Talens

## General Talens

Talens are simpler versions of fetishes, created with the Rite of Binding, which are easier to create but more limited in effect. Like fetishes, talens are objects that contain spirits. They require a Gnosis roll to activate, but not to attune. However, talens can be used only once. After fulfilling the terms of its binding pact, the talen’s spirit departs and the item loses its potency.

Where forceful binding into a fetish is a slap in the face of the entire spirit world, werewolves consider aggressive binding into a talen acceptable, as the binding is only temporary.

A talen’s Gnosis rating is equal to the bound spirit’s Gnosis. One extra talen of the same type can be made for each additional success on the Rite of Binding roll. For example, three successes create three Bane arrows. Gafflings are commonly bound to make talens; more powerful spirits make the creation of multiple talens easier, adding two or three extra talens to the total number generated. Talens last until used.

### Bane Arrows

Gnosis 4

These obsidian-headed arrows unerringly seek Banes, whether or not they are visible. They hit Banes automatically and inflict three dice of aggravated damage. The bite of a Bane arrow is so painful that no Bane can resist howling in agony. Wyrm-spirits can sometimes sense the presence of these talens, and may not wait for the archer to fire before acting.

To create a Bane arrow, one must bind a spirit of war, air, or pain into the arrow.

### Archa Torch

Gnosis 6

When lit, this torch emits sweet-scented smoke that shrouds an area a few dozen yards across for up to six hours (less in windy conditions). Banes and other spirits tainted or twisted by the Wyrm increase the difficulty of all their actions by +1 (maximum of 9) so long as they remain within the torch’s smoke. A spirit of an archa tree or a Wyld spirit must be bound to this Talen.

### Beacon Burr

Gnosis 6

A simple talen, but one of the most effective, the beacon burr is made from any small thorny object in nature and is bound with the spirit of a homing pigeon. Before being activated, the burr is surreptitiously placed upon a target, clinging to their hair or clothes. Then, once activated, the pigeon-spirit inside it breaks loose from the burr and begins making wide, sweeping circles from the to the activator to the fetish and back again. Provided the activator is in the Umbra or has some way of seeing into the Umbra, they can follow the pigeon to the target wherever the target may go. In effect, it is a supernatural homing beacon.

However, it has several advantages over a technological homing beacon. Garou that aren’t used to human society can more easily obtain a beacon burr than a homing device. Perhaps most usefully, though, if the burr is found most marks won’t immediately assume they’re being followed, and likewise, most won’t look for it to begin with. Nor does it respond to radio detectors. The only way to fi nd the beacon burr is to enter the Umbra and see the pigeon spirit circling. As such, this is a fantastic tool against less spiritually aware enemies such as Pentex.

The pigeon-spirit will circle for an hour after the talen is activated, then depart.

### Chiropteran Spies

Gnosis 6

These Shadow Lord talens look like wooden bat figurines, which come to life when activated. The Chiropteran Spies can serve as scouts, spies or diversions for up to 12 hours. When their tasks are completed, they turn to sawdust.

Similar talens exist among other tribes: The Silent Striders have clay scarabs, the Children of Gaia use porcelain doves, and the Glass Walkers have small metal insects.

To create a chiropteran spy, a bat-spirit must be bound to the carving.

### Candle of Souls

Gnosis 8

The Candle of Souls acts much like a voodoo doll, but for rites and Gifts instead of physical attacks. Made from a 30-inch- long candle of pure white wax, the candle has the name of the victim carved gently into the side and is activated by being lit. When properly lit and activated, the person whose name is inscribed on the side of the candle can be see faintly in the fl ame, and may be affected by any single rite or Gift that would directly affect someone else. (For example: Beastmind would work, but Cutting Wind would not — it affects the wind directly, not the victim.) Once the rite or Gift has been directed at the victim, successfully or not, the candle burns out and cannot be relit.

The Candle of Souls is bound with a spiderspirit.

### Death Dust

Gnosis 6

When broken open, activated and sprinkled over the dead body of a recently (within a day) deceased creature, this small jar of dust allows the Garou to communicate with the corpse’s spirit.

To create death dust, one must bind a spirit of death, communication or divination into the jar.

### Gaia’s Breath

Gnosis 5

When this small, dried gourd is crushed and the dust sprinkled over an open wound, the talen heals up to four health levels of damage (even aggravated damage).

To create Gaia’s breath, one must bind a spirit of healing into a glyph-decorated gourd.

### Moon Glow

Gnosis 8

This talen is a single moonbeam caught within a small crystal. Upon embarking on a journey into the Umbra, the wielder may activate this blessing from Luna. As long as it is carried continually, the journey should be a safe one. The crystal shatters once the Garou reaches his destination. This talen keeps away only incidental danger — it has no power to ward off enemies actively seeking the Garou, ambushes, or the repercussions of foolhardy actions such as insulting powerful spirits in their homes.

Only a Lune can empower a moon glow talen.

### Moon Sign

Gnosis 5

This small wax seal bears the sign of the full moon. When activated and thrown down before any werewolf, the werewolf’s player must succeed on a Willpower roll (difficulty 7), or the character changes immediately into Lupus form. This talen works on Black Spiral Dancers and other Fera as well, making them shift to their animal form.

To create a moon sign, one must bind a Lune, Wyldspirit, or wolf-spirit into the seal.

### Nightshade

Gnosis 5

This talen is distilled from the very essence of night. When quaffed, one fluid ounce of this liquid turns the imbiber’s body into shadow, rendering her virtually invisible in darkness. Only a watcher searching actively for the user can make a roll to spot her. This effect lasts only an hour.

To create a nightshade, a spirit of night or darkness must be bound into a vial.

### SenseDep Dart

Gnosis 8

The Glass Walkers coined this ages-old talen’s current name, but around many older Garou it is still known as the Blind Dart. But none can deny that, while very much a buzzword, the Glass Walker’s term is far more accurate. A small feathered dart bound with a bat spirit, the SenseDep dart is normally delivered via blowpipe. When activated and successfully striking an opponent, the bat spirit fl oods the victim’s senses with noise so that they are incapable of feeling, hearing, tasting, smelling or seeing anything. This effect only lasts for three seconds, but that’s often long enough. Since the dart is delivered by blowpipe, it is more commonly employed within pack tactics than to set up an attack for the talen bearer.

When struck with an activated SenseDep Dart, the victim is unable to act in the following turn.

### Vision Pool

Gnosis 6

Despite the name, a Vision Pool is created from a powder. Traditionally made from the ashes of burned peyote, other Garou have discovered that practically any powder can work provided the proper spirit is bound within. (Although many spirits tend to agree to imbue traditionally made powder more easily than improvised substances.) A spirit associated with divination must be bound within; owl-spirits often work very well.

Once the talen has been created, pouring the powder into a clear pool activates the talen. Traditionalists prefer stillwater lakes, modernists fi nd a kitchen sink will work fi ne. The powder creates a murky color at fi rst, which then refi nes itself into an image of something that will happen within the next week and that concerns the talen user, but the images are rarely literal and are often quite cryptic. To interpret them correctly, often an Intelligence + Enigmas roll (diffi culty 6) is required.

### Wind Snorkel

Gnosis 3

If a Garou needs to swim underwater, burrow through the earth, or venture anywhere that she ordinarily cannot breathe, she can use this peculiar talen. Fitting the end of the tube into her mouth or muzzle, the werewolf can suck enough air through it to keep herself alive and moving onward on her journey, for as long as necessary. The tube need not protrude into air to function. The spirit departs when the Garou removes the tube from her mouth.

To create a wind snorkel, an air elemental must be bound into a flexible, hollow reed or bone antler.

### Wyrm Scale

Gnosis 8

This sigil possesses some protection against the power of the Wyrm. Servants of the Wyrm revert to their true forms if the sigil activates in their presence. Some believe that this action alerts the Wyrm to the existence of the sigil, but in any event, the sigil combusts in a greenish fire immediately after use, and is incinerated completely.

To create a Wyrm scale, a Wyrm-spirit must be bound into the sigil.

### Warpaint

Variable Gnosis

Warpaint is a common talen among almost every Garou tribe, the sole exception being the Stargazers. (Even the Black Spiral Dancers make heavy use of such warpaint.) It has a cultural heritage among almost all ethnic groups in some form, and unlike regular warpaint shifts with the Garou’s form as if dedicated. Most Garou also create warpaint that has an effect on either themselves or their enemies. While there’s some crossover, certain types of warpaint have come to be associated with certain tribes.

Unless otherwise mentioned, activated warpaint lasts for a scene. Garou of tribes other than the tribe associated with each variant can use the warpaint as well, but it’s generally a breach of etiquette to ask for such a favor. Sharing warpaint across tribal lines is considered a great honor, akin to an oath of brotherhood.

#### **Bone Paint**

Gnosis 7

Perhaps the most literally named warpaint among the Garou, is employed by the Black Furies and made from powdered bone — preferably taken from an enemy, but the bones of any animal will do. The Black Fury then binds a Lune into this white paint, which is then painted in very specific patterns over the Fury’s neck, chest, back and arms, right down to the claws. This talen only works at night, but when activated the paint stands out, often seeming disembodied upon the black fur of the Furies. Opponents seeing a pack of Black Furies with this warpaint must roll Willpower (difficulty 4 + the number of Garou with activated warpaint) or flee instantly for a number of turns equal to the number of Garou wearing the warpaint.

#### **Body Graffiti**

Gnosis 7

Body Grafitti is often seen by nonBone Gnawers as simple camouflage, but the Gnawers who make it know it’s not. The paint is made from either trash (to make it work in urban environments) or dung (to make it work in the wilderness) and is bound with a chameleon-spirit. The paint is daubed over as much of the body as possible and quickly takes on patterns surrounding the fighter before maintaining that pattern for a second after they move. The fighter still stands out, but it quickly confuses opponents who often attack the pattern, not the fighter. Anyone facing someone wearing this paint must make a straight Wits roll (difficulty 6) before any attack. If the roll fails, the attacker loses four dice from his dice pool to attack, and cannot attack if he has no dice left in his pool (although he may try again next turn).

#### **Sun Paint**

Gnosis 7

Sun Paint works as a tool to help curb the more blindly aggressive side of the Garou and is the most common warpaint among the Children of Gaia. When numerous members of a group (who need not be a pack) wear this golden pigment into battle, the wearers sense the warpaint of the other members as a beacon, which cuts down on possible friendly fire. The paint does not cancel out a frenzy, but a frenzying Garou wearing sun paint treats all others wearing the same paint as if members of her pack. As the name suggests, sunlight-spirits are bound into the paint.

#### **Green Dye**

Gnosis 6

Green Dye is the name ironic young Fianna give to their warpaint, which is not green but blue. (The name is a pun on Dia Griene, the Scottish daughter of the sun. Traditional Fianna simply call it Frost Paint.) When the Fianna’s enemies see the activated paint, it causes a hideous chill in their bodies, such that it seems they would never feel warmth again. To attack someone wearing Green Dye, the opponent must fi rst succeed on a reflexive Willpower roll, difficulty 4.) This roll is only needed once per opponent, after it has been made the opponent may attack with impunity. This type of paint requires the binding of a wind-spirit.

#### **Tyr’s Blood**

Gnosis 7

This is a favorite of the Get of Fenris, particularly when fi ghting against lesser opponents. A blood-paint bound with a spirit of Rage, Tyr’s Blood transforms the Get of Fenris who wears it into an image of how Tyr beheld Fenris himself: an unreasoning, horrible monster that must be stopped at all costs. (According to legend, real Tyr’s Blood was made from the blood that dripped from the stump where his hand used to be before Fenris removed it.) When confronted by a Fenrir wearing Tyr’s Blood, his opponent must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) or fl ee the battle; this roll need be made only once.

#### **Ghost Camo**

Gnosis 7

This is the most common warpaint used among the Glass Walkers. It takes the form of classic green and brown camouflage facepaint but is applied to the entire body. While wearing Ghost Camo, the Glass Walker blends into the slightest cover available. If the wearer’s in plain sight, the warpaint won’t help, but if she is in shadows or partially concealed, trying to spot her requires a Perception + Alertness roll at difficulty 9. When the wearer makes an attack or some other over action, she becomes clearly visible, but should she find cover afterwards, the talen remains active, allowing for the possibility of repeated quick “stab and hide” attacks, or deadly rains of gunfire without being spotted. The Glass Walkers bind raccoon-spirits into their warpaint.

#### **Training Paint**

Gnosis 6

This is a Shadow Lord talen that is deeply ingrained in their culture. While the Shadow Lords do an excellent job of destroying the misguided belief of many cubs that they’re above corruption by the Wyrm (as they observe, the Wyrm can take anyone), they also often instill an undesirable mistrust of others in the process. While some mistrust is healthy, when it begins to affect pack tactics in battle, it has gone too far. Training paint was a solution devised by the tribe very early on to help cubs (mostly homid cubs at that) properly train for battle. A series of specific glyphs at specific points on the body were attached to certain tactics in battle, and the cubs were supposed to act according to what glyphs they could see. Eventually one Shadow Lord turned this paint into a talen that improved its effectiveness, so much so that many packs use it in actual battles. When each member of a pack applies the paint, they all receive an extra die to any roll made to execute a pack maneuver. This only works if the pack is within visual contact of each other.

#### **Fire Shadows**

Gnosis 8

Fire Shadows were conceived of by the Silent Striders to give them an edge against superior numbers, an all-too-common experience when confronted in strange locations. The talen is composed of henna paint bound with fire-spirits, and is inscribed upon the bodies of the wearers in elegant hieroglyphics. When activated, the warpaint bursts into the appearance of flame, and this fiery image persists for several seconds as the Strider moves, causing her to appear to blur. Enemies attempting to strike the wearer suffer a two-die penalty to all attack rolls, although stealth is clearly impossible for the wearer.

#### **Royal Marking**

Gnosis 6

These was created by the Silver Fangs to protect non-Kinfolk whom the Silver Fangs nonetheless considered breeding stock — mostly royalty of numerous bloodlines. Since these people were obvious targets for the Wyrm, the Silver Fangs were often forced into combat in their presence. While they had no problem with the Veil covering these actions, the Delirium often caused these people to do irrational and harmful things, such as run out of tower windows or attack the Silver Fangs. Royal Marking, a water-based paint bound with a Glade Child, helps to prevent this. Any humans seeing a Crinos daubed with Royal Marking automatically suffers Delirium as if they had Willpower 5, running but not putting themselves in harmful situations.

#### **Elemental Camouflage**

Gnosis 7

This, despite the name, is perhaps the very antithesis of camouflage. The “paint” is actually a melted colored wax bound with a frog spirit, dripped onto the body in swirling, looping patterns. When the Garou shifts form, the wax manifests as brightly colored markings in her pelt. A favorite among the Uktena for fighting spirits, the wax shifts and mutates to cover the body and counter the spirit being fought. An Uktena facing down a Fire elemental would suddenly be covered in ice or water, and one fighting a Bane would sprout leaves and flowers from her fur, becoming such a power of life that the Bane would be unable to affect it. When attacking spirits, any Garou wearing Elemental Camouflage does +2 damage and adds one die to all soak rolls.

#### **Dead Paint**

Gnosis 8

This is worn all too often by the Wendigo in these final days. It is only created in the aftermath of a tragedy, for it must be made from the blood and tears of Wendigo or Wendigo Kinfolk unjustly murdered. (“Unjustly murdered” does not include those slain in fair battle, nor those executed for crimes they committed.) Any spirit that witnessed the murder may be bound into the paint. (Often, the spiritused is the ancestor-spirit of the recently deceased.) Once worn and activated, the wearer is instinctively directed toward the murderer. They have no sense of how far away the murderer is, only in what general direction they must go. In large environments such as cities, the paint’s signal alone may be too vague to find the murderer. Still, it works as an excellent lead and also fi lls the wearer with anger and sorrow when confronted with the murderer, bestowing a +1 bonus to all rolls to successfully strike them. This talen lasts for as long as needed, until the murderer is killed.

## Breed Talens

### Grass Darts (Metis)

Gnosis 4

Grass Darts are an amazing talen mostly in that they can be created remarkably quickly — if you know what you’re doing. Making Grass Darts requires a certain knack that most Garou simply cannot get their heads around, but that metis frequently develop very quickly after learning the Rite of the Fetish or the Rite of Spirit Awakening. In addition, metis frequently develop the knack of making them quite lethal indeed.

Grass Darts can be made from a handful of grass and a bound rock-spirit. Even a single rock-spirit is enough to prepare twenty of these darts. Even the metis that make them can’t (or won’t) quite explain this feat. When properly created and activated, the blades of grass become rock-hard while remaining light and thin, as well as quite sharp. Most commonly, the darts are placed within the mouth and spat out at surprised opponents, either singularly or in groups of five. When so used, they do either one level of lethal damage (difficulty 6 to hit) singularly or three levels of lethal damage (difficulty 5 to hit) in a group.

However, some metis take the trick even further. Using the Gift: Create Element, these metis set the Grass Darts alight as they are blown from their mouth, push a wind behind them to enable them to travel faster than normal, or make them heavier still. In all cases, Grass Darts so affected do double damage if they hit.

## Auspice Talens

### Bloody Bandages (Ahroun)

Gnosis 7

These days, Bloody Bandages have fallen out of favor, mainly because the war has become so constant. But when the Garou actually have times of peace and can plan their battles ahead of time, Ahroun often take the time to prepare this most useful of talens.

The effect this talen has is quite desirable — when activated, the talen restores a number of health levels equal to the number of successes rolled on the activation roll. If this takes the warrior above perfectly healthy, then he gains an extra number of health levels above the normal ones. These additional health levels are lost first and then are not healed in battle.

However, making one is a trial in itself. The object required for the talen is a set of bandages that can cover most of the werewolf’s arms, legs and chest in Crinos form, soaked in the wearer’s own blood. The talen does not work if the amount of blood lost doesn’t bring the werewolf down to Incapacitated. While regeneration means that a werewolf can quickly heal from such a debilitating loss of blood, most feel this period of weakness is intolerable in the modern age. The Apocalypse War comes to the Garou these days, and any time their greatest warriors are not completely prepared and alert is unacceptable. But, should the chance to make them present itself, Bloody Bandages can be invaluable.

Bloody Bandages are bound with a leech-spirit

## Tribal Talens

### Children’s Poultices and Potions (Black Furies)

Gnosis 6-8

Between the wisdom of every Mother and Crone on the planet, it is possible that the Black Furies can find a cure to almost any childhood ailment, including some of the most serious. This surprises some other Garou, but makes perfect sense among the Furies. The Furies embrace motherhood as an essential part of their connection to Gaia, and to do their job poorly would be to deny part of that connection. Besides which, since they never keep any male Garou, the importance of keeping their young alive until they can undergo their First Change is double what it would be for other tribes.

This entry represents a plethora of different liquids, herbs, and other cures to a variety of childhood woes from the flu to whooping cough even to childhood cancer and leukemia. Generally, Black Fury cures tend to mirror modern science, but can often deviate. Very few Black Furies probably know of any technique that has a chance of curing cancerous conditions, but there might be one somewhere in the world who does. (Storytellers may wish to assign a level to such powerful talens, having them purchased or created as fetishes but only working once before being discarded.) More common ailments, even life threatening ones, can generally be treated with these talens and such treatment often has fewer side effects and shorter recovery times than modern medicine. (Although the spiritual cost of such ensures that non-Black Furies will not see the benefit of it outside of exceptional circumstances.) In all cases, the talen rolls its own Gnosis to cure diseases. Non-life threatening illnesses are difficulty 4. Terminal illnesses that can be cured by modern medicine are difficulty 6. Diseases that are otherwise incurable are difficulty 9.

### Golden Apples (Black Furies)

Gnosis 7

The goddess of the Primordial Night, Nyx, gave birth to the Hesperides, a set of daughters who would guard the Golden Apples given by Gaia to Zeus and Hera upon their wedding day. Most Black Furies enjoy the compliment of being compared to a dread goddess of the night, but take exception to the rest of the story. Gaia gave the Apples to them directly. And Heracles never got near them.

The legends that talk of the original Golden Apples and what incredible powers they would possess are hard to believe. The most common story by far is that anyone eating just one would become utterly invincible, so fi lled with life that she would never know death. However, the Golden Apples that the Furies know are a specific set of talens, the techniques for making which have been passed down throughout the ages. The process of infusing one of these apples is quite different from the normal process of talen making; the secret must be learned from Black Fury elders, although to other Black Furies it is normally taught freely. It works by binding three tree spirits into an apple, and it is this process that turns the apple golden.

When activated, the golden shine becomes even more powerful. A sense of incredible life fl ows from the Apples and causes any who see them to want to devour them more than anything else. A Willpower roll at difficulty 6 is required to resist the temptation to fl ing all else aside and focus solely upon eating the apple. When eaten, the Golden Apples roll their Gnosis against a diffi culty of the eater’s Rage; every success restores one health level. This restorative effect reminds not a few Black Furies and Get of Fenris of the Norse legends of Idun’s golden apples, suggesting a connection where the two tribes don’t want to see one.

### The Final Draught (Children of Gaia)

This powerful potion is made by ritemasters who are also herbalists. Portia Tucker, Child of Gaia and survivor of the Civil War, was one of the last who knew how to make it. Its ingredients include wolfsbane and heart’s ease as well as alcohol. When consumed, the drinker can Change only once more before it takes effect, and thereafter cannot shapeshift ever again. She remains Garou in all ways, including rites and Gifts, but is trapped in one form till death. Uses for this drug vary. Septs have used it as a punishment for breakers of the Litany, but some older Children of Gaia have used it as a form of retirement (or suicide) after a lifetime of service. As the drinker cannot shapeshift for any reason (even if Gnosis drops to zero), some take it, enter Crinos and go to death in battle. Metis have even used it to ensure that they will not break the Veil by sleeping or dying to reveal their Crinos form.

### Tathlum (Fianna)

Gnosis 5

A tathlum is a sling-stone made from a specially prepared mixture of sand, lime, herbs and the brain of an enemy, into which a vengeance-spirit is bound. Ordinarily, a sling does Str + 2 bashing damage. A tathlum generally does lethal damage. If the brain ball was created with a specific individual in mind, it does aggravated damage to that individual. The brain of an especially powerful foe (an elder Black Spiral Dancer or ancient vampire, for example) increases the damage by an additional +1.

### Battlemead (Fianna)

Gnosis 6

Battlemead is sweet as regular mead, but burns its way down the throat, exploding in the belly like some serious rotgut. Some Fianna like to take a few swigs before battle. If the imbiber succeeds in a Willpower roll against the mead’s Gnosis, he gains a Rage point and can ignore the first wound level sustained in the upcoming combat. Failing the roll results in all Rage roll difficulties being reduced by one for the rest of the scene. A botch results in immediate frenzy. Battlemead is made from honey derived from Battledew, a rare flower found in certain Umbral realms.

### Mist o’ the Glen (Fianna)

Gnosis 7

A deep brown brew, this, with a white effervescence swirling along its surface like lake mist. It doesn’t flow down the throat so much as swirl, but when it hits bottom it spreads a comfortable numbness through the body. The drinker’s mood becomes amiable and reflective. Tense meetings between rivals, when suitably lubricated with this elixir, settle down to jokes, laugh ter, and wistful reminiscences. The drinker must make a Willpower roll against the drink’s Gnosis rating. Success raises the difficulty to frenzy by two, and puts the imbiber in a more philosophical frame of mind. Those failing the roll lose a temporary Rage point, while botching removes all but one of their temporary Rage points — making the drinker perhaps even more mellow and philosophical than is good for him. This is one of the more common of the potable talens, and can be found at most Fianna caerns.

### Royal Mead (Fianna)

Gnosis 7

Royal Mead, or Blue Gold, gets its common name from three facts: when held to the light the golden liquid has a bluish hue; drinking it inexplicably turns the tongue blue for several hours; and a pint of the stuff makes the imbiber’s eyes shimmer with a faint bluish glow. Its more formal name comes from the fact that most of the meager world’s supply of the stuff can be found in the palace at Tara, for Royal Mead is considered by some opinionated Fianna to be the finesttasting elixir in existence (though as rare as it is, few get the opportunity to taste-test. Imbibers who make a Willpower check against the drink’s Gnosis can see clearly in dim light (and in total darkness as if it were dusk) for a scene, but most consider that to be a mere side effect of the heavenly elixir. Royal Mead is made from the honey of the Umbral flower Royalblood.

### Death Sword (Fianna)

Gnosis 8

In Celtic legend, the hero Cuchulainn died in an act of incredible determination, bravery and loyalty. Tied to a tree to keep him upright despite grievous wounds while single-handedly fighting off the army of Maeve, his tragic sacrifice is one that connects powerfully with the Fianna, especially in these final days. As a result, more and more of these swords are being forged. This is tragic, since they are only forged when the Fianna is utterly certain of his own death. There is a legend of one Fianna who created one of these swords and went into battle with it, but drastically overestimated the forces she faced and easily vanquished them. Mortified at having created such a sword improperly, she lived up to the tradition by impaling herself upon it.

Bound with a spirit of Rage, the Death Sword comes alive in the Fianna’s hands, drawing on his passion and determination to keep swinging long after he should be dead. The sword does Strength +2 aggravated damage and is difficulty 6 to strike with. However, the most distinctive feature of the blade is that whoever wields it will continue to fight until the blade is removed from their hand or they are hacked to pieces.

Once the wielder reaches a point below Incapacitated, they do not die nor fall unconscious and continue to fight until the blade is somehow removed from their hand. This can be done in a number of ways. A targeted attack against the wielder’s hand can sever it from the body, doing so requires three unsoaked health levels of damage from the targeted attack. Once below Incapacitated, any single attack that does more than five aggravated unsoaked health levels of damage is assumed to simply tear the opponent asunder. Also, once the character reaches fifteen health levels below Incapacitated, his body has presumably been hacked to bits. Finally, frenzy will always cause the wielder to drop the blade.

### Spirit Pill (Glass Walkers)

Gnosis 6

One of the most common tribal traditions around the world is the spirit quest. In some cases, these are actually psychotic episodes brought on by various crude narcotics. Naturally the Glass Walkers have none of this. They bring on their psychotic episodes with very reliable and machine made narcotics. What’s more, their narcotics actually work as ordered — they really do aid with spirit quests. Of course, the addition of Pattern Spiders along with various chemical compounds helps.

When taken and activated, the Spirit Pill charges the Garou’s spiritual aspect, making it easier to step sideways. All Gnosis rolls to step sideways are reduced by 3. However, the drugs are not without their side effects. The drugs also cause Garou to become even more prone to anger and aggression than normal. All Rage rolls are made at -2 difficulty. These effects last for one scene.

### The Slug (Glass Walkers)

Gnosis 8

One assassination weapon that has been widely theorized but never built is an accurate, telescopic sight, closed-action sniper rifle that fires a heavy slug at low velocity. This would allow silenced rifl es to be workable assassination weapons. (Most of the time, the high velocity bullet makes too much noise.) The trick is to get low velocity, heavy weight and accurate all in the same device — an impossible task, since the slower the bullet the less accurate it will be. Naturally, the Glass Walkers have an angle on this.

The Slug is a talen bullet that is both heavy and shot at a low velocity, but is wrapped with wind or bird-spirits to improve its range and accuracy. Once fired, it literally glides on an invisible wind to its target, finishing with a sudden burst of speed an inch away from impact. The effects of this are staggering, and almost any hit with this bullet is fatal, at least to normal humans. Any shot taken with it while activated is at +2 accuracy, doubles range, and if successful the weapon does four more dice of damage than normal for its caliber.

There is also a rarer pistol fetish version of this talen, which, instead of improving accuracy, simply doubles the weight of the bullet after it’s fired. It is rated Level 4, Gnosis 8, but bestows no accuracy or range bonus and does double damage, as if it were a ranged Fang Dagger. Like the Fang Dagger, it is good for one shot only per activation.

### Leech’s Blood (Shadow Lords)

Gnosis 3

Many Garou wonder how the Shadow Lords have managed to persist in Eastern Europe despite the vampiric strongholds which seem to dominate the area. While much of the reason has to do with the guile and tenacity of the Lords themselves, talens like this one help ensure that the Lords’ Kinfolk will survive even when surrounded by Leeches. They survive because vampires learn not to feed upon them. The vampires never know, after all, one might have Leech’s Blood on her person.

This vial of syrupy liquid is useless to Garou, but quite valuable for their Kin. Any human may drink the blood with no ill effects. Any vampire drinking the human’s blood, however, suffers one aggravated wound for every blood point drained from the human. The talen’s potency takes approximately one minute to make itself manifest, so the vampire may drink quite a bit of blood before she realizes she’s been poisoned. Making the talen requires a vial of normal human blood and a fire-spirit, but is otherwise fairly simple. Its potency lasts for one night after being drunk.

### Wadjet’s Fang (Silent Striders)

Gnosis 6

The throwing stick was a hunting weapon favored by Egyptian nobility. Typically, the throwing stick was ornately carved, with one end weighted so that the stick would spin through the air to strike the target (typically a marsh-dwelling bird) with the heavy end. While the Silent Striders’ enemies are made of sterner stuff than spindly-legged birds, Cobra’s spirit children are always willing to fight at the Striders’ side — cobraspirits readily enter snake-carved throwing sticks. Hitting the target with a throwing stick requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll from the player against a difficulty of 7. A successful hit inflicts the character’s Strength in dice of bashing damage. If the Wadjet’s Fang is successfully activated, the venomous snake-spirit inflicts an additional three dice of aggravated damage.

If the stick-smacked opponent doesn’t intentionally break the throwing stick, and if the weapon inflicts less than five bashing damage (before the opponent’s soak), the throwing stick is probably intact. While Cobra’s brood are almost always willing to enter Wadjet’s Fang, they are downright eager to inhabit a throwing stick that has damaged a powerful enemy and may compete for the honor. (At the Storyteller’s option, each Gnosis spent in the Rite of Binding reduces the spirit’s Gnosis rating by two rather than one for one.)

### Atum’s Arrows (Silent Striders)

Gnosis 7

According to one Egyptian legend, the sun god Atum fi red sunbeams as if they were arrows. Though the Silent Striders will never fire so many arrows as he did, they’re also slightly more inventive than he was. Designed for hunting vampires, Atum’s Arrows are made from acacia wood and bound with a sun spirit. They are also split very carefully at two different points.

When activated and fired, the arrow becomes infused with sunlight, turning into fire. However, the breaks in the arrows shaft cause it to rupture in midflight into three small balls of flame that each head toward the same target in a shotgun-like effect. They thus lack penetration but do considerably more damage against creatures vulnerable to fl ame such as some fomori and, of course, vampires.

Against foes vulnerable to fi re, Atum’s Arrows do 8 dice of aggravated damage and are at -1 difficulty to hit. However, against any other foes they only do 1 die of lethal damage.

### Pectoral of Terror

Gnosis 8

These talens are extremely rare, and their owners rarely know the name or true nature of the beautiful necklace they have in their possession. Today these pectorals are usually created by the Silent Striders for use against the Black Spiral Dancers; others are created for use against Garou who have committed great wrongs against the tribe. The Pectoral of Terror appears to simply be a valuable and beautiful necklace, often conveniently “dropped” by a Strider (who must successfully activate the talen) fleeing the scene. It is wrought of highly refined gold, and polished as perfect as a mirror. In the hands of a human or even a vampire it is simply what it appears to be, but in the hands of a Garou it is a time bomb. The spirit bound to the pectoral is a ghost, and it hides on the edge of the Dark Umbra — only an exceptionally gifted Theurge could spot it lurking there, and few would think to try. If ever a Garou uses the polished surface of the pectoral as an aid to crossing the Gauntlet, the ghost within it snatches the werewolf away midcrossing, pulling him instead into the Dark Umbra. The shades of the dead are drawn to these talens, especially those who hold a grievance against the proud, unsuspecting owner. They gather like vultures in the lands of the dead, waiting with the patience of the unliving for their chance at revenge.

### Poppy Leaf Bandage (SIlver Fangs)

Gnosis 4

It is a leader’s burden to go on fighting, however terrible his wounds. The poppy leaf bandage will stop an aggravated wound from worsening, and each bandage applied will also allow the werewolf to ignore one level of wound penalties. Once he removes the bandage, or a day passes, the wound commences bleeding once more, the werewolf starts to deteriorate, and the wound penalties return over the course of an hour.

This talen is made from the leaf of a poppy with an ice spirit bound within.

### Falcon’s Arrows (Silver Fangs)

Gnosis 6

Falcon’s keen eyes allow him to see enemies at a distance. He understands that attacking at range is sometimes the wisest strategy and he encourages his children to learn this lesson. Sometimes, to help them, he allows them to take feathers from living falcons to craft Falcon’s Arrows. These exquisitely wrought arrows have tips of silver and are fletched with falcon feathers. They fly as fast and true as Falcon himself swooping on his prey. All Archery rolls made with these arrows are at -1 difficulty. Despite their silver tips, any Silver Fang carrying them suffers no Gnosis penalty.

### Ice Arrow (Uktena)

Gnosis 4

The Ice Arrow is one of the most infamous weapons among the Pure Ones. Both the Uktena and the Wendigo lay claim to inventing it, both with some merit, but the matter is irrelevant — today both use the weapon freely. And as talens go, the Ice Arrow is a marvel of simplicity.

In essence, the Ice Arrow is simply a chunk of ice carved into the shape of an arrow and bound with an ice spirit. Since the kinship between the object and the spirit is so tight, doing so is stunningly easy, the Rite of the Fetish necessary to create does little more than awaken the spirit within the ice to begin with. And the talen itself has a power that most would consider trifling: An Ice Arrow, once activated, never melts as long as it is held within a foot of the person who activated it.

However, as an assassin’s weapon, the Ice Arrow is stunningly effective. The hardened ice is as sharp as any steel or stone and, released from the magic that held it together, melts within seconds of finding its mark. No fingerprints can be found, the murder weapon itself is confoundedly difficult to diagnose and, in short, it confuses the living hell out of human investigators.

### Vision Paint (Uktena)

Gnosis 5

Priests in Mesoamerica used a black paste similar to this to bring visions and to inspire fear. Though fairly rare (the mixture of crushed and burned poisonous insects and plants is tricky to reproduce), jars of Vision Paint still find their way into Uktena septs throughout the world. When rubbed all over the body, this ointment boosts Stamina by one for every two successes on a Gnosis roll, up to double the normal Stamina. At the Storyteller’s option, it may also increase the chances for a vision. The effects last for six hours, plus one hour per dot of Stamina in the improved total. One the effects wear off, both Stamina and Strength are at -2 for the same number of hours. Because the talen requires total skin contact, it is only effective in Homid and Glabro forms.

### Sun Arrow (Uktena)

Gnosis 6

This arrow has sun designs along the shaft and sometimes the fletching as well. When loosed, this arrow flares with the light of the sun, blinding enemies and searing vampires within 20 feet of its path. Even at greater distances, Leeches fear its light, which is why some werewolves use the arrows as signal flares. After it strikes home, the arrow continues to burn for a number of rounds equal to the successes on the archer’s Gnosis roll, doing two levels of aggravated damage (those who can soak fire damage do so at a difficulty of 9). After the final round, the arrow is consumed to ash. One of the brood of Helios must be bound into this talen.

### Maize Paste (Uktena)

Gnosis 8

According to Mayan legend, after Hurakan flooded the world he created four men from white and yellow maize paste. The Uktena can’t quite rival this feat, but creating smaller animals is very much within their power using their own version of Maize Paste. Made from crushed corn mixed with fl our and water and bound with a Wyld-spirit or jaguar-spirit, each dose of Maize Paste represents a small amount of this substance that can be fashioned into the shape of small creature which, when activated, comes alive.

With one activated portion, a creature with two health levels can be constructed. Portions can also be mixed together and activated at once to create larger creatures, each portion allowing for two health levels. Animals created with Maize Paste appear entirely natural rather than as creations of a thick goop; once activated the animals possess fur, scales or feathers, natural-looking eyes and all the usual traits associated with living beasts. The animals remain active for the duration of the scene or until destroyed, at which point they dissolve into a fi ne powder of dried corn meal that is quickly blown away.

### Ice Arrowheads (Wendigo)

Gnosis 4

These arrowheads are made of translucent, needlesharp chips of ice, frozen tightly to their shafts. Spirits of ice and water easily empower these fragile weapons, which melt away after embedding themselves in the body of their targets. To create these arrowheads, a copper mold is made and water poured into it, or chips are carefully carved and honed with other pieces of ice used as tools. Only once the arrowheads are completely sharpened should the spirits be bound to these talens. Ice Arrowheads do an additional Health Level of damage against fire-spirits and those of Helios’s brood.

### Snow Goggles (Wendigo)

Gnosis 6

Fashioned out of hide, bone or wood, these goggles are practical equipment for any Garou or Kinfolk traveling long distances through the snow. With slits carved or holes poked through the goggles, which are tied behind the head with a thong or sinew, the glare of sun over snow is diminished considerably, preventing snow-blindness and keeping one from becoming lost or dazed in a featureless landscape. Usually, a Wendigo asks the aid of a sharp-eyed animal spirit, a spirit of snow or ice, or a spirit with the Tracking Charm, and with its consent binds it into the goggles for the duration of her journey. A character wearing Snow Goggles cannot be blinded.

### Moon Iglu (Wendigo)

Gnosis 8

This talen is a miniature ceramic vial with a Lune spirit bound inside. When a traveling Wendigo needs to provide shelter for one who cannot endure the harsh elements of ice and snow and wind, or if she needs to rest while being pursued and cannot stay awake to guard herself, she may build an iglu and then open this vial within the iglu’s crawlspace. The freed Lune fills the iglu with warmth and the peaceful glow of moonlight, visible from outside, while solidifying the thickness of the iglu’s walls to the hardness of diamonds. The spirit then stands guard over whatever is sheltered inside the iglu, allowing no entry or exit without the consent of the Wendigo that released it. When the sun rises, the Lune returns to the Umbra and the iglu resumes its natural state.

### Corn Pollen (Uktena or Wendigo)

Gnosis 7

Corn pollen may be used in two ways. First, it may be poured onto a person’s face to cleanse them of impurities. Anyone using corn pollen in this way that is injured might remove one health level of damage due to the invigorating effects of the pollen. An added benefi t of using corn pollen in this way is that it may be combined with the Green Corn Rite to make that person more fertile. Thus, if either a Kinfolk or a Garou were to use the pollen, he would be more likely to produce offspring that are also Garou. The second use is to throw the pollen into the air to blanket an area that is ready for planting or that the Garou wants to use as a sacred circle. The pollen makes the ground more fertile while it also outlines any tainted soil, making it clearly visible to the Wolf Changer so that it may be uprooted.

### Owl Feather Arrow (Uktena or Wendigo)

Gnosis 7

Owl’s wisdom gives much protection from witches. It also imparts to owl the best way to kill a witch or evil sorcerer. Many witches are very clever in protecting themselves from all manner of deaths, so much so that a few of the more powerful ones cannot be killed by any normal means. Those who must fi ght such foes are gifted with special white ringed arrows fl etched with owl’s feathers. Such arrows are reputed slay witches, even Wolf Changers. Though the arrow confers no additional skill in hitting its target, a witch hit by such arrows loses his power to soak damage from any source (for the next turn only). Those who wish to make certain that a witch is permanently dead usually shoot another owl-feather-fl etched arrow into the witch’s heart after death. To be completely certain, the witch must then be buried, the arrow broken and burned and the ashes sifted onto her grave.

## Kinfolk Talens

If Storytellers wish to allow Kinfolk to use standard talens in their game, they may allow the talen to be activated by making a Willpower roll or spending a Willpower point, rather than Gnosis. Additionally, these talens have been created over time to aid Kinfolk in assisting the Garou Nation, and are activated using Willpower roll or expenditure rather than Gnosis.

### Test Vial

Gnosis 3

This talen allows a character to determine whether a person is Garou or Kinfolk, assuming the character can obtain a cell sample: blood, saliva, skin, hair, or the like. It looks like a simple test tube with a stopper. The tester drops her sample into the vial, seals it, shakes it, spends a Willpower point, and within five seconds, she has a thick crimson glop (Garou), a small amount of brownish powder (Kinfolk), or nothing. (No matter what other supernatural associations the person might have, nonGarou or Kinfolk samples simply evaporate.) Ancestor, Divination, or Crow spirits may be bound into a normal test tube to create the fetish.

### Leaf of Grass

Gnosis 4

This is a broad-bladed tree leaf (despite its name) which, when laid over a Kinfolk’s eyes, imparts to him the words of an original poem. That’s it — a poem. But it is a very good poem, and if he were to recite it or publish it, he’d receive high accolades. A Galliard would be envious.

This talen holds an elemental spirit.

### Finders Keepers

Gnosis 5

There’s an old joke about a drunk who loses his keys in the park but searches for them near a streetlight because that’s where the light is. With this talen, a drunk — or anybody who uses it — no longer needs the streetlight or even the park. This talen is a simple match, and it usually comes in a box or matchbook with four others of its kind. When lit, it will reveal to its user a vision of something he has lost or had stolen. If he dropped his keys under the couch, he’ll see an image of the keys there. If his wallet was stolen, he’ll see an image of where it is now, such as in the pocket of the crook who took it. When he strikes the match, he must speak the name of the object he’s looking for: “my keys,” “my wallet,” etc. Note that the image won’t necessarily reveal the exact location of the object, but there might be clues — the name of a Chinese take-out place seen over the shoulder of the crook who stole the wallet. The image disappears when the match burns out.

This talen holds a hawk or falcon spirit.

### Hero’s Mead

Gnosis 5

This talen is a dry, herbal mixture. The user mixes the herbs with liquid, then drinks the mixture while making a Willpower roll or spending a Willpower point. If the roll is successful, she finds her Strength doubled (to a maximum of five dots). The additional Strength lasts for one scene. To make the talen, the creator must mix a recipe of rare herbs in a container, then bind a thunder-spirit to the herbs.

### Fumblegum

Gnosis 6

This pack of five sticks of bubblegum has helped many a Kin (most often Bone Gnawer Kin) out of a jam. The Kin activates it by giving a stick a few chews. He then tosses it on the ground. It then winds up on the heel of anyone who is pursuing or following the Kin, even if he didn’t walk directly over it. The pursuer must succeed in a Perception + Alertness roll to notice that he’s got gum sticking to his foot. So long as the gum is stuck to him, he’ll find it harder to catch up to his prey. Passersby will inadvertently block his way, delaying him; cops will stop him to question him; traffic will prevent him crossing the street in time. If he outright tries to run after the Kin, he must roll Dexterity + Athletics not to trip and fall. If he succeeds, the gum’s effect ends. If he fails, the gum keeps working.

This talen is created by binding a rat or cockroach spirit.

### Biting Bullet

Gnosis 7

This is a bullet or round of buckshot. A Kinfolk (or Garou) who puts it between his teeth and bites down can fire the bullet at a target he faces, just as if he were taking aim with a gun. He rolls Dexterity + Firearms or Athletics to hit. The damage delivered depends on the caliber of the bullet; act as if it were a real gunshot. Unfortunately, the biter takes one level of bashing damage from the explosion in his mouth.

This talen contains a fire spirit.

### Long Whispers

Gnosis 7

No matter where a recipient might be — in the Gaian Realm or the Umbra — he can receive a brief written message (a paragraph, or about five full sentences) via this talen. The talen itself looks like a sheet of smooth, blank vellum. The user writes down the message, addresses the note (by name only), then activates the talen with Willpower (roll or expenditure). The notepaper blows out of her hand as if moved by an unseen wind. After one scene, it comes into the recipient’s possession in much the same way. To create this talen, a dove-spirit or pigeon-spirit must be bound into high quality vellum.

### Spirit Shield

Gnosis 7

This talen resembles a small shield, about the size of a pendant, which can be worn around the neck. The user brings the talen to his lips to activate it and spends a point of Gnosis. The talen glows with a faint luminescence. This soft aura expands to surround the wearer, so that he, too, gives off a pale, unearthly light. All hostile non-Garou experience fear when they witness the aura and do not approach the wearer. Against Garou attackers, the talen has one of two effects. In order to attack the wearer, the Garou must roll Wits + Enigmas (difficulty of the talen’s Gnosis rating). If the Garou succeeds, she may attack the wearer, but the talen absorbs up to 20 levels of damage before dissipating. If the Garou fails the roll, her attack will miss, no matter how many successes she rolls on her attack roll. The talen disappears when it absorbs all the damage it can or when the combat is over, whichever comes first.

This talen can only be used by a Kinfolk, since one of the Kinfolk’s ancestor spirits is bound into the talen and will only protect one of its non-Garou descendants. Some Garou have several of these made for their Kinfolk if they anticipate the possibility of an attack. Kinfolk may also request these talens from a Garou kin if they know they will be fighting a Garou. This talen does not protect against the attacks of fomori or other Wyrm creatures.

### Dire Call

Gnosis 9

This talen looks like a slender white stick about the size of a drinking straw. When the user snaps the stick in two and spends a point of Willpower, a call goes out which summons the nearest single Garou to the user’s location. If a group of Garou is nearby, this power targets the one that is physically closest to the user’s locale.

This talen differs from the Fetish: Horn of Distress, in that the werewolf must come (spending at least 10 turns or an hour, whichever is greater, doing everything in their power to reach the user’s location) once the Dire Call is activated. Using the Dire Call is risky because the talen’s power doesn’t distinguish between friends or enemies, nor does it demand that the Garou aid the Kin once he arrives. A Kinfolk could summon an enraged Red Talon, a Black Spiral Dancer, or just an indifferent werewolf with no vested interest in offering help. A Lune must be bound into a birch stick to make this talen.