River's Hunger

𓆝Pack𓆝

Members of River's Hunger all serve their deity, Piracura. They act as Her messengers, accompany/aid Her to hunt for Her, or act as blessings/protectors. Each is adorned with her scales and tends to be a bit quiet and standoffish.

𓆝𓆝Ranks𓆝𓆝

. . .

𓆝𓆝𓆝Pack Lore𓆝𓆝𓆝

A tribe with origins in a few scattered devout followers, each called to action by the possession of a blood red scale and the whispers of hunger from the murkiest of rivers. While most of the surrounding villages feared Piracura and its seemingly endless consumption, the few that stepped foot into its territory found a calling in the sacrifices and offerings that promised security, prosperity, and a kinship with the River Mother Itself. What waited in the water for them was not the demon of legends, but a god that would offer shelter and protection under Its scales. The offerings of food and blood turned from actions of fear to acts of worship.

Eventually, more were called to Her side. There was little famine, drought, or sickness that seemed to touch Piracura's followers. To earn a scale from It was a feat that required sacrifice and danger, leaving offerings for the river to consume. However, earning a scale meant safe harbor in the murky jungle. Wolves of the group's followers are often adorned with Its scales to allow safe passage through its tropical swamp territory. The cult has an intense hatred of outsiders. Though, it's not uncommon for one to be 'called to service' by Piracura and join Its ranks. Make one wrong step in the territory, however, and any unknowing traveler will end up satisfying the River Mother's hunger.

An area around a particularly large tropical swamp is the tribe's sacred grounds. Often referred to as Rainfall Labyrinth, within its center is considered Piracura's territory, and blasphemous to tread on if not a high-ranking follower. Some followers of the tribe make their homes around the outer edge of the swamp, while others seek refuge in nearby villages to keep an eye on the local population and keep them from prodding into Piracura's territory without Its blessing.

𓆝𓆝𓆝The River Mother𓆝𓆝𓆝

With a hunger that could rival a whale, Piracura is a tireless creature prowling the jungles for any unlucky traveler to become Its next meal. While It mostly prefers to lurk in the murky waters of the tropical swamp, It will venture onto the jungle floor during rainfall. Piracura transforms Itself into a river otter or capybara to gain the trust of those lost and act as a guide. Once the victim trusts the strange-colored animal enough to follow it through the dense jungle, Piracura will typically lead them to any body of water and find a way to get the victim in the water with Her. When the victim enters the water, Piracura will reveal iIs true form and strike. While Piracura isn't a particularly fast creature, Its strikes rarely miss their target.

Tales of Piracura's deception and attacks have spread far and wide among the locals. Some won't enter the water unless absolutely necessary and a few parents go as far as to not let their pups outside even during the lightest of rainfall. The name of this deity strikes fear into the hearts of many and there have been attempts to subdue the beast. However, all attempts at stopping Piracura have failed. At most, a few scales here and there have been dislodged but nothing to cause any serious harm. These scales are treated as trophies to some and warnings to others. Due to the difficulty of obtaining one of these scales and their rarity, a market for knockoffs has grown over the years.

The vibrant red along the outer edge of the scales and along Piracura's body are only visible when the beast is ready to attack. All the missing scales, no matter how far away, light up whenever Piracura strikes.