The Gana

The Gana are casualties of the War of Rage, as are the Grondrr, Apis and Camazotz. The Elephant-Shifters were enigmatic and wise, and attempted to direct Gaia's other children down their respective, divinely mandated paths. The Breed's downfall, however, was this very mandate, for few appreciated their often heavy-handed guidance. In the wake of their extinction (in a bitter irony, brought about by the Gana's own meddling), many among the Changing Breeds find themselves divided, unfocused and bereft of meaning as the Apocalypse looms. It's debatable that the death of the were-elephants was the cause of this, but certainly they could have mitigated this problem... had they survived. However, perhaps not all the secrets and Gifts of the Gana followed them to their graves.

Lexicon Brahtar: The near-man form of the Gana. dharma: The role a Shifter or spirit is given by Gaia. Dharma is very central to the Gana way of thinking, as their own dharma is to help others maintain theirs. Ganharaja: Translates as, "elephant king"; the monstrous near-elephant form. Indhlovu: A were-elephant that follows the Way of Honor. karma: Debt. When someone fails to act according to virtue and dharma, she accrues karma. Shifters gain karma from acting out of the roles Gaia gave them; the function of the Gana is to address that imbalance and set it aright. Muladhara: The august body formed by all Gana in the Tellurian. The lowest chakra is referred to as the muladhara; this reflects the Gana's support of Gaia's mandate, as well as the Breed's connection to the element of earth. Niligari: A Gana that follows the Way of the Warrior. Siddhidatta: One that follows the Way of Knowledge. Tembo: When capitalized, it refers to the full animal form of the Gana; lower case, those Gana of the elephant breed. Toyandou: The powerful and exalted demigods of the Gana, gifted with immortality and divine attributes. Vinayakas: The half-elephant Crinos analogue.

History and Fate: This section explains what the Gana were like, the role assigned them by Gaia, and the Breed's tragic downfall, as told by one Corax to another.
Qualities: Statistical information on the Gana -- their forms, how they used Rage, and more.
Enlightenment: The unique Rank system the Gana followed.
Attainments: The strange Gifts of the were-elephants are detailed here, and their unique rites are discussed.

The Gana in Your Chronicle
This Looks Sorta Familiar... The Gana were once the Baku, in an earlier incarnation. However, the Baku had no basis in actual human mythos, a very contrived purpose, and were poorly executed and considered. So I completely revised the concept and nature of the Elephant Breed, while leaving as much as I could intact (which honestly wasn't very much). After a great deal of work, including research into Indian and African elephant myths, I present to you their more worthy successors: the Gana.
The Gana Are All Gone... So What in the Heck Do I Do With All This? A fair question. However, I'd not have included something without offering a few ideas on how to use it in your Werewolf chronicle. The Gana may be gone, but that doesn't mean they can't serve some purpose in your games. Characters might unearth records of Gana culture, or manage to find accounts of their extinction during the War of Rage. A Storyteller running a chronicle focusing on the Apocalypse could increase the tension and mood of hopelessness by revealing that the Gana are no longer around to fulfill their purpose. Digging up the were-elephants' Gifts, rites and fetishes can serve a dual purpose: to gradually introduce the Breed to players' characters, while giving them crunchy bits to munch on. However, Gana are best used sparingly as background information and object lessons, rather than the focus of a chronicle; you can only squeeze so much angst out of a dead Breed before it becomes tiresome.
Potential for the meaningful inclusion of Gana lies in chronicles featuring the Simba, who are partly responsible for the slaughter of the were-elephants. Black Tooth's distant ancestor, Amuda Scorching Sun, slew one of the great heroes of the Gana. His Amadu'o progeny inherited a dark legacy, as well; they were instrumental in the destruction of the Elephants, even destroying Gana ancestors and allied spirits (and in later years, nearly caused the extinction of the Ajaba). These savage werelions wore the hides of their slain foes, and passed the Gifts and fetishes of the Gana to their descendants. Now, with Black Tooth's death and the breaking of the Endless Storm, that Simba line is broken. Can now perhaps Mayi'o or even Amadu'o contact and appease the ancestor spirits of the Gana, if they even exist anymore? If nothing else, Black Tooth's death could be the olive branch the Mayi'o Simba need to reforge an alliance with Hatii the Thunderer and other elephant-spirits, who now won't associate with or teach Gifts to any Simba.
If they're Extinct, Why Include Stats? Because it's important to establish a basis for this Breed, to place them in some sort of context. Gaming stats are ideal for this sort of thing. It offers players an additional means by which they can visualize....
Ah screw it. I admit, there's no good reason for listing stat bonuses for the forms, beginning Gnosis for the breeds, and any of the other stuff. I did it because, well, I designed these guys and I just had to. Only a fellow game designer would understand such a mad compulsion. And, in my defense, characters could potentially uncover some of the Gana's Gifts (though it would be very difficult). So at least I can justify listing those.
To answer the inevitable before it's asked, no, it's not a federal crime if a Storyteller really wants to allow Gana as player characters. There's certainly enough info here for a player to create one, and to get a Storyteller started telling stories about them. But one should keep in mind that were-elephants are immensely powerful if played as combat monsters, and we're all familiar with players who will do this. However, a historical game set before the War of Rage could feature a Gana character. Perhaps some Gana ancestor-spirits still exist in isolated areas of the Legendary Realm or lost areas of the Umbra, though they'll have no love for any Garou that happen upon them... or anyone else, for that matter. And, of course, you can exercise your Storyteller prerogative and Silver Rule the whole extinction thing out, though this will change what the Gana represent, and alter the face of your World of Darkness considerably. So tread carefully.