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 Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:57 am
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 .[ Basic Information].
IC Owners ; Alnitak (Mia Sharra), Mintaka (???), & Alnilam (Quaji)
OOC Owners ; Quaji
allowed species ; wild dogs, jackals, maned wolves
pack symbol ; an 8-pointed star
pack cert background ; the den wall with stars and lines carved in painted on. Maybe lit by an unseen fire? or a night sky, full moon with a meteor shower?
.[Their History].
They are the star-readers, the explorers of the sky. They look to the heavens for advise in all things, trusting them to not lead them astray. The thing that sets them apart is the walls of their communal den is littered with the night sky. Stars carved in almost every crevice with wobbly lines drawn to connect them all in patterns that would be foreign to almost every else. Their stories behind each one is different, inter-connecting. Some patterns even do interconnect just in themselves.
They are the Nyota-Wasomaji.
The Nyota-Wasomaji are reclusive by nature and while they don't advertise their pack to others as many would not understand their ways, they do not shun other wild dogs who search the skies for answers in their own life and others, or just search for a purpose. This was a mistake to them but still a flaw they carry.
A seer came to them, visiting as she claimed. She was welcomed as a messenger of a gods as the visitor made no attempt to hide the fact she was a seer from them. During her time there though, a vision struck her as she gazed at the full moon. It was then that she shouted of destruction of the pack and the death of them all. Furious, the members of the Baraza at the time had no choice but to throw her out in an attempt to avoid disaster and panic among the ranks.
Then came the full moon from the next month. They should have at least listened a bit more to her words. While not completely true, destruction did happen. An earthquake shook the foundation of their home. Their dens, all of their work charting the stars, lost as everything crumbled before them. Most of the pack perished in this event, only a handful survived. In the casualties were all three of the Baraza.
The pack fell into panic as all of their leaders were dead, their homes destroyed and loved ones either among the ruins dying, already dead or missing. During this chaotic time, Alnitak, who would come to be known as the warmonger in time, stepped up, claiming to be able to lead the pack back to where they used to be. She was a brave old wild dog, known for her triumphs over a lions that had passed through the lands before, wishing harm on their lands and their pack. Many followed her unquestionably as she proposed they abandon the ruined land and take a new settlement.
Then came Alnilam, who would come to be known peace-keeper. She was the only remaining blood to the old Baraza. Being the daughter of one of them, meant she had direct claim to the seat. Many loyalists to the old way supported her in her efforts to convince the pack not to move and take new land, but rebuild instead.
Without the third canine to complete the council of leaders, the two have been left to squabble on every subject that comes up while the packs searches for Mintaka, an elderly male who would have the knowledge and wisdom to be the tie breaker between the two stubborn females. Despite his lacking presence, the two have managed to work together enough to actually rebuild a small percentage of the pack dens though it took so many seasonal cycles then it should have. The pack is still fragile, both in spirit and physical and with morale low, the leaders have more on their shoulders then ever before as fear of another tremble is everywhere. |
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:59 am
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.[Ranks].
Baraza: these are the leaders of the pack
- Alnitak (Mia Sharra); the warmonger
- Mintaka (???); the neutral
- Alnilam (Quaji); the peacekeeper
Protostar (youth): This applies to both children and juveniles.
Comet (adolescent/pilgrim): This rank applies to the adolescents who are out of the pack lands and in search of their constellation and the story that accompanies it.
Star-Tracker (historian): They keep track of the movement of the constellations above. They keep track of the history of the pack as well, marking the birth of pups, stars and deaths of both on the walls of their dens.
Star-Watcher (nanny): They care for the pups while the parents are out doing other things.
Aurora (entertainer): They are the storytellers and the performers. They work closely with the star-trackers to show the stories behind the constellations that each pack member forms and how they interact with one another. This can be through just stories or through actual larger plays if they can find all of the materials.
Night(ess) (priest): They tend to the injured as well as the burial rites of the dead. They also act as the midwives to the expecting mothers.
Howler (hunter): They provide the food to keep the rest of the pack going. They are the backbone of everything and are thus respected. Even more-so when it goes well as it is seen that the night has favored them that night.
Colossus (guard): They are usually the largest of all the members. In history, they are usually red in colorization but that has long since passed with the influx of rogues and the destruction of their home. They act as warriors during times of crisis, but peace-keepers when there is no battle.
Nova (elder): This is for those who are too old to care for others through hard labor. Instead they assist with the nurses in caring for pups, the midwives in delivering the pups and the healers in tending the sick. They are referred to as a grandparent due to their age and having likely seen several generations being birthed.
Starling (familiars): They offer companionship and also are vital in everyday life as helpers and individual members of the pack.
.[Beliefs].
Gods; Bast and Shahaab Huruma are both considered matron goddesses to the pack, both of which can visit, but it is up to them.
-Shahaab Huruma ; Goddess of the Stars- she is one of the two main goddesses of worship within the pack. They turn to her to guidance when the stars offer them none. She is a sort of beacon for the lost ones who cannot read the stars. Some say she leads them to the Nyota-Wasomaji in hopes that they can help the lost one, but that is only local folklore.
-Bast ; Goddess of the Night- she is one of the two main goddesses of worship within the pack. They are in her domain at all times as they are active at only during the night night. Her cloak protects them, assists them during their hunts and as such they give their thanks back to her.
Astrological Events;
-the Sun ; the African sun is viewed as an enemy to their goddesses as it bring about the coming of day and the forced retreat of night.
-the Moon ; the moon is recognized by them but only under a full moon. Then it is revered for respectfully giving light but still letting their goddesses reign.
-the Solar Eclipse ; tbd
-the Lunar Eclipse ; it is a time of reverence towards the moon for defeating the sun if only for a little while, aiding their fair goddesses in their reign.
-Meteor Showers ; This event marks celebrations
Ceremonies;
-Birthing ; Is done in solitude, usually without the help of the Nights though they are there if needed. The expecting mother leaves during the late day, while the pack sleeps, but late enough so when she arrives it will be the night so their goddess Bast will see them. She travels to a secluded sections of the new dens that reaches into a natural cave with the Nights trailing behind should the expecting mother require help. Once she arrives there, she makes her nest in the pelts that are already prepared for her. Nearby, a small pool of water from an underground spring, and a small hole letting on a trickle of moonlight through onto the pool.
-The Bath ; Once born, the pups are bathed in the near pool of moonlit water, cleaning them of any impurities they might have obtained in their last life and to help lead a fulfilling and fruitful life.
-Coming of Age ; Once the pup is an adolescent and knows the ways of the pack, they are sent out on their pilgrimage to find their constellation to add to the pack's walls. During this time, they must leave the pack's lands and venture by themselves, searching not only the skies, but themselves as they also have to discover the story behind them.
Ex. Alnilam's constellation is a bear. They are extinct in SoA's timeline so she searched through pack's and pride's stories, traveling all over until one day an old lioness tells her of a tale that was passed through her family.
She told Alnilam of a time when her ancestor, a mighty lion, fought a bear that threatened to run amok in their pride. Through that, Alnilam found her constellation, a bear, discovered it's story; this bear was no ferocious, but timid and injured, searching the stars for someone to help it. Alnilam returned to the pack, showed a Star-Tracker where in the sky. It was marked down and the story of the bear was added to all the others.
-Marriage Permission ; When two wish to be bound to one-another it is one of the largest events within the pack itself.
On a full moon, the pair must approach the Baraza, explaining their wish to become lifemates and be faithful to eachother for as long as they live together. It is not the Baraza's permission to wed they seek, it is permission to journey to a hill, marked by countless trinkets littering the ground. This hill has the best view of a full moon. With the Baraza staying the background to observe, the pair sit under the night sky and stars under the light of the moon. They howl in unison, showing they are one to the gods that watch over the pack. Should a shooting star fall before daybreak after their howl is finished, they will be allowed to wed. Should none fall, they will leave an offering on the hill, in hopes of appeasing the gods and will be allowed to try again the following month.
-Wedding ; Most weddings are small, only consisting of the family and friends of the couple with the exception of the Baraza being present to oversee the ceremony. The two sit together before the Baraza and vow to one another that they will be faithful to one another until the end of their days together. The ceremony in itself varies in extravagance depending on the work put into it by the family and friends. WIP
-Death ; Working on this part.
Common Beliefs
-Non-WD ; This does not include jackals and maned wolves. They are seen as outsiders and are escorted out of the pack lands, not usually fought off unless provoked. They are not allowed within the ranks of the pack.
-Familiars ; While the pack prefers jackals and maned wolves, if the joining member already has a companion of another species, they are allowed in as long as they are not a hyena, cheetah, lion, leopard or a hybrid of those.
-Pelt colors ; While many of the old bloodlines hold darker colors as well as starry pelts and whites. With most of the old pack dead and buried under the earth now, the pack is open to rogues of any color. This pack does not discriminate based on pelt color.
-Rogue Breeding ; This practice is not looked down upon as long as the member of the pack does bring back some of the pups from the litter, otherwise the entire pack does look down on it.
-Adolescent Breeding ; Is viewed as the same as rogue breedings with the exception that the parent(s) of the adolescent breeding but be aware of this (ICly) otherwise it is looked down upon as a naive and unwise choice.
-Mating ; Is seen as different from marriage. Mating is the act of reproduction which they view as necessary for the survival of an already thinly ranked pack.
-Sexuality ; While the pack cares not on who one takes as a bed partner, if the member chooses another of the same sex they are bound by a duty to find another of the opposite sex to share their bed should the need arise for new pups.
.[Expressions & Greetings].
" Name"
This hello is by default, is how you greet someone at the beginning of a conversation. After the initial hellos are exchanged, the rank can be dropped should the talk be an informal one. Formal exchanges, such as with the Baraza, should also carry the rank before the name.
"The stars are in alignment."
An agreement to a statement.
"Study the skies."
'Keep trying' is essentially what this means. Get up and try again.
"Star-born"
This refers to any wild dog within the pack. Typically used to describe canines with in-pack parents, but can be used to describe any member.
"Light-dweller"
This is a term for any outsider without Star-born parent(s) as well as anyone outside of the pack. To be accused of being a light-dweller would be an insult to any in-pack members.
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:00 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:01 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:52 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:06 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 7:57 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 1:48 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:30 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:54 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 5:05 pm
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:53 pm
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:34 pm
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