Branching Paths

      Human Kin are plain folks...most of the time. However, humans sometimes go through bizarre changes of their own. Consider the poor relative who falls in the clutches of a vampire and becomes on of the Kindred himself. What of the Garou's sister who suddenly feels her Avatar stir within her? Death comes to all humans eventually, but what of humans not ready to pass on? And what about Kin who aren't completely human in the first place? A fair number of Kinfolk have also been born to a certain faerie nature.

      So, vampires, mages, wraiths and changelings can also be Kinfolk. But such coincidences are the exception, not the rule. Gaia does influence who her warriors' Kin are, and generally, being a relative to werewolves is burden enough! Being something beyond human makes the situation a thousand times more difficult. There are social ramifications ranging from scorn to apprehension, among werewolves and "normal" Kin alike. Most supernatural beings dance along a cliff's edge and teeter between their human identity and their Restless, Awakened, undead or fae one (as the case may be). Kinfolk status just brings such beings one notch closer to the brink.

      If you choose to play a supernatural Kinfolk, construct your character according to the normal rules of Vampire, Wraith, Mage or Changeling; obviously, you'll need the appropriate book for specifics on Disciplines, Arcanoi and so on during play, too. You must buy the Merit: Supernatural Kinfolk (4 pt. Supernatural Merit; 5 pts. for vampires). If you want a close friend among the Garou, you'll need to purchase Werewolf Companion (3pt. Supernatural Merit; see the Players Guide for the pertinent game) - you are not assumed still to be on glowing terms with your relatives. There are also certain rules issues that come up with your relatives. There are also certain rules issues that come up when Kinfolk are supernatural; the sidebars below are notes to Storytellers and players about potentially dangerous side effects for supernatural Kinfolk.

Vampires

The Fatal Kiss

     The relationship between vampiric Kinfolk and the Garou is certainly problematic. The Garou's wrath falls heavily on any vampire responsible for Embracing Kin ... and likely strikes the unlucky Kinfolk, as well. Even the gentlest Garou considers existence as a vampire a fate worse than death. To many, quick execution of the Embraced Kinfolk is a mercy. Kin who become vampires are pretty worthless in the eyes of werewolves; they can't breed or help out in the daytime, for instance. What's more, most Garou believe all vampires , Kin or no, are irredeemable pawns of the Wyrm.

     Any Gifts or Gnosis the Embraced Kin might have had are gone forever. Period. No exceptions. Most Numina are gone, too, although a Storyteller might allow a vampire to retain True Faith or purchase related Disciplines (Thaumaturgy, for instance, if the Kin knew Hedge Magic) at a reduced cost. Those rare Kinfolk with Gnosis do have one small hope: They can roll their Gnosis and attempt to die, albeit painfully and slowly. A botch means she becomes Kindred.

     Vampiric Kinfolk who keep their Gaian loyalties are more likely to align with the Camarilla or anarchs, which enable the Kin to retain some of their human moral codes. Recommended Merits and Flaws for vampire Kin include: Code of Honor, Dark Secret, Prey Exclusion (Garou), Territoral, Vengeance, Acute Sense (any), Eat food, Inoffensive to Animals, Enemy, Notoriety and Ward (other Kin). For details, see The Vampires Players Guide.

Mages

Mirrors of the Soul

     While Gaia's chosen aren't probably going to maim Awakened Kin on sight, the werewolves are still distrustful of mages. Many Garou fear that mages wish to steal from caerns, or worse, to use werewolves in bizarre experiments. In many cases, the Garou aren't wrong.

     No Kin who has Gnosis or Gifts can Awaken in the first place; Gnosis and the link with Gaia preclude the stirring of the Avatar. Kinfolk without Gnosis or Gifts, can Awaken in the same manner as any other mage. Most Numina are lost upon Awakening, except True Faith (in reality, they're replaced by a shift in paradigm and a general change in how the new mage does things - for more information, check out World of Darkness: Sorceror).

     The interesting side to being an Awakened Kinfolk is True Magick, if coincidental, often simulates (with less Paradox) Garou Gifts. Vulgar Effects, even if successful, earn one point of Paradox. It's also more difficult to cast vulgar magick (without Sleeper witness, highest Sphere +4;. with Sleeper witness, highest Sphere +5). Mages still should err on the side of caution and couch their magick in coincidental terms, but around werewolves, coincidence is a little more flexible. Treat werewolves as Awakened for determining difficulty and Paradox. Plus, exercise a little creative judgement in determining what's vulgar and what's not. Many mage Kin actively study how Garou Gifts manifest, and they mimic Gifts with Effects, particularly when they practice magick upon werewolves.

     For example, say a mage wants to endow his Ahroun sister with silver claws (imitating the Level Three Gift: Silver Claws). This Effect is Matter 2/Life 3, so the difficulty would be 7 (vulgar, with no witnesses, highest Sphere +4). However, the mage is trying to create a perfectly coincidental Effect in the eyes of the Garou. Ahroun and Silver Fangs of Rank Three may have Silver Claws. When the Garou's claws turn silver, no one present is going to associated the mage with vulgar magick, assuming the werewolf cooperates and preforms the gestures and howls normally associated with the Gift. Consider making the difficulty the same as for coincidental Effects (highest Sphere +3) and not assigning the automatic Paradox point. Treat botches the same way (one Paradox point for every dot in the highest Sphere used).

     Now, if mage tried to turn the Garou into a cactus - or change highest into a wolf - these are different stories ...

     Typically, the rare Kinfolk who Awaken usually find themselves drawn to the Dreamspeakers, whose affinity for the spirit world mirrors that of the shapeshifter society. Depending upon their tribal relations, Kin can also wind up in most of the other Traditions, although the Cult of Ecstasy and Order if Hermes have few ideological or social ties with Garou. The Technocracy is usually anathema for Gaian Kin, even Glass Walkers. Recommended Merits and Flaws include Code of Honor, Dark Secret, Spark of Life, Sphere Natural (Spirit), Spirit Magnet, Enemy and Notoriety (see The Book of Shadows for details).

Wraiths

The Courage of Despair

     Only a few of the Restless Dead are willingly to defy Charon's code and deal with the world through Phantasm and Puppetry; but if ever there were a group whose "family affairs" could keep a relative from letting go completely, it's the Kinfolk. No animal Kin ever become wraiths, at least not in the legends of western Europe and the Americas; Gaia has special places for them and prohibits their return to the world as ghosts. Furthermore, except for the occasional Silent Strider, werewolves and their Kin have little interaction with the Dark Umbra at all. In Africa, mystics to spin a few tales of animal ghosts, which are terrifying monsters that frighten humans and Changers alike. The tiny fraction of Kin who do become Restless Dead have typically suffered some unusually horrible torment or tragedy. Their Fetters and Passions are exceptionally strong and difficult to resolve, even beyond the ones of the ordinary wraith. Kinfolk who had Gnosis, Gifts or Numina lose them immediatel y; the Restless cannot hold onto spiritual blessings of Gaia, and mortal magics or psychic powers have no meaning in the Shadowlands.

     Kin wraiths are sometimes out of sorts with the Hierarchy - some feel more drawn to Heretics who pursue something approaching Gaian ideals. Most concentrate on Arcanoi that allow them to pierce the Shroud and experience the living world, such as Embody or Outrage. Recommended Merits and Flaws for wraith Kin include: Code of Honor, Echoes of the Past, Full of Life, Mortal Companion, Psychic Ally, Unknown Fetter, and Bright or Umbral Connection (for details, see the Wraith Players Guide).

Changelings

Through a Looking Glass Brightly

     Changeling Kin are still uncommon, but greater in numbers than other supernatural Kinfolk. Over the years, the bond between fae and werewolves has remained strong; after all, Kithain regard Garou as Prodigals - wayward fae - rather than enemies. Most changeling Kin are welcome, although some werewolves are a little suspicious of their tricks and erratic whims.

     For a changeling Kinfolk to possess Gifts is impossible; they interfere with the use of Glamour, the fae's own magic. Likewise, a Kinfolk with Gnosis and a fae soul can never enter the Dreaming; he'll live out his life without experiencing Chrysalis and die not knowing he carried with him the aspect of a changeling. Fae with Kenning may notice the potential changeling, but they're often loath to bring it to the Kin's attention. This silence may seem cruel, but not when removing Gnosis from the potential changeling (an incredible banal process) is the price for rousing the fae seeming. Thus, not alerting Kinfolk with Gnosis and fae soul to the truth is actually a kindness of sorts; it's better that they go on as Kin without knowing the whole tale. No changeling Kin would ever obtain Gnosis after fully awakening to his fae mien.

     The Fianna long ago made an oathbound of friendship to the High Kings of the fae, and the Kithain still respect these words. Many Kithain also find the company of Garou pleasurable and a means to gather Glamour.

     Changeling Kin usually gravitate toward the Seelie viewpoint (if they were raised in a Gaian environment, anyway). Their kith usually reflect their tribal relation (such as troll Get of Fenris Kin, or sluagh relatives of the Silver Fangs and Shadow Lords), although this correlation is by no means the rule!

     Recommended Merits and Flaws include: Code of Honor, Wyld Mind, Poision Resistance, Regeneration, Chimerical Magnet, Magical Prohibition or Imperative (geasa are especially appropriate for Fianna Kin), Reputation (the folk of some kingdoms, especially Gwydion Fae, actually view Garou as boon allies), Notoriety (then again...) or Ward (other Kin).