Clez
Administrator
We shift, call of the wild.
Posts: 147
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F.A.Q.
Jul 9, 2007 21:49:38 GMT
Post by Clez on Jul 9, 2007 21:49:38 GMT
Well, the game’s been going for a while now and people occasionally ask questions. This isn’t just for the benefit of members already on the game but also for visitors who might have little things they’re wondering about. I’ve been taking question suggestions from current members and of course I’ll add to this over time, and I’ll also be splitting this into two sections: IC (In Character) and OOC (Out of Character). IC FAQWhy do werewolves stop ageing physically? Werewolves cease ‘ageing’ when they reach what is considered their physical prime. This is the same for any werewolf; as they mature and grow, their bodies will reach a peak wherein endurance, strength and other such factors would be in their prime, and this is when the body of a werewolf ceases to age. For bitten wolves, given they are bitten before they pass this time, the same ‘rule’ applies; if a human is bitten at the age of fifty, and therefore, they have passed that prime, they do not regress, physically. If they have passed their physical prime when they are bitten, they do not return to it. Pureborn wolves, obviously, do not have this problem, since they are born with the genes that will inevitably cease their physical ageing process.
What about vampires? Is it the same for them as it is for werewolves? No, it is not the same thing for vampires as it is for werewolves. Whereas werewolves constantly heal and repair damaged cells and tissue to keep themselves from ageing, vampires essentially die when they are turned; their hearts stop beating, they do not breathe (some do fake the process of breathing to fool humans and for some semblance of comfort, as well as to smoke and to a degree talk) and their organs and cells no longer function as they did in life. This is why they stop ageing, and unlike werewolves, never go a day beyond what they were when they were bitten and turned. A child vampire will always be a child vampire, incapable of ‘growing up’, and like werewolves, if a human is bitten at the age of fifty or beyond, their physical appearance will not turn back; they will not return to any kind of youth or prime.
Why do all werewolves have different forms? Why are they all unique? Consider people you see every day, and even animals you encounter; do any two look the same (discounting, of course, identical twins)? No, they don’t, which is why all werewolves are different, and can transform into such a vast variety of different forms, some bipedal and others not, some extremely wolf-like while others have a greater resemblance to foxes or bears or even cats. The form of the sire or werewolf parents does not always influence the appearance of the fledgling or child, but there are hints of them in the new wolf, subtle though they might be. Every werewolf is different simply because everyone is different.
If a child has one werewolf parent and one human, will they be a human or a werewolf? Nine times out of ten, the genes of the werewolf parent are more powerful than those of the human, and as such, the child will be a werewolf; when they reach puberty, they will undergo their first transformation like any pureborn werewolf. For all intents and purposes, they are a pureborn werewolf; having one human parent does not, in any way, ‘dilute’ their own condition. There are no half-werewolves. Obviously, that remaining one out of ten will just be human, and therefore, completely mortal and in no way supernatural, unlike their one lycanthropic parent.
What is it that separates a full vampire from a half-vampire? How are half-vampires made? If a pregnant human woman is in some way infected with vampirism (if she is bitten but not completely turned herself), that trait will pass on to her unborn child, and ‘taint’ them, but not completely. This is the only true way one can be a half-vampire, and they are extremely rare; most women who suffer a bite from a vampire while pregnant will miscarry their child because of the shock, and as such, most half-vampires die before they are even carried to full term. Half-vampires are weaker than their full ‘cousins’; their senses are dulled by comparison, as is their strength and agility and speed etc. They are, basically, a watered down version of a full vampire.
Are Alphas and Betas in a pack always mates? In the case of Betas, the answer is no. Beta Males and Females do not have to be mates for their balance in the leadership quartet to work. The Alphas, on the other hand, are always mates; not only do they strengthen one another in order for them to be leaders, but Alpha Males and Females need to be unified; having Alphas who are not mates and therefore not bonded would potentially create a tension if there is a conflict of interest. Mates are more inclined to think along the same lines, and understand one another more easily, and therefore, better help their pack with decisions and actions. Essentially, an Alpha Male and Female are the father and mother of the pack without being genetically related to the rest of the wolves under their command; while many believe their bond (essentially a marriage, in werewolf terms) would weaken them because they are so protective and committed to one another’s safety, it actually makes them that much more efficient, because they are so much like parents — the pack are their family.
Who does the housekeeping in the hotels owned by the wolf packs? The packs do their own housekeeping. Obviously, bringing in a human party to clean and maintain would complicate matters and threaten the safety that a pack represents. While they do hire lawyers and doctors, they are easier to trust, given the gravity of their positions. The rule in the packs is simple; if you make a mess, you clean it up. Chores such as dusting and vacuuming, etc, would be done on a regular basis by those pack members who choose to indulge in a little spring cleaning. After all, in any group living under one roof, there is bound to be at least one ‘clean freak’.
How do the ‘governing’ packs feel about/deal with rogues on their territory? Rogues are something of a grey area, and considered much in the same vein as vampires, oddly enough. They are permitted to live on the territory so long as they do not draw unwelcome attention to themselves, or try to create a pack (or, for vampires alternatively, a coven) under the current pack’s nose. If they draw attention to themselves (from the human world, most obviously) or try to form a rival pack, then they are driven out; the amount of violence in such a banishment would depend entirely on the extent of resistance from the rogue(s) themselves.
How do werewolves with outside jobs (for instance, Nerys, in Cole’s pack) manage to miss work for three days each month without detection? The Alpha of any pack would know the exact days of the full moon throughout the year in advance, which grants the working pack member an advantage, in that they could then book those days off in advance, where they work. They may use whatever excuse they like, so long as it doesn’t arouse suspicion in their employers, but the foresight of booking the days off so far in advance gives them a certain credibility.
Are pack wolves ever allowed to go out by themselves, like on day excursions? Simply put, no. Not only is it against the instinct of a pack wolf, but it is also against pack ‘law’. Keeping together ensures a safety that solitude does not promise. It is possible for a pack wolf to sneak out alone, but they would be disciplined according to the severity of the repercussions, and of course, depending on the Alphas’ opinion of the slip itself. Pack wolves do leave the safety of the hotel, however, but they go in groups, or at least pairs; the higher up the chain of command the wolf, the greater the entourage. If not going out, with permission, as part of a pair, any pack member would go in a group totalling around six, with at least two fighters just because it’s sensible. A Beta wolf would have a group of six or seven to accompany them, including at least four fighters. An Alpha wolf, on the other hand, can have an entourage (or guard unit) of anywhere between seven and ten, if not more, depending on the reason for the excursion; the group is predominantly, if not entirely comprised of fighters. Why do they do this? If not for the aforementioned sense of safety, then for peace of mind. Wolves, by nature, are social creatures, and that kind of company when they’re out and about is a comfort to them.
If something happened to the Alpha(s) of a pack, would the Beta(s) automatically assume command? Yes and no. If, for example, one Alpha were to go missing and the other were to become unfit to lead, then the Betas would assume temporary command, unchallenged. If one Alpha was killed, and the other was determined to maintain their leadership, then the Betas would remain second-in-command, though packs do not often tolerate the instability of a single Alpha simply because having two leaders is always better than having one, especially one who is clouded with grief or the need for vengeance. If both Alphas are killed, then the Betas would step up to lead the pack only if they were unchallenged.
How do the packs at The Hyperion and The Four Seasons keep humans from attempting to enter the premises and rent a room? Quite simply, the packs have taken down all signs that say ‘Hotel’ or ‘Vacancy’. They have also hung ‘Private Property’ notices on the fences surrounding the parking lots. If a human were to walk into the lobbies, they would quickly be shown the way back out again.
What exactly is the protocol of wolf mates? That is, is it like a human marriage? If one wolf dies, may the survivor pick a new mate? Do mates ever ‘break up’? It is, and yet is not, like a human marriage. Nowadays, it isn’t all that common for a ceremony to take place, though in the past, with some packs, it would have been a kind of ritual to have a kind of wedding (for example, Derrick and Kaleigh in Rayne’s pack). As times have changed, it is more common for mates to simply bond together and for the pack to figure out the union for themselves. Mates do often trade an item, usually jewellery, not unlike humans, to signify their bond to one another; a ring is a common example, though it wouldn’t be out of place for a pair to trade pieces and they not match — for the male to get a ring and the female to receive a pendant, for example. It is down to the mates themselves to choose how they signify their union and belonging to one another.
If one mate dies, the survivor may choose another mate, but for many, the loss of their respective other is simply too crippling a blow. Many do not consider replacing their mate with another, even over time. For those who do choose to move on, and it isn’t all that uncommon, they do tend to wait a long time for the pain of the loss of their first mate to fade; it is quite a big step, to find a new mate, after all. Many wait centuries. It is always down to the survivor as to whether or not they choose another. Nine times out of ten, werewolves, like their wild ‘cousins’, do mate for life, but eternity alone, even after a loss, is a daunting prospect.
Mates do not ‘break up’. In this aspect, they are a step above humans, in the eyes of many. An argument between mates, as rare as those usually are between bonded pairs, does not signify the end; they simply work through whatever caused the fight, and move on. Werewolves choose mates because they feel they have found the one person they cannot live without, and on those grounds, a ‘break up’ is just too alien a concept. Werewolves also, in addition, never cheat on their mate; it simply is not done — it goes against their nature.
Why do some werewolves have extra powers? In terms of supernatural powers, those rare few who do have them have retained them from their lives before their lycanthropy; ‘gifts’ they were born with, as humans. They are, as previously mentioned, rare, but not unheard of. Pureborn wolves do not have extra supernatural powers such as empathy or precognition etc; they are restricted solely to bitten/turned wolves. When it comes to the rare developed powers of changing single parts of the body, or communicating ‘telepathically’ with other werewolves in animal form, those take centuries to develop, and only the oldest of werewolves have them, and even then, such old werewolves usually only ever have one of these extra abilities, if only because they take so long to develop.
If a person is bitten on the middle night of the full moon cycle, will they change on the third, following night, or does the change delay until the next lunar cycle? Short answer, yes they will. The lunar cycle is exceedingly powerful, and even influences the behaviour of older wolves, albeit in subtler ways, even those who lead packs; while it does not cause them to change because they have the control that comes with age, the moon will never stop calling. Wolves bitten on the first or middle night of the full moon will always change on the next night, without fail; the werewolf side of them is just that strong, even with the shock of the turning — they will be unable to keep themselves from giving in to the call, and they will transform for the first time.
If a werewolf dies in wolf form, do they then revert to their human form? Yes they do. A lot of being in wolf form relies on the strength of body and mind to hold that shape; it is a conscious act, save for the full moons, but even then, when consciousness is lost, the wolf form will be subdued. The werewolf must be conscious and at least in some semblance of health to hold their animal form, or it will automatically start to fade. If a werewolf has transformed willingly, and they are significantly injured, they will also lose the ability to hold their animal form. It is all a matter of physical and mental strength, and if either of those are lessened considerably, then they return to human form. Obviously, death is the ultimate failure in physical and mental strength, and as such, death for a werewolf in wolf form means they will return to their human body as the life leaves them.
Can vampires and werewolves contract fatal diseases/illnesses, like cancer? No they cannot. Even if a vampire or werewolf smokes every minute of every day for one hundred years, they will not develop cancer. They are immune to the frailties that often weaken or kill humans, giving them a generous degree of immortality. Their powerful healing abilities will kick in and repair any damage the alcohol/nicotine/smoke/etc causes to their bodies, as soon as it is caused, meaning a werewolf is highly unlikely to even develop so much as a cough from such a disgusting habit.
Why aren’t there any covens? Because werewolves are dominant, quite simply put. Essentially, there were covens, centuries ago, but werewolves strove to be the more powerful of the two supernatural races, and they could not achieve their goal if vampires were permitted to band together in such a way. Packs and even rogues all over the world, driven by this instinct to be dominant over their enemy, subsequently, over time, eliminated the strongholds that covens ruled and wiped out the leaders of such groups, disbanding covens altogether and leaving vampires as a scattered race who nowadays lack the resolve and ability to unite in such a manner.
What determines the ranks of fighters in a wolf pack? Do they even have ranks? Age, basically. Age for a werewolf, especially a fighter, means experience and control, which gives them a degree seniority, and commands a respect from the other fighters younger and less experienced than them. The Senior Fighter in each pack is just that. Senior. Older than all the others. Of course, as with any ‘rule’, there are exceptions, usually only when old wolves join the pack and the fighting ranks from outside; their age, in that case, doesn’t automatically make then the Senior Fighter, but it does put them in the running to be considered for the title. Below that one wolf, the others are arranged by age, which is instinctual to the other fighters. They look to those older than them for guidance and leadership; to set an example and point the way, as it were. They also look to the older wolves to learn new tricks and techniques, which is just as instinctual as regarding the older wolves as your seniors, and to an extent, your superiors. Naturally, wherever possible, the real commands are issued by the Alphas or failing that, the Betas, but in their absence, it is the Senior Fighter, or the oldest fighter in any group, who leads the way.
What do the pack werewolves do for money? Packs usually set up accounts that can be accessed by anyone using cards attached to them; whenever groups leave the pack homes, at least one person in that group will have one of the cards aligned with one of those accounts, so they can access the money that the pack share. Spreading funds over more than one account gives them a sort of security, and every so often, the pack Alpha(s) will check the balance of the accounts (usually online) and ensure the amounts in each account are roughly level. Pack members donate to the total willingly, benefiting the pack as a whole by sharing what they have, whether it is earned in some way or saved from the past; some pack members, after all, come from wealthy backgrounds, and have brought that wealth into their new lives with them. Even if it is in their personality to be selfish, they donate to the whole if only to ‘pull their weight’ and keep everything running. As a general rule, the accounts are set up in one or both of the Alphas’ names.
How is it that werewolves and vampires can have tattoos with their extraordinary healing factors? Wouldn’t the tattoos heal over? Yes and no. When a werewolf or a vampire gets a tattoo, the risk of infection is obviously, well, non-existent, not like in a human, but the tattoos cannot heal completely, because of the ink. Just like the skin heals for a human but the ink remains, the same can be said for wolves and vampires. Naturally, the tattoos do need to be touched up from time to time, but the same can be said even for humans.
Can a vampire turn a werewolf, and vice versa? Simple answer: no. Once you become a vampire or a werewolf, you cannot be changed to the other race. A werewolf can bite a vampire and the vampire will not, in any way, change to a werewolf, and vice versa (though obviously changing someone to a vampire is a little more complicated).
Can a vampire drink/feed from a werewolf? Yes and no. A vampire can feed from a werewolf so long as they don’t take too much; a vampire’s and werewolf’s bodies and therefore genetic makeup are so different that essentially the two different races battle one another at the atomic level. Just like you can’t have a half-vampire-half-werewolf hybrid, a vampire cannot safely ingest too much werewolf blood and a werewolf, typically, cannot abide the taste of vampire; if not only because they ash when they are killed but because their blood is cold and clotted, which is part of why they need to feed on living creatures to survive. The blood of a werewolf is powerful and therefore volatile, and would be too much for a vampire’s body to take beyond a certain point.
So wolves can tolerate vampire blood and vampires can drink from wolves? As said above, yes, but not much. Wolves don’t much like the taste that comes from vampires at all, which is why most of them will make the killing blow (usually by mangling and therefore severing the throat/neck/head) and then release the vampire before it combusts into ash; as mentioned in response to the previous question, the blood that is inside of a vampire, unless they have fed very recently, will be cold, minimal, and usually coagulated, given that vampires are, by definition, dead. Vampires can and occasionally do drink from wolves, but cannot stomach too much of their blood; it isn’t as palatable to them as human blood, and can even go so far as to make them ‘sick’ (as sick as a vampire can get, anyway).
So it’s not possible to get a half-vampire-half-werewolf hybrid? To put it bluntly, hell no. Given that the races cannot even infect one another, the two races can never be blended to create a half-half creature. It just doesn’t ever happen. As it is, half-vampires are extremely rare, so that should give you an idea of just how unlikely a merging or ‘diluting’ of bloodlines is.
At what age do werewolves master one of the rare abilities, and why? Usually past their eighth century, nearing their ninth. It, of course, depends on just how much discipline the wolf has, and how much they work at achieving/mastering the new gift. It takes a long time for that level of control to be mastered, which is why only the oldest of wolves have the gifts, and why the most ancient ones have not only one of the abilities, but both.
Does killing the werewolf that bit you ‘end the curse’? No, because it’s not a curse, as anyone with lycanthropy and any degree of control would be able to tell you. It’s also not magic of any kind, since there are no magics in this universe. People who are bitten can destroy their sire immediately after being attacked and still become a werewolf themselves; once a werewolf, always a werewolf. There are absolutely no exceptions.
What’s the difference in the terminology for werewolves; how is ‘turned’ different from ‘bitten’? Bitten implies that the wound was left in an attack, the sire intending to viciously wound or even kill (or eat) the ‘victim’; bitten werewolves are accidents, for all intents and purposes. Turned implies that the lycanthropy was shared, intentionally, the act pre-meditated and received willingly by the ‘victim’. Turned werewolves accepted the lycanthropy, it wasn’t pushed upon them by ‘fate’.
How is it that werewolves can keep pets? Wouldn’t the animals be too scared of the ‘predator’? If the werewolf is gentle to the animal and doesn’t use predatory body language or tones that imply a threat, then the animal, whatever it might be, will accept that the predator they can’t see but can smell doesn’t intend them any harm. This is why werewolves can keep pets, usually cats or smaller things like rodents or birds; dogs, with exceptions admittedly, usually have issues with facing so much dominance from one source; obviously it doesn’t intimidate every dog to the point of, well, peeing on the rug, but most other canines do have trouble dealing with such a powerful predator, and obviously a superior one, in proximity.
Why can’t vampires and werewolves get drunk or high? For vampires, there is a reason why they don’t usually eat or drink ‘normal’ food and only ingest blood; it doesn’t make them sick, but since their bodies are essentially dead, they cannot digest properly, and to put it bluntly, anything eaten or drank rots inside of them, and because they don’t have a circulation or a working liver and so on and so forth, the alcohol cannot effect them as if effects humans; the same can be said of drugs for the same sorts of reasons, since their bodies no longer work in the right ways for narcotics to take effect. For werewolves, the heightened metabolism burns through alcohol too quickly for it to take effect, as it does with any drugs. This is why werewolves often eat more than the regular daily allowance that humans are accustomed to, because of their increased metabolism. OOC FAQIs there a required minimum for posts on the board? Yes and no. I don’t do activity checks, but I expect characters to show themselves and play some part, or there’s just no point in them being around, and for lack of a better term, taking up space. When it comes to a minimum for posts, I prefer at least two thirds of your character’s post-count to be in-character, meaning that those comments and posts submitted to the general, art or fiction areas etc do not count; while I like to let people have their fun, this isn’t a forum for discussion about music and those areas are just little bits on the side. This is a writing game, and it’s loosely expected that the majority of what your character account shows as your post-count should be in-character development, narrative and action.
Who decides when we timeskip and why do we timeskip? For all intents and purposes, that decision lies with me, but I try my best not to cut off too much in the way of scenes and interaction when I do go through with a timeskip; I don’t like to end people’s fun, but at some point, I do just cut my losses and go ahead. We timeskip because this game is not set, like many games, in real-time, so basically, we could play along action set in one morning for months. Timeskips take us to the next day or whatever I decide to skip us to; often I take a vote on my personal livejournal or through IMs with current members, because I like to be fair and get a variety of opinions and views from the people who make this game possible, and I do my best to keep people in the loop.
How can we have famous PBs and reference the shows/movies/bands they’re from? It’s a matter of coincidence. If your character happens to look like so-and-so from whatever movie or band, it’s just an amusing resemblance and nothing more. You cannot play famous people in this game, no exceptions.
How exactly does one go about joining Brutality? It’s really quite simple. Firstly, you need to read all of the Essential Reading, which can be found on the Site Map. This is not an option, and yes, there is a lot to read, but Brutality is a defined ‘universe’ and I have put a lot of work, personally, into developing it over the years; everything I have labelled as Essential Reading is what I believe to be crucial, especially for a new member. This isn’t your average werewolf game.
From there, you browse the Additional Material as you see fit. This is just extra facts and pieces of information that, while not crucial like everything listed above, are still important when you are in the game, for various reasons, depending on who and what you play.
After that, you fill out an application, the link for which, like everything else, can be found on the Site Map. Like it says on the page, everything must be filled out, without exception. The more detailed and well-thought-out your application, the more likely it is to be approved. I am the only mod though, so sometimes, approval isn’t exactly immediate, but rest assured, I never ignore a bio and pretend it was never there. If you’re unsure of where to start or how your application should look, browse through some of the current characters (I won’t be arrogant here and link to any of mine); reading a variety is good to get an idea of what I do and don’t allow.
When you’ve done that, and my advice is not to rush, you simply email it on to me at vampyr_uk2000@yahoo.co.uk, and that, as they say, is that.
Of course, as it says on the front page, if you skip these stages and go ahead and register an account when I haven’t seen an application, I’ll just delete it without hesitation. You only register after I have approved your application, and when you do register an account, you use your character’s first name so I know that it’s a character account and not someone trying to spam the board.
How can I reserve a basis/werewolf form? This one is actually surprisingly easy, even if you’re not a current member and have never spoken to me before. I don’t bite, I swear, so I won’t tell you to go away or pipe down if you contact me about this or anything else, even if you’re not in the game at all at the point of contact.
All you have to do is put together what you’d like to reserve and email me (the same address as above); even if you’re not reserving a werewolf, it just takes an email, and all I ask is that you use the rough form set out below:
Basis to reserve: Character’s intended name: Character’s intended race: Character’s intended occupation/position: (for a pack wolf, that is their occupation) Werewolf form to reserve: (if applicable)
It’s as easy as that. All reservations will be considered, and naturally, if there are any problems with your request, I’ll bounce an email back to you telling you why it’s an issue. Bear in mind that if you have a reserve you want to put forward but don’t do it right away for whatever reason, only to see someone else take the basis you had thought about, I will not tolerate any whining, because with this game, it’s ‘first come, first served’. The game is too large for such arguments or issues to truly mean anything, sorry.
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This page will be added to and updated as necessary over time, but each time it is modified, I’ll post a note in the General Board area.
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