Relationship with People

Despite being well liked by most people for their docile nature, wild rabbits had an avid hatred for men. Mankind's expansion drove rabbits out of historic warrens and pastures, and rabbits faced traps and guards on farmland.  Still some found themselves kept in farms or even the occasional pet.

Relationship with Other Species

Notable Factions: Various Warrens, The Commune, Pets

The Commune

The largest of them all, this warren was spread across multiple dens in mankind's agricultural areas. Their warrens were renowned for their mysterious relationship with the coyotes. For the majority of Communers, the Coyotes were viewed as their greatest allies. The teeth of the warren, larger than any other predator, and ready to fight off any threats that approached the Commune. The coyotes granted them safe passage to lush farmlands, and warned them of mankind's movements. In exchange, the Communers tunnel into livestock pens, convincing the residents to leave the safety of the pen and walk into the jaws of the waiting coyote. When asked on the next visit what happened to the lost hen, the rabbits always knew how to reply: "They're running free, roaming the world and loving to live! Wouldn't you like to join them?"

This relationship didn't come naturally though. For the average rabbit, it's not even possible to speak to the coyotes. They simply had to trust that the predators had their best interests at heart. Only the warren elders, known as Howlers, spoke to the coyotes. They were extremely secretive about this practice, only passing down whispers of the predator's tongue to their heirs.

Thanks to the two parties working together, it was very rare for a coyote to harm a rabbit. The easy meal wasn't worth losing their allies, and many coyotes became attached to the rabbits of the Commune in spite of the language barrier. The only time a coyote would slay a rabbit was when they became too troublesome.

Unbeknownst to the Commune at large, the Howlers would request the murder of rabbits who opposed them or otherwise attempted to destabilize the warren. These rabbits would typically be sent to remote locations with a coyote escort to avoid the trouble of witnesses. On rare occasions when an assassination was witnessed, the Howlers would spread word that the coyote acted in self defense.

The other species of the world, both predator and prey, were less well respected by Communers. Prey animals were ignored or taken advantage of to feed their allies. Predators were feared and never given the chance to speak before the rabbit runs. Rats were one of the few that could worm their way into a conversation with a Communer, but even that typically didn't last long. The rabbits of the Commune would only accept a rat who wholeheartedly believed in the coyotes as they did. A hard deal, when the rat has no such promise of safety from the predator's teeth.

Various Warrens

Rabbits almost always lived in warrens, for the solitary life was close to a death sentence to them. A single warren was typically a single faction. Occasionally different warrens would form alliances against a common enemy or towards a common goal. Rabbits that didn't like the way things were run at their current warren, would simply leave to join another elsewhere or even make a new home of their own.

Cultists

Some of these warrens could become incredibly insular and closed off from the world. Their habits, traditions, and passed down survival techniques evolving into rituals, and over time could change into a limiting, controlled atmosphere. The details of each warren cult vary.

Warren Magic

Cats were not the only creatures to dip their paws into magic Pre-Fracture. Rabbits, when their warrens grew large enough, developed a kind of magic of their own. Warren magic was capable of being cast through large, complicated rituals. This magic was centered around the protection of the warren, with the most common ritual being The Dance of Shattered Earth. When the man comes, and they till their fields, their plows would destroy the warrens but The Dance of Shattered Earth stabilized the tunnels, protecting those hidden deeper beneath the ground. When the shaking of the machines stopped, the rabbits merely had to dig the entrances back out, and they could once more leave their home in safety.

Pet Rabbits

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.

Commune Names

Commune rabbits subscribed to single word names, typically nouns. The chosen word would reflect something the parents liked. Titles, however, held much more importance to these rabbits than their birth names. At weaning, all rabbits took the title "Initiate", which they held until gaining the skills to contribute to the colony as "Raider", "Sapper", or "Scout." These rabbits made up the majority of the warren, what was known as the Third Rank or "Body".

Rabbits who pursued specialized roles in the warren or otherwise stood out for their capability could enter the Second Rank or "Structure" of the warren. These rabbits were given more responsibility, but benefited from a higher social standing. Their titles varied widely based on their role. Examples include:

Archivist - Responsible for remembering significant Commune history, and recording new events of note. Skilled artists and storytellers.
Healer - Trained in medicine passed down through the generations, Healers could bandage torn flesh, splint broken bones, and offer herbal remedies to pain, infection, and illness.
Lightsmith - Maintains the warren tunnels, tending to lights, murals, and general beautification. Notable for their rare skill in handling man's technology.
Denhead - Responsible for managing the nesting areas of the massive warren. Hygiene was taken extremely seriously, and social conventions strictly upheld.
Overseer - Responsible for keeping peace and order among the populace, and taking charge in times of conflict or crisis. Their power came more from authority than physical strength, and law was largely enforced through social order and the threat of humiliation.
Scout/Raider/Sapper Captain - Simply referred to as "Captain" by those who fall under them, 2-5 occupied each role at any given time, and reported directly to the Howlers. Candidates for Rank One.

Rank One, or "Guide" consisted of the Howlers. The very leaders who gave the Commune it's notorious reputation for breaking the language barrier with coyotes. At any time there was one Smokehowler, one Stonehowler, and one Hearthhowler. Smokehowlers exerted direct leadership over matters beyond the warren, such as predator and person activity, possible threats and resources, and environmental reports. Stonehowlers oversaw the physical structure of the warren, controlling construction, expansion, and defense efforts. Hearthhowlers dealt with the heart of the warren, that is, it's populace. Hearthhowlers would have final say in anything that affected warren population, to include rations and reproductive privileges in lean times, writing and revising social law, and overseeing civic roles. 

Howlers who reached their golden years would retire and take the title of Masterhowler, allowing younger blood to take over the key roles while the Masterhowlers remained present to continue to teach and advise. All rabbits were expected to use the title "Howler" out of respect when speaking to one, regardless of which, but "Masterhowlers" were more often referred to as the whole title. Fellow Howlers may simply call a Masterhowler "Master."

Even within the Third Rank, Commune Rabbits took their titles very seriously. Survival as a lone rabbit was considered impossible, but titles represented belonging and contribution to the great warren which stubbornly carved out a place for rabbits in the ever contested land. An Initiate would take pride in their title as Initiate, and detest being singled out by their birth name in public settings. Outside of close family and friends speaking in private settings, birth names were only used for clarification or ceremonies and official matters, and titles would always accompany them.

Scout (Rainbow)
A white rabbit with tri-color spots. Always eager to venture further, this Scout has had a few too many close calls for her mate's comfort. Each challenge hardens her, and she hopes to make Scout Captain one day.

Denhead (Barley)
A gold and brown dappled rabbit. Responsible for the Northmost nesting area, the Denhead has a bipolar reputation. He cares deeply about the residents, taking the time to keep up with their personal struggles and celebrations, yet flips like a switch when crossed in the slightest. At least a couple rabbits moved nesting sites to escape the Denhead's temper.

Stonehowler (Breeze)
A jet black rabbit with scarred feet. The last Stonehowler before the fracture, she clung to her position until her whiskers turned grey, dissatisfied with the Stone Captains who never measured up to her expectations. 

Warren Names

Outside of the commune, there were numerous other warrens. Most warrens were comparatively small, but rich in their own culture, sometimes with their own naming conventions and social structures. Many warrens do not start with a name, simply seen as "home" or "family" by those who reside there. As warrens develop relations with neighboring warrens, they typically take up a name representative of the land they inhabit for ease of communication. 

Warren of the Green Hill
A sizeable warren from a secluded area, fortunate to have little contact with mankind. This warren formed family groups within it, where the strongest rabbit of each group determined the social status of the whole family. The Green Hill rabbits utilized single word names like the commune, but took on new names throughout their life if they went through a major life change or moved family group.

Most rabbits would experience at least one name change when they left their parent's family group to join another or make their own. Because of these name changes, names usually reflected notable on a rabbit's personality or reputation. A nurturing rabbit might be called "Honeysuckle", where a rugged rabbit might be called "Crag". 

The Fated
Living at the edge of would eventually become the Roaring Peaks, this Warren cult had bonded with a leyline that had formed within (or perhaps had caused) a large geode within the mountain tunnels. These rabbits were deeply spiritual, interpreting signs from the world around them. At birth, their destiny was read in their complex facial markings, after which they would be named. From this, your social status, your role, and what was expected of you would all become a self fulfilling prophecy. 

Little is known about the Fated, isolated as they were, but a tall tale claims they defied death. Though, if true, one might expect more of them to be around to prove it.

Red Earth Tunnelers
The Red Earth Tunnelers were once a grand warren, but took great losses as mankind crept into their land. Lacking the alliances that made the commune successful, they instead became avoidant of men, moving into further and further grounds as man grew more and more.

The Tunnelers were a very communal society, with fluid roles based on need and desire. Much less specialization was seen in this warren, limiting their advances, though individual rabbits retained much sharper, more versatile skills. Plant names were among the most common for these rabbits, as a mighty tree or lush new growth was seen more and more as the opposite of mankind. A name to be proud of. 

Pet Names