Dogs

> "Strength lies in loyalty - the valiant will triumph."
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Historically speaking, the canids of Alpha War have viewed themselves as the more "valiant" of the races that have roamed the earth, even beyond the typical "history is written by the winners" fare. This is likely caused by their tendency toward groupthink; no one *wants* to think badly of their peers and/or family, after all. It should be noted that "a proclivity toward groupthink" does not automatically translate to "dogs will always blindly follow the leader," as the cats sneeringly believe: individuals can and will dissent if they're convinced they have a better idea.

But unless the group in question isn't well-socialized together, dogs will instinctively veer toward harmony by going with the majority without (much) complaint. That being said, obviously most dogs will prefer to side with others of their House over strangers or even their friends; loyalty, too, is something that most canids believe that they have that cats lack.

## General Overview

The aforementioned loyalty is why many believe it is often so difficult to petition to join a pack. The process is long and deliberated over by several people, and the applicant is often forced to exist in limbo for the duration of the entire dreary process. Oftentimes, applying to another House while your application is already being considered by one is considered a grave enough insult that your application will be denied on the spot by *both* Houses.

Being in limbo also means that you are, technically speaking, a loner. No family to back you. No funds to support you. You are subjected to interviews and background checks as the House pleases. And yet - the moment a petition clears, you immediately become a full member of the pack, no holds barred. You will be accepted as if you have *always* been one of the House, surrounded by other dogs who care about your wellbeing.

> You are One of Them.
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## Cultural Additions

### **Unions --**

In the case of unions and civil partnerships, the dog(s) that come from a pack with lesser power will leave their old House and join the dog with the strongest/most influential pack. The level of power is determined through negotiations between the parents or the Alphas of the houses involved. Although unlikely, houses may occasionally be unable to come to an agreement as to who is to receive the new member(s), and, in such a case, the union/civil partnership is often dissolved. Alternatively, the members of the partnership may also be *technically* married while still *technically* be a part of their original packs. It's... a confusing legal situation. Luckily, it's a rare one.

### **Rivalries --**

Despite all of this House muckage, canines consider themselves to be the *better* of the two races. The more friendly, certainly; many House packs engage in friendly (?) rivalries and competitions, sometimes escalating into tourneys that are a welcome distraction from the ever-present looming of the War.

### **Packs --**

Please keep in mind that the above information is merely a generalization of aggregated facts. Because canid characters in Alpha War are not limited to only one specific species, there are several alternative pack structures/species mentalities that one can and should take into consideration:

* Packs that consist mainly of or with heavy **African Wild Dog** ancestry are based on large sibling groups. Males tend to stay with their birth packs for their whole lives, whereas females are more likely to leave and join other packs when they reach adulthood/decide to form a partnership with a non-pack member. This would be otherwise unremarkable save for the fact that in such Houses, the children are considered the most important members of the group, with the secondmost important being the Queen(s) that essentially occupy the role of Alpha(s).
* **Coyotes,** left to their own devices, will form only small packs consisting of immediate blood relatives. When beneficial, loners will be allowed into these ranks, but it rarely lasts for any significant length of time; because of this tiny membership combined with a dislike of outsiders, Coyote-dominated packs are often reluctantly absorbed into a larger pack structure while still attempting to maintain as much of their own identity as possible. As one can imagine, this is a common source of tension in internal pack relations.
* Packs with a majority of **Dhole** members may be difficult for some to identify as a singular pack at all. These packs that live close together will intermingle freely and, comparative to other pack structures, have a significantly higher rate of members joining or leaving. They also have a remarkably tolerant nature for outsiders that trespass onto their land and sometimes forget that other packs may not share the same friendly attitude on a great many issues - such as their reportedly higher rates of engaging in polyamory. On a good day, a kind person may use "eccentric" to describe the Dhole stereotype. On a bad day, well, "hedonistic" is a *polite* way of describing it.
* **Ethiopian** and **Maned Wolves** are one of the few marked divergences from mainstream society in that neither species will instinctively form close packs at all. Those of Ethiopian Wolf descent still defend the land or interests of the pack that they consider themselves a part of, but will otherwise rarely interact with them. Maned wolves stray from traditional pack structure altogether, preferring to either run alone or with their (often monogamous) mate. This makes them the source of much distrust or disdain even if they do manage to find their way into a pack membership. Nearly all successful packless wolves have been of Maned Wolf descent.
* Similar to Coyotes, **Jackals** tend to only form packs with their genetic relations, with members owing allegiance to the (usually singular) breeding pair. Children will either stay to assist said pair or leave to join other packs. However, *unlike* Coyotes, Jackals have a greater rate of pack harmonization if or when they are absorbed into a larger pack structure, as long as said absorption is treated with delicacy. The formally singular pack will still prefer the company of each other over the larger pack, but are generally more willing to accommodate.
* **Short-Eared Dogs** are regularly the target of scrutiny and suspicion. For many good, upstanding canid citizens, those that share this ancestry simply act too *catlike* to ever really be a true canine, what with their solitary and reclusive nature, often abstaining from society as a whole if they believe they can get away with it.

### **Notable Houses --**

> Not all inclusive - as well, none of the listed are player character Houses.
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*House Velasquez:* Primarily of African Wild Dog descent. Renowned for their metalwork and weaponsmithing. Many things from before the war have been lost - but House Velasquez have managed to hold and secure a valuable mine not far from the walls of the Capital; a remnant from the old days from which they draw the materials used in their pieces - many custom made and each a work of art. To own a blade stamped by House Velasquez is to own a companion that will see you to the end of your life - and the lives of many cats. They have a very public alliance with House Buchanan. Their Alphas are the sisters Despina and Margaret. Their Senate Rep is Theresa.

*House Buchanan:* Primarily of Rottweiler and Akita descent. An old House, although they have moved from protecting residences and caravans to protecting persons of interest, staffing the wall, and, due to their contract with House Velasquez, watching over a mine. Security is the name of their game, and House Buchanan is the cream of the crop. They are also noted to produce several skilled Mechanics a generation. Their Alpha is Revazi. Their Senate Rep is Daniel.

*House Pennington:* Primarily of Poodle descent. Clever minds and clever hands fill this house to bursting, responsible for an impressive amount of the current technology canines possess, and appear to be determined to continue on the course. House Pennington has bred more Mechanics than it knows what to do with, each dreaming to come up with the next Radio or revolutionize electricity. Their Alpha and Senate Rep is Christopher.

*House Blanchard:* Mixed/undefined descent. Brutal and unyielding to those who oppose them, more than one canine has spread the rumor that when the dogs win, they will have been carried on the backs of a soldier from House Blanchard. Few argue with this assumption; many acclaimed 5⭐'s have come from these halls, and they don't seem interested in letting that tradition die anytime soon. To come from House Blanchard is to have a heritage synonymous with strength, bravery, and leadership. Their Alphas are Samuel and Okoro. Their Senate Rep is Anika.

## Dog Application

The above information, as well as the [General Species Overview] are useful to know when creating a dog's history, but there are a few tidbits worth noting that are specific to dogs when applying:

* Dogs have a passive +1 in the STR category.

### **Classes --**

Here is a small chart that lays out the classes that a dog can go into.

 Sigilmancers
 Support
 Doctor

### **Mentors --**

Mentors are mostly NPC characters, with one that is a player character belonging to the Mini-Mod, that are there to act as guides and teachers to the fresh recruits and soldiers. There are three NPC and one player mentor for the dogs, with one of each NPC for each of the slayer, sigilmancer, and support groups.

> The player character mentor is Aisen of House Lau.
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In practice, this mostly means that if you use the !patrol command in chat and encounter an enemy soldier, your character has the option of calling on your mentor to essentially have them "shoo" away your opponent - or in the event that you lose a battle, it will also be your mentor who safely retrieves you.

Mentors have general but not advanced knowledge for the classes within their sphere of influence. They also double as recruitment characters for their respective class types. Feel free to integrate the NPC mentors into your character's biography, should you like!

 Description
 Personality

### **Allowed Species --**

There are a lot of Canids, but not all of them are allowed to be apped as characters. Some other species are deceivingly *similar* to canids, but are still prohibited - such as hyenas.

The image to the right, taken from the Wikipedia article on Canids, shows all of the species that are allowed to be apped into Alpha War.