Warg

Wargs are a breed of massive, intelligent wolves.

## Background

### Description

Wargs appear as emaciated wolves, approximately 4 feet tall at the shoulders, with dark coats from gray to black. Their eyes are a range of yellow, though the Warg leader Leucrotta has green eyes. Their fur is unkempt, stretched thin across their gaunt bodies, aside from their full and luxerious manes. These are often status symbols in Warg society. The females are smaller than the males, and tend to have lighter coats.

### Society

Wargs make their homes in sprawling underground den complexes, and have a highly organized social structure. The She-Wargs remain inside the den at all times while raising the next generation, and are known as Queens. The male Wargs are tasked with guarding the perimeter of the pack's territories and engaging in battles against rival packs or other foes. Non-maternal She-Wargs and young Wargs are given the role of hunting for food within the pack's territory; this is a leisurely activity that is considered generally safe and fun to do. The older and more experienced Wargs are celebrated and given positions of high status and ranking within the society. Aggressive or self-assertive Wargs are characterized by their slow and deliberate movements, high body posture and raised hackles, while submissive ones carry their bodies low, flatten their fur, and lower their ears and tail. Most packs consist of 5-8 individuals, but the largest and most prominent Warg pack resides in the highlands of Fanemire. Its leader is the cunning Leucrotta, a beast who dwarfs other Wargs physically. Through his cutthroat leadership, Leucrotta's pack has secured the most territory, and has a legion of an estimated 300 Wargs.

### Goals

The only goal of Wargs is to perpetuate their own existence, hunting and reproducing so the new generation can propagate itself. The more territory they own, the more game they have to hunt and prop up their masses with. This is evident even in the furthest-reaching pack, as Leucrotta is driven by a desire to make his clan prosperous and feared. Despite this, he is diplomatic with the nearby Goblin civilization, allying with them and aiding them when needed. They share information, resources, and often serve as mounts for the Goblins. Many Wargs are unhappy with this arrangement however, and do not take the Goblins seriously, nor the intel they share.

### Language and Religion

The Wargs speak their own language consisting of distorted growls, yips, and whines. They also howl to assemble a party usually before and after hunts, to pass on an alarm particularly at a den site, to locate each other during a storm, while crossing unfamiliar territory, and to communicate across great distances.

Wargs seem to worship the moon and stars as sacred entities. According to their beliefs, upon death, a Warg becomes one of the many stars in the sky, and they chase the moon in the dark sky on a endless hunt. Nights of a new moon are considered unlucky, as there is no moon in the sky. Wargs bury their dead, and the closest to the deceased will hold vigil all night through dawn.

### Enemies

The Wargs are at the top of the food chain in their local ecosystem, and only contend with bears from time to time. The area of northern Fanemire is abandoned, and inhabited only by other animals, and the Goblins. As their population increases however, Leucrotta has set his sights on western Kelemere, across the river Forslain. Kelemerian farmers put up no fight either, and continue to flee westward into the interior of the kingdom. Wargs have largely outcompeted ordinary wolves, and as they continue to overhunt, they even turn to killing and eating men that they encounter. They use their cunning to their advantage and stalk their human targets to learn more about their habits and weaknesses before attempting to hunt them.

## Arctic Warg

### Description

Arctic Wargs inhabit the frozen wasteland north of the Marlow Mountains. They are seldom seen, and use the continuous storm (that has been ravaging the region for over five centuries) as cover while on the hunt. Those who claim to have seen them close up describe them as being similar in size to ordinary Wargs, though with pure white coats denser than a normal Warg's, shimmering blue in the snow. Their eyes are mostly described as being yellow, though some describe them as orange or red.

### Behavior

Arctic Wargs are a distant threat, always heard but never seen. As the thick haze of snow conceals their forms, Arctic Wargs are free to be as loud as they want to communicate with each other over far distances, their cries carried on the wind. They have developed loud calls that can be heard across the mountains. While they remain pack animals, they tend to split up to hunt individually, and regroup later. This behavior is especially seen when they target smaller animals that they can more confidently handle alone, such as arctic hares, lemmings, and foxes. After evaluating the strength of a larger foe such as a muskox or auroch, they may attempt to weaken it before running off to secure more Wargs to help finish it off. Not much is known about their society, but it is likely they also dig vast complexes of tunnels to live in like their temperate cousins. This is supported by their comparatively larger front claws, more suitable for digging in the frozen ground.

### Ecology

Arctic Wargs are thought to be at the top of the food chain in their natural habitat, and are kept in check by the unforgiving landscape and weather of the region. They only ever contend with Saber-Toothed Tigers on the rare occasion that they wander down from the mountains into the tundra. In addition to hunting arctic hares, lemmings, foxes, muskoxen, aurochs, and reindeer, Arctic Wargs are also said to hunt humans as well, which is likely considering ordinary Wargs are known to do the same. Fewer men traverse the northern expanse however, so this is not quite a reliable source of food for them.

### Myths

From the cozy towns atop the Marlow Mountains, Arctic Wargs can be heard howling and screaming from far below in the distance, which has inspired many frightful tales among the villagers. One such legend details the story of þéotan, a beautiful princess who was lost in the storm long ago, her lonely wails still haunting the frozen wasteland. Another particular legend states that their cries carry the souls of the dead on the wind. This is somewhat similar to the Olbrecht legend of the Banshee, a wailing spirit who is said to signify the death of a loved one with her screams.

### History

While lost in the tundra, Sam, Leon, Max, and the bard are haunted by their cries. This serves as a point of division and leads to the party packing up their camp early and finding the Temple of Ogdoad by chance.