Kinfolk

Those that Bridge the Kingdoms of Humans and Beasts

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Who They Are

Kinfolk are humans who carry the wolf-blood of the Garou without having undergone the First Change. They are recognized members of their Tribe — not as lesser beings but as the human community that the Garou depend on and are responsible for in return. Kinfolk carry more spirituality and connection to nature than ordinary humans, though they do not usually possess the spiritual component necessary to undergo the First Change themselves.

Since Eshtarra's Restoration, Kinfolk have been blessed with an affinity to certain Auspices, much as modern Garou are. They can learn limited Gifts — one from their Tribe and one from their Auspice at creation — and begin play with a small pool of Gnosis that replenishes daily. They are not Garou. But they are not ordinary humans either, and their Tribe knows it.

Parentage

Kinfolk are born from the union of a Kinfolk and a Fera, or a Kinfolk and a mortal. At least one parent must have been mortal or Kinfolk — a child born of two Garou is a Metis, not a Kinfolk. Kinfolk cannot be turned into Lilum or any other supernatural species. Their blood is what it is.

Starting Attribute Priority

Category	Priority	Starting Points
Physical	Primary	7 points
Social	Secondary	5 points
Mental	Tertiary	3 points

Kinfolk from Fianna or Children of Eshtarra lineages may prefer Social primary. Glass Walker Kinfolk may prefer Mental primary. Discuss with your Mentor.

Gnosis — The Kinfolk's Resource

Starting Gnosis	3
Replenishment	Full daily replenishment through rest and connection to the natural world
Gift Access	Rank 1 Honor and Wisdom Gifts from their Tribe and Auspice only. No Rage Gifts ever.
Starting Gifts	2 free Gifts at creation — one Tribe Gift (Honor or Wisdom), one Auspice Gift (Honor or Wisdom)
Cannot Access	Rage Gifts of any type. Rank 2 or higher Gifts without Mentor approval and significant in-character justification.

Rage — The Kinfolk's Risk

Kinfolk do not carry Rage the way Garou do — it isn't a permanent resource they manage. Instead it builds as a response to extreme circumstances: severe pain, public humiliation, watching a loved one endangered or killed. When it builds too high, it erupts.

Rage Accumulation	1 temporary Rage from severe pain, public humiliation, or threat to loved ones.
Frenzy Threshold	At Rage 5, the Kinfolk frenzies. Roll Willpower (diff 7) to maintain any control.
Frenzy Failure	Shifts into a partial or full Crinos form and loses control — see The Full Shift below.
Rage Recovery	Drops by 1 per scene of calm. Regular stress management keeps most Kinfolk well below threshold.

The Full Shift — Risk and Consequence

In extreme circumstances, a Kinfolk may shift fully into Crinos. This is not a power. It is an emergency with serious risk.

Trigger	Rage 5 and failed Willpower (diff 7), or a life-or-death emergency shift
1–2 Successes on Willpower	Shifts into Crinos but retains minimal awareness. Requires Garou intervention or restraint to survive. High risk of injury or death.
3+ Successes on Willpower	Shifts into Crinos with partial awareness. Can direct actions with effort but cannot shift back without assistance. Traumatic regardless of outcome.
Surviving the Full Shift	A Kinfolk who survives without dying becomes a full Garou — the First Change has occurred. Begins at Rank 1 Cliath and transfers their sheet.
Failing the Full Shift	Without sufficient Willpower or Garou assistance, the body may not survive the shift. Not guaranteed death — but a serious risk.

Kinfolk Immunities

• Immune to Delirium — the Crinos form of their Tribe does not trigger the fear response in them
• Require only half the successes on recovery rolls for diseases, toxins, drugs, and poisons
• Can drown and take environmental damage normally

Kinfolk Special Gifts

Beyond standard Tribe and Auspice Gift access, Kinfolk have three special Gifts designed specifically for their role.

Eve's Touch — Soothes wounds of others through touch. Requires physical contact; cannot heal Aggravated wounds. Roll Wits + Medicine (diff 7); heals 1 health level per 2 successes. Once per person per day. Taught by a Pelican-spirit.

Dona Nobis Pacem — Maintains an aura of peace, making conflict actively difficult to sustain nearby. Once per scene. Roll Willpower (diff 6); humans in vicinity must beat the Kinfolk's successes to initiate or continue argument or violence. Garou in contact are at +2 difficulty to frenzy for the rest of the scene. Taught by a Unicorn-spirit or Dove-spirit.

Echoes — Hears the echoes of earlier conversations in a space — actual words, replayed in sequence. At least five minutes must have passed. Roll Perception + Expression (diff 7): 1 success = past hour, 2 = past day, 3+ = up to a week ago. Taught by a Dog-spirit or Wolf-spirit.

Strength & Weakness

Strength: Blood of the Nation	Weakness: The Blood's Call
Recognized Tribe membership and its practical protections. Genuine spiritual sensitivity valuable in spiritual work alongside Garou. Delirium immunity lets them operate where ordinary humans would be incapacitated by terror.	Rage they did not choose and cannot fully control — built from precisely the circumstances their lives expose them to most: witnessing harm to loved ones, humiliation, severe pain. Failing to manage it has potentially permanent consequences.

Quick Reference

Resource	Gnosis (starting 3, replenishes daily)
Starting Gifts	2 free — one Tribe (Honor/Wisdom), one Auspice (Honor/Wisdom)
Rage Risk	Accumulates from extreme circumstances; frenzies at 5
Full Shift	Possible under extreme stress; risk of death; survival = becoming Garou
Attribute Priority	Physical / Social / Mental (flexible by Tribe)
Key Strength	Blood of the Nation — Tribal recognition, Delirium immunity, spiritual sensitivity
Key Weakness	The Blood's Call — Rage that cannot be fully controlled

See also: Half-Damned overview · Werewolf · Character Creation Guide