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 Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 12:34 pm
 Welcome to the den of the Shadow LordsPlural: Shadow Lords Pronounce: shad'-ohw lohrdz' Faction: Garou Nation Totem: Grandfather Thunder
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 12:36 pm
Who Are the Shadow Lords
Wolves are creatures of dominance and submission, mastery and servitude. The Shadow Lords take this quite literally and strive to master all they survey. Shadow lords see the Garou as the ultimate life form on the planet. Therefore, the Garou are the obvious rulers. Furthermore, as far as they're concerned, there is no tribe greater than the Shadow Lords. With that in mind, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the tribe's agenda. In the end, the only thing the Shadow Lords respect from Garou of other tribes is power. Even so, they are always ready to displace their rivals at the slightest sign of weakness.
Though some argue that knowing too well the lures and seductions of the Wyrm beats a quick path to corruption, the Shadow Lords cultivate a unique perspective on the Wyrm that few Garou share. After all, how better to understand its method and madness than to skirt around its edges, learning its scent? Experience not withstanding, the Shadow Lords recognize the enemy's face and understand is intentions better than most Garou - a strength of immeasurable value when resources are slight. Moreover, from their insights stem truly terrifying Shadow Lord Gifts. However, the Shadow Lords must be careful not to drink too deeply of the Urges, lest their dark strengths can become their greatest weaknesses. Their pride and arrogance is easily warped by the Wyrm into full-blown megalomania.
The Shadow Lords boast a chain of command that would make any corporate division proud. No member is ignorant of his position, power, or more importantly, responsibilities. At the lower end, eager young pups stand ready to fill any vacancy that opens up in the ranks, including vacancies that they sometimes create. Those already in positions of power are constantly on guard against capable upstarts. All in all, the Shadow Lord drive for dominance creates a constant current of change and uncertainty, as those in power inevitably miss a step sooner or later and are brought down. The Shadow Lords' believe in the right to rule through outmaneuvering, outgunning, overpowering, backstabbing and/or assassination - and the right to keep a position in the same ways.
It is the custom among them to undergo a tribe/pack Rite of Passage beyond that normally instituted by the Sept. Such ordeals are usually designed by the alpha of the pack to put the young Garou in a compromising situation in effort to acquaint him or her with the darker emotions of desperation.
When it comes to dealing with the Wyrm, the Shadow Lords use deception and trickery first, only putting themselves in physical harm when it seems that all other options have been expended. This strategy allows them to develop and maintain some indirect relationships with those elements that are close to the vampire and Black Spiral Dancer communities, manipulating them so that they may encourage the Wyrm's resources to destroy itself. They also possess a more intimate knowledge of Wyrm spirits and Banes and are usually best at noticing and tracking their scent. However, when Shadow Lords do resort to direct confrontation, they tend to organize very complete and deadly raids, designed to leave little trace of their involvement (which helps them maintain their contacts for future use)
No tribe or pack controls their families as strictly as the Shadow Lords. Though their brutal treatment of Kinfolk at times has raised the attentions of other tribal leaders, the Shadow Lords have maintained (albeit it not well received) obedience and submission. Problem elements within the family are quickly subdued most often through physical or social means. It is well known that the Shadow Lords have been trying for many years to produce as many offspring as possible. To this end, as soon as Shadow Lord Kinfolk become fertile, they are arranged to mate with members of the tribe.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 12:57 pm
Gifts of the Shadow Lords
Rank 1
Paranoia: Lords of the Summit don’t remain such for long unless they can see their enemies coming. This Gift gives the Lord a heightened sense of awareness, and also reveals a few details about the enemies they are about to face. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
Ears of the Bat: This Gift allows the Shadow Lord to use sonar like a bat. They may act in complete darkness without impairment. Shadow Lords with this Gift have large, bat-like ears. Even in Homid form, they have abnormally large ears. Bat-spirits teach this Gift.
Fair Path: The Hakken appears at formal ceremonies clean and dressed in proper attire, even if they have just returned from battle. A water-spirit teaches this Gift.
Dreams of a Thousand Cranes: By folding an origami crane, the Hakken enjoys good luck for a short period of time. An ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift.
Shadow Weaving: Slightly flexing their fingers or claws, the Garou pulls and weaves shadows as they desire — lengthening or shortening them, lightening or darkening, or even twisting them into grotesque and frightening shapes. A shadow-spirit teaches this Gift.
Rains of Mercy: Though this Gift surprises many non-Shadow Lord Garou, it is only because they forget the Shadow Lords follow a god affiliated with rain, and they come from a harsh land. Even the Darwinist Shadow Lords known that their Kin need to be fed, and the rain summoned with this Gift made sure those favored by the Lords never went hungry. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift
Purify Scent: If another supernatural creature attempts to determine the breed, tribe or auspice of a Shadow Lord, the target may use this Gift to retain their secrets. A Night-spirit teaches this Gift.
Perceptive Servant: Children of Crow are consummate eavesdroppers, and combined with the perceptiveness one gains by serving Crow, this Gift can be extremely useful. It is taught by a Crow-sprit.
Whisper Catching: Secrets are an important commodity, and those who strive to keep their secrets may very well be hiding something dangerous. This Gift was developed to root out potential traitors or plotters against the Garou, but has been open to… certain abuses ever since. The Shadow Lord may supernaturally eavesdrop on whispered conversations nearby, giving them an edge over those with something to hide. This Gift is taught by a crow-spirit.
Seizing the Edge: To the Shadow Lords, there is no possible way for a contest to be even. If neither competitor wins, they both lose. This Gift allows the Garou to swing the balance, ever so slightly, in their favor. A spirit servant of Grandfather Thunder teaches this Gift.
Fatal Flaw: The Shadow Lord can discern a target’s weakness, granting an advantage in combat. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
Aura of Confidence: The Garou projects a demeanor of control and superiority, preventing attempt to find flaws or read auras. This Gift does not prevent supernatural attempt to read the Garou’s thoughts, although it may make doing so difficult (Storyteller’s discretion). An ancestor-spirit teaches this Gift.
Rank 2
Hidden Secrets: Children of Crow are terribly fond of blackmail, and this Gift does a lot to help their natural tendencies along. The Corax know this Gift as Dark Truths; the Shadow Lords learned the Gift from the raven-folk, and improved on it a bit. The Gift is taught by a fly-spirit.
Storm Winds Slash: Hakken may use their blades to injure Wyrm creatures at a distance. This Gift is taught by a metal or wind-spirit.
Song of the Earth Mother: A more powerful version of Sense Wyrm, this Gift allows the user to sense the presence of Wyrm activity within a broad area. Essentially, the Garou communes with the earth and listens to what it says. The Gift is taught by an earth-spirit.
Howls in the Night: The werewolf sends a full-throated howl shivering into the night sky, evoking primal terror in Gaia’s enemies. Creatures of the Wyrm who hear the howl find themselves troubled and unable to rest easily while their enemies are on the prowl. A wolf-spirit teaches this Gift.
Pure Identity: A Bringer of Light can alter their appearance to suggest they belongs to another race. If they remain in homid form, they can appear as pallid as a vampire or as glamorous as an Unseelie changeling. If they desire to keep their “scent” as a Garou, they can affect cosmetic changes and appear as a Black Spiral. This Gift is taught by a Chameleon-spirit.
Cold Voice of Reason: Shadow Lords are skilled manipulators, and are renowned for their ability to both stall for time and talk their opponents into going about their business. This Gift gives that character trait supernatural force, holding assailants at bay while the Lord themselves either escapes or calls on others for support. It must be used strategically to be effective, but it can be powerful when used in this fashion. This Gift is taught by a crow-spirit.
Disfigurement: The Shadow Lord can place a nasty boil or dishonorable scar on the target. They can disfigure their rival in embarrassing ways that rob them of prestige in the presence of other Garou. Although the lesion isn’t physically handicapping, it certainly limits the victim’s social grace. A baboon-spirit or toad-spirit teaches this Gift.
Clap of Thunder:
The Garou slams their hands together and creates a mighty thunderclap that stuns those who hear it. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
Halt the Coward’s Flight / Executioner’s Privilege: The Garou may slow a fleeing (not charging) foe, making them easier to catch. A wolf-spirit teaches this Gift.
Luna’s Armor: The Child of Gaia may call for Luna’s protection in battle. This Gift even allows limited resistance to silver. A Lune teaches this Gift.
True Fear: The Ahroun can display the true extent of their power, scaring one chosen foe into quiescence for a number of turns. Spirits of fear teach this Gift.
Rank 3
A Thousand Eyes: The Child of Bat melds their consciousness with that of a swarm of bats, and may see and hear all that they see and hear for the duration of the night. Using this Gift requires a swarm of at least a thousand bats (easily found in most temperate or tropical areas). It is taught by a bat-spirit.
Patagia: The Shadow Lord can extrude large flaps of skin under their arms, resembling a flying squirrel’s membranes. When not in use, the flaps usually shrink into the Lord’s arms and sides, where they are not detectable. This Gift is taught by a bat-spirit or a squirrel-spirit.
Dark of Night: A Hakken can cause an opponent to become temporarily blinded. Hakken reserve such underhanded tactics for use against minions of the Wyrm. This Gift comes from a raven-spirit.
Under the Gun: The Shadow Lord lays a curse on their foe, ensuring certain death by bullets. While the curse is in effect, bullets (as well as arrows, hurled knives, and any other missile weapons) are strangely attracted to the target. Although this Gift is useful in battle, most Shadow Lords prefer to use it secretly on a chosen foe before a fight begins, ensuring an “unfortunate accident.” A raven-spirit teaches this Gift.
Interrogator: This Gift was originally discovered by a cult of Shadow Lords known as the Judges of Doom. A Garou may use this Gift to terrify their victim into a confession. This Gift is taught by a Fear-spirit.
Shadow Cutting: One of the more cunning tactics of the Shadow Lords, this Gift allows a Lord to maim or kill their opponent by attacking the shadow they cast. This tactic makes their attacks difficult to dodge, and can provide a great advantage in situations where the shadow is a larger or more accessible target than the opponent themselves. A night-spirit teaches this Gift
Raven’s Wings: A lord with this gift is especially close to Raven, and may manifest a spirit avatar in the form of a raven to spy for them. The raven may see and hear, but may not affect the physical world or, in turn, be affected by attacks of any sort.
Icy Chill of Despair: The Shadow Lord with this Gift can appear to grow larger and more imposing, becoming a terrible, shadowy version of themselves. This change in aspect can severely intimidate any onlookers. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
Summon Stormcrow: The Judges of Doom learned this blessing from Grandfather Thunder himself. The Stormcrows, some of Grandfather Thunder’s servants, come to the aid of those Garou who activate this Gift. Acting as spies, the Stormcrows follow anybody the Judge chooses and report back all they learn. Rumors speak of networks of Stormcrows that pass information back and forth like a telephone line.
Curse of Corruption: The Shadow Lords, never a tribe to play fair, designed this Gift to discredit their rivals. Victims of this curse find themselves doubted by even their staunchest allies. Despite a target’s most noble exertions, no one believes anything they have to say until the curse fades. A jackal-spirit teaches this Gift.
Spirit of the Bird / Dark Aerie: Few enemies would expect a werewolf to attack from above, which is precisely why the Uktena developed the means to do so. The Garou may hover, fly or float. Any bird spirit can teach this Gift. In the Shadowlord version of this Gift, the servant of Crow is enveloped by shadows as they escape.
Paralyzing Stare: The Shadow Lord directs a terrifying glare at a target, causing them to freeze in terror. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
Direct the Storm: Having a packmate who is prone to frenzy isn’t safe for anyone. With this Gift, the Shadow Lord can direct the primal instincts of a frenzied Garou — friend or foe — causing them to attack targets of the Lord’s choice. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
Rank 4
Assassin’s Strike: Like the Ratkin and the Nagah before them, the Judges of Doom have learned to quickly slip into and out of the Umbra so that they may surprise their prey. When using this Gift, the Judge disappears for a moment and reappears behind their victim, whereupon they may attack their victim with complete surprise. This Gift is taught by a cobra-spirit.
Living Treasure: A Hakken can convince the spirit of a treasure in their possession to relate its history and lore. An ancestor-spirit imparts this Gift.
Durance: The werewolf dominates a talen-bound spirit, spinning webs of metaphysical authority to forcibly lengthen its service to them. Some consider this Gift disrespectful, but the Shadow Lords find it ridiculous to discard a weapon that might serve Gaia, just for the sake of politeness. This Gift is taught by a spider-spirit.
Ubiquitous Presence: Paranoia is a wonderful weapon. It keeps enemies from resting, from thinking properly, and, done right, from ever attacking you. And if you can’t be everywhere at once, at least you can appear to be. The Shadow Lord can curse an enemy with paranoia, giving the victim an unflinching suspicion that the Garou is watching them, even when that belief would otherwise be entirely illogical. Shadow or night-spirits teach this Gift.
Seeds of Doubt: Talented tricksters, Shadow Lords with this Gift may convince a listener of one false idea, no matter how absurd. The Gift only works if the lie told is not obviously harmful to the listener. It is taught by a Raven-spirit.
Invoke the Spirits of the Storm / Call the Storm: The Garou can summon nearly any weather effect they desire, be it a tornado, fog, blizzard or thunderstorms. An avatar of Digo teaches this Gift. An avatar of Rainbow Serpent teaches the Bunyip version.
Strength of the Dominator: The Garou draws on a target’s anger to feed their own. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
Open Wounds: The Garou may cause the next wound they inflict to bleed profusely, weakening the target further. A pain-sprit teaches this Gift.
Rank 5
Find the Transgressor: With this potent Gift, the Judge calls upon the might of Gaia Herself to determine the exact location of any one named individual that has violated the Litany in some fashion. Use of this Gift is never a trivial undertaking, and those that abuse its power usually suffer dire consequences. An avatar of Gaia Herself teaches this Gift.
Divine Wind: The Hakken can call forth a powerful storm in a designated area. The storm uproots trees and overturns cars in its fury. An ancestor-spirit or a servant of Narukami, Lord of Thunder, teaches this Gift.
Purity of Blood: The disciple has become so resistant to the Wyrm that they may overcome the Blood Bond of vampires. This Gift is taught by an avatar of Grandfather Thunder himself.
Mask Taint: A Garou with this Gift may completely hide their Wyrm-taint from all senses, including Gifts that detect such taint. This Gift is taught by a Puppeteer Bane.
Wounding Lies: For all their ability to prevaricate or misdirect when the need is there, few Shadow Lords – particularly elders – like being lied to. This Gift is the ultimate expression of that conceit; it forces those whom the Lord is interrogating to speak the truth or suffer the consequences. A person that lies to the elder suffers great wounds that mystically appear across his body with each untruth. A pain-spirit teaches this Gift.
Shadow Pack: The Garou summons up shadowy duplicates of themselves to stand by them in battle. These shadow-wolves resemble the Shadow Lord and have some of the same capabilities. A night-spirit teaches this Gift.
Obedience: With the power of this Gift, the Shadow Lord becomes the ultimate alpha, compelling all others to follow their orders. A Stormcrow teaches this Gift.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:00 pm
The Alpha
Name - Username
Image here
Info blurb here
Family Ties - Children
Distant Ties - Grandchildren +
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:01 pm
Rank 5 Members
Name - Username
Name - Username
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:03 pm
Rank 4 Members
Name - Username
Name - Username
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:04 pm
Rank 3 Members
Name - Username
Name - Username
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:04 pm
Rank 2 Members
Name - Username
Name - Username
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:04 pm
Rank 1 Members
Name - Username
Name - Username
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:04 pm
Opinions of Other Tribes
Name - Factions - Little blurb - Opinion
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:04 pm
The Den
Info about the den and the surrounding area here. A few images for reference if possible.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:05 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:05 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:05 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2025 1:05 pm
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