Litanies of the Fera

The Fera all have their different, and separate jobs given by Gaia. These come in the forms of Litanies. You may find these on this page.

## The Way of Emerald Virtue

Any hengeyokai (shapeshifter) is free to join the Beast Courts, provided they swear to follow a communal system of honor and renown known was The Way of Emerald Virtue. Its First Mandate and Final Mandate are considered the most important. The mandates of this path are:

1.) Shirk not the tasks which have been given you

2.) Guard the wheel that it may turn in fullness

3.) Presume not to instruct your cousin in his task

4.) Honor your territory in all things

5.) Let mercy guide you in our August Mother's court

6.) Honor your ancestors and your elders

7.) Honor the pacts with the spirit world

8.) War not upon human or beast

9.) Let no one violate the sacred places

## The Laws of Anansa

Queen Ananasa’s directives to Her children may be subtle and complex, but their overarching goal is a simple one: restore Symmetry to the Great Web. In order to complete this singular mission, however, Her children have innumerable likewise-herculean tasks to accomplish, not the least of which is restoring each member of the Triat to sanity (and to their original, balanced duties).

To keep Her children’s own balance and focus, Ananasa has set forth a series of nine Laws that rule their every action. While humans may defy their legal system, and even Garou may debate the meaning of the tenets of their Litany, every Ananasi holds these Laws at the core of their being, knowing that without them, success is not only unlikely — it is impossible.

1.) Obey the Mother-Queen in All Things

2.) Defend Your Brethren from All Who Would Do Them Harm

3.) Follow the Aspect and Faction that Ananasa Chooses for You

4.) Understand the Ways of the Triat, Both as They Were and as They Are. Know the Difference

5.) Know Your Enemies

6.) Know the Great Web for What It Is

7.) Know Your Place

8.) Keep Your Mouth Shut

9.) Worship None but Ananasa

## The Karoush

Handed down from their forebears, these laws are bigger than any Bastet and greater than any rank or title. These are their codes of honor, and the Bastet believe they separate them from the humanity, guarding them from human mistakes. The Karoush is the code their ancestors made, the Law of the Moon and the Sun, the Law of the Shaping of Secrets and the Law of the Change. Their code is presented to their descendants as follows.

1.) Honor Yourself

2.) Honor Your Word

3.) Honor Your Kin and Kind

4.) Honor Your Earth

5.) Honor Your Silence

## The Code of Ursa

The Litany of the bear shapechangers.

1.) Cherish the Cubs

2.) Protect the Land

3.) Heal the Sick

4.) Nurture the Needy

5.) Teach the Supplicant

6.) Breed Wisely

7.) Cleanse the Tainted

8.) Guard the Secrets

9.) Rights of the Elder

10.) Remember Your History

11.) Punish the Guilty

12.) Avenge Wrongful Slaying

## The Laws of Heaven

The first Kitsune, Bai Mianxi, the White-Faced One, was led away from her consort, Prince Inari. Luna, the Silver Lady, took her to the court of The First Goddess, Gaia. There, Bai Mianxi was told of her people’s true destiny: to grow up and serve Gaia and the sacred Laws of Heaven, rather than playing their way through existence and making humans miserable with their tricks.

1.) I command you to destroy that which harms Gaia

2.) I command you to aid your brothers, your sisters, and that which serves Gaia

3.) I command you to revere Your Mother, Myself, your Aunts, your Uncles, and Our Favored Servants

4.) I command you to keep your duty first in your heart, and to listen for my teachings

5.) I forbid you to exterminate the humans.

6.) I forbid you to make war on your brothers and sisters

7.) I forbid you to break your word

8.) I forbid you to commit suicide for reasons of honor.

9.) I free you to do anything else necessary to achieve our goals.

## The Duties

Helios has given his Children a series of moral and personal imperatives by which to live their lives. Called the Duties, these are the Mokolé precursor to the Garou Litany. Each Duty is connected to one solar auspice, although all Mokolé are bound by them. Violations of the Duties merit reprimands, loss of status, and other punishments. Serious offenders are eaten. The Unshading enforce the laws, although even Midnight Suns will chastise an undutiful Mokolé. Mokolé who have reached their First Change alone (lost hatchlings) are sometimes seduced by the Wyrm. These Mokolé, if they Fall to the Dissolver, lose solar gifts and mnesis.

1.) Cull The Fallen: The Duty of the Rising Sun demands that the Mokolé hunt those who have forsaken Gaia, serve the Dissolver, or those who betray the Duties.

2.) Let No Shade Accuse You: The Duty of the Noonday Sun demands that no Mokolé will mate with another Mokolé, in order to prevent another Innocent plaguing the Mokolé.

3.) Guard The Wallow: The Duty of the Setting Sun demands the protection of one's own wallow and the respect of the wallows of others.

4.) The Veil Must Not Be Lifted: The Duty of the Shrouded Sun demands that the Mokolé will not reveal themselves or Mnesis to others.

5.) Test The Clutch: The Duty of of the Midnight Sun demands that those born under the No-Sun have to prepare their clutch-mates for the unsuspected.

6.) All Are Of Gaia: The Duty of the Decorated Sun demands respect to all life and especially their Kinfolk

7.) Remember: The Duty of the Eclipsed Sun demands that the Mokolé fulfill the purpose Gaia gave them.

## The Sacred Laws

The Nagah have developed a code similar to the Litany.

1.) Preserve The Sacred Secret At All Cost: this Law maintains the secrecy of the Nagah in order to hide from the Fera who thought them extinct.

2.) Honor The Three Mothers: this Law is a reinforcement to the devotion that the Three Mothers (Gaia, Luna, and Aspa) deserve and demand.

3.) Punish Those Who Betray The Laws: this Law is meant to clarify the purpose of the Nagah in Gaia's plan.

4.) Never Hunt Alone: this Law details the main structure of a nest- one ahi, one vasuki, one balaram- in order to secure the proportion of judgement in a group. This also shall prevent that a Nagah from being corrupted by the Wyrm because if this would happen, he will be put down instantly by his companion.

5.) Remain Humble: this Law remembers the Nagah that, for all their power, they are tools of the Three Mothers and should not overestimate them. Aside of this, the Nagah have experienced the follies of pride during the War of Rage and know how important it is to know their place.

6.) Abhor Imbalance: this Law reminds the Nagah that they must remain in balance in body as well as in spirit. There must always be a balance between the balaram, ahi, and vasuki. Should the numbers of the breeds grow too far unbalanced, they must be set right.

7.) Strike Against The Corrupter If The Opportunity Is True: this Law is a recent addition and commands the Nagah to weaken the Wyrm, as long as they don't violate one of the other Laws and still fulfill their duties.

## The Sacred Precepts

The Same-Bito regard their Western counterparts as little more than murderous animals, and take great pride in their dedication to the teachings of the Zhong Lung. The epic journey of their legendary hero Mizuchi onto the land was one of the most important events in Same-Bito history. A Zhong-Lung elder found Mizuchi shortly after he ventured ashore and tutored him in both wisdom and ethics. When he returned to the sea, Mizuchi revealed these laws to all of his kind. The Same-Bito state that most weresharks refused this wisdom and swam West, becoming the savage Rokea. Those who remained listened to Mizuchi and his Zhong-Lung teachers. Since that time, all of the Same-Bito have followed the six sacred precepts:

1.) Attend the elders; you owe them all

2.) Respect tribe members, and they honor you in return.

3.) Dishonor is a mark of lower beings.

4.) Battle is always honorable.

5.) If you are alive, you are still learning.

6.) Protect territory that the Emerald Mother and the Dragon Kings have given to you.

## Kun's Law

All Changing Breeds have their Litanies. The Rokea’s is the oldest and the simplest, known as Kun’s Law. Same-Bito must adhere to this and the above Sacred Precepts.

1.)Survive: Their first and greatest law is that their race must survive. Kun created the weresharks to endure the Great Unmaking, and none of their kind should endanger their Breed’s survival.

2.) Hunt: Like all sharks, Rokea are apex predators. Hunting, thinning the schools and devouring the weak and the unfit are all part of their duty to the Sea.

3.) Spawn: Although they do not age, life in the Sea is never safe, so there must be new Rokea to replace those that die. Unfortunately, they breed quite slowly.

4.) Swim: Sharks die when they cease swimming. Forward motion is an inherent part of Rokea life. They feel a drive to move and to perpetually explore new waters.

## The Ways of the Warrior

Some Western werewolves think the Hakken — Garou who follow Grandfather Thunder and dwell in the Japanese isles — are just Shadow Lords in samurai guise. But the Hakken and their world view go far beyond Shadow Lord stereotypes. Their goals are a blend of Gaian philosophy and bushido (the way of the warrior). They are, for all intents and purposes, a unique group unto themselves with only tenuous ties to the Shadow Lords. The Way of the warrior has several key tenets, followed closely by Hakken:

1.) Benevolence and unselfishness - The Hakken’s two swords, katana and wakazashi (collectively called the dai-sho), are the symbol of his authority and rank. To the Hakken, using a sword is a sign of mercy among his fellow werewolves; the dai-sho are far less lethal (to other shapeshifters) than tooth and claw. Wearing the dai-sho reminds the Hakken to check his power and show mercy as appropriate; as a result, the Hakken never bind spirits into their blades. Power is a serious responsibility; to use it judiciously is a wise thing. A true warrior wouldn’t turn away those hungry or those in need of his help, nor would he strike without provocation.

2.) Straightforwardness — The idea behind this notion is appearing to be straightforward, unruffled or forthright; however, this façade may or may not penetrate into the layers of a warrior’s soul. In truth, most Hakken are deft politicos; a typical outsider would never realize she’d been brutally insulted, thanks to a Hakken’s straightforward conversational style. After all, the Hakken are still Shadow Lords to some degree.

3.) Wisdom — A Hakken must know her own strengths and limitations before she can hope to truly know anything or anyone else.

4.) • Loyalty — Allegiance and constancy to one’s sworn daimyo (alpha or leader) are extremely important to the Hakken. Faced with a choice of either death or betrayal of the daimyo, most Hakken will gladly accept death. To foreswear loyalty is to lose face and honor almost irredeemably. However, unlike human samurai, Hakken are far less likely to commit ritual suicide over minor infractions; a dying race cannot be quite as strict if there are to be any future generations.

5.) The maintenance of quality in all things — From personal appearance to politeness at social gatherings, the Hakken strives for perfection. Vengeance, art, war, or love — no matter what the task, a Hakken seeks to practice it to the highest level of distinction.

6.) Eternal obedience — To the Hakken, the daimyo is chosen — imbued by Gaia with the wisdom necessary to uphold his responsibility. Therefore, the warrior will follow the daimyo’s dictates to the utmost of his abilities. If a Hakken feels that she cannot meet his daimyo’s orders, she may choose to become Ronin. Usually, this is not done, not because the Hakken fears a loss of personal honor, but because he doesn’t wish to contribute to the clan’s loss of honor, or because the daimyo has lost her ability to be a just and strong leader. In spite of romanticized notions of ronin in film, this isn’t a path to choose lightly; being outside the status quo carries serious social repercussions. The Hakken are still werewolves; being part of a pack is still in their nature.

7.) Acceptance of punishment for failure — The Hakken don’t offer excuses for mistakes; they take responsibility for their deeds. Often, this means they’ll likewise have to accept punishments for their actions. On the other hand, a daimyo who metes out discipline must be just and wise in his chastisement.

8.) Acceptance of a just fate for injustices done to others — This is karma; if a Hakken makes someone else suffer unfairly, one day he’ll get his just reward. On the other hand, some acts of injustice may be necessary due to a command by the daimyo. The Hakken must weigh his loyalty and obedience against his karma in such cases. Again, if the matter involves mere personal suffering or loss of honor, the Hakken will fall to the will of the clan and daimyo every time

## Raven's Laws

1. **(With a Nod Coward Helios)** There are certain rules and regs that the entire breed lives by, no ifs, ands or buts. Most of these got laid down by Raven before he shooed us all over the planet, but a few were added out of respect for Helios. The thing is, some folks might try to puff these things up as sacred commandments, but they're as much common sense as anything else. As long as you keep these in mind and use your head for something other than a neat place to put your hat, you'll do just fine.
2. **There Are No Secrets -** It's your duty to uncover every secret you can, even the unpleasant ones. Left alone in the dark, secrets fester, rot and turn into some damn unpleasant things. It's our duty to uncover things that others want hidden, because odds are, if someone's taking the effort to hide some information, that information's dangerous. If you hear a rumor or catch a detail that nags at you, you had best follow up to the best of your ability or there'll be hell to pay. You never know if that lead you ignore as being "too ridiculous" will turn into the thing that bites you in the ass.
3. **Share What you Know -** Information does no good in a bottle. It doesn't matter if you know the three magic words that will save the world; as long as those words are locked in your brainbox, they're not doing anyone any good, including yourself. Odds are you're not going to be able to do a damn thing about most of the secrets you uncover, but that's not the point. After all, we're not here to take care of the messes, just to uncover them. That's why it's necessary to share what you know. Tell others, who can tell others, who can tell others who just might be able to do something about whatever you've stumbled over. On a more somber note, the sooner you spread the word over what you know, the safer you are. If you're the only one who knows what the local Pentex subsidiary is up to, you're a prime target. If you tell three other Corax, who tell three more each, who tell a buttload of Garou, well, suddenly you're way down on the hit list priority. And if they do catch you, if word of what you found gets out, at least you didn't die in vain.
4. **Teach them What They'll Learn -** Not everyone accepts the straight dope from us, or even likes us. And sometimes, the very folks who won't listen are the very same ones you need to get information to. In that case, Raven has authorized use of unnecessary and ridiculous force. More to the point, the methods don't matter - the information has to get through. It doesn't matter how. It doesn't matter if you have to get a whole pack of Garou howling for your blood or if you have to make yourself look like an idiot to get a Simba to listen - if they have to know, then it's your job to let them know. And you will do whatever it takes, dig, because there's damn little more important than making sure the right info gets to the right people.
5. **Protect the Eggs -** This one is a no-brainer. Eggs are our future. We're too few as is. Defend a spirit egg with everything up to, but not including, your own life. We can't afford to lose a single one of us, even to save another, except under the most dire of circumstances. But a threat to an egg is intolerable. If you see anything going after a spirit egg, cowboy the bastard.
6. **Remember Why you're Here -** We're not the fighters. We're the scouts and communications officers. Yeah, it's tempting to be the one to save the day and rescue the girl, but we're not built for that, and trying stupid heroics is a good way to get yourself killed. Your job is to get information and get out, preferably without the enemy seeing you. If you do get spotted, escape makes more sense than fighting, particularly since he can call on more reinforcements than you can. Before you throw a single punch, consider what you're up against and what your odds of walking away from the fight are. Nine times out of 10, that should be enough to send you scurrying in the opposite direction as fast as you can go. In the end, it's not important who gets the job done. It's important that the job gets done, and if the job is kicking ass, there are lots of folks out there better at it than we are.
7. **Bear Witness -** Every living soul has a story, and it's part of our mandate to save as many of those stories as we can. That's why we drink the eyes of the dead, after all. It's a great information source, sure, but it's also respect, and making sure some little bit of the corpse's story gets carried away by someone. The other part of this rule is that you cannot turn away. Not now, not ever. No matter how brutal or horrifying what you're looking at might be -and I'm talking about anything from the killing fields of Kampuchea to the worst bits of Bed-Stuy -- you have to see it all, so that when you tell the tale, you tell it right. To do any less is disrespectful, and dangerous. There's no cutting corners in this business.
8. **The Truth Matters -** Partial or inaccurate information gets people killed. You are not allowed to skimp on your observations for any reason, from your tender sensibilities to the fact that you're getting the heebie-jeebies. If you can't tell the story accurately, if you don't have the facts, then don't tell the story at all. Don't make things up to patch the holes, because that always leads to disaster.
9. **Everything's Part of the Cycle -** Don't judge anyone or anything out of context. Gaia had a plan when she put this rock together, and everything has a part in it. So don't jump to conclusions about whether someone or something is unnecessary until you figure out why they're doing what they're doing, and what purpose it serves in the grand scheme of things. After all, some day someone might just look at you, with your beak buried in a corpse's peepers, and decide that you were some gross bit of vermin barely worth the round of birdshot he buries in your ass to "protect the sanctity of the body" from your unholy depredations. In other words, judge not lest ye be judged.
10. **Don't Play Favorites -** We owe both Helios and Raven tremendous debts, and we show our respect every chance we get. This means whispering every secret we learn into the air, not to mention thanking both of them at every Parliament. Furthermore, it means recognizing that we're damn lucky to have the favor of two powers like that, and that we probably shouldn't do anything to screw that relationship up. So demonstrate proper reverence to both, kiddo. Play favorites with Helios and you just might get burned.
11. **Fly! -** You've been given an unimaginable gift: wings. So use 'em! Fly, 'cause it's a dead cert no one else in your family can. Experience everything you can. Talk to everyone you can. Learn as much as you can and look at things from as many angles as you can. Why? Because you can, that's why. As much fun as just getting airborne is, it's also symbolic of what we're doing here. If you can look at a problem from another angle, say, from above, you have to do so. Don't let any of your talents or opportunities get wasted. Otherwise, why the hell did someone think you were worth wings to begin with?
12. **Laugh -** Or you'll cry. In the middle of all of the bullshit that we have to put up with - and believe me, it's worse than you can imagine - you have to remember that we've been given some tremendous gifts. In spite of it all, kid, we're lucky - damn lucky. We get to fly, after all. So laugh. Look for the humor in everything, because sure as spit it's there, and after drinking dead men's eyes and seeing the horrors this rock holds, you'll need it. A moment of laughter at the right time can tide you over through a bad patch, until you can get the wind behind you again and realize how sweet life really is.