ECTOWOLVES

By Adam Solis (ajsolis@aol.com) (23 May 1996)

Background

EctoWolves are based upon the Ghost Bunyip from Rage Across Australia, the failed pups from Rites of Passage, the Ancestor Spirits of Garou, the "Avenging Angels" created from the Hunt Rite, and the Phantasmi Fomori of The Book of the Wyrm.

Rules

Bete can and do become Wraiths. They retain their regenerative powers, Gifts, Rites, Gnosis, Rage, Regencies, and shapeshifting abilities just like any Bete of their type. Like any Wraith, they have Angst, Pathos, Corpos, and Arcanos. Angst is rolled from Rage instead of Willpower, so it is possible for an EctoWolf to start off with more Angst than Willpower. Phantasm, Embody, Keening, and Argos are popular Arcanos but all are available to EctoWolves.

Ironically, Ectowolves find that without a doubt that Rage is a taint of the Wyrm. The reason they know this is that Rage and Angst are so complementary. A wyrm frenzy results in the EctoWolf's Shadow taking over for the duration of the Frenzy. Combined with the nature of an EctoWolf's starting Angst, Ectowolves are more vulnerable to their Shadow than to Final Death. Rage, however, is also tied to Pathos. Anytime that a Rage related emotion is experienced by those around an Ectowolf the EctoWolf can roll Rage as a passion to gain pathos.

EctoWolves use most of the normal Wraith rules-they can become Risen or a Spectre, they have 10 Corpus, they can spend pathos to heal, etc. EctoWolves rarely fear Final Death thanks to thier regeneration and pathos healing.

Relations with the Umbrae

All EctoWolves have the Umbral ties flaw, meaning that they can be turned into a Fetish or Talen. To enter the Middle Umbra, the EctoWolf need merely roll their Gnosis against the difficulty of the shroud or gauntlet rating, whichever is higher. Reentering the Skinlands requires Embody, Inhabit, or other Dictum Mortem breaking Arcanos.

Origins

Being half animal, Garou are unlikely to become Wraiths for just any reason. Therefore I will list some common reasons for becoming EctoWolves:
• Deciding to power a Fetish as one's dying wish, such EctoWolves are often surprised to regain consciousness after the Fetish is destroyed.
• Dying in a particularly brutal rite of passage. Feeling betrayed by their own tribes, these ectowolves often seek to torment living Garou
• Becoming a fomor and consequently dying at the hands of Garou; these are usually MortWrights
• Being sacrificed in the Hunt Rite, these EctoWolves dedicate themselves to fighting for Gaia from beyond the Grave
• Refusing to die while the Apocalypse War is still not over, such EctoWolves are called Ancestor spirits and teach Gifts to their successors. They will even possess their descendants in times of need through the cover of "Past Lives."
• Botching the Silent Strider Seasonal rite. This results in an EctoWolf who never technically died but is still trapped in the Shadowlands.
• Betrayal, a good example of this origin is the Ghost Bunyip tribe.
• Dedication. The Croatans became EctoWolves to stop the Wyrm from manifesting directly upon the earth ever again. If they did not, then their sacrifice would have been in vain...

The most likely tribes to become EctoWolves are the Black Spiral Dancers due to their Wyrm taint, the Skindancers due to their human origins and Wyrm taint, and Silent Striders because of their innate connection to the Shadowlands.