Rokea: New Shark Breeds
This list comprises some additional research into sharks that would be appropriate species for Rokea. This is meant to compliment the Rokea Changing Breed book, of course, so the handful of breeds already included there are repeated here only by name.
Great White Shark
Karkha
Mako Shark
Ixya
Tiger Shark
Galchurva
Hammerhead Shark
Spynha
Bull Shark
Lexcha
Requiem Shark
Albus, Ambus, Gala, Longus, Negus, Obscura, Falca, Brachyus, Altus, Pluma, Limbar, Peleza, & Humanus
This is actually a large group of sharks that share similar characteristics among the Rokea. Technically, blue and bull sharks are also requiem sharks. However, those two species possess unusual traits of their own. These many varieties that Rokea most commonly breed with share similar abilities. The Albus are the silvertip sharks, the Ambus are the gray reef sharks, the Gala is the Galapagos shark, and the Longus is the oceanic whitetip. Negus are lemon sharks (which grow bigger and potentially more dangerous than some realize), Obscura are dusky sharks, Falca are the silky sharks, Brachyus are the copper sharks (also called bronze whalers), Altus are bignose sharks, Pluma are sandbar sharks, Limbar are blacktip sharks, Peleza are Caribbean reef sharks, and Humanus are the human's whaler sharks. Humanus are a rare breed outside of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, where they're known as renbujingsha among Same-Bito. These sharks range in size from 8 feet (like the Ambus) to 10 feet (the Albus) to as large as 13 feet long (Gala and Longus). All tend to be sluggish until they attack, demonstrating great bursts of speed. All of these sharks are competitive and dominating, and perform complex gestures of warning before attacking a potential predator or foe (giving brave divers the warning to evade!). They have some of the best hearing acuity among sharks as well.
Possible Bonuses: -1 difficulty to sound-based rolls, -1 difficulty to performing Slew Combat Maneuvers (presuming all those in the Slew are requiem sharks of one of these thirteen breeds).
Eel Shark
Angus
Officially called frilled sharks, eel sharks are also known as "living fossils". They are thought to be closest in resemblance to the ancient, Paleozoic sharks. These deepwater sharks have elongated, serpentine bodies. Indeed, they are able to disarticulate their jaws to swallow larger prey, like a snake. They are rarely over 7 feet in length but are found world-wide, though scattered.
Possible Bonuses: Begin with +1 Gnosis, can disarticulate jaws to swallow prey as large as large as half the character's size (takes full action to disarticulate the jaws), victims swallowed alive can attempt to break free (must score a total of five Health Levels of damage to cut their way out of the shark's gut), but are smothered in a number of turns equal to their Stamina score.
Bramble Shark
Bruxus
The prickly shark also fits into this breed. They are breeds of large dogfish sharks, reaching up to 10 feet. Though usually sluggish, they are capable of short bursts of speed. Their distinguishing feature, however, are the scattered, especially large denticles covering most of their bodies. This tends to give them an appearance similar to a porcupine and are equally unpleasant. These sharks can be found nearly anywhere in the world.
Possible Bonuses: +2 damage dice to all denticle-based attacks, inflicts lethal damage on any enemy who bites the shark, the dicepool equal to the attacker's Strength -3.
Sixgill Shark
Hexa
This predator belongs to a family of sharks that possess more than the usual five gills. Relatives like the cow shark have been known to possess seven pairs of gills. As the name suggests, the sixgill has six. They are voracious predators of large fish and frequent cold, deeper waters. The Hexa are particularly fearsome, due to their phosphorescent, green eyes. They can grow up to 16 feet in length and are found worldwide.
Possible Bonuses: -1 difficulty to rolls involving endurance, -1 difficulty to Intimidation rolls.
Cookiecutter Shark
Isus
Though these small sharks (rarely reaching over 3 feet in length) may seem to make poor choice for Rokea, the cookiecutter shark is a fierce, tenacious predator. Formerly known as the cigar shark due to its body shape, the cookiecutter's recent appellation comes from its method of biting. Its mouth creates a sunction-like grip on its intended prey (which often include large marine animals like seals and whales), then its enlarged teeth proceed to bite through in a circle. The wound left is a neat plug of missing flesh, hence the name "cookiecutter". It has even been known to bite through underwater wires and the rubber dome of a nuclear submarine.
Possible Bonuses: Bite inflicts aggravated damage in Squamus, +1 die of damage to all bite attacks in Gladius and Chasmus forms.
Storyteller Note: This particularly small shark packs a whallop of a bite, but its size does carry its penalty. The Storyteller may wish to subtract one point of Strength and Stamina from the character's Chasmus and Squamus forms.
Blue Shark
Prixa
These fast and aggressive predators are considered dangerous to humans. They were once the most plentiful breed of sharks in the seas but overfishing has reduced their numbers immensely. They are found worldwide and often grow up to 15 feet in length. The blue sheen of their skins and their long, streamlined bodies make them attractive specimens as sharks go, but they are best observed from a safe distance. They have also been recorded as distant travelers, and while many sharks are suspected or recorded of distant-traveling, too, the greatest record has been noted by the blue.
Possible Bonuses: Begin with +1 Rage, -1 difficulty to Primal-Urge rolls
Greenland Sleeper Shark
Somnus
A large shark (ranging as long as 20 feet) common to the North Atlantic Ocean, it is the only polar shark in the Atlantic and dwells in near-freezing depths of the water. It was named due to its docility when captured. Pacific sleeper sharks and southern sleeper sharks behave similarly and share the same Rokea breed name of Somnus. However, the Glass Walkers who initiated this naming process for Rokea sometimes differentiate with a taxonomic formula. Greenland sleepers may be differentiated as E.Somnus, Pacific sleepers as P.Somnus, and southern as A.Somnus.
Possible Bonuses: -1 difficulty to all rolls dealing with surviving extreme ambient oceanic temperatures, requires 4 successes on a Rage roll to frenzy, 6 to enter Kunmind (similar to other shapeshifters in this way).
Leopard Shark
Trakus
These medium-sized sharks (rarely more than eight feet in length) school like the hammerhead. They are even more sociable, though, and survive well in captivity. They are primarily found off the California and Baja Mexico's coastlines. Leopard sharks are often mistaken for tiger sharks due to their markings. One of their distinguishing marks, however, is their ability to breathe without having to constantly swim.
Possible Bonuses: -1 difficulty to Social rolls dealing with other Rokea and humans, -1 difficulty on Willpower rolls to resist constant motion/pacing.
Thresher Shark
Vulpa
The thresher shark is a long shark known to reach up to 18 feet in length -- but its tail and caudal fin represent half of that! It hunts its typical prey -- small, schooling fish -- by splashing the surface with its long tail and frightening them into a herd. It has also been known to slap victims with its tail to stun them. Anglers have been injured by thrashing threshers. It is a common shark found nearly anywhere, but it is endangered by heavy fishing. It is also known as the whiptail or fox shark.
Possible Bonuses: +2 dice of damage to any attacks made with the tail, can enter a fox frenzy (player's option) like most other shapeshifters.
Spinner Shark
Breva
A medium-sized shark, the spinner hunts by using its long tail and swimming in rapid circles around a school of fish. Bundled up tightly, the shark leisurely chomps her way through her prey in just a few bites.
Possible Bonuses: -1 difficulty to Manipulation rolls
Graceful Shark
Gesto
Another medium-sized shark, the graceful shark earned its name by misnomer. Its body is rotund, with large eyes. Few specimens exceed 6 feet in length. However, they are particularly fecund and thus found favor among Rokea for breeding purposes. This attraction has been especially noticed by Same-Bito, who call such sharks feichi ("fat [fertile] toothed ones").
Possible Bonuses: -1 difficulty to Charisma rolls (interacting with Rokea only)
Sand Tiger Shark
Taura
The sand tiger shark grows to medium lengths but it may be one of the most fearsome, due to its mouthful of crooked and spiny teeth. However, the sharks are gregarious and rarely attack human rec-divers with whom they share the shoals.
Possible Bonuses: +3 dice on endurance swimming if traveling near the surface; -1 difficulty to Intimidation rolls
Night Shark
Signus
A medium-sized shark, the night shark was named due to its propensity to rise to surface levels only at night to hunt (vertical migration). Most Signus are naturally born as Darkwaters.
Possible Bonuses: +3 Perception dice in lightless waters
Pigeye Shark
Amboinus
The pigeye shark was so named for its large, round eyes. It otherwise resembles and sometimes is mistaken for a bullshark. However, pigeye sharks do not tolerate brackish waters and never swim upriver. They're requiem sharks (like many of the breeds on this list) but what separates them is their flesh's toxic nature to other predators.
Possible Bonuses: Anyone who bites (or eats dead flesh from) an Amboinus must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 9) or become incapacitated with a dangerous food-borne illness. Treat this as temporary (not even bashing) damage to supernatural beings who can regenerate it quickly (one level from Incapacitated as if it were damage) if they are able to regenerate (like other Rokea).
Porbeagle/Salmon/Longfin Mako Sharks
Nasa/Ditro/Paucer
These mackarel sharks share certain traits in common that set them apart from other Rokea breeds. Namely, their ability to maintain and regulate their body temperature through a closely-knit internal web of blood vessels within their bellies. Few species of fish (shark or otherwise) are able to do this. They are not quite warm-blooded, but they're able to benefit from a state similar.
Possible Bonuses: The cold doesn't affect these Rokea very much (-2 difficulty to all Stamina rolls to resist extreme cold, whether from their environment or elemental attacks).
This includes the rare longfin mako shark (Paucer), whose elongated bodies and fins render them a slower species than their immediate cousins, the shortfin mako. However, they compensate like these other mackerel sharks do with temperature regulation.
Kitefin Shark
Dala
Though a medium-sized shark, the kitefin shark has long been known to the Rokea while remaining poorly understood by humanity. The kitefin shark is the largest luminous vertebrate in the world, reaching lengths around six feet. It is capable of generating a fluorescent bioluminescence, which may help it spot prey in the lightless depths where it prefers to glide, or perhaps confuse prey by brightening itself into a color that its typical victims cannot see. In either case, such an ability more than makes up for its medium size. Japanese Same-Bito particularly honor this breed, calling its members keiko.
Possible Bonuses: Once per scene, the Dala can generate a green-hued bioluminescent light from its entire body that illuminates an area three times its current form's size. As a side effect, this renders the Rokea invisible to any character with the Color Blind Flaw. The light itself is harmless, even to creatures normally affected by light (such as Setite vampires). With unique Gifts or Rites, a Dala could learn to alter the natural color of this bioluminescent light.
Same-Bito Breeds Only
Goblin Shark
Kagesame
Zebra Shark
Baoshayu
The zebra shark is chosen by Same-Bito less for its ferocity (which it has little of despite its size of up to 15 feet) and more for its beauty. Baoshayu often act as the go-betweens for Same-Bito and their fellow hengeyokai or even other shen. Of course, Rokea from this breed can be fierce when they need to. They simply act as diplomats far more often than warriors, just as the kagesame are the ritualists and shamans rather than berserker warriors. Its markings are actually spotted like a leopard shark's; the zebra appellation comes from its striped markings at birth. Zebra sharks are found largely in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and keep to the reefs, feeding off of crustaceans and small fish.
Possible Bonuses: Appearance restriction lifted, -1 difficulty to all rolls involving flexibility.
Wobbegong Shark
Youhuxa
These strange-looking sharks are found primarily in the Pacific, especially near China, Japan, and Australia. However, only the Same-Bito breed with these bottom-dwellers. There are several varieties of the wobbegong, but Same-Bito seem to prefer the ornate and tasselled wobbegong above others. The wobbegong are masters of camouflage, and their elaborate markings, denticles, and tassel-like appendages make them difficult to detect on the ocean floor - before they lunge forward to ensnare their prey. They are not huge sharks, ranging up to about ten feet in length. It seems their bearded appearance aids them with interactions with the Same-Bito's patrons, the Zhong Lung. Many youhuxa become leaders and judges among the Same-Bito while kagesame traditionally play the roles of shamans.
Possible Bonuses: -2 difficulty to Social rolls with Zhong Lung, +2 dice on camouflage-based Stealth rolls.
