Shadow Lords

Tribal Totem

Grandfather Thunder

There is little difference between an unbelieveable truth and a lie with substance. The Shadow Lords have built a history on the slim divide between the two, Skepticism and mistrust are defenses; deception and psychology are weapons. The haughty Shadow Lords prefer to dominate other or strike fear, proving their superiority in vicious, psychological ways as well as through physical means. They are a cunning breed, unafraid of conflict, especially where conflict will bring growth, change and power.
Shadow Lords are masters of manipulation and ruthlessness, but they use these tools for Gaia. They are willing to sully their hands and do the dirty work because someone must, They risk their status, their reputations, and even their lives in her service, knowing that not all quests are glorious and not all tasks are honorable. But, for Gaia's sake, they must be done.

History

From the days of the first settlers, they controlled the primitive human tribes through manipulation and deceit. Called viziers, sorcerers, and advisors, the truth has always been that a Shadow Lord controls kingdoms from behind the throne. Acting as the Betas of the Garou Nation, they supported the rule of the Silver Fangs in a similar manner, doing those deeds that would harm their reputation. The Fangs used the Shadow Lords as scapegoats for their own dark deeds, and the Shadow Lords accepted this, seeing that it would benefit the Nation if the name of the Silver Fangs would remain pure.
During the Impergium, they showed no mercy in culling their charges, and when it ended, they still felt it necessary that humans fear the dark. Many Shadow Lords felt the Concord that ended the Impergium didn't address many things that were the catalyst for the Impergium to begin with, planting the first seeds of discontent within the tribe. During this time, the Shadow Lords followed their herds into Eastern Europe, where they became involved in an intense war with a local brood of Leeches calling themselves Tzimisce.
The Shadow Lords had very little involvement with the human civilizations of antiquity, instead dwelling among the barbarians who eventually sacked Rome. Some that had traveled there as ambassadors to the Fangs found a suitable role amidst the senators. These Shadow Lords taught their brethren many of the tactics used by the Romans when the rest of their Tribe arrived.

Organization

The leaders of the Shadow Lords are known as Alphas, referring to the "alpha" wolf that rules over wolf packs in the wild. Most, if not all Alphas, are extremely controlling, lording over their underlings with unquestioned authority. However, many Alphas take the time to engender their followers with feelings of pride and affection for their leader, realizing that willing followers are easier to control than slaves. Alphas, however, are also not opposed to ruthlessly dispensing with a follower who asks one too many questions.
Over the years, the Shadow Lords have made all manner of alliances, only to turn on their compatriots when the opportunity and the excuse were there. As ambitious and callous as they are, most Shadow Lords are still loyalists to the Gaian cause. They work to undercut and dethrone weak leaders, but a strong and cunning leader earns great loyalty from the tribe of Grandfather Thunder. As they reasonably point out, only the weak and corrupt have anything to fear from their investigations. The fact that it is the Shadow Lords themselves who are defining what is "weak" and "corrupt" does little to allay concerns.

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.

• Bringers of Light: The Bringers of Light seek inner strength by continually testing themselves against the taint around them. Time and time again, they seek out the temptation of the Wyrm, interacting with vampires, Black Spiral Dancers, fomori, and other Wyrmfolk. Although many have fallen while trying to embrace this camp’s tenets, the Bringers believe that the strongest (and truly worthy) do not succumb to the darkness; they overcome it.

• Children of Crow: Not all power is gained through personal aggrandizement. Children of Crow know this, and by forgoing the call of individual ambition for the sake of political expediency, they gain power by serving those more powerful than themselves. Such servants will never attain positions of personal authority. They sacrifice chances to gain power for themselves in order to serve the tribe by catching details in their environment and uncovering secrets buried in the hearts and minds of others. They use this information not only to destroy enemies of the Garou and fight the Wyrm, but to build a foundation upon which those of other Shadow Lord camps may build their towers of power

• Judges of Doom: The Judges of Doom strike fear deep into the heart of the Garou Nation by seeking out and destroying Garou who flagrantly violate the tenets of the Litany. They pursue their agenda with ruthless zeal. Pitiless and remorseless, they show no mercy as they hunt down and destroy Garou (or even entire septs) who have allowed a caern to be violated or committed some other wholesale violation of the Nation’s laws. No Litany-breakers are immune to their scrutiny and justice.

• Revolutionary Guard: This secret Shadow Lord camp consists mostly of high-powered Philodox and their Ahroun allies from around the world. They meet in secret at each Shadow Lord Grand Moot to plot the usurpation of the Silver Fangs’ rulership of the Garou Nation. The Guard command great military power, and have strong internal coordination. Though they hatch their plots in secret and carry out their actions without coordination from within the Shadow Lord hierarchy, they operate with the tacit blessing of the highest levels of tribal authority. Many high-ranking Shadow Lords aspire to join the Revolutionary Guard, and being tapped for membership is considered a tremendous honor.

Secret Societies

• The Masks: A secret society devoted to instilling fear in their enemies, the Masks’ dedication to their dark arts is so fanatic that they purportedly practice ritualized mutilation upon themselves to inspire greater horror in their victims. Since the unknown is the playground of fear, no true Mask ever reveals their membership in the camp to outsiders, save for those who are targeted for indoctrination into their numbers. Leadership within the tribe consistently claims to have stamped the Masks out of existence. Whether this is accurate or not remains to be seen, but Shadow Lord Galliards still sing many of their tales as a warning to others.

• Society of Nidhogg: All Shadow Lords understand the power of darkness, but none so deeply as the members of this secretive, mystic camp. So strong is their fanaticism that they claim that sunlight itself is a threat to the forces of Thunder, and seek to plunge the world into eternal darkness (the better to carry out their tribe’s rise to power unfettered by Helios’ unyielding rays). The official tribal word on this camp is that it has been eradicated due to possible associations with vampires and other creatures of the Wyrm; some believe, however, that they have merely slipped back into their beloved darkness to regroup.

Tribal Culture

The strong dominate, the weak submit. The Shadow Lords tribal strength is that they produce powerful and cunning champions; their Elders and leaders having earned their position by constantly honing themselves. However, this can be a double-edged sword, as every Shadow Lord contends against their brethren. "Those below you covet your position; those above you do not want you coveting theirs." Their constant struggles for dominance have dealt them more than one setback in their ongoing quest for power.

Homids

Homids comprise the bulk of the Tribe weaving themselves into human cultures and manipulating global events. Master politicians, they covertly shape the futures of cities and even nations. They are innately power hungry, constantly proving themselves to one another by showing how much control they can gain over humanity.

Lupus

Lupus Shadow Lords are quick learners and have sharp fangs, both literal and metaphorical. They talk less and fight more, like an unexpected tempest. Although they are less interested in politics, they have an even greater hatred of the Silver Fangs than the body of the Tribe. They are growing in number, and are willing to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means driving other Tribes away or, in some very hidden cases, stealing the Lupus Kinfolk of other Tribes for their own.

Metis

Shadow Lords find their Metis to be a source of shame (in front of others). They often revile Metis in public, yet they are not afraid to utilize their unique abilities when no one is watching. As such, these Metis tend to play the part of resentful lesser cousins to the other Tribes, gathering information and bringing it back to the Shadow Lords to be used in their ruthless political negotiations.

Political Culture

No other tribe knows the nature of politics like the Shadow Lords. Both within the clan and among the Garou as a whole, the Shadow Lords are constantly behind the scenes of any group or faction they have been able to get their claws into, manipulating others like puppets and pawns to get what the tribe wants and needs. While most Shadow Lords believe their works are for the greater good, particularly regarding their interpretations of the Litany, many other Garou see them as deceitful dogs who need to be kept in clear view.

Religious Culture

Shadow Lords have a reverence of lightning storms, viewing them as expressions of ther Totem. To the Shadow Lords, Gifts are spiritual birthrights, not an end in themselves. Lords who want to learn Gifts have to prove themselves worthy and considerate enough to use their Gifts in a manner befitting the Tribe.

Tribal Weakness

Failure's Dagger: Lose one additional Renown for failure
Backgrounds: Allies and Mentor are discouraged.

Physical Characteristics

In Lupus form, they are notably thick and stocky with dark coats that reflect their tribal name, and might also bear white marks around the muzzle, chest or legs, like marks of lightning against a dark summer storm. Even in Lupus form, they always radiate a haughty confidence and arrogance.