Sharks

The Sharks arranged themselves in groups called “shivers.” Shivers were smaller gangs and families in the tribe that were led by the eldest or strongest member of the shiver known as the Tooth; the Tooth of the shiver would spiritually dedicate themself to the specific Shark totem spirit that favored that shiver. Collectively, these Tooth leaders were referred to as The Jaws. All tribe members and Teeth answered to the Warlord of the Deeps, who led the tribe as a whole. The rank of Warlord was determined through single combat; the only weapon used in these leadership contests were a single hunting knife for each combatant; this ritual combat was known as the Blood In the Water Rite.

The cultural tradition of The Sharks was a strict and vicious one. In order to survive the threats of the Horrors and rival tribes in the Wilds, The Sharks adopted an aggressive and warlike culture. In battle, they favored hit and run tactics, using the mobility of their bikes to deliver devastating salvos of gunfire before pulling back and then riding into battle once again. Serious disputes were settled through acts of strength, be it arm-wrestling or fistfights. Fights for leadership were bloody affairs involving close quarters knife combat, typically to first blood; only rarely were fights held to the death. Adopting new tribe members from outside was a rare occasion, and the prospective new member had to prove themselves through rigorous physical trials before being accepted. Once a new member was accepted, however, they were embraced and accepted as if they had long been a part of the family.   Their naming tradition typically were given names were often Latino or Spanish-sounding (the more popular names were taken from characters in West Side Story). Surnames were a combination of a trait or action the members associated with sharks plus the name of the shiver the member was from. Example names include Antonio Lurking-Mako, Maria Frenzying-Six-Gill, and Pepe Stalking-Hammerhead.   The Sharks were friendly with only a few of the other tribes in the region, most notably the Krogs (who were friendly to almost everybody). Initial contact with the Krogs quickly established a positive relationship thanks to the Blåhaj plushies that lined the shelves of the Krogs’ Ikea. These stuffed plushie sharks were an immediate hit with the Sharks, who gave the plushies to their children. It was their belief that, because the Krogs had Blåhaj sharks in their territory, the Krogs were also looked upon positively by the Shark’s totem spirits.

In their prime, the Sharks were a highly mobile tribe of raiders and skirmishers. They scavenged old vehicles and off-road motorbikes that they discovered within their territory. They were skilled hunters and ate a primarily meat-based diet. Some livestock was kept deep within the territory, as well as simple farms that grew the most basic of vegetables.

The Sharks began as a loose collective of raiders struggling to eke out an existence in a region of the Wilds they claimed as their own. This territory included ruins of a suburban town that had a library and an aquarium. It was here that they found the things that they came to be known for. In the library and the aquarium, they learned about the most fearsome predators of the long-forgotten ocean: sharks. Admiring their striking looks and ruthless reputation, they adopted the shark as their favored symbol. The clothing they came to be known for was adopted after a working video player, television, and taped copy of the film West Side Story was found in the library. The Sharks, one of the factions in the film, captured their imagination. They adopted the warm-colored clothing of the Sharks from the movie and wore it underneath the beast-hide biker jackets they would fashion from the skins of animals and creatures they hunted in the Wilds.   In time, the Sharks organized further, forming the eight shivers--the smaller family groups that composed the Sharks’ tribal membership. The system of governance, with the Jaws answering to the Warlord, was established after a period of infighting and faction war. They were united by a powerful warrior named Emilio Hungering-Great-White, who brought the faction war to an end by being the last one standing after the ritual knife fights were concluded. The Sharks continued their raiding tradition until suffering a crippling defeat at the hands of the Poncems. Sufficiently cowed, the Sharks found it safer to defend their already established territory rather than expand outward. They became very territorial, and dealt with incursions into their territory severely.   When the Coa discovered the Ark that would found Olympia and began to unite the tribes in the area, the Sharks were initially hostile to the idea. They sent many Coa diplomats back to their tribes with moderate to serious injuries. But the Coa kept trying, eventually convincing the Sharks by stating that, in joining the unifying tribes, they would be able to exert dominance over their long-time rivals, the Poncems. This placated them until the Poncems themselves eventually joined the unified tribes as well. Old hostilities burned bright between the Sharks and the Poncems, but extensive mediation supervised by the other tribes in the union eventually helped both rivals put their differences to rest.