The rules of garou culture. How strictly each tenet is applied at a given sept depends on the tribe(s), and on the attitude of the local spirits as well as the feelings of the local garou. In general, the Silver Fangs regard all the tenets as important and the Bone Gnawers regard them as guidelines, but many tribes have a particular bugaboo about one of the elements of the Litany.
The Litany came about when the tribes of the Garou came together to form a unified nation. Each tribe had tenets that it wished to make part of their laws and insisted were part of the deal for it to participate. When they came to a final agreement, each tribe swore oaths on the spirits summoned to witness that they would abide by these laws, them and all their children until the end of days.
So, who enforces the litany? The spirit oaths taken still apply to the garou today, and they are the core of the renown gains and losses that occur when various werewolves stick to or violate the parts of the laws. Additionally, each tribal totem adds its stamp of disapproval when tribe members violate specific parts that they think were the most important. Conversely, sometimes if the tribal spirits swarming around a caern don't really care about particular elements, they may not react as violently to a particular violation. However, the bans and oaths imposed will always cause some form of punishment or reward.
In terms of social repercussions, it entirely depends on the Sept, their interaction with other septs and their relationships with the spirits around the caern. If the caern spirits are particularly strict or inflexible, then to appease them, the garou elders will need to hold to the stricter application of punishments for violations of the Litany. It is not unknown for Septs to be overthrown for ongoing Litany violations by outsiders, so even the Bonegnawer tribal septs have a stake in continuing to follow the rules as they are traditionally laid out.
Garou Shall Not Mate With Other Garou
Actual application of this rule varies from sept to sept, dependant
on the tribe involved, but there is nowhere where it can be done
without some form of consequence. Some tribes concentrate on the
perpetrators, others on the offspring, as being at fault.
Low care: Children of Gaia
High care: Fianna, Get of Fenris
Combat The Wyrm Whever It Dwells And Whenever It Breeds
The city septs are often accused of dropping this element of the
litany, although their counter argument is that they don't squander
their resources stamping on sparks while the house is on fire.
Low care: Glass Walkers, Uktena
High care: Wendigo, Get of Fenris
Respect The Territory Of Another
Many tribes have an implicit "if they deserve it", but this element
gives at least a basic starting point for politely visiting other
Garou. You don't barge in through someone else's territory and not
expect a fight, but entering a bare minimum and announcing yourself
is the start of a respectful conversation. On the other hand, the
more combative tribes regard respect as earned, not given...
Low care: Shadowlords, Silent Striders, Get of Fenris,
High care: Red Talons, Wendigo.
Accept An Honorable Surrender
This is meant to minimise garou on garou death in a culture where
fighting is a normal way of resolving minor differences. If someone
concedes any sort of discord, you are meant to accept it respectfully.
Throating someone who has surrendered is extremely poor form. If anyone
is watching.
Low care: Shadowlords, Get of Fenris
High care: Children of Gaia, Red Talons,
Submission To Those Of Higher Station
The First Share Of The Kill For The Greatest In Station
Respect For Those Beneath Ye-- All Are Of Gaia
These three sort of go together. You are meant to bow to the will of
your elders in all things garou, and they have first claim on resources
of a garou nature. Conversely, the elders and high rank garou are not
meant to randomly pound on others just because they can. This is one
of the biggest "in _theory_" sections of the litany.
Ye Shall Not Eat of Human Flesh
For some reason, everyone stares at the Red Talons when this part
of the Litany comes up, but it really applies to everyone. It also
applies to wolf kinfolk too.
Low care Red Talons, lupus
High care: Children of Gaia, Glass Walkers, Bonegnawers, homids
The Veil Shall NOT be lifted
It gets a little frayed from time o time, but pretty much all Garou
agree that this is an essential part of getting by in the modern world.
Its not just revealing things about the garou either, the human herd
is not to be given hints about the real nature of reality, they just
cause havoc.
Do Not Suffer Thy People To Tend Thy Sickness
Don't be a drain on the sept beyond your usefulness.
Low care Children of Gaia,
High care: Red Talons, Get of Fenris
The Leader Of A Pack May Be Challenged At Any Time During Peace
There are conventions of how often it is polite to challenge (no more
than once a month is the bare minimum), but a leader's position is never
absolutely secure if his pack thing that his time has come, or her feet
get a bit bigger than her shoes.
The Leader May Not Be Challenged During Wartime
... but right in the middle of a fight is perhaps not the right time.
Don't change horses in the middle of a race.
Ye Shall Take No Action That Causes A Caern To Be Violated
Taken even more absolute than the Veil, causing damage to a caern - or
even loss - is a total no no. Political enemies amonst the garou have been
known to unite just to take steps against those who gave up a caern to
the Wyrm.
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