Profiles - The Territory

The Territory

Information:
Located deep in the woods, somewhere in New York state, the Territory is the treasured home of the last clan of dragons, eagles, griffons, and lions to exist on the Earth. Back in the time when dinosaurs reigned, the numbers of these species ranged into the millions. After the devestating effects of a meteor impact, disease, and several ice ages, one clan of about 250 animals is all that remains. The Territory has been the stronghold of this clan since the end of the last ice age.

A vast stretch that covers several types of ecosystems, the Territory is large enough to supply the clan with all of the food and resources they need to survive. Human encroachment has become an increasing problem, leading to starvation and sickness in hard times. However, the land remains remote and undisturbed, allowing the clan to operate outside of human affairs.

Clan life is little more than organized survival. Hatchlings are parented by the community, and their scale, fur, or plumage color is dependent on what season they are hatched in. The animals live in all sorts of arrangements, from nests, to hollow logs, to caves. The leaders all reside in a large cave beneath a waterfall in the center of the Territory. Known simply as the Den, this cave is a gathering place for clan meetings. Social order in the Territory descends from the leaders in an order of age. Elders can live to be many hundreds of years old, and never die a truly natural death, thanks to a haunting disease that lingers in the clan's DNA from the dinosaur age. All of the clan members are united by strong bonds of the mind. These rudimentary bonds are difficult to define, but can be described as the ability to sense energy that comes from the emotional state of another. Deep bonds between clan members allow them to keep track of each other on a subconscious level. Leaders have the strongest bonds between each other, which are known as life-bonds. Should one leader die, the others will follow within a few years, no matter what their age or health may be.

For all species within the clan, maturity is reached at age seven. The young learn important skills from the most talented members of the clan. For example, Zelda is responsible for teaching all of the young dragons to fly, because she has the greatest skill. Twins amongst the young are rare, but do occur. The clan's small numbers are enforced by a breeding cycle that lasts for at least a few years, and is often interrupted by environmental hardship or stress.

The most important thing to members of the clan is the environment around them. Although they are active predators, they do not rank at the top of the food chain, and young are frequently eaten by wolves, mountain lions, and hawks. Bad winters and long droughts take a heavy toll on the population. Because of this, the clan keeps very close tabs on the land. While humans may hold great interest in entertainment or business, the clan tracks the growth of tree rings, and the populations of prey sources. Most members of the clan are fluent in several animal languages, which all stem from a basal source that all creatures speak. Most of the clan view humans as dangerous and destructive, and ignorant of how isolated they are from the rest of the natural world. They choose to remain hidden and distant from the human world.

To its residents, the Territory is a spiritual base. They have lived on the land for countless centuries, and have sown a deep connection to it in their souls. Even when they journey away, the Territory and those they leave behind are an ultimate source of strength, and peace of mind.

Culture and History:
NEW! Notes on Bonding- A few observations about the abilitity of those in the Territory to form strong emotional bonds with one another.

The Story of the Earth: a creation myth from creatures of the Territory- This is a collection of age-old tales that makes up the oral history of the world, the clan, and how it came to live in the Territory.