Ahroun

**Ahroun** is one of the five Auspices under which a Garou may be born. The Full Moon makes the Ahroun the living weapon of Gaia. They are the warrior among a race of warriors, the champion of a martial people. Ever ready to kill, and to die if need be.

## Overview

The Garou are a race designed for war, and among the five Auspices, the *Ahroun* best reflect that original purpose. They also begin with the most Rage, the primal anger that Luna has granted them to protect Gaia. In a sense, their nature is a simpler one, as their task is clear and narrowly defined. They may act as soldiers or grunts, war leaders or Warders, but their claws are universally soaked in blood and they are the ones to act first when a battle is at hand. Their affinity for warfare is not merely in their Rage and their Gifts; rather, it is also in their instincts and their mind. They are innately suited to war including tactics and strategy - a good warrior is not just one who fights well, but effectively. Within a pack, the job of the Ahroun is to take charge in the midst of battle and to protect their packmates.

The most important form of Renown for Ahroun to gain is Glory followed by Honor; Wisdom is considered tertiary to their sacred task. As Glory is the form of Renown that is most quickly obtained, Ahroun tend to ascend in Rank faster than others. That said, they rarely achieve the higher ranks due to their high mortality rates. Although the Garou as a whole have a high mortality rate, Ahroun lead in that respect. Thus, an Ahroun that makes to the status of Elder is a rare beast, and also an awe-inspiring one. In fact, it is said that an Elder Ahroun is one of the most dangerous creatures alive. Some tribes - such as the Silver Fangs - regard Ahroun with greater importance, allowing only them to become King. Among Sept positions, the ones they are most likely to be found in are those of the Wyrm Foe and the Warder.

Ahroun of the waxing moon (that is, the night before the true full moon) are considered more straightforward and a more fervent seeker of Glory; those of the waning moon are considered to be more concerned with asserting dominance.

## Tribal Views

### Black Furies

For four cycles, she has said much but done little. But now, as the full glory of her face is revealed, Luna acts. She becomes Artemis the Hunter, running through the wilds with her hounds, and the Ahroun are beside her as her attendants. To be born under the full moon is to be a warrior among warriors, and the Ahroun accept that charge with gusto.

But blood isn’t Luna’s only desire during this phase. It’s not even the most important. What is important is action: That she (and the Furies) move and run, do instead of speak, taking all they’ve learned and drawing some sort of conclusion. Contemplation is good, but too much of it causes the topic to become irrelevant. It isn’t necessary to consider all angles, state the Ahroun, merely enough of them. And it is the Ahroun who decide when talking is done and action must follow. As we are a race of warriors, often the call to action is one of “Rage!”

The swift, decisive action of the Ahroun leads sometimes to mistakes, which then leads to the desire for correction so typical of the Ragabash. And so on and on it goes. Beautiful, isn’t it?

#### Hidden Warriors — Children of Eclipse

**Symon World-Reacher speaks of those born during eclipses:** As you probably know, lunar eclipses only happen during full moons. This means that any Garou born during an eclipse is an Ahroun. So how does that fit in to Amethyst’s quite poetic depiction of the auspices?

An Ahroun is an Ahroun, and the Hidden Warriors are still warriors, but they carry an inquisitiveness that is rarely seen in “normal” full-moons. They rely on stealth rather than forthright combat, and are often brilliant, if unorthodox, tacticians. They are also frequently moody and less prone to Rage than their sisters — but more prone to Harano.

Carlotta, I’m sure, could regale you with stories of Rails-Against-Thunder, the great Ahroun who turned back a storm that threatened to destroy a seaside caern on Crete. I will not attempt to tell the tale, but I will mention that although she turned back the storm, she was plagued with nightmares ever after, and always wondered if the storm wasn’t Gaia’s way of altering the caern in some painful, but necessary way.

### Bone Gnawers

Bone Gnawer Ahroun fight dirty, and they fight to win. Their strength doesn’t lie in muscle, but in cunning. Masters of sabotage, street fighting, and swarm tactics, they don’t go all out in a fight unless they know the odds are on their side. In any other battle, they wear down their greatest enemies by harrying them with endless little attacks, sometimes letting the more egotistical Ahroun of other tribes sacrifice themselves in foolish bids for glory. The most extreme warriors of the tribe are experts in terrorist tactics, survivalist agenda, militia methods and recreational demolition — and their numbers are steadily increasing.

### Children of Gaia

The Child of Gaia Ahroun is not nearly as much a paradox as many think. Unity brings strength to all Garou, and inter-tribal warfare is effectively a willing surrender to the Wyrm. Do not mistake peace for weakness, cub; these are warriors who are willing to defend the cause of peace unto their last breath. The real tragedy, though, is the lack of respect they receive from their fellows. I've argued against Ahroun being at the top by default, but for all we sacrifice and all we suffer in Gaia's name, we certainly don't belong at the bottom either! Warrior Children who have per- formed acts any other tribe would dub heroism often find their fellows distinctly cool toward them for months on end, simply because they don't have the stomach to accept that some people need to die. A shameful situation.

### Fianna

We like a good ruck as much as the next werewolf, against fae, fomori or Wyrm Howlers, and our Ahroun have always held a place of honor in Fianna society. The old warrior/bard/druid threesome that led local human culture millennia ago is still alive and well amongst the Fianna. A community needs someone to defend it. The humans may have forgotten that there are things out there that must be fought, be the Garou never can forget it. The Ahroun are our warriors amongst warriors. The warrior’s life is not a long one, though, so those tales of Fianna drinking enough booze to kill a horse? That’s probably an Ahroun at work. If yer going to die you want to enjoy life while you still can. Nobody can celebrate life like one of us lads. Just ask the Kin, if you follow my drift.

### Get of Fenris

The Modi - The Full Moon. The greatest warriors of our tribe — and hence the world — the Modi are Gaia’s rage given form, the voice of our anger and hate and fury. They are our leaders and our masters, the first ones into battle and the last ones to leave. None can fault the great courage of the Modi, nor their commitment to Gaia and the Garou who serve Her. While the other auspices perform functions within the tribe — questioning, arcana, judgment, inspiration — the Modi have but one task to perform: they must fight the Wyrm with such intensity, such fury, that we cannot help but follow them into the breech and throw ourselves against our foes with all the energy we can muster. While all Fenrir shame the Garou of other tribes with their intensity, the Modi show them how weak they truly are.

Now, I must give you a word of caution: many other Garou, including many within our own tribe, see the Modi as nothing more than killing machines. This is an error, for they are often much more than that. They are fearsome, yes, but they are also thinking beings, skilled in the arts of tactics and leadership in a way that is difficult for non-Fenrir to appreciate. This is why the plots the Silver Fangs and the Shadow Lords make against us fail so often; they think us simple brutes, when we are in fact simply focused on the real task at hand — fighting the Wyrm. We are more than capable of plotting against others, should we be of a mind to do so. Such things are simply beneath us.

### Glass Walkers

And we’ve come full circle, since some Ahroun appear to be at first glance a bunch of, well, chaos causing computer hackers. Just like the Ragabash. Perhaps some explanation is in order.

Nobody wants to be an Indian; everyone wants to be a chief. It’s how humans work, and to a large degree it’s how Garou work. Wolf-like understanding of dominance and submission my cotton-clad posterior, we’re competitive beasts. And meanwhile, we entrust our basic leadership to the Philodox, and we entrust a good portion of our military leadership (at least when not on a battlefield) to Theurges. At first glance, it appears that the only role left for an Ahroun is a grunt. Do you think they’re happy to accept that? No. And as a result you find a great deal of diversity in the auspice, since Ahroun need to find their niche instead of just having it handed to them. Hence, you find computer hackers who are unparalleled in destroying enemy systems, or professional smear journalists who can wreck the career of any politician whose campaign we don’t like. I’ve personally met one Ahroun who devoted himself to learning the stock market and now spends all his time deliberately crashing the stock of companies we suspect are Wyrmtainted. The difference between the Ahroun and the Ragabash is simple: The Ahroun aren’t about trying to find weaknesses, they’re purely about trying to cause the greatest damage possible to our enemies. They are, as in every tribe, the shock troops in our army.

And it also worth mentioning that while on the sept level, the Ahroun tend to get lost amidst the other auspices, at the pack level they’re often the most capable leaders and frequently alphas. I think that ultimately, the way our tribe looks at the various auspices works for us when it comes to the Ahroun, because by forcing them to find their own niche we delay their headlong rush into bloodletting and force them to think a bit. Once that’s done and they’ve got some common sense in their heads, they’re often the best of the best in our tribe: Decisive, passionately devoted to Gaia and fiercely loyal to the pack mates who adopted them after the sept offered them nothing.

Don’t mess with our Ahroun. They know war-tech, they know Sun Tzu, they know corporate raiding and curbstomping and media campaigns and just about every tactic of persuasion known to the Mafia, Yakuza and Russian Mafia combined. And they like to show off.

### Shadow Lords

The warriors of our tribe, Ahroun are the least subtle of the many weapons in our arsenal; but remember that “least subtle” does not necessarily mean “unsubtle,” particularly where we are concerned. Whether an opponent is Wyrm or human, Ahroun will keep it at bay until the rest of us can put it down permanently. Filled with passion and rage, there is little subtle about the Ahroun. This does not mean, however, that they need always be physical in their conflicts. Many are masters of political maneuvering, and they use their great strength to terrify others into bowing before them without ever lifting a finger in violence.

Within the pack, Ahroun are Garou of great emotion and energy. While Ragabash and Theurges might favor trickery and deceit, Ahroun have no patience for such tactics. Whether it is a battle of words or klaives, they prefer their victories in the here and now, and to Malfeas with the consequences. This makes the full moons quick to anger and often overly ambitious, which can lead to catastrophe if their packmates do nothing to reign them in. Managing a young Ahroun is a tricky task, one requiring a balancing act between restraint and action. Let them act too soon and we tip our hand; hold them back too long, however, and they will destroy us from within. But the Ahroun who has seen many battles — there is a wolf that has learned the art of striking when the opponent is off-guard and staying his hand when the foe is too strong. Many an enemy who knew of our reputation and prepared himself against indirect action has been overthrown by a perfectly timed direct assault with an Ahroun at the head. It is said that fortune favors the bold, and it seems that Luna feels similarly.

### Silent Striders

Most of Egypt’s warrior traditions have been forgotten. The past few centuries have seen them cast as more of a nation of scholars and mystics. Other tribes sometimes foster the idea that the same holds true for us. The Get had their Vikings, so they must be fierce warriors. The Striders have their necromantic priests, so they must not be that good in a fight. More fools they. We were old when the human cultures of Khem were newborn. But unlike the other “warrior tribes,” our Ahroun aren’t braggarts. Oh, they make their claims for Glory and Honor just like any warrior. But it never becomes the focal point of their lives. No, our Ahroun are much more reserved. Maybe it’s because they know first hand of the ghosts that war leaves in its wake.

Ahroun are meant to protect. Because we move around so much, it’s hard for our Full Moons to protect caerns all the time. Instead, we favor a more proactive approach. Our Ahroun seek out threats before they attack, and destroy them then rather than later when they are at a caern doorstep. Sometimes ghosts will lead Ahroun to the monsters that killed them. Owl’s spirits also lead us to the beasts that stalk the night. We know all too well of the creatures that lurk in the darkness, preying on humans who try to pretend such boogeymen no longer exist. Our Ahroun stalk silently through that darkness, hunting the hunters.

### SIlver Fangs

Finally, the warriors of the Silver Fangs are Falcon’s talons, rending our prey or catching it tightly in our grip so that it does not escape our justice. Nothing can sway such a warrior from his duty and his accuracy is unerring, like Falcon’s dive. Most of our kings have been Ahroun, for the duty of leading other Garou requires might and muscle, and implacable resolve. They face numerous challenges and must win them all. The wisest coax their rivals into calling the challenge so that they can declare the terms; Silver Fangs rarely choose gamecraft to decide leadership issues.

Most seneschals of the tribe are now Ahroun. In the past, when the world was not as imperiled as today, Ragabash took this role, but no more. It is the Ahroun who are most capable of the challenge of seconding a king.

**Nightmane Speaks:** It’s well and good to give Falcon his due, but we must not forget that these birthrights were a gift from Luna. The fruits of their endeavors must ultimately be her due. The Lodge of the Moon works in its ceremonies to remind Luna that we remember, and honor her every time our auspice moon rides in the sky.

### Uktena

“And last are the Full Moons, the Warriors, or as we call them, the Ali’i.” Kakai fell silent a long moment. “This is a hard one,” she muttered. “I guess I can describe them as fearless, like most Warriors. But the Uktena Ahroun are more than that. They’re cold, calculating and ruthless. Oh, it may not show on the surface. And perhaps more than most other tribes’ Warriors, ours have a closer connection to the spirit world. Some almost talk like Crescent Moons!” she said with mirth. Erishka thought of Josh, who seemed so calm and focused for a Full Moon, and didn’t say anything.

“But it’s a ruse,” the Hawai’ian continued. “I can’t imagine many things more dangerous than an Uktena Ahroun who has had time to plan an assault against an enemy. They’re deadly in the details and perhaps some strange combination of the Weaver and the Wyld guides their hands.”

### Wendigo

Cold, merciless, unrelenting. As Great Wendigo is, so are we. The Ahroun are his treasured children, closest to him in their rage and their power. They are deadly, every one. The Hungry Wind teaches us ‘Waste no breath or you will find yourself short when breath is most needed’. The Wendigo do not act frivolously. When they strike, it is to kill. When they speak, it is because their words are needed and each one important. This is our way and we are born to it. In battle, our Ahroun are cold, calculating, and ruthlessly efficient. No attack is made that does not draw blood. Our warriors do not waste their strength in vain displays. The dead that fall beneath their knives speak loudly enough of their strength and glory.

Still — gestures are a part of war. The cunning war - rior attacks mind and body. Neither can act without the other. Kill an enemy’s courage and the death of his body is a forgone conclusion. Our Ahroun learned this lesson long ago and have many ways of stripping away the strength of their enemy’s spirit before ever attacking his flesh. Counting Coup, the Death of Many Needles, the Bitter Song. Each strikes at the heart of an enemy not through his flesh, but through his mind. Counting Coup — striking at the enemy and deliberately doing no harm — shows the foe his efforts are contemptible, his struggles futile. His life, and death, is ours to choose. When an Ahroun metes out the Death of Many Needles she strikes shallowly and retreats again and again until the enemy bleeds from a hundred wounds. In the end, when the needle pierces his heart, the enemy has already died and only his flesh remains to be ended. The Bitter Song is as potent as any spear, and yet no blow is ever struck. The Ahroun merely speaks, cutting at the enemy with the icy blade of his scorn. Most lose their water long before the warrior describes their imminent death, and then it’s all over but the bleeding. These are but a few of the weapons a Wendigo Ahroun wields in battle. Our weapons are as many as the fish in the sea. The Wyrmcomers make war on the bodies of their enemies. We make war on their souls. In this way we have always been the stronger.