The Triskele is a pack that places extremely high value on the number three. Important to them in their religious, political, and everyday aspects, everywhere you look there is some sort of emphasis on 'three.' Their name is pulled from the Celtic symbol, the triskele, which is believed to represent the elements of earth, water, and air, as well as hold association for the Triple Goddess.
Speaking of, members of this pack may believe in The Moon Goddess and her children, but members of The Triskele tend to hold greater value for the Triple Goddess - The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone. Religious tradition in this pack is believed to be pulled from varying pagan religious beliefs, most especially Wicca. While one can certainly find many similarities between Wicca and The Triskele religious belief, the latter is more so an offshoot of original Wiccan belief, tied into traditional werewolf belief. After the Triple Goddess, emphasis is put on The Triad - the triplet daughters of the Moon Goddess (Hunterra, Galenva, and Stonra).
The political structure of the pack is always the same: triplets rule the pack. In the modern day, the pack is unofficially split into three factions, but traditionally the triplets would rule the pack together, untied on all fronts, sharing equal power. Though that is still what they claim, it's an open secret that some siblings hold greater power than others, and that siblings have a tendency to vie for more power, at times creating political dissent. However, most of the fighting is contained among the siblings, so that the public isn't necessarily aware - or at least, holds no proof - of the political dissent. Showing a united front is important to them, and likely will remain important for many generations.
The triplets in charge always come from the Alpha line - the Awen family (their name derived from the awen symbol, another aspect that represents groupings of three) - and almost always from one of the triplets in charge of the previous generation. Typically - by some divine fate - only one of the ruling triplets has triplet children of their own, and then those triplets ascend to power when the previous ones step down. Triplets must always step down when one of them dies or abdicates - to lose one is to lose all.
Each Alpha Triplet - colloquially referred to as the AT's or TA's by the pack - typically maintains a specific aspect of the pack. The roles, loosely, are broken down into Foreign Policy, Domestic Policy, and Military Policy. Each future-ruler is raised learning all three areas of expertise, until the age of 13. There, the triplets undergo rituals and tests to determine who will take over which position. From 13 onwards, they focus mainly - sometimes solely - on the area they will one day maintain. It's meant to create a checks and balances system - they must rely upon one another to run a pack smoothly; one cannot hold all the power and knowledge.
Alpha Triplets that are all-female are representative of prosperity, change, and growth. All-female alpha's are seen as good omens and blessings from their deities. In the case that the Alpha Triplets are all female, each one receives the title of Maiden, Mother, or Crone, designated by their birth order: Youngest, Middle, Eldest; Maiden, Mother, Crone. In the event that not all Alpha's are female, this title designation and association to divinity is not present. In the event that all the Alpha's are male, that is seen as a dismal sign - a bad omen, representing the fact that the pack must have fallen into disfavor. That isn't to say a reign of all-male Alpha's is disastrous, destructive, or terrible - it can be, certainly - but it's more a sign that those ruling Alpha's have to assure the pack is favored with the new cycle. When the next Alpha's are born, that is how the pack determines how successful they were. Mixed-gendered Alpha's are more neutral - a time of steadiness, with the potential to be great or horrible. They determine the next generation.
When Alpha's earn their title, they are tattooed twice; once with the triskele, once with the awen. The awen is placed on the back of their neck, while the triskele is tattooed at the base of their throat, centered between their collarbones. The awen:
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The triskele:
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The pack members often try to find favor in one of the Alpha's, meaning that the pack ends up in an unofficial pack divide - factions. It's safe to say most fighters fall under the Alpha in charge of Militarization, but between everyone else it is relatively fair game. The pack hasn't yet reached the edge of civil war, but if they continue this way it is likely to come sooner rather than later. Though there isn't deep animosity between wolves of another faction, there are spats and skirmishes between wolves who favor one politically over the others; the same humans debate political candidates, The Triskele debate the Alpha's. It's not yet too terrible, and the pack is still relatively calm, but the turmoil lies just beneath the surface.
