Long, long ago, when the Arach Valley was young and uncultivated, the wild canines lived in relative peace. There were celestial foxes in the craggy trees, durikkan future seers in the mountainous border lands, magical pygmy corgis in the scrub, mist wolves hanging around near rocky outcroppings and shadow hung trails, and swarms of fairy poms in sunny glades, and the okamebi in the marshy areas along the Mistral River that rolled lazily through the woods. There were loosely formed packs of Dragon Wolves who all interbred amongst themselves and followed ancestral territory patterns.
But time went on and eventually the domesticated dogs from lands far away began to venture into the forest. At first it was a couple, only occasionally, scouting, exploring, bringing only themselves and what they needed to survive in the woods. As time went on, however, the domestic dogs began clearing small areas to use as regular camp sites and eventually they evolved into way stations for the trails being blazed through the woodland. Some of the more strategic way stations began being developed, small permanent shelters were erected, and the areas slowly grew into small settlements. And that is when the problems began.
The dragon wolves did not appreciate the cutting apart of their territories by new paths and the settlements in lands that had always belonged to them. The once peaceful packs of wolves convened to assess what should be done with the interlopers. The fire type Dragon Wolves wanted to fight and drive the newcomers out. The water type merely wanted to talk to them about ensuring the integrity of the Mistral River. The air type wanted to partner with the newcomers to discuss expanding the forest boundaries as compensation for the lost internal space. And The earth type wanted to protect the forest but felt there must be a diplomatic way to convince the domestic dogs to leave.
After much deliberation a delegation of four, one representative of each wolf type, went to speak with the domestic dogs at the most established settlement. They presented their case, and the dogs laughed at their archaic ways and notions, insisted they were there to stay and that the best they could hope for was to just adjust to the new trails and clearings.
The delegates returned to their expectant packs with the disheartening news. Immediately there was an uproar from the gathered wolves. The fire wolves flew into a rage. The air wolves insisted that the wrong approach was taken, that discussing a compromise would have been wiser. The water wolves were appalled that no discussion of the river had even occurred. And the earth wolves held firm to the notion that their best course of action now would be to do what they could to protect the integrity of their forest despite the new obstacles the domestic dogs presented. Their bickering went on for days, each faction growing more impatient with the others as the days became weeks and weeks became seasons.
Eventually it was decided by the leaders from all of the packs that it would be best to go their separate ways and establish new territories that reflected how they were comfortable interacting with the settlers. The fire wolves would occupy the deepest, darkest, most wild corner of the forest, furthest from any of the current domestic settlements. The air wolves would move to the foothills of the mountains, an area previously unoccupied by dragon wolves that they had always privately yearned to take over as dragon wolf territory. The water wolves would live all along the Mistral River and in the marshy areas surrounding it. And the earth wolves would live and travel in the forest near the settlements to ensure some of the forest’s integrity remained intact.
To the elders, who had been fighting amongst themselves through multiple moon cycles, this seemed the best possible division of territory. But it completely disregarded that before the settlers came, the types of dragon wolves readily mixed and matched between types and packs. Families of mixed type were forced by their arguing leaders to choose sides, many were torn apart, separated by this new political rift caused by the domestic dogs coming into their world. The wolves were distraught, but tradition dictated that they follow what the leaders said, and gradually they began to reform their packs, this time according only to type.
The years went by and the wolves established their new territories and familial trails through the forest. They had ancestral sacred places throughout the land that they created new paths to reach, most going out of their way to avoid the other packs and the trails of the domestic dogs. But the forest was not infinite and occasionally the pack trails crossed at key byways. The feud between the elder wolves regarding the domestic dogs had spread with time to become a part of their traditions. Newer generations didn’t always understand why they hated the other packs, but they did, and they were loyal to their own.
No one could remember who began the rituals of exclusion, but they became tradition, too. It wasn’t enough to just avoid the other packs, if there was any fraternization between members of rival packs the elders would punish the individuals involved severely. Repeat offenders faced expulsion from the pack, or, in the case of the fire wolves, death.
The pack territories were so tightly guarded that expelled lone wolves were left with very few options. The first was attempting to take to the solitary life in the neutral zones between pack territories, but these spaces were already occupied by the mysterious and anti-social mist wolves who left little in the way of resources for lone dragon wolves to survive on. The other option was attempting to integrate into domestic life in one of the settlements that had by and by turned into towns and villages as the years had passed. Some dragon wolves were more successful than others at assimilating to town life, some joined up with nomad groups as a way to remain in the woods but be allowed some protection from the harassment of the dragon wolf packs. Some of them did very well for themselves, even finding domesticated partners and settling down to family life, though most still missed the lives they'd lived with their packs.
As the settlements had grown, so had the domesticated dogs’ pathways through the forest. What were once merely foot trails grew into small highways between the largest of the towns. Smaller trade routes and travel routes ran along the river and to smaller encampments, way stations between larger stops, just a few small homes and an inn in most cases, and in some cases even smaller still, a few lean-to’s and a well-established fire pit.
The domestic dogs struck a bargain with the water wolves regarding usage and upkeep of the river, they didn’t use boats or fish in excess, and kept bridges to very limited areas of major importance. The water wolves weren’t thrilled with the truce, but were happy to remain able to keep the territory that felt most like home to them.
Likewise, the earth wolves were offered peace from the settlers in exchange for helping to curb the raids that the fire wolves had begun to do on their homes and gardens. The earth wolves never agreed that the fire wolves’ violence was the answer and happily played buffer and security in exchange for generally being left alone.
And so it went for hundreds of generations. The wolves continued their blood feud, the settlers continued to thrive in the pockets of domestication they had created within the forest, and the other, more peaceable canines went about their business as though neither was wrong or right.
But time went on and eventually the domesticated dogs from lands far away began to venture into the forest. At first it was a couple, only occasionally, scouting, exploring, bringing only themselves and what they needed to survive in the woods. As time went on, however, the domestic dogs began clearing small areas to use as regular camp sites and eventually they evolved into way stations for the trails being blazed through the woodland. Some of the more strategic way stations began being developed, small permanent shelters were erected, and the areas slowly grew into small settlements. And that is when the problems began.
The dragon wolves did not appreciate the cutting apart of their territories by new paths and the settlements in lands that had always belonged to them. The once peaceful packs of wolves convened to assess what should be done with the interlopers. The fire type Dragon Wolves wanted to fight and drive the newcomers out. The water type merely wanted to talk to them about ensuring the integrity of the Mistral River. The air type wanted to partner with the newcomers to discuss expanding the forest boundaries as compensation for the lost internal space. And The earth type wanted to protect the forest but felt there must be a diplomatic way to convince the domestic dogs to leave.
After much deliberation a delegation of four, one representative of each wolf type, went to speak with the domestic dogs at the most established settlement. They presented their case, and the dogs laughed at their archaic ways and notions, insisted they were there to stay and that the best they could hope for was to just adjust to the new trails and clearings.
The delegates returned to their expectant packs with the disheartening news. Immediately there was an uproar from the gathered wolves. The fire wolves flew into a rage. The air wolves insisted that the wrong approach was taken, that discussing a compromise would have been wiser. The water wolves were appalled that no discussion of the river had even occurred. And the earth wolves held firm to the notion that their best course of action now would be to do what they could to protect the integrity of their forest despite the new obstacles the domestic dogs presented. Their bickering went on for days, each faction growing more impatient with the others as the days became weeks and weeks became seasons.
Eventually it was decided by the leaders from all of the packs that it would be best to go their separate ways and establish new territories that reflected how they were comfortable interacting with the settlers. The fire wolves would occupy the deepest, darkest, most wild corner of the forest, furthest from any of the current domestic settlements. The air wolves would move to the foothills of the mountains, an area previously unoccupied by dragon wolves that they had always privately yearned to take over as dragon wolf territory. The water wolves would live all along the Mistral River and in the marshy areas surrounding it. And the earth wolves would live and travel in the forest near the settlements to ensure some of the forest’s integrity remained intact.
To the elders, who had been fighting amongst themselves through multiple moon cycles, this seemed the best possible division of territory. But it completely disregarded that before the settlers came, the types of dragon wolves readily mixed and matched between types and packs. Families of mixed type were forced by their arguing leaders to choose sides, many were torn apart, separated by this new political rift caused by the domestic dogs coming into their world. The wolves were distraught, but tradition dictated that they follow what the leaders said, and gradually they began to reform their packs, this time according only to type.
The years went by and the wolves established their new territories and familial trails through the forest. They had ancestral sacred places throughout the land that they created new paths to reach, most going out of their way to avoid the other packs and the trails of the domestic dogs. But the forest was not infinite and occasionally the pack trails crossed at key byways. The feud between the elder wolves regarding the domestic dogs had spread with time to become a part of their traditions. Newer generations didn’t always understand why they hated the other packs, but they did, and they were loyal to their own.
No one could remember who began the rituals of exclusion, but they became tradition, too. It wasn’t enough to just avoid the other packs, if there was any fraternization between members of rival packs the elders would punish the individuals involved severely. Repeat offenders faced expulsion from the pack, or, in the case of the fire wolves, death.
The pack territories were so tightly guarded that expelled lone wolves were left with very few options. The first was attempting to take to the solitary life in the neutral zones between pack territories, but these spaces were already occupied by the mysterious and anti-social mist wolves who left little in the way of resources for lone dragon wolves to survive on. The other option was attempting to integrate into domestic life in one of the settlements that had by and by turned into towns and villages as the years had passed. Some dragon wolves were more successful than others at assimilating to town life, some joined up with nomad groups as a way to remain in the woods but be allowed some protection from the harassment of the dragon wolf packs. Some of them did very well for themselves, even finding domesticated partners and settling down to family life, though most still missed the lives they'd lived with their packs.
As the settlements had grown, so had the domesticated dogs’ pathways through the forest. What were once merely foot trails grew into small highways between the largest of the towns. Smaller trade routes and travel routes ran along the river and to smaller encampments, way stations between larger stops, just a few small homes and an inn in most cases, and in some cases even smaller still, a few lean-to’s and a well-established fire pit.
The domestic dogs struck a bargain with the water wolves regarding usage and upkeep of the river, they didn’t use boats or fish in excess, and kept bridges to very limited areas of major importance. The water wolves weren’t thrilled with the truce, but were happy to remain able to keep the territory that felt most like home to them.
Likewise, the earth wolves were offered peace from the settlers in exchange for helping to curb the raids that the fire wolves had begun to do on their homes and gardens. The earth wolves never agreed that the fire wolves’ violence was the answer and happily played buffer and security in exchange for generally being left alone.
And so it went for hundreds of generations. The wolves continued their blood feud, the settlers continued to thrive in the pockets of domestication they had created within the forest, and the other, more peaceable canines went about their business as though neither was wrong or right.