Ocasta

Ocasta Through the Ages

Pre-Colonialism

The Ocasta have existed for as long as the Ani-Yunwiya--the Cherokee’s name for themselves--have existed. Tales of them have been whispered around campfires at night. Tales of medicine men seduced by beautiful women to learn diabolic magics. Tales of proud warriors laid low by creatures that looked like people, but which commanded the powers of the animals. Tales of terrible monsters which could be filled with arrows, and still not die, rampaging through villages at night. The Ocasta were known to drag off the old or unattended young into the night, or to waylay individuals who wandered too deep into the forest alone.
Yet, despite this fearsome reputation, they are also revered. The Ocasta have always appeared to aid their people in times of great need. The Ani-Yunwiya have always tolerated the Ocasta as a double-edged sword. The loss of one or two of their own as a small price to pay for the good of the People and the Land as a whole, payment to satisfy the curse of Ocasta and keep their sacred home safe. 
The Ocasta would come into conflict with the Uktena during this time, and the two groups would set up a fierce rivalry. The Uktena saw the Ocasta as a stain to be purged from the Cherokee, and the Ocasta saw the Lupines as ravaging beasts which only threatened the Cherokee Nation. This rivalry persists into the modern nights, and there is reason to believe that the Uktena developed their resistance and knowledge of sorcery by having to contend with the Ocasta for unknowable centuries.

Colonial Period

The status quo would go on for centuries, but everything changed when the Europeans arrived. The Ocasta had existed in isolation until then, contending only with the Uktena. Though there are doubtless many other unique Bloodlines lost to history across the Americas, the Ocasta did not know of them. They never traveled far from the East Coast, and so were startled to meet the Ventrue that came with the colonists. Here were others like them, and yet, not like them. They claimed to be descended from a man named Caine, another betrayer much like Galonuhesgi. They exhibited similar, yet different, powers, and many Ocasta whispered that these strange, white men were their long lost cousins. The Ocasta welcomed them, with open arms, as family finally returned home.
The Ventrue, however, did not share this view. The Blue Bloods have ever been jealous of power, and they looked at the established Ocasta and saw only rivals. Still, the Ventrue accepted the Ocasta at first, playing to their belief that they were of the same blood. They would become allies, and the Ventrue would use the Ocasta more and more as they increased their footprint on the continent. But the Ocasta were betrayed. The Ventrue never had any intention of sharing the Americas, and they worked to undermine the Cherokee even as the natives gave their aid to the colonists. The Ventrue spread diseases among the Cherokee Kine, broke treaty after treaty, and sent the Cherokee to war against the Blue Blood’s enemies.

There was fierce debate amongst the Ocasta. Each new betrayal drove a deeper, and deeper rift within their ranks as more and more of them began to doubt the Ventrue’s intentions. But the Elders of the Ocasta had given their word, and they refused to break their promise and bring dishonor to their people. Slowly, bit by bit, the Cherokee nation was whittled away, turned purely into a tool of Ventrue conquest. They were given concessions in return for their service, but even these slowly began to run dry. The land the Cherokee lived on was one was valuable, and the Ocasta, even crippled under the Ventrue wing, were still direct rivals for influence over the Kine. Things would finally come to a head with the Indian Removal Act, and the Trail of Tears.

The Trail of Tears

The Indian Removal Act was signed in 1831 by Andrew Jackson. The Cherokee as a whole greatly protested this. They signed a petition and sent it before Congress, letting them know the nation as a whole did not agree to give up their sacred, ancestral homeland. Congress passed it anyway.

The Ocasta were furious. They refused to accept the terms, and broke off all contact with the Ventrue. They guided their people from the shadows, convincing their elders to stay, and reject the treaty. In places, warriors even began to prepare for war. The Ocasta managed to hold off the Ventrue for seven years, but in 1838 the Blue Bloods used their political influence to get then president Martin Van Buren to order the army to force the issue.

They came during the day, when the Ocasta were asleep, an army of mortals that the Children of Stonecoat were powerless to react to. They forced the Cherokee into stockades at the point of a bayonet, and then raided their villages, pillaging and looting as they pleased. Then, the entire Nation was forced to march west, to the reservation land prepared for them in Oklahoma and Kentucky. The Ocasta opened their eyes on a nation that had disappeared, everyone taken from them in the space of a single day. They immediately began to follow the Trail, trying to catch up to their people, and set them free.

But the Ocasta could only travel by night, and the army that drove the Cherokee on was mortal. Day and night they walked, with thousands succumbing to disease or starvation. The Ocasta were following a trail of corpses. The Ani-Yunwiya grew further and further away, and the Ocasta realized their grave error. They were witnessing the end of their people, and they raged against the Ventrue. Unending vengeance was sworn against the Blue Bloods for their betrayal, an oath which still holds true in the modern nights.

The Modern Nights

The Trail of Tears shattered the Cherokee as a people. They would never recover. The Ani-Yunwiya were stuffed into reservations, their children taken from them to live in white run boarding schools, their culture slowly erased, bit by bit. The Ocasta would become protectors divorced from anything to protect; the Cherokee would slowly forget about their existence, as they forgot much of the Old Way. There was nothing but dregs left of the Ani-Yunwiya when the Ocasta caught up to them on the reservation, and this realization did nothing but fuel their desire to strike back.

And so the Children of Stonecoat turned to their vengeance. They fought against the Ventrue in any way they could, burning boarding schools that forced Cherokee youth to forget their people. Fanning the flames or rebellion during the Civil War. Sabotaging their businesses, or even hunting them personally. They did everything they could to hurt the Blue Bloods, striking from the shadows as they faded from the memory of history.

It was a losing battle, however. The Ventrue had access to almost unlimited resources. No matter how hard the Ocasta fought, there would never be any victory. Time would pass, and the Cherokee would fade away. Fewer and fewer pure blood Cherokee were born, and less and less of them remembered their culture. The Ocasta found themselves the one remaining pillar of their people, the last remaining individuals who still carried their true traditions with them.

The Ocasta learned over time, picking up the strategies of the Ventrue, and while many still live in the wilderness, they are very capable of operating in modern society. Their numbers have dropped low, but still they stand by their people in the night, watching over the few Cherokee still left, helping them to maintain and remember their old culture. The Ocasta managed to lobby Congress to ban the border schools which worked so hard to pollute the Cherokee youth. They were some of the primary drivers of the Civil Rights Movement, and stand as staunch environmentalists in the face of unsustainable Ventrue business practices. The modern Ocasta have come to view themselves less as guardians, and more as stewards, helping the ember that remains of their people to stay alight, and perhaps--one day--causing it to blaze bright again.

Civilization and Culture

Major Organizations

There are those who would say the Ocasta are not organized. They would be fatally wrong. The Ocasta have always been organized, for this is the best way that they can serve their people. They do not have formal structure, no leaders, no Archons, no rulers to sit at the heads of tables. But they do have a shape, each of their branches filling a specific function. The Cherokee have many needs, and each of the four Childer of Ocasta took on a different aspect of responsibility for the Nation. These Childer were named for the Night Animals, those who aided Ocasta in the time just after his banishment, and who gave him the power of night. These were the Owl, the Panther, the Bat, and the Wolf. 

The Owl

The Owl was the firstborn, and the wisest of Ocasta’s Childer. Owl became medicine man to the Cherokee nation, the one whom Ocasta relied upon to steer the spiritual needs of their people. Owl was wise, slow to anger, and long in his thought. Stonecoat relied upon him for the closest and truest of council, and Owl never failed his Father. He was the most accomplished sorcerer of all his siblings, and his descendants have a reputation for this skill even tonight.


Those of the Owl often spend more time focused on their people than vengeance for their fall. They are the Ocasta who are most often found at tribal meetings, or teaching the youth about the ways of their ancestors. They are the Ocasta who most live up to their reputation as protectors, though they may perhaps care more for their traditions than for individuals. Ocasta of the Owl are the most concerned with preserving what is left of the Cherokees lost heritage. They are the least numerous of the Ocasta Childer, but they are usually the oldest. Owl himself died long ago in a fierce battle with the Uktena, but his descendants continue to persist, doing everything they can to steer their people back towards wholeness.
Bonus - Medicine of the Ani-Yunwiya: Owl Ocasta have the medicine from Galun’lati, and as such have an inborn resistance to the Blood Sorcery of other bloodlines. Add +2 dice to pools to resist Blood Sorcery from other clans.

The Wolf

Wolf came second, Embraced by Ocasta after Owl. She was strong, and fast, a fierce warrior, even in a world where being such as a woman was frowned upon. She was the woman who drove the cedar through Stonecoat’s heart, pinning him to the ground. Wolf would gladly die for her people, snarling in the face of their enemies. It was she who first mastered the power of the animals that came within her blood. The descendants of Wolf are the warriors of the Ocasta, the ones who wet their claws with the enemy’s blood. They fight with honor, but with cruelty, often leaving their foes dying long and painful deaths, preferably in view of their friends. 

Wolf was fiercely dedicated to her tribe, and her people. Her descendants have become no less fervent. Ocasta of the Wolf are the most proud of their heritage, even if they are often too busy fighting for it to learn all the details. These are the Ocasta who take it to the enemy, bombing pipelines, sabotaging construction jobs, and hunting down anyone who threatens the Nation. Those of the Wolf are the arbiters of vengeance against those who betrayed the Cherokee long ago, and they carry the longest standing hatred for the Ventrue. Ocasta of the Wolf seem to have an easier time changing their shape to animals, and--unlike other Ocasta--their animals forms do not appear horrific. In fact, they tend to look majestic, even ethereal.
Bonus - Kin to the Animal Spirits: Wolf Ocasta are the closest kin to the animal spirits of Galun’lati, and as such their animal forms are unique. They do not appear horrific when they use Animal Skin, and Wolf Ocasta can blend in with other animals. Indeed, their animal forms often take the form of a mythical member of the species, such as an albino.

The Bat

Bat was the Childe Embraced third by Ocasta. He was smaller than the others, quieter. But Bat was always watching, always listening. There was nothing that went on in the tribe that he did not know about. He was also the most comfortable at moving about at night, even before he took on the Gifts of Stonecoat. The Ocasta suffered greatly at the hands of the Venture, but they also learned much. Ocasta of the Bat learned well the rules of manipulation and intrigue, and they employ them in service to their people.

Ocasta of the Bat are relied upon as spies and investigators. They were scouts in the old days, but in the modern nights they are more often corporate spies, undercover operatives, or lobbyists. They are the influence arm of the Ocasta, using the skills hard learned at the hands of their “cousins” in the Blue Bloods to defend the Ani-Yunwiya with political acumen. Though they are quite astute business and statesmen, the Ocasta fight an uphill battle. They are not above less scrupulous means, and have been known to resort to blackmail, torture, or other less savory techniques in order to push the Nation’s agenda.
Bonus - Senses of the Night: Bat Ocasta are the most attuned to the powers of night granted to them by Stonecoat. They may add their Animalism to any Awareness checks.

The Panther

Panther was the last of the Childer Embraced by Ocasta, and she almost refused his gift. Panther had always been a loner. She loved her people, and her tribe, but she preferred the solitude of the wood to the company of others. She spent long hours running through the forest, over the hills, through the rivers. It was her happiness to run free, beneath the canopy of leaves and the open blue sky. She was known for her dispassion, a cold, calculating woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and took it. Panther was the best tracker in her tribe.

Ocasta of the Panther are often loners, just like their progenitor. They are often the individuals who stand outside the circle, who observe all others, and yet go their own way. Panther Ocasta are naturally more dexterous than other Ocasta, and this leads to them making excellent assassins. The Panther Ocasta serve Ani-Yunwiya by striking out against individuals who oppose them. If blackmail fails, if intimidation and negotiation fail, the Panther is sent to have the final world. There is no escape from their stalk; no matter where you run, Ocasta of the Panther will find you. You will only die tired.
Bonus - Agility of the Cougar: Panther Ocasta are more nimble, and much quicker, than their cousins. They are consummate predators, and their targets rarely escape. They receive +2 dice to Dexterity checks.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The Ocasta are all that remain of the original Cherokee culture. The Cherokee Nation was long ago defeated, and systematically erased. There are almost none left who can call themselves wholly a member of the Ani-Yunwiya. Most of those in the tribe are mixed with other ethnicities, only part Cherokee. Almost none can remember the true soul of their culture. Even the language has only barely been preserved, with many words and phrases fading away into obscurity as fewer and fewer lean to speak it.

The Ocasta see themselves as the ark that will preserve the true spark of Cherokee culture, and help it to flower again. They are immortal, immune to the flows of time, and thus they can afford to be patient. All things fade away. All things but the Ocasta, and this means the Ani-Yunwiya will remain as well. They work hard to safeguard the customs of their people, teaching the newer generations the true language, or conducting Naming Ceremonies in the true way. Cherokee names are very important, a definer of identity.

An elder woman must grant a child their first true name, and with so few Cherokee left, female Ocasta fill a vital role in the tribe, helping to set new children on the path of their life in the true way. They see themselves as the protectors of their people, the descendants of that original group that staked Stonecoat to the ground, and they compose themselves as such, watching over the remaining fragments of their people in any way they can.

But the medicine men also speak of Ocasta’s curse, the punishment that he must bear for betraying his mother Selu. It is said the Ocasta must torment the Ani-Yunwiya, that it is their charge to forever make that which they love suffer, in payment for the original crime. They cannot help but bring suffering to the very people they wish to protect, an echo of Ocasta’s betrayal of his mother.

There is a secondary charge the Ocasta carry, one they picked up only after their people began to suffer, and they witnessed how the land fared under the care of the colonists. The earth must be protected. The Cherokee are the soul, but the Land is the body. And it languishes in modern nights, tortured by mortals whose greed knows no bounds. Ocasta are fiercely environmental. Animals and plants have always been important to the Cherokee; they believe they had a direct hand in shaping the people at the dawn of time.

The current state of environmental abuse is unacceptable to the Ocasta, and they are one of the few Kindred Bloodlines that actively fight against the machinations of Pentex. They are known for organizing protests, pressuring politicians, and even committing outright acts of sabotage against construction projects and pipelines. When all else fails, they turn to their sorcery.

Sorcery is at the heart of the Ocasta Bloodline. Stonecoat himself became a very accomplished practitioner, and this skill with blood magic has been passed down to his descendants. The Ocasta are known to cast powerful curses, withering charms, and be able to commune with spirits. In days long past they were rumored to be able to peer into the flow of the River of Time, but there have been none with such an ability in many centuries.

The Ocasta tend to have a positive influence on their people, especially since the arrival of colonists brought them a plethora of options and alleviated the need to feed from their own. However, they are terrible to those they consider outsiders. They learned the lesson the Ventrue taught them very well, and are one of the most insular and secretive Bloodlines. They share almost nothing with outsiders, and can be terrible in their cruelty. Ocasta are known to punish their enemies in terrible ways. Flaying is one of the more favored methods, but they have been known to subject outsiders to all manner of terrible fate. They in fact aim to surpass their cruelty every time they face an enemy, attempting to send a message to the outside world that they are not to be trifled with. They believe this cruelty towards outsiders is not only warranted, but necessary, the true justice for the fate of the Cherokee Nation.

History

In the beginning, there was only water. The entire world was nothing but an endless lake. Above all this was Galun’lati, the Spirit World. Galun’lati was above the water, over the stone arch of the sky. It was a place apart from all else, and here the Creator made the animals, and all the spirits. They existed for time immemorial, but they began to grow curious. They wondered, what was beneath the surface of the water? There was only so much room in Galun’lati, and they wanted to know if there was more, room for them to spread. And so they sent Water Beetle down; Water Beetle scampered across the surface of the fluid below. But there was no land. There was nothing for the animals to use for their own. So Water Beetle dove down, all the way to the bottom of the water. And it began to bring up mud. This mud collected, and an island was formed. This island was the Earth, and it was fastened to the stone arch by four cords, one at each corner of the world.
Everything was flat at first, the entire world a mesa of still drying mud. The animals sent out the birds to find a place to land, searching for any hint of dry surface. But they could find nothing. So Great Buzzard was sent out, and he flew low across the whole face of the Earth. Still, he found nothing, and he began to grow tired. His great wings began to flag, the tips of his feathers dipping down into the soft mud below. Where they struck, valleys were created; when they turned back upwards they swept the mud into mountains. The other animals were afraid that Buzzard would make mountains of the whole world, and so they called him back to Galun’lati. The sun was then placed in the sky to aid the world in drying, but when it was first placed it was too hot, and the world was scorched. Crawfish was burnt red, and his meat was ruined. So the sun was raised, but it was still too hot. It was raised again, but still the heat persisted. The sun was raised seven times, until it was just beneath the Stone Arch, and the number seven has been important to the Cherokee ever since.
Finally, the Creator filled the world with plants. They sprang forth, and the animals came down from Galun’lati. The animals were given a task before they could live within the earth; they were ordered to stay awake for seven nights, and to watch over all creation to ensure that everything was set in its place. They tried to do this, but they would fail. Bit by bit, they would each fall asleep in turn. Every day that passed more and more of the animals would fall asleep. Finally, on the seventh night, only the Owl, the Panther, the Wolf and the Bat remained awake. They were blessed for this achievement, given power over the night, the ability to move through it as if it were the day, and they were permitted to feed upon the animals who slept by night.
It was after this that the Creator made man and woman. The First Man was Kanati, the Lucky Hunter, and the First Woman was Selu, the Lady of Corn. Kanati and Selu had two twin sons as their first born, the Twin Thunder Boys. One was named Ocasta, and the other’s true name has been forgotten to Time. For a while all was well, but humanity began to spread across the Earth. They multiplied until Selu’s attention had become divided among her children. The Twin Thunder Boys became jealous, and it was not long until they voiced their feelings to one another.
Ocasta was approached by his brother, the one whose true name has been forgotten. The brother spoke of how Selu had turned to wickedness, and become a witch. He urged Ocasta to join him, to come and see for himself. So Ocasta followed his brother, and together they would spy upon Selu. They witnessed her at her rituals, calling upon the spirits to ensure balance and fertility for her people. They misconstrued the ritual as sorcery, and Ocasta was shocked. But his brother became enraged. He urged Ocasta to join him in bringing justice to their mother, and together the Twin Thunder Boys killed Selu in cold blood. Ocasta would look on his mother’s body, and the blood on the corn around her, and be overcome with grief and regret. He called upon the Creator, and the Creator answered. The Great Spirit saw what they had done, and cursed them for all time. Ocasta was forced to forever wander the Earth, doomed to create witches wherever he went, and bound to torment the Cherokee people. His brother was branded, and forever named Galonuhesgi, Traitor. Galonuhesgi was cast out, and sent far from the homeland of the Cherokee, to torment the other peoples of the Earth.
Ocasta would wander for many years, tormenting village after village. He would seduce women, teaching them the very magic Selu was accused of knowing. He became an adept sorcerer, and wore a coat entwined with pieces of flint. Soon became known throughout the land as Stonecoat, the Maker of Witches.
  Ocasta lived in the wilderness, roaming the night as one of the Beasts. In the early days, Bat, Wolf, Panther and Owl took pity on Ocasta, helping him to hunt as they hunted, feeding upon the creatures who walked by day. Ocasta learned to become one with the night, as they were, and in return he adopted the Night Animals as his children, pledging to care for them for all eternity.
Eventually, Ocasta was tricked; the women from one of the first villages came out to him, and pretended to wish to learn his magic. Instead, they trapped him; they drove a stake of cedar through his heart, pinning him to the ground. The men of the village then emerged, and began to build a pyre of cedar and pine around his Torpored form.
But Stonecoat did not wish to die. He reached out to those around him, and offered them a deal: allow him to go free, and he would share with them a measure of his power, and the power of night. There was great debate amongst the villagers, but eventually the four proudest decided to accept Ocasta’s offer. They removed the stake, and he Embraced them, naming them Bat, Wolf, Panther, and Owl, after the animals who had helped him when he had first been cursed. Together, they would go one to populate the night, spreading Ocasta’s blood to Cherokee they deemed worthy. These Children named themselves Ocasta, after their Father.
The Ocasta became the protector’s of their people, the silent stewards who watched by night, living in the wilderness away from their people, watching them from afar. They were still bound by Stonecoat’s curse, and thus were forced to torment those they protected, feeding off their lifeblood in order to sustain their own existence. They would creep into villages at night, and steal off those deemed unworthy. The Ocasta became feared and revered both by the Cherokee people, eventually passing into their myths and legends alongside figures such as the Uktena.

Clan founder, Ocasta

Clan Mechanics

Whether or not the Ocasta are a true Clan, or simply a Bloodline, is up for debate. Many exclude them from the list of Clans, as the traditional number of thirteen has been writ large across so many cultures. Regardless of their status within the Blood, the Ocasta are unique, not just in culture, but in power. They represent the ethos of their people. The will to endure, the connection with nature, and with the spirit world. They are the embodiment of the Cherokee in the World of Darkness, and they stand apart as such. Ocasta are created using standard v5 rules. When making your Ocasta, make sure to choose one of the four Night Animals to serve as your Bloodline. This will give you a small intrinsic bonus which you might find useful for various situations. The Night Animal you choose is permanent, and cannot be changed after character creation. Ocasta have three In Clan Disciplines, and they are as follows:

Fortitude

Ocasta was named Stonecoat, and was said to wear a jacket made of flint. The Cherokee have always been strong, willing to adapt, and endure through the ages. They will never flag, never give up. The Ani-Yunwiya must survive, they will survive, no matter what.

Animalism

The Cherokee have always been close with nature. They revere the animals, and the plants, and both have played vital roles in the history of the Nation. The animals and plants were the first beings, according to the Cherokee, and Ocasta was tied to the power of the animals through the night. This power reflects in his bloodline; Ocasta are closer to nature than even the Gangrel.

Ocasta Sorcery

Ocasta was a powerful sorcerer, and as such so are his children. The Ocasta have a unique, and powerful command of blood magic, completely unlike the sorcery practiced by their European brethren. While Animalism and Fortitude are much the same as in other Kindred, Ocasta’s sorcery is completely unique. They have their own powers and rituals, found nowhere else in the World of Darkness. While it is Blood Magic, Ocasta Sorcery is in its own sub-category.

Clan Bane

The animals were tasked to stay awake at the dawn of time, but so were the plants. Of all of them, only the evergreens managed to stay awake the full seven days. Because of this, cedar and pine are holy to the Cherokee. Ocasta suffer Bane Severity in Agg Damage if harmed with Cedar or Pine.

Clan Compulsion: Betrayal

Ocasta are descendents of Stonecoat, one of the men who betrayed and killed Selu, the First Woman. Stonecoat was cursed to forever betray the ones he loved, and this curse echoes in the Blood of the Ocasta. Whenever an Ocasta suffers from their Clan Compulsion, they will take -2 penalty to all dicepools not related to sabotaging someone the Ocasta considers important to them, in some way. This can be a friend, a lover, a relative, etc.

---

Unique Powers

The following powers are available to Ocasta as In Clan powers. They may purchase them at In Clan prices. If the power is an Amalgam, the cost is equal to the highest level Discipline within that power. For example, Stonecoat is made of Fort 3 and Blood Sorc 2. This means it would cost 15 XP to unlock because Fort 3 is the highest Discipline inside the power.

Stonecoat

Fortitude 3 Ocasta Sorcery 2
Cost: 1 Rouse
The Ocasta smears their blood on any article of normal clothing. This piece of clothing adds Blood Potency in Soak to the user’s defense. This power stacks for every major article of clothing. For example, pants and a shirt would stack, pants and socks would not.

Animal Skin 

Animalism 5
Cost: 2 Rouse
The Ocasta has the power to transform into any animal native to the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. They take on bonuses associated with their animal form, as per normal Metamorphosis rules. Work with your ST to determine the exact bonuses of a particular animal. This power is always a Masquerade Breach. It is impossible to hide the Ocasta’s nature with this power, and they will look like a monstrous, twisted version of whatever animal they turn into.