

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Sometimes, there is an enemy so powerful that you can not fight it, and when that happens,
there are two things to do. For preference you trap it, bind it, and hold it where it cannot escape. Failing
that, you watch it, follow it, and learn its weaknesses in preparation for your strike. For both of these
things, the Shadow Lords rely upon the Night Watch. The Watch is similar in some respects to the
Bane Tenders of the Uktena, the main difference being that they see their vigil as being a stopgap until
the enemy can be finally destroyed.
Closely affiliated with the Bringers of Light, the Night Watch are even more cautious, but then
they have to be. They watch over the binding sights of Great Banes and the lairs of powerful monsters,
watching and waiting until the time is right to strike. They do their best to keep their charge held in, but
their most important role is to keep others out. They deny the enemy support, sustenance and
intelligence, and all the while they search and study, and wait for a way to defeat the enemy to present
itself.


Knowledge is power, sometimes literally, and certain Shadow Lords believe that the way to
greater strength in the fight against the Wyrm is to gather that power into greater concentration. What a
Listener does is learn, acquire knowledge for its own sake, and to increase her own power. In addition
to mundane information – which they broker to other Garou for favours, fetishes, for the good of the
Tribe or the Garou or for their own agendas – they collect Gifts and Rites of other Tribes, other Camps,
and – perhaps most importantly – of other Changing Breeds. In repayment, they give information, or
simply give companionship, or they teach Rites and Gifts that their source would normally not have
access to (although never Shadow Lord specific Gifts or Rites).
Most Listeners are Ravens and wandering sages. They travel widely, usually attaching
themselves to companions who has something to learn, or who has something to teach. They meet in
their own Shadow Moots, as and when they can, and exchange stories, knowledge and powers. The
greatest Renown is granted to the Listener who has gained the finest titbits to share with such a
gathering, and Bastet or Nuwisha Gifts in particular gain one great prestige.
The Listeners are unusual among Shadow Lords, in that they lack the characteristic contempt for
those not of Thunder’s Brood. In their dealings with others, they find respect for them, or sometimes
pity, and they view their roles as teachers with as great an importance as their roles as information
gatherers. Knowledge may be power, but if locked away that power is emasculated.


The Judges are the Shadow Lords’ Internal Affairs department, and to a certain extent, consider
themselves the keepers of the entire Garou Nation. The name of the Judges has become mud in recent
years, following a series of scandals, gross miscarriages of justice and abuses of authority. In 1997, one
of their leading lights was destroyed for Wyrm Corruption by Garou outside the Tribe, and rumours
began to surface of Deathwalker – a near-legendary Judge – hunting his own kind when they went bad.
The eyes and claws of the Camp turned inwards, an in a series of bloody inquisitions they set about
establishing a sort of counter-reformation.
They cleaned up their act, and acquired both an air of legitimacy and a new poster-child; the
Truthspeaker. This young Shadow Lord was entrusted with a powerful fetish, the Truthspeaker’s staff,
and has established a powerful reputation for herself and her Tribe as harsh but scrupulously fair. From
the brink of destruction, the Judges have reached an all-time high; never have their judgements carried
so much weight. Some of course still look on them with suspicion, but the Judges make damn sure that
there is nothing for these to find, however hard they may look.
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’
If a Shadow Lord falls to the Wyrm, then the Judges of Doom track them down. When found,
one of two things will happen to the Fallen One. In most cases, they will simply be executed, but if
they are judged worthy on their merits before their fall and on the fight they put up when captured, they
may be given a shot at redemption; the Garou nation can not afford to lose any more heroes than it has
to. It should be noted that many who know what is involved (including every Judge of Doom ever
offered this second chance) choose death and destruction.
Those who wish to be redeemed are marked, fetish tattoos painstakingly etched into the skin of
their upper arms and torso, chains binding both arms, wrapped around the chest and back. Then, a
Judge of Doom Ritemaster performs the Rite of the Silver Chains, and the Fallen One is taken to the
Silver Lake of Erebus to be cleansed. If and when the Garou returns, he or she is no longer a Fallen
One; he is Raven’s Knife. The Garou takes a new name, and presents himself to an Alpha of the
Shadow Lords, swearing himself into that Lord’s service.
From then on, the Knife is on permanent probation. He must serve loyally in whatever capacity
the Alpha requires, and obey orders without question. However, if he suspects his master of Wyrm
Corruption, then he is required to inform the Judges of Doom. If the master is killed by another Garou,
then the Knife’s service passes to that other. If he is killed by an agent of the Wyrm, the Knife must
destroy the killer(s) and – if he survives – offer his service to the next Shadow Lord Alpha he
encounters. There is no end to the probation.
Knives are very rare, and they are valued by those that they serve, for the Rite of the Silver
Chains guarantees their loyalty. They are usually odd types, quiet and distant, and with a haunted look
that comes from their knowledge of the Wyrm, and of Erebus.


The most secret of secret societies, the Velvet Gown is little more than rumour, even among
other Shadow Lords. They are the power behind the throne, an order of successful Betas who play the
game of politics without equal in the Garou nation. They have a tense relationship with the Judges of
Doom, who hate the very fact of the existence of a Camp of Shadow Lords who so consistently evade
their investigations.
Intelligence brokers, viziers, advisors, spymasters, assassins; the Gown do everything the
Shadow Lords are infamous for, and they do it well. In addition, they have mastered a number of
unusual Gifts relating to intelligence gathering and the manipulation of the Shadows from which they
work. More so than any other Camp, these powers, and the general air of secrecy under which the
Gown operates, have gained the Velvet Gown a shady reputation among the Lords. Other Garou almost
never know that the Camp even exists.

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Background Cost: 5.
This son of Grandfather Thunder is the Totem of the Velvet Gown. He is a spirit of omens,
signs and prophecy. His distant rumblings are a valuable warning to those who have both the ear to
hear them and the wit to note them, but he has no time for fools and wastrels.
Traits: Distant Thunder grants his children two extra dice to an Alertness or Primal-Urge pool, when
coupled with Perception or Wits. His children gain 15 Wisdom, but lose 5 Glory.
Ban: Distant Thunder’s warnings are not for the sloppy. He insists that his children never shout, and
never repeat themselves to idiots who do not listen to them the first time.


Rage 3, Gnosis 8, Willpower 5; Power 20.
Charms: Airt Sense, Whisper (special).
The Whispers are spirits born of dark secrets. They have little presence save a movement of air
and a whispering voice, but when summoned they may tell of all that occurs in the world.
Unfortunately they are vague and flighty spirits and often the information they bring is irrelevant at
best. Their Charm – Whisper – allows them to access any conversation in the world, past or present,
but without guidance from their summoner they will simply latch onto a discussion at random.
Material Correspondences: Hollow reeds and rushes, secret notes, diaries and journals.
Spiritual Correspondences: Secrets and lies.

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
The Shadow Lords of the Night-Watch know versions of the Bane Tender Gifts and Rites
given in the Uktena Tribebook, and also the Theurge Gift Name the Spirit. The Listeners know any
Gift or Rite that they can acquire, in addition to their Shadow Lord powers. The Judges of Doom know
the Gifts Summon Stormcrow (Werewolf Player’s Guide) and Interrogator (Shadow Lord Tribebook),
and also a version of the Philodox Gift Truth of Gaia and the Rite of the Silver Chains. The Velvet
Gown know many Gifts relating to Shadows, including the Ratkin Gift Cloak of Shadows, and the
Uktena Shroud. In addition, they know the Gift Summon the Whispers.

Summon the Whispers (Level Three Velvet Gown Gift)

Using this Gift, the Velvet Gown call upon the Whispers to impart their secrets to them. It
must be performed in isolation, and in total darkness. The Garou must find a spot with no interruptions,
and no light. Then, he places a hollow reed in each ear (which some suggest is the reason the Gift is
performed in darkness), and plays a tune of summoning on a reed pipe. The tune need not be well
played, but the pipe must be made from a reed. The Gift is taught by a Whisper.
System: The Garou spends a Gnosis point, and rolls Charisma + Performance (difficulty 6) to play the
summoning tune. Only a single success is needed, but each additional success summons more
Whispers, adding a die to the later Gnosis roll. To gain useful information the Garou nominates a topic
and rolls Gnosis (difficulty 8); each success gains the Garou a few minutes of a pertinent conversation.
To gain more, the Garou may roll again, but as the whispers are flighty creatures may only roll those
dice which came up successes the first time. When the Garou rolls no successes, the last of the spirits
depart.

Rite of the Silver Chains (Level 4 Mystic Rite)

This ritual binds a spirit of Penance into the chain tattoos of a would-be Raven’s Knife. This
Spirit then stays with the Garou through Erebus and the Silver Lake, and watches over him in his life as
a Knife. If ever the Garou breaks his bond of service, or turns again to the Wyrm, the Spirit will kill
him.
System: The rite may only be performed at the new moon, before five or more witnesses (at least one
of each Auspice), and on a willing participant. The subject is first prepared by the marking of chain
tattoos on the arms and torso using a silver needle (Dexterity + Crafts, difficulty 7, ten successes
needed to complete the work). The participant is bound throughout this, but conscious. Each time he
frenzies, he is thrown into a cold pool until he calms down. If he survives the marking without
drowning, then the Rite is performed.
The roll is the usual for a Mystic Rite, Wits + Rituals, difficulty 7, made once every hour.
Performance of the Rite requires several hours, and the Ritemaster must accumulate ten successes
without botching a roll. A botch summons the spirit, but it runs amok and slaughters the penitent
outright. If successfully performed, the Rite also operates to tie the participant to Erebus, so that he is
plunged into the Silver Lake the next time he tries to Step-Sideways. Once he returns from that place,
reformed and repentant – if indeed he does return – the Spirit watches over him, and if he disobeys his
master, or turns to the Wyrm in his heart, he is torn apart as the fetish chains rip through his flesh.