Delirium

The Delirium is one of the most important, and paradoxical, protections for Garou. It refers to the instinctive, irrational terror and confusion that seizes most humans when they witness a Garou in their true war-form — the towering, monstrous Crinos. This reaction is not simply fear but something far deeper: a psychic echo of ancient trauma. Thousands of years ago, humanity lived in constant proximity to the Garou Nation. They knew the teeth and claws of Gaia’s warriors intimately, and stories of werewolves ripping through villages are etched into ancestral memory. Over time, this fear calcified into a hereditary defense mechanism. Thus, when modern humans encounter a Crinos, they are overwhelmed by visions, paralysis, or frantic denial.

The Delirium ensures that Garou remain hidden in the modern world. Most witnesses rationalize what they saw as a wild animal attack, a bear standing upright, or a nightmare. Some faint outright. Rare individuals — those with particularly strong willpower, supernatural blood, or long association with the occult — resist the Delirium and retain clarity, though this makes them dangerous liabilities.

Mechanically, the Delirium varies in intensity. Some humans are left trembling but functional, while others collapse into catatonia. Those with kinfolk blood or psychic talent are less affected. This duality creates tension: the Delirium hides Garou society, but also isolates them. Garou often feel both relief and frustration that humans can’t fully recognize them for what they are. It underscores their alienation — they are too much for humanity to face without madness.

In Ironwood, the Delirium has special resonance. Many citizens live under constant pressure — economic hardship, pollution, urban decay. Some believe this spiritual numbing makes Ironwood’s people more resistant to the Delirium, as if already half-dead to wonder and horror. Others think the city amplifies it, cracking already fragile psyches. Rumors persist of humans in Hollowpoint who see Garou and never forget, becoming fanatics, hunters, or mad prophets. For the Garou, the Delirium is both a shield and a curse, ensuring secrecy at the cost of ever being truly understood.