Kudlak (werewolf)

*'Zudanna had once said that her wolves fought with love in their hearts'*

## Introduction

Kudlak are a kind of werewolf. The most well-known kudlak in the canon is Zudanna, one of the generals on Gwyn ap Nudd's Unseelie Council of War Generals, and she leads a contingent of kudlak as part of Gwyn's Unseelie military. She seemingly brought other kudlak to Dharnam to help Gwyn fight Olphix. Another kudlak werewolf appeared at one of the Unseelie Court council meetings, but their identity is unknown.

## Physical Description

In human-form, Zudanna has wolf ears and wolf paws, 'fierce dark brown eyes', and when she came to Gwyn in Dharnam, 'her hair was in a single plait that had been braided neatly.' She also had thick 'black eyebrows, and a striking face, and when she grinned wolfishly, her canines were longer and sharper than they would be in most fae in human form.' When she shifts, Zudanna has wolf ears and paws.

The kudlak Eran Iliakambar passed in Dharnam had 'wolf ears, wolf paws, and friendly, rousing voices', and their laughter 'was filled with yips'.

## Abilities

Kudlak have heightened senses that allow them to better hear and smell things. Zudanna was able to use hers to detect a shapeshifter in disguise.

Gwyn noted that the Kudlak are powerful fighters, and they managed to evade him for some time when he served with the Seelie military for good reason. They howl in combat, and fight with claws, teeth, and sabres.

They appear to be resistant to cold, or at least pretend to be.

## Characteristics (culture, habits)

Zudanna's people are fiercely loyal to her, and she serves as one of their matriarchs, though it's unclear if she's the sole leader of her people. They form a large portion of the Unseelie fighting force.

Kudlaks are exclusively Unseelie fae.

Kudlaks are very private about the inner workings of their society, but quite social amongst each other.

They appear to be meat-eaters.

Zudanna referenced a 'great sky wolf is breathing down the back of [her] neck, telling [her] it might be over soon', possibly referencing a religious figure among the kudlaks.

## Folklore/Mythology

The kudlak is the vampiric counterpart to the krsnik, a vampire hunter who can turn into an animal at night to fight the kudlak. Both fighters turn into animals fight each other: with the kudlak turning into a black one, and the krsnik turning into a white one. 'The legend evolved from a pre-Christian myth present in Slovenia and Croatia (mainly Istria and the islands), where the celestial pagan god Perun is locked in eternal combat with the evil snake of the underworld, Veles. The *krsnik* is taught magic by *Vile* (fairies), and in traditional medicine has the ability to heal people and cattle. However, due to the undocumented nature of oral tradition, it's difficult to determine with certainty how much of *kresnik* folklore originated from Slavic mythology (*Kresnik (deity)*), and how much arose from a separate shamanistic tradition. After Christianization, the *kresnik* instead was claimed to have learned magic at the School of Black Magic in Babylon, but retained benevolent traits as a generous and powerful friend of the poor.

The origin of the name may be from the word *krst*, which means "cross", and which in Serbia is the word for a stone sign denoting village boundaries. It may also be derived from the same root as the Slav word for "resurrection," so that the word itself means something approximating "resurrector."'

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 20 February 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/7438151. Chapter 31: Rupture.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 12 May 2022. https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266345/chapters/97400118. Chapter 32: Our Better Natures.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 18 June 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4283271. Chapter 4: Suspicions.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 not\_poignant. “The Ice Plague: Book 3 - The Ice Plague.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 12 May 2022. https://archiveofourown.org/works/26266345/chapters/97400118. Chapter 32: Our Better Natures.
5. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 September 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/5213753. Chapter 11: Surrender.
6. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 June 2015. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/9517437. Chapter 49: Battle.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 26 December 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/6404462. Chapter 23: Confrontation.
8. ↑ not\_poignant. “The Court of Five Thrones.” *The Fae Tales Verse. Archive of Our Own,* 4 July 2014. https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749290/chapters/4088631. Chapter 3: Disintegration.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Krsnik (vampire hunter)". Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krsnik\_(vampire\_hunter). Accessed 18 May 2021.