rapport) 4, Stealth was destined to change. She was clearly highly intelligent
1; Academics (Business) 2, Computer 2, Enigmas 2, and loved sticking her nose into things, particularly where
Investigation 1, Law 1, Occult 1 electricity was involved. She just couldn’t seem to resist
Backgrounds: Allies 1, Ancestors 2, Contacts 3, Pure Breed being around anything technical. She went through her
3, Resources 3 First Change after being kicked repeatedly by a night shift
Gifts: (1) Persuasion (Homid), Mindspeak (Galliard), employee of the factory. There wasn’t anything left of him
Aura of Confidence (Shadow Lord), Shadow Weaving after her rampage, and the tribe was happy to wipe his iden-
(Shadow Lord) tity from their records. Jo isn’t great with other people, but
Rank: 1 she has an eye for technology and getting her talking about
her newest toy is the quickest way to get her to open up.
Rage: 4
Since her Change, Jo has thrown herself full force into
Gnosis: 2
tech projects. She loves to take things apart and put them
Willpower: 5
back together. Even better, she loves making improvements
Glory: 2 to the things she dismantles. She has the tools and skill to
Honor: 1 bespoke craft things in plastic, metal, and wood. A few weeks
Wisdom: 3 ago, she built her own industrial 3D printer, and the caern
is littered with her projects, which are now incorporated

Jo “Ms. Fix It” into various shrines.

Plots and Ambitions
Packard • Enhance the Spirits: Jo is an amazing mechanic, and
probably should have been born a Theurge. However, she
Howl: Lupus-Born Master Mechanic has recently begun investigating mechanical methods to em-
Quote: “Don’t cross the wires. *zap* I said not to cross the power sept spirit patrons, maybe even the caern totem itself.
wires.” • History of Carly Lives True: Jo discovered some cast
Breed: Lupus off information about Carly (see Apocalyptic Record p. XX)
Auspice: Galliard and is curious who this Black Fury was and why they seem
Tribe: Glass Walkers to be connected to the Glass Walkers.
• The Minotaur: A few of the Kinfolk in Jo’s sept
have a Minotaur tattoo, and she is really curious about the
reason for this. However, since she is so shy, she has yet to
broach the topic.
Territory
• The Factory (Influence) Jo grew up in a factory
complex, which is also her sept. While she was hidden away
from people before her Change, she became a fixture of the
place afterward, and nearly everyone in the business knows
and likes her. She even has her own office and carries the
honorary title Vice-President of Product Review.
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies
• Stanley Packard (Kinfolk) While not Jo’s direct relation,
Stanley is the CEO of Packard Metalworks and is an important
figure in the business and sept. He recently was gifted a copy
of the SigRender PR 3.1b (see Apocalyptic Record p. XX)
but hasn’t shared its capabilities with the sept yet.
• Madre de Pantalones Holgados (Contact, see Apoc-
alyptic Record p. XX) Jo met the sept leader of the Sweet

92 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
Water Sept before she gained her role and title, and the two Glory: 2
have kept in contact via email and gift packages. Honor: 1
• Searches With Sting (Packmate) Getting a mocking Wisdom: 2
deed name isn’t usually great, but Sting lives with it. It’s

Javon “Keeper of the

what he deserves for not knowing how to change his default
search engine. He trusts Ms. Fix It with his life but is also wary

Family Stories “Molin

because he knows one of the secrets of who Jo’s parents are.
• Paul Marshalls, Pow Comics Artist (Enemy) Paul
used to work at Packard and never liked Jo. He didn’t un- Howl: Collector of Stories
derstand why this teenager had an office and a job title and Quote: “Can you give me a moment — I gotta find my pen.
definitely didn’t understand why she was allowed to give Okay, now start off with the attack again, please?”
advertising suggestions. When Paul left, he went to work
Breed: Homid
for Pow Comics, and his current project includes a barely
obfuscated storyline with Jo as a main antagonist. Auspice: Galliard
Tribe: Bone Gnawers
Whispers
• Not Gaian: When a random wolf pup shows up in an No Ancestors Doesn’t Mean No Stories
oily cardboard box, well, talk happens. No one knows who Do well in school, Javon. Keep clean, Javon. Keep your
Jo’s parents are, for sure, but there are persistent rumors nose out of trouble, Javon. Well, Javon tried. He loved
she is a Black Spiral Dancer’s child. reading, threw himself into it even, and did moderately well
• Overstepping: A few of the Theurges in the sept are at school. Tests weren’t fun, because to Javon they always
frustrated with Jo’s additions to the sept’s shrines. These focused on the wrong thing. They missed the compelling
were added without their input, and they are debating what soul of the story. Javon’s First Change came after weeks of
to do. However, they do seem to be helping, so the issue stress over high school testing, after which he embarrassingly
hasn’t escalated to censure yet. tripped over his feet and smashed his nose on the pavement
outside his house. Thankfully, his uncle Matthew and aunt
• Perfect Metis: Jo is fascinated with stories about the
Alice arrived soon after and got him calm.
Perfect Metis. She has been scouring the internet for rumors,
connections, and stories. She has a close connection to the It was obvious why Javon was so in love with stories when
metis in her sept and does all she can to support them. he discovered he was a Galliard, and he devoted himself to
learning as many of the oral traditions of his people as he
Image could. When he discovered the Bone Gnawers didn’t have
• Jo prefers flannel and jeans over any other clothes. a connection to their Ancestors, he thought of his mother’s
She has wavy black hair and a deep brown skin-tone. She family bible, a place to keep track of lineage, history, and
is quiet, struggling to be social, until you put a mechanical
puzzle in her hands, and then she lights up like a Christmas
tree. In wolf forms she is a nearly pure white wolf, with a
grey crescent moon on her belly.
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
Stamina 2 (4/5/5/4); Charisma 2, Manipulation 2
(0/–1/–1/–1), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception 4,
Intelligence 4, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Streetwise 1,
Subterfuge 1; Crafts (Carpentry) 3, Crafts (Metallurgy)
3, Crafts (Mechanics) 3; Computer 2, Enigmas 1, Investi-
gation 2, Medicine 1, Occult 1, Science 3, Technology 3
Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Influence 2, Kinfolk 2, Resources
2
Gifts: (1) Heightened Senses (Lupus), Perfect Recall (Gal-
liard), Diagnostics (Glass Walkers)
Rank: 1
Rage: 4
Gnosis: 5
Willpower: 5
READY-MADE CHARACTERS 93
deeds. He started doing the same thing, writing down the suit if he needs to interview someone he has never met before.
deeds of his people’s ancestors. He has ten volumes now of In wolf forms he appears as a mottled wolf of various colors.
Bone Gnawer stories, and he’s working on the next. He’s Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4),
heard of John North-Wind’s-Son’s project to collect all Stamina 2 (4/5/5/4); Charisma 3, Manipulation 3
Garou stories, and he’s interested in helping. (1/0/0/0), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception 3,
Plots and Ambitions Intelligence 4, Wits 3
• Stalking the Known Wolf: Javon has heard of John Abilities: Empathy 1, Expression (Writing) 4; Crafts 2, Drive
North-Wind’s-Son but hasn’t been able to find anyone who 1, Etiquette 2, Performance (Storytelling) 4, Stealth 1,
actually knows the tale collector. He’s started stalking him Survival 1; Academics (History) 4, Computer 2, Enigmas
online and via spirit messengers to attempt to get a lock on 2, Investigation 2, Science 1, Technology 1
his location. Backgrounds: Contacts 4, Mentor 1
• Mother Larisa’s Tale: The ancient Bone Gnawer Gifts: (1) Smell of Man (Homid), Perfect Recall (Galliard),
is said to still be holding onto life within the Sept of the Cooking (Bone Gnawer)
Green, and Javon wants to get her story. However, she hasn’t Rank: 1
been seen in several weeks, and there are a few in the sept Rage: 4
who are worried she may have disappeared to die in peace. Gnosis: 2
Territory Willpower: 4
• GalliardNotes.ca (Contacts) This forum is used by Glory: 2
tech savvy Galliards from around the Nation. The forum is Honor: 1
password locked and uses a spirit two-factor passcode system Wisdom: 3
to help prevent unauthorized users.

Katla “Gandr Dancer”

• Sept of the Wooden Man This sept is built around
the husk of an Inanimae who also appears to be the same

Valsdottir
being as the caern totem. Several fae are affronted and wish
to have the caern turned over to them.
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies Howl: A Witch by Any Other Name
• Alice Molin (Contact) Alice left Javon’s sept for an- Quote: “Stand back!! When the spirits get like this, they don’t
other a few years ago because she got pregnant with a metis care who they hide within!”
child. She’s still fond of her nephew, and happy to share Breed: Homid
information she comes across. Auspice: Theurge
• Duke Shukar of the Sluagh (Enemy) This strange Tribe: Get of Fenris
young man claims to be the leader of the local fae popula-
tion. He has a particular axe to grind with Javon, as they
have known each other for quite some time.
• Victor Robinson (Packmate) Victor is a fellow
Galliard with a love for podcasting. He has a very popular
Black Dog Games podcast where he is reviewing Warlock:
The Pretension and Pixie: the Delusion.
Whispers
• Fae Touched: Javon comes from a caern with a con-
nection to the Dreaming, and several Garou believe the
entire sept is fae touched, and Javon in particular.
• Connected to Ancestors: Some say Javon has the
ability to speak with Bone Gnawer ancestors, and he is using
stories from them to fill his books.
Image
• Javon is a younger black man who keeps his hair around
shoulder length when straightened. He loves experimenting with
his hair, though, and rarely has it the same style for long. He
prefers to wear comfortable clothes but will throw on a borrowed

94 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
A Witch from a Family of Witches and to their Corax allies. Mocking Raven has a powerful
Don’t hex the kids in your class. Don’t hex your teacher. interest in Katla and seems intent on providing her little
Kat, please, stop hexing the crossing guard. Of course, with trinkets whenever she visits the Grove.
every admonition to stop hexing, Katla took it on herself • Freya Paxton Freya is a fellow Theurge who was
to do one more hex for good measure. While her mother slighted by Katla, and this has pushed her toward making
rolled her eyes, she was convinced her daughter would join increasingly bad decisions. She hates Katla and is planning
the ranks of the Verbena when she came of age, and at least ways to kill her, including working with a local Wyrm-cor-
she’d already be prepared. When she went through her rupted Mage to kill her and her entire coven.
First Change, after a boy pushed his luck and tried to cop a Whispers
feel, well, THAT was unexpected. The coven went into full
• Too Traditional: A gandr is a wand or polestaff used
memory management mode though, and soon the town
in Fenrir and Verbena magic. However, it’s also got connota-
didn’t even remember the Peets had a son.
tions around being a sex toy, and since the spirits bestowed
When the Fenrir arrived to collect their lost cub, things Katla her deed name, it’s a source of a lot of whispers in
got tense, but Katla soothed things by calling forth her the community.
kin-fetch, who took charge of the situation before things
• Spirit Born: The persistent theory is that Katla’s fa-
got violent. Since then, she has quickly become known
ther is a spirit, perhaps even Mocking Raven. There are also
for being an excellent Theurge, one with an affinity to the
darker stories about her being related to more antagonistic
spirits known to very few of her Auspice at her rank. Katla
forces arrayed against the sept.
has staked a claim on her triple heritage — witch, spirit born,
and Garou — by spending most of her time in the Umbra Image
near her sept’s caern. • Katla is a short white woman with a sharp eye and
tongue. She keeps her dark, brown curly hair tied back. She
Plots and Ambitions
dresses for the occasion but prefers black over any other
• The Witches and Wolves: Relations between the
color. Her sharp blue eyes seem to shine in Lupus form,
Fenrir and the Verbena have always been tense, but Katla
where she is otherwise a nondescript grey wolf.
is acting as a bridge between them. It doesn’t matter that
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 1 (1/2/3/3),
she wants nothing to do with being a diplomat; her mother
Stamina 2 (4/5/5/4); Charisma 3, Manipulation 3
and sept leaders expect her to.
(1/0/0/0), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception 4,
• My Father?: Katla’s mother has never spoken of her
Intelligence 3, Wits 3
father and seems physically incapable of having the conver-
Abilities: Alertness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Intimidation 3,
sation. It seems obvious he was either a spirit or a Garou,
Leadership 1, Primal-Urge 2, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1;
but regardless, it’s strange. Katla is focused on finding out,
Animal Ken 1, Etiquette 2, Larceny 1, Stealth 1; Enig-
because it seems relevant to the eerie dreams and omens
mas (Spirit Speech) 4, Occult 1, Rituals (Spirit Rites) 4
she’s been having.
Backgrounds: Fetish 1, Pure Breed 1, Rites 3, Spirit Heritage 4
Territory
Gifts: (1) Master of Fire (Homid), Spirit Speech (Theurge),
• The Grove (Allies) Hart’s Grove is a beautiful pagan Spirit Snare (Theurge), Visage of Fenris (Get of Fenris);
worship space with a set of standing stones and permanent (2) Command Spirit (Theurge)
god pole idols. It’s also home to Katla’s family coven. It houses
Rank: 2
a node/caern too, and this is a point of contention between
Rage: 2
Garou and Mages. The caern spirit is Mocking Raven.
Gnosis: 4
• University Books This small bookstore is named for,
but unaffiliated with, the University in town. This is one Willpower: 4
of Katla’s home’s away from home, representing a relatively Glory: 1
rage free place for her to relax, read a book, and get a good Honor: 1
cup of tea or coffee. Wisdom: 5
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies Merits: Notable Heritage (Social), Spirit Magnet (Super-
• JD Garcia (Packmate) John David (JD) is a tradi- natural)
tional Fianna, including a familial connection to the fae. Rites: Rite of Cleansing (1), Rite of Contrition (1), Rite
This similar weird family history has brought JD and Katla of Binding
together, as they have some odd things to commiserate over. Fetishes: Spirit Snack, Level One, Gnosis 4; This fetish is a
• Mocking Raven Ravens have a strange place in Fenrir small bag with the kenaz rune knitted into it. Activating
mythology, both for their connection to their enemy, Odin, the Spirit Snack allows the user to convert a single point

READY-MADE CHARACTERS 95
 of Gnosis into enough food to feed a pack. Alternatively,
food can be put into the bag and converted into Gnosis.
This Gnosis can only be used to feed spirits.

Henry “Seeker of
Spirits” Fournier
Howl: Tech-Gnostic Warrior
Quote: “Yes, I can use a computer. Yes, I’m a Theurge. Yes,
I’m a member of Younger Brother’s tribe. Fuck off!”
Breed: Homid
Auspice: Theurge
Tribe: Wendigo
Native Nerd
Growing up Native in rural New England isn’t easy.
The micro-aggressions were a warmup run for the full-on
aggressions, and Henry was beaten up badly by the football
team before he flipped, Changed, and bashed their collective
heads to a pulp. His aunt arrived a few hours later and began an unremarkable place, but Henry has gone far enough to
the process of inducting him into his second level of tribal awaken the building itself as well as many of the spirits within it.
affiliation. This initiation did nothing to stop his interest • Blue Hill Sept Henry’s home sept is multitribal but
in computers, math, and now the spirit world. led by Younger Brother. They limit the amount of non-
Some of his tribemates worry about his investment into tribe members but have built a decent relationship with
Weaver tools, but Henry has used his skills to great success several Bone Gnawers, Older Brother, and Black Furies,
for the sept, and so far, they’ve let him do his thing. When he who make up the majority of non-YB tribe members. The
hacked into DragonCement’s financial files to show they were sept is named for their totem, Blueberry, whose fruit can
paying for the dumping of heavy metals in the water, well, it be found covering the region.
was a coup to see the company shuttered without putting their
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies
warriors in harm’s way. Henry has recently used some money
he made from a mix of hacking and basic stock investment to • Sunow’ (Enemy) This powerful shadow-weaving Native
open an electronics repair business. While he doesn’t do the American leech has been watching Henry for several months
work himself, he has helped awaken several of the tools used by now and is trying to decide if she is going to attempt to turn
the company to make their repairs more holistic and effective. him or simply murder him outright.
• Moxus (Ancestor) As an ancestor spirit, this Garou
Plots and Ambitions
has been key to encouraging Henry to utilize Weaver tech.
• Following Up on DragonCement: While getting the Moxus happily learned how to use many Weaver tools
business shut down by the police was good, there is more regardless of their origin, and he believes his descendant
information Henry didn’t share. He’s not quite sure how should use new tools to their advantage. He’s also familiar
Dragon and Endron are connected, or how Ten Tickle Ales with the leech who has Henry in her sights.
plays into things, but there are a lot of letters and emails
• Sarah French (Packmate) Sarah is a Black Fury who
between the three companies — not exactly adding up to
agrees wholeheartedly with Henry about using Weaver tools.
something, but it does seem strange.
She’s not quite convinced awakening all kinds of spirits is a
• Spirit Tech Repair: Henry opened up his electronic good decision, though, and is considering telling the sept’s
store for several reasons, with profit pretty far down the Theurges of Henry’s plans.
list. His prevailing theory is that awakening more home
electronics will cause a greater connection to the spirit world Whispers
for more people. Of course, some of these awakened spirits • Weaver Tainted: Some members of his tribe and
are going way above and beyond their mandate. sept believe Henry has fallen or is on his way to falling to
the Weaver.
Territory
• Fake Battle Scar: There are rumors Henry’s battle scar
• The Shop (Resources) Spirit Tech Repair is a relatively
is self-inflicted and not from the fomori he claims he battled.
small building connected to a grocery store. On its surface it’s
96 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 • Ex-Boyfriend Issues: In high school there was only
one person who was kind to Henry, Billy. Billy broke up
with Henry after he disappeared following his First Change
but has started calling his relatives looking to get back in
contact with him.
Image
• Henry is a thin 6-foot-tall man with a shaved head,
because of a battle scar cutting from forehead to the back
of his neck. He’s quiet until brought directly into a conver-
sation about something he loves, when he throws himself
headlong and 100% into it. In Lupus form he is a grey
wolf with black leg fur. In all furred forms his battle scar is
obvious and cuts a sharp line through his fur from over his
right eye back to his shoulders.
Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6),
Stamina 2 (4/5/5/4); Charisma 2, Manipulation 3
(1/0/0/0), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception 2,
Intelligence 4, Wits 4
Abilities: Alertness 1, Brawl 1, Empathy 1, Leadership 1,
Subterfuge 1; Crafts (Wiring) 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms
1, Larceny 2, Stealth 1, Survival 2; Computer (Hacking) library at Boston College one night, he came to his senses
4, Enigmas 2, Investigation 1, Law 1, Occult 2, Rituals thankful he hadn’t killed anyone but devastated to see he’d
1, Technology 2 that destroyed hundreds of rare books. The sept happily
Backgrounds: Ancestors 1, Resources 2, Rites 2 welcomed him into the fold as a Philodox, and he finished
his Juris Doctorate with a handful of online courses. Reason,
Gifts: (1) Apecraft’s Blessing (Homid), Spirit Speech
logic, and effective word choice are still valuable in the Garou
(Theurge), Resist Pain (Tribal)
world, and Zack quickly became known as Litigates the Wyrm.
Rank: 1
Zack recently became a senior partner in a Kinfolk owned
Rage: 2
law office. He doesn’t meet with clients or appear in court,
Gnosis: 3 normally, but he does work focused around the intersection
Willpower: 4 of Garou life and the legal system. He’s so far saved several
Glory: 1 kin families from eviction and is gaining a seriously positive
Honor: 0 reputation among them.
Wisdom: 3 Plots and Ambitions
Rites: Rite of Spirit Awakening 2 • Who Judges the Judge?: Zack is part of a group of
Philodox who are using internet fora to passionately discuss

Zack “Litigates the the idea of changing elements of the Litany as taught to
young Garou. Their interpretation of the full epic poem

Wyrm” O’Brien leaves them in disagreement with several of the ‘key’ parts
of the Litany, but they have yet to broach the topic with the
Howl: Lawyer for the Garou Nation Nation at large.
Quote: “While technically true, the contract is clear. Pay up.” • Drones In the City: A group of Kinfolk recently went
Breed: Homid missing from an apartment complex, and Zack was able to
Auspice: Philodox track them down. However, they appear to have been trans-
Tribe: Fianna formed into drones, working in a factory without stopping.
Zack wants to act, but he’s unsure if firing in “the Garou
Advocate for the Disadvantaged way” will fix the situation or not.
Law school exhaustion is a good source for the Rage
Territory
required to instigate the First Change, it seems. Zack assumed
he was only Kinfolk and needed to get his law degree to help • O’Brien, Louis, and Singh (Resources and Kinfolk)
his family and sept keep on top of legislation and attempts The law office is the place Zack is most frequently found. His
to steal their land. When he rampaged through the legal office is separate from the others, and he has a small team

READY-MADE CHARACTERS 97
of Kinfolk who work directly for him. The non-kin staff call Rage: 3
him, “The Angry One” and avoid him like the plague. He has Gnosis: 1
one staff member, Natali Cummings, who is disgruntled, and Willpower: 5
may be feeding information to Connor O’Keefe (see below). Glory: 1
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies Honor: 3
• Mephi Faster than Death (Ally) Zack did Mephi a Wisdom: 2
favor and helped with an immigration visa for his Kinfolk.

Beth “Spirit’s
This has earned him a powerful ally he can potentially turn
to if he needs something of similar weight.
• Alina Matson (Packmate) Alina is a fellow Fianna
packmate; she is married to Thomas, with whom she has
three kids. She and Thomas are very close to Zack, for whom
Pathstone” Page
Howl: Outside Judge to the Nation
her husband works as a clerk. Quote: “According to The Ballad of Lucky Linea you should
• Connor O’Keefe (Enemy) O’Keefe’s ghouls got an not raise a hand to a child. Put your paws down or I’ll lower them
earful when they lost a case to Zack, and the Milliner Leech for you.”
is doing everything in his power to tear him and his law Breed: Metis
practice to the ground.
Auspice: Philodox
• Ivan Ivanovich (Contact) Ivan is a Russian Silver
Tribe: Silent Striders
Fang who owes Zach a favor and doesn’t like this situation.
A Weird One, Lost in Space and Time
Whispers
Her parents were lost in the Deep Umbra, but at least
• Consolidex Patsy: A few Kinfolk have noticed one
they had one another. They took solace in each other,
of Zack’s partners used to work for Consolidex Worldwide
and Beth was born outside of the world. Her birth was
and think Zack might be corrupted.
also the spark which freed them from their prison. The
• Attracted to His Packmate: Zack spends a lot of time two Striders returned to Gaia’s embrace but didn’t spend
at Alina’s house when he’s around the sept, and there are much time in the world. Instead, they kept moving, sept
whispers he’s a bit too close to his packmate and her husband. to sept, moon bridge on moon bridge. By the time Beth
• Seeking a Promotion: Pushing for Rank isn’t a went through her First Change, she had spent more
problem, but there are a few sept members who think Zack time in the Umbra than the physical world. Her First
is pushing for Rank more quickly than he should be for his Change was sudden, during an unexpected attack by a
age and experience in ‘field’ operations. Nexus Crawler. Her father died, and her mother fell into
Image Harano and lost the wolf.
• Zack has deep red hair and a very pale complexion,
with occasional freckles here and there. He’s usually got a
serious face unless he’s helped win a case, and then he’s
smiling and laughing with everyone else. He prefers suits
but has a pair of sports shorts attuned to him for when he
thinks he might need to shift. Zack’s Lupus form is a white
wolf with tufts of red fur throughout his coat.
Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4),
Stamina 2 (4/5/5/4); Charisma 4, Manipulation 4
(2/1/1/1), Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2); Perception 3,
Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 2, Empathy (Sensing Truth) 4, Expression
1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 2; Etiquette
(Making Friends) 4, Performance (Oratory) 2, Survival
1; Academics (Legal History) 1, Computer 1, Enigmas
1, Investigation 1, Law (Land Law) 4, Occult 1
Backgrounds: Allies 2, Contacts 2, Kinfolk 3, Resources 2
Gifts: (1) Persuasion (Homid), Truth of Gaia, Scent of the
True Form (Philodox), Two Tongues (Fianna)
Rank: 1
98 HOWLS OF APOCALYPSE
 Beth wasn’t sad. In fact, she really didn’t feel anything. Whispers
She didn’t like her father dying and her mother caged in • Bane of the Outback: Beth has traveled to Australia
sorrow, but she knew she needed to get to work, so she did. several times and seems to cause spirits there to run away
Since then, she has been moving, roaming, and carrying sto- from her. The spirits themselves have not shared why.
ries, judgement, and ultimately death with her at every step. • Wyrm Thief: The reason this Silent Strider never
The spirits demand her attention, but more importantly, the stays in one place for long is because she stole a fetish from
Garou Nation needs to learn to understand it’s laws better, a Wyrm beast, and now the creature is hunting her.
it’s Codes and Creeds, it’s Litany. Beth would be higher • Silver Fang Born: Some Garou who meet Beth in
rank if she’d gone through her Rite of Passage sooner, but, her homid form assume she is Silver Fang, and even in her
in the end, she had things to do and only found the time wolf forms she gives off an odd sense of being from the
for recognition when it suited her needs. tribe, even though she looks nothing like a normal Fang.
Plots and Ambitions Image
• Judging The Book: John North-Wind’s-Son (see • In Homid form Beth is a thin woman with a light
Apocalyptic Record p. XX) is trying to collect and lock brown skin tone. Her hair is shaved close to her head,
down the tales of the Nation. Beth believes this is a sacri- which makes her anime elf like ears even more obvious.
lege, because the spirits must hear the tales of the Garou She never smiles and Rage seems to be the only emotion
to judge them appropriately and provide Renown. If she she demonstrates on a regular basis. She prefers utilitarian
encounters this Ahroun, or any of his associates, she plans clothing with lots of pockets. In Lupus form she appears to
to have many words. be a thin black jackal-like wolf.
• Wherever it Dwells: While the Seventh Generation Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 5 (5/6/7/7),
is destroyed, Beth has seen evidence the cult still has tendrils Stamina 3 (5/6/6/5); Charisma 1, Manipulation 1 (–1
waiting to grow into nests of pain and harm. This is a clear /–2/–2/–2), Appearance 4 (3/0/4/4); Perception 3,
time for the Garou to standup and destroy these monsters Intelligence 2, Wits 3
before they get back on their feet. Sadly, most of the Nation
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Intimidation 2,
think when a deed is done, it’s done, and Beth is struggling
Primal-Urge 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 1; Animal Ken
to get people to listen to her.
1, Firearms 1, Larceny 1, Stealth 1, Survival 3; Enigmas
Territory 2, Investigation 3, Occult 3, Rituals 3
• The Steel Prison This hidden place within Scar is Backgrounds: Fetish 2, Pure Breed 1, Rites 3, Spirit Heritage 1
where Beth was born, and she carries an innate connection Gifts: (1) Sense Wyrm (Metis), Truth of Gaia (Philodox),
with it. While she rarely visits, she can will herself to pass Speed of Thought, Visions of Duat (Silent Strider).
through the Umbra to the prison with a small amount of Rank: 1
focus. From there, if she wanted, she take others with her
Rage: 3
and explore the Scar.
Gnosis: 3
Kinfolk, Packmates, and Enemies Willpower: 3
• Ingmar Lauer (Kinfolk) This banjo playing German Glory: 0
kin would prefer to spend his life playing music and ignoring Honor: 4
the world. Sadly, his Garou kin call on him to do his other
Wisdom: 0
job a little too frequently, cleaning up the messes they make.
Beth is a regular acquaintance, even if she’s not his kin. Rites: Gathering for the Departed 1 (see W20 p. 209), Rite
of Becoming 3
• Broken-Eyed Edward (Enemy) The Scar is a horrid
place, a remnant of the worst horrors of the Industrial Rev- Fetishes: Calm the Angry Spirit, Level 2, Gnosis 6; This fetish
olution tied in with the worst excesses of modern industry. appears to be a small pair of bones tied together with red
Edward was there when Beth was conceived, watching her cord with delicately carved glyphs. By holding them out
parents like a fly on the wall. He’s been watching her since with conviction, and an activation roll, the Fetish will
she was born, too, waiting and planning for his revenge. instantly calm any angry human dead. If you are using
Wraith: The Oblivion rules, the wraith may use this
• Steals Bread for Kids (Packmate) Bone Gnawers
opportunity to take back control from their Shadow.
try hard to focus on the things they can change, and Steals
keeps this front of mind. He’s been working with Beth to
help feed and protect the kids of various cities from the
resurgence of the Seventh Generation.

READY-MADE CHARACTERS 99
 Howls of Apocalypse
It is an impossible task to put the smells, tastes, and emotions of battle into writing, but we will try. After
all, without examples, how are you supposed to know how best to fight the Wyrm?
Our howls are recorded here. Howls against Pentex, against Black Spiral Dancers, against Skull Pigs,
against unknowing humans caught in the Wyrm’s thrall.
Listen to these howls. Play through them yourself. Learn something, young pup, that will prepare you for
the eternal battlefield.

Howls of Apocalypse includes:

• Three full chronicles for your groups to play, introducing them to different aspects of
Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th Anniversary Edition.

• New powers to use in your war against the Wyrm.

• Ready-made characters you can play straight from the page, encompassing a diverse range
of tribes.