Walks left the Caern unnoticed and got into town about sundown. She waited outside Catherine's door and, shortly after the sun went down, Catherine came out carrying a small tote bag on one shoulder and a long, flat suitcase-type thing in her other hand.
Catherine: "Oh! Hi, I was just...going to work. It should take me a little less that two hours, if you want to come back. Or...you could wait here for me, but I don't have cable or anything."
Walks pawed at the door and waited to be let in. Curious as always, she spent the next couple of hours snooping around the vampire’s apartment in lupus form, then again in homid form.
Catherine’s apartment is
pretty neat, the living room looks pretty lived in, but it doesn't smell
like she has many visitors. Maybe not since the Pack was last here.
Nothing turns up on Sense the Unnatural or otherwise. The garbage
has some spoiling food in it, but it isn't over powering, even to a wolf's
nose.
It has the human smell of
clean, little dirt, some perfumed soap, the water in the bathroom smells
a little stale. No mildew or mold in the shower.
There are some small windows
in the front room, but that's it for the apartment. The bedroom is
windowless, has a thick door with a bolt on the inside and some kind of
box hanging on the doorknob. There's a four-post bed with heavy curtains
inside, the curtains are all swagged back to be open. You can hear
a soft humming from one of the nightstand/cabinets, it looks like a small
refrigerator.
Some minor poking around
fails to turn up any mummified corpses or partial skeletons. Except
for the fact that the place looks like someone lives here, but smells like
they're on vacation, it seems pretty normal.
Catherine returned about two hours later, with her bag and suitcase-thing. She said hello, and put the things away in a closet.
Catherine: "Sorry to make you wait. Am I in trouble again? Oh, would you like something to eat?"
Walks: “No, you are not in trouble again.” *smiles* “And no, thank you, I would not like anything to eat. I do not usually eat human food if I can help it. I prefer my meals to be...fresh. I came because I would like to talk to you, if I may, and to answer any questions you have about us. My packmates mean well, but I think they may have given you some odd ideas about the Garou.”
Catherine: "Human food? Did your digestion change after you became a werewolf? So now you have to eat raw food? Can you still eat vegetables? As for giving me weird ideas, most Kindred would think that a Lupine that was articulate and not a slavering, violent beast already qualifies."
Walks: “Have to eat raw food? I've always eaten...” *comprehension dawns* “Oh. I see. You think I was born a human. The others were, yes, but I was born a wolf. And most Garou are articulate, and they can also be violent beasts. It is part of our nature.”
Catherine: "Oh, that's right, you said that werewolves -Garou!-
are born, not made. So, how long ago did you start turning into a
human? When we fought those, things, the others turned into big creatures
on two feet and you got bigger, but stayed, more or less, like a
wolf. Is that because you started out as a wolf and they didn't?
“And since we're talking
about changing, do you have to wait for the moon to be full or not full
to change into whatever form you want."
Walks: “I first changed about six moons ago, when I was 10 seasons old. The Garou may take any of five forms. You have seen four of them. Human and wolf are the two extremes. Crinos, the wolfman form which Kyla used, is a combat form. I fought in Hispo, the near-wolf, because I prefer to be on four feet. There is also a near-man form, which is strong without being frightening. The moon does not cause us to change, that is just a story. I have heard that vampires can change forms, too. Is this true?”
Catherine: "There are a lot of human stories about my kind.
Lots of them are true, but only partially. The rest are just false.
Not all vampires can change form, in fact only a few. You see, we're
divided into Clans, or Bloodlines, and each Clan has its own set of different
powers. Some of the powers are common to more than one clan, most
can be taught to out-Clan vampires, but some of these powers are jealously
guarded, so few out side the Clan ever learn it. These powers are
part of what makes each Clan different. I was thrown out of my Clan
because I couldn't learn some our Disciplines.
"Shapeshifting is one of
the guarded kinds. It's the trademark of the Clan Gangrel.
The Gangrel are the only Kindred who actually like living outside of the
city. Supposedly they get along with animals pretty well, and supposedly
are the only ones of us who can ever get along with Lupines."
Walks: “Your Clans sound a bit like our Tribes. We are divided by our beliefs, and by our ancestry. Each tribe has different powers associated with it, as does each auspice and each breed. What is your Clan, and what does it do? I saw you going very fast, faster than any human. Is that one of your powers?”
Catherine: "I am, well, was Clan Toreador. But, my
inability to learn a Discipline we call 'Presence' got me drummed out.
I am Caitiff.” *sour face* “Clanless, now.
"The Toreador are artists,
courtesans, thinkers, wastrels and dandies. They spend their unlife
looking for beauty and art. And to impress everyone else. They're
probably the least like wolves of any Clan. But they can be as ruthless
as any, I suppose. They're very materialistic."
“The speed you're referring
to is a Toreador power called 'Alacrity' or simply 'Speed.' Basically,
it allows me to speed up the rate my body moves. The downside is,
it also speeds up the rate I use up blood. I know another Discipline,
called 'Mesmerism,' that lets me sort of hypnotize or give commands to
people. What to do, what to remember, things like that. That
isn’t a Toreador Discipline, and at first it made my Sire happy I was so
talented, but it turned out to be a strike against me when I couldn't learn
'Presence' or 'The Sight.'"
Walks: “We, too, can speed up the rate at which we move, but it requires something other than blood to do so, and can be very dangerous.”
Catherine: "Dangerous how?"
Walks: “You have spoken of a hunger that you feel inside of you, a hunger which can drive you mad at times. We, too, have a Beast inside of us. We can use it to go faster, and to do other things, but only at the risk of releasing it. When that happens, we can do unthinkable things while the Beast is in control, things which we regret when we return to our senses.”
Catherine: "That sounds chillingly familiar."
Walks: “Do you have any questions about us? I believe Manny was doing his best to confuse you with the truth the last time you were given a chance to ask.”
Catherine: "I got the same impression and it worked! Now you said something about different powers you Garou have based on Tribe and Breed. And you used the Auspice, too..."
Walks: “Tribe is like human ethnicity. It is the culture of your ancestors. Breed is the form you were born to, before you change–human, wolf, or Metis. Auspice is the phase of the moon which graced your birth. I am a theurge--a crescent moon. Your Auspice gives you a role in our society: trickster, shaman, judge, singer, or warrior. Each has different powers and different duties. Do you understand?”
Catherine: "I get the Tribe part, I think I have an idea of Breed, but what's a Metis?
Walks: “A Metis is a Garou who is born in the Crinos form--the half man/half wolf form in which Kyla and Jarryd fought. Garou born as homid or lupus have one Garou parent and one non-Garou parent, Metis have two Garou parents.”
Catherine: "So they would be purebred, super-Lupines, right?"
Walks: “Sadly, no. There are bad side-effects when two Garou breed. It is forbidden, but it happens, just the same.”
Catherine: “And Auspice is like a caste that says who does what for the tribe? And Manny is a trickster and you're a judge?"
Walks: “Manny is a trickster, but I am not a judge. That is Jarryd's auspice. I am of the shaman auspice--my role is to interact with the spirit realms, and to make certain that the Garou remember that there are realms beyond this one. The shamans also are knowledgeable about the occult, about those we may encounter who are not quite human.”
Catherine: "So that's why you're here?"
Walks: “In a way. I have encountered vampires before, and I know enough about them to fight them successfully, at least the younger ones.”
Catherine: "Well, the older we get the more powerful we get. When did you fight my kind before?"
Walks: “In a Scab--a city--called Ann Arbor, and again in one called Grand Rapids.”
Catherine: "The bigger the city, the more of us live there, otherwise there isn't enough blood to go around. That probably makes sense to a wolf, but we have another condition: we can't let the humans know they're being hunted."
Walks: “But I have never spoken to one before, and I know little beyond what is necessary to remove them. That is not good, for it leaves my pack vulnerable, especially in cities. I do not like to be vulnerable, especially in human hives.”
Catherine: “The view of your kind by Vampires is pretty narrow. You're at the top of the list of reasons not to leave the cities.”
Walks: “We probably should be at the top of the list. Truthfully, though, we spend much of our time in the human hives. More than I would like, and more than the name they gave me suggests.”
Catherine: "You name isn't simply 'Walks?'"
Walks: “No. More formally, it is ‘Walked Away from the Weaver.’ It was given to me by the first Garou I encountered, and I have not earned another to replace it. But most just call me ‘Walks.’”
Catherine, puzzled: "What Weaver did you walk away from that was worth being named after?"
Walks: “Do you remember when I was first here, and I told you about spirits? This world here is only a small part of reality. Beyond this one lies the spirit realm. The Weaver is a powerful spirit. It is the spirit of order. It seeks to force the world into its pattern, to shape it into a rigid structure that contains no chaotic or random elements. If you could see the human settlements from the spirit realms, you would see a web covering everything, binding to its shape so that it may not come out of order. Before I became Garou, I was trapped in the Weaver construction which is known as a zoo. I found my way into the spirit realm by accident, and left the Weaver behind.”
Catherine: "So is the fact that you escaped from Order considered good or bad among your kind?"
Walks: “It depends on the Garou to whom you speak. Most would consider it good--I know of one who considers the story to be inspirational--but there are also Garou who live with the Weaver and find no problem with that state of affairs. But I think it is well that I escaped, and I would not wish my time in the cage on my worst enemy, not even a vampire. I do not like your kind. But you have nothing to fear from me. You are not tainted.”
Catherine: "Tainted? By what? Why shouldn't I be tainted?"
Walks: “Tainted by the Wyrm. Tainted by...well...I guess you would call it evil. Pure evil, in its truest form. Most of your kind is tainted by it. You cheat Gaia because you do not obey the cycle of life and death. Most of your kind destroy, just as the Wyrm does. You do not, or you would be tainted and I would be able to sense the taint on you, as would Kyla.”
Catherine: "So you can sense if someone is evil and if they are, you kill them? Sometimes, that is?"
Walks: “Not quite. Kyla has the power to sense the
Wyrm. I have a different power, which lets me sense if something
is unnatural. If it is Wyrm, I can recognize that, but it also works
on magic things or shapeshifters. It does not always work on vampires--you
do not register when I use that sense because you are not tainted.
“It is the duty of Garou to fight the Wyrm wherever
it breeds. But we do not destroy all things that are Wyrm-tainted,
as most of human civilization is tainted one way or another.”
Catherine: "You speak of this Wyrm like it was some entity you fight. Or is just the Garou word for evil? If it is an entity what does it have to do with vampires that have never heard of it?"
Walks: “In the spirit realm, the Wyrm is real. It can influence this world as well. It can possess humans and turn them into monsters. Its influence can be found in human creations--in makeup and foods and other unnatural things. There are also some werewolves called Black Spiral Dancers who worship the Wyrm and try to help it conquer the world.”
Catherine: "So these Dancers are something you'd call tainted?"
Walks: “Yes. The Dancers are corrupted, possibly beyond any chance of redemption.”
Catherine: "Would you have said 'possibly' before you met me?”
Walks: "Yes. We destroy the things which do the most harm, like the creatures we fought together [fomori] or vampires who kill indiscriminately and without regret.”
Catherine: "According to what I was taught, you aren't that picky. Most Kindred don't kill indiscriminately, that would get us caught. If one of us is risking our exposure to the humans, they usually get killed by our own kind."
Walks: “We are more careful than you may think. But your kind is often tainted by the Wyrm, and you defy the natural order of the world. That is two strikes against you, which is often more than enough.”
Catherine: "So what stopped Jarryd, and the rest of you for that matter, from killing me?"
Walks: “Jarryd did not kill you because it is not in his nature to kill without thinking. You are not tainted, and you were in need of help, so he helped. Had it been me, I cannot say that things would have gone the same. Probably, I would have scared you away. Had I realized your nature, I might have attacked you. Because Jarryd speaks for you, and because you are not tainted, none of our pack will harm you.”
Catherine: "You keep saying 'Pack.' Is that because you grew up a wolf or is your group really like a wolf pack? And what's that other word Kyla used...Sept?"
Walks: “We are very similar to a wolf pack--Kyla is the Alpha, the rest of us follow her. A Sept is a group of packs that work together in one area.”
Catherine: "So, there are several more packs near here? I better be careful. How did Kyla become the Alpha?"
Walks: “Well, Manny is not one to provide leadership. Nor am I, because I am lupus and so small. So it fell to Kyla and Jarryd. Because Kyla is the warrior, and because Jarryd did not wish to cause conflict, Kyla took the position of Alpha. But she does not act as a dictator--she lets us do as we please, so long as we do nothing that would hurt the Pack.”
Catherine: "Leader by default, eh? But why does your being Lupus disqualify you from leading?"
Walks: “Being lupus does not necessarily disqualify me from leading. However, in a pack that is mainly homids, it is unlikely that the lupus members would lead. Homids tend to see lupus as inferiors. In my pack, for instance, the lupus form is used by the others only to travel, and the homid form is used for all other activities. Except in my case--Manny is trying to find a way to let me stay in lupus form even in the cities.”
Catherine: "Why? Is it hard to maintain the Lupus form in cities.”
Walks: “No, but to look like a wolf in a city leads to many questions. Your kind, for instance, might notice me. Manny is trying to make a collar that will not be restraining, so that I can pretend to be a dog.” *wrinkles nose* “I am small enough to pass, but the rest really aren't.”
Catherine: "Do you dislike being in human shape so much? That seems like it would be very debasing. At least you wouldn't have to smell as much garbage in human form. My senses have gotten sharper since I was embraced and there are days I wish my nose could still get stuffed."
Walks: “Yes, to be treated as a dog is debasing. But I do like to have my senses, as bad as the human world smells. I am used to depending on my nose, not on my eyes. And it is almost as debasing to be treated as a child--regardless of my age, I do not look very old to humans.”
Catherine laughs: "I'm sorry, Walks, but you're two. You aren’t very old! But, if it's any consolation, you do look older than two for a human."
Walks: “I am two years of age, but that does not mean the
same for a wolf as it does for a human. I am fully mature, whether
in human or wolf form. I was born smaller than most wolves.
You have heard the term ‘runt of the litter?’ That would apply in
my case. Were any of my siblings to realize Garou heritage, they
would appear to be 18 years of age in homid form.
“When lupus Garou begin to change, they also begin
to age as humans do, but they maintain a level of maturity in keeping with
what they had already attained as wolves.”
Catherine: "Walks, I'm not talking about physical maturity
here. I know that physically, you are a fully capable werewolf, which
is formidable indeed. But two years isn't a lot of time to store
up experience. You haven't had a lot of time see and learn new things.
Now, I'm sure in the past six months you've probably learned more about
the world than any normal wolf could find out in its life, but that's not
even a tenth of what's out there.
"Maybe you won't grow any larger. Who cares?
There a lots of places to go and things to see that will teach you things
and there is a saying among humans, ‘Knowledge is power.’ It's true.
Besides, you've said that most of your life as wolf was spent in a cage.
What could you see or do in cage? Not much. The others in your
pack have been free to learn about the world for 7 or 8 times as long as
you have.
"Now, that's not to say that you don't have a lot
of knowledge they don't. I bet you taught them how to hunt, didn't
you? But, don't think you're done learning just because you're getting
a handle on these changes in your life. Things never stop changing."
Walks: “Yes, I taught them to hunt, and they taught me to use a fork. But what I teach them is not held in the same esteem as what they teach to me. The problem is not that I wish to stop learning, it is that they cannot treat me as an equal until I learn all they have to offer, but they are superior even when they know nothing of what I can teach.”
Catherine: "Well, then maybe you need to remind them of what they don't know."
Walks, under her breath: “First Zephyr, then a wolf spirit, and now a vampire. What next, a Spiral?”
Catherine: "HUH?"
Walks: “The comment was simply that I have been told now by three different sources to teach my pack regardless of their wishes. I was wondering who else is going to say this.”
Catherine, with a smirk: "Well, if you keep getting good advice, you oughta follow it. Or don't you trust who's giving the advice?"
Walks: “I have tried, and I am trying, but it will take time to teach them what they do not wish to learn, or to convince them that they need to learn it. As for trust, I trust two of the sources without hesitation, and the third as much as I trust any human.”
Catherine: "I am not human, Walks, you should never forget that."
Walks: “I am not human either, Catherine. More importantly, I have never been human. But most of my life was not spent in the cage. Most was spent in the woods, a short time was spent with a human family, and the last few moons were spent in the cage. And I was placed in the cage as punishment, because I acted on my nature as a wolf.”
Catherine: "A family made a pet of you? It's times like this I'm glad I'm not human."
Walks: “Yes, I was a pet. I was a little dog, so good for the children, an excellent way to guard the house. I am glad I am not such a fool as those humans.”
Catherine: "Those children are lucky if they were unscathed."
Walks: “I did not harm the children of the family, nor did I harm the adults. I did harm another child, though not enough to do serious damage.”
Catherine: "So you don't hate all humans."
Walks: “It is not as simple as blind hate. I find it difficult to think of humans as anything but a menace that should be exterminated, or at least kept under strict control. They carry more of the Wyrm than any other species. To those who grew up as humans, that is a difficult thing to understand.”
Catherine: "And they probably grew up thinking that wolves were dangerous wild animals that should be kept under control. That's wrong, too.
Walks: “But, while wolves are not dangerous wild animals, at least where they interact with humans, humans are a menace where they interact with wolves.”
Catherine: "Ah, but they've been taught otherwise for 16 or 18 years."
Walks: “And so I have learned to hate and fear the humans. So which of us needs to unlearn what they know?
Catherine: "Why, both of you, of course! Were Kyla and Jarryd the kind of humans worthy of hate? Were you the kind of wolf that humans write horror stories about? Of course not. There are few places in the world where something is simply good or bad, right or wrong. The fact that your pack has helped me is proof of that, isn't it?"
Walks: “There are few things which are good or bad all of the time, but most things are either good or bad as a whole. And it would sometimes do homids good to remember this, lest they hesitate where they should act.”
Catherine: "Had your pack decided that I was more evil than good, I would haven destroyed, right? I wouldn't have been any different, but it wouldn't have mattered. I think when homids hesitate, it's because they know that their actions have consequences."
Walks: “My pack is unlikely to make a decision in such simple terms as mine. When all is said and done, I am still a predator, and always will be. That is my nature. You see a human form, but the mind retains some of the wolf's shape, and the wolf's instincts.”
Catherine: "Which is perfect for the decisions that wolves make. But, that's probably why your pack is so overbearing in matters where more reason is called for. You don't seem to be incapable of reason, but you also don't seem to trust it, at least your own."
Walks: “I am not incapable of reason, at least, not in this form. I did not discover "thinking" until very recently. Until then, all was instincts. But I do not trust reason very much. Reason can be made to lie, but instincts rarely do.”
Catherine: "But, in situations for which you have no instincts, what do you do?"
Walks: “Usually nothing, as my Alpha handles them. I stay back and learn what I can.”
Catherine: "Won't she help you learn how to reason?"
Walks: “I am learning how to reason. I have improved greatly since my pack formed. But it is difficult for me to embrace reason over instinct, just as they have trouble using instinct when they cannot use reason.”
Catherine: "Then it's good that there are both kinds of you in you pack. Does Manny think like a wolf unless he wants to? If Garou children are unaware of their nature for the first part of their lives, they probably take a while adjust to being a wolf-human. The first couple years I was a vampire I actually forgot I couldn't go out in the daytime, and wondered why I always got so sleepy before dawn. I got a real bad burn once when I managed to be up in time to get the paper."
Walks: “First couple of years? How old are you, exactly?”
Catherine, with a wry smile: "That's always a tough question to answer. I was born 37 years ago, the humans called that year 1960, this year is 1997. I was Embraced when I was 24, in 1984, and lived with Marcus until Jarryd found me a month or so ago. So, I'm older than anyone in your pack, but I'm still a baby for a Vampire."
Walks: “Did you find it difficult to think of humans as food?”
Catherine, frowning: "It didn't take me much more than a couple weeks to see humans as a source of food. You see, when we feed, it's nothing like eating food like you do, or like I did as a human. It's a huge rush of strength and euphoria.” *dreamy look* “You experience it more than you taste it or feel it. You forget where it comes from, what it is, what it does to the person, you just want more."
Walks: “So feeding for you is like taking a drug is for a human? Something for which you have a craving?”
Catherine, wincing: "I wasn't sure you get that analogy. It's more than that, too, of course. It's the source of our power. What make our abilities work."
Walks: “Rather as I feel with Gnosis coursing through me.”
Catherine, raising an eyebrow: "What-sis?"
Walks: “Gnosis. Spiritual energy, which is sometimes used to power the ‘magic’ we do. Without it, a Garou feels tired in her soul.”
Catherine: "What magic? You mean changing shape?”
Walks: “No. We have Gifts, which seem like magic, that are taught to us by the spirits. Sometimes it takes spiritual energy to use these Gifts. When that happens, we feel drained in our souls until that energy comes back. Jarryd uses it often, to heal us when we are wounded. He probably tried to heal you, when you first met, but failed.”
Catherine: "Not the first time we met, but when we fought the Fomori. What else can you do?"
Walks: “It depends on what we have learned. Some of them are simple tricks, like this. *whistles (Call the Breeze)* Others are more complicated, like the Sensing the Wyrm. I know twelve different Gifts, many of which are working even now, but which you will not notice. And, except for two cases, each of my pack knows completely different Gifts.”
Catherine: "And those are functions of your Auspice, which is different for all four of you?"
Walks: “They are functions of Auspice, breed, and Tribe. Calling breezes is part of the Wendigo tribe.”
Catherine: "Will your Tribe teach you how to make snow or something later?"
Walks: “A spirit will teach me when I am ready to learn. Garou cannot teach gifts to each other--that is the job of the spirits. But yes, I will eventually learn to control the weather in some respects--to make it snow or call down lightning.”
Catherine: "Wow. How do the spirits decide you're ready?"
Walks: “If you think you are ready, then you must summon a spirit to teach you. The spirit usually asks a favor in return. If you are not ready, the spirit may tell you so, or it may simply make the task too difficult. Also, you may not learn a highly ranked gift until you attain the same rank. I may learn gifts only up to rank 3, as that is the highest rank I have attained.”
Catherine: "And you get rank how?"
Walks: “You gain rank first by gaining glory in battle, or proving your honor and wisdom in the fight against the Wyrm. As your accomplishments are noticed, you gain respect among the Garou. Eventually, when you are held in high enough renown, you challenge someone of higher rank for the right to be recognized by all as, for instance, a Garou of Rank three. The Garou you challenge sets a task for you and, when you have completed it, you gain in rank. For my first challenge, I had to prove to a human-born Garou that I could learn something of human technology. For the second, I had to teach my pack to sing as lupus do, and we had to perform at our sept celebration. Others in my pack have answered challenges of strength, riddle contests, or have had to fight for their rank. It is up to the person you challenge to best test your abilities.”
Catherine: "So if you challenge someone who likes you, you'll get a fair or even easy task. Challenge someone who doesn't like you, and they can set something very difficult for your task. What rank are you and your pack? And the leader of your sept?"
Walks: “It is foolish to challenge someone who does not respect you, as you will never rise in Rank. I find it better to choose those who can best judge whether or not you are ready--people who share your breed or Auspice or Tribe. I am Rank three, the rest of my pack are rank two, but they shall soon rise. Our leader is of the sixth rank.”
Catherine: "You outrank Kyla? Why aren't you alpha? Or do you have to do something to take her place?"
Walks: “Yes, I outrank Kyla. We were supposed to rise at the same time, but her challenge did not go as planned, and mine was already complete. I did not wish to rise faster than my Alpha, but that is what has happened. If I wished to take her place, I would have to challenge her for the position of Alpha. As she would get to choose the contest, I would probably find myself very battered in a short space of time. I have no desire to be the Alpha, so I will not challenge her.”
Catherine: "So the challengee gets to choose the test. So, Kyla would go to her strength: fighting. If someone challenged you, for Rank or whatever, you could choose something to do with spirits, right? No matter what Auspice the Garou challenging you was?"
Walks: “The challengee chooses the test. As for what
I would choose, it depends on the circumstances. If someone challenged
me for Rank, I would probably choose something fitting to their auspice,
like challenging a homid of the singer auspice to learn a lupus Howl.
Or I might define a challenge based on Tribe--challenging an Uktena to
a riddle contest would be normal, especially if that Uktena has not yet
learned to value his mind over his strength. I might even challenge
a homid to a hunting contest, to see if they understand enough of their
lupus form to use it as I do. Challenges are meant to be tests and
lessons, not just fights.
“Vampires, then, have nothing like this? They
gain in strength and wisdom only by aging, not by proving themselves to
the rest of their clan?”
Catherine: "Nothing so formal."
Walks: “Then how does a Vampire advance in Rank?”
Catherine: "Rank? Well, it isn't so clearly defined.
Every city has a Prince who's nominally in charge. But the city also
has a ruling council that 'advises' the Prince. Now, that council
is made up of Kindred who are about as powerful as the Prince so it is
possible for them to oust him.
"Kindred society is one HUGE political web.
They plan and scheme, make alliances and betray in constant battle of one-upmanship.
Whoever doesn't get pulled down by their enemies rises to the top.
As a general rule, though, the older a Vampire is, the higher 'ranked'
they are. The old ones have had more time to plot and make alliances.
Kindred routinely enact plans that take twenty years and more to complete
just to get ahead of one's rivals. Marcus often hinted that he had
Embraced me as part of such a plan. I guess my being Caitiff messed
that all up."
Walks: “Manny spoke to me once of politics. Whomever lies best and most seems to win. I will never be good at politics, because I do not lie. And I think you are well to be out of such things, though it may not seem so to you.”
Catherine: "That sounds like one of Manny's descriptions. It's too simple to be very accurate, too vague to be understood. There is more to it. It involves trying to please the right people. Staying out of the way of those would use you to further their motives. Keeping your reputation clean. While trying to expose others' plans so that they either fail or help you in some way. I doubt that makes things any more clear for you, but it may help,"
Walks: “That was not all of Manny's explanation, merely my interpretation of it. And your description does make sense, but only because I can fit it to another person, one who is rather good at playing with people.”
Catherine: "Is that person a vampire or a politician?"
Walks: “Neither.”
Catherine: "Walks, how many humans do you know?"
Walks: “That depends on what you mean by "know" and what you mean by ‘humans.’ If you mean pure humans who have no knowledge of Garou, or of any other supernatural beings, then I know no humans. If you mean Non-Garou and non-vampires, I know a few mages and two or three humans. But I have only spoken to one of those people in any depth.”
Catherine’s jaw drops: "Mages? There are mages in this town, too?” *head in hands* “What have I gotten myself into?"
Walks: “There are no mages here, to my knowledge. I have met mages in other places--both good and evil. The evil, however, no longer walk this earth.”
Catherine, wide-eyed: "Well, that's good to know."
Walks: “Is it not odd that your people, whom the stories describe as being so civilized, so meticulous, are the ones who have very little society together, whereas the Garou, who are thought to be violent, rampaging beasts, are the ones with a close-knit, social culture and elaborate rituals?”
Catherine: "Oh, Walks, I think I've misled you somewhat.
We do interact with each other and we have a large and complex society.
It's just that rules are not so straightforward (or as egalitarian) as
your people have. For example, if you want to become a leader, you
challenge the current leader, that person then names a challenge and, if
you are successful, you're the leader.
"If I want to become a leader. I have to first
figure out who holds the power, then I have to decrease that person's power
and increase my own. I'd do this by foiling her plans, recruiting
her supporters to my side or killing them, perhaps ruining some of the
assets she owns. I'd gain power by taking hunting grounds away from
weaker vampires and making servants of them, placing human servants in
places of power in human society, etc. All the while hiding the fact
that I'm doing it and pretending that I don't really want the seat of power
until I'm ready to take it. This could all take several months, but
more likely several years, in some cases, decades."
Walks: “But do you never enjoy each other's company? Do things for the sake of living, not just for the sake of power?”
Catherine: "Sometimes. I don't know. I didn't want to be alone, that's why I never left Marcus. I thought he embraced me because he wanted my companionship, but I don't know anymore. Most Kindred, the less obsessed ones, tend to have some hobby or some diversion, but you have to be able to leave it if an enemy ever is able to use it against you."
Walks: “So what, then, is your hobby? You are not obsessive, so you probably have one, yes?”
Catherine: "I like to dance. But only when I'm fed and not looking at other people in the club as meals. Sometimes I dance at home, but there isn't enough room in this apartment. I socialized a lot when I was in Chicago, with humans and Kindred. But to do that, or go to a club or dance recital, I'd have to go into Ann Arbor or Detroit. I could get killed if I did that."
Walks: “To dance...I have seen that. I did not like
the club, though. It was dark and noisy and too full of people.
But Manny and Jarryd had fun--Manny made the mirror ball fall down into
the crowd after he got in a fight.
“I have trouble understanding how you can enjoy
this life, though. No interactions with your own kind, your one goal
being to feed, and very few who can understand what your lot in life is.
Yet vampires cling tenaciously to their existence. Why?”
Catherine: "That's difficult to answer. Some see the Vampire's existence as a way to accomplish all the goals they couldn't in life. Others see all the things that they can do or gain now and try to attain it all. Some vampires are only alive because they are afraid to die. I am. We are afraid that by leaving the cycle of life, we have forfeited our chance at an afterlife.
Walks: “I do not know if Vampires have a spirit, or what happens when the body is lost. I have spoken to only one human spirit, and that was not our most important consideration.”
Catherine, softly: "I don't know either."
Walks: “Would you like me to find out, or would you prefer not to know? I do know what happens to human spirits, and to those of my own people.”
Catherine: "Ummm, I don't know if I want to know. If you find out its good news, though, I'd be relieved to know. But, we refer to ourselves as The Damned, so doubt the news will be good."
Walks: “Alright. Should I ever learn that you will
go to the human spirit realm--or to some other spirit realm--I shall tell
you.
“I think what you say fits well with my thoughts
of the vampires, that they are half of the Weaver, and half of the Wyrm.”
Catherine: "If that's true, what does that mean to the Garou. And what are the Garou 'of'?"
Walks: “Well, the Wyrm means you are tainted by the corrupter
and ought to be destroyed. The Weaver means that you prefer rigid
order to the possibilities of chaos, you use human ideals and concepts
to work to your goals, and that your home is in cities.
“Garou are of Gaia, and Gaia is of all of the triat.”
*holds up a hand* “Before you ask, let me explain what the triat
is.
“The triat is made of three of the most powerful
spirits: The Wyld, the Weaver, and the Wyrm. Together, they
create the cycle of life. The Wyld is the stuff of raw chaos--from
the Wyld things are constantly created, but they last no more than an instant
before they deform back into chaos. The Weaver was the spirit of
order, which took the creations of the Wyld and gave them permanence.
The Wyrm was the spirit of Death and Decay, which took the Weaver's patterns
and turned them back into chaos, that the Wyld could form them into something
new.
“But the Weaver became corrupt, and tried to weave
all things into its web permanently. It caught the Wyrm, which went
mad before it escaped. Now the Weaver tries to pattern all things,
and the Wyrm tries to destroy them. The Wyld is still pure, but it
is losing ground to the others because it can only fight with chaos, which
can hurt as well as protect.
“The Garou are meant to be balanced, but usually
are not. We are mainly of the Wyld, and somewhat of the Weaver and
Wyrm--the old Weaver and Wyrm, who were not maddened or corrupt.
Gaia created us to protect her from her makers, and to renew the cycle
of life and death.”
Catherine: "Which is why Kindred, who outside of the cycle, are anathema."
Walks: “Correct. How can we repair the cycle, if something exists outside of it from the beginning?”
Catherine: "So your pack is going to destroy me sooner or later?"
Walks: “It is unlikely that any of my pack shall destroy you, unless you descend into the Wyrm's corruption. We have been trying to repair the cycle for thousands of years, it is unlikely that it will be finished in my lifetime, or even in yours. You are not very powerful, so you are not considered to be a great threat now. Perhaps that will change eventually, but I do not look for it in the near future. I may perhaps know when that time has come, if it comes in my life.”
Catherine: *soft gulp*
Walks: “What is wrong?”
Catherine: "Oh, just being told that the rest of my life is dependant on my daily behavior, by someone who is capable of enforcing her decision is...unnerving"
Walks: “I am sorry. I came only to speak with you–to help you understand who we are and why we are here.” *smiles* “Besides, my pack is rather tired of answering questions that they think are silly.”
Catherine: "Well, that's not right. You're only two years old and a two-year-old human asks a lot of questions, too. And some of them really are silly. What silly questions can I answer for you?"
Walks: “The one that has been bothering me lately is this notion of ‘Christmas.’ It seems to be two different celebrations with the same name, but I am told that it is only one holiday. And it seems that not everyone celebrates it, but many of these celebrated another holiday half a moon earlier, one with many candles...”
Catherine: "Well, you hit on a lot of confusing things in one question. First, Christmas is a religious holiday. That is the easy part to understand. But, more and more people just aren't religious, they aren't spiritual anymore, but they enjoy a good celebration as much (or more) as the pious people do. So these more secular folks add things to holiday that don't have much to do with the religious background, and they omit some parts that weren't as much fun for them. So now it's a holiday that has a different amount of significance for different people. And to add to that, people from different parts of the world may have different customs and when the different people mix together, the customs often get mixed together."
Walks: “But why is Christmas? What purpose does it serve? Why do they celebrate it?”
Catherine: "Sadly, most humans have forgotten why Christmas
is. Originally, it was a celebration of the birthday of a spiritual
leader that is said to be the son of God. Thus, to God's followers,
this was a special day to keep holy. It was a day to remember the
day that God sent humans a leader of extreme power, wisdom and mercy.
Today, all the secular things we've talked about have kind of taken over
that meaning.
"Now as for the other holiday, it’s from a whole
other religion and just happens to be near the same time of year.
So, since you have people from both religions in the same area, more blurring
occurs."
"It's like many Tribes celebrating a full moon.
They all do it, but they do different things during the celebrations.
When you mix the Tribes together during the celebration, they end up doing
different things than when they were by themselves.”
Walks: “How do you know of the celebrations of the Tribes?”
Catherine: "I don't. Sorry. I was just trying to make an example. We have stories about your people gathering under a full moon and howling, but in our stories, it sounds more like a horror story than a ritual. Talking to you has shown me how spiritual your people are. And if Tribes are different as you say, it stood to reason that their rituals would be different."
Walks: “Yes, the rituals are very different from tribe to tribe. And, from the standpoint of non-Garou, some of them can be very horrible. Most of them, though, are very beautiful, and are sacred. Do your people have rituals and celebrations like ours?”
Catherine: "Not really. Some try to follow the traditions and holidays they used to when they were human. But, it tends to be emptier without the human emotions. Some Kindred stand on a lot of ceremony, but most of the time, they're just going through the motions, like they're trying to prove they aren't monsters."
Walks: “So vampires do not feel emotions? Perhaps you and I are more alike than I thought. Manny has accused me of not having emotions, which is almost accurate.”
Catherine: "Well, we have emotions, to a degree. Especially Clan Toreador. But, as we age, it gets harder to arouse our emotions. We need more tragedy to make us sad and more joy to make us happy than when we were human."
Walks: “I can see why that could cause problems after a time, especially in the case of tragedy. I, on the other hand, simply have emotions in keeping with my lupus heritage...as Manny says, I do not feel unless I want to. He finds my outlook very cold.”
Catherine: "Nothing is simple about my kind, Walks, I don't know if I'll ever understand it all, let alone be able to explain it."
Walks: “Thank you for trying to explain this Christmas to me, at least. What you have said makes so much more sense than what Manny said.”
Catherine: "So, I'm not the only one he plays Trickster for?"
Walks: “No. It is the nature of the trickster to play with all beings, regardless of whether they are friend or foe. Then, too, he is frustrated because things he takes for granted make no sense to me, as things which I do make no sense to him. We are both Garou, but we approach it from opposite extremes.”
Catherine: "I see, even though you're of the same Tribe?"
Walks: “But we are not of the same tribe. Manny is an Uktena, I am a Wendigo. Both Tribes are of the Pure Lands--you would call it the New World--but mine is the Northern Tribe, his is the Southern. They are considered brother Tribes, but they are separate.”
Catherine: "I see. So tribes can share a sept? What are Jarryd and Kyla's tribes?"
Walks: “Tribes may share a Sept if they so desire. Kyla is a Black Fury, and Jarryd is a Child of Gaia. Black Furies are descended from the people known as Greeks. They are all women, and they protect the few truly wild places left. Children of Gaia are a tribe that has many heritages, but all preach the values of peace and understanding between the Garou. Uktena are keepers of secrets and finders of powerful magic. Wendigo are warriors who fight to maintain their pure ways, and who are led by a powerful spirit of winter. Do not vampires of different Clans share cities? Do they never work toward one goal?”
Catherine: "Well...they do share cities, but rarely do they really work together, everyone usually has their own agenda."
Walks: “Perhaps that is why my people have had success in fighting yours--we work together and you work apart.”
Catherine: "That could be, but it may also have something to do with your ability to tear one of us in half."
Walks: “When we fight one to one, perhaps, but we all have our weaknesses, and all weaknesses can be exploited.”
Catherine: "Maybe, but they aren't physical ones and that's when your kind is the most dangerous to mine."
Walks: “But how often does your kind strike at mine with physical force? Do they not instead attack with their politics and their minds?”
Catherine: "Whenever they can. But it doesn't matter if you've used you influence to, say, fence in a park when the wolves can turn into humans, walk out and hunt you down in the city.”
Walks: “But there are other ways to use influence, and they can hurt us in ways that we cannot hurt you.”
Catherine: "Both of us have our advantages. But, if we hide when you hunt, sooner or later, I'd expect you to win..."
Walks: “I think the sun will be rising soon. I must leave now and join my pack to pay our respects to our totem, the sun. Just allow me a moment to assume lupus form, and I shall leave you to rest. If you have any need of me, or of the pack, you have only to ask.”
Catherine showed some surprise when Walks mentioned the sun, that quickly turned into a mix of fear and worry. She kept her eyes on the werewolf while she shifted forms. Her expression turned more toward wonder.
Catherine: "Well, um...Bye Walks!” *trying to sound cheerful* “Come back sometime and you can bring the pack, too.” *more seriously* “Walks, I really enjoyed this talk, I'll try to have a snack for you next time.”
Walks, activating Voice of Man: “I enjoyed our talk as well, Catherine. And please do not worry about the food, I shall hunt before I sleep today. Sleep well.”
Catherine: “Guh”
Walks: “Oh, I forgot to tell you about this Gift. I convinced a spirit to make it up for me, so I could talk without changing. But it is harder to think like this, so I could not speak to you tonight like this.”
Catherine: "That's very handy and...unnerving. You'll stop a lot of people's hearts with that gift, Walks.” *smiles* “I like it."
With a wolfish smile, Walks returned to the Sept.