APBY Lore: The Zarath Family
- Owen Yu
- Jun 21, 2022
- 4 min read
Before diving further, have you read APBY? If not, READ IT NOW! (Can't be spoiling stuff here, ya' know...)
Now, let's talk lore tea! Being inspired by a tweet (Thanks again, Rosalyn!), I couldn't help but let my talkative-self to spill and share the sweet, sweet tea about this family. So... let's go!
~~~~~~~~~~
Background
Currently based on Wyerside County on the West Coast of Furmerica, the Zarath Corporation is a comprehensive network of multiple smaller corporations and businesses under a family branch, both major and minor. This corporation has grown from a small Furopean fishing business in the 19th Century, until its boom in the 1910's where their war business blew up with the World Wars. Thanks to the methodical investments and initiatives launched by the late Matthew S. Zarath, the single business grew to attach itself to various business paths all over the world.
Following that, a leadership system had also been developed under him as a way to curb the power struggles that were predicted to come.
Every single branch has a representative on the Board of Directors as either advisors, eyes and ears, or simply a figurehead that's as weak as a single particle of dust, which all hold 1 vote in every Board Voting Session (BVS).
Among them, one representative is elected as Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board, and also the presumed Mayor of Wyerside County. This term is served for life and cannot be given up unless a simple majority of the Board votes in favor of deposing him/her/them. (They are expected to work even under anesthesia or in any unconscious state).
Similarly, the process of Board Election is fairly simple, with also only needing a simple majority to determine the chosen Chairman/Chairwoman. Although, past candidates have always been part of a company that possessed strong, formidable foundations and power internationally, and inside the family circle.
The person chairing the position, possesses a great deal of power in all BVS', which totals to a whopping 10 votes, and also a bundle of responsibilities they are charged to care. Amidst them would be acting as a balancing performance and serving as a mediator in between severe conflicts of different family 'factions'. This is further emphasized after the Zarath-Xeryn Feud where %#_$%--
*ERROR: PAGE NOT FOUND*
...According to present records, there are in total of a 100-something representatives, and probably a few dozen more illegitimate ones that have the Zarath name. But, only recognized representatives have their names written down in the Book of Representatives located in an undisclosed location. Once written, they have swore under a sacred oath that generally bars them from harming the family in any way. (Oath ref. page 1). Any unsuspecting or intentional oath-breakers will have their name stripped off the family history, and have their future pups completely barred from any inheritance given by the family.
---Excerpt from 'Zarath Corporation' by Clarissa Zarath, page 3
Biological Fun Facts!
~~~~~~~~~~
While they all have their own abundances of riches, they also have some biological funny stuff that separate them from normal wolves!
Among them, are the fur color, specifically the fur patch and eye colors!
In birth all they way till before their tenth birthday, Zarath pups do not have fur patches (aka they're pure brown) and have colorless, grey eyes. Only during their tenth birthday, or whenever they chosen to sleep eyes-closed for the night alone after that date, will the colors show.
For the case of marriage, if, and only if, is the opposite partner a Canis Lupus (any fur color is suitable) will changes be observed. Right after the first intercourse, both partners will feel slight nausea and headaches, before experiencing immediate unconsciousness, and waking up approximately four hours later with the opposite partner shedding off and rapidly regrowing brown fur with the other partner's patch and eye colors during the short hibernation (The hormones or chemicals that stimulate this sudden change are still unidentifiable)
For non-Cani-Lupus, no changes will happen.
Their patch and eye colors have their own symbols and family status. From top to bottom, indicates their hierarchy rankings.
Green= Major family members
Blue= Minor family members
Red= Disowned/Estranged members
No changes observed= Irrelevant/Unrelated/illegitimate
In the case of one's name being stripped off, at the moment they are experiencing sleep in the NREM Stage 1, they are induced into a comatose-like state where they only awake after 24 hours and have their patch colors turn into a dead-red color in that time. (This phenomenon is also unexplainable. The cause is possible to be supernatural, but again, I am scientifically sane enough to say those aren't real)
There has been no way to reverse the effects by far. Any attempts to reverse them by cutting, shaving, bleaching, coloring, etc, have all been proven futile. There also isn't any way to indicate the colors of Zarath family members before their tenth birthday other than tracking back their family history. And even then, there have been numerous occurrences where their patch colors switch from the family norm.
Other than that, they have the exact same physical and chemical features of any Canis Lupus.
Speaking of physical characteristics, there have been cases where two newborns of different branches have the exact same physical characteristic. Weirdly, it usually results in them having mirroring personalities too, which means while one could have a specific personality trait, the other twin would have the opposite of that trait. (These cases rarely occurred, therefore more research is needed on my side)
~End report~
*Extra*: There have been mysterious incidents of 'bleaching' in the past where the cause still can't be scientifically be, or in terms of social status too, explained yet. These incidents are not documented enough in the Archives, therefore I can't say much other than that they happen in lesser than 5% of the family.
*Extra II*: On the 'twin study', I have discovered what others dubbed as 'mind-reading'. Although there aren't any scientific evidence for reasoning, twins are capable of 'syncing' their brainwaves and somehow deliver memories to one another. Although, again, due to the lack of information from the Archives, I am unable to prove this as either a truth or falsified myth.
---Excerpt from 'Biology of the Zarath' by Ophelus Zarath, 1998.
Comments