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"Only afr.er disasr.er can we be resurrected. It's only afr.er you've lost everything that you're free to do anything."

-Tyler Durden, Fight Club ftJr#lo/for #ll 6'm/ I won't beg. I won't roll over. And 1 sure as fuck don't intend [0 play dead.

Usten: These are the final days of the world, and 1 intend to survive them by any means necessary. You may have seen my brothers and sisr.ers sitting on street comers, wandering the streets, or screaming to the heavens. Did you think they were just bums? You didn't know what they really were, but you stopped long enough to wonder. They've been watching your city, living as the refuse ofyour society. That's finethey're the outcasts of ouT society, coo: the extremists, the slackers, the rabble and the rejects. They're the bastard children of my familymy tribe.

You don't undersrand, but you will. Let me be straight: I'm not human. I don't fit intO your world. Only my tribe undersrands me.

Maybe I'm a little coo feral, or maybe yourawlurrities shouldn'tseewhat 1 keephidtlendownhere. The shotgun. The shovel. My mystic artifacts and my crowbar. I have no job, nohome,andnolegalidentification, but I do have a mission: purifying the world by killing anything that doesn't belong there. See? You've started co undersrand. At least you haven't started co run. That would be bad.

I ain't nobody's dog. I dohaveacertain ... undersranding ... with the creatures of the wild, but I'm more than an animal, much more.

Think of me as beast in human skin, a natural born killer wrapped in human flesh. A man with the heart of a wolf, sow speak. You feel that, coo, don' tyou? And then there are the rats. My god speaks come through the rats. You don't undersrand, but you will. You think I'm insane?

What burns in my blood burns in yours. That's why we found you.

That's why we've been watching you. The spirits brought us co you.

You're just like me. Wait and see.

My brothers andsisr.ers have been watchingyourworld, and even they don't understand it. They're the outcasts and outsiders no one else will accept: homeless men and religious fanatics; mental patients turned urban mystics; white trash and urban anarchists; college dropouts and petty criminals. Some of those fools think that the god of our tribe is a god of peace, a mother who heals, and nurtures, and feeds them. But you and me, we're betr.er than that. We know our god is a god of war. Tlley're the rabble that have been walking the Earth, waiting for the day when heroes like you and me would come out of hiding. We've been biding our time and stockpiling our weapons.

Waiting for the end of the world.

How do I know? Our tribe has its own share of mystics and visionaries, madmen and shamans who live in filth and poverty, suffering for the true signs. Our people have been gathering in the heart of humanity for centuries, watching your world decay and waiting for its demise. The other tribes---oh, yes, there are other tribes, too--they've tried co scop the evil, but we know better. You and me, we're going to outlive them aU. They'll sacrifice themselves ina glorious orgy of self-destruction, but we intend to be the las tones standing. We've seen the true signs, and we understand.

The other tribes, they don't know the Truth. They've shamed us and reviled us, cast us out and beaten us down. But we've been watching over them the whole time while living among :you. Gathering trash.

Sleeping in filth. Gnawing on the carcass of the world. And spawning our bastard children across the planet. People like me. People like :you. You thinkl'mcraz:y! I knowwhere:youreall:ycamefrom. An:ytimenow, :your wholeworldisgoingtoclumge. You'reaboutread:yfar:yourChange, too, and once that happens, whatl'm sa:yingwiU all make sense. And I'U be here waiting far :you, right down here, far when :you're read:y.

Wait and see.

Bone Gnawers live on the fringes of society-not just human society, butGarou culture as well. Surrounded by mankind's largest cities, they avoid the snare of the Weaver's webs. Unfettered by jobs, financial debts, or the obligations of maimrream 50Ciery, the tribe exists outside a system that binds humanity in servitude-at least, from the nibe's point of view. Freedom and democracy are their highest ideals, closely followed by equality for all. As the most egalitarian tribe, the Bone Gnawers accept many Garou who reject the laws and dictates other tribes impose. Anyone who bears Gaia's blessing and can survive adversity is worthy of joining their family.

While Bone Gnawers see themselves as staunch idealists, other tribes view them very differently. Despite the Bone Gnawers' grand ideals, others claim, the tribe has obviously failed to attain them. Sure, they're all equal - equally poor, universally shunned, and openly ridiculed by the other Garou.

Their reluctance to meet society's obligations is often interpreted as apathy, cowardice, or laziness.

Themostvisibletribalistsoftenappearinsane,soinfusedwith the spirit of the Wyld that it's driven them to madness. Urban spirituality blurs the line between physical reality and Umbra! distractions, to the point where Theurges often cannot tell the difference between the two. Many cliath simply think of the tribe as a pack of ''homeless werewolves," scrounging, smelling pitiful curs who live like scavenging animals. The thought oflooking past that shabby appearance is repulsive. Because of that revulsion, that's often the only image they see. The truth runs deeper.

The least visible Bone Gnawers are apathetic slackers and dropouts, rabble who refuse to even attend local moots ... unless there's something in it for them. The most estranged outsiders live in squalid neighborhoods far from Garou septs, developing their own camps and extended families. Yet because of this, Bone Gnawers aren't just the last line of defense against the Wyrmthey're often the onl:y line of defense in places that aren't blessed with sacred ground and a well-guarded urban caern.

Away from the scorn of other tribes, Bone Gnawers have learned to survive with almost nothing, living off trash, handouts, andpity.Twoconstantsunifythem-theirthinstrainsof"jackal's blood" and their povertyyet despite great adversity, the tribe forges great heroes, underdogs who triumph against impossible odds. Hiding their true strengrh, they intend to survive the worst horrors the Wyrm can muster. After all the other tribes have fallen to the horrors of the Apocalypse, the Bone Gnawers intend to be the last tribe standing ... even if they must stand alone. :J:lrd-CM~tt Long before the First Change, a true Bone Gnawer stands out from the restofhumanity-usuallyout in the cold. Froman early age, most of the tribe's homids just don't fit in human society.

While they may not know of the Weaver's madness, they can still sense that the order and conformity around them is a lie. By the time a homid Bone Gnawer hits adolescence, the world around him seems like a sham. Jobs are thankless, school is pointless, and independence is far more glamorous, at any price. Thus, by the time of the First Change, many homid cubs have already left broken homes, begun wandering the globe, started begging or performing on the streets, or embraced "voluntary simplicity."

Dreams hint that the identity the poor fool knows is not his real one. Rage stirs, driving him to long walks, abandoned jobs, shattered relationships, or even outbreaks of mental illness. The need to conform fades. Wealth becomes meaningless. Success becomes irrelevant. The cub then severs all his ties to the human world. A few lash out at authority in the cities they grow up in, sensing something hidden behind every corporation, legal enforcement agency, and urban institution they encounter. Many are driven to heights of fury by the sights of corruption, suffering, and exploitation around them, horrors others would just as soon ignore.

That rage builds and builds until theoutcast'sFirstChange.

The experience is painful, but in a heartbeat, it reveals the cub's true self. The cub has no doubt suspected that something was hidden behind the scenes of reality. The first transformation confirms it. With hyperattenuated senses, the Bone Gnawer feels the ozone stench of conformity all around him: the force of the Weaver binding everything in her lifeless webs. Glass Walkers learn to accept and exploit the Weaver, but Bone Gnawers reject it. If they haven't dropped out ofhuman society by the time of their First Change, their first rage against the Weaver webs assures it.

And behind the scenes of reality, a darker force preys upon mankind as welL A cub can smell and sense it everywhere, but cannot name it yet. Lurking behind urban nightmares, a tangible evil wraps its tendrils around those who succumb to greed, addiction, or despair: the tentacles of the Wyrm eroding the fabric of reality. Other Garou may only Change when first confronted with danger or violence, but urban cubs twitch to the pulse of the city.

Over time, just about any stimulus can push them over the edge, laying bare the primal nature of the world. &hd t1mrR~IJr~ .:ff~ttnl'11m/ It~ A werewolf's destiny is often defined by how he reacts to the First Change. A potential Bone Gnawer may run and hide, or he might go mad trying to survive. Some of the tribe's greatest heroes didn't have Bone Gnawer parentsthey simply reacted to the First Change as a typical Bone Gnawer would. A homid may sever all his ties to his former life, abandoning his job, his family, or even sanity to wander the world. A lupus might leave the wildemess to investigate the mysteries of the big city. A met is may be so filled with shame and remorse that he flees his sept, convinced that he can survive on his own. Many Bone Gnawers aren't born into the tribethey tum to it because they don't really belong anywhere else.

Bone Gnawers who have been cur off from their KinFetches-the spirits that identify lost Garou cubs-may not realize that there other werewolves in the world, brothers and sisters who can help them. Obsessed with their bizarre curse, many spiral into poverty, run from the law, or rake to rhe streets. These survivors are obviously prime candidates for the Bone Gnawer tribe, no matter who their parents may be.

Cubs who are lucky enough to be rescued still may not know which of the twelve tribes their parents followed. Those with an obvious ethnic heritageincluding people ofNative American, Scandinavian, Irish, Russian or Eastern European descent - are sometimes passed on to a particular tribe. However, while a few tribes have rites for identifying cubs that share their tribal heritage, most do not.

As a result, a few stereotypical cubs are sent to the Bone Gnawer elders first: homids from broken homes, scrawny, scavenging lupus, children from impoverished neighborhoods and slums, "white trash," high-school dropouts, struggling workers, runaways, addicts and transients. After all, if it's somebody else's problem, the Bone Gnawers should know how to handle it. A Silver Fang's glorious ancestry may be obvious in his regal, charismatic bearing, but a "problem cub" usually becomes a problem for the Bone Gnawers. 17FJP tfFNr.HJd.F'.I_, 917./'hRm/ Bnn/ While outsiders may consider the Bone Gnawer tribe the detritus and dross of the Garou Nation, a small yet determined contingent of hardworking Gnawers are deeply offended by the notion. Because the tribe has always stood up for the underdog, many of its cliath are attracted to Kinfolk who work hard and struggle regardless of adversity. Cynics claim it's because they're trying to scam food and crash space, but many of these Gnawer's cubs grow up in blue-collar backgrounds, watching a Kinfolk parent leave home everyday for long hours of hard work.

As many of these cubs can tell you, the legendary figure of John Henry was allegedly based on a Bone Gnawer like them. Galliards claim he hammered his way through a wall of rock in Crinos form to prove he was stronger than an Iron Rider's steam engine. Like Strong Henry, these heroes aren't afraid to take on tasks that seem impossible. They're born Bone Gnawers. For their tribe, they'll struggle on like heroes, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against them or what their reputation might be.

A dedicated core of the Bone Gnawer tribe knows its way around construction sites, steel mills, railroad yards, and seedy bars. They may not have much growing up, but despite bad luck, they fight for everything they get. No matter how poor they are, they're proud of their tribe. For them, every outcast adopted into the tribe is a potential ally against its detractors. Rat's brood believes in strength in numbers, and the ranks of these hardcore supporters are growing. In tribal moots, they refer to themselves as "Rat's Teeth."

I j ' I..

The First Change reveals a Garou's true identity, granting him Gaia's power in all its glory. Yet for some, the Change is a terrifying experience, one they resist with all their strength. Because they don't want to discard their old identity -or because they're desperately trying to hold on to what little they havethey muster all the strength of will they can to resist the transformation. (Think of it, if you like, as burning Willpower every time the Change is about to occur.) Over time, this can devastate a Garou's psyche, driving him to the very brink of sanity. In a few extreme cases, when the First Change finally does happen, it drives the poor Garou to madness.

Lunatics are Garou who have been driven to insanity because of the trauma of their First Change. The Litany is strict about those stricken with sickness, and every tribe treats these rare cases differently. As one would expect, many of them are adopted either by the Children of Gaia or the Bone Gnawers. Insanity is seen by some as a blessing, particularly among Theurges, but the ranks of the Bone Gnawer tribe have an unusually high percentage of Lunatics and madmen. With so many mentally ill humans wandering the streets, Bone Gnawer Lunatics have found a place in the midst of human society. Some even manage to overcome their mental illness enough to function to some extent in Garou society. The Aaws in Chapter Three offer a few unusual ways to accommodate this idea in your game. ~#lv tf~ll/.M~IJ When a tribe sends a cub on her Rite ofPassage, elders watch for the qualities they value most. Bone Gnawers value survival and self-sufficiency; thus, werewolveswhosurviveagainst impossible odds attract their attention. Despite this, the Rite of Passage is often little more ilian a formality for this tribe. Kin who have lived on the street, wandered across continents with next to nothing, endured poverty in rural backwaters, or starved in the wilderness have already proven their ability to survive. Asking these cubs togo out and perform a task on the tribe's behalf merely confirms what the tribal elders already know: the cub is a survivor, a trait all Bone Gnawers value.

Unfortunately, this attitude has led some elders to become very lax when conducting the appropriate rites. For the least ambitious Garou, joining the Bone Gnawer tribe is an easy way out. Their standards are low, and they don't ask much in return.

Some of the other tribes claim that the Bone Gnawers accept too many lost cubs too quickly, no doubt in an effort to strengthen their own numbers. This notion has a grain of truth.

Within the tribe exists a vast swarm of rabble, werewolves who barely participate in Garou septs and only occasionally show up for tribal activities. As the most loosely defined part of the tribe, they are sometimes summoned in times of war, unrest, revolution, or political strife. Behind its apathetic image, the tribe hides its strength and numbers, like a nest of rats breeding in a forgotten sewer tunnel or condemned building. Garou who are born and bred as Bone Gnawers treat the rabble as allies, comrades, or potential shock troops, depending on their personal beliefs.

As a contrast to the apathetic rabble, Bone Gnawer heroes strive to distinguish themselves, both as cubs on their Rite of Passage and as cliath. They aren't held in much esteem, so they have to work twice as hard for half as much respect. Idealists value the renown of other Garou and fight for their deepest beliefs. Those who see Rat as a totem of war prove themselves by fighting the Wyrm and Weaver, and Rat's children prove themselves by fighting dirty. Even when a Bone Gnawer hero is down on his belly, he knows how to strike from below.

Some packs are reluctant to bring a Bone Gnawer cub on their passage rite, or treat her so shabbily that the cub would rather go on her own personal visionquest. Many Ragabash who mock, disdain, or reject the values of Garou society take this route. A Bone Gnawer on a solitary Rite of Passage may be asked to spy on human rivals, break into a corporate office, sabotage a construction sire, scour our a threat to the human population of a city, or destroy the Wyrm spirits breeding in a seedy neighborhood single-handedly. A few volunteer for direct action and activism by doing their part in protests, riots, animal liberation movements, ecoterrorism, or simply shocking displays of public art. As one would expect, these extreme measures sometimes serve as acts of rebellion against the ideals of the other tribes.

Leading an urban tribe of war, elders often secretly recruit cubs that have fought the Weaver, human authority, or even the Garou Nation. This underground movement is steadily growing, hidden behind a horde of struggling Bone Gnawers who don't display their political beliefs openly. Outsiders see a tribe of rejects, losers, dropouts, and slackers. Behind this camouflage, a few singular Bone Gnawers hide talents for violence, criminality, urban spirituality, and rebellion. To tl1e Garou Nation, the shabbily dressed Bone Gnawers are a joke, bur the tribe's most fanatic supporters intend to get the lastlaugh. The tribe's totem, Rat, hides his "Teeth" until he needs them; he is willing to use any means necessary to ensure his survival when forced to extremes. t/~~ Two tribes have a far greater urban population than any other tribe: the Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers. Reviled as urrah, or "tainted ones," they are the subject of many lies, conspiracies, and outrageous accusations. Some cliath falsely believe that all Bone Gnawers readily defer to the Glass Walkers, often volunteering to work for them in exchange for money, food, and favors. After all, rumor has it that a Bone Gnawer will lie, cheat, and steal for just about anything if he's desperate enough. "Anything for a cheeseburger" has become the unofficial motto of the tribe - at least according to their critics. Whenever a desperate Garou sells out to help the Walkers, it confirms this reputation.

Despite these stories, there is no real reason for all urban werewolves to work together. For a start, the two tribes aren't the only ones with Kin in the big city. Children of Gaia living close to their Kinfolk, Fiarma with close ties to Irish, English, and Scottish relations, and Black Furies drawn to urban activism all live in cities too. The Glass Walkers and Bone Gnawers just represent two extremes. These differences can force Garou from these tribes apart as often as they encourage them to work together.

Many cubs think the principal difference between the two urban tribes is wealth. Glass Walkers seem to have a lot of cash,