By Eric Burns (EBURNS41@PORTLAND.CAPS.MAINE.EDU) (24 August 1995)
Playful and good-natured, the Roane are most often found along secluded coasts and deep beneath the sea. The Roane are best known for their ability to shapechange into seals, donning magical seal skins. A Roan's skin is very important to him, and can be used to control him.
More interested in enjoying themselves than gaining power, Roane play very little role in court politics. This makes them one of the more trusted kith, and are sometimes consulted to resolve disputes and give an objective opinion.
Roane often live together in bands. This is for protection from seal hunters and violent Gallan and Unseelie, as well as company. Roane place strong importance on these bands, and value the importance of family and loyalty to one's own as much as any other kith.
Seelie Roane are exceptionally good natured and will often go out of their way to help mortals and fey alike. Unseelie Roane, whom the Seelie Roane call "Selkies", are more reclusive and distrustful, and are violently vengeful. Bands of Selkies have been known to hunt down and skin boatloads of seal hunters.
Appearance: Roane are usually short, seldom taller than 5'6". They have flattened, almost non-existand noses and small, rounded ears. They also have webbed fingers and toes. In seal form, Roane shimmer slightly, giving of barely visible pinpricks of multi-colored light.
Seemings:
Childlings are energetic and playful, and are already excellent swimmers.
Wilders are always in search of new games to play. They serve as the protectors of their bands.
Grumps spend much of their time sleeping and sunning along the coasts. They serve as advisors to their bands.
Lifestyles: Roane live along the shore, often working as fishermen, shipbuilders, marine biologists, nature photographers, environmental activists, and hermits.
Affinity: Nature
Birthrights:
Magic Seal Skin: When a Roane enters Chrysalis, she is gifted with her seal skin which magically appears before her. This skin is not just a chimera, but has a seeming as well. When the Roane dons her skin and spends a glamour point, she magically takes the form of a seal. The skin also provides a modest source of glamour, providing its owner with one glamour point a week. This makes Roane skins particularly coveted by various Unseelie fey, one of the reasons that Roane often live in bands.
Sea Affinity: Roanes are magically connected to the seas and the oceans, and will never botch a roll involving them. Roanes can also swim twice as swiftly as a physically comparable mortal or seal.
Frailties:
The Tie that Binds: Roanes are magically connected to their skins, and can be controlled through them. If a Roane's skin is stolen, he must obey any order given to him by the skin's possessor to the best of his ability (willpower roll vs. a difficulty of 9 to resist; difficulty of 7 if the order is self-destructive or goes against the Roane's nature). There is a tragic story (often told by Pooka and Eshu as a joke) about a Roane in Alaska who was caught with his seal skin by the local EPA authority. The skin was seized as evidence and when ordered to confess to seal hunting, he naturally did. When a Roane's skin is stolen or destroyed, he gains a temporary banality point each day until the skin is recovered.
Boggans: Trustworthy and honest but boring as hell.
Eshu: Fun folk but not to be trusted.
Pooka: They are fun and good natured but often fail to see the importance of certain things; in other words don't let these guys get near your skin. And if you do, beware of a game known as 'Simon Says'.
Redcaps: Beware these monsters.
Satyrs: Generally fun but we do not like some of the games they play.
Sidhe: Boring and dishonest.
Sluagh: No good and honest folk sneak around in sewers.
Troll: Honest but as boring as the Sidhe.