Fetishes
Gaia's Chosen may use the Rite of the Fetish (see p.
213) to bind spirits into appropriately crafted and conse-
crated vessels. Such wondrous items are known as fetishes.
The owner of a fetish can call upon the spirit within to
perform specific tasks, depending on the nature of the
vessel and the spirit. Given the multitude ofspirits within
the Tellurian and the ingenuity of the Garou, fetishes of
almost any type imaginable may be created.
Werewolves hold great reverence toward fetishes,
treating them as honored allies rather than mere tools.
Such is the nature of the pact that binds spirits into fe-
tishes; they are obligated to serve the Garou only as long
as they are respected in return. It is possible to bind a spirit
against its will, but these fetishes tend to be rebellious,
and most Garou consider them cursed.
Of course, the servants of the Wyrm bind Banes into
horrifying fetishes of their own...
The majority of fetishes are crafted from natural
materials (wood, hide, bone, clay), although this is more
a preference of most spirits than a hard rule Glass
Walkers, in particular, tend to bind spirits that prefer
more modern, technological housing. Few fetishes are
nondescript; Garou adorn them with carved river stones,
feathers, beads, and other markings to honor and appease
the spirit within.
To use a fetish, the Garou must first attune herself
to it by making a Gnosis roll. The difficulty for this roll
is the fetish's Gnosis rating. Attunement establishes a
spiritual bond between fetish and user, enabling the
Garou to take the fetish anywhere in the Tellurian
and providing instinctive understanding of the fetish's
powers. Only a single success is required to attune to
the fetish; failure indicates that the fetish has rejected
the character. Another roll may not be attempted until
the werewolf has somehow reached accord with the
resident spirit. Attunement also effectively "dedicates"
a fetish to its wielder, as though the Rite of Talisman
Dedication had been performed on it. Since fetishes
have their own Gnosis, an attuned fetish doesn't count
against the maximum number of objects a werewolf can
have dedicated to him.
Each time the wielder wishes to use one of the fetish's
powers, the player must make a Gnosis roll (difficulty
equal to the fetish's Gnosis rating) to "activate" the power.
Alternatively, she may simply spend a Gnosis point to
activate the power automatically. Rage may not be spent
during the same turn in which a fetish is activated.
