The Black Furies practice feminism with a vengeance. According to legend, Luna first gathered this cult of warrior women in Ancient Greece. Incarnate as Artemis the Huntress, the goddess appointed she-wolves as the defenders of the Wyld. Since then, the tribe’s followers have inspired legends of female heroes. Elders claim that the tribe has been responsible for warrior Amazons, vengeful Maenads, Lysistrata’s political revolt, Queen Bodacea’s military prowess and even the Norse Valkyries. The tribe accepts only women into its ranks, often recruiting werewolf cubs infuriated by the chauvinism or sexism of other tribes. Their version of gender bias is often called hypocritical, but it is based on a culture that has developed for thousands of years. For most Furies, their driving belief is simply that women are worthy of respect and reverence.
Throughout history, rumor had it that Black Furies birth exclusively to female offspring. In truth, some Furies ceremoniously killed their male children; the rest gave their cubs away. The only exceptions were the metis; for reasons unknown, the Furies have several metis among their ranks.These days, though, the Furies give away male cubs to be raised by other werewolves, but in return, they demand the right to recruit cubs raised by other tribes. The Furies have forced their rivals to treat female cubs with respect, not by intimidation or insults, but by offering an alternative. Contrary to stereotype, they do not demand that their cubs “hate all men.” Instead, they give women a chance to voice their beliefs openly… and act on them.
No two Furies interpret the tribe’s philosophies in quite the same way, but a few cultural standards are constant. The Furies are known for their mystical wisdom, fierce pride and political fervor. Honor is their most prized virtue; if a Black Fury gives her word, she’ll go through hell to keep it. The tribe’s Gifts and spirit allies demonstrate a primal connection to the Wyld, and they are often summoned up to defend the natural places of the world. Fury protectorates are among the most beautiful and sacred places in creation. In fact, many Furies see themselves as aspects of the Goddess herself, since they share a deeper bond with Gaia than any ordinary man.
In return for these gifts from the Gaian Goddess, each Fury also has obligations to the tribe as a whole. First and foremost, they must attended private tribal moots regularly, at which wise women lead complex and beautiful rites. Kuklochoros are informal moots where human women are invited to attend, often to learn the ways of the Goddess. During the Burning Times of the Renaissance, many such gatherings were mistaken for witches’ sabbats. Ulaka magelis are for Black Furies alone, for only they have the strength and stamina to endure the lengthy and deeply emotional rituals involved. The tribe undeniably has its own version of discrimination, but this practice is often necessary to explore their deepest tribal mysteries and keeping them secret from the patriarchal societies surrounding them.
In Greek myth, Bellerophon, a hero whose mastery of animals allowed him to conquer a mythical beast and travel throughout the world, tamed Pegasus. In the Gaian version of this myth, Pegasus — the Furies’ totem — gained a great hatred for the man who had mastered her. Furies retell this legend in their own image, using it as an example of man’s need to rein nature and exploit mystical power. Of course, the tribe reveres other totems as well, from Owl and Panther to the Muses and Medusae.
Tribalists who share similar beliefs gather in camps called kuldos or “circles.” Black Furies who have allied themselves with werewolves from other tribes may still act on behalf of a kuklos periodically, often recruiting other members of their pack to help them out. Each circle acts with a high degree of autonomy, although all must eventually report to the Inner and Outer Calyxes, the high councils of the tribe. The elders of the Outer Calyx are well known, as they are chosen with a great deal of pomp and ceremony. The Inner Calyx keeps its leaders and activities secret, much to the annoyance of the tribe’s cubs and cliath.
The Furies also possess treasures and fetishes, which they see as only fit for members of their tribe. When these possessions fall into the wrong hands, women warriors rush out to retrieve them. Such extreme activities account for many stories of vengeful and misanthropic Furies. However, despite the preconceived notions of other werewolves, not all Furies are radical in their beliefs. A few camps are particularly harsh in their attitudes toward men, but these camps often form their own packs composed entirely of their own followers. Many Furies run with packs that accept other tribes; unfortunately, they sometimes find themselves at odds with the most extreme and intolerant elders of their own culture.
The battle lines between cliath and elders are clear. While many of the oldest Furies are quite set in their beliefs, young cubs entertain very revolutionary concepts of gender, warfare and Garou society. Not every Black Fury believes in “stomping man’s face firmly into the mud,” but all members of the tribe are known for their tendency to speak their minds, directly and forcefully, no matter how unpopular or dangerous their ideas may be. In doing so, they risk alienating others within their own tribe and invoking the wrath of the tribal elders. While a “woman who runs with the wolves” may choose to ally herself with anyone she pleases, the elders of her tribe still encourage her to take up Gaian causes shared by her sisters. Thus, the struggle between the old and young continues. In her name, the Furies will avenge any crime against women, insult toward the Goddess or defilement of her creation.