Shifter Moot
Positions
Caller of the Wyld
- The one who calls the winds.
- In smaller septs, the Master of the rite performs this duty.
Fool
- Their role is to make fun of the Litany and garou traditions and to dispute the word of Garou who speak. Anything the fool does or says is never held against the fool after the moot.
Master of the Howl
- The one who leads the howls, songs and chants performed at moot. also the one who organizes the mood of the moots and introduces the parts of a moot.
Talesinger
- The one who sings tales of glory and heroic efforts at each moot. this position is a high Honor for a galliard to achieve.
Truthcatcher
- Mediates, disputes, and judges crimes. Not just at moots, but between moots as well.
- In smaller septs this can fall under the perview of the Master of the Challenge
Wyrm Foe
- Leads the revel at the end of the moot. Prior to the reveling, the sept hunts the Wyrm Foe and brings him/her back to the caern for partying.
Moot Procedures
The Opening Howl
- Is led by the Master of the Howl and is supposed to set the tone of the moot. (Sad, Martial, Menacing, etc.) The Fool is expected to question assertions made by the howl while the sept refutes his/her claims (basically the fool plays devil's advocate so the cubs can learn from the rest of the sept by correcting the fool.)
The Inner Sky
- Starts in silence, and then the Caller of the Wyld (either alone or with 4 helpers) adresses the winds. Afterwards the caller "summons" The caern totem and other totems respected by the Sept. At some septs, the Garou take the parts of the totems, dressing in masks and costumes, and are referred to as "the shining ones" for the duration of the moot. They represent the totem and must be treated with apropriate respect as though they were the actual totem. The intention is for the garou to reaffirm their ties of respect with their totems and spirits around them.
Cracking the Bone
- Is the next part of the moot, which is opened by the Master of the Howl letting out a high pitched howl ending in a jagged shattering note. This is the "business portion" of the moot presided over by the Truthcatcher. This is the time that garou make grievances known or call for challenges. The truthcatcher recognizes those who would speak and gives them permission to do so. In more structured septs, speaking out of turn results in honor loss. Some septs pass around a "talking stick" to remind the garou of who currently has the right to speak. Order is determined by rank with the highest ranked speaking first. In theory, everyone is allowed to speak. This is where acusations of litany violations are made; requests for approval or advice are also welcomed (when it is your turn to speak). The truthcatcher may interrupt anyone at anytime, demanding clarification or asking questions. While he may solicit the the opinions or knowledge of other garou, his word is final. Judgement and punishment may not be appealed.
Stories and Songs
- Follows next and begin the more "fun" part of the Moot. The Master of the Howl declares the beginning of the time of tales and the Talesinger leads with a tale of past adventures to remind the sept of what it means to be Garou. Then tales of present adventures are told to honor the deeds of those present. Other galliards have likely petitioned the talesinger beforehand to tell a story as well. Some packs may prefer that one of their own tell the story, who was there, but proper etiquette is to tell the tale to a galliard who then tells the story, after petitioning the talesinger. Some septs have garou act out the story while the talesinger or other Galliard narrates.
The Revel
- Is the final part of the moot. The Master of the Howl gazes out among those assembled and eventually locks eyes with the Wyrm foe - (The Wyrm foe always changes every moot, since its a MOOT ONLY position, not a sept position). The Master of the Howl and the Wyrm foe circle each other in a stare down (if the wyrm foe has been chosen already then this is still done as a sense of tradition). If the wyrm Foe fails, then another is chosen until someone wins against the master of the howl. The rest of the sept howls and yelps, and the Wyrm Foe silences them with a louder howl. The Wyrm Foe changes to Lupus [or Crinos in SA], and is chased by the rest of the sept in displays of prowess and ritual hunts. The intent is for the sept to let loose with pent up rage and, after the revels are over, the sept members should be more relaxed continuing into the night with dancing and revelry.
After moots the garou should feel contented and newly unified as a sept. Moots promote and maintain the health and the symiotic nature of the sept and its caern.
Types of moots
Hearings
- Not required by all to attend. These are informal meetings usually before or after an adventure or battle.
Sept Moots
- Monthly meetings of a sept. Anyone may attend, even outsiders, but outsiders are usually viewed with suspicion.