Looking For Input On Society Concept - Empire Of The Wolf

[clsage]

Not quite sure where to put this so I'll stick it here......

I'm attempting to wrap my mind around a concept mentioned in
passing in the Doctor Who episode "Tooth And Claw" and could
use some input: An imperial society, drawing it's political power
from a lineage of lycanthropes.....the Empire Of The Wolf.

So....What sorts of societal structures would the assembled Hero-philes
imagine would develop in a society ruled by werewolves ? Any thoughts ?

-Carl-

[OddHat]

Just use Victorian and Edwardian England, with the idea that all the nastiness of the era was ultimately the fault of werewolves.

[clsage]

Just use Victorian and Edwardian England, with the idea that all the nastiness of the era was ultimately the fault of werewolves.

True enough....Thanks. I was wondering, though, how would those
backstage machinations impact the flow of history, if at all ?

And what of a non-terrestrial society, as might be found in Galactic
Champions or Terran Empire ???

-Carl-

[Lucius]

Terry Pratchett references this concept in [U]The Fifth Elephant.[U]

He also addresses the idea that werewolves are much more like men than like wolves - humans with their baser passions unrestrained, and their malice enabled by lupine and supernatural powers.

In a Star Hero or Galactic Champions setting, there are so many ways to go it's hard to know where to start. For example, are we assuming:

1. Lycanthropy was always real but secret, werewolves emmigrated to the stars with the rest of Humanity, and then on one or more worlds proclaimed themselves openly and took power?

or

2. The "Wolves" are some kind of alien of the anthropomorphic "furry" type, that have perhaps conquered some Human worlds?

or

3. The Lycanthropes are genetically engineered, perhaps combining wolf DNA with human, or perhaps something like "Bowman's Wolf" - engineered from lupine DNA but designed to be intelligent tool-users?

or

4. Any of a number of "Wooolves in Spaaace!!" scenarios that are probably easy and obvious but just not occuring to me right now?

Lucius Alexander

Palindromedary in Space!

[Curufea]

I'd go with wolf cultural patterns - they're a gregarious pack with an alpha male, alpha female and ranks. All the way down to - is it "omega male"? Who is the "jester" type of the pack and constantly picked on.

Structure the government in the same way.

There could be holidays related to full months and blooding of new members as well.

[FenrisUlf]

Just use Victorian and Edwardian England, with the idea that all the nastiness of the era was ultimately the fault of werewolves.

Bah, you people blame us for everything. :D


Terry Pratchett references this concept in [U]The Fifth Elephant.[U]

He also addresses the idea that werewolves are much more like men than like wolves - humans with their baser passions unrestrained, and their malice enabled by lupine and supernatural powers.

2. The "Wolves" are some kind of alien of the anthropomorphic "furry" type, that have perhaps conquered some Human worlds?

or

3. The Lycanthropes are genetically engineered, perhaps combining wolf DNA with human, or perhaps something like "Bowman's Wolf" - engineered from lupine DNA but designed to be intelligent tool-users?

Lucius Alexander

Palindromedary in Space!

You could also have a technologically-induced lycanthropy, though that might just be one-way (you become wolfish, but can't change back... though if you're using nanotech you can probably justify anything).

But I like the idea, though I don't see why the wolves have to be evil. If they're merely as aggressive, organized, and prolific as humans that can be bad enough.

[Lord Liaden]

The act of hunting prey could become a ritualized part of lycanthrope society, similar to the "Predators" from that series of sci-fi films, but emphasizing pack hunts rather than individual ones.

Within an historical context, hunting would still be the sport of the nobility, right up to modern times and the English fox hunt; except that the lycanthropes themselves would fill the role of the hounds.

[Mirgos]

I would alsp take a look at some of the old Traveller products re the Vargr - I like the way their society is in constant flux with respect to leadership.

[Admiral C]

Blood and Chocolate had some ritual pack hunts in it as well as the standard secret world tropes that abound.

Maybe the lycanthrope nobility has traditional "hunting grounds" that remained untouched under penalty of death. Maybe these grounds are in the city in a cross between Central Park and the Colosseum with a little religious deisng thrown in for good measure.

Maybe the lycanthropes from smaller town and precincts can afford such hunting grounds or haven't been gifted with them. Instead they have ancient laws concerning curfews and roam the streets of their cities and towns at night eating all who would not make it home in time. Moreover they are sacrosanct and cannot be legally harmed lest ones entire family be devoured ritually. Of course most people would manage to get home after the first few decades of this so they lycanthropic nobility visits the homes of those recently birthed with twins (which just happens to be more common for meta story reasons) and demands to eat one, or the husband which is the parents choice.

Whole groups of people may become "prey" if they break some taboo social custom or offend the nobility in some significant way. These people would be allowed to live during the day and be hunted at night. Sometimes they would survive for many weeks just be played with until they were eaten. What's more these people are marked in some way so everyone shuns them no matter how much they beg for help.

[Badger]

Well loyalty to the pack (or family) should be a primary goal to an individual. Possibly power for an individual is directly related to their packs status.

[Badger]

I'd go with wolf cultural patterns - they're a gregarious pack with an alpha male, alpha female and ranks. All the way down to - is it "omega male"? Who is the "jester" type of the pack and constantly picked on.

Structure the government in the same way.

There could be holidays related to full months and blooding of new members as well.


I think the omega can be a male or female. If I remember from studies their does seem some importance to being a "beta" too.

[Badger]

Becoming a lone wolf (being outcast from your pack) would probably be for the worst offenses. It would like worse than a death sentence. Though this may be more of an in-pack offense, of course.

[FenrisUlf]

Becoming a lone wolf (being outcast from your pack) would probably be for the worst offenses. It would like worse than a death sentence. Though this may be more of an in-pack offense, of course.

I have written some fantasy in a world with a humanoid lupine race who's worst punishment is to not just exile someone, but to remove their ears and tail. My reasoning is that this is like the infamous old 'lop off his hand for stealing' bit; having proven yourself deceitful and untrustworthy, they make sure to let all the other wolves know what kind of a liar you are.