CLAN GHOST BEAR MISC INFO
INDEX
The
Ghost Bear
Bloodnames
Uniforms and Insignias
The white seems to stretch away forever. Only the distant mountains rising majestically into the blue skies interrupt the scenery. Though they seem close enough to reach in the journey of an hour or two, one could trek for many days without reaching their mist-shrouded foothills.
These plains and mountains give a home to our namesake. The mighty ghost bear presides over Strana Mechty's southernmost continent. To even catch a glimpse of the bear, you must travel the open expanse of snow for many days, always moving toward the mountains. It is when you feel ready to turn back to the comfort of your base camp, exhausted and defeated, that you will realize that you are not alone. A palpable presence makes the bile rise in your throat, so thick you nearly choke on it. yet your eyes, your window to the real world, see nothing.
Suddenly, you focus on movement: a white-cloaked Iynx
bounds across the tundra, its paws digging gaping wounds in the
snow as it accelerates. As the cat passes through your field of
vision, the ground directly in front of you erupts in a
living cloud of snow that leaps after the running Iynx.
You stare, and you realize that the cloud of snow swirls around
your namesake, the legendary ghost bear. Though you do not
understand how this huge beast remained invisible, you cannot
deny that only moments ago you saw no living thing. As the bear
gives chase, snow sloughs off its back, revealing
massively muscled flanks covered in pure white fur. The hapless
lynx turns and twists in a vain attempt to throw its
pursuer off the chase, but the hunter will not be denied.
You stare, transfixed by the spectacle. The bear lunges through
the heavy layers of snow as easily as a fish swimming
through water. Its howl assaults your ears, terrifying and hauntingly
sweet all at once. The bear's deadly claws glint in the morning
light as its paw, large as your head, smashes into the
frantic cat at blinding speed. Crimson stains the pristine white
carpet, and the Iynxgoes down surrounded by a cloud of steam. The
giant beast moves in for the feast, and still you stand
and stare. The ghost bear remains unaware of your presence, and
you watch it gulp down huge mouthfuls of raw meat. The
battle took only a few, scant seconds, yet every detail burns
with a distinct light in your mind. you pray that you are
as efficient when it falls to you to be the hunter . . .
- From the ritual words spoken by the Clan Ghost Bear
Loremaster on the eve of the Clawing ritual
The ghost bear of Strana Mechty is a truly awesome beast. Though similar in appearance to the polar bear of Terra's arctic region, the ghost bear is larger and stronger, some specimens Unlike the polar bear's fur, which shows a yellowish cast, the ghost bear's coat is pure white. Even the ghost bear's eyes and nose are a pale gray that appears nearly white, and its coloration makes the bear practically invisible against snow, even when running at full speed. Its size limits the ghost bear's ability to pursue its prey for any length of time, and so rather than running down its quarry, the bear lies in wait on the fringes of its prey's territory, using its keen sense of smell to locate likely hunting spots. The ghost bear thenburies itself in the snow to enhance its camouflage, remaining completely motionless, often for days at a time. The bear apparently enters a state of semihibernation while awaiting a potential meal, conserving energy but remaining acutely aware of its surroundings all the while. The ghost bear takes its name from both its coloration and from its apparent ability to materialize from nothing.
Nicholas Kerensky chose this seemingly brutish
animal as the namesake for one of his Clans for more than its
physical prowess. He also admired the loyalty it showed to its
family; ghost bears mate for life and maintain a tenuous
connection to their offspring, a trait almost unknown in the
animal kingdom. Nicholas also believed that the ghost bear
represented a strong respect for tradition. He characterized
ghost bears as clinging stubbornly to their instincts, only
reluctantly changing their habits and behaviors to adapt to
environmental and situational changes. The ghost bear survives
its apparent lack of adaptability with an extremely hardy
constitution and high birth rate.
Like its namesake, Clan Ghost Bear has also survived, often in
spite of itself, by virtue of its methodical persistence and the 
success of the Clan breeding program. The traditions
of strength and stability on which Clan Ghost Bear prides itself
can be traced back to its founders, the only married couple to
help establish a Clan. The founders of Clan Ghost Bear receive
equal reverence from its warriors, so much so that most believe
that neither Sandra Tseng or Hans Jorgensson could have forged
the Clan alone.
EXCLUSIVE
BLOODNAMES
General Bloodnames
Gurdel
Snuka
MechWarriors
Jorgensson
Tseng
Bekker
Hall
Elementals
Kabrinski
DelVillar
Vong
Aerospace Pilots
Bourjon
Gilmour
GHOST BEAR UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIAS
