Setting

The world of Ardent is set on two continents, which are connected by a sandbridge, as well as a collection of islands - these continents are called Boreas and Auster. Boreas is a much larger continent, while Auster is smaller, only discovered in the Summer of Year 4 after a massive storm ravaged the lands and revealed a sandbridge connecting the two.

Although Boreas and Auster are unconnected except to one another, it is assumed that other lands are accessible by water for wolves to freely travel to and from. There is no set lore for the worlds beyond Boreas and Auster, and you are free to have your characters come from whatever kind of world you choose, so long as it reasonably fits into Ardent's general lore.

Time Period

Ardent is set in the far future, long after humans have gone extinct - and while some have heard of them in tales, they are largely things of the past. No living wolves have ever met humans. Only faint remnants of them are left behind, in trinkets that are found scattered and buried about the lands, and in the few remaining structures of theirs that nature has begun to take over.

Climate & Weather

The weather in Ardent is a bit more extreme than in the real world. The continents of Boreas and Auster have a much wider range of weather than usual.

In Boreas, the far north generally replicates arctic weather, while the lands in western Boreas are far more desert-like; likewise, the south and east of Boreas are generally more mild through all the seasons, the coastlines nearing tropical weather in the late spring and summer seasons.

In Auster, however, the weather is much different. Auster's climate is generally much milder, with snow being a rarity no matter the time of year. The seasons are nearly the opposite here - autumn is the equivalent of Boreas' spring season, bringing plentiful foliage and prey, while winter is the warmest time of all (though also can bring droughts some years!).

Plot

Ardent has no site-wide plot, though occasionally events might occur that affect many or all of the characters on the site. Players are free to create their own plots and drama as they wish. Many of the largest site plots have included things like pack takeovers, raids and sieges, and large fights!

Many of the original characters from the site's beginning came to Boreas when a volcano erupted and destroyed their previous home.

Detailed Site History

Our site's story officially began when a large population of wolves was forced to flee their homelands following a volcanic eruption. Though Boreas had long since been populated, it became significantly more so following this mass exodus. These lands represented a new beginning for the wolves that had made the long journey here, and it quickly became their home.

In the site's beginning, there were five original packs that had fled from their previous homelands: Valhalla, Glaciem, Tortuga, Lentajin, and Seracia. Ludicael was formed shortly after wolves began to settle into these new lands.

Valhalla was an lightly aligned pack, originally led by Cairo Adravendi and Guinevere Adravendi. Following her death and the volcano's subsequent eruption, Collision (Cairo's adopted son) came to rule Valhalla in their new lands. Glaciem was a peaceful, close-knit northern pack, originally ran by Crusade, daughter to Drake and Clash, though passed to her brother Gargoyle upon their arrival in these new lands. Tortuga was a more secretive, darkly-aligned pack, offering refuge for outcasts and killers alike, originally ran by Nnoitra. Lentajin was a female-run pack run by Sade, where males were treated as subordinates. Finally, Seracia was a more traditional royalty-based Kingdom, led by Gerhardt and Adette.

Year 1 : The Age of New Beginnings

In the Spring of Year 1, Valhalla remains a powerful force, though true peace is a short-lived dream at best. When one of Cairo Adravendi's adoptive sons Neo, feeling like a black sheep in his family, leaves Valhalla and joins Tortuga - divulging pack secrets in the process - tensions quickly spill over. Collision meets a spy named Cyanide, and learns that his adoptive brother Neo has divulged pack secrets to the darkly-aligned Tortuga. Collision and Cyanide form a plan, and Collision challenges Tortuga for claim of Cyanide, while Chrysanthe Adravendi challenges Tortuga for her adoptive brother Neo. Valhallaa comes out victorious, taking both Cyanide and Neo home. Not everyone agrees with Neo being taken as a slave, though Collision stresses it necessary as Tortuga is now an official enemy to Valhalla.

Luckily, Valhalla does not seem at dire risk, as they maintain a powerful alliance with Glaciem as well as the Kingdom of Seracia. The cost?  An arranged marriage between Chrysanthe, Cairo's daughter, and Maverick, the daughter of Gerhardt of Seracia, which is announced to the pack at the same time Epiphron is announced as the new alpha of Valhalla beside Collision. Unrest within the pack only rises when Collision steps down as second leader and is replaced by by a man named Icarus. Likewise, Epiphron announces her plans to hand her rule to Chrysanthe and wed Maverick of Seracia in her place.

Tensions seems to be brewing in other parts of the continent, with family ties and pack loyalties beginning to unravel. A woman named Newt challenges Sade for the throne of Lentajin, and emerges the victor, slaying her in the process and delivering her heart as proof of her victory. Rumors spread of Newt's cruelty and her penchant toward claiming slaves in The Battlefield, though ruling Lentajin with Kaios at her side, she gains as many allies as she does enemies. Before long Lentajin and Tortuga become allied, though Nnoitra of Tortuga is admittedly wary of her partner Kaios's reputation for violence. Unrest grows in Tortuga as Kaien and Morphine rule together, and they discuss their future. After some changes, Tortuga ends up being ruled by Nnoitra and Desdemona, who come to Valhalla to declare their intentions of neutrality, in spite of past events.

In the Winter of Year 1, Gargoyle's Glaciem is challenged for by Eos Adravendi, formerly of Valhalla, though she has since abandoned all ties to the Adravendi line. Meanwhile, Newt has renamed Lentajin to Amenti, and her co-ruler has been up to no good, having raped a woman named Medusa who becomes romantically involved with Jupiter, the ruler of Ludicael. In retaliation, Medusa challenges Newt for her pack - and wins - while Jupiter challenges Kaios, her rapist, to death and also comes out victorious.

Tensions in Tortuga are just as high, with Morphine challenging Cyanide to death for her disloyalty. Only Valhalla and Seracia seem to experience a season of peace, Valhallans adjusting to life under Chrysanthe's rule, while Seracian wolves travel to Valhalla's packlands to celebrate a wedding between Epiphron and Maverick. Ties between these two packs grow stronger than ever as Epiphron and Maverick return to Seracia.

Back in Seracia, the mental health of the Queen, Adette, grows uncertain as the season goes on. Ultimately a fight breaks out between her and her husband and King, Gerhardt, ending in Adette's death as Gerhardt fights to protect his family and Kingdom. The pack is handed to Maverick and his new wife Epiphron, who soon announce the arrival of their first litter.

Year 2