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Budapest, Hungary

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1.  Description

Budapest is an extremely important crossroads city, providing a link between Istanbul via Bucharest, as well as Warsaw and Berlin. As with most formerly human areas, many buildings suffered damage and deteriorating following the demise of humanity -- however, as the city structure itself is unimportant to the Luperci here, it isn't much of an issue. Most Luperci do not live in the city itself; rather, they occupy the countryside in places they can, seeking old human farms to restore them to working order so they can raise and breed horses. The area is rather mountainous and surrounded by wilderness; Luperci have little trouble surviving in this area.

2.  Culture

2.1  Horses

In the last decade, Luperci from this area have been able to perfect something few others have been able to do on as large a scale -- the largest trade in the city is the breeding, raising, and training of horses. Canines from this area are generally extremely knowledgeable regarding horses, and canines from various other areas prize the horses bred and trained by Budapest residents. Over the roughly-thirty years of its existence, its equestrians have begun to succeed in developing an actual horse breed out of local stock and the odd import. This proto-breed is very similar to the rare Kisber Halfbred, but is shorter (only 14-14.3 hands), more variable in color (including gray, roan, and coloured individuals), and with a slight hint of feathering around the hooves. They are usually only kept by wealthy and high-ranking individuals, however, and are known locally as Királyi Lovak (singular Királyi Ló, roughly meaning "kingly horse" or "royal horse").

Commoners and minor pack leaders, meanwhile, are often found raising and training the local landrace of horses. Locally known as the Vadlovak (singular Vadló and meaning "wild horse" or "bronco"), these semi-feral horses live in the forests and hills around Budapest. Some are dedicated herds owned by a pack or pack group, and others are left to travel from territory to territory. Though often approached, fed and worked with by Luperci, they are left to their own devices until they are rounded up and caught for training and selling. With influences ranging from draft to warmblood to Arabian in their veins, they are both lean and stocky, with varying levels of feathering on their legs. They most resemble a thinner version of the extinct Tarpan, and have the same colors found in Tarpans and the Királyi Lovak. Heights range from 13 to 14.3 hands, with a few rare, tall individuals reaching 15 hands high.

2.2  Species

Common gray wolves are the dominant species here, controlling most of the horse "industry," though Steppe wolves continually pass through the area, finding horses rather useful for their nomadic trader's purposes. European jackals occupy the human ruins, generally involved in horses and doing their best to avoid wolf interaction.

3.  Significance

• Budapest is part of an important trade route spanning Berlin, Bucharest, Istanbul, and Warsaw. Various land routes leading from Warsaw to Budapest are maintained and well-marked.
• Budapest's equines have been used to help establish and refine the horse herds being kept around Paris.
• Lukács Szarka spent part of his life in Budapest as a snake-oil salesman and petty thief.

4.  More Reference

• Wikipedia's Budapest Article
• Wikipedia's Hungary Article