Cuthbert Wolf

How the cryptid appears in the Lore Book

The Cuthbert Wolf is described as resembling a big black wolf with a long snout, small ears, and a pale pink tongue, for a cryptid it maybe considered weak by hunters as normal weapons like guns and knives can do it harm.

The creature lives as part of a pack that consists of 3 to 5 individuals, led by a larger male. The Cuthbert Wolf is believed to be driven purely by instinct and hunger, making it highly destructive. Its true origins are unknown, but sightings of the creature have been reported in various locations and, according to lore, may have a relation to beings such as Hellhounds - The Hellspawn theory may or may not be true but with reported sightings of a group of Demons mere hours after the creature was killed, some hunters believe that the Cuthbert Wolf was not a Cryptid at all.

## Powers and Abilities

* Adaptability/Stealth: The Cuthbert Wolf shows adaptability in its behavior, as it ventures into urban areas and navigates through human-populated spaces without being seen, indicating a degree of intelligence and resourcefulness.
* Enhanced senses: The Cuthbert Wolf has heightened senses of smell, hearing, and vision, allowing it to detect and track its prey from a distance. It can pick up scents, sounds, and movements that humans would typically miss.
* Enhanced durability: The creature exhibits enhanced strength, speed, and agility, allowing it to move swiftly and attack with great force. It can leap and climb with ease, as demonstrated by its ability to jump onto rooftops and trees.
* Possible Shapeshifting - Whilst unconfirmed, this cryptid understood how to use knives as weapons and, in its underground hideout, uncooked red meat is seen on a table along with a human handprint on the creature's forehead when it is finally killed, all these factors suggest that the Cuthbert Wolf could either be a really powerful Shapeshifter or some kind of Hellspawn given its shadow-esque appearance.

## Weaknesses

* Conventional weapons - In the handheld camera video that Shane watches, it is shown that the creature can be killed with multiple shots from a firearm, particularly when shot in the head, Shane also kills the creature by stabbing it in the head with a hunting knife.
* Lack of intelligence - The Cuthbert Wolf, according to Fiona, lacks intelligence and is driven purely by instinct and hunger. This lack of intelligence can be considered a weakness as it makes the creature more predictable and potentially easier to outsmart.
* Pack separation - Fiona mentions that the Cuthbert Wolf typically exists in packs of 3 to 5 individuals with a male leader. In the story, it is suggested that the pack has split up, potentially indicating that the individual creature Shane encounters may be disorganized, clueless or lacking the support and coordination of its pack. This disorganization could make the creature more vulnerable or less effective in its actions.

## Episodes

### 1.04 Bump in the Night

In this story, Shane has multiple encounters with the Cuthbert Wolf by mere coincidence. The first encounter happens when he hears a loud noise outside his window in the middle of the night. He sees a large shape moving around in his garden, but he quickly closes the blinds and hopes it's just a dream however over the following weeks, Shane continues to hear strange noises outside his house at night and in the early mornings. He decides to set up a trail camera in his front garden to capture evidence of the creature. When he checks the camera footage, he discovers over 100 still images of the creature, which he identifies as a large black wolf-like animal.

Shane receives messages from an unknown number, which turns out to be the person who previously called him about his friend in the hospital. The caller mentions that they have been keeping an eye on Shane and are aware of the creature in his garden. They offer their contact details to Shane - Curious and wanting answers, Shane arranges to meet the caller on the village green. However, when the time comes, a figure walks past him without acknowledging him, leaving Shane frustrated. As he tries to confront the figure, he hears a growl from a nearby tree, and he sees the creature, which has been following him, peering down at him. Fearing for his safety, Shane runs away.

Days later, Shane receives another message from the unknown number, expressing concern about what happened during their previous meeting. Shane confronts the sender, expressing his disappointment that they didn't meet properly and didn't warn him about the creature. In response, the sender sends him a picture of the creature and apologizes - frustrated and wanting answers again, Shane decides to investigate the creature further. He delves into paranormal files, where he discovers information about the Cuthbert Wolf - it is here that he notices the lore surrounding the Cuthbert Wolf is uncertain, and its true origins remain unknown. Sightings of these creatures began around 20 years ago, and they are listed as cryptids in paranormal files, suggesting that they are not part of any known species. The creature's behavior and attacks are captured on camera in the paranormal files, showing its vicious and dangerous nature.

Shane contacts the unknown number again and asks the caller about the creature. The caller provides information about the Cuthbert Wolf, including its name and the fact that it usually exists in packs. The caller also mentions unconfirmed sightings in Norfolk, suggesting that one of the creatures might have made its way to Lincolnshire, Shane decides to meet the caller in person on Lincoln High Street - When he arrives at the meeting spot, he encounters a girl wearing a hoody and a baseball cap who received a message from the same number. They have a brief interaction, but she refuses to tell him anything only for Shane to receive another message from a different number mere moments later. He calls it and gets the same information as before, but the call keeps cutting out. Frustrated, Shane decides to monitor the creature's activities and witnesses it causing chaos at the bus station.

Shane decides to confront the creature and engages in a standoff with it. He shouts at the creature, asking what it is, and it charges at him. Shane dodges its attack and hides behind a wall. The creature sniffs around but eventually loses his scent causing Shane takes refuge in a shopping complex, but the creature finds its way inside and continues to pursue him before dragging him to an unknown hideout as the caller cryptically says that Shane will be leaving them now, when Shane comes to: The creature approaches Shane with a knife in its mouth, ready to stab him. Shane confronts the creature, taunting it about its loneliness and the rumored split of its pack. The creature growls and sneers at Shane, pointing the knife at his chest and causing him pain as the blade pierces his flesh.

However, Shane manages to defend himself by kicking the front legs of the creature, causing it to fall over. A fight ensues, with Shane wielding a hunting knife and dodging attacks from the Cuthbert Wolf. Eventually, Shane plunges the knife deep into the creature's skull, killing it - upon closer inspection of the dead Cuthbert Wolf, Shane notices a small handprint on its forehead. While waiting for a mysterious caller who has been contacting him, Shane explores the room, finding no signs of blood or bodily fluids on the creature's corpse. He also notices a table with red meat on it, bearing several bite marks.