Crinos: The Wolf-Man

Garou Forms

Introduction

Crinos is the war-form of some Fera. Fusing the deadliest aspects of human and beast into one body whose sole purpose is to kill and shred all enemies into pieces.

Description

When a shapeshifter assumes this form, it shows that the time for negotiations is over. Nearly all Fera inflict Delirium when wearing their battle-form. It combines the most terrible elements of man and beast. Towering roughly nine feet tall, the slavering Crinos monster features a beast-like head.

A werewolf assuming the Crinos form would display gigantic fangs and horrific claws; long, powerful arms; thick skin and bones; heavy fur; and a large wolf-tail for balance and body language. Its awful mouth can barely speak human words, though it can bay and howl with deafening eloquence. Though a Crinos werewolf can speak the Garou tongue, its surging Rage reduces most sentiments to kill, Kill, and KILL!

Werewolf fur usually favors the striped or mottled markings of normal wolves, combined with the hair color (and sometimes even style) of a Garou’s Homid form. Tribal identity is most obvious in Crinos form, where the features, fur color and body language often reveal the differences between a Bone Gnawer, a Silver Fang, a Black Fury, and a Wendigo.

Many Garou decorate themselves with dedicated jewelry and other markings that symbolize their tribal pride. Crinos is not a form for casual contact. Even the metis, who are born in this shape, bristle with murderous fury when this war-wolf manifests.

System

Attribute Changes: Strength +4, Dexterity +1, Stamina +3, Appearance = 0, Manipulation -3

Shift Difficulty: Stamina + Primal Urge = 6

Appearance: The Crinos is an enormous, powerfully muscled and furry man-wolf. When a Garou enters Crinos form, she increases her size by half again over her Glabro size (itself larger than Homid). A werewolf who stands five feet high in Homid form, towers 8'4 in Crinos. The character gains mass in proportion, her weight increasing three and a half times that in Glabro. The character's Homid face extends into a muzzle, and her teeth and claws lengthen and sharpen. Fur covers the character's entire body, she grows a tail, and her arms lengthen to the point that her hands hang near her knees.

Game Effects: The Crinos' teeth and claws inflict aggravated damage. The penalties to Social Attributes listed previously do not apply to other Garou, who are familiar and comfortable with the Crinos form. Crinos Garou senses sharpen, granting a -1 to Perception difficulties. Crinos is the breed form for Metis Garou, who can shift into it instantly. Nonetheless, no Garou can soak damage from silver weapons or items in the Crinos form, and all Garou regenerate ordinary damage rapidly in this form. The sight of a Garou in Crinos form triggers the Delirium in humans who see her. Rage difficulties drop by one in Crinos form.

Notes: Crinos is purely a war form. Except for metis, other Garou do not enter Crinos form casually, especially since that form brings the werewolf's Rage closer to the surface, making frenzy more likely. The Crinos muzzle and large sharp teeth make it very difficult to speak. The Crinos can say one or two-word sentences in human speech ("you die!" is a popular choice). Any more than that costs a point of Willpower per sentence. The Crinos can speak the Garou tongue normally, without cost or extra effort.

Errata

All Metis regardless of their species are born into their crinos form and consider it as their natural form.

Other Fera may call their war forms by other names, such as: Archid (Mokolé), Lilian (Ananasi), Koto (Kitsune), Azi Dahaka (Nagah), Manabozho (Nuwisha) and Gladius (Rokea).