General Attributes (All Wolves) ~ Hierarchy & Roles ~ Mateship & Breeding
Wolf Specifics:
Being as the "base creature" type played in Paragon is that of a grey wolf that has been enhanced by the elements; each wolf will have similar body, age, and even personality specifics that do not change "en masse" from element to element. One could play either a very scrawny fire wolf or a very buff fire wolf, and so on for each element type. It is truly up to the player; however, all must stay within the listed specifics listed below!
Dimensions: (height, weight, composition)
It is possible to have slightly smaller or slightly larger specimens, however, deviations may not exceed a minimum of 24 inches or a maximum of 40 inches. Wolves may be of any composition: short, tall, stocky, scrawny, etc. Composition and size does NOT have to do with the element type!
Adult Specifics:
For wolves aged 8 months and up!
Height: 0.6–0.9 meters (26–34 in) at the shoulder
Weight: 32–62 kilograms (70–135 lbs)
Length: 1.3–2 meters (4.5-6.5 feet) nose to tail tip
Pup Specifics:
Pups are role-played anywhere from newborn - 8 months. However, pups cannot be role-played without having either a natural parent (newborns up to 2 months REQUIRE a natural, milk-producing parent) or a foster parent to assume their care taking. Wolves under 8 months are not considered pack members, rather, subordinates of their guardians. Without a guardian or a parent, a pup would die on it's own.
Newborn - Weight is only 1 lb, no colors show on coat yet, and cannot leave the den.
1 week - Eyes open, can crawl about for short distances but not walk on their own yet. Still nursing, very faint colors start to show on coat.
2-7 weeks - Now can get up and walk around unsteadily, for distances that become longer and longer with practice. Exploring on their own is still not possible, as they lack the agility to properly get away if they are attacked.
2 months - Can now leave the den and begin to explore on their own, however must stay in their territory as they do not have memory to get back to their dens quite yet. They are still dependent on adults to get them sustenance, however, they are weaned from nursing. Generally, they eat regurgitated foods as they still have milk teeth. Bold coat colors are now showing and adult fur has started to replace the puppy "down" on the coat, as well as the elemental charms beginning to surface at the first time at this age. "Abandoned" pups, or pups that have no parents and are to be adopted by another member of a pack, can be no younger than this, otherwise they would not survive without a milk producing mother!
4 months - Are now able to leave the den and explore other territories, as they now remember the way back to their den without fail. All milk teeth by now have been replaced with adult teeth and the chewing and tearing of non-reguritated foods is possible. Puppies at this age now begin to be able to hunt small game; mice, small fish, baby rabbits and the like.
6 months - Pups can accompany and aid on hunts, as they now know how to hunt. As well, their appearances and sizes now become closer to adult like, making it difficult to distinguish a pup from an adult wolf.
8 months - Now that pups can hunt game on their own and feed themselves, they are considered an adult and must be accepted as a full member into the pack by requesting such of the Alphas. (This does not require being role-played, but you must tell your Alpha at least oocly so they can place you correctly in the pack base!)
Wolf Color Information:
In Paragon, there are three distinctions for colors of a wolf, each set of allowable colors is listed on that element's information page:
~Main colors are the base coat colors and must be at least 75% of the total color of the wolf. Main colors can be intermixed over the pelt, so long as the "sum" of the main colors equals the 75%, there is no issue with this.
~Sub colors are splotches, ear/tail/nose tips, socks, blazes, lines, fur tipping, etc. These colors can only be at most 25% of the body color, considered to be overlaid on the base coat.
~Highlight colors are gray, black, and white for all wolves. These are perhaps a singular tail tip, foot sock, face marking, body marking or some other small part of your wolf that is no more than 10% of a coat coloration.
~Wolf pelt colorations can be a mix of that element's allowed colors, but stay to the guidelines above! "Odd-colored" wolves of an element are not allowed. The pelt color is a direct reflection of the element that the wolf embodies. See the section on the Elements for more info on the focus and how the colors work!
~Eye colors are only the ones stated; however a wolf may have heterochromatic eyes; which is when each eye is a different color. A wolf *can* be blind, or scarred, which will change eyes to a cloudy white/greyish color. However, then you must be realistically role-playing the blindness!
Additional Information:
~1.5 years is considered sexual maturity for the wolves of Paragon. Breeding cannot happen prior to this age for both parents!
~Wolves can live up to 13 years in the wild, however this is rare, as usually they tend to become too old to continue to catch game and the like on their own after about 9-10 years and will slowly waste away without another wolf aiding it somehow. It is possible to role-play an older wolf, but be aware that you'll be near toothless and weak. ;)
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Hierarchy:
Alpha Female: 1 wolf
Alpha Male: 1 wolf
"The alpha wolves are not necessarily the strongest, the fastest,
or the smartest. High rank has more to do with attitude and confidence than
size or strength. Dominance also does not favor gender - either the alpha
male or the alpha female may be the overall "leader of the pack"." (Frequently
Asked Questions About Wolves. Wolf Park http://www.wolfpark.org/ )
Alphas are the leaders of the pack, what they say is law. They have the ability
to lead their pack in whichever way they see fit.
They are also the "paragon" of their particular element; and on their own lands and
on the unclaimed lands will show prowess over another wolf of a lower rank; even of a different element. Since they are always in
their element; they are so hard-core they bring the elements with them.
On their own territory, their power is undisputed. Alphas can do things that would be the paramount of power over their element; entire trees moving and twisting in the forest in groups; using wind to toss a couple of full grown wolves through the air! It is never wise to challenge the Alpha of a territory; however, Alphas must be sure only to use their charms in dire need; not for facetious reasons! In the Unclaimed
Territories, with the aid of their focus, only another alpha can
challenge their power. However, when an alpha steps onto a claimed
territory, they are no more powerful than that pack's beta.
Alphas ALSO are responsible for filling any 'roles' that are not assigned via having a Beta to fill them. For example; if a pack only has two 'Beta' wolves in it; the Alpha fills the other three roles themselves and trains Omega apprentices until they are suited to rise up in rank! There IS both an in-game and out of character reason for wolves not rising up in rank too quickly at times! For example, one cannot have an entire wolf pack of betas with no omegas! ~ Admin note
**
Beta: 5 wolves, each with a 'pack role' Pack roles are assigned to the wolf based
on their skills and relationship to the Alphas. Thusly, the roles are given by
the Alphas, not chosen by the wolf.
Elemental power wise, on their own lands, they are second only to their alpha. Whereas an alpha can sustain their powers for quite a long time and control multiple things at once, Betas can only do a few things at once, and get more weary with work. When they step
into the Unclaimed Territories, their powers diminish accordingly,
though they still have enough elemental control to easily fend off an
omega. When they enter another pack's domain, they are only as powerful
as their omegas.
**
Omega : up to 13 (or more) wolves, the enmasse 'group', most often will be
chosen as responsible for aiding in puppy-rearing and other tasks for the Alphas
and Betas such as providing entertainment, forming hunting groups, etc. They serve as Apprentices to the Beta 'roles' so that they may assist in said roles if needed or asked to by the Alpha.
As far as elemental power, Omegas are the weaker wolves of the group.
They have minor control over their element, meaning they can only perform one charm at a time, and not sustain for very long, which manifests best
when on their own pack lands, meaning an Omega still can fend off wolves of another element on their own lands.
When an omega walks the Unclaimed
Territories, their elemental power is further diminished, and competes
only with other omegas. Omegas on other pack lands are basically no
more than wolves of a different color; almost detached from their
focus, they can barely manifest any elemental charm.
**
Puppies: Puppies are not considered pack members, and thus under care of
the adults. When they turn 8 months of age, they can be accepted into the pack
as adult wolves. Puppies are required to have adult guardians that care for them.
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Pack Roles:
The pack roles all encompass a "primary" element. This does not mean that said pack role has to deal with that particular element; it is merely a good way to look at how the energies of the role work!
Heyoka: The Heyoka exists in the realm of Spirit. Heyoka are contrarian by nature, not to simply be contradictive but to offer guidance and often to portray the other side of the story.
Hunter: The Hunter embodies the element of Earth. A Hunter aids the pack by hunting and foraging for food, keeping the pack lands safe from invasion and knowing the lay of the land.
Warrior: The Warrior rests in Fire. A Warrior seeks first and foremost to expand the pack's territory. The Warrior presses forward in the face of adversity and attempts to keep the pack expanding.
Counselor: The Counselor represents the watery, emotional elements of the pack. A Counselor maintains the pack's integrity by offering gentle reminders and advice on how to proceed.
Sage: The Sage is Air. Cold, calculating logic that presents the pack alphas, betas and members with choices and likely outcomes. Sages are the voice of reason.
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Mateships:
Wolves within a pack can become mates whenever they wish, no permission needed. In fact, the Alphas generally encourage packs becoming close in such a way, as it says a lot for the togetherness of a pack. However, inter-elemental mateships are not looked upon well.
***Quote by Spectral Starlight, Counselor of the Spiorad:
"It is not a matter of being fair or not. The Celestials and more importantly, the elements, do not think in such ways. If one is truly aligned with their element, they will not have feelings for any that are out of sync with their element. To do so would be jarring to one's own mind and sensibilities. We are born into our elements in this way, as one with the element we live within. It is not a matter of color, nor location. I am still aligned with spirit even though I sit here talking to you."
Suffice to say, it generally will seem to the Alphas and the Celestials that you are turning your back on your element if you find love outside of your pack. Special Note: Lanuin (Shadow Wolves) do not find love outside of their element as they realize it means certain death if their partner is not allowed to join the shadow along with them. As this is very rare, it is not something that is recommended, or welcomed by the pack Alpha, and can have severe consequences for the character!
Thus, there are several options for inter-elemental mateships:
Keep the relationship a secret with no chance of having a pup.
~ Obviously, this will allow both characters to maintain their ties with the element, and they can simply meet, do whatever it is they do (please, we don't need to know do we?), and then return to their homelands at the very least once every 48 hours to retain their elemental bonds. No pups can come of this, however! As well, if the relationship is found out by either wolf's alpha, they can be subject to being removed from the pack and their element by the alpha.
Make the relationship known, one of the wolves becoming expelled from their element; attempting to rejoin as the other partner's element.
~ This will work as thus: an air male and an earth female become close and wish to become mates. The earth female wishes to leave her elemental pack and join his. Thus, she expels herself, spending the three days away that it takes to become 'displaced', then spending the two out of character weeks as a displaced wolf, and finally attempting to join the air pack. She must gain the alpha's acceptance, and complete the ritual, to become an air wolf; after that, she is completely an air wolf, and no longer of the earth!
Make the relationship known and both wolves become expelled, causing them to become "displaced".
~ Not wanting to try and rejoin another pack, both wolves can become "displaced"
, meaning they lose their elemental abilities and return to normal grey wolves. They may, at a later date, attempt to either:
Try and re-join an elemental pack together and become reaffiliated with the elements.
Live as "Displaced" Wolves, on the fringes of the packlands, nomadic and without any elemental powers. Pups may come of this union, but they will also be "Normal" grey wolves. If pups are born in this way, they are allowed to themselves seek out and join an elemental pack if they wish, in a similar way any other wolf would, being adopted by an existing pack member if they are young. Note: displaced wolves do not have an easy life, and 90% of them end up dying in various ways (other wolves, lack of proper shelter, lack of proper food, etc.) so if your wolf intends to be displaced, you must roleplay this realistically and realize that at any time, you could be put in a situation where death is imminent!.
Breeding:
Wolves can be mated and breed at any time during the year, as the elements that help make up their bodies tend to keep them fairly well suited to do so. They do, however, both need to be of the proper breeding age, 1.5 years, to do so! As well, this comes at a price; the litter size of a Paragon wolf is no larger than one to three pups, and is often only one or two! As the elements both aid, they also can be a detriment, and often, the elemental aspects of the growing embryo inside becomes too unstable, killing the pup in the womb and reabsorbing it back into the body before the pregnant mother even knows they are with pup. The litter size limitation, thus, is also a survival technique; as younglings learning the elements can often be quite dangerous and it is best to have few at a time. Mated pairs MUST ask the Alpha(s) of a pack for permission to mate! This is to allow for the pack to be ready for pups and to allow for denial if the game situation or any other situations are not ready for an influx of more members! The reproductive cycle of a Paragon wolf is 45 days, slightly shorter than a normal variation as the elements also help the pup grow and develop faster. This of course, does not need to be completely waited out OOC; however it is a guide so you know when pups are to be born, and in what season. Pups begin to show the elemental traits of their parents at two months of age and will need to be taught by their parents on how to work with said traits.
**Inter"breeding" of Elements; The Special Rule:
Different elemental types can co-mingle and produce a new element; in extremely rare situations. If two characters of differing packs of the "main" five elements think that they might want to try and produce a new one, the players of said characters must fulfill certain requirements before we can even discuss this, as any case is to be discussed with an admin before proceeding in any way:
~Each Character has to be from a "Main" element, and said "co-mingling" cannot already have been done The "main" elements are: Air, Earth, Fire, Spirit and Water. The Duradan (Dust) pack for example, comes of a co-mingling of air and earth. However, as such, air and earth cannot form to make a different pack, as air and earth have already become dust.
~Enough Players to Support a New Pack. If it does not look like the other packs are nearing being full enough to support a new pack . . . it's likely one won't be created. The reasoning for this is simple: if the player base is spread too thinly over too many packs; it's difficult to role-play pack activities and keep packs alive if members quit! So, if you're thinking into the future about this; feel free to advertise to help your cause by bringing in more members! ^^
~Capacity to Start a Pack: In Paragon, when a new pack is created, the pack's creators both become Alpha of the new pack. At this time, we do not wish a player to have more than one character that is Alpha of a pack, as we feel this is unbalanced.
~Ability to role-play well. This IS something that is decided on a case-by-case basis; and has no bearing on whether we like you or not. It's merely a standard that is required for this special circumstance, so that we know you can handle starting a new pack.
~A History of Good Activity. If either player has a history of dropping and rejoining due to inactivity (whatever the reason; even if it's an acceptable reason, like computer failure, we do have to hold the same standards for everyone), or many inactive characters . . . you will need to prove yourself over at the very least 2 months in real time so that we know you won't simply drop off the face of the game. This is to prevent a new pack from suddenly dissipating and leaving the other player hanging!
~Willingness to Work Well With Others. This is an administrator decision, and while your input is appreciated, we have the right to completely ignore it so that we can maintain the ideals of the game and the world.
Current "Inter-elemental" Packs:
~~Dust: Earth + Air
~~Lightning: Air + Fire
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