Saga of the Fleurs d'Or/Gardiens de Minuit
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Saga of the Fleurs d'Or/Gardiens de Minuit
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Posted 2021-01-07 12:03:21 (edited)
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 Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-01-07 12:10:57 (edited)
The forest stretches on, both sun and shadows warmed by autumn’s dyes. Shapes in light glimmer then disappear from the lake surface; fish slide past below. Voices of wolves join the quieter murmurs of birds and mice. They tell of a stranger, eyes to match the leaves of spring, fur echoing the reds and golds of a later season. She looks unlike the wolves of this area. While she is still a rumor, the residents remain unsure what to make of her. Then one day a wolf named Émilie makes— perhaps not a right or wrong turn, but one that will change the course of many wolves’ lives. Grey eyes meet green; gazes hold a second too long. She’s never believed in love at first sight. Now doubt prickles uncomfortably at her margins. That discomfort fades eventually, replaced by warmth of feeling, admiration. They are mates, in spite of clashing views. They respect each other even when they disagree. Both are reserved in disposition, each other’s exception to their lone wolf natures. At first they try to survive just the pair of them. Émilie is too proud to admit she needs help until exhaustion drags her down. Aurore’s first act as leader is to decide they must be a pack, not a pair. Since then they have gathered a small cadre of wolves to survive against the elements. Most are local, their fur grey tinged with occasional warmer tones. As they begin to move from forest to plains, however, their composition changes. More wolves join that share golden elements with Aurore. The original members worry they may be left behind. But if so, it will be Émilie’s doing. Their leader is too kind-hearted to do what must be done. TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-01-07 12:34:59 (edited)
LORE & LAW Each wolf receives a name on entering the pack. This is based on appearance or personality if they arrive unnamed, or a French variation on their current name if they have one. (Although the wolves aren't aware of human history, this is because they originated in a Quebec forest.) Females breed twice in their lifetimes to maximize both the pups' potential and the mother's wisdom and maturity. Slight preference is given to in-pack breeding, but the choice belongs to the female. Mothers name their pups, usually after they've started to show their personalities or in consultation with the herbalist and leader. New hunting parties will generally be accompanied by an older wolf until their skills are sufficiently honed. The Fleurs de Lis is a hunting party for training pups born into the pack; survival doesn't depend on them, so they go out on their own. This is Émilie's idea and Aurore worries about it. Loss of prey isn't the only danger, after all. Pupsitting is assigned to only the most responsible wolves; to Aurore, nothing is more precious than the young. The herbalist chooses their own successor, who will tag along with them to learn from the (usually) older wolf until they take over entirely. When the time comes for the leader to step down (or when they die) the new leader is selected by the pack. The previous leader will have prepared a younger wolf for the role, bestowing the wisdom they've learned over the years. However, it is the pack's right to choose another if they wish. Whichever wolf is chosen, the ceremony where they become leader is called the Passage des Fleurs— in which a crown of golden flowers symbolically worn by the leader is placed on their head. |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-01-07 12:45:03 (edited)
PACK ROSTER Leader: Aurore Former Members: Tempête, Verre, Terre, Ombre, Jeannot, Sable (deceased); Bouleau, Janvier (left for other packs) |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-01-07 13:01:07 (edited)
TERRITORY Previous Locations: Deciduous forest (Quebec), riparian woodland (Ontario, somewhere north of Lake Superior), Coniferous forest (Manitoba), prairie (Saskatchewan) Description coming soon! |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-01-07 13:32:32
YEAR ONE SPRING Aurore meets Émilie. After survival as a pair proves unfeasible, they begin to form their pack, starting with Janvier. At first he tries to hunt alone. Aurore doesn't like to see him struggle and Émilie deems it inefficient, so they seek out more members to fill out the hunting party's ranks. They find two wolves with some experience and an eager but green female. SUMMER The pack becomes aware of illnesses and promptly sends Verre to learn the herbalist craft from Herbert the bear. Although he complains dramatically about all the work, he still does it, learning quickly as consequence (and reward). Émilie's first pups (by Janvier, who has had feelings for her all along) are born. She immediately resents the resources 'wasted' on these weaklings but allows them to remain with her for the time being. AUTUMN Life continues; near season's end to conserve resources for the upcoming winter, Émilie chases away a pair of pups obtained from another pack as well as her own children. This leads to her first real fight with Aurore. WINTER The pack's hunting party, having worked together most of the year, is by now a strong team— and it is needed. Success becomes more fleeting. Though they are never in real danger, Aurore reluctantly admits her mate may have been right to rid them of those pups; at least she had a point. They decide to wait until spring to expand the pack. |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-01-07 14:06:41 (edited)
YEAR TWO SPRING With arrival of a new year and the season of new growth, the pack feels secure in adding to its ranks. Topaze, who came to them as a pup, finally reaches maturity. Two more adults join as well and form a second hunting party. Aurore is acutely aware that the first hunters are getting older. Tempête comes into heat for what is likely the last time and decides to find a male beyond their territory, knowing an outside male's offspring could strengthen the still-young pack. In preparation for the pups to come, they find two pupsitters to join them. SUMMER Verre is a fully proficient herbalist now. Bored with the more mundane tasks associated with the craft, he's begun to cook up something new. The pack befriends a particularly nice wolf and trades her to another pack for some golden pinecones. With this Verre nearly has enough to put his plans into action... Tempête's pups are born. The most promising is barely dry before she's cursing; luckily it's still cute in one so young, but no doubt she'll be the first to start making bawdy jokes too. Émilie already has her eye on one pup to chase him as soon as mum's not looking; they don't have enough sitters to reliably look after so many pups. Terre sees Tempête's pups and wants some of her own. She's worried it will seem like she's copying the older wolf if she chooses a male outside the pack too, but she catches sight of a handsome wolf while out on a hunt and it's all over. She's smitten; he's willing. There will be more pups come autumn. (In preparation Émilie has chased off a few pups from another pack.) Towards the end of summer Aurore comes across the recipe for fox base, but is sorely lacking in the trophies needed to craft it. Verre seems the most excited at the prospect (perhaps he aspires to change his own base?) and lobbies for her to fight as many foxes as possible. AUTUMN The changing of leaves accentuates the coming scarcity; Émilie restrains herself until the waning months, when she finally chases more pups. This causes Aurore to put off the bonding ceremony they've planned for a long time. Instead they attend the ceremony for another couple but sit at opposite sides of the clearing. The lucky pair is Jeannot & Sable— though the two have been scouting areas far from each other, whenever they returned they would share what they'd discover and very naturally friendship became something else. Other couples decide to wait until spring; there's no hurry, since they wouldn't want pups born into winter. WINTER The pack moves, driven by grief after the death of Tempête, and Émilie's impetuous chasing of her pups. The changes in the pack's main hunting party— the loss of an experienced hunter, the addition of a new, young one— mean they struggle to catch larger prey until they find their feet. Aurore worries; she scrounges extra carcasses where she can. To add to her concerns, one of the pack gets pregnant— they'd decided not to risk it, but Jèrri always did like living on the edge. It's late enough in the season that it might be okay, though... To be continued! |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-01-30 08:53:49 (edited)
YEAR THREE SPRING Jèrri's pups are thankfully born without incident; one inherits her unusual eyes. By this time the hunters have acclimated to their new territory and have no trouble catching enough food. The presence of pups sparks interest in pairing, though they still opt not to go through with the ceremony yet. Some at least are still weighing their options (and some like to say they are just to tease their partner). Émilie chases a few wolves who had been hanging around without really joining the pack. SUMMER Verre gets bored (yes, again) and comes up with a new trick: the sex changer. He convinces the wolf who'd brought him into the pack to try it. They both have minds that think outside the box anyway, so this does make sense. In the process though they realize they have feelings for each other, feelings that don't quite line up with friendship. They become the pack's second bonded pair and have already decided to have pups when the time comes. AUTUMN That time arrives sooner than they'd planned... Bouleau gives birth to three pups, two of which get Verre's eyes. The female pup is the favorite, though of course neither parent will say so! To help raise them Verre steps down as herbalist, ceding the role to a newer pack member. The pack think he may have been biased because she has the same unusual color of eyes, and it's true she may be even more vain than he is; but she does prove to be skilled. Is it bragging if it's the truth? WINTER Verre gets restless after months of staying near the den and the pups. He gives a few wolves a makeover, then volunteers to scout out the big scary-looking glacier that no one else feels equipped to handle. Jeannot, worried, immediately starts training to go instead. After all, he is one of the actual scouts. (For him though it's genuine concern, not ego.) Before he's good enough, Verre has set out. The first few trips are fine. He comes back with dramatic tales for his pups of narrowly escaping a polar bear and swimming with whales. But one trip... he doesn't come back. Jeannot is finally ready and goes looking for him, but never finds a trace. Bouleau keeps going for their pups and remains as the pack's best stalker, but the light has gone from his eyes now. |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-02-17 16:41:14 (edited)
YEAR FOUR SPRING Bouleau tries, but finally concludes he can't stay with the pack after losing his mate. Aurore promises to take care of their pups for him and in memory of Verre. Jeannot and Sable are waiting to have pups, but he's so eager to be a father that he becomes the pack's breeding male. Sable isn't thrilled but knows he loves her and only her. Terre died near the end of winter, which leaves Janvier the only original member of his hunting party left. He takes this as a sign and gives up on his crush on Émilie at last, leaving for another pack. SUMMER More wolves join because AUTUMN Aurore has been watching others have pups, taking care of those pups, giving the pupsitters a break at times... now she's decided she's ready for her own. Émilie wants no part in it (or so she says) and is definitely not happy about how it has to come about. They're mates, that should mean something. But she's also not the lead and has no interest in a mutiny, so she reluctantly accepts it. When Aurore's pups are born she even begins to warm up to them. (Very gradually.) Although she doesn't quite get why her mate favors one pup when there's another so much more like Émilie... especially as the favored pup has absolutely no self-control. And is really annoying (to Émilie). WINTER Early in winter Aurore's first mentor Rémy appears. He's tired and hungry— and alone. His whole pack is gone. Aurore takes him in without asking anything about it. Though she's obviously concerned, she remembers how it was a relief when he didn't ask about her past, so she returns the favor now. Another wolf accompanies him, not one of his pack but unsurprisingly he hadn't been able to refuse her company. They both join the Fleurs d'Or to survive the brutal season. |
Levi #33797 |
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Posted 2021-05-06 09:54:30 (edited)
The particulars of the pack's fifth year were lost due to scribal error. YEAR SIX SPRING After a winter of unprecedented scarcity— bringing the slate pup Tonnerre into the pack cleared out all their stores— things begin to look up again. Jeannot and Sable's second litter grows up, as does Ombre and Tournesol's last pup, and Rémy and Camille's. They all spend some time scouting before honing their hunting skills in a training party; they will join one of the pack's more established parties later. SUMMER The hopeful note of spring is cut short by a loss: Jeannot dies, his once-strong body finally surrendering to the inevitability of old age. Sable wants to linger until she's sure the pack's pups will be safe, but a combination of grief and stress takes her too soon. Stress, because as with previous deaths, this one heralds another change of scenery. This time Aurore flees for the mountains to the west. They've been steadily moving north, where prairies give way to some trees, so the shock isn't complete; but it's enough. The stress also leads to the breakup of some pair bonds. Gwenaël and Maël, once thought inseparable, admit defeat; their differences are too great. More surprising is Finistère and Brûlée, who have been together a long time and didn't show any signs of strain before their split. Aurore is feeling her own age and knows her next litter will also be her last. She urges Émilie to have pups too so they can die surrounded by both their offspring. She agrees, but only if she finds a male capable enough to be worthy. AUTUMN As promised to each other, Émilie and Aurore are both expecting pups. Émilie insists on working right up until the last moment; after Topaze lost all but one pup doing the same thing, Aurore is profoundly worried about this. However, all pups arrive safely. Émilie's litter has several pretty pups, but she chooses instead based on temperament and also skill, as that begins to reveal itself. The pup who remains in the pack is quite plain; he becomes attached to a pup shinier than he— golden coat, brimming with confidence and charisma. WINTER The pack enjoys an easier than usual winter in the mountains; their hunting parties are no longer unseasoned and are able to cope with the harsher conditions. But with the loss of her mate Aurore feels either confident or reckless, staring out across the land beyond the mountains full of dust and sagebrush; they will move there once winter passes. |
Levi #33797 |