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Just as Garou form packs of bonded individuals to better serve Gaia, the idea of Kinfolk packs, sometimes called subaltern or plebe packs, has grown exponentially among Kinfolk. Usually, these packs consist of Kinfolk in their late teens and older, though young Kinfolk sometimes form “play packs.” Forming a permanent or even a temporary group of Kinfolk to tackle field missions enables Kinfolk the chance to fight some of Gaia’s enemies with a good chance of survival. Taking as their models the Garou pack, the military’s special ops small-tactical groups, and even the adventure gaming model from online games, most Kinfolk packs contain from four to six members. One person takes on the job of pack leader, another acts as “medic” or healer (usually someone with medical knowledge or supernatural healing), another as scout or point person, and the rest as “muscle.

Subaltern packs require a lot of time and purpose to build, and without great effort and worthiness and renown, won’t even get a chance to even think about a totem. However, does allow the group to work together and pool their backgrounds.

For as long as Kinfolk existed, groups of Kin have formed societies or fellowships. These groups serve many purposes. They provide Kinfolk of one tribe with a means of bringing together people who have something important in common — their connection to the Garou Nation. Some of these fellowships provide purely social contact, much like book clubs or bridge clubs do for many individuals. Others form around a common purpose, much as the fraternal societies such as the Elks, Kiwanis, or Rotary clubs, or care providers such as the Red Cross. Some unite under the aegis of a particular political or environmental issue, like many conservation and PAC committees. Some include only members of a single tribe, while others have an open membership policy. Some are restricted to Kinfolk only, while others have Garou sponsorship or one or two Garou members. All these societies exist under the radar of mainstream society. A few societies exist that are secret even to the Garou. These usually bring Kinfolk together under the banner of dissent or even rebellion. Secret Kinfolk societies rival similar mainstream societies both in their extreme attitudes and in the care, they take to remain invisible to the Garou and to the outside world. The penalties for membership meted out by human authorities are bad enough; those handed out by Garou who realize that their Kinfolk may be working against them tend to be much, much worse. The following groups represent a sampling of Kinfolk organizations. Storytellers and players should feel free to create their own either as additions to, or replacements for, these groups. Membership in these groups may provide a means for initiating a chronicle involving Kinfolk.

Although some Kinfolk can learn and use Garou Gifts, restrictions apply. Kinfolk characters may not begin play with Gifts (i.e., they may not be purchased with freebie points during character creation, nor can you use freebie points). They must acquire Gifts through good roleplaying and character development, and these Gifts must be purchased using experience points gained in play or, perhaps, as special rewards from the Garou or from spirits helped by the Kinfolk. In addition, the number of Gifts a Kinfolk may possess should never outstrip what would be reasonable for a Garou. A Kinfolk character with more than two or three Gifts would have to have very good reasons for possessing so many! Most Kinfolk who can use Gifts have one Gift; occasionally, a talented and Gaia-blessed Kinfolk might have two Gifts. Under very special circumstances, and only as a reward for exceptional roleplaying, a Kinfolk who accomplished something unique and epic, might acquire three Gifts.

Kinfolk can only learn Level One Gifts, never Level Two or higher. Once a player purchases a Gift for her Kinfolk character, the character must learn the Gift during play before she can use it. Such a Kinfolk must first find someone to teach her the Gift. Since spirits teach most Gifts, the Kinfolk needs to find a Garou — usually a Theurge — to summon a spirit to act as teacher, although any Garou who can summon spirits will do. At the same time, the aspiring Kinfolk student must present evidence to Theurge of her need to learn the Gift, her accomplishments that merit this privilege, and how she can help her Tribe by knowing this Gift.

If she has any Renown, throwing in a recitation of the deeds that led to receiving it couldn’t hurt. Next, the Theurge, provided he is willing, must call forth the spirit that can teach the Gift. If the spirit decides to appear, the pupil needs to negotiate with it, usually through an interpreter using Spirit Speech. Except to act as a translator, the Theurge at this stage does not involve himself in the bargaining process unless a threat to the sept presents itself (or in case the spirit takes an intense dislike to the Kinfolk).

During this process, the Storyteller should ask the player to make the appropriate social roles. Sometimes spirits contact Kinfolk on their own, without a Theurge to mediate. If the Kinfolk performed some deed that pleased the spirit or did the spirit or one of its earthly children a significant service, the spirit might decide to teach the Kinfolk a Gift as a reward. If this happens, the Kinfolk has no choice in what Gift he has the opportunity of learning. One does not provoke a spirit by putting conditions on one’s generosity. Kinfolk cannot learn Gifts as quickly as Garou can, but a patient spirit can teach its Gift to a Kinfolk in several hours.

Cost of gifts:

Teaching Cost

Gift is of Kin’s breed or tribe 15 exp.

Gift is outside Kin’s breed or tribe +5 exp.

Gift is taught by a Garou rather than a spirit +5 points.

Many Garou tribes include Kinfolk in a number of their rites. These rites usually honor Gaia, mark seasonal changes, or address milestones in the life of an individual or family. Some rites, of course, are for Garou only. In the same fashion, Kinfolk have devised their own rites intended to bring them closer to each other as Kinfolk or to mark gatherings of Kinfolk from a number of different tribes. While most of these rites do not require Gnosis and do not involve mystic powers, they do serve to renew Kinfolk’s connections to their tribes, to Gaia, and to one another. Usually, a Kinfolk elder acts as rite master to enact the rite. If a Garou is present, she is often asked to lead the rite or participate in it as a matter of courtesy or respect. Garou are free to refuse to lead the rite with no negative implications, since these rites are properly led by Kinfolk. For a Garou to refuse participation in a rite when asked might imply some sort of criticism. Therefore, such requests never happen lightly. Many of these rites are versions of Garou rites of the same name, but a few are unique to Kinfolk, or to Kin of certain tribes. Kinfolk group their unique rites under the same categories as the Garou use, for convenience. The following list of Kinfolk rites presents a sampling of ceremonies and does not purport to be exhaustive. Players and Storytellers should feel free to create their own rites for Kinfolk chronicles. One rite common to many kenning Kinfolk is the Baptism of Fire (p. 210, W20 Corebook), whereby a Kin family can assign a Kin Fetch spirit to one of their offspring. Although the Kin rite master cannot summon the spirit, a Kin Fetch that is already present to the family can be used. Such a spirit can make itself known and visible to the rite master. For more on Kin Fetches, see pp. 99-104.

Besides mundane backgrounds, below are the ones that kinfolk can have:

Garou Favor (limited to 1 dot at character creation with good justification)

You have somehow earned a big favor from a Garou. Perhaps you rescued one or more of his Kinfolk or saved his life. You might have performed some action that prevented the destruction of a caern or other spot sacred to Gaia. This means that you can claim one favor from the Garou who owes you. The type of favor is up to you and your Storyteller. It could range from a “get out of jail free” card that provides you with an out from a risky or potentially fatal situation. You can either gain some positive boon from the Garou or avoid a negative effect. It might be a cash gift, a piece of fancy equipment, even a hit on someone who is threatening you or your family. Once you call in your favor, it is gone. You can always try to earn another one by roleplaying for it in the game. Explain to the Storyteller the circumstances that led to your acquiring the favor.

•One favor from a Garou of low rank (0-1).

••One favor from a Garou of medium rank (2).

•••One favor from a Garou of high rank (3-4).

••••One favor from a Garou of highest rank (5).

•••••One favor from a tribal leader.

Renown (limited to 1 dot at character creation with good justification)

Very few Kinfolks ever gain Renown in the eyes of Garou. Occasionally, one of the Kin performs some action that the Garou feel merits the awarding of Renown. This Background allows your character to begin the game with some temporary Renown. You may choose whether the points go into Honor, Wisdom, or Glory, or whether you receive a combination of the three. You should work out with your Storyteller the circumstances under which your character receives her Renown. (See the Renown Chart for more information and suggestions.) Even possessing Renown, a Kinfolk may never receive the rank of a Garou. Nevertheless, as with Pure Bloodline, Garou recognize and honor Kinfolk with Renown, but they demand more work and service from them as well.

•One temporary point of Renown.

••Two temporary points of Renown.

•••Three temporary points of Renown.

••••Four temporary points of Renown.

•••••Five temporary points of Renown.

Rites

Rites Like their Garou relatives, Kinfolk find importance and meaning in the performance of rituals to celebrate who they are, recognize significant milestones in their lives and otherwise mark themselves as separate from non-Kinfolk humans. This Background determines how many rites the character knows at the beginning of the game. The ratings represent levels of rites, so that a character with four dots in Rites may know one Level Four rite, four Level One rites, two Level Two rites or a Level One and a Level Three rite. A character must have a Rituals Knowledge rating of at least the level of the rite she wishes to learn, so our character in the previous example must have four dots in Rituals to have that Level Four rite. These levels refer to Kinfolk rites only; if a Kinfolk who possesses the Rituals Knowledge wishes to learn a Garou rite, she must work that out with her Garou kin. Kinfolk may not learn above a Level Two Garou rite. Higher levels of the Rituals Knowledge allow a Kinfolk to learn only more Level One or Two Garou rites. For example, a Kinfolk with four dots in Rites may, with permission, learn four Level One Garou rites, or two Level Two-, or two-Level Ones and one Level Two Garou rite. Kinfolk may also learn minor Kinfolk rites at a cost of two minor rites per dot. This Background merely notes how many levels of rites a Kinfolk knows, not whether or not they are Kinfolk or Garou rites. Being able to know a rite and actually learning it are two very different things.

•You know one level of rites.

••You know two levels of rites.

•••You know three levels of rites.

••••You know four levels of rites.

•••••You know five levels of rites.