Traditions

Salsola is heavily fortified in its culture, and has particular respect for its traditions. These are largely meant to encourage unity within the pack, and give members opportunities to display their skills, beliefs and social standings.

Prejudices and Predispositions

Affinities

Human technology, civilization and primitive technological methods are respected and desired -- artifacts, hunting/farming techniques, and other remnants of the distant past generally facilitate this new and grand survival. Spying, fighting, and "survivalist" skill-sets are greatly appreciated within the Thistle Kingdom. Philosophical, scholarly, religious, and spiritual pursuits are also respected but not so sought after, as their practical value is often less. Scientific and artistic pursuits are disregarded almost entirely, as fanciful and a waste of precious time.

Biases

Salsola is most often egalitarian with regards to gender, species, and most other factors, but has some biases.

  • Females: Within Salsola, women are generally regarded as the superior gender.
  • Luperci: Non-Luperci are not permitted to join the pack. Being a Luperci gives clear and obvious advantages; one who would choose to reject these gifts can only be stupid or weak, and therefore unfit to become a member of the Family. Individual members may or may not possess this prejudice.
  • Able-Bodiedness: Handicapped, old, or otherwise "weak" canines are not altogether barred from joining Salsola, but may have to prove their worth in other ways than a capable-bodied canine might be able (such as: having a wealth of valuable knowledge at their disposal).

Trade

Despite its wariness of outsiders, Salsola makes an exception for any trade opportunity. Cunning trade ensures that the Thistle Kingdom continues to build upon its much hoarded wealth, and canines skilled in barter and merchantry may find favor within the Family if they utilize their skills with care. The pack is primarily concerned with getting the better deal in a trade, regardless of the other traders' disadvantage. Trading is highly encouraged both within the pack and between members and outsiders.

Trade Pact

In rare cases, Salsola’s leaders have been tempted enough by the great wealth of another pack to consider arranging a Trade Pact. This entails both Salsola and the other group promising to be forthright, honest, and open in their dealings, and is also intended to promote trade between the groups' members. Though the pact is intended to promote a healthy trade relation, Salsola is still self-interested at heart, and new leaders may not respect the pacts of the old.

Covenant of Salt

This ritual is used only when sealing a formal trade pact between the pack and another large group: only the leadership ranks can perform the Covenant. The Salsolan representative takes a handful of salt, and passes half of this to the outsider, keeping half for themselves. The outsider and the Salsolan then press their palms together, opening them and allowing the salt to fall to the ground. The mixed salt renders the pact unbreakable: sorting out the grains of salt by owner is just as possible as breaking this pact.

Mateship & Relationships

Mateship is a sacramental rite, requiring "approval" as achieved via the a Mateship ritual, in which the couple is blessed by the pack’s Crone. Following the ritual, couples usually publicize their mateship with the next Last Supper. It is encouraged to give gifts to a newly mated pair, to help them begin amassing their shared wealth (which in turn will be profitable for all Salsola).

Fornication with outsiders is extremely discouraged; anyone who engages in such an act should take care not to let the rest of the pack catch wind of it. As always, Salsola’s laws of Secrecy apply - What happens beyond the borders, stays beyond the borders! Trysts and cheating may be commonplace, but can be humiliating or even punishable if discovered by the Salsolan public. Best to keep your dirty laundry hidden!

Mateship Regulations

  • Homosexual relationships are acceptable, but the adoption of children may be encouraged.
  • Incestuous relationships are treated as any other. By definition, all relations are already incestuous: the pack is Family, after all.
    • Note though: Close incestual relationships, such as parent to child or sibling to sibling, are frowned upon only in that they may create unfit heirs for the family line (or weaken the general stock of Salsola). Such unions are generally best kept out of the public eye.
  • Leaders may only engage in mateship with leaders, Sotto Capo, Faction members, or the Inner Ring ranks.
  • Promotions and demotions are frequently dealt to both members of a mateship: your mate's demotion may result in your own, but their promotion may result in pleasant bonuses for both partners!

Mateship Ritual

Couples seeking mateship to one another confer with The Crone*, who must grant her blessing and sanctify the mateship. The Crone may take some time to deliberate, consulting omens regarding the survival of the mateship and its likelihood of strengthening the pack. Once approved, couples are free to engage in whatever personal mateship rituals they like; the ceremony that occurs exclusively between the couple and The Crone is not a public ritual.

*Leaders may stand in for The Crone if required.

Divorce

Divorce is disrespectful -- especially if the mateship ends childless. Ending a mateship must be cleared by the leadership ranks if the individual desires to save face (they may even blame their mate for the separation, resulting in singular demotion).

Puppies

Puppies may only be born to mated pairs in the Family rank and above.

Legitimate parenthood and childbirth are extremely important -- the birth of children should be celebrated by the entirety of the pack. Being born into Salsola is the only way to gain foolproof acceptance, though even Salsolian-born members may find themselves homeless if they refuse to adhere to Salsola's culture.

The Leadership threatens to drastic measures on the issue of illegitimate puppies -- e.g., abandoning them to another pack or even killing them. Of course, children are a valuable commodity, bribery and underhanded methods of finding a place for one's illegitimate offspring may be accepted.

Religious Aspects

Members are not subject to mandatory organized religion -- religious aspects are a large part of Salsola, however, as evidenced by the respect given to those within the Sanctus Faction. Spiritual belief is considered quite a serious endeavor, as the ever-canny Thistle Kingdom does not wish to be on the bad side of whatever god/gods/powers may potentially exist. Members are quite free to practice their own religions and there is generally no obligation to partake in spiritual ceremonies, but it is encouraged -- often times, rituals are as much a ‘social to-do’ as they are a religious event.

Disrespect to spirituality is offensive to its practitioner, and the pack and individuals are therefore generally tolerant of differing beliefs. In this instance, diversity of belief can be considered to strengthen the whole of Salsola, enriching its culture and protecting it from the powers-that-be. It is considered unwise to be close-minded to the possibility of otherworldly power -- Particularly considering the increasing influence of the secretive ‘witches’ ranked among Salsola’s elite.

Special Events

The Last Supper

Occurring bi-monthly, this communal feast provides a number of social functions within Salsola’s complex culture. See The Last Supper for more information.

Saturnalia

The last week of December marks Salsola’s yearly gift-giving celebration. One of the most celebratory holidays in the pack, this event marks the beginning of true winter and allows members to cut a little loose. See Saturnalia for more information.

Cotona

A popular ritual by which members are marked with the Hand of Eris to prove their everlasting devotion to Salsola. The symbol stands for Salsola's protection and guidance in the individual member's actions. It acts as a visible reminder of their loyalty, both for the member themselves and the remainder of the pack. Members should desire to bear this pack symbol -- it is an important part of becoming "Salsolan" through and through.

Individuals are free to choose the location of their marking, though it is often placed in a concealable area so that members can continue to disguise themselves outside of Salsolan territory. Any experienced canine may perform the ritual, but it is the Segno's specific responsibility to do so (and one can only expect the neatest scarification when done by the Segno). Perfecting the mark through scarification may take up to six weeks, and the Cotona ritual refers to the entirety of this painful process.

Branding is an acceptable alternative to carving, and some choose to apply color via tattooing; this is also acceptable, and a much less painful option. Please refer to the Body Modification Guide for more information.

Cueponi

This ceremony graduates children from the Bambino rank, and is often begun by the leadership giving the applicant a particularly difficult riddle to solve. See the Cueponi Ceremony for more information.

Strafethorn

This ritual, while infrequently conducted to show stamina and pain endurance, can also be inflicted as a punishment on an unwilling individual. The pack-member in question wraps their arms with thistle or other thorny vines, then goes about their usual business, allowing natural movement to bury the thorns into their flesh. Salsolans will in rare cases perform the Strafethorn punishment of their own accord as a show of their loyalty, and strength in the face of continual pain and discomfort.