By Dave Kahn (x92kahn1@wmich.edu)
The Garou traveled to the deepest parts of the Umbra. Once there they offered themselves to the Wyldling spirits there, abandoning the protections afforded them by their powerful rites. The Wyld accepted their sacrifice, and, when they returned to Gaia they were....different. Their battle forms now reflected the appearance of their favored totem, Cerberus, the three headed wolf.
The Cerberus settled in the lands surrounding the Aegean Sea, near where the Black Furies dwelled. The two tribes developed a deep bond due to their shared commitment to the Wyld. The two tribes consider each other almost one and the same. The Cerberus also developed a strong friendship with the savage Red Talons, due to their love of the deep wilds.
True to their ties to the Wyld, the Cerberus are an eccentric tribe. They have a few consistencies within the attitudes of their people: a strong code of honor, an equally strong dislike of technology, and a deep love of the wilderness areas of the physical world. All Cerberus are sworn to the guardianship of Gaia and the Wyld as part of their rite of passage.
In modern times, the bulk of the tribe has taken to spending their time combating the Wyrm in the Umbra. On Earth, the Cerberus are most commonly found near the Mediterranean Sea at hidden caerns or among their cousins. Many also reside in remote wilderness areas. The tribe favors the lupus breed and has many wolf kinfolk around the world (compared to most tribes). The tribe has few human kin; most homid Cerberus are lost pups (hard to mistake as a member of another tribe) or grow up in small towns.
The Wyrm is the primary target of the tribe's offensive push. While they see the Weaver as a threat to Gaia and the Wyld, the Glass Walkers do some to blunt its destructiveness. The Wyrm is slowed by no one, man or wolf. Only the Garou.
Territory/Protectorate: In some remote parts of the world, the Cerberus still assist Black Fury and Red Talon packs with preserving the remaining natural and Wyld areas of the world. The Cerberus' main protectorate, though, is the ever-shifting tracks of the Umbra.
Sense Wyrm (as the Metis gift)
Spirit Friend (as the Children of Gaia gift)
Wyld Warp (as the Black Fury gift)
A Cerberus can still only perform one action per turn unless she spends Rage, like any other Garou. That out of the way, a Cerberus can operate each head separately for simple actions such as speaking, staring, etc. If in doubt as to what constitutes "one action", ask yourself if the character could perform the act without the benefit of multiple heads. If not, it's not a simple action.
A Cerberus should not receive any sort of bonus to a roll for his extra heads. Appropriate uses include: scanning more area at once or holding on to a guy with one set of fangs while chatting with your packmates.
It is a sign of respect to your elders. One with honor will not hoard what you have bled for.
"Honorable, brave and fair to their women, a tribe I am proud to call our cousins."
Bone Gnawers: A once respectable tribe, now content to wallow in Weaver rot. Occasionally, one will earn your respect.
"I've been trying to forget the last of those I met."
Children of Gaia: Not every tribe is built for combat. The Children are wise, respect that. But keep your eyes wide for they miss many threats in their trust.
"Dedicated Garou; too bad they are unwilling to change their views."
Fianna: True warriors and wonderful moon dancers. It is sad that they are so fond of the Weaver's lures.
"Damn BLOODY hell!!! Now if they'd learn to relax."
Get of Fenris: Arrogant pups, full of rage and stupidity. If you're feeling kind, teach them a lesson. If you're not, introduce him to your cousin and let her.
"Crazy wild monsters that bow to the Furies. Worthless!!"
Glass Walkers: Weaver-spawn!!
"All we need, someone who supports the Talons. Wonderful!!"
Red Talons: One of the few tribes left who truly appreciate the Wyld. These warriors are true friends and Garou.
"The Wyld's chosen pack. They see what others won't"
Shadow Lords: Lie. Cheat. Deal with bugs. Deal with worms. Let me think, I may come up with a good quality.
"Fortunately, these savage lunatics are rare."
Silent Striders: A wise and well traveled people.
"The best of guides when exploring the Umbral pathways."
Silver Fangs: Once upon a time they were a great tribe. Once in a long while you can find one who still is.
"Not very good at following orders, but great to have on your side in a pinch."
Stargazers: Why are all the great tribes scarce?
"They have explored deeply into the mysteries of the Wyld, but they have abandoned much in doing so."
Uktena: Wise and knowledgeable of our home, but they come too close to the Wyrm in their quest for secrets.
"They know so much of the umbra, if only we could get them to share it all with us."
Wendigo: Take a couple of Wendigo when you visit the Get of Fenris.
"They still regard us as the true masters of our lands. We could use more of them at the great moots."
Bastet: The felines were wronged long ago. They deserve better than they received. If you meet one treat her with respect.
"Excellent sources of information about the spirit world. And they had little to do with the War of Rage."
Corax: I haven't made up my mind on the ravens. They can be useful in tracking down Wyrmspawn.
"Just stay on their good side. You should hear what this ratkin told me about them..."
Gurahl: It is said that the teachers are not found easily anymore.
"Few of the wolf tribes are as respectful and eager to learn as these. If only there were more."
Mokole: Never met one.
"............."
Nuwisha: Gaia's answer to stress. I love these guys. And only they appreciate the Umbra like us.
"I love these guys. You'd be surprised at how many Black Spiral Dancers they...discourage for us."
Ratkin: I already had lunch, thanks though.
"One of these guys tried to EAT me!!"
Rokea: The who?
"Who the?!?"
Ananasi: Now here is something bad, made worse. Weaver-spawn corupted by the Wyrm. We should make their life more peaceful...permanently.
"Would someone explain what we ever did to piss these...things off?"
This merit may only be taken by a character with the background: kinfolk. It allows some of the characters lupus kinfolk to be hellhounds, possessing fiery breath (as per the gift: hell's breath). No more than ten such hounds may be taken, regardless of the total number of kinfolk.
Most Cerberus, despite having many heads, can only perform one task at a time. Just as any other character. This merit allows the Cerberus to use each head for a different task. For example, he could peek through the Gauntlet into the umbra with one head, and, sniff out a trail with another, while the last keeps watch in the physical world.
Cerberus always keep their word (although their ragabash have a knack for twisting it like a pretzel and still doing what they said they would do, to the letter).
Cerberus show respect to those with wisdom and those who are themselves honorable.
A Cerberus who violates his honor is deeply troubled and does not function at his best until he rights his error. In game terms, the storyteller should feel free to add one to the difficulty for almost every roll the poor fool must make.
Other totems: Pegasus, Griffin, Owl, The Medusae, Old Wolf of the Woods, Raven, Winter Wolf and Sphinx.
Umbral Walker: A Metis Theurge of the Travelers of the Styx. The Umbral Walker is a master at charting paths through the spirit world and an expert at dealing with the spirits found there. Disfigurement: no claws
Claw of Justice: A Metis Philodox of the Travelers of the Styx. The Claw of Justice represents the warriors commonly found in the Travelers. Plucked from his mother's dying body after a Dancer attack, the Claw of Justice shall never let anyone else suffer such a loss.
Voice of Truth: A Homid Galliard of the Aegis. The Voice of Truth is a listener and an empath. People feel comfortable talking to her and she has a knack for helping them reach an understanding with themselves.
Hound of Hell: A Lupus Ahroun of the Raging Storm. The Hound of Hell is the most fearsome, savage aspect of the Cerberus. He is often found leading his pack into battle against the Wyrm, wearing the hispo.