You grew up on these legends...
Perhaps it existed in the same world as men. Perhaps, long ago, it had been one of their settlements. Certainly, some creatures have found strange structures of stone, cloaked under centuries of moss and dirt, and there are still stories of two-legged creatures with the wits of a wolf but far outmatching them in population.
Those are just stories though, most likely made up by the pack's elders to entertain the pups. No matter what existed in the past, it was an undeniable fact of nature: The wolves ruled the great plains and forests, and all but a rare few joined under a single pack, numbering at nearly seven hundred individuals.
Most wolves were rather unremarkable. But every litter always seemed to bring another pup or two with something... different. Some had fur or eyes of unnatural hues, others were far larger than their littermates... some even possessed the ability to create flames or read the thoughts of others, just to name a few. The rarest of all were winged and could fly as well as a bird.
It was during the ninth year under the leadership of Atlanta (born with the power to command fire) and Hector (the fastest wolf of the pack) that the reason for these abilities and mutations was found. A nasty storm had forced the hunting party to take shelter in a previously unused cave. A few of the more curious members began to explore the place, finding that the cave led into a large tunnel. After nearly half an hour of following the winding passage, the tunnel opened up into an enormous cavern.
The wolves present froze at the sight that greeted them. Numerous, luminous little crystals jutted out from the roof of the cave, while larger ones were scattered about the floor and walls. The stalagmites and stalactites had grown to resemble flowers or trees, while some held a faint resemblance to animals and birds.
A few of the braver hunters made their way across the smooth floor until they came to an enormous stone near the back of the cavern. It was taller than a wolf standing on their hind legs and wide enough that it took four hunters to encircle it. It was not perfectly round - in fact, aside from its size, it seemed like an entirely unremarkable boulder. Atlanta was the first to learn that it was not.
The second she touched her nose to the stone, she burst into flames which died down seconds later. The once creamy wolf had been left with charred black fur, her amber eyes now bright red, and her paw pads glowing like embers. In the following weeks, Atlanta found her powers to be far stronger than ever before, and she could even leave a trail of fire as she ran. The connection was easy enough to make, yet it wasn't until two dozen other wolves had touched the stone that it was accepted as fact - the stone was a magical thing.
-----------------
In the following decades, the stone was subject to great speculation, but it was rare that anyone did more than talk. Occasionally, a wolf that had proven to be particularly heroic would be led to the stone and either gained powers when they had been born with none, or had their powers drastically increased. This was rare, and rarer still was a wolf sneaking off to the stone without permission. Such actions were punished with death.
No one knew just how vital the stone was to their lives.
One hundred years after the stone's discovery, an enormous earthquake tore the land apart. Many animals perished, including nearly three hundred wolves. The remaining members of the pack simply tried to get on with their lives. At first, nothing much seemed to have changed, save for parts of the landscape. But as time wore on, they noticed things were more difficult than they had been before. Wolves with powers had more and more trouble using their abilities and winged wolves were now flightless. Pups were no longer born with strange markings and colors. The winters were harsher, prey was less abundant.
Eventually, the great pack was forced to split. One half remained in the northern portion of the territory while the other half ventured to the south. Years passed, and the wolves' numbers dwindled away, until barely two hundred total remained.
Few wolves remembered the stone by that time. The few who ever sought to find the cave again only ever found collapsed tunnels, and in one case, a passage that ended in a sheer drop that fell farther than the light of the small crystals on the wall illuminated.
----------------------------------------
Present:
While they never attained the numbers of the old days, the two packs have done well over the past two hundred years. The wolves are leaner, but they get by. To the delight of many, the past few years have seen an increase in prey as well as milder winters. More pups survive their first year, even if some of them seem... deformed. Now and then, a newborn will show with bizarre markings or colors. Rarely, they have strange protrusions on their backs. Oftentimes, mothers end their lives before anyone can see them.
That isn't always the case, though. Some, especially if they are born to leaders, are allowed to live. Most of them grow up to be otherwise normal, but a few - and a few pups that appeared normal at birth - show powers. One might cause flowers to grow when they lie down to sleep while another may be able to know what another wolf is thinking. Rumors abound of those who can make dead bones walk again, or call down lightning from the clear blue sky.
There's also the matter of the rocks. Strange things they are. Most are barely pebbles, some are large enough to be picked up. They appear to be nothing but plain, ordinary rocks you'd find anywhere. Except if you touch them, you might become like those with powers. Develop weird markings. You go might mad, or die on the spot. Or nothing at all happens.
Who knows what it means?
--------------------------------------------
Plot:
Following several years of plenty, the northern and southern packs have started to come together. The North pack has recently crowned a new alpha, while the South pack has just lost their ruling pair- a perfect time for the two to merge. It is expected the Northern leader will soon choose a mate from the Southern tribe, and she will be aided by the Betas of both packs until that time. The two packs seek to become one, as it had been so many years ago. There is the unspoken knowledge that they could split again at any moment, but for now, most wolves simply enjoy being one family again.
This rp begins during the middle of summer, three months after the packs have joined together. The spring's pups have now started to tag along on hunts, prey is plentiful, and life is generally good.
The plot is fairly free from there on out, but there are some key events:
As mentioned in the story, strange rocks have started to appear. As readers might have guessed, they're the remains of the original stone in the cave. The stone had absorbed an enormous quantity of magic over many centuries, and was responsible for keeping the land of the wolves so bountiful, as well as the birth of animals with odd markings or powers (no, it wasn't restricted to wolves, but we're only focusing on them for now).
After two hundred years, pieces of the shattered stone have started to work their way up to the surface. This isn't entirely natural; instead, it seems to be powered by some desire for the pieces to be united again. The wolves will start finding these stones, and there will be great debate on how to use them.
Some will want to keep them and study them, to learn how they work and if they can be controlled. Others will think it best to place all the gathered stones in a single place and let nature take its course. Some might not care at all, or be intent on taking all the stones they can, in order to increase their own power.
The pack will eventually split into two again, this time divided between using the stones or hiding them away. Those in favor of hiding the stones will constantly be on a search for more, guarding their collection with all they have.
Those on the research-oriented side will do much the same, but they will also test the stones: What happens if one is ingested, or simply kept near a wolf at all times, perhaps even seeing the effects of keeping one near a pregnant wolf.
Both sides will likely try to steal from one another to increase their own store. A wolf on one side may think the other side are all insane for taking their course of action, and see them as pure enemies. Others may simply see it as a matter of opinion, and hold little to no ill will for what has happened. It all depends on your character.
This hopefully leaves plenty of room for drama/interesting events, and for players to pitch ideas for what should happen ^^ If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Rules.
1. This is literate. Good grammar and spelling is a requirement, and you must post at least four (high quality) sentences per character you're posting as. For example- 'Char looked at Pharos. Char smiled. Char walked to the prey pile and picked a deer. She ate the deer.' would result in a warning. If you just don't know what to post, then hold off on posting until you have some inspiration, okay? If needed, ask someone to try and get some interaction going with your character. This shouldn't be too difficult to follow, right? ^^
2. All of Tess' rules apply. This means absolutely no godmodding, powerplaying, Sues/Stus, autohitting, etc. You're not perfect, you're not all powerful, and you're not the ultimate fighter. Hunts can and will be dangerous, and even with powers, it will take several wolves to bring down anything bigger than a year old mountain goat. Do not go more than a page without me posting, and I will do all I can to ensure we don't leave other players in the dust (but please, give us some warning if you'll be away for a while). Don't swear, don't get too graphic when it comes to violence, and no details on mating/births. Again, this shouldn't be too difficult. ^^
2.a: This is not a romantic rp, and if you aren't in the top pairs, your characters will be SEVERELY punished if they have pups. This can and will change once the pack divides again, but we'll be a while in getting there. On that note, I do not care if you play your own mate, or if gender ratios are uneven. Just make sure you interact with others.
3. About powers: Should you choose to have a wolf with powers, keep these restrictions in mind. As usual, if you have any questions, please ask.
4. You can apply for any position. Unless your character simply screams 'bad fit', you'll get it. If you apply for an alpha or beta, and there is already one for your chosen pack, please make sure to contact that player to see if they're okay with it. Some might prefer to simply let a relationship develop in the rp.
5. Rules will be added, changed or removed at my discretion, as I often completely forget some.
6. When it comes to odd colors and markings, keep it sensible. No peace signs or anything like that, and PLEASE avoid neon colors/hair/things you'd see on the more poorly designed sparkle/scenedogs (I have nothing against them for personal use/other rps, but they won't show up here). I will allow for things like... spikes or bone ridges, though.
7. Do not mess with the tags on the character form. You can change the size and color all you want (within reason- no eyeblindingness or super giant/super tiny text, please). All character sheets must be approved by me before you can start playing.
9. Please, try to start out in the pack. If you must be a loner, I'll allow it for the moment, but it's just that much easier if everyone begins in the same space. If you join a pack as a loner, you will begin at Omega, and have to work your way up.
10. There is a two character limit per person for the moment. This may increase or decrease as we go. You can only have one high-ranking wolf at one time.
11. These wolves usually live for about 30 years (because magic
), though many die of other causes (illness, injury, accident... occasional straight-up murder) before then. A wolf reaches its prime at around eight to ten, and usually retires from active pack duty at twenty six or so. A healthy wolf will begin training for their main position at a year old, and be considered an adult by about five.
12. Any usage of wolfspeak, either in your posts or in your character sheet, will be met with instant denial to participate. Seriously. This is perhaps my greatest berserk button in roleplaying, so don't push it. This is not 'advanced writing', this is not descriptive writing. It's just annoying and brings up very confusing mental images. These words should only be used in their proper context- there's no problem calling a brutal wolf a brute, but it is not a synonym for 'male'. None of these wolves are 'fae', as they are neither fairies or fuel-air explosives. (Examples of wolfspeak, put into tiny text to conserve space. List is on UrbanDictionary, because I don't want to try remembering it all on my own:
femora -- female; fae -- female; fatale -- female; brujo/brute -- male; oculars -- eyes; optics -- eyes; femme/fem -- female; mascu -- male; tassel -- tail; banner -- tail; occuli/oculi -- eye, eyes; aud -- ear; pillar -- leg; orb -- eye;crania/cranium- head; crown -- head; tiara -- head; nape -- neck; mug -- muzzle; kissers -- lips; nare -- nostril; high-wires -- ear.
Character sheets, open positions and settings will be in the next post.
Perhaps it existed in the same world as men. Perhaps, long ago, it had been one of their settlements. Certainly, some creatures have found strange structures of stone, cloaked under centuries of moss and dirt, and there are still stories of two-legged creatures with the wits of a wolf but far outmatching them in population.
Those are just stories though, most likely made up by the pack's elders to entertain the pups. No matter what existed in the past, it was an undeniable fact of nature: The wolves ruled the great plains and forests, and all but a rare few joined under a single pack, numbering at nearly seven hundred individuals.
Most wolves were rather unremarkable. But every litter always seemed to bring another pup or two with something... different. Some had fur or eyes of unnatural hues, others were far larger than their littermates... some even possessed the ability to create flames or read the thoughts of others, just to name a few. The rarest of all were winged and could fly as well as a bird.
It was during the ninth year under the leadership of Atlanta (born with the power to command fire) and Hector (the fastest wolf of the pack) that the reason for these abilities and mutations was found. A nasty storm had forced the hunting party to take shelter in a previously unused cave. A few of the more curious members began to explore the place, finding that the cave led into a large tunnel. After nearly half an hour of following the winding passage, the tunnel opened up into an enormous cavern.
The wolves present froze at the sight that greeted them. Numerous, luminous little crystals jutted out from the roof of the cave, while larger ones were scattered about the floor and walls. The stalagmites and stalactites had grown to resemble flowers or trees, while some held a faint resemblance to animals and birds.
A few of the braver hunters made their way across the smooth floor until they came to an enormous stone near the back of the cavern. It was taller than a wolf standing on their hind legs and wide enough that it took four hunters to encircle it. It was not perfectly round - in fact, aside from its size, it seemed like an entirely unremarkable boulder. Atlanta was the first to learn that it was not.
The second she touched her nose to the stone, she burst into flames which died down seconds later. The once creamy wolf had been left with charred black fur, her amber eyes now bright red, and her paw pads glowing like embers. In the following weeks, Atlanta found her powers to be far stronger than ever before, and she could even leave a trail of fire as she ran. The connection was easy enough to make, yet it wasn't until two dozen other wolves had touched the stone that it was accepted as fact - the stone was a magical thing.
-----------------
In the following decades, the stone was subject to great speculation, but it was rare that anyone did more than talk. Occasionally, a wolf that had proven to be particularly heroic would be led to the stone and either gained powers when they had been born with none, or had their powers drastically increased. This was rare, and rarer still was a wolf sneaking off to the stone without permission. Such actions were punished with death.
No one knew just how vital the stone was to their lives.
One hundred years after the stone's discovery, an enormous earthquake tore the land apart. Many animals perished, including nearly three hundred wolves. The remaining members of the pack simply tried to get on with their lives. At first, nothing much seemed to have changed, save for parts of the landscape. But as time wore on, they noticed things were more difficult than they had been before. Wolves with powers had more and more trouble using their abilities and winged wolves were now flightless. Pups were no longer born with strange markings and colors. The winters were harsher, prey was less abundant.
Eventually, the great pack was forced to split. One half remained in the northern portion of the territory while the other half ventured to the south. Years passed, and the wolves' numbers dwindled away, until barely two hundred total remained.
Few wolves remembered the stone by that time. The few who ever sought to find the cave again only ever found collapsed tunnels, and in one case, a passage that ended in a sheer drop that fell farther than the light of the small crystals on the wall illuminated.
----------------------------------------
Present:
While they never attained the numbers of the old days, the two packs have done well over the past two hundred years. The wolves are leaner, but they get by. To the delight of many, the past few years have seen an increase in prey as well as milder winters. More pups survive their first year, even if some of them seem... deformed. Now and then, a newborn will show with bizarre markings or colors. Rarely, they have strange protrusions on their backs. Oftentimes, mothers end their lives before anyone can see them.
That isn't always the case, though. Some, especially if they are born to leaders, are allowed to live. Most of them grow up to be otherwise normal, but a few - and a few pups that appeared normal at birth - show powers. One might cause flowers to grow when they lie down to sleep while another may be able to know what another wolf is thinking. Rumors abound of those who can make dead bones walk again, or call down lightning from the clear blue sky.
There's also the matter of the rocks. Strange things they are. Most are barely pebbles, some are large enough to be picked up. They appear to be nothing but plain, ordinary rocks you'd find anywhere. Except if you touch them, you might become like those with powers. Develop weird markings. You go might mad, or die on the spot. Or nothing at all happens.
Who knows what it means?
--------------------------------------------
Plot:
Following several years of plenty, the northern and southern packs have started to come together. The North pack has recently crowned a new alpha, while the South pack has just lost their ruling pair- a perfect time for the two to merge. It is expected the Northern leader will soon choose a mate from the Southern tribe, and she will be aided by the Betas of both packs until that time. The two packs seek to become one, as it had been so many years ago. There is the unspoken knowledge that they could split again at any moment, but for now, most wolves simply enjoy being one family again.
This rp begins during the middle of summer, three months after the packs have joined together. The spring's pups have now started to tag along on hunts, prey is plentiful, and life is generally good.
The plot is fairly free from there on out, but there are some key events:
As mentioned in the story, strange rocks have started to appear. As readers might have guessed, they're the remains of the original stone in the cave. The stone had absorbed an enormous quantity of magic over many centuries, and was responsible for keeping the land of the wolves so bountiful, as well as the birth of animals with odd markings or powers (no, it wasn't restricted to wolves, but we're only focusing on them for now).
After two hundred years, pieces of the shattered stone have started to work their way up to the surface. This isn't entirely natural; instead, it seems to be powered by some desire for the pieces to be united again. The wolves will start finding these stones, and there will be great debate on how to use them.
Some will want to keep them and study them, to learn how they work and if they can be controlled. Others will think it best to place all the gathered stones in a single place and let nature take its course. Some might not care at all, or be intent on taking all the stones they can, in order to increase their own power.
The pack will eventually split into two again, this time divided between using the stones or hiding them away. Those in favor of hiding the stones will constantly be on a search for more, guarding their collection with all they have.
Those on the research-oriented side will do much the same, but they will also test the stones: What happens if one is ingested, or simply kept near a wolf at all times, perhaps even seeing the effects of keeping one near a pregnant wolf.
Both sides will likely try to steal from one another to increase their own store. A wolf on one side may think the other side are all insane for taking their course of action, and see them as pure enemies. Others may simply see it as a matter of opinion, and hold little to no ill will for what has happened. It all depends on your character.
This hopefully leaves plenty of room for drama/interesting events, and for players to pitch ideas for what should happen ^^ If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Rules.
1. This is literate. Good grammar and spelling is a requirement, and you must post at least four (high quality) sentences per character you're posting as. For example- 'Char looked at Pharos. Char smiled. Char walked to the prey pile and picked a deer. She ate the deer.' would result in a warning. If you just don't know what to post, then hold off on posting until you have some inspiration, okay? If needed, ask someone to try and get some interaction going with your character. This shouldn't be too difficult to follow, right? ^^
2. All of Tess' rules apply. This means absolutely no godmodding, powerplaying, Sues/Stus, autohitting, etc. You're not perfect, you're not all powerful, and you're not the ultimate fighter. Hunts can and will be dangerous, and even with powers, it will take several wolves to bring down anything bigger than a year old mountain goat. Do not go more than a page without me posting, and I will do all I can to ensure we don't leave other players in the dust (but please, give us some warning if you'll be away for a while). Don't swear, don't get too graphic when it comes to violence, and no details on mating/births. Again, this shouldn't be too difficult. ^^
2.a: This is not a romantic rp, and if you aren't in the top pairs, your characters will be SEVERELY punished if they have pups. This can and will change once the pack divides again, but we'll be a while in getting there. On that note, I do not care if you play your own mate, or if gender ratios are uneven. Just make sure you interact with others.
3. About powers: Should you choose to have a wolf with powers, keep these restrictions in mind. As usual, if you have any questions, please ask.
- -You may have one power, and up to three abilities related to this power. While it's not required, it is highly encouraged that a wolf with two or more abilities have a drawback- e.g. Firestarters could, say, have extremely hot fur, spit fire, and (for the hell of it) burn things when they bite. However, they'd run the risk of setting anything on fire if they lie down too long, and would likely need much more food to fuel their power.
- -Winged wolves are allowed, but they are RARE. Like... I probably won't accept more than three (aside from my own) right now. Wings/flight count as your overall power, but you are allowed to have something like... very tough wings that could double as a shield or something.
- -If you are playing a psychic/telepathic wolf, GET PERMISSION BEFORE YOU READ SOMEONE'S MIND. This is an easily abused ability, even if it's not intentional. So if you want your character to gain information, check with others. In the case of future sight? PM me, otherwise anything you come up with will not count.
- -No shapeshifting. Just no.
4. You can apply for any position. Unless your character simply screams 'bad fit', you'll get it. If you apply for an alpha or beta, and there is already one for your chosen pack, please make sure to contact that player to see if they're okay with it. Some might prefer to simply let a relationship develop in the rp.
5. Rules will be added, changed or removed at my discretion, as I often completely forget some.
6. When it comes to odd colors and markings, keep it sensible. No peace signs or anything like that, and PLEASE avoid neon colors/hair/things you'd see on the more poorly designed sparkle/scenedogs (I have nothing against them for personal use/other rps, but they won't show up here). I will allow for things like... spikes or bone ridges, though.
7. Do not mess with the tags on the character form. You can change the size and color all you want (within reason- no eyeblindingness or super giant/super tiny text, please). All character sheets must be approved by me before you can start playing.
9. Please, try to start out in the pack. If you must be a loner, I'll allow it for the moment, but it's just that much easier if everyone begins in the same space. If you join a pack as a loner, you will begin at Omega, and have to work your way up.
10. There is a two character limit per person for the moment. This may increase or decrease as we go. You can only have one high-ranking wolf at one time.
11. These wolves usually live for about 30 years (because magic
), though many die of other causes (illness, injury, accident... occasional straight-up murder) before then. A wolf reaches its prime at around eight to ten, and usually retires from active pack duty at twenty six or so. A healthy wolf will begin training for their main position at a year old, and be considered an adult by about five.12. Any usage of wolfspeak, either in your posts or in your character sheet, will be met with instant denial to participate. Seriously. This is perhaps my greatest berserk button in roleplaying, so don't push it. This is not 'advanced writing', this is not descriptive writing. It's just annoying and brings up very confusing mental images. These words should only be used in their proper context- there's no problem calling a brutal wolf a brute, but it is not a synonym for 'male'. None of these wolves are 'fae', as they are neither fairies or fuel-air explosives. (Examples of wolfspeak, put into tiny text to conserve space. List is on UrbanDictionary, because I don't want to try remembering it all on my own:
femora -- female; fae -- female; fatale -- female; brujo/brute -- male; oculars -- eyes; optics -- eyes; femme/fem -- female; mascu -- male; tassel -- tail; banner -- tail; occuli/oculi -- eye, eyes; aud -- ear; pillar -- leg; orb -- eye;crania/cranium- head; crown -- head; tiara -- head; nape -- neck; mug -- muzzle; kissers -- lips; nare -- nostril; high-wires -- ear.
Character sheets, open positions and settings will be in the next post.
