Lycans

They are capable of transforming into wolves

1. Core Values

The werewolf society is built around strength, survival, and hierarchy, shaped by their harsh polar environment and their warrior culture.

2. Government & Leadership

• Ruled by an Grand Alpha, chosen based on combat prowess, tactical intelligence, and dominance rather than bloodline.
• A council of Elders (former Alphas, war heroes, and spiritual leaders) advises the ruler but doesn’t hold direct power.
• Leadership isn't permanent—a strong enough challenger can invoke the Trial of the Fang, a ritualistic battle to claim the throne.

Process

Trial of the Fang

Any of the pack leaders can challenge The Grand Alpha in combat, when the Grand Alpha is challenged, the council of Elders must decide if challenge is legitimate. This is usually allowed if

• The current Grand Alpha is failing at his job for whatever reason
• They consider the new challenger worthy.

Due to the emphasis on strength, one of the biggest mistake a Grand Alpha can do is to show weakness. Also the new challenger can't be anyone, it should be someone with good record of valiance.

Procedure

• During regular council meeting, a Pack Alpha can stand up and throw down the dagger, insisting that Grand Alpha has failed the Lycans
• Those who support the challenge will draw out their dagger with the left hand
• Those who oppose the challenge will draw out with right hand
• If more left than right, the challenger and the current Grand Alpha must fight within 24 hours
  • The Grand Alpha can choose to step down instead of a fight
  • If the Grand Alpha choose to step down, from that time onward, within 24 hours, any number of challengers may put forward their dagger
• All the challengers are embedded in an outright battle in a battle arena, the last person standing wins

Roles

• Grand Alpha: Supreme leader, strongest warrior
• Elders: Council of advisors, retired warriors. They serve in various roles like judges, emissaries, executive functions etc.
• Pack Alphas: The leader of individual packs. A pack must consist of at least 10 members plus the alpha.
  • One or more packs can join to form a new pack: This is common when a pack has lost their alpha and the remaining members think they can't survive alone
  • A pack may also form from another pack, usually from a very big pack
  • This only makes sense if the new group can't overtake the current pack but then, it it wouldn't make sense to form a weaker pact, so new packs are rarely formed.

3. Social Hierarchy

Werewolf society is built around pack structures within the larger kingdom. Each pack has its own Alpha, but all answer to the ruler.

Rank	Role
Grand Alpha	Supreme leader, strongest warrior
Elders	Council of advisors, retired warriors
Pack Alphas	Leaders of individual packs, oversee warriors and civilians
Hunters & Warriors	The backbone of society—soldiers, guards, and raiders
Crafters & Builders	Smiths, shipwrights, armorers—respected, but not as much as warriors
Average citizens	The populace, those who are not written about
Omega (Lone Wolves)	The lowest class—exiled, disgraced, or those who refuse pack life

• Pack loyalty is everything—an individual without a pack is considered dishonorable or even dangerous.
• Respect is earned through strength—even a lower-ranked wolf can rise in status by proving themselves in battle.
• While the society emphasises warriors, they need all sorts of people to make the "Grand Pack" work. Other members of the society not on the table above will be considered "lower class"

4. Family & Gender Roles

• Mothers are highly respected, and are responsible for training pups.
• Gender equality in combat—both male and female werewolves are warriors. Only the strong survive.
• Mates are chosen through combat trials—a potential mate must prove themselves worthy.
  • Love is secondary to compatibility in battle and survival.
• Elders are deeply respected—experience is valued as much as physical strength.

Mating

• Every family has their own insignia that may be added their dagger
  • On the other side, they can add their initials to the other side of the dagger for identification
• When you're interested in a partner, you leave your dagger on their front door
  • If they pick up your dagger, that means you're in the running
  • You can always pickup your dagger any time, if your interests has not picked it up
• At full moon, each person with one or more interests will come forward and present their daggers
  • They owners of the daggers may stand and fight, or withdraw their dagger
  • Most people will stand and fight, because it will look so bad on their record if they back down from a fight

5. Religion & Spiritual Beliefs

• Lunar Worship: They believe the moon is a divine force that grants them power.
• Blood Trials: Before major battles, warriors undergo ritual hunts to prove their worth.
• Ancestor Veneration: The spirits of fallen warriors guide their descendants, and their remains are kept in sacred ice caves.
• Shamans interpret the will of the spirits—if the spirits disapprove of an Alpha, they may predict their downfall
  • They rely on druids

6. Economy & Trade

• Harsh polar climate = fierce resource competition.
• Trade with other kingdoms is mostly for metal, grains, and magic artifacts.
• Main exports:
  • Fur & Leather (thick, cold-resistant hides)
  • Weapons & Armor (forged from rare frozen metals)
  • Warriors-for-Hire (elite mercenaries for foreign rulers)
• Raiding culture: If food or resources are scarce, raiding weaker settlements is considered an honorable way to provide for one’s pack.

7. Military & Warfare

• Brutal, direct, and relentless.
• Every able-bodied werewolf is a warrior, trained from childhood.
• Elite shock troops: Can charge through enemy lines, using their speed, claws, and raw strength.
• Cold-weather specialists: Can survive in conditions that would kill other species.
• War packs: Highly disciplined squads led by veteran warriors.
• Strategy over brute force: Though seen as savage, they are cunning hunters who use ambush tactics, terrain advantages, and pack coordination to overwhelm foes.
  • Due to their mercenary work, they have one of the most highly experienced warriors

8. Views on Other Species

• Humans: Weak, but strangely dominant—they respect their intelligence but also despise their politics.
• Vampires: Bitter rivals—they see them as deceptive cowards who manipulate rather than fight.
• Nags: Kins, with deep respect for animals, but they are too soft.
• Dalk & Lithe: Respected for their crafting skills, but seen as too soft to be warriors.
• Polymorphs: Distrusted—shapeshifters are seen as dishonest and sneaky.
• Druids: Feared and respected for their powerful magic. Some werewolves become Druid-Warriors, mixing magic with combat and working closely with Druids

9. Justice & Punishment

• "Survival of the Fittest" mentality, followed by loyalty
• They abhor petty crimes like stealing food from your own pack
• Killing a packmate, or showing cowardice in battle can mean exile or execution.
• Trial by combat is the most common way to settle disputes—if you win, you're innocent.
• Oathbreakers are marked with ritual scars and exiled to the frozen wastes, where death is almost certain.
  • And if you can survive it, it are definitely worthy

10. Conflicts

Pack conflicts

They are extremely tribal, with each packs competing with each other over resources.

Pack Name	Specialty / Identity
The Grand Howl	Oldest, most traditional pack, deeply spiritual, mystics.
The Eternal Pack	Elite warriors, known for their endurance & battle prowess.
The Great Fang Dominion	Most aggressive, expansionist, and warlike.
The Moonbound Clans	Nomadic pack, expert trackers and hunters.
The Bloodfang Pact	Ruthless enforcers, assassins, and spies.
The Nightclaw Brotherhood	Secretive pack that operates in the shadows.
The Frostborn Kin	Werewolves adapted to extreme cold, stronger but slower.
The Emberfangs	Fiery-tempered, known for their explosive strength.
The Stormhowlers	Swiftest pack, controls highland and stormy regions.
The Silvermanes	Wealthiest pack, most diplomatic, often serve as emissaries.
The Shadowfangs	Most rebellious, often challenge The Grand Alpha’s rule.

Each pack could have its own rites, traditions, and unique fighting styles, creating internal power struggles or alliances that shape the kingdom’s politics.

11. Final thoughts

They have deep respect for strength and loyalty. Despite their brutish outlook, they are smart and can be tactical, and capable of deep love.