Wendigo

The Wendigo see themselves as the last of the pure Native American tribes. Once part of the many tribes who called the Americas their home, they are, along with the Uktena, all that remain of the Pure Ones after the European colonization of the continent. Because of this, they still harbor resentment towards everyone of European descent, including their Garou cousins, for destroying the land that they love so dearly. They will, however, reluctantly come to their aid in times of need to wage war against the Wyrm and its dark minions.

The Wendigo are very proud of their pure blood and stay as far away from those of European descent as possible, preferring to live in the wilds or, at the very least, on the reservations away from the cities. Their pride in the Native American heritage is strong, and they pass on tales of glory around the evening fire. The European invaders took their land, but they cannot break their spirit.

The Wendigo are masters of woodland survival, becoming one with the land and letting the spirits guide them through the wilderness. Such prowess has earned them great renown, even among other Garou, and they are sought out for their expertise. They are also experts at hit-and-run tactics and are well-known as some of the fiercest warriors among the Garou. After all, they have more than 200 years of practice gained from fighting the European invaders to fall back on. They enjoy causing trouble and love nothing more than to provoke conflict among their enemies. Their philosophy is simple: we don’t need to fight the Europeans; they’re quite capable of killing themselves.

Some of the young among the Wendigo believe that the world is not as bad as their elders say and believe that  the differences between the Native Americans and the others can be overcome. They ignore the teachings of their elders and the bloody lessons that history has taught, preferring to go out in the world and learn for themselves. This has caused great unrest within the tribe.

Totem: Wendigo, the winter spirit of the north

Initial Willpower: Three Traits

Tribe Advantage and Drawback: The Wheel of Seasons
The Wendigo Gain one (or two) positive Traits and must choose one Negative Trait for each season of the year.

• Winter — Physical Traits: Tenacious, Rugged; Negative Trait: Callous, Dull or Witless.
• Spring — Physical Trait: Energetic; Negative Trait: Predictable, Tactless or Impatient.
• Summer — Social Trait: Charismatic; Negative Trait: Lethargic, Violent or Shortsighted.
• Fall — Mental Trait: Reflective; Negative Trait: Lethargic, Dull or Impatient.

Backgrounds: No restrictions.

Beginning Gifts: Call the Breeze, Camouflage

Wolf Form: The timber wolf: its fur varies from dark gray to brown and it is known for its fierce black eyes.

Organization: The elders among the tribe are given the utmost respect. They hold ceremonies on sacred ground, much like Native Americans have for centuries. Their moots are usually held on the crescent moon.

Habitat: They tend to live in the North Woods, despite the fact that it is shrinking under the white man’s continuing expansion. They make their home wherever they roam, just as their ancestors have done for centuries. Many of the Wendigo live on the reservations, since this provides a haven away from the white men. One of the reasons the Wendigo are not as powerful as they could be is that one of their most powerful caerns, located in the Black Hills, has been denied to them by the United States Government. If it were ever to become open to the Lakota people who originally dwelled on the land and worshipped there, the Wendigo would be able to reclaim the powerful caern and potentially cleanse the land all around it. Many Wendigo seek to free the Black Hills for this very purpose.

Protectorate: The Wendigo protect Native Americans of all tribes and the lands on which they live. This tribe is famous for organizing war parties with their Native American Kinfolk to drive the whites away from their lands. They still believe that the Wyrm is using the white man to manifest itself and eat away the world. Perhaps the best way to destroy the Wyrm would be to destroy its host as well.

Outlook: The other tribes are fine as long as they stay on their own land. We will survive without them. In fact, they are part of the problem; if they had not come to our land, the Wyrm would never have followed them. Now, matters are worse, and they are to blame.

Quote: "Welcome to the real America. Now go, before I kill you."

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