The White Wolf
Dog of the Sith
The Varg are primarily known as the people of the Myrkviðr Forest, though they are widespread across the whole of Vesner. Tribal communities of the shapeshifters can be found nestled away on every continent, generally living with others sharing the same sub-race traits, though mixed villages aren't unheard of. Still others of the race have taken to city living and thrive there just as well as in the wild, for the Varg are quite literally the people of change and adaptation.
Varg have three main forms, an animal form, an anthropomorphic form, and a humanoid form. All forms will mimic each other in appearance to some extent, sharing aspects such as fur/hair color, elongated teeth, and stature, for example, a Varg that takes the form of a small red wolf will also have red hair and be petite when humanoid. Varg come in all shapes and sizes, and can be found sharing near any animal form, depending on the "breed" of their parents.
Their change is physical and biological, not force related, and is an instinctive ability. Their bodies are specifically meant to withstand the physical stress of the dramatic change in their structure, due to this, they are typically more flexible and hardy than most other races. It takes normally one to three minutes for a Varg to shift between forms, if they regularly do so - the process causes minor exhaustion and stress. If it is a forced transformation (such as trauma or triggered), it is typically very painful.
Name: Varg
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Vesner
Language: Body Language
Average height of adults: Varies widely depending on the sub-race the Varg represents.
Skin color: Caucasian, Mixed, African American, Albino
Hair color: Varies widely depending on the sub-race the Varg represents.
Breathes: Type One
Strengths:
- Enhanced Speed: Something within a Vargs anatomy allows them to run at speeds most would consider predatory. While normal humans can run quickly, a Varg in full spring runs at nearly 64kmh. Though in a normal run when they are not hunting prey or trying to escape from danger, they run at about 35mph.
- Enhanced Endurance: Centuries of constantly fighting for position and acting in large pack hunts has turned these predators into a force to be reckoned with. The average Varg has been known to run for almost ten hours straight before having to take a rest. This increased endurance has made them a hardy people, allowing them to withstand traumatic stress put on their bodies when they shift. Something that is vital to their survival.
- Enhanced Strength: Vargs, due to the stress their bodies undergo from their shifting. Have rather muscular bodies even at a young age. While not as strong as most other species, their strength is nothing to be scoffed at. They can snap the bones of their prey with their powerful jaws in both forms and can hold the average human up with one hand.
- Enhanced Healing: While normally their bodies heal at just slightly a faster pace than a normal humans. When basking in the light of a full moon, the Varg are able to absorb it and heal much quicker. Scars seems to fade and current sicknesses disappear overnight. This is thanks to their cells in their skin which respond to the radiance of a moons brightness. The brighter it is, the more effective. An entire pack will sometimes gather and sleep under a full moon together as a community.
- Heightened Sense of Hearing: Next to smell, the sense of hearing is the most acute of the Vargs's senses. Varg can hear as far as six miles away in the forest and ten miles in the open. Varg can hear well up to a frequency of 25 khz. Some observers from tourist believe that the actual maximum frequency detected by Varg is actually much higher, perhaps up to 80 khz (the upper auditory limits for humans is 20 khz), also according to some naturalist Varg' hearing is greater than that of the dog.
- Heightened Sense of Smell: The sense of smell in the Varg is highly developed, as would be expected in an creature possessing such a feral way of life. The distance at which any scent can be detected is governed by atmospheric conditions but, even under the most favorable conditions , 1.75 miles denotes a particularly keen sense of smell. The wolves usually travel until they encounter the scent of some prey species ahead of them. They then move directly toward their prey in an effort to capture it. Same thing when detecting enemies.
- Permanently Mute: All Varg or even Skog are incapable of physical speech. This makes it hard to communicate with those who rely on it as their main forms of communications. They rely on body language and small noises from the nostrils and throat, though some Varg learn to communicate through Telepathy. Broadcasting their thoughts into the minds of others, thought this is only capable through the force.
- Mental Disorders: Varg have many mental disorders that seem to come into fruition during their teenage years. These mental disorders range from LLI, DID, Anxiety, Low Self Worth, and ect. Though these normally appear in males more than the females, these disorders can eventually cause a Varg to fall into madness if not taken care of.
- Moonlocked: Though biologically a defect at birth, it is believed that "moonlocked" Varg were born under undesirable moon phases that are believed to be bad luck. When a Varg is "moonlocked", they are essentially stuck in one form and cannot shift into any of their other forms - they can be "stuck" in their humanoid form, their animal form, or their anthropomorphic form. The "moonlock" condition does not have to be prevalent at the moment of birth and there have been reports and studies of Varg with a dormant "moonlock" gene that either triggers later in life under moments of great distress or never at all. This condition can affect any species of Varg and Skog and it is permanent once it triggers. Though some Varg cultures regard the "moonlocked" condition to be an omen of misfortune, some believe it to be a sign of unique power and strength. The most common case of being Moonlocked is if a Varg stays in one for for too long, and thus their bodies begin to settle into that form.
- Hearing & Scent: Their greatest gift can also be their greatest burden. While most consider this to be their greatest strength, if used and manipulated it can turn into a Vargs worse enemy. Their sense of hearing is highly sensitive, so loud sounds such as alarms blaring, dog whistles, nails on a chalk board and ect. These sounds can cripple them and cause them great pain. Eyes stagger, ears ring and their insides feel like they are being ripped apart. Their sense of smell can also be used against them. Strong foul scents can be used to disorientate a Varg. A smell from a stink bomb can send one fleeing in horror of even losing their lunch. Some scents can even force a Varg into unconsciousness.
- Anti-social: At least among strangers. Varg do not particularly approve of the company of non-varg. This makes it hard for them to fit in among other societies. And as mentioned in their culture, loneliness can easily result in a Vargs death since they are programmed to seek companionship that normally only a pack can provide.
- Territorial: Varg are very territorial creatures. The odds of them attacking unannounced intruders are extremely high and they do not take kindly to those to invade their personal space. Which is something that is often considered the norm among other species within the galaxy. This makes it harder for them to 'fit in' among a crowd.
- Feral: Probably one of their biggest flaws. Varg are known for there feral hostility towards others. While not particularly meant to be aggressive, it can easily be misinterpreted. Especially if you snarl at someone for getting to close to your good.
- Vibrant Slit Eyes
- Canine Like Ears
- Canine Like Tail
- Sharp Teeth (Fangs)
- Inability to Speak
Races: White Wolf, Red Wolf, Mexican Wolf, Gray Wolf, ect (Just to put it in perspective)
Estimated Population: 500,000 populating their homeplanet with very, very few leaving.
Diet:
- Meat: Due to their animalistic nature, the consumption of meat is by far their main goal. The only good group they really pay much attention to for it helps them develop much quicker. Varg have a tendency to eat their meat raw since their digestive systems are designed to do so. Some however tend to cook their meat as a way to reserve it for storage when winter comes and prey is scarce.
- Fruit & Vegetables: Fruit, while not as important to them as meat. Fruit is often used as a way to cleanse their immune systems of any contaminated meat they may have eaten. While a Vargs immune system is powerful, it is not perfect. One of their favorite things to cook for the pack is stew with all three main food groups.
- Starch: Things such as noodles, rice, corn starch, and even bread is considered unfavored by most Varg for it backs up their digestive systems. Often making them very sick and giving them food poisoning. Pups who venture near the city are often fed bread by tourist, which sometimes results in them getting an infection and dying.
- Chocolate: Chocolate of any kind poisons a Varg and kills them. Flat out, the end. Varg often mistake coca beans as a vegetable of fruit and put it into stew. This mistake has resulted in the death of many Varg, even wiping out a small pack.
Communication: Varg communicate not only by sound (such as yipping, growling, and howling), but also by body language. This ranges from subtle signals-such as a slight shift in weight-to the obvious, like looking to the floor as a sign of submission.
Dominance - A dominant Varg stands stiff legged and tall. The ears are erect and forward, and the hair (Or hackles if in feral form) bristle slightly. Often the tail is held vertical and curled toward the back. This display shows the Varg's rank to all others in the pack. A dominant Varg may stare penetratingly at a submissive one, pin it to the ground, or ect.
Submission (active) - In active submission, the entire body is lowered, and the lips and ears are drawn back. Sometimes active submission is accompanied by a rapid thrusting out of the tongue and hunching of the back ( lowering of the hindquarters.) The tail is placed down, or halfway or fully between the legs, the submissive Varg normally looks up at the dominant one. The back may be partially arched as the submissive wolf humbles itself to its superior. (A more arched back and more tucked tail indicate a greater level of submission.)
Submission (passive) - Passive submission is more intense than active submission. The Varg lowers its body to the ground completely and sits on their knees with their head lifted to show their throat. In feral form, the canine will roll onto its back with its paws drawn up and expose its underbelly. This is often accompanied by whimpering.
Anger - An angry Varg's ears are erect, and its Hair (Fur) bristles. The lips may curl up or pull back, and the incisors are displayed. The Varg may also snarl furiously and snaps its jaws.
Fear - A frightened Varg tries to make its body look small and therefore less conspicuous. The ears flatten down against the head, and the tail may be tucked between the legs, as with a submissive Varg. There may also be whimpering or barks of fear, and the Varg may arch its back. Defensive - A defensive Varg flattens its ears against its head.
Aggression - An aggressive Varg snarls and its fur bristles. The Varg may crouch, ready to attack if necessary.
Suspicion - Pulling back of the ears shows a Varg is suspicious. In addition, the Varg narrows its eyes. The tail of a Varg that senses danger points straight out, parallel to the ground.
- Relaxedness - A relaxed Varg's tail points straight down, and the Varg (In feral form) may rest sphinxlike or on its side. The Vargs's tail may also wag. The further down the tail droops, the more relaxed the Varg is.
Tension - An aroused Vargs tail points straight out, and the varg may crouch as if ready to spring.
Happiness - As dogs do, a Varg may wag its tail if it is in a joyful mood. Eyes become wide with amusement.
Hunting - A Varg that is hunting is tensed, and therefore the tail is horizontal and straight.
- Playfulness - A playful Varg holds its tail high and wags it. The Varg may frolic and dance around, or bow by placing the front of its body down to the ground, while holding the rear high, sometimes wagged. This is reminiscent of the playful behavior executed in domestic dogs. In human form these actions are nearly identical.
The Varg have a very complex and spiritual way of life that is often showed by their religion. A proud people full of rich history and connected by bonds that cannot be broken. Each Varg represents some aspect of their great ancestors, and mimic them in nearly every way shape and form. The Varg live in tribes that can be more related to a 'pack'. Each pack was lead by two Alpha's that consisted of the strongest male and the strongest female in the pack. This is normally decided by how strong the Vargs connection is to the force, as well as various test of dominance. These test can range from the skill and efficiency one shows when hunting, their ferocity in battle, and fighting among themselves. This keeps them all organized and shows where each of them are on the ladder.
Rank, while important. Is divided into a very simple structure. Rank order is established and maintained through a series of ritualized fights and posturing best described as ritual bluffing. Varg prefer psychological warfare to physical confrontations, meaning that high-ranking status is based more on personality or attitude than on size or physical strength. Rank, who holds it, and how it is enforced varies widely between packs and between individual Varg. In large packs full of easygoing members, or in a group of juvenile ones, rank order may shift almost constantly, or even be circular (e.g., Varg A dominates Varg B, who dominates Varg C, who dominates Varg A).
Loss of rank can happen gradually or suddenly. An older Varg may simply choose to give way when an ambitious challenger presents itself, yielding its position without bloodshed. On the other hand, the challenged individual may choose to fight back, with varying degrees of intensity. While the majority of Varg aggression is non-damaging and ritualized, a high-stakes fight can easily result in injury for either or both parties. The loser of such a confrontation is frequently chased away from the pack or, rarely, may be killed as other aggressive Varg contribute to the insurgency. This kind of dominance encounter is more common in the winter months, when females begin to pick out possible mates based on their rank and personality.
Males, naturally. Are more submissive than the females. Female Varg are known to be highly dominant, vicious, relentless, and brutal in every sense of the word. Male Varg have always been attracted to this dominance and more often than not will attempt to woo the most dominant of females. While dominant males do exist, they almost always become more submissive in the presence of another dominant female. The Alpha female is normally the warrior of the pack and serves as its physical leader, while the male serves as its spiritual. But even that can vary depending on the individual Varg. And when winter comes around, males will often begin to compete to decide who is the most fit to be chosen by the females, this is when the weak of the pack are normally gutted and removed. However, as mentioned above if a submissive Varg gives up their position without an intense fight, they will simply be denied the chance to reproduce rather than being chased out and made into a loner.
To a Varg, pack life is everything, and those who choose to be loners often do not last long given how social Varg are and how vital it is to their survival. In studies it has been shown that nine times out of ten, a loner will more likely die from depression and loneliness than natural causes such as a fight or injuries sustained during a hunt. If a member of a pack is banished or exiled from the clan, it becomes hard for them to settle into a new pack. Resulting in them going to cities to carve out a life there, which to a Varg, is the biggest shame that can be brought upon one. For they believe that ones wild spirit and untamed soul are what makes a varg a Varg, and city life will dwindle that sacred aspect.
The Vargs religion is...relatively simple. Often told through telepathy by the shamans or written in sacred text. In the beginning; There was a great chasm -Ginnungagap Bounded by either side of ice and fire, when ice and fire met. They combined, creating the first ocean. However, the contact between the two fierce elements not only created dark waters, but left a bright spark. A Spark shivering from its dual nature, yet so powerful it created life. Formed by and filled with the two apposing forces, the first creatures left the ocean in pairs to walk the newly formed realm. However, the world was devastated and unstable because of its dual natures. It needed guardians...guides to help it keep the balance between the cold darkness of ice and the burning light of fire. So each creature split ways to divide the work between them all, each one taking care of a different aspect of the world. From each species, arose guardians. A white and black spirit. They not only kept the balance in their own kinds, but also the world by fulfilling the task given to them. However, if this balance was ever broken and the circle of life was cut, keeping a spirit from being reborn. Their aspects of life would simply disappear...resulting in the extinction of a species. Each guardian gave birth to their own species. The parents of the Varg, were known as Hati, he who chases the moon. And Skoll, he who chases the sun. Skoll & Hati are viewed as holy beings by the Varg and worshipped for their duties. Among the Varg, those who are born with pure white fur and blue eyes, or Pure black fur with red eyes are considered descendants of these powerful guardians, perhaps even incarnations. Those with these traits only come around every few hundred years. To the Varg, should either spirit die out, it will bring fourth Ragnarok. The end of days.
Technology level: Tribal
General behavior: Well-known as cunning individuals, Varg are an uncommon sight to most people, somewhat unlikely to be found outside of their communities. To an outsider looking in, Varg are considered to be brutal savages with no real way of life. And while they may act feral and act through means which some consider 'strange', the Varg are people who value family and companionship above all else. They generally behave kindly to one another aside from when test of dominance and rank occur, but aside from that they are normally rather friendly.
History: The Varg began as a small community of shape shifters who all seemed to have no real goal. However, early in their origins they were exposed to wondrous miracles which to them, were considered sacred. The connection known as 'The Force' is referred to by them as 'The Sight'. It is this miraculous power that served as the basis of their religion and spiritual culture. Early on, the Varg were very primitive and feral, often choosing to stay in their feral forms rather than their humanoid due to lack of clothing and ect. They simply found these forms more comfortable at the time. As years passed, the Varg grew more organized and formed packs. These packs split off across the world of Vesner, and ever since they have dominated most of the planets wilderness.
During the prime of their lives. Other clans of species began to pop up across Vesner, which resulted in bloody conflict. The most notable was the one between the Skogkatt, the cat clans that declared war on them. The Skog, are identical to the Varg in almost every way aside from a few minor differences in culture and social structure. The way between these two raged on for many many years until a Warrior from the Varg named Skoll and his brother Hati, rose up and put an end to the violence. It was here that the Varg recognized Skoll & Hati as guardians, keeping the balance between life forms. While for the Skog it was Revnu and Lera. Resolving their differences peacefully, Hati & Skoll divided the lang among the two species. Giving the Skog the desert and warm Savannahs, and the Varg the cold north and mountain climates. Those who cared not for their differences, often shared territories in tropical rainforest, marshes, and ect.
After the bloody war ended with a peace treaty that to this very day stands strong despite the tension between the two. Afterwards the Varg began to evolve into effective hunters and killers. Quickly becoming the apex predators of the planet, when they began to take on their humanoid forms they began to develop methods of clothing and weaponry. Becoming more of a tribal culture rather than a feral one. Though while many still choose to remain in their natural forms, they became 'moonlocked' and incapable of shifting into other forms. Regardless of this, they kept hold of the bonds formed since their creation. Passing down the story of their people for generations.
Time passed, they grew more and more as they learned how to survive. Eventually, the first space craft landed on the surface of Vesner, resulting in rather unpredictable behavior from the Varg. They remained in the outskirts of their land, watching and observing these alien travelers. As it turned out, these strangers wished to colonize the wild and untamed planet given its beautiful scenery and welcoming climate. These invaders began to take land that did not belong to them, and as a result nearly triggered yet another war. But this time, with the Skog and the Varg on the same side. The colonizers were understanding enough to make a deal with the 'savages' before them. Gathering the current Alpha's of both the Varg and the Skog, they signed an agreement that allowed the strangers to colonize on one part of the planet. Allowing them to build one great city anywhere the Varg and Skog picked. Seeing this deal as generous, the two subspecies decided to do the same. Giving the colonizers one of the most beautiful locations to build their city. And in return, making them agree to leave their wildness untouched.
After this deal went down, the three parted ways and returned to their normal lives. The great city evolved into one of the biggest, a true paradise known as 'Elysuim'. A tourist location for many travelers who dared come there...though it is constantly warned for its citizens to never venture into the outlands. For they may never return. The Varg have managed to keep themselves out of the city and stayed true to their ways for a very long time. They remain elusive and their species have yet to even be cataloged anywhere. They are unknowns, unseen to the untrained eye. Loners may carve a life out in the city and venture out into the galaxy, but none of them are heard from since.
Notable Player-Characters: Skoll
Intent: To create a new species for myself and others to enjoy and interact with and adding verity to the universe.
