This is the guide for the world I created in The Mahani Wolves.

GEOGRAPHY AND LAWS

The Moon Goddess took seven packs residing on seven Polynesian islands and created the seven tribes of Mahani, which means 'guardian' in their native language of that time. Over the next five thousand years, the tribes moved only slightly as populations of wolves grew or shrunk.

The places the tribes were sent to:
Arctic
Asia
Europe
Africa
Australia
North America
South America

-This story takes place in the European tribe. The outside world calls all tribes Mahani, but most are known to each other by the name of the Blood Alpha. An example would be 'Blood Alpha Cooper's tribe' or 'the Mahani Cooper tribe'.

-Humans became aware of werewolves and the Mahani in the 18th century when several packs tried to take over the world, and the Mahani intervened.

-The Mahani do not interfere with human issues or politics unless they go after the wolves for no reason.

-All human law enforcement agencies have a few lone wolves in their ranks to help with the packs/rogues in their areas. These agencies also have a direct line to the Mahani tribe of that continent, which they can use as needed.

-Lawmakers have created a few laws for shifters, including the acceptable use of deadly force to protect mates and children. Most states/countries have adopted the same regulations for humans, too.

-If a lone wolf or rogue is charged with a drug/theft offense, it will go to the Council (made up of elders from that area), and the Council will send them to a Mahani for rehabilitation if not sentenced to death. Pack wolves will be punished by their Blood Alpha.

-All wolves who rape should go in front of the Council and are punished by death, whether the victim is a human or a wolf. Some packs may hide this crime, due to the severe punishment.

-If a wolf is charged with murder, it goes to the Mahani, who can see the memories, to decide whether it needs to go before the Council. All murders depend on the situation.

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BIRTH TO DEATH

BIRTH

-A wolf pregnancy lasts six months, and the children are born in human form. Children age rapidly. On average, it's about twice as fast as humans. In the early stages, it's more.

Example: a 3-month-old is equal to 8-month-old. A 1-year-old can talk and use the potty.

-Wolves start school at 1.5 years old and graduate at 13, equal to an 18-year-old.

COA (Coming of Age)

Coming of age (or emerging) is when a person shifts for the first time, usually between their 13th and 14th birthday.

-Once they graduate from school, they spend their thirteenth year in physical training and testing to determine their strengths so they can choose a suitable vocation.

-Once they shift, they spend several months learning to control their wolf's shifting and temperament. The wolf also learns its boundaries and what is permissible, including the laws.

-The human and wolf sides are not different entities. They are one being with two distinct personalities that communicate with each other through emotions and thoughts. They don't exchange words but can relate memories if one side is unconscious and the other has control. The wolf can speak through the human, but it typically just sounds of growling, whimpering, or crying. When the wolf speaks aloud, it usually blends with the human's.

-The human side has the ability, if appropriately trained, to control the wolf's side fully and vice versa if they are born wild or live in an abusive pack when their wolf emerges.

DEATH

A wolf's life span is typically around 90 to 100, and death is due to their bodies giving out from old age.

-Because of wolf healing, which kicks in after they shift, most wounds and diseases do not become fatal unless existing damage was present from childhood or if the damage is severe.

-Unlike most books, silver does nothing to them. Only drugs made for werewolves will incapacitate them.

-Most wolves die from decapitation or their necks ripped out by another wolf. They can die from internal injuries if the bleeding is faster than their healing.

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MATES

Fated mates are the other half of the wolf's soul. The human part does not have a destined mate, but feels the bond through the wolf and will love that person unconditionally.

-Finding fated mates is possible through scent or by looking into their eyes.

-You can only find a fated mate once you come of age because the wolf must be present.

-A wolf who has not met their mate yet will still feel the bond break if their fated mate dies, or the stress if they are in severe danger.

-If a mate dies before its coming of age (or first shift), the surviving wolf will know its mate is no longer living when it emerges for the first time.

-The mate bond will stop a wolf from having sex with anyone other than its mate. The human can overpower the wolf. However, this typically creates a mentally unstable being, where the wolf eventually turns on the human.

-Depending on the severity of the human's behavior, the wolf can go feral, where the wolf kills the human part. In adult wolves, this is seen mainly in cases where the human allowed the mate to be abused/raped by others. In young wolves, this can happen if the human finds and rejects the mate before it has learned control of its wolf.

-The wolf side typically goes with the human side on anything except for its mate or Blood Alpha.

-The mate bond lasts approximately the time it took for the wolf to emerge. So, the average age for the bond to fade is 28, which takes 2 to 3 years.

-Once it fades completely, the wolf will allow the human to choose a mate, but the wolf must agree. This is called a Choice Mate.

-When a mate dies, it will take 3 to 5 years for the wolf to allow a choice mate.

-If the mate were no longer living when it first shifted, it would allow a choice mate at any time; however, most wolves only look for a mate once they are 18.

-Only wolves whose mate has died or those with an unhealthy relationship with their wolves will have sex outside the mate bond.

Ovulation vs Heats

Female wolves do not have heat, but the male will sense when a female is ovulating and seek her out for sex. Ovulation lasts normally three days. Mated females who want children track this and stay inside during ovulation. However, most male wolves will turn away from a mated female anyway because they smell the scent of their mate.

-When a female is unmated, she takes a supplement that stops her from ovulating. This plant, called Bracken, grows wild and is available on every continent. They ovulate at the age of 14.

-Female wolves that are abused sexually may have the supplement withheld to cause a frenzy when they ovulate.

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TYPES OF WOLVES

PACK WOLVES:

-This is any wolf belonging to a pack. They can be of any rank.

LONE WOLVES:

-They do not choose to belong to a pack. They can be born this way or declared Lone Wolves by the Mahani.

ROGUES:

-These are wolves without a pack for any reason, who are actively searching for a new one. However, they have a reputation as wolves thrown out of their pack and could not go to the Mahani for Lone Wolf status because of crimes committed. Most rogues are lawless and create havoc.

RIFTERS:

-When wolves have more control and are the primary, they are called Reverse Shifters (RIFTERS).

-The Mahani must train all Rifters, and the Council must grant them permission before entering human communities. If one breaks the law, it is sent to the Mahani for retraining unless it is feral, which is when the human side no longer exists. Once a Mahani confirms the human side is gone, the wolf is deemed feral and put down.

FERALS:

-These are wolves that have lost their humanity. They are generally aggressive and killed on sight.

LITTLES:

Littles that are born into packs are ALWAYS Omegas.

-They are cherished within most packs and are typically taken care of by the Alpha and Luna. Unlike the other ranks of wolves, Littles don't grow older mentally and will generally have a small stature, so they are easily identifiable by the time they are about three to four years old.

-Some packs see them as an abomination and will abuse them, turn them into slaves, or kill them outright. In the old days, they used to sell them to packs that wanted one or on the open market to anyone, wolf or human.

Littles that are made can be any rank.

-These are created from torture at the young pup stage. Most die when they come of age, as their wolf will go feral from the tortured memories, or they commit suicide in the aftermath.

-This is one of the biggest reasons rescued children stay and are raised by the Mahani. These children have constant support and Gammas to help them through the memories before their wolves emerge. They are trained to protect themselves from future predators and given Basic Mahani powers so they feel safer and in control of their lives.

-Not all children saved by the Mahani become Littles, only about two percent, as it depends on how long the torture went on and how young they are once saved. Each child is different.

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RANKS

All wolves are ranked.

The ranks are:

BLOOD ALPHA:

-These are rare and the most powerful. They are born to lead a pack. On the rare occasion that more than one is born to a pack, a Mahani Blood Alpha can tell which one was supposed to take charge and why there was more than one. In most cases, it's the next leader of a different pack.

-Blood Alphas emit an aura that can bring a wolf or human to its knees without ever striking out.

ALPHA:

-This is the top of the five ranks. Alphas are big, fast, intelligent, and usually the leaders. Most are in charge of whatever they do. Alphas are CEOs and business owners, born to lead. They have trouble taking orders from anyone but the Blood Alpha.

BETA:

-These are loyal and follow directions from the Alpha in charge. Betas usually do grunt work, given the supervisor or manager roles. They are also the enforcers and jailers of a pack. Betas are as fast and as strong as an Alpha.

DELTA:

-These are your information gatherers. In the current day, they are information technology experts or spies. Betas know everyone and are the best sources of gossip.

GAMMA:

-These are your psychological experts. Most are therapists, strategists, or psychologists. Based on statistical data, Gammas can see how a situation can go wrong or how something will turn out.

OMEGA:

-These are the helpers of the pack. Omegas are doctors, firefighters, nurses, medics, or any role known to help others.

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Random info:

-There are exceptions to every rank! Pack members and Mahani alike can have a calling to do a job not typically within their rank. Most packs will allow it, but some will not.

-Children are conditioned from birth to respect their elders as well as how to treat the different ranks.

-In the old days, ranks were the equivalent of titles, and the lesser ranks were disrespected and abused. The children of the higher ranks would bully those born from the lower, and mating outside your rank was forbidden.

-However, children of any rank could be born from these unions, so there were many disowned teens when, for example, an Omega was born from an Alpha pair. They will not know their rank until the wolf emerges.

-As time passed, most packs let go of these old ways and allowed the ranks to intermingle, but there is still prejudice within most packs.

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ALPHA COMMANDS

-Alpha Commands can only be given by a Blood Alpha. These commands must be followed by any wolf who has emerged. The wolf/human has no say.

-Pups that have not come of age will generally follow an Alpha command out of fear, but since they have no wolf, the order does not have the same effect.

-Blood Alphas will only follow an Alpha command at the time of their first shift, as they may need help shifting so the strong wolf doesn't kill the human counterpart accidentally. Once the first shift is complete, Alpha commands will no longer work on that wolf.

-Most Blood Alphas will only give these commands in dangerous circumstances. For example, they will command a wolf to shift to get medical attention or not to shift to prevent it from getting hurt.

-Blood Alphas are usually born conditioned not to abuse their powers; however, severe pain to the human or wolf can make them unstable.

-Any Blood Alpha can give a command to any wolf, even if the wolf is not part of their pack, except for Mahani Wolves, who can only accept an Alpha command from a Mahani Blood Alpha.

-The Beta, second-in-command, is chosen by the Blood Alpha, and in their acceptance ceremony, they are given a series of Alpha commands so only their Blood Alpha's commands will work on them. If a previous order is given, for example, to betray the pack, the wolf will become sick, and the Mahani are brought in to absolve all previous commands. Only a Mahani Blood Alpha can absolve an Alpha command.

-If the Mahani declares a wolf a lone wolf, all previous commands are absolved during that process.

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POWERS

Wolf vs Mahani

All wolves can see in the dark and have a sense of smell five times stronger than humans.

Mahani: can feel what is around them with closed eyes and smell pain.

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All wolves can somewhat sense when someone is bad unless they are very good at hiding it, for example, a sociopath.

Mahani: can instantly sense if someone is good or evil.

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All wolves have super healing once their wolf emerges. Any damage from childhood can cause issues later on, as the healing power will not work on old wounds.

Mahani: those born Mahani can heal childhood trauma over time, as each shift will heal it a little more. Those who choose to become Mahani do not have this power.

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Pack wolves are limited to long-distance traveling as humans do by vehicle or plane.

Mahani: can use an Alpha ring, which every Alpha has, to open a portal to a known location or a specific Mahani via the mind link. These rings are given to them by the Blood Alpha once they learn to control their wolf. Each ring will only work for the wolf it was given to.

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When a pack wolf accepts its fated mate, it must use the pack link to mind link until the mate is marked; then, they can talk and feel each other through their mate bond.

Mahani: once they accept each other, they can instantly use the mate bond link. The mate also has immediate access to basic Mahani powers.

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Basic Mahani powers:
*shifting with clothes on
*knowing when someone is lying
*sensing what is around you, even with eyes closed
*knowing if someone is evil

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Other powers:

-Once a Mahani accepts a mate, the Mahani wolf will become physically bigger to protect the mate.

-Mahani can not kill unless the person, human or wolf, is truly evil to its core or they are protecting their mate, tribe, or children. They will execute people sentenced to death by the Council but will stop if their instincts tell them to.

-The powers given at the mating ceremony depend on the rank of the Mahani. If it is a fated mate, the powers are at their full strength. If it is a choice mate outside the Mahani, these powers are at approximately half strength. If they are mated with another Mahani, the powers given are at full strength, even if it's a choice mate.

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Mahani Powers by rank:

Blood Alpha:

*has all the powers of each rank (except elementals, unless they are one)

*one extraordinary power given to that tribe. Each tribe has a different power.

Elemental Alpha:
*prodigy
*superior strength
*superior speed
*superior protective instincts
*calming ability
*control over one element

Alpha:
*superior intelligence
*superior strength
*superior speed
*superior protective instincts
*calming ability

Beta:
*superior strength
*superior speed
*superior protective instincts
*calming ability

Delta:
*to find hidden or lost things
*finding an answer with only a few clues
*calming ability

Gamma:
*to mute bad memories
*to see images that are hurting the wolf or human
*find an answer with only a few clues
*calming ability

Omega:
*superior calming abilities that will work on a human or a wolf, no matter the circumstances
*only rank besides Blood Alpha that can calm a pack Blood Alpha

Littles:

*small stature, childlike behavior

*need constant love and attention

*will die instantly from the pain if rejected

*need a Gamma to keep them grounded

*can stop wolves in their tracks with a specific cry.

*Little have mates, but most do not meet them as they usually are not allowed outside of pack lands. If they meet their mate, it is a chance on whether they are accepted. The average rejection rate for them is 50/50.

*Littles only have sex if they spend equal or more time in adult headspace. If not, they are marked the same way children of the pack are (a shoulder scratch by the Blood Alpha) but never fully mated.

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Additional Information:

-If a Mahani wolf is the birthed child of a Blood Alpha, they may have enhanced powers.

-A Mahani Luna will also have enhanced capabilities.

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MATING CEREMONY

-Unlike pack wolves, all Mahani have a ceremony to accept their new mate, whether it's fated or chosen.

-The ceremony is held on the next full moon and happens when the moon rises just over the horizon, no matter the time of day.

-Depending on the rank of the Mahani depends on what new powers the mate receives. These powers are listed in the chapter labeled Mahani Powers.

-After the two wolves declare their love in verse, they are moved to an open field where the Mahani Blood Alpha will transfer powers to the new mate or between mates if both are Mahani. This is typically done with flair, using the Elementals to provide a show for the guests.