Post by Aaricia on Aug 3, 2014 20:42:49 GMT -5
Okay so I'm kinda taking my "Pirate pack" idea and this new idea and mashing them together in one pack. The details of this pack are lengthy, if you're interested please read/skim all of them. If there's something you'd like to add/edit or something you'd like to discuss more, please talk with me. Here are some basic facts so you can get a general idea before reading through half of the description and deciding it's not for you: This pack is very ceremonial and their traditions are very important to them. In order from most to least respected it goes: Alpha male, Beta and Shaman are on the same level and may even be the same wolf, Lead Warrior and Lead Hunter, The Alpha male's sons, All other males, The alpha male's daughters, All other females. The Alpha male will not have an alpha female in the foreseeable future. Should he ever have one, she'd only be a figure head with no real power. The Alpha male can have as many mates as he wants but all other males (including the beta and shaman) are only allowed 1 unless there are special circumstances. Females will never have power within this pack. They are seen as possessions, some are more prized than others. A female's worth is dependent on her lineage and her beauty. Females can be traded to other packs for various reasons or given to males within the pack or to other packs as gifts.
And now for the explanations of a couple of important ceremonies/traditions and raiding. The pack is not yet named so anywhere you see a "______" is where the name of the pack should go.
"Courtship/Marriage/Mating"
- In _________ culture, any "marriage" or "matehood" must be either arranged by or approved by the alpha male. Should a male wish to be "married" to any female in the pack, he must present the alpha with a gift (the "bride price"). This is normally in the form of a large buck or some other large prey. Gifts are not limited to prey. They can also include the head of an enemy of the pack, or valuable items. The typical bride price is between 1 and 4 Bucks/Elk/valuable items etc. However, for one of the alpha's daughters it may be much higher. If the gifts are not accepted by the end of the day, the suitor would come to collect them, losing much face in the process. If the gifts are accepted, the "bride", the biological father and the alpha male will come to take what they'd like and the rest is distributed among immediate family members.
- It is the alpha male's decision to accept or reject the "marriage" proposal for a female.
- The alpha male may also "marry" females to males of other packs in order to solidify alliances. He may also give his own daughters as gifts to a male or a pack that he is either grateful to or especially pleased or impressed with.
-Occassionally, the alpha male will consider the wishes of a favored daughter but this is not always the case.
- If the gift was accepted by the alpha male, the female would have no say in the matter, even if she was opposed to becoming mates.
- ______ daughters are taught chastity before getting a mate. This is one of the most highly enforced rules. If there were even a rumor about a female mating out of
"wedlock" it would be taken very seriously. This is so engraned into their cultural belief system that many (not including the alpha male) will not even look directly at a member of the opposite sex that was not a family member.
-Children are given few opportunities to be alone with potential suitors. A good ______ daughter would never let herself get in a situation where she was alone with a male.
- _____ females are usually "married" shortly after reaching sexual maturity. Males, however, are expected to participate in one or more successful wars or raids to prove their valor and courage before they are considered worthy of a mate. The average male is much older than his female mate.
- Older females might also be aquired as mates when/if their spouse is killed. The brother of the deceased is expected to marry his brother's widow. If there is more than one eligable brother (IE. one who has completed one or more war parties or raids) then the widow will go to the oldest un-mated brother. If all brothers are mated, she will go to the oldest. This is the only time where a male (other than the alpha) will be allowed to have more than one mate.
- Occasionally, a "divorced" wolf will be allowed to re-"marry", but this is rare as it's not socially acceptable to be "divorced." Well, it is accepted to be "divorced" but the wolves who got the divorce will be expected to stay single for the rest of their lives. Those who are allowed to re-marry are often cast as omegas or kicked out of the pack.
- The ______ male has only a few acceptable ways to court a female that he hopes to be his bride. If a ______ male has his eye on a particular female, he may go to the Shaman and ask for a Love Potion* to influence her to fall in love with him. However, this is a very powerful medicine and if he doesn't handel it properly, or misuses it, it could make him very sick. Elks are closely associated with sexual prowess, courtship rituals, and love potions, as well as a secret combination of sacred herbs and the intertwined hair from the male's head and from the head of the female he is interested in.
- A _____ male interested in courting may sing a love song within hearing distance of the female's family resting place. If the female is interested, she would come out of her den to listen, perhaps sneaking a sideways glance in his direction but not making direct contact. If she was not interested, she'd ignore his song and stay inside until he left.
- If a female is interested in a particular young male, and was of marrying age, she might stand outside the den, under close supervision of the alpha male, standing as submissively and as modestly as she could. When the male approached, she would lift her tail and expose her most private area. If he accepted the invitation, he would put his nose under her rump. It shows his intention of courting her for marriage, and perparations begin.
- The next morning after the proposal has been accepted, the marriage festival begins. This consits of feasting and the performance of a dance in which only the females take part. In this dance, the females and children form a large circle in the center of which four or five singers begin howling in beautiful harmony while others are passing out portions of meat for those composing the circle. When females are finished with their portions, they join the dancers within the circle and dance until they are weary and then fall back to the circle in a sitting posture to rest and eat again. This dance continues the whole day. As the late afternoon approaches, the betrothed couple, accompanied by a number of friends, visit their new sleeping area and make an inspection of the premises and visit until the alpha male arrives on the scene and announces that the hour of proclaiming thier marriage has arrived.
-Next, four warriors spread an animal hide by each taking a corner (normally a large buck, an elk or other large game animal). The betrothed couple stands under while the remainder of the party formes a line in the rear. The Shaman takes the lead and gives the order to march.
-The four warriors, each holding a corner of the animal hide in their mouth, march through the territory while the alpha male is arrayed in paint (made by the Shaman) and feathers, loudly proclaims the nuptial knot and sounds the praises of the happy pair.
- The ceremony is not concluded until near sundown, the progress of the march being continually interrupted by the proffered congratulations of friends.
-After the pageant ends, the couple separate but, when night begins to spread over the territory, the "groom" will go to his new sleeping area. Shortly afterwards, his closest friends begin to assemble, and, as darkness falls, a small procession composed entirely of females approaches the den while singing. These are the personal friends and relatives of the bride and they are carrying her on their backs. They enter the dens and drop her off at the feet of her new mate. He then strikes her and exclaims "You are mine" or some variation of that. This ends the ceremony and the new "wife" begins her household duities by splitting up what's left of the feast to their mutual friends, who remain with the couple and spend the evening with them.
* Love potion does not actually work but it is believed to work by the pack.
Raids:
Raids are not uncommon. However, the style and outcome of these raids are extremely varied. Some are very violent and involve masses of wolves while others are done more secretively and on individual levels. The latter is normally the case when a male is looking to become eligable for a mate. Some victims of raids are subjected to brutal treatment while others are allowed to live peacefully. Many of these raids result in the abduction of a member of another pack. However, this is not the only reason to raid. Sometimes it's for food, supplies or herbs.
They often wait out and time these raids to gain the most for themselves. They would wait for the males to go out to their jobs or until the pack was in bed, asleep for the night. The idea is to avoid the males, or at least catch them off gaurd, as they are the greatest risk to the raiders. At night, they have the advantage of a sneak approach. Mostly it's females and pups who are taken as hostigaes but males are not entirely excluded. Sometimes hostigages are used for ransom. Should a fight begin, it isn't uncommon for wolves from both sides to be either severely injured or killed.
Adult females and pups under the age of 2 are most likely to survive raids and captivity. Some captives even refuse to be ransomed and choose to live among the _______ pack. Normally, the pack will accept such wolves as one of their own but betray them, and you'll be sorry. Other captives, should the ransom be payed, are allowed to return home to their pack or what's left of them. Many are scared for life but other are able to go on to be productive members of society.
Coming of Age:
- Four days after a female goes into heat for the first time, she is separated from the rest of the pack. The adult females of the pack come to feed, bathe, teach and often rename the girl(s) and guide her/them in the rituals of self-reliance like gathering their own medicines, preparing their own ceremonial foods and keeping their sleeping area clean. During this time, the female(s) are not allowed to hunt or find water for themselves. Those duties fell upon the adult females of the pack.
- This ceremony is held to purify the female(s) in preparation for becoming an adult and bearing pups. The Shaman conducts the ceremony.
- On the day of the ceremony, sweetgrass is sun-dried and turned to powder. It is used to purify all the ceremonial objects by dusting them with the powder. The powder is then blown in the face of each female participating in the ceremony. The remaining powder is blown in all four directions and to the earth. A prayer is then offered up to The Great Spirit to the four directions and to the earth.
-In the ceremony a buffalo/elk/buck skull is a central object. It is colored with red "paint" made by the Shaman. Cherries and water are both placed before the skull. Angelica is spread in the shape of an X and blue "paint" made by the Shaman is also put on display to symbolize the earth and the sky coming together.
- The Shaman then gives the female(s) a peice of buffalo/elk/buck meat. The water and cherries are passed to members of her immediate family (mother, father, full siblings). A feast is held. The pack believes that the goodness and holiness that comes to the young female(s) during this ceremony spreads to the whole pack.
- When a male first turns two years old, he begins his coming of age. First, the male must pass his first hunt. He may have hunted before as practice but none of those hunts would count. It only counts if it is on or after his second birthday. He must inform the alpha male and lead hunter that he is attempting the hunt before leaving. He must kill either a buffalo, an elk or a deer. The gender of the prey is irrelevant but it is more impressive if the male brings down a buck. If he passes this hunt, the pack celebrates with a feast of the animal he just killed. If he fails, he must try again in a couple of months.
- At three years old, he must go on a "vision quest." This is where the young male leaves the pack territory and lives on his own for 3-4 days. He may not brings anything or anyone with him. The purpose of this is for the young male to search within himself and find his true purpose and power. These quests are taken very seriously.
- At any point during the year wait between the first hunt and the vision quest, a male may choose to complete the third requirement or they may wait until after the vision quest. The third requirement is that they must either fight in a battle with another pack (should a war be going) or they must successfully complete a raid of another pack. They will not be expected to bring back hostages however, they may if they feel comfortable. That kind of boldness may get a male one of the "better" females but it will also endanger his life.
- After all three requirements are completed, the male is officially "of age" and is eligible for a mate.
- Though the _____ pack are great warriors, family is at the center of their lives. Children, sometimes called "Wakanisha" meaning "sacred", are at the center of attention.
- Females are the most respected just after coming of age and before having a mate. This is the time when all eyes are on them.
- When pups are born, it's a very big deal within the pack. The celebration could last up to 4 days. Pups are never given official names when they are born. Instead, they are given nicknames. They get their official names once they come of age and gain full entrance into the pack.
- Pups rarely get punished harshly. It's punishment enough to get a stern look. If they were really bad, they might get scolded in front of the whole pack, but that is rare. It's rare for ______ pups to be bad. It's embarrassing to be punished. Having to punish their children brings shame to the mother and father.
- Males are taught to hunt or fight by their fathers. Females are taught their place and duties by their mothers.
Punishment:
Believe it or not, the______ pack has very little crime. Most of the members obey the laws without issue but for those who decide that they are too good to follow the law, there are punishments. This is not an exhaustive list of all punishments for every crime imaginable. These are just a few for the more common ones.
- Murder: It is strictly forbidden to kill other members of the _____ pack and their allies. It is highly frowned upon to kill loners. The only situation where murder is acceptable is on a raid. If a wolf is convicted of murder, one of the following things will happen. 1). They will be kicked out of the pack and left to live on their own. All allied packs will be informed and instructed not to allow said wolf to join any of their packs. 2). They will have to make restitution for their crime by taking the place of the dearly departed. Normally, they are so happy not to be kicked out that they become the best family members of all. 3.) They are demoted to Omega and sentenced to a life of disrespect.
- Adultery: When a female cheats on her "husband", the tip of her nose is cut off. Though a male is allowed more than one mate (under special circumstances), if he is caught cheating, his punishment is disfigurement.
- Stealing: This is almost unheard of within the pack. However, should something be taken from one wolf by another, that wolf must make restitution with the victim by supplying the victim with everything he needs for a year.
To wrap up this "section" of information, I want to make one more comment. There is very little crime within the _____ pack and also no poverty. Yes, there are some who are better off than others as one always has more successful individuals in any society but no one goes without a meal. No one is left out when there is food to be had regardless of your social stature.
"The Meaning of Colors"
In the ____ pack, color is important and certain colors represent certain things. Below is a list of important colors and what they mean for the pack.
Black: Victory, Success, Power, Aggression, Strength.
Red: Faith, Beauty, Happiness, War, Blood, Violence, Energy.
White: Sharing, Peace, Purity, Light, Mourning.
Yellow/Orange: Intellect, Determination, Willingness to fight to the death.
Green: Nature, Harmony, Healing, Endurance, Vision.
Blue: Wisdom, Intuition, Confidence.
Purple: A sacred color that symbolizes power, mystery and magic.
Any of those color could mean any of the things listed behind them. As an example of how one would use this knowledge would be: If a character was sick and your character wanted to wish them health, they might bring the sick wolf something that was green.
"The Meaning of Animals"
Yes, animals actually mean something to the ____ pack and they mean something more than just their next meal.
Alligator: emotional understanding, cleansing & Spiritual Healing
Badger: boldness, is outgoing and a good communicator
Bat: rebirth and is regarded as a Guardian of the Night
Bear: courage, physical strength and leadership
Beaver: resourcefulness determination and a strong-will
Bobcat: independence, clear vision and self-reliance
Buffalo: the sacred, life, great strength, abundance and gratitude
Butterfly: transformation
Cow: contentment, fertility and nourishment
Cougar: power, leadership, humility and encourages responsibility for life
Coyote: cunning, stealth and humor
Deer: compassion, grace and survival
Dragonfly: happiness, speed and purity
Eagle: the divine spirit, creation and freedom
Elk: bravery, agility and independence. Note: elk are also viewed as symbols of sexual prowess.
Frog: cleansing, sensitivity adaptability and transformation
Fox: anticipation, observation and stealth
Should this pack come to life, I will be playing the alpha male but all other positions are open.
Alpha Male: Kuruk
Beta Male: Open
Shaman: Thanatos
Lead Warrior:Open
Lead Hunter:Open
Gatherer: Open
Warriors:Open
Hunters:Open
Subordinate: Luna's Character
Omega: This rank is open to females and males.
Other interested characters: Pinecone's character
This Nova character can help my wolf grow up, and try to constantly show her the ways of the pack [or help her fight against it] and my character can see her as mother/aunt/etc. material. Dunno. :] I was planning her to be either pure white or any other remarkable color, so that males will go like, "it's such a pity that such a gorgeous female is like that." :3
