Wolfshaunt
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|---|---|
| Founded | early SA |
| Size | Major Kingdom |
| Ruler | Grandfather Josiah |
The Wolfshaunt is smallest nation-state in the Realm.
Located in a high mountain valley surrounded by impassable peaks, the Wolfshaunt is a land filled with shadows, terror, and legend. The inhabitants of the Wolfshaunt live under the harshest of conditions. Constant rains and mists allow for rudimentary farming in the rocky soil found in the valleys of this land. Few valuable natural resources in the area and a remote location kept the Wolfshaunt relatively unpopulated during the First and Second Ages.
In 902 TA during a Crown-sponsored exploration of the Forbidden Library in Sandal, thirteen werewolves from the Wolfshaunt were released including Wycliffe, the Nephew of Grandfather Josiah. The following year, in 903 TA, a group of commandos ventured into the Wolfshaunt opening a cryptex that had long bound the inhabitants to their mountain prison. Since that time, the number of wolves and strange gothic folk has increased dramatically in the Eastern Reaches.
Legend: The Hunger
When men first crawled out of the caves they had been hiding in at the dawn of the Second Age, those with the Hunger were already among them. Their numbers were small, but their survival depended on being unseen - hidden within the community - trusted by all - their secret safe.
And so, the Bonding began. It started with the forging of the Grandfathers Rings - for that was the term that was used for the oldest and wisest among those with the Hunger. The goal was simple - to control the youngest and most impetuous until they could learn the wisdom of walking unnoticed among the men of the Realm. At that time, they would be released from the Bond. They, too, could become Grandfathers in time.
The powers of the rings were crafted so that a wearer was immune to all except the wearer of another Grandfathers Ring. A balance in the power of immortality and control. Twin rings were always crafted with one capable of being broken down for distribution among the Bonded.
But for some control became, in itself, an obsession. The Grandfathers did not want to give up their power. And so a new set of rings were made - the Uncles rings. Like their predecessors, these rings were made of intertwined bands of silver. Identical bands were given to those who were to be Bonded. No power in the Realm could break the Bond. And while some were released, many others became slaves.
And so it was for hundreds of years, the Grandfathers amassing greater and greater numbers of Bonded. Uncles bonded Nephews. And great family trees were created. And yet, the reason was lost. Grandfathers no longer hid amongst the people - rather they became Barons and Counts and their practices of the Hunger became known.
It was then, in 821 SA, that the men and women of the Reaches drove those with Hunger out into the depths of the Wolfshaunt Mountains. They were not killed - for many are immortal. But they were trapped. Sealed by a magical barrier that allowed only those guardians with special tokens passage through the Long Tunnel between the Eastern Reaches and the Wolfshaunt. In addition, a magical cryptex was created to limit the power of those with the Hunger outside of the Wolfshaunt. In those confined valleys, however, the Grandfathers continued to amass their families - waiting for the day of release back into the Reaches.
Settling the Wolfshaunt in the Third Age
The original Third Age settlers to this area were displaced from the Eastern Reaches by the arrival of civilization after the end of the Third Orcish War. Pushed out by the introduction of law and order, this collection of thieves, criminals and outcasts gained access to Wolfhaunt by use of tokens whose purpose had long been forgotten. At first, the settlers found the Wolfshaunt uninhabited.
However, the new arrivals soon realized that an ancient population lived among the high peaks and dark recesses of the land. Traveling by night, the villages of the Wolfshaunt were visited by a handful of strange gothic men and women travelers. Dressed in the noble finery of the Second Age, these gaunt pale folk brought gold to the pubs, a steady demand for merchant services to businesses, and wealth to a people not accustomed to such luxury. In addition, the villages of the Wolfshaunt found protection in form of large dire wolves which protected the people from outside influence.
Lured by their new-found lifestyle, the people of the Wolfshaunt never questioned whether the wolves were there to keep intruders out or themselves in. Whatever the case, the people of the Wolfshaunt have pledged their loyalty to the Grandfathers, as the gothic folk have come to be called. Travelers to the area tell of strange sightings in the twilight hours, and woe to the wanderer still on the road when the sun sets. Some say the folk of the Wolfshaunt are bewitched, unable to recognize even when their own kind disappear. The castles of the Grandfathers are another mystery, as few have ever traveled the winding mountain passes to their cold, black walls. Tales of guardian bats and legions of ghouls keep these strongholds remote and shrouded in secrecy.
The Organization of the Wolfshaunt
The Council of Five
In the dim history of the Wolfshaunt, the Council of Five was formed by the leaders of the most powerful houses (Grandfather Josiah, Grandfather Bela, Lycurgus, Talbot, and Master Whitlock of the Storm Lords). The alliance basically divided up land and was used to keep food supplies ready.
Recently, Grandfather Josiah called a Conclave of 903 TA. The Storm Lords did not attend. An attack during the Conclave forced Grandfather Bela and Lycurgus to flee. Benedict Blackwolf (emissary for House Talbot) was killed. This is a major setback for the Council.
The Midnight Conspiracy
Grandfather Josiah has formed an uneasy alliance with Lycurgus, leader of the Baneback. After failing to open the cyptex, he created the Book of Secrets and the taunt of King Ernie in order to get them to do the deed for him. He gave Lycurgus a substantial part of his cache of tokens in order to free the first of the pack. In exchange, they will help each other when the gate is opened. They want to make the Eastern Reaches into a new nation called Midnight.
The Heartwood
The Heartwood is a being of the druids - a neutral force that attempts to keep peace in the Wolfshaunt. As such, it is opposed to the vampires and humans entering the area. The Maze is its way of doing this. There are two entrances to the Maze. These are guarded by the vampires - for they cannot figure out how to pass under its branches. Beyond that are ways to keep good and evil creatures at bay. Neutral characters are unaffected - Hylax and Fuzzwort. Ernie, Vince and U-Gene will always be targeted.
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