Prologue

In the beginning, there were two groups of wolves as far back as when Jasper Park was first founded.

There were the alphas proud and strong they served as the hunters and protectors of the pack bringing caribou. Such was a noble and strong tradition and it was the wish of every wolf to become an alpha for it meant infinitely better living conditions and status. People like Kate strong proud and honourable always ready to put duty first. Sadly, it is not every wolf's destiny to be part of this elite class.

For some pups that were not born to fighting and wrestling with their brothers and sisters those who lacked drive were known as omegas subjected to the scorn of the pack. These unfortunate wolves would earn the lion share of the abuse and were slapped with humiliating laws. Laws that were meant to cull their population for instance being forbidden to breed even though genetically there was no difference between the two. Omegas were also forbidden to eat meat that right reserved solely for the alphas and instead relied on nuts and berries. Wolves like our hero Humphrey had to endure to survive.

Hence it was nothing short of a miracle that not one but two alpha and omega marriages occurred on the same day between Humphrey and Kate and Lilly and Garth. Their love strong enough to salve hatred between the Eastern and Western packs of the valley together.

However, not everyone was happy for the Eastern and Western wolves were not the only wolves in the valley and their union would forge out one of the strongest packs in the Canadian countryside. Foreign packs cried afoul of the marriage and were quick to form alliances most notably the Yoho pack and the Southern Jasper pack.

Overview

For the humans, Jasper Park is a fun family location where picnics and nature walks were regularly held. However, this was not the case for the wolves that lived there.

In their world it is a place of strife bloodshed and a struggle to patrol and defend their historic pack lands. For some, it was the opportunity to gain new ones in the carnage of battles waged hundreds of years ago.

Out of the carnage only five packs made it out of the furnace of time and were around during the reign of King Winston or in human terms 1963. The packs were the Northern pack, Yoho Pack, Eastern, Western and Southern packs.

All the packs in Jasper with the exception of the Eastern and Western were radically different both racially as well as with their approach to warfare and lifestyle.

Starting with the Northern Pack where far up North in the mountains the great river streams and flow down to the region below giving it life.

Northern Pack

The Northern Pack was in simple terms a vast land of a hundred streams, lakes and mountains covering much of the Canadian province of Alberta.

The Northern pack was a diverse and varied race having conquered all the packs to the North of it and with a great swathe of people mixed into it. It was led by a rather frail leader known as Tsar Nicholas.

The northern pack had by far the largest area and was the strongest military force of several hundred and was poised to conquer the park. However, an alliance of the other packs four years ago had stopped the juggernaut in its tracks.

Less than a year after the disaster unhappy with the way things were run coupled with a series of repeated crop failures the omegas starved. They could see the rich alphas owning the land on which their blood, sweat and toil had made fruitful dining lavishly on steaming hot elk and caribou while they starved.

This proved to be the final straw the omegas breaking into rebellion. However, the alpha monarchy had responded swiftly and brutally to exterminate the rebellion. More than three years later the rebellion had only won the omega forces barely 20% of the mainland drawing a bloody stalemate over the land.

Yoho Pack

The Yoho Pack is effectively the centre of Jasper Park and consisted mainly of plains with a hand full of hills that lay in the centre. As it bordered every other pack in the region as such they were a resolute people skilled in the art of defence and although small by comparison to other wolves were fierce when backed into a corner.

The Yoho pack was in a few words could be considered unique in all the packs of Jasper as it was run by omegas and not a traditional alpha run pack.

The reason for this was due to a disastrous battle with the Eastern pack over a disputed strip of land in which the Yoho pack weakened from repeated invasions had lost. This had resulted in dozens of dead and the collapse of the Yoho imperial army by superior enemy tactics and numbers. Following their defeat the Yoho pack were forced to make repatriations of caribou (a vital food source) and cede land to the victors of the previous campaign (the East).

The food naturally had to come from somewhere and their pack leaders as usual had decided the lot to fall onto the omegas. Cutting their subsistence rations still further and leaving them to die off from starvation. Starving and very angry they had chosen to rebel against their alpha masters. Aided by a number of alphas they were able to win their lengthy and bloody campaign.

Since their successful rebellion the surviving omegas formed a democratic government comprised mainly of the rebellion's leaders. The most promising of the leaders known as Duce later became president a few months later and a well-respected leader of the new state.

Subsequently, this new pack was often seen as an upstart by the other packs and most notably the South and the East. This was a novelty as alphas were normally perceived as leaders and warrior kings and queens whose worth was proven by the baptism of battle.

The Yoho pack democratic government on the other hand focused on the development of skilled omegas that would later specialise into various professions e.g.: artisans, healers, scientists, engineers and philosophers. These were known as deltas for their intelligence and were highly regarded forming the brains of the Yoho pack. In the early part of the rebellion they conceptualised killing weapons that were able to compensate for their master's superior speed and strength (alphas).

This included the predecessor of the infamous "Bear-Trap" anti-personnel device. As well as new military doctrines such as the extensive use of log-borne alpha troops to effectively deploy in the hilly forests of Jasper Park.

Betas represented the ground forces of the Yoho army having been trained by the few alphas that did choose to side with them. They were lacking at least initially in terms of skills and strength but more than made up for that in terms of their enthusiasm. Betas thus forming the base of the rebellions army together with a few alphas whom served as highly valued trainers.

Together, the combined efforts of the deltas, betas and alphas were able to break the oppressive rule of their former masters forging a brand new nation out of its ruins. Where countless had perished and the capital had been lost the government officially coming into being when it controlled over 70% of the country.

However, not all the former alpha government had been disposed of as a substantial number of alphas lived in a fairly isolated region which bordered the Southern pack. They were considered satellite packs by the new government and had largely retained their independence.

Yoho Satellite Packs

The pack is geographically isolated for the rest of the Yoho by the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the south of the nation. It covers about 30% of its imperial war area containing largely hills and very rough terrain.

The Yoho Satelite pack contained the empire's best available alphas and possibly the best in the whole of Jasper Park. These elite wolves frequently saw off massive invasions from the South mainly through expert use of the terrain and extensive deployment of log sledding troops. This effective deployment of alphas frequently stopped their much larger and hostile neighbours to the South.

The alphas for the satellite pack had initially done nothing about the rebellion for that could not spare any troops to protect their hinterland. In fact, they actually secretly supported the rebels for they were interested in retaining independence. They offered advice, training grounds and food aid as well as bases to operate from during the invasion.

The new democratic government when it was finally formed kept its promise of allowing the satellite pack independence although still aided each other militarily and economically especially against the South which was just fought to a stalemate.

Southern Pack

The Southern Pack was a bit of a misnomer for it was not one continuous pack but rather a nexus of small bands of wolves run by warlords. These warlords frequently fought and sometimes formed lose alliances when there was a threat to them as a whole pooling together their limited resources.

The 'Southern Pack' was in a heavily wooded area with hardly any caribou (the most economical creature to hunt for food) nor could they construct any farming due to the nature of the land. They were vicious cruel and extremely hardy having spread all the way into nearby Banff National Park Even somehow living dangerously near human settlements.

They were initially perceived as a non-threat and in fact very barbaric by the other packs for they had the alarming tendency to commit infanticide. The Southern wolves had killed their pups over any defects real or imagined.

This barbaric practise on average killed off almost 80% of a litter individually the various groups of wolves were small only setting upon the innocent lone traveller. In spite of how brutal this practise seemed they genetically selected for though resilient and strong wolves which was necessary in such a hostile environment.

That is until recently they had been unified by a fierce and utterly blood-thirsty and ruthless leader whom was known as Kharkov. He had single headedly united all the various factions and was locked in bitter conflict with the Yoho pack.

Unlike other leaders whom had done as such he ruled fairly and justly as opposed to pillaging and slaughtering. Noticeably, his iron will had made the South see themselves as a united nation and rallied themselves together in spite of differences.

With his first act as leader he had decided to invade the Yoho pack's satellite pack believing that they would be weak after being cut off from the imperial government. He was right about this and he soon won a sizeable chunk of Yoho territory.

However, what he didn't count on was the new Yoho democratic administration rushing in help, pushing aside old hatreds to save their brethren. Following a vicious fight the South was bloodied and was halted in front of the provincial capital of Warsk.

United Eastern and Western packs

Lying to the West of the Yoho the two packs was situated in a vast valley separated geographically as well as psychologically by a river acting almost like a long scar from bitter disputes and war. Now, that scar had mended through the arcane traditions of marriage of Garth and Lilly together with their respective packs were united as one.

The union went well for they after all shared the same blood and were content at least initially with sharing pack territory. They even agreed that the capital of the Eastern Pack Vinsk should now be moved towards howling rock which would be the united pack's capital.

The disputed issue came when the question emerged, who would take the throne? Would it be Winston and Eve leaders of the Western pack for they after all were king and queen and the Western pack was larger. Also, having two leaders always brought stability as new heirs could be produced. Could it be Tony leader of the Eastern Pack? He had the only son to take over the throne which was vital in the near future as Winston and Eve were getting old. Even if Winston and Eve could produce another litter they would be left with a pup too young to take the throne.

Furthermore, the Yoho pack had seen fit to re-occupy territory lost some years ago during the brief civil war regaining several rich caribou grounds. These actions lead to an outcry with the masses calling for the Yoho pack to be punished. This anger was further justified as the caribou stocks in the Western area would be strained to cope with both packs needs. Now, the pack was in a very real danger from famine.

The omegas also wanted more rights something that had resulted from the alpha-omega marriage something which the old alpha elite certainly did not want. They were rumours now just rumours that the omegas were planning a rebellion like the one that overthrew the Yoho monarchy and nearly did the same in the North.

Hence, the alphas voted overwhelmingly (as omegas weren't allowed to vote) for Winston to take the position of King and his mate as Queen to lead the united Eastern and Western powers to greater heights of glory…