The New World Coyote

Like many others, coyotes in the post-fracture world have found themselves undergoing some physical and mental changes.

Besides the increase in intelligence and vocal range that all surviving species went through, many coyotes have begun sprouting tusks and fangs, hyena-like manes, and more dexterous thumbs.

Given the new circumstances of the world, many coyotes chose to seek out companionship with others of their kind as well as the occasional new inter-species companionship having formed.

Stat Block

Diet: Carnivorous
Size: Towering, Tall
Skill Bonuses:
+20 Carnivore Language
+2 Knowledge: Warped - Quick adaptation to their new food source
+2 Hunt - Largest common predator of the old world
+5 Scent - A nose unmatched
-2 Sneak - They prefer to charge and overwhelm opponents

Coyotes of the Old World

The Fashionable Coyote

Fashion may perhaps be the most important part of any coyote's identity. The grander one's adornments, the more respected they found themselves by their peers. Unable to craft with their old-world paws, most coyotes resorted to stealing from man. Worn fabric scraps made up the majority of a coyotes outfit, roughly modified by tooth and claw to fit better. Typically a coyote was only able to maintain a single article of clothing at a time, as wild lifestyle quickly wore down the scraps they had acquired. Occasionally a coyote would make the arduous journey to the rats running Sales under the Rails to request assistance in perfecting their outfit. Those living closer to mankind had greater access to fresh fabrics and clothes, but were more likely to be assaulted by the very men they stole from.

Some of the great coyote thinkers believed they did this in an attempt to emulate people, but by the time the world ended, it was simply a fact of life for them. You wore clothes, or you were boring, flat, lifeless. A coyote without clothes is hardly a coyote at all. These traditions have held on into the new world age as well.

Relationship with People

Among all coyotes, Plunderers were known to live closest to people, although they were strictly nocturnal to minimize contact as they fed off of the excess of man. For the rest, coyotes often found rich hunting grounds targeting man's livestock. This practice was often accompanied by an equally high risk of retaliation for their reward. The prey was easy. The prey's keepers were not

Most coyotes typically avoided direct contact with men as much as possible. People were often spooked when encountering a coyote, either fleeing or turning hostile, attacking the coyote with unnatural power. Befriending these power beings was a dangerous endeavor, only attempted by the truly desperate. Little is known of those unusual coyotes who attempted to live alongside mankind.

The Homeless Man - Legend tells of a coyote who had managed to work its way into mankind's society. Their exact techniques remain an untold mystery, yet somehow they convinced mankind that they too were a man. Their success is revered by many starry eyed storytellers, who describe the homeless man as being adorned in the finest cloths and jewelery.

Relationship with Other Species

Having been one of the largest carnivores of the pre-fracture world, coyotes were largely agreed to be predator of all. Those powerful enough, and those driven by extreme hunger, were even willing to face down an adult boar. How these tales typically ended was vague and varied largely on who was spreading them. Plenty of coyotes are willing to brag about the time a family member took down a boar. Just as many spread tales of how easy it is to get gored.

Coyotes rarely, if ever, formed large factions. Most lived secretive, solitary lives, wandering the lands in an endless search for everything. This lonely lifestyle is known to the other creatures of the world, and there are many stories and myths surrounding the behavior of coyotes. From the coyote's perspective, things are far less mysterious. They preyed upon the majority of creatures they encountered. Who would want to form a relationship with the creature that might become your next meal? These feelings grew especially strong during lean times.

The coyotes of the south, however, were known to have formed an unusual bond with a select few rabbits of the Commune, helping each other out against a common enemy. Those of the north would occasionally trade with whoever they found at Sails Under the Rails, under the tense understanding that this peace could change at any time.

A notable tale, common across all species is that of the content canine, full from a meal and willing to speak to those it would normally eat. The details vary heavily across cultures, with some regarding this as nothing more than a myth, or a story of the deranged. Coyotes themselves take this story as a likely fact, though it must be hard to turn down a snack when it walks right up to you.

Factions in the Old World

Notable Factions: Nomads, Plunderers, Speakers of the Commune

Nomads

Traditionally, coyotes follow a nomadic lifestyle, living off of the land and what it provided and rarely choosing a single home territory to stay in for long. They owned nothing but the clothes on their back and made no claims to the prey of the woods. What was there was there, and was easily theirs for the taking.

Nomadic coyotes commonly shared meals and discoveries with other coyotes they met on the road. This exchange of information helped keep everyone alive, and without owning a territory to call home, it doesn't matter where anyone else chooses to roam. Apex predators they might be, but the world was against them for it.

Encounters with other species were never so fruitful. A life of exploration means a life of discoveries, and sometimes those discoveries at 200lb boars who'd like to remove every predatory inch of your face. Particular unlucky nomads might even find themselves hunted by boar Warbands. Running into a warband was a guarantee that you'd be running for days, and even then, you might not get away.

Plunderers

These coyotes would skirt the edges of mankind, organizing raids into mankind's territory in pursuit of precious loot. They sought out the finest fabrics to wear, and the rarest trinkets to sell. The Plunderers were the kind most willing to speak to other species, as they traded their stolen wares for anything good they could find. The majority of the items a plunderer could get their paws on were broken, damaged, or otherwise useless to an animal, but that didn't stop them from trying to snag a good deal.

Plunderers typically staked claim to certain raiding locations. Letting anyone else get in on it meant competition, and there's no room for that in this world. Nomads viewed this as selfish, reckless behavior and openly disproved of it, while the plunderers themselves viewed it as good and clever business practice.

The life of a plunderer was far more dangerous than that of a nomad. Mankind was happy to leave wildlife alone so as long as it didn't interfere with them, but the best plunderers were those who made life hardest for mankind. They got the best goods, and drew the most negative attention as a result. Many revered plunderers were forced to quit the game after receiving a debilitating injury from magical traps.

Speakers of the Commune

Any coyote who traveled far enough south would eventually come to know the Commune. This large band of rabbits ruled the southern farmlands from below and used a shared history with the coytoes to form a strong bond with them.

Long before people plowed their fields, the land was covered in rich grasslands and coyoted hunted rabbits freely. Over time, man's development pushed rabbit and coyote out of their homelands, and some warrens began speaking to their ancient predators over this common enemy: Mankind. Soon the two species made a deal. They would work together to oppose the progress of man, always, and in doing so both sides would benefit and thrive.

Wild rabbits lived a short life and over time, many began to forget why they worked with the coyotes, but the coyotes never forgot. They respect the boldness of the rabbits as both species worked together to survive mankind's efforts to eradicate them, their wild diets replaced respectively with that of livestock and crops.

Only a rare few rabbits were able to speak the coyotes' tongue but for them this was enough. Plenty can be said through actions alone, one never needed to speak to a rabbit to befriend it. Despite this, coyotes never became members of the Commune, no matter how closely they worked alongside the great warren. Their lives were too different, and at the time, their languages impossible to blend.

Rabbits of the Commune would not defend themselves from a coyote, believing them to be true allies. Knowing the consequences of such an action, it was exceedingly rare for an allied coyote to hunt rabbit. In most cases, those who attacked rabbits were nomadic coyotes, who were either blissfully unaware or directly opposed to the idea of befriending rabbits.

Naming Conventions

Before the Fracture, languages were simpler. The creatures of the world couldn't make as many sounds as they can now. As a result, Pre-Fracture names tend to be made of common words and titles. Some chose to change to adapt these names to match their Post-Fracture abilities and personalities. Names containing words and titles come with a nostalgic, traditional connotation. Names containing unique sounds come across as more modern and exotic. More information about general naming conventions is available here.

Nomadic Names

Nomads often chose names that were descriptive of their appearance. This made it easier to pick up on names for those you may only meet once or briefly.

Twin Fang
They had two large, jutting fangs

Weak Eared
Their ears tended to flop over and refused to stand up

Brush Tail
Their tail was bushy and flat at the end

Plunderer Names

Plunderers preferred a grandiose name, one that told a story of their conquests and represented their reputation. They might add in titles, territories, possessions, and anything else that fed their pride. Many, however, also went by a shorter version of their names when referred to by friends or family.

Prowler of the East Alley
Also called Prowler. This coyote held an entire man-owned alley in her fangs, charging any who passed through a steep tariff

The South Side Ghost
Also called Ghost. This coyote was a master of stealth, having slunk his way into a heavily trapped space several times, returning with riches each time.

King of the Rat Basin
Refused nicknames. All must know of his great conquest over a rat army, having fought off a great horde to steal away their riches.

Speakers of the Commune Names

Speakers of the Commune often went by two names - a classic coyote name and one more suited for communication with the rabbits. The coyote name followed nomadic naming schemes. The rabbit names were carefully crafted to avoid using the harsh consonants of carnivore language, making it easier for their allies to address them, yet they typically resembled the coyote's original name to some degree. Rabbit names were often more whimsical and random thanks to this limitation. Sometimes names would naturally develop from misunderstandings, dialects, speech impediments, or others.

Ridge Back to coyotes and known as Hedge Bale to rabbits
Ridge Back known for the rough ridge of fur along their back.
Hedge Bale attempting to recreate the general sound of the name while avoiding harsh sounds like R and (C)K

Chipped Twig to coyotes and known as Chaff Swim to rabbits
Chipped Twig representing her lanky stature.
Chaff Swim eliminating the rough sounds of following D and T.

White Whiskers to coyotes and known as Why Wishes to rabbits
White Whiskers known for their stark white muzzle and long white whiskers.
Why Wishes having originated from the coyote's lisp and language barrier between them and the commune's rabbits.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse