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Dr. Paine

Shattered Magic

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First, a very big thank-you to Hazeh smile.gif This was greatly inspired by her own rp, Howl to Me, which has sadly come to a bit of a standstill. She's allowed me to borrow some ideas and fit them into this odd little plot, which has now become a full-fledged sequel. She has also provided an ending to HtM. Please note: The setting of Shattered Magic is on the other side of the mountains in HtM, and were NOT affected by the changes Haze listed below. Aside from some magical fallout/wolves being reborn or teleported there. SM takes place two years after the end of HtM.

 

THE ENDING:

 

As the battle waged between the packs, tearing apart forest, grassland, and river banks, wolves savagely ripped into each other, spilling blood across the broken land. Araelia had never seen such warfare, not even in the first battle that had separated the packs from the very beginning. The pain and darkness swelled like its own beast, consuming hearts and minds and pitting brothers against sisters and fathers against mothers. The Life Crystal began to absorb the negative energy from the hatred that passed between its dying protectors, quickly turning its magical surface into cold, dead rock. As the magic died, the lands, even on the blessed side, began to slowly lose its color and life.

The moon hung above the bloody battle grounds for what seemed like ages. No matter how long the wolves fought, even for the equivalent of days, the moon did not stray from its position above them. Day never came, and night enveloped the dying Araelia just like the darkness in the wolves' hearts. It was only when the last few of the wolves [personal characters] faced off against each other did they realize something had happened.

 

From the pale, full face of the moon, Mother Nature watched her children. She witnessed the darkness and the bloodshed and the darkening of her precious Crystal. When the last of her children prepared for their last battle, she finally intervened.

Enough!

The word struck Araela like thunder, booming and commanding as it echoed across the skies. Every wolf froze in place against their will, some suspended in air from a jump or falling backwards from an attack. No one moved. The other animals in Araelia were either completely still or dead; there seemed to be no one left but the wolves ready to tear each other to pieces. Slowly, as they watched, the moonlight writhed and shimmered. From the Moon, a ghostly white figure descended down the path of light, increasing in size until it stood hundreds of feet above them, even with its massive paws on the stained soil. Its features were outlined in silver and stars sparkled across its transparent pelt, with two eyes as gold and bright as the sun itself.

My children, it spoke. You have dishonored this sanctuary in which I entrusted you. You dishonored me, your Great Mother, and you have dishonored yourself. I gave you freedom and life, and I was so gracious as to give to you the gift of free will. And see how you have all abused it. Stories and greed have pitted you against your own kin. You have slaughtered, maimed, and murmured your brothers and sisters. How am I to trust any of you with the precious life in which I bestowed upon you? See how you have mistreated it, mistreated me, and give me a good reason to not take it from you all.

 

Silence remained for a long time. When the Star Wolf opened its maw to speak again, it was interrupted by a voice sounding so insignificant and small against her own.

"You gave us our free will," cried Zeus. "But you gave us our hearts as well. While we may have shed our blood for the wrong reasons in your eyes, it was our hearts that dictated our actions and our souls. We are none to blame for who our hearts make us."

The Star Wolf's eyes flashed, but it was unclear as to if she were angry, impressed, or amused.

You do well to answer me, child, she answered after a moment. But I fear your reason was not good enough. You blame me for your wrong doings?

"Only you are the one to say it is wrong, Great Mother," he called back to her. "We act as we know and as we believe. It was not in the wrong for me to protect my family and the same Crystal in which you told us to protect. If so, I fear greatly what it is you believe is right and wrong."

There was a booming sound again, akin to thunder, that shook the ground. The Star Wolf laughed, My child, you are no more in the right than your cousin who has killed mercilessly for pleasure. You kill, she skills. Your reasons matter naught to me. Life is what I preserve, what I give and what I take. When my children abuse that gift, they have failed me. Zeus grew quiet, either because he had no further statement to give or because the goddess silenced him, there was no clear reason.

 

Now, Sister, I bid you leave that poor soul alone. You have pained her life well enough for years. The Star Wolf turned and looked down its great muzzle at Dael, who was crouching in the shadow of a dead tree, her eyes nearly the same as the Great Mother's. There was foam at the edges of her mouth and her jaws were parted mid-snarl, but at the Star Wolf's words, Dael's body slowly slumped to the ground.

From the insane she-wolf's body, a black smoke, not unlike Dael's poisonous aura, rose from her body. It twisted and swirled until a dark face emerged, and the golden eyes pierced its skull. My dear sister, how you always manage to ruin my fun. This was not Dael's voice, but a sharp, almost screeching sound that pained the ears of the wolves below like rocks to the sides of their heads. As it rose higher into the sky, increasing in size similar to the Star Wolf standing over the valley, the rest of its body formed until a pitch-black wolf stood before its sister with a dark smile.

The Star Wolf did not look pleased at the appearance of her sister. Time and time again you have tormented my children, she said sternly, staring at the shadow with piercing eyes. From this point forward, I hereby banish you to the Core, whereupon you will not be released until the end of eternity.

The shadow didn't appear particularly bothered by this. You may be the God of Life and Death, but you will never be able to rid your precious world of Misery. I am Chaos, and I will never be shut away like a naughty infant.

 

Star Wolf gazed back at her black sister without emotion. And yet you underestimate me, Sister. While I may not control your powers, I can control your whereabouts. You will never harm my children with your dark soul again. Like the flicker of a candle flame, the Chaos Wolf vanished, the faint, eerie echo of her howl lingering behind.

The Star Wolf crouched over Dael's body. With a deep inhale from the Great Mother, a silver smoke withdrew from the she-wolf's frame and quickly took the shape and features of the body it stood over. She blinked a moment, gazing around, before realizing what it was she stood over. Child, the Star Wolf said. I have cleansed your soul of your dark poltergeist, but it must now heal before you can handle life again. It gestured towards the ghost with a dip of her great muzzle, and Dael looked down at her spirit body and saw the deep gashed and tears that disfigured the phantom outline. Although she did not speak, Dael looked to the Star Wolf and blinked in resignation. With that, the Star Wolf closed her eyes, and Dael's ghost floated towards her before disappearing into the star-covered pelt.

 

The Great Mother turned and looked to the other wolves. As she did so, similar ghosts rose from the bodies of dead wolves and looked up to the Star Wolf as she began to speak again. Like your Sister, Dael, many of you suffer with broken souls. It is my duty to mend those spirits and heal them before I can even consider allowing you to be graced with life once more. There are those who will accompany me back to Oblivion, and there are those that I have deemed worthy enough to stay and regain their lives. Under one condition; Those of you who survive will remember nothing, and I will strip you of the magic that you were not born with. Araelia is to be be reborn again, so you will no longer recognize your home land. For those that I take back with me to heal, whenever I feel you are ready, you too will be born again.

 

Before any of the wolves could voice their objections or opinions, she exhaled a frosty breath across the entire battle field. Many things happened at once; The Star Wolf melted back into the night sky, taking along with her several souls of her broken children. Among these were definitely the souls of Dael, Verin, Yui, Veni, Roshan, Rahlia, Zeus, Dahlia, Fang, Talena, Sarin and Voideshka. The spirits that returned to their bodies and miraculously stirred in the return to life included Talcore, Tanis, Anubis, Kai, Firefly, Shaede, Abbadon, Sarabi, Ronan, Rin, Vincent, Shadow, and Jin. After a few moments, their bodies disappeared as their Great Mother relocated them to safer areas.[Note: All other wolves will have fates decided by their creators. The ones I specified will have to follow this plan, please. Pups have been relocated by Star Wolf's magic in an area where they have the chance to restart life on the better paw.]

 

Araelia suffered a massive earthquake and several natural disasters shortly following Star Wolf's visit. The river was reshaped into a large lake towards the north, and new mountains and hills moved across the land. Vegetation would grow at some point, but for now Araelia appeared as a massive wasteland, slowly coming back to life.

 

 

Note: Surviving wolves were either transported by Star Wolf to the Blessed's great mountain range or into actual SM territory. Souls that were taken with Star Wolf are only allowed to be reincarnated if you so wish to bring those characters back. Again, wolves I didn't name will have their fates decided by their roleplayers. ^^

 

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OOC is here.

 

Story

 

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 stone 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.

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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.

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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 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's 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?

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Plot:

 

Following several years of plenty, the northern and southern packs have started to come together. Jointly ruled by the alphas of both packs, they 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 again.

 

This rp begins during the start of summer, two years after the packs joined together. The spring's pups have now started to tag along on hunts, prey is plentiful, and life is generally good. The Northern Pack is undergoing some shift, having unexpectedly lost their Alpha of ten years and adjusting to the inexperienced reign of the new one.

 

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 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 focusing on just them).

 

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 the stones for their own gain.

 

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 smile.gif

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Setting.

 

About the size of Oregon, Nevada, and California combined, the land under the wolves' rule is vast indeed.

The northern territory is primarily grassland, with a few woody areas as it transitions into the South, as well as some forest in the east. The Northern wolves tend to be leaner than their Southern counterparts, built for speed and endurance above all else. Their primary camp is around a large dip in the land near the river, where they have dug out several dens. The main prey of this pack is small animals; rabbits, wild chickens and groundhogs and such, though there are some larger quarries in antelope and deer. The northern territory ends at the foot of a large mountain, where the pack has established their second main camp. Prey around the mountain is mostly made up of mountain goats, and if they drift towards the western plains, horses can very occasionally be found. There is some danger, as mountain lions also make their home in the caves while the horses and goats can put up a strong fight.

 

As one travels farther south, the grasslands give way to a great forest of large trees. The Southern wolves are stockier than the Northern wolves, and highly adept at finding coverage in the dense trees and sneaking up on prey. They rely on large prey like deer and moose, filling the time between hunts with whatever small prey they can find. The main camp is in a clearing, where several fallen trees have been moved to make the main dens, with other dens simply being dug into the ground. Bears are common towards the southeast, where the forest is its thickest, and often steal any kills made in that area. The Southern Pack's second main camp is towards the west, where the forest becomes thinner. Prey around there is mostly deer, and the dens are located in the caves near or behind a large waterfall (part of a small river that splits off of the main one some miles to the north.)

 

 

As the packs have started to come together over the past two years, they have been slowly rotating throughout all the main camps over the year. During the summer, they are at the mountains, fall brings them to the North Pack's plains camp farther east, winter brings them to the South Pack's forest camp, and spring sees them at the waterfall camp to the west. All in all, its about a two hundred mile (give or take a few miles) round trip.

 

Currently, they have just completed the move to the mountain camp. Some wolves may prefer to stick to their original packmates, and avoid the others; while some wolves happily embrace the unity and simply stay with those they like best. For the most part, there is no tension, it's just one big pack. The Alphas must all come to agreement before any major action (at this point, it mostly comes down to when it's time to move the pack and what to do about loners), while Betas act as their eyes and ears, keeping a more watchful eye on the great pack.

 

Seasonal changes:

 

A fairly standard climate, with mild, wet springs, warm summers, cool, wet falls, and very cold, snowy winters.

 

Rules.

 

1. This is literate. Good grammar and spelling is a requirement, and the minimum number of sentences per post will be set at four. Shouldn't be too difficult smile.gif

 

2. All DC rules apply. Language, violence and romance should not surpass PG-13. No godmodding, powerplaying, Sues/Stus, autohitting, etc. You're not perfect, you're not all powerful, and you're not the ultimate fighter. Again, this shouldn't be too difficult ^^

 

 

3. About powers: Should you choose to have a wolf with powers, keep these restrictions in mind. If you have any questions, please ask smile.gif

  • -You may have one power, and up to three abilities derived from 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 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.

  • -No shapeshifting. Just no.
4. You can apply for any position smile.gif 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 really stupid sparkle/scenedogs. 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 please). All character sheets must be PM'd to me. Do NOT post them in this thread or the OOC.

 

8. If you were a member of Howl to Me, you are exempt from providing a sample unless otherwise noted.

 

9. Please, try to start out in the pack. If you must be a loner, I'll allow it, 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. For the time being, there is no character limit smile.gif You're free to play as many as you feel able. However, don't try to snap up all the top positions until we've got a large amount of characters. If we still need major positions filled in, then you can give it a shot.

 

11. These wolves usually live for about 20 years, 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 seventeen or so. A healthy wolf will begin training for their main position at a year old, and be considered an adult by about three.

 

12. Any useage 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.

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Character sheets:

 

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b] (Youngest allowed will be three months. No new pups for a while.)
[b]Personality:[/b] (May leave blank, but it's highly preferable that you give at least a few key points.)
[b]History:[/b] 
[b]Appearance:[/b] (Images must be linked.)
[b]Powers:[/b] (If any)
[b]Pack:[/b] (North or South, later, Research or Guardians. ... those names will probably be changed..)
[b]Desired Rank and Position:[/b] (No guarantee you'll get it, if it's a higher one. But it's nice to know :) Position applies to Gammas/Epsilons- will you be a hunter, a scout, a warrior, or more focused on healing/pups?)
[b]Rank and Position:[/b] 
[b]Other:[/b] (Anything that doesn't fit into the above)
[b]Sample:[b] (A sample of your writing, to ensure you meet literacy standards. Should be at LEAST one paragraph, no more than six.)

 

Alright, I think that's everything. Next post will be for character sheets/etc.

Edited by Dr. Paine

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Pack structure and ranks.

 

Alphas. Usually the strongest and smartest of a pack, the Alphas are responsible for the major decisions- when to move the pack to another camp, when a major hunt should be carried out, whether or not to let a loner in, etc. Usually, if one Alpha dies, their surviving mate will be the new Alpha and expected to take on a new mate. Should they decide to step down instead, the process to find a new Alpha is very different between the packs. The North Pack holds a fight between all willing adults to determine who is the most fit to lead the pack, and the winner is declared the new Alpha. In the South Pack, the Beta pair are expected to take over as the new Alphas; with a vote being held should they decline. As the leaders of the pack, Alphas get first choice in meals, and priority breeding- i.e. they will always breed, unless conditions are too severe for even one litter of pups to survive. The pups of an Alpha pair are immediately given the rank of Gamma.

 

North Pack Alphas: Char, unmated Alpha Female.

South Pack Alphas: Quince, unmated Alpha Male.

 

Betas. The second-in-command, and the Alpha's most trusted advisor outside of their own mate. The Beta is a consultant, offering suggestions and different approaches to an Alpha's decision. They are also the primary teachers of pups and usually more observant of the day-to-day activities, reporting any issues that might arise to the Alphas. Usually, an Alpha will pick a single Beta, though sometimes they will pick two. If the Beta choose to take a mate, their mate will be promoted to the same rank, though they may not be called on as often until the Alphas get to know them better. As the seconds in command, Betas get second choice in meals, and are permitted to breed in moderate to fair conditions. Any pups of theirs are given the rank of Epsilon.

 

North Pack Betas: Jin, Beta Male/Xylia, Beta Female.

South Pack Betas: Ava, unmated Female

 

Gammas. The best of the hunters, scouts and fighters (as well as the Alpha pair's children), Gammas are the elite guard of the pack. They are up with the Alphas and Betas during a hunt, and are permitted to lead small hunts of their own if they notice food stores are running low. Gammas are the secondary teachers of pups, covering the finer details of various aspects once a pup either chooses or is assigned a task in the pack. It is not uncommon for a new Alpha to consult with the Gammas as well as their Betas, especially with the senior Gammas. Gammas are given third choice in meals, and permitted to breed when conditions are good. Any pups of theirs are given the rank of Epsilon.

 

North Pack Gammas: N/A, current limit of four.

South Pack Gammas: Lucifer, Pax, Oksana

 

Epsilons. The majority of the pack, Epsilons are the scouts, the hunters, fighters, pupsitters... pretty much all the average, undistinguished wolves. They are given fourth choice at meals, with youngsters (2-7 months) getting priority feeding. An Epsilon can get promoted to Gamma if they prove to be a good hunter or what have you, or perform some great service for the pack. For the most part, Epsilons are forbidden from breeding unless conditions are superb, but there is nothing forbidding them to take a mate as long as they don't breed. Any pups born to Epsilons will be considered Epsilon.

 

North Pack Epsilons: Scorch, Flare, Ink.

South Pack Epsilons: Kiv, Holtan, Holo, Dayhl

 

Omegas. The loners looking to join the pack, the incurably weak and deformed, and (even though it has not come up in many years), prisonersr. For the most part, Omegas are forbidden to leave camp, the exception usually being when a loner is being evaluated. Despite the fact that they have to eat last, Omegas are well cared for by the others (it is not uncommon for yearling hunters to be assigned bringing in some extra small food for them); and as long as they get along with others, usually have some friends in the pack. Still, Omegas are strictly forbidden from breeding. It depends on the current Alpha's rule, what happens if an Omega has pups. In the past, some have ordered the pups killed or abandoned, but as of late, the rule is to simply treat them like any other pup. Even with this stance, though, there is an enormous shame and stigma against those born from Omegas.

North Pack Omegas: N/A, no real limit.

South Pack Omegas: N/A, no real limit.

 

Elders: The retired members of the pack, living out their remaining years in peace. They rarely leave the camp, spending most of their time swapping stories or sharing them with young pups, offering advice to others of the pack, and simply enjoying the rewards of a life well lived. They are given the same feeding priority as the Gammas, though they technically don't have a real 'rank' any more.

 

Elders of the North Pack: N/A

Elders of the South Pack: N/A

 

Loners and etc: Ronan, Talcore

Edited by Dr. Paine

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CHARACTER SHEETS HAVE BEEN RELOCATED TO THE OOC.

 

This will now be for any major announcements, banners/badges, etc.

 

 

Major announcement: WE NEED PLAYERS! D:

Edited by Dr. Paine

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Oh gosh, so much pony.

 

But those are stories, 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, all but a rare few joined under a single pack, numbering at nearly seven hundred individuals.

 

"and all but a rare few", not "all but a rare few".

 

This isn't entirely natural, instead, it seems to be powered by some desire for the pieces to be united again.

 

The first comma should be a colon or semicolon.

 

They rely on large prey, mostly deer and moose, though they do fill the time between hunts with whatever small prey they can find.The main camp is in a clearing, where several fallen trees have been moved to make the main dens, or dens are otherwise dug into the ground.

 

Missing a space between the sentences here.

 

That's about it!

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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.

 

I think the comma before but is unnecessary.

 

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.

 

Unnecessary commas after flames and winged.

 

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 unusual wolves was found.

 

I had no idea these wolves were that unusual in the context of the RP. You mentioned moth wolves were unremarkable but focused on the remarkable ones much more (understandable, but it confused me to read about how unusual the wolves were). Maybe just a different word here? Or something like 'the reason some of these wolves held special powers'.

 

The stalagmites and stalactites had grown to resemble flowers or trees, some even held a faint resemblance to animals and birds.

 

Kind of awkward. Add an and?

 

A few of the braver hunters made their way across the smooth stone 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.

 

Unnecessary commas.

 

It was not perfectly round- in fact, aside from its size, it seemed like an entirely unremarkable boulder.

 

Could just be style preference but I'll say it anyway. Should be "round - in fact" or "round--in fact".

 

The second she touched her nose to the stone, she burst into flames, but they died down seconds later.

 

'Which' would sound better than 'but they'.

 

The once creamy wolf had been left with charred black fur, while her amber eyes had gone bright red, and her paw pads now seemed to glow like embers.

 

"The once creamy wolf had been left with charred black fur, her amber eyes now bright red, and her paw pads glowing like embers."

 

The connection was easy enough to make, but it wasn't until two dozen other wolves had touched the stone that it was accepted as fact- the stone was a magical thing.

 

Same thing with the dash here. (And any other instance.)

 

Occasionally, a wolf that had distinguished his or herself as 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.

 

Comma after stone is unnecessary.

 

But as time wore on, they noticed things were more difficult than they had been.

 

Been before.

 

Wolves with powers had more and more trouble using their abilities, while winged wolves were now flightless.

 

"abilities and winged"

 

One half remained in the northern portion of the territory, while the other half ventured to the south.

 

Unnecessary comma.

 

Few wolves remembered the stone, by then.

 

Unnecessary comma.

 

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, one that fell farther than the light of the small crystals on the wall could illuminate.

 

"drop that fell"

"crystals on the wall illuminated"

 

~

 

This doesn't really matter because this is informal writing, but a lot of your sentences start with "But". I would consider changing a few of those. ^^

 

~

 

Fantastic job. :3

(My eyes hurt too much to do any more. /is old and can't take small font =P )

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Occasionally, a wolf that had distinguished his or herself as 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.

Occasionally, a wolf that had distinguished him or herself as 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 looks great, I'll join when it's approved. biggrin.gif

Edited by Backup77

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Okay! I'll approve this. Have fun roleplaying!

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The sun rose behind a thick layer of dark gray clouds, so there was little difference between the dawn and the night that had just passed. The air was thick and hot, summer's heat had come early, even to the mountains.

 

Despite the already pressing heat, a thin layer of frost was visible on the ground where Char slept, and every breath came out in a puff of chilly fog. There was even a trace of ice along her muzzle, but it was swept away by her paw only a few moments later as she began to wake up.

 

The gray wolf yawned, expelling a large cloud of misty air and shaking her head. She registered the heat and humidity before she was even fully awake, and it set her grumbling as she padded out of the den towards the food pile.

 

She pulled the remains of a deer's leg out of the pile, now starting to throw up a stink. She'd have to remember to have some of the others get rid of it, and a hunting party would have to be assembled to restock things. Feeding such a huge pack was a fantastic task, but she enjoyed hunting. Enjoyed leading it even more.

 

As she tore at the deer leg, trying to devour as much as possible before it turned to inedible ice and mush, she glanced around the camp. The hunt would have to begin fairly soon, but it seemed she was one of the only ones awake. And then there was the matter of figuring out who wouldn't start whining if they wound up in the middle of a thunderstorm, which already looked like a serious possibility.

 

(Officially started! biggrin.gif)

 

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Xylia had woken up before the sunrise that morning to work on her skills and her flying. She was six years old now, but sometimes she became a little rusty when attending to the sick instead of going out and doing what she loved the most; fighting and hunting.

 

As the sun arose, Xylia was already in the sky her strong wings carrying her on the currents making her feel as if she didn't have a care in the world. Her eyes closed as the first rays hit her midnight fur and warmed her from the tip of her nose to the tip of her extra long, bushy tail. "Good morning world." she mumbled softly then angled herself upwards over the tallest trees only to hover there.

 

Most mornings, Xylia would look over their land and make sure that everything was alright AND it was always fun to watch things start off in the morning. The birds would start to sing their morning song, the squirrels would wake up and check their stores, and the deer would all rise and head toward the nearest water source. Very rarely did she see bears from her hovering perch in the air, but when she did, they usually didn't even step a foot near the pack because of their extreme size.

 

Now that the sun had been up for a few minutes, Xylia turned her attention to the pack that was starting to rise with calls to each other. But the most pleasant sound to Xylia, was the sound of the pups that played with each other, and the laughter of the Epsilons. The pack was in good harmony today, however, with the imminent hunt, she wasn't sure if they were going to argue with Char or obey her quickly. If they even tried to disobey, Char, Xylia and Jin would be on them like flies on poop.

 

With her morning rituals of aiming her spikes and firing in quick succession done before her flight, the only thing left to do, was land in the camp and say good morning to everyone. She did this with her normal flare and dove toward the center of the their camp through the forming storm clouds and stopped just before she hit the ground. As she landed a few of the pups ran over and asked her to do it again, but she merely smiled and shook her head. "No no little ones...I have to go and say good morning first." The pups argued that she didn't say good morning to them, so she played with them for a few moments, keeping her spikes tucked into her wings to keep them safe. "Good morning!" she said as she left them laughing and walked through the Epsilons making sure that all of them were feeling well that morning and ready for a hunt.

 

The scouts were acting a little bit iffy about their assignment for the day because they thought that things smelled different in the air which Xylia promptly pointed out as the storm developing overhead.

 

Once Xylia was sure that the Epsilons were doing well, she walked through to where the Gamma's were. They were battle scarred, tough animals and pretty much the best of the best. They were ready to lead their sections in a hunt or do whatever their Alpha commanded which was something that Xylia loved to hear. The last for Xylia to meet with were the Elders. She loved talking to them and just saying good morning to them, however it seemed that several of them were starting to get achy because of the rain forming. She would have to bring that up with Char and see if she could send out some scouts to search for herbs.

 

With all of that done, Xylia trotted to where Char was and smiled at her friend from child hood as she ate. But Xylia stayed back, staying true to the rules of the pack as Char ate. "Good morning Char! All is well with the pack this morning, although several are still wary about the storm developing. The Elders are more so achy today and I was wondering if there could be a section of our scouts sent out to search for some herbs for them? If not that's okay. I'll just make sure that some of the Epsilons take care of them until the storm passes. Anyways, how are you this morning?" she asked cheerily knowing that she could sometimes be a chatter box.

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"Eh... what, what?" Char asked, shaking her head and staring blankly at Xylia for a few moments. Her head felt as if it were in a fog, and it took a while for the words to process in her mind.

 

"Right. Yeah, herbs would be good. Send some of the yearlings, they need practice. Talk with Ink, I'm pretty sure she knows how to tell most herbs apart from each other, and it's pretty cloudy. I don't think it'd hurt her to go out today," the gray wolf said, staring up at the sky.

 

"And tell anyone who's worried about the storm to get their tail out from between their legs and grow up!" she added, a slight growl to her voice. "We've been through nasty storms before, and those were when we were by the river! Remember when the entire camp flooded a few years back? I don't think any storm'll have me worried again, not after that."

 

Char gave a slight huff, her ears going flat against her head when she noticed the leg had started to ice over. Typical. But it was still edible, so she'd keep at it.

 

"Anyway. Get yourself something to eat, we're going on a hunt once the rest of the pack is up. Maybe before then, if it looks like the storm will hit before then."

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Xylia chuckled when Char seemed to get angry about the other wolves complaining about having to go out. "Well, I'll tell them in a nicer way." she said and walked towards the pile of food and picked out a small rabbit that had fallen to the side. Xylia normally didn't eat very much despite her size. If she ate too much anyways, it would make it far more difficult for her to fly at all.

 

"I do remember that storm though. It was scary especially for the pups..." The storm had been rather horrible for all of them because of what it had done to their pack. A few had drowned here and there and none of them had liked storms ever since...except for possibly Xylia in her twisted ways.

 

"Do you mind if I come on the hunt today? I haven't been on one in ages with the sick and injured still sick...and well...injured." she asked and looked up at Char from where she had taken a large bite from the rabbit, almost finishing it in that single bite. "Oh and just about all of the Epsilons are up and the Gamma's. Of course, the Gamma's are in normal sport today....crude beasts." she said and huffed only to laugh at the thought of any of the Gamma's being rude to Char. They would feel either a frosty bite, or a spike through their leg if they ever showed her Char any attitude.

 

"I will admit though that the pack seems to be a little bit, whiny here of late and I don't know why."

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"Ah, they've been whining since I took over," Char growled, having stripped the leg of all meat and was now content to chew on the bone. Her stomach was still rather empty, but she could last until the hunt, and the rest of the pack had to eat. Of course. She contemplated dragging some meat over to the Southern Alpha's den, to make sure they got their rightful share and to allow the rest of the pack to tuck in without too much worry.

 

'Well, as long as they don't run into Flare,' she thought, laying her head on her paws and continuing to gnaw the bone. As long as there wasn't a major fight and the pups got fed, Char didn't care who ate when. But there were rules to adhere to, and as a leader, she had to enforce most of them.

 

"Oh and yeah. Yeah, I'd like you on the hunt, especially with this storm. You can scout around without bringing too much suspicion. I think the horses are coming around, which works for me. I don't think anyone wants to hunt those stupid goats when the rocks'll be all slippery," she said with a harsh laugh.

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Xylia was ectatic in hearing that she could finally go on a hunt. "Thank you Char!" she exclaimed happily but then stopped and realized that Char was still looking rather skinny. "Here, have the rest of my rabbit and then take the other half of my day's portions. If you are ever going to have pups, you'll need to keep your weight on." she said and scooched all that she had mentioned over to Char. "Besides, we don't want you too skinny." she said with acaring smile then sat back on her haunches, her wings lazily hung by her sides.

 

"They do tend to be a whiny lot...maybe we should have the Gammas run through every now and then and keep order. You can't do everything without some sort of deliberation of the work and Jinny and I can't do everything either." she said and then shook out her fur since it did become a little bit cooler as she walked closer to Char, but at least her food didn't freeze.

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user posted image

 

A white, immaculate form lay beside a boulder, each strand of fur seemingly as pure and white as fresh snow. The two ivory forelegs were stretched out in front, one draped over the other, and the slender head resting on the topmost leg, just before the wrist. The dark nose stood out sorely on her otherwise chalky face, and the slivers of black nestled into the fur were the only indications of the eyes that had quietly shut to render the wolf in a peaceful seclusion. Occasionally, a rounded ear would flicker or swivel as the sounds of other creatures milling about surrounded her. She paid no heed to anyone, not even the pup that went skittering past a few feet from her side. She was used to being ignored, shut out of daily life, as was the norm for a lowly omega. Of course, she not longer possessed the title in which her parents had so graciously granted her upon her birth, for a rare opportunity had shown itself and thus allowed her to claim a high rank. Not that many others truly respected this save a few, and certainly what was rest of the Northern pack wolves had no idea what sort of life she had led from puphood.

 

Slowly, with the grace and silence of a lone swan, the lost princess lifted her muzzle from her legs and leisurely opened her eyes. Two dark, cobalt irises swept the area before her. The camp was foreign, despite having had residency for some time already. The scents were different and many of the faces were alien. Those that she did know were masked by the looming strangeness of the place, and she skipped over figures that she had once recgonized without even a flicker of recollection. Of course, this might have been due to that fact that even within her own pack, Lucifer did not know many. She was alone, solitary, only mingling with others when absolutely necessary or when duty called for her cooperation. She spoke little to others, thus not many were graced with the rich elegance of her strange voice. Not that she wanted them to; Lucifer preferred things that way, having never known a social life and accustomed to the shunning she received from the day of her birth.

 

Lucifer turned her head slightly, an ear dipped towards two figures crouched over morsels of food. One of them was gnawing hungrily onto a long bone, while the winged one's mouth continually moved as if she were speaking. With a blink of her eyes, Lucifer immediately registered the two as high ranking wolves, the one on the ground holding the title of Alpha. The Queen, Lucifer thought mildly, drawing her tail up to her side and exhaling softly through her nostrils. The winged one must be her Lady. It was uncertain to the other wolves why Lucifer referred towards others with such formal, royal titles. Perhaps it had to do with the wolf who had raised her, who had been so far the only wolf to realize the connection between the parentless child and the old fables from long, long ago. Of course, Lucifer wasn't the only pup to have been born with extraordinary powers. There were others during her birth who possessed them and others that were born after her. She was no more special than those pups, perhaps even less so to some because of who she had been sired from. But then again, there must have been something the Old Beta saw in her, was there not?

 

Lucifer's dark eyes lingered on the females for a few minutes longer, occasionally catching snippets of their conversation from the fluctuation of volume in their voices. Something about a storm? No matter, Luce wasn't one to fret about weather, though she rather enjoyed periods of different climates in order to work on her abilities in the varying conditions. She wondered briefly whether she should approach the Northern Queen and her Lady for directions. Did she answer to this Queen now? Or was she still under the order of her King? Although the uncertainty did not surface on her solemn face, she shifted slightly with unease. Lucifer allowed a few more moments to pass by before gracefully rising to her feet and striding towards the two with a fluid, purposeful pace.

 

Upon arriving a few feet from where the females had gathered together, Lucifer stopped and presented herself with a bow of her head towards the one chewing on the bone. "My Lady," the white wolf interrupted quietly, dark eyes fixated on the other she-wolf's face. For a moment she glanced over towards the black winged one, but then returned her gaze to the Alpha and continued, "I wish to know if there is anything of use I could be for you today." Lucifer remained standing, her long legs poised together and her figure positioned dutifully before the two females, like a loyal servant waiting for her orders.

Edited by Shiny Hazard Sign

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"That might help," Char said, lazily scratching at her ear. She nudged the rabbit back at Xylia though, a thoroughly unamused look on her face. "And quite honestly, you are the one who should worry about keeping her weight up. I'm pretty sure you and Jin are going to have pups long before I ever even find a mate," she said with a harsh laugh. "Besides, it's not right, taking someone else's food. If you really don't want it, let some Omegas get to it, or at least give it to the pups. They're still getting used to solid food."

 

"My Lady. I wish to know if there is anything of use I could be for you today."

 

The words caused Char to jump slightly, the bone dropping from her teeth as she scrambled to her feet. It was one of the Southern Pack... Gamma, if she wasn't mistaken. Most of her first month in charge of the Northern Pack had actually been spent consulting with the Southern Alphas, making sure she at least knew all of their wolves as well as her own. The joint rule could be confusing at times, but it basically boiled down to having more than two alphas at once, and unless conditions were dire, each had as much authority as the next.

 

"Ah... Lucifer, right?" Char said. She dipped her head to the white wolf, taking a more relaxed posture. "I'm actually going to be putting a hunt together soon, you came in at just the right time. We're going to make it a big one, too. This weather could get pretty bad, and if we have to hole up in the mountain caves for a few days, I want to make sure every wolf from Alpha to Omega gets properly fed. Think you're up for that?"

 

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((I've been wondering what to do for an intro... I'm so bad at these xd.png It's kind of short, sorry))

Scorch turned over. He was wondering what to do. Since he had woken up, he had already eaten and padded around the area. The ground beside him, where he had been lying down for a while, was starting to get warm. Not wanting to burn up the plants nearby, he got up and trotted away. He saw Char talking to Lucifer and Xylia. He walked over there slowly, not sure if he was supposed to. He came and heard Char say that they were going to have a hunt today.

Finally! Something to do! He shifted his paws restlessly, wanting to go out adn hunt now.

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Xylia huffed at Char as she turned to face Lucifer before she could answer her. It was strange how Char kept mentioning that she and Jin would be the first to have pups. Anyways, they hardly had time to themselves because of all the work that came with being a Beta. She wondered, though, why Char wouldn't eat anyways. She did need to stay healthy and if Xylia ate too much she wouldn't be able to fly as easily as she needed to for a hunt.

 

With another wolf coming their way, Scorch by the smell of it, it seemed like all of the others were waking up slowly but surely and taking their sweet time. She wondered where in the world Jin was and hoped that he was alright.

 

 

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Jin opened his eyes again, his vision flooding back to him like a wave of light that washed over everything around him, allowing him to see the night party once more. The blue and black tips of his thick fur waved gently in the breeze, almost making his coat appear to be water itself as he stood, still as a statue, watching. He'd been up since sunset, sleeping in the last half of yesterday afternoon to prepare for going out with the night-watch. It was his favorite job, though it sometimes annoyed Xylia that he was always gone at night, he made sure to take breaks for her sake, and his.

 

"Oi! Jin," That was Kamani, one of the younger scouts though he was actually Jin's age. "What's the holdup?"

 

Holdup indeed, Jin realized how long he'd been standing there. For him, patrolling meant standing in one place and slowly sweeping his cone of visual focus over the camp and the surrounding mile or so. But a sweep usually only took a few minutes, after that he would direct the night watch to go chase off a bear here, or spook a mountain lion there, making sure everyone's rest would remain undisturbed. But something else had caught his eyes just now.

 

"Patience," Jin remarked quietly, focusing in on a group of wolves to their rear, approaching slowly from about one hundred meters away, they had just entered his sight. They were from the Southern pack, not that there was much distinction nowadays, but Jin knew what they were up to.

 

"It's Red and Southern's Nightwatch." He replied with a smile and a small shake of his head.

 

"Upwind of us again?" Shura commented with a growl, "do they think this is a game?"

 

Jin shook his head, "I'm afraid it's my fault." Jin smiled ruefully, "they've been testing my perception ever since we intervened with that herd of boars that they didn't notice on their side of the watch."

 

"So they're jealous and want to know what you can do eh?" Kamani asked, jumping to a competitive scenario as he always did when it came to the Northern pack's reputation.

 

"Not jealous," Jin replied, "I see that they're more... cautions, on the defensive a bit. I don't think they like that I watch both sides of the camp. In a sense... they see my sight as an encroachment on their territory, their job, especially since we helped them out."

 

"So what would you have us do?" That was Soken, the eldest of the night watch and the wisest of the group.

 

"Nothing, just ignore them, they've every right to be here as much as we." Jin replied, knowing that though the packs were united, tensions were still high between the more specialized groups. The warriors and scouts especially, mock sparring and competition was fierce between the groups, and while it helped to relieve tension, too much was unhealthy, and both packs were close to having that ' too much ' already.

 

"Ignore them!?" Kanami whined, "but you know they'd berate us for being on their side..."

 

"lightWhich is why we won't do so." Jin replied in a firmer voice.

 

"But..."

 

"Kanami!" Soken pinned his ears back at the young Epsilon with a growl. "Learn your place! Jin is Beta here, just because he's familiar doesn't give us permission to disrespect him." Soken turned back to Jin and tucked his tail. "My apologies Jinjekkai."

 

Jin sighed and nodded. The whole pack was getting like this. A Young alpha and beta pair in the Northern pack made the Southern eager to test their limits. And the entire pack was feeling the strain of the ceaseless competitions that went on between the two packs. It was natural, unfortunately, wolves were highly territorial and competitive. It was in their nature and Jin felt it too. The number of incidents was getting worse, and the competitions were putting more wolves on the injured list than anyone cared to talk about.

 

"The sun is rising, it's soon time for us to be relieved. I'm going to speak with Char, NO incidents, ignore the Southern scouts and finish this round, then the morning watch will relieve you. Understood?"

 

"Hai!" the other three answered in unison.

 

 

Jin headed back towards camp, extending his sight outwards until he located Char, she was up, good, and he was pleasantly surprised to find Xylia already with her along with a Southern wolf... Lucifer if he had her aura right, and one of the more eager young wolves Scorch.

 

 

"Good morning!" He greeted as he approached the three of them. "lightAlphess, I'd like a word with you... when you're finished here." He stated his intentions right away so as not to take up their time anymore than was necessary, it was a perk of Char's position, and he was happy for his longtime friend.

 

"Good morning dear." He whispered into Xylia's ear, licking her cheek in apology for being out all night, again.

Edited by Rakashua

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Jet black fur seemed like a mere tuft of hair on a smile rise in one of the dens but this small tuft was more than just a pup. As the fur ball started to stretch, it was easy to see the gangly features of this wolf that was at least eight years old. With a mighty yawn, he stood up and blinked his blue eyes and observed the night pack as they came in. He walked up behind them and growled when he heard them speaking ill of the Northern pack. They didn't hear him however, until he bit hard into the rear end of the main instigator of everything.

 

"Next one to try and attack or show any form of unsportsmanly aggression will find my teeth in their you know what!" he growled in a harsh whisper. "You will find yourselves without meals today." he said and the other wolves merely bowed in respect before going to lay back down as the rest of the Southern pack started to wake up.

 

Quince hated it when his wolves became jealous of others. Why did they have to hate the Northern pack so? He had agreed with the previous alpha of the Northern Pack to unite their packs for a short duration of time as they shared their land together. There was more than enough food for all of them, but he did know that today was another hunting day. "Where is Lucifer? I need her to take care of these idiots..." Quince stated angrily to himself before he smelled the decaying flesh of the food pile that was between the two packs.

 

It took Quince a moment before he started to trot towards the other pack and carefully stayed away from the other wolves until he was at the far end of the clearing for the food. He walked in calmly and took some sort of ribcage of only who knows what then bowed out of kindred respect to Char. "Good morning Char, Xylia, Jinjekkai, Lucifer, Scorch." he said calmly holding back the anger towards his pack. But his anger and frustration and sheer remorse at what his pack had done won out.

 

"I'm sure you are about to hear Char about the actions of my pack...and I do expect your...well...your anger on this." he said knowing that Char did tend to have a temper. He looked at Jin hoping that the wolf would continue speaking to her so that Quince could apologize something that she would fully know about.

 

 

 

 

Xylia looked at Jin and knew that he was sorry, however it was really hard for her to like him right now. She knew that they had to be busy with all that they needed to do as Beta's but that meant that as mates, they hardly had any time at all for each other which was starting to become annoying. "I know you're sorry Jin." Came her almost timid reply which was a side that not many would see. It was actually her own coping mechanism for being angry at someone but she did turn to him and lick his cheek as well, hoping that her anger would subside soon.

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Jinjekkai gave Xylia a sad smile, he could see her anger as clearly as the rest of her, though there was a lot of love there as well, and... frustration. He knew that it was rough on both of them, and with the packs getting more edgy they were both constantly exhausted and their days filled with work. He promised himself he'd take a break soon, to send time with her. Then Quince walked into his sight, and by the look of things he was on his way over... He arrived as predicted and, Jinjekkai tucked his tail and nodded with respect as the other Alpha spoke.

 

 

"Mi'Lord Quince," he shook his head. "Mil'Lady Char." He decided now was a fine time to explain anyways, a leader from both packs was present, and the others here seemed to be trusted by both for the most part.

 

"I'm sure you both know that the packs have been... growing restless... of late. Competitions have turned into fights, mock sparing has filled our injured pools, and old rivalries resurface with each passing day." He explained, knowing full well that the problem was being felt by both leaders already. "Neither pack is to blame, or more specifically, both are at fault. This situation as continued to worsen the longer the packs have been in such close proximity, it's purely natural, instinctual. Territory cannot be shared between divided packs, even allies, it's just not in us as wolves."

 

He paused a moment to consider what he was going to suggest, and hope it was received well. "Those without wisdom, the Epsilons, the young Gammas, see the other pack as a threat to their reputations and themselves. You both know how fierce competition can be within a pack, that is multiplied tenfold between allied packs. It is... my humble observation as I've watched both packs and seen their frustration and anger, that this cannot go on much longer before the situation gets much much worse."

 

Jin continued, "fights will get ugly, respect is already in short supply, life may even be lost, and our duties such as watching and hunting are already suffering because of the need we all feel to outdo one another. Therefore... with both your permissions, I would like to propose a solution. I know I lack years and wisdom, but it's my position to do this, with your agreement."

 

jin shifted his weight from foot to foot, something he did when nervous. He had never addressed leaders from both packs before, Quince's presence made him nervous. He didn't know enough about the older male to know how to read him yet. But everything he said had to be obvious to them, even if they couldn't watch so many as he could. jin admitted that at first he had attributed most of the packs' disagreements and change of attitude as having to do with the temperature and the strange surroundings. The Southern pack was much more at home here than he felt. By mid day he knew he would be sweating in his thick fur, even then though... there was still work to be done. He made a mental note to have Zylia lead him to the river sometime later to cool off, he didn't dare go by himself for fear of drowning. He could swim fine... but water was invisible to him, and that made it dangerous to him when he was alone.

Edited by Rakashua

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"Could just be the weather," Char commented, turning away from Lucifer to face the other three. She gave a bow to Quince- as far as she was concerned, he was her superior and should be treated as such.

 

"Or something else. I don't know, but I'll be happy to hear what you have to say, Jin," she added.

 

Really, she didn't know what to make of the pack's actions. Had they really gotten so bad? Everyone had been doing fine when they left the spring camp, maybe it was just being so near the mountains. Last summer had been rather tense, too, but things evened out as time went on. Maybe everyone just went a little crazy when it was too hot...

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Quince was rather surprised by the timid nature of Jinjekkai when he addressed him as M'Lord and continued to speak in a rather formal way. He was only two years older than the three leaders in the room so why did they act like he was more of a leader than they were? For heavens sake! he hadn't even chosen another Beta yet after the last two died off...which was at least four months ago? Five? It could even be a year for all Quince was concerned. He didn't much like having young Beta's and most of his pack were younglings after all with only a few older than ten. Even then, none of them were as wise as this Jinjekkai seemed to be.

 

It was interesting to hear him speak though as he placed a high amount of diplomacy on the entire subject and how he placed his idea as the solution. A great speaker if he wasn't so nervous over the entire thing.

 

Quince looked at his mate who was looking at him, but standing still since for some odd reason, her personality only made her yippy skippy or lets tear your guts out. It was odd with the contrast of their personalities, and he wished that he had such a pair in his own pack, but none were to be found as of late.

 

When Jinjekkai was finished speaking, Quince nodded an affirmative as well. "You seem to already have it though out...and well versed as well." he said in his kind voice ((Think of Ryan Reynolds' voice)).

 

Xylia sat up taller and with pride as Quince complimented her mate. He made her so proud all of the time becuase of his wonderful skills with words and people and just about everything. There was nothing in the world that would disappoint her about him, ever....except for that blasted night watch.

 

Quince looked at the scouts up near the edge of the mountain and could see them watching the meeting going on and eyeing the food. He turned away from the group momentarily and stared at them head on until they went into their den. "Please Jinjekkai. I have no betas as of yet to offer such advice, and it would really be welcomed." he said almost pleadingly. After being an Alpha for a year without a beta to his name, he was a little lost on ideas.

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Jin bowed his head at Quince's praising, it was not something to be taken lightly coming from an Alpha. He nodded once more to both of them and then began.

 

"I know it is important to keep the two packs separated, to prevent fights and keep some level of territory it's completely necessary. I think it's even a good thing that the two camps are somewhat divided. However, it is this division between the packs that is causing these problems." Jin paused for a moment and looked to Xylia, her form radiated how proud she was of him, and also her frustration, which he knew referred to his long nights, and unfortunately this proposition would only make them longer... at least at first.

 

"I propose that we split the packs completely." He paused for a moment to allow the idea to sink in. "The way things were before. Either that, or become one pack and make no distinction between us. I know we already mix our hunters and warriors and even scouts, and while this was a good idea to build mutual pack respect... it's not worked well enough to overcome the sense of rivalry. I think everyone is restless, complacent since we've moved together and not had to move about our territories for food or shelter. Bored even, and when you get bored you look for things to do. Naturally our rank order determines who is in charge, but when it comes down to a Southern Gamma telling a Northern Gamma what to do, or vice versa, there's no rule to follow, and so a fight breaks out, that's just one example and I see it happen a lot." Jin paused again, not wanting to continue speaking and overloading everyone with information. It was all easy enough for him to keep track of, he'd come up with the idea some weeks ago and formed a plan to the point that he was confident in presenting it to Char, and consequently also to Quince.

 

"The fact that we're so close together is what's tearing us apart right now. We insist on being separate but by choice choose to live and work in such close quarters that the tension between those two ideas causes constant conflict. I don't think either pack sees the other as enemies and that's not what I'm suggesting. However, I am suggesting that there are too many of us in one place. Even I feel antsy with so many of us around to keep track of to compare rank to, everything. ." He nodded once, "I know unity between the packs is something that we all value highly. But even I remember why we came together in the first place and that's all changed. Winters have been warmer and prey is abundant, we no longer need such great numbers to survive. Numbers have always determined how a pack operates, too many and the pack splits, too few and packs come together. Both of these things, splitting, and coming together, benefit the pack in the proper times. I humbly submit that now, if not soon, is the time to split once more. ."

 

He lowered his tail, indicating that he was done speaking. Now he waited to see what they would think. It sounded like a good plan in his head, he'd even talked about it briefly with Xylia, but the two of them agreed on most everything so that wasn't really a good measurement. From what he saw everyone was becoming restless, there wasn't enough to do that needed being done. And when wolves became restless they fought for rank, they fought out of boredom, and they became easily irritated and whiny.

 

He turned and stared at Xylia, taking in her strong presence for support. Talking to the alphas always made him nervous, he was constantly aware of his age and lack of experience. He'd only been a Beta for two months and respect wasn't something that wasn't given based on rank, respect was earned. And it was hard to earn.

Edited by Rakashua

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(Sorry to post this in the IC thread, but... Rakashua? That's how things started out xd.png I'm very sorry if I didn't make that clear in the beginning, I really tried to. But the packs are on the same territory, and the higher ups- Alphas, Betas and Gammas- are already mingled fairly well. They would've been training with each other for the past couple of years this has been going on.

 

The friendly competition idea can still stand without issue though smile.gif)

Edited by Dr. Paine

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user posted image

 

 

Both dark eyes studied Char when the female Alpha jerked in surprise. Did I startle her? Lucifer thought, slightly raising one brow with a hint of incredulity. Her ears moved forwards as the Northern Queen spoke, and again the chalk-white wolf bowed her head in respect and obedience. Lucifer wasn't much of a hunting wolf. Though she knew the dynamics and could perform them well enough, the social aspect to the game was lost on her. She would try, however, for their sakes. Lucifer certainly did not want to make a fool out of herself by racing ahead and doing the work by herself. Besides, if she heard right earlier, horses would be their targets, and even with Lucifer's great size and strength, she highly doubted she could fell one of those creatures by herself. This hunt would serve as a learning opportunity for the princess, and so she nodded and answered in her quiet, yet oddly firm voice, "Of course my Lady, I will do as you wish."

 

A new figure approached out of the corner of Lucifer's vision and she tilted her head slightly to glance backwards. Like most of the wolves besides those of high rank, his face was new and unfamiliar to her, despite having lived in those parts for a while already. Lucifer's solitary habits led her to forget names as they were introduced, unless of course, she had a reason to remember them. She almost thought the boy smelled something like fire or smoke, but blinked and retracted her glance from his young body to glance at the Queen and her Lady. It was then that she saw a male wolf approaching, someone she was able to recognize steadily as the the Lord. Guessing from his reaction to the winged wolf, Lucifer realized she must have been his wife. Her cobalt eyes traveled between the two, watching the display of affection with a blank and expressionless facade. How, she wondered, did two wolves end up in that position? Having never had any close relationship with any creature besides her old mentor, Lucifer could hardly fathom love or adoration. She saw it, but did not understand it. Did she envy them, those wolves who were capable of such close bonds? Perhaps. But it was not in her nature to acknowledge such pitiful emotions, nor would she pine over the non-existent male with the non-existent feelings towards herself. Silently, Lucifer dropped her gaze from them, her stoic carriage leaving her to appear absolutely pristine and cold.

 

Upon Quince's arrival, Lucifer dipped her muzzle towards him and moved closer to where he sat. She had been sandwiched between Northern Wolves and felt the need to be placed where there was more familiarity. Not that she minded being close to Char, the ivory wolf found she quite liked the Queen's presence. However, Lucifer was a creature loyal to her duties, and she knew of Quince's rule first, and thus answered to him. It would take her a while to figure out how to balance her priorities between the two Alphas. Rationally, she knew that they were equal in power and importance, and that she would obey commands by both parties without hesitation or protest. Quince had already earned her respect in that aspect, and Char was well on her way to doing the same. The Betas, however, might present difficulties. Lucifer didn't know much about them, thus her opinion had not even formed yet. She glanced back at the Northern Betas, making a quick sweep over their physical features. Obviously the female could fly, but her mate... Lucifer's eyes lingered on him a little longer, trying to pick out something unusual. The biggest indicator was his eyes, but other than that, Lucifer found nothing of use to note.

 

The white wolf stood a little bit to the side and back of Quince, listening to the conversation with a quiet, stone-like mannerism. Fights? Disputes? Sure, she had noted some tension and competition, but nothing really moreso than what occurred in their packs when they were normally separate. Perhaps I really am more secluded than I thought, she mused, staring directly at the seemingly-blind Lord's face as he spoke. She was curious of this plan of his, and before realizing her mistake, asked in a low, strangely stern voice, "And so we part based on the observation that others are not quite used to each other yet? What reasoning is this? It should have been expected that not all wolves be completely comfortable at first. Have you not seen the progress, the friendships that have thus since formed? Have you forgotten we formed together for a reason?" As her words rung out, the white wolf appeared to recognize the stumble and pursed her lips, but her gaze did not waver from the faces of her higher-ups and she offered no apology towards the Northern Lord.

 

Edited by Shiny Hazard Sign

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