TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pack Creation & Expansion

Characters are allowed to form new packs, given that those characters who seek to create a new pack meet the requirements to do so, and that our current pack count does not meet the maximum. There is currently a maximum of 12 packs on Ardent.

Pack creation is currently OPEN. We currently have 10 packs out of 12 pack slots.

Please see the thread here to apply for pack creation.

Members are also allowed to form bands. Band creation is currently OPEN.

The requirements to create a pack include 500 gems, 200 posts in count and a total of 5 followers (6 members total including the leader). This is discounted to 250 gems if you already have a band.

Followers do not include the following: Claimed wolves/prisoners, children under 1 year, or characters that you play.

The wolf looking to create this pack must have existed and not been set inactive for at least two months and posted at least 40 times in the last month, spread out over the entire month in a pattern of ten posts per week. Newly created packs should have their pages set up within a week or they will be disbanded; they also have two weeks immunity in which they may not be challenged for.

Your character must be one year or older to create a pack or hold an alpha position.

Please see the fighting guide here for requirements regarding pack challenges and claiming abandoned packs.

At any given time, packs need a minimum of 5 adult members (over the age of 1 year), 6 including the Alpha, not including claimed wolves/slaves, or your own characters. Packs who are challenged for have 2 OOC weeks of immunity should they win the pack and will have 2 weeks to gather the minimum of 5 followers. Should members fall below 5 adult members, then Alphas will have 2 OOC weeks to get their member count up before the pack will be disbanded.

Please note that in packs, there may only be a maximum of three members in Tier 1, and three members in Tier 2.

NOTE: You may only have 1 character who is a PRIMARY ALPHA, 1 character who is a SECONDARY ALPHA, and 1 character who is the LEADER OF A BAND at any given time. Provided you have no alphas, primary or secondary, you may have up to 2 band leaders!

A new pack can claim any territory in Ardent given that the territory is not currently occupied and the region is not already full. There are only four packs allowed to a region. Islands and subterranean lands are now permanently claimable.

When first creating a pack, you may only claim 1 free territory, while the second must be purchased. This also applies when you claim a disbanded pack, unless you keep enough members to support a second land. All lands in a pack territory must be touching on the map, whether side to side, top to bottom, or diagonally. There cannot be other lands between them. All lands that a pack claims must be within the same region regardless of whether they touch on the map.

When a pack is claimed or challenged for and won by the challenger, the challenger will receive 1 territory and as many territories as correspond with the population that chooses to remain and follow the new leader. For example: if 10 members choose to remain the new pack starts with 1 territory; if 25 members choose to remain the new pack starts with 2 territories, etc.

Each claimed land increases a pack's population cap by 13 members.

If a pack exceeds their member cap it causes negative events to be set in place. When the member cap is exceeded it is assumed that the some members of the pack will go hungry, given the overpopulation. Fertility is reduced by 50% and any member of the overpopulated pack has a 5 point deduction in any fight they participate in, assuming they are weak from being malnourished.

If a pack exceeds their member cap by more than 4 members even more severe consequences occur. Including a fertility reduction by 75% and a 7 point deduction in any fight any member of the overpopulated pack is involved in.

The most territories a pack may claim overall is 4 territories, with a member cap of 52 members.

A single extra territory can be purchased from the Gemstone Store.

When a losing pack is disbanded after a siege, the winning pack in a siege gains 1 additional territory.

A single extra territory can be gained by winning 5 initiated raids on other packs.

A single extra territory can be gained by completing the Pack Expansion Quest. Once the following objectives are complete, simply post in Maintenance with proof of the completed requirements as well as which land you are expanding into.

1. 12 passed Alpha Activity checks within the last 16 Alpha Activity checks.
2. Led by a Master Fighter, at least three other pack members (so four total) must drive off a large predator or a pack of predators (3 rounds from each participant) from the land they intend to expand into.
3. Led by a Master Hunter, at least three other pack members (so four total) must track and kill a large prey animal (3 rounds from each participant) on the land they intend to expand into. The prey animal must be something reasonable to this land.
4. Led by a Master Navigator, at least three other pack members (so four total) must explore the land (3 rounds from each participant) they intend to expand into. Make sure to explore and discuss notable features of the land!
5. Led by a Master Healer, at least three other pack members (so four total) must find and collect four different herbs (3 rounds from each participant) that could reasonably be found in the land you intend to expand into.
6. Led by a Master Intellectual, at least three other pack members (so four total) must come together and discuss the pack expansion (3 rounds from each participant). Note the potential challenges to expanding into a new territory, as well as the benefits and drawbacks.