Lodge of Arms

The Lodge of Arms is a Lodge of the Iron Masters with access to certain Rites involving awakening a human weapon for use in Hishu or Dalu form.

The spirit patron of the Lodge of Arms is The Coveter.

Overview[]

Of all the humans’ tools, weapons are one of the least used amongst the Uratha. Certainly, weapons are useful on those occasions when one must stay in Hishu but, given the choice, most werewolves would rather fight with their natural weapons of tooth and claw. The Lodge of Arms, though, understands the value of the weapon, be it sword, bow or gun. An Uratha with weapon can be far more dangerous in Hishu or Dalu than one would expect and, with a fetish weapon, can approach the danger levels of Gauru without any of the control issues.

Blade wolves, as members of this lodge are known, devote themselves to the mastery of a single weapon: that’s an individual weapon, not a class of weapons. These werewolves involve themselves in the creation of their weapons, from forging and manufacturing, through the process of binding spirits into the weapons and merging those spirits with the weapons’ own awakened spirits. The net result is a weapon that is part child, part lover and part killing device. For many members of the lodge, their relationship with their weapons will become the defining relationships of their lives. The intimate connections with the weapons allow the blade wolves to wield them to devastating effect.

While, at first glance, this lodge might appear to be one for the Rahu, that’s far from the truth. In fact, the full-moon are a distinct minority within this lodge. Few Rahu have the right mindset to restrict themselves to excelling with a single weapon, rather than developing a broad range of tactical and combat skills. Instead, this lodge appeals to the warrior spirit within every werewolf, especially those who grew up in routinely weapon-carrying societies before their First Change. Members of the lodge are more numerous in the United States than they are in Europe, for example, partially because of the United States’ more liberal weapon laws.

Membership[]

As with most lodges, the first step in becoming a lodge member is to find a lodge mentor. Mentors look for several things in would-be members, not least an understanding of the spirit world and an affinity with armed combat. Mentors inevitably test applicants’ weapon skills over a period of days, under different conditions, which can be anything from a formal duel to an unexpected attack in the middle of the night. Many applicants fail at this stage, by displaying weak skills, a tendency to shift forms too quickly or even a habit of using a range of different weapons. In essence, the mentor is looking for signs of an affinity for one weapon.

Once the initiate has passed this first stage of testing, they enter a period in which they work alongside their mentor in crafting a new weapon. This is an area in which the Iron Masters’ fondness for adaptation comes to the fore, with modern technology allowing easy communication with skilled craftsmen and spirit experts across territory and pack lines. Eventually, the required werewolves — the applicant, the mentor, an Ithaeur from the lodge and a craftsman from the Lodge of Metal gather together at an agreed point, to begin the forging process. This is a trying, sleep-deprived process for the would-be lodge member, as they work by day with the craftsman to build the weapon and by night with the Ithaeur to research, find and bind the spirit that will live in the weapon.

Finally, all four will join in a rite that awakens the spirit of the blade, binds the summoned spirit to it and then binds the whole lot to the applicant. If all of this goes according to plan, the exhausted werewolf is both a member of the Lodge of Arms and the proud owner of a new fetish weapon that is theirs and theirs alone.

Game Mechanics[]

The following are an overview of the game mechanics.

Prerequisites[]

• Occult ••
• Firearms or Weaponry •••

Benefits[]

• The greatest benefit that a member of the Lodge of Arms gains is assistance in creating the weapon that will be their constant companion. A lodge member gains a +3 modifier to any attack roll using that weapon and that weapon only. Additionally, a lodge member may treat their Firearms or Weaponry Skill as being one level higher for all weapons of the same type.

Rites[]

• RITE OF THE DUEL (•) Dueling with other members of the Lodge of Arms is one of the great pleasures of lodge membership for many werewolves. With the level of skill many lodge members possess, and the frightening power of their weapons, the lodge needed to find a way to prevent members killing each other too frequently. This rite was the response. It creates an area in which the spirits of weapons are suppressed, rendering them much less effective in killing opponents. This rite is always performed before any duel between lodge members. 
• FORGING ARMS (••••) This is the central rite of the Lodge of Arms, a rite which bonds a spirit to a weapon and both to the lodge member who will carry the weapon for the rest of his life.

References[]

• WTF: Lodges: The Faithful, p. 30-32