YOLO XOLO

I want a Mexican Hairless Dog (Xoloitzcuintle) but it's no fun to play a non-wolf species alone so I wanted to see if anyone else would be interested in playing one of these dogs. The breed comes in a coated variety for those who find hairless dogs icky but could possibly be tempted to play a coated one! This is just an interest check for now so if you might be tempted to adopt post and let me know!

THE STORY
A tsunami caused by Mount Volkan's eruption has washed members of an isolated Xolo (show-lo) dog tribe onto Obsidian Beach! The journey aboard a wooden platform turned life raft was long and harrowing, and many individuals didn't make it. Imagine their relief when land came into view! However, life in Boreas will be very different from life on the island. The native canines are massive and hairy, with fur even the coated Xolos find outrageously plush. They speak a language that sounds vaguely familiar but is more or less unintelligible to the castaways. As for the castaways themselves they come from all classes and considering how strict their hierarchy is its doubtful they have much in common with their fellow survivors. To make matters worse, the weather is bitterly cold. How will they survive? Will they band together or splinter?

HISTORY
The Xolo tribes have lived quite happily on a chain of tropical islands to the east of southern Boreas for many generations.  They've been separated from the mainland for so long that stories of a large continent have been relegated to mythology. Because of this separation they are largely unchanged from their pre human extinction appearance and temperament.

CULTURE
Over the years a strict hierarchy has been established between the royals and the common folk. Typically royalty is smaller and more fine-boned than their working class counter parts. The toys and miniatures rule the upper echelons and it is not uncommon for toy and mini parents to underfeed their pups and weigh them down with heavy adornments in the hopes of stunting their growth further. The commoners aren't immune to this behavior and its not uncommon for upper middle class parents to adopt similar practices in the hopes of elevating their child's social status and perhaps earn them a low place in the royal court.

It should come as no surprise that the opposite is considered desirable among the warrior and hunter classes who value taller builds and athletic physiques so there is typically a comical difference between a noble and his or her guards and hunters.

The nobility is comprised of what used to be a single royal family, but many generations have seen this family grow and split into large factions that each have their own island. Each island is ruled by a counsel and court (comprised entirely of nobles) with a king or queen at its head who represents (and speaks for) the supernatural realm. The realm of gods and spirits is considered important and decisions are made with the desires of the supernatural in mind. No one likes an angry god. The supernatural is an elemental pantheon of gods, goddesses and innumerable spirits.

The commoners include everyone from the lowest garbage pickers and slum dogs to the wealthiest merchants, priests and warriors. Basically unless you have noble blood or are suddenly titled and allowed into court, you are a commoner.

LANGUAGE
English with a few twists. Not going to put a ton of effort into this since they will probably assimilate.

• The sound /θ/ as in thin and the sound /ð/ as in then are replaced by /t/ and /d/ respectively, e.g., thin is pronounced as /tin/ and then is pronounced as /den/. They are also written that way so that players can 'feel' the difference. 'Thin' is now 'tin' and 'then' is now 'den'. Basically all th's can be replaced with 't' or d' depending on the word.
• The article the is now 'da'.
• The sound /r/ after vowels is dropped, e.g., better is now 'betta'; for is now 'fo'; more is now 'mo'.
• The copula verb to be is dropped when referring to inherent qualities, e.g.,  'the pup is cute' = da pup cute.
• Prepositions are often dropped, so phrases like 'on top of the boulder' become top da boulder.
• Common phrases with the word 'not' in them as in 'can not,' 'have not,' 'will not' are now canna, havna, and willna.
  
• Common phrases like 'want to,' 'have to,' and 'need to' are now wanta, havta, and needta.

Common words and phrases of the commoners
Auntie – a respectful term for a woman who is of your parents' generation or older. Commoners only
Mista – a respectful term for a man who is of your parents' generation or older. Commoners only
Brota/Sissa – respectful terms for someone of your generation, or of a similar social standing, especially if you know them personally
Itty or itties– like 'itty bitty.' Casually denotes a young pup
Howya – a greeting; just the question 'how are you' run together but it's really just 'hello' and if you respond with a status report the Xolo you're talking to will be confused. The common response to this greeting is 'howya, [insert title such as auntie]'
Noba – commoner slang for a noble. Should not be said to their faces.
'K den – an informal farewell; basically “okay then – bye”
Canna be betta – the equivalent of 'I'm fine'
Ah ya – like saying “yes,” “okay,” or “I agree”

APPEARANCE
Both the coated Xolo and the hairless variety can have any natural coat/skin color and pattern although the most common colors are black, blue and red either in solid coats or with splashes, spots or marks in white. All eye colors are acceptable. Height ranges from 12” to 25” depending on the class in question. Typically nobles fall somewhere between 12-18” with shorter individuals considered much more desirable by that class. Commoners typically range from 17-25” but taller is acceptable (at least as far as this adoption goes)!

TO HAIR OR NOT TO HAIR
Xolos come in both short-coated and hairless versions, and both are accepted equally by their society. The completely hairless and coated varieties are accepted as is, but individuals with moderate hair are usually pressured to wax or pluck their sparse coats. Acceptable hairstyles include stubbly 'mohawks' and a fuzzy tail tip, but the rest of their body hair is considered highly undesirable. It's not uncommon for parents to attempt to thicken the coats of their sparsely coated pups with creams and ointments and, failing that, to have them waxed or plucked regularly. There are rumors of adults, frustrated with their meager coats, scalding patches of skin in the hopes of finding permanent relief.

JEWELRY, PAINT AND TATTOOS OH MY
The Xolo societies are big on beauty. Everyone from the lowest farmers to the richest nobles wears a thick leather collar made of some kind of polished stone, bone or wood, and they have at least one piercing in each ear. Large piercings (which are common) are achieved by hole punch. Turquoise is the most sought after gemstone with howlite a close second. Bangles, tail bands, nose rings, earrings, plugs; you name the mod, it's found in Xolo society. Painted designs that cover the whole body (think alebrijes) can be seen in every class and age during feasts, festivals and holidays.

In addition to jewelry, a mix of tattoos and scars can be used to further define the classes. While tattoos are common, they aren't required and they're seen as badges of honor reserved for the elite and the proud. The tattoos can be done one of two ways depending on class. Typically low action jobs (priests, merchants, healers, etc.) have smooth tattoos applied using the stick and poke method. Fighters, hunters, etc. usually have their skin scored and then ink rubbed into the cuts so that the finished tattoo is raised.  Below is a loose guideline of what is acceptable in the classes.

Fighters – square, boxy mazes and 'masks' that exaggerate facial features
Healers – oval mazes and rounded line designs
Priests – circular mazes with rounded line designs accented with minimally detailed spirits and gods
Merchants – circular mazes with rounded and straight line designs
Fishermen – curved line designs that usually depict minimally detailed waves and marine life
Hunters – rectangle mazes usually accented with minimally detailed antlers, ram's horn, hooves, etc.