Wolf

Wolf spirits are a type of major spirit, and make up approximately 22% of all spirits on Earth. They have existed since Era Dira.

History¶

Nothing for now.

Myths and legends¶

It is said that in ancient times, before the wolf spirits were a warrior people, they were savagely attacked by a band of deer spirits. Some believe it was out of sheer malice, others believe it was because the wolf spirits slighted them, or even that the deer were sent by the gods to deliver divine retribution.

The wolf spirits took devastating losses in the attack and were ultimately bound in chains. But, in their darkest hour, Garm broke free of their chains and slaughtered their captors, a bloody display of strength so great that the deer spirits fled at the sight of it. Ever since that day, the wolf spirits picked up the sword and shield to become fierce warriors in the interest of self preservation.

Anatomy & physiology¶

Wolf spirits are the only type of major spirit to have fully consistent anatomy, with all of them possessing animal ears, a tail, pronounced fangs, and a very limited range of hair and eye colors. Their hair comes almost exclusively in black, white, silver, dark gray, or dull brown.

They have significantly stronger bones and muscles than humans, and grow noticeably taller than them on average. Their senses are also enhanced to near equivalency with their animal counterparts, with a sense of smell almost 100 times greater than that of humans, the ability to hear some sounds up to 60 kHz and others as far as eight miles away, and exceptional eyesight, particularly in peripheral vision and motion detection, along with night vision around 50% more effective than that of humans. They are unfortunately also partially colorblind, mostly lacking vision of the color green.

Life cycle¶

Wolf spirits grow at the same rate as humans until the age of 50 years, at which point their aging slows slightly overall.

They are all born with extremely deep and vibrant blue eyes, which they retain until around 20 years of age, at which point their eye color typically changes to a similarly deep and vibrant yellow. Between the ages of 40 and 50, that yellow color may lose its luster or even change again to a shade of brown. Beyond 50 years of age, their eyes begin to slowly lose all color and become a silvery gray.

Very rarely, some may retain their blue eyes for most of their life, but nearly all wolf spirits eventually lose their eye color. However, those with Attunement typically retain their blue eyes until death.

Geographic distribution¶

Wolf spirits have a strong preference for cold climates, and enjoy mountainous terrain. The vast majority of them are found in the northern and central regions of Corstaea.

They are also a common sight in Alastor.

Sociology¶

Wolf spirits are a dignified people with a deeply ingrained sense of honor and strict commitment to tradition, known for their rich culture and unique history.

Most wolf spirits prefer to keep their distance from other civilization, instead settling on mountains and in the harsh northern snow, typically sticking together in fairly large groups.

While they were considered technologically advanced in early history, today they typically choose to live in much the same fashion as they did back then, relying on hunting and farming for food with little to no trade. When they do trade, it’s almost always with other groups of wolf spirits.

They remain to this day avid practitioners of antiquated weapon-based martial arts, receiving full contact training in pairs beginning at the age of 15. A boy and a girl will be paired together and take turns receiving offensive and defensive training while regularly sparring against each other. In special cases, typically when the children are twins or close childhood friends, the pair may be two boys or two girls and may be trained cooperatively rather than competitively.

It is tradition for young wolf spirits, both boys and girls, to go hunting alone at the age of ten as a coming-of-age ceremony, with the size of the game brought back holding great importance. Those who fail outright are typically banned from further hunting and not allowed to receive martial training, sometimes leading to voluntary exile after reaching adulthood, or of the entire family.

While male and female wolf spirits are typically given very distinct societal roles, usually with males being hunters and females being guardians of the home, it is not unusual to see these roles occasionally reversed. Both males and females hold their opposite in high regard and do not believe anyone should be forced into a role they aren’t comfortable taking, even if it is the traditional way.

Typically among wolf spirits, marriage is arranged by the parents of two families, a holdover from their earliest history where marriage was primarily used to form alliances and secure bloodlines, rather than as a romantic union. It is still most often viewed as “something one must do” and quietly accepted, though it is not uncommon for romance to bloom after the arrangement. Independent marriages do still happen, however, and are often met with no resistance by families.

Wolf spirits are the first group in history to legitimize certain rights for women as law. They allowed their women the right to reject an arranged marriage with good cause and to marry a man of their own choosing instead, the right to divorce their husbands with good cause, and equal rights for owning property, conducting business, representation in court, and opportunities to occupy martial, royal, or political leadership positions for all of recorded history, but pressured the governments in Corstaean regions to uphold those rights as law as early as the year 672. The wolf spirits quickly expanded those rights towards allowing women to reject an arranged marriage for any reason, for anyone to marry anyone without prior arrangement if they wish - including same-sex marriages - and for women to have equal voting power far sooner than most of the world, without regard for the laws of the time.

Interracial relations¶

Wolf spirits are typically very wary of other races, but are especially cautious around humans and deer spirits and prefer to avoid them. Despite that, they are diplomatic by nature and will act with respect and fairness even among those they are uncomfortable around.

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