Post by Tameh on Jan 2, 2013 16:04:50 GMT -6
The Ahroun
Full Moon
Protector of the Ways
Other Names: Warrior (Black Furies), Modi (Get of Fenris), The Seeing Moon (Red Talons), Fist (Stargazers), Warrior (Uktena), Ya’pahe (Wendigo)
The word Ahroun (aw-ROON) was created by the Fianna, and most tribes use the word as well, though some insist on their own names (especially the Wendigo, who refuse to use a European term). The Ahroun are those Garou born during the full moon, and are thus blessed with the destiny of the soldier.
ROLE OF THE AHROUN
All Garou are “Gaia’s Warriors.” She made them to fight and die to protect her from the excesses of the Wyrm and Weaver. But even among a race of warriors, there are those who are the true fighters. The best of the best. The cream of the crop. These are the Ahrouns. To the Red Talons, he is the pack defender and skilled hunter. To the Bone Gnawers, he is the gang banger and thug. To the Glass Walkers, a hitman. To the Silver Fangs, a knight. It is the place of the Ahroun to fight. They are expected to be skilled warriors, and an Ahroun who doesn’t know how to throw a punch worth a damn is letting his tribe down. An Ahroun who can’t fight is useless. Fortunately, such Full Moons are rare. Almost all want to be skilled warriors.
Being born under the full moon gives them the urge to hone their combat skills. Hand-to-hand combat, melee, firearms, you name it. The Ahroun is the hunter of prey, the slayer of monsters, the defender of the weak. More than any other auspice, the Ahroun epitomizes the Garou. He is the symbol of the Garou struggle, the icon of their war. At the same time, he epitomizes the Garou struggle between their dual natures: the noble hero and the bloodthirsty savage.
Young Ahrouns are the hot-headed warriors, always seeking the next foe to best, always wanting to prove his mettle. They are the ones who stand upon their enemy’s corpse and howls for the next foe to come. Elder Ahrouns are the grizzled old soldiers who have fought everything and lived to tell about it. Experience has tempered their impatience, and although the Rage still burns hot, they have learned to control it better. These old warriors are the deadliest combatants in the world.
Ahroun gain the most respect among the Get of Fenris, Red Talons, Silver Fangs and Wendigo. These tribes value the battle and the virtue it brings. Indeed, it is required that the kings of the Silver Fangs be Ahrouns. Glory, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the type of Renown of most value to Full Moons. Their purpose is combat, and the glory of combat thus brings them power and respect. The Protectors of the Ways have their code of honor, however. They are not the mindless killers other Auspices make them out to be. The Ahroun does not want to be a psycho who slays without thought. She wants to be the honorable warrior. Like the samurai of ancient Japan, Ahroun live and die by the sword, and how they live their lives is as important as how they die. Thus, Honor is a prized Renown as well. Wisdom has it’s place as well, for the Full Moon that is wise becomes the craftiest of fighters.
PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AHROUN
Even among the normally serene Children of Gaia and Stargazers, Ahrouns are known for their short tempers. Being born under the full moon, they have more Rage in their hearts than any other Garou. It sizzles just beneath the surface of their personalities. At best, the Ahroun is a stern, terse person. At worst she is a psychotic killer. It is a life-long struggle for the Garou to keep their tempers in check, for frenzies are always just a moment’s annoyance away. Life is often short for an Ahroun. Battle calls constantly, and a blaze of glory is almost always how an Ahroun’s career (and life) ends. Few Full Moons die of old age. Life is hard, violent and short for these werewolves. And they know it. And it’s just fine with them.
While some Garou may shun violence or get a bit sickened by sprays of blood and gore, this is never true of the Ahroun. They live for this. Nerves of steel and cast-iron stomachs come with the job. It is rare for an Ahroun to be polite and well-mannered. Most just don’t have the patience for it. They tend to be gruff and often bawdy. They’re going to die tomorrow, so why not enjoy today? A good meal, a dirty joke, a roll in the hay with that pretty Kinfolk, it’s all good. Get your jollies out now, because the next battle may be your last. Still, other Garou know well enough not to piss an Ahroun off. No one wants to risk a frenzy of those proportions. One can be friendly with an Ahroun, but taunting one is foolhardy. Ahroun are death on wheels, and nobody wants one for an enemy. There is no fear of death for a Full Moon. It simply isn’t in them. If you are to die, then so be it. An Ahroun only hopes to take as many of the enemy with him as he can. A glorious death is the best death. So make it one for the Silver Record.
ROLE-PLAYING TIPS
The Ahroun has long been considered the refuge of the twink. He has to do nothing but fight, after all, and power gamers live for that. Not so. When you play an Ahroun, remember the emotions, the rage, warrior’s code. When played right, a Full Moon has just as much potential to the role-player as any other Auspice. The emotions should always be remembered. Rage is strongest in the Ahroun, and it should show. ‘Nice’ Ahrouns are few and far in between. Show that inner anger, play it as burning just beneath the surface, demonstrate how your Ahroun struggles to keep it down until he needs it.
As a “Protector of the Ways”, it is the Ahroun’s place to defend his people. When danger comes, never hesitate to step up to the plate and face it. The other Garou are not as tough as you, and if they are to perform their duties, you must protect them. If you die in the doing, fine. That’s your job, and it’s an honorable one. Think of an Ahroun as a cross between a samurai and a Viking. She follows a warrior’s code, but at the same time, she is boisterous and wild. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die. And then, you hope to die with glory and honor.
Whatever you do, do not go around picking fights with other Garou to prove how tough you are. For one thing, that method leads to other players disliking you and your character, and in the end nobody will care how tough you are. They’ll just want you gone. Ahrouns are not subtle people. They are straightforward and honest (some would say blunt). Lying is seen as cowardly and dishonorable, and the Ahroun should be neither. Leave that for the Ragabash.
Subterfuge is not a common ability among Full Moons. Rage is an Ahroun’s best friend and his worst enemy. Ahrouns start off with Rage 5, which is half the possible maximum. Raising it is a good idea, though, for the combat advantages are obvious, and the chance of frenzy is something Ahrouns have to live with anyway. Average to high combat stats should be par for the course. It’s in a Full Moon’s best interests to have such abilities. Brawl, Dodge, Firearms and Melee are all the basics. Primal-Urge helps to shift forms faster in combat, Athletics helps to climb, run and leap better, Leadership makes you a better military commander and Intimidation can end a fight before it even begins. Abilities like Archery, Kailindo and Klaive Dueling are more specialized and harder to learn, but vastly useful if you can get them. Other useful abilities include Area Knowledge (for that home turf advantage. Especially useful for Warders and Guardians in the Bawn), Lores on enemy supernaturals (Vampire Lore to learn how to kill Leeches better, Wyrm Lore to identify Banes, etc.), and Poison and Traps - which fall under the domain of the Survival Ability (not just for use by more underhanded Ahrouns, but to learn how to avoid them).
