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[Excerpt From the Recovered Files of Dr. Ira Ehrlich, World Historian]

THE DESOLATION: A BRIEF HISTORY

In the year 2100 a star in the Vela Constellation known as Velorum A went supernova.

A part of the Gamma Velorum star system; what was referred to as a singular celestial body was in all actuality a spectroscopic binary star; two stars that appear as a single point of light when viewed from a great distance, often shifting between blue and red in color. What was once Velorum A consisted of a blue supergiant and a red wolf rayet star. The wolf rayet star ended its life in a Type IC Supernova. A supernova is an astronomical event that occurs during the last stellar evolutionary stages of a massive star's life; a dramatic and catastrophic destruction marked by one final titanic explosion. This particular type of supernova occurs when the core of the star has been stripped of its outer layer of hydrogen and most of its helium shell. In wolf rayet stars, the loss of the protective outer shell can occur suddenly and the rapid expansion of the inner gases results in the far flinging of materials away from the star. This drives a fast moving shockwave into the surrounding interstellar medium.

In the case of Velorum A, the shockwave drove that celestial detritus from the core of the wolf rayet star into the heart of its neighboring blue supergiant. The supergiant absorbed all that it could, but the resulting build up of energy resulted in the supergiant going supernova as well, not long after the wolf rayet.

The inevitable consequence of these cosmic events was a high dose of gamma radiation that travelled the 840 light years across space to eventually collide with a planet called Earth, burning away a significant portion of its atmosphere, destroying electrical grids, downing planes, and essentially grinding the civilizations that lived there to a resounding halt. This initial event, called the Desolation, marked the beginning of the end for humanity as they knew it.

In the weeks after the radiation hit, the death toll topped ten million and showed no signs of abating. Despite extreme precautions, even the rich and powerful proved to be just as susceptible to the cosmic onslaught as the homeless, the panicked, the reckless, and the everyday citizen. In the months to come, radiation poisoning left more than sixty percent of world leaders dead or dying, along with more than a billion others worldwide. With the government in chaos, fear of anarchy and terrorism followed in its wake. But the terrorists were as busy dying as everyone else.

Urban areas became war zones, with thinning police forces fighting against survivors who looked at the end of humanity as an opportunity for blood, brutality, or profit. Commercial air travel shut down almost immediately, the planes that hadn’t crashed during the initial electrical surges were left abandoned on the runways with no one left to fly them. People tried to outrun what they couldn’t even see, leaving their homes, their cities, even their countries, only to die elsewhere. Others opted to ride the death and destruction out, stockpiling supplies in their homes and apartments- even their office buildings. Locking their doors and windows, guarding against an enemy that was literally in the air around them. They had all the comforts of dying in their own beds.

Those who locked themselves in and managed to survive, clung to sporadic news coverage hoping for a miracle. It wasn’t long until even that was gone, and the Earth fell silent.

The gamma ray burst, while it lasted only a short time, was the cause of long term and sometimes irreversible chemical reactions that took place in the Earth’s atmosphere; mostly involving oxygen and nitrogen molecules. Creating first nitrogen oxide and then nitrogen dioxide, affecting the planet threefold. This depletion of the ozone layer by up to 75% in some areas of the world would last for years to come. This reduction of protective atmosphere dangerously elevated the UV index levels on the surface. Those who survived the initial breakdown of civilization soon succumbed to a bevy of radiation based illnesses.

The nitrogen oxide produced by the depletion of the ozone layer eventually created a sort of photochemical smog which darkened the sky and blocked out parts of the sunlight spectrum. While this helped reduce the amount of people dying from UV exposure, it also negatively affected photosynthesis on the surface, causing a sharp drop in plantlife. This photochemical smog also attributed to the severe cooling of the Earth’s surface, impacting the climate and producing a cosmic winter; a period of prolonged cold weather resulting in the formation of a new glacial period. These phenomenons culminated in a devastating loss of life in the form of plants and the animals and in the mass extinction of other animals higher up on the food chain that relied on those plants eating animals to survive. Ultimately, a further 25% of the remaining human population perished from lack of food.

In the remaining human population, the gamma ray burst along with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation acted as a rapid mutagen, creating sudden changes in the brain’s neurological processes. As a result, individuals began to develop preternatural abilities. Dubbed the Vela Effect, these ‘powers’ often took the form of psychic or accelerated/enhanced physical abilities. Common powers included the ability to manipulate weather or encourage plant growth, all of which were needed to combat the effects of the new Ice Age. Individuals with these gifts were later called the Touched and were instrumental in securing humanity’s survival and future in the days after the Desolation.

Even with the mutagenic advantage, population levels were stagnant. In some areas, the birth rate continued to drop and the death toll continued to rise. The dwindling human population suffered from a lack of resources including clean water, shelter, and renewable energy sources. Human survival became dependent upon people dividing themselves into small, manageable groups. Over the next few decades, those who had survived their brushes with radiation sickness began to note physical changes to go along with the sudden emergence of latent preternatural abilities.

Slowly, they became stronger, faster, and more resilient; while others succumbed to a mysterious illness people began to call the Star-Blight. Marked by a swift mental deterioration, the ill were quickly overwhelmed with madness and became violent and deranged before falling into a sudden coma, followed by heart failure, and then death. An individual could remain ill for years or days before death took them, leaving those around them confused and terrified of who would fall next.

Some viewed the Star-Blight as a form of natural selection; humanity was changing, becoming stronger and more suited to their wild, dangerous new environment. Those who couldn’t handle the change would die. But even with their newfound resilience, life spans were still too short and birth rates remained low. Too Low.

In 2200 the Alpha-Beta-Omega Mutation was first reported. Humanity had changed. Evolution, in an attempt to battle declining birth rates, created a new system in which more of the population could potentially reproduce. Male and Female no longer dictated whether or not a person could bear a child; instead three new ‘dynamics’ or ‘subgenders’ emerged.

Alphas; characterized by their superior strength, protective instincts, and natural leadership abilities as well as an instinctual biological drive to sire children.

Omegas; naturally agile, graceful, nurturing beings whose biological need to bear and raise children made them ideal caretakers; dedicated to preserving peace and fiercely driven to guide and teach future generations.

Betas became the ballast, necessary to provide balance and genetic stability. The most unique amongst the new dynamics, their hormone production is dictated almost entirely by the biological makeup of those around them. If their family group is lacking in alphas, their bodies produce the necessary hormones to fill that role. If they lacked in omegas, the hormones they produced would allow their dormant reproductive organs to mature and enable them to bear children. Without the balancing aspects of Beta DNA, alphas and omegas would cease to exist.

Three a/b/o generations were born before, in 2275, the first people shifted from human to wolf. The ability to take on a primal form was considered by many to be evolution’s ultimate last ditch effort to preserve humanity; by providing them with a weapon in the form of their own bodies and shelter within their own fur. Perhaps the nomadic lifestyle humanity adapted had something to do with the form nature chose for them, but truely, like the development of the strange mutagenic gifts, the origin of the ability to shift would remain a mystery…

In those who were Star-Blighted, the ability to shift was not a blessing, but rather, a curse. People who suffered from Star-Blight found themselves unable to control their shifting. The would shift back and forth between human and wolf at random until one day they would simply get stuck somewhere between the two forms. These monstrosities, called the Rabid, were violent, bloodthirsty beasts that hunted what was left of humanity with a single minded focus. It was considered a blessing for a Star-Blighted family member to pass away before they became one of the most horrifying monsters that haunted their new world.

[File Corrupted - Unreadable]

[Excerpt From the Recovered Files of Dr. Chae Jeongsik, Professor of Sociology and Post-Desolation Histories]

POST-DESOLATION: THE WALLS

By 2280, the amount of Rabid roaming free in the wilds of what was once the Korean Peninsula became a real threat to what remained of humanity that called the peninsula their home. To protect themselves, in 2282 it was decided that the isolated packs would return from their self-imposed exile and join together to rebuild select cities, surrounding them with strong walls to keep out the Rabid. They could start over, not only with their own lives but with the story of the human species. They’d have to live simply at first, but they would not have to live primitively. All of humanity’s knowledge was stored away in books and journals. They could rebuild, slowly, with sustainability in mind.

At first, the need for cooperation kept everyone working in cooperation. The need to build up a defensible perimeter quickly and efficiently had to come before anything else. These fledgling cities were collectively known as the Walls. Outside of the Walls, smaller walled villages known as Compounds received resources and militarized protection from the Walls in exchange for their agricultural and industrial contributions; as long as they agreed to follow the law as decreed by the ruling body inside the Walls - The Committee.

Doctors and Scientists became world leaders and as a result, an extensive amount of focus was put on maintaining the status quo between the three dynamics. Large-scale genetic testing was performed and the subgenders were broken down into six distinct genotypes. AA and AB Alphas, OO and OB Omegas, and BB and AO Betas. This research was what led to the initial discovery of just how essential Beta DNA was to ensure the continuation of all three dynamics and that, without the genetic contribution of BB Betas in particular, the dynamics would become unbalanced and humanity would go back to being unable to produce enough offspring to maintain the population.

To prevent this from happening, The Committee declared a ban on all relationships that were not with partners who were ‘genetically compatible’. This regulation has resulted in a culture where betas are often controlled and manipulated by their families for social and political gain. Male betas in particular were prized for their ability to mold themselves to the needs of their community; to assume the role of either alpha or omega in terms of siring or bearing children and in terms of ability.

Some communities inside the Walls, seeing the danger in this new system, sought to re-isolate themselves from this newly reformed version of civilization. They sought to carve out their own place in the world, and so they left the city of Seoul behind to make use of the many islands surrounding the south western side of the peninsula. Teams were sent to clear the Rabid from a large island in the Western Sea known as Saeloun. There, the settlers rehabilitated what was left of the infrastructure of abandoned villages. Over the years the people who settled the island began to worship the moon, as it soon became apparent that the celestial body had an astounding effect on both their bodies and their preternatural abilities.

A religion, built around the story of an Omega called Tal and her two mates, a Male Alpha named Hae and a genderless Beta called Chugun, became the basis of their society. A society that emphasizes a person’s right to live on instinct rather than the cold science that dominated life inside the Walls.

These islanders, called Taliians, lived a life in direct opposition to those inside the Walls, but in a world where humanity was dwindled to nothing more than a smattering of life in varying corners of the world, the two factions let each other live in peace.

On the peninsula in what was once South Korea, initial projects aimed at restoring the major cities and walling them in, but it soon became apparent that without the population the world used to boast, there would be no way to maintain and protect so many fledgling communities. After a particularly devastating series of Rabid attacks, the decision was made to abandon construction in all areas except for Seoul, Daegu, and Busan.

The dwellers of those cities that were to be abandoned were invited to join those inside the Walls and many took them up on this offer. There were, however, those who regarded the ruined cities as their homes, their ancestral pack grounds, and refused to leave them behind for the safety of the Walls. They chose instead to carve out a place for themselves amongst the ruined cityscapes. While they lacked the resources to construct the great walls that surrounded the sanctioned cities, they used their survival instincts to make themselves invisible inside the ruins, relying on hunting and foraging to sustain themselves and eventually became the peoples known collectively as the Wolfolk.

In 2300 the MATCH program was set into motion inside Seoul; a program designed to sustain the population and balance the dynamics at the same time. At the age of five, every child inside the Walls is tested for their subgender and genotype. They are tested a second time at the onset of puberty and added into a pool of potential mates. At eighteen they receive a list of individuals deemed to be more than 95% compatible. They are required to meet with at least one person on the list for at least an hour once a month. Every year an updated list is sent and citizens have until they are twenty-five to choose a mate deemed as ‘compatible’.

After mating, a couple is required to meet their Reproductive Quota. Depending on the population needs in their area of the city, couples will be asked to produce a child of a certain subgender within the next five years to maintain a steady rise in all dynamics for future generations. Most often a second child is required of the couple as well. Any children produced that are not of that subgender are accepted but the couple is still required to produce the requested child. Failing to produce the requested subgender in a timely manner results in a fine. Failure to choose a compatible mate before your twenty-fifth birthday results in a fine. Choosing to mate someone outside of your government approved list of candidates results in a fine. Nothing is done to prevent you from making these choices, but the fines are meant to be harsh enough to discourage anyone from diverging from the approved course of action.

Since the prevailing message from the Committee is that the MATCH Program is ‘for the future’, the attitude of the general public towards those who did not follow the rules is less than favorable. Choosing to follow instincts when it came to finding a mate is seen as a sign of poor self-control and overall selfishness. It is viewed as a person being too emotional and not thinking logically, as them thinking only of themselves and not of the good of the community or of how their actions could affect the future of the city as a whole. People in relationships that couldn’t provide anything ‘beneficial’ were especially looked down upon. Relationships between two individuals that could not produce any offspring were, in particular, regarded with an attitude of confusion and revulsion. For example, a relationship between two male alphas.

Relationships consisting of more than a single mated pair were outright illegal, with the Committee declaring that those relationships took ‘useful’ DNA out of the available reproduction pool and therefore was a crime against the future of the Walls. Anyone discovered to be in a relationship like that would face forced separation and jail time, and little to no mercy from the public.

That same year in 2300, The Committee announced its blanket ban on shifting inside the Walls, proclaiming that those who shifted into their primal form had a higher likelihood of going Rabid. The Committee declared that those who allowed themselves to give into their base urges and become a literal ‘beast’ were uncivilized and undeserving of a place within the Walls.

One year later, they proclaimed those with mutagenic abilities, called the Touched, to be a danger to society, ordering family and friends to turn those they believed to be Touched over to Enforcement.

Initially, those who were found to be Touched were simply exiled from the Walls and left to fend for themselves out in the Wastes. However, it soon became obvious that individuals with certain abilities were essentially, and therefore those who were deemed useful were rehabilitated and trained as Special Operatives for Enforcement, those deemed dangerous were locked away or killed, and those who were deemed simply unfit for polite society were made to live out the rest of their days inside specially designated Sanatoriums.

In 2320 it became apparent that the MATCH program needed more individuals with unique DNA to sustain itself and so The Committee enacted its plan to bring the Wolfolk into the fold, sending out Enforcement teams to offer them a place inside the city and to take them by force if needed. Orders were given to killing their alphas, bringing their bearers and children back to the Walls. At the same time, they began to spread rumors that the Wolfolk, called the Shameless by Committee propaganda, were dangerous, lawless individuals who abhorred the Walls and everything they stood for. This ensured that the Compounds wouldn’t offer aid to any Wolfolk who managed to escape Enforcement.

The Committee also tightened their control over who could enter and exit the city, effectively trapping those Taliians who came to the city for things like specialized medical care and trading, detaining them until it was ‘safe’ to leave while at the same time trying to force them to assimilate into life inside the Walls by forcing them to stop shifting and to renounce their ‘heathen’ religion. Often Taliians who entered Seoul would end up trapped there for a year or more depending on what time of year they entered.

Seoul’s harsh rules acted in direct contrast to the general mayhem inside Daegu, and to the Monarchy that ruled with an ironfist in Busan. The populace accepted the rules put forth by the Committee as necessary to avoid the failings of the other resurrected cities, but there is a fraction of those inside the Walls who would see things change. Reports of a rebellion brewing right underneath the Committee’s nose are passed from person to person; whispers that those who are Touched might live in the shadows and those who would follow the instincts of their beasts have laid plans to demolish the system that would keep those who don’t follow it in poverty rather than give a single inch.

[File Corrupted - Unreadable]

[Excerpt from the Journals of Mr. Jo Hodong, Explorer and Amateur Cultural Anthropologist]

THE TALIIANS

In 2290, ten years after the decision to construct The Walls, a group of dissenters decided that life inside the Walls wasn’t for them and set out to find a place of their own. It was decided that attempting to live on the mainland wasn’t feasible without the protection the Walls provided and instead, guided by a vision of the future from one of their own, they chose to make their home on an island far out in the Western Sea. A team was dispatched to the 1636 sq. kilometer (632sqm) island consisting of two mountainous peaks and plentiful lowlands for agriculture, and ancient pine forests for hunting, alongside numerous sources of fresh water. They combed the island and its abandoned villages, eliminating any Rogues and Rabid they came across. The first group of defectors settled down in the remains of the largest village on the east side of the island, led by an omega woman and her two mates. The woman, who’s name was lost to history, is remembered mostly for her Touched ability; her prophetic visions. Over time she was deified by those who followed her and she became the embodiment of the Moon on Earth, Tal. Her mates consisted of an alpha man who history called Hae with the ability to manipulate fire which lead to him becoming the personification of the Sun to his mate’s Moon, and their co-mate a beta whose androgynous nature lead people to make their own assumptions about their gender, who was a healer of great stature known to have been so powerful they could bring people back from the dead if they got to them quickly enough. Called Chogun, they became the deity of life and death, personification of The Stars, the spark of chaos that wrought so much change on Earth.

Legend has it that the other deities the Taliians worship were the children of Tal and her mates, but science says that this is not possible. Individuals who are Touched who actively use their powers are infertile. The process of using their abilities raises their core body temperature so high that it renders their bodies incapable of procreation. People who have Passive abilities, like Foresight and Empathy, are incapable of controlling when or how they use their powers, though they can learn to manipulate and guide them in the right direction with practice over time; those with Passive abilities can never regain their fertility. Individuals with Active abilities- powers that require thought and action to use- such as power over the wind and rain- can choose not to use their powers for a time, usually a period of a year or more, and regain their fertility. Sadly, this is only true for people who can sire children not those who can bear them. Damage done to eggs stored in ovaries is permanent and irreversible, while those with testicles can hope to recover sperm production over time.

Unfortunately, this means that Tal more than likely never had any children, let alone so many children with Touched abilities. Nevertheless, the Taliians choose to believe that their various gods and goddesses, called the Brood, are the children of Tal just as the Taliians themselves are the Children of Tal; The Great Moon Mother.

After the settling of Saeloun, the Taliians spread out to occupy most of the islands surrounding the southwestern edge of the peninsula. Life on the islands consists of mostly homesteading. Homes are usually large, multi-family pack houses that function off of alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and water based power. Farming, raising livestock, hunting, gathering, and salvaging from the Mainland are key components to their survival. While most homes have electricity, they enforce strict lights-out hours and are very conscious of conserving energy. In most Taliian villages, two places have constant power, the Main Hall and the Temple. Average pack size is between two hundred and five hundred, with the largest settlements boasting upwards of three thousand residents. The Main Hall serves as the central food storage area, with large walk-in freezers and refrigerators and an industrial style kitchen that serves the whole pack. The Temple serves as their emergency medical location, with a small surgical theatre and the ability to administer general anesthetic. The Temple receives medical supplies that they trade for from the Walls, although when it comes to most medical needs they rely on traditional and natural remedies. Both places are connected to back-up generators at all times.

Taliians are a diarchic society as their leadership is divided between the Pack Alpha and the Head Acolyte of Tal. The Pack Alpha sits at the head of the pack council, while the Head Acolyte of Tal is the leader of The Temple. The pack council sees to the day to day aspects of the pack including handing down justice when needed, while The Temple sees to the spiritual needs of the pack as well as their health needs as they train and provide healers to the village.

Every Pack Alpha comes together to form the main governing body of the Children of Tal. They meet once a year during the annual Summer Meeting on the Mainland. The leadership of the various temples form the Light of the Moon and meet yearly in the same way. In between meetings messages are delivered by trained birds and via Storytellers. The leader of the Alpha’s Council is called the Prime, and they are acknowledged as the overall leader of the Taliians as a whole.

The Prime is the alpha all other alphas defer to, historically they have often earned their place by challenge, but can be democratically voted into the position as well. When a Prime steps down or passes away, they name an heir. The Taliian people can either choose to accept that heir or name one of their own. A competition will be held to determine whether or not the Prime’s Successor will maintain their hold on the title of Prime.

The leader of the Light of the Moon is simply called The First. They are almost exclusively an Acolyte of Tal, but other servants of other members of the Brood have held the title in the past. Like their Prime counterpart, their authority inside the temple is absolute. They lead the important ceremonies during the Summer Meeting and once a year they administer the test that determines whether or not a trainee is ready to move onto acolyte status

To reflect their diarchic leadership, members of Taliian packs dedicate themselves two-fold; picking a profession to master and a deity to pledge their loyalty to; a Calling and a Devotion. A person is expected to work hard at their profession and they spend their life trying to live according to the ideals of their Devoted. Each person chooses their own path and the Acolytes help them achieve a closeness to Tal and Her Children as they follow that path. The goal is to have a population who individually excel at unique skills and who have a steady relationship with their gods.

Inside the main body of the Pack exists individual Hearths. Each Hearth is led by an alpha who submits to the Pack Alpha. Newly mated individuals can choose to stay in their family home or establish a new Hearth. Some Hearths, such as the Saltwater Hearth maintained by the Kim Family in the Village of Haedoji can be traced all the way back to the founding of the village while newer Hearths, such as Kim Hongjoong’s Aurora Hearth are only a single generation old.

Taliians are marked so they can easily identify each other and to show which Packs they belong to. They also believe that the marks keep them honest; you can’t lie and deceive anyone if your true identity is right there for everyone to see. The backs of their right hands are tattooed with the unique, distinct insignia of their Pack. Receiving your First Mark is a right of passage and signifies a juvenile's ascension into the rank of adults. A mark on the bicep shows which dynamic a person belongs to, and one on the shoulder declares the temple a person has Devoted themselves to, and a more complicated series that begins at their right wrist and travels up the arm with time, is made up of symbols that when read detail a person’s history; the hearth of their birth, their Calling, their mating, anything that someone might need to know about them is etched in a design that flows together almost seamlessly to the untrained eye.

Those who serve the Temple have an additional tattoo across their right cheek bone depicting the phases of the moon. The more complete the cycle is, the farther into their training an Acolyte is. A fully trained Acolyte will have the entire cycle from start to finish spanning across their cheek. Certain embellishments to the design depict an acolytes rank within the Temple as well.

Common Mating Practices

In contrast to those who live inside the Walls, Taliians believe that their wolf is part of their soul and to ignore it is to ignore Tal herself. Therefore, they believe that following your instincts can be an almost religious experience. Because of this belief, Taliians tend to be a more sexually free society than any other Post-Desolation peoples. Jealousy is considered to be a toxic emotion and possessiveness is frowned upon up to a certain extent. Following the example of their Goddess, many Taliians have more than one mate.

Their three main deities represent the alpha, beta, and omega spirit. They are represented in an Earthly way by the sun, moon, and stars. The saying used to go, ‘the sun is the counterpart of the moon, the moon compliments the stars, and the stars mirror the sun, but the sky is not complete without all three.’

It used to be that unions between alpha, beta, and omega were considered the perfect relationship as it mirrored the relationship of the Founders. But gradually over the years, those types of unions fell out of favor. Partly because it became harder and harder to find a third person that they could get along with to complete the trio, but also because people became more concerned with lines of ascension.

In the past having more than one mate was something you did only out of love, but as times changed and people jockeyed for status a marked change began to happen among the mating habits of Taliians.

People began to take on mates for a variety of reasons, which led to the concept of First Mates and Second Mates. A First Mate would be a mate an individual took on for love. They are bonded and there is a real, true relationship between them as partners. A Second Mate is usually a mate that is taken for status, for political gain, so a bearer can have an extra set of helping hands around the house, or so that an alpha can gain an heir if their First Mate fails to produce one. In this situation, there is usually one person who has two individual mates, but those mates have no relationship with each other. These are called Cross-Mates. A trio of people or more who are all in a romantic relationship with each other are called Co-Mates.

There is a difference between Co-Mates and Second/Third/etc Mates aka Cross-Mates. Co-mates are people who are in a mutual relationship with each other. They are all mated to each other and all enjoy an intimate relationship. Co-mates are people who are in love, a unit, they’re all equal in their bond. A Second/Third/etc Mate is a mate that a person chooses to take on outside of and separate from their original union. Second/Third/etc Mates are usually for social or political gain or to produce heirs and it’s not considered socially acceptable to show them any favoritism over a First Mate.

Example: An alpha who is already bonded with an omega decides to mate with another omega. The two omegas have no feelings for each other and therefore do not want to be in a union together. The second omega would then become the Alpha’s Second Mate and the two omegas would now be considered cross-mates as opposed to co-mates.

Most of the time, Second Mates are for political or societal gain; usually more along the lines of a contractual agreement. Often they are brought into the fold so that more children can be born to a specific Hearth. The Second Mate and the First Mate are not often involved with each other, and if they do become romantic/intimately involved, they can become co-mates. First and Second Mates might even live in different homes, though more often than not they simply have their own quarters within the packhouse. For example, the First Mate has a set of rooms, a drawing room, a bedroom, and a room for their pups that they share with their mate, and then the Second Mate will have the same style of apartment, and the shared Mate will stay with them when the mood strikes. It is considered inappropriate to live permanently with a Second Mate. One must still provide for them and acknowledge their children as children of one’s Hearth.

Typically, the custom of taking a Second/Third Mate is practiced by alphas and betas, rarely will an omega or an omega-aligned beta take on a second mate that is not a co-mate. When it comes to Second Mates, no one is forced into anything. Taliians are very much concerned with an Omega’s right to choose their own mate. If a Second Mate really wanted to, they could find another mate of their own. But because it would make lines of succession difficult to untangle, omegas are generally discouraged from having more than one dominant mate. Overall, the actual parentage of a child does not matter; it only matters whose Hearth they were born to as that’s where they get their status from. Agreeing to become a Second Mate can guarantee an Omega’s children have higher status, which is usually more than enough for most Omegas to make the choice.

Sexual freedom is important to Taliians, and people often have sex outside of their unions. For the Children of Tal, Moon Festivals are a time of socializing and celebrating. It was discovered long ago that the cycles of the Moon influenced hormone levels, and that even those who aren’t expecting a heat or a rut can feel the effects of a full moon. To discourage unpleasantness, anyone who is willing or wanting to have a little fun in their heightened state of arousal is invited to attend the Moon Festival where people indulge with whoever they want as long as all parties are willing.

In fact, Moon Festivals are so important to their culture that children thought to be conceived during a Moon Festival are often considered to be lucky and it’s said that they’re destined for the Temple.

Bondmates are what mated wolves are called after they exchange a mating bite; or ‘mark’. Not every mated pair/trio/etc choses to bond, and not every bond takes. A rejected bond can make a wolf very sick, so people have to be very sure that their wolf halves have accepted each other before they attempt to exchange marks. Often choosing to become bondmates involves going to the Temple for guidance and seeking counseling with the Acolytes there.

In addition to bondmates, there also exists the concept of Fated mates. Anyone can mate with anyone, but everyone has at least one Fated mate. Meeting your Fated mate is signaled by the Pull, the Pull is a physical/biological response to someone who is your perfect mate, on a scientific level. Often described as a sensation of the Earth moving beneath your feet but you’re standing still, the pull is more so a sign that two individuals are essentially designed for each other—perfectly compatible. In terms of science they'd produce offspring with superior genes. The instinct to act on the Pull is the same instinct that drives people to mate during Heats and Ruts; a deep seated need to ensure their lineage.

Among Taliians, hunting partners are bonded similarly to mates. It’s said that hunting partners exchange pieces of each other’s soul to keep them in tune with each other and encourage them to look out for each other in dangerous situations.

THE TALIIAN PANTHEON:

Tal - Moon Goddess; The First Omega. Legend has it that she birthed the Taliian people and continues to guide them through their Earthly lives until they one day return to her side. Mate of Hae and Chugun. Goddess of the Past, Present, and Future. Patron Deity of the Touched. Sacred of Omegas, and Protector of Bearers. Worshiped in the Temple of the Moon.

Hae - Sun God; The First Alpha. Watches over Her People while She sleeps. Deity of Justice, Civil Order, and War. Mate of Tal and Chugun. Sacred of Alphas, and Guiding Light to all Alphas. Worshiped in the Temple of the Sun.

Chugun - Life & Death. Genderless, but often depicted as male. The First Beta. Guides Tal’s People from their Earthly bodies back to Her side. The souls Chugun returns to Tal are healed and returned to Earth to be reborn. Mate of Tal and Hae. Sacred to Betas. Worshiped in the Temple of the Tomb.

THE BROOD

Chijin - A Beta God of the Earth. Male. He Who Provided the Islands. God of Fertile Land. Worshiped in the Temple of the Stone.

Konggi - An Omega Goddess of the Sky. Female. Bringer of Rain, Clean Fresh Air, and the keeper of the Moon Temple where Tal lives. Worshiped in the Temple of the Wind.

Mul - A Beta Goddess of the Sea. Female. The Endless Provider; Goddess of Fishing. Guides and Protects those who travel to the Mainland on Salvage Expeditions and ensures that they return safely. Worshiped in the Temple of the Waves.

Namu - An Alpha God of the Forest. Male. Provides foraging and building materials; Patron of Famine and Shelter. Worshipped in the Temple of the Glade.

Pul - An Alpha God of Fire. Male. Fire is essential for Taliian survival, but it can also be deadly. Pul is a respected, revered, and feared God. Worshiped in the Temple of the Flames.

Sanyang - An Alpha Goddess of Hunting. Female. Guides hunters on their quest for prey, directs their hand as they hunt. Provides dutiful worshipers with good luck in their hunting endeavors. Worshiped in the Temple of the Beast.

Tongmul - An Omega Goddess of Animals. Female. Watches over animals in the fields and ensures their good health. Worshiped in the Temple of the Beast.

Nongbu - An Omega God of Farming. Male. Patron of the Harvest, Planting, and Protector of Fields. Worshiped in the Temple of the Harvest.

Kongang & Uihak - Beta & Omega Twin Deities of Health & Healing; Brother and Sister. Kongang is a Beta God who specializes in Traditional Medicine, and Uihak is a Omega Goddess whose realm in Childbirth. Worshiped in the Temple of the Soul.

Nunbora - An Alpha Goddess of the Snow. Female. Snow is a big factor in how Taliians live their day to day lives; Cosmic Winter means long, hard periods of cold and heavy snow. Respecting Snow as the game changer that it is, is an absolute necessity and therefore they pay Nunbora the utmost respect so that their winters will be short and the frost will come late enough for them to secure the harvest. Worshiped in the Temple of the Frost.

Misul - An Omega Goddess of Crafting. Female. Source of Inspiration and Artistic Ability of all who wish to create. Worshiped in the Temple of the Masteries.

Nanlo - A Beta Goddess of the Hearth. Female. Watches over the Hearth, Protects the Packhouse when no one is there. Ensures Harmony within the Home. Worshiped in the Temple of the Heart.

Kyolhon - A Beta God of Mating/Bonding. Male. Works Closely with Tal and Nanlo to find the perfect mates for each of Her Children. Blesses Unions and Bonds. Fertility and Love are his specialties. Worshiped in the Temple of the Heart.

POWERFUL EVILS:

Chaos - the Spirit of Desolation

Geulimja - the Dark Shadow. He travels the land and spreads sickness and death wherever he touches. Animals starve, plants will not grow, water becomes poisonous and dangerous to bath in or drink.

Gongpo - the spirits of those who failed to return to Tal after death. They try to inhabit bodies already holding a wolf spirit and drive them insane (Taliian myth for the origin of the Rabid)

THE WOLFOLK

Originally called the Wolf Folk, the name over time flowed together to become the Wolfolk. The ancestors of the Wolfolk were those who chose to stay behind in the ruins of what were once great cities, refusing to abandon their ancestral homes. While some Wolfolk are nomadic, most have a permanent home hidden away somewhere in the stone tombs of cities long dead.

They rely a large amount upon hunting and foraging as raising livestock and growing crops requires large amounts of land space and makes it hard for them to keep themselves hidden from Rabid and Rogues alike. Each pack has uniquely adapted to the territory they live in. Every Wolfolk village is different, with different cultures and rules unique to their pack structure.

Packs are generally small, twenty to thirty being the norm while packs of fifty or more find it hard to stay safe and hidden. A surprising amount of the Wolfolk are Touched, most likely due to the fact that in the early years of the ban, the Walls used to throw those whose powers they deemed to be too ‘dangerous’ out of the city which lead them to intermingle with the Wolfolk.

In addition, or probably in part due to this phenomenon, most Wolfolk packs have traditions and rituals that are conducive to genetic diversity. The most benign of those being that matings inside the pack are frowned upon and mechanisms exist for young people of different packs to meet. More extreme packs will have bans of mating with someone who shares the same Clan name as them. Slightly more problematic traditions include young alphas being kicked out at a certain age and they can only return if and only when they bring a mate back with them.

Perhaps among the worst of these practices are those Wolfolk packs who raid the homes of young omegas from other packs, systematically capturing them and sometimes killing all of their relatives to prevent anyone coming after them. Most Wolfolk tribes are peaceful and resent their barbarian reputation inside the Walls, but some of them have given into their more base instincts, especially those closer to Daegu where chaos seems to reign even in the surrounding areas that make up the Wastes outside the city.

Wolfolk are incredibly territorial when it comes to both their cities and their hunting grounds, and skirmishes between both other Wolfolk packs, Rogues, and even Compounders are not uncommon. They tend to rove far from home in their wolf forms in search of hunting and areas to forage, often traveling with their smaller, lighter weight packmates riding on their backs in human form in order to carry supplies and help bring their haul back.

Most Wolfolk packs are ruled by a single family with an alpha handing down leadership to their first born alpha offspring generation to generation and therefore are called after the Clan Name of their ruling alpha, i.e. the Choi Pack.

AN ANNOTATION OF IMPORTANT PEOPLES AND PLACES:

PEOPLES:

Citizens: Those who live inside the Walls; particularly Seoul.

Compunders: Those who live inside the sanctioned villages outside the Walls, who supply the Walls with useful agricultural products and industrial resources in exchange for supplies and protection from the Rabid.

The Colonies: Fledgling Compounds often far, far from the Walls. Often located in the most dangerous parts of the Wastes, they are tasked with settling the land and carving out a foothold for the Walls in that area. Often people are sent to the Colonies as a punishment, and people who struggle inside the Walls will often volunteer for the Colonies as a last ditch effort to survive. The Colonies are notoriously dangerous, untrained, and undersupplied. Most of them are wiped out by Rogues or Rabid barely a year after they’re founded.

Taliians: Those who live on the islands along the southwestern coast of the peninsula and revere the Moon.

Sangilions: A particular subset of the Taliian people, native to the island of Saeloun; they reject Tal and instead worship the sun, her mate Hae. They are a civilization of raiders that rely on brute force to survive on top of their mountain.

The Chayuroun: A small civilization founded in 2285 on an island far to the north in the Western Sea. Their population consists of almost entirely Omegas with a few genetic throwbacks to Betas mixed in.

Wolfolk: Fringe dwellers who live inside the ruins of abandoned cities. Called the Shameless by those inside the Walls for their reliance on their wolflike ability to survive in the Wastes.

The Rabid: Those who have reached the final stages of the Star-Blight and have descended into madness; stuck between their human and wolf forms, driven by a need to hunt healthy humans. They roam the Wastes attacking anything living, human or animal. Most often they are little more than animals themselves, but some have retained a sort of warped, sadistic intelligence. Rarely, they organize into a sick, twisted facsimile of a functioning pack. At worst, they band together in blood thirsty, destructive groups to prowl the forests, mountains, and abandoned cities of the Wastes in search of prey.

Rogues: Those who choose to reject any form of law and order, roaming nomadically throughout the Wastes. They rely on violence and survival of the fittest to sustain their way of life,; often at the expense of others. Murder and thievery are their bread and butter. Rogues often act as slavers, kidnapping Wolfolk, Taliians, and Citizens alike and selling them to the highest bidder.

PLACES:

Seoul: Most Commonly Referred to as ‘The Walls’. A Walled City built upon the ruins of what used to be the Capital of South Korea. Ruled by the Committee, the Walls uphold an unwavering belief in science and uniformity, believing that it is key to the continuation of the human race.

Wonju Compound: A Compound to the North West of Seoul, dedicated to the Walls they are a lumber district overseen by the Bang Family.

Saeloun: An Island in the Western Sea, about eight hours by boat from Incheon. Saeloun is the location of the original Taliian settlement. Those who live there follow the guidance of both their pack leaders and the Temple of the Moon; a religious sect dedicated to the worship of the Omega Moon Goddess Tal.

Haedoji: Located on Saeloun; The Oldest Taliian Village, the Original Taliian Settlement. Home of the Shore Pack, their leading family is the Kim Clan.

Kangbyon: Second Oldest Taliian Village, the Second Settlement on Saeloun founded after Haedoji became too crowded. Home of the River Pack, their leading family is the Bang Clan.

Sangil: Third Oldest Taliian Village, the Third Settlement on Saeloun. Founded after a fissure developed over the leadership of Kangbyon. Home of the Mountain Pack, their leading family is the Oh Clan. A splinter religion, they instead choose to worship the Alpha Mate of Tal, the Sun God Hae.

Baengnyeong: A island far to the North of Saeloun off the coast of what use to be North Korea; home of the Chayurouni Tribe - a Warrior Race comprised almost entirely of Omegas and a select few Betas who generations ago escaped from a dangerous group of alphas who intended to enslave them. They isolate themselves and do not associate with people from off their shores. Alphas are forbidden on their island.

The Haven: A Secret Village located inside the Ruins of Jeonju, North of what is left of Old Gwangju. A Wolfolk settlement; home of the Choi Pack- it is located almost entirely inside of a few rehabilitated apartment buildings, sort of like a town inside of a building.

Jirisan: A summer village belonging to the Taliians located in the heart of an ancient forest near the Southern end of the Korean Peninsula. Large enough to accommodate the entirety of the Taliian nation, it is only occupied from Mid-May to Mid-August. Designed as a summer home to allow their islands to recuperate from constant human occupation, Jirisan consists of a collection of sturdy wooden packhouses- one for each Pack- with enough cleared land to pitch tents in between; as well as a Temple and an arena for competitions such as wrestling and foot races and a central square area for festivals.

The Walled City of Daegu: One of the three remaining Walled Cities, Daegu is ruled by a ruthless monarchy that rules over it’s people with an iron fist. A strict class system exists with those who are Touched composing the highest tier and Omegas taking on a role as second-class citizens.

The Walled City of Busan: The last of the three remaining Walled Cities, Busan succumbed to a mysterious illness known only as The Virus. What is left of it is rules by lawlessness. Their Compounds have all been taken over by Daegu, leaving the citizens of Busan without any resources, but with nowhere else to go.

[The Remainder of this Journal was Never Recovered]

[Excerpt from the Research of Dr. Enomoto Yasuka, Geneticist and Bioengineer]

A/B/O SUBGENDER GENOTYPES

As a result of the gamma radiation combined with environmental stressors, human evolution responded by separating the second chromosomal pair back into two distinct pairs. Called 2A and 2B, these chromosomes then mutated. 2A developed the genes that would lead to the ability to shift into wolves, and 2B developed the genes that determined a person's reproductive anatomy in regards to their subgender.

The pair of chromosomes that make up 2B each contain one of the Alpha, Beta, or Omega alleles. Each person inherits one allele from each parent. The paired alleles are called genotypes. There are a total of six different genotypes a person can have: AA, AB, OO, OB, BB, and AO.

Alpha and Omega alleles are dominant, meaning people with the AA and AB genotypes are Alphas and people who make up the OO and OB genotypes are Omegas. The BB genotype results in a Beta, however, people who have the AO genotype are Betas as well since the two dominant alleles cancel each other out.

Example: A Male Alpha, Genotype AB and a Female Omega, Genotype OB would have a 25% chance of producing a AO Beta, a 25% chance of an OB Omega, a 25% chance of an AB Alpha, and a 25% chance of producing a BB Beta, or a 50% chance of producing a Beta offspring as opposed to the likelihood that they’d produce another Alpha or Omega being 25% each.

REPRODUCTIVE ANATOMY

The presence of the Alpha/Beta/Omega alleles in Chromosome 2B rewrites the rules when it comes to how the X and Y Chromosomes behave.

All embryos are endowed with the same all-purpose structures that determine the growth of the developing person’s reproductive organs. The development of these reproductive structures are triggered by secretions released from the testes called androgens.

At the direction of these androgens; male alphas, male betas, and male omegas will develop typical external male genitalia- and the absence of these androgens for female alphas, betas, and omegas when it comes to developing typical external female genitalia.

It is the presence of the omega and beta alleles in combination with the Y Chromosome; and the alpha allele in combination with the X Chromosome that alters the configuration of the internal reproductive structures.

Between the fifth and seventh weeks after fertilization, human embryos of either sex develop two primordial gonads that will by the eight week commit themselves to becoming either testes or ovaries.

If either the Y Chromosome or the alpha allele is present, one gonad will become a teste. If there is no Y Chromosome or alpha allele present one will become an ovary.

Embryos start out with two sets of ducts known as the Müllerian Ducts and the Wolffian Ducts. In absence of the testes, Wolffian Ducts atrophy while the Müllerian Ducts grow into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the inner part of the vagina. With testes present, the opposite happens; androgens produced by the testes stimulate the Wolffian Ducts to develop into seminal vesicles, vas deferens, and epididymis.

In male alphas, a testicular protein called Müllerian Inhibiting Factor prevents the Müllerian Ducts from developing into the internal childbearing organs. In female alphas, the presence of the second X Chromosome prevents Müllerian Inhibiting Factor from being produced, allowing female alphas to develop their childbearing organs.

The combination of the second X Chromosome and the alpha allele influences the synthesis of each individual enzyme required to build functioning internal reproductive structures, leading to the unique alpha female configuration of organs that allows them to both sire and bear children.

In female alphas, one gonad develops into an ovary while the other develops into a teste. The ovary is connected to the uterus by a fallopian tube while the teste and the surrounding epididymis are housed in a protective layer of tissue that is connected by a vas deferens to a seminal vesicle that takes the place of one Bartholin’s Gland located in between the vulva and the opening of the vagina. While the ducts of the Bartholin’s Gland secretes the fluids required for the natural lubrication of the vagina; the ducts of the seminal vesicle in combination with the vas deferens secretes semen and spermatozoa upon orgasm; allowing an alpha female to potentially fertilize any other individual with childbearing organs.

During sexual intercourse the presence of submissive pheromones causes a female alpha’s cervix to swell, closing it off and preventing her own reproductive material from reaching her eggs. When a female alpha chooses to submit to another person, her cervix does not swell and instead the tissue housing the teste and epididymis swells, preventing sperm from being secreted upon orgasm. When allowing penetration, an alpha female’s vaginal walls swell to lock her partner in place; similar to the knot developed by an alpha male.

In male alphas, the first gonad descends into the scrotum and divides into the testes, and the second gonad descends and becomes the bulbus glandis aka the ‘knot’; tissue located at the base of the penis that swells up to lock the alpha into place inside their partner in the moments before ejaculation. They remain locked together until the swelling goes down, ensuring that no sperm is wasted. Often a male alpha will cycle through numerous orgasms as their knot goes down, all while locked in place with their partner.

In female omegas and betas, the process is fairly simple; the second gonad atrophies and is reabsorbed into the body leaving them with a function set of childbearing reproductive organs.

Similar to Female Alphas, the presence of the Y Chromosome in relation to the Omega and Beta Alleles in Male Betas and Male Omegas determines the unique way their internal reproductive structures develop, one gonad becomes the testes, splitting and descending into the scrotum, while the other develops into ovaries which are then attached to the uterus by fallopian tubes. A short vaginal opening is located inside the rectum leading to the cervix. Outside of Heats, the opening is sealed shut by a flap of tissue. During heats, the tissue blocking the vaginal opening swells, blocking the rectum and allowing for sanitary access to the cervix and thus the uterus. Hormones secreted during Heats allow for enhanced muscle elasticity, easing anal penetration. A Bartholin’s Gland located a the vaginal opening secretes what it colloquially known as ‘slick’ during Heats as well, to aid in the process of anal penetration. Those same hormones allow for the tissues of the anus and rectum to easily and safely stretch during childbirth, giving male betas and omegas the ability to birth their children naturally without medical intervention.

Male Omegas begin to experience their Heats at the onset of puberty, while Male Betas reproductive abilities remain dormant until their place in their pack structure is determined. Once their role has been assigned, they will either develop a Heat or a Rut to suit their role. A Beta can switch dynamics based upon the pheromones of their sexual partner and once bonded often falls into one role and stays there. For example, if a Male Beta is mated to a Male Alpha, the beta's body will be triggered to begin producing Omega Aligned Hormones, which will in turn trigger the maturation of their childbearing organs and thus a Heat, allowing them to become pregnant and bear children. A Male Beta mated to an Omega would begin to produce Alpha Aligned Hormones which would trigger a Rut and thus the production of the reproductive material needed to sire a child. A Male Beta mated to another Male Beta’s designation would depend on which individual was more Dominant in terms of rank within the pack structure. A Male Beta in a relationship with more than one person might struggle with their place in the pack, especially if one mate is more dominant while the other is more submissive, causing their hormones to swing rapidly between Alpha Aligned and Omega Aligned. The rapid hormonal shifting often leads to an illness called Diametrical Breakdown Syndrome characterized by hot flashes, night sweats, sudden weight loss, nausea, loss of appetite, stomach cramps, loss of muscle mass, irritability, trouble sleeping, fatigue, memory loss, and lowered sex drive. If the issue is not resolved it can lead to a coma and eventually death.

Reproductive Potential of Each Dynamic:

Male Alphas - Sire Only.

Female Alphas - Bear and Sire.

Male Betas - Bear and Sire Depending on Alignment; Difficulty with Conception/Sustaining Pregnancy Due to Hormonal Imbalances.

Female Betas - Bear, With a Lowered Chance of Siring; Difficulty with Conception/Sustaining Pregnancy Due to Hormonal Imbalances.

Male Omegas - Bear, With a Lowered Chance of Siring.

Female Omegas - Bear Only.

Cultural Note:

In same-sex relationships the person who contributed their dna to the creation of the child is called the Sire and the person who gave birth to them is called the Bearer. A female alpha who contributed their DNA is referred to as ' Isa ' by their children and a male omega or beta who birthed a child is called ' Beba '. Mother and Father are normally used by male-female pairings. However, any combination of terms that suits a family best is tolerated. For example, a pup can have a female omega bearer, aka their mother and male alpha father, aka their sire. Another pup can have a male alpha sire, aka their father and a male omega Bearer, aka their beba .

BIOLOGY OF SHIFTING

A person’s ability to shift relies entirely upon a special cell similar to stem cells called ‘Catalyst Cells’. Like stem cells, a person’s body contains catalyst cells throughout their entire lifetime and their body can use them whenever it needs them. Catalyst Cells do not have a specific role in the body and can become any cell that is required of them. Unlike stem cells, which become more tissue-specific when an embryo reaches maturity, Catalyst Cells retain their embryonic state. Produced and circulated by dual-functioning scent glands located on the sides of the throat, inside of wrists, and on the inner thigh; Catalyst Cells are present in the brain, bone marrow, blood and blood vessels, skeletal muscles, skin, and liver primarily. Most of the time they are dormant and have to be activated when the body ‘calls’ on them using certain hormonal triggers; but in times of dire need the body can use Catalyst Cells to make repairs and grow new tissue- lending to humanities new found resilience and increased healing factor.

Catalyst Cells can divide and self-renew indefinitely, meaning they can mimic various cell types, allowing them to heal flesh wounds, knit broken bones, and even regenerate damaged organs if given enough time. As previously stated, Catalyst Cells remain dormant until the right combination of hormones activates them. Once activated they begin to divide rapidly, attaching themselves to the nearest aspects of their host’s body and altering the body from the inside out. Some Catalyst Cells attack and break down existing bodily structures to make room for new growth or reshaping them into the best base to suit a person’s transformation from human into wolf.

A person’s body can on average produce and store enough Catalyst Cells to transform from human to wolf and back at most three times in a twenty-four hour period. The cells require the right combination of hormones to activate, but the quickness with which they allow a person to change requires that an exhaustingly large amount of energy be available to burn, meaning that those who shift have to eat a high calorie, high protein diet to be able to change with any kind of speed or grace.

After a person has burned through their store of Catalyst Cells they usually require a cooling down period of twelve to twenty-four hours to build up enough cells to shift again, leaving the individual essentially trapped in whatever form they were in last when their reserves ran out. It is recommended that a person try to avoid becoming trapped in their animal form. Spending too long in wolf form puts one at risk for memory loss, personality changes, and eventually the loss of the ability to shift back into their primary human form as the beast takes over entirely and overrides the shifter’s human nature. It is also recommended that a person not try to shift again until the required time has elapsed and their stores have been renewed as there is the potential to become ‘caught’ in between forms; a condition known as going ‘Rabid’.

While forcing yourself to change and becoming caught between form is a rare feat, one often only accomplished by those who are truly desperate to change, there is an illness known as the Star-Blight that causes a person’s Catalyst Cells to become unstable, activating outside of normal protocol, and therefore causing a person to shift back and forth rapidly without being able to maintain a proper cool down period. Prolonged time in their wolf form coupled with their inevitable fate of becoming stuck in between the two forms eventually causes them to go mad and thus they become one of the Rabid, a condition for which there is as of yet no known cure.

[End of Recovered Information Available At This Time]

{Would You Like to Continue?}

[YES] or [NO]

THE YEAR IS 2395; ninety-five years after the imposition of the MATCH program and one-hundred and five years after the Taliians separated from the Walls. The Wolfolk have been resisting the Committee's attempts to bring them into the fold for the past seventy-five years, but things are beginning to come to a head. The Committee; currently led by Kang Jinsun, a cold and calculating Alpha whose ruthless pursuit of the Wolfolk and recent crack down on those who would avoid the MATCH Program is beginning to stir feelings of dissent in the general population.

On the island of Saeloun, the Shore Pack- the oldest and most powerful of the Taliian settlements- is led by Alpha Kim Kyuwook while high in the mountains, the Village of Sangil rots from the inside out.

In the ruins of Jeonju the Alpha of the Choi Pack has passed away, leaving his young son San to lead in his place.

While away in the Compounds outside of Seoul, Yeonjun struggles with a gift he can hardly stand to bear. Inside the Walls, locked away inside the Sanatorium, a man with a similar gift struggles to find his way in a world that looks to only be made up of varying shades of gray.

And a young beta runs from it all.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29254905/chapters/71838882

#fictional word primer #long post #the moon above #vinnie writes things #pseudoscience #I apologize to anyone on mobile who can't see the 'read more'

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