Rokea Rites
Sources: PGttCB 157, Rokea 77-80
Rokea Rites
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Level 5
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Rank 1
Rites of Greeting and Leave-Taking - This rite has uses for both the ocean-dwelling and betweener Rokea. Pelagic weresharks use it to search out members of their own breed for mating (a Rokea born of tiger shark stock would use it to find tiger sharks, for example). Betweeners use it to find Rokea Kinfolk, the direct offspring of a Rokea/human mating. However, either type of Rokea can use the rite to find either type of partner, allowing betweeners to breed with sharks, should they so desire, and ocean-dwellers to find human 'kadugo' - usually to devour them.
System: In shark form, the Rokea leaps from the water towards the sky. On land, the Rokea need only stretch her arms heavenward. The player rolls Perception + Rituals (difficulty 8). Success allows the Rokea to sense the direction of any suitable partners within 10 miles (in the ocean) and 5 miles (on land).
(PGttCB p157, Rokea BB p77)
Rite of the Hunt - The Rokea Rite of Passage is fairly simple: the young Rokea, having completed her Long Swim, is taken to a Grotto to meet with Kun and Sea. For many years, there were no further trials. Since the beginning of the war on the betweeners, however, the Rite of Passage has had a brutal element added to it. A slew takes the young Rokea into Unsea to hunt down a betweener. Since betweeners are not always conveniently available, any other supernatural being is acceptable. Some Rokea are loathe to attack other shapeshifters and instead search out lampreys and other Qyrl servants. Others feel that since the shapeshifters have let humans ride roughshod over Unsea and Sea, maybe they need a bit of culling anyway.
Not all Rokea undergo the Rite of the Hunt. If a Rorqual or remora finds a Rokea pup, the pup may be taken to a Grotto and sent on her way without participating in this bloody practice with no penalty.
System: When the hunt is completed successfully (i.e., the quarry is dead and the pup isn't), the player rolls Charisma+Rituals (difficulty 5). Success means that the pup gains 2 points of temporary Valor Renown (in addition to any she might have gained during the hunt), while all Rokea who accompanied her gain 1 point of Valor Renown.
(Rokea BB, p77)
Rite of Swimming Alone - Sometimes, a member of a slew wishes to swim on her own for a time, either to mate, or simply to commune with Sea. Rokea totems are, on the whole, much more accepting of this than Garou packs, provided that the Rokea perform this rite first.
During the rite, the Rokea simply swims away from her slew, comes to rest on the sea floor (meaning that this rite must be performed in Gladius form) and asks the totem for her permission to swim alone. The Rokea may swim alone for as long as she wishes, and may usually rejoin without a problem. However, while she swims alone she does not gain her totem's granted Traits. Although she is not as directly bound to follow her totem's Ban while swimming alone, reports of particularly gross violations will probably find their way back to her totem's ears, making any reunion rather less than comfortable.
System: The player rolls Charisma + Rituals (difficulty 6). Only one success is required.
(Rokea BB, p78)
Level 2
Rite of Passing the Net - Some Rokea refer to the Gauntlet as the Net. Normally, Rokea cannot enter the Umbra, mostly for their own safety. However, if a Rokea feels the need is great enough, he may petition Sea for passage into the spirit worlds.
To perform this rite, the Rokea must swim to a Grotto and ask Sea for Permission to swim sideways. If she grants it, the Rokea may enter Sea's Soul for up to one cycle of the moon (28 days). At the end of this time, if the Rokea is still needed in the Umbra, she finds herself outside the Grotto where she made the petition.
System: The player rolls Charisma+Rituals (difficulty 7). Only one success is necessary.
(PGttCB p157, Rokea BB p78)
Rite of Talisman Dedication - This rite functions in exactly the same way as the Garou version. It is simply harder to learn for Rokea, who don't put as much stock in materials (and normally don't care about walking around naked). The only way for a Rokea to learn this rite (other than re-creating it herself, which takes weeks of effort and a Rituals score of at least a 4) is to find a betweener who can teach it.
System: Spend one Gnosis per object or outfit to be dedicated and roll Wits + Rituals vs 7. The character may never have more objects bound to himself than his Gnosis score. The player must decide what happens to the object(s) when the character assumes certain forms. For example, when the character assumes Crinos form, her backpacks straps may simply grow to fit around her shoulders (although the pack still cannot hold more items than normal). When the character is in shark form, her knife may meld with her body. In such cases, the object will appear as a tattoo. Others must spend a Willpower point to remove the object from the character. (Werewolf: Revised p 160, Rokea BB p79)
Rite of Sea's Distant Voice - This rite is used only by betweeners and other Rokea who, for whatever reason, have to spend a great deal of time on land. The Rokea enters a mental communion with the Sea, and sends word of her deeds and her whereabouts. Typically, this rite is used to gain Harmony and Innovation Renown.
To perform this rite, the Rokea must be at least partially immersed in salt water (a full bathtub sprinkled with table salt works; the symbolism is what counts). She then mentally reports any significant doings to Sea.
System: The player rolls Charisma + Rituals (difficulty 5, +1 for every ten miles from Sea). Success indicates that the Rokea receives (or loses) Harmony and Innovation Renown as her deeds dictate.
(PGttCB p157, Rokea BB p79)
Level 3
Rite of the School's Wisdom - Sharks are sometimes seen herding schools of fish into a "meatball", a tight, spherical school. This allows them to take one bite and polish off many of the fish, rather than chase them. Rokea, however, also herd schools into "meatballs" to gather wisdom from them. This rite allows the Rokea to learn whatever the school knows about a certain topic. The information is usually shared freely, because the school knows that if the Rokea isn't anything useful, at least it can have a free meal.
System: The player rolls Dexterity+Athletics (difficulty 6) to compress the school and then Wits + Rituals (difficulty 7) to activate the rite. If the roll succeeds, the school will answer the Rokea's questions about a given topic, honestly and to the best of their knowledge. The schools tend to be most knowledgable about their immediate area, but some carry information from far-off places. It is considered in poor taste to eat a school that has provided useful information.
(Rokea BB, p79)
Level 4
Rite of Ban - The Gurahl use this rite to prevent the spread of secrets that, if known, might cause harm to their people or their Kinfolk. The rite acts as a mental deterrent, blocking the target of the rite from communicating a specific secret in any way. Gurahl frequently use this rite on humans who have either witnessed a Gurahl change forms or on those whom the Gurahl have brought to their Dens for magical healing. The Ban keeps the subject from speaking, writing or otherwise imparting his knowledge to anyone. It does not however remove the information from the individual's mind unless coercion is used to force that person to overcome to Ban. In such a case, the pwer of the rite is such that it actually removes the sensitive information from the targeted individual's mind (a sort of mystical self-destruct mechanism).
Some Gurahl willingly undergo the Rite of the Ban if they intend to spend long periods of time in the company of humans or non-Gurahl (especially Garou). This makes certain that the Gurahl cannot inadvertently give away any secrets.
In the old times, when Gurahl acted as teachers and sharers of information for other Changing Breeds, the Rite of the Ban was not necessary. Since the War of Rage, however, few Gurahl have gone into the world without having the rite performed upon them.
The rite itself requires the Gurahl performing it to intone a hypnotic chant, stating the nature of the information the Ban is meant to protect. The soothing sounds of the chant lull the target into a state of near-slumber from which she awakens refreshed and unchanged, except for the placement of the inner prohibition of the Ban.
System: The player placing the Ban must roll Manipulation + Rituals against the difficult of the subject's Willpower +3 (if the subject resists the rite), or against a difficult 6 (if the subject cooperates with the enactment of the Ban). This rite is effective on anyone, including Garou and other Changing breeds, vampires, mages and normal humans.
(PGttCB p96, Gurahl BB p106)
Rite of the Freed Spirit - This dangerous rite enables a Gurahl (or a group of Gurahl) to sever the bond between a Bane and a fomor, returning the harried creature to its original, untainted state. Because of the inherent Danger to the leader of the rite, most Gurahl are extremely hesitant to perform it. In cases where a lover, companion or friend has undergone the hideous transformation into one of the fomori, this rite provides the only opportunity to rescue that individual. A fomor usually comes to this rite unwillingly, as a captive of the Gurahl who wishes to save him. The rite takes place in the Umbra, where the Bane inhabiting the fomor is clearly visible. Using a dagger consecrated to Gaia, the Gurahl performing the rite traces a mystical pattern in the air above the bound body of the fomor. This action severs the connection that binds the Bane to the human form.
System: The Gurahl and the captive fomor must enter the Umbra to enact the rite. The player must sacrifice a permanent point of Gnosis and roll Willpower (difficulty 9). Only one success is necessary for the rite to work, but the Gurahl may not spend Willpower to achieve an automatic success. If the rite fails, both the fomor and the Gurahl performing the rite die instantly. A botch results in the death of the fomor and the transfer of the Bane to the body of the Gurahl who performed the rite.
(Gurahl BB, p106)
Level 5
Rite of the Long Sleep - With the performance of the rite, the Gurahl may place an individual nto a state of suspended animation not unlike the bear's own natural hibernation ability. While in this state, the subject does not age; bodily functions come to a stand still, and respiration drops to the absolute minimum. This rite makes it possible to sustain incapacitated individuals for an indefinite period of time, keeping them alive so that they can be healed (either naturally or magically) at a later date. Gural have used this rite to save the lives of other Changing Breeds (including the Garou) as well as humans who have experienced massive bodily trauma and cannot receive immediate attention. Use of this rite on a vampire places the creature in torpor.
System: The Gurahl sets the conditions which determine the length of the garget's slumber, usually expressed in terms such as, "Do not awaken until the eclipse of the moon," or, "Rise when the earth has completed five rotations around the sun." The Gurahl rolls Wits + Rituals (difficult of the target's Willpower). The number of successes determines the actual length of the rite. Three successes or more indicates that rite lasts according to the conditions stated in the enactment. One or two successes means that the target may not sleep for the entire period of time designated within the rite. The Gurahl sacrifices a permanent point of Gnosis to seal the rite.
(Gurahl BB, p106)
Rite of Fighting the Death Bear - Whenever a Gurahl wishes to attempt to return a departed soul to its body when the individual has been dead for longer than the period of time outlined by the Gaia's Breath Gift, he may employ this dangerous rite to wrest the spirit from the lands of the dead and bring it back into the world of the living. The Gurahl first uses the Rite of Rending the Gauntlet to enter the Umbra, where he calls upon Mangi, the Death Bear, making the appropriate acts of chiminage to the Incarna before issuing a challenge for the soul of the departed.
The Gurahl then engages in Umbral combat with the Death Bear. If the Gurahl defeats Mangi in battle, he can then enter the Death Bear's realm and retrieve the lost spirit, bringing it back to its body. If the Gurahl fails to defeat the Death Bear, the rite fails and the Gurahl is cast out of the Umbra. If the Gurahl dies during the battle, the Death Bear sometimes claims the spirit of the Gurahl instead of the fallen spirit, thus enabling it to return to its body as if the rite had succeeded.
The high potential cost of this rite makes it one that the Gurahl use only rarely, and then only on other Gurahl.
System: After entering the umbra, and summoning the Death Bear, the Gurahl then challenges the totem spirit to ritual combat, using the rules for Umbral Combat outlined in Werewolf: The Apocalypse. The rite automatically fails if used on behalf of an individual who falls under the time limit for or who fails to respond to the use of Gaia's Breath. This rite does not provide a "second chance" to bring a Gurahl back to life. Instead, it provides an alternative for a werebear who has been dead too long for Gaia's Breath to be effective. As with Gaia's Breath, only one attempt may ever be made on any single creature.
The statistics of the Death Bear are for the Storyteller to determine, but it should possess at least Rage 10, Gnosis 10, Willpower 10, and 100 Power
(PGttCB p96, Gurahl BB p107)
