Rage Across Russia
Rage Across Russia
Rage Across Russia
£/ray Wolf
Long ago , the Garou were tied w the nobles of this land. They His sons answered together, "We will try to capture the
would help us, and we would watch over them. This is a tale of Firebird for you."
those times, before the Leeches and the Communists destroyed The first night, the eldest son went into the garden to
the old way of life . It is a swry of a time when we were almost keep watch. He sat near the apple tree, and as the night
friends with the humans. wore on, he became very drowsy and fell asleep. While he
Once upon a time, there lived a mighty Tsar, a noble slept, the Firebird flew into the garden, picked some apples
Silver Fang. He had three sons, but to his sorrow, the wolf and flew off.
did not breed true in any of them. The oldest was Tsarevich In the morning, the Tsar asked Dimitri if he had seen the
Dimitri, the second was Tsarevich Vasily and the third was Firebird. He answered that she had not come into the
Tsarevich Ivan. garden that night.
The mighty Tsar had a magnificent palace with a garden The next night, Vasily went to keep watch in the garden.
so beautiful it must have been blessed by Gaia herself. All He also sat under the apple tree, and in several hours, he fell
kinds of beautiful flowers, trees and shrubs grew in his asleep. While he slept peacefully beneath the tree, the
garden, but the Tsar's favorite was a tree that bore golden Firebird slipped into the garden, picked a great number of
apples . apples and flew away. The next morning, the Tsar asked
The Tsar noticed one day that many of his apples had whether Vasily had seen the Firebird. Vasily answered that
been picked during the night. He found out that every she had not come into the garden that night.
night, while the court slept, the Firebird, totem spirit of the The third night, it was Tsarevich Ivan's turn to keep
Silver Pack, flew into his garden and picked as many apples watch over the tree. He sat beneath it for several hours and
as she wished. nothing happened . Then, suddenly, the entire garden was
He called his sons to him. "My beloved sons," he said, illuminated by a radiant golden light. The Firebird flew
"the Firebird has been stealing my golden apples. If one of overhead. Her eyes sparkled like huge crystals and her
you captures her alive, I will give that son half my kingdom wings were golden flames . She perched upon the apple tree
while I live and the other half upon my death ." and began to partake of the golden apples. Tsarevich Ivan
stole up to her softly and tried to catch her. Although he
Authors: George Neal and David Key Rob "Them!" Hatch for the ants in his pants.
Additional material by: Bill Bridges, Aziel "Astral" Ken "Phase IV" Cliffe for being out on the farm with
Burton, Nicole "Nik" Clouser, Renee Palmer, David Rob.
Schusterman, Jeff Watkins Phil "Ubangi Stomp!" Brucato for helping stop the ant
Special material and research: Heather Curatola, Alan menace.
M. Fisher and Harry Heckel Brian "Beseiged" Campbell for defending the castle with
Development: Bill Bridges his ant moat.
Editing: Brian Campbell Mark "Overseas" Rein· Hagen for missing Ant Fest II.
Art Director: Richard Thomas Andrew "Ghostmobile" Greenberg for letting his car
Art: Jeff Rebner, Dan Smith, Joshua Gabriel Timbrook, drive around without him .
Richard Kane Ferguson, Chris DiNardo Stewart "My name is Stew W., and I'm addicted to ... "
Maps: Brian J. Blume Wieck for offering to trade copies of Mage for Magic: the
Cover Art: Steve Casper Gathering cards.
Typesetting and Layout: Sam Chupp
Logo and Back Cover Design: Michelle Prahler
(])e~ication
ucts in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or
copyrights concerned.
Maps: Some graphic elements © 1993 by Brian J. Blume. This book is dedicated to the people of Russia and
everyone who believed we could actually pull this thing
off.
Listen closely, my child, and guard well the secrets you Realize that the Garou are real, and although you lack
are about to learn. I am going to tell you of your forefathers our power, you are of our blood. You are Kinfolk, and
and your children. I will tell you of the despair they now someday in your line, the wolf may breed true.
face. long and glorious is the history of our kind within the
Motherland. Our blood is found in the line of tsars and
nobles, as well as the greatest warriors of the steppe. You can
I[ he 'Jolly of d'ri~e
claim kinship, my child, with the mightiest of the Cossacks. I must tell you of the pride and folly of the Garou of
This nobility and heritage is something that you must pass Russia. We were given the duty of controlling the flock in
on to your children. the Motherland. We protect Gaia, the spirit of the earth,
You must also know that there are many things in legend from the rising tide of humans. For years, we alone among
that are true. Heroes and demons, witches and werewol ves the C,arou were able to fulfill this task. Our kind in the area
all of these must find a place in your mind, for they are as now known as Europe would call upon us in their time of
real as you are. Before you say I am insane, listen to what I need, and we would come. We even kept the mighty Baba
say. Perhaps, if you listen well, the madness of the flock will Yaga in check, and, in the end, we thought we had de
not fall upon you. stroyed her. We of the Motherland grew proud, and that
There is so much I must teach you, and so little time . pride brought us low. In our pride, we failed to tend to the
While your father has been keeping you safe, my pack and needs of our flock, and they fell to the corruption of the
I have been fleeing the hunt. I did not want to leave my Wyrm. Our blood was removed from the throne, and Gaia
family or my lifemate, but your father and I knew we had to began to scream in her anguish. Still, in our pride, we did
keep you safe until you were ready to take your part in the not seek the aid of those who might have helped us .
war.
Introduction 11
'[he d'rice of d'ri~e
royal family were dashed . The Bolshevik Revolution was
many things to many people, but to the us, it was the first
Without guidance, the flock grows. By supporting that in a long line of defe ats. Agents of the Wyrm controlled the
growth, Gaia suffers. They strip her skin and lay open her new government and our culture. Everything that had once
body for shale and coal. The woodlands of our origin hold aided our mission was lost. The old legends were refuted ,
only stumps where the men h ave passed . The land itself is and we were forced underground .
now burned and despoiled where the Wyrm-born chemi As Russia modernized, we found it harder to act. Ties
cals are poured, and the folly of human science makes itself with Kinfolk were broken, and many of our children were
known. never taught the Ways. The great wo lf packs that o nce
When Gaia suffers, the Garou suffer as well. The pride of roamed the countryside were driven further into the wilds.
the Children of the Motherland is known by the others of Their numbers dwindled as the humans encroached. Waves
our kind . Even the Wyrm knows. It tempts the most of humanity swept over our territories. Our sacred grounds
prideful of our kind and often leads them from the true were entombed in the glass and steel of their Wyrm-ridden
Way. As Kinfolk, you must help us guard against this. cities. For the first time in our history, we looked upon the
Because of our former greatness, the Wyrm takes great joy face of fear.
in bringing us low. Only strength of will can help us resist Human expansion despoiled the land. Wyrmholes fester
the lies of the Wyrm. in the land, and creatures creep forth to bring the age-old
Even now, our pride seems to have no end, for we lose battle to our homes. Greater and more ferocious creatures
face if we ask help outside our sept. Even within our sept, hunt the wild lands each night, and a powerful force draws
the fooli sh laugh at those who require ass istance outside the very life from our caerns. The shadow of the Wyrm falls
their own pack. upon our land, fo rcing even our best Theurges to struggle to
reach the Umbra. We fear that this shadow takes the form
'[he Wyrm (j{ises of our ancient enemy, the one we thought was destroyed . If
this enemy is back, ifBaba Yaga once again wa lks the Earth,
Beginning in the 1800s, agents of the Wyrm began we may be the first to know the true meaning of the
sowing the seeds of discontent in Russia. Eventually, this Apocalypse. Where she treads, we can be sure that the
discontent bred rebellion . In 1917, any hopes we might Koshchie, the Talon of the Wyrm, will soon follow.
have had for maintaining our hold on Russia through the
Introduction 13
The conflict in Russia is one in which almost anyone Because of their retreat, the Garou could do little but
could be the enemy. It could be a witch hiding in a nearby watch as decades of neglect by the Communists led to the
village, the vampire that lives down the street or even your ruination and contamination of the land, rivers and air.
own Sept Leader. Betrayal, manipulation and corruption Some fought, some died, but a few banded together to
are central plots whose roots may be found throughout unleash their rage in epic conflict. The few times this
Russian history. occurred, the death toll was legendary . By the end of
Lack of knowledge is a central theme as well. In Old Stalin's regime, the spirit of both Russia's people and the
Russia and the Soviet Union, knowledge was a two-edged Russian Garou were crushed.
sword, one that could cut the person who wielded it as easily The Garou have been oppressed, and now that they have
as it cut his enemies. Staying quiet kept people safe. That freedom, a new enemy is rising. As it prepares to push them
strategy still works today. Despite their politeness and down yet again, many are driven to the point of Harano.
friendliness, Russians are very reticent when asked about Others have found new strength in their fight against the
dangerous topics . Finding information without the right destruction of the land. Some have even allied with the
contacts can be very difficult. powers of darkness to prevent it. Despite its seeming war
with the Garou, it has shown that it seeks the cleansing of
moo~: rrhe Han~ of the damaged land as much as any Garou.
Russia is a place of war. Confl ict rages on anum ber of
{])arkness lncroaching fronts, and in many cases, it is very hard to prove decisively
who the enemy is. Despair waits for those who must make
The mood in Russia is one of gloomy despair and fear,
dangerous choices. It becomes clear that a decision must be
tinged perhaps with a tiny glint of hope . Mother Russia is
made, and fear of the consequences of the wrong choice
dying. Her Garou have felt the iron hand of oppression
weighs heavily on the minds and hearts of the greatest of
upon themselves and have witnessed it among the humans.
Russia's Garou.
They have felt the fear of the flock and have gone into
hiding because of it. Many have died over the years, and
their virtually useless sacrifices color the thoughts of many
more.
Introduction 15
As times change in Russia, the centralized efforts at '1idion:
eliminating wolves are being replaced by the older, poorly
supplied methods. While the hunting of wolves took a
Rusalka, Chemevog and Yvgenie, by C.]. Cherryh, form
an excellent series set in Old Russia. They contain a great
serious toll on Garou, wolves seem to be doing relatively
deal of folklore and a good story.
well, especially in the face of looming economic and social
collapse within Russia. The Brothers Karamozov, Crime and Punishment and Notes
from the Underground, by Fyodor Dostoevsky. All literary
Source material classics and must-reads for anyone truly interested in an in
depth study of the Russian people and their trials and
More novels have been written on the subject of the tribulations.
Cold War with the Soviet Union than perhaps any other War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Considered one of the
topic involving Russia. These may prove useful, at least if greatest novels of all time; if you have the time for this one,
you want an idea of the way the Russian military worked or you may want to try it.
inspiration for an espionage campaign. A number of books Russian Lacquer, Legends and Fairy Tales (Volumes rand
on Russian politics and people can be found in your local II), by Lucy Maxym, contains a wonderful collection of
library. Movies can be helpful as well, especially when Russian tales that, while concise, tell the stories well. The
describing the locales in your game. Fiction, non -fiction, stories a re illustrated by pictures taken from Russian lac
periodicals and films are listed below. quer boxes.
O1ooks cPublications
The New Russians, by Hedrick Smith, is a good back u.S. News and World Report contains exactly what its
title suggests. It is excellent for current information about
ground source related to the roots of Russia's problem. It
Russia. The issue from April 13th, 1992 contains more
contains a great deal of useful information about the people
information on Russia's environmental problems.
of Russia, their politics and the internal problems faced by
their nation. Current Digest of the Soviet Press. English language trans
lations of the major stories in various Soviet newspapers.
Russians as People, by Wright Miller. While this is an
older publication, it contains a good overview of the Soviet There are also a number of Russian or Soviet publica
people without delving too far into the politics. tions, such as Soviet Life, Pravda and We. All three are
available in translated form in the United States.
The Soviet Union (Fourth Edition), by Vadim Medish. A
good overview of the ethnicity, climate, geography and
political structure of the Soviet Union movies
Ten Days That Shook the World , by John Reed. Reed was Russia House, starring Sean Connery and Michelle
an American journalist and member of the American Pfeiffer. A modem tale of love and espionage set in Russia.
Communist party who escaped to the Soviet Union after Gorky Park, the film adaptation of the novel of the same
being indicted for treason during the Red Scare following name, is a murder mystery set in Moscow.
WW l. He was buried beside the Kremlin Wall in Moscow
The Hunt For Red October, directed by John McTiernan
with other Bolshevik heroes. The book describes the Bol
and starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin; based on the
shevik Revolution.
book by Tom Clancy. The last real Cold War thriller .
The Other Side: How Soviets and Americans Perceive Each
The Russians are Coming is an amusing film about when
Other, by Robert English and Jonath an Halperin of the
East meets West. It is useful for breaking out of the Soviet
Committee for National Security. Soviet and American
stereotype, such as the ones depicted in the J ames Bond
perceptions of each other through books, movies, media
films and Red Dawn .
coverage and political propaganda.
Red Dawn, directed by John Milius. While this is cer
Russia and the Golden Horde: The Mongol Impact on
tainly not the best movie depicting the Russian people or
Medieval Russian History, by Charles Halperin. The time of
society, it does give a feel for what Russia's Garou are up
the Tatar Yoke.
against. Beware, however. The film represents the absurd
The Formation of Muscovy 1304-1613, by Robert paranoia of the later years of the Cold War, almost as if it
Crummey. Moscow's rise to power in Russia. were a last gasp to prove how important America's stand
Behind the Urals: An American Worker in Russia's City of against the "Ev il Empire" was .
Steel, by John Scott. First -hand account of Stalin's industri There are numerous other movies in the "East Meets
alization and the First Five Year Plan in the industrial city West" genre that could prove interesting to those with the
of Magnitogorsk ("Magnetic Mountain"). time. However, many of these will not be overly useful in
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, by Alexander running a Russian campaign. It is best to choose carefully.
Solzhenitsyn. Exile in Siberia under Stalin.
Introduction 17
Rage Across R ussm
.
Question: Is it dangerous to remember in the USSR?
Answer: I do not believe so, but I am not sure that my opinion
is shared,
- Yuriy Afansyev, Director, USSR Institute of
History and Archives, 1986
Vla~imir
Vladimir, the youngest of three brothers vying for the
throne, won his position with the aid of the Varangians
(the Scandinavians). He continued the previous rulers'
practice of subjugating the Slavic people. He is also known
for his notorious womanizing and for raping his brother's
wife.
In 988, he converted to Christianity. His conversion was
brought about by his desire to marry the Byzantine emperor's
sister, Anna. The emperor would only permit this if Vladimir
converted. By accepting Christianity, Russia became part
of Europe. This marriage was also an important political
alliance. Vladimir was later declmed a saint.
The treaty with Byzantium opened the way into Russia
for the Ventrue clan of vampires and attracted the atten
tion of the T zimesces and Shadow Lords of Eastern Europe
and Germany.
The power of the Garou waned as outside forces began
turning their attention to the newly formed Russian Em
pire. The power of superstition and the strength of the old
religion faded with the advent of the Russian Orthodox
Church. New places of worship were erected on the sites of
old churches and, despite Garou efforts, the Church be
came the greatest cultural force in Russia. The Silver Fang
blamed the Get of Fenris for this setback, for Vladimir was
a distant Kinfolk of the Get.
The Garou, while they retained some measure of influ
ence in the houses of the aristocracy, could not stop their
decline in power as more outside forces established ties
within the growing empire. Vampires gained a substantial
position among the aristocracy and continually vied with
the Garou for influence.
Kiev (J{us
o Russian land l You are already far beyond the hills.
'L'he (J{ise of moscoJO Ivan was a Kinfolk of the blood of the Silver Fangs.
Unlike the majority before him, he was willing to use his
Two Romes have fallen; one stands; a fourth there shall not ties with the Garou to expand his influence and assert his
be. control over Russia. Ivan used the Garou to suppOrt his
- Monk Filofei to Vasilii Ill, c. 1510, about armies a nd enforce his edicts on recalcitrant nobles.
Moscow Russia moved into Siberia in the 1580s, when the
Moscow's victory as the dominant Russian city was Stroganov family sent approximately 800 people into Sibe
assured with the unification of Russia under Ivan III (1462 ria in search of fur. This angered the resident Red Talons
1505) and Vasilii II (1505-1533). The Tatar Yoke ended and Uktena, who cut themselves off from the Garou coun
under Ivan III, when he refused to pay tribute to Khan cils. The Red Talons eventually returned, but the Uktena
Ahmed, leader of the Golden Horde, though the actual still have only tenuous contact with the council today.
power of the Tatar Yoke had probably ended as early as the
1440s. '1e~or an~ the Si~ns of
ma~ness
I van III also married a member of the Roman nobility
Sophia Paleologos, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor.
The Pope hoped to use this marriage to convert Ivan III to After I van's death, his son Fedor ruled from 1584 to
Roman Catholicism. This failed, however, as Ivan hated
1598 . Fedor, probably mentally retarded, was unable to rule
Roman Catholicism. Sophia legitimized Russia and estab effectively. The Garou whisper that Fedor was the first
lished a direct line to Byzant ium and Rome. This was obvious sign that there was something wrong with the
exactly what the Silver Fangs desired : new royal blood for Silver Fang bloodline.
the line.
The true ruler of the empire was Fedor's brother-in-law,
Under Ivan 1II and Vasilii II, Russian territory increased Boris Godunov. Boris persuaded the Patriarch of the Or
by 300-400% with the annexation of Novgorod, Pskov,
thodox Church to create a Russian Patriarch in Moscow in
T ver and other terri tories. Ivan III was also the first to use 1589. Moscow then became the only independent Ortho-
Superstitious Muscovites attributed these sightings to Following Peter's rule, the throne of Russia suffered a
black magic. To combat the force of evil in their midst, irate period of weakness . The various hidden factions tried to
citizens captured the undead body. It was burned, and the impose themselves on rulers too incapable of holding up
ashes were fired out of a cannon pointed toward the West . under pressure. Eventually, the Ventrue placed Catherine
It appeared as though Dmitrii's one night of immortal II, known as Catherine the Great, on the throne of Russia.
existence had come to an end. Silver Fang power waned during her reign, and the
Garou all but declared war on the vampires. The Kindred
A Series of Crises were now quite well entrenched. The Silver Fangs' focus on
the vampire problem led them to neglect the business of
There were a number of other crises, especially after keeping the aristocracy in control.
Vasilii lV's death. Civil war broke out, followed by a war
Seeing Russia's potential future problems, the Children
with the Poles and Swedes. There was also a second and a
of Gaia assisted Catherine's grandson, Alexander I. in
third "false Dmitrii".
taking the throne. Alexander began a series of reforms, but
Unknown to the populace, however, these "false Dmitriis" they were abandoned in the face of the Napoleonic Wars.
were the actual Dmitrii. Despite the best efforts of the
Throughout the many wars of the 19th century, the
citizens of Moscow, Dmitrii had faked his supposed death.
Ventrue were able to manipulate the Garou into fighting
Vicissitude and Obfuscation allowed him to make further
each other, inadvertently causing them to neglect the real
attempts to regain the throne. In every instance, the Silver
threat.
Fangs found him and chased him off. It is commonly
believed by the Silver Fangs that Dmitrii was finally de Discontent spread among the intelligensia of Russ ia.
stroyed by a Silver Pack of the Garou . Nicholas I, reacting to a near revolt, laid the groundwork
for oppression: a secret police, censorship and the elimina
The Boyars decided the only way to end the crises was to
tion of dangerous material from school texts. Nicholas
put the son of the Polish King Sigismund, Wladyslaw, on
began a campaign against education programs and intellec
the throne. The Poles invaded in 1611. This was another
tuals. None of the groups involved in Russia, wheth~r
plot by the Polish Tzimisce. Although his plot with Dmitrii
vampire, mageorGarou, attempted to stop him. In the halls
failed, he tried to gain control through Wladyslaw. This
of power and the halls of learning, the Wyrm began its slow
also failed .
insinuation. The end of the 19th century and the beginning
Calm was restored with the election and coronation in of the 20th saw the end of the Russian Empire.
1613 of Michael Romanov as Tsar, ending the dynastic
What the Garou did not and could not know was that
crisis. The Silver Fangs were once again in charge.
Nicholas I was the pawn of a newly formed group of mages:
cPeter the Creat the New World Order convention of the Technocracy.
Their work was so subtle that none of the Garou today
The rise of Peter the Great led to the territorial expan know these mages even exist. The years that followed in
sion of Russia and its establishment as a European power. Russia were also tainted by New World Order intervention
Peter moved the capital to Saint Petersburg, known as a from on high, culminating in the worst atrocities ofStalin.
window on the West and a gateway to Europe. Indeed, some suspect that Stalin was actually a mage of this
This sudden expansion of Russian power led to a great convention.
influx offoreign interest, especially in Europe. Seeing a new The rulings of the nobility and the tsars fomented
opportunity, a number of vampires from the aristocratic revolutionary activities. The ascension of Nicholas II, a
clans entered Russia and established themselves. They well-intentioned but weak ruler, opened the door for other
quickly moved to gain Peter as a pawn, but he managed to players, such as Rasputin, the "mad monk", who sought to
outmaneuver them on all counts. By the same token, he was manipulate the tsar through his wife and her concern for
able to manipulate the Garou, notably the Silver Fangs and her hemophiliac son, Alexis. There are a number of Kin
Shadow Lords, into assisting him. dred today who claim to be Rasputinj one of them is a
Under Peter, the Russian Empire truly became a reality. Malkavian in Russia and the other is a Nosferatu in Berlin.
During Peter's rule, and the expansion of Russian knowl Who can say which one of them is telling the truth?
edge and industry, the Glass Walkers once again gained There were other players in the bid for power. The
prominence. Another player also entered the picture. As Brujah vampires' interest in revolution was tempered only
the amount of industry increased, the Wyrm slithered into by their anger. The Bone Gnawers, the Garou children of
Russia. the oppressed serfs, supported the revolution, submitting
themselves to slavery. In the midst of these movements,
human revolutionaries struggled to make Russia a better
place.
~evolution
The workers have nothing to lose in this but their chains , They
have a world to gain. Workers of the world, unite!
- Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto
To win their own freedom,
they wanted to escape their serfdom.
They hurled their words like arrows against their lord,
and 1 wonder about those who approve of such a horde.
- Prince Ivan Khvorostinin (c. 1603), Autobio
graphical Verses
With the decline of the tsarist period in Russia and the
waning power of the tsars, it should have come as little
surprise to the Garou that times were about to change.
However, it did come as a surprise, and the Garou were
unable to either stop the changes or even slow them down
appreciably. Indeed, the Bone Gnawers were partly respon
sibility for the Russian Revolution occurring in the first
place.
In 1917, an uprising against the aristocratic leaders of
Russia took place. This uprising was supported by the clan
of vampires known as the Brujah. The vampires meant to
use the revolution to avenge themselves upon the Ventrue
and Toreadors. These clans were seen as responsible for
maintaining the country as one of the last feudal, aristo
cratic nations in the world.
Oddly enough, despite attempts by Cainites from other
nations, the Brujah found themselves on the winning side.
The Bolsheviks, supported by the Bone Gnawers, took
With this Revolution, the traditional Garou power in Not merely for a time have J, Misery -Luckless-Plight,
Russia broke down. When the Bolsheviks moved in, the actached myself to you;
Brujah and Bone Gnawers were with them. The Brujah fell J shaU labor with you to your very deach!
to fighting among themselves as they worked to manipulate - Misery-Luckless-Plight, anonymous Russian
Lenin and the other leaders. The major factions of Brujah poem, 17th century
in Russia destroyed each other.
Political dissension became one of the greatest crimes in
At some point, early in the Communist control of the Soviet Union . Dissidents could expect either exile or
Russia, Lenin rea li zed that there was some sort of "Shadow execution. Under Lenin, and later under Stalin, people
Council" in Russia and set about manipulating it to his own began to disappear.
ends. He managed to play the Brujah against one another
Stalin decided that modern industry was what the Soviet
while gaining substantial power himself.
Union needed to compete with the rest of the world.
1848 -Karl Marx publishes the "Communist Mani -April: The beginning of Stalin's Five Year
festo" in London. Plans.
1861 -The beginning of the "Era of Great Re 1930 -The beginning of the Great Purge . Stalin
forms," in which all Russian serfs are freed o rders the death or imprisonment of untold
from bondage. millions of Soviets.
-The Bone Gnawers become more active in -The Garou war with Stalin, but lose even
the politics of the Garou. more ground as the Brujah, despite their
1902 -V.1. Lenin, in exile, writes a revolutionary misgivings, step in and support him .
pamphlet entitled "Wha t is to be Done?" 1933 -November 16: Diplomatic relations estab
-A number of Bone Gnawer leaders seize lished between the United States and the
upon Lenin's ideas and form a sept, based in U.S.S .R.
Moscow, known as the Sept of the People's -Limited contact established by the Glass
Will. This experimental sept follows the Walkers with Garou outside of Russia .
social teachings of Marx. -August 23: Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
1905 -After a popu lar uprising in St. Petersburg, signed, insuring peace between Germany
Tsar Nicholas II establishes the Duma, the and Russia. Secret protocol divides Poland
first Russian parliament. in half, grants Baltic states and Bessarabia
1914 -August: Beginning of World War I. to USSR.
1917 -March 2: Abdication of Nicholas II. -September 1: German invasion of Poland.
-The Silver Fangs and the other aristocratic World War II begins. See the "Timeline for
clans move to stop the impending revolu World War II on the Eastern Front."
tion, but their methods prove unable to 1940 -August 20: Assassination of Trotsky in
stop what has begun, especially since the Mexico.
revolution proves to be backed by a number 1946 -March 5: Winston Churchill makes Iron
offorces, including Brujah and Bone Gnaw Curtain speech.
ers. -The Cold War begins.
-November 7: Bolsheviks seize power. -Clampdowns result in the restricting of
-December 7: Creation of the Cheka, later Garou movements, and the eventual loss of
known as the KGB. much outside communication.
1918 -March 3: Brest-Litovsk peace treaty with -Children of Gaia begin attempting to pre
Germany. vent the Soviet government from
-July: Bolsheviks defeat anti -Communist developing atomic weapons.
opponents to become the single ru ling party. 1948 -October 10: Launching of the Soviet's first
-July 17: Nicholas and his family are ex guided ballistic missile.
ecuted. 1949 -April 4: N .A.T.O. formed.
-Lenin nationalizes the economy, private 1953 -March 5: Stalin dies.
trade is barred, and collective farming is -September: Nikita Krushchev succeeds
instituted . Stalin as the first secretary of the Central
-The Garou begin to lose ground with the Committee.
defeat of the anti-Communist forces. Even 1955 -May 14: Warsaw Pact is signed.
the Bone Gnawers begin to realize that 1956 -February: Krushchev criticizes Stalin's reign
what they began might be going out of of terror.
control. -October: Soviet forces quell uprising in
1922 -April: Stalin elected general secretary of Hungary.
the Central Commi ttee ofthe Russian Com -The Children of Gaia's failure to prevent
munist Party. Soviet development of atomic weapons
-December: Founding of the U.S .S.R. leads to their forced exile under the fangs of
1924 -January 21: Death of Lenin. the Red Talons.
1929 -January: Stalin's rival Leon Trotsky is ex 1957 -October 4: Soviet Union launches Sput
pelled from the U.S.S.R. nik, the world's first artificial satellite .
Ukraine and western Byelorussia. -Febru ary 16: Russians retake Kharkov.
-November 30: Soviets invade Finland.
-March 14: Germans re -retake Kharkov.
1940 -March 12: Soviet-Finnish war ends; Fin -July 5: Battle of Kursk .
-September 23 : 90% of Stalingrad in Ger -The Garou are horrified by the method
man hands. with which the war ends, as the world is
-November 19: Operation Uranus, Soviet gripped in nuclear fear for the next decade,
counteroffensive at Stalingrad, begins. fueling the Cold War and fe eding the Wyrm .
Commerce
Entrepreneurship dominates the streets of Russia. Small
business sell everything from cigars to Pepsi-Cola. The
small businesses compete with the larger, once state-owned
stores. Capitalist enterprises are booming, including the
McDonald's franchises that have become more abundant
since the fall ofCommunism. Large companies are now free
of state ownership. Smaller businesses are often held under
the thumbs of local mobsters.
Every corner is dominated by at least one peddler's stand.
The Black Market, which at one point was highly forbid
den, has moved out onto the corner. Articles from capitalist
In general, Russian words are pronounced exactly as The following list of common names can be used by
they are spelled. If a word has been transliterated players with native characters.
correctly, the only problem is deciding which syllable to Male with diminutives:
accent. Unfortunately, there are no good rules for Aleksandr - Sasha (alekSANdr - SAsha)
placement of stress. Normally, the stress is learned as Aleksei - Alyosha (aleksEI - alYOsha)
the word is learned . The pronunciations of some well
Boris - Borya (boRIS - BORya)
known cities are :
Viktor - Vitya (VIKtor - VITya)
Moscow (moskVA)
Andrei (andREI)
Tashkent (tashKENT)
Oleg (oLEG)
Pavel (PAvel)
nations predominate. The Black Market has legitimized Female names with diminutives:
itself since the fall of communism, and these stands are the
Aleksandra - Sasha (alekSANdra - SAsha)
remnants of a network that once rivaled the state-run
Anna - Anya (ANna - ANya)
department stores.
Valentina - Valva (valenTina - VAlya)
The original Black Market has shifted. Although it was
once the purveyor of illegal goods, the abolishment of Varvara - Varya (VarV Ara - V Arya)
Communism has made most of the goods they once sold Galina - Galya (gaLIna - GALya)
legal. The true Black Market has begun widespread sales of Ekaterina - Katya (ekteRlna - KA Tya)
illegal drugs and has flourished since the fall of Commu Elena - Lena (eLEna - LEna)
nism . Although strong in the international drug trade Irina - Irya (IRIna - IR va)
before the fall of communism, the overall extent of crime in Maria - Masha (maRlya - MAsha)
Russia was unknown to outsiders and many insiders until Natalya - Natasha (naTAlya - naTAsha)
only recently.
Olga - Olya (OLga - OLya)
Language Sofya - Sonya (SOFya - SOnya)
Tatyana - Tanya (taTYAna - TAnya)
The Russian language is still basically the same one that
was spoken before the Rise of Communism. Although Female names without diminutives:
certain American terms have been added to supplement Vera (VEra)
the language, the only major noticeable change has been Nina (NIna )
the elimination of the words "mister" and "mistress" and
the consolidation of terms that once had both male and at the end of their name. This suffix is known as a
female forms. The word now used for "mister" has been patronymic. For example, Vladimir Sergeevich means
replaced. The word for "comrade" is used formally in "Vladimir, son ofSergei" and Irina Sergeevna means "Irina,
official capaCities, and the informal word for "citizen" is daughter of Sergei". Two Russians will rarely omit the
used in day-to-d ay conversations. patronymic when speaking to each another unless they
However, with the "fall of Communism," disputes over have been good friends for a long time. On the other hand,
language and ethnicity are now common in Russia and the when Russians have known each other for a long time, or
other former republics. Debates over "official" languages when speaking to children, they will often use the more
have become especially severe. familiar diminutive form of the name . For example, Irina
Russians have one other peculiarity that distinguishes becomes Iria, Aleksandr becomes Sasha, and Maria be
them from the rest of Europe. Russians often introduce comes Masha.
themselves by including the Christian name of their father
d'laying Kinfolk
While changing shape and running around in the woods
fighting creatures from our nightmares is all fine and dandy,
there is another side to Russia. There are still things that
Kinfolk can do that Garou cannot, and things that Kinfolk
can do that humans cannot. Kinfolk are immune to the
Delirium. They do not exude rage or animal attraction, but
they can learn and use magic, psychic abilit ies and rituals.
Being mortal, it is also very difficult for some supernatural
creatures to detect them.
Kinfolk can do many things Garou either couldn't or
wouldn't do. They can hold public office, lead people and
generally exert an influence over the human world that
Garou cannot achieve.
The possibilities in a game where players roleplay Kin
folk are numerous: political intrigue, subtle horror, Cold
War espionage within the supernatural corridors of power
and even vampire hunting. This last option, however, is
extremely dangerous, for few vampires are not in some way
under the control of Baba Yaga. The Hag does not like
mortals who injure her "grandchildren."
The Vampire sourcebook The Hunters Hunted gives
many details on running a game in the World of Darkness
with mortals as the heroes. Further details on mortals are
available in the 2nd edition of the Vampire Player's Guide .
Russia, formerly the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist primarily in the Black Sea basin, the Ural Mountains and
Republic, is the largest component of what was once the some areas of Siberia.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It extends from the Central Russia is principally agricultural, and the repub
Arctic Ocean in the north to the former republic ofKazakh lic contains approximately 70% of the grain-growing area
and the People's Republic of China in the south, and from ofthe former Soviet Union. The central agricultural region
the Byelorussian and Ukrainian former republics in the is marked by fertile black soil on an almost treeless plain.
west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. Russia covers an area The areas around Moscow and Leningrad contain the
of 6,609,000 square miles and has a population of approxi majority of Russian industry, and the northern regions of
mately 200,000,000 people. the country support timber and agricultural industries,
Russia is a land of diversity, encompassing a great varia principally livestock and flax. The basin of the Volga River
tion of climactic and geographic features. In the northern supports large-scale industry and farms and contains nu
areas of Russia, treeless arctic plains, called tundra, are merous mineral deposits. Southern Russia supports wheat
prevalent, while in Siberia, swampy, coniferous forests and tobacco, heavy industry and subtropical agriculture.
called taiga are found. The southern parts of Russia consist The Aural region supports mining and heavy industry, and
of steppes, and the central portion is marked by a forested the eastern sections of Russia contain large forests and rich
belt. Russia is divided into eastern and western portions by soil that is still largely unexploited.
the Ural Mountains. The eastern portion is larger by far and For its size, Russia sports a relatively small population.
contains the area known as Siberia. There are vast ranges of open country and extensive wild
Major rivers of Russia include the Volga and Don, areas. Siberia, for example, is largely unpopulated, espe
located to the west of the Urals, and the Yenisei, Amur, cially in the northern reaches. Russia sports a vast ecological
Lena and Ob rivers located to the east of the Urals. system, one where caribou, wolves, bear, moose, wild boar,
Climactic conditions range from the subtropical shores of deer, eagles and numerous other creatures playa part. Snow
the Black Sea to the permanently frozen Arctic latitudes. leopards and tigers hunt side by side with bears and wolves.
Russia contains one of the highest concentrations of Because of its size and its diversity of climates, Russia
mineral wealth in the former Soviet Union. It produces supports animal and plant life representing a broad range of
40% of the iron and coal, mined in areas of the Ural ecosystems from subtropical to arctic.
Mountains and Siberia, and 20% of the petroleum, found
nuclear Cula~s
Emigye Konstantin Simis had been a defense lawyer in the
Soviet Union before he came to America; one of his clients had
escaped the death penalty only to be sent to a uranium mine.
Reflected Simin: "Radiation performed the same sentence in six
months, a year, a year and a half - the sentence is the same ."
- Oberg, Uncovering Soviet Disasters
One Soviet estimate claims that from 50,000 to 100,000
premature deaths occurred in the first decade of the Soviet
nuclear program. These were just among the workers.
Another class of people also suffered: Stalin set up nuclear
gulags, where prisoners with life sentences would mine
uranium without protection (at Moscow-lO, T ura-38,
Sverdlovsk-39 and ChelyabinskAO). Radium mining took
place at Ukhta.
Near Kyshtym (see the Ural Disaster, above), unpro
tected prisoners helped in the cleanup of the 1958 disaster,
fenCing in 100 miles of a contaminated river. Slave labor
from Camp YaV A8/6 was used at nuclear weapons facilities
at ChelyabinskAO, while labor from Camp YaVA8/7 was
used at the Kyshtym uranium enrichment plant.
In the Dzherzhinskiy district of Novosibirsk, prisoners
from Camp 91/8 were used at a weapons factory. Further
more, at Olga Bay and Shamor Bay (both on the Sea of
Japan), at Cape Med vezhiy on N ovaya Zem Iya and Vaygach
Island, near Frunze, at Zeravshan, Bekabad and Leninabad,
over 22,500 prisoners from Camps UYa-64/2, /4, /6, /8, /9
and /37 were used in various fuel enrichment plants. Over
ten thousand of these workers were hospitalized, probably
for bone marrow collapse.
Other facilities existed at Margilan, Fergana, Leninsk,
Rudnyy, Aksu, Goznyy, Totma and Cherepovets. At
Borovoye, an open uranium mine was worked. This list
could continue on interminably, as it probably already has.
There was little hope for victims of this practice. The
prisoners tried to strike at the Zeravshan mine- the KGB
shot them.
. ~
~
.... . ..
;a
.
.,
.. .'
• c.·
.
"'
G
'?
Chapter Two: Geography 47
Sept of the Crescent moon
Caern: hidden in the Ural Mountains
Level: 5
Gauntlet: 2 (3)
Type: Kingship
Tribal Structure: Open to all, but the Silver Fangs are
supreme here
Totems: Falcon
This is one of the most powerful caerns in Russia. It is a
caern of Kingship, which means that the natural order of
Garou society tends to impose itself on visitors and dwellers
alike .
A more complete write-up of this caern may be found in
the sourcebook Caerru: Places of Power.
...
52
-------- Rage Across Russia
There was a time when nothing really mattered,
There was a time when I knew just what I was living for,
Despite various attempts to wipe them out, the Garou in some cities, the rare Ratkin prowls. Flying overhead,
Russia have survived. Each tribe has at least one sept in the wherever there is news to be had or food to scavenge, the
area of the former Soviet Union, and many of them have Corax gather.
Carou ~olitics
more. Today, there are nearly a thousand Garou spread
throughout the land, from the western borders of Poland to
the edge of the Bering Sea. The most populous tribes are
the Silver Fangs, Bone Gnawers, Glass Walkers and Get of Among the Garou, internal politics have begun seething
Fenris. They are followed by the Shadow Lords and Black as the Silver Fangs' role in Russia wanes, due, the other
Furies, then the Uktena and Wendigo. tribes believe , to their reputed madness. Nonetheless, the
The Red Talons, once as numerous as the Silver Fangs, Fangs of Russia are stronger than in the West, as Russian
have lost nearly half their numbers. Silent Striders and nobility was well noted for breeding outside their lines,
Stargazers are rare, as few of their number remained in especially with other royal families, and not merely Russian
Russia when the Iron Curtain fell. The Fianna are one of ones. But the rumored madness still exists and is tak ing the
the poorest represe nted tribes in Russia, but there are a few Fangs slowly; apathy and stagnation are as prevalent among
- very few - and most of them are immigrants. The them as among humans.
Children of Gaia were exiled, and now number less than The Get ofFenris and the Black Furies are the two tribes
half their previous number in Russia. who are closest to the Silver Fangs, but between them , old
There are a number of other werecreatures throughout enmities often flare. Both groups are aware of the Silver
the country. In the Russian Far East, among the Siberian Fang decline , and both are working to prevent it, but their
tigers, a few Bastet Khan may be found. In the far north and pride prevents them from working together. While the Get
the wilds of Siberia, Gurahl sleep or lumber about, and in and the Furies strive to determine how to res tore or replace
of confidence has prevented him from rising far. He spends The few Children of Gaia that remain in Russia are
a good deal of time at the Sept of the People's Will, for he loosely tied together in a community of common knowl
feels like he's accepted there, and he can go there unno edge. They live among the septs of the Glass Walkers and
ticed. Bone Gnawers, or among their human or wolf Kinfolk,
Chil~ren of Caia
depending on where they have settled. The Children of
Gaia maintain one caern in secret on the shores of the
White Sea near Archangel. There are 20 Children at that
caern, and there are 25 Children hid ing elsewhere through
serenity in the cou out Russia.
become the paria •
Garou . They did
Wyrm, but were
Stereotypes
Red Talons. No Black Furies: They are noble hunters working for Gaia,
and would likely support us if we tried to return to the
councils of Russia .
Bone Gnawers: Many believe them to be misguided by
the teachings of the human named Marx . However, their
G ai were 0 e e religious leaders of ideas of equality are an ideal from which we all benefit, and
Old Russia, nurturing the eli on f the Mother Goddess their plight is terrible to behold.
among the humans. Even after the coming of Christianity, Fianna: These rogues can reduce tension with their
the old religions and superstitions died hard. Indeed, some banter and promote cheer with their music and dance. If
say they never died ; practice merely shifted from the public only there were more of them in the Motherland.
domain to private life and continued unabated. The tribe Get of Fenris: Warriors and berserkers. They are the
has a long tradition in Russia . They were the ones who allies of the Silver Fangs, and if for nothing else, should be
established the network of Kinfolk that has been so fruitful respected for their dedicated spirit. Their tact is, however,
for the Garou. another matter.
However, in an effort to stop the rampant destruction of Glass Walkers: The most adaptable of our kind next to
the Russian environment, the Children of Gaia lost a vital the Bone Gnawers. They are our only true allies in all of
struggle, resulting finally in the detonation of nuclear Russia and could perhaps be the ones to bring about change .
weapons on Russian soil by Russian people. With this Red Talons: The plight of our forest brothers saddens us,
defeat came a loss of face among the Garou, for the other but we find it hard to forgive them their savagery. The
tribes had chosen, against their better judgments, to follow spirits of our fallen Kin cry out, and the Talons have made
the Children of Gaia's plan to control the humans. When a special place for themselves in the Realm of Atrocity.
the Children's methods failed miserably, to tragic conse
Shadow Lords: Villains all. This tribe has the worst
quences, the rage of the Red Talons was unleashed. The
characteristics of Eastern European nobility. Their ways
Children of Gaia are no longer the voice of compassion
threaten to destroy us all.
within the tribes, for they now have no voice at all.
Silent Striders: These travellers often bear important
The defacement of the tribe was so complete that many
news, and they are quite useful for carrying messages . But
Children were exiled from their caerns. The Red Talons
they also carry a deep secret. What is it?
were quick to capitalize further upon the Children's weak
Silver Fangs: Our leaders. They allowed the Red Talons
ened condition and began secretly hunting them. The
and the Shadow Lords make war upon us, but they are our
Children went underground. Many went to live in safety
leaders, and we must support them. If only there was
with their long-established Kinfolk. With the aid of the
another choice.
Glass Walkers, who were sympathetic to their plight, the
Children of Gaia set up a strong underground information Stargazers: Of all the Garou, these mystics value knowl
network. They now keep track of both the Wyrm and the edge, peace and spiritualism as much as we do. Strange that
Red Talons, though none can say which the Children hate their voices were silent when we needed them the most.
more . It is said that they have spies in the caerns disguised Uktena: Walkers of the Umbra, binders ofspirits. There
as members of other tribes; if that is true, those Garou are is much we can learn from each other. However, they have
in true danger if they are discovered . a tendency to delve into mysterious and arcane forces
instead of dealing with the threats of the human world.
gang Jumper
Breed: Lupus
Auspice: Ragabash
Nature / Demeanor: Competitor / Jester
Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6) ,
Stamina 2 (4/5/5/5), Charisma 2, Manipulation 4 (3/1/1/1),
Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2), Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 4 Wyrm ."
Abilities: Alertness 3, Brawl 2, Dodge 3, Primal-Urge 5, This could not r ro tn e truth . It is simply
Streetwise 2, Animal Ken 2, Stealth 5, Survival 2, Enigmas 2, prejudice against the Glass Walker's city ways that causes
Occult 2, Rituals 1 this opinion among the Garou. While the Glass Walkers
have little say among the Garou councils of Russia, they
Backgrounds: Resources 1
virtually control many of the cities now that the Leeches no
Gifts: (1) Blur of the Milky Eye, Leap of the Kangaroo,
longer hold sway.
Open Seal, Resist Pain
Septs
There are few Red Talon septs left. As their numbers
were ravaged by the war on wolves, they were unable to
defend their caerns against the mysterious drainings. The
Talons have lost fourcaerns to the drainings, more than any
other tribe. Even with aid from the Get of Fenris, the
number of caerns held by the Red Talons has dwindled to
one.
The Winter Forest Sept guards this last caern in Siberia.
The sept is composed of 40 Talons, the Garou who have
survived the war on wolves and the drainings. There are
maybe 25 more Talons wandering throughout Russia.
Stereotypes
Black Furies: We share with noble sisters. We like to
run with them.
Sha~oUJ £.or~s
Fetishes: Gnostic Bag
Image: [n Lupus, Tundra Runner is an overwhelming
red wolf. His claws are prominent, but his fangs are subdued
enough that he can speak well. His Homid form has flaming
red hair, but no other truly distinctive features; he very
rarely takes Homid form.
Roleplaying Notes: You are an angry wolf, and your
patience is running out. When your goal is in sight, then
you can play the game ofquiet and calm, but until then, you
must work with all your might to restore your tribe.
Background: Tundra Runner is 43 and has been the top
Alpha of all the Red Talons in Asia for 20 years, a feat not
With the Silver Fangs suffering from a seeming state of
matched in a dozen generations. He knows he is outgunned
degeneracy that even their ancient allies the Get of Fenris
and outmatched, but he is the best leader available. The
cannot deny, it seemed clear that the Shadow Lords would
Soviet pogrom on wolves has reduced the tribe drastically,
finally have the leadership they long sought. However, the
and he will do anything in to get revenge for this, even
diligence of the Get in defending the Silver Fangs, as well
sending spies into human society.
as the sudden emergence of the strong political front of the
t[ears-at-'1iesh Red Talons, has caused the Shadow Lords to bide their
time. Perhaps , they think, the new strife will make it all the
Breed: Lupus easier for them to assume control at a later time.
Auspice: Ahroun The Shadow Lords seek any possible advantage over
Nature / Demeanor: Predator / Judge enemy and ally alike, often using contrived situations to
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6), increase their worth in the eyes of the other Garou. They
Stamina 3 (5/6/6/6), Charisma 1, Manipulation 1 (0/0/0/0), are envious of the Glass Walkers' seeming control over the
Appearance 4 (3/0/4/4), Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3 strange new spirits of industry, and they have given power
Abilities: Alertness 2, BrawlS, Dodge 4, Primal-Urge 2, to them in return for their knowledge. The Glass Walkers
Animal Ken 2, Melee 4, Stealth 3, Enigmas 2, Rituals 3 have spurned them so far, which has raised the ire of the
Backgrounds: Mentor 1 Shadow Lords. But they know a good thing when they see
it, so they wear the face of conciliation- for now.
Gifts: (I) Heightened Senses, Razor Claws, Scent of
Running Water
Rage 10, Gnosis 5, Willpower 5 Septs
Rank: 1 Shadow Lord septs are located primarily in the areas to
Merits / Flaws: Huge Size / Dark Fate (wIll be killed by the far west of Russia, close to eastern Europe. There are
humans), Dark Secret (killed a Homid Garou during his only two caerns, but these two caerns are fairly powerful and
Rite of Passage) very well guarded. One of the caerns is located in the
Rites: None Ukraine, on the border with Romania, and is guarded by
Fetish: Far Bite (Level 4, Gnosis 8; this is a Scar Fetish the Brooding Sky Sept, composed of30 Shadow Lords. The
depicting a pair of fangs with wings. It is carved onto Tears other caern, in the southern foothills of the Urals, is
At-Flesh's shoulder. When activated, it allows him bite guarded by the Thunderstrike Sept, composed of25 Garou.
anyone within line of sight. He must spend one Gnosis There are about 20 more Shadow Lords throughout Russia.
point for this.) The Thunderstrike Sept has already fended off an attack
Image: In Lupus, Tears-At-Flesh is a strong wolf with a by whatever force has been draining the caerns. They claim
streak of blood across his fur (Tears-at- Flesh decorates to know who or what is behind the attacks, although they
himself with the blood of his slain enemies). refuse to divulge that information, hoping to use it to
further their own ends.
Roleplaying Notes: Humans are like mice. They scurry
around in fear, and occasionally you eat one.
Background: Tears-at-Flesh is quite possibly one of the
angriest Garou in Russia. He frenzies at the slightest oppor
tunity. Some elders believe he is the rage of all Garou given
form and made flesh. Most believe that he should be
monitored and controlled.
l~uar~, "Sun-Curser" In the past, the Silent Striders provided much of the
information that travelled between caerns, and they never
Breed: Homid involved themselves in the political machinations of the
Auspice: Philodox other tribes. They sought information instead, and bartered
Camp: Society ofNidhogg their services as couriers for the secrets of the tribes.
Nature / Demeanor: Predator / Survivor They spent time with the Gypsies of Russia, and became
Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 2 (2/3/4/4), tentative allies of the two vampire clans that are closest to
Stamina 2 (4/5/5/5), Charisma 2, Manipulation 5 (4/2/2/2), the Gypsies, the Gangrel and the Ravnos. From these clans,
Appearance 3 (2/0/3/3), Perception 2, Intelligence 3, Wits 4 the Striders learned much of what they passed on to the
Abilities: Awareness 1, Brawl 2, Dodge 3, Intimidation 1, other tribes, but the Striders learned too much. Through
Primal-Urge 2, Subterfuge 1, Drive 2, Etiquette 1, Firearms 3, their vampire contacts, they discovered that Baba Yaga had
Leadership 1, Performance 2, Computer 1, Investigation 2, arisen. And soon , Baba Yaga discovered these curious
Law 1, Linguistics 2, Occult 4, Politics 1, Rituals 2 Garou who asked too many questions.
Backgrounds: Past Lives 4 They know that Baba Yaga is somehow behind the force
behind the Shadow Curtain and the draining of the caerns,
Gifts: (1) Aura of Confidence, Fatal Flaw, Persuasion,
and they are aware that she has seven Generals who
Scent of the True Form
command her minions. They do not know the names or
Rage 3, Gnosis 3, Willpower 5
faces of these Generals. What names they have heard are
Rank: 1 scarcely believable , for they are out of legend. The Zmei
Merits / Flaws: Lack of Scent, Bad Taste, Common were destroyed a millennia ago, and Koshchei was just a
Sense, Eidetic Memory / Overconfident, Short Fuse, One story, wasn't he?
Eye (right), Mark of the Predator, No Partial Transforma Now there is a hunt on against the Silent Striders, and
tion they must be very careful who they meet, for Baba Yaga's
Rituals: Talisman Dedication, Rite ofCleansing, Rite of eyes are everywhere. If anyone has a chance of getting out
Binding, Rite of Summoning of Russia past her minions, it is the Striders, but they may
Fetishes: None be too few and the opposition too numerous.
Image: In Homid, Sun-Curser sports a black goatee and
has penetrating gray eyes . In Lupus, he is an impressive
black wolf with massive shoulders.
Septs
The Silent Striders meet once a year, during the celebra
Roleplaying Notes: You want the sun out of your life. It
tion of the fall equinox at a random location determined at
breaks up the clouds and weakens your power. You consider
th.e prior year's meeting. They do not maintain actual septs
all others as being below you and manipulate them in an
in Russia, nor do they control any caerns. It is doubtful that
offhand manner. You are all that really matters . Those
any Strider will appear at the selected site this year, for the
Wyrm creatures are still an uppity lot; better send some
risk is too great.
more pawns to get rid of them.
There were once nearly 30 Silent Striders in Russia.
Background: Eduard is a young but impressive Garou.
Now, 20 are left, thanks to Baba Yaga's hunt.
He has always hated the light of the sun and believes
himself to be inextricably linked to the night. Since before
his First Change, he has loved the velvet blackness that Stereotypes
covers the land when the sun drops below the horizon. He Black Furies: True warriors of the Wyld. Respect them
underwent his Rite of Passage at the Thunderstrike Sept in or avoid them, but know that we need them in this coming
the Ural Mountains and quickly became the leader of a battle.
newly-formed pack. It is almost his time to advance again,
Bone Gnawers: They are different in Russia, quite
but he has done a few things that, if discovered, could hurt
different. However, the Bone Gnawers are as adept at
his respected reputation. Sometimes a creature comes into
surviving hardships here as they are in the rest of the world.
his dreams and whispers of a world without light. He has
Perhaps we can use their aid.
told her things, and she has promised him rewards.
5ings-for-the-dJeast
Breed: Metis
Auspice: Galliard
Nature / Demeanor: Martyr / Autist
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
Stamina 3 (5/6/6/6), Charisma 4, Manipulation 3 (2/0/0/0),
Appearance 4 (3/0/4/4), Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Abilities: Alertness 3, Brawl 5, Dodge 5, Empathy 2,
Instruction 3, Primal-Urge 3, Subterfuge 3, Animal Ken 2,
Etiquette 2, Performance 5, Investigation 2, linguistics 2,
~
Abilities: Alertness 4, Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Dodge 4,
Rituals I
Backgrounds: Pure Breed 4, Past life I
Empathy 2, Intimidation 4, Primal-Urge 4, Streetwise 2, Gifts: (I) Call of the Wyld, Create Element, Lambent
Subterfuge 3, Drive 2, Firearms 4, Melee 3, Leadership 2, Flame; (2) Awe, Dreamspeak
Stealth 4, Survival 2, Investigation 4, Medicine I, Rituals 3 Rage 4, Gnosis 5, Willpower 6
Backgrounds: Kinfolk I, Pure Breed 2 Rank: 2
Gifts: (I) Razor Claws, The Falling Touch; (2) Heart of Metis Disfigurement: Bestial Reflection
Fury, Staredown, Spirit of the Fray, True Fear; Rend Reality MeritslFlaws: Concentration, Fast Learner, Time Sense
(special Black Spiral Dancer Gift) / Pack Mentality, Wolf Years
Rage 8, Gnosis 6, Willpower 9 Rite: None
Rank: 2 Fetishes: Harmony Flute, Sanctuary Chimes, Spirit
Rites: Moot Rite, Gathering for the Departed, Ritual of Whistle
the Questing Stone, Rite of Talisman Dedication, Rite of Image: In Homid, Sings-for-the- Beast is always cul
Passage tured, refined and downright beautiful, but she looks a little
Fetishes: Tears of Gaia older each day. In Lupus, she is a true white wolf, going gray
Image: In Homid form, he is an attractive young man fast.
with platinum blonde hair and an unsettling, blue-eyed Roleplaying Notes: You are a follower . True, you prefer
gaze. In Lupus, he is a large, silvery-white wolf with crystal people not to know that you are metis, and you are embar
line blue eyes, powerful and sleek in appearance. rassed at how fast you are aging, but both of these are
Roleplaying Notes: You treat everyone, human and products of the purity of your breeding. Since ,rime seems so
Garou, even elders, with a soft-spoken, angry, contemptu short for you, you try to be where everything is happening
or where people are gathering. You want to teach, but
ous condescension. Speaking to other Garou seems
before anyone will listen, you have to be famous. You need
degrading to you. You believe that they would turn tail and
glory, so you try to be where it can be found. You are living
howl if they really knew what was going on. Within your
pack, you demand absolute loyalty and will not hesitate to as fast as you can.
eliminate those who question your leadership. Background: Sings-for-the-Beast was the product of a
Silver Fang mating with one of the Lost, a Garou who had
Background: Nicolai is the pack leader of the Crescent
Moon's strike team. His pack consists of another Silver lost her Kin Fetch and had not undergone the Change. Her
Fang, a Bone Gnawer, two Shadow Lords and a Glass mother underwent her First Change shortly thereafter and
went through her Rite of Passage while heavy with child.
Walker. They are the ones who deal with threats that
Sings was born, and her father prepared her way in Garou
originate in the nearby cities and the factories that dot the
society. She works hard to keep her place and hopes that
Ural area. The entire pack has risen in renown in a very
one day her story will grace the Cliff of Heroes maintained
short time. This has both impressed the other Garou of the
area and made them wary ofN icolai. He rules his pack wi th by the Sept of the Crescent Moon .
an iron fist, tolerating no dissent and no failure.
Stereotypes
Black Furies: Their useless bickering with the Get only
exacerbates all our problems.
Bone Gnawers: In trying to achieve equality, they have
only succeeded in dividing us further.
Children of Gaia: In their search for the truth, they
overlooked human nature. I hope they can soon return.
Fianna: They must be judged as individuals, for there are
too few Fianna in Russia.
Get of Fenris: One who uses anger as a weapon can have
it turned back at himself.
Glass Walkers: They have imprisoned themselves in a
Weaver's web, but do not recognize their peril.
Red Talons: They will die hating, and they will be
mourned.
Uktena dangerous, both for them and for the rest of Garou.
Red Talons: They are like angry children, our brothers
re strongly tied with of the tundra , but they must be thwarted, for they will bring
t well within Russia, the rest of us down with them.
ar East. The Uktena Shadow Lords: The Shadow Lords are the most openly
corrupt of us. They must be watched, for the Wyrm waits
deep in their hearts.
Silent Striders: These Garou are knowledgeable in
many secrets, secrets we must convince them to reveal.
Silver Fangs: Despite their nobility, the Silver Fangs
walk a path that leads to stagnation and ruin. If they are not
shown the way out, they will be lost.
Stargazers: We share much in common with these wise
young and idealistic, bu ones, though our traditions are different.
world by their mentor .
Wendigo: They are the closest to us in both origin and
Of all the tribes, the Uk na Theurges have the least spirit, but their isolation can only lead to sorrow.
trouble piercing the Sha w urtain to reach the Umbra.
None ofthe other tribes u ef tand this, but to the Uktena,
it is simple: their totem, Uktena himself, allows them this
access. The Gauntlet is treated as normal for the Uktena.
However, there is a dark side to this; anytime an Uktena
steps sideways, the chance of detection by one of Baba
Jvan OJolkov
Breed: Homid
Auspice: Theurge
Nature / Demeanor: Reluctant Garou / Cub
Attributes: Strength 4 (6/8/7/5), Dexterity 3 (3/4/5/5),
S peaker-to-mountains Stamina 2 (4/5/5/5), Charisma 2, Manipulation 2 (l/O/O/O),
Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2), Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
Breed: Lupus
Abilities: Alertness 1, Brawl 2, Dodge 2, Prima l-Urge 1,
Auspice: Theurge
Drive 3, Firearms 3, Repair 2, Stealth 3, Survival 2, Com
Nature / Demeanor: Maker / Visionary
puter 1, Investigation 2, Medicine 3, Ritua ls 1, Science 2
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 5 (5/6/7/7),
Backgrounds: Past Lives 4
Stamina 5 (7/8/8/8), C harisma 4, Manipulation 4 (3/1/1/1),
Gifts: (1) Persu as ion , Sense Magic, Sense Wyrm, Spirit
Appearance 3 (2/0/3/3), Perception 5, Intelligence 5, Wits 4
Speech
Abilities: Alertness 5, Athletics 2, Dodge 3, Empathy 5,
Rage 2, Gnosis 6, Willpower 7
Expression 1, Intimidation 3, Primal -Urge 5, Subterfuge 2,
Animal Ken 2, Etiquette 2 (Garou), Leadership 2, Medita Rank: 1
tion 4, Stealth 2, Survival 4, Enigmas 4, Occult 4, Rituals Merits/Flaws: Mercury Rising, Natural Channel, Mixed
5, Herbalism 2, Spirit Lore 3, Wyrm Lore 1 Morph / Foe from the Past (Gangrel), Insane Past Life
Backgrounds: Past Life 2 (comes out in the presence of his foe), Notoriety (insanity)
Gifts: (1) Find Water, Spirit Speech, Sense Magic; (2) Rites: Rite of Contrition, Rite of Cleansing, Rite of
Command Spirit, Name of the Spirit, Sight from Beyond; W ou nding
(3) Umbral Sight Fetish: None
Rage 6, Gnosis 9, Willpower 9 Image: In Homid , Ivan looks powerful, with corded
Rank: 3 muscles that stand out well from his shoulders, neck and
legs. He is always in jeans of some sort (he wears cutoffs to
Rites: Rite of Cleansing, Ritual ofTalisman Dedication,
swim or work out), and he also likes to wear tanktops. He
Rite of the Open Caern, Ritual of Summoning, Rite of
acts like a rebel because he refuses to accept what is going
Becoming, Rite of the Fetish, Rite of the Shrouded Glen
on around him. In Lupus, he always appears confused, as if
Fetishes: Spirit Tracer (Level 2, Gnosis 5), Spirit Whistle
he would rather be elsewhere.
(Level 4, Gnosis 8)
Roleplaying Notes: You refuse to be a werewolf. You
Image: In Lupus, Speaker-to-Mountains is a small dark
were raised hearing the traditional stories, and you just
gray wolf with almost runelike white patterns on her back.
don't want to be one of the "bad guys". Unfortunately, there
In Homid, she is a small, slender young woman of Tibetan
are these voices in your head, and they refuse to leave you
ancestry with a long, luxuriously thick black braid.
alone. The worst one is absolutely nuts, but you can't do
Roleplaying Notes: You are reserved in expressing your anything about it. They say you are a "Theurge", but you
feelings, but this does not mean that you are quiet. You don't want to deal with it. Too bad you seem to be good at
seem to have a way of making your feelings known without it. When you watch another "Theurge " perform a ritua l, the
all the useless blabber and screaming that most of the Garou new knowledge burns into your memory like a branding
use. Since your practice of spi rit weaving has taugh t you iron searing a mark into soft flesh.
that uncontrolled behavior can be extremely destructive,
you strive to remain calm in every situation.
some other psycho that keeps trying to kill you; he says that The Wendigo have one caern, complete with sept and
you betrayed him centuries ago. protectorate, located near the shores of the Bering Sea.
Background: Ivan was not meant to be a Garou. He There are 30 Wendigo there. From here, they will attack
entered the Red Army before his First Change and was any minion of the Wyrm or, indeed, anyone who gets too
kidnapped by the Uktena towards the end of his first year near. They have not been attacked as yet, nor do they know
of service. He wanted to be a soldier and have a normal life, of the attacks on other caerns. It is possible that their
but all of that has changed now. Normalcy is impossible. isolationism will prove to be their downfall.
One of his past lives is a reasonably powerful Theurge
who crossed a powerful vampire. The Theurge eventually
died. The vampire did not. Now the vampire, who is one of
Stereotypes
the lieutenants in Baba Yaga's Army of the Night, is after Black Furies: As warriors of the Wyld, they are without
his old rival's descendants. peer and are worthy of our trust. But their disrespect for men
Ivan's elders feel that they have done all they can in could prove to be their weakness.
trying to adapt him to Garou life. Ifhe can not survive, then Bone Gnawers: They adopt human philosophies in an
so be it. attempt to create equality among the Garou. They only
create their own doom.
Wenbigo Children of Gaia: While they are the most open
hearted of Russia's Garou, they are unable to see the
enemies that lurk in our own caerns. That is why they were
brought low.
Fianna: We barely know them, but they are a happy
people.
Get of Fenris: We do not truck with the Get. They are
too belligerent for their own good.
~.,,_,.....rr-;;r.·4r<a lly contended with the Silver Glass Walkers: The Glass Walkers walk towards the
b "'I::"•.~0~m
~::.i.:.:
n;;;:
a9 r the two groups were separated by Wyrm .
. s. During the time of Russian industri
Red Talons: We, too, seek revenge for our hurts, but
alization, the Wendigo retreated far from any human these wolves are too reckless. Their rage takes them into the
habitation and were the least affected by the changes that maw of doom.
marked the beginning of the twentieth century. Later
Shadow Lords: Nothing good comes from them. They
developments, and the expansion into the Siberian lands
are darkhearted conquerors who seek to exploit us all.
by the Soviet industrial machine, led to such deve lopments
as the hunting of wolves using helicopter based gun plat Silent Striders: We have become friends, as they are one
f~rrns -special ammunition was supplied, of course, by the
the few tribes who are willing to visit our caerns. Still, we
"people" in power who knew the real reason for the hunting haven't seen them for a long time.
of the wolves. Since the Wendigo had been out of contact Silver Fangs: Their failure is clear. Why the others still
with civilization for so long, they had no idea of what they follow them is a mystery.
were up against, and the hunting took a far greater toll on Stargazers: They spend much time in contemplation,
them than on any other tribe except the Red Talons. and their spirits are noble.
There are few Wendigo left in Russia, but there is a Uktena: They are our brothers, but where we walk the
rumor circulating among the more learned Garou of a path of war, they walk the path of spirit.
hybrid line related to both the Silver Fangs and the Wendigo.
Neither the Wendigo nor any hybrid tribe are politically
dJloo~-on-the-Win~
active in Russia. The Wendigo keep to themselves, fiercely Breed: Lupus
guarding their lands and caerns from human and Garou Auspice: Galliard
alike. If such a hybrid tribe exists, it is small, has little power Nature / Demeanor: Survivor / Director
and is, as yet, unrecognized by the Garou population. Attributes: Strength 4 (6/8/7/5), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6),
Russia's Wendigo are a small, very potent force. They Stamina 5 (7/8/8/8), Charisma 2, Manipulation 3 (2/0/0/0),
control one small area of Siberia, and woe betide any who Appearance 3 (2/0/2/2), Perception 5, Intelligence 3, Wits 4
try to enter it without their permission. They are adept at Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Dodge 3,
survival in the icy wastes, masters of animalistic combat Intimidation 4, Primal-Urge 4, Subterfuge 4, Animal Ken 2,
and controllers of powerful spirits of the snow and ice. Melee 4, Rituals 4, Survival 3,
Backgrounds: Familiar Spirit 4, Past Lives 4
'.
\
1
' ",-._J/ ;
ahead of you and can't help but be overjoyed. So many
around you are just waiting for the Apocalypse, but you
know there is a way out. There's gotta be. You lead a whole
Gifts: (1) Call ofWyld, Camouflage, Leap of Kangaroo, pack who you have convinced to believe as you do.
Sense Prey; (2) Curse of Aeolus, Dreamspeak, Eye of Eagle, Background: Walks-for-the-Lost has abandoned his
Sense the Unnatural; (3) Catfeet, Chill of Early Frost; (4) human name in favor of his new Garou one. He is fascinated
Attunement, Bridge Walker; (5) Song of the Great Beast by the lost Croatan tribe and is convinced that he can solve
Rage 7, Gnosis 8, Willpower 7 their mystery. He believes that the Croatan must have left
Kinfolk in Russia on their march to the Pure Lands long
Rank: 5
ago, and if he can find them, he is sure he can revive the
Merits / Flaws: Huge Size tribe.
Rites: Rite of the Opened Caern, Rite of Totem, Rite of
the Fetish
Fetishes: Fang Dagger
rche Siberakh
Image: In Homid, Blood-on-the-Wind is a tall, dark
haired man with pale features. In Lupus, he is stark white
with gray stripes leading from his ears to his tail.
Roleplaying Notes: You are calm and collected, always
ready and always cautious. Stupidity rules the foolish who
would rather fight than think, and you will not be part of it.
The enemy comes in many forms and surrounds you from all
sides. They must be taught their errors. Order will prevail,
and when it does, so will Gaia.
Background: Blood-on-the-Wind became the leader of
the Sept of the Siberian Wilds several years ago when he
challenged and beat the former leader. He has brought a
new vigor to the Wendigo, but it is a vigor tied to maintain
ing their isolation from the rest of the world.
Walks-/or-the-!ost
Breed: Homid
Auspice: Theurge
Nature / Demeanor: Alpha / Reveler
Attributes: Strength 2 (4/6/5/3), Dexterity 4 (4/5/6/6),
Stamina 3 (5/6/6/6), Charisma 3, Manipulation 2 (1/0/0/0),
Appearance 2 (1/0/2/2), Perception 3, Intelligence 4, Wits 3
Covernment Wyrm caerns in the world are found in Russia now, and this
pleases both the Black Spirals and Pentex. The company
Disaster teaches you a lot - that is true. But these times felt secure allied with the native Black Spiral Dancers.
demand different methods of learning. Without their support, the operation would have fallen
apart under Garou pressure.
- Geydar Aliyev, chairman of the Accident
Investigation Committee In late 1990, it all came apart. For some reason that
Pentex could not understand, the Black Spirals rebelled.
Until a few years ago, Russia had no corporate base of its
This is the first such case in the company's history, and no
own. The corporations active within the country could be
one could comprehend it. All contact with the leaders of
traced to outside money, and most of that money could be
the tribe was cut off. Messengers sent to the caerns either
traced back (only by the most resourceful investigators) to
never returned or were so completely insane that there was
Pentex. For many years, Pentex, through its holding corpo
no point in listening to them.
rations, helped the government of Russia remain financia lly
secure while running a virtual business monopoly within As if it was an omen, the government started to lose
the country, allowing them to do business as they saw fit. stability at the same time. In a desperate attempt to salvage
The reigning Brujah council didn't realize that the numer the government, the ruling council increased opportunities
ous corporations they were dealing with were all just for trade, opening many of the doors Pentex had held shut
tentacles of one octopus. for so long. In some cases, other companies, many of which
were run by vampires of various sorts, were invited into the
For the Garou, the result was an ongoing war the likes of
country. Pentex found itself in economic competition for
which were seen nowhere else in the world. Wolves were
the first time in Russia.
hunted by helicopter gunships, and the land was despoiled
at a rate difficult to believe . All of this was sanctioned by Sensing the weakness in their opponents, the Garou of
the government. Russia rallied and began putting more and more pressure
against Pentex subsidiaries. These problems caused Pentex
It was too much for the Garou to stop. Pentex was
to take a temporary leave of absence from Russia.
winning as they expanded their control ofRussian ind ustry.
Under the blanket of absolute unaccountability, the Wyrm
'[he Zmei Yes, the elders are worried, for they know that if the Zmei
have been released and Baba Yaga has truly risen, the
The Zmei are dragons. They were first summoned to this Koshchei can not be far behind.
world long ago by Baba Yaga in her attempt to kill the
Nosferatu Antediluvian who had turned her into a vam Zmei cPoUJers
pire. There were seven of them summoned into the world.
The six remaining Great Zmei all share the following
They are known as the Great Zmei: Goluko, Gregornous,
powers:
IlIyana, Rustarin, Trevero, Sharkala and Shazear. Each of
Fear: When first engaging with a Zmei in serpent form,
these great creatures resembles their true master, the Wyrm,
a Willpower check is required against a difficulty of 6. Only
though some were able to take other forms at will.
one success is needed. However, should the player roll more
For years, even after Baba Yaga entered her slumber,
than three successes, her character will enter frenzy and
these creatures held sway over large areas of land. People
attack. If the player fails her roll, her character is frozen in
feared to enter what became known as the "dragon lands."
fear and can do nothing until she makes a successful roll
Finally, after much debate, the Silver Fangs of Russia (she can roll each turn). If she botches, then her character
decided that the time had come to rid the world of these will enter a Fox frenzy and flee.
creatures. They enlisted the aid of some of their Kinfolk,
Regeneration: The Zmei regenerate at a rate of one
who had the power to work magic, and went out to slay the
Health Level per round, provided that they are still alive at
great Wyrms.
the end of the round. This is similar to Garou regeneration:
O{ustarin
Attributes: Strength 11, Dexterity 6, Stamina 10, Cha
risma 1, Manipulation 5, Appearance 0, Perception 6,
Intelligence 3, Wits 4
Abilities: Alertness 5, Athletics 5, Brawl 4, Dodge 5,
Empathy 5, Intimidation 8, Primal-Urge 5, Subterfuge 4,
Stealth 3, Leadership 5, Enigmas 5, Occult 4, Linguistics 2,
Area Knowledge (Russia) 4, Area Knowledge (Umbra) 5
Rage 7, Gnosis 9, Willpower 10
Powers: Commanding Gaze (Rustarin can gaze at a
victim and cause him to freeze in place. He will be unable
to move for 10 rounds or as long as Rustarin stares at him,
whichever is longer. The victim may make a Willpower roll
opposed by Rustarin's Willpower. He may not spend Will-
Shazear
Attributes: Strength 9, Dexterity 6, Stamina 9, Cha,
risma 3, Manipulation 5, Appearance 0 (3), Perception 5,
Intelligence 5, Wits 6
Abilities: Alertness 6, Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Dodge3 (4),
Empathy 4, Intimidation 5, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 5,
Drive 3, Melee 4, Stealth 3, Computers 2, Enigmas 5,
Linguistics 3, Occult 4, Science 1, Area Knowledge (Mos,
cow) 2, Area Knowledge (Russia) 3
Rage 5, Gnosis 6, Willpower 10
Powers: Shapeshift (Shazear is able to assume human
form. He appears as a very good looking young man in his
late twenties. He has black hair, a medium build and gray
eyes. The attributes in parentheses above for Shazear in his
human form. Shazear also does not incite fear in human
form, nor can he fly.)
Image: Shazear is the smallest of the Zmei. He is only 40
feet long, including his tail. He is a shadowy gray with
reflective scales that look like crystal. His eyes glisten and
move with intelligence and cunning.
Roleplaying Notes: You are the smartest of your kind
the others are morons! Baba Yaga is smart, though, smarter
than she lets on. That makes her even worse . You want no
part of that. The human cities appeal to you more. They say
rc he OIaba ya~a to Russia. 1twas a longtime before this evil became known to the
people, but he had been preying upon them for a while. Baba
Yaga went to confront this evil thing of the night, a vampire who
When Russia was young, so, too, was Baba Yaga. As Russia drank the blood of the living. She was startled when she saw him,
grew in power, so, too, did Baba Yaga. As Russia became for he was truly hideous. Never before had she seen such
corrupt, so, too, did Baba Yaga ... ugliness, and she could not allow it to reside in Russia. She hurled
- Silver Fang proverb scorn at him, admonishing him for his foul looks and demanding
But you, my beloved, will belong to our mother, the damp that he leave her lands.
earth. Absimiliard, the first of the Nosferatu c/an, was yet again
- Peter Kvashin, "Dear Brother" spurned by mortals for his tragic face. He swore that this earth
There are many tales told in Russia of the dreaded Baba priestess, this Baba Yaga, would regret her remarks. He slunk
Yaga. Many of these legends conflict with each other. away from her, letting her believe she had driven him off.
Some Galliards say that if even a few of these stories are The night of the next moon, he came for her. She put up a
correct, Baba Yaga is certainly something to fear. Rest great fight, but even her mightiest magick could not slow the night
assured, many of the stories are true .. . creature's march towards her. She called up the spirits of trees
Of these stories, there is one which is sometimes told by and streams, and the land cried with every ste p the vampire took.
those who know more than a little of the truth behind the Her hands shone like the sun , burning his dead flesh. The wind
masks of history. Even this story is suspect; any who could protected her, though the vampire ripped trees from their roots to
throw at her. The old one withered before her, and his anguished
rrhe Army 0/ the Arcane Dice Pool for these effects is 4 if the effect is "coincidental",
i.e., they could conceivably occur naturally, or 3 if the effect
The Army of the Arcane is the only faction of Baba is "vulgar" or obviously supernatural. Assume her difficulty
Yaga's forces that is not vulnerable to internal disputes. The for these feats to be 7 or so, depending on what she is
army consists of mages she has converted to her side; most attempting. Note that mages tend to avoid "vulgar" magick
of them are Blood Bound. under most circumstances.)
They have one major duty: the upkeep and gradual Image: A short young woman of medium build, with
strengthening of the Shadow Curtain. They have also been swarthy skin, large brown eyes and straight black hair going
called upon to aid the ArmyofDespair in finding Koshchei, nearly to her waist. Tamara has a firm, clear voice, and she
but so far, that search has revealed nothing. cuts a more imposing figure than her height would suggest.
Joseph Stranvitch is the leader of the Army of the She dresses in layers of peasant clothing and prefers a more
Arcane. He is a Celestial Chorus mage devoted to old traditionally Russian look to modern Western fashions.
Russia and the power of the Orthodox Church. He has Tamara focuses much of her magick through a dagger, a
fallen under the thrall ofBaba Yaga, and she has convinced gnarled wood wand or a pouch of herbs which she scatters
him that anything he does for her aids the greater glory and to the winds. Although only 24, her eyes reflect a wisdom
beyond her years.
power of the Church. His mind has become so poisoned by
this lie that he has summoned a demon called Bezariel, the Roleplaying Notes: Years of hiding have taught you to
"Blood Angel," to become the General of the Army of the be careful. Strangers are not to be trusted, and secrets must
Void. not be freely given away. Cover your doubts with an
Many of the mages in the Army of the Arcane see this enigmatic air, implying that you know far more than you
war as their perfect chance to break down static reality and actually do . As a Verbena, you have a keen sense of the
allow some dynamism back in. Only Baba Yaga is powerful sacred in the midstof the carnal. Gowith your instincts, but
enough to aid them in this, or so they believe. Baba Yaga always leave an escape route behind you . You have always
does not want this. Defeating static reality would only trusted the spirits of the land above everything else, but
now you've found that even they are not to be trusted .
empower potential enemies of hers.
rche Vampires
Like the Kindred of Europe, the Russian vampires have
organized themselves into strong alliances. However, these
organizations have little to do with the Camarilla, Sabbat
or Inconnu. Instead, they are loyal to an individual, either
Baba Yaga or Durga Syn, or are part of an independent
group of separatists.
(])ur~a 5yn
Sire: Unknown
Nature / Demeanor: Caregiver / Martyr
Generation: 7th
Clan: Ravnos
Embrace: A.D. 923
Apparent Age: 42
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 5, Cha
risma 6, Manipulation 3, Appearance 4 (1), Perception 4,
Intelligence 6, Wits 6
Abilities: Alertness 6, Athletics 3, Brawl 3, Dodge 3,
Empathy 4, Intimidation 2, Leadership 4, Subterfuge 4,
Drive 1, Etiquette 2, Firearms 2, Melee 5, Security 4,
Stealth 4, Survival 6, Bureaucracy 2, Investigation 5, lin
guistics 6, Occult 4, Politics 2
Disciplines: Obfuscate 6, Potence 2, Dominate 4, Forti
tude 6, Animalism 6, Chimerstry 6, Thaumaturgy 3
Virtues: Conscience 3, Self-Control 4, Courage 5
Humanity: 7
Willpower: 10
Blood Pool/Max per turn: 20 / 5
Roleplaying Notes: You are responsible for the people of
Russia. You must keep them safe from the menace that is
Baba Yaga. Even though the Witch's goal is to return magic
to Russia, you must oppose her. After the magic has re
turned, what heinous crimes will the Hagcommit? Anything
as evil as Baba Yaga must not be permitted to continue its
unlife.
Background: Long before Baba Yaga entered torpor,
long before the forces of Christianity swarmed over the
Motherland , Durga Syn served the Mother Goddess and
the people of Russia. As she gained wisdom and under
standing, she would use her faith to bolster crops in times
of draught and ease the cold of the fiercest winters.
Her beauty and power brought Durga Syn to the atten
tion of the ancient hag, Baba Yaga. The Hag was once a
former follower of the Mother Goddess, and she schemed to
make Durga Syn her servant. Baba Yaga blew her foul,
blood-clotted breath upon the land, stunting the crops and
ruining the livestock. As Durga Syn struggled to discover
the cause of the horrible blight upon the land, Baba Yaga
came to her offering the solution. Baba Yaga also offered her
the golden apple of wisdom and eternal life. Flattered by the
the spread of pollution in Russia, these spirits have become and there is a godly race of them:
tainted; many of them now serve the Wyrm. we are all gentle and insinuating,
These are some of the problems the Garou face from day And he who joins our family will end his days among us!
to day. There are also the "regular" problems of Black Spiral - Misery-Luckless-Plight, anonymous Russian poem, 17th
(])rainings
The Sept of the Crescent Moon was buzzing with con
versation. A young Garou had recently arrived bearing
news important enough that Grimfang, the warder of the
caern, had come down from his mountain retreat and
spirited the pup away into the cabins of the elders. Word
had spread throughout the caern, and most of the Garou
had gathered near the moot fires, talking amongst them
selves.
Some were mingling, while others stood aloof, keeping
their conversations within their own packs. Several Garou
who had been at the caern long enough to know noted that
all three of Grimfang's chosen packs were present.
Nicolai Predatelski stood somewhat apart from the rest
of his pack. Sneering slightly, he surveyed the assembled
Garou. Unlike the majority, his pack didn't converse among
themselves, but merely maintained an air of superior aloof
ness .
Tatiana's pack of Black Furies chatted easily among
themsel ves, occasionally casting dark looks at where Nicolai
stood. The pack leader, Tatiana, stood out like a sore
thumb, as she was easily the most beautiful Garou at the
caern.
Closest to the rest of the assembled Garou, Speaker-to
Mountains and her pack looked out ofplace when compared
to Nicolai's or Tatiana's packs. However, when it came to
knowledge of the ways of spirits, there were perhaps only
one or two Garou at the caern more adept. Speaker herself
was deep in conversation with a youngster just out of his
Rite of Passage.
The door of the central cabin opened, and Grimfang,
wearing Homid form, trundled out. Behind him was Piotr
Volk, the Silver Fang leader of the sept, Andrei Bolkowski,
the Gatekeeper, and Ivan Sukosin, the Master of the
Challenge. The four elders made their way to the fires as
conversation died away. When there was silence, Piotr
stepped forward . His old but still vital Homid form dwarfed
the sinewy, ancient form of the Warder.
In a voice like steel grating on stone, Piotr addressed the
assembled Garou. "It fills my heart to see so many of you
Story Spr;ngboar~s
Presented here are some story ideas for use in an ongoing
Russian chronicle . They can be adapted for play with new
characters or experienced Garou.
Suffering School
The pack encounters a child obviously suffering from a
Wyrm -oriented affliction. The child is sickly and mis
shapen, with signs of a beginning deformity . She lacks
energy - she doesn't even laugh - and if viewed from the
Umbra, she will appear to be riddled with tiny worms.
After investigation, and a little leg work, the pack will
Eavesdropping: The pack encounters a group ofenemies find that the child's school is located on a waste dump.
(Black Spiral Dancers, vampires, etc.) discussing plans for Chemical and radiation Banes rise up to lay their corrup
an upcoming attack on the Sept of the Crescent Moon at tive seeds into the children. Several children have already
the Ural caern. This can put some suspense into the story, been infected.
as the characters must get to the caern quickly and warn
To save the children, the pack must journey into the
them . Whether or not the plans for attack are legitimate is
Umbra and combat the Banes surrounding them . However,
up to the Storyteller. even this will not completely cure their affliction: the rot
has been planted deep in their spirits.
'forest-Walker Only a journey to the Atrocity Realm, in the Near
Breed: Homid Umbra, can ultimately save them. However, getting from
Auspice: Ahroun Russia to that realm is almost impossible; the Scar must be
Tribe: Silver Fang reach ed first (see Chapter Two: Stepping Sideways). In the
Nature / Demeanor: Lone Wolf / Confidant Atrocity Realm, there is an emanation reflection of the
Attributes: Strength 3 (5/7/6/4), Dexterity 5 (5/6/7/7), children's school. It is a disgusting place, where classes are
Stamina 3 (5/6/6/6), Charisma 3, Manipulation 3 (2/0/0/0), taught by cruel Banes rather than kind teachers. Emana
Appearance 4 (3/0/4/4), Perception 4 Intelligence 4, Wits 5 tions of children cry as the Bane teachers swat them with
Abilities: Alertness 2, Brawl 4, Dodge 4, Empathy 2, rulers.
Primal-Urge 2, Firearms 2, Melee 3, Leadership 2, Stealth 3, The Breeder Bane that laid the seeds of corruption rests
Survival 2, Enigmas 1, Investigation 1, Medicine 2, Rituals 3 in a pond of chemical slop in the basement of the schoo l. If
Backgrounds: Pure Breed 2 it can be destroyed, then the corruption will leave the
children.
Gifts: (1) Inspiration, Smell ofMan, Speed ofThought; (2)
Jam Technology, Messenger's Fortitude; (3) The Great Leap But the corruptio n wdl not leave the school, for it rests
on corrupt ground. It must be torn down, and the ground
Rank: 3
must be burnt before the blight will fully leave the area.
Rage 4, Gnosis 8, Willpower 9
The corruption continues even deeper, stretching back
Rites: Rite of Cleansing, Talisman Dedication, Open
to the government level, where the decision was made to
Bridge
build the school on the waste dump. If the characters are
" '"
... .
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...., "
o .
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~-
.• ...
~ . ..
by David Key
There is much afoot in Russia . The Wyrm rears its head
in places once believed to be free of corruption. Baba Yaga,
the great witch of legend, stalks the Motherland, consum
ing those who would oppose her. All seems hopeless, for
how can the Garou fight against such a menace?
It is important that the horror of this situation is felt.
Without that, the story becomes nothing more than a
combat game. That's not what this book is about, although,
at first, that is how Rage Across Russia might appear. Most
of the villains in this book are epic in scope; defeating even
one of them is the subject of a chronicle, or at least a long
story. They are powerful, and directly assaulting them
should be pointless. The majority of them must be outwit
ted or tricked, and only then can the characters pass on to
the next level to confront the evil lurking even deeper
below the surface.
Consider also that not all of these characters are neces
sarily enemies. For example, the Gangrel Viktor is
sympathetic to the plight of the werewolves, even though
his loyalties lie with the Hag. An interesting story could
deal with trying to convert him, or at least tricking him into
sinking into torpor and getting out of everyone's hair.
Back to the concept of situational horror: how wou Id you
feel standing on the befouled bank of the Volga River, or
watching cancerous fish swim in the Baltic Sea? What
would cross your mind as you saw the victims of Russia's
terrible pollution? Sickly children and dying adults are the
legacies of the rapid industrialization of the Communist
Era. There is no supernatural villain dishing out toxins to
the hapless world like a cook in a cafeteria line, but there is
horror. True, it is not the horror of confronting the Great
Old One at the culmination of a Lovecraft Story, but it is,
in some sense, more real.
A sense of situational horror may be found in the
following scenario: in an area where the toxins of the Wyrm
tend to kill rather than corrupt, and where the Banes have
long since departed, a pack of Garou find themselves
assisting a group of humans trying to eke out a living. As the
humans die without the Garou being able to save them, or
The Russian people have long believed in spirits. Their and pups are told of the dangers of the Umbra, not of the
lore is some of the richest in the world for stories about allies to be found there.
spirits, and with good reason. Russia is strong in magic, and The Russian Garou know and deal with many types of
this mystic strength is linked to its spirits. Russian spirits spirits. Most of these spirits are more neutral than friendly
inhabit everything from trees and streams to bath houses. or hostile, at least in the case of those that have not been
The Russian spirits are strong and, in many cases, are able touched by the Wyrm. Those that have been tainted,
to effect the world around them. These spirits have not especially the Leshii and the Morozhko, are capable of
always been kind and helpful, but they have always been wreaking a great deal of devastation. A creative Storyteller
there. can have a great deal of fun fooling the players when they
The current state of many of these spirits deeply bothers have to deal with a Russian spirit. Few things are what they
Garou Theurges. Where once they could call upon great really appear to be, and anything can be corrupted by the
water spirits to assist them, now their calls go unanswered, Wyrm. The world is unpredictable: many things believed to
or Wyrm-tainted spirits rise instead. Where once the Um be corrupted by the Wyrm are actually untainted.
bra shook with the power of moving elementals, now those These are not the only spirits in the Umbra over Russia.
same spirits are harried or untesponsive. As the land was Banes, Weaverlings and Wyldlings may be found as well.
stripped of its power, so were the spirits tied to it. (Note: Some of these creatures can be used as ghosts or
On the few occasions when a powerful spirit is found, it faeries, but for ease of play, all mechanics are listed for
is clear the price of its power was subservience to the Wyrm. Werewolf. The Occult ability might be useful for predict
Now powerful water spirits move to drown unwary Garou, ing the behavior of these "spirits".)
dIannik
Rage 5, Willpower 8, Gnosis 8, Power 20
Charms: Materialize, Airt Sense, Invisibility, Prophesy
In Russian folklore, the Bannik were spirits of the bath
houses; they regulated bathing times and the number of
bathers inside. They were skilled at prophesy. When mate
riali zed, a Bannik, much like other spi rits of the household,
appears as a small, dark, hairy creature. Generally, they are
attired in peasant garb. Banniks will often be found in the
company of a Leshy, especially if bathing times have been
violated. If this is the case, the Bannik and the Leshy will
materialize and attack the unfortunate violator.
dIolotnyi
Rage 8, Willpower 8, Gnosis 9, Power 40+
Charms: Airt Sense, Materialize, Swamp Sense (similar
to Forest Sense, but works only in swamps), Cleanse the
Blight, Shapeshift, Control Swamp (see the new Charm:
Control Forest ), Reform
In Russian folklore, the Bolotnyi is the spirit master of !.eshii
the swamps and often lives in the taiga. They are virtually
identical to the Leshii in power and appearance. However,
the Bolotnyi are more swampy in appearance.
LugOlJik
Rage 6, Willpower 7, Gnosis 9, Power 40
Charms: Airt Sense, Materialize, Prophesy
The Lugovik are the spirit masters of Russian meadows.
They are virtually identical to the Polevoi; they are actually
slightly weaker, transplanted versions.
H1orozhki
Rage 10, Willpower 8, Gnosis 6, Power 30
Charms: Airt Sense, Materialize, Frozen Breath (cost 1
per die of damage)
The Morozhki are Frost Demons. They are often touched
by the Wyrm, but not always. When materialized, they
appear as 15 to 20 foot tall creatures with frosted, mangy
white fur. A Morozhko has red eyes and lips, long ivory
claws at the end ofgnarled fingers, and large canines jutting
from his lower jaw. When materialized, his teeth and claws
do aggravated damage . They are as prone to frenzy as Garou
are. They can also spend Rage for extra actions.
OlJinnik
OlJinnik Rage 7, Willpower 8, Gnosis 8, Power 30 (+ 1 per gift
received in the past month)
(])lJorolJoi Charms: Materialize, Shapeshift (the Ovinnik can turn
Rage 7, Willpower 8, Gnosis 8, Power 30 into a cat for 3 Power points), Invisibility, Paralyze
Charms: Materialize, Shapeshift (the Dvorovoi can Ovinniki typically inhabit barns or grain stores, protect
turn into a cat at a cost of 3 Power points), Invisibility, ing them from thieves and intruders in return for gifts .
Paralyze Intruders are subject to a gaze attack that induces paralysis.
These are similar to the Ovinnik, but inhabit yards or A materialized Ovinnik can shapeshift into a cat as well as
barns. The Dvorovoi was capable ofchanging into a cat and its normal form. An Ovinnik generally appears as a short,
paralyzing intruders. It appears as a small, dark-haired man dark, hairy humanoid being. They hate white horses, and if
with burning red eyes. Despite appearances, the Dvorovoi one is ever brought into its barn, the horse and master
is one of the various spirits that protects households from would immediately be subject to a violent attack.
thieves or intruders.
C1'olelJoi
Leshii Rage 7, Willpower 7, Gnosis 9, Power 40
Rage 8, Willpower 8, Gnosis 9, Power 40+ Charms: Airt Sense, Materialize, Prophesy (the Polevoi
Charms: Airt Sense, Materialize, Reform, Forest Sense, can see more clearly into the future than most spirits and
Cleanse the Blight, Shapeshift, Control Forest can deliver more accurate predictions).
A Leshy (plural: Leshii) is the spirit master of a forest . It The Polevoi were the spirit masters or guardians of the
can shapeshift and alter its size from only a few inches in fields . They are oracle spirits, able to perform divinations of
height to the size of a giant. A Leshy 's appearance varies possible futures. They appear as humanoids formed of rich,
with the area it guards. It can appear as a big walking tree blackened soil and have grass or weeds growing from their
in a forest (like one ofToIke in's Ents), as a brown-skinned, heads and bodies. They wilt assist anyone who pays them
green-haired bestial man on a plain (like a Glabro), or even tribute: simply give one a crow less cock and several eggs.
as a giant on a mountain. They are so fond of this gift that they will attack anyone
who would harm the person giving tribute.
yua Hua
Rage 3 (7 during full moon), Willpower 7, Gnosis 6,
Power 25
Charms: Open Moon Bridge (power cost 10), Airt
Sense
The Yua Hua (pronounced "youA HOOwah") are
Gafflings of Luna, possessing powers similar to a Lune, but
not as potent. They look like small ribbons of moonlight
with blue and gold auras. They are very sentient, but are
subject to the same lunar madness as all aspects of Luna.
During the full moon , a Yua Hua's Moon Bridge will
connect to a Bane's home 90% of the time.
llementals (major)
Most of these Russian elementals are combinations of
elements rather than pure elements.
(/ryaznik
Rage 5, Willpower 9, Gnosis 7 Power 40
Charms: Hold (engulfs opponent in mud), Airt Sense,
Materialize
These are mud elementals. They appear as large, vaguely
humanoid agglomerations of mobile mud.
Vo;'ianoi
Rage8, Willpower 7, Gnosis 6, Power 40 (+ 5 per victim)
Charms: Materialize, Reform, Shapeshift, Airt Sense
The Vodianoi of folklore were half-demons. However,
the Garou know them as foul-tempered water spirits, often
tainted by the Wyrm. They require flesh for sustenance.
Vodianoi will sometimes materialize to drown victims. In
its natural form, a Vodianoi appears as a bestial humanoid
covered in hair, with long horns, clawed paws, a tail and
huge toes. Its vaguely human face has eyes that glow like
embers. They are quite capable shapechangers, however,
and are able to assume the appearance of virtually anything.
Winter Wolf
Type: Wisdom
Cost: 7
Winter Wolf is the master of survival in harsh condi
tions. His domain consists of some of the harshest land in
the world, and there he has managed to live as a king. He
is very in touch with the Wyld; his animal nature is strong
and cunning. He is as fierce as any creature can be, yet
knows when a hunt should be left to more foolish creatures.
He teaches his children how to endure in harsh condi
tions, granting them a plus one to their Stamina and two
points of Survival. He also shows his children the Wyld
within them, granting them an extra level of Primal-Urge
and Animal Ken. The greatest gift of Winter Wolf, how
ever, is strength of will. He gives his followers access to
three extra points ofWillpower per story. To gain this extra
Willpower, however, the child must grant Winter Wolf the
temporary gift of one Gnosis point.
5molnik
HeU) Clyphs