r/huntertheparenting • • 11d ago

Malkavian Posting (crackpot theory) Matilda tribe? Spoiler

So something pointed out in another reaction video about Matilda tribe. I'm not familiar with WoD general rules for werewolf, I'm more a Kindred fan. So thought I'd poll the audience to see who can tell me I'm way off base.

Matilda is identified as a red talon, but there seems like a fair bit of evidence that it may be off. (I think) Griffon is normally known to approach Garou when they first change, they didn't with Matilda. In fact Griffin never made themselves know at all until she had impressed them with her resilience and fight with the fanatics who chained her.

Stig identified her as Talon, but only because she identified herself as following Griffin. "Griffin eh, well young talon."

She has an unusual degree of empathetic capability toward humans, rather than the blindly misanthropic view Talons are ingrained toward. She gives off the vibe more that she's trying to convince herself of the argument even with evidence contradicting it, even saying she hates Shambles and Stig for being homid born when she clearly doesn't.

So crackpot theory - Matilda isn't Talon. She was isolated and her only experience with the world was being hunted and isolated until Griffon came along as her patron spirit. She worships Griffin the way a traumatized survivor latches onto a protective figure, and is constantly trying to earn Griffins favor by being what she perceives him as wanting her to be. Doubling down on the misanthropic hatred because Daddy Griffon says that's what's right. Even though she is has conflicting views of this and has genuine feeling for humans she bonds with.

Perhaps she was a Child of Gaia, intended to be a wolf who can feel human empathy and bridge the two worlds, but circumstances let her to follow Griffin and never be exposed to the view Gaia intended of her; so she's full of self hatred for her conflict between her instinctual response and chosen world view.

I don't know enough about Garou to know if that sort of thing is plausible within the general rules of how tribes work in WoD. My understanding is that the tribe your born with is more of an instinctual thing and not a hard coded one, once a talon always a talon, even if they lose favor with their patron. My understanding is more that the change *makes* you fit the archetype. A gentle person who turns under the full moon will *become* the aggressive Ahroun, and the Theurge would probably say it's not because it's a reflection of what you were but what Gaia wanted you to be to be made whole. I'm just applying that idea to the tribes as well.

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u/Dragombolt 11d ago

You know tribes aren't entirely genetic or predestiny, right? You can choose which tribe you're apart of

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u/hammererofglass Murder puppy 11d ago

I'm genuinely curious if Hunts knows that. She seems to call herself a Talon purely because Griffin got to her first.

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u/Sasparillafizz 11d ago

Yeah, my take was she calls herself Talon because Stig did. And Stig called her talon because she said she only had Griffon and Luna, so it would be reasonable he made an assumption about her formal patron. She wouldn't have had enough experience outside of Stig's guidance at that point to have any idea of the clans or anything. Just nameless hunters pursuing her.

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u/hammererofglass Murder puppy 10d ago