All of the pack, except for Thomas, have been kept busy working on their respective challenges for achieving the next Rank. After Thomas' run from Melbourne to Scars Atoned, a number of Silent Striders turned up at the next Moot and recognised him as Rank 3.
Theurges across Australia, including John and Dominique, have been having ominous dreams. These have been interpreted as meaning that the remaining unattended Wyrm Beasts have broken free of their bindings, or are about to. None of the dreams have provided any useful information for finding the Beasts, or the sites of their binding. The possibility of several Wyrm Beasts on the loose is cause for great concern.
Fingal Flashing-Claws, already known to be quite ill, grows worse, and is not expected to live much longer. This has caused speculation as to who will be the new Fianna Righ and Councilor.
Carla Grimsson has brought about the formation of a new sept at the formerly disputed Caern on the Get of Fenris/Red Talon border. The new sept is the Sept of Life's Promise. While Get of Fenris form the largest group in the new sept, it includes Black Furies and Children of Gaia. Despite offers, no Red Talons have joined the new sept.
Since the issue of the disputed Caern was resolved, their has been tension amongst the Red Talons. There have been two challenges to Mamu's position on the Council, and three to his leadership of the Shattered Wheel sept. A Garou has been killed in the process. Being an Elder (Rank 5), few Red Talons are in a position to challenge Mamu at all. Other members of the Council fear that if Mamu is deposed, the Red Talons may renew their claim to the Caern, and blood-shed will follow.
Rock Garden Chiminage.
Only two weeks after the mage unpleasantness, a gentleman by the name of Morikiyo Sojuro arrives in Melbourne. Announcing himself by way of a summoned sparrow spirit, he is apparently here because Kimu requires him. Sojuro seems very knowledgable about the need for balancing Wyld with Weaver, and even despite the pack's understandable reluctance to trust another "helpful" individual, his quiet teachings to any Garou that wishes to learn about necessary realignments turn out to be legitimate. He claims to not be a Garou, but a hengeyokai... although Scent of True Form says otherwise.
Kylie and the two boys accept the necessity of staying away from the Wyld garden for some time, and grow used to their new country life. When Kylie finally gives birth a week late, it is to a healthy boy, without any tentacles or anything. Holistic Approach relax, only to get the shivers again when Kylie informs them she named her son Rory.
After a year or so of study Brett learns the Rite of
Enkinfolkification Kindling the Parted Veil.
After long discussion with the Sept Elders, Gav, Kev and Kylie, he performs
it on the three of them and Rory. It seems to kindle a talent within each
of them which, while unquantifiable, is undeniable - they seem to have a
knack for awakening spirits.
The pack cope with the new Glade Children - in a manner of speaking. Two of the Glade Children cannot be moved, having bonded with established gardens - one within the bounds of the nearby school, and the other in a fruit & herb garden north of the original Glade. Of the others that survived their initial "flowering" one died, and one each was donated to the Septs of Life's Promise, Scars Atoned and Hidden Green.
Ryan remains for a time near the Sept, but after a number of increasingly bitter arguments she leaves one night with no forwarding address. From time to time, word has come back to the back of events that may have been related to her - but nothing concrete. Questing Stone appears to no longer work to find her by name.
Kirsty Surfs-The-Train is still an outside figure in her pack and in the sept. Her pack mates make a deliberate effort to include her in all activities.
A new Garou, Germaine Stolz (Homid, Galliard, Bone Gnawer), is being taught about Garou society, and will soon undergo her Rite of Passage.
A small pack of Glasswalkers - take up residence within the city without actually joining either of the two Septs. They are reasonably polite and announce themselves to the Elders, but quietly refuse all offers to join either Sept. All four members are European, and rumour has it that they have fled some sort of disaster from across the seas. Melissa has become the defacto contact between the pack and Sleeping Lore, and they have spoken to the glade's guardians at some length.
Among the Fianna that Holistic Approach are familiar with, Mae Fischer has adopted a more prominent profile in Fianna buisness Australia-wide after attaining Rank 4. It is assumed that she will be a contender for the Fianna position on the council when Fingal dies.
Patricia is now 18(ish) and stands about 6' 8''. Although she had shown little signs of unusual behaviour while going through her teenage years, shortly after her 16th birthday she showed up at Rippling Waters, apparently well aware of the caern's existence. Scent of True Form reveals a very mixed response of human and fae to her true nature, and the Sept have come to accept her presence.
Conversely, Belinda and Elizabeth, Dominique's daughters, have shown no unusual behaviour beyond that normally regarded as acceptable from kinfolk children.
The landscape, both mundane and umbral, have changed radically, following the attack of the Wyrm Beast. The centre of the Caern is now a caldera-like chamber, open to the sky. The loss of all of the pictures and symbols in the umbral cave seemed to have no impact on the power of the Caern. This suggests that they were something other than an integral part of the Caern itself. Access to the cave is difficult in the mundane world. In the umbra, rough winding stairs have been carved out of the walls, allowing passage.
In the mundane world, the tunnel became increasingly unstable, collapsing approximately six months after the attack.
After the earlier tension that culminated in Huros leaving the sept, things have calmed down again. Commands-The-Waters held the position of Caern Warder for a time, fending off a challenge from Mark Sutherland and one from Sveta Dotashkoi. She ceded the position to a new-comer, Johann Sant (Homid, Galliard, Silver Fang, Rank 4), who has also fended off challenges for the position.
Malajimbarra attained Rank 5
Once again, the sept of Reconciliation has remained a center of calm in a sea of troubles. Only one event of note has occurred, when Huros turned up at the Caern one night, having not been seen in Australia for several months. He met with Antoinette Cloak-of-Mourning and Nicholas Andrei in private, and a long and heated exchange ensued. Huros left before dawn. No-one in Australia has claimed to have seen Huros since then.
Portents and omens abound, and many place a great credence on the 7 apocalyptic signs in the Prophecy of the Phoenix - 3 have indebatably come to pass, and the other have several valid interpretations in events that have passed.
Garou travelling realise that Australia has been lucky to be in a backwater when it comes to activity of the Wyrm, and it has lain in still waters until recently. However, this is less and less the case.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
While nothing big like the WTC attack has occured in the WoD, many smaller events have led to a similar situation where civil liberties are being eroded in the name of safety and security. The invasion of Iraq is also likely as Hussein is tagged as being the force behind a lot of these events. Religous intolerance and violence is growing - mosques, churches and synagoges have all been targetted.
With the destruction of the Coles-Myer building, the phrase "corporate terrorism" found its way into the Australian media. Although no firm evidence was ever presented, the event was linked with similar attacks on companies and corporations both locally and internationally. The events are blamed on ecoterrorists and other rival corporations for the most part, but some theorists suggest that corporations are self-harming - a theory that gains some credence when an American company is found to have deliberately sabotagued its own pipes, leading to a massive terrestial oil spill in the midwest.
As a result, there has been an increase in the number of police obviously on the streets, and more draconian search and seizure laws. Zero tolerance and 3-strike laws are more common.
In mid 2002, journalists exposed that the Federal government had been using foreign mercenaries to train a core of Australian security forces in Urban maneuvers. The public response was mixed - some outrage, but a surprising amount of support for the toughening up of police. Given the events in Melbourne and other state capitals over the last year, it was perhaps not surprising.
As part of the the next election, a referendum was conducted asking whether the constitution could be amended to allow the government to use military response against "excessively violent threats". Mostly this was phrased as a way to quell "terrorism". Public support was garnered by a strong bipartisan uncertainty and doubt campaign. The referendum passed.
The Garou know that forces of the Wyrm were already part of the process from day one. Documentation liberated from those who were instrumental in the initial establishment of the the AFSS indicates that they have initiated "special training" for certain events, which, stripped of the misdirection, indicated that these troops were being trained to fight the supernatural forces - such as the Garou. Members get special training and special equipment, the exact nature of which is usually hidden behind acronyms and jargon.
Several packs have attempted to take steps, and have found that although they can take action against individual units, the command structure remains hidden - and interfering with units brings a quick and excessive response. The general feeling is that the werewolves should instead try and avoid the AFSS unless there is direct evidence of Wyrm. The Jindabyne council has not passed on any of their deliberations on the matter.