Lupus

The Lupus are the Ochae'nafod tribes bound the wolf species in North Thiskel and North Kalesten. While domestic dogs are descended of wolves, there are no Ochae'nafod tribes bonded to the domestic species. The Lupus are one of the better known Ochae'nafod tribes as they are wide-spread and similarly sized to humans. They were one of several tribes of Ochae'nafod who fought alongside the Idayn and other races during the War of the Gods.

Other Bonded Species

There are other tribes bonded to related species in the Canis genus. Much of their culture is similar to the Lupus tribe and most are smaller in size. Differences are left to the reader's interpretation with appropriate knowledge of the species.

Tribe Name Species Region Size Range Notes
Simensis (Ethiopian) Wolf NW, N, South Thiskel Small
Lupaster (African) Golden Wolf NW, N, South Thiskel Small This species is hybridized between the two other wolf species.
Latrans Coyote North & Central Kalesten Small

Appearance

The Lupus tribe is around average human height at 5'9"-6' (175-183cm) for the men and 5'4"-5'7" (163-170cm) for the women. Their build is also near the average for humans of the same height, but they are frequently lean and carry little excess fat. Their facial structure is vaguely lupine; an oval face with a narrow chin, and a long, straight nose.

Their skin color is similar to their human neighbors, ranging from fair to tan in higher latitudes, to shades of light brown moving south. Their hair color is the same as the dominant coat color of their wolf form, and for the northern wolves, not only does this include common shades of gray and auburn brown, but black and white as melanistic and dilute coats are not especially uncommon. Eye colors are typically gold or light brown, sometimes green-hued and rarely blue or grey (but these colors are more likely to appear in those with dilute coats). Regardless of hair color, their eye brows are often dark and their eyelashes black.

Culture

Wolves are social animals, and sometimes apex predators, if not almost at the apex. As such, the Lupus tribe tends to be bolder than many others, and they maintain close-knit family groups like wolf packs. They also prefer life-long partnerships. While wolf packs are typically parents and several litters of offspring, the Lupus clans are often multiple couples, their children, and extended family, led by one or two elders (often the grandparents of many of the clan members. Spouses for the younger generations come from other clans. At a certain point in a young Lupus's life, they are encouraged to roam the world to find other clans where they may find a spouse, sometimes they bring this new spouse home to their clan, or they may join their spouse's clan. Depending on how frequently local clans have intermarried in the past, it forces youths to travel farther afield to find unrelated clans with potential spouses they can court. Lupus tribes typically build a single large building--often log longhouses--deep in forests that the entire clan shares as a living space.

This practice of searching for a spouse, as well as their boldness and ease at interacting with humans, has made relations with the Lupus tribe and human populations more prevalent. The Lupus tribe is also typically friendly with other elemental races sharing their space--though those bonded to herbivorous species that are often food for wolves and the Lupus tribe are less fond of their carnivorous cousins.