Once a newly Changed werewolf has been taught something of what she is, she is given the opportunity to join a tribe. Sometimes the other werewolves pressure her, for reasons of bloodline or “destiny,” to join a specific tribe, but the choice of which tribe to join always rests with the werewolf. Joining a tribe is a serious business, one meant to color the path of the werewolf’s life, so it is ritually acknowledged through the Initiation Rite.
The first part of the Initiation Rite is an ordeal of some sort. The ordeal might be physical or mental, a challenge to be overcome or a painful experience to be endured. It is usually meant to test the subject’s dedication and ability. Some harsh ritemasters set ordeals that might kill an unworthy supplicant. Others prefer that the ordeal run little or no risk of actually killing the subject, but in no case is the ordeal simply ceremonial. It always tests the subject physically or mentally.
If the subject endures the ordeal, she then swears the Oath of the Moon, including the vow levied by her new tribal totem. Once her oath has been accepted, she becomes a member of her tribe in full, which is often a cause for vigorous celebration.
Performing the Rite
The performance of the Rite of Initiation varies not only from tribe to tribe, but also from region to region. In most cases, it takes place at a tribal gathering, but some werewolves have been given the Oath and inducted into the tribe by a solitary ritemaster. There are a few constants, but Storytellers and players should customize the ritual as seems appropriate. The applicant must have at least one dot of Renown in the appropriate category to undergo the rite; thus, an aspiring Bone Shadow must have at least one Wisdom.
First, the ritemaster calls to the tribal totem, asking it to watch the ordeal and determine whether the new supplicant is worthy. In some cases, the subject is introduced
by a sponsor or relative who vouches for her. The ordeal itself varies very widely but always reflects the tribe’s ideals in some fashion.
The ordeal usually takes a few hours to a night to complete successfully, but some tests of endurance last longer. If the subject does her best to pass the ordeal but fails (passing out in the middle of an endurance ordeal, for instance), the ritemaster may give her some time to prepare herself and attempt the rite again in a few month’s time (possibly with a different ordeal to face). If the subject chooses not to complete the ordeal, she’s turned away from the tribe and must either find another tribe to offer her the Rite of Initiation or remain a Ghost Wolf.
After the ordeal, the subject may be ritually cleansed before swearing the Oath of the Moon (although the Blood Talons often prefer to have the subject swear the Oath while still wet with her own blood). The ritemaster or another of the assembled werewolves summons a spirit servant of the tribal totem to bear witness to the subject’s pledge, which always concludes with the tribal vow. The ritemaster then ceremonially acknowledges the subject as one of the tribe, calling her by her new deed name (if any), as do any other werewolves present. (The actual die roll to complete the rite represents the swearing of the Oath and the subsequent acknowledgement. If the ordeal is failed, the ritemaster’s roll is moot.)
Once the Initiation Rite is completed successfully, the subject is treated as a full member of the tribe, and it’s customary to summon a spirit allied with the tribal totem to teach the new member an appropriate Gift shortly thereafter.
