About 90 miles west of Albuquerque, over the small town of Grants, rises the blue cone of Mt. Taylor, Tsoodzil, the Turquoise Mountain. The Dineh people believe that when First Man and First Woman were building the seven sacred mountains of the Fifth World, the second one they made was Tsoodzil, the sacred mountain of the South. They fastened Tsoodzil to the earth with a stone knife, pinning her from top to bottom. All around Tsoodzil, they wove a tapestry of dark mist and female rain, and they filled her forests with game. First Man and First Woman placed two eggs of the Bluebird on the summit of Tsoodzil, inside a dish made of Turquoise and covered with sacred buckskin. Over all of this, they stretched a vast covering of blue sky. To this day, the Dineh believe that Turquoise Boy, Turquoise Girl, and the Girl Who Carries One Grain of Corn all live on top of Tsoodzil, along with other strange and unpredictable spirits.
The Garou know this to be true. For generations, the Sept of the Stone Knife made its home on and around Tsoodzil, defending her sacred caern from the Enemy. Largely comprised of Uktena, the Sept of the Stone Knife drew on the strength of the nearby Pueblos. The Garou called the Dineh, the Acoma, and the Zuni their Kin and they shared stories of Coyote and the Hero Twins with one another, dancing around the sacred fires. But times changed and the Sept of the Stone Knife weakened and could not protect Tsoodzil's natural resources from the greed and corruption of the modern world. Mt. Taylor proved to be rich in a uranium-bearing mineral, and was mined extensively for it during the 1980s and 1990s. As concern grew over the future of this most sacred of mountains, the mining activities did slow down at the turn of the 21st century, due to efforts by mortal activists, Native American leaders, and those working on behalf of the Garou Nation, both directly and indirectly.
Some years ago, the Elders of the Sept of the Stone Knife turned their attention toward Albuquerque. The last known caern within city limits had fallen in the 1960s, and many thought that the city was firmly entangled in the grasp of the Wyrm, with only the Fera fighting the good fight. Most of the Elders believed that the Sept of the Stone Knife needed to focus its efforts on protecting Tsoodzil locally. But one Elder, the Theurge "Child-of-Water" of the Uktena, thought differently. He told the others, "We can not afford to ignore the blight that seeks to encroach upon us. Even now, our young people look to the east and our Kin travel to the city to find work. Those Fera who are friendly to us tell us of great battles being fought. I have had a vision of a new caern born within the city limits. It has been too long since the Garou had a strong presence within Albuquerque and that must change. We must send our young warriors to battle the darkness and to protect this nascent caern. And we can not turn away the other Tribes who come to their aid. A new Sept will rise in Albuquerque!"
And thus it happened as "Child-of-Water" had foretold. The Sept of the Stone Knife sent a Cliath pack to Albuquerque and they were joined by other Garou. The Caern of Visions was fought for and won and the small Sept of Blue Water was formed in Albuquerque, as a sister Sept to the Sept of the Stone Knife. The original Cliath pack grew in rank and stayed in Albuquerque, ultimately looking toward the Elders in Grants for guidance and protection, but with the autonomy to oversee their own affairs. But many great battles were yet to be fought, and young Garou from across the Nation began to make their way to Albuquerque...
Your story takes place in Albuquerque. Here is your chance to make a difference.
If you are a Garou, you are a Cliath who has come to join the Sept of Blue Water. Your home Sept could have been the Sept of the Stone Knife in nearby Grants, or another Sept entirely. Either way, you are ready to take on the challenge of fighting to protect the young Caern of Visions. Glory, wisdom, and honor await you here!
If you are Kin to the Garou, your battles might be more subtle. Perhaps you are fighting to push through the legislature that will stop the mining of Mt. Taylor. Maybe you are an activist speaking out on behalf of the Native American people. But whatever your other pursuits, you are there to support your Garou family!
If you are one of the Fera, you might be a new arrival, or might have been here all along. For years, Albuquerque was ignored by the Garou - now they've finally taken notice and think to make this city their own. Will you work with them or pursue your own agenda?
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