This is a little, no-combat Umbral Quest for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. It's based on some tales I read about Coyote the Trickster who always gets into trouble. This time, one of his chosen packs has to get him out...
A Hundred Yards Of Spider Silk
by
inge.
Place: anywhere
Time: anytime
Where Did He Go?
In the most inopportune moment Coyote, the pack's totem, just vanishes -- along with all powers or gifts he might have bestowed upon the pack. After the pack manages to escape the mess the sudden withdrawal of their totem's help got them into, they have to try to get Coyote back.To pick up the trail they have to go into the Near Umbra at the place where they were when they noticed Coyote missing (or at least at a place closeby). There, they are standing under a starry sky, and indeed they see a Coyote trail, but it suddenly disappears and cannot be found again.
They can now start asking around among the local spirits, who are slightly baffled that anyone should want Coyote back and air some grievances about what Coyote did to them, and might even demand some apology or compensation. If the characters manage to behave and not offend anyone, they are told that they had heard a 'yelp' and saw Coyote disappear into the sky: Obviously not of his own volition or under his own power.
On A Silver Thread
Looking up into the sky they finally discover a silvery thread hanging down, blowing softly in the wind and ending just far enough above their heads that it's really difficult to reach. But with some creativity (Leap of the Kangoroo, bribing a bird spirit, standing on each other's shoulders) the thread can be reached. It's quite sticky.The characters can now climb or walk up that thread into the sky. (Much easier if they pull it down some and tie it somewhere!)
After a while they do not see the ground below them anymore and see Moon Birds fluttering around them: fat, round and shiny if the moon is full, bony, shady and mean-tempered under the new moon.
Finally the thread leads to a hole in the sky. If they climb through it they find that they just crawled out of a hole in the earth under a giant tree stump, and are standing in a primeval forest.
The Realm of Legends
The Garou have entered a part of the Legendary Realm in the south of the Pure Land -- the place where the Uktena Legends live. (Uktena or Wendigo characters might recieve some hints on expected behaviour from the storyteller, but apart from that the characters' tribe doesn't matter in this story.)Everything here is alive, and any Garou can speak to any spirit they want to without needing a special gift. The characters can pick up Coyote's trail here, but it's slightly overlaid with something else, or they can ask trees, squirrels, birds, rocks or whatever if they had seen Coyote.
The Spider's Web
Finally they come to a grey area in the forest where there are large spiderwebs, and one of it is gigantic, large enough propably to hold a Crinos. High up in the web is a very small-looking bundle wrapped in spider silk with only a bushy tail sticking out. If the characters make noises, the bundle starts to whimper.Obviously, Coyote has been caught by Grandmother Spider, and the only way to get him down is to climb up, cut him free and hope that Grandmother Spider won't be home until you're all long gone. Climbing into a spider web is tricky: There are sticky threads you don't want to get into, and non-sticky ones that the spider uses to get to its prey. But finally one or two of the characters should be able to get to Coyote and start cutting him free (which is hard work, even with a fetish knife: These threads are strong!). Of course, they are barely half-finished when Grandmother Spider comes home.
A Trade
She is miffed about the characters trying to free her prisoner, even more so if they damaged her web. Talking to her politely and calmly will make her reveal that 'Coyote, the Scoundrel' stole one hundred yards of her finest silk thread and is refusing to give it back! If he did so, she'd let him go.The pack has the chance to convince Coyote that he's better off giving the Spider Silk back, and after a lot of cringing and whining and excuses he tells them that he has hidden the silk down by the river below a bush. He'll also admit that he needed the silk to meet a Caribou girl.
Down By The Riverside
The Garou go downhill to the river, which flows broad and fast among bushes and trees and reeds. On the other side is a rolling, grassy plain. They find the bush where Coyote has hidden the silk, but the silk is gone!More asking around (not really easy, since most of the water fowl doesn't like to speak with wolves! -- better ask the trees) they find out that Wren has taken what was under the bush.
Wren is nesting in the reeds. He admits to having the silk, but claims that finder's keeper, and he needs the silk to pad his nest for his young. He'd offer to trade, though. A handful of soft combed-out wolves' hair will do just fine.
Mom, He's Doing It Again ...!
Having regained the spider silk, the pack hurries back to Grandmother Spider, who keeps her promise and frees Coyote. But as soon as Coyote is free, he snatches the silk again and runs down to the river. A wild chase ensues, and before the characters catch up with him, he has reached the bank of the river, ties one end of the silk thread around a tree root and throws the bundle on the other side, creating a thin bridge, on which he runs to the other side.The characters can grab the thread before it unties itself. On the other side of the river they see Coyote combing his fur, brushing his tail, holding his head high and looking very sleek and self-important. A herd of caribou is grazing on the grassland, and he struts towards them. A young caribou is watching him and he starts to woo her with sweet promises, and describes in (mostly incorrect) detail the heroic quest he had undergone to reach her.
Going Home
The characters can now wrap up the silk again and return it to Grandmother Spider, who will spin them a thread to travel home on, after warning them very grandmotherly that the company they keep is spotty at best.
The pack has now regained their totem's help, and has gotten some insight into Coyote's nature... or, as one of my player characters said:
Use this story, change it, play it -- but if you sell it, Coyote will cause you no end of trouble!
