If an animal becomes a criminal burden to their society, they may find their actions have consequences and soon join the prisoners found in the mountains. A startlingly large sleuth of bears guards these ruffians in exchange for a yearly tax of sorts: Each pack or other group who utilizes their services must send three hunter/gatherers as winter approaches to help them collect food and find suitable places to hibernate. Like with wolves, not all bears in Shaoilin Woods act the same as their real world counterparts. Many bears don't hibernate at all. 8 out of 10 Mountain Guard bears embrace this annual tradition, however, and the others use this time as a vacation of sorts.
Stereotypes: Most stereotypes concerning these bears are somewhat true to entirely true. They are assumed to be the most fearsome foes in all of Tolas. Their only known threat as a group, aside from things like starvation, are the two-leggers and their arsenal of strange traps and weapons.
Due to the fact they send their prisoners to Timekeeper land while hibernating, many assume them to be allies; however, the Mountain Guard hold no official allegiance to anyone, and even vicious wolves know they are not to be trifled with. Yet they just might side with the Timekeepers out of necessity in order to sustain their own well-being. No one can say for certain.
Most anyone in Tolas has at least heard of them. This knowledge is so widespread it's not uncommon for exasperated parents to threaten to send their offspring "to the mountain" if they misbehave.
Appearance: The bears hold no stigma against certain appearances, and to do so would be considered both strange and pointless. Their only requirement is that members be a bear. Lynxes, wolves, and other animals you will find only as prisoners here. They will often permit nearby birds to feed off their kills in exchange for "flock alarm" if necessary, but they are not considered members.
OOC NOTE: The Mountain Guard is a shop group. What this means is that this group is owned by the shop, not one individual, though it is currently under the primary leadership of Hopefolly. This group has noteworthy NPCs, is immune to certain things such as landmark claiming, and will play specific roles in future metaplots.
That being said, please DO NOT say your characters are / were imprisoned or former / current members without permission. In this regard, treat it as you would any other group and do not godmode.
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:10 pm
Age and History: The Mountain Guard, like the animals of Telk, were displaced from their previous home, a land they call by no other name than "the land of endless rain." This occurred generations ago; Tolas is the only home any living bear knows, as is the mountain, and many theories about what and where the land of endless rain was are debated.
It is said the bears themselves have always been enforcers of justice and peacekeeping amongst those at the top of the food chain, using their individual size and strength of numbers to secure the future for their cubs and the youth of other animals. You'll hear many versions of the same story, the most common of which claims the bears were the only thing to prevent mass starvation in the land of endless rain, as prey was scarce and other predators were greedy. Their origin starts with them guarding resources, not prisoners. They were chased away by the intervention of their primary competition, the two-leggers.
Upon arriving in Tolas, they learned ample food (both meat and vegetation) was not such a commodity here, and finally they could indulge in a practice they had long neglected: hibernation.
They claimed the mountains as their own. There, they heard stories from gossiping birds and goats about a war that had ended only a few years prior and the rumors it would start again. Discussion of this battle, waged between the Timekeeper and the Sunlord packs, paved the way for the the bears current standing within the world of Tolas. They approached both groups, warning them they would not allow their cubs to grow in world of chaos and violence.
This is their only known interaction with the Sunlords. The Timekeepers, on the other hand, were incredibly wary of their new neighbors, even frightened of them. Although they had defeated the Sunlords in battle, their numbers were not yet replenished, and they had never been so many so as to defeat a sleuth of bears.
Through various negotiation meetings, it was decided the bears would permit the Timekeepers to maintain their slave population under the agreement they did not encroach on their territory in the mountain and that, in the winter, they would care for the prisoners.
Today, the bears are undoubtedly the most well-known group in all of Tolas. The youth of various animals will play "bears and prisoners" (the equivalent of cowboys and Indians); parents will threaten to send their misbehaving offspring to the mountain; even the two-leggers have taken notice and agree to avoid them, leaving the bears none the wiser even humanity has its limits going toe-to-toe with one of their own.
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:11 pm
Common (Native): Known also as "Telkish," Common is the language the bears speak most often amongst themselves and to others when possible. This has not always been so. Those who know history well can tell you the bears once spoke Rilaish, but it is now a dead language lost to time.
Velskan (Common): Close proximity and annual visits to the Timekeepers over generations have left many bears fluent in Velskan. Their prisoners are also taught at the very least key words and phrases for their trip to Timekeeper territory in the winter. Many prisoners are of Timekeeper blood and speak primarily or only Velskan.
Yakoshi (Uncommon): Not many bears have picked up on this language, but enough of their prisoners come from the Spiritwalkers that they do often hear it in passing.
Other Languages: Since the prison population is diverse, the bears will occasionally encounter other languages.
Bears have a very broad selection of names. Most come from Telkish/Common, but not all. To be "trendy" or "creative," many civilians will name their cubs things from other languages, such as Yakoshi or Sharanjin. It's not too peculiar to see bears named anything from Lilly to Barke to Akiko. In any case, the bears do not know the meanings of names from an IC POV as all languages are fictional, so any OOC meanings should be coincidental.
All terms, phrases, and slang are spoken in Common/Telkish.
Stonekeep: A stonekeep is the word for prison cell. In sending a prisoner to their stonekeep, they are being sent back to their cell / living quarters.
Relief Breaks: A relief break is a bathroom break.
Runner: For a prisoner to be "a runner" means they attempted to escape. It also more than likely means they're already dead because of it. The bears will often speak of sending a prisoner they don't like away with the runners, which is essentially a grumbling death threat.
Flock Alarm: A flock alarm is a group of birds who congregate around the mountains and squawk in unison when outsiders are approaching or when prisoners somehow manage to escape (though this has yet to happen on the mountain itself). They are many different many species and are not official members, simply savvy creatures that like the free meals they're given in exchange.
Cirque: The territory of the Mountain Guard is comprised of three mountain cirques. They are Cirque One, Cirque Two, and Cirque Three. More information can be found in the territory post.
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:13 pm
The bears of the Mountain Guard remain a symbol of civility and authority, but they are not near as selfless as their ancestors. Each pack or other group who utilizes their services must send at least three hunter/gatherers as winter approaches to help them collect food and find suitable places to hibernate. They have grown comfortable with this arrangement and the personal benefits of having it in place. The better hunters/gatherers and the more of them they send, the more likely the bears will make special exceptions for the group in question.
Many outsiders have the misconception it's as easy as send prisoners now, gatherers later, but in truth there are sets of rules and laws that all groups must abide by. They are memorized by every bear in any guard rank similar to modern day police being able to recite those they arrest their rights.
These are as follows:
- "Any group under the protection of the Mountain Guard will send at least three gatherers near the time of winter. Willful failure to do so will be considered a declaration of war. These must be healthy, able-bodied, and for the duration of their stay they will abide by the orders of the Wallmaker. Willful failure to do so will result in imprisonment or execution."
- "Any group under the protection of the Mountain Guard must decide the guilt of their prisoners prior to their arrival. No exceptions."
- "Any offspring born to prisoners will be sent back to the homeland of their parents upon being weaned. No exceptions."
- "Any prisoners with temporary sentences will be released after doing their time in the location decided upon in negotiations. No exceptions."
- "Any prisoners that attempt to escape, whether serving temporary or lifetime sentences, will be executed immediately for the safety of all and the honor of Mountain Guard. No exceptions."
Temporary sentences are for criminals who committed only minor crimes, to be decided by their group in question. Usually, these are for adultery, theft, blasphemy, physical assault, and things of this nature. The Mountain Guard do not decide the laws of other groups, only enforce them. What one pack may consider worthy of only a temporary sentence, another may deem an unforgivable offense or not worthy of punishment at all.
Animals serving temporary sentences are either kept for a season or for a certain number of days, which the bears tally based on how many times the sun rises and falls.
When an animal is released, they are escorted a few miles away from the mountain, to a location agreed upon by their leader and the Wallmaker. It's expected someone will be there to pick them up, but if not, they are left to their own devices, for better or worse.
Life sentences are for criminals who have committed major crimes, to be decided by their group in question. Usually, these are for things like murder, but it can even be for stealing or speaking ill of religious or political views. The Mountain Guard do not decide the laws of other groups, only enforce them. What one group may consider worthy of only a temporary sentence, another may deem an unforgivable offense or not worthy of punishment at all.
Life sentences are what they sound like. An animal will live the rest of their life in the mountains, having their day mapped out on their behalf where they will do drudge work to earn their food and water, as well as some supervised "free time." It is not uncommon, like in some real world prisons, for prisoners to develop friendships with the bears, either out of social necessity or to try and get perks. It also stands to reason some prisoners are treated better than others depending on their crime.
Executions are a topic of debate both outside the Mountain Guard and within it, especially among civilians. Many hope to see it outlawed, feeling imprisoning the criminals is justified, but killing them is not. Others adamantly disagree, believing an eye for an eye is the only sensible justice and that executions are especially necessary when it comes to escape attempts.
As it stands, the Mountain Guard usually does perform executions when requested by the prisoner's homeland, but there have been cases, they refused if they unanimously felt the crime too petty to warrant death. These are usually reserved for sexual assault criminals, murderers, and escapees, but they will occasionally receive word from a group to execute a blasphemer or thief.
Execution is "by claw or by fall," meaning the prisoner is able to choose whether they are killed by a bear or by a fall from the mountain.
The Mountain Guard have what is essentially a "right to die" clause. Prisoners have the right to request their death at any given time, for any reason. They will be taken to a specific point in the mountain (one of the highest mere mammals can go), and there, they will be permitted to jump to their immanent demise. This is part of the Mountain Guard's law and for them to bend this rule is extremely rare. Many groups they ally with are completely unaware of it to start with; unless they ask, the Mountain Guard bears usually won't bring it up. Like with executions, this practice is highly controversial within the Mountain Guard, especially among civilians.
Winter is a time prisoners fear for their life. For in winter, the majority of the Mountain Guard bears hibernate; those who do not still leave the mountain to pursue other interests. While they are preoccupied with this, the prisoners themselves are ushered off to Timekeeper territory. There, they are no longer considered prisoners, but instead as slaves.
On any given year, the population of prisoners that returns to the mountains from Timekeeper territory is 5-20% less than what they started with. As slaves, they are beaten, malnourished, made to fight each other, and worse. Many prisoners have used their "right to die" before being forced to make this journey, unable to cope with the idea of being degrading and abused to such an awful extent. Some suspect this is a conspiracy done intentionally to keep the prison from being overpopulated. There has been no official word either way.
Rarely, the bears may specify a particular prisoner is not to be killed, or even beaten, and usually these are friends of theirs or political prisoners. This does not guarantee their safety in the end, only gives them a much better chance at it.
There are only three known escapes in the entire history of the Mountain Guard, and every single one was made during the migration from the mountains to the Timekeepers. But there are far more stories of prisoners being killed trying to escape than actually doing so.
Important to note OOC is that the goal of the Mountain Guard is not to have prisoners escape, but to provide RP in a specific environment. If a rebellion occurs organically overtime, this is another matter, but people should not be submitting their characters with soul intent being to have them escape or be freed.
If you're looking for a group where your street-savvy character is guaranteed to rise against the odds, there are many others who are able to offer this kind of plot on a reoccurring basis. Within the Mountain Guard, these prisoners should be the exception, not the rule.
Please only ship your characters here if you are absolutely certain you are willing to accept consequences for them OOC, up to and including life sentences and executions. You also agree to them being enslaved throughout the winter in Timekeeper territory and any consequences that befall them for their actions there.
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:14 pm
Prisoner schedules depend mostly on the season. They are ever-changing, and in this post you will find only the current schedule. This should be referenced for RPs. When the schedule changes, there will be an announcement. Even if no one is around to RP them, you should always assume there are guard bears nearby, no less than three and no more than five at a time.
IT IS CURRENTLY: Summer
Second to winter, summer is the season prisoners most dread. The warm days make the thick-coated bears feel too hot and therefore tetchy. They will often break rules and return prisoners to their stonekeeps ahead of schedule so they can take to the water instead of watching them. In the event this happens, it will be posted in this thread. Otherwise, this is the schedule:
Sunrise: Guards are awake and preparing for the day. They gather together and start to release the prisoners of their Cirque from their stonekeeps. They are brought to where the hunters and gatherers have collected food for their meal. This is the only time they eat throughout the day, so most don't dally in filling their stomachs. Once everyone is finished, the guards offer the leftovers to the birds that serve as their flock alarm. The prisoners are left to socialize until High Sun. Most fights between prisoners occur at this point.
High Sun: High Sun is when the sun is the highest in the sky. Prisoners are supposed to be made to work during this time, doing things like helping clear poisonous berry plants or hazardous weeds, dispose of waste, move stones, and so on. They are taken for scheduled water and relief breaks throughout the day. In summer, many bears will send them back to their stonekeeps and go submerge themselves in the cooling waters instead. Some are grateful when this happens as it means less work and others find the boredom and inactivity not worth the extra downtime.
Low Sun: The sun has not quite set. If the prisoners aren't already there, this is when they are brought to their stonekeeps and locked up for the night after one last opportunity to have a drink of water and a final break to relieve their bladder. If a prisoner is in good standing with a guard, they may be given extra food at this time.
Sunset: Night is coming and the bears are going home to their own families. The prisoners are left alone to chatter between stonekeeps and go to sleep.
Prisoners that require special accommodations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Territory: The bears have made their home at the highest point in three, shallow cirques. On three sides, these cirques are bordered by rocky walls. These walls may be climbed with some effort by most species, however completing the ascent reveals only a sheer drop hundreds of meters to the earth below. Looking outwards shows other snow-capped peaks which stretch for miles in each direction. Looking south, one can just make out the trees which reach over the pass through the mountain range.
Flowing the middle, and crossing all the outlets of these cirques, is a large glacier. It terminates at a small, cloudy lake formed by glacial meltwater. Moraines on either side of the glacier are navigable to the Mountain Guard, though the glacier must be crossed at several points to leave the high mountains. Those who don't know the correct pathway risk falling into a crevasse and dying slowly in the open cracks.
Important to note is that the Mountain Guard is ruled by Shaman of the Mountain, Ravar. Ravar has the ability to manipulate the landscape of the mountain to some degree, mostly to build and knock down walls to keep prisoners. The landscape is forever changing because of this.
Cirque One is one of two civilian / living cirques. Some areas have been leveled by Ravar (and mountain shaman before him) to provide better living space. This is considered the most peaceful of the three cirques, as it is made up almost entirely of civilians. In fact, this cirque can seem like an entirely different world from the others as they are completely isolated from interacting with prisoners.
Cirque One is one of two civilian / living cirques. Some areas have been leveled by Ravar (and mountain shaman before him) to provide better living space. Cirque Two is inhabited by those in prison ranks, training to become them, and their families. Due to the tension in this cirque and the exposure to prison matters, it isn't unheard of for families to send their cubs to live with relatives in Cirque One if the lifestyle proves to be too hard on them or if they feel it best.
Cirque Three serves as the prison and is not occupied by any bears except those on duty. Ravar (and mountain shaman before him) have changed the landscape to make uneven, ugly, but functional prison cells they know as stonekeeps. The rocky bars of stonekeeps rise and fall under Ravar's command. This is most of why escapes are all but unheard of, but it does have its downsides, such as when the mountain shaman dies or takes a sick day. These problems are handled case-by-case.
You will find many predatory or scavenging birds in this area, awaiting leftovers in exchange for serving as alarms.
Spring: This season is more or less like winter. It is not until late spring that temperatures start to warm and snow truly begins to start melting. Most of these days, the sun is a lie. It appears warm, but its rays are not yet strong enough to produce a great deal of heat.
Summer: Snow melts in huge quantities. The sun's rays become strong, and the mountains start to turn into a wet wonderland. Early summer is full of brand new lakes, huge creeks that were completely dry during the winter time, and flooded meadowland once covered in snow. As the summer progresses, the glacier begins to recede and water starts to flow from its base to fill the small lake below it. The meadows become filled with lush grasses and pleasant flowers. These patches of green are easily seen in draws, canyons, and valleys from the high point of the Mountain Guard.
With their thick coats, summer time is typically on the unpleasant side of warm for bears. The multitude of melt-water streams in the region make for a great escape, and its not frowned upon to spend most of the summer waterlogged. Warmer temperatures mean that moonsoonal clouds build over the mountains. Later aftternoons and evenings are often filled with an abundance of thunderclouds. While being struck by lightning is rare, the booms are no laughing matter. The rains from these thunderclouds have been known to trigger rock falls, debris flows, and the rare landslide.
Fall: By now, the majority of the snow has melted, leaving patchwork piles of white scattered through the highlands. Meltwater streams are not as full as in summer, but still hold a current. Water outpouring from the glacier is at its peak, flooding into the lowlands and making hope of escape this way difficult for wolf prisoners. Thunderstorms occur more frequently, though they are less intense and have little rain. As the fall progresses, these thunderstorms are replaced by snow-bearing clouds. During this time, snow may fall and be followed the next day by a warm, sunny day. Temperatures slowly drop until winter, where they stay low.
Winter: Winter always brings snow. In the highlands, foot after foot falls until the sharp rocks have been thickly covered and the crevasses of glaciers become treacherous. Days vary between cloudy and clear, though the air is always frigid due to the harsh winds that rip up the unvegetated land carved by old glaciers. The Mountain Guard's own glacier grows during this time, though at a rate so slowly it cannot be heard or seen. Snow covers deep crevasses, making crossing the glacier extremely dangerous. Winter is also the time the prisoners are sent to live in Timekeeper territory.
Water Sources: Eating snow *** (winter); streams, creeks, ponds, and seasonal lakes from snowmelt (late spring, summer, fall); glacial lake (ice can be broken through year-round)
*** Eating snow should be used only as a last resort due to potentially deadly hazards of having to maintain body heat while digesting copious amounts of it. Bears aware it can do more harm than good and teach their young this, so at the very least all natives should be equipped with this wariness.
Food Sources
Plantlife (year-round; 85% of diet): Vegetation, roots, bulbs, corms, tubers
Berries (late spring through early fall): Barberry, chokeberry, currant, gooseberry, oregon holly-grape, raspberries; Note: While many other berries exist at high altitude, a great deal are poisonous and will result in a slow death. The Mountain Guard is well-versed in which berries are edible and which are deadly.
Meats: Insects (may include honey from bees nests), fish (staple), fawns (of deer, moose, or elk depending on what is present at the time), adult deer (rare; must be ambushed), adult elk (rare; must be ambushed), adult moose (very rare; must be ambushed)
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:14 pm
Most Mountain Guard bears believe the spirits of their ancestors watch over and help guide them, that everything in the world is part of some grand design, and that one should not waste resources or act selfishly. Bears will have individual beliefs in addition to this on a case-by-case basis; others will have no beliefs at all. Bickering will occur same as any other society, but they have no laws in place about what one can or can't believe or say on this topic.
Cirque One tends to be more vocal about their spiritual beliefs than Cirque Two, which hosts a number of atheists. Cirque Three is dependent upon the prisoners as to which religion if any is dominating others and when.
Murder / Assault: The killing or attack of your fellow bear is not permitted and in doing so a bear faces becoming a prisoner themselves.
Freeing Prisoners: Freeing prisoners before their release day (or ever, in the case of lifetimers) is not allowed under any circumstances. Guards caught helping in this will be seen as traitors and usually sentenced to life.
Theft: Stealing another bear's food or property is punishable by a night in a stonekeep.
Taboo is not as prevalent in Cirque Two, but Cirque One is full of civilians who mostly expect social niceties and graces to be adhered to. In Cirque One, most discussion of matters like executions (whether in favor or not) and prisoner conditions goes on in private. They could be compared to our real world societies and the hesitance many show to discuss social / political issues either out of fear of judgement, apathy, or simply seeing it as the more polite choice.
Cirque Two is more open to these things and it isn't uncommon to hear the bears outright complaining or arguing with each other. Even the Wallmaker is not spared these criticisms. Some see Cirque Two as less dignified and others view it as less socially suffocating compared to Cirque One.
Hibernating: Like with wolves or other animals, not every bear in Shaoilin Woods will act exactly as their real world counterpart. Hence, not every bear will hibernate, and some have never done so at all. Most Mountain Guard bears do practice it (8 in 10, roughly) and it is a celebrated tradition.
Contrary to popular belief amongst outsiders (especially youngsters), the bears do not wall themselves up in caves and sleep for months at a time. They do wake up to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, and even socialize some. It's more a long vacation than anything.
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:18 pm
Prison Ranks are bears that work for the Cirque Three, the prison section of the mountain. You will not find any bear of these ranks in Cirque One unless they are retired or on leave.
OOC NOTE: Prison ranks have consequences for their actions same as the prisoners. If your captain or guard is going around beating everyone up just to show how tough they are, expect them to be demoted if not spend time locked up themselves. They may get away with some pushing and shoving of prisoners, but unnecessary attacks will land them in hot water.
Wallmaker The Wallmaker is the sleuth leader, named as such due to his shaman abilities. His domain, Mountain, allows him to keep track of his prison with a supernatural level of skill and help build stone walls to serve as the equivalent of your modern day jail cells. He is one part king, one part warden, and appoints his successor based on who he feels will best follow in his paw prints. Wallmakers maintain their position for life because their domain cannot be passed down until their death. Therefore, a bear should be very certain before he or she agrees to be the next in line as they will need to begin training immediately after the former Wallmaker's death.
This rank requires such dedication day in and day out the Wallmaker almost never has a family of his or her own.
Captain: Aside from the Wallmaker, the Captains are the ones in charge. They command guards, organize prisoner schedules, are usually the ones to carry out executions, among other tasks. There is one captain for every six guards and only as many in general as there are sections of the prison that need to be tended to.
Guard: Guards are the warriors, the watchers, and to some extent the caretakers of the prison. They enforce the rules, take orders, escort prisoners to meals, and so on. Guards are expected to be of good temperament and have more interest in justice than personal gain, but like in real life, some are very much corrupt and use their authority in questionable ways.
Guards are assigned a specific section of the prison in groups of six and take orders from a designated captain. There are usually around thirteen to twenty guards per section in order to provide everyone ample off time and stand-ins in case someone dies or gets sick.
Gatherer: Gatherers collect food in the form of nuts, berries, etc. as well as hunt for meat. This variety is employed by the Wallmaker to help feed the prisoners and the prison staff. This rank often doesn't get the praise it deserves and in fact is subjected to frequent mistreatment and condescension.
Translator: Translators are bears with an ear for language. They tend to specialize in one or two, typically those rarely known by their kin such as Sharanjin and Yakoshi. They act as ambassadors when necessary and are viewed as highly intelligent. They most often work alongside the guards to help with prisoners who do not speak Common/Telkish.
Record Keeper: Another job for bears who prefer brains over brawn is record keeping. Record keepers keep track of how many days have gone by in temporary sentences, which groups have sent their trackers/hunters for the winter gathering, and also tend to know who died and when. Obviously, these bears must be trustworthy and have exceptionally good memories. Many find crafty ways to keep written records with clay and stone even without the ability to spell and read, using drawings or symbols.
Officially, prisoners have only one rank, which is prisoner. With good behavior, good sense, and some good luck, they can find themselves taking on unofficial ranks and joining bears in things like gathering, patrolling, and things of this nature. For any prisoner to be completely unsupervised in the open is extremely rare, near unheard of, no matter how good an impression they've made.
Still, some are basically treated as friends, if not properly cared for servants. They receive perks like extra food and some added protection when living among the Timekeepers.
There are more civilians in Cirque One than Cirque Two, but Cirque Two also has them in form of family members to prison ranked bears. You will find all these ranks in both.
Gatherer: Gatherers collect food in the form of nuts, berries, etc. as well as hunt for meat. Gatherers who work for civilians are treated better than those employed by the prison and are not disrespected as they are; on the contrary, theirs is an important job very much appreciated.
Mentors: Mentors are the teachers of the Mountain Guard. They help cubs learn to gather, forage, and hunt; they teach them other languages; they provide history lessons and much more. Many bears who retire from other ranks (such as translators) become mentors down the road. Others have always pursued this as a career.
Cubsitters: Cubsitters are the professional nannies. Many have cubs of their own and take shifts. Others are older females whose cubs have long grown. It's peculiar for a male to have this rank, but not unheard of.
Messengers: Messengers deliver announcements, notices, and information from one cirque to another. As a bear in Cirque Two cannot send a Hallmark card to their mother in Cirque One, this is what messengers are for. These bears are very familiar with the terrain and also acquainted with many of their fellow citizens.
Healer: Healers come in many varieties and most specialize in one area, whether it's birth, nutrition (including cures for when young bears eat the wrong thing), or tending to wounds. They do not usually work with prisoners, but may be called upon to treat them at times.
Gravekeepers: Gravekeepers have a physically and emotionally demanding job. A dead bear is not an easy thing to move, let alone bury, but this is their job none the less. They tend to be reclusive bears and seen as creepy and morbid whether or not they actually are. It is lost to history when or why the Mountain Guard picked up this practice, but it is assumed it came from one of the native groups who started it during the plague in order to prevent sickness from spreading.
Other: Some bears do not have jobs, per se. They are the stay-at-home parents, the elderly, the disabled and so on.
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Shaoilin Captain
Offline
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:19 pm
The Timekeepers: The Timekeepers have a longstanding relationship with the bears. It's as mutually beneficial as it is tense. The bears get to foist their prisoners on them during the winter so that they may hibernate (and rumor has it take advantage of prisoner population decline as a result). In exchange, the Timekeepers have been permitted to keep their slaves and get the reputation of having a powerful ally.
Technically speaking, the bears are not officially allied with anyone; however, the arrangement they have with the Timekeepers is now vital, so maybe they would defend them in the event not doing so would bring harm to them or disrupt their lifestyle. Maybe.
The Sunlords: The Sunlords are a group the Mountain Guard know of more than anything. Only their ancestors have communicated with them on their own turf. They will occasionally see a Sunlord wolf among them who was moved to the Timekeepers and then imprisoned for a crime.
The Spiritwalkers: Mountain Guard bears have wildly different opinions on this group, usually depending on what their job is. Civilians and low ranks will praise them as being cooperative and respectful, but guards will gripe they execute their packmates for things as silly as killing a crow. They are on regular speaking terms and the Spiritwalkers do make use of their services.
Various unofficial groups and bloodlines: It isn't only large packs or groups that make use of the Mountain Guard. Family / smaller nomad groups will sometimes form contracts with them.
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:19 pm
There are two ways to join the Mountain Guard OOC: Submit your bear as a civilian or joining loner or submit your character as a prisoner. IC, only bears can join as citizens / members and must be promoted individually. There are different processes for all.
Joining civilians:
[color=black][size=11][b]Character:[/b] Name and image of bear. [b]Rank:[/b] Rank they will acquire shortly after joining. If you want a prison rank, they must first be approved IC by the wallmaker, either on screen or off screen. See the appropriate form for that. [b]Cirque:[/b] Cirque One is where most civilians live. Cirque Two should only have bears related to prison ranked bears or who are training to become one themselves. [b]Reason for joining:[/b] [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Backstory:[/b] [b]Is there anything we should know OOC?[/b] Is your character joining to plan to break someone out of prison or any plot-altering things of this nature.[/color][/size]
Native civilians:
[color=black][size=11][b]Character:[/b] Name and image of bear. [b]Rank:[/b] Their rank. If you want a prison rank, they must first be approved IC by the wallmaker, either on screen or off screen. See the appropriate form for that. [b]Cirque:[/b] Cirque One is where most civilians live. Cirque Two should only have bears related to prison ranked bears or who are training to become one themselves. [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Backstory:[/b] [b]Is there anything we should know OOC?[/b] Is your character planning to break someone out of prison or any plot-altering things of this nature?[/color][/size]
Promotion to prison ranks:
[color=black][size=11][b]Character:[/b] Name and image of bear. [b]Current Rank:[/b] Their current rank. [b]Desired Rank:[/b] The job they would like to have within the prison. [b]Cirque:[/b] The cirque they are arriving from. Cirque One is where most civilians live. Cirque Two should only have bears related to prison ranked bears or who are training to become one themselves. [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Backstory:[/b] [b]Is there anything we should know OOC?[/b] Is your character planning to break someone out of prison or any plot-altering things of this nature? [b]Why would they be considered a good fit for this rank?[/b] NOTE: It is VERY important to go by what your character has actually said / done, not what they think / feel. If your bear has done nothing but steal and lie their entire life, it won't matter to the Wallmaker if they feel bad about it.[/color][/size]
Already a prison rank:
[color=black][size=11][b]Character:[/b] Name and image of bear. [b]Rank:[/b] Their current rank. [b]Birth Cirque:[/b] The cirque they came from. Cirque One is where most civilians live. Cirque Two should only have bears related to prison ranked bears or who are training to become one themselves. [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Backstory:[/b] Include how long they have been working at the prison. [b]Is there anything we should know OOC?[/b] Is your character planning to break someone out of prison or any plot-altering things of this nature? [b]Why were they considered a good fit for this rank?[/b] NOTE: If your character has been employed for a fair length of time, they may be corrupt now, but they should have been acceptable for their rank (even if it was through lying) at the time of the promotion.[/color][/size]
New prisoners:
[size=11][color=black][b]Character:[/b] Name and image. [b]Pack / Group:[/b] The pack / group that is escorting them to the prison. [b]Do you have permission from the pack / group leader OOC?[/b] Do not assume your character has been arrested unless the leader of their home pack / group says so. [b]Crime:[/b] What they are guilty of. [b]Sentence:[/b] Execution, life, or temporary. If temporary, for how long and where will they be dropped off? Note that bears do not do drop-offs in pack / group territory. [b]Do you accept potential consequences for this character's involvement?[/b] For example, if your character consistently s**t talks guards, they WILL get their a** beat, maybe even to the point of being beaten to death. Actions = consequences is extremely vital here, so by saying yes you accept this knowledge.[/size][/color]
Old prisoners:
[size=11][color=black][b]Character:[/b] Name and image. [b]Pack / Group:[/b] The pack / group that is escorting them to the prison. [b]Do you have permission from the pack / group leader OOC?[/b] Do not assume your character has been arrested unless the leader of their home pack / group says so. [b]Crime:[/b] What they are guilty of. [b]Sentence:[/b] Execution, life, or temporary. If temporary, for how long and where will they be dropped off? Note that bears do not do drop-offs in pack / group territory. [b]How long have they served so far?[/b] How much time have they been here? [b]What has their behavior been like so far?[/b] Are they known for starting fights? Sucking up to guards? Things like that. [b]Do you accept potential consequences for this character's involvement?[/b] For example, if your character consistently s**t talks guards, they WILL get their a** beat, maybe even to the point of being beaten to death. Actions = consequences is extremely vital here, so by saying yes you accept this knowledge.[/size][/color]
