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Totem of Wisdom Background Cost: 5

Grandmother Tree is the matriarch of a brood of other tree totems, each representing a specific type or species of tree--such as Oak, Willow, Cottonwood, and Redwood--but she is more than just a generic version of those totems. She is an aspect of the World Tree; she is the Totemic face of that universal concept. As such, Grandmother Tree is the one the Garou turn to as a symbol of the oneness of everything. Many Children of Gaia favor Grandmother Tree because of this. She shows them patience and wisdom, and she represents the way the entire universe is interconnected. Her roots reach deep into the earth, even as her branches lace the sky. In-between, her solid trunk unites all. Beneath her shade, all life flourishes. She is the life-giver, providing a home, shelter, or food for every creature of the forest. Her very act of living brings oxygen to them. She is strength, resilience, and timelessness--a sentinel. As the ages pass, she watches, listens, learns, and then she writes the history of the world into the very rings of her wood. Often, her children become caern guardians, taking this sentinel's nature to heart and pledging themselves as protectors of this ageless wisdom.

Boons

  • As the wind moves through the trees, the leaves whisper to Grandmother Tree's children. In this way, her children quickly gain working knowledge of any wooded or forested area in which they find themselves.
  • In addition, the garou cannot get lost in even the densest of woods. They always retain a sense of direction, and they more easily live off the land.
  • By putting their hands on the trunk of a tree and spending one temporary Gnosis, a child of Grandmother Tree may be shown some specific event that the tree was present for (within a radius of 100 yards, line of sight or not). Alternatively, using the same method, the child can try to tap into the wisdom of the trees and find an answer to one particular question. This is less reliable, but it can be of great use. (GM discretion on the question; somewhere around a 1/3 chance of success and/or something useful.) The child must be patient and concentrate completely, as the process will take between one and three hours.
  • The children of Grandmother Tree are blessed with her resilience and patience. They are tough and durable when surrounded by her likeness, and in general they are simply much slower to anger than other Garou. Each pack member gains an extra Willpower point. When in wooded environs or when in a defensive engagement or battle, they also gain an extra point in Stamina.

Bans

  • A pack that is chosen by Grandmother Tree must choose a forested area as territory, and they must work vigorously to protect and nurture woodlands and forests.
  • A child of Grandmother Tree must make a fox-frenzy check when threatened with or by fire.
  • All of Grandmother Tree's children heal more slowly from fire damage than other Garou. (GM's Discretion, up to twice as long as normal.)
  • Grandmother Tree only accepts Garou who are willing to learn to emulate her own nature. Her garou work not to be reckless or impulsive. They tend to instead be patient, thoughtful, and of a very stoic nature. After becoming a child of Grandmother Tree, Garou often become even more deliberate in everything.

Totems of the Garou
Totems of cunning: Alley Cat | Coyote | Cuckoo | Fox | Lady Luck | Magpie | Opossum | Rabbit | Raccoon | Whitewater
Totems of respect: Bison | Eagle | Falcon | Grandfather Thunder | Ice Wolf | Lion | Merlin | Moose | Mule | Osprey | Pegasus | Sphinx | Stag | Stallion | Swan
Totems of war: Bear | Black Unicorn | Bull | Cougar | Dog | Fenris | Flea | Griffin | Hummingbird | Panther | Rat | Triune Goddess | Weasel | Wendigo | Winter Manitous | Wolverine | Wyvern
Totems of wisdom: Centaur | Chimera | City Father | Cockroach | Dana | Dragonfly | Fog | Frog | Grandmother Tree | Otter | Owl | Peregrine | Phoebe | Salmon | Trout | Uktena | Unicorn | Wind Incarna | Winter Wolf


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