Herd Laws

I. Thine King and Queen's Word Is Law, Thou Shalt Obey - The King and Queen rule all, their commands are to be obeyed without hesitation, and trust is to be placed that their commands are in your best interest.
II. Honour Thy Mother, Honour Thy Herd - Respect your mother, respect your herd, and always aim to do right by them. Honour is vital in Arklov, for without it one is little more than an E'leond wretch, forsaken and shunned.
III. Thou Shalt Not Show Cowardice - the deer of Arklov face trials meant for the strong and brave, and those who hesitate or flee such tests are deemed useless, weak, in the eyes of the herd. There is not enough resources for those who do not stand by their brethren.
IV. Thou Shalt Not Force Thineself Upon Another - Consent is above all else sacred. A stag may not force himself upon a doe, nor shall a doe force herself upon a stag. 
V. Murder Thou Shalt Not Commit - To kill another Arklov member is taboo, and the punishment for the crime is often violent and swift.
VI. Thou Shalt Not Harm A Fawn - The murder or injury of a fawn is the worst crime anyone can commit in Arklov, and the guilty shall be hunted until the end of their days, and if captured, are given to the bereaved mother for punishment. It is more often than not a slow death.
VII. Duty, Family, Honour - The core tenet of Arklov, the herds' hearts beat as one, for only as one can the herd survives the worst Idris has to offer. These three values are emblazoned in every Arklov's heart, and to turn your back on one or all is one of the worst things an Arklov member can do.
   

Herd Traditions & Celebrations

The Dead's Feast - Death is sacred in Arklov, and is not something to mourn, but rather celebrate as a deer moves onto the next life. Music and merry is made from dawn to dusk, and at the grey of twilight the Seer sets the deceased's body alight (or if there is none, an effigy of twigs), sending the departed's spirit onward. On that day, the deceased is treated with as much honour and fanfare as a King or Queen, as the herd's gratitude to the deceased's service.

The Rite - Undertaken by all who seek to become Vigilants, the Rite is the task of a young stag or doe to go into the wilds of Arklov and bring back the carcass of a predator they killed, as a sign that they are the rulers of the land, and will not bend nor bow to the mercy of meat-eaters. To return successful is a great honour, and a celebration is thrown in the victor's name.

Winter's Dawn - A somber tradition, after the first storm of winter Arklov members mark that winter has truly begun, and the herd spends a week in meditation. Stags and does are encouraged to take each other's company, fawns to stay with their mothers, as all hold close that which they love the most in preparation for the winter possibly being their last.

Winter's End - A mirror to the Winter's Dawn tradition, when the first flowers sprout in the Vale, Arklov members mark that winter is over. A week is spent in somber respect for those who were lost to the winter, and on the last day of the week a feast is held with whatever the herd's Padhoofs bring from the other lands as the members of Arklov celebrate spring. It is also considered a celebration of those fawns that survived the winter by the grace of their mothers and the Tenders.

The Ravaging - This tradition is all but forgotten, as it hasn't been done in generations. Considered ancient, this ceremony is donned on the eve of war; Vigilants are marked by the herd with clay and soot, an act of the herd's prayers for their safe return. Fawns are forbidden from this ceremony and thus are kept to a small area of the Vale, and those lovers who's other half must march to war are encourage to spend the day in each other's company in the solitude and safety of the Vale's piney glades. Come night, the Vigilants gather and mark each other with their antlers or hooves, a single scratch upon the shoulders for each warrior, before they gather in a circle shoulder-to-shoulder and pray to return home, victorious and alive.
   

Herd Rank Info

THE KING: The stag in charge of the Warlord, Vigilants and Padhoofs. All matters of war and protecting the herd rests upon his shoulders, and it is he who bears the blame should the herd ever be breached or broken.
THE QUEEN: The doe in charge of the Seer, Tenders and Prisoners. All matters of family and the welfare of the herd rests upon her shoulders, and it is she who bears the blame should the herd fall to neglect or illness.

WARLORD: The stag or doe proven to be the strongest either by battling his/her peers, or by taking down a predator of note and proving their valor before the herd. They are in charge of the Vigilants, making certain all routes in and out of the Vale are protected, and that no predators slip into the herd.
SEER: The stag or doe who is closest to the heavens, either by birthright or by devotion to their herd and it's welfare. They are in charge of making certain no illness spreads among the herd, that all are fed and cared for, and they are the healer in charge of making sure does deliver fawns safely.



VIGILANTS: The hooves and fangs of the Arklov Herd. They are the watchers, primarily male, who keep guard over the Vale and it's passes to ensure no predators or trespassers enter the herd sanctuary. They often go out on patrols known as 'ranges' to hunt down and either kill or chase out predators that den too close to the Vale.
--------- Current Vigilants: Bonnie
PADHOOFS: The sneak-thiefs of the Arklov Herd. Typically composed of does and young stags, those who are small and quick. Their duty is to slip into the other lands unseen and undetected, and return with resources necessary to supplement the herd's sparse and tough diet.
--------- Current Padhoofs: N/A
TENDERS: The matrons of the Arklov Herd. Primarily does, with stags being rare, they are those who keep to the Vale and rarely wander. Their duty is to the herd and to the fawns, they are the teachers and healers that keep the members of Arklov thriving and happy.
--------- Current Padhoofs: Tundris
FAWNS: The lifeblood of the Arklov Herd. To harm a fawn is death, and they are pretty much given free reign up to a year old to run wild through the Vale. However, a fawn caught outside the Vale is certain to face harsh punishment!
--------- Current Padhoofs: N/A
PRISONERS: The traitors, the trespassers, those who forsook Arklov and were siezed. They await judgement from the King and Queen, and have no rights to the warmth and resources of the herd. Most prisoners are not prisoners for long, for winter's justice is swift.
--------- Current Padhoofs: N/A