Ehin Mátrek LORE

//please don't comment here, this is just for my pack's lore, if you wanna comment please send me a dm, i'm always down for a convo :3 //

Ehin Mátrek

Pack Codex
¬ The King is male
¬ The King is proven in combat
¬ The King listens to his council
¬ The King treats his Queen with respect
¬ The King abides by the Old God
¬  The King knows when to Bow

PACK LORE (constantly updating)
¬ The pack lives in the mountains, high up, more so on the cliffs. There is a mountain lake nearby, but it's not super big and it's nestled between the mountains, making it difficult to climb down. The pack nests inside caves and rock hollows along the base of the mountain.

¬ Items such as sheepskin, goat horns, antlers, even rabbit's ears can be used for the naming ceremony; it varies from pack to pack.

¬ The pack recognizes 3 gods: the Hunter, the Leader, and the Comet

¬The Hunter is the god of nature, of the seasons, of the animals, and of course, the hunt; prayed to before hunts, for good weather, for no illnesses

¬The Leader is the most important one, the Zeus/Odin/Ra etc. type guy; the First Wolf and the strongest wolf of them all, the leader of all packs in the world, he decides what happens to you in terms of honor and ranking in the pack

¬The Comet is the sky god, controlling the sun, moon, and stars; he is also the death god, as the wolves believe your spirit joins the Comet in the sky

LANGUAGE
The language used in this world is a conlang (made up language) created by me, called Tsengki. I thought it would be a fun little thing to add to the world-building and make it more fun for me. It's still a work in progress though :3

DICTIONARY
Wolf names

Mák Tsikit - Resting Dawn
Whiik Niklim - Clever Fox
Tem Mem - Purple Moon
Utlukriw Heneeng - Charming Frost
Iinaap Whep - Friendly Silver

Tem Mlat - Black Ice
Utluru Ánghep - Trusting Ash
Tem Sung - Black Bringer
Ru Mul - Trusted Clay
Nyoor Hok - Fire Bird
Smang Ilkoo - Red Devil
Mem Nupuu - Moon Gray

Patlu Nyot - Baby Pond
Patlu Tset - Baby Snow
____________________________
Ehin Mátrek - Gathering of the Cliff
Heek Maf Iikom - Den of the Adult Wolf
Pet Iikom - Child Wolf Den
Onoo Ilkom - Sick Den

NAMING SYSTEM
Wolves in this world have 2 parts to their name: first the "honorific" or "title", usually an adjective, but not always; and second, a noun, or, rarely, an adjective that describes them, the name of the wolf.

The title can be their role in the pack, or a descriptor of themselves; this can lead to several wolves having the same title, which is not considered to be taboo. The name, however, has to be unique. No two wolves in the same pack should share the same name; having the same name is thought to bring bad luck to the wolf, as the name's spirit will come back and haunt the thief.

Wolves get the first part when they're a puppy, all of them sharing the title "patlu", meaning baby. Their name is unique from birth. As adolescents, their title changes, often through a ceremony where different items and gods can be prayed to for a blessing for the growing wolf.

Generally, there are no more name changes until the wolf dies, when it drops the title in their name, signifying that in death, all wolves are equals. In rare instances, an alpha of a pack may choose to change their title to another "higher" title, though this is usually frowned upon, and taken as a sign of greed and pride.

PACK STORY/TIMELINE
The way this will work is that I'll slowly write out a basic timeline of events for the pack as I play and time passes, and under each event will be a longer piece of text elaborating, story-wise. Think of it as a short scene from the description. Maybe over time I'll write longer pieces of text, but for now I intend to keep it small. And I'll be revealing them one by one for dramatic effect and no spoilers for stuff I haven't thought through yet :3

//Mák Tsikit and Whiik Niklim are an established pairing and settle down in the mountains due to lack of space everywhere else, but are certain they've found the best place for their pack and family//

The world was silent, the snow only faintly crunching underneath their paws, the sound muffled and soft. Two wolves ran across the frozen landscape, leaving behind steamy puffs of breath. The one up front was as white and speckled as the snow around them, with a blanket of brown along his back. His mate ran slower, her large belly stifling her movements. She was already tiring, yet they've only been running for half an hour. Her rusty brown coat felt out of place in this icy wonderland, and she looked around nervously, searching for a flash of eyes or a puff of breath.

Mák Tsikit turned just as she fell onto her knees, swallowing a soft squeal of pain. His paws scrambled for purchase against the ice as he lurched forward towards her, panic gripping his heart. "Taak, are you alright?" He asked, dropping down to prop up Whiik Niklim as she struggled to roll over.

She gave a small huff of annoyance as he helped her lay flat on her belly, the ice cooling her down. "This is ridiculous," she muttered, side-eyeing her belly. "I should not be this helpless."

Tsikit snorted, and, smiling, nudged his nose to her muzzle. "Glad you're alright."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Such a softie." Niklim feigned exasperation, but he could see her lips curling up into a smile. "Help me stand up."

~~~

It was early evening by the time they reached the lake, the last leg of their journey the longest. The path between the mountains was long and windy, adding another element of danger to the already steep cliffs. Niklim with her limited speed and mobility was at the most risk of falling, and, with only one near-death experience that involved hidden ice and a sheer drop, they made it down into basin and to the lake nestled between the mountains, encircled nearly completely. Ringed by a spruce forest which slowly thins out into the slopes, the lake is a crystal blue, translucent all the way down, revealing large fish.

Together, they stood, gazing across their new territory as the moon slowly came up, feeling certainty bubbling in their chests. 'Yes, this is the right place to raise a strong family,' Niklim thought, and looked up at Tsikit, also deep in thought. He noticed her gaze and looked down, ear twitching in question.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked. Tsikit glanced back at the landscape sprawling out ahead of them. "This is the place for our pack," he replied, voice strong and sure. Niklim nodded. Yes, this is the place for them.

//Whiik Niklim gives birth to Tset and Smang, who unfortunately die at around 3 months old from lack of food (it's mid winter)//

Outside, the wind howled ominously, battering up against the stone. Niklim shivered and curled up even tighter around her pups, eyeing the flimsy barrier she managed to put up against the den entrance. If the wind kept up, it might not hold.

At her belly, Patlu Smang gave a weak cry, and she immediately turned her attention to her pups, her heart breaking as she did. Nearly 3 months old, Patlu Smang and Patlu Tset were half the size they should be, and painfully thin. Niklim could count both of their ribs, as well as hers. This winter was harsher than they ever imagined it to be, and the mountains provided little shelter as the weather grew worse and worse. And she's having to deal with it on her own. Tsikit left a moon or so ago, searching for food, and hasn't come back yet, and Niklim is terrified of what that could mean for her, and her pups.

Tset squirmed, pawing feebly at her belly with tiny white paws, so similar in color to Tsikit's. All Niklim can do is helplessly cuddle them closer, and pray that the storm weathers soon.

~~~

It's the cold that woke her up. Niklim blinked her eyes open and a violent tremor ran through her. The cave had almost been turned into an ice cave, the walls blue with frost, and the floor covered in snow. Niklim turned to see that the tree bark she placed over the den entrance had been buried under a pile of snow nearly a meter thick.

A sudden thought jolted her again, and she swallowed, nervous. 'The pups," she thought weakly. Nearly every part of her was screaming to look down, to check on her pups, but she knew what she would see if she looked down. And she didn't want to see. She didn't want to know. But she had to. And she looked down.

Even miles away, Tsikit heard her howl, and his heart shattered.