Deep in the heart of a large mountain resides the Voulk family. Founded and fathered by a youthful male named Tyrin, the Voulks are a pack of wolves that prioritize privacy and secrecy above all else. Although not aggressive, this bunch is not particularly fond of outsiders. They prefer to keep to themselves and their tight-knit bonds rather than fraternize with strangers.
Finding a place among the pack, other than being born into it, is a long and grueling process most choose not to undertake. Usually, the process involves the completion of hard and tiring duties for the pack, as well as rigorous strength training to properly navigate through steep and ragged mountainsides and terrain. This takes place over the course of several weeks during a trial period, while interaction with others in the pack is withheld. This tiring and lonely process deters many from even seeking out the Voulks to join, and the few that do end up quitting or leaving without a word. The toughest of the tough who can make it through are welcomed into the pack without discrimination, integrating into the family as one of their own immediately. Anyone who gets this far will be equally protected and cared for as one born in. Only young pups found abandoned are taken in without trials or testing and are raised as any other Voulk pup.
Relationships here are the strongest and most loyal of all. Forged in blood and tears, the wolves here form bonds with each other that will prosper no matter what the weather or hardships. Even simple platonic friendships are highly cherished, and those that find themselves in such a relationship have someone to watch their back for life! Wolves here mate for life and are so loyal to their partners that there is no history of a pair breaking up. Even after one partner dies, the heartbroken widow prefers to live out the rest of his or her life single rather than form another bond with someone else. Pups are ruthlessly protected by their parents and the pack as a whole. Even into adulthood, they are fretted over and strongly cared for. Sibling rivalry is everywhere, but in the Voulk family it's all in good fun. Some even say the bond between siblings in Voulk, although platonic, is stronger and longer lasting than even that of a pairbond.
The wolves live in an intricate tunnel system weaving through a large, sturdy mountain that they call home, filled with vast, winding paths that any stranger can easily get lost in. Various pockets of rooms attached to these tunnel systems are used for a plethora of purposes, including communal nesting sites for mothers to be.
Given that the majority of wolves in Voulk are born here, all wolves know from a young age how to safely scale the steep mountainsides. They are even trained in how to safely take down small prey on the sloped terrain. The only time the pack comes down from the mountains is when hunting parties are after larger prey. That, or when a heavy fog settles over the mountains, giving the pack cover as they come down. Even so, they only go down to the valleys below, sandwiched between the mountains that cradle them in safety. Never do the wolves of Voulk come down from the mountains entirely.
It was here that Tyrin started his family. It is here that his family will prosper for generations to come, or fade into obscurity.
