Behaviour
Table of Contents
Specifics and differences occur according to culture. What occurs in one Luperci culture may not necessarily be the case in a different one; these are simply guidelines for the most basic of Luperci packs, and they also exist to give players an idea how advanced Luperci may be.
Pack Life
Given that Luperci are shapeshifting wolves, Luperci packs don't tend to differ from traditional wolf packs. The primary difference between Luperci and non-Luperci packs is the potential for more humanized lifestyles with the Luperci. Less feral Luperci packs may resemble a village; all members may live in houses, cabins, or cottages, with a fenced perimeter.
Territory
Luperci give in groups of five to twenty-five members and maintain similarly-sized territories. Luperci sometimes occupy areas with less prey due to their increased ability to hunt. Luperci boundaries are clearly marked, though in addition to scent marks, Luperci may also leave intricate visual symbols as markers. Luperci are not above signs and fences -- Inferni is notorious for its skull-lined borders.
Hierarchy
Like normal wolves, Luperci maintain structural hierarchies. The specifics of these depend largely on the individual group. The more humanized the group, the less strict the hierarchy tends to be, though this isn't always the case. Usually, an alpha or alpha pair will still maintain dominance over the rest of the pack, and the Luperci will still participate in shows of dominance and submission.
Hierarcy is determined much in the same way -- posturing is important. Dominance is expressed with a completely erect stance, a raised tail, erect ears, and eye contact. Submission is expressed in a hunched stance, tucked tail, and folded ears.
Unlike wolves, Luperci squabbles are occasionally deadly. A Luperci who severely violates the pack's rules may find him or herself killed, as opposed to merely reprimanded or exiled.
Hunting
Luperci hunt slightly differently than wolves. Both Optime and Secui are more likely to hunt alone, as their physical superiority to a Lupus form allows for it. The Secui form can outrun and overtake prey, while the dexterous Optime form allows use of weapons. Like the typical wolf, however, even Luperci prefer the sick and old to the young and healthy.
Luperci packs are more successful than non-Luperci packs when hunting in groups -- while a pack may hunt with only one successful hunt in twenty, Luperci may take prey every five attempted hunts. In keeping with wolf tradition, werewolves may be nomadic and follow herds through a large territory.
The eating habits of Luperci also differ. Some enjoy cooked meat, although their digestive systems are always capable of digesting raw meat. Most eat in the same manner as wolves -- gorging on as much as twenty pounds of meat in one sitting. Like the wolf, the Luperci is capable of going long periods without eating substantial amounts of food.
Humanization
'Souls
The extent to which a Luperci has adopted a human-like lifestyle depends entirely on the individual and their background culture. At 'Souls, there is a pretty even mixture of Luperci who remain quite "wolfy," and those that have chosen to live more advanced lifestyles. Many 'Souls Luperci are most comfortable in their Lupus forms, and do not know how to read or write, but some prefer to live in houses or cabins, whether human-built or newly-built, wear clothing, and are fully literate.
Elsewhere
A more humanized lifestyle has become widespread in Europe and Russia. Luperci originating from such areas may be wholly accustomed to living under roofs, reading and writing, tending livestock, and using tools and weaponry. Luperci from populous areas may be accustomed to a broader hierarchy similar to a feudal system. Slavery and systems of servitude may occur.
Economy
Economies are primarily gift or barter economies, where characters trade services or goods, or give them freely with the knowledge and assumption that such goods will be repaid in kind eventually. Wealth is generally not held in currency or items of aesthetic value: "wealth" is typically judged by having items of rarity or usefulness, such as:
Books, paper, working human items (not electric or battery-powered, but older technologies still in working order), exotic raw materials not native to the area (e.g., spices or healing herbs from non-native plants, large elephant or whale bones would be valuable as raw material for carving, and in areas where large bones are hard to come by, they'd be even more valuable), items made for Luperci or customized for Luperci (e.g., many human clothes would be too small for larger Luperci; clothes tailored for their frame would be valuable)
Technology
Most technology is equivalent to middle ages. Luperci generally cannot use electric or battery-powered items; such technology does not exist. Luperci can wield many human weapons; see Weapons for more.
Clothing
Clothing is entirely optional to the Luperci -- whether he chooses to wear a trenchcoat or walk around with nothing, either is acceptable. Luperci can wear anything that fits; most cut a tail-hole in pants and shred them beneath the knees to allow for their shorter lower legs and digitigrade feet. Most Luperci clothing is scavenged from what humans have left behind, which is generally in poor condition, though some more advanced Luperci societies may have found ways to create their own.
Luperci should remove their clothing before shifting back to smaller forms to avoid being tangled in too-large clothing once in a smaller form. Clothing doesn't magically appear or disappear when shifting!