"Man's best friend, eh? Cut out the man, we're all we've got."
In the depths of the city, in the darkest alleyways, alongside the rats and pigeons and feral cats, is where we thrive. We are castaways, forgotten, neglected, despised. Once, we stood beside them. Then, they moved on, and now, we have to stand up or back down. What about you? Will you stand beside us, as you once did to them? Or will you scrape a living off these streets and merely survive? The choice, my friend, is all yours. But choose wisely.

Ranks

Alpha Male: (1/1) The highest in command. His word is law, and he looks after the well being and safety of the pack. He handles disputes with strangers, territory, and human interaction. He is typically very smart or very strong, and is elected to the position by a vote or a battle. Rank can be challenged for.
Alpha Female: (1/1) Contrary to stereotypical canine hierarchy, the alpha female isn't always the preferred mate of the alpha male. She can be a good friend, or even a stranger to him. Her job is to keep order in the pack and settle domestic disputes. She holds the same amount of respect as the alpha male, if a bit less power. The most valued qualities for this position are intelligence and eloquence.
Beta: (1/1) The second in command to the alphas, the beta is almost always a very trusted friend of one or both of them. They can be male or female, and any breed. They act as a confidant to the alphas, give advice, and help the alpha female keep order. When needed, they may work with the rest of the pack to find food.
Hunters: (6/ unlimited) This group forms the bulk of the pack. Every able bodied adult, regardless of size, breed, or gender, is expected to provide for their pack. These dogs scavenge and hunt, often coming back with odd scraps and rat carcasses, if anything at all. They typically scavenge in groups of no more than three, to avoid raising suspicion.
Pups: (1/4) Any member of the pack under a year. Pups are provided for and watched over by the pack at all times. Some are in no way related to the pack, others have parents among its ranks. They spend their days playing and learning under an assigned nanny's watchful eye.
Loners: (2/2) These are dogs, lost, abandoned, or born on the street, that exist outside the pack. Many of them are fearful of or aggressive towards other dogs, some are just holding out hope that their masters will find them. They are often mistrusted by the pack and chased from the territory if they're seen.

The Code

1. Your humans will never come back for you. They left you. Stick with us, and we never will.
2. Loners have no place in this world. They hold out hope for those who don't deserve it. They don't belong among us.
3. The pack always comes first.
4. Never leave a pack mate in trouble.
5. Show only courage when faced with a battle.
6. Food is to shared, not stashed.
7. Defend your pack with your life, every one of us will do the same.
8. Never trust humans. They are cruel and selfish. We are not like them.

The Setting

Somewhere within the winding alleys of New York, these dogs make their homes. They live secretive, enigmatic lives, well hidden from man. Their home base is a crawlspace beneath an abandoned building. Soft blankets and boxes line the packed dirt floor, and it's tall enough for the average dog to stand, about two feet from floor to ceiling. But they must leave to find food, and animal control keeps careful tabs on the strays. They've begun setting traps, running patrols, and driving down the streets, searching for dogs, cats, and other misplaced animals. The dogs, of course, only know that once a dog gets taken away in the blue van, they never come back.

Rules

1. No godmodding or powerplaying. You will receive two warnings.
2. Please fade 16+ scenes to black.
3. No mary sues
4. These dogs have diverse backgrounds, get creative!
5. Be kind to your fellow role player. Bullying, harassment, and arguments will not be tolerated.
6. Interactions with NPCs are allowed
7. Fights are allowed. I will roll a die for the outcome, but you may roleplay the battle as you'd like.
8. Loners are often treated with suspicion and hatred, it's uncommon for a pack dog to even speak with them, but they may be accepted into the pack should they prove themselves.
9. If your character is captured by animal control you may no longer role play them, but you are more than welcome to make another character.
10. Any interactions with animal control will be rolled for. Officers are NPCs, and have no idea where the dog's crawlspace is. Officer interactions will not happen constantly. If your dog gets caught in a trap, they are considered to be missing or dead by the pack.
11. This RP is semi literate. At least six sentences a post, please. Occasional writer's block is understandable but should not become commonplace.
12. I'm only allowing two hybrid/non-dog characters. We have two out of two at the moment.
13. Have fun, make friends, and don't be afraid to make creative characters!
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