Ahroun

Embers, a live-action role-playing game, by Embers Productions

Copyright 1999, Embers Productions. All rights reserved.

Warriors

Though all Garou are warriors, there are those among them whose rage burns so fiercely, their strength so great, their stamina so great. They are the Ahroun, born of the full moon and are blessed by Gaia with more rage than any of the other auspices. They are the heroes in the epic tales. The front lines against the enemies of the Wyrm. Their purpose is clear, their job is simple: fight the Wyrm, where it lives, where it breeds.

With a purpose so clear, so physical, the Ahroun are often misunderstood as mindless and intellectually deficient. Moreover, their great rage can at times cloud their judgement leading them to acquire a reckless reputation. While certainly true, especially among the younger Ahroun, to color them without philosophy is quite untrue. Ahroun have a very rich blend of warrior traditions amongst their own auspice, most of which seem to indicate a search for meaning and identity, to find a purpose for their existence. Moreover, Ahroun tend to be more practiced than all other Garou in the arts of contacting their ancestors through traditional rituals and/or vision questing. In times of training, Ahroun warriors find among their dead ancestors’ spirits teachers of martial skills. Beyond the might and bravado that most Ahroun display outwardly is a search for meaning and identity – to understand why it is they exist, what they are here to do, and the best way to go about it.

As such, the Ahroun are schooled by their elders in the more mortal academic arts – philosophy, history, and mathematics being the primary field of study. Such schooling is meant to not only give perspective on life but to reveal to the student that the search for identity is found in all things. After all, it is a dangerous life that the Garou lead – and to the Ahroun, even moreso. It is therefore important that one experience as much of life as possible, to be well rounded.

The younger Garou, of course, often take life recklessly and indulgently at first, feeling little of the danger that awaits them, becoming the source of much scorn amongst the Sept. However, in time, the young Garou grows to learn discipline and understanding of their purpose in life – to give meaning to their eventual sacrifice in Gaia’s name.

Traditions

Much of the Ahroun culture draws upon various eclectic warrior cultures as a natural result of their collective experiences and their studies in history. Though different Septs have their own localized versions of rituals and traditions. Most seem to respect certain constant ideas: rites of passage into manhood, martial discipline, healthy competition, and the desire to understand the meaning of sacrifice.

• rites of passage

Rites of Passage are common amongst the Garou, but Ahroun have their own rite of passage beyond the Sept practices. Though the specifics of Ahroun rites of passage vary from Sept to Sept, each rite is constant within the Sept - it is a shared experience that all Ahroun must endure and it serves as a way for them to understand each other on a fundamental level. Though Ahroun may not know another one all that well, they have both gone through "the ordeal" and thus, they have respect for each other. This helps the Ahroun mark his transition from a cub into a fully accepted member of society as a Cliath.

Some Septs send their cubs into a known Wyrm lair, others simply leave them in hostile territory to fend for themselves for a specified length of time. While the tests are not designed to be fatal, they are never safe or "staged", lest their value is belittled. Rites of Passage are life-changing experiences. In the Sept of the Buried Heart, the Ahroun rite of passage is something not spoken about outside of their auspice, being considered very much a personal and cathartic experience

• martial discipline

To be unprepared for battle is considered to be the greatest of ignorance. As such, each Ahroun, as part of their study is encouraged to study and become adept in at least specialized martial form of combat. Practiced skill with weapons is the more common choice among Ahroun of modern birth – swords, knives, etc., and in very rare accomplished cases, Crinos-specific weapons such as the klaive. However, there are some less common fields of study such as shadow-walking and partial form shifting (having Crinos claws while in human form, etc.). All students learn their crafts from local teachers, though on rare occasions from spirits or ancestral contacts (for properly gifted Garou)

• healthy competition

So that Ahroun do not sit back upon their laurels, healthy competition between them is often indulged. It is common for Ahroun to challenge each other to combat at moots. Although fighting for no reason is discouraged, the Ahroun will often exaggerate minor disagreements to justfy challenging one another in order to test themselves. In times of peace, the rest of the Sept takes it all in the proper perspective, so long as it is not problematic (though well intended, sometimes tempers can flare unexpectedly, causing the fights to get too rough).

It is also a tradition to hold a party the night before an expected battle and boast about what glory one will achieve in the fight. Each take turns one-upping each other until no one dare make a claim they cannot uphold. Bragging rights (and glory) abound for those who actually make good on their boast the next day. It is considered shameful to boast well beyond one’s capabilities, but the air of competition (and the alcohol) inflates the egos a bit. It is often felt amongst the Ahroun that during such rituals, one’s ancestors come as close as they can to this world to bear witness to the sacrifices of the living.

• sacrifice

To give one’s life for a cause, dying in battle is considered to be the greatest sacrifice one can give. It is thus never given lightly or without ceremony. As such, a Ahroun about to die (or expecting to die shortly) will always seek a witness to their efforts, someone to live on to tell their story, so that if they die they do not do so in vain. Galliards are often recruited for this purpose, though in more tragic situations where a proper scribe is not available, Ahroun may beg the help of the nearest Garou brethren. Such tales inspire the rest of the Sept (especially the surviving Ahroun) in the time to come. The more superstitious Ahroun even consider it to be necessary for their soul to find rest. To die alone, with no witnesses, is uniformly considered a personal failure and an affront to Gaia.

The Other Auspices

Galliard (Three-Quarter Moon)

Though filled with pride, the singers and poets among them are the best at telling our tale should we fall. Their art is important, if not entertaining. The more skilled ones are even adept at bringing to the surface our passion for combat, making them very valuable marshals in battle. Though skilled fighters, they lack a certain discipline.

Philodox (Half Moon)

These Garou keep the Sept pointed in the right direction. Their efforts allow us to keep our minds and bodies focused upon fulfilling our destinies.

Theurge (Quarter Moon)

Their arts border on ours in that they value academia. Though, their arts are almost completely unfamiliar to ours, they are on the practical level tactically valuable. They also have respect for discipline, a very honorable trait.

Ragabsh (New Moon)

They often do not understand our traditions and unknowingly dishonor them by making fun of our practices. However, they do tend to keep our younger Ahroun in line when they begin to get out of hand. Humility is always a good lesson to learn, when it does not come at the cost of confidence in battle.