ralliesprotests

PLAYER INFORMATION

NAME: Gil
AGE: old
CONTACT: DM
CHARACTERS PLAYED: N/A
RESERVED? No

CHARACTER INFORMATION

NAME: Rowan Rallies-Protests Lewis
CANON: Werewolf: the Apocalypse (20th anniversary edition)
CANON POINT: N/A
AGE: 24

HISTORY: The World of Darkness is not unlike our own. If you or I were dropped there, we would just notice that things seem a bit darker – the city is a bit more intense, the wilderness is a little bit wilder. Corruption can run deep, people can disappear. It's more dangerous, but recognisable. However, the truth is a bit more dramatic. Werewolves, vampires, mages, fae, shape shifters of every kind... they're all real, each having their own lore and history about the world they inhabit. Magic is everywhere, and for those with the skill and the knowhow, it's possible to enter the world of spirits.

Werewolves are the warriors of this setting. They believe in primal spirits, celestines, such as the earth, Gaia, the sun, Helios, and their patron god Luna, the moon, who (depending on who you ask) gave them their powers. They also believe in the Triat: the Wyld, dynamic wilderness, matter and life, the Weaver, creator of patterns and order, and the Wyrm, which destroys the work of the other two. Some say that the Wyrm was once the source of balance, but whatever the case, today that balance has shifted – man's influence has made the Weaver stronger than ever before, and the Wyrm has fallen to madness, and now seeks to destroy everything that it touches. It's against the Wyrm that the werewolves fight, against the apocalypse that it would wreck on Gaia.

But they're not a unified front: each tribe has it's own beliefs and spin on the tale. Some blame the Weaver and man entirely, others believe that the Weaver's tools can be used to their advantage. Some believe that the apocalypse will be the end of all things, others think that there will be a new world afterwards that the victors will be able to mould to their liking. And with the hunting of wolves to near extinction, werewolves are losing touch with that side of themselves, weakening them still further. With no unified front, their chances of winning the coming war are low, and they know it, and yet they still fail to find the common ground needed to come together.

Rowan's full history can be found here, the key notes version follows:

second generation gay, grew up with three mothers across two households in east London. A normal, loving childhood. Has three siblings (technically unrelated) on one side
has been a regular in the London LGBT+ and protest scene for as long as they can remember
started hormone blockers when puberty started; realised that they were agender as a teen, pretended to be a transwoman for a while to get bottom surgery when they hit 18
managed fine at school, unremarkable aside from in IT. Made friends easily
developed an app as a teenager, managed to sell it for enough money to stabilise their Mum's finances (paid the mortgage on a small flat), and to put money away to pay for uni
planned to attend university to study programming
first change into a werewolf happened the summer before uni; trigger was being called 'it'
found by a Glass Walker (techy werewolves) sept (local group of werewolves). Curiosity overcame trauma, meaning that they passed their '48 hour' test, by recovering and actively helping in the cover up within the first 48 hours. This got them fast tracked to enter werewolf society
the downside of this, is that unlike other new werewolves, they entered relatively untested. Since they're also unable to have children (and therefore help sustain numbers) they were also looked down on for this by some
ended up in a pack of misfits by default. Other packmates are: Ami (alpha) – comes from a different tribe than most of the sept and has a child by another werewolf which is taboo, Serenity – is a child of two werewolves and Walkie Talkie – was born a wolf, which is extremely unusual in the city bound Glass Walker tribe. They're also all various degrees of queer, leading Ami to jokingly call them the Gay Agenda pack, which stuck
Sappho was a previous member of the pack, came over as a foreign exchange student, and then changed extremely late unexpectedly. When she finished her degree and left she was replaced by Skyler, who had run away from his sept to transition. Rowan took him under their wing
pack is effective, works well together, annoying people who look down on them
deed name comes from a protest that they lead out of being kettled
after a year of delay entered uni, has also done a masters degree (although it took them two years rather than the normal one due to their duties as a werewolf)
Rowan was promoted recently, reaching the second rank of six

PAST GAME MEMORIES: N/A

PERSONALITY:
Upon meeting Rowan for the first time, most people form three impressions: that they're from London, that they're obsessed with computers, and that they're gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. One of these is technically incorrect: they're only gay in the context of it being used as a catch all term to replace LGBT+ or queer, and they are, in fact, pansexual, and don't hold much truck with bothering with gender when considering potential partners.*

All three aspects are fairly hard to ignore; as soon as Rowan opens their mouth you'll be hit with their east London accent, and they're proud of their working class roots and how hard their Mum worked to keep food on the table. You'll need a good excuse to try and peel them away from their precious computers: they're their hobby, their source of income, and their weapon of choice. And their queerness is such a key component of their identity, it spills out into every aspect of their life. It doesn't help that as a second generation gay they were involved in the scene as a baby; London Pride is as much home to them as the council flat that they used Right to Buy to finally give their Mum a secure place to stay when they sold their first app. Their various queer groups were a comfort to them and their mothers as they went through the questioning of childhood, their source of friendship and fun, and queerness has been the thing that's bound their pack together. It's also been a good way to funnel out the rage that being a werewolf has left them with: Rowan has never been afraid to rage against the system or stand up for what they believe in. Their mothers helped instil this in them, bringing their child up to not stand for injustice, to defend those who can't defend themselves and to act in the face of adversary. They have been attending protests since they were too young to remember, and when the deed name "Rallies-Protests" was suggested, it was obvious that they should take it. Rowan's proud of their deed name (although it took a long time for them to adjust to using it); one of their only regrets is that they can't explain it to their mothers and how that is the thing that werewolf society has chosen to honour them for.

Being a Garou – one of the werewolf warriors inspired by the moon goddess and set on the earth to protect the earth goddess – has always had to play third fiddle to Rowan's other, longer worn identities. It doesn't help that their tribe, the Glass Walkers, are so similar in concept to ideals that they have carried for a long time. A corrupt business man is using his company to wreck havoc on the environment? It doesn't take much encouragement to get Rowan to hack into his computer system and go through the data with a fine tooth comb to find that piece of evidence to send anonymously to the press. An evil spirit has been publishing the details of eco-warriors online? Rowan will program and publish a virus that'll have them begging for mercy. The only thing that took a little getting used to was extracting such violence so often, sometimes on real people infected by the source of all evil, the Wyrm. However, five years after their first change, this has just become another part of the job. Unpleasant, but necessary in the fight to protect Gaia. They still prefer to do their fighting virtually, where possible, though. Especially as, for a werewolf, they're not a good fighter in person. While still stronger than a human when transformed, they're weaker than their peers, and than the enemies that they come up against. They're also a city kid through and through, and their connection to the wilderness is severely lacking, something that most werewolves would judge them for harshly. As much as they're excited by the idea of going into the wild, with all the new exciting things to discover, the chances are high that they wouldn't survive very long. David Attenborough documentaries do not a survivor make.

Rowan was born under the influence of the waxing gibous moon, which makes them a Galliard. Galliards are the bards of Garou society, inspiring them to greatness and calling them to battle, as well as keeping traditions and lore. Rowan errs more towards the former than the latter, and was always charismatic, standing with the self confidence of one who feels justified in taking up space in the world. They can often be found in the foreground, inspiring people with their optimism and hope, even if, if given the choice, they would always back someone else for leader, and use their persuasion to help someone that they believe in lead. However, they've never been much of an academic: they survived school with okay grades, and don't have much time for any aspect of lore that pulls them away from the computer. Other tribes would find them lacking, but as a Glass Walker Galliard they fit in fairly well, boasting the skills of their sept and pack mates with computer games, video remixes and presentations about their latest deeds, explained through only the freshest memes.

And outside of all of that? Rowan is bubbly, happy go lucky, accepting and optimistic. They're always at the heart of the party, dancing through the night to exhaustion. They always see things in a positive light, they always have a kind word to say, and they are always there for a good cuddle. They're not the most perceptive person in the world, and they're not the best listener – their mind's always on the go – but that doesn't mean that they don't try, and although they have many strains on their time, they'll give it up for a friend even if it means losing out on sleep. On the flip side, they're quick to anger, and while it's usually on behalf of their friends, miscommunication and misunderstanding has directed it at friends and family before, and they're curious to a fault. Any button must be pressed, any secret must be discovered, and any new place must be explored. It's been a major cause of strife in their time, they've lost friends and an awful lot of time through it, and it's seriously hindered their progression through Garou society. They try their best to keep it under control, but it's such a compulsion that they struggle, especially with new people or in new environments. And there are a lot of new environments to discover – Rowan is a city kid who has barely left London. A couple of holidays as a child, and a couple of missions as a werewolf are all they have under their belt, but they're always looking for the chance to experience more.

POWERS/ABILITIES:
- 5 shapeshifting forms: Homid (human – Rowan's native form), Glabro (wolfman), Crinos (war form), Hispo (dire wolf) and Lupus (wolf). Each shape has it's own advantages and disadvantages – the more wolf you are, the more your mental attribute suffers, but you're faster, in war form you're at your strongest, but more prone to rage. The only exception is Glabro – Rowan's Glabro form is unusually human, and they can actually pass for human while in it so they don't lose the social attributes that they normally would, while still gaining an advantage in strength. They can only communicate with humans in the first three shapes, and with wolves in the last three. Werewolves have their own language that they've developed that are designed around the Crinos form.

- Outside of Rowan's native form (human), they heal at an accelerated rate, and it is possible for them to survive lethal wounds. This doesn't apply to aggravated damage (silver, werewolf/vampire bites, fire, etc.), which need to heal at a normal speed. Should they be wounded in human form, they can shift to another form to heal the damage, and they use this daily to counteract the effect of not having hormone producing genitals.

- has the potential to lose control in a fight and go into frenzy, during which they would fight anyone too close to the death, irrespective of friend or foe or run away, tearing through anything in their way to get away. In the worst case scenario, they would abandon the fight to consume the dead.

- Can use super speed, in return for the possibility of going into frenzy

- can enter the spirit world and become a part of it (although they're not particularly adept at this for a werewolf), and communicate and interact with the spirits there. London is a particularly hard place to enter it from, and Rowan is used to having to put a lot of effort into crossing the barrier between the spirit world and the real world; this wouldn't be the case outside of the city, and it's possible that Rowan could accidentally slip into it without meaning to. It's necessary to regularly enter for a werewolf, as is closeness with the moon deity Luna. Works best with a reflective surface to concentrate on.

- using their connection to the spirit world, they can form a bond between their computer and any other digital device, despite operating system, lack of connection etc. (Plug and Play)

- very good memory; can occasionally remember things to photographic levels (Perfect recall)

- was trained by a spirit to be able to make themselves more persuasive and to sound more believable (persuasion)

- with the aid of two other werewolves, they can call on the spirit of any material and convince it to nourish a seed, allowing plants to grow in places that they normally wouldn't (carpark, inside a building, etc.) (rite of growth)

- can bind things to their body so that they won't be destroyed during the transformation to any of their forms. This can involve either changing to fit the shape for the more humanoid ones, or completely merging with the body for wolflike forms. Limited to three items (a complete outfit counts as one item, inc. shoes and earrings; their phone is usually the second item, and third can vary) (rite of Talisman Dedication)

- extremely good with computers. Has a master degree in programming and has programmed and sold apps.

SAMPLES: Sample 1

Sample 2

ANYTHING ELSE? There's already a W:tA werewolf in game (

untailed, played by my wife so she knows I'm asking about this), and if Rowan could have the same power cap as her that would work great for them too! It's important for them to be able to access their healing abilities (even in a diminished capacity) because they use it on a daily basis to counteract not taking hormones. Silent's power cap was “can still shapechange into her furry human form, and has some of her accelerated healing. All other abilities can be earned back via activity rewards.”

*Inspired by the wonderful Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. Original quote is here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Player Information
Name: Gil
Contact: DM or

purplefluffychainsaw
Character Information
Name: Rowan “Rallies-Protests” Lewis
Old Canon Point: Summer 2020
New Canon Point: Summer 2022
Important events that transpired between the two points:
- In summer 2021, Skyler leaves the pack. After a couple of months, he's replaced by Liam, a gay Fiann struggling to get his traditional tribe to accept him.
- During end of year festivals 2021, the caern (werewolf sacred site) was attacked. Due to a feint attack on another caern on the other side of London, Rowan and their pack were not initially there, but turned up to turn the tide, along with two other packs from the other caern. During the attack, about a third of the Canary Wharf sept died, and the Gay Agenda pack was the only one to survive intact. Rowan takes an injury that should have killed them, but manages to rage heal and survive, but ends up with a battle scar across their back. This battle scar aches during cold weather, meaning that if the temperature is under freezing, they are considered bruised (first level of damage, comes with no dice penalties, but means they will start taking them with any additional damage) until the start of the next day.
- In the weeks afterwards, both Rowan and Walkie Talkie, the only two Gay Agenda wolves to have not made it to adren, the 3rd rank of 6, are promoted to it.
- The next six months are spent in an arms race against the wyrm, trying to find and destroy as many of it's followers as possible before it can regain the numbers to strike again.
- During this time, the Gay Agenda pack takes the lead in the majority of the attacks, due to being the only intact pack and due to their rank. Rowan in particular spends more of their time doing reconnaissance and information gathering than fighting, but is still drawn into attack missions on a regular basis.
- After 5 months of continual back and forth, Rowan manages to find the wyrmhole that is the source of the corruption, and an attack is set to finally destroy it and cleanse London of it's influence.
- The mission is successful, and while not wiped out completely, the presence of the wyrm in the sept's part of London is significantly reduced. Rowan is once again mortally injured, and survives with a battle scar in the form of a bite on their left arm. This scar reduces their strength by 25%.
How these events affected the characters personality? Their base personality doesn't change. They're still happy go lucky, confident and friendly. But they're more powerful, and they have more experience in a leadership role. They're also older, although since they've been in game for a year, they've already made half of the changes relating to their age in game.

After becoming adren, Walkie Talkie made them a Spider's Satchel; what appears to be an ordinary messenger bag, but has been bonded to a web spider spirit, meaning that anything in it when they transform, including complex weaver/technology items like their laptop and their phone, stay with them. In crinos, hispo and lupus, it appears on them as a darker stripe of fur over their shoulder, and another stripe on their hip.

Additions to their powers:

For one minute, all physically or digitally locked doors will unlock in their presence (magically locked ones are made easier to open, but don't unlock automatically). (Intrusion)

By shouting or howling, they can draw the forces of evil to them and force them out of hiding (Call of the wyrm)

By being Very Annoying they can distract an enemy for ~~three rounds~~ about 30 seconds, making them easier to be attacked (distractions)

They are adept at running around cityscapes, and can climb buildings/run over rooftops as easily as most people can on the ground. (City Running)

They can ritually cleanse a small area, item or person of evil influence (Rite of Cleansing)

(They've also learnt Gathering for the departed, but this has no mystical affect, but is simply a way of honouring the dead).

Will this canon update have a great impact on their life in Ainmhian?: When they initially re-enter, they'll need time to physically and mentally recover from what has essentially been intense warfare for the last six months, but they'll bounce back fairly quickly with time and rest, knowing that their pack and sept are safe again, so there'll be no lasting effects from that.

Edited 2021-06-05 11:27 (UTC)

OH MY COD!

Traditional Fish & Chips

11AM-11PM Tues-Sat
11AM-5PM Sun
Closed Mondays

Tucked away, almost hidden in an alley way, sits a Fish & Chips shop that could have been plucked from any British seaside town. The scent of chips drifts out of the open door, and two large, glass windows allow a look into the greasy interior. Behind lit, heated racks of pre-cooked goodies, a family of dwarves man the fryers. They look grumpy, and they sound grumpy, but they recognise favoured and regulars with extra large portions and other freebies. Everything that should be on offer is: cod, plaice and sausages in simple but delicious batter, pies and bread rolls, and plenty of crunchy bits in the chips. Mushy peas, gravy or baked beans will be heated up on request, there's little sachets of mayonnaise behind the counter, and large containers for vinegar, salt and ketchup sit out for anyone to make use of, along with a box of wooden forks. They even appear to have acquired Mars Bars (or the fae equivalent of) to fry on request. The only thing that seems a touch out of place is the offer of jellied eels, on it's own section of the menu, by special request of it's owner.

Orders are wrapped in newspaper to take away, or there are a couple of plastic seats around a sticky plastic table by the window, if they're still free. Large orders may take some time to prepare, and anyone who comes in late, may be lucky and get extras for free before closing, or be unlucky and find that they're out for the day.

PLAYER
Name: Gil
Invited by: Claire
Contact:

purplefluffychainsaw ; dolthalion#3340
Other characters, if any: N/A

CHARACTER
Character Name: Rowan Rallies-Protests Lewis
Canon: Werewolf: the Apocalypse (20th anniversary edition)
Canon Point: After the attack on their sept
Age: 25
Link to History: Here

CRAU: N/A
AU Clarification: N/A

PEACEKEEPER PROFILE

Personality:

working class Londoner
queer AF and second generation queer
techy when it comes to software, failure at hardware
far too curious
also too charismatic for their own good, good with people in general
happy go lucky, optimistic and friendly
physically affectionate
supporter rather than leader, good at subtle manipulation

App

Canon update summer 2021

no subject

no subject