Welcome to the Pack
Uratha do not have a formal government as other supernaturals do. They have packs and Tribes, but territory is divided by packs with the stronger packs gaining more territory. One's role in the pack is determined by his Auspice, the phase of the moon he was changed under. Though his ideals may make him a member of a certain tribe, and many packs are comprised of tribe-mates, inter-tribal packs exist with some frequency. Tribes have their concerns, but the pack is first and foremost to every one of the People. They are your family, your brothers and sisters, and family is always the most important.
AuspicesRahu - Changed under the Full Moon, they are the Warriors, first to charge and last to retreat. Usually aggressive and determined, as befits their role as warriors. Their First Change is always violence, releasing their fury on everyone and everything around them, sometimes killing their loved ones. Though they may appear mindless barbarians, they can be tactical and cunning fighters or strategists.
Gifts - Talented in Gifts of strength, dominance, and other powers that further their role as Warrior.
Ability - They are much more capable in reading an opponent in combat, determining the gap between power and sometimes just what that entails
Cahilith - Changed under the Gibbous Moon, they are the Visionaries and storytellers, keepers of the old legends so that they may be used to solve problems in the present and future. Often expressive and compassionate. Their First Change often overwhelms them with new senses and hallucinations that leave them howling their fear and confusion.
Gifts - Talented in Gifts that grant knowledge, inspire others, and enhance their role as Visionary.
Ability - They can sometimes bear prophetic dreams to gain new insights into current or possibly future events.
Elodoth - Changed under the Half Moon, they are the Walkers Between, the judges and arbiters of conflict. Even tempered and observant, they negotiate between the physical and spirit worlds. Acting as mediators with spirits with the hopes of preventing conflict.
Gifts - Talented in Gifts that grant insight into others, protection, and that enforce their role as Judges.
Ability - Naturally much more skilled in dealing with spirits, so long as it isn't in a hostile way.
Ithaeur - Changed under the Crescent Moon, they are the Shamans, the spirit and ritual masters. It is their role to deal with malicious spirits and often possess the most knowledge of the spirits and their world as well as higher mastery of rituals. Commonly contemplative and foresightful. During their First Change they may be marked by revelations of the Shadow Realm and even glimpses across the Gauntlet that divides the worlds.
Gifts - Talented in Gifts over the elements, the shaping of objects, and those that further their abilities in their role as Spirit Masters.
Ability - More skilled in mastering rituals than other Uratha.
Irraka - Changed under the New Moon, they are the Stalkers, acting as scouts and silent hunters. Often inquisitive and resourceful. They can detect Loci, fonts of Essence, farther and with more accuracy than others and can track spirits more easily than others.
Gifts - Talented in Gifts of stealth, evading others, and those that enforce their roles as Scouts.
Ability - More easily perceive the other world or detect ephemeral spirits.
Tribes of the People
The Forsaken have five Tribes. These Tribes consist of Uratha who choose to follow one of five ancient and powerful wolf-spirits, called the Firstborn. These Firstborn are the first born children of Father Wolf (but not of Mother Luna) and have allied with the Forsaken. Every one of the Forsaken demands that the Uratha who belong to his Tribe act in accordance to a certain ban. The Pure also have alliances with the Firstborn, resulting in three Tribes, though they form a separate organization that is in opposition to humanity, and blames the Forsaken for the death of Father Wolf. The Ghost Wolves and Bale Hounds have no patrons, making them more like collections of werewolves with similar circumstances than true Tribes.
Tribes of the MoonAlso known as The Forsaken or Urdaga in the First Tongue. There are five Tribes of the Moon, who hold Luna to be their mother and honor her. They are allied with the lunar choirs, and strive to police the shadow world, keeping flesh on one side of the Gauntlet, and spirit on the other. They grant affinities in more Gifts than Auspice alone, and those that are underlined are available only to members. The tribes are as follows:
Blood Talons - known as Suthar Anzuth in the First Tongue, are a tribe of warriors, defenders, and champions. Heirs to Fenris-Ur, the Destroyer Wolf, their ban is to "Offer no surrender that you would not accept".
Tribal Gifts - Trained in Gifts of
battle, inspiring others, harnessing rage, and strength.
Bone Shadows - known as Hirfathra Hissu in the First Tongue, are a tribe of shamans, seers, and wise men and women. Heirs to Kamduis-Ur, the Death Wolf, their ban is to "Pay each spirit in kind".
Tribal Gifts - Trained in Gifts of death,
endings which are aspects of death but not death itself, insight into others, and protection.
Huntes in Darkness - known as Meninna in the First Tongue, are a tribe of assassins, guardians, and stalkers. Heirs to Hikaon-Ur, the Black Wolf, their ban is to "Let no sacred place in your territory be violated".
Tribal Gifts - Trained in Gifts of the elements, nature,
stalking which covers stealthy approach and strikes but stealth on it's own, and stealth itself.
Iron Masters - known as Farsil Luhal in the First Tongue, are a tribe of improvisers, innovators, and progressives. Heirs to Sagrim-Ur, the Red Wolf, their ban is to "Honor your territory in all things".
Tribal Gifts - Trained in Gifts of
blending, knowledge, shaping of objects, and technology.
Storm Lords - known as Iminir in the First Tongue, are a tribe of alphas, aristocrats, and commanders. Heirs to Skolis-Ur, the Winter Wolf, their ban is to "Allow no one to witness or to tend your weakness".
Tribal Gifts - Trained in Gifts of
alpha which focus on leadership, dominance, evading others, and the weather.
Tribes of the PureThere are three Pure Tribes (called Anshega in the First Tongue), who hold that the Forsaken should be eliminated from the earth. They are allied with any spirit powerful enough to be useful, and don't care about policing the shadow. They do not honor Mother Luna (the "b***h Mother" as they commonly call her) and regard the Celestine as an alien entity who seduced Father Wolf for her own nefarious purposes
Fire-Touched - The Fire-Touched are the spiritual leaders of the Pure Tribes. They claim the Forsaken are damned by default, they label the Forsaken as heretics who should honor Father Wolf instead of venerating Luna. The Izidakh claim that as long as the descendants of Father Wolf's murderers remain alive the werewolf race will still remain stained. Only by fire can the taint be destroyed. The brands on some Fire-Touched hint at cruel rituals of penance.
They follow Rabid Wolf their Gifts draw on the powers of disease and religious conviction. Fire-Touched accept converts from the Uratha. When a wolf turns his back on the Tribes of the Moon he usually shows up branded among the ranks of the Fire-Touched. Rabid Wolf's ban is that he cannot let a false statement lie. A Fire-touched MUST challenge a lie the moment it appears.
Tribal Gifts - Trained in the Gifts of
disease,
fervor, insight into others, and inspiring others.
Ivory Claws - The Tzuumfin follow Silver Wolf and their Gifts draw on the powers of purity and domination. Ivory Claws do not accept converts from the Uratha. Silver Wolf's ban is that he cannot interact with the impure.
Tribal Gifts - Trained in Gifts of
agony which focus on pain, dominance,
scourging which focus on purity, and protection.
Predator Kings - The Predator Kings are the feared warriors of the Pure Tribes. The Ninna Farakh do not hate the Forsaken for their supposed slaying of Father Wolf; they despise the Forsaken because of the loss of Pangaea. The Forsaken fight to preserve the world as it is. The Predator Kings want a world where they are free to hunt, a world where humans are reduced to the state of cattle.
The Predator Kings follow Dire Wolf, oldest of the firstborn. Dire Wolf's ban is that he cannot choose to touch anything made by the hands of a human except to destroy it. He cannot follow roads, brush up against people, etc. His children however have a less harsh ban but still prefer to wear clothes they have made themselves.
Tribal Gifts - Trained in Gifts of nature, harnessing rage,
savagery, and strength.
What follows are not tribes, more of categories.
Ghost Wolves - Ghost Wolf is a word for a werewolf who follows neither the Tribes of Luna or the Pure Tribes. The only commonality between all Ghosts is that they all never fully embrace werewolf society. They are loners who either try to find a cure or cope with their existance as a werewolf.
Ghost Wolves either fail the ordeal of initiation or refuse to take it completely. They seek to integrate at least a little in the local Uratha society. Some even form packs believing that even though they reject the laws of the Tribes they must be with their own kind.
Bale Hounds - Bale Hounds is an umbrella word describing any member of the Forsaken or the Pure who worship spirits of pain, rage, hate, fear, etc. The Bale Hounds believe nature is flawed because the darkest emotions are the strongest, and that spirits of positive emotions aren't nearly as numerous as the negative. The Bale Hounds believe that when the spirits they worship come to power, they will take a part in sharing it.
There are also Universal Gifts granted by Father Wolf which govern, in essence, predation and Mother Luna which govern the nature of the Uratha.