Shadow Lords

The politicians and manipulators of the Garou, the Shadow Lords work through their strict hierarchies and secretive ways to wrest as much power as they can. The Shadow Lords originated in the steppes of Eurasia, where they controlled human tribes by assuming an indispensable position within their societies that would exert no direct power, but whose word was heeded. Acting as the Betas of the Garou Nation, they supported the rule of the Silver Fangs in a similar manner, positioning themselves as their viziers and their secret henchmen, doing those deeds that would harm their reputation. The Fangs used the Shadow Lords as scapegoats for their own dark deeds, and the Shadow Lords accepted this, seeing that it would benefit the Nation if the name of the Silver Fangs would remain pure. Many Shadow Lords felt the Concord that ended the Impergium didn't address many things that were the catalyst for the Impergium to begin with, planting the first seeds of discontent within the tribe. During this time, the Shadow Lords followed their herds into Eastern Europe, where they became involved in an intense war with a local brood of Leeches calling themselves Tzimisce. The Shadow Lords had very little involvement with the human civilizations of Antiquity, instead dwelling among the barbarians who eventually sacked Rome. Some that had traveled there as ambassadors to the Fangs found a suitable role amidst the senators. These Shadow Lords taught their brethren many of the tactics used by the Romans when the bulk of their tribe arrived with the Slavs during the Great Migration and spread over Europe.

Tribal Trait - The Ends Justify the Means

You are prepared to do what is needed to reach your goals. If your characters Rage exceeds his Willpower announce your goals in each Scene before it start to the Storyteller. Your character will do everything he can to meet his goals (this includes sacrificing allies). If you fail to meet your goals you suffer 2 points of Aggravated Willpower Damage.

Background

All Shadow Lords follow the rules bellow during character creation:

• Tribal Totem: Father Thunder.
• Treacherous: When it comes to Renown you always treat all your Categories as being 1 point lower than they actually are for the purposes of Social Bonuses.
• Shadow Agents: Start the game with an additional dot in Streetwise and 1 dot in Scalable advantages - Connections in the Underworld.
• Machiavellian: Start the game with an additional dot in Politics. Raise your Corruption difficulty by 1. 
• Gifts of Father Thunder: Chose a single permanent Level 1 Shadow Lord Tribal Gift for your character to possess.

Camp

A Shadow Lord may chose to belong to one of the following Camps within her Tribe. This is an optional choice the character can take and should really only be taken by characters of Rank 2 or greater.

Lords of the Summit

Perhaps the largest camp, the Lords of the Summit tend to be the stereotypical Shadow Lords – power-hungry, manipulative, ambitious, and arrogant. This by no means makes them less dangerous foes.

• Bonus: Add a dot to your Manipulation.
• Negative: Change the text under Treacherous Background to - When it comes to Renown you always treat all your Categories as being 1 point lower than they actually are.

Bringers of Light

If there is one group of Shadow Lords that receives something close to general respect, it is the Bringers of Light. These Shadow Lords are the ones who interact with evil powers, such as Black Spiral Dancers or vampires, and attempt to bring them down from within.

• Bonus: Lose the Treacherous Background and add a 1 Point Bonus for any Subterfuge rolls made against Black Spiral Dancers, Vampires or Ghouls.
• Negative: Start the game with 1 Point of Corruption

Children of Crow

Taking Crow as their totem, these Garou act as advisors and "fixers" to leaders within the Garou Nation, supporting the strong and the wise while plotting the downfall of the unworthy.

• Bonus: Start the game with a 2 dot Advantage in Favor. The Favor must be owed to you by another Garou. The player can invest further into this advantage at the start of the game through his Advantages.
• Negative: Start the game with a 2 dot Flaw in Enemies. The Enemy must be another Garou.

Judges of Doom

Philodoxes all, the Judges of Doom seek out and punish those who break the Litany.

• Requirements: Must be a Philodox.
• Bonus: Add a 2 Point Bonus to all your Intimidation rolls when dealing with other Garou.
• Negative: Besides Intimidation you suffer a 1 Point Penalty on all Social rolls with other Garou.

Children of Bat

One of the newest camps, these Shadow Lords follow the recently-redeemed totem of Bat and use his powers on Gaia's behalf.

• Bonus: Gain a 2 Point Bonus for any rolls related to Gifts that originate from the Bat.
• Negative: Start the game with 1 Point of Corruption.

Revolutionary Guard

A camp whose aim is the usurpation of leadership from the Silver Fangs. They possess great military power and have strong internal coordination. Although they plot and carry out their plans without the coordination within the Shadow Lords hierarchy they act with the blessing of the highest ranked members of the Shadow Lords. 

• Bonus: Start the game with 3 dots in contacts (other Shadow Lords). 
• Negative: Your Honor rating is capped at 4. 

The Masks (Corrupted) 

The Masks are devoted to instilling fear in their enemies and its members practice ritual self mutilation to have an even greater impact on those they target. Membership in the Masks is never known to those outside of the Camp for fear of the unknown is their greatest weapon. 

• Bonus/Negative: The character is ritually scared. Through a rite known only to the Masks the scars only manifest themselves when the character wills it (1 Action to reveal the scars and 1 Action to hide them). This is not an illusion but rather a form of shapeshifting. When the scars are revealed the Garou adds a 3 Point Bonus to his Intimidation rating. If the Garou's membership in this Camp is revealed than he becomes hunted by other Shadow Lords and his Camp as well. 

Society of Nidhogg (Corrupted) 

This camp of exiles believe that the sun itself stands in the way of the Garou's fight against the Wyrm and seek to obscure its rays permanently. They have an unhealthy fascination with darkness and are considered to have been destroyed due to their association with Vampires and other Wyrm agents. Others believe they merely slipped back into darkness to bide their time. 

• Bonus: The character has access to Level 1 Black Spiral Dancer Gifts. Add a 1 Point Bonus to all your rolls when operating in the dark. 
• Negative: Start the game with 1 Point of Corruption. The character suffers a 1 Point Penalty to all his rolls when operating outside during the day or in brightly lit areas. If the Garou's membership in this Camp is revealed than he becomes hunted by other Shadow Lords.