The Picts and the Howlers
The first Garou to arrive in Britain were the While Howlers who came with
their Pictish Kinfolk. No one knows exactly when this was, the Picts as a
culture disappeared over a millennia ago and if the Spirals know they aren't
telling. Suffice to say it was several thousand years ago. Despite this they
weren't the first people to inhabit the isle, both Howler and Fianna legend
speak of a snake people who dwelt their before them. Whether these were humans,
the now extinct Nagha and their kin or something else is unknown. Whoever
they were the Picts fought and destroyed them claiming Britain as their own
land.
The Celts and the Fianna
When the Fianna and the Celts arrived following their Faerie allies the meetings
between the two tribes was not peaceful. The Howlers had always had a slightly
ambivalent attitude towards the spirit world and they were afraid of the Fae
and wished to drive them from their lands. The Fianna, as allies of the Fae
wouldn't stand for this and so the tribes went to war. Its likely that the
war would have come anyway, as even without this conflict the two tribes kinfolk
had started to fight over land. The Howlers fought well but the Fianna had
allies in the Fae and the Mages who would later become known as the Verbena.
They pushed the Picts and the Howlers north into what is now Scotland, however
the further they were pushed back the harder they fought, and the Fianna had
no wish to attempt to wipe out another Garou tribe.
Over time a peace of a sort was formed. While the human and Garou tribes still fought from time to time, the culture and the blood of the tribes started to intermingle as they bred with each others Kinfolk. The majority of the Fae had gone further west to Erin and the Howlers became more used to those who remained.
Fomori Wars
The Fomori wars took place mostly in Ireland as the Fianna, the Tuatha De
Danaan and their human kin fought against the Fomori. Nevertheless it was
inevitable that it would spill over to the British mainland. After their defeat
at the second battle Mag Tured of some of the Fomori fled east, looking for
places to hide. Many of them on arriving on British shore fled to the domain
of the White Howlers. While the Fianna and the Howlers did their best to hunt
down these Wyrm-ridden refugees some of the most powerful and cunning managed
to hide themselves away under the earth.
The Romans
When the Romans arrived the Fianna's Kinfolk fought and repelled them However
the eagle of Rome could only be held back for so long. While the Fianna never
stopped fighting against the Romans and the supernaturals amongst them, their
kin were eventually forced to submit.The Fianna helped to foster rebellion
were they could, and struck at the Romans whenever they got the chance, but
there were powerful Wyrm creatures, vampire and Fomori, in their ranks. They
were often helped in these raids by the White Howlers and their Pictish kin
who would often raid the northern Roman settlement and forts.
The Picts, the Spirals and
the Wyrm
Although the Pictish people were never conquered by the Roman legions, the
Legions made several incursions into their territory in reprisal for their
raids, killing thousands and destroying any settlements they came across.
Not all these incursions were successful, and some legions were decimated
and never return. However all these legions had in their ranks servants of
the Wyrm. Once into the Howlers territory they frequently left the ranks of
the Legion and went into the countryside. From here they began their work
of attacking the Kinfolk of the Howlers. Not directly, but through poisoning
them both physically and spiritually. The Howlers were brave warriors but
were ill equipped to deal with this sort of attack.
The Howlers had already adopted the practice of dancing the spiral as proof of their courage. As their heroes danced deeper they returned with more and more 'insights'. Corruption wyrmed its way through their ranks, as it did through the ranks of their Kinfolk. Many turned to gain the power to hold back the Legions, and to this end they succeeded although the price was high indeed. By the middle of the 3rd Century the Howlers had fallen completely, and only the Spiral remained.
The Vikings, the Saxons and
the Get
The first contact between the immigrating Get and the Fianna was initially
guarded but friendly. While their Kinfolk struggled over the land the Romans
had now left the tribes had a greater priority, the new Wyrm tribe that had
arisen in the north. Both tribes fought together to defeat the Dancers and
won a series of victories, but the alliance, always rocky, broke down. Both
sides accused the other of treachery and joined their human kin in fighting
each other.
The Celts held out for a while under their last High King of Britain, or Pendragon., Arthur whom many of the Fianna claim as their Kin (the Guhral also claim him but any Fianna will tell you what a load of rubbish that is). However they couldn't last forever against the Viking raiders and Saxon invaders. Eventually they were pushed further west until Britain was divided. Much of Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and western England lay in the hands of the Fianna, while the Get claimed the east of England and a few places in Scotland. The Dancers too were spreading, having lost parts of Scotland to the Gaian tribes they used the infighting as a chance to carefully spread their own influence.
The Poor and the Bone Gnawers
Know one know when the Gnawers first arrived in the British isles. Like the
Rat their totem they have a habit of turning up everywhere. Certainly as the
British towns started to grow after the Saxon invasion they had there share
of poor people and rats. And where there are poor people and rats their are
Bone Gnawers. Unlike many other tribe there was never a mass arrival with
their kin but a slow coming in dribs and drabs. And once they arrived they
did one of the things they were best at, breeding. As the other tribes scorned
the towns and cities the Gnawers were left in peace to get on with the business
of survival.
The Normans and the Silver
Fangs
Its no great surprise that the last tribe to arrive en masse in the British
Isles came with the last invasion. When the Saxons were defeated in 1066 by
the Normans they were not the only people to lose out. Some of the Norman
nobles were Kinfolk to the Silver Fangs of the House of the Austere Howl and
the House of the Winter Snow who came to Britain with them. As this time the
Fangs were still at the height of their powers and they defeated both Get
and Fianna who would not accept their rule. The Get fought with them more,
partially because it was their lands and their kin that the Fangs were mostly
conquering and partially because the Fianna came to terms with the Silver
Fangs after a few battles, and despite the Get's battle prowess they were
no match for the Fangs. As the Get suffered the worse the Fianna managed to
reclaim some of their lost territories.
Under the Silver Fangs a peace was imposed between the Fianna and the Get. The Fangs had the strength and wisdom to keep both tribes inline and prevent them from fighting amongst themselves. The only tribe they had trouble with were the Bone Gnawers. As the Norman nobility increased the taxation and went about oppressing the Saxon peasants the Gnawers began to aid the peasants in their resistance. Whatever the truth behind the Robin Hood legend, bands of raiders with Gnawers and their kin amongst their ranks gained much popular support and took the opportunity to strike out at the Silver Fangs and the Norman Nobility.
Fall of the House of the Winter
Snow
During the 17th century King Aaron Everstone of the House of the Winter Snow
embarked on a great quest for the legendary Silver Crown, the greatest treasure
of his tribe. He succeeded, but his success was to bring about the downfall
of his House. Overcome with pride, he turned the powers of the Crown on the
Fianna and the Get. The power of the Silver Fangs had been waning and the
other tribes had been paying increasingly less attention to their rulings
and edicts. Everstone tried to reassert the Fangs authority, and when the
other tribes resisted, he went to war with them.
The Fangs still had power, and with the Silver Crown King Everstone was eventually able to defeat his enemies. However the war weakened all three tribes greatly, and by the time Everstone realised the consequences of his actions it was too late. The weakened state of the tribes was the perfect opportunity for the Black Spiral Dancers who wasted no time in attacking the other tribes. They inflicted further casualties and several Caerns fell before them. The House of the Winter Snow lost many members in the battles against both Gaian and Wyrm Garou, and those who remained quickly slipped into Harano brought on by their own actions. Before the century was out the House was no more and the governance of Britain had fallen to the Austere Howl.
Age of Empire
As the British Empire spread its influence around the globe it was enthusiastically
backed by the Silver Fangs who saw it as a chance reclaim both glory and power.
It was also backed by the Brotherhood of Herne who followed British forces
around the globe to battle the Wyrm. While the local shapeshifters often resented
their presence the Brotherhood accomplished much around the world, tracking
down and destroying many minions of the Wyrm.
The Industrial Revolution and
the Warders of Apes
Like the Bone Gnawers, the Warders of Apes, who would later become the Iron
Riders and then finally the Glass Walkers, were not associated with any one
people and their arrival was a gradual thing. As a merchant class had arisen
in Britain some Warders had arrived in the towns and cities, but they really
started to come in numbers with the advent of the industrial revolution. Keen
to see the new spirits of the Weaver and the machine that were being formed
in this time. They were also keen to exploit the power vacuum left by the
weakening Fangs in the human cities.
The World Wars
The involvement of the British Garou in the First World War was fairly limited.
To many it was a human war over human politics, and while the Austere Howl
and the Brotherhood of Herne wished to keep the British empire strong many
Garou felt the war wasn't something to get involved with.
The Second World War was a different matter. Not only was Britain being bombed and under threat of invasion, but this time the enemy was seen as something more. Something evil. While it was not immediately apparent, as the war progressed the supernatural evil that was associated with the Nazis revealed itself. Nazis atrocities fed hundreds of Banes, swelled the Atrocity Realm with new evils and left parts of the Umbra poisoned. Mage, Vampires and Garou fought on their side for a variety of reasons and Nazi scientist experimented on captured supernaturals.
The Silver Spiral in the House
of the Austere Howl
Ever since the fall of the Winter Snow House, the Austere Howl struggled to
rule the Garou of Britain, but it wasn't easy. The long standing feud between
the Fianna and the Get made inter tribal co-operation hard at the best of
times. The ever present Black Spirals made life even more difficult, and rumours
maintain that their tainted blood has got into some of the Scotish Fianna
and Fangs through the merging of their Kinfolk. At some point, some members
of the Austere Howl decided that they were on the wrong side, and the only
way to restore their former power is with a new master. These traitors now
belong to the so called "House" of the Silver Spiral, Silver Fangs
who have turned to the Wyrm. The are now locked in a bitter struggle for power
with the loyal members of the Austere Howl and the conflict is tearing the
House apart. Both pride and fear keep the Fangs from calling from outside
aid, but the dead of several Kings in succession had meant that the secret
war cannot be kept secret much longer.
The Modern Day and the Future
The power of the Silver Fangs is long gone, and their internal conflicts must
either end soon or be discovered. The presence of Wyrm corrupt among there
ranks could forever destroy the fragile authority that they have left.The
ancient quarrel between the Fianna and the Get is something that always threatens
to erupt into violence. Some younger Fianna have been calling for the return
of a High King of Britain of their own, a new Pendragon. It is highly unlikely
the Get would ever accept such a thing. Still there is some good news, the
rifts between the Brotherhood of Herne and the Irish Fianna has gone someway
to being healed. While die-hards exist in both groups, the majority have been
pushing for peace amongst themselves, and less involvement in the divisive
human politics of Northern Ireland.
Other Breeds
The only other Changing Breeds who have much presence in Britain are the Corax
and the Bastet. The Corax presence is almost as old as the Garou's, and they
have had a long relationship with both the Fianna and the Get. During the
wars between the two tribes the Corax always tried to stay out of the way,
protect their own people and were possible redirect the Garou's anger to the
Wyrm rather than each other.
The Bastet have also have there presence in Britain, although it has fluctuated greatly over the years. The Celican tribe were as enamoured with the Fae as the Fianna, and like the Fianna followed them across Europe. For many years their was little problem but then the War of Rage came, and the Celicans, not great warriors, suffered badly. After that, they spent much time in hiding. Even this didn't protect them however, and they suffered greatly during the witch hunts of the 1500-1600s, which included a fair number of cat burnings. Most of the survivors fled to the New World, and although the occasional Celican can be found in Britain, they are rare indeed.
In the last two centuries, Bastet of other tribes have found their way into Britain. As the British spread their Empire around the globe, they came into the territory of many of the Bastet Tribes. While originally the Bastet tended to fight against the British with their Kinfolk, when occupation was inevitable, many of them bred with the invaders. While the Bubasti and the Khan were the most common, most of the tribes in India and Africa now have some British blood in them. While few of these Bastet actually dwell in Britain all the time, many have Kin and they sometimes come to visit them, or just to nose around.