λύκοι: A Werewolf Gpsl

Due to a lack of activity and apparent disinterest, this gpsl is closed for now.

We're not going to make a massive rules post, but please keep in mind that the basic rules that apply to games apply here. Activity, line crossing, realism, god-modding, etc. We all know how to be courteous to each other and that's really all we ask. There are no set rules on activity, but be active! We'll check in if you've fallen inactive and if there's still no response after that, you'll be removed from the GPSL, you character possibly even killed off. If you'd like to be removed, but do not want your character killed off, please let us know. We're not going to stop you from carrying out any huge plot point, but please be sure to address said plot with the writer of any character it might affect.

JOINING - There is no application process to join us. All we ask is first of all, to make sure your PB is open in the cast list if you have not placed a hold and please keep realism in mind when selecting your PB and character rank. Journals may be IC or OOC. You will need an IC post and an OOC post in your journal along with a blurb on your character including their name, age, whether they are bitten or born, and the pack they're associated with along with their rank/position in that pack. Please also be sure to have worked out at least one connection with another character. You are welcome to utilize our plot post here. Once you have all of the above, simply request to join this community. We will add new members as quickly as possible.

**Please note, there is now a cap on characters with relatives that have been killed by the Keystone takeover. The Keystone pack has no more than 40-50 members, probably less, and only a very small handful would have laid down their lives for their alpha.**

Threads may take place either in journals, or in this community, but they must be friends locked if in the community. We're keeping things as tight-knit as we can so as to avoid growing to the size of a full game. IC posts will be made in journals and if you need to make an OOC post, please also do so in your journal with an indicator that the post is OOC.

If you have any questions, please comment here! Comments are not screened so that more than just myself can view them, but if you need to inquire on something in private, you are welcome to send a PM. If you opt for the latter, please be sure to comment whoever you have sent it to so we know to look for it.

For those interested in joining lykoi, find connections here. The more connections you have, the better. Current players may also plot here, or post for wanted lines.

Reservations last for 72 hours. Please note, there is now a cap on characters with relatives who were killed during the Keystone takeover. The Keystone pack has no more than 40-50 members, probably less, and only a very small handful would have laid down their lives for their alpha.
Reserved:
Last, First; position; date

( Current Cast )

All wolves feel compelled to join a pack. Some are born leaders, while the rest fit as varying degrees of followers. Packs are structured groups where werewolves can find acceptance, kinship, and education. They keep the wolves in check and leave them feeling balanced. They are also territorial.

There are currently two packs around Keystone: the Keystone Pack, and the Wapiti Pack.

Keystone Pack
This is the name given to the pack in residence, which has inhabited the Keystone area since the resort was built. However, recently the pack has undergone a forceful regime change, in which the former Denver Pack ousted or killed the original alpha and his loyal followers. Those who remained were allowed to do so under the provision that they would fight loyally for the new alpha and follow his orders.

Wapiti Pack
The former members of the Keystone Pack, who were either forced out or left on their own, were not willing to leave the area or to go without a pack. They pulled together those who were willing and created their own pack, one newer and smaller than the Keystone Pack but with the goal of reclaiming the territory that is rightfully theirs.

Please note, there is now a cap on characters with relatives who were killed during the Keystone takeover. The Keystone pack has no more than 40-50 members, probably less, and only a very small handful would have laid down their lives for their alpha.

Rank Structure
As mentioned, werewolf packs are structured so that everyone has their place, from alpha to omega.
Alpha: The leader of the pack, whose word is final. Alphas not only command the wolves beneath them, but are responsible for their safety. To become an alpha, one must form their own pack, challenge the previous alpha (either to certain victory or death), or inherit the role should the prior alpha die or leave for whatever reason. Most of the time, those who inherit the alpha role are betas within the pack, or outsiders. The alpha is usually male.
Beta: The second in command, and mostly likely by far to take control of the pack should anything happen to the alpha. They assist the alpha in taking care of or commanding the pack, but their word is never above the alpha's. There may be more than one beta, and they are usually either promoted from a delta position or closely related to the alpha. These are usually male, but can include females.
Delta: Third in command, and the last of the leadership positions. While these would not expect to take over the role of alpha without a catastrophic event, they do have the chance to move up to a beta position once they've proven themselves capable and responsible enough. A delta can come from any other rank in the pack, except the omegas. Deltas may double as enforcers, and there can be more than one. These can be male or female.
Warriors/Sentinels: Members tasked with protecting and guarding the pack on a daily basis, in the event of an attack, or other emergency. They are considered on the same level as caretakers, but with different roles, and are above omegas. These can be male or female.
Caretakers: Members tasked with taking care of the pack house, pack members, arranging activities, providing food, caring for the young, et cetera. They are considered on the same level as warriors/sentinel, but with different roles, and are above omegas. These can be male or female.
Omegas: The lowest and most submissive members of the pack, whose rank is practically an insult. Omegas are essentially the whipping boys/girls for the other members, and are offered no protection from teasing, or even bullying. Some higher ranks may offload their stress or less desirable tasks on omegas, or even just make them perform tasks for them. The omega has little choice but to comply. Not all packs have an omega, but usually include one. These can be male or female.

Due to their accelerated healing, werewolves have a lifespan of up to 150 years. They also age slower upon reaching adulthood, often appearing 10 to 15 years younger than they truly are.

Born wolves have more control as werewolves, a full wolf form, and the ability to shift just part of their body after many years of practice (partial transformation or shifting). They have the potential to shift at will, but must shift during the full moon. Only experienced werewolves can shift at will.

A human who survives a werewolf bite which penetrates the skin will be forced to attempt their first transformation during the next full moon. While the mortality rate for this shift is low, it is possible for wolves to die before they can fully reach their new form. Bitten wolves experience less control overall than born wolves, even over time, and shift into a hybrid wolf-man form. They must shift during the full moon, but have no control over their transformation until they have gained years of experience. Their transformations start off intensely painful, but become easier over time.

There is a bond between a bitten werewolf and the wolf who bit them. This connection is not as strong as a mate's, and will not be devastating if broken by death, but is enough that the two could find each other across smaller distances and have a vague sense of the other being in jeopardy.

Werewolf weaknesses include silver and wolfsbane. The presence of either can cause an allergic reaction, but should either enter the bloodstream it acts as a poison. Senses and strengths will be dulled, the werewolf will feel weak and sickly, and healing will be slowed even beyond a human's. While wolfsbane is more recoverable, too much silver in the blood can kill a werewolf. A silver bullet or sharp object to the heart will instantly kill a werewolf, as will decapitation.

They possess enhanced senses, enhanced strength, and accelerated healing. In wolf form, their healing is accelerated further. The longer one can remain in wolf form, the faster and more effectively they will heal.

Werewolves have the ability to mate. A mating bond is far stronger than any ordinary relationship. Mates are able to find each other across great distances, and will know when the other is in jeopardy. Though they do not share pain, they do sense when one is in a certain mood. It can be severed by death or the actions of an alpha, though the latter is rare. The loss of a mate is incredibly painful, but recoverable over time, like most emotional losses in life. To become a mated pair, one wolf must declare the other wolf their mate in front of their pack and alpha. This does not require the consent of both parties. In heterosexual couples it is the male who declares the mating, while in homosexual couples it is the more dominant of the pair. Humans cannot be considered mates; only werewolves. A mate will gain the honorary title of the more dominant/higher ranking of the two, but this is in name only, and they do not gain the authority that comes with the rank. For example, if an omega was lucky enough to mate with a beta, they would be considered a beta male/female but would not be able to issue orders to lower ranking wolves. They would only be afforded respect as the mate of the actual beta, and if that beta were to lose their rank or die, the mate would return to their prior position.

Wolves feel pulled to belong to a pack. More information on pack structures, and information on the specific packs in the Keystone area, can be found here.

λύκοι • (lýkoi) m
nominative plural of λύκος (lýkos), meaning wolf.

Keystone, Colorado, has been the home of the Keystone Resort since 1970, and two werewolf packs since 2015. Originally, there was only one pack, until a secondary pack from Denver forced its way into the area. The two could not coexist peacefully for long before the Denver pack assimilated the Keystone pack and ousted those who would not cooperate, violently if necessary. Those outcasts, unwilling to leave their beloved home, regrouped and formed up a secondary pack, the Wapiti pack. Now the two must battle over territory to establish their rightful claim over the idyllic battleground.

Lýkoi follows the lives of the individuals in both packs, their struggles, their triumphs, and their interpersonal relationships.