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 Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 2:37 pm
Welcome to Shaoilin's pack creation contest. By entering this contest, you'll have the opportunity to create one of the original packs found in the new world of Tolas. More information on the new world can be found here. A synopsis of the new packs and the schedule of events can be found here. You may enter on your own, or with someone else. The winner(s) will each be colored a wolf in the pack. In addition, a few more wolves will be colored and given out in the last week before the shop's official opening.
Open
Ends: Saturday, the 23rd of August @ 10AM PST (11 MST, 12 CST, 1PM EST, and 6PM GMT)
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 2:40 pm
Your pack has a pre-determined location in quadrant 1
Your pack must speak Agaphene, though they may speak other languages. More information on languages can be found here
The focus of your pack is wolves. You may include other species (such as the Spiritwalkers do), but don't make something like a deer herd.
Rules and Guidelines
Review the new-world group synopses and look at each new-world pack in detail as they're released. Links are provided in post 3.
Read over the rules for making packs. Note that any bans on making a founding new world pack do not apply in this case.
Please do not enter old-world packs that are rebanding in this thread. You may submit your rebanded pack on or after September first when the shop officially opens.
Your pack may (and is encouraged to) have a history with, current relationship with, or opinions on any of these groups and packs.
Due to packs being released one at a time, entrants are encouraged to change entries up until the contest's closing date.
Forms must be complete by this thread's ending date in order to be considered.
Entering
Be sure to read both the requirements and rules before entering.
You may enter alone or with others.
Post all entries in this thread
Edit and adjust your entries up until the ending date of the contest.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in this thread or in the main thread.
Winning
Each OOC owner will receive one wolf for themselves. This may be an alpha if the IC/OOC owner are the same. It may not be a seer or shaman.
You will receive 5 other random wolves to give away based on your specifications in the "Appearance" section of the form. Your official time-slot to give away these wolves is the 25-30th of August. If you are not able to host anything during that time, staff can give the wolves away for you. Everyone must have a chance to try for these wolves; they may not be given to friends.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 2:40 pm
Quicklinks
Reference these when creating your pack.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:53 pm
[size=11][color=black][b]Pack Owners:[/b]
[b]Pack Name:[/b]
[b]Basic Blurb:[/b]
[b]Languages:[/b]
[b]Population:[/b]
[b]Ranks:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Resources:[/b]
[b]Religion:[/b]
[b]Culture:[/b][/size][/color] Pack Owners: List all names of people that will own the pack OOCly should you win.
Pack Name: The name of your pack!
Permitted Species: What creatures does your pack/group allow? If they only allow wolves no matter what, please let us know.
Basic Blurb: This is an accurate blurb about your pack. Put what they actually are, not what others assume they are. This will go in the pack directory to provide those searching for new homes for their wolves OOC information.
Languages: Please list all the languages your pack speaks (or plans to learn) and specify which is their mother tongue. Not every member must speak every language, but at least 30% of the pack should speak it (or plan to learn it) to qualify. Nearly every pack speaks Common/Telkish. As your pack develops IC, you can change this later!
Population: We allow NPCs within reasonable limits. Please tell us EXACTLY how large your pack is. Note, you will be receiving at least 6 total wolves (5 giveways + wolf for each owner)
Ranks: List each rank of your pack and give a general idea of which lines they would be on. (ex: Captain - Leader of the pack. Alpha lines.) This will be used to design your giveaway wolves.
History: Include how old your pack is (or a general idea of it), how it formed, and other important details of times gone by.
Appearance: State whether your pack is represented mostly by specific colors (either due to culture or selective breeding) or if they come in a variety of colors and markings. This will be used to design your giveaway wolves.
Resources: What is your pack's primary water source? What and where do they most often hunt? Is anything considered a delicacy or a treat?
Religion: Does your pack worship the sun? A squirrel named Bob? Are they atheist? Anything you deem related, put here!
Culture: Does your pack have certain stigmas or discrimination (racism against certain coat colors, etc.)? Put those here. This will be used for random giveaways to pack owners and things of that nature
Relationships to Other Packs: Does your pack have allies or enemies? If so, which packs and why? Do they not know a pack, but have a stigma towards them from things they've heard? Tell us more in this section.
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:58 am
Pack Owners: JetAlmeara & She-ra of Etheria
Pack Name: The Storm Watch
Basic Blurb:
The Storm Watch are a group of wolves who both worship and study the ocean, they believe they occupy a vital role in the survival of other Tolas wolves and wildlife by warning them of incoming Oceanic dangers. They are both highly religious and highly studious, relying on both the in depth study of the Ocean, shoreline and weather patterns to predict oncoming hurricanes, storms and other Ocean disasters as well as a highly developed religious culture designed to 'appease' the Ocean which they view as a predatory element who will eventually, despite the Storm Watch's best efforts, wipe out all life as they know it.
Languages:
Common Tongue (Telkish): The language spoken in Telk (the old world) is the common tongue in this world. Most wolves are bilingual, and speak common and their regional language. Telk's most dominated inspiration comes from the English language and names and phrases will reflect this.
Agaphene language inspired by Greek, Roman, Italian
Examples of Male Names: Damaris, Marcellus, Valerius
Examples of Female Names: Alexandra, Gabriella, Torri
All Wolves in the pack speak fluent Agaphene, they consider this the language of the Ocean but unlike most take great pride in sharing it with outsiders. The more who speak the Oceans language the more the Ocean is honored as far as they are concerned,
Population: The Storm Watch are a fairly large pack, their numbers tend to range between 40 and 50 wolves at any given time (This can be adjusted, I got this number by looking at the Timekeeper and Sunlord pack pages but I'm not sure if this is an appropriate 'largish' pack size or not.
Ranks:
The Watch (Non-Religious Path)
*Note - All members who follow this pathway are required to take a turn hunting to provide for the pack, there is no 'Hunter' type rank, rather it is a duty shared by all rank's of The Watch.
The Overseer
(Alpha Lines)
The Overseer is the wolf responsible for controlling and guiding 'The Watch' or the non-religious aspect of the packs responsibilities. The Overseer can be a male or a female wolf and is normally the offspring of the previous Overseer - though if none of their offspring prove worthy an Overseer may choose a non-blood Heir from within the pack. The Overseer must be a highly organized wolf with vast knowledge of the Ocean, Oceanic Wildlife & weather patterns, they are responsible for setting the Storm Watch, approving 'studies', ensuring the packs boarder is secure and sending signal wolves when a storm is approaching.
Sentinels
(Beta or Gamma Lines - Male or Female)
Sentinels are responsible for the Storm Watch, organized into shifts by the Overseer, Sentinels spend long hours on the Sea Arch keeping watch on the horizon for signs of an approaching storm. Sentinels also use this natural observation point to keep watch for beached animals along the shoreline and potentially hazardous animals which may threaten the wolves involved in various ocean studies or wolves which may be hunting along the coast or in the shallow waters.Sentinels are expected to know where the pack hunters are located, where the study groups are located as well as all Storm Signs and Ocean Animal Identification - they should be able to identify whales, Sharks, Dolphins etc from one another easily.
Signal Wolf
(Any Lines but alpha - Male or Female)
Signal wolves work with the Sentinels and Overseer to alert the Tolas Wolves of any approaching danger, Signal wolves are chosen more for their loud voices then their pleasant ones, as the Storm Watch believe it is more important for the signals to travel farther then it is for them to sound pretty. Signal Wolves learn a universal howl code which they use to communicate with one another as well as all packs close enough to hear them, The Storm Watch pack has located and makes use of outlaying environmental features that help their signal wolves amplify the warnings. While a signal wolf is always on duty on the arch along with a Sentinel,other Signal Wolves are sent out in working pairs to the amplifying stations so that they might relay signals they receive from the home pack. In this manner the wolves have created something similar to a signal fire or drum code system of long distance communication. If the scouts report finding a new Pack during their travels then the Storm Watch generally send a pair of Signal Wolves out as ambassadors of sorts to educate the new pack about the Howl code.
Scouts (Rangers & Homeguard)
(Any lines but Alpha - Male or Female)
Scouts are responsible for ensuring that the pack lands themselves are secure and operate in two groups - members of the Home Guard stay close to home and train in defensive and offensive fighting tactics, they patrol the pack lands, keep tabs on prey animals in the area and are usually the first to encounter any wanderers who might enter the Storm Watch territory.Home Guard Wolves are generally chosen for their strength.
Members of the Rangers travel farther, they are in charge of locating new or better amplifying stations and locating or keeping tabs on other Wolf Packs. Rangers are trained in stealth, diplomacy and generally chosen for their stamina or swiftness. Rangers are typically the first Storm Watch wolves encountered by outside packs and as such Rangers must be well versed in dealing with a variety of diplomatic situations, being a Ranger can be dangerous as hostile groups can be encountered. A hostile wolf group will not receive an Ambassadors from the Signal Wolves and as such will not be taught the Howl Code.
Scholars
(Any lines but alpha - Male or Female)
Scholars are generally some of the packs most intelligent wolves, wolves who have a natural thirst for knowledge are generally pushed towards this life path as pups. Scholars are responsible for studying the Ocean, it's inhabitants, it's plant life, the tides, Ocean weather patterns..pretty much anything to do with the ocean is in the realm of a Scholar to study. When a wolf comes up with a suitable thought to pursue such as...does the purple seaweed that washes up on the shore have medicinal properties...they approach the Overseer with their thought, if the Overseer agrees that the study has merit they will be delegated a group of helpers and given the blessing to proceed. Scholars are given pretty free reign when it comes to the actual experiments they decide to use in order to prove or disprove their theory and are expected to have some results to report within a few moon Cycles (months). If no progress is being made on your study then the Overseer may decide to disband the group and assign them to new studies. Older Scholars are expected to spend a great deal of time teaching younger scholars so that information is not lost and also double as the packs healers.
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The Chantry (Religious Path)
Note * - The Chantry do not hunt, they are forbidden to take a life other then those of sacrifices.
The Shepard
(Alpha Lines - Male or Female)
The Shepard is a highly religious individual, they are considered the most in tune with the Ocean and it's needs. When it comes to religious ceremonies the Shepard's word is law and not even the Overseer can veto a ceremony. Shepard's carry a heavy burden but also great power, it is the Shepard who chooses what or who, if the ocean demands a wolf, shall be sacrificed and when a sacrifice is required. The Shepard is considered the Packs ultimate form of guidance and is generally the one asked to settle disputes or dispense advice. The more religious minded Scouts/Scholars/Sentinels and Signal wolves might also ask for a blessing of protection before setting out to study/hunt or take on their various duties.
Shepard's are chosen from among the Oracles by the previous Shepard, it is not typically a family inherited position, but can be if one of the Shepard's offspring shows itself to be a promising prospect (or if the Shepard is somewhat corrupt and just chooses their kid because they can).
Oracles
(Beta or Gamma Lines - Male or Female)
While the Shepard is the Chantry's official leader...its the Oracles who really make sure everything gets done, the Oracles gather ceremonial supplies, ensure that the Pack assembles at the right times, and compile an appropriate religious message for the Shepard to deliver during the Packs weekly Sea Gathering based on the Packs current Status. Some in the Pack are nervous about the Oracles, as they can be seen as spies for the Shepard, gathering information and generally keeping an eye on the Pack to make sure everyone is toeing the line and not doing anything that might anger the ocean. They have been known to object to studies they deem 'unseemly' and so the Scholars have become somewhat adept at avoiding them if they are occupied in a questionable study.
The Keepers
(Any lines - Male or Female)
Keepers are tasked with the duty of taking care of the Sacrifices. It can be a mentally taxing job as those they look after may eventually be called to the Sea Arch and though they are advised not to become attached to those they care for - it inevitably happens. Keepers who mourn for a sacrifice are cared for by other Keepers but kept out of sight from the rest of the pack until they have collected themselves - being sacrificed is supposed to be an honor and thus the Keepers are supposed to be 'happy' for the sacrificed. (Most of the pack tends to pretend they didn't see anything if they stumble across a mourner however)
Because those they look after are on borrowed time so to speak, Keeper's tend to be compassionate individuals who do everything in their power to make sure the Sacrifices lives are as good and fulfilling as they can be.
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Those Outside
Sacrifices
(Any lines save alpha, Any land based animal - cause birds can just...fly away)
Although the most commonly sacrificed animals are deer (they are just easier to herd and control) Sacrifices can be any animal which the Keepers can control or herd. The sacrifice of wildlife takes place during certain times of the year, typically one per season, however if The Shepard deduces that the Ocean is angry a sacrifice can be called at any time.
When a sacrifice is called The Shepard visits the herd and chooses the sacrifice they deem suitable for the occasion, the most highly prized sacrifices have red coloration on them, wolves that are predominately red are the most prized sacrifices of all. Because of their value however they are also the safest and are rarely chosen unless a situation is considered very dire. Whatever animal is chosen as the sacrifice is given a 'last meal' this meal is large and lavish and generally dosed with a calming herb to keep them from trying to escape during the ceremony. After the meal they are blessed by the Shepard,led before the pack where they are thanked for their sacrifice and taken to the Sea Arch where they are driven or cast off the edge and into the water below, as it is a large drop most animals are killed upon impact, those that manage to survive are inevitably dashed against the rocks by the swirling current.
Sacrifices are split into two categories, the Honored & The Dishonored. Honored Sacrifices are wild caught animals & Prey Beasts and predominately red wolves. Regular members of the pack are encouraged to breed with the reddest of the Wolf Sacrifices in order to keep a ready stock available in case something terrible happens and such a sacrifice is needed. Although no one knows for sure how these red wolves came to be part of the pack it is completely accepted that they are the descendants of the older pack who angered the Ocean and caused the great tragedy.
Dishonored sacrifices are wolves from the pack whom have committed a terrible crime.Dishonored sacrifices are often sacrificed as soon as possible as committing a crime is seen as angering the Ocean and their sacrifice is the Packs way of apologizing to the ocean for their dishonorable conduct. They are not blessed or thanked for their sacrifice.
History:
According to the Packs verbal history there were once two packs sharing the coast line.
Creation story
The packs lived together fairly amicably but differed rather drastically in their world views, the first pack were lazy and slothful, brightly colored wolves of red's and oranges they spent most of their time lazing around on the beach and swimming in the shallows.When they did hunt these wolves did not bother to take care with their hunting habits driving the herds and shore wildlife away, threw their waste and bones into the Ocean or left them to litter the shore. The second pack were dominated mainly by blues, tans and sea-green coloration, they were a hard working pack who took care with their lands and waste, they respected the land they lived on but the terrible ways of the other pack were hurting them. Hunting was bad, the shoreline was rife with waste bringing scavengers and disease.
The hard working pack spent a great deal of time trying to clean up the shore and manage the herds so that there would be plenty of food for the coming cold season - but it was all to no avail and the pack was considering moving inland away from the lazy careless pack, it was a terrible thought to leave the ocean but the pack would have to do what it must in order to survive.
The night before the pack was supposed to make the move a terrible storm blew in from the ocean. It was the worst storm any in the pack had witnessed, the wind blew so hard that trees were snapped in half, waves crashed against the cliffs and flooded the low lands with a vengeance. The wolves cowered in the darkness and waited for the storm to pass fearing that they would be swept away at any moment.
When finally, after several days, the storm broke and sunlight once more filled the sky the hardworking pack shook their fur and took stock of the situation. The land was broken..but clean, the filth of the lazy pack had been swept away by the storms fury and surprisingly all of the hard working pack had survived. Of the lazy pack only a few stragglers were found, the rest had been swept away.
The hard working pack consulted one another and concluded that the Ocean itself had been terribly angered by the actions of the lazy pack, it had come in the night and brought it's own version of justice. The hard working pack considered going through with their plans of leaving but now, with the filthy pack decimated and the sea returned to its normal placid self well, they were loath to leave their homes - besides the Ocean had spared them and that had to mean it wanted them there.
So the pack stayed, but changes were made, it was obvious that the Ocean required some extra care and the pack would see to it that it was so, the survivors of the lazy pack were cared for but they had sinned against the Ocean and were tainted for life, a crime that they and their descendants were condemned to spend eternity trying to atone for. Thus the Storm Watch was created, devoting themselves to studying and appeasing the Ocean in order to keep it from swallowing Tola's whole in it's terrible anger.
Appearance:
Inspiration
The majority of Storm Watch wolves seem to range in the Blue/Sea Green/Teal/Tan's & Browns (Think beach themed colors), some are simply marked, others more complex. The most favored markings are those that elicit a sense of the Ocean...shell patterns, surf & wave patterns, Marine wildlife patterns, even seaweed and coral like markings are considered quite attractive.
Red markings are seen as a flaw though small markings or touches of the color are accepted the wolves sporting such things are unlikely to be considered 'pretty' or attractive, the more red one has the less likely it will be that they will gain any sort of high position in the pack and may even have trouble finding mates. Wolves who are more then 40% red are automatically considered Sacrifices.
Resources:
Water - Although the pack lives alongside the Ocean it is a water source that can't be used for drinking water, as such the pack utilizes the closest bend of the Ofis River as it's main source of water although during the winter rainwater pools are closer and easier to make use of.
Food - Being ocean worshipers the Storm Watch Pack tends to make good use of the Ocean's 'gifts' and prefer fish as their main source of food, when fishing is bad however the pack makes do with land based meals ( Beaver (most common in winter), deer (very common), duck, elk (common), geese, moose (rare), opossum, rabbits or hare, squirrels
Special Foods - Beached Aquatic animals, Although this is very rare it has been rumored to happen in the past and the pack believes such animals to be the Ocean's ultimate gift to them and a sign that it it happy with the way the pack has been behaving. When a member of the pack locates such a creature either deceased or still alive the pack gathers for a feast and festival in thanks to the Ocean.
Religion:
The Storm Watch adhere to a somewhat apocalyptic religion, although they do not pray to any particular god they worship the Ocean as a predatory element which must be appeased, their efforts to do so however are seen as little more then a delaying tactic as it is believed that despite their best efforts the Ocean's hunger will eventually grow too large for them to sate and the waters will rise up and swallow them all.
Although this end of days storm can not be avoided the pack does seek to help their fellow wolves survive the Oceans smaller bouts of hunger through ritual blood sacrifice and appeasement ceremonies.When these tactics fail they use signal wolves to tell those in the Storms path to seek shelter. They believe that through both respect and understanding the Ocean's final judgement on them can be delayed and so spend a great deal of time both learning about and worshiping the Ocean.
As stated in their Creation Story the Storm Watch believe red wolves to be the descendants of the lazy, wasteful pack which originally brought the Ocean's wrath upon the land, because of this predominately red wolves are used as sacrifices to the Ocean at times when the Ocean seems particularly angry and insatiable. Due to the relatively low number of Red wolves kept in the pack however wolf sacrifices are rare and wildlife is more commonly used. In order to keep some Red wolves on hand pack members are encouraged to breed with the reddest of the Sacrifices - resulting pups are then sorted according to coloration, Predominately red are kept as sacrifices, those without red or with only small amounts of red are allowed to be raised as part of the pack proper.
Mating within the pack is somewhat loose, although it is not unheard of for pack members to create lifelong relationships it is not required. Mating to improve your status is quite common, religious minded wolves often trying to woo the Oracles or the Shepard in order to gain more perceived prospects for their pups & Non-religious minded wolves pursuing the Overseer and Sentinels for similar reasons.
When a pack member dies it is customary to return their body to the Ocean, the bodies are blessed and purified by herbs by members of the Chantry before being cast into the Ocean from the Sea Arch. The pack believes in an afterlife and that should one live a good, Ocean fearing life they will be rewarded by living on a paradise island surrounded by calm and welcoming seas in the afterlife.
Laws
It is unlawful for a member of the Chantry to be involved in any killing that is not related to a religious ceremony or a sacrifice, thus they are banned from hunting. Members of the Chantry are considered 'pure' and as such cannot sully themselves except in the service of appeasing the Ocean by getting blood on their fur. If A Chantry member is sullied then they are sent to become a part of the Watch.
It is unlawful to maliciously injure another Storm Watch wolf, should such an incident occur the perpetrator shall be sent to the Mountain Guard for a time equal to that of their crime - which is typically based on the amount of time the injured wolf will take to recover and the pain and suffering the injury caused. The Overseer determines length of time - should the injury be grievous enough and recovery of the afflicted wolf is not likely then the perpetrator may be labeled as a Dishonored Sacrifice.
It is unlawful to hide or release a Sacrifice, should a Storm Watch wolf be caught doing such a thing the perpetrator will take the Sacrifice's place as stealing from the Ocean is a great offense.
It is unlawful not to relay a warning signal, Signal wolves who neglect their duty shall be send to the Mountain Guard for a length of time determined by the Overseer. The Overseer will take the circumstance into account and the length of time one is sent away will vary according to how serious the signal they neglected to send was. However since this is not an affront to the Ocean itself they will not be sacrificed.
It is unlawful to throw waste products into the ocean, Feeding the ocean the scraps of wolves brings upon it's anger and is disrespectful. Should a wolf be caught doing such a thing then the wolf must atone for throwing scraps by sacrificing something precious to them, a member of it's progeny. If the wolf has no children then the first born of its first litter will be given to the Ocean when it is born.
It is unlawful to mistreat an Honored Sacrifice, doing so sullies the Sacrifice making it unfit for the Ocean and forcing the Pack to release the Sacrifice, escorting it from their territory. Wolves who mistreat Sacrifices have effectively stolen from both the Ocean and the pack and are labeled Dishonored Sacrifices themselves. Mistreating a Dishonored Sacrifice has no consequence.
Culture:
In General
Wolves that are predominately red in color are Sacrifices. Wolves with small red markings, splashes of color are accepted into the pack proper but are generally considered ugly and may have trouble finding mates or gaining rank.
Colors, markings and patterns related to the Ocean and the beach are the most favored and sought after. Wolves bearing these markings and colors generally have little trouble rising in rank and have many suitors. Other colors are welcomed into the pack but are not considered exceedingly beautiful or sought after. They are generally looked at as plain or ordinary but otherwise suffer no consequences.
Names within the Storm watch are normally related to Weather, the ocean, water or Marine life although this is not a hard and fast rule it's pretty commonplace and not following this tradition might have some other wolves in the pack looking at you like your a bit on the weird side (Think the way we sometimes view the strange names celebrities use). A name like Current is much more acceptable then Apple.
Crippled wolves (Except those injured by the Ocean) and the Elderly are looked after by the rest of the pack, they are often assigned whatever task they are capable of doing easily in order to avoid making them feel like a burden on the pack. Wolves who produce crippled pups are expected to look after them but are socially encouraged not to breed with each other again as the Ocean was obviously not pleased with the match and punished them with crippled pups. Wolves who are crippled by the ocean however are somewhat ostracized and left to fend for themselves - if one is injured by the ocean but heals it is seen as a sign that you have angered the ocean but since you healed you were forgiven..being permanently crippled by the ocean (loosing a leg to a shark as an extreme example) is a rejection and thus the pack rejects you. Most of these wolves die on the outskirts of Pack territory or throw themselves off the Sea Arch.
Inter-Pack Relations
Like many cultures The Storm Watch pack members run the spectrum of individual personalities and beliefs, although all pack members love and feel close to the Ocean - some are more religious and some are more scientific in nature. Once in a while these two belief systems can have differing opinions, members of the Chantry and the Watch do not always agree on the best course of action and sometimes they think the opinions on the other side are bit on the stupid side ...but hey that's just wolf nature right?
The Shepard and the Overseer are well aware of the tensions these disagreements can cause and because they feel that a unified pack is the strongest they go to great lengths to ensure that both sides feel that their opinions are heard and listened too, twice a week the Shepard and The Overseer make themselves available to listen to the rest of the packs concerns and if needed will appoint a group consisting of both Chantry and Watch members whose immediate job is to come up with a suitable compromise for both sides.
When the tensions are especially high the Overseer and the Shepard will organize a friendly get together with games of competition where mixed teams are created from both sides. The games are laid back and sometimes more of a funny and amusing nature then one would think to find in such a typically studious and serious pack...but laughing and playing together releases tension and brings the pack closer.
Relationships to Other Packs:
Sunlords - Due to their rumored coloring the Storm Watch believe these wolves to be related to the lazy wolves who offended the ocean in the first place. It is well that they live far away from the Ocean's view otherwise they would surely bring about the end of days Storm. Because of this the Storm Watch make no great attempt to extend their Howl code that far in order to warn these wolves and generally don't think very highly of them even though they haven't had any contact with them as far as anyone can remember (Which is probably a good thing as the mountains would make this difficult anyways).
TimeKeepers - The Storm Watch have a great respect for the Timekeepers because of their studious ways when it comes to time, The Storm Watch consider the Timekeepers the chosen of the land the way they are the chosen of the Ocean. The Storm Watchers are not against handing out information about Ocean conditions or trading sea goods for seasonal information about the land when they get the chance, They have extended their amplifying stations far enough that it's likely the Timekeepers are alerted when an Ocean Storm is brewing.
Mountain Guard - Like the Timekeepers the Mountain Guard is also likely in range of the Storm Watch's warning system and the Pack has been known to make use of the Guard's services for transgressions which do not directly offend the Ocean (typically these are Temporary Sentences as those who do something bad enough to warrant a life sentence would just be sacrificed). The Storm Watch happily send Signal Wolves and Scouts to fulfill the Bears payment for use of their services. While the work is hard the Pack see this as a good way to further Pack relations.
Overseers - The overseers are seen as displaced scholars who did not appease the sky the way they should have - leading to the fateful lightning strike which killed their tree. Their hostile manner towards outsiders however have kept the Storm Watch ambassadors from making contact and the pack doesn't really know much about them though it is likely that they can hear the Signal wolves quite well across the bay.
The Spiritwalkers - Because of the distance between the packs and the mountains The Storm Watch have little knowledge of the Spiritwalkers practices and beliefs, like the Sunlords what they do know is based upon rumors and passed on information gleaned from wanderers. The Storm Watch consider the Spiritwalkers to be deeply misguided as only elements of nature and not wildlife should be worshiped.
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Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 8:43 pm
Pack Owners: Dovaxy & Kaliforneum
Members that helped with creation: Bombazine & Midori no Ookami
Pack Name: Shadows of the Shore, a more recent pack name. Before the plague they had a different name but nobody quite remembers what it was.
Basic Blurb: The Shadows of the Shore are an extremely superstitious pack, having a great fear of the salty waters beyond. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer is one of their mottos, fear and anxiety keep them near the ocean for they believe she is a wrathful goddess. Much of the pack's actions revolve around "appeasing" the ocean, whatever it wishes for they do their best to fulfill the needs.
A long time ago there was a plague that wiped out the pack's entire population of 'colorful' wolves. The pack now believes these wolves are tainted and bring upon the Ocean's wrath. No longer are unnaturally colored wolves allowed within the packs borders, this includes members and outsiders wandering through.
Languages:
Agaphene & Telkish
The pack feels little need to learn anything else, Agaphene is their common language which all of the pack should speak. Telkish is just a necessity, since coming across foreigners or rarely, inviting a new pack member often calls for a common language.
Population: 25-30 wolves, mediocre but manageable.
Ranks:
Monarch
(Alpha lines, in charge of keeping order as well as up keeping pack rules and ensuring its survival.)
The head of the pack, in charge of all pack members, including the outsiders. The Monarch demands respect and obedience, the rest of the pack obeying out of fear or appreciation. Monarchs have a dictatorship-like relationship with their pack, their word is law, but with this allegiance comes a lot of responsibility.
Wave Singers
(Seer or Shaman lines, hearing, healing or tending to the ocean.)
One of the most important pack members, they listen to the ocean and obey its requests. The pack can't be at rest while there are no wave singers, fear of the ocean's wrath is too strong.
Overseers
(Beta lines, intelligent and able to keep order through either force or cunning.)
In charge of keeping the pack in line, especially when the alpha is unable. This includes creating hunting parties, breaking up fights and keeping the lesser member's minds on their tasks.
Purgers
(Beta lines, generally big and brutish with big egos and no concern for any but themselves.)
In charge of checking dens during the breeding season for unwelcomed pack additions, it is also their job to patrol (and control) the borders but whether or not they take this job seriously is debatable.
Elders
(Gamma lines, the old codgers, be it crazy or just crochety.)
These guys (and gals) generally tell stories or relive the pack's history for the guppies. Usually these pack members are too old to hunt or assist the pack in any other way so they spend their retirement annoying talking at anyone that will listen to them.
Providers
(Gamma lines, your run of the mill pack member, personalities are boundless.)
As their name suggests, the main idea is to provide for the pack, whether this be hunting or defending from invasions.
Drudges
(Omega lines, usually the pack members with more flamboyant markings. Personalities range from subservant to defiant.)
Stuck doing the grunt work, watching the pups, digging a moat and eating the scraps left over by the other pack members is a day in the life of a drudge.
Outsiders
(Gamma or Omega lines, these are new pack members which are untrusted for quite awhile.)
They're not trusted to do anything, be it hunting or menial labour. Lower than the drudges and last to eat, these members are shown a lot of tough love before they move up in the world.
Guppies
(Pup or adolescent lines, young and innocent, these guys are the pack's developing members.)
Learning is the name of the game, languages, hunting and pack history to name a few. Prejudice is quickly beaten into them, as well as fear of the ocean.
History: Long ago, in the early days of the pack, all wolves of any colour could thrive underneath the warm sun on the territory’s sandy beaches and frolick in the waves.
One day, a wolf came into camp looking sickly. (I’m basing this off canine distemper) Watering eyes, runny nose, a small cough. It was though to be nothing more than a cold. But the disease began to spread and worsen. Soon, the sick wolves became lethargic, lost their appetite, and couldn’t keep any food down. The worst began having seizures, fits of madness, and hallucinations. Blood began leaking from their ears and just as quickly as it had appeared, the plague was gone, leaving in its wake a mountain of dead. Curiously, the disease had only affected those with bright and vibrant colours. Those of more natural colouration had been able to recover, or were completely unaffected altogether.
Weakened, but not broken, the pack pulled together to recover. Severely depleted in numbers, they soon realized that the virus that had wiped out most of the members had not disappeared completely. Young pups, brightly coloured thanks to genes of their ancestors, would quickly exhibit signs of the disease just weeks after birth and perish. Brightly coloured loners that wandered too close to the pack’s borders would be found dead of the same illness. The alpha had to make a decision. Any brightly coloured pups would be culled at birth, and any brightly coloured loners would be attacked and killed on sight in order to try and prevent the spreading of the disease.
Fast forward many generations later, and now there is a stigma against bright wolves. They are death bringers, disease carriers, and omens of dark times to come. A small area of brightly colored flowers bloom upon the natural sea arch, a place no flowers should be allowed to grow. The pack takes this as an omen, a reminder of what happened so many years ago.
For justification of the disease (Wolf Belief):
The ocean grew angry at the beauty of the bright, beautiful wolves and killed them off out of jealousy, and will continue to do so. The ocean being a very jealous and petty goddess, believing none can be worshiped but for her.
Appearance:
All pack members exhibit natural colored coats, from ruddy browns, tans, to white and monochrome. The more animal-like the markings the higher the rank in the pack, for example, a brown tribal-colored wolf would most likely be a drudge. This belief doesn't only extend to pack members, any wolves that are unnaturally colored are chased out of the territory or killed on sight.
Resources:
Water The dry season leaves many challenges for the pack, the most important being water. At this time the drudges are expected to dig ponds to collect the valuable and sometimes rare rainwater. Larger, deeper pools are given to higher ranked individuals whereas the drudges and outsiders are usually left with slim pickings (despite them doing all the work). On rare occasions when water is too scarce the pack takes turns visiting Ofis river. As this takes them away from the ocean it is always a last resort and causes quite a ruckus within the ranks.
Food From most common to least common, Fish, Deer, Beaver, Elk, Duck, Geese, Hare, Opossum, Moose, and Squirrel (being the least utilized as their difficulty in catching outweighs the amount of food they can provide.)
Religion: Less religion and more superstition, the Shadows of the Shore believe strongly that the ocean harbours a goddess that is vengeful and jealous. They spend their days trying to appease her and believe strongly that any misfortune related to the ocean (tidal waves, low food supply, members falling in) are all caused by her. A plague broke out within the pack once and they still believe to this day that the ocean was the cause.
Unnaturally colored pups are dumped in the ocean to appease the ocean as well as to save the pack from possible ruin. Dens are searched as soon as mothers have had time to recover (usually within a day or two), unnaturally colored pups rarely survive beyond three days.
The Shadows of the Shore also believe that spirits of dead wolves are sent to the depths ocean to spend the rest of their days. Yet another reason for the pack to do everything in their power to keep the ocean content, as they wouldn't want their pack members suffering in the afterlife. Wolves often sit on the edge of the arch and speak to their lost loved ones, or ancestors, seeking advice. What answers they're given back from the ocean could be all brought on by their minds or perhaps there's some truth to their theory.
Culture: Only naturally colored wolves are allowed in the pack, this means that if a rare unnatural throwback pops up the pups are sacrificed to the ocean, dropped off of the cliffs into the depths beneath. Though this may seem barbaric the pack truly believes it is protecting itself from the wrath of the ocean and they do it out of cowardice. (Should pups born from a real breeding exhibit unnatural colors we do not expect owners to kill them off. We're open to plotting their escape!)
Colors aren't the only things that are important, markings usually designate ranks. A tiger striped wolf may be allowed a beta rank whereas a paisley marked wolf would be forced into a drudge rank. It is the pack's belief that these wolves are more likely to be descendants of colorful wolves and may possibly hide the plague within their genetics. Thus far the pack has no proof of this, so at this point in time unnaturally marked wolves are still allowed a place.
Breeding is expected to stay within the pack. Wolves that aren't a part of the pack are considered possible disease carriers so many pack members are wary of them regardless. Members that disobey this rule are quickly removed, as they are a liability and a risk the Monarch isn't willing to take. All pack members are allowed breeding rights save for Outsiders, they must first work their way up to another rank and create trust within their brothers and sisters. Drudge pups rarely survive as they are too busy to take time out to care for their own young causing the pups to end up neglected. Most female drudges are expected to care for the higher rank pups, aside from Monarch young which are given directly to Overseers for 'higher quality care'.
Relationships to Other Packs:
The Sunlords Rumored to have many brightly colored females, though the pack has never really seen it for themselves, they make a point of avoiding such a catastrophe. The next plague is coming and it's surely headed for this pack.
The Timekeepers Rumored to covet the Sunlords' females, once again just sounds like bad news. Another pack to avoid contact with.
The Mountain Guard They're a group of bears that have prisoners. Not interested, the pack believes in dealing with its own affairs rather than sending their sinners off to a mountain.
The Overseers Very little is known about them. The pack respects them for keeping to themselves but has no other real opinion.
The Shadows of the Shore are pretty secluded in general, it would be strange for them to make an alliance with another pack. They mostly want to be isolated and left alone, they're not the friendliest bunch.
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