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Foundation — est. 2021

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To the right are various values and beliefs categorized in drop downs for ease of reference that players may take if they wish for their character if they wish to follow the same version of the belief as the founding family members.

Not all in the family are religious or follow common beliefs. Those who do follow “The Old Ways” or ”The Ways of Old” which are based on old Norse/Viking beliefs (Otherwise referred to as Asatro). 

For the sake of the setting, please note these beliefs have been watered down and "wolf-ified" due to the founding family members' lack of knowledge of humans, their inventions, and beliefs. 

From a player standpoint, the religion is kept vague intentionally as many players have taken inspiration from Nordic roots and other players are bound to have their own version of “The Old Ways”. 

Since the Boesch rendition is very similar to other player versions even with conflicting ideals, a compendium page will not be made as even family members may have varying views or beliefs.

The Ways of Old

— Those with belief pray to the Norse gods, giants, and ancestral spirits.

— Typically the gods are referred to in a general group such as “the gods” vs by name though their names are known as well as what they are gods of. This is seen in some territories named across Canis.

(ex. Ullr is the God of snow associated with hunting. Hence Ullarcraig Run, a lush hunting ground alongside the mountains, was named in his honor)

— Thanks should be given to the gods for their gifts through prayer or offerings.

— Requests of the gods may be made for various things (healing, protection, pregnancy, weather, etc.) though requests should not be made without proper offerings. Offerings should be related in some way to the request.

(ex. a pelt or food for a healthy comfortable pregnancy)

— The gods work in mysterious ways and usually do not interfere in mortal conflict. Any intervention typically comes in the form of self-service and bestowed talents.

General Life

— There is heavy importance on family, blood, and honor.

— Elders and ancestral spirits are to be respected and looked to for guidance just like the gods.

— Monogamy should be practiced and children birthed out of wedlock are considered bastards/a disgrace.

— Some believe mates should be between a man and woman only.

— Arranged marriages may take place to secure allies or peace. It is considered a great honor to partake in these bonds as it brings more than two wolves together.

— You represent your family and name in all that you do. Be proud or confident in your decisions throughout life. Mistakes happen; learn from them and ensure they are not repeated.

Ceremonies and celebrations

— (9 months after birth)
Children become adults through a right of passage or coming of age ceremony demonstrating their skill and reliability as full-fledged adults. Individual tasks are given before the pack or family so that all may see how much the youth has grown.

— (March 21st - April 12th)
Sigrblót is the celebration of the coming summer and surviving the dark days of winter. A tribute is left for the gods in hopes of blessed hunts and safe travels. This time may be used to scout nearby lands or establish and renew trade or relations with allies.

— (June 21st - 27th)
Midsummer (extended since wolves don't know exact dates). A celebration of life and love as well as basking in the longest day of the year. These days are spent feasting, dancing, and picking flowers in the hopes of finding their future mate or increasing fertility.

— (Dec 21st - Jan 1st)
Yule is a winter celebration of gifts and appreciation. It is a time to come together with loved ones and sing or recount tales of previous years while honoring the spirits/gods with tributes for their blessings.

Holmgangs

— A challenge proposed when two wolves can not set aside their issues. Traditionally honor is on the line, though in rare cases other factors may be at stake such as a bride, trophies, or banishment.

The rules of a Holmgang are simple; the challenge must be announced publicly and witnessed before others so there may be no false accounts of the event. Before the duel, both parties will have one last chance to settle their differences through words, though if an agreement can not be reached then the challenge continues.

Once a Holmgang begins no one may interfere until a victor has emerged. Typically these are not fights to the death, but until one is unable to continue. However, Holmgangs officially end when one party resigns. Due to this requirement, those who are stubborn or stupid have lost their lives.

Death

— Wolves are buried with items of comfort or desire (pelts, food, personal items, etc.) to take with them into the next life.

— A large stone is placed atop an individual’s grave if they were honorable in life. It is believed that those still living may speak to their loved ones through the stone.

— While it is rare, it is possible for the dead to be reborn so long as it is in the flesh of a descendant. It is unknown how or why the gods decide to send someone back. Those believed to be reincarnations are often named after the ancestor they are believed to be a reincarnate of.

— The next life may take place in various locations depending on the passed individual’s life.

Realms of the afterlife

— Valhalla “Rock of the Fallen” and Folkvangr “Field of the People”
The respective realms of Odin and Freya for those who died valiantly in battle. Entry to these realms requires hand selection by the gods.

It is believed that those selected by Odin or Freya may potentially be reborn one day. Until then, these heroes feast, spar, and share stories with the gods and other felled spirits.

— Aegirheim
Halls beneath the waves belonging to the married giants Aegir and Ran. Those who died at sea are taken here.

— Hel
Hel sits beneath the ground and is typically part of the world itself; presided over by the Goddess Hel. Those who died peacefully or through any other means than the options listed above are believed to go here.

Related spirits or communities are believed to remain together somewhere near their home on the mortal plane. For this reason, homelands are often deeply rooted with ancestral spirits and nurtured by living descendants. Spirits in Hel live just as they would have in life.

NOTE: The adaptation listed is heavily inspired but not fully accurate and likely to continue to diverge from source material due to personal character beliefs/retellings.

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Physical attributes
This section is subject to updates as generations marry and reproduce. Below are the following traits that can presently be found more commonly throughout the Boesch family line:

Height: Average - Very Tall
Weight: Medium
Build: Average or Lean
Fur Color: Greys, White, Cream, Tans, Browns, “Purple/Blue” roan
Eye Color: Green, Gold, Brown, Red-orange
Species: Mackenzie Valley wolf

NOTE: Purple/blue roan is a horse coat color/pattern involving the distribution of white hairs amongst the body coloration. Purple/blue in this sense is much like a Russian blue cat where the color is actually on a level of greyscale. Due to the site’s flexibility with art some members may have tints of purple or blue for artistic flare but if they were to be represented in the real world they would still be considered “grey”.

Names

Names stem from Norse, Greek, or Dutch roots. Names are selected for their connection to the world, meaning, in honor of a loved one, or for religion. 

Ex. Cleo - Father’s Glory, Ries - Warrior of the Sea, Ira - Watchful One, Wind

Common Tongues

English, Norwegian, general Icelandic*

*with comprehension mistakes. Icelandic is similar enough to understand general statements as a Norwegian speaker, though typically, a native Icelandic speaker will understand Norwegian better than a Norwegian speaker would understand Icelandic.

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Genetics is complicated so for simplicity and fun RP potential we have watered down the specifics for ease of understanding while keeping the consequences. These traits will be bred out back to healthy genes as generations progress.

For ease of tracking, on-site members have been categorized into generations and marked if they are carriers of the recessive gene mutation or are currently afflicted by CIP. 

If only one parent carries the gene (recessively or otherwise) for CIP it will not appear in their children. If both parents carry the gene there is a 25% chance of a child being afflicted and a 50% chance they are a recessive carrier.

Congenital insensitivity to pain

— A recessive genetic mutation that inhibits the individual from feeling any type of pain. They can feel the difference between sharp/dull or hot/cold but not to the point of registering pain. 

This condition may also be accompanied with the permanent loss of smell. 

Individuals affected by CIP tend to have shorter lifespans. It appears when both parents are carriers of the recessive gene. Carriers typically do not show symptoms of the condition. (extremely rare read more!)


Due to Ira’s family line having a high % of inbreeding prior to her, she and all Gen 3 members who are blood-related may experience some or all of the following:

Inbreeding health consequences

— Birthing complications - stillborns, decreased litter, mother’s death
— Temperament - more likely to be nervous, aggressive, or unpredictable
— Health - decreased lifespan or fertility
These traits will not be present in or beyond Gen 4 so long as the parents did not reproduce using inbreeding.

Note: CIP and inbreeding consequences are currently predicted to die out in the 4th generation of the family line due to the extreme rarity for both parents to be carriers of CIP and not practicing inbreeding.

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