Characters
Players portray the Forsaken, werewolves whose duty is to maintain the balance between the spirit realms and the physical world, policing intrusions of one into the other. Any human with Uratha heritage may undergo the First Change at some time in their life, becoming a werewolf, though what triggers the change is unknown. It is only known that it almost never happens before puberty or after the age of 60. Each character has an Auspice defined by what phase the moon was at during their First Change, and most join a Tribe, or become a Tribeless Ghost Wolf. Unlike traditional fictional werewolves, Uratha may change at any time into various forms between man and wolf, though they do find this easier when the phase of the moon matches their Auspice.
Uratha are fierce territorial predators who feel the compulsion to hunt, compounded by an Oath that they swear to do so. Many have trouble containing their aggression, hindering their ability to live normal human lives. Additionally, humans feel this aggression as the Uratha’s connection to his spirit side grows and most humans are repelled by this feeling. Also, every werewolf is in danger to enter Death Rage (Kuruth in the First Tongue). In this state the werewolf is a threat to everything, no matter whether friend or foe, and it did happen, that Uratha consumed their "enemies" while in this state.
Uratha also possess an instinctive (if rudimentary) understanding of the First Tongue, the language spoken by their ancestors and spirits. Many Uratha learn to speak the First Tongue fluently.
In the broader context of published setting material, the Uratha are a specialized form of were-beast in the World of Darkness and belong to the so-called Changing Breeds (beings part human, part animal and part spirit). Among these beings, the Uratha are not the only shapeshifters or even werewolves, but the breed with the deepest spiritual connection, aside from the Ursara (werebears). There are also other differences to the other Changing Breeds. However in the World of Darkness, the Uratha don't have much contact with the other Changing Breeds and those Breeds mostly avoid the Uratha.
Read more about this topic: Werewolf: The Forsaken
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