Lupata

The Lupata (singular: Lupata) are a wolf-like [Packfolk]] race which are commonly found all throughout Howl Basin, especially the Packland Prarie, which is largely their traditional territory, along with the Wolverton Foothills. The structure of Lupata communities give both the Packfolk generally and the Packlands their name. If the Lagos are the typical workaday folk of the basin, the Lupata are the most iconic polity of the Basin when viewed from the outside - wide-ranging, semi-nomadic, and fiercely protective of who and what they consider to be their own. It is a small wonder that every child of the wider world thinks of Howl Basin and a Lupata rancher or ranger in the same thought.

History

The Lupata are natives of the Basin, but also most of the wider world, so individual Lupata may have originated in the basin homelands of Packland Prarie or Wolverton Foothills, or might be of a more exotic Lupata bloodline from much further afield. Lupata take their heritage and history extremely seriously, often able to recite litanies of their more famous ancestors, and packs of Lupata soldiers are part of the history of the formation of the Federation. Though an inherently predatory and carnivorous race, the Lupata abandoned the hunting and eating of Folks much earlier in their history than other races and helped champion the ban on the practice in Federal law.

Culture

Art and Architecture

Lupata are necessarily a wandering people, best comfortable when well afield, and many live accordingly, favouring a lifestyle of practical ornamentation and portable shelter. Those who build permanent dwellings (a not-insignifcant minority - see for example the city of Grafton) tend to do so in the typical architectural style of the Basin more generally - essentially, after the Lagosi or Hivefolk fashions.

The Pack

If the Lagosi central cultural object is the extended family and the analogous construct for the Adler is the nuclear family, the Lupata's most important social construct is that of the Pack. Packs are named by their constituent members by general consensus, and made up of multiple individuals, oftentimes as few as 4 or as many as 20, usually from multiple bloodlines. Everyone who travels with the pack and is Lupata is considered part of the pack; children, grown adults, or the elderly alike. Pack members split all duties and rotate through tasks as needed by the pack, including leadership; the woman calling the shots on Thursday might very well be countermanded on Monday by a new member, depending on who is feeling assertive and what is actually at issue.

At various points throughout the year, Lupata packs will "shuffle". Members from two or more packs will switch places with one another, or individuals from different packs, especially those freshly entering adulthood, will strike off on their own to join another pack or form a new pack of similar individuals. This is seen as a good and healthy progression of pack life.

It is rare, but not unheard of, for cosmopolitan or even traditionalist Lupata packs to adopt non-Lupata members. This is especially true of Lupata work crews, and especially those concerned with the herding, ranging, and long-distance driving of cattle. These sorts of well-travelled Lupata are aware that the important quality of a pack member is the appropriate attitude rather than the appropriate genetics.

Language

The Lupata language is broadly known by all the Packfolk, at least well enough to recognize it, and involves an angular script of a similar practical nature to Quillon language, but unique to itself. Lupata are also possessed of a large vocabulary of "trail signs" which they mark their paths and territory with, able to convey simple information about hazards ahead, direction the pack is currently travelling in, or the presence or absence of material resources like water, game, or other food sources.

There is a sublanguage within Lupata proper known as Lupata Howl; this is the "Howl" for which the basin is named and is a stripped-down language made suitable for very long distance communication, conveying limited information. All Lupata learn to understand Howl at a young age and most learn how to do it for themselves by their adolescent years. Many other species within the Basin also learn to at least understand the language, even if they can't themselves use it.

Food

"The right way to rob a movin' train is to stop it first."

- Anonymous Lagos Bandit

This article or section alludes to information that is under active development and subject to change.

Like their cousins, the Lagos, the Lupata are an argrarian people; however, their agriculture moves with them. Lupata trade heavily in cattle of all kinds - goats, sheep, and cows primarily - selling them off for slaughter and using them to buy other foodstuffs. Their diet is therefore necessarily rich in meat, though they are omnivores and have a particular taste for eggs, fruits, and legumes. For foods they cannot immediately consume in full they have a variety of preservation methods that leave them with a product that is shelf-stable for extended periods.

Religion and Spirituality

Lupata, especially those native to the basin, tend not to be especially religious. Their church is the pack and their hymn is the howl and their litany of ancestors. A few adopt religion when exposed to it and are no more or less faithful than followers of any other faith.

Science and Technology

For technology to become broadly accepted into Lupata society, it needs to be reliable, portable, and serve a necessary purpose. Lupata have been quick to warm to the firearm but less quick about adopting steam engines, preferring to rely on horse power, though this is of course somewhat different for those Lupata who have settled down in the cities.

Either way they tend to be net consumers of technological products rather than counting large volumes of inventors and craftspeople among their numbers. The craftsperson in Lupata packs who do specialize in technology tend to be focused on its repair and maintenance, since workshops of almost any kind travel poorly.

Entertainment

"The right way to rob a movin' train is to stop it first."

- Anonymous Lagos Bandit

This article or section alludes to information that is under active development and subject to change.

Society

There are a few broad overlaps in most of Lupata society regardless of where they're from. Lupata of all strata of social class, wealth, and occupation can be found, from simple plains goatherds to narrowly specialized academics to outlaw adventurers.

The Pack mentality rules regardless of where Lupata originate and where they have settled. For this reasons, Lupata who have left their parent packs or been born into urban life tend to view their other social relationships as at least pack-like. It's common for Lupata neighbourhoods to congregate. In major cities, sometimes a single brownstone apartment block can come to see itself as one pack. In other areas, two or more rival Lupata packs might try to assert their own dominance over "Wolf Town".

This packish nature is often exploited when Lupata become company men, with the Company trying to ensure that their Lupata employees see themselves as part of the pack - a difficult exploit, given that packs usually have a much flatter hierarchy than your usual enterprise structure allows. When done successfully, however, it can make for a loyal - and thereby valuable - employee.

Howler Lupata

Howler Lupata, being those whose families have been in the Basin before the Basin was considered part of the Frontier, are, to some, synonymous with the basin, though they are far from ubiquitous, mostly found in and around Packland Prarie, their traditional herdlands.

"Comer" Lupata

By comparison, Lupata who either migrated into the Basin themselves or were born to those who had are considered "Comer" Lupata. They tend to be a bit more adventurous than their native cousins and have a higher chance of being found in more cosmopolitan communities.

Physiology

General Body Plan

Lupata are an anthropoid species, on average between 1.6 to 2 metres tall, with fully furred bodies and the heads and tales of wolves. Their thick coat permits more than enough thermoregulation to allow their body mass to be lean muscle, and tends to be shed in the spring and autumn, transitioning between summer and winter coats.

Lupata tails are a strong body language signal and are necessary for the full nuance of verbal communication in the Lupata language, and so Lupata fashion necessarily always exposes them.

Gameplay Mechanics

"The right way to rob a movin' train is to stop it first."

- Anonymous Lagos Bandit

This article or section alludes to information that is under active development and subject to change.

Base Aptitudes

Lupata characters have +1 Strength, +1 Hardiness, and -2 Analysis when applying their initial aptitudes during character creation. Lupata characters are no dumber than characters of any other type, but their cultural methodologies place greater emphasis on intuitive solutions than "paperwork problem-solving".

Heritage Trait

"The right way to rob a movin' train is to stop it first."

- Anonymous Lagos Bandit

This article or section alludes to information that is under active development and subject to change.

All Lupata have the Strength of the Pack (Heritage Trait) property.

Lagos may also select any one of the following secondary heritage traits:

• Lupata Far-Ranger (Heritage Trait) - Some Lupata have greater experience than others at operating without the immediate support of their pack, as forerunners or scouts. These Lupata trade their Survival (Skill) value for the appropriate connection score when using their Strength of the Pack ability.
• Bare-Fanged Brawler (Heritage Trait) - A Lupata with this ability has been trained in the appropriate use of their species' prodigious jaws in combat and gains an additional bite attack which is used through the Unarmed (Skill). Since this trait is taken at character creation, they also use their Strength for the basis of their Intimidation (skill) score, rather than presence, if strength is higher.
• Full Moon Birth (Heritage Trait) - Lupata born under the astrological full moon recover Willpower-derived pools at double their usual rate.