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Rivière-aux-Graines

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Rivière-aux-Graines is the home of a very strict, conservative pack located roughly halfway between the now-decrepit towns of Havre-Saint-Pierre and Sept-Îles. It is a matriarchal, feral pack with a strict sense of rationality and rejection of religion. The pack is ruled by an Alpha Female, who has priority breeding rights, having proven herself as both the strongest and most reliable wolf.

It is the home pack of Ysabet del Fraysse and her two children, Francesch and Beatriç.

1.  Essentials

1.1  Geography

The Rivière-aux-Graines pack is based around a the former human village that has since returned to nature and the fast-moving Manitou River. The Manitou River is a roaring, wide river and the pack is located to the east along its shores. The river is dominated by many waterfalls, including, from north to south, the Wallace Waterfall, Aubin Waterfall, and Grand Waterfall. The Grand Waterfall is 35 metres in height and dominates the surroundings with its constant sound.¹

Peat bogs dominate the river basin. Next to the waterfalls, the land is Canadian Shield, with thick slabs of rock dominating the land next to the river, eventually giving way to forests.

1.2  Climate

Rivière-aux-Graines has a subarctic climate bordering on a humid continental climate. The two main seasons are summer and winter, as spring and autumn are very short transition seasons lasting only a few weeks. Winters are long, cold, and snowy, lasting from late October to late April, but milder than more inland locations, with a January high of −9.8 °C (14.4 °F) and a January low of −20.9 °C (−5.6 °F). Overall precipitation is unusually high for a subarctic climate, and snow totals correspondingly heavy, averaging 385 centimetres (152 in) per season with an average maximum depth of 0.5 metres (1.6 ft). Summers are mild, with a July high of 19.6 °C (67.3 °F); summers thus display stronger maritime influence than do winters. Precipitation is significant year-round, but it is lowest from January to March.

1.3  Flora and Fauna

The most notable flora is the cloudberries, which grow in great abundance in the area.² They resemble raspberries and are similarly soft and juicy, but have a golden colour. Blackberries and raspberries are also a popular sight.

Since Rivière-aux-Graines is so close to the ocean, crabs³ and brook trout are abundant.⁴ Other fauna include moose and black bears.

Common sightings overhead feature range of birds, including razorbills, black guillemots, common murres, passerines, red knot rufa,⁵ as well as raptors and birds of prey.⁶

Anyone brave enough to make the trip across the water to Anticosti Island may spot a minke whale. Once on the island, there are many Atlantic puffins, terns, and common eiders.⁷ The island also has Québec's largest concentration of bald eagles. The island is also home to a huge population of white-tailed deer: 160,000 were once recorded on the island during the time of the humans; there may be even more today.

2.  Culture

Rivière-aux-Graines is defined by its strict conservative, matriarchal society. The pack is led by an Alpha Female, who has proven herself to be the strongest female wolf in the pack. She had priority breeding rights and also permits some breeding among the members to ensure the pack's longevity.

The pack is strictly anti-religion and for as long as anyone can remember, has relied on a strong understanding of rationality, dominated by the feral and animalistic needs of the pack.

According to pack lore, the original Alpha Female was the only one strong enough to banish the spirits of former pack members after they had lingered too long in the afterlife. Since then, the Alpha Female has justified her absolute rule over the pack as the one who can protect the pack members - both in the physical and spiritual realm. Consequently, this left no room for alternative interpretations of spirituality, and as a result, religion as most know it is neither tolerated nor totally understood.

The Alpha Female also has the ability to drive out any harmful forces. To this end, she maintains a strong grip on the authority of the pack and will ruthlessly force out anyone who challenges her command. This is always justified as ensuring the continued safety and prosperity of the pack. Anyone who disagrees is quietly asked to leave, or run out if they do not choose to leave of their own volition.

• Species: The majority of the members of the pack are wolves, predominantly Eastern Timber Wolves and with some Labrador Wolves. Some characters have a smattering of dog in their background, having descended from feral dogs, primarily working farm dogs, including Border Collies, German Shepherds, and a Kuvaz heritage in the in the Douzon family.
• Luperci & Shifting: Luperci-dominant. Approximately 75% of the pack are luperci.
• Language: 100% of the members speak Quebec French and about three members speak English
• Technology: No technology. No animals or companions are kept. There is very rudimentary knowledge of boating, restricted to creating a raft. Clothing is not worn and the pack does not have any agricultural or pastoral knowledge.
• Residences: Members live in a series of communal dens located in caves. There are a number of caves varying in size very close by one another. Only members in good standing are permitted to inhabit a cave; exiled members are forced out of the caves as punishment, but may be permitted to return at a later date.
• Creation legend: When the world changed and the canines took over, not all made the transition completely or properly. Some were torn in between, living in a suspended reality, trapped in this world in their canine soul, but their body having moved on without them. So goes the tale of a particularly powerful Alpha Female who saw the confused wolves for what they were: ghosts. She drove them out, and in doing so, established a home for the living only in Rivière-aux-Graines. Since then, the pack is staunchly opposed to discussions of the afterlife, religion, ghosts, and all of their ilk. They are even less than opposed; they are irrelevant because the first Alpha Female had the strength of mind and body to clear them from the lands and keep it safe for all future pack members.
• Religion: Irreligious. Due to the pack's stance that religion simply does not exist, there is no established religious order and all pack members are by default atheists or agnostic (depending on how much you interpret things as being ignored or banned). In this way, the state atheism resembles France's Cult of Reason, which was the official replacement for Catholicism during the French Revolution.⁸

Practices & Traditions

• Gender and sexuality: Feminist in nature, sexuality and sex are not shamed. However, reproduction is carefully monitored by the Alpha Female; only couples with express permission may have puppies.
• Families and Family Structure: Women are the head of the family. Male members are permitted to remain in the pack, but can never achieve the position of Alpha. As a result, most depart to climb the ranks in nearby packs, but visit frequently.
• Hedonistic behaviour: Very sexually free, no judgement about sex partners.
• Fishing and hunting: Very strong hunter-fisher-gatherer culture.
• Vices: Due to the feral nature of the pack, drugs and alcohol are not easily available. As a result, the most common vice is sex, but it's not really punished or looked down upon, so the pack does not consider it to be a vice.
• Luck and superstition: Mentioning ghosts and supernatural occurrences is seen childish and funny, not unlucky.

2.1  Outsider Relations & Travel

Travel

Due to the pack's somewhat remote location compared to 'Souls, it's not easily accessible to trading. It engages primarily with the packs of Lac Sakami and Auclair. Through their dealings with Lac Sakami, they know of Salluit, but also know that it is quite far north and would never bother going there.

Rivière-aux-Graines has attempted a few trading delegations with Lac Sakami, but generally lacks the interest in maintaining it.

Outsiders

Members of Rivière-aux-Graines are taught to be obedient to the Alpha Female to ensure cohesiveness and unity in the pack. Dissent is not typically tolerated, so outsiders are typically treated with suspicion, but not as a threat, as there is an assumption that a single unknown individual could never disrupt the peace and harmony of the pack. Since the Alpha Female is willing to drive out dissenting members, the greatest threat would be a former member, not an unknown outsider.

3.  Structure

3.1  Leaders

Ruled by an Alpha Female in a matriarchal, oligarchical society. She may take a mate, but the matriarchal lineage is far more important than patriarchal. An Alpha Female's mate does not assume a rank by virtue of their mateship. An Alpha Female rules the pack and is aided by her Advisors. While the Advisors are typically women, it is not impossible for a male to achieve the rank of Advisor; it is, however, unlikely.

3.2  Law & Justice

The Alpha Female upholds the law and metes out justice. In some cases, the delivery of justice may fall to one of her Advisors, but this is only in rare circumstances. Due to the small size of the pack, distribution of justice to others is not typically necessary.

4.  Members

• Alpha Female: Raphaelle Vataire
• Advisors: Rosalie Douzon, Laurance Vataire
• Skilled Ranks:
  • Puppysitter: Ysabet del Fraysse
  • Warriors: Elodie Faustin, Sebienda Faustin
• Honoured Elders: Anguera del Fraysse
• Subordinates: Alamanda Faustin, Henri Hilaire, Adhemar Vataire

4.1  Significant Families

• del Fraysse/ Aston: Ysabet del Fraysse grew up and raised her two children in the pack: Beatriç and Francesch
• Vataire: the Alpha Female's family for the most recent three generations
• Douzon: the Alpha Female's family for the previous two generations

5.  Status

Classification: Open

Rivière-aux-Graines is an open territory. This means that you can create a character that originated from this pack or passed through it without needing to request permission.

If you want to make big changes to the pack (e.g., a leadership or territory change), please get in touch with Tammi! And if you have any questions about the pack, please feel free to ask!

• Creator: Tammi

6.  Notes & References

¹ Five Good Reasons to Visit Minganie, Québec by the Sea ⇑

² Regional Flavours: Cloudberries, Québec by the Sea ⇑

³ Rivière au Tonnerre, Québec by the Sea ⇑

⁴ Réserve faunique de Port-Cartier-Sept-Îles, Québec by the Sea ⇑

⁵ Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Québec by the Sea ⇑

⁶ Wildlife Observation, Québec by the Sea ⇑

⁷ Wildlife Observation ⇑

⁸ Cult of Reason, Wikipedia ⇑