Children of Gaia

*"We're Garou. We draw out the toxins from out Mother's blood, cut away Her cancers, slay the parasites feeding on Her flesh. But once the surgery is done, you have to bind the wounds back up too."*

The Children of Gaia seem to be a study in contradiction. They are Gaia’s warriors, yet they want nothing more than peace. No Garou work harder and plead more humbly for cooperation between the tribes than they do. None grieve more when forced to shed the blood of a fellow werewolf. More than any other tribe, they value compassion for all Gaia’s children, even those that hold them in contempt. Many Garou mistake this compassion for weakness, — only to discover that the Children’s hatred of war doesn’t preclude the ability and will to fight — and fight well.

The tribe has its origins in the days of the Impergium, when they protested the practice of culling humans and fighting over territory. When the Garou Nation came to an accord and agreed to end the Impergium, the peacemakers who had led the effort formalized a pact with Unicorn and became the Children of Gaia. They are the only tribe born from an act of peace, and they take great pride in of this origin.

The Children of Gaia’s primary purpose is that of all Garou — fight the Wyrm, wherever it breeds and wherever it dwells. But their chosen secondary purpose is to mediate disputes and alliances among septs and packs, strengthening the Nation as a whole. It’s a difficult job, made more difficult by the contempt they face from many more martial tribes. But as they argue, it’s critical.

The Children of Gaia are a comparatively numerous tribe. Rivals claim it’s because they shrink from combat — but that’s not true. They do well by adopting other Garou, any who ask. They are especially respectful of metis, treating them as equals. They have less of an advantage with lupus numbers, though several wolf-born that grew up not understanding the concept of “war” find the Children’s ideal most natural.

Unicorn’s children are less concerned with strict rank and hierarchy. Though still powered by wolf instinct, they favor fairly loose pack and sept organization. Each sept has two elders who must excel at mediation: the Voice of the Goddess (always female) and the Arm of the Goddess (always male).

The Children constantly involve themselves in the arena of human politics, more so than many other tribes. They face the same limitations that all werewolves do where subtlety is concerned, but still they use what influence they can, particularly through their Kin, to promote agendas of compassion, peace and tolerance. The tribal creed states that the war for Gaia can’t be won without loyal human hearts. It’s an uphill battle, though, and boundlessly frustrating. When the time comes for war, more than one Child of Gaia lets out a pent-up Rage that’s horrifying in its strength.

With the Apocalypse so close at hand, the Children of Gaia are facing many internal crises of faith. Humanity seems to come so far, and then it falls back into old patterns of hatred and bloodthirst. There are so few Garou to protect the world, and they turn on each other so quickly. Many of the tribe have fallen into Harano as the enormity of their task seems to be overwhelming. Some Children even argue that the secrecy of the Veil prevents them from properly educating humans — that they would have the allies they need if they could just show the humans what’s going on. These arguments cause rifts even within the tribe.

All told, the odds seem impossible. But if they were to give up, the elders growl, they wouldn’t be the Children of Gaia. They wouldn’t be Garou.

## History

The legend of the tribe's creation tells that during an era of bloodshed among the tribes of the Garou, Gaia herself resurrected innocent cubs from each tribe, slain by their foolishness. She placed those cubs secure between the roots of the Worldtree, where they were protected and grew up. Others tell that Wolf protected Gaia from an attack of the Eater-of-Souls against Her heart, and that this Wolf would become the ancestor of all Garou, although the Silver Fangs claim Wolf as their sole ancestor. Those who remembered that it was only Wolf, not a specific wolf from a specific Tribe, who formed the Children of Gaia.

### Early History

During the War of Rage, the Children of Gaia tried, without much success, to calm their raging brethren. They originally refused to fight against other Fera, something that was exploited by the more vengeful of Fera who came as refugees of the Children seeking shelter and then slaughtered their would-be protectors. The other tribes used the reputation of the Children as traps, luring Fera into peace-talks and then slaughtering them. The Children even actively participated in the massacres at times out of loyalty to their friends and pack mates.

During the Impergium, it was the Children that eventually called an end to it. Living close by their human relatives in ancient Sumeria, they believed that if humans could be educated enough about Gaia and the spirits, they would come to respect them by themselves. Eventually, the Children of Gaia spread to Greece, Babylon, and Crete, tying into the first civilizations and trying to teach humanity the value of peace and harmony. Some listened. Many didn't.

During the time of the Roman Empire, the Children had a difficult stand, as the Empire itself was expansionist and even traced its founder Romulus back to the god of war, Mars. Many Children supported the early Christians, seeing their message of tolerance and forgiveness as similar to their own creed.

### Dark Ages

The Dark Ages were not easy times for the Children, as few cared for peace in these days. Many Children lived up to chivalric codes in these nights, preaching chivalric virtues to their fellow Garou and trying to mediate between the raging tribes.

During this age, the Children of Gaia were among the first Tribes to see the growing power of the Wyrm, the growing threat of the Inquisition, fanned through Leech activity, as well as careless Garou that privately re-installed the Impergium in their protectorates.

### Victorian Age

When the Americas were discovered and made accessible to the Garou Nation, the Children of Gaia were advocates for an alliance with the Pure Tribes. This, however, failed at first, when the other tribes, particularly the Fianna and the Get of Fenris, demanded Caerns and lands from the Pure Ones, which they naturally refused. It took the threat of the Storm Eater to unite the tribes of North America into one nation that stands today, although even now this concord is shaky at best.

### Modern Nights

While many other tribes are noticeably shrinking in population, the Children seem to be holding their numbers steady. Benefiting from the anti-war sentiments after two World Wars, the Children tried to ensure that such atrocities would never repeat.

Many of the concerns of the Children, such as free speech, civil rights, and women's rights have been realized in the past centuries, but the tribe itself is divided into camps and factions that continue to bicker against each other, preventing them from gaining the unity they want to achieve for all Garou.

## Appearance

Strong Children of Gaia Pure Breed usually manifests as a white dappling on a gray or brown coat. The most renowned Children have a calm and serene bearing that can be intimidating in its own right.

## Kinfolk and Territory

The Children of Gaia are particularly inclusive when it comes to choosing mates. Their Kin usually display great passion for progressive causes that match the tribe’s goals. However, the Children haven’t had a dominant presence in their ancestral homelands — the Fertile Crescent, particularly the areas of former Canaan — for a long, long time. They claim territories across the world, particularly in North America.

## Tribal Totem

Unicorn. The Children of Gaia tribal totem is a powerful spirit of purity, compassionate in peace but also ferocious in war. They prefer to strike pacts with totems such as Dove and Narwhal, as well as gentle spirits of glade and starlight.

## Character Creation

Many Children of Gaia stress Social Traits at least a little, in order to make themselves heard. They don’t neglect their combat skills, but Abilities such as Empathy, Leadership, Streetwise, Performance and Etiquette are all valued.

**Initial Willpower:** 4

**Beginning Gifts:** Brother’s Scent, Jam Weapon, Mercy, Mother’s Touch, Resist Pain

## Organization

The organization of the Children of Gaia is far more egalitarian than that of other tribes. Originally, a Sept of the Children would be lead by a triumvirate: The *Voice of the Goddess*, a female; the *Arms of the Goddess*, a male; and the *Heart of the Goddess*, which could be anyone, but was usually chosen by the spirits. Additional voices are the *Green Branch*, which speaks for the local spirit world; and the *Cut Branch*, who lends his voice to the dead. In the Final Nights, most of these hierarchical structures are being disassembled.

## Camps

The Children of Gaia are more conflicted than most when it comes to the topic of camps. Some believe that camps can be positive; a way to bring together those who might otherwise not form the bonds of kinship that lead to true unity. Historically, Children of Gaia have been welcomed — even encouraged — to join more than one camp, should they so desire; doing so was seen as a sign of active involvement. Recently, however, there has been a movement within the tribe to abjure camps as a whole. Proponents of this movement believe that by giving Garou even more labels with which to identify themselves, camps encourage splintering and conflict among those who would otherwise see themselves as parts of the same whole.

### Aethera Inamorata

A sometimes-controversial camp dedicated to healing through sex and physical love, they believe that GarouGarou pairings are not a breach of the Litany (and are, in fact, a valuable tool towards unity) so long as they do not produce children. They monitor Kinfolk pregnancies to help the families prepare for the possibility of a Garou child, and facilitate intermarriage between Kinfolk of different tribes, for the sake of building unity and inter-tribal trust. This practice, sadly, garners them the animosity of tribes who prize their pure lineages.

### Angels in the Garden

For the Angels, immunizing the youngest human generation against the Defiler Wyrm is of paramount importance. They maintain an underground network among their Kin to protect children from abusers, even if it means kidnapping and finding new homes for the endangered youth. They also strive to seed children’s books, video games, and other media with Gaian ideals, in hopes of turning youngsters against the Wyrm

### The Annointed Ones

The Anointed Ones renounce violence. They believe that it is impossible to bring about peace through war, and seek to share that message with those who are willing to hear it. The camp focuses its attention on using (and teaching) Gifts and rites which gentle their enemies, rather than harm them, and helping other Garou deal with their Rage.

### Demeter's Daughters

Demeter’s Daughters work to introduce humans to the natural world so that they can love, honor, and respect it as they grow. They make environmental issues more palatable to businesses by showing the fiscal benefits of producing environmentally sound products, while pushing government and city planners to incorporate and protect natural spaces within urban environments. Only by encouraging humanity to love the Wyld do the Daughters believe they have any hope of protecting mankind from the Wyrm.

### Imminent Strike

Imminent Strike trains its members constantly in preparation for the Final Battle. The Apocalypse is upon us, and this camp believes that the only hope for Gaia’s warriors to win the Final Strike is to focus entirely on the task ahead. They shun those of the Nation who are obsessed with their own agendas; if that means cutting ties with other tribes, so be it.

### The One Tree

The One Tree sees itself as Gaia’s white blood cells. They are killers — both front-line warriors and stealthy assassins. That said, they do not kill out of Rage, passion, hate, malice, or pride, and they do not accept members who seek to join the camp with those motivations. They kill because it is what Gaia has made them to do; they are a channel through which Gaia may strike at her foes.

### The Patient Deed

The Patient Deed works to build unity across tribal boundaries. Historically, Patient Deed members reached out to the Uktena and Wendigo in America’s Old West and sought to mend fences between Europeans and colonized nations. They believe that the Nation does not have a single Garou to lose, and that only through welcoming and understanding other tribes’ values and priorities can the Garou truly be united.

### The Seekers of the Lost Tribes

Members of this Camp believe that the Nation’s only hope is the recovery and reintroduction of the Lost Tribes back into the Garou Nation. By researching sightings of “ghost wolves” that match descriptions of Croatan, or investigating bloodlines of humans related to ancient Bunyip lineages, the Seekers hope to rebuild those tribes. As well, they serve as envoys to the Lost Tribes’ totems and their broods. More controversial is their goal of capturing and re-educating Black Spiral cubs and ronin, in hopes of rebuilding a Gaian version of the fallen White Howler tribe.

One Camp is ostrasized by the Tribe as a whole.

### Bringers of Eternal Peace

The Bringers are a perverted camp of former Children of Gaia who believe that the only way to bring peace to the world is to destroy all who dwell upon it. While members of this camp have not (yet) walked the Spiral, their ideals — perfect peace through annihilation — are just a step away from those of the Dancers.

## Children of Gaia Caerns

* Sept of the Healing Dawn (Qena, Temple of Dendara, Egypt)
* Sept of the Western Eye (Muir Woods National Monument near San Francisco)
* White Sea Sept (shores of the White Sea, near the city of Archangel, Russia)
* Snake River Caern (between the sources of the Snake and Yellowstone Rivers)
* Sept of the Changing Seasons (Blanket Mountain, Tennessee. Shared Power with Fianna and Silver Fangs)

## Tribal Culture

The Children of Gaia are often used as mediators in disputes between packs, septs, or tribes.

### Political Culture

Pack and septs of the Children are often loosely organized, and although they have a distinct hierarchy of members, they tend not to hold to ranks as strictly as other tribes. The Elders are generally open to the younger generation's contributions, and Children of Gaia do not tend towards the same aggressive and physical enforcement of rank that many other tribes do.

The Children of Gaia sept is believed to be lead by two leaders. The female 'Voice of Gaia' and the male 'Arm of Gaia'. Besides that, their septs have the usual offices.

There are no regular global moots or over-regional leaders known.

As part of their peace-loving nature, the Children of Gaia frequently work with and through human environmental organizations. They are the Garou who tend to work with the governments of humans, pushing through pro-environment laws and regulations as often as they can.

### Religious Culture

Though the Children of Gaia are strong advocates of peace and mercy, it is unity above all else that the tribe cares for. Mercy, they feel, is for their fellow Garou, and those who can be cleansed of the influence of the Weaver and the Wyrm. Peace is their dream, once the tribes of the Garou are united against the Wyrm and the Apocalypse War has been won. That unity is deeply important to them, not only because they are merciful healers, but because they are warriors as well.

In addition to the common precepts of the Litany, the Children have added their own, without the other Tribes knowing: "*Create And Pursue Peace Whenever Possible*". While the Children themselves are divided in their interpretation of their own tenet, it stands to remind them that there are more ways to fight for Gaia than following one's Rage. To reflect this, most Children of Gaia eschew klaives in favour of quarter staffs, which they use in a fighting style called Iskakku.

It is uncomfortable for many of the children that they are viewed as *charach* by their peers. While it is true that the tribe is more tolerant of metis, they do not advocate such breaches, in part because much of the time they are the ones who end up raising the offspring of such unions. Any pup who's been looking too longingly at a packmate (same or opposite sex, it doesn't matter) often finds themselves babysitting a whirling, shrieking ball of claws and fur that cannot be calmed down by a simple lullaby.

The Children see the world as divided between Gaia, who represents love, freedom and similar virtues; and the Triatic Wyrm (although some begin to include the Weaver), who encourages barriers between people, isolation, and egoism. In the eyes of the Children, the wyrmish virtues are always intrusions from without, so by investing themselves into teaching humans about Gaia, they hope to keep them clean from its taint.

## Sterotypes of Other Tribes

### Black Furies

They have such great reserves of wisdom about the world, but they guard them so jealously.

### Bone Gnawers

They care more than they let on, but it still breaks your heart to see them turn their backs on the rest of us in the name of survival.

### Fianna

There aren’t many who mourn their losses more keenly, or prize their victories more joyously.

### Get of Fenris

You can admire their bravery and strength, but at the end of the day, this war is something that we abhor and that they seem to cherish. It’s horrifying.

### Glass Walkers

They can be relied on to listen to reason, even if their logic takes them places maybe no Garou was ever meant to go.

### Red Talons

I can’t help but wonder what they might have been, if things had turned out differently. Sometimes you can almost see it. Almost.

### Shadow Lords

Hard to tell what they love best: their methods, their ambitions, or their successes.

### Silent Striders

They may seem disaffected, but they have such deeply wounded hearts. It’s not good for any wolf to walk alone.

### Silver Fangs

Of all the failures we’ve endured, the Silver Fangs’ failure to keep the Nation unified has perhaps hurt all of us the most.

### Stargazers

They understand harmony so well, they’re almost our closest brothers — but how can you describe love and compassion as shackles, even in jest?

### Uktena

I wish they trusted us more. I wish they trusted anyone more. They’re more alone than they let on.

### Wendigo

They seem to expect the world to end in ice. If it does, they’ll be well-suited for it — but it doesn’t have to.