The Lodge of Night developed this ritual in order to serve as both a warning and a memoriam for fallen members. This strange dual-purpose aspect to the rite comes from its unique effect, whereby the ritualist howls long and hard in the Shadow, and leaves a faint “echo” of the sound in the area after he has departed. From then on, any spirits or Uratha entering the area might hear the faint ghost of a howl, conveying whatever message the ritemaster put into the original howl.
Most often these “ghost howls” are left to linger in a region to warn any hostile spirits that it is Uratha-protected territory, or to warn other werewolves that there are highly dangerous spirits nearby. The rite also sees use among the night hunters to mark the spot of a fellow lodge member’s death, where the howl of sorrow will remain in the Shadow for all time. Members of the Lodge of Night are rarely discouraged from marking a packmate’s grave with this rite, even if the fallen Uratha was not a night hunter himself. However, it is forbidden to teach the Rite of the Ghost Howl to non-lodge members, and punishable by expulsion.
Performing the Rite
This ritual takes no more than a minute or so to perform. The ritualist must assume the Urshul form in the area he wishes to mark, and howl a simple message (understandable by those who can speak First Tongue). The message can include the howler’s identity and a vague impression of reason he performed the howl, but little more than that.
