Pack Ranks & Roles

Pack Ranks & Roles.

Table of Contents

• Pack Hierarchy & Ranks
• Pack Roles
• Pack Organization

Being a part of a pack is the most natural life for a wolf. It means that they have a far, far greater chance of survival due to being able to hunt with a whole pack and thus bring down bigger prey, have caches of food readily defended and also having the support of a pack—after all, there is safety in numbers. However, in Relic Lore, a pack is not just something your wolf will have automatically when they join, they have to earn it, either by seeking acceptance into a current one or creating one themselves.

Becoming part of a pack.

The most common way a wolf will become part of a pack is to join a pre existing one in Relic Lore. There is more than one pack in the forest and you can always read about each one in the pack category of the Library to see which one your wolf suits most. Any wolf has the ability to try and join a pack, but it is not guaranteed he or she will be accepted. Joining is usually done by either seeking the leader(s) specifically, such as at the pack's borders, or else stumbling upon them in a thread or by joining the pack OOC by responding to the provided prompt.

Alternatively, if you don't want your wolf to join a pack, you can always try to create your own pack instead.

(This post was last modified: Nov 14, 2017, 03:10 AM by Spirit of Wildwood.)

Pack Hierarchy & Ranks.

Once your wolf is accepted they are automatically ranked in the pack at the first free rank of their gender. What level of dominance a wolf is within the hierarchy is denoted by the Roman numeral beside their name—for example I. means that the wolf is the most dominant, while V. means that the wolf is the fifth most dominant within the pack. The bulk of the pack's ranks are made up of adult wolves, with yearling wolves beneath them, and then cubs at the very bottom.

Leader (ONE-TWO PER PACK). As the name suggests, this role is appointed to the leaders of the pack. Though this wolf may not be the oldest or wisest member, they are usually the strongest and boldest. The role encompasses a few duties—not just one specific job—which can range from border patrols to hunting and keeping the ranks stable. They are the dominating force for the pack and it is important that they have the strength to keep the pack in harmony to defend and lead it.

Second (ONE-TWO PER PACK). These wolves are next in rank below the leaders. They are often seen as members of authority, and in a leaders absence they have the responsibility of making immediate decisions if they are urgent. Any wolves considered second are highly trusted by the leaders of the pack and tend to be respected by the members beneath them.

Subordinate (TWELVE PER PACK). These wolves make up the "mid-ranks" of the pack and commonly any new wolf would be placed under this role until they prove themselves skilled in a particular duty. These wolves do not have a specialty, instead they assist the pack in a number of ways, such as taking part in hunting and defending the pack as well as taking their turn caring and teaching the young. Wolves occupying this role often swap ranks frequently due to shifting dominance levels between them.

Yearling (UNLIMITED). Any wolf between the ages of 1 - 2 years of age will be marked as a yearling, as though this wolf may be adult in appearance, they are often not in maturity or skill. This rank acts as a 'learning' experience, allowing them to establish a hierarchy between themselves in practice bouts while learning how to help support the pack. Because they are still learning, Yearling's are usually placed below adult wolves in the ranks. Typically these wolves most common job is to care for the puppies while the adults are fulfilling their duties, but they also play an important role in hunting, often being the ones that are sent to find the weak prey, as well as scouting due to their boundless energy. Though ranked below the adults yearlings do take up a subordinate slot.

Cub (UNLIMITED). Any wolf under the age of 1 year is classed as a cub as they are not yet adults. Typically these wolves are born into the pack, commonly direct descendants of the Leader and their mate. A cub's role is to... play, and hopefully learn in the process! Small dominance scuffles are not uncommon as the cubs practice their fighting skills, but most of the cub's time will be spent playing and learning. Big figures in their lives (aside from their parents) will be the Teacher and the yearlings who are commonly left to look after the cubs. There cannot be more pups than adults/yearlings in a pack.

(This post was last modified: Nov 18, 2023, 04:53 AM by Viorel.)

Pack Roles.

Subordinate wolves are able to gain specialty roles within their packs. The method for earning a role varies between packs, but generally requires demonstrating to the pack's leaders that your wolf is skilled in a particular area. Below is a general list of roles your wolf could claim. To learn more about each of the pack's roles, read this article about them.

Advisor. This duty is earned when the wolf in question demonstrates their understanding of a lot of subjects — hunting, fighting, pack relations and so on — and has the ability to offer sound advice to their pack Leader. Typically this wolf is intelligent and has a aptitude for solving problems.

Hunter. Demonstrating skill in hunting, and also perhaps leading, would be necessary for a wolf to gain this speciality. They would be expected to be a good strategist in hunting, as well as being technically skilled and able to lead a smaller group of wolves in a 'hunting formation' if necessary.

Guardian. Typically brawny and strong, this wolf would need to show strength as well as bravery for this to become their speciality. Border patrolling and scouting would increase dramatically if this was a wolf's role as they would have to remain alert and aware of who was on the pack's borders.

Teacher. Taking the lead role in teaching both the pups and yearlings, this wolf would need to be wise and patient, as well as strict if the need arose. They would spend a lot of time with the youth of the pack, educating them on how to be a wolf for their future.

Medic. Knowledge in herbs and plants, as well as various cuts and illnesses, would be a requirement of the Medic. A calm and sympathetic disposition would also be useful so that they wolf can keep the other at ease. These wolves would be relied on in times of war or illness to help keep the pack strong.

Scout. With a high stamina to travel at great lengths in a short amount of time, a wolf with the role of Scout would be required to do such at the orders of the pack Leader. Delivering messages and running errands are the tasks that take up the majority of this wolf's time, but they can also be used to keep careful watch on the surrounding lands for signs of trouble or even prey.

(This post was last modified: Nov 18, 2023, 04:54 AM by Viorel.)

Pack Organization.

Each pack in Relic Lore has a unique personality and that personality can be reflected in their leadership organization and the roles their subordinates can have. Some packs follow a traditional structure and are led by a breeding pair, while others are led by a single leader or two leaders of the same gender. The below information explains the different organizational structures and how they can be implemented.

Organization Options

# of Leaders. In a traditionally structured pack, the two lead wolves are the I. ranked male and female wolves and are usually the breeding pair. However, in RoW we allow a wide variety of different combinations of leaders, there can be one or two leaders of a pack, pairs can be the same or different genders, a mated pair or more a "colleague" arrangement.

Challenges. To challenge a leader, the challenger must have reached the rank of second. In a case where there are two seconds and two leaders, either second can challenge either leader for their spot. In the case of a single second and two leaders, the second can challenge either leader for their rank. In the case where there is only one leader, the leader can ask a second to step up beside them to lead, the second can request to step up and co-lead. If the leader does not accept them as a co-lead, or the second wants to lead alone this would then become a rank challenge.

Inactivity. In the event that a leader goes inactive, there are a few different options for how a pack can move forward. Based on the dynamics of the pack, it might make sense for the pack to default to 1 leader if one of their leaders goes inactive rather than automatically promoting a II ranked wolf. On the other hand, for packs with two leaders, it might make more sense for them to promote another wolf into leadership.

In the case of packs with a single leader, a second will need to step up into their place, in the case where there are two seconds, both will be contacted by staff to decide how things will proceed, if both will step up or if only one which one will become leader.

How does a pack decide how they want to be organized?

When a pack is created, the leader(s) will submit their application and include which structure they would like their pack to follow. These policies are recorded in the pack's library article so all members are aware of them. In the event that the pack would like to change their policies, they must vote on them in their common room before they can be implemented. Any change must be approved by the majority of the pack.

This pack-majority vote is especially important in cases where a pack's leader goes inactive, as it prevents pack leaders from changing the policies to get around activity rules.

Policies for Packs to Determine

Each pack must have a clear policy on each of the following:

• # of Leaders
• Inactivity rules/promotions

(This post was last modified: Nov 18, 2023, 05:04 AM by Viorel.)