By no means do you have to read this to enjoy the story, but it might assist with context. 

The players on the stage are as follows:

• Humans (Witches are always human)

• Fey

• Human Hybrids (human X supernatural creature)

• Fiends

• Djinn

• Supernatural Hybrids (Mix of 2 or more supernatural bloodlines)

• Dragons

Humans: The vast majority of the world populace are human; 99.9% are people just like you and me working regular jobs. Clueless there are “others”, walking among them.

Pure-blooded Fey: Fey creatures encompass a vast variety of bloodlines. From the Sphinx of Egypt to the Selkies of the Ivory Coast, almost all fey are shifters of some stripe. Over the course of the story information about the various types of Fey will be revealed. 

For this story, only purebloods have "Soul mates". While rare, it is possible to reject a mate. Rejected mates can become bitter enemies. About half of all purebloods will never find a destined mate. These individuals often still live contentedly, some even have families. You can’t miss what you never had. 

Shortlist of Fey Blood Lines (There are countless others)

o Werewolves 

o Sphinx 

o Selkie 

o Yōkai 

o Al Anqa’a 

Each line has a unique vulnerability. Fey are not all-powerful, though in times past some were revered as gods. Most ancient Egyptian rulers were of Fey mixed with other supernatural blood. The Ptolemaic bloodline, ending with Cleopatra VII Philopator, were direct descendants of a Werewolf Sphinx hybridization. Yes we know she wasn’t the very end of the line, but she was the last that held any real power.

Werewolves: Often referred to simply as wolves or shifters, are the most predominant species of fey on the planet. Their success over other supernatural creatures stems from a pack mentality that meshes seamlessly into human society. More than any other supernatural species they understand how important a structured society is for survival. Werewolf historians often postulate that human society was shaped over many millennia by its interaction with werewolves.

Werewolves are the only fey known to hybridize frequently & successfully with humans. A pure-blooded werewolf is always taller and more athletic than human hybrid counterparts. Werewolves heal faster than other species. An injury that may take months for a human to recover from might only take weeks for a werewolf.

Hierarchy and Packs

• Omegas: Smallest of the wolves with a lean hungry look. Impressively fleet of foot, an Omega’s stamina & speed are rivaled only by the most dominant Alpha wolves. Omegas are built like track & field, swimming, cycling, & marathons athletes. When hunting, successful packs run with at least 2 Omegas. Omegas will drive prey to exhaustion making it easier for stronger wolves to safely takedown. 

Omegas have gregarious personalities coupled with exceptional social skills honed through years of navigating dangerous situations by wit alone. Their heavy reliance on body language & tonal nuance make Omegas exceptional diplomats, translators, & excellent liaisons to non-werewolf communities. Because they lack the intimidating aura of other wolf casts, astute Alphas keep at least one Omega in the wings to assist in negotiations with other species. Omegas make up approximately 15% of the werewolf populace & are almost always pure-blooded fey. 

• Deltas: Not the fastest or the strongest, neither are they the weakest or slowest. Many American football Linebackers & quarterbacks, basketball centers, & any other athlete where strength & mass is an advantage, are likely to be of Delta lineage. Deltas are genuine team players that flourish when part of a group effort. They tirelessly devote themselves to being the most studious & industrious, tending towards fierce pack & familial loyalty. Filling the ranks of laborers, accountants, managers, nurses, lawyers, & doctors are almost always Deltas. The majority of the werewolf community is made up of Deltas, they are the base stock of the packs that run day to day life & care for all members. A significant portion of Deltas are human hybrids. Deltas make up 80% or more of the Werewolf populace.

• Gammas: Gammas are the dominant wolf stock from which Alphas & Betas are born. Gammas tend to be driven & aggressive. At most 5% of the werewolf populace is a Gamma, they are almost always pureblood stock. These are military leaders, CEOs, political powerhouses, visionary & driven individuals.

• Betas, the loyal 2nd in command to pack Alphas. An Alpha’s Beta is the one person who can question the Alpha & make them stop a course of action. Shrewd Alphas value a Beta who is not afraid to challenge them & second guess orders. The most famous Alphas owe much of their success to a Beta that stood up against a poor choice when no one else would. Betas are platonically bound to their Alpha in a similar fashion as a mate is. There is no “mark”, but a sharing ritual is performed that strengthens their connection. Betas are often childhood friends, siblings, or close blood relatives of the Alpha. After being bound to their Alpha a Beta finds betraying them near impossible. In return, the Alpha finds it difficult to harm or ignore their Beta. 

• Alphas: Usually, but not always, the strongest of the pack members. Alphas exude a dominating aura that makes pack members feel safe & strengthens the ties to their community. This same aura can be used to make the pack submit to the Alpha’s will. Alphas range from ruthless egotistical tyrants to altruistic leaders willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of others.

o Arch Alphas: Rule large territories. There are 7 Archs in the world. The territories do not always follow international borders. For instance, Africa has been split through the countries of Sudan, Chad, & Nigeria between two rival Archs for well over 3 centuries, the border between them fluctuating each decade. Arch Alphas, without exception, are of pure supernatural blood. Some believe that their blood contains traces of Dragon or perhaps even Djinn ancestry though there is no conclusive evidence of this. Arch Alphas always have a destined mate & will refuse all others until they find that mate. 

Arch Alphas live longer than other werewolves. If this is because of their ability to pull from the pack’s strength or the genetic addition of outside supernatural blood it is unclear. No ones knows exactly how long Arch can live. Death is delivered by rivals, not old age.

Arch Alphas did not emerge as a distinctive ruling class until well after the Golden age of the Roman Empire. Before that Archs were known as epic heroes & legendary rulers. Think King Arthur, Qin Shi Huang, Cyrus the Great, The first Emperor of China, Hannibal Barca, or Genghis Kahn.

The power of an Arch derives from the strength of their fey blood. In past times the most potent Archs possessed the unique ability to pull power from their pack or to give it. These Archs of ancient myth were unstoppable in one on one combat. Their battlefield troops would never break rank.

Where a normal Alpha may have a pack of a few hundred an Arch Alpha’s reach often encompasses thousands of wolves. In ancient wars, Archs could command units of up to 5 thousand, a legion. Arch troupes were the most deadly on the field due to their fluid transitions from one formation to another & telepathic mind link. During a battle, the only way to break the ranks of an Arch legion was to take the Arch Alpha out. Arch Alpha troupes would frenzy from the loss of their leader & kill everyone not part of their pack within reach regardless of allegiance. These berserk wolves would not stop until the last of them was put down. Having an Arch legion in any fighting force was a liability. For this reason, they were most often used as shock troops fighting independently from the rest of the military force.

Towards the end of the Roman Empire, as Christianity emerged from cult status to dominate religion, the Church enlisted Werewolves to subdue supernatural creatures deemed a threat to humanity. Seeing the value of deifying the strongest Alphas, the church began to connect them to the Archangels in the Bible thereby creating the title of “Arch Alpha”. Some Arch Alphas went so far as to take the names of those biblical angels, falling into the trap of being “instruments of God”. In the middle ages, during the crusades & inquisitions, many types of supernatural creatures deemed incompatible with humanity are believed to have been eradicated. The Arch Alphas were the blade used in those purges. During the Renaissance, there was a schism between the Arch Alphas & the church. After the Vampiric wars of that period, the Arch Alphas turned their backs on the church officially ending the reign of terror on supernatural creatures. Arch Alphas who continue to believe the tales of Dragons, Djinn, Vampires, & other supernatural creatures still lament their ancestor’s roles in the eradication.

• Selene: Also known as a Luna, depending on the pack region. The Selene almost always comes from Gamma or Omega bloodlines. Though occasions of Deltas becoming Selenes are not unheard of, an Arch Selene has never in recorded history come from Delta lines.

• Packs: Pack mentality is directed by its Alpha. Like any human society, there are a wide variety of Pack governing styles. Some run their packs as a complete dictatorship where any sign of disobedience is met with swift & merciless punishment. Others have councils *the Alpha functions simply as a Chairman keeping things on track. Arch Alphas & their packs rule over large territories that contain many sub-packs. It is a constant struggle to keep the peace & secure an Arch's territory. Most Arch’s run their territories off a loose version of the feudal system, some taking their “Royal Blood” status more seriously than others.

Hybrids: There are two types of hybrids

• Human Hybrids:

Werewolves are the species of Fey that mate routinely with humans. Other fey species do so on extremely rare occasions. Kitsune, a type Yōkai fey, are the next most common to mate with humans though those unions almost always end in tragedy.

Werewolves are the only fey that doesn't outright reject their hybrids, usually welcoming them fully into packs. 80% or more of the Werewolf Delta community is comprised of hybrids which contribute greatly to the prolific presence of werewolves in the human world.

Other Fey are reticent to mate with humans & reject hybrids because of the sociopathic insanity that recurrently manifests as the child hits puberty. For some reason Werewolf get are less prone to the phenomenon, hence the large populace of werewolf hybrids. On the rare occasion that it does happen with werewolves, those children are generally put down as they will eventually turn into brutal Rouges.

If criminal insanity does not overtake human hybrids, depending on the strength of their blood, they will exhibit varying qualities from their fey ancestry. The more diluted the blood the weaker the traits. Those of Silkie heritage might be excellent swimmers & divers, werewolf get might heal faster. With the strengths can also come weakness; odd allergies, light sensitivities, excessively dry skin, or easily irritated by noises no one else can hear. Many unfortunate hybrids receive only the weaknesses from their fey blood or have extreme reactions that cause their human genetics to clash, these individuals are often outcast from the fey & human worlds forced to live on the fringes. Humans with, schizophrenia, sensory processing disorders, extreme food allergies, or autoimmune disorders are often some variant of hybrid.

• Supernatural Hybrids:

Pure supernatural Hybrids are a much rarer occurrence. Supernatural species have conflicting genetic components that make producing viable offspring difficult. Most Hybrids will favor one parent over the other 7 be accepted into the society that they most resemble. These hybrids are either sterile or have a lowered fertility rate. Even though they are hybrids, their blood is still considered pure. Meaning they are accepted by the fey community, in some cases greatly valued.

o Hybrid species:

Rarely, new species of supernatural creatures spring from a hybridized cross. These species can reproduce and are often frighteningly powerful. Other supernatural creatures will band together & hunt them down to extinction if possible. The Tigraata is one of the hybrid crosses that became its own species. They are a cross between Djin and a fey. 

Vampires: Yes, no wolf story is complete without a vamp or two.

Are a different entity in this universe. Not really of the world. Not pretty or alluring.

Dragons: Ancient nomadic beings that wander between the stars. When asked if they are immortal the reply is usually vague and along the lines of "All things die." or "Time for me is not sequential." Their morality and way of thinking is completely alien. Dragons drift in and out of the timeline rarely doing more than observing. Dragons wield great power but believe they should not interfere with humanity or other supernatural creatures. 

Djinn: Creatures of pure magic, Djinn are lovely and terrifying even to other supernatural beings. Djinn can seem cruel, even evil, to outside observers. Djinn rarely exist in a solid corporeal form, are few in number, and mostly prefer to live as recluses. In the past, foolhardy humans have attempted to enslave Djinn only to find they had tied their necks in a noose strapped to a runaway horse.

Djinn hold grudges, exacting vengeance on entire bloodlines through millennia. A particularly spiteful Djinn’s retribution contributed to the legend of Sisyphus. Only the punishment involved getting the rock to the top of the hill to have the man die horribly by being crushed slowly under its weight then resurrected the next morning to begin the task anew. Most legends involving unfortunate individuals tortured to death then resurrected to have the process repeat can be contributed to the actions of an angry Djinn. 

Djinn are the only supernatural creatures able to resurrect the dead, though they are only known to do it as a form of punishment or a cheap party trick. Some speculate that the resurrection of Christ was the product of a bet between a Djinn and a Dragon with a twisted sense of humor who had imbibed too heavily.

Dragons and Djinn are known to form odd friendships. When questioned by a fey companion why she retained a relationship with a particularly infamous Djinn that had destroyed an entire city for what seemed a minor offense, one dragon replied, “Evil is simply gauged by whether you are eating from the plate or lying on it.”

Fiends: Are vagrants of the planes. Meaning they shift between existences consuming the life force of all they find. Dragons will kill fiends on sight. Fiends are energy black holes that defy the laws of nature.

Pompeii is an example of what happens when a Dragon deems it is necessary to eradicate a fiend nest.