For many generations now, Stelunites have been reclusive and isolated within their valley. Contact with outsiders has been minimal, if nonexistent. The current leadership of Stelune under Scion Genevieve has recently opened the borders for the first time in generations. Only time will tell how pack leadership will receive the existence of other factions.

Claymere: Unaware/Unknown

Xiaya: Unaware/Unknown

Voskarig: Unaware/Unknown

It is said that before the sky, before pantheons, before the earth itself was born, there was the Light, and there was the Dark. In perfect harmony, the epitome of balance, they existed, and from that harmony, the world was created. Light, in its warmth and its vibrance, created the elements of fire and air. Dark, in its cold and its steadiness, created earth and water. From these things, plants began to grow from Dark’s earth, with the help of Light’s warmth. Mountains rose, oceans grew, and this is how the earth was created.

And then came the gods.

Because the world that Light and Dark created was empty; but for the plants and the dirt and the water and the sky, there was nobody to enjoy the fruits of Light and Dark’s labor. So they created the gods, born themselves of both Light and Dark. For like in all things that Light and Dark had created, there was balance, and there was good, and there was evil. The gods came to love the world, but then they too grew lonely, and so the cycle of creation began.

The gods created an assortment of creatures in their images. Birds took to the sky, hares and mice took to the earth, and insects took to the plants and to the flowers, and the world was suddenly full of life. But in their shortsightedness, the gods did not think of harmony, of balance, but only of themselves. So soon, their creations began to deplete the world that Light and Dark had created of its resources, and life could not be sustained.

So Light and Dark called their children together, and offered a solution. The gods agreed. And so, Light and Dark together created predators. Light created birds of prey and mountain cats to control the skies and highlands. It was Dark that created the wolf, and the foxes, and the coyotes, and the badgers, to control the earth. In time, the world found balance, and harmony was once again achieved.

But some of the gods grew jealous and bitter - why had their creations not been enough? Their creators had questioned their judgment, and now the gods’ creations were living in fear and being hunted by those which Light and Dark had created. Why should their creations live in such a way, when Light’s and Dark’s did not? And so, some of them began to scheme, and they began to plot. Light, Dark, and the gods that aligned with them, did not see the danger coming until it was too late.

Their faith in the goodness of creation would be their downfall.

The gods who had schemed, the Betrayers, incited a rebellion against Light and Dark and their loyal creations. A great battle was waged across the sky and across the land, as the gods’ creations and the creations of Light and Dark warred with one another, members of the same species even turning on each other for their beliefs, their different practices. This battle, believed to have lasted eons, would come to be known as the Great Schism.

In one of its final battles, the Light banished a Betrayer known as the Oblivion to a plane of existence far from this one, but not before sustaining a fatal injury that sealed its fate.

In the wake of the devastation, balance was lost, harmony disrupted. Without the Light, there would be no day for the world to thrive in, no spring to regrow or summer to rejoice in. There would be no birth, no life, no way for creatures to keep up with the endless cycle of the universe.

So the Light, in its fading strength, taught the remaining gods of its secrets, so that they might maintain the balance themselves. The gods vowed that they would do so, and that they would continue to protect the world from the Betrayers down below, so that such a Schism would never occur again.

And then, the Light had one final request.

It wished to be reunited with the Dark, so that it could be joined with its partner forevermore, so that for all eternity, the union of Light and Dark, the true harbingers of balance, could be seen by all and give comfort to the world below. But due to its fatal injury, it did not have the strength to journey all the way to the night sky to reunite with its partner. It would require help, and needed to be carried to the top of the tallest mountain in the world. The gods, with their new duties, were too busy and overwhelmed to manage this task. And the creatures of the world did not feel themselves worthy, or openly loathed the Light and refused to fulfill its request.

In the end, a single pack of wolves volunteered to carry the Light into the Darkness. These wolves would be the first generation of Stelune.

The Stelunites carried the Light to its final resting place, a pilgrimage to the top of the tallest mountain in the world, where the fabric between worlds, between planes, was thinnest. And it was here that the Light passed its parting message, and a final task, to the brave wolves that had offered to carry it.

The wolves of Stelune would forever be the stewards, the guardians, of this place, to protect the place where the Light had left the world, the veil between planes. For if the Oblivion were to ever seek re-entry into this world, this would be the gateway through which they could break through. In exchange for this duty, each wolf of their pack that passed would be welcomed into the Light’s embrace in the night sky.

And to the alpha of the pack, the Light whispered its final message:

My light will be yours, now. Let it guide you, so that you may guide others.

And then the Light dispersed into the sky, its life force splitting into a million pieces that then lit up the night. And thus, the stars were born, and so was the pack, and legacy, of Stelune.

It was a small, brief, but bloody war - a pack of ravagers had tried to enter Stelune’s valley, and when they were not allowed entry, they waged a conflict on the Stelunites that lasted eight days and eight nights that killed many wolves on both sides. Finally, the leader of the ravagers offered to make a truce, to surrender for peace, but that they would only do so with someone of equal rank: the Scion.

The Scion had been a kind and compassionate soul, their heart torn for the lives lost, and so they readily agreed to the meeting, hopeful to find a solution that would benefit all involved. That was, after all, the way of balance - the Stelunite way.

But what had been promised to be a meeting of peace had only ever been a trap.

The Scion of Stelune was murdered on that bloody day, as was their heir, and the wolves of Stelune rose up to kill the bloodthirsty warlords, led by the valiant Vanguards of the pack. The guardians of the planar rift became the guardians of Stelune that day, and so they remained even after the ravagers had been defeated.

For a moment, it seemed that all was lost - for the Scion had always been of the bloodline of the first wolf to which the Light had whispered its final message. With the Scion and their heir both killed, and no surviving children, the pack was frightened - what would happen, if the bloodline came to a close?

But the Light and the Dark smiled upon the Stelunites, for it was discovered shortly thereafter that the Scion’s mate was pregnant - one last litter, one last gift, and the Scion’s bloodline would live on.

But this presented a new challenge for the pack, for the Scion’s mate did not wish to take up leadership of Stelune, not without the proper bloodline. The Vanguard, who had led the pack in the fight of justice against the warlords that had threatened them and nearly destroyed their way of life, had the wisdom to suggest a different approach. They would shepherd the pack, until the new heirs of the Scion were of age to take on the responsibility of leading the Stelunites.

But when the new chosen Scion went to commune with the Light at the top of the mountain when they came of age, the Light shared a surprising message: the Vanguard, the true protectors of the rift of the planes, would remain as the true leaders of the Stelunites, and Stelune would enter an era of isolation to protect and rebuild. The Scion became more of a symbolic role, the Vanguard serving as the true stewards of the pack.

The Vanguard passed a number of new laws, a new set of Tenets, that guided the pack towards purity and realignment to the pack's original purpose. Stelune would be the protectors of Lightspeak Summit from that moment on, and nothing more. The outside world, the material plane, would have to be able to fend for itself without the guidance of the Stelunites. Under decree of the Vanguard, the borders of Lightspeak Valley closed, and no new wolves were granted entry into the pack. Three generations have passed since then, and the Stelune have never been more content.

Scion Neptune began young, but that was not to his detriment. The strong and noble son of his mother, the Scion before him, had been guided from a young age to one day fulfill the role. Friends with Dante, the new head of the Vanguard, he was considered wise and was well-liked from the first day he stepped into the role. Shortly after his acceptance of the title, he took on a mate in Diana, a young female born into Constellation Moth - while Dante as head of the Vanguard had not entirely approved of the union, he’d found no fault with it and could not deny his friend such a match.

Some of the more conservative crowd might have murmured that perhaps he should have. That perhaps, it was the choice of this union, the Scion taking on a mate that belonged to the bloodline that had nearly wiped his out? Perhaps it was this choice that led their ancestors to curse the valley, and in turn, the Stelune.

It was a curse that would take a few years to awaken.

At first, Stelune thrived under Neptune and Diana. The Mythwood was looking healthier than ever, the weather cycles calm and steady, prey abundant, and litters of new Stelunites abound. Neptune and Diana expected their own not a year after their vows, and this first litter was a litter of three. Such a large litter for a first-time mother - Stelunites were excited. Surely, this was good fortune! And two years later, when they were expecting another, they had two more puppies, and Stelunites rejoiced. The Scion’s bloodline had never been more secure.

But then, after that second litter, the curse would begin to unfold.

First there was a sickness. It took one of Neptune and Diana’s younger pups, and had nearly claimed the life of Diana herself. The Artificer of Constellation Moth whispered of a cure - stories told through her own constellation spoke of herbs of lands not far from these, but outside of the valley. The ravagers that had once almost destroyed Stelune so many generations ago had experienced a sickness not unlike this - she urged her mate to help them. To help her, their daughter, and the half a dozen others who would be a loss to their own families.

Desperate, Neptune appealed to his old friend Dante - surely, for the welfare of their pack, they would have to venture beyond the valley’s borders. The first of such an expedition in generations. Dante was reluctant, but agreed - the life of their packmates came first over tradition. So a band of noble Stelunite agreed to make the journey past the mountains, to a land of dust and rock, to find the patches of flowers that could cure their packmates. Perhaps it was this decision that would keep the curse ongoing still.

Because that adventuring party did return, the borders were closed once more, and their packmates did recover. Diana, and Neptune’s youngest daughter Genevieve, both survived, as did some of the others. Not all, but many less were lost than might have been without the herbs.

But Diana herself never fully recovered. While the youngest of the Scion’s bloodline grew stronger and more athletic each day, the Scion’s Illuminated in turn grew weaker and sicker. Perhaps in exchange for the breaking of generations-old tradition, Neptune had bargained for the fates to break his heart - for Diana passed away not long after their youngest came of age.

Then, came the flood a year later.

There was a storm, unlike any that their valley had seen in many years at least, that brought down the sides of mountains and swelled the Emerald Loop River into a raging set of rapids unlike any most in the pack had ever seen. Five wolves were lost in that storm. Two of them were Neptune’s daughters, Aphrodite and Eponine, who had initially been slated to take on the role of Scion after her father. The heiress to the Scion’s bloodline had been lost. Tragedy had never hit Stelunite in such quick succession in such a long, long time.

And less than a year later, it would strike again in the form of a rockslide at Shadycreek Pass. But this time, only a member of the Scion’s bloodline was lost. The Scion’s only remaining son, Lance, died that day. And more tragic still, they couldn’t even recover the body to bury, for it was so deeply buried in the rubble - his soul would not go on to be amongst the stars.

Which only left Scion Neptune, and his daughter Genevieve.

But something in the loss of this fourth child, after having lost so many and his mate, Scion Neptune developed a sickness of the heart. For weeks he lay bedridden, spending little time with his remaining daughter, for he was often too sick to even be near her. All the while he claimed he was cursed. But cursed for what, many would question. Speculate. For there were so many things he had done that might have warranted it. And then, one night, Scion Neptune vanished. Gone from his den, having slipped out in between Artificer shifts at his side. And he would never be found again.

Alive, anyway.

Scion Neptune’s body was found on a rock pile, broken, on the path leading to the Vanguard. He had never made it, as it was Dante who found him that next morning, on his way down from the mountain for their morning visit. The whole pack mourned, heartbroken at the loss of their leader. For whatever decisions he might have made, whatever curse he might have laid upon them, he had been well-liked by most.

The stars only know if that curse would pass along to his daughter Genevieve, the now only living member of Constellation Lightspeak.

But, if the curse ought to have been a lesson, Scion Genevieve saw no point in heeding it. Their pack was dwindling, lower in number than it had ever been before, and the Scion’s bloodline had nearly been wiped out again. This was not a time to look inward, but outward, and with the begrudging consent of the Vanguard… the borders to their valley have been opened for the first time in generations.

Tenets of the Mountain

• Respect those of just authority within the pack. Obey the Vanguard above all else, for they are the stewards of the Stelunites.

• Only true Stelunites are permitted to sleep and live within Vanguard’s Rest. Wolves who have not yet planted their legacy in the Mythwood cannot come within a league of Lightspeak Summit. If any undeclared loners or rogue wolves are found within that boundary, they are to be killed on sight.

• The consumption of fermented fruits is not permitted within a league of Vanguard’s Rest. Only on Midsummer are Stelunites welcome to indulge in fermented fruits en masse.

• Only kill other predators out of self-defense. Do not consume or otherwise disrespect the remains of other predators. They are Light and Dark’s children just as wolves are.

• The remains of all inedible dead creatures found, regardless of where a Stelunite is on the material plane, should be returned to the earth and buried.

• Meteorites and unnatural rocks and flora must not be left in the natural world. All of them must be kept within the safety of the Lightspeak Summit, lest they carry corruption or influence from Betrayer Gods.

• Protect the sanctity of the Mythwood, for it is the legacy of Stelune. Undeclared loners or rogue wolves are not permitted within its boundaries.

• Only Starbound wolves with the blessing of the Vanguard and the Scion may procreate and bear pups for the protection of Stelune’s legacy. To become Starbound is to swear one’s soul and self to your partner for life.

Out of respect for the expansive pantheon that exists, Stelunites practice no unified religion. While it might be considered odd or out of place to hold one known deity above others, it is not necessarily frowned upon or forbidden. It is also believed that there are other planes of existence - worlds beyond this one connected by threads and the powers of the Light and Dark, and it is perhaps believed there may be powers and deities that exist out there still, or planes where the deceased have gone but cannot return. But believing themselves to be most connected to the Light and the Dark, the balance that is the source of all creation, Stelunites instead consider themselves to owe their primary allegiance to those entities, and to the balance and the nature that they embody here on the material plane.

The Stelunites are a spiritual lot, believing themselves to be deeply connected to the roots of the material plane and its creation. Myths and legends of Stelunites past, and storytelling, are considered to be of massive importance and are something of an oral history that grows with each passing generation. To tell a story is to keep a former loved one alive, or to prolong the legacy of Stelune. And tucked into those myths and legends are the traditions that make the fabric of the Stelunite identity, and thus, the traditions that they’ve kept for as long as the pack can remember are also vital to the Stelunite way of life.

One of their most deep and spiritual practices is the act of reading the stars. Stars play an incredibly important role in Stelunite life and mythology. For example, when a Stelunite passes away, it is believed that their soul goes to join the Light in the night sky and becomes a star itself. 

So many Stelunites will claim that certain constellations show their lineage, as the souls of their ancestors and loved ones rest in specific star clusters in the night sky. It’s traditional that when a new Stelunite is born, that their parents, or a nearby Bard or Artificer, may read the sky to discern what kind of life the new litter is meant to lead. For more information on this particular aspect of Stelunite culture: click here to read the Stelunite Astrology Guide!

Another deeply spiritual practice and belief is that surrounding dreams. To dream is to receive a vision from either a loved one or an entity beyond the material plane, no matter how wild or whimsical or horrifying a dream might be. To see anything whilst asleep is to peer past the veil that separates the material plane from others, so dreams could be interpreted as anything from a harmless wish of a soul that has come before, or a warning for dark tidings to come. Bards especially, who are familiar with the symbolism and themes of Stelunite stories, can be instrumental in interpreting a dream’s meaning. Stelunites are encouraged to understand their dreams for the betterment of the pack and the world as a whole.

In terms of culture and guiding principles, the Stelune regard themselves first and foremost as stewards and protectors - because they protect the rift between planes at the very summit of their mountain, they take both of those roles deathly seriously. As such, there are certain traditions and superstitions that Stelunites will cling to in a borderline religious fashion. These traditions and rules are known as Tenets, and every Stelunite is expected to follow them and understand them from youth.

Pilgrimage of the Light: When a young Stelunite, or a new pack member, is finally ready to take on the role as a steward of the mountain and join the pack fully, they will engage in a ritualistic pilgrimage to a cavern near the top of the mountain itself. At the base of the mountain, the Scion will give the prospective pack member a leaf, upon which sits a single dewdrop - this drop of water is to represent the Light, as water reflects the light that falls upon it. The pack member is then responsible for carrying that leaf, and the drop of water, to a cavern far up a long and winding path that can be treacherous in bad conditions, just as the first generation of Stelunite did for the Light so many generations ago. Within the cavern, the Vanguard wait to greet the new pack member and allow them to set the drop of water within the pool that lies within, symbolic of releasing the Light into the night sky. The wolf will then drink from the water, and receive a blessing from the Vanguard, before returning back down to the pack below. 

The pilgrimage generally takes a single night, so that when the new pack member returns in the morning, the Scion greets the new Stelunite as a fellow protector of the Light. That wolf is then welcome to stay at the main densite and participate as a full member of Stelune, and choose their alignment.

Legend’s Planting: The second half of a Stelunite’s Pilgrimage of Light is what’s known as Legend’s Planting. Sometimes, if a number of wolves are undergoing a Pilgrimage of Light in close succession, they may wait for a few days until all are finished and undergo this particular ceremony together. Able-bodied members of the pack gather around the newly initiated Stelunites, and usher them towards the Mythwood, the massive forest of redwood trees that stretch along the southeastern edge of the valley. Here, Artificers and Beastmasers will have prepared new patches of land for each new Stelunite to plant a tree of their own. This is how each Stelunite makes their mark on the valley, amidst generations of Stelunites before them. Once all new seedlings have been planted, the pack returns to the main densite for a grand feast and celebration to celebrate their new pack members.

Pilgrimage of Starlight: Every Stelunite’s time on the material plane comes to a close - when that time comes, it is believed that their soul is raised to join the Light in the sky. But in order to do so, their body must first be buried and returned to the earth, and the pack must help them on their soul’s journey. So upon the death of any Stelunite, their body, or whatever can be carried without completely disrupting the body’s form, is taken by family members and loved ones to any number of groves within the Mythwood, to be buried with the spirits of their ancestors. There, the body is buried, and the pack gathers to sing of the fallen Stelunite and of their great deeds, the song of which is prepared and primarily sung by a Bard. The song, it is believed, is what sends the spirit to the next plane, the plane of the Light.

Starbinding Ceremony [NEW!]: Believe it or not, the concept of wolves binding themselves to one another in a public ceremony is something that has become new in Stelunite culture over the past few generations. To preserve the sanctity and good stock of the wolves of the valley, whenever a pair of Stelunites wish to declare themselves to one another, they must seek the approval of the Scion and the Vanguard. Once a blessing has been given, Stelunites gather in Starlit Meadow to celebrate the new couple and host a feast in their honor. From then on, those wolves will be declared “Starbound,” and considered mated for life.

Solstices & Equinoxes: Solstices and equinoxes are days of special importance for the Stelunites - as stewards of the Light, they also recognize that they must take the time to enjoy and reconnect themselves with Light and Dark’s creations, including their fellow pack members. On these days, the pack all gathers together, either within the Verdant Thicket or on the shores of the Gilded Lake, to celebrate one another and enjoy a day amidst nature and its splendors.

Summer Solstice, “Midsummer”: The summer solstice is especially known as Midsummer, the celebration where the Stelunites celebrate the pack’s birth, and most especially the birth of all new pups. To welcome the newest generation of their pack’s great Legacy, it is customary to present younglings with gifts of feathers, flowers, and they are the first allowed to eat from the pack’s feast that day (if they are old enough for solid food!). On this day, families celebrate one another, and it is a day of relaxation and love customarily spent on the shores of the Gilded Lake.

Winter Solstice, “Winter’s Hearth”: The winter solstice in and of itself is known as Winter’s Hearth, a holiday that takes place in the Verdant Thicket as the pack gathers together to reverently pay tribute to their predecessors. Bards and anyone with a story to sing are welcomed to share stories of the pack’s or their family’s past, and it is expected that each song is listened to and appreciated by all in attendance. What little food and supplemental herbs can be gathered, the pack shares in a solemn but heartwarming meal, before they traditionally settle all together to sleep through the year’s longest night as one.

The Light & The Dark: Believed to be the original creators of the universe, the Light and the Dark together are the true representation of balance. They created the world, and the gods, but most importantly, they are believed to be the creators of natural predators, the wolf among them. Stelunites in particular believe themselves to have a special connection to the Light, as their ancestors were the brave wolves who initially joined the Light and Dark together after the Great Schism. As such, while Stelunites are not religious, they hold the Light and Dark as the most supreme divine or supernatural beings.

The Great Schism: The Great Schism is believed to be a cataclysmic war fought many eons ago between the Light, Dark, the gods, and all of their creations. The gods that turned on their siblings and on their creators became known as the Betrayers, and the gods that remained loyal to the Light and Dark are now known as the Blessed Children. It was the Great Schism that scarred the landscape forever, and is referenced as the reason why there are mountains, valleys, hills, and more desolate landscapes like the desert on this plane of existence. As far as the Stelunites are concerned, the creatures of today are more or less living in a post-apocalyptic world, and it is partially up to them to help keep the peace to prevent another Schism from occurring.

Blessed Children & Betrayers: Stelunites believe that gods can be split into one of two categories. One of the Blessed Children, who remained loyal to the Light and Dark during the Great Schism, or one of the Betrayers, the gods that turned on their siblings and creators and started the Schism in the first place. It is believed that, in Light’s absence, the Blessed Children are the gods that watch over the day, while the Dark (and the Light, by extension) lord over the night. While Stelunites themselves do not necessarily endorse the worship of gods like other packs might, they might pass judgment on the gods of other packs to discern whether or not it is believed other wolves follow a Blessed Child, or a Betrayer. Those that follow Betrayers are to be avoided, or destroyed, at all costs.

Constellations: A Stelunite will often introduce themselves as, “My name is ____, of Constellation _____.” A Constellation is a declaration of a Stelunite’s heritage, whether they are blood related or not, and has become a major source of pride within Stelune over the course of the past several generations. 

The Oblivion: Above all other Betrayers, the Stelunites regard the Oblivion, one of the Betrayers, to be their worst enemy in the pantheon. The Betrayer that dealt the fatal blow to Light on one of the final battles of the Great Schism, their conflict is believed to be the very one that created the valley where the Stelune Pack now resides. As a result of that battle, the Oblivion was banished from this plane of existence, forbidden to return. But the Stelunites believe that the Oblivion is always and forever attempting to come back, and that their valley, at the top of the mountain where Light left the earth, is where it will attempt to break through. The Oblivion, according to Stelunite Lore, is a god of unending hunger and corruption that will stop at nothing until the entire universe has been devoured.

Songs: A song is essentially a story, typically told by a Stelunite Bard, but any and all Stelunites are welcome to sing or speak them when the time calls for it. Any important event or historical figure in Stelunite culture and history will typically have a song devoted to them, which will have a title. For example, one might sing, “Song of the Vanguard,” to detail the story of how Stelune became isolated and how the Vanguard rose to power, or “Song of the Little Bear,” to detail the story of one’s family lineage and the important figures in a family line. And to teach someone a song is not so much about the words or to memorize a specific set of harmonies (unless one is a Bard, then such things are rather important), so much as it is to teach the essence and understanding of a specific story.

Tenets: When a Stelunite mentions Tenets, they may be speaking in a broader, “guideline” sense, or a hardlined rule sense, as both exist in Stelunite culture. If speaking in a broader sense, a Stelunite is likely speaking of the Tenets of the Ancients, the old laws and principles of the original generation of Stelunite wolves. Otherwise, they’re likely referring to rules that dictate how Stelunites live within their valley. Sentence context generally indicates which kind of Tenet a Stelunite might be talking about.

Born Stelunite: The Stelunites are a pack with a proud history, and deeply connected family lines. Your Constellation all too often dictates what many fellow Stelunites expect from you, as well as the alignment of the stars when you were born. Utilize the pack's Astrology Guide, and craft those circumstances according to what you would like for your character's backstory. Did the stars dictate that they would have a grand and legendary life, or a cursed one? Are there particular wolves within your character's constellation that they wish to emulate, a song sung about one of your ancestors that you want to supercede or embody? There's a great deal of tradition to live up to, after all! And remember; you don't need to be fully blood related to pre-existing wolves in a Constellation in order to be a part of it. (But the only Constellations currently available to be a part of are the ones listed in the Guide!)

New Stelunite: Scion Genevieve has opened Stelune’s borders for the very first time in several generations, which means new wolves, be they genuinely enticed by the pack’s culture, or simply looking for a safe place to hunker down, are being welcomed into the valley. Your wolf, wherever they may have come from, is meeting a variety of attitudes coming into this pack with such a long history. Some are welcoming and excited to meet them, while others have been cold, distant, and at times, cruel. Your wolf is currently living within the Verdant Thicket, learning Stelune’s vast collection of tales and songs, and discovering what it means to be a warden of Lightspeak Summit.