Gurahl Extras

Rites

Dreams of Winter

Level One, Mystic
Although Gurahl do not have to hibernate, those who do are often confused about what occurred while they slept. People she regarded as allies may have changed their attitudes, enemies may have repented, the bear’s territory will have changed around her. This rite is widely known to the Gurahl and is often taught to young bears shortly after their first change.

System: The Gurahl enacts this rite before hibernating, or before a normal night’s sleep. While she sleeps, she
dreams of the world around her. These dream sequences usually show events within the werebear’s territory, but may depict scenes from anywhere in the world if they are relevant to the dreamer. The Gurahl’s player can roll Intelligence + Occult to determine if she knows of an event that occurred while he slept. The difficulty of this roll depends on the personal relevance of the event to the Gurahl.

Rite of Rending the Gauntlet

Level One, Mystic
With this rite, the Gurahl takes on his Bjornen form and tears a hole in the Gauntlet to enter the Umbra. The hole closes immediately after the Gurahl steps through. In the meantime, only other werebears can use the rift to enter the Umbra. Witnessing this rite causes the Delirium in humans.

System: The player spends a Gnosis point and rolls Charisma + Rituals (difficulty of the local Gauntlet). One success means the Gurahl takes five minutes to claw through the Gauntlet. Two successes reduce the time to 30 seconds, while three or more successes allow the Gurahl to rend the Gauntlet immediately. The Gurahl need not roll to return from the Umbra.

Rite of Replenishment

Level Two
This simple rite enables participating Gurahl to replace lost Gnosis from places sacred to Gaia. The Gurahl involved in the rite must find a suitable place — either in the Umbra or in the physical world — in which to conduct the rite, and cannot draw from the same place more than once in the same month.

System: The player rolls Wits + Rituals (difficulty 8, –1 per 15 minutes spent dancing and chanting to Gaia). The Gurahl gains one point of temporary Gnosis per success, which she may distribute among participants in the rite.

Rite of the River-Portent

Level Two
Gurahl use this rite as a means of foretelling the future. The werebear snags a fish with his claw from a stream, splits open the fish’s belly and reads the omens contained within. The information gained from this rite usually pertains to the immediate future of the Gurahl who reads the omens.

System: After catching the fish, the player rolls Intelligence + Enigmas (difficulty 8). The number of successes determines how clear and intelligible the omens and portents are.

Rite of True Mating

Level Two
This rite allows the Gurahl to find a suitable mate from among her Kinfolk. Only Gurahl who have reached full adulthood (i.e., are no longer considered Arcas) may learn this rite, since the werebears don’t believe in casual acts of procreation. To enact the rite, the Gurahl fashions a small bag, into which she places a drop of her blood and a cutting of her hair. She wears this bag around her neck for three days and nights, after which the empowered bag acts as a homing beacon, pulling the Gurahl in the direction of a suitable Kinfolk mate. Convincing the Kinfolk in question of their compatibility remains up to the Gurahl, of course.

System: The player spends a point of Gnosis and rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty 7). One success is enough to ensure success.

Rite of Fighting the Death Bear

Level Five
Gurahl use this sacred rite to restore life to an individual too long deceased for Gaia’s Breath (or, sometimes,
when the only Gurahl to hand is of insufficient rank to have learned Gaia’s Breath — but this is considered particularly dangerous and foolhardy). The Gurahl enters the Umbra, calls upon Mangi, makes suitable offerings to the Death Bear, and then issues a challenge for the departed’s spirit. The Gurahl and Mangi engage in Umbral combat. If the Gurahl defeats Mangi, he may enter the realm of the Death Bear and reclaim the spirit he seeks, returning it to its body. If the Gurahl fails, he is ejected from the Umbra and the rite fails. Occasionally, even if the Gurahl fails, Mangi returns the fallen one’s soul — and claims the rite-performing werebear’s life in exchange. Because of this, and out of respect for the natural cycle of life, werebears rarely use this rite.

System: This rite fails automatically if the individual has already failed to respond to Gaia’s Breath. Mangi’s traits are left up to the Storyteller; while it is a ferocious spirit indeed, Mangi can beand has beendefeated by midranked Gurahl on rare occasions.

Fetishes

Rattle-trap
Level Three, Gnosis 7
These fetishes were first made for the great hibernations of the Gurahl. These periods are a dangerous time for werebears, as they are helpless if enemies find their hiding place. The rattle-trap helps balance the odds by giving a hibernating werebear a chance to defend herself. A Gurahl can also use the rattle-trap during normal sleep.

System: The Gurahl activates the fetish prior to sleep; it remains active until she wakes. If a person or spirit intending harm comes within (Gnosis) yards of the Gurahl, the fetish rattles, passing the bear’s slumber to the intruder. The Gurahl may function without penalty while the intruder must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) to remain active or she succumbs to the Gurahl’s sleep. If the intrusion occurs in winter the intruder will suffer the Gurahl’s sluggish reactions even if she succeeds at her Willpower tests. Canny enemies who know of the Gurahl’s magic will attack in numbers. The fetish will only affect one of their number, but the rattle-trap still brings the Gurahl to full awareness

Backgrounds

Owing to their rarity, Gurahl rarely amass much in the way of Resources. All Gurahl have an aspect of Bear as their personal Totem. They also use a unique Background: Umbral Glade.

Umbral Glade

A Gurahl with this Background possesses a Den which opens into a Glade in the Umbra, serving as a “mini-caern” or wellspring of Gnosis. The size and location of the Umbral Glade determines how much Gnosis is available for the resident Gurahl. If more than one Gurahl remains within the Glade in order to regain Gnosis, the total Gnosis available must be shared among those wishing to partake of it. In addition to providing Gnosis for the Gurahl, an Umbral Glade gives the werebear an instantaneous doorway into the Umbra without the need for a rite.

A 20x20 foot area, supplying one Gnosis per day.
•• A 50x50 foot area, supplying two Gnosis per day.
••• A 100 x 100 foot area, supplying three Gnosis per day.
•••• A 500 x 500 foot area, supplying four Gnosis per day.
••••• A 1,000x1,000 foot area, supplying five Gnosis per day.
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