Children of Gaia
Tribal Totem
Unicorn
History
The legend of the tribe's creation tells that during an era of bloodshed among the tribes of the Garou, Gaia herself resurrected innocent cubs from each tribe, slain by their foolishness. Others tell that Wolf protected Gaia from an attack by the Eater-of-Souls against Her heart, and that this Wolf would become the ancestor of all Garou (although the Silver Fangs claim that Wolf also as their sole ancestor). During the War of Rage, the Children of Gaia tried, without much success, to calm their raging brethren. They originally refused to fight against other Fera, something that was exploited by the more vengeful of Fera who came into the refugees of the Children seeking shelter and then slaughtered their would-be protectors. The other tribes used the reputation of the Children as traps, luring Fera into peace-talks and then slaughtering them. The Children even actively participated in the massacres at some times out of loyalty to their friends and pack mates. During the Impergium, it was the Children that eventually spearheaded calling an end to it. Living close by their human relatives in ancient Sumeria, they believed that if humans could be educated enough about Gaia and the spirits, they would come to respect them by themselves. Eventually, the Children of Gaia spread to other lands, tying into the first civilizations and trying to teach humanity the value of peace and harmony. Some listened. Many did not.Organization
The organization of the Children of Gaia is far more egalitarian than that of other tribes. Originally, a Sept of the Children would be lead by a triumvirate: The Voice of the Goddess, a female; the Arms of the Goddess, a male; and the Heart of the Goddess, which could be anyone, but was usually chosen by the spirits.Camps
Camps represent special interests within the Tribe, for the most part. Some camps are badges of honor, epitomizing the tenets of Honor, Glory or Wisdom that the Nation prizes so highly. Others are forbidden, secret sects and societies practicing Gifts and Rites that border on blasphemy taught to them by forgotten and often horrific spirits that hide deep in the Umbra. Over time, multiple Camps of the Tribe have been disbanded, since the Children of Gaia saw them as hindrances in achieving a united tribe.- Aethera Inamorata: A controversial camp dedicated to healing through sex and physical love. They believe that Garou-Garou pairings are not a breach of the Litany (and are, in fact, a valuable tool towards unity) so long as they do not produce children. They monitor kinfolk pregnancies to help families prepare for the possibility of a Garou child and help facilitate marriages between kinfolk of different Tribes for the sake of building unity and inter-Tribal trust (this practice draws the animosity of Tribes who prize their lineages).
- Angels in the Garden: For the Angels, protecting the youngest human generation against the Defiler Wyrm is of paramount importance. They maintain a network among their kin to protect children from abusers, even if that means kidnapping them and finding new homes for the endangered youth. They also strive to teach children of Gaian ideals.
- The Anointed Ones: This camp has renounced violence in all its forms. The camp focuses its attention on using and teaching Gifts and Rites which gentle their enemies rather than harm them, while helping other Garou deal with their Rage.
- The One Tree: This camp sees itself as Gaia's white blood cells. They are killers with front line warriors and stealthy assassins. That said, they do not kill out of rage, passion, hate, malice or pride, and they do not accept members who seek to join the camp with those motivations. They kill because it is what Gaia has made them to do.
- Servants of Unicorn: Dedicated to creating peace among the Tribes through inter-Tribal missions and by encouraging multi-Tribe Packs and Septs. They work to find messages of unity (no matter how deeply hidden) in each Tribe's core doctrine. They use those threads of commonality to weave the Tribes closer together rather than attempting to change each others' basic beliefs.
- Crest of the Horn: This sub-cation operates within the Servants of Unicorn. Members of the Crest pay close attention to points of contention between the Tribes hoping to exploit them in order to wrench power from the Silver Fangs and ultimately replace the ruling Tribe with a Garou parliment.
- Bringers of Eternal Peace: This is a perverted "camp" of Children of Gaia who believe that the only way to bring peace to the world is to destroy all who dwell upon it. While members of this camp have not (yet) walked the Spiral, their ideal of perfect peace through annihilation is just a step away from those of the Black Spiral Dancers. This camp is banned throughout the Tribe, as well as the Nation as a whole.
Tribal Culture
The Children of Gaia believe the Garou must stop trying to physically defeat the Wyrm, that victory is impossible through war. They must bring balance to the Triat and heal the world. Other Tribes claim to combat the Wyrm where it dwells, but the Children of Gaia shall kill the Wyrm where it breeds as corrupted ideology in the hearts of both man and spirit. They see "Rage" as a tainted weapon, poisoning the soul and forcing the Garou Nation into an endless war against a fundamental element of the universe. Gaia's Children revere the concept of love, and as such eschew planned unions in favor of those that arise from natural affection. While lineages are followed with great respect, those bloodlines are not expected to further the concept of breed purity, but instead reflect the unifying power of love across cultural lines.Homids
Although other Tribes try to deride the Children of Gaia as a Tribe of Metis, Homids comprise the largest breed within the Tribe by a large margin. They actively work to further the concept of acceptance throughout the world.Lupus
Despite the fact that the Children of Gaia are growing as a Tribe, their Lupus are dwindling. The Tribe has reached out to other Tribes with larger lupus populations seeking to give natural unions the opportunity to arise among wolf kinfolk of separate Tribes. The idea has not yet been widely embraced by the other Tribes.Metis
Holding true to their commtment to love and acceptance, the Children of Gaia actively seek the inclusion of Metis Garou. The Children open their homes to unwanted Garou children of all breeds, but find themselves most often adopting other Tribes' Metis, raising them as their own and establishing them as equals. Some Children even adhere to the belief that Metis are more spiritually attuned to Gaia than other breeds. That said, most Metis among the Children of Gaia are actually adoptees. Given the Tribe's liberal interpretation of the Litany and encouring loving, albeit childless, unions between Garou, they actively seek means of avoiding the creation of their own Metis trying to uphold their Tribe as an example of careful, thoughtful mating.Political Culture
Pack and septs of the Children are often loosely organized, and although they have a distinct hierarchy of members, they tend not to hold to ranks as strictly as other tribes. The elders are generally open to the younger generation's contributions, and Children of Gaia do not tend towards the same aggressive and physical enforcement of rank that many other tribes do.Tribal Weakness
Weak Veil: Witnesses at +4 on Delirium ChartBackgrounds: No Restrictions
Physical Characteristics
While their coats can come in almost any coloration, strong Pure Breed usually manifests as a white dappling on a gray or brown coat. The most renowned Children have a calm and serene bearing that can be intimidating in its own right. |
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