Rites of the Rokea

Rites of the Rokea are a type of Rite from Werewolf: The Apocalypse. They were first introduced in the Rokea Breed Book and are exclusive to the Rokea, except for Rite of Talisman Dedication.

Overview

Rokea make use of the very few rites. Their lot is simple: anything they can't kill, mate with, or outrun is normally avoided all together. However, the ocean-dwellers do make use of rituals on occasion, and the betweeners even more so.

Some rites may be taken from Werewolf: The Apocalypse with few changes. These include: Cleansing, Summoning, Spirit Awakening, Opened Carren (Grotto), Fetish (though this is rarely used), and Wounding. The Rokea do not use Seasonal rites, trusting Sea, Oversea, and Unsea to tend to themselves for such things. They also do not make use of Punishment rites - the only punishment worth mentioning to the Rokea is death.

List of Rokea Rites

• Rite of Rokea Blood - Level One - 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.
• Rite of the Hunt - Level One - 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 the 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.
• Rite of Swimming Alone - Level One - 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 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 along, reports of particularly gross violations will probably find their way back to her totem's ears, making any reunion rather less than comfortable.
• Rite of Passing the Net - Level Two - 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 in the Umbra, she finds herself outside the Grotto where she made the petition.
• Rite of Talisman Dedication - Level Two - 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 4) is to find a betweener who can teach it.
• Rite of Sea's Distant Voice - Level Two - This rite is used only 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 Sea, and sends word of her deeds and her whereabouts. Typically, this rite is used to gain Harmony and Innovation Renown.
• Rite of the School's Wisdom - Level Three - Sharks are sometimes seen herding schools of small 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 told anything useful, at least it can have a free meal.
• Rite of the Black Shark - Level Four - This rite has only been used once since its creation. A Darkwater called Mad-With-Pain conceived it to try and end the practice of opening Small Wounds in the ocean. The rite requires ten weresharks: one Rank Four, two of Rank three, three of Rank Two, and four of Rank One. The rite binds them together into a 120-foot, night-black monster shark with blazing red eyes and a mouth of fire. The first (and so far, only) Black Shark attacked and sunk over a dozen monitoring vessels during the post World War II nuclear tests. While no official documents mention the shark, some aging survivors deliriously blather about a "sea monster" destroying ships. There is no known way to reverse the rite, but Mad-With-Pain and his companions have not been seen in over twenty years. It is possible that the Blak Shark slipped into Sea's Soul, or perhaps it swam too close to one of the Small Wounds and was killed. Regardless, some Rokea still love who claim to know the secret of the Black Shark, so perhaps another may appear someday....
• Rite of the Man-Form - Level Four - This uncommon rite is sometimes performed on Rokea venturing onto Unsea. Rokea can "lose the shark" just as Garou can lose the wolf - if a Rokea loses all her Rage and Willpower, she shifts into breed form and remains there until she can regain a point of Willpower. The problem is that a Rokea's breed form is almost always Squamus, which means that if the Rokea "loses the shark" on land, the consequences can be fatal. By performing this rite, the Rokea can choose another form as her "default" form, in effect replacing her breed form. The choice is either Homid or Gladius, unless the Rokea happens to know about Glabrus form. Either form has its advantages; after all, if the Rokea assumes breed form after being Incapacitated in combat, Gladius would seem the better choice. If the Rokea were forced to assume breed form in public, Homid would be more appropriate. In any event, the effects of this rite last for one week and cannot be cancelled early.
• Rite of the Gathering - Level Five - This rite, which hasn't been used since Turna'a, is meant to be used only in circumstances that threaten immediate and long-lasting consequences to all Rokea. Use of the Rite of the Gathering alerts every Rokea in the entire world that a Gathering is going to take place. The ritemaster chooses the time and location of the Gathering, and then performs the rite, with the aid of at least two other Rokea. One member of each auspice must be represented, and the rite takes 24 hours to perform. The three (or more) weresharks must circle the area that will serve as the site of the Gathering, purifying it and driving away any baneful influences, both in Sea and in Sea's Soul (which means that at least one of the participants must either know the Rite of Passing the Net or possess the Gift: Enter Sea's Soul). If the rite is successfully performed, every wereshark in the world, whether betweener, Same-Bito, ocean-dweller, or even follower of Qyrl will know the plans for the Gathering. The Darkwater who called the Gathering at Turna'a died in the nuclear blast, and whether or not any living Rokea knows this rite is a matter of debate.

References

• WTA: Rokea, p. 77-80
• WTA: Werewolf Players Guide Second Edition, p. 186-187
• WTA/cMET: Laws of the Wild: Changing Breeds 4, p. 198-201
• WTA: Players Guide to the Changing Breeds, p. 157
• Rage CCG: Rokea (The Black Shark)