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mapsontheweb · 9 months

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The expansion of the Roman Empire to AD 117.

by Undevicesimus

From its humble origins as a group of villages on the Tiber in the plains of Latium, Rome came to control one of the greatest empires in history, reaching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Tigris and from the North Sea to the Sahara Desert. Its extensive legacy continues to serve as a lowest common denominator not only for the nations and peoples within its erstwhile borders, but much of the modern world at large. Roman law is the foundation for present-day legal systems across the globe, the Latin language survives in the Romance languages spoken on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and beyond, Roman settlements developed into some of Europe’s most important cities and stood model for many others, Roman architecture left some of history’s finest manmade landmarks, Christianity – the Roman state religion from AD 395 – remains the world’s dominant faith and Rome continues to feature prominently in Western popular culture… Rome rose in a geographically favourable location: on the left bank of the Tiber, not too far from the sea but far enough inland to be able to control important trade routes in central Italy: southwest from the Apennines alongside the Tiber, and from Etruria southeast into Latium and Campania. In later ages, the Romans always had much to tell about the founding and early history of their city: tales about the twin brothers Romulus and Remus being raised by a she-wolf, the founding of Rome by Romulus on 21 April 753 BC and the reign of the Seven Kings (of which Romulus was the first). According to Roman accounts, the last King of Rome – Tarquinius Superbus – was expelled in 510 BC, after which the Roman aristocracy established a republic ruled by two annually elected magistrates (Latin: pl. consulis) with the support of the Senate (Latin: senatus), a council made up of the leaders of the most prominent Roman families. Often at odds with their neighbours, the Romans considered military service one of the greatest contributions common people could make to the state and the easiest way for a consul to gain both power and prestige by protecting the republic. The Romans booked their first major triumph by conquering the Etruscan city Veii in 396 BC and went on to defeat most of the Latin cities in central Italy by 338 BC, despite the Celtic sack of Rome in 387 BC. Throughout the second half of the fourth century BC, the republic expanded in two different ways: direct annexation of enemy territory and the creation of a complex system of alliances with the peoples and cities of Italy. Shortly after 300 BC, nearly all the peoples of Italy united to stop Roman expansion once and for all – among them the Samnites, Umbrians, Etruscans and Celts. Rome obliterated the coalition in the decisive Battle of Sentinum (295 BC) and thus became the strongest power in Italy. By 264 BC, Rome controlled the Italian peninsula up to the Po Valley and was powerful enough to challenge its principal rival in the western Mediterranean: Carthage. The First Punic War began when the Italic people of Messana called for Roman help against both Carthage and the Greeks of Syracuse, a request which was accepted surprisingly quickly. The Romans allied with Syracuse, conquered most of Sicily and narrowly defeated the Carthaginian navy at Mylae in 264 BC and Ecnomus in 256 BC – the largest naval battles of Antiquity. Roman fleets gained a decisive victory off the Aegates Islands in 241 BC, ending the war and forcing the Carthaginians to abandon Sicily. Taking advantage of Carthage’s internal troubles, Rome seized Sardinia and Corsica in 238 BC. Rome’s frustration at Carthage’s resurgence and subsequent conquests in Spain sparked the Second Punic War, in which the Carthaginian commander Hannibal crossed the Alps and invaded the Italian peninsula. The Romans suffered massive defeats at the Trebia in 218 BC, Lake Trasimene in 217 BC and most famously at Cannae in 216 BC where over 50,000 Romans were slain – the largest military loss in one day in any army until the First World War. However, Hannibal failed to press his advantage and continued an increasingly pointless campaign in Italy while the Romans conquered the Carthaginian territory in Spain and ultimately brought the war to Africa. Hannibal’s army made it back home but was decisively defeated by Scipio Africanus at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC, securing Rome’s hard-fought victory in arguably the most important war in Roman history. Firmly in command of much of the western Mediterranean, Rome turned its attention eastwards to Greece. Less than fifty years after the Second Punic War, Rome had crushed the Macedonian kingdom – an erstwhile ally of Hannibal – and formally annexed the Greek city-states after the destruction of Corinth in 146 BC. That very same year, the Romans finished off the helpless Carthaginians in much the same way, burning the city of Carthage to the ground and annexing its remaining territory into the new province of Africa. With Carthage, Macedon and the Greek cities out of the way, Rome was free to deal with the Hellenic kingdoms in Asia Minor and the Middle East, the remnants of Alexander the Great’s empire. In 133 BC, Attalus III of Pergamum left his realm to Rome by testament, gaining the Romans their first foothold in Asia. As the Romans expanded their borders, the unrest back in Rome and Italy increased accordingly. The wars against Carthage and the Greeks had seriously crippled the Roman peasants whom abandoned their home to campaign for years in distant lands, only to come back and find their farmland turned into a wilderness. Many peasants were thus forced to sell their land at a ridiculously low price, causing the emergence of an impoverished proletarian mass in Rome and an agricultural elite in control of vast swathes of countryside. This in turn disrupted army recruitment, which heavily relied on middle class peasants who were able to afford their own arms and armour. Two possible solutions could remove this problem: a redistribution of the land so that the peasantry remained wealthy and large enough to be able to afford their military equipment and serve in the army, or else allowing the proletarian masses to enter military service and make the army into a professional body. However, both options would threaten the position of the Roman Senate: a powerful peasantry could press calls for more political influence and a professional army would bind soldiers’ loyalty to their commander instead of the Senate. The senatorial elite thus stubbornly clung to the existing institutions which were undermining the republic they wanted to uphold. More importantly, the Senate’s attitude and increasingly shaky position, in addition to the growing internal tensions, created a perfect climate for overly ambitious commanders seeking to turn military prestige gained abroad into political power back home. Roman successes on the frontline nevertheless continued: Pergamum was turned into the province of Asia in 129 BC, Roman forces sacked the city of Numantia in Spain that same year, the Balearic Islands were conquered in 123 BC, southern Gaul became the new province of Gallia Narbonensis in 121 BC and the Berber kingdom of Numidia was dealt a defeat in the Jughurtine War (112 – 106 BC). The latter conflict provided Gaius Marius the opportunity to reform his army without senatorial approval, allowing proletarians to enlist and creating a force of professional soldiers who were loyal to him before the Senate. Marius’ legions proved their efficiency at the Battles of Aquae Sextiae in 102 BC and Vercellae in 101 BC, virtually annihilating the migratory invasions of the Germanic Cimbri and Teutones. Marius subsequently used his power and prestige to secure a land distribution for his victorious forces, thus setting a precedent: any successful commander with an army behind him could now manipulate the political theatre back in Rome. Marius was succeeded as Rome’s leading commander by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, who gained renown when Rome’s Italic allies – fed up with their unequal status – attempted to renounce their allegiance. Rome narrowly won the ensuing Social War (91 – 88 BC) and granted the Italic peoples full Roman citizenship. Sulla left for the east in 86 BC, where he drove back King Mithridates of Pontus, whom had sought to benefit from the Social War by invading Roman territories in Asia and Greece. Sulla marched on Rome itself in 82 BC, executed many of his political enemies in a bloody purge and passed reforms to strengthen the Senate before voluntarily stepping down in 79 BC. Sulla’s retirement and death one year later allowed his general Pompey to begin his own rise to prominence. Following his victory in the Sertorian War in 72 BC, Pompey eradicated piracy in the Mediterranean Sea in 67 BC and led a campaign against Rome’s remaining eastern enemies in 66 BC. Pompey drove Mithridates of Pontus to flight, annexed Pontic lands into the new province of Bithynia et Pontus and created the province of Cilicia in southern Asia Minor. He proceeded to destroy the crumbling Seleucid Empire and turned it into the new province of Syria in 64 BC, causing Armenia to surrender and become a vassal of Rome. Pompey’s legions then advanced south, took Jerusalem and turned the Hasmonean Kingdom in Judea into a Roman vassal as well. Upon his triumphant return to Rome in 61 BC, Pompey made the significant mistake of disbanding his army with the promise of a land distribution, which was refused by the Senate in an attempt to isolate him. Pompey then concluded a political alliance with the rich Marcus Licinius Crassus and a young, ambitious politician: Gaius Julius Caesar. The purpose of this political alliance – known in later times as the First Triumvirate – was to get Caesar elected as consul in 59 BC, so that he could arrange the land distribution for Pompey’s veterans. In return, Pompey would use his influence to make Caesar proconsul and thus give him the chance to levy his own legions and become a man of power in the Roman Republic. Crassus, the richest man in Rome, funded the election campaign and easily got Caesar elected as consul, after which Caesar secured Pompey’s land distribution. Everything went according to plan and Caesar was made proconsul of Gaul for five years, starting in 58 BC. In the following years, Caesar and his legions systematically conquered all of Gaul in a war which has been immortalised in the accounts of Caesar himself (‘Commentarii De Bello Gallico’). Despite fierce resistance and massive revolts led by the Gallic warlord Vercingetorix, the Gallic tribes proved unable to inflict a decisive defeat on the Romans and were all subdued or annihilated by 51 BC, leaving Caesar’s power and prestige at unprecedented heights. With Crassus having fallen at the Battle of Carrhae against the Parthians in 53 BC, Pompey was left to try and mediate between Caesar and the radicalised Roman proletariat on one side and the politically hard-pressed Senate on the other. However, Pompey had once been where Caesar was now – the champion of Rome – and ultimately chose to side with the Senate, realising his own greatness had become overshadowed by Caesar’s staggering military successes and popularity among the masses. When Caesar’s term as proconsul ended, the Senate demanded that he step down, disband his armies and return to Rome as a mere citizen. Though it was tradition for a Roman commander to do so, rendering Caesar theoretically immune from any senatorial prosecution, the existing political situation made such demands hard to meet. Caesar instead offered the Senate to extend his term as proconsul and leave him in command of two legions until he could be legally elected as consul again. When the Senate refused, Caesar responded by crossing the Rubicon – the northern border of Roman Italy which no Roman commander should cross with an army – and marched on Rome itself in 49 BC. Pompey and most of the senators fled to Dyrrhachium in Greece and assembled their forces while Caesar turned around and conducted a lightning campaign in Spain, defeating the legions loyal to Pompey at the Battle of Ilerda. Caesar crossed the Adriatic Sea in 48 BC, narrowly escaping defeat by Pompey at Dyrrhachium and retreating south. Pompey clumsily failed to press his advantage and his forces were in turn decisively defeated by Caesar at the Battle of Pharsalus on 6 June 48 BC. Pompey fled to Egypt in hopes of being granted sanctuary by the young king Ptolemy XIII, who instead had him assassinated in an attempt at pleasing Caesar, who was in pursuit. Ptolemy XIII was driven from power in favour of his older sister Cleopatra VII, with whom Caesar had a brief romance and his only known son, Caesarion. In the spring and summer of 47 BC, another lightning campaign was launched northwards through Syria and Cappadocia into Pontus, securing Caesar’s hold on Rome’s eastern reaches and decisively defeating the forces of Pharnaces II of Pontus, who had attempted to profit from Rome’s internal strife. Caesar invaded Africa in 46 BC and cleared Pompeian forces from the region at the Battles of Ruspina and Thapsus before returning to Spain and defeating the last resistance at the Battle of Munda in 45 BC. Caesar subsequently began transforming the Roman government from a republican one meant for a city-state to an imperial one meant for an empire. Major reforms were required to achieve this, many of which would be opposed by Caesar’s political enemies. This was a problem because several of these people enjoyed significant political influence and popular support (cf. Cicero) and while none of them could really challenge Caesar individually and publicly, collectively and secretly they could be a serious threat. To render his enemies politically impotent, Caesar consolidated his popularity among the Roman masses by passing reforms beneficial to the proletariat and enlarging the Senate to ensure his supporters had the upper hand. He then manipulated the Senate into granting him a number of legislative powers, most prominently the office of dictator for ten years, soon changed to dictator perpetuus. Though widely welcomed by the masses, Caesar’s reforms and legislative powers dismayed his political opponents, whom assembled a conspiracy to murder him and ‘liberate’ Rome. The conspirators, of whom Brutus and Cassius are the most famous, were successful and Caesar was brutally stabbed to death on 15 March 44 BC. Caesar’s death left a power vacuum which plunged the Roman world into yet another civil war. In his testament, Caesar adopted as his sole heir his grandnephew Gaius Octavius, henceforth known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian, in English). Despite being only eighteen, Octavian quickly secured the support of Caesar’s legions and forced the Senate to grant him several legislative powers, including the consulship. In 43 BC, Octavian established a military dictatorship known as the Second Triumvirate with Caesar’s former generals Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus. Caesar’s assassins had meanwhile fled to the eastern provinces, where they assembled forces of their own and subsequently moved into Greece. Octavian and Antony in turn invaded Greece in 42 BC and defeated them at the Battles of Philippi. Octavian, Antony and Lepidus then divided the Roman world between them: Octavian would rule the west, Antony the east and Lepidus the south with Italy as a joint-ruled territory. However, Octavian soon proved himself a brilliant politician and strategist by quickly consolidating his hold on both the western provinces and Italy, smashing the Sicilian Revolt of Sextus Pompey (son of) in 36 BC and ousting Lepidus from the Triumvirate that same year. Meanwhile, Antony consolidated his position in the east but made the fatal mistake of becoming the lover of Cleopatra VII. In 32 BC, Octavian manipulated the Senate into a declaration of war upon Cleopatra’s realm, correctly expecting Antony would come to her aid. The two sides battled at Actium on 2 September 31 BC, resulting in a crushing victory for Octavian, despite Antony and Cleopatra escaping back to Egypt. Octavian crossed into Asia the following year and marched through Asia Minor, Syria and Judea into Egypt, subjugating the eastern territories along the way. On 1 August 30 BC, the forces of Octavian entered Alexandria. Both Antony and Cleopatra perished by their own hand, leaving Octavian as the undisputed master of the Roman world. Octavian assumed the title of Augustus in January 27 BC and officially restored the Roman Republic, although in reality he reduced it to little more than a facade for a new imperial regime. Thus began the era of the Principate, named after the constitutional framework which made Augustus and his successors princeps (first citizen), commonly referred to as ‘emperor’, and which would last approximately two centuries. Augustus nevertheless refrained from giving himself absolute power vested in a single title, instead subtly spreading imperial authority throughout the republican constitution while simultaneously relying on pure prestige. Thus he avoided stomping any senatorial toes too hard, remembering what had happened to Julius Caesar. Augustus and his successors drew most of their power from two republican offices. The title of tribunicia potestes ensured the emperor political immunity, veto rights in the Senate and the right to call meetings in both the Senate and the concilium plebis (people’s assembly). This gave the emperor the opportunity to present himself as the guardian of the empire and the Roman people, a significant ideological boost to his prestige. Secondly, the emperor held imperium proconsulare. Imperium implied the emperor’s governorship of the so-called imperial provinces, which were typically border provinces, provinces prone to revolt and/or exceptionally rich provinces. These provinces obviously required a major military presence, thereby securing the emperor’s command of most of the Roman legions. The title was proconsulare because the emperor enjoyed imperium even without being a consul. The emperor furthermore interfered in the affairs of the (non-imperial) senatorial provinces on a regular basis and gave literally every person in the empire the theoretical right to request his personal judgement in court cases. Roman religion was also brought under the emperor’s wings by means of him becoming pontifex maximus (supreme priest), a position of major ideological importance. On top of all this, the Senate frequently granted the emperor additional rights which enhanced his power even more: supervision over coinage, the right to declare war or conclude peace treaties, the right to grant Roman citizenship, control over Roman colonisation across the Mediterranean, etc. The emperor was thus the supreme administrator, commander, priest and judge of the empire – a de facto absolute ruler, but without actually being named as such. It is worth noting that Augustus and most of his immediate successors worked hard to play along in the empire’s republican theatre, which gradually faded as the centuries passed. The most important questions nonetheless remained the same for a long time after Augustus’ death in AD 14. Could the emperor keep himself in the Senate’s good graces by preserving the republican mask? Or did he choose an open conflict with the Senate by ruling all too autocratically? Even a de facto absolute ruler required the support and acceptance of the empire’s elite class, the lack of which could prove to be a serious obstacle to any imperial policies. The relationship between the emperor and the Senate was therefore of significant importance in maintaining the political work of Augustus, particularly under his immediate successors. The first four of these were Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero – the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Tiberius was chosen by Augustus as successor on account of his impressive military service and proved to be a capable (if gloomy) ruler, continuing along the political lines of Augustus and implementing financial policies which left the imperial treasuries in decent shape at his death in AD 37 and Caligula’s accession. Despite having suffered a harsh youth full of intrigues and plotting, Caligula quickly gained the respect of the Senate, the army and the people, making a hopeful entry into the Principate. Yet continuous personal setbacks turned Caligula bitter and autocratic, not to say tyrannical, causing him to hurl his imperial power head-first into the senatorial elite and any dissenting groups (most notably the Jews). After Caligula’s assassination in AD 41, the position of emperor fell to his uncle Claudius who, despite a strained relationship with the Senate, managed to play the republican charade well enough to implement further administrative reforms and successfully invade the British Isles to establish the province of Britannia from AD 43 onward. But the Roman drive for expansion had been somewhat tempered after Augustus’ consolidating conquests in Spain, along the Danube and in the east. The Romans had practically turned the Mediterranean Sea into their own internal sea (Mare Internum or Mare Nostrum) and thus switched to territorial consolidation rather than expansion. However, the former was still often accomplished by the latter as multiple vassal states (Judea, Cappadocia, Mauretania, Thrace etc.) were gradually annexed as new Roman provinces. Actual wars of aggression nevertheless ceased to be a main item on the Roman agenda and indeed, the policies of consolidation and pacification paved the way for a long period of internal peace and stability during the first and second centuries AD – the Pax Romana. This should not be idealised, though. On the local level, violence was often one of the few stable elements in the lives of the common people across the empire. Especially among the lowest ranks of society, crimes such as murder and thievery were the order of the day but were typically either ignored by the Roman authorities or answered with brute force. Moreover, the Romans focused on safeguarding cities and places of major strategic or economic importance and often cared little about maintaining order in the vast countryside. Unpleasant encounters with brigands, deserters or marauders were therefore likely for those who travelled long distances without an armed escort. At the empire’s frontiers, the Roman legions regularly fought skirmishes with their local enemies, most notably the Germanic tribes across the Rhine-Danube frontier and the Parthians across the Euphrates. Despite all this, the big picture of the Roman world in the first and second centuries AD is indeed one of lasting stability which could not be discredited so easily. The real threat to the Pax Romana existed not so much in local violence, shady neighbourhoods or frontier skirmishes but rather in the highest ranks of the imperial court. The lack of both dynastic and elective succession mechanisms had been the Principate’s weakest point from the outset and would be the cause of major internal turmoil on several occasions. Claudius’ successor Nero succeeded in provoking both the Senate and the army to such an extent that several provincial governors rose up in open revolt. The chaos surrounding Nero’s flight from Rome and death by his own hand plunged the empire into its first major succession crisis. If the emperor lost the respect and loyalty of both the Senate and the army, he could not choose a successor, giving senators and soldiers a free hand to appoint the persons they considered suitable to be the new emperor. This being the exact situation upon Nero’s death in AD 68, the result was nothing short of a new civil war. To further add to the catastrophe, the civil war of AD 68/69 (the Year of Four Emperors) allowed for two major uprisings to get out of hand – the Batavian Revolt near the mouths of the Rhine and the First Jewish-Roman War in Judea. Both of these were ultimately crushed with significant difficulties, especially in Judea where Jewish religious-nationalist sentiments capitalised on existing political and economic unrest. Though the Romans achieved victory with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the expulsion of the Jews from the city, Judea would remain a hotbed for revolts until deep into the second century AD. The fact that major uprisings arose at the first sign of trouble within the empire might cause one to wonder about the true nature of the Pax Romana. Was it truly the strong internal stability it is popularly known to be? Or was it little more than a forced peace, continuously threatened by socio-economic and political discontent among the many different peoples under the Roman yoke? Though a bit of both, the answer definitely leans towards the former hypothesis. While the Pax Romana lasted, unrest within the empire remained limited to a few hotbeds with a history of resisting foreign conquerors. Besides the obvious example of the Jewish people in Judea, whose anti-Roman sentiments largely stemmed from their unique messianic doctrines, large-scale resistance against the Romans was scarce. It is true that the incorporation and Romanisation of unique societies near the empire’s northern frontiers led to severe socio-economic problems and subsequent uprisings, most notably Boudica’s Rebellion in Britain (AD 60 – 61) and the aforementioned Batavian Revolt near the mouths of the Rhine. Nevertheless, it is safe to assume that the Pax Romana was strong enough to outlast a few pockets of rebellion and even a major succession crisis like the one of AD 68/69. The Year of the Four Emperors ultimately brought to power Vespasian, founder of the Flavian dynasty (AD 69 – 96) and architect of an intensified pacification policy throughout the empire. These policies were fruitful and strengthened the constitutional position of the emperor, not in the least owing to the fact that Vespasian’s sons and successors Titus and Domitian were as capable as their father. However, their skills did not prevent Titus and especially Domitian from bickering with the senatorial elite over the increasingly obvious monarchical powers of the emperor. In the case of the all too authoritarian Domitian, the conflict escalated again and despite his competent (if ruthless) statesmanship, Domitian was murdered in AD 96. A new civil war was prevented by diplomatic means: Nerva emerged as an acceptable emperor to both the Senate and the army, especially when he adopted the popular Trajan as his son and heir. Thus began the reign of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty (AD 96 – 192). Having succeeded Nerva in AD 98, Trajan once more steered the empire onto the path of aggressive expansion, leading the Roman legions across the Danube to crush the Dacians and establish the rich province of Dacia in AD 106. Subsequently, the Romans seized the initiative in the east, drove back the Parthians and advanced all the way to the Persian Gulf (Sinus Persicus). Trajan annexed Armenia in AD 114 and turned the conquered Parthian lands into the new provinces of Mesopotamia and Assyria in AD 116. Trajan died less than a year later on 9 August AD 117, his staggering military successes having brought the Roman Empire to its greatest extent ever…

#maps #Undevicesimus #roman empire #117

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nicolewoo · 27 days

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Cub: Chapter 21: Taking care of business

Chapter 21

Pairing: Roman Reigns X Reader

Synopsis: Roman, Seth and Dean are a pack of werewolfs. Protecting their city from the scumbags of the world ends up with a surprise when a victim left for dead imprints on Roman Reigns.

Roman’s POV: I caught Renee in her bedroom folding laundry. “Hey!”

She turned to see me. “What’s up?”

“I’m wondering if you can do me a favor?” I said as I walked farther into the room.

Renee nodded, turning back to the pile of clothes in front of her. “Whatcha need?”

I folded my arms in front of me as I leaned against a wall. “Cub needs a dress for Saturday night. Do you think you could take her shopping? Buy a dress, shoes, purse… whatever she needs? I was also hoping you’d spoil her with like a mani, pedi, spa day. She deserves a massage.” I mused.

“Of course, I’ll take her shopping, but the spa is a bad idea while she is still adjusting to her wolf senses.”

I hadn’t thought of that. “Makes sense” I answered.

“How spoiled should I make her?” Renee asked.

I knew Cub was listening to the conversation through our link, and I didn’t want her to hear this part, so I blocked her for a second. I hated to do that, but I knew she’d protest what I was about to say, “If she likes it… buy it…. All of it.” I unblocked my mate.

What are you doing? Cub asked through our link.

Just spoiling my sweet Cub. I laughed when she got frustrated.

“You’ve spoiled me enough already.”

“It will never be enough.”

She came down the stairs in a very simple, very sexy Red Satin dress. The shiny material sliding over her curves as she glided down the stairs. I couldn’t help but think how I couldn’t wait to slide my hands over those same curves. Her makeup was perfect. Becky had done an amazing job with her hair too.

I greeted her as she came to the bottom. “You look like a goddess. Absolutely beautiful.” I held my hand out to her as she reached the last step.

“Thank you.” She was embarrassed by my compliments. She definitely needed more spoiling. “You look amazing too.” She raked her eyes over me hungrily, and I couldn’t stop the growl of desire that came out.

“Whoa! Cool off Ro. You’ll end up missing the whole night.” Seth said as he came in, fastening a cufflink. I could think of other ways to stay entertained tonight, but she’d gone to all this trouble to look so stunning for me. She didn’t need the dress, the hair or the makeup to look stunning in my eyes, but I did appreciate the effort.

Dean came in the room now scrolling through his phone. “Cub, you look gorgeous!” he said when he looked up. She smiled slightly and thanked him.

Once Becky and Renee came down, we left for dinner.

The Crow’s Nest had a view of Anchorage from above, and I’d reserved us a private room with a view to the East.

“Dr. Reigns, Dr. Ambrose, Dr. Rollins, Dr. Lynch and my favorite, Miss Renee.” The maître de was really pouring it on thick for us. He took Renee’s hand when he said her name and kissed the back of it. “Oh, but who is this beautiful young woman? Could it be the Cub we’ve all heard so much about?”

Cub sniffed, confirming her suspicion that the maître de was a wolf. “Yeah baby. His name is Kordon.”

“It is a pleasure, Cub.” Kordon shook hands with Cub.

“It’s nice to meet you.” She answered.

Kordon turned back to his job, grabbing menus and leading us through the restaurant. “Your special table is ready for you.”

“Thank you.” I said.

She loved everything from the décor to the rich food to the company. We laughed at stories from our past and tried to get her to talk about her past, but she didn’t want to, and that was fine. Not tonight. Tonight was about spoiling her, and as she laughed along with us, I could feel that she felt loved. She felt appreciated. She felt joy.

After dinner, we stopped at the condo so everyone could change, and Dean picked up his equipment. Seeing Cub slip off her shoes, I came to unzip the back of her dress; allowing my fingertips to graze across the soft skin as I slid the zipper down.

This time, she was the one who growled. “In a couple of hours.” I assured her. “Gotta support Dean.” She agreed.

We found our seats right in the front row. She took in the sights and sounds of the arena with the same enthusiasm as at the restaurant. It was all so new to her, and I loved being the person who got to show her.

Seth and Becky had stayed behind to get snacks, and now they came toward us with popcorn and drinks. “Hope you like butter.” Becks said.

“OOOhhhh Yes Please!” Cub said as she took the offered popcorn bag. We settled into our seats. Seth quickly handed Cub some ear plugs and sunglasses.

“What would I do without you?” She thanked him.

“Probably get a headache” He chuckled as she put the plugs in and the sunglasses on. I felt her relax as the ear plugs expanded, blocking more noise.

Wrestling was new to Cub. Her parents hadn’t allowed her to watch it growing up. Even with the ear plugs and sunglasses, I was afraid all the lights and sounds would be too much for her new senses, and as I scanned her, I felt the pain and tension they caused, but Cub was determined to support Dean. Becky had some Ibuprofen, and I gave Cub some to help, but it would burn off soon. It’s all I could do for now.

Cub watched the show enthusiastically, admiring the athletes and what they could do. When Dean started making his way through the crowd and into the ring, Cub was the loudest cheerer, and Renee wrapped an arm around her happily.

“It might get scary. Dean can do some crazy things. Just remember, he’s a wolf, and he’ll be fine.” Renee said to reassure Cub.

Cub nodded her agreement, but still had a bit of hesitation about it. I leaned in close to her, kissing her head for reassurance.

Dean and his opponent, Drew, brought the house down. By the end of the match, both wrestlers were bloody and bruised. Dean had broken his ankle, and wrestled the last 5 minutes in terrible pain, but he looked out into the crowd, scanning until his eyes met Cub’s. Quietly, he whispered “I’m ok. Just need to morph, and I’ll be fine.”

Cub took a deep breath and tried to relax. It still bothered her, but once Dean had been helped backstage he morphed into wolf form and healed. His relief helped Cub to relax too.

Why does he do that to himself? Cub asked through our link, but she knew. She and Dean had developed a special bond….. a bond that comes from growing up in dysfunctional homes. A bond that comes from never being shown love and acceptance. For Dean, that included physical violence as well as emotional. In fact, having Cub around had helped him feel more accepted and loved. Like, only someone who’d been broken as a child could understand his darkness.

Cub thought to herself that she wanted to ask Dean how a wolf ended up getting abused. Foster homes? Addicted parents? The family unit was so strong in wolves that abused children almost never happened. Dean was different though. Dean had fallen through the cracks.

It’s his story to tell, baby girl. He’ll tell you when he’s ready; just as I suspect you’ll tell him your story when the time is right. She hadn’t really thought about that. We knew my pack wanted to know about her childhood, but it wasn’t until now that I realized she’d have to tell them about it. It made me anxious just thinking about it. There’s no hurry. When you’re ready. I kissed the top of her head again.

“Roman?” Filemu’s voice chirped from my phone. “How are you? How is Cub?”

“Tribal Chief, we are doing great. How can I help you?” I asked.

“Given the circumstances, you having to leave Samoa so soon, I was wondering how you two would feel if a few of us came to visit. We were not able to teach Cub as much as we wanted. Now that your airports are open again, we can come to you this time.”

I hesitated. I had Tuesday and Wednesday off work and was hoping to run away for a romantic trip. Cub needed peace and quiet.

“Roman? Is something wrong?” Filemu asked.

I sighed. “I was actually hoping to get away with Cub for a couple of days. She’s been surrounded by people for weeks, and I think she could use a break.”

“OH! That sounds like a good thing for her. What days were you thinking of going?” Filemu asked.

I quickly focused on Cub’s mind to see what she thought of all of it. She was still adjusting to her senses and her new strength. I looked down at my arm where she had clawed it open in the throes of passion last night. It had healed, but she’d felt so bad about it. Add to that the fact that she was going to be changing without being sedated soon. She wanted the tribe here for that. She resigned herself to putting off our little get away until next week. Thank you, sweetie. I told her.

“Cub and I will get away next week.” I answered.

“Are you sure?” The tribal chief asked.

I agreed. “She’d like her tribe to be here when she does her first change without sedatives.”

Filemu sounded excited. “We thought she would have already done that. We would love to be there to support her. We’ll get a flight lined up and be there in a few hours.”

“Thank you Tribal Chief.” I said.

Roman had set the meeting for lunchtime, and Paul was quick to offer to bring lunch. I had caught glimpses of Paul through Roman’s head, but nothing clear. Now, as I opened the door, I wished I knew.... I wasn’t prepared....

He looked like a walrus! He was short, stout, balding, and a skin condition discolored parts of his face. I had assumed he was a wolf until I saw him, but the man in front of me was obviously not a wolf, and a quick sniff confirmed it. “You must be Ms. YLN. It’s an honor to meet you.” He said, shaking my hand. “How are you?” Everyone asked this question, but this man’s sincerity and ample smile made my thoughts of his looks flee my mind.”

“I’m good. Come on in.” I opened the door wide to let Paul and someone else in. I motioned to set the bags down on the counter. “I’m Paul Heyman. This is my associate, Michael Cole. “

“It’s a pleasure.” Michael said with the same sincerity as Paul.

A quick sniff confirmed that Michael was a wolf. I was a little surprised, and Roman thought “talk about that later.”

“But Paul isn’t in the best health. The tribe won’t let him become a wolf?” I thought.

“He doesn’t want it.” Roman replied. “I’m coming down now.”

A second later, Roman joined us and greetings were exchanged. There was some light chit chat about sports as we went to the dining room, and our guests started laying out the food.

Once we were all settled and started eating, it was Michael who started. He handed me a manila envelope. “So, what we have here is your paperwork and your cards. When I pulled the contents out, he began to explain. “We replaced the driver’s license you lost in the mugging. We also updated your address with the state of Alaska. You now officially live at Roman’s hunting cabin.” I was impressed by what they’d done without needing my help. Michael reached for the next bunch of papers; revealing a passport. “Here’s your passport.”

I was even more shocked. Were they forging federal documents now? “Don’t you need my signature or something?”

Paul and Michael smiled in amusement, but Roman answered. “They used the signature on your last drivers license.”

Oh. Ok. “Is that legal?” I asked out loud; eliciting new smiles from our guests.

“Baby,” Roman cooed as he put his hand on my leg “with enough money, everything is legal.” Now everyone laughed. “Ok. Lets keep going.”

Michael moved the passport aside, revealing a thick stack of cards bound together “these are your credit cards.” He’d said it so offhandedly I knew this was no big deal to these guys, so I just said thanks, but I thought “all these?” Roman chuckled.

“Here are your bank accounts,” Mr. Cole said as he flipped through the papers. “This one is just yours. I almost fainted when the balance came into view. 10 million!!!! “This isn’t my bank account.”

“No. I hope you don’t mind, but we closed your account, and consolidated your money with the tribal money and some of Roman’s money.”

“Tribal money?” I asked.

Paul was the one to answer now. “Every member of the tribe inherits $4 million from the tribe at birth. That money is put in a trust. At 16, tribe members begin receiving a small stipend each month. At 18, that stipend grows, and at 23 they receive full control of their money. Now, usually, the tribe members have earned interest while they grow up. We calculated the interest we think you would have earned and included it in your account.”

“And I threw in some mad money for you.” Roman added.

I….. me…. The girl who grew up poor as dirt. Me, myself had $10 million. But then again, it wasn’t my money really. It was the tribe’s money and Roman’s.

“It’s yours now, baby. You earned it.” Roman thought as he kissed my temple.

We ate, casually talking about vacations we wanted to take, the location of our dream home and family. Mr. Hayman didn’t start his portion of the meeting until after we’d finished our amazing lunch and cleared the table. Paul had taken the time to set up his laptop.

“Ok, I guess I get the fun part.” He smiled at Mr. Cole. He turned to me. “Ready to see your assets?” He was excited. I just nodded. “Your net worth,” He pointed at the screen “Is right here.”

I couldn’t talk. Couldn’t think! I had expected a few million. To find that Roman was worth 3 Billion floored me.

Heyman continued. “These are your joint assets. As you can see the total net worth is $3,577,476,875.68. Let’s break that down for you.” He continued to direct our eyes over the information. “Here we have the business portfolio. I’m happy to report that most of your business ventures flourished this quarter. We had one poorly performing IPO. This is…” He paused to put on his glasses and pointed at the screen again. “This was an up and coming computer security company. The owner’s wife died. In the aftermath, the company suffered.”

Roman interrupted Paul’s thoughts. “Do you have faith in this owner?”

“Absolutely,” Michael said. “You have been a silent partner on 3 other businesses he runs.”

Roman nodded curtly. “Do me a favor. Call the owner. Ask him how I can help. If he needs a manager, or time…. If you guys believe in him, I do too.”

My heart soared. My amazing mate cared more about the person than the money!

“I’ll take care of that today.” Michael assured and wrote himself a note.

“So, you profited $12 million this quarter from your business ventures.” I was never going to get used to this kind of money! “Your investment portfolio did fairly well; going up 3%,” Roman nodded casually. Paul continued. “Your liquid assets are currently at $5,892,446.93. Your non liquid assets add up to….”

He pointed back to the net worth of $3 BILLION!!!!! Roman was a billionaire! “So are you baby” Roman thought.

“I don’t know how to be a billionaire.” I meant to think it, but ended up saying it out loud.

All three men laughed lightly. “We’ll teach you how.” Roman answered. “How about retirement?”

The mood of the room changed quickly. “Well… see….” Paul started stammering. “We have started the process, but the Yupik pack is still on their tour.”

Michael jumped in now. It was obvious he wasn’t as afraid to give us bad news. “As it sits now there are already four packs on their tour. That’s usually the max we can handle and still have the staff we need at hospitals.”

“

The meeting went on. Roman had to decide which non-liquid assets to sell so that he could have enough assets to build our dream home and go on our world travel. He was selling 5 boats, 3 houses and a boat load of land around the world and 5 of his businesses. By the end of the meeting my head was swimming with impossible numbers. Real people didn’t talk about BILLIONS. Normal people thought in thousands… maybe millions. Hell, in my life I’d never had over 3 thousand dollars at one time, and that included tax refunds.

Our guests went back to their offices once the meeting was done, but Roman invited them to join us for family dinner at the hotel Sunday, their families too.

Note from the author: Part 22 is already partially written!

@mindofasagitarius @lclb13 @serenityfiretrash @lustyromantic @reigns-5sos @bigpsychicbagelauthor @omg-im-such-a-masochist @marlananicole @wickedsunfire @starwithaheart @spookys-girl @pitlissa22 @snowpanda18 @thesamoanqueen @sassginaswanmills

#seth rollins #roman reigns #roman reigns fanfiction #becky lynch #dean ambrose #john moxley #renee paquette

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the-frozen-tea-cabinet · 5 months

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DAY 21:

I killed a wolf with a revolver. Yippie. I also made rabbit gloves. Today was a cook day. I had lots of raw meat sitting around so I cooked it all, I also made some broth and boiled some water. I got kinda bored so I wanted to take another shot at killing Dish ( the stupid bear ). So the morning after the cook day I left the cabin before the sun rose and waited. I found a wonderful vantage point were Dish couldn't get me, but where I could get a clear shot. AND I KILLED HIM THE REIGN OF DISH IS OVER RAHHHHHH!!!

But now what do i do.

#the long dark #the long dark black bear

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skinnyscottishbloke · 6 months

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Some housekeeping of shows I want to watch over the winter. More below the cut.

SHOWS TO FINISH

1. Black Sails (2/4)

2. Peaky Blinders (5/6)

3. Brooklyn 99 (5/8)

4. The Mentalist (4/7)

5. Justified (3/6)

6. The West Wing (3/7)

7. Sex Education (3/4)

8. Cold Case (4/7)

9. OUAT (6/7)

10. MI-5/Spooks (4/10)

11. ANTM (22/24)

12. Outlander (6/8)

13. Grace and Frankie (5/7)

SHOWS TO WATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME

1. Ted Lasso

2. Our Flag Means Death

3. Foundation

4. Staged

5. Young Royals

6. *continue DT’s filmography*

7. Love Victor

SHOWS I’VE STARTED BUT WILL (PROBABLY) NEVER FINISH

1. Reign

2. Agents of Shield

3. The 100

4. Friends

5. House

6. Arrow

7. Queer As Folk (US)

8. Weeds

9. How to Get Away with Murder

10. Attack on Titan

SHOWS I’M CURRENTLY WATCHING/ RE-WATCHING

1. Buffy (via reaction)

2. Leverage (w/ Rowan)

3. Fellow Travelers (currently airing)

4. Good Omens (via reaction)

5. DW (13’s seasons)

6. catching up on Taskmaster (s08-11, s13-16)

7. catching up on Drag Race (Mexico s01, Brazil s01, UK s05, Germany s01)

SHOWS I HAVE SEEN ALL OF THAT ARE DONE

1. The Tudors (4/4)

2. The White Queen/The White Princess/The Spanish Queen/The Serpent Queen (all 1/1)

3. Buffy (7/7)

4. Angel (5/5)

5. Pillars of the Earth (1/1)

6. HIMYM (9/9)

7. Psych (8/8 + movies)

8. Bones (11/11)

9. Broadchurch (3/3)

10. North and South (1/1)

11. BBC Merlin (5/5)

12. BBC Robin Hood (3/3)

13. Downton Abbey (6/6 + movies)

14. Sense8 (2/2 + special)

15. Jessica Jones (2/2)

16. Daredevil (3/3)

17. The Defenders (1/1)

18. Luke Cage (2/2)

19. Iron Fist (2/2)

20. Game of Thrones (8/8)

21. BBC Sherlock (yes it’s done LOL) (4/4)

22. ATLA (3/3)

23. LOK (5/5)

24. Vicar of Dibley (3/3)

25. OG Gossip Girl (6/6)

26. Leverage (5/5)

27. Versailles (3/3)

28. Veronica Mars (3/3 + movie + reboot)

29. Firefly (1/1 + movie)

30. Castle (8/8)

31. 1995 P&P (1/1)

32. Glee (6/6)

33. Agent Carter (2/2)

SHOWS I’M CURRENT ON BUT ARE STILL ONGOING

1. Heartstopper (2/?)

2. Good Omens (2/ prob 3)

3. Wheel of Time (2/?)

4. Rings of Power (1/?)

5. Drag Race US (15/?)

6. Drag Race All Stars (8/?)

7. Leverage: Redemption (2/?)

8. Queer Eye (7/?)

SHOWS I’VE HEARD OF BUT NEVER WATCHED MORE THAN AN EP OR 2 (AND PROBABLY WON’T)

1. Supernatural

2. any of the Star Treks

3. Breaking Bad

4. NCIS

5. JAG

6. Dexter

7. Chuck

8. Grey’s Anatomy

9. Community

10. The Office (UK or US)

11. Parks and Rec

12. Orange is the New Black

13. Black Mirror

14. Sons of Anarchy

15. One Piece

16. Dragon Ball Z

17. Full Metal Alchemist

18. The Vampire Diaries

19. The OC

20. Dawson’s Creek

21. Gilmore Girls

22. Teen Wolf

23. 24

24. Emily in Paris

25. CSI

26. 911 or any spin offs

27. Scrubs

28. Family Guy

29. The Simpsons

#gratuitous text post #tv #damn that is a fuckton of things to catch up on #and a fuckton of things I’ve watched #what’s bad is I’ve done multiple rewatches of bones and buffy and sense8 and good omens and heartstopper #when what I really should be doing is finishing shows!!!

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tomorrowsunrise · 16 days

Note

i would LOVE to hear you infodump about any of the things on your list :)

OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU

The impacts of foraging on ecosystems:

so I just listened to this really interesting podcast about white sage in California and how the people who like sell it for pagan rituals are not only appropriating Native American culture but also decimating the landscapes the sage comes from (shoutout to ologies!) and like human demands for food and fish meal are in many cases in direct competition with forage needs of marine mammals, birds and piscivorous harvested fish. Globally, harvest of forage species such as sardines, anchovy, herring and euphausiids (or krill) total approximately 30 million tonnes and account for sbout 30% of global fisheries landings which is crazy

scuba diving

I just went Scuba Diving for my dive master certificate which was really cool! I really enjoyed exploring the underwater wonders of Great Keppel Island, and I got to see fish, turtles, pelagics, rays, and some awesome kelps!!!! There was a really cool seagrass meadows that I got to explore

books of any sort

my to-read:

The four humors

71/2 deaths of Evelyn hardcastle

Conversations with RBG

The water dancer

The reign of wolf 21

The Promised Land

A Separate Peace

Anger Is A Gift

Blood Water Paint

Every Day

Homecoming- Cynthia Voigt

Long Way Down

My Sister’s Keeper

Sadie

Scythe

The Clay Lion

The Hate U Give

The Marrow Thieves

The Raven Boys

This Savage Song

Elatsoe

Belle revolte

summer bird blue

Sawkill girls

bioethics (omg designer babies??? chickens with teeth??? eliminating genetic disorders???)

omg George church post recall

bread

I love bread

#woodsrambles #don’t read all this lol

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trevlad-sounds · 5 months

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Tuesday 21 November Mixtape 398 “Hidden Place EXCLUSIVE” Ambient Drone Electronic Experimental Space Tuesdays & Saturdays. Support the artists and labels. Don't forget to tip so future shows can bloom.

Trevlad Sounds-Welcome in you wonderful listener 00:00

CV Vision-Error I00II0 00:31

Christian Fiesel-Nothing Left To Say, No Regrets, Just A Quiet Place 00:54

Coda Nautica-Chant 03:23

Sebastian Mullaert, Eitan Reiter-Enter The Spiral 10:13

2xirtam-Time 18:12

arovane-September 25:10

Correlations-AUTUMN SONG 25:55

Benge-Todays ARP2500 31:34

Wojciech Golczewski-The Puppets Dream 34:34

Salvatore Mercatante-l'aqua 38:20

Floresta Oblíqua-Asteroid Paranoid 44:14

Curved Light-Disappearing Through The Passage Of Time 49:43

John Louis Kluck-Fragile Space 52:46

Martin Stürtzer-Trisolar 58:07

Pete Bassman-Wolf Eater 1:06:40

Twenty Three Hanging Trees-Ultime déroute 1:11:25

HAWKSMOOR-Splendor Solis 1:17:05

Cold-Strobe Light Network 1:20:24

Naqada-Hidden Beam 1:35:04

Armand Torrx-Where Mountains Reign 1:44:28

Lyndsie Alguire-stolen kiss 1:46:34

Benn Jordan-Farther Out 1:48:07

The Irresistible Force-Magic Acid 1:49:47

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sergeantsporks · 4 months

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He’s just like me, fr

*Book is The Reign of Wolf 21 by Rick McIntyre, person quoted is Douglas Smith

#wolves #canids #war stories from the sergeant

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kopibihun · 1 year

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Can't believe there's discourse in the Yellowstone Wolves fandom

#bad boy energy #for context #That one post abt wolf Cinderella got me to read the book #And there is this one wolf named 302 who has a bad habit of flirting with Cinderella's kids and abandoning the pack whenever danger happens #But the writer had to be careful abt what he said to the visitors because some of them rlly like the wolf's #Lmaoooooo #Also the book is called reign of wolf 21 if ur curious #auds.txt

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notetaeker · 4 months

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January 4, 2024 - Thursday

Wrote notes for a presentation (halaqa) later this week. I had so much more fun handwriting my notes instead of just typing them up quickly. Will I be able ctrl-f and find stuff in my notes? No, but I really do feel like the info sticks with me more when I physically write it!

📖: The Reign of Wolf 21

#also today was so freaking cold #unbelievably so #studyblr #studyspo #notes

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scotianostra · 1 year

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27th March 1371 saw Robert II crowned at Scone.

The first of the Stewart kings of Scotland owed his throne to the fact that his mother, Marjorie, was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, who was King of Scots as Robert I from 1306.

The Stewarts, who were crucial Bruce allies, were the hereditary High Stewards of Scotland and Marjorie was the wife of Walter the Steward. Their son was said to have been born at Paisley Abbey, west of Glasgow, which his family had founded. His mother apparently fell from a horse and young Robert was born by a crude cesarean section which she did not survive. Some historians doubt this story but fail to offer any other story about how oor Robert came into this world, so we're going with that!

He was heir presumptive to Robert the Bruce, who had no male heirs, but in 1324 Bruce, aged almost 50 had a son named David, to his second wife Elizabeth de Burgh, who at 40 was older than most women of childbearing age back then. David, who under a peace treaty with the English in 1328 was married at the age of four to the seven-year-old sister of Edward III of England. David went on to be David II but the marriage to Joan of England was childless and the crown passed to Uncle Robert.

Before this Robert took the title High Steward of Scotland at age 10, after the death of his father in 1326. The next we hear of Robert 20 years later at the Battle of where King David II was captured was captured by the English, and our erstwhile High Steward of Neville’s Cross Is said to have ran away. David was held prisoner for over 10 years.

Robert the Steward had meanwhile served as regent in some of the years of David’s absence. Scottish chroniclers disagreed about his competence or lack of it, but he seems mainly to have protected his own interests and obstructed attempts to secure David’s release. Eventually a ransom of 100,000 marks was agreed, David though had difficulty paying this and seemingly agreed that Edward III of England, instead of money could take the throne of Scotland when he croaked it, the Scottish Parliament however ruled this out of hand, so when David died in 1371, aged 46, the 54-year-old Robert succeeded him as the nearest male heir.

King at last, Robert now began a successful reign. He knew how Scottish politics worked and he used effective methods to win over foes and keep the loyalty of Stewart supporters with grants of land, titles and official positions. He seems to have encouraged the chroniclers to praise Robert the Bruce’s achievements, to reflect well on the Stewarts. It was Robert II who asked John Barbour to write the epic poem "The Brus.

We all know how randy the Stewarts were and Robert was no different, hs keen appetite for sex had supplied him with a small army of children by two wives and numerous mistresses. There are said to have been more than 21 of them altogether.

The oldest of the children were now grown-up and well able to help. The oldest son, John, now in his thirties High Steward and Earl of Carrick, was the official heir to the throne and supervised much of the running of the regime. The next son, Robert, Earl of Fife, was also active and a third son, Alexander, known as the Wolf of Badenoch, was the government’s principal figure in the Highlands. Daughters came in handy for marrying to leading families to secure their backing. Isabella, for example, was married to one of the Douglases and Margaret to the Lord of the Isles.

Robert was 74 when he died at the castle he had built for himself at Dundonald, near Kilmarnock, and was buried at Scone. His eldest son John succeeded him as Robert III and the Stewart line was established for centuries to come.

#scotland #scottish #the stewarts #monarch #royalty #history

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hhoneyglasss · 11 months

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[FILE OPENED: SUNBOUND_ultraviolet_TEASER-IV]

So, You’ve Never Heard of Sunbound Wolves!

VOLUME I [DAHLIA VER.]

{Pamphlet written, provided, and distributed by the Department of Uniform Magical Practices (D.U.M.P). All sources courtesy of the Dahlia Academy for Magical Novices (D.A.M.N) Archival Library and Anya Buchanan, a sunbound wolf of the Shaw Pack.}

☀︎ Origin

Location: Nearly all sunbound wolves live in Aria, the magical realm.

Population: There aren’t many of them—there’s a central village in a plane of Aria where they are primarily located (there is no Elegian or Arian name for this village).

Recovery: Their numbers are still small due to most of them being wiped out during the Sol'Arya Dynasty.

☀︎ Abilities

Immortality: They are biologically immortal—however, they do not have this immortality until the Elegian age of 25. In order to gain their immortality, they have to consult the Oracle, an ancient deity located in the center of their village.

Shifting: Sunbound wolves have the ability to shift between a human and wolf form. On average, sunbound wolves are larger than moonbound wolves. Some sunbound wolves also have horns, similar to d(a)emons, but they are rare, usually only being seen on members of the Ruling House. — While in Aria, sunbound wolves are constantly in wolf-form and cannot shift into a human form.

Enhancement: All sunbound wolves are granted with enhanced speed, strength, and senses. However, these abilities are dulled while under the following circumstances: if they're in human-form, if they have not gained their immortality, and/or they are located in Elegy.

Charm: The Charm ability is possessed by all sunbound wolves, and it is similar to Trancing (see A Guide to Vampires! Volume I, chapter 23, pg. 21, section 23.2) in nature. Charm allows the user the ability to physically and mentally control the target receiver. Unlike Trancing or d(a)emons, sunbound wolves are not able to induce memory modification using Charm. Charm is less invasive and inherently weaker than Trancing. In Arian history, this ability was taught to sunbound wolves by moonbound vampires during the Sol'Arya Dynasty in order to protect them. It eventually evolved to take on its own name, abilities, and restraints.

☀︎ Weaknesses

Connection to the Sun: If a sunbound wolf does not have access to an Arian or Elegian Sun for an extended period of time, they will become more and more ill until death occurs.

Need for Human Sustenance: Since sunbound wolves are naturally in wolf-form, it costs them a different kind of energy to maintain a human-form in Elegy—a type of energy the Sun cannot provide. To remedy this, sunbound wolves also rely on human food and need the required nutrition of any other human to remain healthy.

Vulnerability: While they are immune to the effects of aging once they gain their immortality, they are still vulnerable to death by external causes.

Weakened Healing: Unlike moonbound vampires, sunbound wolves possess no enhanced ability to heal themselves while in Elegy and in their human form.

Weakened/Revoked Magical Abilities: If there is a circumstance in which a sunbound wolf is in Elegy under the Elegian age of 25, they are physically unable to use any of their magical abilities to their absolute fullest extent, including Charm. For reference, their overall powers are reduced to the same level as that of a weak Freelancer. This measure was put into place millennia ago in order to keep young wolves from hurting unempowered humans or themselves while in Elegy. On the other hand, if a sunbound wolf is in Elegy and is the Elegian age of 25 or older, then they have free reign over all of their abilities, albeit slightly weakened as mentioned before.

Blood: Sunbound wolf blood is harder to resist by moonbound vampires, meaning a sunbound wolf is put more at risk while possessing open wounds around moonbound vampires. If a sunbound wolf finds themselves in an altercation with a moonbound vampire for whatever reason, it is important for them to remain cautious.

Shades: Unlike d(a)emons, sunbound wolves are not immune to Shades. While Shades are not able to consume life force from them as quickly as they are able to to humans, they are still able to take life force from sunbound wolves in both Aria and Elegy.

☀︎ Relationships and Backgrounds with Other Races (Both Elegian and Arian)

Moonbound Vampires: You might be thinking, “Moonbound vampires and sunbound wolves are on complete ends of the magical race spectrum—shouldn’t their magical relationship be strained?” It’s quite the contrary, actually. Think of it like two opposite magnetic poles—they are naturally attracted to one another. This sentiment can be applied to relationships between sunbound wolves and moonbound vampires. For example, in a perfect world, moonbound vampires would have constant access to sunbound wolf blood, as sunbound wolf blood provides the most sustenance and nutrition for them. However, in order to somewhat remedy this issue, sunbound wolves living in Elegy are required to donate their blood to D.U.M.P blood banks in exchange for D.U.M.P services. — {More of their connected backstories will be provided in the next volume of this pamphlet}.

Moonbound Wolves: We can apply the opposite magnetic pole metaphor with the relationship between moonbound werewolves and sunbound wolves. Essentially, moonbound werewolves and sunbound wolves do not have a positive magical relationship. To provide an example, it is usually recommended by D.U.M.P specialists that sunbound wolves who move to Elegy should refrain from joining moonbound werewolf packs. However, some sunbound wolves go against this recommendation. — {Once again, events during the Sol'Arya Dynasty have caused a centuries-long rivalry that will be discussed in the second volume}.

Sunbound Vampires: Sunbound wolves’ relationship with sunbound vampires is slightly more muddied and not as clear as the two species mentioned above. Indifferent and cordial is the easiest way to describe their relationship in Aria, as sunbound wolves do provide energy for sunbound vampires to feed off of, but their relationship to one another does not extend far past that.

D(a)emons: D(a)emons and sunbound wolves rarely interact in Aria—lesser is known about Elegy. Their relationship is mostly neutral.

Empowered Humans: Neutral.

Unempowered Humans: Neutral.

☀︎ FAQs

“Are sunbound wolves ‘werewolves’?” — Sunbound wolves are not werewolves or wolf-shifters. Sunbound wolves are wolves, and their human form in Elegy takes energy from them instead of the other way around. If anything, sunbound wolves could technically be labeled as human shifters.

“Why haven’t I met or even heard of sunbound wolves before?” — Nearly all sunbound wolves continue to live in Aria—most only visit Elegy once in their lifetime. This is due to the fact that many sunbound wolves do not feel safe with the extreme prevalence of moonbound werewolves in Elegy.

“Are there any sunbound wolves in Dahlia?” — There are. There is Anya Buchanan, who was mentioned previously. There is also another sunbound wolf in the Shaw Pack, but they wish to remain unnamed at this time. So far, these are the only sunbound wolves we are aware of in Dahlia.

“How are sunbound wolves able to shift and use magic? Isn’t that impossible?” — It is not impossible, at least for Arian races. Sunbound wolves have both an extrinsic and intrinsic core, otherwise known as a bitrinsic core. This specialized core allows them to physically exert magic while retaining the ability to shift between human and wolf form. For reference, d(a)emons have a similar type of core.

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