RanksDominant FemaleSame as the dominant male, except females don't normally rise to this position unless they become the mate of the dominant male. A single female taking the place of the previous dominant pair is almost unheard of, but if one was a commander before, that could be an exception.
Rhodara (Flipping_Awesome)
Dominant Male
He is one of the two leaders in the pack, holding the highest position. His word, along with the dominant female's, is law for the members of the pack. If another member displays dominance towards him, that is seen as a crime, and said member will either have their rank lowered or given punishment in another form. These males usually were commanders before they got this rank.
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Commander
Usually male, but sometimes a female can become one as well, although that is quite rare. In most cases, a commander was previously the dominant member of one of the branches and took the place of the last commander that died or got their rank lowered. When the current leader pair either retires or dies, a commander with his/her mate will take over that place. Generally a commander serves almost like a third leader, and makes desicions along with the dominate pair, as well as gives orders to the two branches, but mostly just to the Combatants.
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Inner Circle
This includes high-ranking members such as the dominant pair, commander, dominant members in the branches and highly respected members. The Inner Circle was formed to help the leaders with things they couldn't settle themselves (such as starting attacks on other groups), as well as keep things under control during mating season. The Inner Circle's decisions cannot be questioned by those who are not in it.
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Branches
Branches specialize in certain things (in this case, hunting and fighting), but each branch can still do what other branches can, just not as well (like a Combatant will still be expected to hunt, but they may not have a lot of skill in that area). Branches can be added or removed depending on how a leader chooses to lead.
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Combatant's Branch
These Jackals are trained in the art of fighting. Most are stronger and larger than adverage, able to withstand more hits than a normal Jackal. Even so, Combatants usually attack using ambush techniques, as Jackals stand very little chance at beating enemies otherwise. When fighting, they will use their intelligence for planning out the enemy's next moves, and use their speed for avoiding their foes' attacks. When they see an opportunity to strike, they will often go for the neck and heels. They will also try and tackle their enemies if they feel they could knock them over.
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Dominant Member
Unlike the Huntsmen's dominant member, the Combatant's doesn't have a lot of say in the orders given to the branch, as the commander will usually handle all of those. These members were usually upgraded from highly respected members. They will often take the place of a retired/dead commander.
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Members
Not masters in fighting, but trained well in the subject, these are the ones that make up the bulk of this branch. Highly respected members are often chosen for training apprentices.
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Apprentices
Young Jackals who are larger or stronger than adverage, or displayed an ability in fighting when they were younger. These apprentices are more respected than Huntsmen appretinces, and will often display dominance over them. These Jackals will train under a respected member of this branch and will generally be promted once they reach 1-2 years of age.
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Huntsmen Branch
These Jackals are highly trained in the art of hunting. They use their strong sense of hearing and smell to find small prey, and catch it by biting and shaking the neck. For larger prey, even though they rarely catch it, they will nip at the ankles and often go for the neck. They will also search for abandoned carcasses, or go after prey that was recently killed by another animal, even if they're still eating it. When prey becomes scarce, fruit and bugs will also be caught as a substitute.
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Dominant Member
Serves as a leader for the Huntsmen. They give almost all orders to the branch (Unless the commander or dominant pair want to give orders) and were previously highly respected members of the branch for their skill in this subject. Dominant Huntsmen may take the place of a commander if he/she retires or dies, but it's not likely they will, as dominant Combatants are more preferred.
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Members
Although not usually masters in hunting, the members are fairly well trained in it. Highly respected members are used for training Apprentices.
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Apprentices
These are young Jackals who are ready to train in the Huntsmen branch. Those chosen for this path are normally smaller and weaker than the adverage Jackal, or were seen with some hunting ability when they were younger. They will learn under a respected member, and will generally be promoted once they reach 8 months to a year of age.
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Omegas
These are untrusted members of the pack. They may also have inexperienced adults or runts of a litter. Omegas are the lowest rank in the pack, and are treated as such. Although they're not normally abused by the rest of the pack, they may be used as practice targets for apprentice Combatants. If they prove their loyalty, strength or experience to the pack, they may be promoted to one of the branches, but will likely still be treated badly anyways. Untrusted Omegas will always be told to remain in the camp or at least in the presence of some other Jackals. To become untrusted, one must have committed an act of treason.
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Mothers and Pups
When a female becomes pregnant, she will temporarily take leave of her ranking in order to care for them (Hence why females are not often chosen for high ranks). She may choose to bear the pups away from the rest of the pack. Usually only females who have bred with a high ranking member have pups, but some exceptions are made. Regardless of her rank, any female may breed with a higher rank.
Pups are basically the ones who keep the pack alive. They will be born generally around late summer, fall or early winter, depending on the dates of the mating season. Pups will rely heavily on their parents for about three weeks, and then will be able to explore with the pack a bit more, and may even be taken with Huntsmen apprentices for some early training. After about 3-4 months, they will become apprentices of a branch that they were selected for earlier on, and will normally be weaned by that time.
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Veterans
Elders or the retired of the pack. Veterans are very respected, having served this pack all their life, and sometimes may be more respected than the dominant pair. These members are usually cared for by the Omegas. A member may retire to veteran once they reach 6-7 years of age, but 8 is pushing it, since the life expectancy of a Jackal is only 8-9 years.
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Extra Information:
Dominance Tier:
Inner Circle:
Dominant male and female > Commander > Dominant Combatant branch members > Dominant Huntsmen branch members > Highly respected Combatant branch members > Highly respected Huntsmen branch members
The rest:
Veterans > Inner Circle > Combatant members > Huntsmen members > Combatant Apprentices > Huntsmen Apprentices > Pups > Omegas
Age Rules:
0-3 weeks
These Jackals are considered newborns. Their eyes are closed when they're born, and will open after about 8-12 days.
3 weeks - 4 months
These ones are considered pups. They will be weaned close to the end of this cycle (at about the age of 3-4 months). They are allowed to begin light training in hunting and fighting as well as coming with the pack on short patrols.
4 months - 9 months
This is generally the teen years. Jackals at this age will begin training in their respective branches, and for Huntsmen, will end training about a month before this cycle ends. Although they're technically sexually mature near the end of this cycle, they won't breed until they at least reach young adulthood.
9 months - 2 years
Young adulthood stage. Those training in fighting will end training at about 1-2 years of age. They are now able to breed, but usually don't unless they reach at least 1 1/2 years of age, usually 2 or more, though. Typically, at this age, it's not very likely for a Jackal to have a very high rank, but it could happen.
2-4 years
This is the adulthood stage. Jackals here can have higher ranks, and are usually fairly experienced in what they do.
4-6 years
This is the final stage of adulthood. The Jackals at this age are not able to preform as well as they used to, but they generally do have a lot of experience. They'll also be a lot more likely to have much higher ranks in the pack.
6 years and over
Jackals at this age are considered Veterans and will have likely retired at the age of 6, though some may remain in play until 8 years. They no longer have the abilities they used to possess, and are not able to do much for the pack any longer. They'll usually die of old age at about 8-10 years, though some may die earlier. [/color]
