Wildwood Dogs - Extra Information

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Ah, I see you've wandered over to the "extra information" thread. Here's the place to get to know the universe that the Wildwood Pack inhabits, familiarize yourself with Pack traditions, get to know the local flora and fauna, and more.

Here, you can find the following (in order):

Pack Lifestyle & Rules // Territory & Camp // Flora & Fauna // Pack History

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QUICK LINKS

Sign-Up & Resources Thread // Roleplaying Thread

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Wildwood Pack Rules

I. Defend and protect the Pack with your life. Do not let outside ties shake your loyalty to the Pack, lest you face repercussions.

II. Borders and territory are to be patrolled regularly. If any traces of trouble are found, you must report them to a high rank immediately so they can be dealt with accordingly.

III. Physically attacking a Packmate will result in punishment from demotion to execution, depending on the severity of the perpetrator's crime.

IV. Pups must be at least 4 moons old to begin their training. Trainees must be at least 8 moons old to become full members of the Pack. The safety of the young is of utmost importance.

V. Should it be found that a Commander is underperforming, one of their Seconds may challenge them for the position, given they have the backing of at least a third of the Pack. Any valid challenge issued against a Commander must be resolved in a nonlethal fight for the position. If the reigning Commander wins, they stay in the position and may deal with the traitorous Second accordingly. If the Second wins, they become the new Commander and may deal with the dethroned Commander accordingly.

VI. Follow the Commander's word, as it is law, unless it directly violates Pack rules.

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Wildwood Pack Lifestyle


RANKS & THEIR DUTIES

High Ranks

Commander: The backbone of the pack, this canine is ultimately responsible for all decisions. The well-being of the pack falls on them, with help from the other ranks of course. However, should something go awry, the commander is nearly always in charge of fixing things.
Responsibilities: Monitoring outsider joining, holding pack meetings & doing ceremonies in a timely manner, ensuring the safety of the pack, staying on top of current events.

Second(s): Typically, two or even three canines fill this role. They are the commander's closest confidants, usually handpicked by them and responsible for important facets of pack life that the commander may not have time for. In the absence of a commander, the pack decides which of the seconds to promote. Responsibilities may be taken care of by all seconds, or, more commonly, are split between them.
Responsibilities: Sending hunting & border patrols regularly, monitoring the prey stores, checking in with trainers and trainees, teaching trainees whenever a trainer is slacking, ensuring the safety of the pack, staying on top of current events.

Healer(s): Again, usually there are multiple canines in this role (up to three in necessary scenarios), but with small packs this rank is usually taken only by one. The rank expands if and/or when the current healer decides to take on a trainee. They are responsible for the health and well-being of the pack; lives depend on their competence. Typically handpicked by the commander. Pups and young trainees cannot be healers alone.
Responsibilities: Sending herb patrols regularly, monitoring the herb stores, healing the sick and wounded, caring for the retirees, advising the commander and seconds when needed.

Other Ranks

Members: After finishing training, a canine becomes a regular member of the pack. Nothing too special here, though having a strong rank of members can be the difference between a stable pack and one that's falling apart at the seams.
Responsibilities: Hunting and patrolling when assigned, defending the pack from threats, teaching trainees, looking after queens and pups.

Trainees: This rank is achieved by pups at the age of four moons or by outsiders after at least a half moon in the pack. These canines are learning the ways of the pack, and thus have fewer responsibilities than members. However, they are crucial to the overall health of a growing pack.
Responsibilities: Hunting and patrolling when assigned, training.

Queens: Bringers of life, queens are well respected within the pack. From around a half-moon before giving birth to three moons after, queens are allowed and expected to stay with their pups. They are exempt from all of the typical member duties. Some queens choose to stay with their pups until they are four moons old and are promoted to trainees.
Responsibilities: Raising pups, instilling good values in the young.

Pups: The future of the pack, pups are cherished by most, despite their... possibly annoying tendencies. Everyone was a pup once, after all.
Responsibilities: Grow up strong and healthy, try not to cause too much trouble.

Retirees: Few canines make it to this rank. Retirees are exempt from member duties and honored for their service to the pack. Members must earn their place as a retiree through hard work and dedication to the pack throughout their lifetime.
Responsibilities: Relax, enjoy retirement.

Outsiders: After being accepted into the pack, outsiders must spend half a moon confined to camp. During this time, they are expected to prove their dedication by performing undesirable yet necessary tasks. The commander may extend this waiting period if they deem it necessary, or kick the outsider out of the pack altogether if they are not a good fit.
Responsibilities: Caring for queens and pups, looking after retirees, cleaning dens, generally unfavorable camp tasks.

NAMING

When a pup is born, or when an outsider enters the pack, they are given a one-word name (ex. Fire, Butterfly, Blister). They keep this name until they are at least four months old, or have been with the pack for half a moon in the case of an outsider. These "single-namers" are not allowed out of camp and have the least freedom of the pack's ranks.

Upon receiving a mentor, a trainee will be given a suffix. This suffix will be the second part of name of their mentor (ex. Fire is training under Stone Fang, so Fire's new name is Fire Fang). If a mentor dies or goes missing, the trainee's name changes again once they are reassigned a new mentor* (ex. Fire Fang's mentor has died. Upon being assigned to Flower Petal, their new name is Fire Petal). *Exceptions may be made in rare cases at the commander's discretion.

After completing their training, a trainee has the opportunity to choose the second part of their name. Prefixes may be altered slightly if the canine wishes (pluralizing the prefix, adding an -ing or -'s, etc.) While a handful keep the same suffix as their mentor, most have spent moons by this point thinking of their full name. Choosing a name is a sign of maturity and independence within the pack, and keeping the suffix of one's trainer is generally frowned upon or seen as weak. This is the name they will keep for the rest of their life.

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Territory

The Wildwood Pack occupies a rather large swath of territory, consisting mostly of prairie. It does include a bit of forest on its eastern border, though, and a small lake and stream on its southwest. This allows for an overabundance of diversity when it comes to both flora and fauna, letting each canine pick where they most like to hunt and spend their free time. The Pack experiences all four seasons, with hot summers and cold winters.

The following are the four notable landmarks of the Wildwood Pack’s territory.


Whispering Woods: The unofficial name for the forest that borders the Pack’s territory. The origins of the name are unknown. Some believe it’s because of the way the wind quiets when a dog enters and whispers through the leaves. Others believe there may be something more spiritual and ethereal behind the name. Either way, it’s a place with plentiful prey, though larger predators tend to prefer the shelter of the trees, too.

Clover’s Lake: Named after a commander in the Pack’s history, this small lake (alongside its stream) crosses into Wildwood Pack territory in one of its corners. Though it’s a bit of a trek from most other landmarks, many canines enjoy coming here in the summer, whether to fish or just to splash around and cool off. A small man-made bridge spans one part of the stream, allowing for easy crossing.

Lonely Sycamore: In the sparse grassy prairie, it was a surprise to discover a single tree standing alone over the plains. It stands tall and proud despite the conditions it lives in, and the territory’s settlers took it as a sign they, too, could survive. Therefore, it was dubbed the Pack’s first landmark. Though it may be lonely, that single sycamore has remained a symbol of survivability to the Pack. Many canines travel here to sit and reflect and grow closer to their ancestors.

Training Hill: The tallest point in the territory, this gentle slope is perfect for running, sparring, hunting, and watching over the territory. Many members take their trainees here to get a good scope of the territory. Others use the spot as a lookout spot of sorts, keeping an eye on the three borders they can see (the only one not seen is the border overtaken by the Whispering Woods). There are plenty of medicinal plants as well, so healers may opt to take their own trainees here to identify them.

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Camp

The Wildwood Pack's camp is tucked between the gentle slopes of the grassland. It is thought that a lake or pond once resided here, as there is a large chunk of land carved from one of the hills. The shelter that this provides is crucial to the Packs' survival. Notable features include a small stream that runs through the camp, a large jutting stone called the "Meeting Rock" where Pack meetings are called, and a limited series of tunnels for pups and young trainees to wiggle around in; big enough to be fun to explore, but not too big so that pups get lost.

Each den has been dug into the hills, save for two exceptions. The first is the Leader's den, which has been dug out under the Meeting Rock. It, alongside the Rock, sits near the center of camp, so that the Commander and their Seconds who all reside in there can be on their paws quickly if anything happens in camp. The second exception is the nursery, which is partially made from the remnants of a great fallen tree. It, too, is dug back a small bit into the hills, but allowing the pups to get some sunlight in the safety of the nursery has proven extremely beneficial. Otherwise, all other dens -- the trainee's, member's, retiree's, and healer's dens -- have been hollowed out from the hills, carefully and methodically.

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Plants

HERBS

WIP

NON-MEDICINAL

WIP

TREES

elm, hazelnut, hickory, locust, oak, mulberry, maple, walnut, willow, dogwood, beech, cottonwood, hackberry, crab apple, osage orange, pine

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Animals

PREY

opossum, mole, shrew, woodchuck, vole, mouse, muskrat, squirrel, chipmunk, rabbit, bison, deer, duck, pheasant, turkey, quail, cormorant, plover, sandpiper, gull, pigeon/dove, hummingbird, woodpecker, shrike, jay, crow, lark, swallow, chickadee, wren, bluebird, thrush, robin, starling, warbler, sparrow, cardinal, finch, blackbird, turtle, lizard, salamander, frog, dace, carp, chub, minnow, catfish, bass, sunfish, darter, shiner, bullhead

PREDATORS

coyote, bobcat, badger, fox, heron, osprey, eagle, hawk, kestrel, falcon

BOTH

beaver, bat, feral cat, otter, skunk, weasel, mink, raccoon, goose, swan, vulture, crane, owl, snapping turtle, snake, lamprey

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Wildwood Pack History

The Founding

The Wildwood Pack wasn’t always what it is today. In fact, it started out as nothing but a ragtag group of strays looking out for one another in the dangerous city streets. This group of mangy strays affectionately nicknamed themselves “The Alley Dogs”. Their partnership formed from strong bonds of friendship, allowing them to trust each other when they could trust nothing else. At the head of this group was the Wildwood Pack’s first commander, a German Shepherd by the name of Oliver. He never took on the title of commander, as that idea would come later in the pack’s history. But he was the one who had the most experience, advised the younger dogs, and ultimately made most of the decisions.

During Oliver’s time, word of the group spread far and wide. All sorts of dogs from all across the city came, seeking shelter, stability, and even simple company. Oliver, with his kind heart, rarely turned anyone away. And so, the group grew from just a pawful to several dozens over the first two years of its lifetime. The group was disorganized and messy, but all still had their needs met; Oliver saw no reason to change the status quo after so long. Of course, it didn’t help that the fur around his muzzle had been graying for some time; the old dog was set in his ways as long as they worked. And so, the pack kept growing and things stayed the same until he died peacefully in his sleep.

Ebony’s Reign

When Oliver was found dead, there were howls and cries of mourning for days to follow. The operations of the group were at a standstill as all grieved the death of their leader. Things couldn’t stay stagnant forever, though; someone had to step up. Ultimately, the burden of leadership fell on the shoulders of one of the original founders, a Bernese Mountain Dog named Ebony. He was younger than Oliver by a few seasons, though his joints were still beginning to ache. He knew he couldn’t lead alone, and couldn’t lead a disorganized mess of a group.

After a lot of trouble, Ebony managed to call the group together and implemented a primitive version of the rank system that the Wildwood Pack uses today. Ebony implemented the high ranks, naming himself Commander. He handpicked two to help him, a border collie named Maxwell and a blue heeler named Clover. These were his Seconds. He also introduced an official Healer role; before this, some had specialized in the few herbs they had found flourishing in gardens and sprouting up between cracks in the asphalt. Some relied on human healers, though humans were fickle. There was no guarantee that a dog would be back after being healed by a human. So, Ebony wished to pool all the herb knowledge they had into one or two canines to eliminate this threat.

Things went a bit smoother for a season, but at a certain point, there were just too many dogs in the pack. Food was growing scarce, they had to fight other dogs for land, and humans, as always, presented a threat. Despite pleas to move, Ebony and some of the older dogs were conflicted. Ebony himself was struggling to differentiate Oliver’s vision from what was best for the pack as a whole. Ultimately, he put his paw down; the Alley Dogs would stay in the city.

Breaking Point

Many were killed due to Ebony’s decision, and just a few moons after it happened was the breaking point. One of Ebony’s seconds, Clover, finally stood up and challenged him. She was younger, less experienced, but could see clearly the devastation that Ebony’s choice had caused. Ebony fought back, desperate to hold onto the Commander position only because of his attachment to Oliver. After a short fight, though, Clover was clearly the victor. Ebony limped off to the Healers, and Clover spread the word that the pack would be gathering to leave the city in five days. During this time, she sent healthy dogs as scouts all over the city to see which way they should go. Most reported finding nothing but more city, but a pawful found a nice forest to settle potentially. That was more than enough for Clover. After gathering the large pack and making sure the vulnerable were able to make the journey, Clover and most of the pack departed.

The journey was grueling. Many of the dogs were half-starved, trying to make what little they had work. Most food went to the sick and injured that decided to journey. During the trip, when the pack finally made it to the outskirts of the city, Clover named her Seconds, two dogs who had shown great courage and overcame obstacles during the journey. Maxwell, one of Ebony’s Seconds, stepped down to make room for Clover’s choices: a Siberian husky named Luna, and a golden labrador named Penny. Luna was put in charge of gathering resources, while Penny was tasked with making sure all the dogs were accounted for and taken care of. This was the very first instance of the Seconds having separate, but equally important, duties.

Just a few days after officially leaving the city, the former Alley Dogs settled down in a forest southeast of their old home. The prey was plentiful, though the learning curve was steep. It was a good thing the pack settled in during the late spring months, otherwise, their fates may have been far more gruesome. The forest wasn’t a permanent home, though. Angry badgers and coyotes made that clear. That, and the pack just couldn’t find a spot to settle in. Ebony, now an old dog, vocally argued to go back to the city during every pack meeting Clover held. As time wore on, more dogs joined his cause until he had a pawful of supporters. Dissent was brewing.

A New Life

After a season, at the beginning of autumn, Clover opted to send more scouts out to find a new place to settle. They were ordered to look for around a moon; during this time, the leaves began to turn and prey became more scarce. Ebony’s followers used this fact to their advantage. After all, scavenging in the city never varied with the seasons this much. Finally, when it seemed it was all about to boil over, the scouts returned. They reported finding little; Clover’s ears flattened as she heard. Finally, the last round of scouts returned. They wore smiles and couldn’t stop their tails from wagging as they spilled the good news: they found the perfect place! A small clearing in a grassland with immense potential, enough to house the whole pack and then some. Not only this but there was a stream and a pond nearby as well. Fresh water was a surprisingly scarce resource in the wild. Clover practically leaped for joy and readied the pack to leave the very next day.

Thankfully, the journey to their permanent home was just a few days long. As they traveled, they found more prey, too; it turned out that overhunting was a factor causing the prey scarcity. Finally, after far too long, the pack settled into their permanent camp. Over the next season, under Clover and her Seconds’ careful watch, the pack thrived. Dens were built and dug out, landmarks were found, one even named after Clover herself, despite her protests. Ebony’s followers fell into line, abandoning the old dog. He died as the pack settled, seeing it at its strongest point. Dogs worked together seamlessly, sharing the same goal and making sure all were taken care of. On his deathbed, Ebony finally admitted he was wrong and asked for forgiveness. Some decided to let bygones be bygones, but most refused. His inaction had led to the deaths of many loved ones, after all.

When the first snow fell, and the pack was mostly settled, Clover stepped down as Commander. This took the pack by surprise, as she’d been the best Commander by far in the pack’s short history. Clover admitted that she’d never wanted to lead, and even being a Second under Ebony had been pushing things. But she couldn’t stand by and let her pack be destroyed. And so, with a final bittersweet speech, Luna was named the new Commander of the pack.

Changing Seasons, Changing Pack

As the autumn season came to a close, Luna appointed one Second, a pitbull named Violet. Luckily for Luna, Violet, and the fledgling pack, their first winter was rather mild. They had to adapt quickly, but once they learned how to hunt and travel among the ice and snow, the dogs thrived. During this time, some dogs preferred the convenience and closeness of hunting among the tall grasses, while others were satisfied making the short trek to what is now called the Whispering Woods in order to use the forest hunting skills they developed. There wasn’t a clear boundary for the pack’s territory yet, as their main goal was to learn the lay of the land and survive.

Once the snow melted, the pack saw great comfort and stability for a few moons. The pack’s territory was established and its landmarks named. However, with comfort comes dissent, and by the time summer was nearing its peak, many smaller dogs found themselves feeling overlooked. At first, these complaints were privately relayed to Luna. Each time, she promised she would look into it and see what she could do. Ultimately, her idea was to shed the past of the Alley Dogs and move into the future. She called a Pack meeting where a great number of things changed. The first was the name of the group. The name “Alley Dogs” was discarded, and after a short discussion, the group adopted the name “Wildwood Pack”, for their journey into the wilderness and an homage to the woods where they first took shelter.

Additionally, Luna proposed a new naming system; the one that the Pack uses today. It was left to a vote, and a majority of the dogs voted in favor of it. A select few were vocal about how they did not like the change, but were ultimately disregarded and forced to adhere to the naming conventions anyway. Luna became known as Moon Flower, and Violet as Violet Petal. To help quell the smaller dogs’ worries, Moon Flower also appointed another Second. She chose a miniature poodle named Blizzard Wind who had shown great prowess as a hunter.

Brewing Rebellion

Unfortunately, Moon Flower’s decision would prove fruitless. This ultimately did nothing to help with the smaller dogs’ feelings, and they instead directed their complaints to Blizzard Wind. At first, he tried to talk to Moon Flower, but found her dismissive and unhelpful. Instead, he began quietly fueling the growing dissent within the Pack. Blizzard Wind often talked to groups of small dogs and those dissatisfied with Moon Flower’s passive leadership under the guise of reassuring them that Moon Flower was a great Commander and that the future of the Pack was in good paws. Behind the scenes, he slowly and methodically built up a rebellion.

Though Moon Flower was often criticized as being passive, she was not blind. Summer and autumn passed, and on the surface, things seemed to stabilize. She had not received any size-related complaints in a while, and was beginning to become suspicious. The husky consulted with Violet Petal, who hadn’t received any complaints in a while either. Blizzard Wind talked to them both, reassuring them. He made sure not to reveal anything to either of them, set on getting this rebellion to happen.

The dissenters’ plan was to launch an attack on both Moon Flower and Violet Petal once the first snow fell, demanding they either step down or die. However, Moon Flower grew more and more suspicious and felt tensions grow with each passing day. Finally, as the last of the leaves were falling off the trees in the Whispering Woods, she snapped and called a Pack meeting.

The Bloodiest Day

Moon Flower wasted no time, accusing Blizzard Wind of treason in front of the entire Pack. Initially, he tried to defend himself, but the rebels who backed him were sick of waiting. It turned out he had gathered the support of nearly a third of the pack, small and big dogs alike. They were itching for a fight, snarling and barking at the rest of the gathered dogs.

Moon Flower was floored by the support that Blizzard Wind had managed to gather. She had figured if anything, she’d only have to worry about the small dogs and maybe a pawful of bigger ones. She quickly became overwhelmed at the prospect of a fight, but knew it had to happen. And so, reluctantly, she growled the order to attack the traitors. Many dogs were hesitant to attack their own, but once Blizzard Wind’s supporters threw themselves into battle, they had no choice but to fight against the dogs they had grown up alongside.

The fight was bloody and brutal, with Blizzard Wind’s forces outmatched in both number and strength. It was only after Violet Petal and Moon Flower pinned him down and threatened to kill him that Blizzard Wind told his supporters to back down. Many were tired from the fighting and did so. A remaining few still fought despite the order to stop and were either killed or ran off.

The aftermath was gruesome. Several dogs were killed on both sides and the dens were bloodied and destroyed. Moon Flower demoted Blizzard Wind, but ultimately allowed him and his supporters to stay. This was met with outrage by those who had just been targeted and nearly killed by the rebels, but Moon Flower’s decision was final. In his place, she promoted Pale Fang, a Belgian Malinois who had fought valiantly in the battle that had just ended.

As the meeting ended and the dogs went to bury the dead, a thin blanket of snow began to cover the ground.

Pale Fang’s Rise

Moon Flower, Violet Petal, and Pale Fang kept the Pack as stable as they could through a particularly harsh winter. Once it hit spring and the weather warmed up, Pale Fang challenged Moon Flower for the position of Commander. It was no surprise to those who had been watching him through the winter. He had been fed up with the way she led. The challenge was quick, and Pale Fang ended up killing Moon Flower during the battle. To this day, there are rumors in the retiree’s stories that Pale Fang broke the Pack’s Rules and killed Moon Flower on purpose.

Still bloodied and battered from the fight, the new Commander Pale Fang exiled Blizzard WInd and his followers. Many, including Blizzard Wind, left quickly and without a fight, fearing the repercussions. Those who argued against this were either exiled with them, or, in one case, killed on the spot. He also demoted Violet Petal and refused to name another Second, seeing as the pack had just lost nearly half its members.

And so, Pale Fang led the Pack with an iron paw. It was quickly established that there were no strikes. If a dog stepped out of line, they were either exiled or eliminated. Pale Fang despised weakness and refused to even give it a chance to fester in the Pack’s ranks. His cruel leadership caused many who sympathized with Blizzard Wind to leave. As the spring gave way to summer, the Pack’s ranks were thin.

Life Goes On

Despite the small size of the Pack, it thrived under Pale Fang’s leadership. Dissent was quelled before it could even stir. Problems with predators were quick to be solved. Less pack members meant less prey consumed, meaning the prey population grew exponentially and the Pack was never hungry. There were a few sightings of Blizzard Wind’s followers along the borders, asking to return to the Pack. Many said they made mistakes and just needed another chance. Pale Fang took care of this by issuing a kill-on-sight order. Many dogs who regretted their support for Blizzard Wind ended up dying to none other than Pale Fang himself, who insisted on being in nearly every border patrol from then on.

Those rebels who weren’t killed were never seen again. Pale Fang ruled alone as the Pack slowly regained its numbers. As time went on, Pale Fang’s leadership became all that most of the Pack knew. He led for a whopping eight seasons before deciding to take on a Second. He chose Blazing Sun, an Australian Shepherd, and entrusted her to the day-to-day operations of the Pack.

Pale Fang led for another full year without being challenged. His rule had done much more good than harm, in the eyes of the Pack. Though, many who were part of the Pack at this point had only heard stories of Blizzard Wind’s rebellion. In the end, Pale Fang succumbed to his injuries and died after driving out a fierce pack of coyotes that lived too close to the border.

Blazing Sun rose to power, and did not pick a Second. She had grown up under Pale Fang her entire life, and knew that his fear tactics worked. However, she wanted to ease the fear that had festered in the Pack for three years. She had heard tales of Moon Flower’s failures, though, and decidedly wanted to avoid her mistakes. Blazing Sun has ruled the pack for two seasons. There has been no need for a Second yet, as the Pack is still relatively small.