Fire of the Night ~ Eclipse Pack Log

[Wind_Shadow]

Introduction
Hello everyone, and welcome to "Fire in the Night ~ Eclipse Pack Log"! This will follow the journey of wolf 1249M "Sol" as he makes his way through life, building a pack and legacy. Before we begin, I'd like to answer a few quick questions you might have.

What can we expect to see in this?
This will follow the life of Sol, a new wolf just created. He is an iron wolf, so any moment might be his last. Still, I hope to bring him very far in life. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that, while I have a great number of beloved wolves and family trees, I have yet to finish the life of any one to age 8 (mostly because I'm too attached and afraid to loose them), and only have one iron wolf so far. Sol- and the legacy he will hopefully leave behind- will allow me a new generation of wolves I can freely live and let live, going through the full course of their life while recording each precious moment. In addition, the start setting is challenging, since my other ironwolf is accurate and a slightly more chill gameplay would fit Sol.

Why the new log series?
To be honest, I was feeling a little tired of "Return of the Fire Leaf", and was unmotivated to do it. I've been playing around with other wolves, but I'm in the mood to start something new. With the eclipse fast approaching and my obsession with eclipses, I thought this would be the perfect pack to get a fresh, new start with. In addition, I've yet to start a new wolf life in a long time, so I've missed the opportunity to build a wolf from the beginning- with map transitions, Amethyst dens, Known Wolves, and more. Of course, I have wolves that can use all of these, but all of them were already started off before the updates. This will give me a chance to play with all of the updates in play right from the beginning.

How will this differ from "Legacy of the Fire Leaf" and "Return of the Fire Leaf"?
The two series will be greatly similar. Aside from some minor differences, there are two main ones. The first being that, instead of delivering the log in chunks and pieces, it will be delivered season by season- meaning the entire autumn log will be released all at once; then the entire first year of pups all at once; then the second; and so on. The second notable difference is the narration and structure. I plan for "Fire of the Night" to be much more organized and immersive, with in-depth sections and more insider information. All of which can be found deeper within this first log. In addition, Autumn's logs were written from the position of observation scientists watching it unfold, meaning some gameplay details and wolf perspective points had to be altered or hinted at, but not directly stated. This will be directly from Sol's point of view, and will include explicit sections with more insider information that even he won't know.

Does this mean Fire Leaf is over?
No need to worry, Autumn isn't finished! I do have lots of plans left for her, I just need a break. However, I intend to return to her eventually, but she is on hold. For now, my priority will be Sol and the Eclipse Pack. For those of you paying close attention, you may be interested to know that Autumn's dispersal friend has a life of her own, which will one day be detailed here (if you know, you know.)

Of course, if you have any other questions not addressed here, I'd be happy to answer! Feel free to message me either privately or in response to this thread with any questions, concerns, critique, or general comments!



Meet: Sol
Named after the sun, 1249M "Sol" is a 2-year-old dispersal freshly arrived on the slopes of Amethyst Mountain overlooking the Lamar Valley. He has a light ginger pelt tinted red to match his name, and fiery red-orange eyes. He is a very large wolf, with a short, fluffy tail. Like his namesake, he is majestic, slow, and calm. He has an easygoing nature, and enjoys social interaction as much as he does alone time. He likes to take his time with everything, to slow down and enjoy life. He is not particularly fast or good with endurance, but he is quite strong.



Autumn
- Sol arrived in Yellowstone, a hopeful and easygoing 2-year-old wolf. He found himself on the western slopes, very high up. Standing on a jutting Boulder, he looked over the great valley, brimming with potential.
- He encounters a hostile lone male with a gorgeous dark brown pelt (806M), and quickly leaves.
- He attempts to hunt mule deer, but barely gets a nip before giving up. They’re just too fast.
- After another nap, he wakes up in the night. Deer are nearby, and he manages to down a doe. After feasting, he sleeps.
- He is awoken by a boar bear, and peacefully leaves the remainder of the carcass.
- He again encounters a lone male (1208M), this one a beautiful rich black. Sol leaves upon signs of hostility, only for the wolf to carefully follow him. However, he is able to placate the wolf with a play bow to show he is not aggressive. After a few moments, they peacefully part.
- Sol wanders across and investigates a mule deer skull, then continues on his journey. It seems he has found a scent.
- He soon comes upon elk tracks, and follows them until he reaches the medium small herd. The elk flee immediately, and he tests a calf in the back. However, he quickly leaves it, realizing it’s too strong.
- He is just heading for the only other calf in the herd when a cow elk stumbles and falls, breaking bones. He quickly swerves, attacking his new prone target.
- He is able to get in two big bites before the elk is up and running. He chases a few times, and is chased by the elk twice, and eventually manages to bring down the cow.
- He feasts, sleeps, wakes, and takes a few nibbles, then sleeps again. He spends a few days like this by his kill, sleeping and only waking to eat, untroubled by anything except a pair of easily scared off coyotes who show up occasionally.
- After several days, 806M shows up, although he doesn’t attack or attempt to seize the carcass. When Sol sleeps, he also does, and is gone when Sol wakes.
- After the coyotes return for the third time, Sol dreams of fires, wolves, and pups. Although he is quite peaceful and content, he takes this as a sign that it is time to move on and return to a more active life. Even he feels the deep down instinctual desire to find a mate.
- Finding tracks very close by, those of a female wolf, he follows it to a pair of wolves howling and interacting in a friendly way. At first he is worried they were courting, but then he realizes they’re a brother and sister pair of yearlings, 1401M and 1403F. The male has a nice black coat, and the female a gorgeous Misty gray with a darker spine. They were dispersals from one of the established wolf packs in the area, Rescue Creek.
- He is awed by the female’s beauty, and again feels the instinctual urge to find a mate. The two wolves run from him skittishly, not yet ready for courtship. Although he is strangely glad that the female is safe for now, he hopes to one day get to know her better- perhaps she would make a good partner.
- Wolf heads west, then back east, as if confused. Along his way, he trips across a bison skull. Then he turns north and runs for a while, eventually finding an abandoned beaver lodge stranded on dry land. Snow starts to lightly fall, and Sol takes a nap.
- Sol naps again, and when he wakes, starts tracking an elk trail northwest. Ironically, it is the same herd as the one he first hunted from.
- At some point, he turns just west. Along the way, he crosses paths with 806M walking by. However, the other male ignores him, so he continues along.
- After a while, he comes upon a pronghorn herd, and abruptly turns back east the way he came, and sees the elk herd in sight. However, he isn’t alone- 806M is coming in from the south.
- He watches as 806M charges, unsuccessfully, then falls back. The herd is undisturbed. However, after a while of watching and waiting, a large portion of the herd flees only to return, as if spooked.
- Sol didn’t wait any longer- he charged in on the spooked herd, and they fled. After his last successful experience with a cow elk, he targeted an adult, and was lucky that the first one he bit was fairly weak.
- Sol got in several good bites before the elk ran. Then he chased the herd for a long time, unable to catch his target. Still, he remained undeterred, relentlessly in pursuit over fields, forests, rivers, and hills.
- Finally, Sol came within biting reach. The elk turned and attacked before he could bite. Then the elk tried to flee, but Sol quickly caught the cow. An intense battle followed, wolf and elk striving for survival.
- Sol came out on top, triumphantly felling the cow elk and howling his victory to the world. Then he feasted, and howled again.
- When Sol wakes, he barely has time to take a nibble before he is attacked by a sow grizzly with a single cub. He quickly leaves before he can be injured, and once a safe distance away, howls.
- He quickly finds himself assaulted by the howls of a great many wolves, around him in all directions, most of them countable. He is confused and uncertain, running first one way, than the other, than back the first. Finally, he settles on heading southwest, howling occasionally for communication.
- Eventually, he turns west, and quickly runs into 1202F. She is a lone dispersal from Rescue Creek, very social, and with a coat as black as night with a white dot on her chest and paler speckles like a galaxy.
- Sol courts her for a while, and is surprised by how extremely social, quick, and bold she is at her approach. She loves to howl, and is usually first to interact. He gets overwhelmed a bit, and runs off.
- Sol quickly returns, and she is all too happy to court with him. He sniffs her, and then cautiously rests his chin on her back. Then the pair agree to a trial period, interact for a short time, and take a nap.
- When he wakes, he interacts with her for a while, then they go off to hunt. He quickly tracks a pair of mule deer, but after a long chase the pair give up. They interact more and howl, then nap.
- When they wake, they interact, then set off to track prey, heading northeast. They go to the rebirth sight of the burn, near where Sol first arrived. Then they intercept an elk herd trail, and follow it.
- The herd is quick to run at the sight of two wolves. After a few moments, Sol targets a cow, still used to hunting them, while a calf trails behind it. However, his partner goes for the calf, and he quickly follows her lead. He is overjoyed to find it is on the verge of death, and while she dodges the now-attacking mother, he quickly finishes the calf.
- The two howl joyfully, then feast. Impressed by her great skill, luck, or both to find such an easy calf so quickly, and infatuated with her sociability, Sol asks her to become mates, and she accepts. She is named Celestia.



Meet: Celestia
1202F "Celestia" is very adeptly named. A two year old dispersal from the nearby Rescue Creek Pack, this beautiful wolf has black Kk genetics. She has a black coat with subtle brown and white blended streaks like a galaxy in the night sky, and a big white dot on her chest. Warm honey colored eyes seem to shine out from within her dark face. She is highly social, always ready to howl or play, either initiating or responding. She is quick to respond to social cues, and very receptive. She is also quite bold, quick and confident to rush into a hunt or courtship. She is caring to all, and deeply loving of her family.
After the Rescue Creek Pack breeding female died, many new females were hopeful of inheriting the position. The breeding male was too old to successfully find another mate and hold the large pack together. Without proper leadership or any obvious choices of who would be next to inherit breeding rights, the pack was unable to decide which female would be next. Eventually, the pack splintered off, each of the wolves going out on their own. Without proper leadership, the pack splintered, resulting in a great number of young Rescue Creek dispersals left roaming the area, and a decaying territory all that remained of the once-great pack.



Meanwhiles
Welcome to a new section, where special insider information about other wolves is reported. This is information that Sol might not necessarily know, but could be relevant to readers.
- 806M is very commonly seen. It is possible this 4-year-old from the Rosebud Pack might play a big role in the future, if he doesn't find a mate and go off on his own.
- 1208M, though only seen once, might have potential. He is only 2 years old, meaning this Phantom Pack dispersal should have lots of life left in him.
- 1401M and 1403F, similarly to Celestia, were cast out as dispersals when the pack splintered, forcing them to go alone at a young age. Though they plan to eventually get lives and families of their own, they remain together for safety and company. Being yearlings, it's possible they could be around for quite a while.



Conclusion
Thank you very much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it. The next one won't be posted until Endless Summer is reached. In the case of an ironwolf death, all previous events will be posted immediately, though hopefully this should never have to happen. Feel free to comment or chat in the meantime, and I hope you have a great day!