The Philadelphia Pack
Structure
The pack is essentially a large family. Every person has their specific role to play in the entire mix. The alphas lead them and take care of the pack. Some wolves like Daisy and Holden are protective of the pack territory. Others like Ellie tend to provide some measure of emotional support to the rest of the pack. There's a part for everyone to play in the grand scheme of the pack's operations.
In practice, although the pack has two alphas, Astrid runs things day to day, while Archy is more of a war leader, generally in charge when they rush to battle. He's been trying to be a hero in the city, to get out ahead of the trouble coming for them. It's not been entirely successful.
Culture
The pack's culture is a strange mix of isolationism and proactive defense. Wherever possible, the pack will reduce their contact with the rest of civilization. Their home for example, is well isolated and easily defended against intruders. Yet at the same time, they're deeply invested in the region, with a mix of ownership and management in businesses, local politics. The wolves monitor the area for local supernaturals, particularly major threats that may expose them or endanger them. They have kept a tight grip on the vampires for decades.
This mix of defensiveness and isolation stems from two major areas of fear: that they may wolf out and injure someone they care about or harm the pack and that humanity may rise up against them. The first one keeps them from their families and makes them cautious within the city. If they're not careful, they could easily draw attention to themselves. The latter is the result of bad history, from colonial-era witch hunts to the pack's fairly diverse make up. They don't trust anyone outside the pack. All it takes is one slip up for them to get wiped out.
There is a slight doomsday-prepper attitude among the pack. Some research into their origins, of werewolves in general, suggests their very species was created to fight in massive wars. They've made it as far back as Nordic-history. They have a general belief that one day, the pack, and many other packs, will be involved in a battle comparable to Ragnaroc. Whether that will happen in their lifetimes or not, they don't know. Given that nearly the entire past century has been spent with the risk of nuclear war hovering over the world, the expectation of a Ragnaroc-grade battle is not without reason.
Assets
The pack has significant business and equipment assets. From a business perspective, they own a number of restaurants around the Philadelphia area. There are several smaller businesses run and backed by the wolves, a few small shops and the like. They've managed to have some significant investments in the stock market as well. Essentially it's all resources to ensure they can afford to survive near society reasonably safely.
From an equipment perspective, the pack has a few Army-Navy stores worth of surplus equipment. They have older, used Army equipment in the event of the end of the world. There's 5 Tons, a few HEMMTs, tents, guns, and a significant stockpile of silver based weapons. They even have autoinjectors to counteract silver poisoning, a chelation agent that will bind with and remove silver particles. These are generally kept closely guarded in the event of actually needing all of them.
Demography and Population
The wolves own essentially an entire forest west of Philadelphia. The area is occupied by their safehouse and has various wolf-owned and occupied houses around it's perimeter. Lee has a house at their border. The area has a number of scary stories going around town about people disappearing. It's essentially all orchestrated by the wolves to ensure no human in their right mind ever wants to set foot there.
The nearest human-area is a Lancaster Town about 7 miles from the woods. The rest of their neighbors are all farmers, mostly Amish with large fields. A few of them have some belief about the pack's existence, but that stems from old superstitions. None of them are willing to enter the woods or risk a confrontation.
Military
The pack can be considered to be a private army in their own right. They're well armed, damn near unkillable, extremely well united, well trained, and they have been protecting themselves for centuries. During the events of Battle Island, they brought the total of their force to bear against the villains and other criminals on the island, with fairly devestating results. In the future, they were the backbone of the efforts to tear down the Demon-Possessed Lab. They're a small army, ready to take on anything.
Religion
The wolves have been described as a cult at times. It's not necessarily an inaccurate description. They seperate themselves out from humanity and they hold beliefs that don't match up with the existing bulk of the population. Some within the pack cling to their old religion, whether Christian, Muslim, Buddist, or something else entirely. A fair few find ways of rationalizing what they are, with the teachings of their faith in some way. Others view themselves as monstesr with no path to heaven or their afterlife. Most have at least comitted the sin of murder as a result of their changing. It's not something most religious groups would be proud of
At large, the pack's long history has included many near-religious beliefs, superstitions, and holidays. They've retained some days to remember and celebrate the pack's survival. They've form some sense of spirituality around the moon, outdoors, and nature. It's a natural result of how their lycanthropy effects them, how their instincts perceive nature now. They can't help but feel the way they do and try to explain it, codify it, understand it some how. Some of what they feel is a bubbling dread for the end of the world.
Regardless, all in the pack have some reasonable agreement on their lycanthropy and its purpose. They've dug up bits of history that lead a weak trail to the first wolves. The whole pack believes something will either come for them one day, or that they'll be dragged into an apocalyptic war. There's evidence that the first wolves were Viking Berserkers, an unstoppable army. There's some indications that the early berserkers were a prototype, a trial run, for something bigger, meaner, and stronger. Using viking battles to practice for bigger and badder battles.
Founding Date
1600
Type
Secret, Brotherhood
Alternative Names
The Pack
Demonym
Wolves
Leader
Leader Title
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Related Plots
Mostly Neutral
No-Contact
War
No Friendly Relations
Given the events of October Rebellion, the pack is decidedly unfriendly towards the Vampires. it is unclear who currently leads the vampires, after the seeming death of all three leading parties. Formal diplomatic relations have not been re-established.
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