Lodge of Absolution
The Lodge of Absolution is a Lodge of the Fire-Touched.
Overview
The Lodge of Absolution is more a secret society than a fraternity that the members proudly claim. The Righteous, as the members call themselves, believe that any sin is forgivable. This in itself is not so different from the normal beliefs of the Fire-Touched, but the Righteous act on this belief. No sin is beneath them. They use silver weapons on Forsaken opponents (though very carefully), they kill werewolves without hesitation and some will even eat the hearts of their foes to regain their strength. The only sin that the Righteous do not commit on a regular basis is betrayal of the pack, and when this is mentioned among members of the lodge, they tend to glance nervously about. If someone did have to break this law, surely that werewolf would be forgiven by Gurim-Ur, but the betrayed pack might not be as understanding.
Of course, forgiven of not, committing such acts can cause a werewolf's Harmony to drop. The Lodge of Absolution, therefore, is made up of werewolves with very low Harmony ratings (the average rating for the lodge is about 3) and even a few Zi'ir. As such, the lodge employs few fetishes and rites, seldom crosses the Gauntlet and spends a great deal of time in penance. Sin can be forgiven, but absolution is not painless.
The Righteous can join packs of non-members, but are forbidden to reveal their allegiance. (This might technically constitute a breach of tribal vow, but most Righteous are so far below that level of Harmony that it doesn't much matter.)
The lodge does not claim a second totem, feeling that the lodge members are guided directly by Gurim-Ur. The initiation for the lodge consists of a grueling period of questioning, usually accompanied by flogging or cutting with claws or blades. Upon acceptance, the new member is presented with a silver blade. If he balks, membership is rescinded and the recruit is impaled upon the knife. If he accepts, he is congratulated and then asked to do penance for accepting the knife. It was a sin to do so, but necessary, and that is the point of being Righteous.
Membership
Only Fire-Touched are permitted to become Righteous.
Game Mechanics
The following are an overview of the game mechanics.
Prerequisites
The lodge demands that its applicants be strong-willed (Resolve 3) and able to withstand pressure and pain (Stamina 3). They must also know the Rite of Penance. It makes no demands upon Harmony or Renown, however, as those things might very well have to be sacrificed for the lodge.
Benefits
Because the Righteous have a hard time learning spiritual benefits such as Gifts and rites, they spend time on more mundane pursuits. Upon acceptance into the lodge, the character chooses an area of focus consisting of three Skills. Those Skills now cost new dots x2 to raise. The downside, however, is that learning Gifts without raising Renown is now impossible - spirits simply don't trust the Righteous enough.