Lodge of Winter

AKA: Cold-Hearted, The Cold

The Lodge of Winter is one of the Pillar Lodges of the Storm Lords, serving as one of the three traditional paths to power within the Iminir. While Thunder proves that might often makes right, and the Crows manipulate the Hunt to their advantage, Winter is patient, inevitable, and ruthless. When approaching a new target or problem, they begin by gathering information quietly and subtly, like a slight chill in the air. As they begin to discover weaknesses in their enemies, they maneuver into place to exploit those weaknesses, preparing mystical insight and careful battle plans as neatly as the silent first fingers of frost. When, at least, they’re ready to unleash the full brunt of their offensive, the winter storm hits without warning.

The Lodge of Winter works well with the other tribes, in particular the Bone Shadows whose spiritual prowess compliments the slow and cold work of Winter. While not as Machiavellian in terms of politics as the Crows, Winter often moves its allies into formations of their own design, arranging the storm in the most effective pattern before unleashing it on Winter’s enemies. This requires the ability to make the most of other werewolves, whether friend or pawn. And while other werewolves might serve as pieces of the storm, Winter will never recognize an Uratha from a tribe that isn’t the Iminir as one of their own. Winter requires cold tactical precision and resilience against distraction and human morality, a resilience that can only be trusted to the Storm Lords.

Dark whispers circulate that Winter has rightfully earned its cold-hearted moniker. Infrequent meetings between the Lodge are always held in secret behind magical wards meant to keep out even prying spirit, however in the world of the Uratha no secret can remain so forever. Tales are frequent of ritual sacrifice to the Lodge’s patron spirits and dark deeds done for tactics and mystical lore against the Lodge’s enemies.

Requirements

Resolve 3, Composure 3, Wisdom 2, Storm Lord

Totem

Grandfather Winter is one of the myriad of storm-spirits brought to heel by Skolis-Ur, representing slow and inexorable might. Rumored to be one of the first storm storm spirits made to pay homage to Winter Wolf, it is through Grandfather Winter’s wisdom and patience that Skolis-Ur was able to hunt and bind some of the most powerful weather spirits that fuel the Weather Gifts known to the Storm Lords. While immensely powerful, Grandfather Winter is slow and sluggish to act, often taking years to come to a decision after gathering information and weighing all options. It takes time to rouse Grandfather Winter to true anger, but when properly incensed, the spirit cannot be placated by any means short of the direct intervention of Skolis-Ur until the spirit has taken its revenge.

Lodge Bonds

Blessing: The Cold-Hearted achieves an exceptional success on three successes instead of five on any rolls that lead to uncovering weaknesses of a target, whether the roll be mundane or supernatural.

Aspiration: To gain power through slow but direct gathering of information on the Lodge’s enemies and destroying them.

Ban: The stronger the Uratha ties themselves to Grandfather’s Wisdom, the more they become like the ancient spirit. If a Cold-Hearted has not gathered information on her target (loose association applies, such as the Beshilu of Queens or the Squirrel Umia), the first attack roll by the character against such a target in a scene suffers her Wisdom as a dice penalty that may not be negated by any means.

The Sacred Hunt

The Lodge of Winter excels at gathering information on their enemies’ weaknesses and exploiting them through tactics and mystical means. The Siskur-Dah of Winter grants a Supernatural Plan to actions against the target and to resist actions of the target, mundane and supernatural, equal to the caster’s Wisdom Renown, representing the assembled weaknesses gathered by the Cold-Hearted. This Supernatural Plan does not count as an EQ bonus. However, Winter’s Sacred Hunt can only be performed on a target that has been researched for a number of days equal to the caster’s Wisdom Renown. If the days are less than the caster’s Wisdom Renown, the number of days spent gathering weaknesses is the maximum bonus of the Supernatural Plan.

Lodge Tools

Lodge Connections
Lodge Sorcery (Cold, Weakness, Fear)
Lodge Armory