The Septs of Europe and the British Isles

The Septs of Europe

The Baltic - The Iron Wood Sept

Dark Ages Werewolf page 45. This young sept formed around a sacred site where a few Christian knights attempted to slaughter a group of devout Prussian pagans. The knights disrupted a religious ceremony among a grove of ancient trees. As they slaughter the pagans, each knight watched his sword shatter when it struck one of the trees. Finally, the knights stood unarmed, and the pagans turned upon them, tearing them apart. Tales of the event spread to the Fenrir, and the Garou sent a pack to investigate. The pack opened a caern, awakening the spirits of the grove. Now the Iron Wood Sept has become a base for the Fenrir who wish to strike back against the knightly orders infesting Prussia.

Byzantine Empire - Sept of Bygone Visions

Dark Ages Werewolf page 46. The isle of Ecube, called Miria by the Black Furies, holds a powerful caern. Protected by the Sept of Bygone Visions, only females may visit the island. Many say the island brings visions to those who visit, but in truth, the caern is home to a Wyld glen, where the energies of the Wyld flow freely into the world. Attempts to take the island by other tribes have left the invaders with only failure and death. Since the Prophecies of Shadow, many Black Furies have taken pilgrimages to the Sept of Bygone Visions. They hope that the caern will give them an understanding of the events to come.

France - Sept of Vigilance

Dark Ages Werewolf page 41. When the crusaders came to the town of Beziers in France, the townspeople and their vampiric masters refused to yield the town to their tender mercies. The commander of the crusade ordered his men to seize the town and let God sort out his own. Twenty thousand people died at the hands of the crusaders. The Garou believe that the entire event was due to some sick battle between vampires, which cost the lives of thousands of innocents. Now, as the town is rebuilt, vampires have moved back in, but the Garou are present as well. The Silent Striders have opened a caern on the outskirts of the town, and other tribes believe they commune with the spirits of the dead. The spirit of Sept of Vigilance provides warnings to the Silent Striders about the activities of the Wyrm. Not only do the Silent Striders use the sept as a base from which to investigate (and hunt) vampires, but they've also gained knowledge about the mysterious Circle of Red. Members of the sept seem to be resolute and determined in their activities, although most other Garou feel they have fallen under some taint. The Silent Striders suspect that their enemies will soon launch an attack on the caern.

Holy Roman Empire - Sept of the Blood Fist

Dark Ages Werewolf page 41. A stronghold of the Fenrir, the Sept of the Blood Fist holds a great caern in the center of the Black Forest. The Fenrir claim that the original founders of the sept defeated the Romans at the site of the caern. A clearing opens in the thick of the forest, and a stone carved with the names of the Fenrir heroes rises from the center of the clearing. All who enter the bawn must pass a challenge of combat. For other Fenrir, this is usually a friendly arm wrestling match. The members of other tribes face much more serious combat. The Fenrir claim that the Black Furies tried to take the caern from them during a 19-year war, and the antipathy between the Fenrir and Furies is still bitter here. A Black Fury who loses the challenge of entry may well lose her life. The Wild Boar serves as the caern totem here, and his gifts of strength are legendary.

All is not well in the Black Forest, however. A brutal pack of Feral vampires hunts these woods, and unlike most Leeches (who seem comfortable in the cities), these monsters seem to be thriving. The leadership of the Blood Fist is growing concerned as they have lost several packs of Guardians to the so-called Schwarze Rudel - Black Pack - over the last few years.

Holy Roman Empire - Sept of Sun's Glory

Dark Ages Werewolf page 42. Hidden away in the Kingdom of Burgundy, the Sept of Sun's Glory welcomes all Garou, regardless of tribe. This large and powerful sept maintains strict neutrality between the tribes. This is one of only two septs, the other the Sept of Setting Suns, with members from each tribe in Europe; only the Shadow Lords do not maintain a presence here. Guillaume Sun's Glory, an elder Silver Fang originally founded the sept as the Sept of the Great Mountains. However, his great deeds eventually caused the Garou to rename the sept after him. Now Guillaume only broods about vampires. Many members of the sept whisper that his time among the living grows short. The noble Silver Fang has become short-tempered and subject to speaking to himself. Members of the sept ahve tried to break his obsession with the murder of his pack. Guillaume seems to have little faith in the Prophecies of Shadow. In fact, he grumbles that if the Shadow Prophecies did have meaning for all tribes, then surely they would have mentioned his sept where all Garou are accepted.

Ireland - Sept of the Tri-Spiral

Dark Ages Werewolf page 40. One of the most important septs of the Fianna is the Sept of the Tri-Spiral at Brugh na Boinne. This sacred area contain three caerns, all in close proximity to each other. The Fianna claim that they opened the caerns with the help of the fae. Some believe that the last of the Fir Bolg, a race of fomori who once infested Ireland, was slain here by the Fianna. Each of the three caerns has its own mystic properties. This sept is second in power and importance among the Fianna only to Tara, home of the High King.

Iberia - Sept of Wounded Unicorn

Dark Ages Werewolf page 41. In the war-torn Iberian peninsula, the Children of Gaia have found their beliefs challenged. Despite their efforts to bring understanding and peace to the land, different religious faiths have led to war. Located on the Meseta, the caern lies far from the human wars, but the caern spirit still suffers as death plagues the land. The Wounded Unicorn is a caern of healing, both physical and emotional. The sept members have great renown among their tribe and other Garou for their skills at healing. The sept welcomes all werewolves who need succor, although the Children of Gaia are wary of who they let near their caern's heart. They have fought off attacks in the past, both from Shadow Lords looking for territory and from human and undead crusaders. The caern accepts moon bridges from the Sept of Sun's Glory. It has an understanding with Guillaume and provides healing services in return for past deeds.

Italy - Sept of the Sibyl

Dark Ages Werewolf page 43. This caern of Visions has gained prominence amoung the Garou since the appearance of the strange Red Talon who brought the Prophecies of Shadow. Werewolves say that the Sibyl of Cumae, a legendary prophetess, was a powerful Theurge who helped guide the Kings of Rome. Orginally a sept of the Black Furies, the Sept of the Sibyl is now home to the Shadow Lords, who took the caern from the Furies over some long forgotten issue. The center of the caern is a deep cavern. According to legend, those who sleep within the cave recieve visions from Gaia. A Theurge holds the title of Sibyl, and she offers to share her knowledge with other tribes in exchange for service to the Shadow Lords.

Russia - Sept of the Winter Nights

Dark Ages Werewolf page 46. Although most werewolves think of Russia as the land of the Silver Fangs, the Red Talons have a slightly stronger presence in the wilderness. The Sept of the Winter Nights lies far to the north, beyond the settlements of humans. This was one of the first caers to recieve the Prophecies of Shadow, and as a result, the sept has gained much respect for its wisdom from other Red Talons. The spirit of Helios has strong ties to the sept, some werewolves there spend the long days basking in his glory and the long nights howling for his return.

Russia - Sept of the Blood Red Moon

-Player Generated: Meg- Primary population based on Silver Fangs, with few Shadowlords.

London, England - Sept of the Dirty Dog

-Player Generated: Weylind- Made up of Bone Gnawer.

Ireland - Sept of Tara

-WOD Canon: See Fianna Book- Chief Fianna Sept.

Dun Dalk, Ireland - Sept of the Red Stag

-Player Generated: Elisa F.- Made up of Fianna.

Denmark - Sept of Fimblewinter Night

-Player Generated: Levi & Patrick D.- Made up of Fenrir.

Scotland - Sept at Castle Creek

-Player Generated: Levi- Made up of Warders of Men, Scottish Clan McDuff. The old castle of McDuff is located in the wood just behind a walled manner at the fair end of town a small township. The Caern Spirit which the Sept protects is a lesser Water Spirit and is located in an inner courtyard in the Castle. The inhabitants are cautious of outsiders, being now one of the few outposts for the Warders of Men after the fall of their chief city and Sept in Constantinople several years ago.

Gwynned, Cymru - Sept of Caer Leb

Caern Totem: N/A. There is no active Totem at the Caern Heart.

Made up of various Garou tribes and Fera, this reclaimed Sept fancies itself as truly pangean, using lessons taken from what they often reference as the failed Sept of Setting Suns.

History - Believed to be founded first in the late 600s, the Sept of Caer Leb, then called 'Sept Glint of Fire', was originally holdings of the Fianna and flourished under their leadership for nearly 50 years.

In 722, during a pitched struggle between the Britons and their Saxon enemies, a large force of Shadow Lords and their kinfolk retainers lashed out against the local Sept and took control of the lands holding them for over 100 years. This time was known as ‘Amseru Ymgryfhau’ or the Time of Strength, for through their ruthless cunning the Shadow Lords held the lands against many opponents.

In 864 a delegation of Silver Fangs from the House Austere Howl travelled southwards in an attempt to unite and take their rightful place at the head of the Sept. At first they were met by resistance, but when an Elder Philodox stepped forward and stated ‘This is as it should be’, challenges were put into place and in the end the strongest of the Silver Fangs rose to become the Alpha. This was the first time that the Sept territory had ever been controlled and supported by multiple tribes.

Over the course of the next two centuries through several skirmishes and outright wars the Sept continued to grow eventually having as many as 100 Garou and kinfolk, from many of the local tribes (Fianna, Child of Gaia, Silver Fangs, Shadowlords and even some Fenrir) settled within their territory. It wasn’t until the great Norman invasion of 1081-97 that this Sept had its first true threat.

Along with the many Norman men that King William II controlled, his army was also made up of many twisted Wyrm creatures and Vampires. The battles raged long into the nights, but eventually the Sept Glint of Fire was brought low when in one well executed and planned evening the entire Elder Council was killed, a traitor kinfolk known to legend simply as “The Betrayer” having later been found to have given necessary equipment and information to the Wyrm corrupted invaders. Without their core of guidance the disparate tribes eventually were vanquished beneath the blades and corruption of their assaulters.

The Sept land was left, claimed by the remnants of the Norman invaders and their banes, until recent days. The cleanup continues as the long corrupted landscape is tended to and the territory is once more fostered into health. A smattering of Garou and Fera have made this Sept their home, and it has been heralded far into the winds that these lands are to be known as Pangean and all of the Gaia, the Wyld and of Helios are welcome.

Reference sites - Caer Leb (wikipedia) Rhodri Molwynog ap Idwal (wikipedia) Norman Invasion of Wales (wikipedia)

A Word on Player Created Septs

As you can see above, there are a few Septs which have been mentioned that do not exist in traditional WOD canon.

When the question first arose, several years ago, as to whether a Sept not mentioned in WOD canon could exist, it felt right at the time to say yes. The reasoning boiled down to three primary aspects;

1) The world is very large. Large enough that the few mentioned Septs could not wholly make up the extent of the "Garou Nation" and properly do the duty of defending an entire country, let alone the European continent.

2) Different strokes for different folks. If two characters belonged to the same Sept, and both have written in to their back-stories that they have reputations, good or ill; then in a perfect world those two should likely know each other, if not then at least know OF each other. Since happenstance doesn't always allow such prior Player communication to exist, an easier option is to merely write another Sept for one of them.

3) Players should be given room to play. Truly Shadow Accord is meant to be one supported by it's players in both production value and in intrigue. Allowing the ability to determine a character's past is truly the key to that.

It's imperative to understand that each of the Sept's that are mentioned above have been gone over and approved by the Character Guides. The descriptions and control of such Septs are left in the hands of the player that created them with the understanding that the Sept must conform to the time period, the culture of where they are located, and the traditions of Septs during this time period.

If you wish to create a Sept where your character is from; please, do your research, write up your idea, and submit it to the Character Guides.