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, suddenly all the young pups in the pack were born weak. 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 their decline, and soon enough young 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 fighting for the position of pack leader took advantage to rally the grieving wolves 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 innocent wolves and pups caught in the crossfire. Though she still had living relatives in the pack, Maliketh decided to cut all ties with them 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, she 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 come and go, 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 belongs to the First Line of the pack. They may attain a title once they come of age or carry out a deed of great merits.

The First line is separated into a Main Branch and a Side Branch.
The firstborns (pups from the first litter) of Maliketh are guaranteed a place in the pack as members of the Main Branch upon birth. However, only one pup from each generation may pass down these titles to their first litter - this pup is considered a worthy offspring of choice from Maliketh's direct bloodline, a Heir. In this way, only the most exceptional members of the pack may stay and further the bloodline. The pups of any other firstborns who did not become Heir are considered members of the Side Branch upon birth.

Any other descendants who are not born of the first litter usually are asked to part ways with the pack once they are old enough. However, occasionally stronger pups are also allowed to stay as members of the Side Branch. Members of the Side Branch do not have a permanent place in the pack and might be asked to split up if the pack grows too big. A wolf from the Side Branch who has proven themselves by performing an act of exceptional merit might be invited to join the Main Branch as a Honorary member. Pups and young wolves who managed to join the Main Branch in this way before the Heir of a generation is picked may also compete for the title of Heir.

Wolves from the same Line may not take each other as mates to prevent inbreeding. 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 will be deemed Mixed Line and are forbidden from joining the Main Branch in any way. Mixed Line wolves might be forced to never take a mate or to leave the pack to prevent inbreeding in later generations, ensuring a strong bloodline.

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TITLES

This wolf is a Founder of the pack.
This wolf is a member of the Main Branch of the First Line.
This wolf is 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. A new pair of Pack Lead - Pack Advisor is chosen from Heirs of all generations upon the death or retirement of the previous pair.

- 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. A new pair of Pack Lead - Pack Advisor is chosen from Heirs of all generations upon the death or retirement of the previous pair.

- Elder: A Pack Lead or Pack Advisor who have retired due to the death of their counterpart. The Elder is a well respected member and held in high regards among the pack only. Socially speaking they are ranked only under Pack Lead and Pack Advisor, but this is an advisory position and Elders may not make the final call on important matters of the pack.

- Heirs: The title of Heir is contested among all eligible Main Branch pups of the same generation. For each generation two Heirs will be chosen, one from the First Line and one from the Second Line. These wolves will be bonded as a pair and if chosen, will replace the pair of Pack Lead and Pack Advisor upon their death or retirement. As several generations of wolves might coexist, so there might be several pairs of Heirs in the pack at any one time, differentiated by their generation (i.e. G3 Heir). The top positions of the pack is chosen from the strongest pair of existing Heirs. Heirs of a lower generation, if not chosen, remain Heirs and may contest for the top positions when it is once again open. Heirs of a higher generation who got skipped will earn the titles of Honoured Ones instead.

- Honoured Ones: Heirs whose generation got skipped in the running for new Pack Lead and Pack Advisor, which only happens in the case of a younger generation providing Heirs more exceptional and better suited for the positions of leaders. These wolves hold an advisory position in the pack, and in the social hierarchy they are considered lower than an Elder but higher than Heirs.

- 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.