Herbalism
Sanctification:
Rite of the Spirit Awakening.
This rite is used to awaken a sleeping (inactive) spirit. To perform this rite, a Garou must play a rhythm on some form of instrument (drums being the most common). While the Garou plays, other participating Garou (if any) pace around the ritemaster, howling and growling in counterpoint to the beat.
When performed on a mundane item, this rite enlivens the object's spirit, causing it to awaken and appear in the Umbra. For example, if the rite is performed on a VW bus, any Garou stepping sideways could see the bus as a true part of the landscape. However, it would appear as a stationary object in the Penumbra unless someone on the physical plane began to drive it, in which case it would appear as a driverless vehicle to anyone on the Umbra.
When performed on plants, this rite is known as sanctification. Plant-spirits are benevolent, and an awakened Plant-spirit will lend its power as though it were a talen (one use). Different plants grant different abilities when sanctified. For example, sanctified foxglove protects against faerie magic (adding two to the difficulty of any faerie spell).
System:
The ritemaster must play a musical instrument or sing a song (talent doesn't matter). The difficulty of the roll is the spirit's Rage. Failure means that the spirit remains dormant. The Storyteller must decide whether the spirit is hostile or friendly to its awakener. Awakening a spirit does not allow any control over it; that requires either a Rite of Binding or a Gift.
A
Aconite:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Wolfsbane, monkshood, blue rocket.
Effects: Strongly associated with purification before rituals, this herb can be added to the water used to rinse ritual components. Lowers the difficulty on any one one/two ritual by one. Must be used immediately before the ritual is cast. The darker side of this herb can bind a Garou from changing form. The root of a sanctified Aconite can - if worn in an amulet - increase the difficulty to change form by one and bar the use of using Rage to form for a one month period (sometimes used as punishment).
Agrimony:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Church steeples, cocklebur, stickwort, sticklewort.
Effects: Protection, Sleep. Agrimony when Sanctified and burned in a bedroom will make it harder for a spirit of the Wyrm to affect anyone sleeping in that room. Call on the plants aid before the target goes to sleep and a Bane will suffer +2 diff to affect anyone who went to sleep. Lasts until the target awakens.
Angelica:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Holy ghost, archangel root, dong quai.
Effects: Children are the most precious resource for Garou, and both pre-changers and Kin children alike sometimes need protection. An amulet carrying a leaf of sanctified Angelica makes the child difficult for any spirit not bound to the child as a kin-fetch to find. (+2 diff to tracking or locational gifts/charms). This amulet also gives children some added resistance to hostile spirit charms (+1 dice to WP or resist rolls). The amulet is always warm to the touch and the spirit inside will remain active for a month per success of the activation roll. A new Angelica can be bound into the Hidden Child amulet at any given time.
Apple:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Silver bough, silver branch, tree of love.
Effects: To heal a broken limb - be it affected by poison, toxins or just maimed, call upon a Sanctified apple, cut it open and rub it against the affected limb and bury it in the ground and the healing/regeneration will double.
Asafetida:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Devil's dung, food of the gods.
Effects: Used by those seeking the mysteries of the spirits. When the herb of this Sanctified spirit is burned and the smoke inhaled, the user gets +1 dice to any mental roll against any one spirit for a scene. Only one spirit can be the target of this effect per scene.
Ash:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Nion.
Effects: The Teutonic World Tree, Yggdrasil, is said to be an ash tree and especially the Get of Fenris are in favor with this majestic tree. Using Sanctified Ash in a Ritual of Cleansing reduces the difficulty by one.
Aspen:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Poplar, cottonwood.
Effects: Thriving of and being a representative for eloquence, this tree, if properly sanctified, might bestow its power upon a Garou. Inhaling the smoke of burning the leaves gives you ,2 difficulty to all Expression rolls for the scene as well as makes your voice strong, making it carry twice as far as normal. The aspen may also allow a Garou to soar. The catkins collected in the spring can allow a Garou to fly or soar as he wish, as if he possessed the Uktena gift: Spirit of the Bird, but only for a number of minutes up to his Gnosis rating.
B
Barberry:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Holy thorn, oregon grape.
Effects: Spread across your path to stop enemies from following you. Lay out three barbarry branches, or three lines of the cut-and-sifted herb, one 3-feet long and the other two 1-foot long, and anyone hunting you will be thrown off track, raising the difficulty to find the Gnosisarou by two by mundane means and one if the tracker is using supernatural tracking powers.
Basil:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Witches herb, American dittany, St. Joseph's herb.
Effects: When Sanctified, this herb can do one of two things. If used alone, it will remove natural poison inflicted by snakes, scorpions, spiders or insects. If the Sanctified herb is mixed with horse dung, it will call forth a horde of scorpions. Though the scorpions are not necessarily friendly to the Garou.
Belladonna:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Banewort, witches berry, sorcerer's berry, deadly nightshade, death's herb, devil's cherries.
Effects: Highly toxic. All parts of the plant are extremely poisonous. Amongst neo pagans and occult scholars it is known as a primary ingredient in flying ointments. The root is the most poisonous, the leaves and flowers less so, and the berries least of all, yet Sanctifying the plant brings out the beauty of the death. Ingesting the berries of the Sanctified herb will cause the eater to fall into a deathlike slumber for a number of hours up to his Gnosis, freeing the soul from the body and allowing it to travel through physical obstructions or into hidden realms. This kind of travel is not without dangers and without the soul returning in due time, the body will die.
Birch:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The Birch is a strong, slender tree that in myth was used to make witches broomsticks and used for cleansing in certain Pagan rituals. When Sanctified, it may offer purification of taint and toxins alike, the smoke, when used in conjunction with a cleansing ritual lowers the difficulty to cleanse by one. Birch when ingested in tea can cure certain common poisons.
Bloodroot:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: King root, red root.
Effects: Said to have bloomed the first time on the grave of a vampire, this herb knows them and it has carried the knowledge for generations, and as such, it knows how to defend against them. Carrying the root of the flower will make it harder for a vampire to harm you, their magic being warded off by the root. All social and mental Vampire powers are rolled at +2 difficulty against the bearer.
Bluebell:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Harebell.
Effects: In folklore it has been said that anyone who wears a bluebell is compelled to tell the truth in all matters. While humans might be fuzzy remembering where this comes from, for Garou, the Bluebell is a rather invasive method to force the answers from someone. When a Sanctified petal is placed under the targets tongue, he is unable to utter a lie or twist the truth for Willpower - 10 minutes. It does not - however - force the poor sod to speak.
Borage:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: A plant associated with Courage. When drunk as a tea, the leaves of this blue plant raise the spirits of someone willingly facing a dangerous situation, offering an extra Willpower point to be used within the scene in situations where taking action and pushing on requires courage, and backing down and turning back is still a viable option.
C
Calamus:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Myrtle flag, sweet cane, sedge, sweet flag, sweet grass, sweet sedge.
Effects: Often dried and strung into bracelets of up to seven beads, they work like a Gaia's Breath talen and they can be used to cure one health level per bead with a successful activation roll.
Catmint:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Catnip, cat's wort, field balm, nepeta, nip, catnep.
Effects: Known (and named) for its ways of attracting cats, when Sanctified, this becomes even truer. Any feline (including bastet or cat formori) must make a Willpower roll. The number of successes they get is equal to the number of actions they can take before being rendered harmless and overtaken by the urge to roll, lick, eat the catmint while purring.
Celandine:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Devil's milk, kenning wort, swallow-wort, tetterwort.
Effects: Escape. When Sanctified and the milk is sprinkled over the naked body of a Garou, his skin loosens and sheds like the Metis gift: Shed.
Celery:
Rage Rating: Three.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Mental Powers. Psychic Powers. Chewing the Sanctified seeds will aid concentration and give +1 dice to Intelligence dicepools for 10 minutes. Burned with orris root, seeds increase psychic powers, making mental gifts be rolled at minus one difficulty.
Centaury:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Christ's ladder, feverwort.
Effects: When Sanctified, the herb will drive off snakes if burnt. Snakes (including Nagah and all sorts of snake-possessed creatures) must flee for Willpower-10 rounds when getting into contact with smoke or ashes.
Chicory:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Succory, wild cherry, wild succory.
Effects: Carry to remove all obstacles that might crop up in your life. If the spirit agrees to share its other strength, painting the naked body (under the clothes) with juice helps obtain favors from great persons. This gives a ,2 difficulty for social rolls between you and the one you ask. Only useable on social rolls in order to gain some favor from the higher ranked. This will not get you anything from free, but it might ease the initial approach. The domesticated Cherry will do the same thing.
Chocolate:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Used traditionally as a bitter tea by the Aztec, when the Europeans added sugar it became the much beloved treat we know today. Chocolate is well noted as a mood elevator. When sanctified it grants a +1 difficulty for a garou to Rage. Effects last for a scene.
Cinnamon:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Sweet wood.
Effects: When Sanctified, this herb may - if mixed with tourmaline - enhance skills of prophecy through divination, giving the user +2 dice to enigmas for the scene.
Coffee:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Aztec, Mayan, and Incan peoples all revered the berry of this plant. If Sanctified, Coffee can grant +1 dice to Rituals involving some token, theme or invocation related to those three cultures. Sanctified coffee can kill a human or kinfolk if drank, but can keep a Garou alert and active for three days with no effects of being tired. However the gGarou must sleep off the effects afterwards. Awakened coffee also grants a +1 difficulty resistance to Gifts or Charms involving sleep or calcification.
Columbine:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Aquilegia.
Effects: Practitioners of animal magic, those working with eagles or those wishing to invoke the protection of the deity through the realm of birds may work with this herb. A bracelet made of sterns and decorated with bronze beads and a feather from the birds you wish to communicate with, giving +2 to all dicepools dealing with spirits/animals of that bird species. This also makes a normally hostile spirit neutral and a normally neutral spirit initially friendly.
Cornflower:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Blue bottle, bluecap, bluet.
Effects: Patron herb of herbalists. When Sanctified, this herb will aid you in dealing with plant spirits of any kind, giving +1 dice for social and mental pools against any plant spirit.
Cotton:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Burning cotton on the stalk will invoke rain to fall. Roll Wits + Rituals at difficulty six. Success indicate rainfall in a one mile radius per success.
Crocus:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: A keeper of the Sacred Home, the Crocus will ask you to bring robbers to justice and restore safety of the Home where it was grown. Burn in a censor with alum to see a vision of the thief who broke in and stole something of value to those inhabiting the property, and where to find him and his weakest point. Roll the herbs' Rage against the targets Manipulation + Subterfuge. The results equal those found with the Shadow Lord gift. Fatal Flaw
Cypress:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Tree of Death.
Effects: When Sanctified, Cypress eases grief and calms the mind, giving +1 dice to resist influence from emotion-altering powers or +1 difficuly on Rage rolls. The sprigs of the Cypress eases the passing into the afterlife and if a deceased Garou is placed on a bed of Sanctified Cypress, Rites of Death will be performed at -1 difficulty.
D
Dandelion:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The yellow head of a blooming Dandelion eases the summoning of spirits, making summoning a Gaffing or Jaggling at -1 difficulty, but gaining the favor of this shy plant is difficult.
Dogwood:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Dagwood.
Effects: Keeps writings and meetings secret. An oil of the flowers is priceless in sealing letters and keeping unintended eyes from secret writings. Anyone attempting to read a letter sealed with a mix of Dogwood, blood, and bee wax must engage a contested Willpower roll with the one who sealed it. Failure means that the letter is gibberish. Powdered flowers and dried bark may be used as incense. Dogwood leaves or wood can be placed in an amulet made from brass and when activated, a sphere of silence surrounds the Caster as if they were using the Silent Strider gift: Silence.
F
Forget-me-not:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Named according to a story where a young man was courting a young woman and as he bent down to pick the flowers growing on the river's bank, he slipped and plunged into the waters, and those were the last words he said as the waters took him away to his death. Even today, Garou revere the little five-leaved blue flower for its beauty and the spirit within. The leaves of a Sanctified Forget-me-not spread over a bowl of water containing a personal item belonging to someone else will allow a Garou to see the face of the owner, what they are doing, and allow for a sense of the target's emotional state and physical well being. If the person is dead, the flowers will wither in the bowl and if the death was violent, the water will turn the color of blood. The Garou rolls Gnosis difficulty five for packmates, close family or lovers, six for people they have a strong personal hatred for and eight for everybody else. This power is tied to emotions after all. A Perception-Enigmas roll at the same difficulty will give the target a feeling of being observed or make them think of the observer.
Foxglove:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Deadmen's bells, dog's finger, fairy thimbles, fox bells, witches bells, witches thimbles.
Effects: Sanctified Foxglove is known especially amongst the Fianna for its ability to protect the wearer against the magic of faeries. An amulet worn with Sanctified Foxglove adds two to the difficulty of any kind of Faerie Magic being used against the wearer. It lasts for one week per success.
Frankincense:
Rage Rating: Three.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: One of the oldest incenses to burn, this herb thrives in its role within spirituality and when burned as a part of a ritual or in preparations for it, it lowers the Gauntlet by one for the purposes of that ritual scene.
G
Gardenia:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The patron flower of the modern Wiccans, the Gardenia is said to bring Love, Peace, and Healing, but modern Wiccans do not know of this flower's flair for fame. The petals of the Gargenia, when Sanctified, draws in attention to the wearer, making it easier for them to pose as someone of importance within a specific field - be it as an actor, a scientist of a sort or a member of parliament. Anyone seeing or speaking (even over the phone) with someone wearing the flower must make a Willpower at difficulty seven. Failure gives the wearer +2 dice to social dicepools. The one affected is certain that they are speaking with someone of fame or great importance, nudging them towards wanting to impress or get in good standing with the individual. This does not make them reveal all their secrets, but makes it easier to deal with them.Burning the petals afterwards will make the affected individual more likely to confuse the wearer with someone of actual fame within the field they were posing as.
Gotu Kola:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Brought to the Nation by Stargazers in age' past, the Sons and Daughters of Chimera knew of this herbs strengths and, though it is rare, the knowledge of it is common amongst the Herbologists of the Garou Nation (and among certain other shifters too). Once sanctified, crushing nine dried leaves over a bowl of purified water wherein lies something representing a single riddle, the answer can be found in the figures the crushed leaves forms on the surface of the water. It allows a Garou a decreased difficulty of any one Enigmas roll by one per two hours spent studying the figures and meditating upon them.
H
Hazel:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: First discovered by the Black Furies, the Hazel twigs when bound in an amulet with the blood of a menstruating woman brings Fertility to her, making it easier for her to conceive. Slender and beautiful, the nuts wards off lightning, but in doing so, it also earns the ire of Grandfather Thunder. None of his brood will ever answer the call of someone standing in the vicinity of a Hazel or carrying the nuts. Tricking or forcing a Stormcrow to eat a hazel nut will force it into slumber.
Heather:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Heath.
Effects: A long known and valued herb amongst the Black Furies. Carried, it will guard against rape or other violent crimes. An amulet made from heather and containing a bit of bee-wax will burst to life to protect its wearer if attacked. Upon activation, the amulet will burst apart forming a small bee swarm that will attack the aggressor. Rolling the plant's Gnosis against the Gauntlet will determine how many bee-shaped wooden defenders will form. The bee's stings are painful and reduce the aggressor's dicepool by one per bee called forth. They inflict no actual lasting damage.
Hellebore:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Melampode.
Effects: Provides an aura or mantle of invisibility. The safest use of this herb is to place pieces of the root or dried berries in an amulet or pouch. Gaffling spirits will be unable to see someone protected this way, and thus they will be unable to attack without the direct guidance of a Jaggling or stronger spirit. Any offensive action taken against any spirit will negate this effect, defensive actions, however, does not break the invisibility.
Hemlock:
Rage Rating: Seven.
Other names: Herb bennet, poison parsley, spotted hemlock, water parsley.
Effects: Said to be used for inducing astral projection, the juice rubbed onto a blade empowers and purifies it, giving the wielder the opportunity to strike ONCE through the Gauntlet as if he was using the Fostern Theurge gift Spirit Knife (Book of Auspices) once per application. To overcome the Gauntlet barrier, the user must have Gnosis equal to 1+ the Gauntlet rating, and any non-Theurge using this herb must roll Gnosis at the Gauntlet's difficulty. Only one success is needed to penetrate the Gauntlet.
Hemp:
Rage Rating: Three.
Other names: Herb bennet, poison parsley, spotted hemlock, water parsley.
Effects: A long time favorite of the Children of Gaia, this herb is not only good for making ropes and clothes, but when smoked, it can bring visions as well as help with meditation, reducing the difficulty of all Meditation rolls by one. While under the effects of the sanctified herb, peace settles in the mind of a Garou and all Rage are rolled at +1 difficulty, including rolling Rage to remain alive.
I
Ivy:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The vines of this plant are great as an impromptu rope, but when sanctified, the Ivy offers protection beyond all else. Wrapping oneself in the vines of the Sanctified and still living Ivy allows the Ivy to protect a Garou in need of safety and healing, by turning him into a tree. When a tree, a Garou can take no action, but can hear, see and smell anything in his vicinity as normal. Being a tree gives the Garou three additional health levels and two extra soak dice. Ivy will never aid a Garou who is not harmed or fleeing from a superior foe.
J
Juniper:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: This evergreen tree offers protection against theft. In old times, the superstitious would bind up a branch over the door, but Garou know that the true strength lies in Sanctifying the Juniper. A handful of needles burned inside a room make the things inside the room be protected against theft for a maximum of weeks equal to the Garou's Gnosis. Removing an item from the room will require a Willpower roll at difficulty sven for anyone not present for the burning. If the Willpower roll is failed, the thief has an overpowering feeling they will be caught and leaves before taking the item.
K
Kelp:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Ladderwrack, sea spirit, seawrack.
Effects: The Kelp from the open sea brings wealth, and when Sanctified can offer one of two things. Either it can be brought along for negotiations of wealth and it will provide knowledge (+2 dice to dicepools) for bargaining... this includes mental, social, or physical means, provided it relates to the negotiations. Kelp also permits the Garou to breath water (like Uktena gift Spirit of the Fish) when bound as a face mask for a number of hours equal to the Garou's gnosis rating.
Knotweed:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Knotgrass, bistort, tear-thumb, mile-a-minute, ars-smerte..
Effects: The sanctified uses of this herb are more commonly known to Silent Striders but other tribes have learned the lore over the years. Knotweed helps a Garou to make escapes or to get somewhere quickly. A stalk of Knotweed weaved between toes makes the users strides immense, making him able to run incredibly fast. However this only works if the user is barefoot. This operates the same as the Strider gift Speed of Thought.
L
Lavender:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: When Sanctified, the leaves of Lavender in a drink will rob the drinker of any sexual urges, but the leaves will afterwards - if worn in an amulet along with dried rosemary - remove the urges from people coming into physical contact with the wearer. This makes it an excellent aid for people living in chastity, and has been used by some Black Furies and enterprising Ragabash to give male targets difficulties.
Lily:
Rage Rating: Three.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The symbol of Chastity, Purity and Innocence, the sanctified Lily when worn will do the same thing as Lavender. In addition, the Lily will protect the wearer from corruption from the outside, raising the difficulty to affect the wearer with corrupting powers by two, but it only protect a virgin. The protection lasts for a week per success.
Lucky Hand:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Lucky Hand mixed with Fivefinger grass makes the sly hand even more so. Stealing and gambling becomes a second nature to one wearing a bracelet of Lucky Hand and Fivefinger Grass around each wrist, known as the Slyhand Bracelet, granting two extra dice to roll on all stealth, lock picking or gambling rolls. The bracelets however can be used only once.
M
Mandrake:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: Herb of Circe, witches mannikin, wild lemon, sorcerer's root.
Effects: Few herbs are as steeped in magical lore as mandrake. It is associated with the most intense practices of herbal magic and when Sanctified, burning the dry leaves of the mandrake can call images of visions out for all to see. The user concentrates on a memory and what he remembers plays out in details in the smoke, visible for all onlookers. This is especially helpful when sharing images of people or places. Dealing with the root, however, is complicated. Prior to Sanctifying a dried mandrake, it must be placed on a cloth undisturbed for three nights in a place where the moon in the sky can shine upon it. Then it must be placed in a bowl of milk while the Rite of Sanctification is performed upon it.
May Apple:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: American mandrake, duck's foot, hog apple, racoon berry.
Effects: Can be used as a substitution for European (true) mandrake.
Mistletoe:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Witches broom, thunderbesom, holy wood, golden bough.
Effects: If you stand under a mistletoe, anyone is allowed to kiss you. Garou know Mistletoe for different qualities, not just this silly human superstitions and lore. Carrying a twig of sanctified Mistletoe will bring luck in Hunting, giving +1 dice to any roll involving tracking, setting traps or stalking your prey. The berries will bring Fertility if kept under the mattress and Health to any child conceived by them. The thorns can be used to pierce the eyelids, earlobes and nostrils of someone under the influence of a spirit to aid the user in Exorcism, decreasing the difficulty of drawing out spirits of a human or animal target by one. Mistletoe is a strong little fellow.
Moonseed:
Rage Rating: Seven.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Moonseed has always been a killer and it is hungry for more. Having been used to poison the tips of arrows in ancient times, the Garou know how to sanctify the herb, making the juice of the berries lethal not only to beings of Flesh, but also to those of Spirit. Sanctified Moonseed juice will make a mundane projectile (bullet, arrow or bolt) not only pain wrecking, but also enable them to harm the denizens of the Umbra. The poison will make any physical target or spirit be racked with; pain removing one die from all dicepools for the scene. The poison also grants +1 to damage dicepools. The projectiles can be prepared prior to use, but once fired, the projectile must be dipped in the poison again before being re-used (in the case of bolts and arrows). Each success on the Awakening roll determines how many vials of the poison can be extracted, each vial is good for five applications of the poison, but the Moonseed wants death in return for its services.
Mugwort:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Artemis herb, Artemisia, Felon herb, Muggons, Naughty Man, Sailor's Tobacco, St. John's Plant, (not St. John's wort).
Effects: A traveler by heart and a friend of the Silent Striders, yet bound to its place of growth, the Mugwort is more than happy to help Garou on long journeys. When Sanctified, Mugwort is put in shoes or worn in an amulet; it gives hostile spirits +1 difficulty to affect the wearer during long-distance travels. When bound with the feather of a sparrow, the time needed to return to his home after a long journey is reduced. There is a lucky streak of green lights, an earlier boat or plane was delayed so the Garou can hitch a swifter ride, allowing a Garou to travel much faster, as long as he travels straight back without any intentional detours.
N
Nightshade:
Rage Rating: Seven.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Children are warned not to imbibe Nightshade berries, as they are rather poisonous, but a common talen amongst Garou takes its name from this plant and that is for a reason. Originally the Nightshade talen was made by the juice of this sanctified herb. Garou herbalists tell how the Garou grew careless, harvesting the seeds along with the juice from the berries and forgetting to offer the seeds back to the ground. The Nightshade grew vengeful over this neglect and called down her own vengeance. Anyone imbibing even a single sanctified seed of Nightshade will be plagued by dreams of death for one turn of the moon, starting with just dreams of sudden death to overwhelming nightmares about being torn asunder, and when the time is up, the seeds will start growing inside the imbiber, killing him with one aggravated heath level per day that cannot be soaked or regenerated as he's being torn up from the inside, and when he dies, Nightshade will grow from his remains, thus spreading its seeds where neglect and carelessness would have it die out. The vengeance is still in effect today. The Garou have become anxious and though the name remains, the Nightshade talen is commonly made by binding a night spirit now, but the Herbalist Garou know how to harvest the juice... and even the seeds for more sinister purposes. The only way of stopping the impending death is by pleading your cause to the Nightshade from where the seeds were harvested in the first place. Most Nightshades will accept an apology, but the poison wise herbalist has made it worth the plants efforts. ((Rare are the Garou that know the actual lore and purpose of the Nightshade; mostly Elder Theurges that devoted their entire lives to herbalism))
O
Oak:
Rage Rating: Three.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: A respected and honored member of the Plants, the Oak is revered for its wisdom and worshipped throughout the ages for Protection, Strength and Endurance. Any building with roots of sanctified oak in the walls will stand strong, even in the face of earthquakes and hurricanes.
Olive:
Rage Rating: Three.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: An herb native to the tribal lands of the Black Furies, it can be no surprise that the tribe has found what the Sanctified tree has to offer. The olive branch has been seen as a symbol of peace for as long as anyone can remember, and when sanctified, a twig held by one Garou and called upon will raise the difficulty of Rage rolls by two within the carrier's Gnosis*2 yards as long as the carrier does not encourage violence. This effect can only be used once by sanctified branch, and lasts for one scene.
Orris:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Florentine Iris, Queen Elizabeth Root.
Effects: Finding love can mean many things, but for those Garou who know of the Orris, another meaning is added. A pendulum made with a small piece of the wood reduces the difficulty when used for the Rite of the Questing Stone by two for the Garou trying to find his family, his packmates or someone else that the Garou harbors strong positive feelings for. The effect can only be used once per sanctified root.
P
Peyote:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Known for countless generations by the Purelanders, few amongst the Garou have the wisdom (or courage) to Sanctify this herb, for its strengths are many. First it allows one, who ingests it, to step into the Umbra without a roll and remain there for a number of hours equaling his Gnosis. If boiled, the infusion created will allow a deranged person to ignore his Derangement for as many hours as his Gnosis and finally - if drunk as tea, the drinker will get a full night's sleep - ignoring disturbances until awaking refreshed at next sunrise.
Q
Quince:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The tree bears fruits looking like a golden hybrid between an apple and a pear. The fruit is tied into traditions and stories from the lands where they grow, but the Garou know the darker side of the fruit that can be called upon when sanctified. All parts of the fruit, including the seeds, brings out happiness... but it is the kind of blind happiness that turns the imbiber into a drooling, blissfully ignorant meat bag. The peel can be dried and added to beverages, adding a sweetness to the drink, the fruit can be cooked in a variety of ways, it is especially popular in desserts, and the seeds can be dried and crushed and added to tobacco for smoking. For a few hours, an imbiber will just sit there, look emptily into the air and eat, drink or smoke until nothing remains and then he'll just sit there and smile until the effect fades, leaving him with no memory of anything unusual happening, only the nice experience it was to eat, drink or smoke. A rush of adrenaline (such as if he is attacked or otherwise in immediate danger) will wake him prematurely, but not give him back any memory of seeing or hearing anything out of the usual prior to the awakening.
R
Ragwood:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Courage has its place and amongst the flowers, the Ragweed stands strong even in the face of danger. The leaves, if chewed and placed on the eyes, brings courage to the Garou, giving the Garou courage to face hardships and trials without faltering, granting +1 dice to resist fear-inducing powers.
S
Sage:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Sage being the name of a great variety of plants, the Common Sage is the one most commonly used by Garou. All Sages are able to lend their wisdom to Garou, and water with a few drops of tincture can offer clarity for a single task, reducing the difficulty of a single Intelligence based roll by one, but only if the Garou has given the matter at hand at least one attempt prior, negating the increased difficulty on the second roll.
Saint John's Wort:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: Known for it's ability to assist fortitude of the mind, this herb when sanctified, grants a +1 difficulty against Gifts or powers that effect the mental or emotional states for one scene. Also when it's awakened it has been noted to help limit the severity of seizures.
T
Thistle:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The Thistles strengths are twofold. First it can break magic. Upon using the thorns to cut the skin in special patterns, it can draw out magic cast on the target. Rolling the herbs' Rage against the permanent Willpower of the caster, the thistle draws out magical effects, breaking hexes and depending on successes, might even bleed out dormant magic still waiting to take effect, making it leave the body like thick, black blood. The second effect is that of the enraging snakes. Using the milk of the thistles mixed with a drop of blood, snakes will appear out of every hollow and creak, enraged, and attacking anything within sight. The invoker will - as the only one - not be attacked. Rolling Gnosis at difficult of the local Gauntlet is needed. If failed, a combination of constrictors and venomous snakes will appear. The summoner has no further control over the snakes.
Tobacco:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The strength of Tobacco is well known, and in any rite where Tobacco is used, awakening it first grants an extra two dice to any Strength roll. Additionally, smoking the tobacco will draw calm, letting the Garou meditate easier and for longer periods of time, lowering the difficulty to meditate by one.
V
Valerian:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: Heliotrope.
Effects: Known through the ages for its strength lying in Sleep, Purification and Protection, it has been used as a relaxing tea and it has been said to be good in protection magic, but what few mortals know about is the vicious side of the sanctified Valerian. If harvested under the waxing moon and then sanctified, Valerian offers protection against bad dreams, giving a full night's rest to those sleeping in a room where the leaves has been burned. If harvested under the waning moon, however, Valerian becomes the opposite. Calling upon night terrors to strike all who sleeps in the room, no rest will come to the unlucky soul, but rather nightmare upon nightmare, reducing all dicepools the following day by one until he can get a chance to rest. This effect is cumulative and can reduce someone's dicepool to a minimum of one until he get a chance to sleep for a full night (eight hours) undisturbed.
Venus Flytrap:
Rage Rating: Seven.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: A carnivorous plant, the Flytrap cares little for the rage of a Garou, having more in common with the Defenders of Gaia than most other plants. The Venus Flytrap locks around its prey and does not let go, but slowly devours it. The Sanctified Venus Flytrap will lend that power to a Garou who proves himself worthy to the plant. Like the Venus flytrap bites on to and slowly devours its prey, the Garou consuming a small bit of the sanctified root of the plant can in Crinos eat anything up to the size of a human child (around 70 lbs) and afterwards shift form and still carry the (un)lucky victim without it seeming to be anything but a full stomach. Upon entering the gullet of Garou Flytrap, the victim (or item) in question becomes immobilized and takes one unsoakable health level of damage. For every three hours it remains inside the Garou, another health level will be thusly lost, but oddly enough, suffocation is not an issue and the victim is able to breathe for as long as the Garou is. Should the garou die while a victim is trapped inside, the victim will be able to move again and will be able to pull free, bursting from the guts of the Garou in a quite spectacular fashion. One can only hope to be released thusly on the right side of the Gauntlet. The Garou -can- release the victim himself by having his full stomach ripped open either by himself or someone else, but he will take ten minus the number of health levels that the victim has endured so far in aggravated, which can be soaked. Should ALL the aggravated damage be soaked, the victim will remain trapped. At least one health level of aggravated must go through soak for the gullet to burst. Regardless, the Garou should roll Rage unless somehow resisting the pain inflicted. It is serious business to rip open your own guts.
W
Walnut:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: After a particularly violent childbirth where death rather than life is the outcome, a female Garou may seek solitude, and there sprinkle sawdust of walnut mixed with blood and tears over her abdomen to have the damage close, and over her breasts to still the milk. The Sanctified spirit of the Walnut when called upon will harden her, calm her heart and make sure that it will never happen again, rendering the mother infertile and bringing the soul of the child back to Gaia. Few female Garou choose to kill a metis after birth, calling upon Walnut to carry its innocent soul back to the Earth for another chance of reincarnation. The price to pay is the same regardless.
Willow:
Rage Rating: Five.
Other names: Sallow, osier.
Effects: Another of the Black Furies' ways of protecting a pregnant Garou or Kin. A talisman bound with the new shoots of willow will protect the child inside the womb, shielding it from outside influences and also giving the pregnant Garou +1 difficulty to Rage for as long as the pregnancy lasts. The leaves of a willow placed on the belly of the mother will reveal not only the gender, but also if it is a trueborn resting inside. If the leaves are saved and mixed with the amniotic fluid from the birth, it can tell of the fate of the child, though interpreting the signs is a way more difficult matter. Willow bark has also been long known as a natural remedy for pain. When sanctified this effect is intensified to the level of effect of many of the stronger modern pain medications. (Morphine) but without any ill effects.
Woundwort:
Rage Rating: Four.
Gnosis Rating: 5
Other names: Plantain.
Effects: When Sanctified, this plant provides powerful healing. When used as a poultice or brewed into a tincture, it can heal any kind of damage or disease. The plant heals as many levels of damage as it has Gnosis per use.
Y
Yaupon:
Rage Rating: Four.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: The leaves boiled in water allows the drinker to ignore fatigue and go on without sleep to a maximum of three days. Afterwards, the user must sleep off the effect. Also used in Divination, a Theurge can see the taint of herself and anyone who shares the cup with her.
Yucca:
Rage Rating: Six.
Other names: N/A.
Effects: An ancient symbol of transformation, the Yucca lends its strength to the Garou in many ways, the first is that of the subtle change. The ashes of the burnt leaves can change the features of a Garou, making her seem inconspicuous, or seem like someone else entirely without being able to take on the exact appearance of a specific individual. Each success on the activation roll adds one difficulty to pick the Garou out in a lineup. In the Umbra, carrying a necklace bound of the leaves of this sanctified herb can make the wearer mimic the gift of Shape changing granted by Chimera to her packs. At any one point during the one scene, the Garou can roll Gnosis at difficulty seven to take on any disguise, though it is only visual and only an illusion.