He had given his wolves time to recover and begin to heal from the raid, and subsequently time to make sure no one thought he was just rage quitting because they got raided under his leadership, before he decided that it was time. Despite seeing what could happen to the pack under his alphaship, Tyrian hadn't called off the plan and that as much as anything decided Chaos that the yearling was serious and not just playing at the idea.

So when the sun was rising and he coukd be fairly certain that the pack would be stirring but not quite awake enough to already be gone, he trotted to the center of the camp and called out to bring them all together with no exceptions, right down to the lowliest slave and unofficial members. This was going to affect them all.

ooc: posting this later than expected so the deadline is going to be short. All members of the pack and any unofficial members need to be in by the end of the day Sunday unless specifically excused.

Torrent woke from the short, restless sleep she had managed to fall into just before the sky hegan to lighten. For a moment she wasn't certain what had woken her but aa consciousness returned in full measure, she knew it had been her brother's voice. Chaos, calling the pack together for a meeting. She stood from the hollow she had curled up in. Stretched, and then glamced to Asriel curled closely by. The leopard lofted his head from his paqs but made no move to join her, so she trotted off alone.

And showed up alone at the center of the camp, where only Chaos waited. She watched him a moment while she stood there, then dropped him a silent nod of greeting and tucked her haunches beneath her, letting her gaze unfocus and drift to a point over his head as she sat poised there with all the movement of an old marble statue to wait for the pack.

He had been resting for a bit after hunting, the downed deer lied among the stash he had started for the other pack members to eat from. When he heard his dad calling for the pack, he slowly rose and stretched out his legs before walking over. He was still feeling sore from fighting in the raid, but he wasn't feeling moody about. He had done his best there and was pleased with himself. Still, it seemed to tire them out more than he expected and considering it was his first time, he was more tired than usual. The fanged male made his way to the gathering, or at least...to join his father and his aunt Torrent. It felt weird still that he had aunts and uncles younger than him, but his family was weird in general. Sitting down nearby, he offered a nod to his dad but lacked his usual joking and jovial manner. He was just tired and didn't hesitate to slump to the ground and cross his paws to rest his head on them.

Valdís winced as she stood. The raid had taken a toll on everyone and she was still nursing her injuries. This time with a much needed nap but it would seem Chaos had other plans. Stretching she called out to let Ásvor know she was heading to the meeting. Best to get a head start as she was still moving a bit slower than she'd have liked. The day was shaping up to be a decent one. Valdís wasn't sure what to expect at this meeting but she sure hoped it was time for them to head back home to their original lands. She was sick of the basin and its suffocating atmosphere.

She arrived and quickly moved to take a seat, pausing a moment to sit down gingerly before wrapping her tail around her paws and sitting tall at attention.

It was time. Perhaps he should have been more nervous than he was, but Tyrian was strangely calm. He'd had just enough time to think everything to death so now he was of the opinion there was no sense worrying anymore. What happened, happened. He would sink or he would swim, and there was really nothing more he could do at this point. Plans had been drawn, lines rehearsed, and that was really all that was in his control right now, wasn't it? He'd have a whole pack to worry about soon enough.

Tyrian strolled into the meeting place and quickly looked over those gathered. He was early, it seemed. That was all well and good; it meant he could get to the front and sit reasonably close to Chaos without too many curious eyeballs following his every move. Granted that would stop no one from side-eying him as they arrived, but he thought he could handle their individual, and thus less potent, gazes.

He picked a place that was a respectable distance from Chaos and opted to sit catty-corner between the current alpha and his subjects. This way he wasn't with either group. Was that cheating? Perhaps a little, but he could live with that.

Though he was hardcore ignoring her presence, Valentine was very aware of the little weasel weaving between his feet as he walked. Lefty was trying her best to casually trip him up. She would just barely brush against his legs; just enough to warn him of her presence but not enough to get kicked. He knew what she was doing, knew that her ultimate goal was to just annoy him, and so he was determined to starve her of that win. Or, barring that, make it a victory too painful to be a true victory.

Actually that sounded like a better idea. Then he could get some enjoyment out of it. Valentine had walked all the way across the territory with Lefty weaving between his feet so he deserved a little vengeance. The little shit owed him, honestly and that was why he was going to get what was due him.

Valentine waited until she was stepping in front of his left foreleg. He then shifted all of his weight to his forelegs, pulled his hind legs up and forward, and then once all four paws were in front of Lefty he donkey kicked her. Both hind paws struck her and sent her rocketing backwards at the wolf equivalent of warp drive. To her credit the little skunk only let out a tiny poot of musk as she went. Just enough to taint the air behind Valentine but not enough to foul herself or Valentine (thankfully).

Satisfied with his handiwork,Valentine then bolted for the meeting place. He didn't feel the least bit bad about what he'd done and he didn't look back to see if she was okay. By now, sadly, he was aware of just how bombproof the little beast was. More than likely she'd be fine.

Valentine settled down beside Torrent. He had just enough time to sigh contentedly before a familiar squat, brown and white shape sidled up to him. Dammit.

Darya wasn't totally sure what she expected to do here, she'd done her best to try and give help where she could, especially after they'd been attacked by their neighbors but the northern woman had never lived in a proper pack and she wasn't really sure what to do. The call was pretty self-explanatory though and the woman padded towards the sound of Chaos' summon. As she approached the small group of wolves already gathered she slowed her pace, searching for Jupiter and feeling her stomach twist when she couldn't pick out his distinct form among the gathering. She settled herself towards the back of the group, too afraid to move further into the group, she wanted to avoid the gazes of others as much as possible. "Говорить"

Art by TakahiroReta

Jupiter booked it across the basin. Normally he wouldn't have thought anything about meandering and taking his sweet time to such an event, but dear young uncle Tyrian had cryptically promised that something he might like would be happening soon. The mischievous look on the yearling's face had filled Jupiter with no small amount of suspicion, but he hadn't thought much beyond that. He was aware of Tyrian's sheep - obviously - and the two had struck a deal about selling sheep-related goods so he could only assume whatever his uncle was hiding was livestock related. As for why he was hustling to the meeting thinking there was a connection, it was just a gut feeling. He had nothing concrete to base his suspicions on, but the look on Tyrian's face had been interesting in retrospect. Perhaps he had pestered Chaos into hopping on the sheep bandwagon.

Oh hey he wasn't as late as he usually was and there were a lot fewer wolves gathered than he expected. That was good. Hm. So this must have been what it was like when you put a scoot on it. Interesting. He'd have to keep that in mind for future things.

Spying Darya, Jupiter ambled over to her and moved to bump her shoulder with his own. He leaned in and whispered, "Come on, sit up here with me. I won't let 'em bite." He then took a few steps forward before glancing back to give her an encouraging look. Then he kept going, choosing to sit near the middle of the small gathering. If she came along, great, but if she didn't that was all on her. All he could do was give her the opportunity to be brave. It was her choice whether or not she took it.

Álarr trudged slowly to the meeting, wincing as he went. Despite his knowledge of herbs it seemed soreness was unavoidable after a big fight and he'd had two. All in all though he was proud of himself for having beaten at least one of the viking raiders. Afi paced behind him and Bryhildr flew above. He kept quiet. In truth he wasn't in a mood to chat or shoot the breeze but he was curious what the meeting would be about. Was it going to be about the raid and the results of that or was something else going on?

When he arrived he quickly settled down and glanced curious at Tyrian. What was he doing sitting over there?

Aerndis worked her way to the west to perform a more thorough search. It was the region that had been least touch by the volcano and if Legion had indeed set up somewhere else it seemed the most likely region… well… maybe. She'd been frustrated by the amount of barren landscape and part of her wondered if the territories here really were any better off than those touched by the volcano. She was getting ready to settle in for a nap when she came to the border of the sweetgrass basin and heard a familiar voice calling out. Her ears flicked up as she stared deep into the territory. That was Chaos! She was sure of it!

Aerndis bolted into the territory, her heart racing as fast as her limbs. Had she finally found them? The tall grasses didn't allow much for visual distance but then she came upon the gathering and let out a jubilant cry. "Finally! Finally, I found you all! I thought the worst, oh it's so good to be back."

He gaze fell on Jupiter and she leapt for him, tongue out, seeking to lick his face. She was so glad to see him again! She had so much to tell him but figured it would need to wait until the meeting was over or Chaos asked for her report. He knew she'd left to track down her other brother, Orion.

Sparrow was already marked curious when the call went out. It was rare they all gathered. The last time she could remember was right after the volcano eruption. Oh no, was there going to be another eruption? Sparrow wrinkled her nose at the thought. It had definitely been her least favorite experience thus far and she had no real desire to go through it again, even if it was a good chance to show how cool and strong she was. As Sparrow entered the meeting area, she naturally went to find Tyr but he was sitting all off to himself. Sparrow eyed him for a good while before going and plopping down next to Alarr. She leaned over and whispered, "Think he's in trouble?" A loose, lopsided smile fell on her face. Tyr wasn't the type to get in a lot of trouble with Chaos. She didn't think she had ever seen him get in trouble period. So if he wasn't in trouble, what was he doing, then?

When Ash heard his brother's call extend to the unofficial pack members, he rose lazily, stretching for a good long while before coming. He knew it would take everyone a minute to get settled anyway, although he had no intention of being late. He respected his brother as an alpha- not his alpha, maybe, but he wouldn't shirk a call from him no matter what. He donned his floral shirt, but left the harness back. The call wasn't urgent enough to be needing that today. His shirt was getting a little worn and torn, but it still presented the gloomy and ashen world with a bright pop of vibrant color. Whether others thought it was silly or not didn't matter. Hell, some of them had pelts as bright as his shirt. He was just here for the fun of it, party shirt included.

Asvor was recovering from the raid just like the rest of Legion, and for once she wasn't completely thrilled to hear Chaos call them together. She'd been going restless without much going on when it came to the pack, and this was one of those days she would've loved to lay around all day and forget any possible obligations - but she'd be hard-pressed to complain about it. Her grievances would remain internal, though the Finnvi woman had no doubt her discontent in the moment could be seen if anyone happened to be directly beside her - and thankfully no one was.

As tempting as it was to soak up the last few moments of warmth, she didn't think hesitating would be the best look for her, and Valdis clearly agreed with that sentiment. She called out for her, no doubt already on her way, and Asvor slowly pulled herself upright and tried to stretch out the fatigue from her limbs. The soreness was something that she knew would heal in time, but that knowledge didn't make her feel any better in the present. She only sighed when she started toward Chaos's call, pleased to see that Valdis was there when she finally arrived. She didn't waste any time in settling down beside her girlfriend, reclining more slowly than usual and letting out a barely audible groan as she leaned backwards.

Chaos watched with eyes still swollen nearly shut from the damage to the surrounding tissue, as the pack gathered together. Enough time had passed that everyone had had time to have their wounds seen to, but raids took a lot out of you, and exhaustion was evident on many faces, particularly the young ones, who hadn't had a lot of time to work up their endurance. Well that would come in time. They'd done amazingly.

When it seemed no one else was coming - Delaney had been missing for some time now, and it looked like one of Jupiter's slaves had not shown up either. Neither had the horse, but Chaos hadn't really expected a horse to want to show up to a group of wolves regardless of his nominal association with them.

When all who he thought would come had come, Chaos stood up to bring their attention to him. "I'm going to keep this brief, since we're all still feeling like shit. A couple days ago after a lot of thought and discussion," which was not at all an inpulsive spurnof the moment decision in a casual conversation or anything, "I made the decision to step down from running the pack and take up a supporting role. I ask that you give your attention to my chosen successor-" he nodded towards Tyrian, who was seated away from everyone, "Tyrian. Tyrian has my complete confidence and support, and I look forward to the direction he will be taking the pack. I am honored to have been alpha to you all. Thank you."

With that he threw Tyrian a wink - that hurt like fucking hell and he probably should have refrained - and strode out to sit among the pack, pointedly making it clear who was to lead the meeting now.

When it was Tyrian's turn he stood and closed what little distance had been between him and Chaos. Though he didn't quite take the former alpha's place as Chaos moved to sit with that pack, Tyrian was now front and center with all eyes on him. It was a daunting scene but seeing the faces of those he had grown up around or alongside was empowering. These were his people and he was going to do right by them.

His eyes settled on Chaos and he gave a slight dip of his head to his older brother. "Thank you, Chaos." Tyrian turned his attention to the broader audience and said, "Right then. I'm not much for speeches so I'll make this as brief as I can. Legion is changing. From this day forth it will be known as Fireside. These few seasons since the volcano have given me ample time to think about how to prepare for a future that might not be as unvarying as we once thought. Prey might disappear, the weather may turn ill, the volcano may erupt again. For all of these things we must be prepared. It is for that reason that Fireside will devote the bulk of its attention to the acquiring and rearing of certain prey species such as sheep, goats and horses."

Tyrian paced to his left, his eyes on the distance as he allowed what he'd said so far to sink in. After stopping three or four steps from where he started he stopped, turned back and continued speaking. "We will graze our herds here at home and abroad as weather permits. We will seek out new game to add to our collection. We will tend, butcher and preserve our own food so that we don't have to worry over what ill befalls Boreas." He began to pace to his right, back to where he'd started. "And we will take from those who have what we do not."

"Make no mistake, Fireside is not going to become a pack as simple and soft as the prey it keeps. If you stay here with me, and yes, you may leave if it doesn't suit your fancy, you must understand that those around you - these wolves? They are the only ones who truly matter. We do everything for these wolves and these wolves alone." Tyrian lifted his chin and looked around at those gathered. "Our survival must come before all else."

Tyrian stopped front and center in front of the pack. "So that is that, then. A nice little summary of what we will be. Next is ranks. We will have a duel system. You will be given a primary rank and if you are so inclined, when you have proven you can handle the requirements of that rank, you may select a secondary rank to train in. Your primary will be just that - your primary, but if you are a primary hunter with a secondary rank of soldier, in times of conflict you may be called to defend your pack. Likewise, if your primary rank is watchman and your secondary rank is healer or herder, there may come a day when your skills as a healer or a herder are needed but until that day you are a watchman."

"So that is our new system. The ranks are as follows: (((OOC: I'm not detailing the ranks here otherwise I'll be here typing all day and you'll zone out somewhere around tier 3. No one wins there. Click here for the rank descriptions. Keep in mind this is a work in progress.)))" He looked around again, his gaze lazily resting on each face to suss out where they stood with it all. "If you have a rank in mind declare it today otherwise you will sleep next to the sheep under the rank of commoner until you decide. Keep in mind that those wishing to be Masters will not have the rank handed to them. Declare your interest in such a rank and afterwards you and I will discuss it."

That left only the rules to be discussed. "Last but not least, the rules on which we will build society. Seven little rules. For now that is all we need to get things rolling. They are as follows: (((OOC: here we are again, dodging yet another text wall. Click here for Fireside's rules! Note: this is incomplete. Eventually there will rules on raid conduct. If you would like a taste of what they will be like check out Hjarrandi's raid rules.)))"

And that, finally, was the end of his too long monologue. At last Tyrian felt comfortable taking a seat. He sat down hard, the simple gesture somehow irreverent, and said with a sardonic shake of his head, "Ladies, gentlemen...and pirates: I've done enough speaking today, don't you think? How about we turn this into a discussion. Who here is with me? What rank do you want, what...would you like to say about this sudden transition Chaos and I have dropped on you, hm? I wish to hear your opinions."

OOC: next round ends 2/7. When you get a chance please look over the ranks and rules. Anyone undeclared at the end of this meeting will get the rank of commoner and believe me, you don't want it.

It wasn't entirely surprising to hear Chaos say he was stepping down, though that was by no means a reflection of his abilities or lack thereof as alpha. For a long, long time Asvor hadn't expected that anyone could quite live up to her mental expectations for a ruler - much of her early life had been spent yearning for a resurrection of her family's pack. But with time she had come to accept that was simply not what fate had in store for her, or for her family, and she'd slowly come to accept that.

Not to mention that being around Valdis had made quite a compelling reason for her to settle down somewhere, regardless of the pack or its rulers, but Chaos's values had lined up closely enough with her own that her transition into Legion - well, Niente, at the time - had been seamless. But what about this Tyrian? Admittedly she didn't know him well, and she was skeptically, but hardly too wary to neglect to hear him out and see what she thought of it. What Valdis thought would be equally as important, and so occasionally as the younger fanged male spoke to them all and laid out how he'd be running things, she glanced sideways at her girlfriend, trying to discern her opinion to each and every topic he touched upon.

She liked what he had to say. They'd remain independent, thankfully taking care of their members and themselves before all other matters. Their name would be Fireside. They'd start raising their own prey and ensuring they had ample supplies for the future - as well as taking what was not theirs. All fit in with her idea of the future, and even encouraged some interest in things she hadn't thought of before. For so long now they'd been quiet and complacent; it was about time they start working toward something, and if staying well-fed wasn't a good plan, she wasn't sure what was. It was something different, at least, though his ideas fit in with her own vision of her future. A life with Valdis, perhaps being surrounded by like-minded souls. Fame and glory had never appealed to her, but building a life that supposed herself and the rest of their group - by whatever means they felt necessary - sounded appealing to her.

And, judging by Valdis's reaction, she wasn't unimpressed either. At the very least she didn't look like she wanted to up and leave, and that was all the encouragement Asvor needed to speak her own mind.

"Physician would fit me best," she spoke up first, deciding a more explicit acknowledgement that she'd be staying wasn't entirely necessary (as it was all dependent on Valdis's own response to Tyrian's speech), but she knew without question where she'd fit if they decided more certainly to stay here in Fireside.. though she had little doubt Valdis would disagree after all she'd worked toward.

Darya jumped a little as Jupiter bumbled her but quickly calmed and flashed her friend a grin. She rose to her paws slowly but joined him as he moved towards the body of the group. Darya felt like she could feel a million eyes on her and ducked her head slightly but settled in next to Jupiter, maybe a bit too close but that closeness helped to comfort the nervous woman. She listened passively to Chaos as he spoke, her brows lifting as he announced he was stepping down and passing along the pack to a younger wolf. Darya listened as Tyrian spoke, finding her gaze sliding towards Jupiter as he expressed how the only important wolves were those right here right now. After a moment she leaned into him, a brief sign of her affection. In truth, she wanted to fall into him, to feel the comfort of her only friend's presence pressed into her side but she didn't dare. Her brief longing glance and gesture was all she'd allow. Sitting upright again she continued to listen in silence. Darya would consider the ranks that had been listed and while she longed for the roll of physician she'd spent all her courage just joining her friend in the midst of the group. She glanced at Jupiter again, searching for any sign he might be planning on leaving. She'd go wherever he did, she had no one else anymore. Her mother was dead and buried, her father probably too now. Her siblings were scattered to the winds, even Divo who'd been there trying to free her. So it was the young woman would remain silent and listening. Accepting that she may be forced into a less than pleasant rank for the time being. "Говорить"

Art by TakahiroReta

Valdís blinked in surprise at the news that Chaos was stepping down. She hadn't been expecting that but she felt fairly confident in Tyrian's ability to run the pack. He'd certainly been impressive at the raid. She turned her attention then to Tyrian and listened as he spoke. He certainly had some interesting ideas such as rearing prey animals and she had heard Álarr mention that Tyrian was working on raising sheep. She listened to the ranks and to the rules. As she caught Ásvor's eye she nodded. It sounded good to her as long as Ásvor wanted to remain. Her girlfriend asked for the rank of Physician while Valdís found herself having to mull it over.

She had been the newly ranked Mantle of Legion and while there was ambition there to take on the closest rank she was also aware that she was growing older. In two seasons time she would reach the age of 7. There were other things growing in importance in her mind. With her desire focused on obtaining and maintaining the rank of Mantle it had stolen her time from Ásvor and she worried about the state of their relationship. Still, did she just drop everything now that she was so close or was there a compromise?

"Tyrian, I would like to discuss the rank of 'Master of the Guard' with you. I think you'll find me suited for the position. I would be willing to take on the position for two to four seasons while other members sharpen their skills. However, if you have another in mind then I am content with the rank of Guardsman."

Talon was - surprise surprise - extremely late, and not even because he had a good reason, either. He'd gotten completely distracted and by the time he remembered he was supposed to going to go see what the alpha was calling for, everyone else was already there. He was carefully sneaking up, nearly flat to the ground he was being so very very sneaky, his pale ears pressed down on either side of his head. Sneak sneak sneak. One step, sneak sneak, two steps, sneak sneak, and then he paused, peering through the grass with his ears still flat, but saw only the backs and butts of everyone. Tyrian was talking, and it sounded like he was saying what the pack was going to do which was weird because Chaos was alpha wasn't he? But that was ok, clearly everyone was ok with it so he was totally cool with it too. Tyrian was talking about raising their stuff and taking other peoples' stuff and all, and then asked what ranks they wanted. Talon blinked and tried to run back through what had been going on while he was sneaking. Hold up. He popped up out of his hiding place with his glacial eyes wide and mouth rounded in an 'o' of surprise. "Wait, we get sheep? I want to sleep with the sheep! Can I, Tyrian? Pleeeease?" He gave little thought to the apparent solemnity of the occasion, or if he was interrupting anyone else, before he loudly blurted out the words, but even if he'd noticed he would have blithely overridden them anyway without remorse.

Álarr was surprised to hear that Chaos was stepping down but even more surprised that his brother Tyrian was the new alpha! So that was why he'd been sitting in such an odd spot. He settled down and listened to everything his brother had to say. As Tyrian spoke, Álarr found himself nodding along in agreement. He could get on board with what his brother was saying and he was excited and curious about trying to raise their own game.

When it came for ranks Álarr knew what he wanted but part of him still wondered if he was perhaps a bit to young to ask for the rank of 'Master of the Cure.' His brow furrowed as he thought before he looked up confidently. He had worked his butt off to learn the arts of healing. Valdís would joke some times about him being a prodigy but that wasn't it. It was all hard work and if Tyrian could be alpha at his age then Álarr didn't see why he couldn't shoot for a high rank to. "Tyrian, congratulations! I'm eager to show you my skills kin healing. I'd like to be considered for the rank 'Master of the Cure'."