![[Image: dreadmane-1.png]](https://i.ibb.co/yxjfPhw/dreadmane-1.png)
![[Image: DREADMANE-2.png]](https://i.ibb.co/rKzvRyCY/DREADMANE-2.png)
Once they were broken things. Hyena-beastkin chained and mocked, treated as scavengers unworthy of standing on their own. Left in cages to starve, they were saved not by pity, but by a lion who had himself been marked by loss. Delian, scarred and one-eyed, cut their bonds. They tore their captors apart together, and in that chaos, a new pact was sealed.
Since that day, the Hyenas have followed the hunter. Not as pets, not as slaves, but as a pack bound by gratitude, laughter, and blood. They form a modest warband of highwaymen, land-pirates, and profiteering hunters. Honoring contracts to the best bidder, but otherwise acting rampant and in favor of their own nature.
And though their overseer now carries a considerable bounty in the afterglow of their release, it is one that the pack seeks to shield him from in the long run.
The 'Pact', though predative in nature, follows a creed (or rather, a set of laws) set in stone by its founder:
Brittle pockets are ignored. Not out of mercy, but because to take from the desperate is no hunt at all. A lion does not gnaw on bones when there is meat to be had.
The pouch that bulges, the convoy that gleams, the horse that carries too much—those are the marks worth biting. The Pact pursues strength, fattened prey, and rich veins of spoils.
Competition is sacred. They believe the world rots without rivalry. To topple the mighty, to humble the arrogant merchant or lord, is sport and survival both. The weak who slip through are reminders that life is struggle, not assimilation.
((Other aspects of the Pact, such as its worldbuilding core and long term potential, are to be discussed post approval.))
In the firelit feasts, this rule is laughed about and reinforced. Hyenas roar at the folly of archons and country-leaders who hoard gold in coffers, at merchants who believe escorts make them untouchable, at soldiers who mistake order for permanence. Every raid is an act of sport as much as survival — a reminder that without predators, the world sinks.
What will be expected of you:
By joining as a Hyena, you’re adding to the Pact’s voice and presence in the world:
- You will make the roads unsafe. Every Hyena is part of turning otherwise quiet trade routes into contested, living spaces for play. A slow-earned conquest, mercy spared to the brittle and impoverished (or otherwise unaligned to the states of wealth), and ravenous affairs waged against the prosperous.
- You will bring rivalry and sport. Hyenas stir competition, not just in raids, but in camp brawls, wagers, feasts, and challenges that add flavor and drama. You must do things that draw a minimum of attention or observation.
- You will give the Pact its face. Each Hyena is colorful: a snarling knife-fighter, a smooth-tongued trickster, a loyal bruiser. Your quirks make the pack memorable, and your petty deeds are meant not only to make your kin a target, but raise tensions between other parties.
- You will give the world its teeth. By targeting the wealthy and powerful, the Pact provides both antagonism and opportunity. By taking contracts, the Pact offers a bridge for interesting, under-the-rug motives to be carried out between parties. Thievery and collection will ultimately serve to nurture your budding faction, whilst mercenary labor and hunting contracts are to be held.
((As an addendum, a forewarning that this is not a role hook for the faint of heart — it is not meant to be comfortable. You are discouraged from making long-standing alliances with other settlements, given the nature of the creed. Likewise, don't expect a clear-cut 'fel' route angle; this is not that. It's banditry and opportunity chasing, albeit with a strong lore angle.))
![[Image: dreadmane-3.png]](https://i.ibb.co/nN9XHbGj/dreadmane-3.png)
What you will be provided with (enablement alert, buzzword alert)
- A 180 RPL spawn.
- One unique staff or melee weapon made of Dreadbone; armaments carved from the tusks and skeletons of large animal hunts (sprited by yours truly).
- A custom Dreadmane Hyena stance.
- One tent to house yourself in our encampment (for now).
- Ookami race (for now).
- The Delian experience (aka me trying to take good care of you and using my dungeon keys to push you forward).
What you will not be provided with
- Delian’s cool hair icon.
- Boosters (we will have to solve that IC)

