Inferni

The Inferni ranks differ from typical wolf pack ranks; Inferni prefers a smaller, strict hierarchy. The Inferni ranks are loosely based on Roman army ranks and class designations, though they are by no means historically accurate to actual Roman army ranks. Some of the words used for the Inferni ranks simply have Latin roots. Inferni's ranks are unique in its Immunes tier -- canines within this ranking hold their same job while advancing through the ranks.

Current rank listings can be found here.

Rank Hierarchy

Legionis

The Legionis hierarchy is the vertical organization of the ranks. These tiers -- the Legatus, Triumvirate, Diocese, Immunes, Milites, and Discentes tiers of ranks -- are the primary means of ranking coyotes. These positions denote their specific position within the hierarchy -- their authority, dominance, or submission. These ranks are straightforward and clearly displayed in the rank listings, etc.

The Legionis tiers consist of:

• The Legatus tier, or leader ranks
• The Triumvirate tier, or council ranks
• The Diocese tier, or master ranks
• The Immunes tier, or trained specialist ranks
• The Milites tier, the basic training ranks
• The Discentes tier, the low ranks

Auxilia

The Auxilia tiers are the informal organization of Inferni's ranks. These are the "pathways" of job advancement within Inferni -- think of them as a career plan. A canine enters the Lumen tier with plans to move from the Praeses rank to Vigiles to Caelum to Praetorian and onto Optio -- these are all scouting type jobs that fall within the Lumen tier.

A coyote can switch freely from one sort of job to the next; there are no restrictions on moving from one Auxilia tier to another. If a job doesn't suit your character, let a leader know.

Bellum

The Aquila heads the Bellum tier, the ranks dedicated to battle, protection, and so forth. The ranks of the Bellum tier are the Aquila, the Triarii, the Hydra, the Hastati, and the Equites.

Miscellus

The Centurion heads the Miscellus tier, the ranks of miscellany. The ranks of the Bellum tier are the Centurion, the Consul, the Imperium, the Imaginifer, the Aedile, and the Discens.

Lumen

The Optio heads the Lumen tier, the ranks dedicated to scouting, spying, and protection of the clan borders. The ranks of the Bellum tier are the Centurion, the Consul, the Imperium, the Imaginifer, the Aedile, and the Discens. The ranks of the Lumen tier are the Optio, the Praetorian, the Caelum, the Vigiles, and the Praeses.

Rank Jobs and Descriptions

Legatus

Leader Ranks

The Legatus are the dominant canine of their particular Auxilia tier. These canines are responsible for the daily maintenance of the clan as well as its general direction and preparation.

Aquila (1)

The Aquila is the first in command, solely responsible for running Inferni. The Aquila decides ranks, settles disputes, and upkeeps clan morale, among other duties. S/he acts as a general of Inferni during battle. The Aquila is the absolute word of law within Inferni.

Centurion (1)

The Centurion is the second in command, responsible for assisting the Aquila. When the Aquila is incapacitated or away, the Centurion assumes leadership until his/her return, and upon an Aquila's death or departure, the Centurion typically assumes permanent leadership.

Optio (1)

The clan's third in command, generally more low-profile than the Aquila and Centurion. This tertiary leader serves as the eyes and the ears of the Legatus, and directly assists the Centurion. The Optio generally remains in close contact with the ranks of the Lumen tier.

Triumvirate

Council Ranks

Made up of three long-time members of the clan, the Triumvirate serves directly under the Legatus ranks. These three coyotes are responsible for ensuring that the Legatus are well informed of member activity and other day-to-day information. Additionally, they will attend any meetings between the leaders when it comes to large-scale decisions.

Triarii (1)

Head Warrior. Typically, this coyote is the strongest and/or smartest of the Hydra, and serves directly under the Legatus ranks. They are responsible for training the Hydra and Hastati ranks and advising the Legatus in times of war. If one of the Legatus ranks is not available to handle an outside threat, it is the duty of the Triarii to assess the situation and engage in combat if the need arises. The Triarii is chosen based upon their service in the Hydra tier. They are typically chosen for loyalty and skill, as well as their experience training lower-ranked members.

Consul (1)

Historian/storyteller. The Consul is responsible for knowledge of the clan's history and stories—usually a longtime member, the Consul is well-versed in Inferni's history, and it is part of the Consul's duty to pass this knowledge along to others and make it well-known within the clan. The Consul is required to keep a written record of Inferni's history, and often claims either the Notarii or Salvus co-rank.

Praetorian (1)

Director of Intelligence. The Praetorian is responsible for knowing what is going on both in and outside of Inferni. It is their duty to keep the Legatus up-to-date on this information, which is either gathered by the Praetorian directly or with the assistance of the Caelum and Vigiles ranks. The Praetorian is required to either know or keep a record of information gathered by the Lumen tier, and often claims either the Notarii or Orator co-rank.

Diocese

Master Ranks

The Diocese are canines that have proven themselves exceptionally well in their particular tier; while these members are not necessarily long-time members, they have proven their loyalty to Inferni thoroughly and have mastered their particular craft prior to moving into these ranks.

Caelum (1)

Head Scout. A scout whose duties include knowing the surrounding territories (and packs) inside and out, as well as serving as an outer border patrol and often as the intial warning. The Caelum is the the best scout in the clan, having proven extensive knowledge about the territory and its surrounding areas. Caelums often have close contact with the Vigiles and Praeses of the clan, exercising some degree of "control" over the pair of Praeses, while working with the Vigiles ranked coyotes more sporadically. The Caelum is required to know how to ride a horse, work closely with Inferni's spies (either played characters or the ravens of the Waste), and be constantly aware of changes to the surrounding landscape (pack sizes, locations, and etc).

Hydra (3)

Warriors. They take orders only from the Aquila, and in battle, they act as body guards for the Legatus ranks. Hydra-ranked coyotes are generally fearsome and not to be taken lightly in any situation; the Aquila will often use the Hydra while settling a dispute or investigating a border disturbance for protection. These warriors are the personal guard of the Legatus ranks, occasionally delegated to protect one specific individual of the Legatus if there are three Hydra and three Legatus-ranked coyotes. These ranks cannot be claimed until a kill in defense of the clan is made by the member aiming for such a position.

Imperium (1)

Trainer. A coyote who has many skills, a sort of jack-of-all-trades. Though this coyote may not excel in any one area in particular, s/he has plenty of general knowledge about the ranks of Inferni as well as the specific jobs associated to them. The Imperium's main purpose is to train Discens-ranked coyotes for their specialist Immunes positions, and the Imperium must have close contact with Inferni's Discens to fulfill his/her rank duties. This coyote is also expected to help new members become acclimated to the clan, and a coyote of this rank would do well to explain some of the history, the ranks, and the territory to a new coyote. To hold the rank of Imperium, one must prove themselves capable in several areas—this can be done through gaining any co-rank, and teaching a member any new skill.

Immunes

Trained Specialist Ranks

Immunes ranks are the primary tier of Inferni ranks. These coyotes have been around Inferni for some time, and they have also made the effort to establish their primary skill to be used in these ranks, each of which has an important job attached. Coyotes ranked in the trained specialist ranks are expected to perform their duties to capacity or risk losing the rank. The Legatus ranks typically pay attention to the new coyotes in the Milites ranks to determine where the coyotes best fit into these specialized ranks, though sometimes the coyote in question may be consulted.

Miscellus (1)

The Miscellus rank is used when a canine falls outside of the general rank job duties. It is used as a blank spot in the ranks, generally as falling under the Bellum (war) tier and the Aquila. Presently, the Miscellus slot is occupied by the position of Tesserarius. The Tesserarius organizes and commands a pair of canines or works alone during the night to keep watch over the clan's territory; this canine is responsible for reporting to the Aquila in the morning and exchanging any news that has gone on during the night with the leader. See former Miscellus ranks on the History page.

Imaginifer (2)

Image-keeper. The Imaginifer plays an important role in Inferni, as one ranked here is responsible for the clan's image. This coyote keeps any clan tattoos, artifacts, statues, or other memorabilia safe. The Imaginifer also plays an important role in deciding the decor of Inferni's border, and insuring it remains as hostile-appearing as possible to drive any trespassers away. These coyotes are generally creative and artistic types.

Hastati (3)

These are the apprentice warriors of the clan. These are younger, more inexperienced, or newer members of the clan who generally serve under beneath the Hydra-ranked coyotes, occasionally serving as apprentice to one of the Hydras. Upon review by the Hydra(s) and the Aquila, these members typically ascend to the Hydra position.

Scorpius (2)

Hunter. The Scorpius is the best hunter of Inferni, expected to keep a good handle on the food and water sources within Inferni's territory (and some nearby, too). This coyote may lead hunts, though generally the honor is restricted to the Aquila. The Scorpius may sometimes work closely with the Praeses as well as the Caelum, trading information with the lower-ranked Praeses and working in tandem with the Caelum.

Aedile (1)

With the Mansion and addition of the greenhouse, a need rose for maintenance. This coyote is responsible for just that. Daily, they are expected to water and (if needed) prune or harvest the plants within the greenhouse. Any small repairs to the mansion are also left up to the Aedile, but they are responsible for ensuring any large-scale structural issues are brought to the attention of the Triumvirate or Legatus.

Vigiles (2)

The "watchmen" of the clan. These two scouts assist the Caelum and help the head scout to train and lead the Praeses-ranked coyotes. They are responsible for asisting the other scouts in patrolling and keeping watch over the border for both threads and newcomers alike. The Vigiles are often former Praeses themselves, and often ascend to the rank of Caelum after serving for some time as a Vigiles, if the position is vacated.

Milites

Basic Ranks

Milites ranks are the middling, basic tier of the Inferni coyote clan. Coyotes ranked here are encouraged to study the Immunes portion of the ranks and find one most suited for their talents, as they are expected to pursue one of these ranks when seeking promotion to the Immunes tier of ranks.

Praeses (2)

Spy/scout. The pair of Praeses are responsible for both patrolling the borders and spying on the other packs, and they generally report to the Caelum. A Praeses often also works closely with the Vigiles, helping them to keep the borders of Inferni safe and secure.

Equites (4)

Equites are the "footsoldiers" of Inferni, intended to be the lowest-ranked members of the Bellum tier of ranks. These canines may move into the position of Hastati eventually, should they prove themselves exceptionally capable.

Discentes

Low Ranks

Discentes ranks are the beginning tier of the Inferni coyote clan. Virtually every coyote accepted to the clan is placed in the Tirones rank so they may prove their loyalty to the clan. Children, omegas, and wolves are also ranked within this tier.

Tirones (∞)

The Tirones are subordinate ranks. Tirones are generally new recruits to Inferni who have not yet proved themselves loyal to the clan or willing to stay a while. This is the "default" rank handed out to virtually all who join up with the coyote clan, generally populated by the newest members of Inferni.

Quintus (1)

The Quintus is the lowest-ranked adult Inferni coyote. A Quintus may have done something wrong, which may not have meant exile, but certainly equals demotion. A Quintus may be picked on by the other coyotes of Inferni, serving as a source of relief for others' stress.

Tirones Minor (∞)

Tirones Minor are youths of Inferni, under seven months of age. These coyotes are protected by the other members of Inferni quite fiercely. Though they are not considered actually part of the hierarchy until adulthood, they are nonetheless considered valuable members of the clan.

Outsider (∞)

The Outsider rank is extremely rare, as it designates a full-blooded wolf and they are not often accepted among Inferni's coyote ranks. Technically, an Outsider is a part of Inferni, but s/he may not advance through the ranks, and s/he may be regarded with open malice by some unaccepting Inferni clan members and kindness by more open-minded members of the clan. A wolf must be quite well-connected to attain this rank, boasting some extremely close connection with the coyotes, usually via mateship or very close blood ties with existing members.

Causarius

Elder Rank

While all members of Inferni are expected to help serve the clan, elder members or those who have a medical reason to retire after faithful service are granted the privilege of a life without any true duty. Because of their age and experience they are often sought for counsel by members of the clan. All members of the Milites are required to tend to whatever duties the members of the Causarius need; either food, assistance with cleaning dens, or any other tasks they might need. Causarius’ will often suggest tiers best suited for the Milites after seeing their performance.