Linx - Herd Journal

29 min read

Deviation Actions

Anomalous-Chronicles's avatar
Published:
4.7K Views



:new: Linx's Beta chosen, and Alpha Aura has deputed a new position as well! :new:



Herd referred to as a: Pack.
Males referred to as: Bjorns.
Females referred to as: Maers.
Babies/Youth referred to as: Pups/cubs.
General View on LGBT Characters: Accepted.

The most feared/respected house of the New World, the Linx are known far and wide for their rather unique adaptation - the ability to eat meat!  It suits these hardy creatures well as the mountain landscape which they have chosen to inhabit offers little greenery except in the warm seasons.  While they are a noble people, they aren’t trusted by the rest of the herds since so little is known about them.  There is also the rumor that travelers through the Linx Mountain Range rarely return, meeting their demise…  Whether such an end is met by either the harsh conditions of the mountains or by the jaws of the Linx is hotly disputed.  The Linx are known to be medium to heavy in build and sport heavy winter coats for much of the year to keep themselves warm.  Much like wolves, they are often referred to as a pack!



Typical Build: Medium-Heavy (All builds accepted)
Height Range10-16 Hands (Maers); 12-16 Hands (Bjorns)
Preferred Coat Colors: Grey, Roan, or Paint Patterns - aka, anything snowy/wintery!

General Appearance:
Medium-Heavy builds.  Can be fairly tall but tend to be more stocky/solidly built than the other herds and almost always sport a thick layer of fur (and fat!) to help them survive the harsh conditions.  Average height for bjorns tends to be anywhere from 12-16 hands, with maers matching the bjorns in max height with a range of 10-16 hands.  Coat colors that blend in with the mountain are most considered the most preferable, with anything snow-colored (ie, greys, roaning, appaloosa, or cremellos) being the most useful.  They tend to have large hooves in comparison to their body and strong, square features with small ears/eyes.  All Linx, regardless of their mutations, are born with the ability to both howl and purr!

General Herd Traits:
Respectful, Grateful, Hardy, Temperamental, Noble, Good-natured, Serious, Hopeful

Diet:
The Linx are the only herd to still eat an almost completely carnivorous diet!  They can and do ingest greens when available to supplement their diet but would not survive on a completely herbivorous diet.
  • Please note that Linx can digest red meat/white meat and fish, as well as insects in a pinch as a protein source.  Whatever they are eating, their diet should be minimum of 75% flesh with the remaining 25% supplemented with fruits/vegetables (shh, they love potatoes!).
Magic Types:
Earth (Common), Water (Uncommon), Fire (Rare)
To see expanded descriptions of these types of magic, visit the Magic Types journal!



Automatic Mutation: Carnivorous Digestive System, Modified Limbs*.
* Note that this can only be applied once (either the front end or the back end) for free.  A secondary full price Modified Limbs purchase will be required if you wish to have front and back end modified.

Complete with feline/canine teeth!  The ability to digest red meat is essential for the survival of a Linx, as there are few if any greens available during much of the year.  

As a whole, the Linx generally have a better sense of smell, hearing, and eyesight than the rest of the herds thanks to their predatory instincts.  Pups are not immediately able to digest meat (this ability seems to mature after about a year of age) so at times must be nursed longer than the newborns of other herds.  However, every now and then pups without the ability to digest meat are born into the world.  These babes are mourned and seen as the result of an act that displeased their god, as they have a minimal chance at survival.  Historically, these pups are killed humanely out of mercy but there have been reports of maers who have begged their children to be adopted by other herds to stand a chance at survival…

Regardless of whether or not they have the ability to digest red meat, all pure-blooded Linx have the ability to purr and howl!

Other Common Mutations:
Most Linx mutations give off a very feline appearance, although canine/bear-like mutations are also common!  Mutations that benefit their predatory lifestyle are prominent, with paws and cat-like tails being the most common.

*Modified Limbs Notes

Starter Linx characters may choose Modified Limbs (Feline, Canine, or Bear)!  What does this mean?  For new starter Linx characters, you may now choose to have the front or back limbs modified to have structure of felines, canines, or bears!  Each end must be mutated separately (for example, Modified Limbs- Feline [Front Legs], Modified Limbs - Feline [Back Legs]).  If you so desire, mix-and-match is allowed (bear in front, cat in back, etc).  In order to have both the front and back legs modified, a second Modified Limbs token must be purchased or applied to the character!  Remember, modified limbs DO change the hooves to match the leg structure (ie, cat paws on feline front legs).  However, to have paws on all four legs, a paws mutation will be required.

Examples:
  • Carnivorous Digestive System (Auto), Modified Limbs - Feline Front Legs (Auto), Feline Tail, Feline Eyes, Feline Tail.
  • Carnivorous Digestive System (Auto), Modified Limbs - Wolf Back Legs (Auto), Wolf Nose, Wolf Ears, Wolf Tail.
  • Carnivorous Digestive System (Auto), Modified Limbs - Bear Front Legs (Auto), Bear Tail, Bear Nose, Bear Tail.

Anomalous | Linx Mountains by Seele-Studio

The North is a formidable land unsuited for those without a fierce inner strength and stamina that allow them to survive.  The most prominent feature of the territory of the Linx are mountain ranges for which they are named.  The Linx Mountain Ranges completely separated the Northermost tip of the realm from the rest of the island, with its eastern and western edges meeting sheer cliff faces that drop with staggering steepness to black, churning seas that often carry thick blocks of ice on their surface.  Pampero’s Fields (named after the bull that originally populated the tundra so many centuries ago), the tundra to the north of the mountains, can reach temperatures as low as -34℃!  However, some creatures such as caribou, hares, certain migratory birds, foxes, wolves and even snow bears make the tundra their home!

The Linx, although capable of surviving several days in the harsh conditions, have found paradise and made their home in a vast network of tunnels beneath the mountain.  Carved out of stone and etched into the walls are the legends and lore of their ancestors.  If one enters the correct tunnel, they may follow the stories of their origin from the very beginning and, although it would take a day or two to read completely, would find themselves in the newest tunnels beside those who continue to painstakingly record the latest events into the walls.

While many of the tunnels are meant to trick and betray those who do not belong, there are several different halls that will eventually lead to the main hold of the herd.  The Capital, as it has been simply dubbed, is nearly always bustling with activity as living underneath a mountain requires constant maintenance.  Gemstones, placed by the founders of the Capital, adorn the cavern’s roof in ornate patterns while their most precious and beloved stone, the Dragonstone, allows natural light (if any is to be had on the surface) to filter down and cast rainbows of light upon its inhabitants.  Legend says that if the Dragonstone, forged from the heart of now extinct dragons of old, were to ever be broken or removed from its place that the mountain itself would collapse and their herd would be brought to ruin…




The Linx follow an Alpha, a position that changes hands when the current Alpha either passes or is too old to lead the herd on the annual reindeer hunts.  While the position goes to the strongest, largest and most capable bull (normally the Alpha’s Beta), from time to time female Alphas do occur!

Sons and daughters of the Alpha do not hold titles, as there is no strict royal heritage, but are expected to do well in hunting and providing for their herd!  It is quite common for the throne to be inherited by a son (or daughter) of a former Alpha!  After all, who better to train the next Alpha of (Under?) the Mountain than an Alpha him/herself!

The Beta is the Alpha’s second in command and most trusted individual.  The Beta helps to enact all of the Alphas rules, search out potential Gammas, and generally be there to do the Alpha’s beck and call!  The Beta is the next in line to inherit the title of Alpha.

Alpha's Advisor is a recently enstated position (by Alpha Aura), generally falling to a pack member with vast and varied life experience that the Alpha or Herd at large feel it would be useful to have close at hand/in the Alpha's counsel. 

Gammas are highly skilled hunters and fighters hand-chosen by the Alpha and Beta to be a part of the Alpha’s hunting party.  There are usually three Gammas at a given time but there may be as many as five if they are talented enough.  Gammas are the first to have a foot in the door to potentially becoming Alpha, as the next Beta is chosen from amongst them!



  • Deltas (5+ Years Old): The Hunters of the pack!  Whether they choose to hunt singularly or in a pack, hunters are the heart and soul of the Linx.  While most Linx can hunt for themselves, it is a hunter who provides for those who cannot hunt for themselves - the elderly, the young, mothers too pregnant or who have just birthed, or the sick and injured - and help create a store of food for the winter when the Linx are largely contained to their tunnels.  Hunters are expected to treat all kills with the highest level of respect.  Every hunter, before every hunt, must swear an oath to the elders of the herd to kill only what is needed.  No part of any kill will go to waste.  Hunts may last a few hours or go on for weeks at a time - whatever it takes to not come back empty-handed.  Hunters that do not return with a kill are allowed a day or two to rest and freshen up before they are expected to go out and try again.  If a hunter returns empty-handed after three hunts, they are often demoted to Omegas.  While solitary hunters can and do take down large prey (arguably if they are lucky), hunting in packs is far more efficient and are more likely to succeed.  Hunting parties usually range from 3-5 individuals, each of which may have a certain advantage that will benefit the hunt as a unit.  Hunting parties can either be arranged on the fly or become a more permanent arrangement, with some packs sticking together from maturation to death!  Experienced Deltas often take the less experienced, younger members under their proverbial wings while they're still new to their ranks.
                           Delta Sub-Ranks
    • Trackers:  The brains of a pack unit who weed out their targets!  Trackers usually have a better sense of smell, vision, or eyesight than their packmates.  They also have an intimate knowledge about the habits of their prey - the way they move, what they eat, how they live - and use this knowledge to formulate a plan to track down their prey!
    • Sprinters: The fastest members of a hunting pack, sprinters chase down their prey with high speed chases!  There can be more than one Sprinter to a group.  Sprinters do not usually take down the prey but instead force their prey into high speed chases.  If there are multiple sprinters, one will chase the prey until they tire and then fall back only to be replaced by another!  Sprinters are typically lighter in build or smaller than the rest of the pack.
    • Stayers: Otherwise known as the brawn of the pack!  Usually the largest members of a hunting unit, the stayers are typically the ones who take down the prey.  Dubbed stayers thanks to their large reserves of strength and stamina, the stayers are the last members of a pack to make a move.  When the Sprinters have tired out their target, Stayers move in to deliver the final blow.
  • Selsas (5+ Years Old): Selsas make up the bulk of the herd.  As the adults of the herd, Selsas make up the bulk of herd's members and are primarily protectors of the Linx tunnels and those who fill the rest of the jobs for the herd!  While Deltas hunt to provide for the herd it is the Selsas - those who can hunt but are not highly skilled in it - that take on the role of protectors of the herd.  While they will go out and hunt with Deltas and may occupy permanent positions in hunting parties, the primary job of a Selsa is to make sure the tunnels are safe, the entrances are secure, and the borders are still undisturbed!  However, if protection isn't their thing, Selsas can hold a number of jobs!  From caring for animals raised to feed upon, specializing in healing/patching up the wounded, brewing grog, or babysitting young while mama is away Selsas can be just about anything they want to be!
  • Epsilons (25+ Years Old): Once pack members have become too old or are wounded and can no longer hunt, if they have served honorably they retire as Epsilons.  Epsilons are highly respected for their wisdom, hard-earned through a life full of first-hand experiences.  Disrespecting an Epsilon for any reason can result in immediate demotion to Omega.  Epsilons can hold many positions, such as keeping the records of the Linxian wall scrolls accurate and up to date, nannying the pups while parents are away hunting, or keeping rascally Selsas/Zetas in line!
  • Iotas (Less than 5 Years Old): The Iotas are the next generation of Linx!  Iotas have no real responsibility other than to grow, learn how to hunt, and listen to their mothers!  All pups, up to the age of five, are considered to be Iotas until they make their first kill and become Deltas or Selsas!  If Iota do not make a kill by the age of five they are considered failures and worthless to the herd.  If this unfortunate end should be met, an Iota does not rise to the rank of a Delta or a Selsa but will instead fall to the low ranking of Omega.  If they show particular promise in a particular area, a Delta may take on an Iota as an apprentice, and other Iotas may get advice from their parents or other experienced Deltas before they take their hunting test.
  • Omega (5+ Years Old): The failures of the herd, Omegas are made up of Iotas who did not make a kill by the age of five or of other herd members who have fallen due to abhorred acts such wasting a kill, disrespecting the Alpha or Beta, endangering herd members, or betrayal.  Omegas perform the tasks and duties that are seen as menial or dirty, such as keeping the tunnels free of waste, clearing out new sections of tunnels (often by hand!), or processing kills under the close watch of a higher ranking herd member.



Primary Deity | Actaeos, God of Balance and the North Storm
Demigods | ---.

Storm God, Actaeos by MidnightDireWolf

Actaeos…  God of the Northern Storm…  A god surrounded by muddled words and snow flurries.  Stories surrounded Actaeos that both complement and contradict themselves…  Tales of restored life and those of lives taken, of paupers becoming kings and kings wiping out their entire people without consequence...  But perhaps such that should be expected from the god alternatively known as the God of Records and Balance.

While Actaeos is seen as a male with black, leopard spotted fur with a long, curling tail and the head of a wolf, the form of the record keeper often shifts and changes.  Sometimes he is female, sometimes without gender.  Throughout the ages he constantly changes form to suit the needs of those he services…  Whether those needs be for good or evil, only Actaeos can decide as it is Actaeos alone that can sense where balance lies.

The Shapeshifter god became known as God of the Northern Storm when, according to lore, the gods of the realm were thrown out of balance.  In the beginning, when the very first stories of gods began to be told, there were not eight gods, not seven.  However, too much power had been acquired by one of the gods, a god who believed it was he who gave life to the world.  In the god’s wake was fire and death but, with things still in balance, Actaeous could not act.

It wasn’t until the eighth god, the Goddess of Reason, was smote.

Actaeos had to recreate balance in the wake of the goddess’s demise, which had sent the world tumbling into ruin.  He gave part of himself to contain the destruction as best he could - a containment that turned the formerly green northern territory into a world of snow and ice.  It took decades for balance to return and, when it had, Actaeos was but a vision of what he had been before, especially when the part of himself that the god had lost allowed a meteor to crash into the world without warning…

The God of Balance has been quiet ever since but the Linx look to Actaeos as their primary god and give thanks to his undying dedication to keeping the raging northern storms in check.




A herd known for eating flesh and spilling blood to survive, the Linx are incredibly misunderstood by the rest of Anomalous.  The Linx are viewed as dangerous, untrustworthy, and deceitful.  Many a babe is told to do as their mother’s tell them, or else the ‘monsters’ of the North, with their strange howls and sharp teeth will come to eat them!

While the Linx are happy to let the rest of the world believe this false concept (it keeps their noses out of Linx business) this couldn’t be farther from the truth!  A population generally without threat other than the chill of their mountain, the Linx value life, respect, and knowledge over all things as it is these that keep their predatory instincts in check.  

In autumn, Linx begin to prepare in earnest for the winter.  Although they keep the tunnel entrances neat and tidy, it is not unusual for a particularly snowy winter to lay so much snow that they are quite nearly locked in!  In preparation for this, hunters travel to the tundra to cross paths with the annual migration of the caribou.  It is a large hunt that the Alpha himself leads and, although the hunters compete to see who can fell the largest caribou, it is quite serious as, if not enough meat is collected and stored, the herd may go hungry!

As they are often relegated to spending most of their time within the mountain to stay warm and protected from the unpredictable weather outside, Linx have invented a revolutionary brew which they fondly refer to as the ‘Good Stuff’ - you guessed it, the Linx have grog and plenty of it!  Nearly every family has their own recipe and many a snowstorm has been weathered by the warmth that only a proper booze-off offers!  Recipes are treasured and protected, as a good grog recipe can bring quite a bit of fortune to the maker!

While they must kill other creatures in order to survive they take it very seriously and waste nothing of their kill.  If a young bjorn or maer is thought to be killing recklessly or needlessly, punishment is swift and severe to the extent of banishment.  They are, surprisingly, perhaps the most open herd to the company of travelers but, since they are so feared and misunderstood, they do not often see visitors!  

Though like all the different herds of Anom, Linx are still technically a herd, they are often referred to as a pack, since all members contribute together to hunt, make sure others are happy, and raise children just like wolves or other social predators might!

When it comes to mates…  Well, it’s totally up to you!  Bjorns often collect harems up to three or four in number but he is expected to be able to take on only as many as he himself can provide for!  Generally, bjorns and maers form trios, with two wives pairing to a single bjorn.  Some practice monogamy but, overall, it is seen as a completely personal choice.  Homosexuality is somewhat frowned upon here but, with so much boozing going on, it is not unusual for a particularly drunk individual to suddenly reveal his/her secret!

© 2016 - 2024 Anomalous-Chronicles
Comments32
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Jian89's avatar
Got a few mutation questions

It's said Lynx have a thicker fur for the cold, so can we draw/design our lynx with a thicker/fluffier coat or would that cost a mutation?

If you want lion manes, I suppose it also costs a mutation?

When you speak about a wolf/feline nose, can it make the head shorter then standard horse? Like more square if you have a feline nose?