Aniwaya Tribe

Spiritual Beliefs

Aniwaya believe a genderless "Mother" spirit created the ancestors of all creatures, who collectively make the earth into something habitable and balanced, for the good of each according to their design. Therefore all creatures, wolven and nonwolven, are siblings in some way and deserve familial respect.

Balance does not always mean peace, however. Though the Aniwaya do not lust for bloodshed, they recognize that spirits and creatures may all have conflicting needs, which must be kept in check. Death and aggression are not inherently evil, just as life and submissiveness are not inherently good. Each has a place in the natural world.

While some spirits can interact with mortals directly, many are limited to leaving signs and impluses as a way to communicate. Dreams may be symbolic or prophetic if they come from spirits, especially ancestors. Singers may use medicines to open their minds and enable clearer conversation with the natural world.

Existence is supposed to go on after death, when wolves become ancestors that join into the natural world in other ways. Matrilineal ancestors may be invoked for aid to defend against or petition other spirits, but are not generally remembered beyond a handful of generations. It is expected that spirits remember their own ancestors, going back in an unbroken chain. This is why the greatest wisdom often takes the longest to uncover, as ancestors must petition further and further back to provide the most well-rounded advice to a wanting family member.

For a matrilineal line to die out is considered very sorrowful, because the ancestors have no family to guide, depriving them of an important place in the natural order. Wolves may petition the spirits with the aid of a Singer to 'adopt' these ancestors into their own family lines. While it is true many mothers may pass away outside Aniwaya's purview, the pack believes they cannot and should not be accountable for the entire world. They help those they know and love, and allow the world to otherwise continue according to its design. 

Laws of Aniwaya

The pack has no formal set of laws, only a culture steeped in respect for both the individual and the community. All adult packmates sit on The Council, which meets every night in the Great Den to discuss pack affairs. Wolves sit in organized groups depending on their matrilineal lines, and everyone has a voice. Though the Chiefs are greatly respected and may attempt to persuade the pack, they are primarily trusted to act out the will of the Council, and may not dictate to it. Conflicts are resolved, decisions about hunts, alliances, wars, or anything else important to anyone will be brought forward and discussed until consensus is reached. Opinions that veer sharply from those of the majority are generally expected to abstain after saying their piece, if they win no support, so that the pack can reach a decision.

Crafting and Gift Giving

Gift Giving is an important element to Aniwaya culture. When meeting someone new, it is customary to have learned something about them first, and offer them a gift based on their interests or needs. This shows compassion and thoughtfulness toward strangers. Friends and family also give gifts on special occasions or to reaffirm bonds, which are expected to be even more tailored to the individual, displaying an intimate knowledge and care towards them. Giving an unfitting gift is considered offensive, and can have a significant negative impact on relationships.

In this vein, craftsmanship is a major component on Aniwaya life. Their willingness to cooperate with other creatures, particularly ravens, means that simple woven necklaces, ear bracelets, and other charms can be created, worn, and gifted. Individual dens are often personally decorated. Aniwaya attempting to impress someone with their wealth or dexterity will often adorn themselves in accessories of woven plants, feathers, shells, or bones.

Gender & Mateship

Matrilineal lines are highly venerated. Mothers dictate all family affairs, and female lines hold more sway in decision making, ex: the wife's brother has more influence than the husband in child rearing. Views on gender and sex are, however, fairly fluid, and wolves are known to sometimes be born "in the wrong body," or with a soul that is essentially split between male and female. Some may rarely have no gender at all, and these are considered blessed "Mothers", closely aligned with the genderless Great Spirit Mother themself.

Aniwaya are a monagamous culture, but take a relaxed view of mateship. The only definitive rule they have about it is that marriage between wolves with a shared matrilineal ancestor is forbidden. Other than that, mates are selected via mutual consent. Vows are exchanged in a small ceremony officiated by the Singer, who ties their souls.

Divorce may happen if either becomes unsatisfied, in a male/female union the female keeps the den and any shared belongings, otherwise the Doe Chief will arbitrate (if necessary). The male signals his divorce by removing his personal effects from the den and moving back in with his mother. The female signals divorce by removing the male's personal effects from the den and leaving them outside.

War & Hunting

Aniwaya approach war and hunting in a similar fashion to each other. A war dance is performed before major hunts and battles in front of the Singers and Eagle Chief. It is important to perform correctly, or else the risk of offending the spirits and failing is high. Emphasis is placed on ferocious snarls and growls to intimidate, for Aniwaya know that confidence wins half of all battles. Most attacks occur at dawn or during the night, when ambush is easier. 

Stone Wolves adorn themselves in red clay, the color symbolic for victory and fortune and believed to bring luck. Most also assemble a "battle garb" that distinguishes them as an individual on the battlefield and gives them some protection. This may be as simple as tying animal skins to their body with vines for a little extra padding, or as complex as tying thorns and shed antlers on top of the furs to vex attackers.

The ravens of Aniwaya do not typically concern themselves with the wars of wolves, but some may bond closely enough with a packmate to aid them - either as a scout or a companion in the fight itself, heckling enemies and jabbing at eyes.

Ranks

EAGLE & DOE CHIEFS - External and Internal "Leaders" Respectively. Currently occupied by ???

SINGERS - Spiritual guides and healers. Free to create.

MATRIARCHS - Mated females.  Free to create.

PACKMATES - All other roles and groups.  Free to create.

YOUNGLINGS - Pups and juveniles, do not sit on the council.  Free to create.

STRANGERS - Newcomers to the pack who have not yet integrated, and those seeking asylum, do not sit on the council.  Free to create.

Roles

EAGLE CHIEF - The Eagle Chief, often misunderstood by outsiders to be just a "war chief", are heads of all diplomacy and external affairs. If an outside pack seeks alliance, they must negotiate with the Eagle Chief, who in turn confers with the rest of the pack. Eagle Chiefs do lead the pack in times of war, and head up organizing warbands and strategies. // Currently occupied by ???

DOE CHIEF - The Doe Chief guides the pack in times of peace. They mediate internal disputes between members, safeguard cultural practices, and advise the council on all domestic matters. For the most part, the Doe Chief has more practical authority than the Eagle Chief. Outsiders might never meet or even know about the existence of the Doe Chief. // Currently occupied by ???

SINGERS - Singers are highly in tune with the natural world and the spirits which inhabit it. They petition spirits to help sickly packmates and for guidance in Aniwaya affairs. Singers cool the tempers of angry spirits, and help to please friendly ones. They consider this wisdom both important and sensitive, and much of their ways are known only to themselves, as untrained packmates or strangers might mis-envoke out of ignorance or spite, and bring ruin to themselves or others. They are also talented herbologists and can tend physical wounds as well as spiritual ones.  Free to create.

STONE WOLVES - Packmates who hunt and battle, resolute like the great stones that form mountains. These wolves keep the pack fed and protected from physical threats. Aniwaya is a large pack, which means this work is never done. The best of them possess strength, tenacity, and courage. These are no mindless killers, though. Stone Wolves steward the herds to cull weak and sick animals, and prevent one species from overwhelming another.  Free to create.

WIND WOLVES - Packmates who explore and craft, free-spirited and fleet as wind. They are keen of mind, like the ravens they work with. Mostly they keep an eye on affairs beyond Aniwaya's territory, track herds and the movements of predators, and some even trade with neighboring packs.  Free to create.

YOUNGLINGS - Pups are treasured in Aniwaya, and given great care and attention. They eat first, regardless of parentage, and in times of war are protected more fiercely than land, food, or leadership. Each is encouraged to find their place as they grow into the tasks most suited for them. Once they come of age, the Doe Chief will invite them to the council, and from then on they may determine their formal role as a Stone Wolf, Wind Wolf, or begin study under a Singer.  Free to create.

STRANGERS - Aniwaya is generally willing to offer asylum to outsiders and adopt strangers into its ranks. It may take months or seasons for a stranger to be invited to the council meetings, a decision generally left up to the Doe Chief. Once invited to take part in the council, Strangers are recognized as packmates with equal voice. Free to create. Changing out of this role to any other is renown locked.

"Fowlers" are not a formal rank, but a title afforded to those who have a closer bond to the corvids than most Aniwaya. The nimble beaks of these allies help to craft various charms and traps, defend them in battle, aid them as scouts, or just make good company.  Free to create.

Aniwaya has existed for many generations within the Eastern mountains, following the ways of their ancestors. They can trace their history from further North, but beyond that tribe memory becomes hazy. Perhaps war drove them out, or the calling of spirits. It's not generally considered as important as the here and now.

Though the main tenets of their beliefs tend to stay similar, Aniwaya have been known to adopt new customs and ways of thinking by outsiders and adopted Strangers, making their origins further more difficult to pin down.

Densite

• The Summer Densite is situated in the forested territory near the northern border, in easy reach of the rivers there where the annual salmon run takes place in fall. 

• The Winter Densite is located near the center of the territory, where the pine and maple woods meet in the valley, putting the pack closer to the herds which will have left the higher mountains in search of food.

• A Great Den for meetings encompasses the greatest space in both densites. The northerly one sits in a great limestone cave, while the southerly inhabits a pit in the ground surrounded by old trees and fallen logs. 

• Mated pairs & their unmated children share family dens - usually around the Great Dens, but each family is welcome to choose their own place of living. 

• Strangers may have their own dens, usually unusued ones gifted to them by Aniwaya or else burrows they dig for themselves.

Prey

Aniwaya is a rich forest territory, with lots of prey available, including, but not limited to: