〘 APRICUS 〙 〘 Lore; Read Only 〙

APRICUS

probably gonna be a constant WIP but oh well here we go

After the deaths of Skyline Ridge's lead wolf Ryn and her mate North, the pack began to fall apart. And it fell apart fast. Losing its unity and reverting back to the loose band of bickering wanderers, Ryn's youngest led his brother Chickadee and their followers to the lands his mother was born in. Determined to establish a new pack in the arid lands, the two had to first learn to survive in an entirely new climate.

And with the help of some of the native wolves of the desert, they did. Thus Apricus was born. 

〘 Masterpost 〙

i. intro, basic pack info
ii. history, rankings and power dynamics
iii. traditions, rituals, and beliefs
iv. landmarks/territory

〘 Pack Rules 〙

i. respect one another, there is no place for disrespect among our ranks
ii. the next generation is vital, protect them at all costs
iii. do not challenge the authority of the Solar Court in their specialty unless you wish to fight for their rank
iv. all movements of stranger wolves within and nearby the territory's border must be reported to a ranking member. they are not to be harmed unless the Solar Court deems them a threat to the wellbeing of the pack
v. prey without fur or feathers is not to be eaten. 
vi. birds of prey are to be respected, as they are our brethren under the sun. do not steal their prey nor interrupt their nesting.
vii. trust your wayfinder, they are the difference between life and death in the desert
viii. in the case of a famine, let the weakest eat first. they need it most. 

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Pack History

〘 Original Founders 〙
Ryn's Bio here
North's Bio can be found here

The founders first met when North found Ryn, barely scraping by when it came to food. He could tell the moment they met that she wasn't from around there, with her long legs and funny accent. She lacked the bulk and coarse fur of a mountain wolf, and spoke of a land ravaged by wildfires. Without him, she very likely wouldn't have survived that first winter in the northern mountains, especially with the "fire sickness" as Ryn called it. A remnant of her arid homelands, the hacking cough and trouble breathing tends to show itself in the winter when the air is colder and thinner.

〘 Current Era 〙

After the deaths of both Ryn and North, their son Trek took over the tribe, leading his brother and sister to the foreign, sunkissed land that his mother hailed from. With dreams of one day re-establishing her long gone pack and its age-old traditions, he returned to the desert. 

〘 Rankings 〙

The Solar Court
"Balance..."



〘 Leader 〙

The head of the pack, and leader of the Solar Court, the Lead of the pack is the wolf with the most power. Along with the other three members of the court's advice, they are responsible for the well-being of the pack. While it is within the rest of the Court's power to veto a Leader's decision, it has not yet happened in the history of the pack. 

〘 Warden 〙

The safety of members of the pack, especially that of the Redrocks, rests on the shoulders of the Warden. Not only are they an advisor to the leader of territorial matters and those of nearby packs, but they are an expert at dealing with matters of other large predators, especially those who may prey upon pups. Often seen as a Beta or a Second to the Leader, they are looked up to by much of the pack to make calls in the absence of a leader. 


〘 Wayfinder 〙

Master survivalist and widely considered the key to the survival of the pack, the Wayfinder's job is to become master of the pack's territory and the surrounding area. Tracking the movements of predators, prey and the best places to hunt to ensure that the pack never goes hungry is no easy work. Perhaps one of the biggest parts of their job is to keep track of the springs, ponds, and lakes to lead the pack to in case of a drought or other serious disaster. 

〘 Herbalist 〙

The herbalist is an incredibly important member of the pack, and the health of the pack rests on their shoulders. With generations of passed-down knowledge on healing and medicine, the herbalist must not only utilize said medicine to keep their packmates in good health, but keep experimenting with cures and medicinal uses of nearby plants to further their generational knowledge of disease and medicine. 

 

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Traditions, Rituals, and Beliefs

kinda a funky bunch

〘 Naming Ceremony 〙

something or other about being named a full member of the pack 

〘 The Return to the Desert 〙

Since the sun-baked earth of the desert is far too hard for any wolf to realistically dig a large enough hole to bury a body, a winding pass on the far edge of the territory leads up to a clifftop and the open sky. When a wolf dies, they are carried up to the clifftop after the body is covered in fragrant herbs to be left with nothing between the wolf and the open sky. The territory is heavily marked, as to keep predators and other wolves out. Scavengers such as ravens, crows, and vultures aren't discouraged from hanging around, as the bodies 'returning to the desert' is the goal. Any of a wolf's belongings that are not left to an heir are left with their body upon the clifftop. Small objects can occasionally be buried beneath them as not to be taken by critters. Wolves of status are left with their symbols of rank and warpaint.

It is believed by most that all wolves deserve to be taken up onto the pass, although enemies or those not from the pack are simply left upon a different side of the pass--without the funeral procession and herbs.

〘 The Solar Court 〙

"Balance"-- the mantra the Solar Court is built around calls for balance among the pack, and therefore balance among its leaders. The four that make up the court are to have entirely different experiences and areas of expertise, the more varied the better. A Court member holds their rank until their death, they step down, or there is a unanimous vote among the other three Court members to rid a wolf of their role in a serious case. 

When a wolf is initiated into the Solar Court, they are called to spend an entire three days, from dawn to dusk, alone in the highest peaks of the high desert Apricus calls their home. They leave the densite alone after a brief howl with the pack--for luck. Then they do the hard part: being alone with their thoughts for an entire three days. During those three days of alone time, wolves of Apricus must roam the desert. It is said to bring clarity, and whatever private revelations a wolf may come to during this time is to be kept private. By the time they return home by moonrise on the last day, the pack welcomes them back joyously--a pack member has returned! 

The next morning once everyone has had adequate rest, and the returning pack member is fed and has been looked over by an herbalist, they are formally asked by the rest of the Solar Court if they still desire to join. There is no dishonor in declining, the Court is not for every wolf. If they still wish to join, the garb is weaved into their coat and the solar markings painted upon their fur. During sunhigh, a howl is held for the entire pack to celebrate their packmember's new position. 


〘 Herbalism and the Herbalist Apprenticeship  〙

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Territory

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