Fevark

**TW/CW: Mentions or references to slavery and homophobia.**

Alvox lived in the village of Fevark, situated in the middle of a lush forest. The village is militaristic, with a focus on training and combat. They worship the moon god Aluna and use a lunar calendar to mark the passage of time. Shamans act as the religious figures of the village who are in charge of caring for the sick and wounded and as speakers for Aluna and the ancestors. Shamans go through years of training to prepare to be chosen as a shaman. A new shaman is chosen by the current shaman through a religious vision or by who is next in line to be a shaman. If someone is in line to be the next shaman, it doesn’t guarantee that they will be the next shaman. Shamans are also in charge of certain ceremonies and rituals in the village which range from births to protection rituals.

Whenever a woman goes into labor, she is taken to a special pool known as the moon pool at night by a shamen where she will give birth. When a pup is born, the shaman finds a moonstone corresponding to the phase of Aluna at that night and gives it to the newborn pup. If two pups are born on the same night, they are considered moon brothers/sisters and bound by fate. The different phases of the moon act as a horoscope of sorts and generally define how a wolf will act. When a pup is born, the name trees of their parents are used to pollinate a sapling from one of the parent’s name trees to then be planted for the newborn pup. Then the pup grows up and reaches a mature age (around 18 years old in accordance to a lunar calendar) the wolf will then carve their true name into the tree and abandon their old name. The name tree is used as a religious rite of passage and as an anchor to the world after death. When a wolf dies, their moonstone is wrapped around their name tree as a sort of memorial and their spirit lingers in the world for just a little longer as long as their name tree is in tack. When their time runs out as a spirit or their name tree is destroyed or vandalized, they travel to the endless void to live the rest of the afterlife. The name trees are used to cheat death if just for a little bit. The spirits that linger after death are generally good spirits, but bad spirits can appear with malicious wolves who have died. Special sigils are used to ward off evil spirits. These spirits also can communicate to the living, but only to shamans. These trees are forbidden to be cut down under any circumstances. If a name tree were to be cut down or vandalized, then the person responsible for it gets the death penalty.

Names are given to pups based on either physical attributes or personalities. These are called pup names and can be used as a serious insult towards a wolf who has claimed their true name. It is a sign of mockery and dishonoring and fighting is generally used to regain or facilitate honor.

Sylvanfolk, which are rabbit people, are used for jobs such as servants and farmers. In exchange for their work, the wolves provide protection to their burrows. Each burrow has a set quota or debt that they have to pay. If they cannot make the payment, then one of the members of the burrow is sold into servitude to pay off the debt. Servants generally serve one wolf, but are able to work with other wolves. Depending on the quality of work they do and whether they were let go by their owners, it can change the employability of them. Sylvanfolk speak Sylvan as opposed to wolves who speak Wolven. It is forbidden for any otherkin to learn and speak Wolven and to teach an otherkin their language. This has to do with protecting their culture in any way possible. Because of this, communication is very basic and stilted between wolves and Sylvanfolk.

At the village center, feasts are held daily. Several types of foods and alcohol are served during these feasts. Tables are set up where wolves congregate with social circles they’re familiar with. The chieftain’s table is reserved for the chieftain, his advisor, any of his children, the elders, anyone close to any of them, and alphas. There’s no designated seating and intermingling between tables is common. Music and dancing also accompanies these feasts on occasion.

The village employs a hierarchy among its members. First are the regular wolves, then the alphas, elders, chieftain’s advisor, and the chieftain. They each hold different amounts of power with the chieftain having the most power, similar to a monarchy. The advisor helps to manage and advise the chieftain and regulate areas that the chieftain can’t. The elders act as a sort of Congress in which they manage village affairs and regulate the power of the chieftain. The alphas act as generals in which they get assigned a pack and command and train them. These packs hunt, scout, and fight off invaders. It’s forbidden to enter the village unless under diplomatic reasons, especially otherkin. The only exception to this is the Sanctuary of Sylva which is a Sylan-age law that grants protection to anyone who’s gravely injured and needs help. Even with this, the person must pay off a debt by working, similar to the Sylanfolk. Any otherkin who ventures onto Wolven land without any diplomatic protections are executed.

In the village, each wolf is given coins with their crest or insignia to use for payment. Regular wolves get four coins, alphas get six, elders and the chieftain’s advisor get eight, and the chieftain doesn’t need any because everyone works for him. The coins act as an I.O.U in which a coin is exchanged for goods or services and then that coin would be traded for goods or services. Social standing and personal relationships to the coin owners determine value, making it a semi-subjective currency.

Social standing among the village is considered a very important aspect of life. It affects how a wolf is treated, their probability of finding a mate, the value of their coins, and other aspects of life. Maintaining dignity and respect is important for being respected in the village. Rumors and gossip about wolves spread fast, especially if it involves a taboo or scandalous topic like sexuality and political struggles. Because of this, performing well in the village helped to maintain their social standing.

Relations with others were also important, including social and intimate relations. Monogamy isn’t practiced with wolves having intercourse for the purposes of reproduction. Wolves are arranged to be together from a young age. Certain wolves such as shamans and those whose partners died are exempt from this. If a wolf has mated before, then they are able to choose anyone. If a wolf is attracted to the same gender or is rumored to then they are deemed “defective” and it makes it significantly harder for them to find a mate. Having multiple partners is common with the father being promiscuous and the mother caring for the children along with a nanny of sorts.

Social stigmas are prevalent and often spawn rumors or assumptions. These typically involve actions that can be assumed to lead to something else. The stigmas include the following: bringing food from the feast home is seen as a sight of gluttony, if two males are together in a house at night they are seen as “defective”, leaving the shades of a house closed suggests either intercourse or nefarious actions, and running out of coins makes a wolf seem like they’re not pulling their weight in the village.

Due to their lack of technology, certain items are considered expensive to them such as mirrors and cutlery. Owning these types of items are a sign of wealth and nobility. Seasonings for foods like salt are also incredibly expensive with only the chieftain having any access to it. Generally, only the chieftain can afford these expensive goods, making them extremely rare. Out of tribe trading is done through the use of gold that wolves accumulate in order to purchase non-Wolven goods. Furniture and house construction is usually done manually by the wolf themselves rather than buying premade furniture or houses, but furniture is still made and sold.