Maliketh

BACKSTORY

Maliketh and Renyan were a pair of steadfast friends, and the founders of the Wandering Vagabonds. They had been close to each other since puphood, finding common grounds in their experiences as orphans both. Together they had roamed the mountains and the lands, heeding no call but that of their own freedom.

Maliketh loved her life as a free wandering wolf with only Renyan by her side. The pair had traveled long and far, never stopping in any one place too long. In a way, the world was their oyster and any place under the stars could be considered their home, only if temporarily. However, as Renyan grew older, she slowly became aware of another call - that of family and kin. She wished to end their days wandering, to find a place to settle down and had pups of her own.

Maliketh was resistant to this idea. Unlike Renyan, Maliketh's orphanhood was more or less by choice. She was born in a big pack of many different bloodlines, but they did not coexist peacefully. Infighting was a constant in Maliketh's old pack as wolves fought for the position of leader, but despite all the tussling the wolves were forced to stay together by necessity - it was a leaner time and without the help of many they might not be able to hunt down prey and survive the famine. One year, all the young pups in the pack were born weak. Many died shortly after birth, whereas others barely clung on for their life. Accusations of witchcraft and inbreeding broke out, but no one could figure out the source of the problem. Even the herbalists were powerless to stop the pups' decline, and soon enough the rest of the surviving pups started dying in droves. Parents, driven by grief, refused to part ways peacefully from the pack - not before they have received an answer for what had happened and avenged their younglings. Wolves of higher standing who were contesting the position of pack leader took advantage to rally the grieving parents to their side, and the infighting escalated to a full out civil war.

Maliketh's parents were killed in such a struggle, among with many other wolves and pups who were caught in the crossfire. Though she still had living relatives in the pack, Maliketh decided to cut all ties with the past and left the moment her legs were steady enough to carry her. The experience left a bad mark on her, like a wound that never fully healed. Because of this, Maliketh grew up to be extremely wary of big packs and believed that those not of your own blood or very close to you should never be trusted.

When Renyan first pitched the idea of forming a pack to her, Maliketh all but outright refused her proposal. Is it not good right now, just the two of us? You I can trust, but anyone else would be one wolf too many! However, as the day passed the longing inside Renyan only grew and grew, and she no longer find as much joy in wandering the lands as she had before. To Renyan, the two of them together had been enough for a long while, but now she started to crave for something more. A big family made of their children and the pups that came after them. A strong pack where the two of them could grow old together and watch over their pups; to see them growing up safe and strong, protected from all harms and never having to suffer the pains of orphanhood like she had.

Maliketh had always managed to find one reason or another to turn down Renyan's proposal, but she could not stand to see her friend looking so downtrodden and wasting away. In the end, Maliketh agreed to find a place to settle down and form a pack, hesitant as she was. However, because of her past trauma, Maliketh made Renyan promise - together they would form a pack, but only if the other wolf agreed to keep their family small and tight, limited to their next of kin only. Mates and outsider wolves may join and stay for a while, but wanderers they shall remain, to prevent the pack from growing too large and unwieldy. Most of their children and those who came after them would also have to set out once they were on steady feet - but for the firstborns and the exceptional, who may stay with the pack and carry on their legacy. That was the first and most important rule of the Vagabonds, to keep their pack tight and strong for many generations to come.

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SOCIAL HIERARCHY

Unlike most other packs where the wolves all belong to the same family, the Wandering Vagabonds are essentially two family lines living alongside each other in harmony. The highest positions in the pack are Pack Lead and Pack Advisor. These titles are held by one wolf in each family line, interchangeable between generations.

Maliketh was one of the Founders of the Vagabonds, and all pups in her bloodline belong to the First Line of the pack. Renyan was the other Founder of the pack, and her descendants belong to the Second Line, respectively.

Wolves from the same Line may not take each other as mates to prevent inbreeding, as they all share one common ancestor. Wolves from different Lines may intermingle and take each other as mates, but they will automatically be disqualified from the running for Heirs. Additionally, the children of these wolves and their descendants will be deemed of mixed blood, muddying the lineage record, and are forbidden from joining the Main Branch in any way. Mixed blood wolves must always take an outsider as a mate to prevent inbreeding in later generations, ensuring a strong bloodline. However, more often than not, they would be asked to leave the pack upon adolescence.

Wolves from both Lines are separated into a Main Branch and a Side Branch.

The Main Branch forms the inner ring of the pack's structure - core members who are offered a permanent place in the family. This includes the Pack Lead, Pack Advisor, Heirs and some of their descendants, but not their mates. The firstborns of the Pack Lead or Pack Advisor are guaranteed a place in the pack as members of the Main Branch upon birth. This is to guarantee that the majority of the core members forming the Main Branch will always be direct descendants of the Founders. Wolves from the Main Branch are responsible for the well-being of the pack, including the matter of inheritance and harmony. Loyalty to the pack is an absolute requirement, and thus any wolves chosen for their position but refused to fulfill their role will be banished from the pack, along with their mate and any pups they may have spawned, never allowed to return.

The Side Branch wolves are also considered members of the pack, but their positions are less permanent in nature. Any pups from the founders' bloodlines that did not fulfill the requirement to join the Main Branch from birth or did not become Heir during their lifetime are considered members of the Side Branch. These wolves may choose to leave and rejoin the pack of their own volition with no repercussion, but unlike the Main Branch wolves who are secured a place in the pack, Side Branch wolves might be asked to leave the pack during leaner times or if the pack has become too big. Weaker members of the Side Branch also tend to be asked to part ways with the pack once they are old enough.

Wolves not offered a place in the Main Branch upon birth may also be allowed to join it if they fulfill certain criteria. Wolves that has been chosen as Heirs will be allowed to join the Main Branch by default. Side Branch wolves who has proven themselves by performing an act of exceptional merit might be invited to join the Main Branch as a honorary member. Outsiders and adopted wolves may not become Main Branch members, but they could be allowed to join the Side Branch if they proved their worth, and their children might be eligible for a spot in the Main or Side Branch if they became mates to wolves from the founders' bloodlines.

Heirs are wolves that will inherit the title of Pack Lead and Pack Advisor upon the death of their predecessors. Heirs are chosen within the last year of the previous pair of Pack Lead - Pack Advisor's lifetimes, and come in a pair with each wolf set to inherit one of these titles respectively. To become an Heir one must be from either founders' bloodlines, and within a pair of Heirs one must always be from the First Line and the other from the Second Line. Heirs have the same privileges and standings within the pack as each other when their predecessors are still alive, but at the time of inheritance the more exceptional wolf of the pair will take on the mantle of Pack Lead and the other will become Pack Advisor.

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TITLES

This wolf is/was a Founder of the pack.
This wolf is/was a member of the Main Branch of the First Line.
This wolf is/was the Pack Lead.


- Pack Lead: Leader of the pack, top of the social hierarchy and makes the final call on important pack decisions. The Pack Lead and Pack Advisor are a pair of closely bonded wolves - but they are not a breeding pair. Their mate must be an outsider wolf to prevent inbreeding in later generations.

- Pack Advisor: Second in command of the pack, advise the Pack Lead on important decisions and lead the pack in the absence of a Pack Lead. The Pack Lead and Pack Advisor are a pair of closely bonded wolves - but they are not a breeding pair. Their mate must be an outsider wolf to prevent inbreeding in later generations.

- Heirs: Direct descendants of the Founders who are chosen during the last year of the current Pack Lead - Pack Advisor pair's lifetimes to inherit these two titles upon their predecessors' death. As they are set to inherit two titles, Heirs also come in pairs and each Heir must be from a different Line. Heirs must also take outsider wolves as mates so not to muddy the lineage and prevent inbreeding.

- Honoured Ones: Wolves from the Side Branch who has performed an exceptional deed and allowed to join the Main Branch as honorary members.

- Unique Titles: Unique titles might be earned by performing an exceptional feat (i.e. Founder titles are granted to only the two wolves that first formed the pack). These titles cannot be inherited, but some might be re-granted to the wolves that live up to that feat after the predecessor who originally earned that title has passed away.