# WOLFKIN WOLFBROTHERS The closest people have come to understanding the Wolfkin is best noted by Loial in his writings [Book I pg. 339-341]: 'I don't much like people,' he said in a flat voice. 'Cities are full of people. I don't go near villages, or even farms, very often. Villagers, farmers, they don't like my friends. I wouldn't even have helped you if you if you hadn't been stumbling around as helpless and innocent as newborn cubs.' 'Wolves don't tame, not even as well as men. They're my friends. We keep each other company, hunt together, converse after a fashion. Just like any other friends.' How do you become a Wolfkin? 'They found out, I didn't. Not at first. That's always the way of it, I understand. The wolves find you, not you them. Some people thought me touched by the Dark One, because wolves started appearing wherever I went. I suppose I thought so too, sometimes. Most decent folk began to avoid me, and the ones who sought me out weren't the kind I wanted to know, one way or another. Then I noticed there were times when the wolves seemed to know what I was thinking, to respond to what was in my head. That was the real beginning. They were curious about me. Wolves can sense people, usually, but not like this. They were glad to find me. They say it's been a long time since they hunted with men, and when they say a long time, the feeling I get is like a cold wind howling all the way down from the First Day.' Can you teach me to be a Wolfkin? 'It can't be taught. Some can do it, some can't.' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please refer to the following help files for more information about joining and playing a Wolfkin character:WOLFKIN REQUIREMENTS WOLFKIN RP WOLFKIN ABILITIES WOLF NAMES WOLVES # "WOLFKIN REQUIREMENTS" WKREQ WOLFKINREQ These are the requirements for playing a Wolfkin character: 1. You must have the Golden Eyes talent. 2. You must be at least level 10-15 (the level requirement changes between 10 and 15 depending on the current needs of the guild; ask the GL or another Wolfkin if you are unsure of what the current requirement is). 3. You must have sponsorship from at least 3 current Wolfkin characters who have RPed with you. 4. You must have a description written for your character and a background thought up before you begin seeking sponsors to RP with. 5. You must NOT be a darkfriend (see the WOLFKIN RP and WOLVES help files for details on this). 6. You must NOT be able to channel (i.e. must not have either active channeler or latent channeler talents). (Note: If you are female and have a VERY good reason for knowing how to channel, talk to the GL and you may be accepted, but it must be something that has actually been RPed on the MUD rather than just made up for a background, and it is not likely that anything short of having been actually guilded into Kin or Aes Sedai and trained by them will be approved. No males able to channel will be accepted under any circumstances.) In addition, having the Hunter and Woodmanship talents is strongly recommended, as they are very IC (In Character) for the majority of Wolfkin. They are not required, only looked highly upon. # "WOLFKIN RP" WOLFKINRP WKRP The following help file is intended as an explanation of what Wolfkin are, for players who have either not read the books yet or have not read them in a while, and a very loose guide to RP as a Wolfkin, which is intended as helpful advice and NOT restrictive rules that apply to every individual in every situation. WHAT ARE WOLFKIN? The Wolfkin guild on the MUD represents the very small group of people in the WoT books known as wolfbrothers. The term 'Wolfkin' rather than 'Wolfbrother' is used as the name of the guild on the MUD because females as well as males are allowed to join it. There are very, very few wolfbrothers in the books, Perrin and Elyas being the most notable, but more are allowed on the MUD for the sake of fun and letting it be RPed by anyone who wants to. Wolfkin are people born with a kinship to wolves, and this kinship usually shows up in adolescence (and usually occurs sooner if the person meets an older wolfkin to help guide them, such as Perrin meeting Elyas). The ability usually manifests itself when wolves sense the thoughts of the wolfkin and begin responding to them. At about this time, the eyes of wolfkin begin changing to a yellowish or golden color. Wolfkin gain several abilities related to their kinship with wolves (see help WOLFKIN ABILITIES for details), and are able to communicate with wolves and other Wolfkin through thoughts and images. (Note: Because of this kind of communication, Wolfkin are able to use gdt (guild channel) ICly, but only if it is RPed as being through thoughts and images.) Wolfkin after a while also develop very wolf-like reactions, such as baring their teeth when angered, and they tend to prefer being away from cities and large gatherings of people. For many Wolfkin, life is a constant struggle to balance being human and being kin to wolves, and if this balance isn't maintained it is very possible for wolfkin to completely lose their sanity and become lost to the wolf side, thinking that they are really wolves. The Wolfkin guild on the MUD has ranks as other guilds do, but they are very different from most other guilds. As Wolfkin are generally independent of each other and unorganized, most of the ranks are equal. There is a rank called Cub for newer members, and an Outcast rank for Wolfkin who have betrayed the wolves and are distrusted by them. Besides that, the rest of the ranks are equal and based on the individual WK's RP. As WK do not label themselves ICly, the rank names are only OOC designations resembling the individual character's RP, and WK should not be referred to by their rank names ICly. The ranks are relatively unimportant and not meant to hinder or restrict RP in any way. All Wolfkin choose wolf names for themselves and if you intend to play a Wolfkin then it is a good idea to start thinking of a wolf name when you think up your background (read help WOLF NAMES for details). WOLFKIN RP AND IC INTERACTIONS Wolfkin are already loners by nature because of their kinship with wolves, but this is made even more so by the fact that the golden colored eyes of Wolfkin make other people very suspicious of them, sometimes to the point of being called darkfriends. Wolves are widely misunderstood and thought to be creatures of the Dark One, which makes getting along with most people even more difficult. There are, of course, exceptions, but that is the attitude of the general population. In addition, here is a list of a few of the other guilds on the MUD who would have special and more defined interactions with Wolfkin: Aes Sedai: The Wolfkin ability is completely new to Aes Sedai and they have no understanding of it. Thinking it something of the One Power, the Red Ajah tried to gentle Elyas, who used to be a warder, but the gentling had no affect as it has nothing to do with the One Power. Because of the curiosity of Sedai who would want to study Wolfkin, the wise Wolfkin who wants to stay free avoids them. Children of the Light (aka Whitecloaks): The CotL, being a fanatical organization intending to destroy darkfriends, takes the misunderstanding of the nature of wolves to the extreme, thinking them creatures of the Dark One and assuming all Wolfkin therefore must be darkfriends. The Children smell wrong to the wolves, in the way that a rabid dog smells wrong, and a Wolfkin can usually smell the wrongness too. They are, of course, best avoided. (Note: Please keep in mind that ICly the CotL severely outnumbers Wolfkin and are an organized military, they should be AVOIDED, -NOT- HARASSED. If you wish to OOCly harass CotL or provoke them to conflict etc. then please don't join Wolfkin as our standard of RP is higher than that.) The Shadow/Dark: The wolves have a very severe hatred of all shadowspawn, and a pack of wolves would go out of its way to kill any shadowspawn. This hatred for shadowspawn carries over to Wolfkin and is why a Wolfkin cannot be a darkfriend. Please keep in mind that though Wolfkin can sometimes sense other peoples' emotions and intentions, they do NOT sense whether or not someone is a Forsaken or darkfriend. So if you know OOCly that someone is a darkfriend or a disguised Forsaken, do NOT pretend to be able to know this ICly as well. Tuatha'an (aka Tinkers): As Elyas is friends with Raen, a Tuatha'an Mahdi, and tinkers have camps outside large cities, Wolfkin generally get along well with Tinkers. Remember that they are peaceful people who follow the Way of the Leaf, and it is very impolite to bring a weapon into their camp. Those are just a few of the many groups of people in the WoT world and on the MUD. For most other guilds, each members' opinion of Wolfkin will most likely be separate from the rest of the guild's and will depend on that individual's RP (and vice versa for a Wolfkin's opinion of them). Also remember that these are very general tips and guidelines and individual RP may vary slightly. For example a Tuatha'an would not be friendly with a wolfkin who carries a weapon around in the Tuatha'an camp, or a Whitecloak may become enlightened and friendly toward Wolfkin after having his life saved by a pack of wolves and having a long conversation with a wolfkin. Of course, that Whitecloak would most likely not want to talk to his fellow Children of the Light about it for fear that they might think HIM a darkfriend too, so though individual attitudes may vary it is not likely that overall IC attitudes between entire guilds would change. # "WOLFKIN ABILITIES" WKABILITIES Wolfkin gain several special abilities from their kinship with wolves. Except where otherwise noted, these abilities for the most part are NOT CODED ON THE MUD. They can be, however, quite a fun addition to RP. Also, note that most of these abilities are learned from examples with Perrin in the books, and are presumed to be common among all Wolfkin. Improved Senses: As a Wolfkin's eyes turn golden/yellowish, he/she gains the eyesight of a wolf, and is able to see in total darkness as if it were twilight. (Note: This IS coded on the MUD as part of the Golden Eyes talent--anyone within the WK guild can see and scan in darkness without a light.) Wolfkin also have a very acute sense of smell, and after a while can even determine others' emotions by their scent. Wolf-like Communication: Wolfkin are able to communicate with wolves and other Wolfkin in a telepathic manner, through thoughts and images. A Wolfkin can sense all nearby wolves (Perrin can sense wolves for up to about a mile away, and Elyas can sense them from further away, so it is assumed that the awareness of wolves grows with experience). A Wolfkin can meld his/her mind with a wolf in a manner that allows the Wolfkin to see what the wolf sees, feel its pain, and taste what it tastes. (See help WOLF NAMES for more info on wolf-like communication.) The Wolfdream: A Wolfkin can enter Tel'Aran'Rhiod in much the same way that a Dreamer/Dreamwalker does. A Wolfkin may also sometimes see visions within the dream like a Dreamer does. Please do NOT use these visions as an excuse to take information you know OOCly and use it ICly. The visions Perrin saw in Tel'Aran'Rhiod were very random and he usually could not even interpret them. It is not fair for someone who has put much effort into ICly hiding something about him/herself to have his or her RP ruined by someone pretending to know that info from Dreaming or Foretelling. # "WOLF NAMES" The wolves communicate with each other (and with Wolfkin) telepathically through feelings and images. Their names for each other, people, and other things are based on these images. Here are a few wolf names for different things and people: Shadowkiller (Rand) Heartfang (Ba'alzamon) Moonhunter (Lanfear) Long Tooth (Elyas) Young Bull (Perrin) Notdead (Gray man) Twisted Ones (Trollocs) Neverborn (Myrddraal) Shadowbrothers (Darkhounds) Two-legs (humans) Hard-footed four-legs (horses) Two-leg shes who touch the wind that moves the sun and call fire (Aes Sedai) To add to RP, Wolfkin choose wolf names for themselves that represent the image wolves have of them. You are not required to have such a name thought up before joining the guild but you should at least begin to think about it as soon as possible. Also, these names are for Wolfkin RP, you should never use your wolf name with non-Wolfkin. # WOLVES This help file is meant to point out a few important facts about wolves that anyone playing (or wanting to play) a Wolfkin character should know. Wolves exist in the real world and in the world of dreams (Tel'Aran'Rhiod) simultaneously, and even wolves that are dead in the real world still exist in the dream world. They do not see visions in Tel'Aran'Rhiod like some Dreamers and Wolfkin do. Wolves communicate with each other and with Wolfkin telepathically using feelings and images (see help WOLF NAMES for details). Wolves are intelligent and feel contempt for dogs, and Wolfkin treat them as equals, NOT as pets (so please do not RP petting them etc.). Wolves despise shadowspawn, and can smell shadowspawn even on peoples' minds. They actively kill shadowspawn whenever possible, and a pack of wolves can even bring down a myrddraal, but with much loss. Wolves sense people and can sense their emotions. Whitecloaks in particular smell wrong to wolves in the way that rabid dogs smell wrong. They also recognize Aes Sedai.