Setting Information

The Maine Band of the Abnaki Nation is a state-recognized band of Indians living on traditional tribal lands along the upper Peemsquot River, heavily forested and with limited road access – sometimes the river is as good a way to reach the Band as any. Their lands aren't a Federally recognized reservation, however, which means that very recently the Feinstein Timber Company has gained permission to fell trees on them. The band consists of about 800 Indians across several settlements, the main one being at White Pine, where about half the band live. Unemployment and/or serious health problems affect about a quarter of the adult population. The chief occupations are subsistence hunting, fishing, and farming, guides for the tourist trade, and traditional crafts for sale.

White Pine Sept is the Uktena-led Sept covering local Garou. Their Caern is located beside a sacred oxbow lake on the Peemsquot some miles upriver from White Pine settlement. A particularly ancient White Pine lies at the centre of the caern, with openings in the roots which lead to the Sept's private retreat and Umbral gateway. The Sept is dedicated to Peace Tree, the White Pine spirit; this is rare for Garou, who rarely take placid plants as totems. However, Peace Tree's medicinal uses and great wisdom appeal to the Uktena, and the spirit and his small brood value the Garou presence greatly and reward it appropriately.

The members of the White Pine Sept are as follows, by pack:
Woodchuck Pack

• Sept Leader: Tammy Stonefeet, Rank 5 Homid Uktena Philodox – Born upstream from White Pine at Little Water, Tammy is Abnaki through and through. She experienced her First Change 30 years ago at the age of 15, and has long experience in the White Pine Sept.
• Master of the Rite and Banetender: Pete Dendry, Rank 4 Homid Uktena Theurge – Born to an Abnaki Garou father and a white mother downstate in Portland 31 years ago, Pete breaks Uktena stereotypes by being a warm and friendly Theurge, but fulfils them by being, behind that, full of secrets. He rarely speaks about himself or his Sept tasks.
• Eleanor Rogerson, Rank 2 Homid Uktena Ragabash – A typical Ragabash, Eleanor teases and mocks relentlessly, usually with a friendly smile behind it. She was born into the Abnaki to Kinfolk and gives her most affectionate mockery to her beloved home. Aged 27.
• Samuel Firetongue, Rank 1 Homid Uktena Galliard – The very slightly elder of a set of Garou twins from a Penobscot band, Samuel is, for an Uktena, loud and quick-tempered. He loves to tell the stories of the Uktena keeping Banes in Slumber, and show to other tribes the valuable work his people do. Aged 22.
  
• Eddie Irontongue, Rank 1 Homid Uktena Ahroun – Samuel's brother, Eddie is a quiet, thoughtful Ahroun, known for his truthfulness and determination. He has mastery over his rage outside of combat; in combat, he becomes a whirlwind of destruction. Aged 22.
  

Bootup Pack

• Talesinger: Moskwas, Rank 4 Homid Wendigo Galliard – An aged, crotchety old Galliard born to a Micmac band in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. He's been with the Sept since his First Change, which is a long time ago. He served with Canadian Special Forces in Italy in World War 2. He's pessimistic and nostalgic for the old days. His memory for stories is second to none. Aged 95.
• Caern Warder: Isoroku Kawada, Rank 3 Homid Stargazer Ahroun – A Japanese wanderer, Isoroku arrived at White Pine 37 years ago after long travels, and hasn't left much since. He functionally acts as the pack alpha, though he defers to Moskwas in public. He is dedicated to the Code of Bushido, and combines ferocity in battle with spirituality in peace. Aged 73.
  
• Tom Scabfur, Rank 1 Metis Red Talon Ahroun – Abandoned in the wilderness by his Garou parents, he was found by Tammy and brought to the Sept. Rituals determined his tribal origin, and Peace Tree judge that the Metis cub must join his native tribe. Tammy travelled to Canada and found a Red Talon Sept, who granted the request, but refused to the take the cub himself. Grandmother Lahota and Tammy have raised Tom (as they named him) since, and he has learned to guard the Caern. A spirit emissary of Griffin confirmed his tribe after his Rite of Passage. His metis deformity is that his skin has a number of running sores on it, which offer no serious health problem but which are unsightly and very uncomfortable. Tom is quiet but volatile, and rarely opens up except to Grandma Lahota and Tammy. Aged 17.
  

Cubs

• Boneblade, Rank 0 Lupus [Wendigo] Ragabash – Born to a Lupus Kinfolk mother just over the border in Canada, Boneblade was guided to White Pine after his First Change, in which he slew a hunter tracking his pack. He is a master of stealth and tracking, whose Ragabash trickery is more likely to take a practical than a verbal turn. Like many Lupus Garou, he is quiet in Homid form, but that is not say he is empty-headed. Aged 7.
  
• Sandra “Sandy” Speaks-Softly, Rank 0 Homid [Uktena] Theurge – Born to a Garou mother and Kinfolk father in White Pine. Aged 21.
  
• Nick Antonopoulos, Rank 0 Homid [Black Fury] Philodox – Born to a Garou mother and human father in Boston. Aged 22.

Other important local personages include:

• Chief John Dancing-Leaves – Kinfolk Band Chief. An able warrior and decent man, John is has been the band's chief since his election 30 years ago. Unimaginative and not notably sharp, he nonetheless does the best he can for his people, and is trusted and respected by all. He is aging, however, and his health is beginning to fail. Aged 64.
  
• Philip Cross – White Pine Storekeeper. Philip Cross runs the White Pine General Store, the only proper shop on the band's lands. He's a fussy, precise man, whose father ran the Store before him (in an identically fussy, precise way). He finds Grandma Lahota intimidating and doesn't want to know any more than he already does about the medicine lodge at Smiling Lake. Aged 50.
• Grandma Lahota – Kinfolk Medicine Woman, Sandy's Grandma. The band's medicine woman and the wisest of the Abnaki. Grandpa Grinning Dog (long since gone to the ancestors) was also Kinfolk, and they had two sons – one, Jay Tall-Ash, married Goldenvoice, an Uktena Galliard. They had Sandy before Goldenvoice was killed subduing a powerful Bane. Their other son, Ken Red-Tree, is now the band's most productive farmer. Grandma Lahota is gifted with Gnosis of her own and has always been involved in the Sept's business, to the point of functionally being Den Mother to every cub to have come through – including Tammy, which gives her a role of great authority. Age 84.
• Ken Red-Tree – Kinfolk Farmer, Sandy's Uncle. Ken is the most productive farmer in the band, and raises various corns and fruits to feed his people. He sells his surplus stock either direct to his neighbours or to Philip Cross, who has negotiated a monopoly on Ken's fruit production. Ken acted as something of a father figure to Sandy, but his evenings were (and are) too often spent at the Lodge in White Pine, and his expertise is agricultural, not familial. Aged 49.
• William Longshadow – Maine Band State Marshal. A serious, silent man who has known John Dancing-Leaves since they were born. Most of his job consists of arresting illegal loggers and unlicensed hunters, but there's a fair share of bar brawls to break up at White Pine or Little Water, as well. He's aware of the White Pine Sept as a strange but essentially positive medicine lodge group, who get up to strange rituals by the Smiling Lake. Aged 62.
  
• Tom Lollawassik – Shawnee-blooded supply trucker who runs the regular sundries order into White Pine. A funny, clever man who gives little of himself away. Aged 30-something.
• Sarah Dietrich – State Government Indian Affairs Liaison, based in Portland. Dietrich comes across as desiring to be helpful to the Abnaki but is incapable of doing much. Aged 28.
  

Important locations include:

• White Pine – Main settlement of the Maine Abnaki, White Pine houses around 500 of the band's number, spread out over both the main settlement and nearby farms. It houses the General Store and the White Pine Lodge, as well as several small craft industries employing one or two locals making traditional jewellery for sale at the General Store or downstate. A small number of tourist groups travel here each summer to camp and fish with Abnaki guides.
• Little Water – The secondary settlement of the Maine Abnaki, upriver from White Pine. The “Little Water” is a large pool formed by a waterfall. Around 200 of the band's number live within a few miles of Little Water, which houses the Little Water Lodge and Mark Book-Follower's chapel and band library.
  
• Smiling Lake – Home of White Pine Caern, this oxbow lake is especially favoured by water-spirits, and is often used for Umbral rituals. Rare upland flowers grow beside it and nowhere else in the world. It is between White Pine and Little Water.