WtA: Kinfolk, Mating, and how to be useful

More often than not, on many sites, Kinfolk are treated as little more than a nuisance or a burden by their Garou cousins. They have no real use or ability in the game and can become more of a burden than anything else as the Chronicle progresses.

But that's not how the game was intended to be played. Kinfolk are an important part of the Garou's world as they help the Garou interact with the human world in a way that because of their Rage and the fact that Garou are expected to be fighting the war, they cannot.

The End Times and the Importance of Kinfolk

While RIbN doesn't follow the Time of Judgement and the End Times supplements that came out just prior to White Wolf pulling the plug on it's original World of Darkness series, there are still aspects of the genre that prevail. There are decreasing numbers of Garou being born, and the look is generally as bleak as it is in canon.

Garou who mate with kinfolk - more importantly Kinfolk with breeding - are more likely to produce Garou offspring. In fact, the chances of bearing a Garou child goes up by 5% for each level of Pure Breed.

Because of this you can imagine that Kinfolk with breeding are coveted.

Claiming a Mate

In our Chronicle, we want to see the value of a Tribes kinfolk being represented. It would be extremely rare for a pure bred Fenrir kinfolk to be allowed to fraternise or date any member of another tribe. Kinfolk with breeding will be prized possessions that Garou should be willing to fight for the right to claim.

And claiming a mate isn't as easy as saying it's so.

As horrible as it sounds, Garou want to breed. They want to perpetuate their species and in fact Garou that do not mate can lose Renown while Garou that do claim a mate and produce offspring, gain it.

If a Garou lays claim to a kinfolk he must do so officially, at his Caern in front of his Garou brethren. As stated, a kinfolk with breeding is going to be prized - as are Kinfolk who have proven to be fertile or who are useful. These kinfolk are worth fighting for - so any Garou laying claim to a respectable kinfolk should expect to be challenged.

Bone Gnawers and Glasswalkers are less likely to hold to this ideal as these Urrah do not have breeding. They do, however, have useful and fertile Kinfolk so Garou looking to poach a Kin from these tribes should find themselves facing at least a few angry Garou.

Garou would prefer to mate with a kinfolk who returns their affection, but sometimes (among certain Tribes) this isn't always going to be the case. Kinfolk are claimed for the reasons mentioned above and sadly, sometimes, nothing else. If a kinfolk is in love with a Garou, the Garou has to be able to show himself worthy by fending off all other suitors. If he cannot and someone challenges his right to mate, and he loses, the right to claim the kinfolk as mate goes to the winner.

It's survival of the fittest baby, even in the bedroom.

But it's my character!

It's an age old question - what's more important? The character or the plot? Playing a kinfolk in an environment where players are urged to handle the game and content the way it was intended can be both taxing and sensitive. We'd like to see players be able to work out situations regarding mating etc. on their own, OOCly. But both Garou and Kinfolk players should understand that just because you made a Shadow Lord kinfolk with pure breed 2 to play with your best friends Glass Walker Philodox doesn't mean it's going to work out that way. Any Shadow Lord has the right to step in and null the relationship - and there doesn't have to necessarily be another proper Shadow Lord suitor waiting in the wings for your kinfolk. The highest Ranking Shadow Lord Garou has the right to challenge for his kinfolk to remain beneath his Tribal banner - not to mention that the poaching of another Tribes kin is a huge faux pas.

Instead, if you want to play your character with a friends character we suggest you play a more compatible type. Try a kin of the same tribe for example - though other Garou can still challenge for the right to mate, it's less likely. Also, there's always the option of coming into the game as mates - then, there's no chance of drama and every one is happy.

Sterile Kin are going to be less important to Garou, sadly. They do not have the ability to even reproduce kinfolk - which in these last days is just as important as true born Garou children.

The ballad of Romeo & Juliet

My only love sprung from my only hate; too early unknown and known too late.- Juliet

There's nothing wrong with drama - as long as players are ready to accept both the benefits and consequences that said drama carries in tow with it.

If a player wants to push a relationship that is doomed to failure from the beginning - we do not have a problem with this. It's entirely plausible that your Bone Gnawer Garou could fall in love with a Pure Bred 4 Silver Fang kinfolk. It's even more plausible that said Kinfolk's Garou cousins are going to strike down a Hammer of Thunder upon your Garou's head for even dreaming of touching (let alone looking at or thinking about) their coveted kinfolk.

We're not saying you can't do it - we're just saying be prepared for what happens if you do and we don't want to hear a lot of complaining in the end.

Everyone is an author of their characters fate at the end of the day: if you choose to take it down this forbidden love path, you've already sealed your characters fate.


But there's no Garou of X Tribe to challenge!

It's possible in a small chronicle that there may not be any Garou of one tribe in the Caern / Sept / City. But, it's entirely possible that there are Galliards among those Garou that are present. A Galliard's job is to spread stories and tales, to sing praise (earning Garou Renown / respect) as well as the failings (losing Renown / respect) of the Garou around her. Don't be surprised if word spreads that your Shadow Lord Garou is laying claim to a Fianna kinfolk with high breeding. And don't be shocked if this doesn't bring at least one or two Fianna to the City to make sure their history and legacy isn't lost among and in the blood of Thunder's children.

Taken from Rhode Island by night: rhodeislandbynight.darkbb.com/