W20 - Changing Breeds.pdf

OkumaThe Okuma were a tribe of Gurahl who lived insoutheast Asia, including the northern parts of India andas far East as Japan. Their animal Kinfolk included sunbears, moon bears, and giant pandas. Unlike other Gurahltribes, who worship Gaia as their mother and Luna as thesource of their shapeshifting powers, the Okuma also hada special relationship with Helios. Each Okuma’s fur wasmarked with patches of bright color. The fact that theirKinfolk species have survived and possess similar markingscenturies after the Okuma died, is for some a symbol ofhope that the Okuma may some day return.Home TerritoriesThe Okuma originated in the tropical rainforests ofsoutheast Asia among the sun bears. The Okuma werenever very picky about their animal mates and bred withmany of the ursine species they encountered along the way,including giant pandas and moon bears. Eventually, thetribe was evenly split between all three families. Whereverthey roamed, the jungles and rainforests were theirs toprotect, and they rarely strayed far from their territories.KinfolkThe Okuma’s open-mindedness regarding their matesapplied to their human partners just as much as theiranimal Kinfolk. As a result, there were once Okuma ofall manner of human tribes from India to Japan, and allthe territories in-between. The one thing that all Okumakinfolk shared was the capacity to live in harmony withthe rainforest. As a result, they were rarely born into livesof wealth or privilege. Their human kin mostly includedfarmers, hermits, and homeless wanderers.Tribal CultureDespite their diminutive bear-kin, the Okuma werescions of Helios. Like all of the sun’s chosen, they hada special flair for seeking out and destroying corruption,especially creatures of the night and darkness. In additionto the servants of the Wyrm, this brought them intoconflict with the Kuei-jin, reanimated corpses weigheddown and corrupted by their sins. The Okuma had anancient rivalry with these strange creatures.While the other members of the Beast Courts sometimespreferred to ignore the Kuei-jin in favor of moreimmediately destructive threats, the Okuma were not aswilling to compromise. Easy-going as they were amongtheir own kind, they became resolute when faced withthese strange immortals. That they indulged their cravingsfor luxury and decadence rankled the Okuma, who almostuniversally hailed from among the poorest people. Whenthe Kue-jin turned the Hengeyokai against one another,they made sure that the Okuma would be the first to fall.When they weren’t hunting Wyrm-things and undeadin their beloved jungles, the Okuma were good-natured,playful, and almost pathologically irreverent. Their cultureplaced a high value on cleverness and wit, and many ofthem were accomplished practical jokers. As a tribe, theOkuma’s beliefs were very close to the wu wei of Taoismand elements of Zen Buddhism. They cultivated an air ofease and freedom — to do without doing — which theircritics and enemies found infuriating.AppearanceOkuma were almost always of Asian heritage, thoughthey could come from any region in the broad stretchbetween India and Japan. Their Homid forms tended tobe tough, wiry, and athletic, while their ursine forms resembledsun bears, moon bears, or giant pandas, dependingon their heritage. Okuma Homid shapes tended to havetraits that recalled their animal forms, so an Okuma whochanged into a moon bear might be stockier than oneborn to sun bears, while a werebear with a giant pandashape might have a more powerful build and tend to puton fat and muscle in equal measure.GiftsIn addition to the Gifts that Gurahl still learn today,Okuma were able to learn specialized gifts as a result oftheir connection to Helios. Gifts that are taught by a sunor fire-spirit, create light, or cause harm to the taintedor unclean are good candidates. The Gift lists for otherbreeds with connections to Helios — including the Coraxand Mokolé — are excellent resources for Okuma gifts.Ao — The Turtle VarnaThe lost turtle varna of the Mokolé had many names.In the Indian Subcontinent, they were called Kurmaraja,named after the tortoise whose body formed the boundariesof the world. In North America, they were known asthe Kahaila, and were credited with creating the world.As a varna, they referred to themselves as the Ao, namingthemselves after an elder so great he would even beremembered in the myths of humans as the Chinese seaturtlewho sacrificed his legs to hold up the sky. Despitebeing scattered all over the world, the Ao shared a connectionunique among the varna. This may be becausethey were the oldest varna, or because their patient andcontemplative nature was not given to rifts or divisions.Turtles are an ancient family was perfectly adapted to itsniche millenia before most life on Earth today had evolved.CHAPTER FOUR: THE OTHERSLOST BREEDS249