Sept Positions

This is the details of each Sept position.

GateKeeper
The Gatekeeper oversees the maintenance of the caern's moon bridges. He/She is responsible for opening and closing these passgeways into the Spirit World and for the annual renewing of the caern's moon bridges. Gatekeepers serve as the liason between caerns, deciding whether or not to allow another sept to open a moon bridge linking two caerns. In times of danger, the Gatekeeper closes off access to the caern through the Spirit World, subject to the final decision of the Warder. While Gatekeepers do not necessarily represent any particular auspice, the werewolf that holds this vital position must know both the Rite of the Opened Bridge and the Rite of the Opened Caern as well as many other rites related to moon bridges. A Gatekeeper has charge of the caern's Pathstone, a powerful fetish that not only signifies her position, but also enables the Gatekeeper to communicate directly with the caern Totem, thus allowing the opening of a moon bridge. Inexperienced werewolves seldom qualify for this position, except in the smallest caerns. In fact, Garou wishing to prove themselves in battle or gain Renown in other ways seldom seek to tie themselves down to a position that requires them to remain near the caern's heart most of the time. Since the Gatekeeper seldom leaves the caern, however, she often seeks emissaries to travel along the moon bridges she opens, making certain the pathway is free of hindrances. Emissaries also initiate discussion with other septs to determine terms of travel between septs. Occasionally, when dealing with hostile or rival septs, the position of Gatekeeper's emissary can involve tricky negotiations and sometimes battle.

Guardians
Chosen by the Warder to help patrol the caern and make certain that no one enters the bawn without the knowledge of the sept, the Guardians usually consist of one or more packs under the Warder's authority. In general, a sept has five Guardians (or the equivalent of one pack) for each level of the caern, provided there are enough Garou to go around. Guardians act as the first line of active defense in the even of attacks against the caern. They range primarily on the edges of the bawn, making certain that no minions of the Wyrm or other hostile creatures cross into the territory of the caern. Guardians work closely with the Warder and most Garou take this opportunity to learn as much as they can from the caern's expert battle master. When the time comes for the sept to select a new Warder, werewolves that have proven themselves as Guardians usually stand a good chance for the position.

Keeper of the Land
The Keeper of the Land has the responsibility of maintaining the physical appearance and spiritual health of the caern and its surrounding bawn. While some Garou consider this poistion nothing more than that of a glorified gardener or groundskeeper, the Keeper of the Land actually plays a crucial role in the vitality and strength of a caern. Spirits find an attractive and well-kept caern a more congenial environment than one that shows little concern for upkeep. Therefore, Keepers of the Land must be conversant with the local spirits and must keep their desires in mind as well as the needs of the caern environment. A caern's bawn usually doesn't look "kept" at all, at least not in the same way that sculptured office park does. In small caerns, this position may fall to a relatively low-ranking Garou or may be shared by all the members of a sept on a rotating basis. In a large caern, with a sizeable bawn, the position of Keeper of the Land assumes major importance. Larger caerns mean not only more territory for a Keeper to cover but also a greater number of spirits to keep happy. Keepers in powerfule caerns must have good skills in negotiating with spirits as well as a vast knowledge of how to care for the lands associated with the caern.

Master of the Challenge
The Master of the Challenge occupies a position central to the structure of Garou life. The holder of this position oversees all challenges that may occur within the sept, whether the challenge comes as a result of a feud between rivals or as a prelude to a rise in rank. In essence, this position upholds the hierarchical structure of Garou society and makes certain that each werewolf receives fair treatment according to her rank and to the laws of the Litany regarding challenges.

Master of the Rite
The Master of the Rite has the responsibility for overseeing every rite performed within the territory of the caern. While the Master herself need not personally conduct all the rites, she does need to make certain that the Garou performing the rite does so correctly. Furthermore, she has the duty of overseeing any rite that takes place within the heart of the caern.

Warder
A caern's Warder consolidates and organizes the defenses of the caern and its surrounding bawn. In peacetime, the holder of this position must make certain that the static defenses stay in good shape and that regular patrols secure the integrity of the bawn's borders (even if the Warder herself has to make those patrols). The Warder decides who may enter the bawn and who may have access to the caern's heart. In very small septs, the Warder may also act as Keeper of the Land, Master of Challenge or hold some other major or minor position in addition to her guardian-ship duties.

Council of Elders
The Council of Elders consists of the most experienced Garou in the sept. Usually these Garou have attained at least Rank Four; most Elders in large caerns are Rank Five. These individuals hold the reins of power in the caern. With the exception of the Warder, whose word takes precedence during times of battle, the Council of Elders takes on the responsibility of leading the sept. They act as counselors, advisers, teachers, disciplinarians and leaders.

Caller of the Wyld
The Caller of the Wyld has the responsibility for summoning the sept's totems, inculding the spirit of the caern, during moots. Although Theurges usually serve in this position due to their proclivity for communicating with spirits and their general familitarity with the Spirit World, other auspices can act as Caller of the Wylf if they enjoy dealing with the denizens of the spirit world. This poistion requires a good grounding in Umbral politics. TheCaller of the wyld should know whether or not any rival totem spirits exist within the caern so that she does not offend one spirit by summoning only the other one. Since the Caller of the Wyld one needs to be present during moots, she may leave the caern with her pack when the sept has a mission for young Garou.

Master of the Howl
A limited but valuable role in the sept, the Master of the Howl has the task of leading the sept's howls during moots. Ideally designed for a Galliard, other auspices may hold this position so long as they possess a talent for performing, a knowledge of all the howls and songs used in the sept and a good voice. The Master of the Howl needs to know how to set the correct tone of each howl so that he can evoke the proper atmosphere, whether dealing with the Opening Howl or with any of the other songs and howls that punctuate the moot. Young Garou can probe themselves worthy of handling responsibility by serving in this position. Best of all, this office, like that of the Caller of the Wyld, does not tie a werewolf to the caern at all times.

Talesinger
Though this is technically a minor position within the sept, the Talesinger holds great status among sept members. During moots, the Talesinger takes the spotlight to relate the exploits and deeds of the ancient and contemporary heroes of the pack, sept and the Garou Nation. Like the position of Master of the Howl, this office lends itself best to Galliards, though occasionally an ambitious Ragabash with a knack for performance or storytelling has found her talents rewarded with this position. Ragabash elders sometimes maneuver promising youngsters into this position without their knowledge — watching with glee and satisfaction as a novice trickster becomes caught up in a grand lesson. Such individuals usually rise to the challenge, although they tend to spice their tales with odd twists of plot and unexpected hints of humor.

Truthcatcher
The Truthcatcher's position may require a fairly constant presence within the caern's territory, for the werewolf who holds this office must settle disputes among the members of the sept. These important duties take place during moots or specifically called counsels for hearing grievances or judging crimes against the sept or the Litany.

Wyrm Foe
The position of Wyrm Foe is twofold. During moots, the Wyrm Foe has the task of leading the Revel that ends each moot, thus placing him at the center of the action during a time of solidarity with Gaia and the Wyld. At other times, the Wyrm Foe's responsibilities consist of coordinating the packs within the caern, organizing strikes outside the caern against the Wyrm and planning other actions against the enemies of the caern, whether they are Wyrm-spawn or rival supernaturals. Young Ahroun often see this position as a stepping stone to the more prestigious post of Warder. The job's requirements, however, consist of more than a combative nature. The task of leading the Revel requires considerable personal charisma and leadership, so brainless death-machines rarely rise to this position. Militant-minded members of other auspices may hold this position if they meet the qualifications.

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