|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:28 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:31 pm
 |
|
|
|
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, though 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.
Nyota-Wasomaji translates to "star-readers" according to Google Translate.
☾ - ☆ - ☽
The History
The original date of the pack's forming has been lost to all history and the original reason why the entire pack had even been formed in the first place. Some of the pack's historians believe them to have been descended from the moon and the stars since the very beginning while the most common belief is that the moon whispered to a pair, one male and one female, to form a pack in a valley where the moon shined bright and the winds blew cold, where the days seemed shorter and the nights seemed longer. To form a pack that worshiped her in all of her majestic glory. And so they did. They searched high and low, searching for this place that would become the home for the Nyota-Wasomaji.
The star-readers of the night sky.
The pack flourished in their first years of infant years. Those who heard stories of the pack formed through the words of the moon. Those with interest in the night and those who just needed a home all came, those without a home, those without a name and those with nothing. All were welcome in the arms of the fledgling pack.
The pair founded the pack and whose names will forever be lost to time died eventually from old age. Life was good within the pack even after losing their beloved leaders. Even though there was grieving, it did no dwell on the loss. They have lived to become old and wise with age and had passed on after knowing the pack would be secure through their children. Three handsome boys that carried the blood of the founders. With the current succession being biological, their first-born son took to the hill that's now known as the High Moon Point, which overlooked the pack lands to take his place.
 The founder's first-born son took to the hill as alpha as their way of life dictated he would. Life was still relatively easy for them all. Food was plentiful and the weather mild. Births were at a high and with that the pack thought their leader would surely take a mate to continue on the line of succession. This was not his plan though. He had no desire to take a female mate or any mate for that matter. Their current alpha had always intended to give the title of alpha to his brothers since he had ascended.
Knowledge of this came out and a slight panic over took the pack. Their way decreed that the alpha's child was too succeed them, not the siblings. Though it seemed like a logical plan and few questioned their alpha, they could not help but as why. Why had he not just given the title over at the start instead of prolonging as he had? Going against the norm. That was the reason their alpha gave them and so the pack adopted it as a way of life.
Times passed on and eventually he was killed during a hunt, passing on the title of alpha to the middle brother, just as he had always intended to happen.
This son's rule was not as just as his brothers. It started just fine, he was trying to fill his brother and parent's paws. In a vain attempt to further his acceptance from the pack, he brought in a mate from an outside pack to try and form an alliance. That would surely get his name written down in the walls!
It did, but not in the way he would have liked. His mate brought nothing but trouble, but the extra hunters she brought helped the pack prosper even more so nothing was said to the alpha about his mate. Those of brighter pelts suddenly seemed to end up found dead in one of the two rivers. Families were panicked but the deaths were dismissed as hyena attacks. Eventually one of her assassins stepped forward and spoke up against the alpha's mate. He had been an assassin brought in from their 'allied' pack disguised as a hunter.
She snapped, pleading with her mate, "He speaks lies! You believe me, don't you?" He did and the assassin was executing that night under a full moon. Panic hit the pack as it seemed their alpha had lost his mind and she had been the one to take it. The outlawing of bright pelts came next. A civil war followed soon after. Friend pit against friend, the pack fought. The alpha and his brother clashed on High Moon Point. Both perished, but not before many more died. In the wake of this death, life always survives. The alpha's brother had a litter in secret which had already grown to adult, the eldest male took to the throne before the treacherous mate of the fallen alpha could.
One of the most well known and most accurate history the back has is of Baraza Alnilam's grandfather, Orion. Grandson of the founding pair, he had a hard road ahead of him. The pack distrusted the family line and he knew that. In fact, the first this he did was establish the council of Baraza, bringing in two others to help rule the pack. Both were elected by the pack, giving them some security. The first decision the council made was to revoke the law Orion's uncle had put in, allowing all of the brighter wild dogs back into the pack.
Peace followed with only small skirmishes on the borders from the pack the treacherous female had been from. Even those too stopped in time. Soon Orion had a litter with a female who had saved his live during the civil war. Six pups were born from their union. They grew in a time of plenty. The pack grew lenient on their duties in studying the skies to lie about and instead deciding larger families would help feed them even more. As a result the pack grew fat and lazy as gluttony began to overcome them.
The following is a Aurora's account of the event that came next.
It appeared.
The dog.
The one that appeared on the borders, pure black in color and silver eyes that could pierce into one's soul.
With it came death. Death riding on the winds of change and with death came ours.
During the rule following Orion, one of his sons was elected to take his place in the council of the Baraza out of good will of the other two to the keep the line of Orion within the council. Not only that, but the pack trusted the line of Orion now and thus Darion joined the Baraza to help rule as his father had before him.
So much of this time was simply spent rebuilding their numbers and families, and reclaiming their history that was lost in the plague. Devoting his time to the prosperity and continued growth of the pack meant little time to ever settle down. Though the son of Orion did manage to find comfort from the trials of the day in the den of one female Aurora in the pack. This Aurora would go on to become Alnilam's mother and a pseudo-mate to Darion.
Regrowth continued in the pack until a fateful day when a seer 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 and with it the event that would called the Great Tremble. 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 wild dog who had rescued many pups from ruins, defended the pack from lions and much more in her youth. Many followed her unquestionably as she proposed they abandon the ruined land and take a new settlement somewhere else.
Then came Alnilam, who would come to be known peace-keeper. She was the only remaining blood to the old Baraza. Being the only daughter of Darion and his mate, meant she had a sort of claim to one of the seats. Many loyalists to the old way supported her in her efforts to convince the pack not to move, 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 many seasonal cycles then it should have. The pack is still fragile, both spiritually and physically and with morale low, the leaders have more on their shoulders then ever before as fear of another tremble is everywhere. |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:33 pm
|
|
|
 |
The Packlands
Their lands are what most would come to expect from a pack's lands. It is flat, expansive lands covered in green grass that allows many herds to migrate through, leaving the pack well fed. Their days are warm with much of the direct sunlight hitting the grass. Despite this warmth, rain is common in the packlands, though severe storms are rare and only a few have been recorded. Their nights grow cold as the cool air falls from the mountains on both sides of them, chilling the plains. In response, the wild dogs of the Nyota-Wasomaji tend to grow longer, thicker fur to combat the cold air.
Water is abundant in their lands as two rivers diverge from one mountainous source, giving the pack a natural border to keep unwanted guests out. Even though the water is abundant, most members prefer to drink from the communal watering hole instead.
Snakes are not abundant in this area nor are scorpions and the like. Spiders are fairly common though no pack death has been confirmed from a bite caused by such a small creature. Even though the risk of death from snake or spider bite is so rare, the webs of spiders are removed and snakes are often scared away.
Some of the old pack dens still lay in ruins from the Great Shaking that occurred not even two generations ago. Many have been worn from lack of care or partially buried under rubble. Some have even been torn down and reused in their rebuilding.
☾ - ☆ - ☽
Baraza Den
There is one large den that managed to survive the Great Shaking and that is the Baraza Den. This particular den is sectioned off into one main area and three smaller, personal dens. This has been converted into the main den for the entire pack as it is the most structurally secure of those remaining.
Pack Dens
Families and guests of the pack rest within these dens. Their walls, both in and out, littered with carving of constellations, both new and old. Most dens now are made from rock and dried mud. Some dens are still naturally made by the earth itself, though this is rare. Few of these exist now and many are still covered in rubble. In fact, so far only two pack dens are open for members and guests to live and rest within.
Communal Watering Hole
South of the dens there is a water source that all of the pack may drink from freely so long as there is no drought and no rationing of the precious liquid currently underway. This watering hole is fed by the overflow of one of their rivers though a small trickle usually flows constantly, keeping it mildly fed. Outsiders are chased from this water source as it is precious to the pack.
High Moon Point
This elevated slab of earth located across the nearby river that serves as the meeting place for the Baraze of the pack, a place to gather the pack and make announcement with the pack gathering in front of it, looking up the cliff-face. It also serves as the place for weddings and their permissions. Trinkets of all sorts litter the sides of the walkway. It point sits high enough to look over the trees of the pack lands. Sitting at the peak of it is a rare occasion limited to the Baraza. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:34 pm
|
|
|
|
Gods, Events, Beliefs & More
Gods
Shahaab Huruma The 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 the lost ones to the Nyota-Wasomaji in hopes that they can help them, but that is only a old mother's tale.
Bast The 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.
Minor Gods
Most minor gods include ones that have to do with the celestial events that the pack recognizes as well as those who have to with the sky, such as the moon and sun. Other gods may be worshiped, in fact any of them can be, but ones that the pack does not worship as a whole need to be kept private. It is seen as rude to discuss minor gods that are not recognized with others as they are considered personal beliefs, not the pack's.
☾ - ☆ - ☽
Celestial Objects & 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. Worship of the sun itself is strictly forbidden and is seen as heresy. Members found to be worshiping the sun will be chased out of the pack.
the Moon
The moon is recognized by the pack as a servant to the night and a guardian to the stars, giving them their illumination and allowing the pack to wander at night without fear. The moon is revered along with the night and it's worship is commonplace. On a new moon, there is a slight fear as they believe the sun had finally defeated the moon. When it reappears, there is much celebrating and sighs of relief as. On a full moon, there is a large pack prayer held to give thanks to it for lighting their path for that month followed by much celebrating along with a meal as a whole pack held at High Moon Point.
the Solar Eclipse
A time of anxiety, the pack watches are the moon and the sun fight before their very eyes. Mass prayer to the night and to the victory of the moon occurs during the actual eclipse. While it seems the moon has over taken the sun, this is not so. As the eclipse ends, the pack is disappointed and most think that their prayers were not enough.
the Lunar Eclipse
Meteor Showers
This event is usually predicted by a seer within the pack and once the prediction is made, the pack begins preparations. Meteor showers mark a time for celebration in the pack. This includes such things as successions, marriages and the usual time when Comets have their constellations carved on the walls. All large-scale and small-scale events take place under this phenomenon unless they belong to a different celestial event.
☾ - ☆ - ☽
Ceremonies
Birthing
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 section in the mountains where a natural cave exists. It survived the Great Shaking and is said to have been a home to their goddess Bast in ages past. Together with the Nights trailing behind should the expecting mother require help, she enters the cave of their goddess. Once she arrives there, she makes herself comfortable in the pelts that are already prepared for her by the Nights a few days prior. A few days after their Bath, the pups are brought back to the pack to be introduced to the other members.
The Bath
Once born, the pups are bathes in a nearby small pool of water fed from an underground spring. Above the pool is a small hole letting on a trickle of moonlight through onto the surface of the pool. The new mother then bathes each pup in this pool of water, cleaning them of any impurities they might have obtained in their last life and to help lead a fulfilling and fruitful life. This is an important ritual as it shows their goddess each of the new pups born and cannot be skipped. A mother who skips this ritual brings shame upon herself and wishes ill-will on her children. After being bathed in the spring water, the pups are quickly wrapped in the pelts and dried off to keep them from freezing.
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.
Example: 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 most important events in the pack itself aside from the celestial events.
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 High Moon Point, 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.
Death
☾ - ☆ - ☽
Common Beliefs
Non Wild Dog Members
The Nyota-Wasomaji is strictly wild dog only. This means that cheetahs, leopards, lions, hybrids and hyenas are not allowed to become full members. Some may visit with good reason but most are escorted out or through the pack lands and along the borders to prevent any further conflicts. The pack is not an aggressive one, so species that are not wild dogs are not attacked.
Familiars
Most members have jackals or maned wolves are familiars, though all are allowed. Snakes are looked a little more warily due to their possible toxicity, but are still accepted all the same. Prey beasts the oddest of all the familiars and very few would keep a waterbuck or a hare as a friend, but it is still possible. The bottom line is that all familiars are accepted, just some are looked on as strange.
Pelt colors
The old bloodlines hold dark pelts as well as starry pelts and whites. In days long passed, they did not accept those that were too bright but with most of the old pack dead and buried under the earth now, the pack is in desperate for new members and has opened their ranks to those with any color of pelt. This acceptance has been in place for at least a generation and a half so far and had been put in by Alnilam's grandfather.
Sexuality
The pack does not care who their members take to their beds. That is their business and none of the rest of the pack's.
Breeding
Lifemating: OK
Flings inside the pack: OK
Flings outside the pack: OK
Mix & Match: OK
Rogue breeding: OK
Adolescent breeding: OK
Comet Breeding
This is just not allowed in the pack. A Comet is still not officially recognized to the pack as a full member and they risk causing ill will to their line.
Lifemating
This 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. While marriage is the agreement to spend their life with one canine and one canine only. To the Nyota-Wasomaji, mating is more like the agreement to have pups on purpose...multiple times. Where-as flings are usually seen as accidental or a one-time thing.
☾ - ☆ - ☽
Other Information
Addressing Members of the Pack
The correct way to formally address someone else within the pack is "rank ", with the rank always capitalized.
The rank can be dropped in the instance of family or close friends.
Never address the Baraza without their rank before it as it's seen as disrespectful to both them and the other Baraza.
Sayings
"Mother Moon keep you."
I hope you stay safe.
"The night is bright."
The future looks good.
"Study the skies."
'Keep trying' is essentially. Get up and try again.
"The stars are in alignment."
An agreement to a statement.
"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 anyone outside of the pack. To be accused of being a light-dweller would be an insult to any in-pack members. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:36 pm
|
|
|
|
Ranks
Baraza
This council of three make up the leading power in the pack. They vote on important decisions, announce births, deaths and successions. Each member chooses their own successor, but in the event of a sudden death they are replaced by a wild dog of a remaining Baraza's choosing. The only exception to this is that one spot in the Baraza has always belonged to the line of Orion. It passed to Darion and then to his daughter Alnilam. In all matters, their final decision is just that: the final decision.
Star-Tracker
Their duty is that of keeping the history alive within the pack in every way. They records their stories and records on the inner walls of the pack's dens, scrawling deaths, births, marriages, joining members and leaving ones into the walls for all to see. With such
Star-Watcher
Their duty is to tend, teach and watch the pups while their parents are away tending to other duties within the pack. Nurturing members of the pack, they are seen as signs of comfort for the children and a great help to the parents who entrust their litters to them each day.
Aurora
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. Another frequently reenacted portion of the pack is their history. In fact, much of the known history is remembered through stories that evolve with time though the majority of it remains the same. This recollection of the past or the stars above can be through just verbal stories or through actual larger plays if they can find all of the materials to put on such an extravagant event.
Night
The Nights serve the mother moon and the quiet night through tending to the injured, ill and the rites of the dead as well as the births within the pack through aiding older, new or heavily pregnant mothers. Those who simply want the extra aid may also call on a Night to help tend to them. In acting as midwives to the pack, they are also the ones who prepare the pelts for a expecting mother to rest in before, during and after her labor. It is also not uncommon for a Night to leave frequent offerings upon the sides of the walkway on High Moon Point.
Colossus
A collective of battle-ready giants who protect the pack from all kinds of dangers, both internal and external. Usually they of a red colorization, but due to the sudden influx of rogues and the Great Tremble killing off so many Colossus who tried to help those trapped in dens, the traditional coloring of the Colossus has been lost. These mighty sentinels act as warriors during wars, rescuers during times of crisis, and peace-keepers when there is nothing to fight.
Nova
This is for those who are too old to care for others through hard labor. Instead they assist with the Star-Watchers in caring for any pups, or the Nights in delivering the pups or help tend to the ill. They are often referred to as a grandparent due to their age and having likely seen several generations being born.
Howler
They have chosen to specialize in the art of hunting prey. Be it that they run the prey beasts down, are the ones to take them down or are the brains behind the entire plan. Whatever part they play in the grand scheme of things, they are important to the pack and are respected for their work to helping keep the pack going on a day to day basis.
Comet
All members take this rank at adolescent and keep it until they have their constellation inscribed on the communal den's walls. Joining rogues also take this rank until they become part of the pack by finding their constellation and putting it on the walls of the dens.
- Availibity: Open; default for adolescents and adults.
Protostar
The youth of the pride. Both the pups and juvenile pups claim this rank until they go on their pilgrimage for their constellation at adolescent. They are tended to by the Star-Watchers and their parents. Should a pup have no parents and are not adopted into a family, they are taken care of primarily by the Star-Watchers but also by the entire pack.
- Availibity: Open; default for pups and juveniles.
Starling
Non-wild dogs, but still canines that offer companionship to some of the pack members and also assist in some of the general daily tasks of the entire pack.
- Availibity: Open; restricted. Only available to familiars. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 6:23 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
