There's an old saying. Friends will help you move. Good friends will help you move bodies. Allies better than friends but not quite "good friends". They might like you, they might share a goal with you, or they might feel a debt to you. Your allies might even hate you, but keep helping you out, anyway, because your father saved their lives. Or, you might have something over them. Blackmail isn't a nice way to win friends and influence people, but it will get you what you want.
When taking the Allies Background, details are important.
First, what kind of alliance is this? People have their limits. The President of a Company might give your kinfolk jobs, fire people for you, might even make changes to his company based on your requests. But, he won't let you bring your bloody Lupus Packmate around and hide you out for any amount of time. An inner city doctor will help you hide your wounded Packmates, but might not be able to do much else.
What ties the two of you together? The nature of this tie might make the difference between a CEO lvl 1 Ally, who'll give you a job here and there, and the same CEO as a lvl 5 Ally, who'll buy out a series of warehouses and close them down so you can go through them without piercing the Veil. The difference is the difference between High School buddies and two strong souls that share an overriding cause.
What do they get out of the alliance? This extends from the nature of the tie. The obvious is a trade of favors. But, not every Garou has the option to give much in the way of big favors to those that can offer big favors to them. Friends will want favors for favors, along with general time to be buddies. Lovers might also want favors, but they'll need time to actually be lovers as well. People who share your values and feel that your cause is just will want something that they can look to and say "I had a hand in that." Even Blackmail victims need to get something out of their alliance other than you not letting certain information out. If they lose their jobs and families due to factors not in your control, what use is it them to do you any favors?
For the most part, Allies are human friends that don't know anything about the supernatural. That has obvious limits. By taking at least 1 point in the "Kinfolk" Background you can have the ally be a Kinfolk ally, which gives an obvious freedom to speak. It also gives them some direct protection from you. After all, kinfolk are precious and kinfolk in positions of power are even more precious. If you have dealings with this kinfolk, you also have a duty to protect them and their power.
1-very limited power. Grass roots activist, small business manager/owner, maybe a security guard that can let you know how to get past defenses at local warehouses.
2-moderate power. District Manager, low level political beurocrat. Perhaps a police officer that can look the other way.
3-Influential. Local philanthropist, police detective, perhaps an editor that can casually squash or change stories.
4-Very Influential. Military Base Commander, Vice President In Charge of X for a company, maybe a famous reporter who can sway public opinion.
5-Local High Poobah. Mayors, Senator's Aids, large business owners and chairmen, the leader of a nation-wide political movement.
The ties that bind are strong ties, among the Changing Breeds. They have to be in order to emotionally survive the world in which they live. The ties of family are strong indeed. And, sometimes, they lead to a Shifter's soul remaining past death, not out of an unfinished business or a refusal to return to Gaia but out of a love for one's decendants. Among the Garou, Gurahl, Nuwisha, and Bastet, it is a not-rare and not-common occurance that individuals may develope a connections to the spirits of their Ancestors that allows them to channel their abilities, increasing their effectiveness in anything of which their Ancestors may have been able to accomplish in life.
These spirits don't always connect to their blood relatives. Sometimes, Ancestor Spirits may have felt more connection to their students than their children, resulting in an Ancestral Line that traveled from Mentor to Student. Some even prefer to follow the weilders of a specific Klaive or the holders of a similar duty. If your Klaive has been in Garou hands for centuries, an Ancestor Spirit or two may look to form a connection with you, allowing you to channel his skill and wisdom in battle. Of course, it's just as common that an Ancestor Spirit's connections travel along multiple lines at once. Two Shifters cannot channel the same Ancestor Spirit at the same time, but that doesn't mean the spirit's affections cannot connect to both at the same time.
In general, the Ancestor Background refers to the strength of your connection to the general catagory of Ancestors along any of these lines. Often enough, a Gurahl facing the need to heal his territory of a great poison will call out "Please, I call out to those who came to this land before me, to once again keep it pure!". This is the easier way to channel Ancestors, as it only requires a general openning for the "closest" Ancestor that's able to help. Channeling a specific Ancestor is more difficult.
Maintaining this connection usually takes a ritual or meditation (No, you don't need a Rite) or something similar. The details vary from Tribe to Tribe, Sept to Sept, family line to family line, and even individual to individual. Among Silver Fangs with this connection, it's common to take a time each Lunar Cycle to recite his lineage as far back as has been recorded (and, if you know Silver Fangs, that can take hours with just names).
The same curse that keeps Silent Striders from easily setting down roots in any territory also keeps them from connecting to their Ancestors. Indeed, their Ancestor Spirits have never shown up outside such channelings either. Silent Striders have investigated as much as they're able, but can only hope that their Ancestors simply return wholey to Gaia.
Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers, as Tribes, have little concern for the past. Neither Tribe has made an effort towards maintianing the connection to their Ancestors in a long time. And, neither have Glass Walker or Bone Gnawer Ancestors made an effort to connect to their decendants. Ancestor Spirits of both Tribes still exist and still feel their Tribal loyalties, just don't expect them to treat their great great granddaughters as any different from any other members of their Tribes.
Channeling specific Ancestors can be very important on occasion. Sometimes, only the first weilder of a Klaive will know how the Klaive was created. Sometimes, only one Ancestor Spirit will be trusted by other spirits. Sometimes, you just want your Great Uncle Charles. Either way, regularly channeling specific Ancestor Spirits can get annoying for the Ancestor. This is yet another point where Chiminege comes into play. Otherwise, they may be spirits, but they do have other things to do with their days than push their consciousness through yours.
1-Brief, hazy visions of the past that happen infrequently
2-Your memories of your Ancestors are like your memories of early childhood
3-You can name your Ancestors by their feel as you channel them.
4-You and your Ancestors can chat on a regular basis.
5-Your Ancestors watch you always and counsel you often.
Unlike Allies, Contacts aren't going to stick their neck out for you in any way. All they have for you is information. But, since the connection isn't as deep, the price isn't as steep. Each level of Contacts is another level of information you can aquire. Different Contacts can be in different areas. Treat Contacts as a different form of Allies. Contacts aren't less valuable than allies, after all, Contacts can tell you things that the most powerful Allies can't. They're simply won't do anything for you or require as much from you.
Fetishes are the magic items of the Changing Breeds. But, they're more than that. They are spirits bound into items, giving up the majority of their freedom in order to become powerful tools for the Changing Breeds. Even those Shifter Cultures that don't respect that sacrifice, have to acknowledge that Fetishes are valueable items. So, no matter what, they're respected and desired.
The Mokole` and Garou are, culturaly, very respectful of the spirits within Fetishes. And, they both treat Fetishes as an important measure of an individual's Honor. Elders and those of High Rank are expected to have a few Fetishes to their name. This goes hand in hand with having proved themselves capable in their duties, but that's a minor issue. More than that, however, a Mokole` or Garou with a number of Fetishes shows capacity to deal honorably with spirits, it is a sign of wisdom. In fact, those elder Garou and Mokole` without Fetishes are often seen with some suspicion.
At the same time, young members of either Breed with powerful Fetishes are also suspect. The fact of the matter is that a powerful Fetish is very important. Can the individual not only use the Fetish wisely, but also respect the spirit within enough to keep the spirit within from casting a curse? Young Garou and Mokole` with powerful Fetishes are under constant watch for any sign that they might offend the spirit within.
Ananasi and Ratkin treat their Fetishes as tools. But, they are tools that need specific upkeep. Chiminage is an important part of Fetish Upkeep. Fetishes you have as a part of your background don't come with Taboos, but respect is respect.
More than just the power and straight rollplaying of your Fetish, consider the spirit within and the ways in which one can show respect. Take into account the item itself and the spirit within. Often enough, Shifters with Fetishes, especially Fetishes that apply to their duties to Gaia, will name their Fetishes, giving them an additional respect.
1-one level one Fetish
2-two level one Fetishes or one level 2 Fetish.
3-... you see where this is going.
4-
5-
Blood is thicker than water. The Changing Breeds know that better than anybody else... and not just because they spend more time spilling it. Family is the essence of how Shifters make more Shifters. But, as others have noticed, Kinfolk are more than just breeding stock. They share the heritage of a Changing Breed and they're immune to the ravages of Delerium. With that in mind, those in the know will also tend to share a sense of duty and solidarity with their Changing Breed, especially if there's a shifter in the immediate family.
Kinfolk can be either humans or animals with the shifting heritage, but not the shifting power. Typically, the kinfolk represented in this background will be relatives of your character, maybe related by blood or related by marriage. Sometimes, they're just a group that your character hangs out with. Young Bone Gnawers and Glass Walkers tend to hang out with gangs of their kinfolk.
The Kinfolk represented by a background are generally helpful. They may not be powerful in human affairs, but they know what goes on and they're willing to extend a hand to help you. This help can include housing you and your Pack, sharing food, and they'll be willing to add in a religious ritual here and there, if you tell them it'll put the right spirits on their side.
Wolf kinfolk will also accept you and your Pack among their pack for short periods of time. They routinely eject Lupus Garou form their territory, when they sense the young Garou is nearing the First Change. But, afterwords, there seems to be an instinctive understanding that Garou are wolves, but not wolves. Wolf kinfolk will also move their hunting grounds based on your semi-leadership and can be influenced to change focus of prey.
In either case, kinfolk are not within the Ranking Systems of their Changing Breeds. This means that they can't have authority over you in any way but those of the dynamics of your connection to your kinfolk. But, it also means the reverse. You can't have any authority over them save by the dynamics of your grouping. If King Albriecht, a Grand Elder (rank 6 Garou that only the most legendary of Garou ever achieve) of the Silver Fangs, took his Pack to the home of his parents and his mother told him to get his feet off the coffee table... he'd better damn well get his feet off the coffee table.
In general, more Kinfolk Background means more Kinfolk in your "network", be it a family, gang, company, whatever. Those Garou with a good deal of Kinfolk may wind up "sharing" their kinfolk with others.
1- Two Kinfolk
2- Five Kinfolk
3- Ten Kinfolk
4- Twenty Kinfolk
5- Fifty Kinfolk
No matter what the Breed or Tribe, Shifters in general and Garou in specific have to learn a lot and learn fast. The War of Appocalypse doesn't give a great deal of time for trial and error. If you're lucky, someone from your Tribe or Aspect or Faction or whatever will take you under wing. Among the Silver Fangs and Children of Gaia, this can be a celebratory and ritual affair begun before the entire Sept. Among the Fianna, Mentorship is a matter of families, the closest relative to a Garou taking him under wing. Bone Gnawers will just say "yo, comere, I got some'm to teach you" and the sacred bond has begun.
Of course, Mentorship isn't just about the older teaching the younger. It is about the experienced having faith in the youth. A Mentor doesn't just spend time teaching a student. The Mentor expects the student to become worth the effort of teaching. That means not only that the Mentor expects the student to become a good example of his Breed, but that the Mentor, himself, will get something out of this arrangement. Mentors can make demands of their students, often. Of course, the assumption is that the Mentor won't make demands of a student that are outside the student's capacity. Such is the bonds of the Mentor and the Student.
This relationship isn't always a pleasant relationship. Get of Fenris, for instance, do not believe in coddling their Students. In fact, it happens often enough that a Cub or Cliath is harassed repeatedly by a higher ranking Fenrir. They are insulted and often beaten. And, it is not until the Cliath gets his first assignment that he realizes that he has a Mentor. "Snapping Storm Tooth tells me you're up to this quest."
The most obvious benefit of a Mentor is someone who can teach you. They have skills that come with having been doing their duties for longer than you have. A higher ranking Gurahl, for instance, will almost definately have a greater knowledge of both the healing arts and of the ecological balance than a young Gurahl. Higher ranking Ahrouns are better fighters. Higher ranking Corax have the skills to teach you to be a better scout and spy.
Beyond that, Mentors have good advice. Some of the things young shifters have to learn are things that can't be codified in dots on a character sheet. If a Corax doesn't know how to get Red Talons to listen to him, and the rules are different than other Tribes, where even the Lupus have some acceptance of human manners, a Mentor might just have been in the same situation.
Also, Mentors believe in you, which means that they can use their influence among the local culture on your behalf. This includes bringing ideas you had to the those in authority, giving you some influence in your group. This includes suggesting you as able to take on certain responsibilities, which can be good or bad, depending on how much challenge and how much renown you get as a result. And, this includes speaking out on your behalf if you're accused of a crime. A high ranking character witness can be a great way to keep yourself out of trouble... so long as your Mentor still trusts you.
The Mentor Background can also represent a number of teachers. Red Talon tradition has it that one entire Pack will Mentor the members of another. A council or Pack of Mentors would be an effective Mentor rating higher than the rank of any individual member.
1- Rank 2 Mentor
2- Rank 3 Mentor
3- Rank 4 Mentor
4- Rank 5 Mentor
5- Rank 6 Mentor. You're either blessed or cursed. A Grand Elder (or equivilant) has decided that you're going to learn from him.
Ancestry is very important to some of the Changing Breeds. Ancestry can indicate who might channel the greatest Ancestor Spirits, but that's a minor consideration when compared to the fact that great heroes breed great heroes. In many ways, the Garou Nation, and other Changing Breeds, harkon back to the Feudal Era. Heck, they're the ones that taught the Feudal Era a lot of its ways. One of those ways is the belief that an individual is made by his Ancestors. Some, of course, take this too far, going so far as to ignore the possibility that those without Pure Breeding can have a chance at becoming great heroes of their own. (That's just part of why the Bone Gnawers and Glass Walkers can't be Pure Bred.)
With Pure Breeding comes expectation. Being the direct decendant of King Arthur is a nice thing to tell people. But, they won't really give that much notice unless they expect you to be along the lines of a great king yourself. Those large shoes to fill are what provides the bonus of Pure Breeding. Great Heroes Breed Great Heroes is a truth, and one that means that those bred of Great Heroes have a responsibility to live out the potential in their blood.
One form of Pure Breeding is the Iconic Look of your Tribe. This Iconic Look extends to every form. The Iconic Fianna will have red hair, green eyes, and a fair complexion in Homid and have bright red fur in Lupus and Crinos form. This Iconic Look can only, on its own, account for a Pure Breed rating of 1. It shows you to be a true member of your Tribe, which is impressive even to other Tribes. But, like all Pure Breeding, it comes with an expectation that you will live up to the virtues of that Tribe. The Get of Fenris are not forgiving of weakness within their Tribe, but they're just that touch harsher on the weakness of an Iconic Fenrir.
Another style of Pure Breeding comes without true heroes in your lineage, but a long line of ancestors who were all good examples of their Tribe or Breed. This "humble" form of Pure Breeding could mean that your line has loyally protected this Caern for generations, have been steadfast teachers for generations, or similar lines of duties. None of your line walks through the greatest heroes of Garou. Chances are, none of them are known beyond an individual Sept's history. This style of Pure Breeding can account for, at most, two points in the Pure Breed Background. The expectations of this style of Pure Breeding are that you will follow along similar lines to your lineage and reach up to their levels of competance, which was still above and beyond the average of your Breed
But, the real meat of Pure Breeding, the stuff that Garou tell tales about, comes of Great Heroes. Heroes in your bloodline can be of a level anywhere between 1 and 5 points. At the level 1, you're the child or grandchild of a minor hero, perhaps one known only to those who look to your Sept. At level 3 Pure Breeding, you are the decendant of a Hero known throughout your Tribe. Silver Fangs require that any member of their Tribe be decended from a Silver Fang Hero that all Silver Fangs can recognize. At level 5, you are the decendant of a hero so great that the whole of your Breed recognizes him throughout the continents.
Pure Breeding also applies to the kinfolk of a Changing Breed. They rarely get the respect that Pure Breeding provides the Shifters. Instead, Pure Bred Kinfolk can expect a greater level of protection from the Breed... as well as a few more marriage proposals or offers to go behind the bushes for a little fun. Breeding with Pure Bred Kinfolk results in Pure Bred offspring. In addition, for each level in the Pure Breed background that a kinfolk possesses increases the chances of breeding a Shifter; by 5% each when breeding with a member of that Changing Breed and by 1% when breeding with a kinfolk or another human.
1- could be Iconic Look, a minor ancestorship of distinguished if not heroic Garou, or a Hero who's name only made a splash in a small area.
2-A long lineage of distinguished if not Heroic Garou or a Hero known throughout a subsection of a Tribe.
3-A Heroic Ancestor known throughout a single Tribe.
4-A Great Hero of your Breed, known throughout your Tribe and among any others knowledgeable of your Tribe.
5-The Greatest of Heroes, known throughout the Garou Nation as a paragon of the virtues by which your people are judged.
Money doesn't make the whole world go round, just the human world. Resources refers to both your income and the value of the stuff you own. Of course, money takes work. You've got to do some trading in goods and services in order to get your money.
1-Enough for a cramped apartment and, maybe, a small used vehicle. $500 a month and liquidation can provide $1000
2-Middle Class You can afford a decent apartment for yourself and even a car. $1200 and an equity value of $8,000
3-Upper Middle Class-$3000 a month and Equity Value of $50,000
4-Quite well off-$9000 a month and an equity value of $500,000
5-Rich- There's no other way to say it, you're wealthy. You get $3,000 a month and an equity value $5,000,000
Rituals are as important to the Changing Breeds as their purposes. In some cases, the rituals can be even more important. Where human religions use ritual to reaffirm believers and remind them of propper values (or just to bore them), the rituals of the Changing Breeds channel the powers of the spirits. That makes them not only important to the Changing Breeds, but specific as well... specific in strange ways that often allow for a deal of personalization.
Each point in this background represents a level of rituals that your character can start out knowing. Rites along this level are most often simple Rites (lvl 1 Rites), the likes of which individuals of a Changing Breed can trust in a young Shifter on the cusp of gaining their first Rank. Often times, a Mentor can justify a young Shifter having lvl 2 or lvl 3 Rites. More powerful Rites than that, however, are well above what Rank 1 Characters would be wise enough to know.
In addition to the Background cost, no Shifter may have a Rite of a level higher than their Rituals Knowledge. Minor Rites, which you can get at 2 per 1 point in Backgrounds, do not require any knowledge of Rituals. They're just that simple.
Learning new Rituals during gameplay is an affair all its own. Technically, the spirits may teach Rites, but they prefer to let Shifters teach each other. That's a matter of respect and internal bonding. More often than not, the spirits will direct a Shifter to one, of their own Breed, that knows to teach the Rite.
When seeking to learn Rites, ettiquite demands that the petitioner makes an offering to the one with the Rite. This is one of the few points of ettiquite that such Tribes as Bone Gnawers and such breeds as Corax will not do without. The offering, like Chiminage, should be more than a "thank you for hearing me out" but less than a bribe. Common offerings are a simple meal, a Talen, an impressive do-dad that the Shifter can show off. Even in Glass Walker Septs, offering money is just insulting.
After that, the Rite Master petitioned will set a price. The price can be additional Talens, the death of a minor enemy, or fresh meat and caviar provided daily before each lesson. For powerful Rites, Umbral Quests to retrieve items or information may be an appropriate price. Bone Gnawer Ritualists are particularly fond of demanding volunteer work in exchange for a Rite (personally done, of course. donating money or ordering others to do it for you won't work), especially in the case of high ranking Garou from other Tribes. The only occasion in which money is an appropriate price is if the teacher of the Rite never touches the money, it goes directly from the student to a cause of the Ritualist's choice, donated anonymously (Garou should not get tax writeoffs along with the Rite).
The actual time it takes to learn a Rite is one week per level of the Rite. That includes both practice time alone and time teaching.
Generally, the real meat of the Rite happens internally. Minor changes can go to a Rite so long as the details important to the spirit of the Rite (no pun intended) is maintained.
1- One Level 1 Rite
2- Two Level 1 Rites or one Level 2 Rite
3- You see where I'm going with this.
4-
5-
Among Garou, Mokole`, and Simba Bastet, this is a communal background, referring to one's Pack, Clutch, or Pride, respectively. Individuals of any of these Breeds may possess the Background before joining up and taking on an official Totem, and OOC it's a good idea. Though this doesn't have any benefit until the Pack is joined and the Totem's guidence gained, it does reflect a basic a basic value of the individual to potential Totems.
If the Pack is not ready for a Totem yet (doesn't have the full Totem Background collectively yet), a good way to improve standing is to craft a "blank shrine", a shrine that is ready to represent a Pack Totem but doesn't represent any spirit as of yet. Delivering Chiminage to these Shrines indicates to the spirits at large that this Pack is ready and willing to devote themselves as children of an able Totem's teaching.
After gaining a Totem, greater favor and a stronger Totem (increased Totem background) takes increased ritual and stronger Bans. Rat may demand that her Garou Packs treat rats as sacred, so they don't harm any rats. But, taking that a step farther by prepairing a safe home for rats will strengthen the Totem through greater devotion. Regularly enacted rituals also strengthen Totems.
Stronger Totems quite naturally lend greater aid to their Packs, because its own health is intimately tied to the physical, spiritual, and emotional health of the Pack.
Every Totem has its own requirement, in terms of a combined Totem Background. Above and beyond, greator favors and strengths have their own costs.
1-3 points to spread among Rage, Gnosis, and Willpower
1-Totem can speak to the Pack without requiring the Gift, Spirit Speech, to be understood.
1-The Totem can always find its pack's members.
2-The Totem is always nearby
2-Totem gains respect among other spirits. (AKA bragging rights for having a good and wise Pack)
2-An additional Charm the Totem may know.
3-per extra Pack Member that can use the Totem's boon at once.
4-The Totem's connection connects the Pack Members, allowing them communication from distance.
5-The Totem is feared by agents of the Wyrm.
This Background can only be aquired through Freebies or roleplay.
Spirits are powerful and, sometimes, ineffible. But, they are emotional beings, with all the needs that come with being emotional beings. The advantage to that is that, sometimes, Shifters and spirits can share relationships not too different from those that humans and other social animals share. Sometimes spirits can, of their own free will, choose to become the companion to an individual. This is most often the result of a deep friendship between the Shifter and the spirit. It can also be the result of a deep respect that has nothing to do with kind of palling around that friends do. Some of the greatest stories that the Changing Breeds tell have to do with Shifters and spirits falling in love, sharing a bond that drives them both to become greater and greater in order to prove worthy of their love.
Like any relationship, these relationships need upkeep. Mostly, these relationships take time. If your Familiar is a Lost Dog, you're going to have to spend some Umbral Time playing fetch or running around on all fours. That's just one example of how a little kindness can go a long way.
Stronger levels in this background refer to the intelligence of the spirit (Gaffling or Jaggling, never more powerful than that) and the depth of the bond. A Lost Dog spirit that acts as your pet might be a lvl 1 Familiar and not much more intelligent than a pet. An averagely powerful Bear spirit, with whom you share a friendship of equals, would be a lvl 3. And, the Red Talon and wolf spirit who have mated for life and even bred children together are a lvl 5 Familiar bond.
Familiar Spirits can store Rage, Gnosis, and Willpower for their companions. With stronger connections (and stronger spirits) they can communicate without need of Spirit Speech. The strongest of connections make it so that no distance may cut the spirit and Shifter from communication and that they may share their senses.
1-Smallest of Gafflings, nonsentient. "This half-formed concept of urban survival followed me home. Can I keep it?" It is unable to communicate, outside of Spirit Speech, and unable to peek across the Gauntlet to see what's going on in the Material Realm. It can store up to three points of Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower (but only one catagory) for you.
2-Decent sized Gaffling. Non-sentient, but intelligent in its own way. It still cannot communicate outside use of Spirit Speech, but it can peek across the Gauntlet to look at what's going on on the other side. Also knows instinctively where you are. May store up to five points of either Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower (but only one catagory) for you.
3-An average Jaggling. It's more than a pet, now, even if it was just a pet when you first met. As long as it's nearby, you can speak to it, even across the Gauntlet, and do not require Spirit Speech to overcome any language barriers. It has an instinctive knowledge of your position and can sense through you. It can store up to five points in any two spiritual energies. (If Rage and Gnosis, for instance, it can store 5 Rage, 4 rage and 1 Gnosis, 3 Rage and 2 Gnosis, and so on.) It can look across the gauntlet as easily as it can look in front of itself.
4-A fairly bright and powerful Jaggling. This Jaggling has benefitted from your affections, be they of friendship, respect, or even deeper things. You both share a knowledge of each other's position and instinctively know when the other is in danger. Not only can it look into the Material Realm, it can even manifest itself on occasion. You can communicate to each other telepathically through your bond, though you must be nearby. It can store up to five points of Rage, Willpower, or Gnosis, any without consideration to which.
5-A very powerful Jaggling, perhaps even so powerful thanks, in part, to your own affections and devotions. At this level of connection, you may even have a True Love with the spirit in question. You can communicate over any distance. Both you and your Familiar always know the position and health of each other, as well as when you are in danger. In addition, you may share all your senses together and the Familiar may share your knowledge of Gifts. And, it can store up to six points of Rage, Gnosis, or Willpower in any combination.
In many Animist and Shamenistic tribes, people bind spirits to their children. The idea is that the spirit will protect the child and the child will protect the spirit. The debate as to whether or not this works with humans will continue on... at least until Garou understand the powers of some human sorcerers.
Whether or not it works for humans, the Changing Breeds definately have the rituals to accomplish this act. This practice is most common among Bone Gnawers, Red Talons, and Silent Striders, who have little to no worldly goods to give their children. Gurahl are also very fond of the practice. The gift of a lifelong ally among the spirit worlds is a powerful gift indeed. No Tribe overlooks the possibilities. Being that the Changing Breeds can't know when their children are Shifters (with the exception of Corax) and their parental affections aren't so limited anyway, Kinfolk may take this Background as easily as Shifters.
There's an old saying, you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family. That's especially true of Numens. THey didn't pick you and you sure didn't pick them. So, where a Familiar Spirit is a good buddy, a Numen is like a sibling. You grew up with them, you picked on them, they picked on you. Somehow, throughout it all, you still love each other like brothers... ideally.
Along with the strict advantage of having a spirit ally, a Shifter can spend a point of Gnosis to add their Numen Rating to an appropriate roll. If the spirit can be considered a Spirit of Honor, the Shifter adds the rating to a single social roll. Glory is to Physical and Wisdom is to Mental.
In addition, Numen can also lend Charms for 1-time use.
Like with Familiar Spirits, this relationship takes upkeep. Maltreatment or neglect will weaken the bond, much as beating up on your brother will make for less brotherly love and more resentment. Otherwise, the Ritual that bonds a Numen to a Shifter doesn't make a Familiar Spirit, only propper cultivation of a relationship can do that.
1-A Gaffling, weak and perhaps non-sentient, like an ephemoral dog that's a part of the family.
2-Potent Gaffling, still a pet but smarter and more able than most pets.
3-Lesser Jaggling, an able and conscious spirit. Comparable to a human in terms of power.
4-Strong Jaggling. Powerful, comparable to a Shifter in terms of power (though not necessarily combat ability).
5-Very Very Strong Jaggling. The likes of which would normally serve directly at the foot of an Incarna. Somebody obviously owed your parents a big favor.
The difference between Numen and Familiar is a lot like the difference between people you meet and the family you grow up with. It's a rare Shifter that would begrudge one the True Love of a Spirit Familiar. (As often as I mention that, it is quite rare, but it's worthy of note.) But, to engage in such romance with a Numen would be as icky as kissing your own sister, and socially regarded the same.
In addition, a Familiar gains a deal of power from your own affections and devotions. If a Lost Dog Gaffling reaches a power level equal to that of a Jaggling, it is because the Garou that it accompanies has grown to love it as more than a pet, but as an equal friend. A Numen's power and connection reaches a maximum level based on the power it had when it was bound. The connection can be weakened, then restrengthened up to a certain point, but the self-contained power of the spirit limits the potential.
In the cases of both Numen and Spirit Familiars, the spirit will not teach the Shifter to which it is bound a Gift. The spirit is too close to be an effective teacher and it would be dishonorable, anyway, for a Shifter to make take such advantage of family and friends.
Being half-spirit, the Changing Breeds share a kinship with the spirit worlds. As alien as the Umbra may seem, it is as much the home of the Shifters as it is the home of the spirits. But, for some Shifters, that kinship goes farther than most.
Perhaps your ancestors had a tie to this type of spirit. Perhaps there's just something in you that's destined to be close to these spirits. Maybe a part of your soul was once one of these spirits that returned to Gaia after fulfilling its duties. On rare occasions, you can be the decendant of a Shifter spawned by a union of a Shifter and a Spirit. Or, it could be as simple as something in your nature and potential resonates with a particular family of spirits.
For whatever reason, the Shifter with this Background has a positive connection to a family of spirits. This isn't necessarily a friendly connection. The spirits may be fearful of you, respectful towards you, in awe of you, loving of you, or protective of you. In each case, they recognize you to be "more than just a Shifter". They recognize you as, to whatever extent, one of their own.
That includes both help offered and expectations. If your family of spirits is that of trees that respect your wisdom, they may be more patient with greater Rage (as plant spirits generally dislike those of high rage). They will also expect you to protect them and show a greater understanding of their wisdoms.
Each level of Spirit Heritage comes with one additional die to social rolls with your particular family of spirits. These dice only apply to one family of spirits, though. Example of spirit families include Elementals, various kinds of Animal Spirits (Rodents, Hooved Prey, Flying Predators, Insects, Spiders, etc), various kinds of Plant Spirits (Trees, Moss, Fungus, etc), types of Urban Spirit (Stray Animal Spirits, City Father Servants, Spirits of the Human Experience). A Gaia-serving Shifter can even have Bane Heritage, though this is rare and will result in no small amount of suspicion from your fellows.
1-The spirits of your family can sense your connection, though nobody else can.
2-The spirits of your family take note of your arrival. Others will notice a feel about you, but only the most aware will know why.
3-When in the Umbra, emenate an intangible feel of your aligned spirit type.
4-In the Umbra, you have visual hints to your aligned spirit type. Those aligned to trees may shed small twigs and leaves.
5-Are you sure that you're half-flesh?
This background, with a similar advantage to that of "Contacts" is generally appropriate for Theurge Garou, Shadow Seer Ratkin, Concealing Mokole` and others with the specific duty of dealing with the spirits. After dealing with local gafflings, whisps, and minor jagglings, you've cultivated a network of weak spirits. They're unable to do a lot, but they do see a lot. This is often how many Theurges wind up having a knowledge of things that, otherwise, they have no right knowing.
Most Spirit Networks are territorial affairs, drawing from the gafflings spawned by the local spiritual ecology. Earth and Water elementals can be good parts of this network, but the runners of a network usually comprise animals. This is true even in the cities, where Glass Walkers listen to the spirits of insects while Bone Gnawers get information from the spirits of rodents and pidgeons.
Mokole` most often make use of a wide range of bird spirits for their networks, as bird spirits are often willing to give information in trade for being allowed to rest on them and eat stray bits from between the teeth of the Mokole`. What better deal can they get than to get a free teeth cleaning and some information as well? Gurahl will often make use of the spirits of the plants and animals they eat. They consider it a method of respect, as the food can, by giving Gurahl the right information, use the Gurahl for their survival as the Gurahl uses it for his own.
Though not every Shifter with a network of lesser spirits working for them view their networks in respectful terms, most Shifters will look to, at least, the catagory of spirits that they respect first. If for no other reason, because that means they know those spirits best. Often times, though, a blatant lack of repsect can result in missing or false information. Outside of spirits of massochism and the like, not even the weakest will stand for disrespect.
1-A few spirits listen to the rumors of other spirits.
2-Several Spirits willing to sit and dish about what they've seen.
3-Unseen eyes everywhere in your territory.
4-The spirits far and wide to get their information to you.
5-Unless the Guantlet is extremely high, there's a spirit around that'll report to you.