Kinfolk Fetishes

# Kinfolk Fetishes and Equipment

Kinfolk may possess or acquire many kinds of specialty equipment. Some, particularly fetishes and talens, are exceptional items possessed only by a few Kinfolk, and then only through unique circumstances. Players and the Storyteller should come up with a story to explain how a Kinfolk character possesses each fetish or talen she claims.

Non-supernatural equipment may also be difficult to acquire, either due to prohibitive costs, limited availability, or the nature of the equipment. Possession of certain objects may also bring the owner to the attention of government agencies. Storytellers should keep a listing of which characters own items that would bring them to the notice of law enforcement or governmental departments.

## Fetishes

Fetishes require attunement through a Gnosis roll (difficulty of the fetish’s Gnosis rating, with only one success necessary). Once attuned, anytime the Kinfolk calls upon the fetish’s powers, he must make a Gnosis roll or spend a Gnosis point, depending on the individual requirements of the fetish. Some fetishes may be used by Kinfolk without Gnosis. Instead, these rare objects require Willpower rolls or expenditures for attunement and use instead of Gnosis points. The difficulty remains the fetish’s Gnosis rating. Usually, a Theurge must make a particularly good case with the inhabiting spirit for allowing its use by a Kinfolk. Some possible fetishes appear below.

### Horn of Distress

Level 1, Gnosis 3

Only in times of dire need do Kinfolk sound these instruments. Such horns vary in appearance according to culture; most bear tribal markings. This fetish uses Willpower instead of Gnosis. When blown, a horn alerts all werewolves within a 10-mile radius. Whether they choose to come or not is their affair, but they know the sound of the horn means trouble. Most often, these horns contain peacock-spirits, though a few hold spirits of Air.

### Bloodhound’s Snout

Level One, Gnosis 5

This is a dog’s leash that, when activated by a Kinfolk (who can roll Willpower or Gnosis to do so), will lead its owner along the trail of a particular target’s scent. The Kinfolk must have a sample of that scent, such as from a scarf, glove, or even water bottle the target drank from, and he holds that item up to the leash as he activates the fetish. This acts in every way like a normal, living dog tracking the scent. It can be fooled by all the sorts of things that can baffle a dog, such as by the target crossing a stream or rolling in animal scat to overpower his own scent, etc. During activation, the leash literally pulls out ahead of its holder, traveling along the ground as if there were an actual dog at the end of the leash. Each activation lasts until the target is run to ground or a full day passes, whichever occurs first.

This fetish is bound with the spirit of a domestic dog. It is easier to make this fetish if its intended recipient Kinfolk is an experienced and caring dog-owner. If the Kinfolk has ever abused a dog, he cannot use this fetish; the spirit will not cooperate with him.

### Amulet of Kinship

Level 2, Gnosis 5

Garou bestow this fetish upon honored Kinfolk as a symbol of protection and service. All Garou, mages, and spirits that the wearer meets instantly know her to be Kinfolk of note and know the identity (deed name, tribe, breed, auspice, and rank) of the Garou who gave it to her.

The Amulet of Kinship must be activated by the werewolf (Gnosis roll) when it is given to the Kinfolk; after that, no roll is necessary. The amulet doesn’t function if worn by anyone other than the intended recipient. To create the fetish, an ancestor-spirit must be bound into the device.

### Songbird Staff

Level Two, Gnosis 6

This oak staff is carved with stylized images of birds of all types, from wrens and vireos to crows — but not predators and scavengers like hawks and eagles. When a Kinfolk activates it (using Willpower or Gnosis), it will produce faint bird sounds, chirpings, cawings, or even scoldings. The user can understand simple messages about her immediate environment, such as whether there are people or predators nearby, if the weather is about to change (such as rain or snow is coming), or if there is imminent danger (a forest fire or a coming earthquake). The user can query the staff for more specific information by making bird sounds herself — they just have to sound somewhat like birds; they don’t have to be perfect — and will receive very basic replies: the group of humans over the ridge is armed, there are three of them; or the oily substance in the water originates five miles upstream. Generally, if it is information that would be known by the local bird population (even if they can’t think analytically about it), the staff can convey it.

This fetish requires a bird spirit, preferably a songbird or a talkative bird like a crow or raven. It cannot be a bird that preys on other birds.

### Klaive Hammer

Level 3, Gnosis 5

Werewolves often do not have time to devote to mundane crafts such as blacksmithing, and yet klaives are a vital resource for the Nation. Often times, while a Theurge binds the spirit to the weapon, a skilled Kinfolk with Gnosis forges the klaive itself. A Klaive Hammer allows the Kinfolk to craft a klaive so perfect of form that the summoned spirit may be pleased to accept permanent binding within the fetish. Using a weapon forged with a Klaive Hammer gives the ritesmaster creating a Klaive –4 to the difficulty of performing the Rite of the Fetish on that weapon.

To create a Klaive Hammer, one of the following spirits must be bound into a hammer touched by the crafter: Balance, Light, or Fire. Each Klaive Hammer is uniquely attuned to its owner, but if freely given by the old owner and accepted by the new one, the attunement can be transferred. In this case, either the old owner or the new one must spend Gnosis to fuel the attunement. Because of this, these fetishes are often created by Garou, handed off to Kinfolk, and then returned to the Nation when a Kin is no longer able to fulfill the taxing duties of smithing service.

### Blood Brother Blade

Level Three, Gnosis 7

This hunting knife is carved or painted with Garou pictograms representing Kin and/or Honor. When it is first made, a Garou and a Kinfolk each cut themselves with the blade and then join their blood together in the traditional “blood brothers forever” ceremony (any gender can do this). Those two are then mystically bonded through the blade. This bond can survive the death of the Kinfolk and pass to his or her bloodline children, but once the Garou passes away, the spirit inhabiting the fetish is freed.

The bonded Kinfolk can later activate the fetish (using Willpower or Gnosis) by cutting himself with the blade (a slice across the thumb will do). This alerts his bonded Garou that the Kin is in need of him. There is no supernatural compulsion to come to the Kinfolk’s aid, but since Garou do not idly hand out these fetishes, it is assumed that the Garou will do all in her power to come running.

Alternatively, the Kinfolk can activate the blade by cutting an enemy and drawing blood (or ichor, whatever the case may be). The bonded Garou will then know the scent of the enemy and be able to recognize it anywhere and be able to track it once she encounters it.

This fetish is made by binding an ancestor spirit related either to the Garou or the Kinfolk participating in the ceremony.

### Hearth Caul

Level Four, Gnosis 7

This is the remains of a Kinfolk’s birth caul, a piece of birth membrane. Caul births are very rare, and much folklore has been built up about the magical uses for a baby’s caul. Should a Kinfolk be so lucky as to be born into a family who honors such traditions, the entire family can benefit. The caul must be saved and preserved with special herbs (the Herbalism Knowledge Ability can help with identifying and collecting them well ahead of time) and is then kept in a special box that is hidden somewhere inside the family’s hearth. If the family doesn’t have a fireplace, they’ll need to declare a hearth space, and be able to hide this box from view.

So long as the family keeps the caul, its members (immediate family and extended family so far as uncles, aunts, and first cousins) gain good fortune. This is not miraculous luck, such as winning lottery tickets, but more protective and nurturing, synchronicities that might at first appear to be foul luck but then reveal themselves to be providence: Hundred-year floods that wash the neighbor’s houses away, leaving only the Kins’ unharmed, or a flat tire that prevents one of the family members from driving over a bridge just before it collapses.

Should a non-family member see the caul, its effects end until it can be re-activated by a family member using Willpower or Gnosis. The difficulty is one less if performed by the family’s recognized matriarch. Should a non-family member (except for a Garou) touch the caul, it is ruined; the bound spirit leaves the fetish.

The spirit inhabiting the fetish is an ancestor spirit of the Kinfolk or their related Garou tribe.

## Other Equipment

The items described below do not appear on standard lists of weapons or survival equipment. Starting Kinfolk characters need to purchase at least one dot in the Equipment Background to begin play with one or more of these items. Some of these may become available during play once the game begins. Other related Backgrounds or Abilities, such as the Streetwise Talent or the Contacts Background, may also be important for the character to have when attempting to purchase or acquire this equipment.

### Silver Bullets

Silver bullets cause aggravated and unsoakable damage to Garou, depending on the breed and form of the werewolf when he takes damage. Because silver is fairly cheap and easy to work with, Kinfolk with the right equipment and experience can make their own silver bullets at home or in their own workshop. Since they make great weapons against Black Spiral Dancers but can also harm Garou kin, any Kinfolk carrying silver bullets would be wise to explain to any friendly Garou their reason for carrying them.

### Herbal Medicines

Garou and many Kinfolk generally recognize and respect herbal or folk healing. A packet of healing herbs from a skilled herbalist or herbal pharmacologist would serve as a useful addition to any Kinfolk’s starting equipment. Storyteller and player should come up with the contents of any “herbal kit” chosen as part of a character’s starting Equipment purchased through the Equipment Background. Herbs come in many forms: powders, teas, syrups, poultices, etc.

Aconite, or wolfsbane, is a deadly toxin. Even small doses can kill. Garou are susceptible to it — hence the name. For a character to start the game with this poison herb, she should have at least four dots in the Equipment Background. Storyteller and player must work out the circumstances under which the character acquired this substance and why it was necessary to do so.

### Bugs

Bugs are listening or viewing devices. Although they may be of any shape or size, they are usually very small and easily concealable. Most need to be in the immediate vicinity of a conversation (i.e., in the same room) unless they are strong enough to hear through walls. A person can also wear a bug or a wire so others can monitor her conversation. Sometimes the listening devices also have cameras for visual espionage. Some are also equipped with recording devices. The more complex and powerful a device is, the higher the number of dots required in the Equipment Background.

### White Noise Generators

These devices can be either very simple objects that generate a sound comparable to a strong fan or highly complex items that operate on a number of wavelengths to prevent remote as well as nearby eavesdropping. Werewolves in Lupus form, normal wolves, and specially trained dogs can hear certain types of white-noise generators and can track them to their source.

### Nonlethal Weapons

Weapons don’t have to do lethal damage to be effective against Garou.

**Tasers,** which have gained in popularity as personal protection devices as well as standard issue for law enforcement officers, deliver a powerful but usually non-lethal electrical charge to its target. Likewise, pepper spray (of which “mace” is one variety) can seriously disrupt a Garou’s senses without causing permanent physical damage. Tasers come in two varieties. A hand-to-hand version requires the user to connect with the assailant with the taser’s prongs. A long-range taser shoots out a pair of pronged wires that deliver a shock to the target. Since the prongs actually tear into flesh and cause actual damage, they are usually available only to law enforcement and other government agencies (or to Kinfolk who have access to those sources). While costs, voltage, and styles vary, the bottom line is that tasers serve as a successful deterrent against all but the most dedicated attackers.

**Pepper spray,** available in many forms, has become one of the most popular self-defense mechanisms for women who travel alone at night or in dubious neighborhoods. While the acrid, stinging sensations delivered by pepper spray tend to discourage most attackers from remaining in the vicinity of the user, for Garou the results can be disastrous on a temporary basis. Since Garou, particularly those in Lupus form, rely heavily on their sense of smell, the strong pepper gas throws off a Garou’s olfactory senses sometimes for hours — never mind the other physical effects: watery eyes, sore throat, and harsh, raspy coughing. Pepper spray set loose inside a den or the home of Kinfolk can render the location uninhabitable until the gas dissipates, which may take hours or even days.

**Wire of various kinds**, including barbed wire or trip wires can also work as deterrents, especially when coated in silver-plate or spray. For that matter, a can of spray paint mixed with silver can provide a serious deterrent, and even cause lethal damage should it get into a Garou’s blood stream via an open cut or wound.

As always, players must obtain Storyteller approval for any kind of non-standard, special weaponry.

### Silencers

Silencers make a handy addition to many types of guns, even though they do not entirely silence a weapon. They do muffle the sound of gunshot and marginally slow down the speed of the bullet to just under the speed that would cause a break in the sonic barrier (with its resulting “boom!”). Silencers do not work well, if at all, on revolvers. The structure of the revolver makes covering the gap between the gun barrel and the gas releasing cylinders impossible. Multiple shots also wear down the effect of a silencer, which works best on a single-shot sniper’s or executioner’s weapon. An extremely talented gunsmith could make a nearly soundless weapon, but the result would be a permanently altered and highly illegal weapon. Basic manuals on guns and ammunition, either in book form or on the internet, can provide useful information for roleplayers otherwise unfamiliar with firearms.

### High Tech Gadgets

Beginning with computers and working up through smart phones, pads, tablets, digital notebooks, and highly sophisticated “spy stuff,” the items in this category run the gamut from relatively easily acquired (except, perhaps, for Bone Gnawers and Kin) to only available in experimental technological laboratories (i.e., the world of Glass Walkers). Ideas for these items can come from any number of recent movies and TV series and need Storyteller approval before including them in a chronicle. The Storyteller should decide which items require the Equipment Background and which to consider as standard issue. In many cases, smart phones and/or tablets could be acquired simply through having enough Resources to afford them.

### Poisons

Poisons come in many varieties. Some, such as foxglove, hellebore, hemlock, nightshade, and mountain laurel, are herbal in nature. Others, such as bufotoxin (from the bufo toad), conotoxin (from the cone snail), or tetrodotoxin (from the puffer fish), come from the animal kingdom. Still others, such as hydrogen peroxide, ethylene glycol (anti-freeze), sodium cyanide, and strychnine, exist primarily as refined substances, though ultimately they come from natural sources. In some cases, antidotes for poisons are themselves poisonous if taken without the substance they can neutralize.

Most poisons have a toxicity rating. Many poisons fill the shelves of hardware stores due to their uses as paint stripper, moth balls, antifreeze, detergents, pesticides and other home and garden products. Others, like snake or frog venom, sometimes exist in backyards and certainly exist in natural surroundings. Still others, such as weapons-grade toxins or radioactive poisons are illegal to possess (though not impossible to get hold of). Players wanting to start the game with some of the harder-to-obtain poisons need to spend points in the Equipment Background and possibly the Contacts Background as well.

TOXICITY TABLES

EPA (U.S.A.)

**Level Fatal Amt. Effect Warning Label**

Toxicity Class I <5 gm Most toxic Danger – Poison (usually with skull & crossbones)

Toxicity Class II 5-30 gm Moderately. toxic Warning (followed by advisory phrase)

Toxicity Class III >30 gm Slightly toxic Caution (advisory phrase)

Toxicity Class IV — No signal word required Non-toxic

EUROPEAN UNION

**Level Label Warning Label**

Class I very toxic European Toxicity Symbol

Class II toxic European Toxicity Symbol

Class III harmful

Class IV corrosive

Class V irritant

Class VI corrosive

Class VII carcinogenic

Class VIII mutagenic

WHO (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION)

**Level Label**

Class 1 extremely hazardous

Class 2 highly hazardous

Class 3 moderately hazardous

Class 4 s lightly hazardous