Whispers in Darkness

Whispers in Darkness is a Shadow Lord.

Overview

Most Garou recognize the need to combat the Wyrm in some fashion or other, ad do what they can to hold the beast at bay. Most Garou also think their way of doing things is the right way, and seek to convince or coerce other Garou into following their lead. Very few Garou, however, have the will to stab into the heart of the Wyrm alone, bereft of pack and Kin, unknown and unappreciated, doomed to be forgotten even if they succeed. Whispers in Darkness is one such Garou.

Whispers first made his presence known several years ago, when he walked right into a Black Fury sept and described the structure of a nearby Black Spiral Dancer Hive in intricate detail. He said he planned to destroy the Hive, but that the plan would have a greater chance of succeeding if the sept would consent to help. As the stunned Furies listened, he told them how he would sabotage the Hive's security, leaving the Furies an opening to destroy the Dancers who had plagued them for some years. After some deliberation, the sept elders decided to check the visitor's story out. True to his word, Whispers knocked the Dancers' Hive out of whack, setting them up nicely for the Furies to take down. To their consternation, however, the mysterious Garou who opened the door for them was nowhere to be found. One of the Furies caught a glimpse of him during the battle, but he could not be found in the aftermath of the Hive's destruction. He had moved on, his task completed.

In the months that followed, Whispers followed the same pattern with other septs around the world. He would show up, relate some critical information about a threat the sept was facing, infiltrate the enemy's stronghold, and tear it down from within. When the deed was done, he disappeared without a trace. As Garou around the world began to investigate the elusive Garou's activities, they found only one thing to be certain: He was Thunder's child, and that made him a Shadow Lord.

As the evidence started flowing in, Shadow Lord investigators began to put the pieces together. The mysterious Garou appears at night, and usually speaks in subdued tones, prompting one investigator to give him the moniker "Whispers in Darkness". He favors the Lupus form, which suggests he is of the wolf-breed, and his tactics can only be those of a Ragabash. He appears to be a master of disguise - one Bone Gnawer pack claims that he took the form of a Wyrm Abomination (complete with taint) to infiltrate a fomori nest, and there's no reason to doubt their word since the rest of their story checks out. Finally, his modus operandi indicates that he is likely a Bringer of Light, which explains his independent streak. What it does not explain is the infernal secrecy surrounding his every move; the Gifts he uses are only available to those oof significant rank in Shadow Lord society, and yet this Garou is so secretive that no one even knows his name! The spirits must know of his exploits, but for them to be so close-mouthed about such a topic is unprecedented.

His mysterious activities aside, few can deny the impact Whispers in Darkness is having on the tribe. Many Lords feel shamed by his actions, as he is clearly not interested either in personal power or renown throughout the tribe. It is likely that he had support of one sort or another, as no Garou, not even a Bringer of Light, can operate independently and learn the tricks Whispers has learned. This has the Judges of Doom wondering how to deal with the issue; it's nice that Whispers is setting up the destruction of enemy strongholds left and right, but the fact that he's doing it unaided is somewhat troubling. Further, if he can get by without aid from the rest of the tribe, what's to stop a rogue Shadow Lord from doing the same thing - with much more malevolent intentions? The Judges can't afford to be blasé about the issue, and how they choose to handle it could have serious repercussions for the tribe as a whole.

References

• WTA: Tribebook: Shadow Lords, p. 95-96