“For millennia, the Empire has handed down its commandments to all of Gaia’s chosen. It claims that only through it’s actions and influence has the Apocalypse been held off for so long, and that only through it’s unity shall Gaia survive the coming time of darkness. This is a lie. The Empire has become corrupt, it’s structures weak, and it’s leaders insane. We can no longer afford to ignore the cancerous chain that the Empire has become, as it threatens to drag us all down into the mouth of the Wyrm. Any protection it once afforded is gone. The time has come to shred the net of humanity we have bound ourselves in. It is time to decide: will you be led like sheep, or will you stand up and reveal yourself as you truly are? No more lies. No more hiding. Show your true face to the enemy, and release your Rage!” -Daniel Hayden, Ratkin
The War of Extinction: To understand the beginnings of the Empire, one must know about the two great wars between the Changing Breeds. The exact cause of the first war is debated, though believed to have stemmed from resentment between those Breeds who knew the secrets of extending their life, and those who lived only as long as humans. Whatever the reason, the results of this disagreement are universally accepted: a civil war erupted between Gaia’s children in Europe and Africa. The war itself lasted nearly a century, not ending with a bang or any grand final battle, but as a slow, drawn out scattering and destruction of the losing forces. The survivors were those Breeds who allied with one another during the War, who were predisposed towards working in groups. These were the Garou, the Simba and Ajaba Bastet Tribes, the Corax, and the Ratkin.
The War of Dominance: Soon after the War of Extinction finally ended, a second war between the surviving Breeds came about. If anything, this one was even more brutal, as realization of what they had done during the first war settled in, and developed into accusations and recriminations against their former allies. For a time, it appeared that the results of the first war would become reality once again, this time for all participants involved. On the eve of what was likely to be the last great battle, however, something happened. Most legends refer to a great hero stepping forward, who spoke with the voice of Gaia, and who commanded all those involved to end their hostilities. Which Breed this individual came from is the most highly disagreed upon point, but in the end it doesn’t matter. Reason triumphed, a cessation of hostilities was declared, and the foundations of the future Empire were set down.
The Empire’s Beginnings: Of all the Breeds, the Garou came out of the two conflicts as the strongest race. They were at the forefront of efforts unite (some say control) the surviving Changing Breeds. Special Caerns were designated as places for several different Breeds to control jointly. These quickly became the diplomatic and leadership hubs of the formative Western Concordiat. Behind most of this effort was a single Silver Fang hero known in legend as The First, who is believed to be the inspiration behind many of the tales of King Arthur. He is generally recognized as the first Emperor, though at the time not called as such. Under his leadership, many of the hurdles that stood in the way of unification were crossed. Nonetheless, many Shapeshifters continued to work against old enemies, refusing to give up old grudges held from the time of fighting. Though circumspect, many members of the new Concordiat worked against one another, and passed down these hatred sand rivalries to future generations. Additionally, intermittent conflict between the western Breeds, the Hengeyokai, and many South African holdouts continued on, waxing and waning throughout the centuries.
[Amnesty – Occasionally, individuals or small groups of Breeds thought destroyed during the War of Extinction would turn up. In an effort to atone for past deeds, these shifters would be offered citizenship. Almost always this was accepted. Many find this somewhat suspicious, and wonder if some group (or groups) aided and hid the enemy during the War of Extinction, only to slowly bring their charges out of hiding later on. In any case, almost all of the Changing Breeds have a few members in the Empire, though they are not fully trusted.]
Establishment of the Church: Eventually, it became apparent that the greatest cause of strife within the new Empire would be due to disagreement over religious belief. In order to try and resolve this conflict before it could become an insurmountable rift, the Church of the Earth Mother was formed. Originally, it more resembled a Greek Forum than anything else, a place for the Breeds to argue and debate metaphysical matters. Over time, it became more regimented and organized, in response to the changes in human society. In order to protect those Changing Breeds and Kinfolk who worshiped Gaia from human religious purges, it was necessary to accrue influence and power over those self-same human institutions. The Church has become the main spiritual force within the Western Concordiat, and all Shapeshifters who concern themselves with spiritual matters are expected to pay homage to it, of one degree or another.
The Expansion: As the human populations and governments the Empire hid itself within spread to other countries, the Changing Breeds followed. In these new lands, it insisted on the indigenous shapeshifters swearing allegiance to it and it’s leaders. The natives declined, and once again Shapechanger fought Shapechanger. Unlike the previous wars, this conflict was made up of small-scale attacks and skirmishes between individual native communities and the forces of the Hidden Empire. Old hostilities and feuds kept the Natives from uniting with one another until the end of the 1800’s. By then, it was too late. They had suffered too many losses, and faced an enemy too well organized. Their Caerns were annexed, and had citizenship in the Empire forced upon them (though they were relegated to a lower social status, and regularly discriminated against).
The Current State of Affairs: Despite its efforts (some say because of them), the Empire finds itself on the doorstep of the Apocalypse. Hiding amongst the governments, religions, and corporations of the modern day, it still finds itself losing the struggle to try and curb humanities excesses. From without, the agents of the Wyrm continually maneuver against the Empire for control and influence over the human world. Within, ancient rivalries and factions oppose and undercut one another, which just serves to weaken the Empire as a whole. The Silver Fangs, seeking complete impartiality and balance so as to prove they truly are the greatest of Gaia’s leaders, have become removed, nearly-emotionless, and as hard and cold as the metal they name themselves by. The Black Fury and Shadowlord heads of the Church set plans in motion to assume control of the Empire, rationalizing that they are best aware of Gaia’s wishes, and as such most suited to leading the Empire through the coming Apocalypse. The Bastet are making motions towards secession, and are already forming a loose Coalition with the Ananasi and Mokole in Africa. The Ratkin have split into several different sub-factions, each with it’s own plans and vision for the future of the Earth. Finally, the descendants of those Shapeshifters native to the Americas form an ever-growing number of those openly rebelling against the Empire. The Apocalypse is looming, and in the face of it everything is falling apart for Gaia’s chosen.
[The Point – The alternate history presented above is intended as a background setting for a game in which the PC’s can build characters using any of the Changing Breeds. While the vanilla Werewolf setting requires quite a few story acrobatics to justify a Mokole, a Garou, a Ratkin, and a Gurahl forming a group, the above setting can easily handle such an alliance. It is also meant to add a different sort of conflict to a game of Werewolf, as the former stabilizing force of the Empire slowly crumbles away, just when unity amongst Gaia’s chosen is most needed. Politics beyond the Sept level become both more important and more pressing, as the ties that bind the Changing Breeds weaken and snap in ever increasing numbers. Most of the actual details for the organization of the Empire is left deliberately vague, up to the Storyteller to decide upon. Is the Empire run by a King, or a Council? The decisions made about this will largely be tied to how the ST wishes to present the Empire, and the level of darkness and corruption she wants in her Chronicle.]
And yes, he did watch the cartoon and drew some inspiration from it