Werewolf

There are two general categories of werewolves.

Full Blood Werewolves
The first are half men, half wolves that have been bitten by a wolf carrying the lycanthropic disease. Once a human is bit, if they are not cured by the setting of the first full moon they are irreversably a werewolf until they die. A werewolf then carries the lycanthropic disease and with a bite can spread that disease to other humans. They may also reproduce with other werewolves to spread the disease to their offspring. The gene carrying the disease is dominant and will force the child to be a werewolf. These beasts are animalistic killing machines when that are supreme predators when the moon is full. They can also perform the werewolf transformation at anytime and switch between the forms of human, werewolf, and wolf with only the consequence of intense momentary pain.

Only silver or other supernatural attacks can harm and ultimately kill this type of werewolf.The wolfsbane plant has also been used to ward them off. It will heal from any other style of wounding. Typically beheading with a silver weapon is required.Some have been known to assume a form that is neither Wolf nor Man. They walk on two legs, like a man, but they are covered in fur,and have claws, fangs, and other wolven parts in place of normal human ones.

Garou
The second kind of werewolves, the Garou were created to defend the earth from the cosmic forces that threaten to tear it apart. The Garou fight against Wyrm, chaos and destruction, and Weaver, the force of stasis. It is a struggle against nearly insurmountable odds, especially considering the rivalry between many tribes. From this morass of hatred and mutual betrayal, there is little hope that the Garou can emerge triumphant against a foe so well armed as the Wyrm. The Wyrm promises whatever the heart desires to its followers while the Garou receive no reward for their striving.

The Garou can mate with either true Garou, wolves or humans. Only one in ten offspring of a Garou turns out to be Garou themselves. Worse still, their brothers, the wolves, have been nearly hunted to extinction, leaving them with very few wolf mates. Thus they have had to make do with humans, thinning the primal instincts of the Garou so that a Homid Garou may never have seen a forest until after his First Change. There is one way to guarantee Garou offspring and this is to mate with another Garou. However, these offspring often die at birth. Thus they need to take their chances with humans and wolves to continue the line.

The Garou are a divided people, divided along lines of breed, of auspice, of tribe. Each Garou has a breed, auspice, and tribe and this means that they are not even uniform along a single trait! A Lupus Ahroun Glass Walker is a far different creature than a Lupus Ahroun Red Talon even though they share two traits in common. The most severe divisions are between tribes.

The Breeds of Garou
Homid: They are Garou leaning towards human. These who were raised in human society, may never know their heritage until their First Change. There is a group of Homids that have territory near the fields behind The Castle.

Metis: They are perhaps the best balanced of the breeds being equally likely to understand the wilderness or human technology. Additionally, their relaxed form is the werewolf form, granting them great battle prowess.

Lupus: These are Garou leaning towards wolf. They are sadly out of place in the human world, having little understanding of human society.

Abilities
Garou have several special abilities. They heal damage incredibly fast, and can be killed by little but silver or the claws and fangs of other supernaturals. They can change shapes at will and step into the Umbra, the spirit world. They are taught through practice how to attain gifts and rites which are special powers such as portals to other dimensions or transforming without tearing one's clothing.

Gnosis is similar to the Polynesian concept of mana, or the Eastern concept of chi. While all creatures have some spiritual component, Garou can consciously control and use it. Garou are quite literally half-spirit already and Gnosis reflects how connected they are to their other half. Gnosis can't be precisely measured, but if you think of it like water, it makes comprehending the difference between a Garou and a human easier. A human has a cupful to last a lifetime, a Garou has access to an endlessly replenishing river.

Gnosis can be used to bribe spirits, activate magical artifacts and powers.

Gnosis is a renewable, but dwindling, resource. Garou can regain it at sacred sites, by meditating, or bargaining with spirits. Sacred sites provide Gnosis, but if they become defiled, it can corrupt the Garou, or there simply may be no more available. The water analogy works well here. They need water, but they need to protect their sources because drinking tainted water may make them sick, and if they aren't careful, their well may go dry.