Dire Wolf

For ease of reading, when not called by name, Grey Wolves will be referred to as "wolfs" and Dire Wolves will be referred to as "wolves"

Dire Wolves are an enhanced, magical version of Grey Wolves. They're mainly pack animals, occasionally you'll find those who are less social and live secluded from other wolves.

A hunts success depends on the availability of prey, Dire Wolves mainly hunt deer, elk, and moose, though they'll occasionally snag a rabbit or fish. Dire Wolves hunt in groups, tracking their prey silently before swarming the prey.

## History

40 thousand years ago, a small pack of wolfs settled in a magic rich cave. After several generations of living there, the first Dire Wolf was born. None of the wolfs thought much of this child as they just seemed like a prodigal pup. Many more generations passed before Dire Wolves were being consistently born from the Grey Wolves. Before long, the entire pack of wolfs had been replaced by this new, enhanced version of themselves. The Dire Wolves reared pups more frequently and with the extra children, the cave quickly grew overpopulated. The wolves decided to split the pack into five. Each group leaving the cave and spreading across Lamiria. The newly made packs were each lead by an Alpha, the five who were then named the Founders.

## Habitat

Most Dire Wolves live in the forests and grasslands of Lamiria.

## Temperament

Dire Wolves are very territorial and show high levels of aggression when their pack or territory is threatened. You'll often see them scarred from defending their territory from other packs. They are very gentle and caring towards their family and pups. If a pup dies, the mother will mourn for days before returning to caring for any remaining pups. A mourning Delta's pup will be cared for by another Delta variant.

Dire Wolves care for their mates tremendously, they will hunt, sleep, and patrol their territory together. If a Delta Wolf's mate dies, they may not find another mate for at least a year. Some may even never mate again.

## Pack Interactions

Dire Wolf packs are lead by an Alpha variant and may have a Delta second-in-command as an advisor. The Alpha variant's mate will lead alongside them if they're also an Alpha, otherwise, they'll be treated as a regular Delta variant with small perks. For example, an Alpha's Delta could get first pick of the hunt (after the Alpha, of course), secluded, comfortable nesting when bearing pups, and extra grooming.

Not all Alpha variants are pack leaders. Many are simply pack members held in higher regard than Deltas. These Alpha's have the opportunity to challenge the current leader once they reach maturity. To prevent year-round leadership changes, Dire Wolf packs have a month set aside for Alpha's to fight and decide the new leader. Though, if the current leader is liked by the pack, the leadership tends to not change until their death.

Females may choose to leave the pack they're born in when they reach maturity (around 3 years of age) to find a suitable mate. Many choose to stay in their birth pack when a suitable male is already present. Dire Wolves can have anywhere between 1 to 5 pups at a time. Pups stay in the nest for the first 6 months and leave the side of their mother after 1-2 years.

Hunting is done by any non-leading Alphas and Deltas who aren't caring for pups. It'd considered unacceptable for a mothering wolf to leave her cubs before they're a year old, even if she's an Alpha.

## Other Random Facts

* A female Dire Wolf will only have pups every 1-2 years unless their pups die.
* Dire Wolves are intelligent animals and pups will often find stones or sticks to lay out games for themselves and other pups.
* Dire Wolves are very hard to domesticate, even if raised from an infant.
* Females lose the ability to breed 5 years before the minimum age of death.

## Packs

This is a list of Dire Wolf packs, named by their location or a recognisable marker.

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