W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

and talking their way out of dangerous situations. Eventually,the group is likely to realize that not everyone cantalk at once and disband — but until that point, a murderof Corax would go to hell and back for one more secret.GurahlWhile the Gurahl remain rare, small groups ofwerebears do form to patrol territories too large for anyone Gurahl to walk alone. Stories of the Gurahl mightfocus on their legendary skill as healers and guardians,but below that tranquil surface beats a strong heart thatwill do anything to protect their charges. A powerfulenough foe might well drive the Gurahl to throw offtheir restraints, turning their story from healing tooverwhelming violence.KitsuneThe Kitsune rarely venture beyond the Beast Courts,making them well suited to mixed-Breed games withother Hengeyokai. The foxes do have goals of their own,however, and secrets that they hold back from the otherChanging Breeds. They sometimes gather in exclusivelyKitsune Sentai, to strike down and raise up leaders,shaping the fate of nations. They step lightly throughthe worlds of human and spirit, guiding the world at BaiMianxi’s whim.Mokole’Clutches of Mokolé form around their sun signs, muchlike packs of Garou form around their Auspices. Whileoutsiders often see only the great terror of the lizardfolk’sArchid form, the Mokolé themselves focus on the valueof memory. Whether it’s discovering a solution to a newproblem buried deep in the Mnesis, or learning of newlegends that unlock knowledge previously thought lost,Gaia’s Memory games are often about the big picture,as compared to the short lives (and shorter memories)of the other Changing Breeds.NagahBelieved dead by the other Changing Breeds, theNagah are a prime candidate for single-Breed games.Their status as lost legends allows them to fulfill their primaryduty: executing those who betray Gaia. Weresnakegames often focus on judging crimes against Gaia andplanning a perfect assassination, a challenging task forimperfect — and corruptible — executioners.NuwishaIt’s rare for the werecoyotes to form long-termgroups, as each follows Coyote in her own way. Coyotewas himself a loner, showing up throughout history inthe guise of a hundred different trickster gods. That said,when the werecoyotes do group together, the result isimpressive. Nuwisha games tend towards the atmosphereof a caper movie — madcap action with a deadly touch,shot through with a heavy vein of black humor.RatkinThe Ratkin do not usually play well with otherChanging Breeds, as suits a group of paranoid apocalypticsurvivalists. Left to their own devices, the Ratkin workwell together, though they lack the strong bonds of aGarou pack or Nagah nest. Each Ratkin nest (and thuseach Rat-focused game) is different. One is a group ofdangerous infiltrators who spread disease throughouthuman populations, while another is an exercise inbarely-directed madness — especially if it houses oneof the Freak Aspects.RokeaSlews of Rokea who spend much of their time onland risk being labeled as betweeners and hunted by theirown kind. A very few wereskarks have come to Unseato seek out other Changing Breeds, but they soon realizetheir mistake and return to Sea. For a slew to work withother Changing Breeds would require a threat to all theweresharks — and to Sea herself.Even within a slew, too much togetherness cancause tempers to fray. Since the Rokea are natural killingmachines, it’s only a matter of time before a groupmust unleash the violence within. Wereshark gamesthus often focus on rampaging violence turned outwardagainst strong enemies — or else risk the slew membersturning on one another instead.INTRODUCTION: BEASTS OF THE WILD 21