The Great Territory Wars

The Lykosan Divide was a significant event in the history of Lykos that divided the once-unified continent into two territories, north and south.

After the Lykosan Divide, the southern free packs suffered the brunt of the division. Their hunting grounds shrank considerably, leaving them with fewer resources to sustain their growing population. This led to a series of conflicts among the previously unified southern wolves. These conflicts escalated over time, leading to the Great Territory Wars and ushering in a new era called the Age of Alphas.

The Great Territory Wars were a series of battles over limited resources, including land, food, and water, among free packs of the southern territory after the Lykosan Divide.

The Age of Alphas brought about a change in the social and political landscape of Lykos during the Great Territory Wars.

This period was characterized by the establishment of a new hierarchical system that was a direct response to the conflicts. It involved the creation of a new social structure, with the strongest and most dominant wolves in each pack, known as alpha, at the top of the hierarchy. The new order protected and ensured a more efficient distribution of resources while minimizing conflicts over them.

The term "pack" also underwent a significant revision, now referring only to wolves within the same blood relation and bound by shared genetic heritage. The larger social structures of Lykos were described as "clans" because of their complex relationships and hierarchies.

Though clans weren't established immediately after the Lykosan Divide, the free packs became progressively more isolated as they focused on protecting their resources and territories.

Despite their attempts to remain free in the southern half of the continent, the constant power struggles and territorial disputes made it challenging for the free packs to achieve unity. The establishment of clans was a natural progression for the wolves in the southern half of Lykos.

The idea of a unified continent became a remnant of a time long past.

Meanwhile, the Black Forest clan had been in existence for a considerable time prior to the formation of the southern clans. Its inception resulted from Alpha Kanen's triumph over the northern packs, earning him the moniker "The Iron Maw."

After seizing control of the most fertile lands in the north, claiming them as his own, he began demanding tribute from the packs along his borders to the south, imposing their own laws and customs on those they conquered. Their devotion to "clan before kin" became notorious throughout the continent.

"Clan before kin" was the creed of the Black Forest clan, which held that the good of the pack should always come before the interests of the individual. In the north, where might made right, the weak were left to fend for themselves.

To put the interests of the pack ahead of one's own family was seen as an outrageous and abhorrent belief by many at the time, but their numbers were great, and their warriors were fierce. None could stand against them.

Kanen sought to expand his territory still.

Under Kanen's leadership, the Black Forest clan made strategic alliances with others, most notably the Riverwood clan, and used their combined strength to dominate the southern territories. Raiding parties were sent to attack and conquer the weaker packs in the south, claiming their lands and resources and becoming one of the most dominant forces in the Territory Wars.

Fifteen clans were established at the start of the Great Territory Wars, but by the end, only six emerged victorious and established themselves as dominant powers in Lykos. These clans are:

Black Forest, Riverwood, Sun Valley, Ember Hill, Tai'Cay, and Red Mountain. The seventh clan, Crestwood, is the first newly established clan since the end of the Great Territory Wars.

The Central Clans of Lykos, as they are called, marked a new era of relative stability, with each clan controlling its territory and resources. They established their own laws, customs, and hierarchy, with the alpha of each clan wielding absolute authority over their members.