Galliard 101

The Galliard
Gibbous Moon
Lover of the Ways
Other Names: Artisan (Black Furies), Moon Dancer (Fianna), Skald (Get of Fenris), The Howling Moon (Red Talons), Songkeeper (Uktena), Daebaudjimoot (Wendigo)

ROLE OF THE GALLIARD
If the Ahroun are the fists and the Philodox the heart of the Garou, the Galliard (Gal-lee-ard) is the soul. Filled with intense passion and a love of what has come before, the Moon Dancers keep the history of the Garou alive. History is incredibly important to the werewolves. Their deeds and victories and defeats make them who they are today, just like with any culture. But Garou are far more aware of this than humans. History stays with the Garou very strongly. The spirits of their ancestors come to them with the wisdom of the past very often, and the Silver Record is a storybook like no other. A Garou’s soul is reincarnated many times down through the centuries. While they struggle to adapt to the modern world, the Garou also work hard to keep ties to their past.

This is where the Galliard comes in. It is the duty of the Moon Dancer to keep history alive. It is they who sing the tales, both good and bad, to bring their fellows wisdom through citing example. Garou do not generally keep written records. Living in secret as they must, they try to leave as little in the way of physical evidence of their existence as possible. Only the Silver Record is the exception.

But there are so many more stories and songs, important tales not to be forgotten, that didn’t make it into the august listings of the Silver record. The Garou must rely on an oral tradition to keep this lore alive, and it is the sacred duty of the Galliard to do this.

When a grand battle has been fought, it is the Galliard’s duty to make sure it is never forgotten. By singing the songs of great past deeds, the Galliard can instill courage and confidence in his pack, urging them on to victory in their current struggles.

Detailing the current deeds of the Garou is important as well. A pack’s Galliard must sing his pack’s song at the Moots, relate their deeds, so that the Nation will recognize their achievements and he and his pack mates will gain Renown. Without the Galliard to tell of these deeds, the legends of the Garou of today will never grow.

Only the Galliard is trusted to sing these songs of Renown. It is a serious duty, one that every Galliard performs honestly. Moon Dancers would not lie of false deeds to further his own or anyone else’s reputation. Doing so damages the honor of the Galliards greatly. Those that ever have are always caught in their lies, either by Philodox or by the spirits. The Gibbous Moons take great pride in being truthful (within reason of artistic license) in their duties.

PSYCHOLOGY OF THE GALLIARD
Galliards are most famous for their passion. It’s not just Rage. It’s joy and intensity and creativity. It’s lust for life and love of history. Galliards are not known for their self-control. Restraint is not in their vocabulary. New experiences excite them, and they often go seeking out such. Every new experience is a new adventure, and new adventures make for new stories and songs.

Moon Dancers feel deeply. They are often empathic and sensitive to others feelings because of this. This gives them an edge in dealing with others. Sensing someone’s motives or being able to guess how someone might react makes Galliards expert negotiators.

Music is the way the world sounds. It is the rhythm of life, and Moon Dancers feel that music best of all. From the ancient howls of wolves to primitive tribal drums to modern techno-dance music, Galliards make for natural musicians. The beat attracts them, even if the particular type of music repels them. Red Talon Galliards obviously despise any human music, but occasionally find it intriguing nonetheless.

A love of history. What does it stem from? Who knows? The Gibbous Moons find themselves drawn to ancient chronicles and tales of unheard glory. Maybe it’s the allure of being the first to discover a new story, or perhaps it’s the urge to relate it all to others, to be ‘the one’ that delivers the tales. Or it could be just a curiosity of what has come before. The pull of Luna can be just as strong as a simple desire to learn.

Garou history is very alive. It is not something learned through reading dusty old books. It is learned through song and story and adventure. Thus, it holds a greater allure to the Garou whose duty it is to safeguard it.

ROLE-PLAYING TIPS
Galliards are always interested in history and current events (which will become tomorrow’s history). As the custodians of werewolf tradition, it is something that is in their blood. The Galliard is an excellent choice for players who enjoy storytelling and keeping journals of in-character events. It can be a creative outlet for a player with aspirations of being a writer (or even someone who just enjoys writing as a hobby). Musical talent is also a plus, and a player that can compose an original song of his pack’s deeds is really going the extra mile.

Social Attributes are typically Primary for Galliard characters, particularly Charismatic and Beguiling. Galliards are known for their magnetic personalities and persuasive talents. Physical Attributes can be important, for Galliards, with all their passion, often express it physically. Mental Attributes come in handy, for a Knowledgeable and Reflective Galliard will certainly remember every detail of an adventure. A Moon Dancer with Clever and Calm is also at an advantage (think how performers need to be able to keep their cool on stage and adjust to changes during a performance).

Obviously, Expression and Performance are important Abilities. Any Moon Dancer without at least a single level in them is going to be very bad at her Luna-given duties. Crafts also finds a place among a Galliard’s range of skills, for the auspice’s artistic bent can give way to painting, woodworking and other ways to showcase their talents.

A good number of Galliards know how to behave and interact in various social circles. Indeed, a Galliard is often the pack’s “face man” (or woman). Their high Social Attributes gives them an advantage in dealing with others. As a result, Abilities like Empathy, Etiquette and Streetwise come into frequent use. In their learning of history, Moon Dancers often know many languages, so Linguistics tends to get a good workout. So do Abilities like Investigation, Occult and various Lores.

Finally, Galliards are expected to perform many Rites, such as the Moot Rite, Gathering for the Departed and others. Thus the Rituals Knowledge tends to be well-used.

Among Backgrounds, Past Life is a great source of ancient knowledge. How better to learn of the past then to commune with the spirits of the Garou that lived through it? Pure Breed can be of great use, for a storyteller who has the bearing of the great heroes he speaks of gains a certain amount of credence. Galliards make friends easily, so Allies and Contacts are common (in most games, anyway. Allies and Contacts are not used here in Seattle). Also, as mentioned before, Galliards known many Rites (particularly of Renown and Death). Galliards are about passion, not self-control. Often, their Rage can outweigh their Willpower. However, this comes with the obvious social penalties, for humans are uncomfortable with the Beast Within. Thus, many Galliards (Homids, at least), learn to maintain control of the Beast, and their Willpower scores tend to be at least equal to their Rage. Lupus and Metis Galliards typically don’t care what humans think of their personalities. Don’t hold back when playing a Moon Dancer. Cut loose. Feel every emotion deeply.

Renown-wise, Galliards obviously favor Glory and Wisdom. Glory is where legends are made, and Galliards are the most concerned about witnessing legends-in-the-making. Wisdom comes from the Galliards role as a teacher of history. Honor tends to matter least to them, for great performances are made of tales of battle and stories of cunning, not songs of people making ‘honorable choices.’