Gurahl

Overview

According to their lore, the Gurahl are Gaia's original protectors, created to ward off the destructive power of the "Pattern Breaker". When it grew too powerful for them they petitioned Gaia for help, and she created the Garou. Slow to anger, Gurahl tend to be healers and protectors rather than warriors. Rare since the War of Rage, they were targeted for refusing to teach the Garou the secret of resurrecting the dead.

Gurahl are blessed by Gaia with strong wills and many traits of their bear cousins. Their sense of smell is far superior to that of humans, though when in non-human forms their eyesight is poorer. They have a level of conscious control over their biorhythms, allowing them to alter the speed of their metabolisms, but are susceptible to the seasonal urges of bears, becoming sluggish and lazy in Winter.

Breeds

The Gurahl have only two breeds: Homid (born of humans) and Ursine (born of bears). There are no Metis Gurahl - their mates are chosen through a special ritual, and even should two Gurahl mate, no child is ever born of their union

Auspices

Gurahl have five auspices which, like those of the Garou, correspond to phases of the moon. Gurahl auspices are not fixed, however; each Gurahl progresses through all five in the order below during their lifetime, though individuals may spend more or less time in certain auspices.

The Gurahl auspices, with their Garou equivalents, are:

Arcas - the New Moon (Ragabash)
Uzmati - the Full Moon (Ahroun)
Kojubat - the Gibbous Moon (Galliard)
Kieh - the Crescent Moon (Theurge)
Rishi - the Half Moon (Philodox)

Forms

Homid - human form.
Arthren - near-man form. Considerably stronger and tougher than the Glabro form of werewolves, Gurahl in Arthren form are thought to have inspired legends of the Sasquatch and similar creatures.
Legio Ursi - the war form. Extraordinarily strong and tough, not to mention huge: anywhere between 10 and 16 feet in height, and weighing up to 1200 kg.
Bjornen - near-bear form. Resembling an ancient cave bear, with longer claws and fangs, the Bjornen form is almost as large and powerful as Legio Ursi, with even more vicious bite and claw damage.
Ursus - bear form. Gurahl take the form of bears matching their Tribe.