W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

label them Wyrm-servants as well. Some werewolveseven sailed on the European slave ships and had anysuspected non-Garou Kinfolk tossed overboard as "unfit"or dangerous. Overwhelmed and outnumbered, the Ferapulled back into the wilderness where they could, relyingon the vast expanses of terrain (unfamiliar to the Garou)to prevent all-out slaughter.These conflicts continued over the next severalhundred years, climaxing in the 19 th century with thefirst major battles between European Garou and theBeast Courts. This campaign of bloody violence lastedfor many years, fueled by mistrust on both sides.By the dawn of the 20th century, this new War ofRage was largely over. Even with their numbers greatlyreduced and their cultures devastated, however, the Ferawere not defeated. During the late 19th and the 20thcentury, many African and Asian shapeshifters used thehuman colonial wars of freedom as a cover for their ownefforts to strike back against both the Garou and theforeign overlords ravaging their lands. Unfortunately,these Changing Breeds soon learned that once the eraof colonialism ended, the new human rulers of theirnations swiftly embraced the most destructive aspectsof industrialization — and in a few cases exceeded theirprevious colonial overlords' talent for environmentaldevastation.Changing Breedsaround the WorldSome shapeshifters live almost exclusively inparticular geographic regions, like the Ajaba’s historicterritories in Africa. Others, like the Ratkin, are foundall across the planet. Regardless of how compact orwidespread their populations might be, they must all dealwith the challenges of the modern world and the greatlyincreased mobility of both humans and supernaturalcreatures.North AmericaNorth America remains one of the heartlands ofthe Garou, and many werewolves resent the presence ofother shapeshifters in territory that they consider theirown. Open battles between Garou and other ChangingBreeds are rare since the colonial wars ended a centuryago, but threats and confrontations are not. The Corax,valued for their work as messengers, can travel freelyin most Garou-claimed territory. And, because of theirstealth and cunning, Ratkin are just as common in NorthAmerican cities as they are everywhere else, althoughmost Garou greatly underestimate their numbers. TheNuwisha sometimes reveal themselves to werewolves —especially the Uktena — but often prefer to clandestinelyimpersonate werewolves as they walk among them.Though North American shapeshifter populations haveincreased in recent years, the other Changing Breedsremain relatively circumspect around werewolves, andare more hidden than they are in places where the Garouare not as dominant.The types of shapeshifters present in North Americahave also changed in recent history. At the beginningof the 20 th century, the US and Canada were home toonly a few non-hibernating Gurahl and a handful ofPumonca and Mokolé, in addition to the more commonBreeds already mentioned. Today, due to immigration,expansion, and the ease of mobility afforded by moderntransportation, this region is home to Changing Breedsfrom all across the globe, including Nagah, all mannerof Bastet, and even a few Kitsune, Ajaba, and Rokea.Even the Ananasi are now relatively common inthe United States, having taken up residence in manycities. As is their habit in the rest of the developed world,the spiders take great pains to hide their presence andspend most of their time in homid form, making it quitedifficult for other Changing Breeds to know exactly howmany of Queen Ananasa’s children are really present.Bagheera, Balam, as well as a few Bubasti, Khan, andSimba have taken up residence in North American citiesand suburbs as well, either as direct immigrants or thechildren of human Kinfolk immigrants. Because of theirincreased numbers, the Bastet have been growing restlessof late. Many of the younger and bolder werecats resentthe Garou's dominance in their new homelands. Somehave started talking about actively chasing the Garoufrom the werecats’ adopted territory, but whether theirtalk will turn into action remains to be seen.The Ratkin, on the other hand, consider the Garouto be little better than witless servants of the Weaver, andmany revel in their proximity, seeing the werewolves aseasy targets, especially in the city. An increasing numberof wererats believe that crippling the infrastructure ofthe United States with massive terrorist strikes mightdestabilize the world's economy and help lead to thecollapse of human civilization — taking the Weaverwith it. Though they lack the numbers to accomplishsuch a feat on their own, some have begun secretlyinfiltrating human terrorist groups, from bomb-wieldingwhite supremacists and Christian nationalists, to Muslimextremists. These Ratkin push their terror cells towardsmassive and widespread acts of terrorism. So far, acombination of incompetence and fear has kept any of26CHANGING BREEDS