The Litany

The laws of the People are ancient. Their traditions vary from tribe to tribe, but all Garou must remember and hold to the central code of law called the Litany. In its full form, it is as much an epic poem as a legal code. Chanting it in its entirety can take hours. Four times a year, the werewolves of the Fianna tribe gather in their tribal homelands to recite it in its entirety.
While it takes the greatest scholars to master the entirety of the Litany, most werewolves learn it in the form of 13 basic precepts. Each precept has a practical basis, but not all of them are universally upheld as unquestionably moral. Each tribe has its own views on right and wrong. In fact, many perceive a hypocritical gap between what Garou elders preach and what werewolves actually do. Masters of Garou law can cite dozens of examples of precedent, but as fewer cubs learn to chant the details, more argue ways to bend the rules in their favor.
=== Garou Shall Not Mate With Garou ===
The Law: Werewolves should mate only with humans or wolves. The law forbids the creation of metis because of the deformities and insanity that settles on the wretched children of Garou-Garou pairings. This stricture forms the basis for some of the greatest tragedies of Garou culture. Many ancient songs tell of werewolves who loved deeply and carelessly, only to be undone by their passion.
The Reality: Every year, more metis are born. Modern Garou often claim that prejudice against the metis is a primitive and foolish mindset. Homids are increasingly prone to conceive metis as well, as modern ideals frequently stress romance in a relationship, rather than the old custom of arranged marriages for political gain.
=== Combat the Wyrm Wherever It Dwells and Whenever It Breeds ===
The Law: The Wyrm is a source of evil in the world. Gaia created the werewolves to protect the world, and the Wyrm is the greatest enemy the world has. The fastest way for a werewolf to become respected is to prove himself in battle against the servants of the Wyrm. If any Garou neglects this duty, the Apocalypse draws that much nearer to eruption. 
The Reality: These are the Final Days. So say all the elders. The Wyrm is too strong to kill, and even if it were possible, many suspect it would only delay the inevitable. Jaded elders are distracted by other tasks, such as securing territory, contesting for political power, and crippling their rivals. Few want to accept that the Apocalypse has begun, for it would mean sacrificing personal ambition to accept a painful truth. 
As straightforward as this tenet seems, it also raises questions. What happens to a Garou that is possessed, but not fully in the thrall of the Wyrm? Should he be destroyed? Is a Wyrm-spirit really destroyed if it is “killed,” or will it just re-form somewhere else? Can werewolves expect to change the course of history by destroying all of the Wyrm’s servants, or should they choose their battles more carefully? Should the Weaver be challenged as well? Many questions arise in the course of debating this law, in an age where there’s little time to spend finding the correct answer.
=== Respect the Territory of Another ===
The Law: When one werewolf approaches another’s territory, he must announce herself first and ask permission to enter. The traditional method involves the Howl of Introduction, reciting one’s name, sept, totem, tribe, and home sept. Many Silver Fangs and Shadow Lords also insist on a visitor reciting her lineage. In addition to these precautions, a werewolf should mark her territory, whether with scent or clawed sigils, to keep peace with other Garou.
The Reality: As the population of humans in the world keeps growing, A Garou’s howling and urinating on trees to mark territory becomes impractical. In urban caerns, some technologically proficient werewolves (like the Glass Walkers) prefer emails, telephone calls, and texting, and some set up apps to work with GPS systems to keep track of territories electronically. As pressure mounts from outside, many young Garou argue that the territories that remain should be more communally managed — though progressive human-influenced thought has a difficult time winning over a wolf’s territorial urge.
=== Accept an Honorable Surrender ===
The Law: A warrior people typically settles its grievances with bloodshed. The Garou have a long dueling tradition, stressing trial by ordeal and single combat. Many werewolves have lost their lives to overzealous practices such as these; they may have died honorably, but their losses are keenly felt all the same. A werewolf being attacked by another Garou can traditionally end a duel peacefully by exposing his throat. The loser shouldn’t suffer a loss of reputation or renown for doing so, but a victorious Garou should be praised for his mercy. Theoretically, any dueling Garou is honor-bound to accept a surrender.
The Reality: In practice, peaceful werewolves invoke this law freely, but some are far more selective. After all, in the heat of battle, anything can happen. Even the most feral and violent werewolf struggles to obey this law, but when blood begins to flow, instincts overcome reason. Some warriors are infamous for “accidentally” overlooking a surrender and sinking their teeth into an exposed throat.
=== Submission to Those of Higher Station ===
The Law: Like the wolves with whom they breed, werewolves maintain a strictly hierarchical society. When one’s pack or sept is not pure family, the hierarchy of alpha and lord becomes necessary. The concepts of Renown and Rank are integral to Garou society. A werewolf must always honor reasonable requests from higher-ranking Garou.
The Reality: The weakening bonds of Garou society have done little to reinforce this tenet among the young. Too many elders don’t understand or can’t cope with the human world. Each tribe has its own culture, and not all of them believe in kowtowing to tyrants or humoring egotistical alphas just because they have long lineages. A werewolf will honor the elders of his tribe generally, but opinions vary when it comes to the highly ranked of other tribes.
Bone Gnawers are highly egalitarian, and although they’ll show their bellies if the need is there, they tend to make a note of it and plot a later payback. Children of Gaia and Silent Striders respect personal choice, and therefore, they prefer to earn obedience rather than demanding it. The Get of Fenris respect only those elders who can best them in combat. Red Talons prefer not to hear “monkey babble” about complicated hierarchies; you should know your place instinctively. Shadow Lords and Silver Fangs, on the other hand, enforce this law with iron fists and sharpened claws.
=== The First Share of the Kill for the Greatest in Station ===
The Law: This “kill clause” originally applied to hunting, but has also had a long tradition of being invoked regarding spoils of war. In theory, the most renowned Garou has a right to the most powerful fetishes or other valuable goods found by her packmates. Silver Fangs and Shadow Lords demand what they see as their due; other tribes accept grudgingly.
The Reality: Pack mentality may be a strong instinct, but not everyone thinks the same way. Again, modern concepts of egalitarian or democratic philosophy tend to get in the way. Only the strongest or the most trusted Garou are able to repeatedly invoke this tenet for their own benefit, and even then it can strain the bonds of a pack.
=== Ye Shall Not Eat the Flesh of Humans ===
The Law: Grotesquely, this tenet arose not from compassion, but from practicality. Not long after the Concord, Stargazer mystics noticed that many werewolves took a bit too much pleasure in devouring human flesh. Such cannibals found themselves vulnerable to the corruption of the Wyrm. Elders grown fat off human stock also became weak at stalking and killing more challenging prey, like the Wyrm-spirits they should have been hunting. In the 21st century, this law is more than a simple spiritual matter. Human beings now consume a frightening amount of preservatives. Their chemical-laden diet makes their flesh unwholesome.
The Reality: Werewolves can still lose control of themselves in a frenzy, and some still feel a certain hunger even when fully lucid. Most man-eating Garou act alone, concealing it as best as they can from any packmates, or running without a pack in order to keep up their appetites. Some gather in groups to take part in forbidden feasts, though — the Bone Gnawers, Silent Striders, and Red Talons are all said to have secretive camps that ritually devour human flesh.
=== Respect Those Beneath Ye — All Are of Gaia ===
The Law: The Garou ancestors of legend pledged to become the world’s protectors, so they must respect every creature’s place in the natural world. Every werewolf is likewise worthy of respect. The Garou believe in an animistic and warrior version of noblesse oblige, and chivalrous behavior is a respectable way to gain Renown. 
The Reality: Many cubs, cliath, and metis Garou have learned the hard way that this tenet isn’t always enthusiastically enforced. Shadow Lords and Get of Fenris quantify “respect,” and give those beneath them only what they believe is “fairly earned.” Bone Gnawers just laugh at this precept. They sure as hell don’t get respect, and who could be lower in station than them?
The lupus are often stronger at respecting this tenet. Particularly noble Garou have even been known to mourn the passing of their foes, earning the respect of others in the process.
=== The Veil Shall Not Be Lifted ===
The existence of the Garou must remain secret. Here, the law and reality are the same. Werewolves must be discreet when acting among humans. This practice is far more than simple respect for the Concord or humanity’s right to its own civilization. The world is a dangerous place. Humans have more powerful weapons every year. Ancient vampires and far more sinister supernatural creatures are capable of acting on what humans learn. And, of course, the servants of the Wyrm are lurking everywhere, exploiting the weak. If werewolves choose to act like monsters, other creatures will hunt them like the beasts they are.
Garou also have an obligation to protect humanity. When human see werewolves lumbering about in Crinos form, insanity grips them, and they concoct all sorts of outrageous rationales for what they’ve seen. Fear mounts, panic results, and the populace resorts to drastic measures of defense. Rampaging werewolves can cause almost as much damage as the Wyrm-creatures they hunt.
=== Do Not Suffer Thy People to Tend Thy Sickness ===
The Law: The warrior who cannot fight or hunt also weakens those who must care for him. Long ago, an infirm, aged, or mortally wounded Garou would be torn to pieces by his septmates. Such a pitiable hero should not suffer further. These days the merciful and dignified practice is to let such an elder choose how to end his own life. In Garou legends, many of the greatest heroes simply set out on one last journey, never to return.
The Reality: The Children of Gaia despise this law. They believe in a natural death, caring for their elderly through the most prolonged and horrifying illnesses. A few older Garou, especially those crippled by depression and remorse, simply return to human or lupine society to die, making peace with the life they left behind.
=== The Leader May Be Challenged at Any Time During Peace ===
The Law: A werewolf’s pack mentality may be strong, but he should not tolerate a weak alpha. If no immediate threat is nearby, any Garou of sufficient rank may challenge the pack leader for his position. In a pack, the challenge takes the form of a quick and decisive duel, test of wits, or snarling display of intimidation. In a sept, the assembled werewolves watch the challenge play out as high ritual.
The Reality: Many tyrannical leaders resist challenge by simply being too strong to defeat. Some mutinous packs challenge their leader one at a time, wearing him down until he must relent. It’s also an uncommon tactic for werewolf leaders to declare a state of constant war, denying any “peace” in which a challenge would be appropriate. Cunning werewolves insist on choosing the type of duel that should result, playing off their rivals’ known weaknesses.
=== The Leader May Not Be Challenged During Wartime ===
The Law: Every military relies on a clear and decisive chain of command, and the Garou are no different. Obedience in a pack is essential. Once a fight begins, the alpha’s word is law. A packmate who disobeys may be punished or assaulted by his companions, or possibly even by his sept, after the danger has passed.
The Reality: As previously mentioned, some alphas declare a constant state of wartime to abuse this tenet. Those who disobey usually have some chance to defend their actions, standing before a Philodox in a form of court martial. If a werewolf was under magical control, corrupted, or possessed by the Wyrm — or if the alpha was just startlingly incompetent — such disobedience may be excused, especially if the action saved a pack or the sept. Unfortunately, any renown the wolf would have received for her valor may be canceled out by her insubordination.
=== Ye Shall Take No Action That Causes a Caern to Be Violated ===
No Garou argues against this tenet. Caerns surge with mystical energy and the lifeblood of the Earth. If one is destroyed or corrupted, part of the Earth dies, and so does the power of the Garou. A werewolf who leads a proven or potential enemy to a hidden caern is punished severely, even if the act was unintentional.
Category:Werewolf