Silver Fangs

*"I ask nothing of you that you should no want to give for Gaia. Stand with me and She may yet be saved."*

The Silver Fangs are first among the tribes, as they are quick to point out. Descendants of great heroes and monarchs, every one, the tribe of Falcon claims the role of leadership of the Garou Nation. They trace their bloodline back to the Progenitor Wolf, a genealogy of the noblest human blood and the finest wolf ancestors. Through the ages, they have been at the forefront of the war, the proudest and most magnificent Garou — and to hear the Silver Fangs tell it, that is still true

Other tribes have their doubts, though. Some charge that the Silver Fang’s obsession with pure blood has brought them to inbreeding, and their once-clear minds have grown feeble and clouded through the generations. Weak kings demand respect for the deeds of their ancestors, not their own. Mad leaders care more for the details of their courtly traditions than for the war against the Wyrm. Far too many fall to Harano for them to be a healthy tribe.

Both viewpoints have some truth to them. The Silver Fangs do indeed descend from great heroes, and they have also suffered from their preference for aristocratic Kinfolk over healthy and intelligent Kin. Many are as bad as their critics claim, but some still shine with the light of old heroism. In some ways, they are exactly the exemplars of the Garou they claim to be — the strengths and the afflictions of the Garou Nation are reflected in the story of the Silver Fangs. From their First Change, the Silver Fangs learn that they are meant to rule — not that it is their destiny, or their right, but their purpose. The best of them interpret this mandate as a form of noblesse oblige: that they must lead by example in peace and in war. The worst seize upon it as justification for tyranny. Their aristocratic Kinfolk families raise their children with a sense of being “above the rest.” Their lupus Kin, of course, have no real sense of nobility per se. But the Fangs carefully protect them with the fullness of their resources, so many Silver Fang lupus still enjoy a more privileged youth than do the wolf-born of other tribes. Metis are treated somewhat paradoxically: on the one hand they are signs of impurity that impugn the famous Silver Fang pride, but on the other, metis with two Fang parents have arguably some of the purest blood in the Nation. A metis may never be king, but he may still receive some respect for his forebears (if not for his parents’ shame).

Silver Fang society borrows a few “regal” traditions that are not seen in other tribes. They organize into Houses first and camps second, and their territories (or “protectorates”) are ruled by kings — by tradition, always Ahroun. They divide their courts into two lodges: the Lodge of the Sun deals with material and worldly matters, while the Lodge of the Moon focuses on spirituality and issues concerning the wolf lines. Their moots are remarkably convoluted, hinging on baroque rituals of etiquette that would scarcely be tolerated by any other tribe.

As the Apocalypse unfurls, the role of the Silver Fangs is deeply controversial. Many Garou uphold tradition by acknowledging the Fangs as still worthy of leadership. Others treat them as figureheads to be openly respected and then quietly ignored when necessary. Still others chafe to be rid of them, the Shadow Lords most of all.

But the Silver Fangs have yet to fall completely. The charisma of their forebears is still strong in the tribe; those that are willing to reach out to the other tribes are surprisingly adept at rallying septs to unite for war. Time will tell if these last vestiges of true nobility will be enough to keep the tribe, and by extension the Garou Nation unified, or if the Silver Fangs have been tarnished and blunted too long.

## History

As with many tribal histories, it is difficult to separate fact from myth. Silver Fang myths give many different reasons for their ascendancy over the other tribes, some saying that Wolf himself rescued Gaia from death and was rewarded by their signature ivory coat, and others saying that Gaia, after creating the first Garou, designated the leaders with the white coat. During this time, the Silver Fangs abided to a seven years ban of their rule granted to them by Luna. One Fang, Arak Mammoth-Bold, circumvented this by pledging himself to Helios through his servant Falcon. While Luna eventually forgave the Fangs their transgression, her wrath struck the Tribe. When a Silver Fang would rule above his seven allotted years, madness would strike him. Only a selected few within the Tribe know of this story, and keep it a secret from the rest of their Tribe.

According to Nagah, the War of Rage was instigated by a Silver Fang, Konstantos the Savage, who had been manipulated by Vinata, a corrupt Nagah. The Silver Fangs themselves tell that the Fera attacked the Garou during the Impergium, when the werewolves would cull their Kinfolk. Some even allied with spirits that the Garou did not understand and believed that they would not stem from Gaia. Those who know of Luna's curse think that the Silver Fang King who ordered the war, Rests-the-Moon of one the Lost Houses, must have been way past his allotted time. According to them, the War only ended when his successor stepped down voluntarily from the throne, appeasing Luna again.

It is known that Russia's Sept of the Crescent Moon, ostensibly the oldest caern in existence, was raised by Silver Fang Theurges and that it has been in existence for millennia. It is also known that the Silver Fangs tend to consider Russia their traditional homeland, and that they were involved with their royal and noble families since the days of Novgorod and Kyivan Rus'.

The Silver Fangs were active in human politics many centuries before that, though, having learnt of kingship and heredity from them millennia before. They were present in the royal families of Rome and proto-Europe, often battling vampires for control of nations and the Glass Walkers for dominance of the cities. As the centuries passed, they and their Kinfolk married into Europe's royal and noble houses, guaranteeing their tribe a ready position to work at turning kingdoms and empires to their desires.

### Dark Ages

When Rome finally fell after turning into a melting pot for the worst of Weaver and Wyrm, the Silver Fangs prospered in the disparate nature of the remnants of civilization, using the isolated nature of fiefs and villages to impose their custody upon them, fueling feuds between lords to keep them distrustful from each other and unable to attend the needs of their citizens so that they would not despoil Gaia's treasures. The rise of the Church and its concentration on solely human affairs, as well as the rise of the mercantile class that began to amass enough wealth to compete with kings, severely weakened the hold of the Silver Fangs over mortal society.

During this age, a mage allied with the Wyrm managed to ensnare much of Falcon's Brood with a powerful Fetish and brought them to Peduratus, a level of the Black Spiral Labyrinth within Malfeas, to sacrifice them. The Silver Fangs, however, managed to free him again, slaying multiple Banes and saving Falcon himself from corruption.

### Victorian Age

Following the discovery of the Pure Lands, many Silver Fangs headed over the Atlantic, eager to claim the New World for the Garou Nation. Struggles with the native tribes continued, but died down after the Storm Eater rose and the Tribes had to work together. The Silver Fangs were divided over the American Revolution, and began polarizing into American and European camps. Following the deterioration of monarchy after the Enlightenment, many Silver Fangs turned from outright leadership of mortals to the oligarchic lineages that influenced occurrences from behind the scenes.

The European camp would polarize itself in the 19th century; it is rumored that the Crimean War was instigated by rival Silver Fang houses. And while the Silver Fangs squabbled amongst themselves, their "subject" tribes began stretching their wings, and expanding beyond their niches. To be sure, there were notable Silver Fangs during this time period, such as American Theurge Isaiah Morningkill, who were more concerned with getting the job done than standing on tradition, but the tribe as a whole was slowly ossifying, and the only ones who didn't know it were them.

### Modern Nights

The 20th century seemed to be the final chapter for the Silver Fangs' traditional leadership of the Garou Nation. The English Silver Fang house of Austere Howl was plagued by Wyrm cultists among its Kinfolk, the Russian house of Crescent Moon took multiple hard hits from the overthrow of the royal family and the Communist rule, the Asian house of Blood Red Crest became plagued by low birth rates, and the American House Wyrmfoe was, for decades, ruled by a king who grew more paranoid and insane each day. The other tribes were perfectly willing to go their own way, and the Shadow Lords were eager and poised to leap into the leadership vacuum. Then, during the 1990s, things changed a little. Two young and stubborn leaders came to the fore, and have thus far proven to be exactly what the tribe needs to keep from slipping into stagnation.

Baba Yaga, the powerful vampire that once plagued Russia, made a comeback, and brought the powerful Zmei with her. The Russian Silver Fangs were at the forefront of that war, rallying the other tribes and fighting as if heroes of old, despite taking horrid losses and the treason of one of their most respected war leaders. The war ended with the Russian Garou victorious, a young and strong-minded queen on the Crescent Moon throne, and a newly-reinvigorated group of Russian Silver Fangs. That queen is Tamara Tvarivich, descendant of the greatest Russian Silver Fang heroes and a master Theurge who fought on the war's front lines even after her uncle, the house leader, was slain.

In America, the paranoid and insane King Jacob Morningkill of House Wyrmfoe was killed by Lord Arkady Iceclaw, a famed Russian Silver Fang and secret Wyrm agent, who plotted to assume the throne himself. His plot was thwarted by Jonas Albrecht, exiled great grandson of Jacob Morningkill, whose years of exile among the "common" tribes had taught him humility and toughness. With the aid of his packmates, Albrecht recovered the lost Silver Crown, the tribe's greatest fetish, and used it to oust Arkady from the Oak Throne. Since his ascension, he has been a hands-on leader, and more interested in getting things done and restoring his tribe's respect among the other tribes than standing on ceremony.

## Appearance

Silver Fangs are of aristocratic human stock, and tend to have strong family resemblances within their bloodlines. Their wolf forms have clean silver or white coats, long jaws and full tail brushes. They are fond of jewelry and ornately worked equipment as a sign of their status.

## Kinfolk and Territory

Silver Fangs are very concerned with the genealogy of their Kinfolk, keeping extensive records about the bloodlines of their human relatives. Their human Kin come from noble blood, not wealth; their wolf Kin obviously have no equivalent, but the Fangs still carefully protect their wolf cousins on tribal preserves. The Silver Fangs had their origins in the lands that are now Russia, and today they claim septs in the most desirable territories around the world, often commandeered from other tribes.

## Tribal Totem

Falcon, who inspires from on high. Silver Fangs are particularly dedicated to allied avian or solar spirits, such as Firebirds, the Talons of Horus, and the Children of Karnak.

## Character Creation

Silver Fangs stress the necessity of leadership, and consequently they are prone to have strong Social Attributes and corresponding Abilities. Many Silver Fang characters spend freebie points on extra Backgrounds to represent inherited resources and connections; all must spend at least three Background points on Pure Breed to qualify for the tribe.

**Initial Willpower:** 3

**Beginning Gifts:** Eye of the Falcon, Falcon’s Grasp, Inspiration, Lambent Flame, Sense Wyrm

## Organization

Originally, the Tribe was divided into 13 Houses that formed back in the Russian Tundra. Each house began with a mighty ancestor in the Dawn Time. It often took many years for each house to declare itself as such, under the leadership of a descendant of one of the original 13 Wolves of the Pale Tundra. These were the core alphas of the tribe long, long ago, the ones upon whom Luna bestowed her *Touch of Silver*. The first Garou ordained as *Those Who Lead*, therefore, each house has a single king or queen, who is the ruler of that house’s territory.

In the Modern Nights, however, only seven of the houses remained. Each Silver Fangs belongs to one of the remaining Houses, and most join one of the two lodges after they have completed their Rite of Passage. Each house has a single King or Queen, the ruler of that house’s territory, who in turn answers to the High King (if there's one who's worthy of the Silver Crown). Each King is served by various Lords, who rule other septs and are usually Elders in their own right or heirs to the throne. There are also stewards, who aid them coordinating packs in their territory. Of course, each pack has its own leader, who may or may not bear an additional title of some sort.

## Camps

Officially, the Silver Fang tribe has no camps; their dogma is to present a united front to all “lesser” tribes. Behind the scenes, however, they are as schismatic as any other group of Garou, breaking themselves into Lodges, Houses, and even some secret camps. These divisions run along political, philosophical, and practical lines that even members of the tribe often rarely completely understand.

### Lodges

Serving as an official declaration of focus and intent, every Silver Fang is expected to choose one of the two Lodges soon after their First Change. Some delay this decision and others refuse to ever make it, but such a refusal hampers their progress in the rank and tribal positions. If they cannot prove their commitment to the principles espoused by a Lodge, they cannot be trusted with the commitments of an important sept post or a responsible role in the tribe.

#### Moon Lodge

The first Fang Lodge, created to win back the love of Luna and gain her forgiveness for the tribe’s allegiance to Helios, the Lodge of the Moon still focuses predominantly on the esoteric: spiritual and mystical matters, emotions, and the morale of its king’s subjects. Insight and intuition are the tools of Luna’s Lodge, and while most of its mem - bers are homid, the majority of the tribe’s lupus make their loyalties to the Lodge of the Moon.

#### Sun Lodge

Created in response to the formation of the Lodge of the Moon, the Lodge of the Sun concerns itself with the material world: history and current affairs, inter-sept and inter-tribal relations, tracking the movements of the Enemy, and the like. Its methods are order and reason, and the lodge is dominated by homids.

### Houses

Of the thirteen tribal Houses that once existed, only seven remain: Seven Silver Fang leaders guiding the destiny of the tribe from around the globe; seven Silver Fang families, each with their own perspective on how the tribe — and the Nation — should be run.

#### House Austere Howl (Great Britain)

Austere Howl has recently been savaged by allegations of corruption and Wyrm-taint through sacrificial Hellfire Club rituals amongst their Kinfolk. Their Queen has disappeared and the House scrambles to try to redeem itself. They currently reside at that Sept of the Tri-Sprial under the protection of Ard Righ, Bron Mac Fionn.

#### The Blood-Red Crest (Asia and India)

For thousands of years, The Blood-Red Crest was the tribe’s only successful foothold in the East. Now, plagued by infertility, The Blood-Red Crest teeters on the edge of wholesale Harano.

#### Clan Crescent Moon (Russia)

Preferring to refer to themselves as a Clan rather than a House, Crescent Moon relies on codes set by their history and ancient tradition more than most do, which has led to both their downfall and their rebirth.

#### House Gleaming Eye (Northern Europe)

Calculating, ruthless, and more than a little mad, House Gleaming Eye watches the rest of the tribe (and the Nation) with a vigilant gaze. Their inquisitors seek to root out any Wyrm-taint within the tribe before it can become an epidemic.

#### House Unbreakable Hearth (Canada and American Midwest)

Priding itself on its role as an inter-tribal facilitator, Unbreakable Hearth has done little recently to quell the conflicts raging across North America, instead turning insular after an unknown foe destroyed several of its main caerns.

#### House Wise Heart (Mediterranean and Middle East)

Long considered to be a bastion of wisdom within the tribe, Wise Heart has begun hoarding their secrets even more closely of late, leading some to suspect they may be dabbling in knowledge Garou were not meant to know.

#### House Wyrmfoe (American Northeast)

The most modern tribal House, Wyrmfoe is known for its mavericks: its bold and individualistic kings. They rely more on their own instinct and wits than on tradition.

### Camps

Spanning various Lodges and Houses, most Silver Fang camps are secretive groups whose members would likely be shamed, punished, or worse if their association with the camp was known. Others revel in their secrecy either because it suits their camp’s goals, or to keep their information out of the public’s eyes — or both.

#### Grey Raptors

A society of Silver Fangs who strive to punish those who insult or ignore their tribe’s ancient right to rule, the Grey Raptors keep their identities secret, but their actions are overt. Terror and torture are their bread and butter in their attempt to enforce ancient oaths of fealty that few Garou outside of the Fangs remember or recognize.

#### Ivory Priesthood

When the First Wolf died to save Gaia, it learned the “Secret of Death.” The Ivory Priesthood is a secret society of Fang Theurges who, after undergoing a series of spiritual trials and tests, begin learning these same secrets about what lies beyond the shroud of Death.

#### Masters of the Seal

No Child of Falcon would ever admit to being a member of this camp and to accuse one of it would result in a demand for honorable challenge. The reason is simple: Masters of the Seal are thieves one and all, stealing secrets from the spirits and from other tribes. While they keep their identities secret, they divulge what they’ve learned to others in the tribe who can use the information to best promote the Fangs’ communal interest.

#### Renewal

There are rivals to the power of the Silver Fangs even within the halls of the white wolves. The secret society called Renewal dares to dissent from tribal orthodoxy and seeks to replace the old, inbred, senile leaders with fresh and sane ones. They don’t want the Silver Fangs as a tribe to relinquish power over the other tribes, since they think this will spell doom for the Garou Nation. They merely believe that change from within must happen. They have recently made overtures to the Stargazer group called the Inner Path, and are exploring ways the two groups can work together.

### Philosophical Divisions

Not truly Lodge, nor House, nor camp, these philosophical parties form yet another fault along which the Silver Fangs divide themselves. Not all Fangs belong to one mind-set or the other, and not everyone who believes in line with one of the parties self-identifies as a Renewalist or a Royalist, but the division is significant enough to warrant mention.

#### Renewalists

Sometimes confused with the clandestine usurpers who call themselves “Renewal,” the Renewalists seek to “fix” what they believe to be a problem in the tribe: excessive adherence to ceremony and tradition in the face of urgent need for new solutions to modern problems. Some urge kings to rely not on past wisdom, but on present intelligence. Others call for a spiritual reinvigoration, a return to times when ancient kings would consult the local spirit leaders before taking any action that would affect the area.

#### Royalists

Royalists look to the past to answer questions of the present; they believe that the Fangs’ ancient traditions provide an answer for any situation — if followed correctly. They abjure modern changes or adaptations to the tribe’s way of doing things, clinging to the past with fanatical devotion.

## Lost Houses

### House Golden Sky

A respected house who led all the Silver Fangs in ancient times. They vanished almost overnight when their rivalry with House Crescent Moon turned into bloodshed.

### House Conquering Claw

A warlike house from the Mediterranean, the only house to thrive in ancient Rome. However, they were later overwhelmed and defeated by vampires and most could not escape Harano.

### House Winter Snow

Hailed from Great Britain, France, and Holland. They faded away in the 17th century, after their mighty King, Aaron Everstone alienated his Garou allies and suffered a disastrous defeat against the Black Spiral Dancers.

### The Ice Pack

According to legend, the purest of the Silver Fangs, the Ice Pack is composed of white wolves from the north who live apart from the Garou Nation. Thought to be extinct, they reappear in spectacular fashion to put those rumors to waste from time to time. Seen mostly in Northern Europe, Russia, and United States.

### The Unknown

A house that fell during the War of Rage. It is said their hunting grounds were Russia and Europe, and that they committed some great crime during the war, such atrocities that Gaia herself expelled them from the planet.

### The Silver Spiral

Not actually a true house, but a generic designation to those among the Silver Fangs who have gone over to the Wyrm's side.

## Silver Fang Caerns

* Aral Sea Caern (Russia)
* Sept of the Crescent Moon (Central Ural Mountains, Russia)
* Sept of the Midnight Sun (Temples of Karnak, Luxor, Egypt)
* Eagle Creek Caern (Yellowtone National Park)
* Firebird Sept (Walled Monastic City of Zagorsk, which is now referred to as Sergiyev Pasad)
* Sept of the Changing Seasons (Blanket Mountain, Tennessee. Power Shared with Children of Gaia and Fianna)

## Tribal Culture

The Silver Fangs put a strong emphasis on family and are heavily dominated by homids, believing only those that are raised near power and have the necessary *noblesse oblige* can properly wield power. To this end, they disdain any signs of impure breeding and even go so far to choose the mates for their Kinfolk in order to maintain blood purity. Their over-protectiveness of their Kinfolk may have contributed to their inbreeding and the madness that plagues the tribe. The tribe also puts heavy emphasis on tradition and tribal history, with each House possessing its own distinct customs and ways of expressing themselves in the various ceremonies that formalize ways to get things done.

### Poiltical Culture

Although the tribe (according to their own legends) has the divine mandate to rule their brethren, many Silver Fangs have found their attitudes often met with ridicule and scorn by the other tribes. As such, the Tribe is forced to rely on realpolitik, managing to preserve whatever influence is left to them in the modern world and forging alliances with the other tribes to secure themselves against rivals such as the Shadow Lords.

### Religious Culture

The Silver Fangs have ties to both Celestines, as their Totem ties them to Helios and their nature to Luna. They constantly have to mediate between both extremes in order to find equilibrium and to rule true.

## Sterotypes of Other Tribes

### Black Furies

We are fortunate their vow to never bend knee to a man is not a rejection of the Garou Nation’s hierarchy. But is it only a matter of time?

### Bone Gnawers

We must bear their share of the burden, as they seem to care so little for humble service in the Nation’s name.

### Children of Gaia

They share our dislike of dissension, although they tend to forgive rogues and rebels too easily.

### Fianna

Their loyalty is much appreciated, even if their etiquette is…variable.

### Get of Fenris

Loyal and honorable vassals when they acknowledge your position — dangerous savages when they claim to perceive some weakness in you.

### Glass Walkers

Clever, but they could use some more respect for the old ways.

### Red Talons

Remember that they honor hierarchy, even if they seem to have nothing but contempt for civilized courtesy.

### Shadow Lords

They covet a throne, but do not command the respect necessary to hold it. Perhaps they should direct more energy against the true enemy.

### Silent Striders

Valuable but not forthright. They speak only when it’s important, yet seemingly also only when the news is bad.

### Stargazers

Their counsel is wise, but they lack focus on the here and now. Thankfully, we can provide focus.

### Uktena

They offer valuable aid, but I suspect they hide disrespect behind their courtesy. They went too long without a king.

### Wendigo

Your grievances are valid, but we need your strength and your loyalty now.