On a rainy day, around a year ago, the earth suddenly fell silent.
For an entire day, everything was quiet, and not a single sound could be heard. All the screaming human machines, all their buzzing electricity, but mostly, the sound of their grating voices had disappeared. Their houses were empty, and the moving blocs of metal that usually ran so fast wouldn't budge anymore.
Only the animals remained, those that did not build cities or master the art of mindlessly killing thousands of their own at once. In the town of Isomer, dogs were a greatly appreciated pet, would it be in the denser parts, where they were dear companions, or in the rural areas, where they were hard working guard and farm dogs.
Now that they were all alone, many canines that missed the constant presence of another being chose to form peaceful alliances. Over the moons, their kindness resonated through the empty streets, convincing quite a lot of canines to join their ranks.
Others, finding opportunities in their demise, realised that the absence of the humans would allow them to obtain a power that they had so long desired. Though their ranks are still pretty small, their organisation and strict training helped them gained a growing reputation of the scariest group in the whole region.
And for the rest... They mostly prefer to keep to themselves, though they might spend a little while in the Band, if they desire so. They roam the city, some in anticipation of something greater, others simply trying to survive and learn to be independent.
High Ranks
THE BAND
COUNCIL - Made of seven elected canines, they take care of all the important decisions for the group, would it be for finding food sources, sending expeditions or deciding to fight an outsider. They are composed of a diverse sample of canines, there is no age or species restrictions as long as you're an adult and judged ready by the rest of the group.
MEDIATORS - The four of them are the ones responsible for the mental well-being of the group. They handle quarrel between members, are often trusted to guard pups for a day, and are the link between the council and the rest of the group.
PROPHETS - At the number of two, those canines are the ones ensuring that the communication between [religious beliefs] and the living world is steady and peaceful.
Council members are elected every year, and receive a formation when they have been newly chosen. The members that have already been on the council are the ones mentoring them for a few moons.
Apprentices mediators and prophets are respectively chosen around the age of 6-8 moons by the current mediators and prophets depending on their qualities and their capabilities. Their training lasts as long as their mentor judges it necessary.
THE BONE PACK
CHIEF - This canine is in charge of relations with outsiders, peace and war decisions, big choices like moving camp, etc.
SECOND - This canine is responsible for the day to day organisation : finding food, water, bedding, and organising different patrols for all those needs. They also ensure that someone is always on security duty.
HEALER - This role is self explanatory : they use plants and whatever they can find to heal and prevent injuries of the pack members.
TRAINEES - Starting from 4 moons, a young canine can be chosen to train for one of the highest ranks of the pack. This is a more intensive form of training than the normal one, because they still need to learn the classic novice course on top of it. They can move up in rank at the end of their novice training, but that doesn't mean that the high-rank training has ended. It will last for as long as their [mentor] high ranking canine lives, because only at their death or retirement will the trainee take their place.
Each of these positions can have one or two trainees, ready to assume the role if they were to die, become severely ill or injured.
The second does NOT become chief when the previous chief dies, those are independent positions.
Normal Ranks
THE BAND
SENIORS - The oldest members of the group. When majors they reach a point in their life where they can no longer hunt or fight without it being dangerous for their general well-being, they can take on the role of a senior, where they mostly enjoy the rest of their life. Their only real duty is teaching the juniors what they learned during their time as majors, but they can help more if they feel capable to ! Someone cleaning camp is always greatly appreciated, for example.
MAJORS - Once a junior has learned all they need to know and have reached their adult size, they can take on the role of major. These are simply the adults of the group, and they maintain great living conditions for everyone else, depending on what they're best at. They can spend their time hunting, scavenging, cleaning, exploring or raising pups. A major can have various talents and help with all of those tasks, but they can also help only with the hunting if they want.
JUNIORS - When pups reach the age of 6 to 8 moons, they become juniors. Kept into a group most of the time, they receive lessons from seniors and majors, to ensure that they learn how to care for themselves and others. Fighting demonstrations, hunt outings, caring for younger pups afternoon, the juniors can learn all about the life of an adult canine in the group. Oftentimes, the higher ranks of the group also come and teach them a little about their positions and what they do. They can also get a basic knowledge of dangerous plants, learn more about [religion], but also prepare for the day they might be elected on the council.
PUPS - The youngest members of the group. They are under the constant care of all the mothers or the mediators, and are allowed out of camp only if there is at least one accompanying adult for two pups.
THE BONE PACK
CLAWS - Out of all the pack members, the claws are the more muscular and generally the biggest canines. Here for physical protection of the pack, they are the canines harbouring the most impressive scars, and are sent to the front of the fight whenever there is one.
FANGS - The fangs are the canines with the mission of feeding the rest of the pack. This rank is usually attributed to those swift and light on their paws, to ensure better chances of a catch.
EYES - Generally robust and with great endurance, those canines are the scouts of the pack. When they earn this role, the eyes of the pack are charged with different missions : patrolling the territory, finding new hunting grounds, and the best of them can be put on a spying mission, if needed.
HEARTS - As they start to become too round to work properly, a pregnant canine is to be moved to the nursery of the camp. Here, they don't need to worry about the safety of their pups and can focus on raising them. As soon as the pups become novices, their parent can go back to their usual rank.
NOVICES - The classic training course for most of the pack's pups, also starting at 4 moons. They can learn the basics from a common [mentor], and after a few moons specialise into the path that they would be the best at and get a personal [mentor]. Once their training is judged complete by their [mentor], they will move up in rank and be considered an adult member of the pack.
PUPS -The youngest members of the group. They are the responsibility of their official guardians and nobody else is required to take care of them. They are not allowed to leave camp under any conditions until they become novices.
OUTSIDERS
LONERS - Peaceful and mostly independent, loners aren't ones to pick a fight, would it be with the Band or the Pack.
ROGUES - More on the aggressive side, rogues can be quite unpredictable, and are more likely to fight an unknown canine rather than chit chat with them.
PETS - For the very peculiar canines that weren't able to move on from their owners' disappearance. They are unstable, roaming the places they used to share with the humans in hope of their return. Everyone pretty much tries to avoid them if they can, but they make finding a place to live quite difficult, as they are often extremely territorial.
FAITH
TBA