Post by Yulianna on May 2, 2016 18:46:55 GMT
W I N T E R W O O D P A C K
The dogs of Winterwood live in the Laika Timberland. They have rich traditions and ceremonies at different times of the year. Despite the fact that they choose not to use their powers, nearly every dog in Winterwood is a capable battler and a resourceful expert of survival as this is something taught to the puppies from a young age. Though the pack is known for the fact that they don't rely on their powers, they encouraged learning and understanding the abilities of others without abusing their own unnatural gifts. A sign of pride in the pack is being able to do things like hunt or fight without the use of powers, abilities, or mutations.
The Laws
1. Respect those in the pack, both those ranked higher than you and those lower.
2. Do not become dependent on powers and abilities.
3. Do not hurt, injure, or kill dogs or humans without reason.
4. Be loyal to the pack, do not betray us.
5. Joining the Festivals are optional, but encouraged.
6. Mates are monogamous; cheating is looked down upon.
7. Only mated pairs can have puppies, except for a few circumstances.
8. All dogs must participate in the Winter Survival Test before being ranked in the higher rankings.
Festivals & Traditions
Annual Festivals
January-February - Winter Survival TestDogs are expected to survive on their own or in a small survival group in one of the other three territories of the Northlands. At homecoming, the dogs are celebrated.
Late April - Feather Exchange
Here, the dogs collect feathers and give them to those they care about. Some dogs wear the feathers they collect and others use them to decorate their dens.
July - The Summer Festival
A day of fun in the sun during July, where the dogs go to Crooked Tooth and race each other, spar, tell stories of the happenings of the year, and eat a feast provided by the hunters.
October - The Annual Bone Hide
The pack's adults each hide a single bone somewhere in the Timberland. Participating puppies and adolescent dogs look for and collect bones together. At the end of the month, the adults look in the places they have hid their bones.
Pack Traditions
Marriage CeremonyDogs profess their love to the one they love in a public ceremony led by a pack Shaman. Females wear dried flowers while males wear animal hides for the day. Dogs mated have the pack's full blessing to have puppies and are supported by the pack.
Litter Blessing Ceremony
The litter is blessed by the pack's Shaman. In the ceremony, the mother-to-be drinks a concoction which contains Glassrose flowers. The pack makes a promise to take care of her litter.
Final Farewell Ceremony
The dead are given their final farewell at a burial site close to Silver Falls. The Shaman quietly gives a speech of the afterlife and the mark the dog has left behind. The graves are marked with stones.
Good Luck Tradition
Dogs who are about to leave on a journey or go on a hard hunt, may ask for luck. In Winterwood, touching noses twice before they depart is a tender way of displaying a wishing well to one you care about.
Sparring Matches
Winterwood dogs love sparring matches and use them to train a dog how to react quickly in a real fight. Dogs go into non-aggressive fight displays where the point is to put an open mouth on the opponent's neck. Of course, some dogs get bruised up in these matches, but to break skin or use abilities is dishonorable.
