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The Glass Walkers are the wolves of the cities, sharing that realm with the , but continue marching to the sound of their sythesized drums, confident that their chosen lifestyle holds the key to preserving Gaia. HISTORY There are several disputed starting points for the Glass Walkers, who have several generally accepted "origin myths". The most prevalent one is that they were originally a pack of Garou dispatched to observe humanity's doings, called the Warders of Men (alternately, the City Warders or Warders of Apes, generally just shortened to Warders). This myth claims for the tribe some role in halting the Impergium, and states that as the Warders continued to observe humanity, it contacted the spirits from whom it learnt its new technologies, and made pacts of their own with them. There are several confirmed starting points for the proto-Glass Walkers: one in China, among city-dwelling Garou calling themselves the Boli Zouhisze, who retain that name to this day despite being commonly called "Asian Glass Walkers"; the cities of Mesopotamia; and Italy, where the tribe really seemed to catch its stride. They were deeply involved in Rome, battling both the vampires and Silver Fangs for control of the city, and remained in the cities throughout the Middle Ages. The Renaissance was something of a golden age for them, and it was during this period that the tribe had the first of several name changes: the Warders became the Tetrasomians. When the New World was opened to colonization, the Tetrasomians went with them, largely the younger ones who wished to escape the growing rigidity of the elders. They settled - of course - in the cities, and participated in the Revolutionary War, on both sides. In the 19th century, with the Industrial Revolution and the penetration of less rigid modes of thought, there came a rift between the Tetrasomians in Europe and America. This rift was exacerbated by the invention of the railroad; many of the ex-Warders got involved with it, seeing it as the hallmark of a new era, and began calling themselves "Iron Riders". The wealth and influence of these Iron Riders grew, until by mid-century, with the passing of the last Tetrasomian elders, they assumed command of the tribe and lent their name to it. The Iron Riders controlled the tribe right up through the crest of the 20th century, when another faction of the tribe, called "Glass Walkers" for their habit of using the reflective surface to enter the Umbra and seek out urban spirits, became so popular in the tribe that they assumed ''de facto'' dominance. The name has remained static to this day. Throughout the 20th century, four different factions, or camps, of the Glass Walkers have held the reins of the tribe. Control has shifted back and forth almost violently at times, and several times the tribe has approached the brink of, indeed, falling to the Weaver. Currently, however, leadership rests in the hands of the Random Interrupts, and their ''de facto'' (if reluctant) spokesperson, Elizabeth Genereader, and it is hoped by many that a period of stability and rebuilding is around the corner.... one, perhaps, that will last long enough for the tribe to be ready to face Apocalypse. ORGANIZATION The Glass Walkers' tribal organization has been known to fluctuate wildly, from almost no organization at all to rigid structures and back again. For much of the 20th century, while the Wise Guys held the reins of power, they controlled the tribe through the Central House, an organization that all senior Wise Guys and Glass Walker sept leaders (often one and the same) belonged to. With the waning of the Wise Guys, the Central House became a largely defunct body, with the majority of large-scale control now resting in the hands of camp leaders and powerful elders. Currently, there are no plans for the revival of a central tribal authority. On the local level, Glass Walker septs are, unsurprisingly, city-based, often in skyscrapers, art galleries, and financial offices. The seniormost Glass Walker in a city is called the "Don" or "Lord", another holdover from the heyday of the Wise Guys. While other tribes, and many Glass Walkers, often append this title to Glass Walker sept leaders as well, other prominent camps are as likely to call their sept leaders by different titles (for example, the Random Interrupts call their sept leaders "moderators" and Corporate Wolves call theirs "chairmen" or "VPs". CAMPS The Glass Walkers, as city-based werewolves, comprise many different walks of life; it would not be unusual for a police detective, a mafioso, a hacker, and an EMT to all be Glass Walkers, and to operate out of the same sept. There are, however, sizeable factions of people who tend to do the same thing as a "day job", and these factions are large enough, and often affluent enough, to form "power blocs" in the tribe. Here are some of the more notable camps:
PERSPECTIVES ON THE OTHER TRIBES Glass Walkers tend to see the Black Furies, Bone Gnawers, Children of Gaia, Silent Striders, and Uktena as allies, if not friends. They don't hate the Silver Fangs, but see the majority of them as inbred and self-important. The Shadow Lords are not especially liked, but respected for their ability to get things done; their opinion of the Get of Fenris is similar. The Red Talons are the closest thing to mortal enemies the Glass Walkers have among the Garou Nation, and the Wendigo, seeing them as a blatant reminder of the rape the Europeans - and European Garou - enacted upon their lands, are not terribly far behind. ''WEREWOLF: THE FORSAKEN'' In '''', the equivalent of the Glass Walkers is the Iron Masters, which seems to be roughly "two parts Glass Walkers and one part Bone Gnawers". SEE ALSO |
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