Yellowstone Caldera Wolf RP

[Guest]

Welcome to...

THE YELLOWSTONE CALDERA WOLF RP

In Yellowstone National Park there is a 'supervolcano' called The Yellowstone Caldera. It erupted years ago, long before any of us set paw on these lands. At present the Caldera looks like this, its legendary eruptions a thing of the past.
Or so we thought.

The Yellowstone Caldera
*Map coming soon! For now, look at the picture^^.

Quoted from Wikipedia on 'supervolcanoes'

A supervolcano is a volcano capable of producing a volcanic eruption with ejecta greater than 1,000 cubic kilometres (240 cubic miles). This is thousands of times larger than most historic volcanic eruptions.[1] Supervolcanoes can occur when magma in the Earth rises into the crust from a hotspot but is unable to break through the crust. Pressure builds in a large and growing magma pool until the crust is unable to contain the pressure. They can also form at convergent plate boundaries (for example, Toba) and continental hotspot locations (for example, Yellowstone).

It seems that the Caldera’s crust, now weakened from the legendary eruption boasts several cracks and faults that have turned the once flat, grassy plains of the ancient Caldera into a rough, rocky landscape dotted with high-temperature geysers and lava-filled cracks. The air is often filled with steam and other potentially harmful gasses that travel for miles when the winds pick up. It became a more challenging place to live for creatures big and small.

The geothermal areas of Yellowstone include several geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park as well as other geothermal features such as hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. The number of thermal features in Yellowstone is estimated at 10,000[1] and 200 to 250 geysers erupt in Yellowstone each year, making it the place with the highest concentration of active geysers in the world.[2]

Recently, another crack in the crust has caused the major northern half of the Caldera to erupt in flowing lava and steam. The deafening explosion killed many plants and animals in a fiery demise. Survivors fled to the south to escape the flowing lava and toxic gasses that stained the air.

As several wolf packs from across the Caldera set out for new grounds (as most of these northern wolves were forced south) several wolves became separated from their birth packs/current families in this dangerous journey for survival.

Competition from other wolf packs for the safest and most bountiful territories was always a constant struggle. But with twice as many wolves in one area things are definitely heating up in the southern Caldera.

The Yellowstone Caldera is now dotted with many dangerous geysers and volcanically active hotspots. Wolves get burnt and even killed in geysers on a regular basis. Cracks old and new are emitting invisible gasses that can choke a pup or blind an adult if they are exposed throughout their lives. Even the ungulates and other mammals are being driven out or destroyed in the scramble for safety.

All over Yellowstone wolves are severing bonds and forming new ones in the hope of achieving their lifelong basic goal: survival.

Will the newly formed Free Spirits be able to set their differences aside and survive in the rapidly changing environment?

[Guest]

Here, there be

RULES RULES RULES RULES RULES RULES RULES RULES

POST STRUCTURE AND EXPECTATIONS
• This is a very realistic RP, although I will allow speech and emotions because I know many people would be thrown off id I didn’t allow them.
• Remember, wolves communicate directly with one another though body language (Position of the ears, lips, teeth, tail, posture, fur, eyes, etc.) In our case I am of course allowing speech but exiting confrontations include descriptions of your characters body actions.
• This is a hard one to abide by but it makes for excellent RP posts. Don’t write what your character is feeling inside or their internal thought processes.

Ex. Scruffy stops and scents the air. The yellow gas emitting from the large geysers before him made his sensitive nose tingle unpleasantly. I don’t like that smell, it makes me sick he thinks. Scruffy turns and trots back the way he came.

*In the lame example above consider replacing the crossed out sentence with one describing his body actions (external actions we can ‘see’) such as:

His lip curls in displeasure and he squints his eyes.

By keeping your character’s internal thoughts out of your posts you ensure that other RPers only know your character by what they observe of them, just like in real life. Posting out thoughts and internal debates s basically like being able to read minds! I might change this rule if enough protest is given.
I know this takes some creativity, but we are the Free Spirits!
• Try to limit the number of actions in your posts and leave them open-ended. That way other characters can RP in reaction to what you just did and RP flows much nicer this way: everyone isn’t just posting lame ‘catch up’ reaction posts to your because your character just started a hunt, bit the elk and it fell all in one post!
• Can we, like in the Stray Dog RP try to RP in the present tense ONLY?

ALLOWED:
• Mates
• Injuries
• Death of your character (at your own risk; the wolf cannot be revived once proclaimed dead by the character owner)
• Initiating physical conflicts with others that can lead to death or injury (rarely life-threatening)

FIGHT AND HUNTING RULES:
• The first two successful bites or ‘hits’ can never be killing ones in a hunt or a fight (Excluding small prey animals like hares)
• Every launched attack does not succeed. Play at your characters strengths and weaknesses to decide what the likely outcome would be for your character. Also consider your opponents strengths and weaknesses.
• You can only dodge successfully twice in a row. The third dodge attempt will always fail.
• Same for bites. If two successful bites have been made consecutively the third will fail or miss.
• When hunting large ungulates such as elk and bison remember: Wolves do not catch up to the elk right away. When they do catch up they test out the ‘will’ of their prey to see if it will be worth the hassle.
• 9/10 hunting attempts fail. Or something like that
• Chases to exhaust a fleeing elk can last for kilometres. Wolves are built for the chase; they seek out prey that flees. Those that hold their ground (commonly bull elk and bison) almost always survive as long as they do not run.

NOT ALLOWED:
• God Wolves (you know what I mean... the mass killer guys)
• Unrealistic wolf behaviour. Fighting with claws, singing, jumping on the backs of prey animals larger than your character, lifting another character by the throat and flinging them for any distance (you already broke the rule at lifted), etc.
• A.k.a power playing
• Non-canid body parts
• Magical powers
• Posts shorter than 3 sentences. I like 1-2 paragraphs at most for the average post. You really can get them that long if you try! That’s the power of description!
• Pups. Sorry, it’s too confusing!

COMMON CURTESOUY
• You guys are pretty good at this. Out of RP (‘post script’ I think it’s called) should be done a the top of your posts separate from RP text in brackets.
• This isn’t as important. When each person posts in a different text color (ex. I will be posting Wolf RP in blue) it becomes easier to distinguish between wolves when quickly skimming through pages of RP you need to catch up on. Different fonts also help. Again, this isn’t required but it can help to give your wolf some added personality.

SO YOU START OUT AS:
• Either a lone, Dispersal or a pack member that has been separated from his/her family or mate in recent events.
• OPTIONAL: An injury or relationship with another RPer right at the start. Must discuss this though PM in secret with each other. Then both RPers announce in brackets in your first posts!

NOTE: DRAMA TO COME AND PLOT EVENTS
• Part of the fun of this particular RP is the fact that no pack hierarchy is established. You can RP as a loner the whole way through or become the Alpha of a pack, all regardless of your position in Free Spirits.
• But if I see that everyone modifies their characters bio’s so that their wolves are now ‘natural born leaders’ and such I will change this. We don’t want that. Play by your character, not your own ambitions!
• Just like real packs hierarchy can change instantly. Just because someone is a pack leader now dosen’t mean they are for the rest of the RP. If a character becomes injured (or dies) they may have to step down from their position and the next suitable wolf can step up and fill that essential role. Every wolf has his own niche to fill in the pack! ALL ARE IMPORTANT!
• Keep in mind that I don’t want to see normal rank changes turn into a power quest or pack war. Try to think of why a real wolf pack would have a hierarchy change in relation to the pack’s survival, which is the most important thing.
• Note that lone wolves don’t last long in the Caldera!

More rules and such will be added later, and some might be removed. For now though, enjoy!

[Guest]

(Heres to a sucessful Wolf RP!)

Wyborn pads onward at a slow walk. His gait is deliberately slow, yet sure. His large paws spread wide over the charred and rugged rock underneath. The cool stone tingles his pads, sore from many miles of travel.

He looks up from the ground and glances at the horizon ahead. He is in the upper middle of the open Caldera, heading south. The north held nothing for him now. No prey, no territory, no wolves. Only fire, smoke and steam.

Wyborn almost stops when he hears a disant rumble from behind. Through the earth he feels a slight vibration ripple through his legs. He firmly plants them on the ground and stands still as if to feel for the tremor. But it has passed. He twitches a light brown ear but his head does not swivel or look behind him. Wyborn never looks back and levels out his neck once more to set the pace.

[Silvie]

[AWESOME, Wyborn! You finally got it up! =D Might Silvie be using the role of her bio, of that of a low-ranking subordinate who clustered into the pack with the other wolves after the disaster? I really don't have any other plots set out, lol]

Silvie walks slowly behind Wyborn's thick, heavy shape, silhouetted against the late-afternoon sun, which is burning onto the cracked stone below their feet. She slowly puts one heavy paw after the other, staring down at the trickling cracks in the rock as she drags herself along.

Feeling the weight of both her exhaustion and the hot sun above as she continues, she closes her eyes and flattens her bright-silver ears against her gray head, but walks on. After her many hours of constant evasion from the natural disaster, Silvie's legs drooped like thirsty plants on the seemingly-endless plain, paw pads aching like meat on a frying pan, head spinning with the steaming heat like a whirlpool in a vast, dark sea...

Opening her bright amber eyes once more, Silvie continues to walk, keeping a nervous watch on Wyborn as she travels with him. Drooping, she carries on, yet only at the expense of her aching muscles and spinning head, ready as ever to drop, whether it be on her own will or not...

[Darkfur]

[Winter would love to join this little march of RP'ers if you don't mind x3, also what season is it if you dont mind me asking? ]

Darkfur follows swiftly and silently, among the shadows as if becoming one. Blood trickling slightly down her right shoulder. Her eyes a flare of bright honey yellow, gazing at the figures near her she follows. The cracks and rocks scratching her paw pads, making it feel as if one is walking along hot coal. The burning sensation, never leaving, never fading. Behind her she looks beholding the wild chaos of hot blaring geysers and the screetch of ravens or the yowl of coyotes.
She notes the slight ache she sees in Silvie. Darkfur tempted to approach but soon averts her gaze, the females muscles screaming out at her to stop and rest, but rest was not part of this. Would it ever be?
Darkfur soon emerges from the darkness to follow next to Silvie, nudging her affectionally, and encouragingly. Almost wrickles around her eyes as she smiles to her, to keep going. Words were not needed, her thoughts and feelings conveyed swiftly and silently though her expressions and body posture.
The scars upon Darkfurs body seemed more noticable in the light. Reminding her of her past, they never left. Nor were the expected to. But seemingly could convey another cold message alone. I can fight. Her past was long and ridiclous, not one she was in the mood for talking about.
The female slows down slightly behind Silvie, to give support if needed, like any other wolf would do.

[Guest]

(Ahh, can't believe I forgot about seasons! OK, lets make it late fall like it is currently for most of us and... mid-afternoon. So I assume we are starting out as a pack? I wonder what the others will join in as!)

A few meters ahead directly in their path was a small, faint cloud of steam. It's white curls of smoke evaporated moments after seemingly coming out froma small pool in the rocky crust. Wyborn stops again, his tail twitching. This time he turns his large head around and calls out in a low voice to the following wolves. His dull gold eyes show tirdness and a hint of concern.
"I think we better wait a sec." As he says this he backs up a few paces, for good measure. "It might erupt."

[Cerberus]

(Oh hey, great roleplay idea here Wyborn! I love the pages two. Though, I'm letting you know ahead of time that I'm going to have a hard time with the thoughts thing, and the present tense[I'm use to rping past tense] but it's still really great. :3 I hope that my post is going to be okay.)

Cerberus sprints down the rough and hot rock, his paw pads hurt from walking on the rock for so long. His eyes narrow and he continues along, looking for the rest of the wolves since he is very far behind.
His lips curl up revealing his teeth and the steam shooting up from the geysers cloud his eyes.
Walking over one of them, he yelps as it erupts, scorching his already aching feet. He closes his eyes for a few minuets, clenching his teeth and sitting down.

Once a few more moments pass bye, he got up again... padding onward, faintly seeing small shadows in the distance.

(Yes, this is a real failed post. Pardon me. ^^")

[Silvie]

[Great. It's getting to an awesome start already!]

Silvie stretches her tired legs one more time, nudging gently back into Darkfur in gratitude. Head hanging in exhaustion and pain, tail dragging on the hot, stony ground, she halts and looks up, noticing Wyborn's warning. Drawing herself up, she flicks her tired tail, staring at the geyser, as if expecting to meet sudden death there before them..
Suddenly, Silvie's ears flick and she turns to look over her weak shoulder, across the many pawsteps past - squinting suspiciously, her eyes make out the faint shape of a shadow, but in the steam of the geysers she cannot tell what it is.
Ignoring the shape, she turns back to watch and wait for the geyser, muscles tensing in anticipation yet screaming in protest at the thought of running away.

[Darkfur]

Darkfur smiles back. Looking forward and almost walking into Wyborn. She stops abruptly, waiting for the geyser to rain havoc, and to scatter most woodland animals miles away.
Her tail flicks impatiently, "Are you sure its going to even erupt justnow?" She barks, her tone slightly impatient. Taking a few pawsteps she gets slightly closer, the steam rippled across the ground, it was clear it would explode soon. Stepping back she nods sitting down to wait. Her muscles tense from walking for ages.

[Silvie]

Glad for a chance to rest, the exhausted Silvie turns and pads a few steps away, then sinks into the hot stone, hardly caring how sweltering her surroundings were. Blinking in relief, she drops her head onto her paws, eyes barely open yet ears perked for any warning from the others, her muscles still rather tense as she waits.

Somehow, Silvie manages to fall into a drowsy half-sleep while she lays there. Legs and head twitching, ears flicking, she rustles around uneasily in her sleep, occasionally whimpering.

[Atropine]

(The RP is awesome, Wyborn! May I join in as a dispersal wolf just to make things even more exciting? =3)

Atropine walks uneasily, paws snagging on rough and barren surfaces. Constant booms and rumbles threaten and deter her, however she keeps on trudging along, half expecting a beacon of hope and comfort to appear over the horizon at any moment. However, no such beacon came – the surroundings were as bleak as they had ever been, and she journeyed endlessly in a solitary fashion.

Occasionally the scent of a nearby group of wolves would flow through her senses, however Atropine didn’t act upon it – she was contemplating whether it would be a wise or inevitably foolish decision to lumber upon a pack of wolves she didn’t know. Although, she was fully aware that the phrase ‘strength in numbers’ applied at a time like this. Not really keen on making any important decisions, Atropine shrugged off any responsibility for her own well-being and continued to meander across the terrain.

[Silvie]

Silvie gives a tiny gasp and jumps to her feet, her apparently horrible nightmare crumbling away. Blinking, she realizes where she is again, and situates herself by her packmates once more, stomach beginning to rumble.
Prey had been scarce, since every creature had fled from the disastrous eruptions, and Silvie hadn't had a bite to eat in days. Licking her lips, the young wolf scans the scorching horizon, as if she expected a giant moose to appear on the stone.

[Darkfur]

Darkfur glances at Silvie whom be staring at the horizon. The demonic growling that emitted from her stomach clearly implied to all who within earshot she was starving. "Heck, I sure am hungry. The last thing I had to eat was." Darkfur paused, pondering. "Well, I-i don't really know what it was."
The female glances around hoping to catch a whiff of a dead mouse or something edible. A speck of brown caught her eye. "Don't worry, I got this." She said to the others, creeping closer to the little carcass, which looked like a small, decaying rodent of some sort. To ignorant of the steam, hinting a geyser was near she approached closer.
Suddenly the rumble of hot water and steam sounded like a volcano, blasting in front of Darkfur. The female wolf yelped stumbling backwards. The mouse was gone either it was incinerated from the shear heat of the water or she was hallucinating. Growling Darkfur walks back to the others.

[Guest]

Please excuse my sudden absence- a big chemsitry project was due yesterday and it took up my weekend. Anyway so nice of you to join us Cerebus and Atropine^^! I am glad you two chose to start seperate- that will add some flavour!]

Hearing a commotion behind him Wyborn begins to turn his head around. "Wha-" Wyborn's fur is suddenly blown back from the force of the geyser Darkfur had investigated. A white cloud of steam enshrouds the tall white blast of steamy water before it begins to settle with a watery hiss. Wyborn watches Darkfur pad towards him. He shakes his neck fur free of tiny water droplets that would settle in and dampen his thick coat. "...I see. Silvie, are you alright?" he asks, turning his gaze towards the exausted she wolf.

Behind Wyborn the original geyser pool begins to swell with massive bubbles.

[Atropine]

Atropine pauses and perks her ears, hearing a distant yelp along with a explosion perhaps from a geyser. She wrinkles her muzzle, expressing a little concern, however resumes her monotonous pace, careful to avoid the bubbling hot springs which threatened to explode at any moment. Atropine's feet make various scrapes and rasps on the ground beneath her, paw pads chafing the terrain. In the distance, beyond the barren area in which she stood, Atropine could see the lush forests of which the trees brandished orange hues; the sight beckoned her, calling her. However, this destination seemed so ridiculously far away that reaching it seemed an impossible task. Tail curled around her legs, Atropine marches on.

[Silvie]

[Hehe Wyborn, my wolf name is Silvie xD]

Silvie stumbles backwards in shock as the geyser erupts in front of poor Darkfur, and watches as she returns to them.
"A-are you a-alright?" she stutters, sniffing her packmate's snout eagerly while giving Wyborn a quick glance to show that she was indeed fine herself. Then, regaining her footing, she glances around the horizon again, more quickly this time. "I can't either," she admits, rather late, to Darkfur's comment. 'I doubt there's any prey for miles." At this remark, she stares off into the distance with a sad yet dreamy look in her eyes.

[Darkfur]

Darkfur looks back at Silvie. "Spiffy." She replies, her eyes slightly darkening at her comment about the prey. The females tail sulked against her hind legs, brushing back and forth carelessly. "We should keep moving, I have a feeling that that wasn't the only geyser here." She suggests, looking around seeing more steam rolling along the floor like tiny clouds, though symbolizing something far bigger and more dangerous.
Darkfur gathers whats left of her strength - though there wasn't much. She begins a loose trot over to Wyborn and sat down next to him. Her eyes were that of a sun hiding behind clouds, trying to find away to shine through though having some difficulty. A fake smile plastered her face, trying to seem up-beat and happy though it just wasn't her character.

[Silvie]

"I agree," sighed Silvie. It seemed as though there would be no safe place for them to settle down in, and the young wolf stared off into the steam for a short while longer before shifting over to Darkfur and Wyborn.
"C'mon," Silvie grunted, nudging her nose into Wyborn's furry side. "We should get moving." She turned to look into Darkfur's eyes, not pretending to be cheerful; but as she gazed at her packmate she realized not everything was spiffy. Sighing, she looked back over her shoulder at the steamy world around her, stomach rumbling again.

Would they ever find a home?

[Guest]

(Sorry about that Silvie, fixed my post.)

Wyborn’s flank twitched at Silvie’s nudge. Eyes narrowing slightly he swallows and stares off into the distance, lost in silent thought for a moment. But he was soon back to the present and turns his head back around to gaze at the two females. The confidence in his hard golden gaze was clear.

“Right. Looks like this thing isn’t going to go just yet.” He indicated the bubbling pool of water in front of where he stood with a quick head jerk. “So, south we go.” Wyborn smiles at Darkfur and Silvie. “C’mon, it’s crunch time guys.” Without waiting for a reply Wyborn begins to walk away from their waiting spot. His gait is noticeably stiffer but his expression gives nothing away. He gives the disturbed geyser pool a wide berth, cutting right at a slow walk once again. “Eh?”

[Silvie]

Silvie shakes her fur and gets up, then casts a small smile down to Darkfur before trotting after Wyborn. "So...." she says, trailing off; then she suddenly stares at her paws as she walks, as if she were ashamed of something, yet nothing at the same time. Twitching her tail, she sighs and lifts her head. "South, eh? Is there anything that we need down there..?"

[Darkfur]

"South tis then." She agreed and stood up, following Silvie and Wyborn. Loosely trotting to walk in a row with them. Darkfur soon realizing she barely knew them to well. "So whats your background, Silvie, Wyborn?" She inclines, though it seemed like a very inappropriate time to ask it felt like a good way to sway the talk over to something else.
Wearily carrying on, each paw step felt like walking a mile. Time stretched long, every minute like an hour.

[Silvie]

Hanging her head tiredly, Silvie sighs. "Not much to mine," she admits. "Though I guess I can say a bit. Basically I got separated from my family, made a best friend, and..."
Silvie trails off, nearly choking in sadness as she remembers her friend. "She..she..died," she finishes lamely. "Then..then I found you guys."

[Guest]

(Darkfur, when you say row do you mean all of us side by side or one behind the other? I will assume the latter for now.)

Wyborn listens quietly to Silvie's reflection. His eyes narrow slightly for a second, then he speaks when she has finished. "My background... is pretty normal. I lived with my birthpack and dispersed at age two a year or so ago. Been on my own ever since then. Until now, that is." he added quickly, chancing a glance over his shoulder at the females. He begins to smile but his expression changes.

Suddenly Wyborn turned completely around. His face changes from calm to alert as his golden eyes narrow and a faint wrinkle appears on the end of his muzzle. Not looking away from the object of his concern he whispers in his low-pitched voice. "Guys, there's another wolf way behind us. Look."

[Silvie]

Silvie nods slightly to Wyborn's short explanation, then stops as she notices his concern. Perking her ears, she follows his gaze and words to look over her shoulder, amber eyes smokey in the steam.
Then she sees it...

The tiniest growl escapes her throat.

"We're being followed!"

[Darkfur]

(Yes row as in side by side, if i ment like one behind the other I would've said column :3 )

Darkfur listens intently. Slightly envious of Wyborns 'normal' past.
She follows both of their gazes. A kindled flame in her eyes, squinting slightly she sees what they see, a figure of a wolf. What really set her off though was the fact it looked almost like her former 'gang' leader, same height, same body structure.... almost. Growling like a rusted grate. Her fur bristling, her old scars feeling like they were on fire. "Maybe its not." She quietly whispers to herself.

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