UKTENA

They follow the great water-serpent Uktena, the strange totem of mystical wisdom. They have imprisoned countless evil spirits and learned volumes of magical lore. There are no greater sorcerers among the werewolf tribes -- but the Uktena have not gained such wisdom without cost. There is always a price. The mystics of the Garou Nation, the Uktena are masters of long-lost lore, able to bind evil spirits and fight the Wyrm with magic unknown to other tribes. Explore the depths of the Uktena's knowledge. Learn their blessings and curses, and their secret arts. If the Uktena don't know it, it's not worth knowing. - Tribebook: Uktena (Revised)

In the days before the Europeans reached the Americas, the Uktena acted as the wise Older Brother of the three tribes of Pure Ones. Where Wendigo focused on war and the hunt, and the Croatan were more sociable, the Uktena gathered mystical lore to themselves. They settled across the Americas, favoring more southern lands where the rivers they cherish were plentiful. 

UKTENA SOCIETY

When the arrival of the Europeans changed everything, and their Kin were much reduced in number, the Uktena chose to adapt. They began to interact with humans of many other cultures, favoring those who kept old animistic traditions or those who had suffered oppression much as the Pure Ones had. Many Uktena bear the blood of former slaves, or people driven from their lands, or immigrants who were shoved into filthy ghettos. 

But although the Uktena have learned new hope from their embrace of outside cultures (excepting, of course, the Europeans’), a river of dark bitternes sstill runs through their hearts. They ally with the rest of the tribes, but keep secrets to themselves. They haven’t forgotten any of the insults and injuries they’ve suffered. And they don’t trust nearly as much as they let on. They still use the word “Wyrmcomer” to describe the Europeans, even if they don’t do it to their cousins’ faces. When there’s a need to cooperate, they’ll do so — but if there’s an opportunity to discreetly settle a particularly painful vendetta, they may find it hard to resist. 

Despite the old wounds between the Uktena and most of the other tribes, they are valuable members of the Garou Nation. They have spent millennia communing with spirits to learn obscure occult secrets, bartering quietly with lone members of other supernatural communities (such as the Corax, Nuwisha, and Qualmi), and devising rites unknown even to the Wendigo. The Uktena have mastered more occult mysteries than any other tribe, giving them a notable edge where the mystical side of the war is concerned. However, not all of the secrets they’ve learned are safe.

The Uktena don’t shy away from dealing with things darker and more twisted than Gaian spirits. They have a long history of dealing with true horrors. In their explorations, ancient Uktena uncovered a number of powerful Banes lying dormant below the earth’s surface. They enacted mighty rites to keep these monstrous Wyrm-spirits bound, and for generations the Uktena have maintained the tradition of “Bane Tenders” to watch over these blasphemous sites. Over the ages, the tribe learned more of the Wyrm’s evil than any Gaian Garou should perhaps know. 

Yet this knowledge is very useful. The Uktena are masters at discovering Wyrm taint, no matter how subtly hidden. They know the weaknesses of Banes that few other scholars can even name. The tribe’s Theurges are virtually unparalleled, and even their No Moons and Full Moons have a canny knack for understanding the hidden corners of the Umbra. Curiosity is praised as a virtue among the tribe — the cub with the most potential is one who’s hungry to learn. Lupus members are encouraged to ask as many questions as they want to, and as a result learn at an accelerated pace. Their metis are typically held to a harsh standard, yet sometimes even overtake their homid and lupus brethren in mastery of the occult. They have never known a world without mysticism. 

These are dark times, and the Uktena’s knowledge of evil offers a constant window to temptation. Garou of every tribe can fall to the Wyrm, and when an Uktena gives in to the whispers from under the earth, he becomes one of the most cunning and dangerous of all the fallen. Other tribes who suspect the extent of the Uktena’s lore cannot help but dread the thought that they may weaken as a group. But while the Uktena have strength and purpose, they continue to strikeat the Wyrm using methods and approaches few others could master. They know it well, after all. They know its allure and strength,— but also its tricks, its taboos, and its weaknesses.

APPEARANCE

Uktena Pure Breed often manifests as reddish-black fur, and many have a distinct resemblance to red wolves. The tribe is a peculiar mishmash of Native American and various dispossessed ethnicities, and many members have a penchant for occult trinkets from a wide range of traditions.

KINFOLK & TERRITORY

The Uktena bred with native peoples throughout the Americas, and have brought many other oppressed ethnic groups under their wing. Only the Children of Gaia are more inclusive than the Uktena.

The Uktena tend to have more Apex Kinfolk, known as the Wahya, than any of the other Tribes. They consider this proof of Gaia's favor and believe themselves to be her favored children because of it. The Wahya help protect Gaia as guardians of the land. In modern times they are naturalists, biologists, botanists, conservationists, ecologists, environmentalists, and zoologists. They have strong connections with Native Americans and the indigenous tribes of the world, working to protect the spirits of the land against the Wyrm and the Weaver, as well as the misuses of man.

Unlike the other Garou tribes, the Uktena do not feel threatened when other Tribes claim Uktena Kinfolk as mates. Because of their own inclusiveness, they consider it natural. However, this is not necessarily an altruistic practice. There are other Uktena who look upon this as an opportunity to breed Uktena cubs into the other tribes, strengthening the Uktena seed and weakening the European characteristics in future Garou.

The Uktena have always favored secluded territories, often places that have a bad reputation in local folklore. Many of these places have earned that reputation with ancient horrors bound beneath the land and kept there only by the Uktena’s vigilance.

UKTENA GIFTS

◉◉◎◎◎◎: RANK 2 UKTENA - Mother's Touch (Buff)

• Base Roll: 70
• Energy/Gnosis Cost: 2
• Damage: 0
• Mods: Medical, Occult
• Duration: n/a
• Resist: n/a
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +3 Mental Skill

Description:

The Garou is able to heal the wounds of any living creature, aggravated or otherwise, simply by laying hands over the afflicted area. The Garou may not heal herself, spirits or the undead with this Gift. A bear- or unicorn-spirit teaches this Gift.System: 

The player spends 2 Points of Energy/Gnosis and makes a successful roll. As long as you are able to make a successful roll (70+), there is no limit to how many times this Gift may successfully be used on a person, but each use requires the expenditure of 2 Points of Energy/Gnosis and another successful roll. How much healing you are able to do is determined by how high of a roll the Player makes. (See Roll Chart)This skill cannot be used during battle, but you can pull or drag a person well away from the combat (one full turn of pulling them from the combat) and use this Gift.Roll Chart:

• 1-10: Botch! You actually do 5 HP of additional damage.
• 11-59: The Mother does not hear you and you cannot heal the person. Further, you can not try again for one OOC day.
• 60-79: The Mother hears you and gives you the ability to heal 5 HP of Damage.
• 80-89: Your hands grow very warm and you heal the person for 10 HP of Damage.
• 90-99: There's a slight white glow about your hands and you heal the person for 15 HP of damage.
• 100+: It's a miracle! The Mother's blessing is upon you as your hands glow a bright white, become extremely warm and you fully heal the person for all their HP, and no scarring occurs.