Gurahl Fetishes and Talens

Gurahl lack the inborn desire to accumulate items, but they do occasionally make and appreciate useful fetishes. Always mindful of the spirits that these fetish items contain, the Gurahl craft their fetishes with an eye for beauty as well as function. The following items provide a representative sample of Gurahl creations.

## Gurahl Talens

### Ursa’s Healing Balm

Gnosis 3

This sweet-smelling paste has the consistency and color of honey. When spread on a wound, it heals up to three Health Levels of damage, either normal or aggravated. It also acts as a sealant for bleeding wounds. The Healing Balm’s antiseptic properties prevent infection and are useful for lowering even the highest fevers.

## Gurahl Fetishes

### Rattle-Trap

**Level Three, Gnosis 7**

These fetishes were first made for the great hibernations of the Gurahl. These periods are a dangerous time for werebears, as they are helpless if enemies find their hiding place. The rattle-trap helps balance the odds by giving a hibernating werebear a chance to defend herself. A Gurahl can also use the rattle-trap during normal sleep.

**System:** The Gurahl activates the fetish prior to sleep; it remains active until she wakes. If a person or spirit intending harm comes within (Gnosis) yards of the Gurahl, the fetish rattles, passing the bear’s slumber to the intruder. The Gurahl may function without penalty while the intruder must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) to remain active or she succumbs to the Gurahl’s sleep. If the intrusion occurs in winter the intruder will suffer the Gurahl’s sluggish reactions even if she succeeds at her Willpower tests.

Canny enemies who know of the Gurahl’s magic will attack in numbers. The fetish will only affect one of their number, but the rattle-trap still brings the Gurahl to full awareness.

### Claws of the Cave Bear

**Level 3, Gnosis 4**

The daggers known as Claws of the Cave Bear contain slivers of fossilized bone from the prehistoric ancestors of modern bears. When used by a Gurahl, these daggers inflict aggravated damage on their opponents, although they do no more damage than normal daggers. In addition, these daggers give off a soft growl when in the presence of a Wyrmcreature, making it difficult for an individual carrying one of the Claws to be ambushed or surprised by minions of the Pattern Breaker.

### Mother Tongues

**Level 3, Gnosis 5**

These intricately carved stones resemble the fetish animals made popular by the renewed interest in shamanic studies. Each stone allows the user to understand and speak (within physical limitations) the secret language of the Changing Breed it represents. Only a handful of these stones exist — and the Gurahl hold most of them in trust against the day when Gaia’s first-born feel they can once more share their knowledge with their younger Changing brothers and sisters.

Mother Tongues in the Gurahl’s possession include ones that allow them to speak and understand the languages of the Bastet, Corax, Nuwisha, Garou, Ratkin and, some believe, the Mokolé. Whether or not stones even exist which correspond to the Rokea and Ananasi is a subject often debated among the Gurahl elders during council meetings. In all, about a dozen of these stones were created and only the most trusted Gurahl are allowed to use them.

### Soul Brush

**Level 4, Gnosis 5**

Looking like nothing more than a slender twig slightly frayed at one end, this fetish, in the hands of a Gurahl artist, becomes a paint brush capable of painting a portrait of its subject’s true nature. Turgiv Bruzov, a noted Gurahl portrait painter, smuggled half a dozen of these precious items out of Russia just after World War II. No one knows how many more Soul Brushes Bruzov created. Like other members of the Changing Breeds in the former Soviet Union, his fate and current whereabouts are unknown.

### Net of Stars

**Level 5, Gnosis 5**

When activated, this finely woven net (similar to a fishing seine) emits a silvery glow akin to starlight. The Net of Stars has several uses. If cast upon the water, the Net fills with enough fish to feed a horde of hungry bears or several Gurahl with Crinos appetites. If successfully tossed toward an enemy in combat, the Net traps its victim in an almost unbreakable hold, rendering movement impossible until the victim is released; breaking free of the Net requires a Feat of Strength equivalent to lifting 1000 pounds. Trolling the Net in contaminated water has a purifying effect, though this only works on finite bodies of water such as lakes, wells or ponds. Bear-spirits are the preferred inhabitants of the Net of Stars.