General Uratha Information- Please Read

I'm certain for a few of you the term "Uratha" is confusing. That's why I'll be explaining it here. Uratha is the term Werewolves use to call one another. Uratha is an ancient word that, essentially, means 'Werewolf' in their tongue. So, throughout the forums you will be seeing this word a good deal.

I figured I'd take the time to explain a little bit about what Werewolves do, how their Forms work, and how they got to be where they are.



Uratha exist as a combination of Spirit and Flesh. As ancient creatures, they used to exist under the watchful gaze of Mother Luna (the spirit of the Moon), and Father Wolf (the spirit of the Werewolves). They were born as children between the two. Eventually, the children got jealous of the attention their mother gave their father. They devised a plan to kill him.

This split the Uratha down into two groups. The Forsaken, and the Pure. The Forsaken are those who choose to hunt down and kill Father Wolf, the Pure those who chose to do nothing. It wasn't long until the Forsaken succeeded in their goal, and Father Wolf laid dead. Mother Luna was absolutely furious at this. Not just at the Forsaken, either, at the Pure for doing nothing to stop the others. She loved her children, but what they did was absolutely unforgivable. So, she cast them out, and they fell from her grace.

Previously inhabiting the Shadow (think of this realm as a mirror of ours [the material realm], that's divided by the Guantlet), the Forsaken and the Pure now exist nearly entirely in the Material. The Pure are the Forsaken's greatest enemies. Hunting them down and slaughtering them for their past transgressions.



Those of Werewolf blood are wolves at birth. No bite. No curse. It is who they are. The Oath makes it so that a Wolf is not allowed to have a child with another Werewolf. At some point in time your character would have had a werewolf as a relative. Whether it's their immediate father or mother, or their grandparents. They have the blood in them. All it takes is one moment, and they go into their first change. The moon phase above them dictates their Auspice.


The Oath of the Moon is a lifestyle that all Uratha (excluding the bastardized Pure) follow. It is as follows:

The Wolf Must Hunt: All Uratha must hunt down their natural pray: Spirits who have escaped into or who are influencing the natural world. As well as the Spirits hosts, and others threatening their pack and their territory.

The People Do Not Murder The People: Every Territory has a different way of interpreting this rule. An important aspect of the oath here is that it does not say "Kill" It says "Murder". The Portland Packs have always seen it as this: A Werewolf is not forbidden from killing another Werewolf. But to do so without honor is to forfeit your life. If you've beaten the Wolf in battle, and they are healing, to kill them then is to commit Murder.

The Low Honor the High, The High Respect the Low: This clause is generally self explanatory. Those who are of higher standard respect the younger members. And those who lead deserve the honor they claim. Simple as that.

Respect your Prey: This one is also rather self explanatory. Always respect the lives of which you may be ending. Whether it be animal, or Human.

The Uratha Shall Cleave to the Human: No Wolf can be born between two Werewolves. Simple as that. Sex between two Uratha is absolutely forbidden by the Oath. While the doesn't mean it can't happen it is not supposed to happen. Any physical distractions between two Uratha distracts from the real reason they exist: To keep the balance between the Material and the Shadow intact.

Do Not Eat The Flesh of Man or Wolf: Human flesh provides Essence to a Werewolf who consumes it. However, it is entirely against the Oath to consume the flesh of a human- or that of another wolf.

The Herd Must Not Know: Humans can not know about Uratha. Humans are dangerous. They're smart, they're intuitive, and they're violent. Some Uratha insist it's for the humans protection that the Forsaken keep themselves a secret, but the wise know that not to be the case.

Violating any of these clauses brings punishment from the more experienced Uratha. It could be something as simple as being scolded to having the flesh flayed from your back and being thrown out into the harsh sun. Needless to say- It's much better to follow the tenets, then see what will happen if you don't.



Hisau (Human)- Hisau is the general form of flesh. It follows all the rules of humanity.

Dalu (Near-Human)- Growing taller, faster, and stronger, the Uratha takes on the form of something in between a wolf and a human. They become hairier, their canines grow out, and small claws appear on their hands and feet.

Gauru (Wolf-Man)- Gauru is the most famous of the Werewolf Forms. Ten feet tall, humongous creatures with gaping maws and teeth capable of ripping flesh from bone. Gauru is also the most difficult to control. In this form, speaking is difficult and most mental and social attempts fail. Uratha are only capable of staying in it for a short period of time (five to ten minutes, or 5 posts) before possibly going into a Death Rage.

Urshul (Near-Wolf)- A man-sized wolf, basically. Something much larger than the lithe creature found in the natural world.

Urhan (Wolf)- The Uratha changes into a full wolf. Much faster than any normal person. Their bite is quite lethal, as well.


Death Rage is a very real, very dangerous aspect of being an Uratha. Losing a Pack Member, particularly traumatic experiences, as well as being in Gauru too long can induce it. Upon it happening, all character control is taken from the player as the character goes absolutely insane. It loses any differentiation between who is friend and who is foe. Human or Supernatural. It simply kills everything in sight. Nothing more. Nothing less. Normal Gauru rules do not apply.

Lunacy is the supernatural effect Werewolves have on Humans. If a human sees a werewolf change form (a big no-no), they will induce lunacy. This, in it's most base form, makes them run away as quickly as possible. They rationalize the situation later, or simply don't remember it at all.

Healing

One of the most major upsides of being a Wolf is the incredibly healing factors. Bruises heal within moments. Broken bones within hours. Large lacerations on the body will close and heal in under a day. Even the most dangerous and deadly of wounds only inconvenience the Uratha for days instead of weeks.

The only exception is Silver.

Silver burns and scars. It makes the skin sizzle and the flesh melt away. It is the single most painful thing any Uratha could possibly feel. It's also a sin to use it against another Werewolf, though this doesn't stop the Pure, or hunters, for that matter. So, it is smart to be careful of weapons that look particularly tarnished. As a single stab through the stomach might be the last thing you ever see.