Post by Hinaezuu Atradico on Jul 5, 2011 15:17:31 GMT -5
{ S V A L E N G A R D }
...whose shadow looms taller than their mountain home...
...whose shadow looms taller than their mountain home...
The land of the Svalengard wolves lies a three-day journey directly North of the Wakan Tankan clearing, cutting a clear path to the mountain range on the horizon. Despite the massive expanses of unclaimed territory surrounding the mountains, these wolves have marked a single rock-ribbed alley through the stone as their own. A winding passage through the petrified walls leads up and through the mountain itself until it breaks to a clearing boxed in by rugged stone on all sides. At the head of this gathering space is the very heart of their strength and hope; Thalen's Tree. Dens for residents are hollowed closest to this tree and - though precious few they may be - visitors are welcomed to share those fashioned with less care that lie on the border to the walls of the mountain. The most cavernous den is the hollow beneath Thalen's Tree itself, but this is reserved for the Queen. Winter's chill is present in these lands for ten months out of the year, but the wolves who call the mountain home are accustomed to the weather and its cruelties. The dull seasons paired with the feeble collection of plant life makes Svalengard a challenging place to inhabit, but the souls of the wolves here are strong enough to endure as they have done countless years before.
{ H I S T O R Y }
...those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it...
...those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it...
The origins of this pack are not in remembrance of its living generations, though the memories of elders and ancestors have been passed from decade to decade to conceive a rather illustrious bloodline. The founding father of the pack itself is known without question to be a wolf by the name of Knakil; long-dead of course, the appearance and nature of this character has been distorted and lost to time. Those alive today prefer to remember the devotion toward their last King in a line of many - Istvan. Fealty was willingly given, lives willingly paid. Istvan was an uncommonly kind wolf who was wise though not beyond his years; sadly when he reached the age of thirteen he passed away. As a final tribute paid to their former leader, the wolves of Svalengard carried the dead King to the peak of the mountain where his lifeless body is no doubt frozen and encrusted with snow still. Without a regent, the pack was submerged into utter chaos. Many wolves lost their lives in a shameless conflict between a rabble of creatures blinded by the opportunity to seize power. Most of those who died were systematically culled by the elders who sought to defend the sentiments held most dear by Istvan, the basis on which the family was built. Only when the promise of new life was brought to the clearing did the warring wolves cease their senseless brawling. The elder wolves took pity on a young pregant female whose name has never been discovered, bringing her to the comfort of Thalen's Tree where she gave birth to a single cub - a girl. The female died shortly after bearing her child, her body thrust to the very rear of the den where it plummeted to blackness. Her bones now rest beneath the tree somewhere in the dark. Effectively now an orphan and heralded as Thalen's child, the surviving cub was named Gullveig and taken into the protection and care of selected wolves to be raised as their Queen.
{ T H E I R - W A Y }
...their hope is all that guides them...
...their hope is all that guides them...
Although the wolves of Svalengard are largely elusive, those with the odd fortune to cross ways with them have renounced them as outlandish and strange. Far be it from the pack though to adhere to the rules of outsiders; they function their own way and have faith in their own methods to guide them. The most dominant belief in the pack is a religion of sorts devoutly followed by each and every wolf. In an age unknown, it is told that the wolves of Svalengard were watched over by an ethereal human by the name of Thalen who protected them from the dangers of the world beyond their home. Offering for his wolven companions the ultimate sacrifice, Thalen was murdered by men at the base of the tree now held so sacred by the pack. In light of these tales and beliefs, Svalengard are adamant that not all is horror with humans and they hold certain aspects of them in high regard. It is this which has isolated them from their kin outwith blood. Their customs are laced with draconian ritual, but no wolf of the Svalengard pack is heartless as they may seem.
{ H I E R A R C H Y }
...you claw your way up to survive...
...you claw your way up to survive...
Queen / King - The alpha of the pack is normally decided by brute strength - challengers are routine and fights occur on a daily basis. The leader is driven to use whatever means necessary to quell the flood of opponents and for this reason the line has almost exclusively consisted of healthy males, more gifted with power and muscle. There is only ever a single King or Queen and neither one are to bear or sire children; this title must not be carried in blood for that is not how suitability is determined.
Aide - The trusted beta and the Queen's right-hand wolf, often serving as an escort on journies and also as a tag-team partner for altercations and competition.
Regent - Elected as the eldest and wisest wolf in the pack, a trusted advisor to the Queen and respected by the rest of the pack for all that they provide.
Procurer - These wolves stray from the packlands and round up potentials who have lost their way to be inducted into their family, they recognise the importance of a deep gene pool.
Cleric - Much like a lorekeeper or shaman, the clerics in the pack are there to share their cautionary tales on lorenights but also to remind the rest of the family of the stories which fuel them. These spiritual advisors are well versed in the pack religion.
Warrior - While Svalengard seldom wages war on another pack, they value and praise what their bodies can do. A warrior's strength is his pride. The more years and scars you bear, the more important you will become.
Brother / Sister - The main body of the pack consisting of all unranked inviduals, including pups and yearlings.
Initiate - A pledge or a wolf who has been procured from afar, under a period of assessment by the rest of the pack.
{ M E E T - T H E - W O L V E S }
...the key faces you will never forget...
...the key faces you will never forget...
ATSU - Warrior - A world-weary white male, bitter at not being chosen as Regent and ashamed of his son Hototo who he sees as an 'unranked disappointment'. Left mateless and barred from his title of choosing, he is quite a poisonous wolf.
FHAOLI - Procurer - A young brown male who is uncommonly kind, one of few males absent a preoccupation with sparring. Not only is he Gullveig's watcher - a personal guardian of sorts - he is also her uncle; he was the only wolf to recognise Gullveig's mother as his own sister. Although he was banned from breeding for a year because of an accident involving a few deaths, he confessed his love for Chande's daughter Faded and often lingers with her in his home or travelling.
GULLVEIG - Queen - A fiery yearling female with a grey and brown pelt rusted with copper; she has fought to survive where she is and well and truly landed on her feet. Merciless when she needs to be, loving when she wants to be - her oddness is only compounded by her strangely ethereal beauty. Her attempts to remould the pack have been a success, but she has made a conscious effort never to deviate from their original values.
HOTOTO - Brother - A white wolf with beautiful soul and a wondrous outlook on life, always searching for the goodness in things to the constant disdain of his vile sire. He was granted permission to mediate between his home and Earthensong so that he could visit his court, Dakoda.
ISRA - Cleric - A young wolfess about the age of the Queen who was founded not far off from Svalengard when she was an 11 month old pup. She is a dusted sienna wolf with black and cream accents in her mask, lining the inner of her stomach is a gnarling of a bear that had caught her before she was found. The markings as well lay out on her back right hind, in which gives her a slight limp when she walks. There is no disapproval of her ranking as Cleric, for Isra is known to spin tales on a whim even elders have trouble spinning on. She was found with a young wolf alongside her, Jessik one of her three brothers who at times is seen visiting her. Sauvra has shown his dislike for her as she has not chosen a court to have pups with as she approaches her second birthday. (She is also a crush many have for the Russian Tundra beauty is stunning to them) - Character belongs to Emelie Leroux.
SAURVA - Regent - A grizzled grey wolf with eyes like cold glass and a heart of stone. He can go through the motions of love but never lets on how much of it he actually feels; this male was Gullveig's teacher and mentor for much of her life.
SESADE - Aide - As the only other pup that was able to survive when Istvan was lost to the pack, this sienna-fringed grey wolf was one of the few allowed to grow alongside Gullveig as an equal of sorts. He is valued by her as a close friend and she finds comfort and safety in his presence; it was the Queen's idea to elevate him as Aide although Saurva remains skeptical of his worth.
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This list is reserved for the key characters only, as Svalengard is intended to be a massive pack with a large turn over of initiates who either pass out of the mountain or pass on during their trials with the pack. The wolves and backstory are very loosely based on the 'Wolves of Svalengard' stories written by me currently undergoing respective creation and tweakage - when it is published for viewing I will provide a link.
All of the characters and information - unless otherwise stated - is of my own creation and therefore copyrighted to me. If you wish to use them for any reason, please ask! Side roleplays are conducted when the mood strikes in this channel: #Thalen's_Tree
