The Hunters in Darkness are one of the five Tribes of the Moon. They are among the most centered, focus on territory and to keep it pure from intrusions.
In the first edition, they focus on the Gifts of Elemental, Nature, and Stealth. In the second edition, their Gifts are Nature, Stealth and Warding.
Culture[]
The Hunt is even more central to the Meninna than for any other werewolves. It is a sacred calling and a natural duty. The most common greeting between Hunters in Darkness is “Ni-zu tag?” Literally translated, that means: “what are you hunting?”, for the only preordained end of the Hunt is death. The Hunt changes focus a bit as a Meninna progresses through her life. Just after a First Change, the Hunt tends to be visceral and physical — the werewolf hunts for food, prey, mates, enemies and so on. The Hunt is one of Rage and hunger, as the werewolf reconciles the flesh and the spirit. As a Hunter matures, she begins asking questions of her world. She learns about the spirit wilds and their native creatures, and looks at them within the context of her auspice. In her late days, the Hunt is usually centered around the family, a lodge or a similar construct to place faith in.
Their tribal oath is to protect the sacred places within their lands, formulated as Nu Mus Halhala - "Let No Sacred Place in Your Territory Be Violated." The tribal vow of the Hunters in Darkness is one of the areas in which the tribe is most diverse. Some focus on their home, at the site of their First Change, at the territory of their Pack, at a Locus, various historical places of importance or even their own mortal family
Totem[]
The Hunters in Darkness see in Hikaon-Ur the protector of his brethren, the most withdrawn, but also the most deadly child of Mother Moon and Father Wolf. It is said that she showed her father the way to defeat the Plague King and the Spinner-Hag, by using the territory against them. According to the Tribe, Black Wolf was responsible for the inclusion of the tenet "The Wolf Must Hunt" into the Oath of the Moon, as a means to stabilize the Uratha and give them purpose.
Territory[]
Hunters in Darkness seem to prefer territories deep in the wilderness, where the oldest loci are least likely to be disturbed. These places are most comfortable, the ones easiest to mark clearly and the easiest in which to disappear and remain hidden on the hunt. It takes fewer Hunters to defend a large area of wilderness. Without the careless tread of man, changes that are harmful to the spirit climate generally occur slowly.
The First Tongue term the Hunters use for their territory is mus-rah, or “holy killing ground,” and that should tell you all you need to know about their views on territory. Any violation of mus-rah must be avenged on the same ground: Letting the prey slip the borders before it’s slain is a violation of the oath. As such, Hunters in Darkness prepare their territory with all manner of devious traps, switchbacks, and dead-ends designed to keep the prey from escaping.
The Hunt[]
The Hunters in Darkness prefer to stalk their prey during their hunts and direct it to their course. Within their own territory, these paths are seeded with traps designed to maim, slow, and above all panic the prey: fishhooks hung from fine chains, crude pits filled with spikes, even bear traps and razor-sharp caltrops. The end is a pre-selected killing floor, where the territory usually crushes the prey or renders it helpless so that it can be defeated and killed in a way that ensures that it does not survive.
Organization[]
Hunters in Darkness demand great strength from their alpha, and offer absolute loyalty in turn. They are the most wolflike in their pack behavior, often even insisting that the alpha eat first and turning on those who question their alpha's way. While newcomers are introduced to others who have been through the same ordeals, they are not surrounded and suffocated by clamoring associates who all want to be the best of friends. Of all the Forsaken, the Meninna respect the need for individual space.
Lodges[]
- Lodge of Wrath
- Lodge of Ashes
- Lodge of Harmony
- Lodge of Seasons
- The Brotherhood of Eshu’s Cap
- Lodge of Ruin
- Lodge of Carrion
- Lodge of the Sleeping Bear
- Lodge of the Empty Den
References[]
- WTF: Werewolf: The Forsaken Rulebook, p. 92-94, 111, 130, 139
- WTF: Tribes of the Moon, p. 86-117
- WTF: The Rage: Forsaken Player's Guide, p. 44-57
- WTF: Werewolf Translation Guide, p. 14-15
- WTF: Werewolf: The Forsaken Second Edition, p. 40-42
| Werewolf: The Forsaken tribes | |
| Tribes of the Moon: | Blood Talons · Bone Shadows · Hunters in Darkness · Iron Masters · Storm Lords |
| Pure Tribes: | Fire-Touched · Ivory Claws · Predator Kings |
| Others: | Ghost Wolves · Bale Hounds |