INFORMATION
Our information will be broken up into two sections: OOC and Lore. Be sure to read both sections in their entirety. If you send in an application, we consider this your consent and agreement. As such, once in-game, we will not accept any excuses pertaining to your ignorance or unawareness of certain aspects or rules of the game. It is your responsibility to become familiar with the information we provide.
OOC
Our out-of-character rules are fairly simple. They are as follows:
1) You stir up shit OOC, you're gone. Handle your business like a mature adult. You can't do that? We'll do it for you. And no, we don't care how many 'friends' go with you, so save the threats.
2) Every character will enter as either a human or a patched member of the MC (werewolf). There may be an exception here and there, but no one will be coming in holding a pack/MC position of authority regardless of how you have played your character in the past. We don't play favorites here.
3) You want your character to have a place of authority? You have to be here. You have to be active. Show us you want it and that your character deserves it through play, and we'll discuss it.
4) No, we will not be accepting other types of shifters or other supernatural beings at this point in time no matter how 'cool' your character concept is. Don't ask.
5) We don't really care how many characters you bring in, but if you want more than one female character, you will need to bring in a male character as well. Have time to develop your characters fully or we may visit with you about downgrading.
6) Follow the lore. We're coming up with our own, so it will be different than a lot of what folks are used to. As our story progresses, some of it may alter or change, but we will keep the site updated.
7) Any sort of IC fighting will be done GM style; the GM will have final say about the success/failure of attempts as well as injuries and their severity. The GM will consider a character's post, wording, etc. when evaulating. While it is possible for characters to die in very extenuating circumstances, it is not our goal to kill off characters and will try to avoid it if at all possible.
8) While you can bring in humans who are not affiliated with the pack/mc, please realize that this is a SL based around them. It is very likely your character will become involved with them in some way, shape or form.
LORE
As stated above, we are creating our own lore for this game. We have borrowed things here and there, sometimes bending them to what we need/want. As such, please read all of this section so you will have a good idea how to play your character. We will be here to answer questions; if you think of something that hasn't been listed here, let us know so we can answer your question and probably add that information here.
NOTE: New information added will be under a bold heading or will be in bold text!
origin folklore
In our game, werewolf lore will be loosely based on Norse folklore, extending back to the first wolves, Fenrir and Edda, considered in our lore as the mother and father of their kind. (Please keep in mind we will be altering Norse folklore to fit our needs, but the basis will be rooted in Norse mythology.) The story goes that Fenrir and Edda's offspring (seven in total) spread all over the land, each forming their own pack, creating new wolves, both male and female able to shift at that time and produce wolven offspring. These packs ruled the ancient world for centuries, but eventually the siblings became jealous, greedy, and power hungry, beginning to squabble amongst themselves for territory and power.
Eventually a great werewolf war broke out, known as the "Great Divide." It was a bloody time, a time of slaughter and devastation as brother was pitted against brother, sister against sister, wolf against wolf. Fenrir and Edda watched from afar, unable to stop the madness and hatred that had consumed their children and grandchildren. It was as two of her children fell bloody and gasping for their last breaths even as they continued to strike out at each other that motherly instinct overtook Edda. She ran into the fray to her fallen children to comfort them as life escaped their bodies. Even in those last moments, their hatred was so blind and so great that in their effort to kill one another, they instead tore Edda, their mother and great creator, to pieces.
Fenrir, devastated and enraged by the loss of his mate, let out a roar so deafening that it sent out a blast of power so intense and grief-stricken it brought every wolf to a stand-still. When they began to realize what they had done to their creator, their great mother, the mourning howls began. First a few. Then dozens. Then hundreds. Then thousands. The sound so great and so loud, it is said that the earth trembled beneath their feet and the sky poured down rain as the world wept for her loss.
Although they mourned the loss of their mother and regretted all they had done to each other, the damage was already done. With Edda's death, the ability for females to shift into wolf form died as well. They were unable to produce wolven offspring. For decades they attempted to to find a way to return things to the way they had been before the great war, but Fenrir would accept none of their sacrifices or rituals in place of the mate he had lost by their greed and hatred for one another. Fenrir eventually disappeared from his children and grandchildren, no one quite knows if he died or if he still lives in reclusion mourning his mate's loss.
Over the passage of time, the story has been largely lost, only those who have managed to survive since those ancient times knowing fully what happened on that day during the Great Divide; current wolves may not even know why it is that females cannot shift or have wolven offspring. It is a very dark time in their history, a time which those who were alive to witness do not speak of often or lightly.
contraction
At this point in the game, the only way to contract lycanthropy is through being bit by a fully shifted werewolf. You cannot contract the virus through scratches, sex, blood transfusions, and thus far, is not hertitary. Males who are bitten turn into fully-shifting werewolves. Females will be discussed further on down. Once bitten, the individual will experience flu-like symptoms in the first few hours, followed by severe fever, shakes, nausea, vomiting, and finally intense pain until finally completing their first shift (excruciatingly painful) a full 24 hours after being bitten.
shifting
The first few shifts a werewolf experiences will be painful as the human body adjusts to its new dual reality. Afterward, shifting will become faster and nearly painless the more a werewolf does it. Shifting can be done at any time. Our werewolves are not tied to the full moon for shifting, however, many times the pack will still come together to shift and hunt during full moons for ceremonial and ritual traditions. Once shifted, a werewolf is a four-legged being, taking on the countenance of a natural wolf, only slightly larger. Our werewolves will not be able to partially shift or become a bi-pedal man-wolf hybrid.
enhancements
Werewolves in human form will have the following enhanced abilities: strength (able to easily handle several times their own weight), speed (able to move many times faster than humans, but not blur-like speed), senses (sight, hearing, scent are all honed in to natural wolf level), healing (experience faster healing rate (over hours, rather than days/weeks), but not instanteous - serious injury may still result in death).
immortality
While werewolves are able to die if their injuries are grave enough, generally speaking the aging process taps out around the human appearance of 40-45. If a werewolf is careful, they can live for many centuries. For our purposes, older werewolves are not necessarily considered any more 'powerful' than younger counterparts, but may be viewed as an elder to be respected and enlisted for advice.
rogues
You can bring in a werewolf character who is not initially a member of the pack/mc. However, this is with the understanding that eventually they will become affiliated. We will not accept long-term rogue werewolves as a part of this game. If your character isn't mc material, we can discuss options, but being/becoming a pack member isn't optional.
mc / pack life
The Road Wolves MC is the front for the werewolf pack in this game. Every werewolf belonging to the pack will be either a member or the MC or affiliated with it in some way. We have a few different options for those not comfortable playing bikers, although we strongly encourage bikers as they will be a dominating force in this story. More mc information will be listed elsewhere in this site.
females
At this point in our story, true shifting female werewolves do not exist. That is, human females can be bitten (usually as part of the ritual of taking an Old Lady/Mate) and will experience all of the contraction symptoms, up until the point of actually shifting. When a male would shift and complete the transition, a female will be unable to do so and typically falls unconscious from the pain. Females are unable to take wolf-form in our lore, but do retain the same enhancements as males. A fully-shifting female is said to have happened only a couple of times throughout numerous centuries, but there is no proof any have actually existed. A non-shifting female werewolf is still considered a part of the pack and is a valued member. Because a female can't shift, at times when males shift around them they will feel reactions to it. Newer female wolves may experience a feverish feel along with a general boost of adrenaline and restlessness that will motivate some type of physical activity to 'burn' it off. Females who have been wolves longer than a year or two will generally not have as strong a reaction, but will feel the restlessness of their wolf unable to get out and be free, like an itch that can't be scratched or like a dog scratching at the door to be let out. Most often females will describe being able to get relief from that kind of reaction/pressure build up within their dreams, able to see their 'wolf' and be the wolf running free without constraint.
offspring
Werewolves (whether male or non-shifting female) will be unable to conceive offspring with humans, something in the mystical balance of nature. A male werewolf and a non-shifting female werewolf will be able to have children, however, they will be human themselves, but will be raised in the pack. When they come of age (usually after high school), they have a choice to go through a ritual ceremony to be bitten or to remain human and leave the pack (but are not shunned, they are simply kept out of pack business/matters).
world view
In our lore, humanity at large is not aware that supernaturals exist. Werewolves who are involved with humans (platonic, romantic or otherwise) are expected to keep their true identity a secret. If a human has proved themselves loyal, useful and/or important to a werewolf, the pack will vote whether or not to to bring the human into the ring of trusted affiliates. In order to be trusted, a vote must pass with no more than one 'No.'
other supernaturals / shifters
There are other supernatural beings in existance. The majority of these will be NPCs to be used during SL progression. Occasionally we will offer our players the opportunity to play an NPC for a period of time.
weaknesses
Werewolves are unable to be in contact with silver of any kind. Silver will singe, burn and blister when in contact with flesh, even briefly. Any injury inflicted with silver will heal human slow. If a silver bullet is left in the body for longer than a few minutes, it will become toxic and septic. If a werewolf ingests wolfsbane, it will weaken them within an hour's time to the point of being bed-ridden and symptoms include dizziness, vertigo, headache, disorientation, muscle weakness, blurred vision, ringing in ears, and eventual nausea,vomiting, diarrhea, and if consumed in a large enough dose, may cause coma or even death.
control
In many werewolf lores, wolves are at risk for losing control with increased emotional strain, whether anger or sexual encounters, pain or extreme distress. We aim to do something just a little different here with our lore. While wolves will definitely be affected by strong emotions they may encounter, behavior may become more primal and turn to animal instincts rather than human thought processes, the actual shifting itself is a conscious decision made on the part of the wolf. If they make that conscious thought to give in and shift, then they will and can, but it is not something that is beyond their control. They will not lose control during sex or anger to the point where they shift without being able to stop it; they may feel the push of their wolf wanting to get out, but no shifting will occur without the thought to actually do so.
sexuality
Werewolf lore often is intertwined with a huge emphasis on sexuality. We recognize that sexuality will play a role in how you play your character; we don't aim to change that necessarily. However, in our lore, sexuality will not be a driving force for wolves or the pack as a whole. It is a piece of the puzzle, but their lives and behavior shouldn't be run by sexual urges or being unable to control those urges. We are aiming instead for more focus on power through the pack and family than power based or centered in lust and carnal urges.
pack status
With exception of positions of leadership within the pack, every wolf (male, female, young, old) is on equal footing and are capable of the same power, feats of strength, ability, influence, etc. Pack members have the same amount of power, influence or sway over one another despite their age or experience (see: pack presence). Note, older wolves may have honed their abilities or presence better, but they are not literally more powerful and do not have a more intense effect on younger wolves. Generally they act more as mentors or guides for younger wolves.
pack presence
When two or more wolves from the pack are in the same location, an invisible link forms between them; we will refer to this as 'pack presence.' This link will allow emotions to be communicated between them fluidly without the need for words or touch (although touch will enhance the link and intensity of emotions being shared). These 'vibes' can be a positive influence, such as boosts of confidence, general feelings of comfort and calmness, feelings of safety and familiarity. These vibes can also be a negative influence, such as anger in one wolf may spread like wildfire to the rest instigating a mob mentality when one is in danger or has been wronged. Once a wolf leaves the presence of others, this link is broken until again they return to the presence of other pack members.
death ritual
The death of a pack member is essentially the same as losing a blood relative. It effects the entire family/pack as a grave loss. When a pack member has passed their body is prepared by pack females while males erect a pyre at a sacred pack location in the forest in place for such rituals. The night of the 'funeral' the body is burned at the pyre while the pack gathers around and join in the farewell/mouring howling (this can be done whether in wolf or human form) as a send-off to the afterlife and wolves who have passed before them. Around sunrise, the ashes are gathered and scattered around the perimeter of the sacred area to protect it and remain with the pack in spirit.
pack howl
A pack howl is basically a call for brethren in the area (within a mile or two). Any pack member is able to make a pack howl, and it can be done for numerous reasons. It can be used to draw pack members close (for protection, support, general need for companionship, distress, etc.) or as a more inform call to draw others for a shift/run/other reason. These howls can be made in human or wolf form, should be done outside of human presence, and will generally be accomanied with a vague feeling of why the howl was made.
alpha's call
When the Alpha of the pack needs to call a meeting or gathering of the pack for any reason, the Alpha will give off a howl that extends throughout the pack's territory. If not physically heard, the vibration of it will be felt amont every member of the pack. When an Alpha gives off a call, every member must drop what they are doing and report to the Den (club/pack house) as soon as they possibly can.
alpha's howl
An Alpha's howl is usually directed at a select individual(s) and is often used to command submission from pack members. It typically is felt as a blast of power and control that is blinding and sometimes debilitating to the wolves it is directed at, rendering them incapable of further disobedience at that moment. The only exception to this is when a power challenge howl has been issued toward the Alpha/leadership (see: challenge of power howl).
challenge of power howl
This aspect is intertwined with MC Info. When a wolf (male at this point in time) wants to challenge the Alpha for leadership, they can issue a challenge for power howl. This exerts their own rush of power over the Alpha or other member of leadership (think of it as slapping a glove across a cheek to challenge someone to a duel). This will lead to a fight for dominance to keep or lay new claim to the position within the pack/mc (see mc info). The Alpha, other leadership, and other pack members cannot interfere with a challenge of power howl or subsequent fight.
wolven gifts
While all wolves have general abilities that have been described above or below, we will also be instilling wolves with a unique gift all of their own. This will not happen all at once or immediately, but eventually wolves will develop a new gift no one else possesses. While we will try to keep your character's demeanor, personality, etc. in mind when selecting these, we will also be keeping in mind what gifts will lend themselves as helpful or needed with the SL's progression or upcoming story-lines. We will likely visit with you about this when the time comes, but keep an open mind to what we may decide. It may be a challenge for your character, but that is all part of character development and growth. We hope this individual gift will give all wolves a chance to play a unique role within the pack itself and story-line as a whole.