Or What Is Known about the Croatan Werewolves by Bill Bridges The loss of the Croatan was a seminal event in werewolf history, as it was a major source of enmity between native and European tribes (or "Wyrmcomers," as the natives call them) and the silent enmity between the Uktena and Wendigo - resentment between two brothers over the loss of a third. Hints about the Croatan and their fate have been sprinkled throughout various Werewolf books, but not until now has White Wolf published the details of their legend. Some believe that ghosts of slain Croatan haunt the Umbra, although no proof exists. Others believe that the Croatan are gone and aren't coming back, much as the slaughtered tribes of many real Native Americans are gone and aren't coming back. Regardless, signs of Croatan power and wisdom are again apparent in the world, from rediscovered fetishes to the awakening of the tribe's totem, the Turtle. Who can say what these signs portend? A rebirth? Or preparation for another apocalyptic battle?
History What's known today about the Croatan is what's told in the tales and legends of the Uktena and Wendigo. Many of these stories are kept secret from European tribes for various reasons; the Europeans are considered unworthy or it is thought that the telling will taint the tales and the memory of Middle Brother. What is known by most Garou is that the Croatan arrived in the Pure Lands with the Uktena and Wendigo tribes thousands of years ago during a great migration. They came over the Bering Strait land bridge, which collapsed behind them, destroying their Wyrm pursuers. Once in their new-found land, they spread out to tend it as was Gaia's will. While the Wendigo stayed primarily in the north, interbreeding with what would become the Native American tribes of Canada, the Pacific Northwest and the Great Plains, the Uktena traveled south, mainly to the west, spreading down into Mexico and even South America.
They interbred with what would become the Mayans, the other tribes of Mexico and the California coast, and many North American southwest tribes, such as the Ute and Hopi (although they were represented among the eastern Cherokee). The Croatan, however, spread out all over, living among the Wendigo and the Uktena. They were strongest to the east and southeast, interbreeding among what would become the tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy, the Powhatan kingdom and the Seminole. Their favored Kinfolk, however, were the tribes of the mid-Atlantic coast, especially the Secotan and a small tribe later called by the English the Croatoans. The Croatoans represented, or so the Croatan Garou believed, a tribe perfectly in harmony with Gaia, living peacefully with the land. This begs the question of what the Croatan, or any Native American Garou for that matter, considered peaceful. Certainly the Indians warred among each other and could be cruel in their torture of captured enemies. But this did not bother the Garou. They saw (and still do, for the most part) these activities as perfectly in keeping with Gaia's way (with some exceptions, of course, for the Wyrm was in the Pure Lands also, although not nearly as powerful as in Europe). War and pain proved the will of a warrior. If he could endure it, even if it killed him, they believed he would be reborn as a more powerful warrior, one who would receive great glory in his next life (the Croatan, like most Garou, believed in reincarnation). Warriors were necessary, for Wyrm monsters needed heroes to defeat them. For thousands of years the Croatan, Uktena and Wendigo lived among the Pure Ones, guiding them on Gaia's path and having grand
adventures against the few Wyrm foes that slithered across the land. Even then, however, there was balance with the Wyrm. The Wyrm creatures acted to destroy, but new life arose in places of death. This was as it should be. The Garou were content with the situation. Without the Wyrm, there could be no glorious battles and thus no rewards for warriors. Indeed, the Wyrm was considered an absolutely necessary evil, although Garou Kinfolk felt otherwise. Without Rage to protect them or drive them to love battle, Kinfolk longed for peace from the beasts of the night - which often included the Garou. The Croatan also considered themselves tenders of balance, not only against the Wyrm, but against the extremes of the Weaver and Wyld. Ironically, given the conditions of modern times, the biggest problem they faced was not the growth of the Weaver and its manifestations, but the depredations of the Wyld in the form of cataclysmic earthquakes, uncontrolled forest fires, hurricanes and tornadoes. The Croatan found themselves the defenders of civilization and progress, the opposite of the Garou position today. What little technological advancements were made by their Kin were guarded by the Croatan, for these things were needed against the overwhelming Wyld. Even Weaver lore, such as how to perform controlled burning of grasslands and forests, were supported by the Croatan. Croatan Garou were the first to experience the European invasions. Their Kinfolk in Florida suffered under Spanish conquest, and the Croatan aided the humans in wars against those invaders. But the Croatan were perplexed by the new Banes that came with the conquistadors and didn't know how to fight them. These corrupt things insinuated their way into humans, convincing them to think evil thoughts and do evil deeds. The Croatan rarely had to deal with such internal evil.
out, kept alive only partially in the songs of their brethren. The Uktena and Wendigo searched for ways to revive their lost brother, to find at least one cub born with the blood of a Croatan. But the search was fruitless. No sign of their brother remained. The Uktena thus began a secret tradition, so holy that only a few of the tribe knew of the new Way, that of the Songkeeper. They elected one among them to preserve the song of the Croatan, the sacred story of the final battle. A few Wendigo were let in on the secret, so that they might help protect the Songkeeper. Whenever a Songkeeper approached death, he would choose a Garou and sing the song to him. That Garou would be Songkeeper thereafter, until it was her time to pass the song on and die. And thus it has been until present day.
Culture Much as with its history, little is remembered about Croatan culture. No one is even sure as to how the tribe got its name. The Uktena and Wendigo bear the name of their totem, so many believe that the Croatan named themselves after their Turtle totem, but no one is sure of this. One story tells of a great hero of the migration named Croatan, after whom the tribe was named when he saved everyone from a Wyrm beast. But not everyone believes this tale. Another theory states that the tribe was named after a favored family of Kinfolk, the Croatoans. But most Garou scoff at the idea. A Garou tribe naming itself after a human tribe? Ridiculous! Perhaps only a Croatan would know the answer.
When the English came to Roanoke Island in the late 1580s, the Croatan were confronted with a threat that they could understand: a full-blown manifestation of a Wyrm beast, a creature born from the earth and hungry for the souls of all humans and Garou. This was a beast that they could fight - or so they believed.
The Uktena tribe was considered to be Older Brother, the eldest and the wisest of the three Native tribes. The Wendigo tribe was Little Brother, the youngest, most hotheaded yet most active. The Croatan tribe, therefore, was Middle Brother, the mature yet active tribe. It balanced the extremes of the Uktena and Wendigo. The other tribes came to the Croatan to resolve disputes, even if one of the disputing tribes was Croatan, so highly was its impartiality respected.
Afterwards, all Croatan were dead. Their Kinfolk ceased to bear Garou, and over the centuries the ways of the Croatan almost died
Before the coming of the Europeans tribes, the Native American Garou often sent their newly invested cubs to a brother tribe for
fostering. Thus, it was not unusual for a Wendigo cub to spend his first years among the Croatan or Uktena. When he returned to learn the ways of his own people, the cub would bring with him the ways of and a respect for another tribe. This practice united the three tribes as a true family, and even wars were considered nothing more than temporary family squabbles. All this changed after the death of the Croatan. The Wendigo no longer trusted the Uktena and stopped sending their cubs. The Uktena believed the Wendigo were hotheaded and shortsighted and didn't want their cubs reared by such brutes. Today, while the two tribes are closer to each other than they are with other Garou tribes, they are strangers compared with the close relationship they once shared. Beyond these facts, the Croatan have left little legacy.
Powers Gifts These Gifts have not been taught by spirits in many years. However, now that Turtle is awake again, spirits can once more teach Garou this lore. Only Uktena and Wendigo may learn these Gifts, as can any Garou who follows the Turtle totem. Wyld Sight (Level One) - The Garou can see Wyld energy in all its manifestations, allowing him to take actions that prevent it from growing too powerful or to defend himself against it. For instance, the Garou can see the mystic swirling of the Umbral wind that presages a tornado in the physical realm or feel the shaking of the Umbral earth before a real earthquake. Garou in the physical world can also sense Wyld spirits in the nearby Penumbra, although they have to enter the Umbra to get more details. This Gift is taught by a Wyld spirit. System: The Garou rolls Perception + Enigmas (difficulty 6). If successful, the Garou understands the nature of the Wyld manifestation and realizes what form of Wyld spirit is causing it. Use the following table to see how early the Garou can predict a Wyld event:
Successes One Two Three Four Five +
Time Before the Event 10 minutes 30 minutes One hour Three hours One day
Turtle Shell (Level Two) - The Garou can form a mystic, protective shield around herself. The shield appears as a large turtle shell that encases the Garou. The shell is opaque on the outside but translucent from the inside (attackers can't see in, but the Garou can see out). The Garou can choose to encase others in the shell with her. This Gift is taught by a turtle-spirit. System: The Garou spends one Gnosis point and rolls Stamina + Survival (difficulty 6). For each success, the shell has two soak dice and two Health Levels (when the shell has no more Health Levels, it breaks apart). In addition, a two-yards radius can be encased per success (two hexes, if miniature rules are used). A Crinos-form Garou requires about that much space to fit into the shell, so with three successes three Crinos-form Garou can fit into the shell (or perhaps six Homid- or Lupus-form Garou or any such combination - Storyteller's discretion). The shell lasts for one scene or until a Garou decides to break it, whichever comes first. Once its time is up or it is broken (whether by a Garou on the inside or an enemy pounding his way in), the shell disintegrates. Call Earth Spirit (Level Three) - The Garou may summon an earth spirit to do one task for her. She must have some earth with her (a handful of dirt or a rock). The earth spirit crushes things in its path, including foes it is directed against. This Gift is taught by an earth elemental. System: The Garou spends one Gnosis point and rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 8). The spirit's rampage (in a straight line for up to 30 yards) causes 10 dice of damage (nonaggravated) to anything in its path. It knocks down whatever it hits, rolling over objects or victims and continues on its path. A botch on the summoning roll calls up a hostile spirit.
Hand of the Earth Lords (Level Four) - See the level-five Uktena Gift of the same name on pg. 138 of the Werewolf rulebook. Resolute Vow (Level Five) - Once a Garou with this Gift pursues a goal, nothing can stop him from achieving his ends. There are many legends of Croatan heroes who followed their vows of vengeance or spiritual quests against all odds, continuing on when less-resolute Garou turned back, fearful of failure. This Gift is taught by ancestor-spirits. System: The Garou spends a permanent point of Gnosis, declaring his purpose or quest to all who can hear. From that point on, he must follow his quest through until the end. He adds six extra dice to any Willpower rolls involving the quest (even if this takes his Willpower roll over 10 dice) and has six extra Willpower points to spend on the quest only. However, once spent, these extra points cannot be regained. If the Garou chooses to give up his quest before it is completed, he loses any remaining bonus Willpower points and loses another one permanent Willpower point for each of the bonus Willpower points that he spent after activating this Gift. The Garou may never regain permanently lost Willpower points. For instance, if the Garou gives up his quest after spending three of his bonus Willpower points, he may never have a Willpower rating higher than 7.
Fetishes For some examples of Croatan fetishes, see the Earth Rattle (pp. 122-3 of the Werewolf Storytellers Handbook) and the Croatan Song Flute (owned by the Uktena Bull Roarer, pg. 60 of Rage Across New York).
Totem The Turtle Background Cost: 4 Turtle is the totem of the Pure Lands and is revered by the Uktena, Croatan and Wendigo tribes of Garou. He is the Pure Lands, called Turtle Island by early Native American inhabitants. He is the body and spirit of the land in one, a totem representing endurance, purity and tradition. Turtle has slept for a very long time - almost four centuries. The shock of the assault on the Pure Lands by the Wyrm and loss of the Croatan tribe drove the Incarna into Slumber. But Turtle is finally awakening, as the old songs and stories are told again and reverence for the land is recognized anew. With the awakening of the Turtle, many of the lost Gifts of the Croatan can once again be taught by his Gafflings and Jagglings. Traits: Turtle is protective of his children and grants his Gift: Turtle Shell (see above). In addition, each pack member gains an extra dot in Survival and Rituals and is taught the Rite of Cleansing. Ban: Turtle's children must fight to keep the Pure Lands free of corruption, which includes industrial development in wilderness.
