Forest Walkers

*"If a tree falls in the forest, you can be sure that one of us will hear its death cry and avenge it."*

## The Forest Walkers’ Legend

*The Gurahl who call themselves Forest Walkers like to tell this story about their purpose in Gaia’s scheme of things. Listen....*

*When the Gurahl arrived in the Pure Lands, some sought the rivers or mountains. Some Gurahl, however, found homes in the great forests that blanketed the New World, taking endless delight in exploring the leafy fortresses that provided shelter from the weather and supplied a wide variety of fruits, nuts, grubs and other tasty morsels. The humans who accompanied these forest-bound Gurahl settled just outside the forest, while the bear-folk made their homes within the forests’ depths.*

*Pretty soon, the Gurahl of the forest noticed that their bearkin were undergoing a transformation, growing smaller and darker with each generation until many of them became completely black.*

*“Why is this happening?” the forest Gurahl asked the bears.*

*“For protection,” the bears answered.*

*At the same time, the Gurahl perceived that the humans seldom came into the forest anymore, even to hunt or gather berries.*

*“Why is this happening?” the forest Gurahl asked the humans.*

*“For protection,” the humans answered.*

*“Protection from what?” the Gurahl asked both humans and bears.*

*“From the killing shadows that hide beneath the forest floor and lurk high in the branches of the tallest, darkest trees,” both humans and bears answered as one.*

*The oldest and wisest of the forest Gurahl, a venerable Rishi named Kari Woodsinger, decided to get to the bottom of the danger that threatened those who dwelled in and around the forests. She summoned all the werebears who cherished the woodlands to a council and gave them their marching orders. By ones and twos and, sometimes by threes, she sent them out to explore every tree, every cave and every hidden place within the forests of the Pure Lands.*

*For seven cycles of the seasons, the Gurahl tramped through the forests. In most places, they found nothing unusual. In other places, however, the Gurahl discovered nests and hives of monstrous creatures, misshapen and Bane-ridden. For seven more cycles, battles raged throughout the woodlands, as the Gurahl fought the horrors that had secretly terrorized the humans and bears under Gaia’s protection.*

*Finally, though at great cost to the Gurahl of the forest, the creatures of the Pattern Breaker fell to the werebears’ onslaught.*

*“We have driven away the shadows,” the Gurahl told the humans and the bears. “The forests belong to you once again.”*

“What if these hideous things return?” the bears and humans wanted to know. “How can we be sure that the forests will remain safe for us?”

*Kari Woodsinger answered with this reply: “The forests will stay safe because we will make certain that the foul things do not return. From this time onward, we will walk the forest paths and drive away anything that does not belong there.” She looked at the bears and smiled. “Your smaller size and dark color suit you well, little brothers and sisters,” she said. “From now on, the forests will belong to the black bears, for that is how you will be known.” Kari then turned her attention to the humans. “The forest will once again provide you with meat and other foods,” she said, “but we will teach you to walk soundlessly within the woods, so that you need not fear that your noisy steps will attract the attention of those who might do you harm.”*

*From that time onward, the Gurahl who cleansed the forests of their malignant shadows took the name Forest Walkers, to remind them of their duty.*

## Tribal Background

More than any other Gurahl tribe did, the Forest Walkers had their origins in the Pure Lands. Though some of them lived in the great forests of the Pacific Northwest, the majority of them settled in the eastern woodlands of North America as well as in the rainforests of Central America and Mexico. Wherever they set up residence and staked out lands to protect, the Forest Walkers involved themselves intimately with the lives of their human and bear Kinfolk, teaching them all manner of skills that enabled them to prosper in their woodland homes.

With the coming of the Europeans, the Forest Walkers and their Native American Kinfolk suffered the earliest onslaught of European expansion. Some Forest Walkers joined the Croatan in sacrificing themselves to banish Eater-of-Souls from the Pure Lands. The Walkers worked alongside the Uktena Garou to protect both Gurahl and Garou Kinfolk from the American troops who came to relocate them in the 1800s. In some cases, the Forest Walkers placed their Kinfolk in hibernation within the Umbra, enabling them to escape notice and re-emerge after the initial wave forced migrations. A few Forest Walkers accompanied their Cherokee kin on the Trail of Tears, helping to ease the suffering of that long and tortuous march to “Indian Territory.”

Many of the Walkers grew disheartened at the damage done to the Pure Land by the European settlers. Like so many Gurahl, they withdrew into their Dens and blocked out the tides of “progress” that flooded the lands they had worked so hard to cleanse.

In recent years, the Forest Walkers have returned to a world bereft of most of their Kinfolk. They now work hard at revitalizing their breeding stock and recouping their losses. Walkers have involved themselves in human affairs whenever possible, though they try not to call attention to their presence, preferring — like most Gurahl — to act behind the scenes. Participating in civil rights and Indian rights movements, aiding in environmental restoration programs and working to restore the black bear population has brought the Forest Walkers into contact with many humans and other Changing Breeds, breaking a centuries-long pattern of isolationism. Like other Gurahl, the Forest Walkers prepare for the Apocalypse, but do so in their own way, by collecting as many stories as possible in the hopes that some of them may contain information that will prove useful in defeating the Wyrm’s armies.

## Home Territories

The most versatile of the Gurahl in terms of their habitat, the Forest Walkers range across the breadth of the United States as well as into Mexico and parts of Canada. They have introduced themselves into the diminishing forests of Europe, and they have also traveled to the rainforests of South America and Africa, hoping to make alliances with the local Changing Breeds (primarily the Bastet) in the hopes of acquiring new Kinfolk to bolster their ranks. Finally, they are making tentative efforts to enter Asia and begin breeding with the native bears there such as the spectacled bear, but they are stymied by the inexplicable clannishness of the native hengeyokai, who seem to prefer the company of Eastern Garou to that of Western Gurahl.

## Culture and Kinfolk

The black bears of North America form the backbone of the Forest Walkers’ ursine Kinfolk network, but the Walkers also draw members from grizzly, brown and polar bear stock. In South America, the spectacled bears have provided the Walkers with a few precious Gurahl — harbingers of a new lease on breeding stock or else the last contributions of a dying species.

While homid Forest Walkers used to come almost exclusively from Native American Kinfolk families, in the 20th century, the Walkers have embraced African-Americans, Hispanic and European ethnic groups, drawing on the available human population as resources for the future. Though not native to the rest of the world, the Forest Walkers have recently begun to travel to Europe and Asia in the hope of increasing their numbers before it is too late.

More so than any other Gurahl tribe, the Forest Walkers cherish storytelling as the supreme form of artistry, as well as a prime source of collecting and dispersing information and cultural identity. Nothing pleases a Forest Walker more than gathering together a few master storytellers and sharing tales with one another. In fact, the highlight of any council of Forest Walkers is the storytelling “olio,” in which each participant tells his or her favorite tale. Storytelling competitions serve as occasions for awarding Renown among the Walkers. Stories, in fact, serve as ways to teach younger Walkers the ways of the Gurahl and the traditions and ceremonies of the tribe. In the Gurahl dialect spoken by the Forest Walkers among themselves, the word “Buri-Jaan” translates as “Giver of Stories.”

## Tribal Organization

Unlike the River Keepers and Mountain Guardians, Forest Walkers tend to form small groups (usually two or three individuals) for mutual support. They regularly attend council meetings and powwows, since they enjoy the chance to tell their stories and learn new ones. As with other Gurahl, Forest Walkers revere their elders and heed their advice while still maintaining an independence of action.

## Strengths and Weaknesses

**• Storytelling Expertise:** Forest Walkers grow up on stories and develop a facility for remembering and telling stories. They begin with a free dot of Performance (emphasis on storytelling).

**• Easily Distracted by Tales:** The lure of a good story has led many Forest Walkers away from more immediate and important pursuits. Only a concerted effort of will can keep a Forest Walker from veering from a chosen course of action when confronted by the possibility of an intriguing new story or a new version of a beloved fable — or a deed that might make a fascinating new saga if the Gurahl survives it.…

## Appearance

Most ursine Forest Walkers resemble their bear parent in their natural form. When they take Homid form, they appear as small, stocky individuals, usually with black, dark brown or auburn hair and features copied from the local human population. Homid Forest Walkers come in all colors and ethnic variations, but most of them retain a smaller-than-average (for a werebear) size. The ursine form of human-born Walkers usually resembles the black bear so often associated with them.