Greetings To All. My Name is Ryan BlackClaw, of the Gurahl. I was born 220 years ago in the Appalacian Moutains, just North of New York. My family was a frontieer family, and my father served in the local militia. Both my Parents where Gurahl kinfolk, so the sight of the Gurahl never really bothered me, they where always a kind and gentle bunch. My 2 brothers where both older than me. Zack, 25, had joined the Federal Army and was off serving some where. John, my other brother, 20, owned a farm not more than 5 miles away. One day, while out working his fields, John was killed, mauled to death and riped to peices. There had been a rabid wolf scare in the area after several animals had been ripped to peices and eaten. I thought nothing of it till John was found dead, and the rest of his family with him. This put the whole town in a frenzy, scaring most of them away. My mother pleded with my father to leave, but he refused. That turned out to be a disaster. The "Rabid Wolves" turned out to be a pack of Black Spiral Dancers....half of which where of a local Red Talon pack that had been recently turned to the Wyrm. They attacked our farm, killing my father and mother, as well as my 2 sisters, ages 5 and 7. I underwent my first change then. I think they where even more suprised than I was. I mean, the Gurahl where supposed to be dead. I got revenge for my family, lets just say the results for the Spirals wasn't exactly pretty. I also ganned my battle axe from that experience. A truly massive weapon, 7 or 8 foot long all together. I was tought by SnowWalker...a local Gurahl, and my mentor, how to deal with my new powers. I cleansed the axe and dedicated it to myself, and I carry it still today. I undertook the Rite of the Long sleep soon after my training was completed. I reawoke in 1981. I spent most of that year catching up on what had happened in my absence. I joined the US armed forces, the Navy to be exact. I tested into and underwent the 5 year training to become part of a SEAL team. I acceled at what I did, for I knew that death was but a relapse before my people found me and prefored the Rite of Fighting the Death Bear, I also had no one to hold me down. After many sucessful black op mission, I got involved with a young woman named Corinne (Cori for short). We where married in Febuary of 1987. 2 years later, my team assualted (unknowingly) a Pentex R&D Facility, razing it to the ground. Pentex, although I didn't know at the time, was the front of the Wyrm. They tracked us, and killed 1/2 of my team. Then, we where disbanded. Some where hired by Pentex, the others bought off on bribes. Myself, my best friend, Tetsuro Makishima, our sniper and recon specialist, Anhur Rajor, and our captin, Robert DeValles, all declined Pentex's offers one night when they approached us at the Officers Club. We found DeValles body the next morning, along with his families. Anhur disapeared without a trace. Tetsuro and I stuck together, covering one another. I came home one night to find my beloved wife, Cori, dead in a grusome fashion I won't go into. Even today, few know of her or what happend on that stormy night. I tracked most of the Pentex Strike Team that got her, killing everyone of those bastards I could find. Unfortunatly, on my blood hunt, I left Tetsuro's side. He found me, he was mortally wounded, and there was nothing even my great healing powers could do. I prepared the rite of rebirthing, but he pleaded with me to maitain his family's honor and his own and let him pass to the spirit world. I furfilled my friends last wish and stayed with him until the end. After that I wondered the streets, peddling my training in Black OPs to the highest bidder. I did many things no one knows of and that I hate myself for doing. I eventually ended up in black market arms dealing. I set up a few, rather large stock piles in different regions and turned a nice profit. After one to many busts and a police record as long as my arm, I moved on and found a local bar. I became a regular there, meeting many of the people I now call friends, and my future sister. Ah, Shyrrl. There is a story. She was kindred, and we hit it off right from the start. What may have been attraction ended soon after, but my caring did not. I tried to protect her as much as I could, until she committed suicide, soon after her lover. I wandered the Umbra, searching franticly for her spirit. As luck turns, it found me. I preformed the rite of rebirth on her, restoring her to her mortal self. I fought many a rightous battle along side the patrons of the bar. I took a student under my tutalidge. A young Garou/Changling half breed, by the name of Changes. She had a natural talent I reconized almost imediatly. I gave myself to a spirit that came looking for her. I remember everything, it possesing me and forcing me to fight my friends, nearly killing Changes and severlly wounding others. I tell no one of this, the darkness that consumed me. Few know the full extent. Changes, myself. My sister doesn't remember my attacking her. Shyrrl soon became kindred again, but this time, unwillingly. I preformed an ancient rite I discovered in a lost tome of Gurahl knowledge. The rite bonded our blood, and made her mortal. Several side effects left her with some of her kindred powers, but severly drained her if she used them. After the rite, with our bloods bound to one another, she was truly my sister, the only family I had known in well over 200 years. Myself and several of the other partons, including my sister and her husband, Foxfyre, my close shaman friend EagleWind, the Detective, Alacrity, my partners in chaos, Saber and Tristam, as well as their families all moved on. My protege opted to remain there, and carry on in my place as I once again started over somewhere new. We settled in the Pacific town of Una Negra, in northern California. We wheren't there long when I found myself in the company of Caura, a Ceilcin Bastet. We never really expressed how we felt to one another. I went off on a mission, taking only Anhur, my new protege, Danny MacConally, the local Yakuza lord, Hamoto Makishima, Tetusro's older brother, and a few of the Yakuza. We got in way over our heads. When reports of our problems reached the club, it made more than a few woried. When the casuality list got there, my name was among those listed. Caura couldn't cope with lossing me for good, so she went on, chose herself a new Identity and went on with life. I wasn't dead, but none knew that. I finally got everyone back, no one was left, although Hamoto is in a coma from which he may never awaken, and I have given the same to him as I gave to his brother so many years ago. Now I wonder, alone and solitary. My face and body scarred from too many battles. I hunt alone. I will be there when they call for me, but I remain solitary.
Once you get it setup, just connect to an Undernet server and type /join #Shamus&shaman . It's as simple as that.
LAST UPDATE 3-19-98