Excepted from the 2nd Ed Werewolf players guide, by Whitewolf Game Studio
Overview
Werewolves, like their wolf and human kin, are instinctively social animals. Consequently, the fundamental unit in Garou society is not the individual, but the pack. Packs serve as friends, backup, emotional support groups and commando units all in one. Packs are also the fangs, claws and wrath of Gaia. Although a Garou's enemies far outnumber his friends, these friends are fiercely, almost unservingly loyal.
When a Garou joins a pack, she enters a family. Packmates adopt a "we" mentality, in which the pack is more important than individual members. They share a powerful bond forged through a common purpose and strengthen by the intense and dangerous experiences they endure together. Although rivalries may exist between members, a Garou can always depend on her pack to stand with her and fight to the death.
Through long experience, werewolves often become so familiar with their packmates that they act in complete unison, as though one mind is governing the group. Souch packs are almost entities unto themselves, with each member an integral part of a larger organism. When werewolves are united toward a single purpose, they are an awesom sight to behold, in elegant and violent harmony, they tear through their foes.
Pack formation
The principle theme governing pack formation is trust. Garou find themselves in battle with the forces of the Wyrm almost every day of their adult lives. Thus, they know it's vital to be able to trust completely Garou who stand with them against this tide of corruption.
Of course, trust is far different from friendship. Werewolves don't always form packs with their friends. Everyone has a friend who is always late or who constantly forgets to do what he said he would do. No matter how much you may like such a friend, he isn't the sort of individual you'd want watching your back when a situation's potentially fatal. In many cases, members of a pack develop strong competitive relationships, which can lead to disagreements, confrontation and petty bickering. But Garou trust, respect and defend their packmates. Packmates rarely allow their relation- ships with on enother to deteriorate beyond "occasional hostility" or "coldly professional". If a relationship degenerates further, both individuals involved typically agree that they shouldn't work together. If the two don't reach an agreement, one of them - often the loser of a challenge or duel - leaves the pack.
Because trust is essential to a pack's survival, sept leaders rarely interfere in the formation of a pack beyond placing recently Changed Garou together for the Rite of Passage. These young Garou often choose to continue functioning as a pack after bonding together over the course of the rite.
The membership and size of a pack often depends on the purpose for the pack's existence. Every pack has a purpose: It could be as broad as "fighting the Wyrm", "defending Gaia" or "destroying Pentex"; or as narrow as "killing Sargrash Thief-of-Eyes". If the purpose is broad, nearly anyone is eligible for membership, but if the purpose is specific, each member has a reason for joining the pack.
After a pack forms, a totem spirit is almost always bound to it. This spirit guides, teaches, protects and serves as a unifying force for a pack. Pack totems leave when a pack disbands.
The purpose for a pack's creation ultimately determines how long the pack remains together. The pack's goal may take only a few days to achieve, or it may require a liftime. Once a pack accomplishes its purpose, its members either disband or choose another goal.
Alphas and Pack Leadership.
Leadership is ofen a source of contention within a pack. Intense competition can develop among packmates as they struggle for dominance over one another. These rivalries and the constant vying for leadership can provide excellent opportunities for roleplaying. However, you should realise that, during times of crisis, all of the characters in a true pack band together and obey the current alpha's orders, unless she is clearly incompetant.
The most common means of establishing a hierarchy is designating one member as alpha when the pack is formed. The alpha may be chosen by a number of means - rank, Renown, mutual agreement of the pack, challenges between members, contests of skill. Traditionally, this Garou remains the alpha until a packmate usurps her position by defeating her in a duel or other contest. The Litany states that 'the leader may be challenged at any time during peace' because an alpha must always be worthy, which constant testing can ensure. Alphas can come and go frequently in such packs, thus allowing anyone who wishes (and is worthy) a reasonable chance of obtaining the position.
In other packs, the position of alpha passes to whomever the pack feels is best suited for the job during a particular situation - combat, Umbral quests or whatever. This method has proven to be effective for governing a pack, but it sometimes gives rise to subversion within the pack, as members try to undermine and discredit one another's abilities and achievements. Members of such packs are not as openly aggressive toward their packmates as individuals who challenge for leadership, but the former tend to harbour greater resentment.
There are even a few democratic packs that have no alpha. Members of these packs strive to put behind them the prejudices and squabbling of their respective tribes, along with their own ambitions for authority, in an effort of achieve greater unity with their packmates. Unfortunately, these packs may be difficult to manage during a crisis, as there is no clear voice of authority. What's more, the lack of alpha goes against lupine instinct, so these packs are usually all-homid in composition. Consequently, democracy proves sucessful only in packs that are truly unified.