Wolf Kin Ecology

by Fortuan

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Wolf-Kin Ecology

D espicable humans, they think themselves superior, then why do they fear us so? Cowards, all of them! But you, you are not like them. Tell me why and I may not devour you. - Harumgheg, Worg

Introduction

To many common-folk of the realms, wolves are a pest. Raiding livestock and endangering children who stray too far, wolves and their kind don't have a favorable position with many humanoid communities. Although, over the years, many have come to fear wolf-kin more, most simply do not understand how advanced they are. With this research, I hope we can shed some light on wolf-kin so that we can better understand how to not just avoid conflict, but also coexist.

Wolkfin Biology

Various Creatures that make up Wolf-kin

Wolf-kin are not a singular creature as I would normally focus my writing on. However, there are enough differences, and yet similarities that it warrants a special kind of investigation. In this document, you will find all that I have found on Wolves, Worgs, Dire Wolves, and Winter Wolves. Coming from various branches of the wolf family yet similar enough in many ways, Wolf-Kin describes a varied group of creatures.

  • Wolves - Most common and most well known are the true wolves. They are mostly found in forested areas of various climates. They live in packs, usually consisting of an alpha male and female that presides over a small family for survival.
  • Dire Wolves - The most feral and oldest strain of Wolf-Kin. Dire Wolves are dangerous as both loners and pack hunters. They are vicious and large, reaching up to 6 feet tall, at the shoulder, these wolves are powerful predators.
  • Worgs - Larger than wolves but smaller than a Dire Wolf. Worgs are intelligent and often live with or near wolf packs. They are natural alphas and able to speak with both wolves and other creatures fully.
  • Winter Wolves - they are as large as Dire Wolves and connected with nature in many ways. Winter Wolves are rare, but ultimately very powerful and dangerous.

Origins of Wolk-Kin

Wolves are easily known as to where they come from. Dire wolves and modern wolves share similar ancenstries. We can look back in past fossil records seeing where wolves stemmed from earlier mammals. However, Worgs and Winter Wolves are a newer development. With intelligence, social advances, and relations with other sentient beings, these Wolf-kin are the future of their lineage, much as humanoids often are considered to be of their respective lines.

Differences in Physical Appearance

Wolves are a well enough known canine that most everyone knows what they look like. Wolkin, however, are much more rare and often mistaken for wolves, or giant wolves in most cases. All of the Wolf-kin resemble wolves in most of their aspects but with key identifiers that reveal their true natures.

  • Dire Wolves - Dire Wolves are the most intimidating and impressively physically intimidating of Wolf-kin. Their sheer size is a factor for sure, but they also sport bony protrusions along their spine and the backward-facing joints on their legs. Their fur is more coarse than other wolves. Other Wolf-kin may have fur closer to that of the texture of the hair on your head, while Dire Wolf fur is closer to that of a beard.
  • Worgs - Worgs are larger than wolves but more akin to twice their size than their gargantuan cousins, Dire Wolves. Worgs are hard to distinguish from wolves aside from size and their brilliant eye colors. Worgs have glowing red, green, or purple eyes.
  • Winter Wolves - Winter Wolves are about the same size as a Worg. Their fur is much more soft, an almost silk-like texture, which most endeavor to keep that way. Their eyes are brilliant blues, of various shades and hues, but pupilless. While Worgs most often look muscular, Winter Wolves are leaner although still usually healthy-looking.

Hunters of Various Methods

How wolves hunt, in packs, is well known, especially to farmers, and people more familiar with the forests. Wolf-kin, for the most part, follow these same habbits. However, there are still a few changes between the various Wolf-kin enough to denote.

  • Wolves - Wolves are famous for their abilities to single out straggling deer from herds. They follow prey for long hunts and single out and encircle a target once found. They are also known for attack loner humanoids and horses via the same methods.
  • Dire Wolves - Dire Wolves do not hunt in packs. Their large size and incredible speed make them excellent enough hunters to take down prey alone. Catching prey in their forest homes, can be tricky for their large size, though and often hang around open glades or fields on the edge of a forest to avoid collisions, which slow them down.
  • Worgs - More intelligent than wolves, they often make and use both traps and tactical advantages. Worgs are notoriously lazy, though, and will often rely too much on their traps.
  • Winter Wolves - Winter Wolves are ambitious and ravenous. Winter Wolves also do not live in packs but strictly in mated pairs or alone. They utilize their breath abilities to fell prey quickly when in reach. They construct traps as well but these traps are more for cornering or herding prey in certain directions to play with their meal for fun.

Keen Trackers

Wolf-kin all possess a brilliant sense of smell. They can track prey for miles even when out of sight as long a scent-trail can be picked up. Although blood-hounds and other animals bred, especially for picking up scents, may have a better time, it's not easy to escape from a wolf pack. With smarter Wolf-kin, such as Worgs and Winter Wolves, they can hone in on specific scents to deduce multiple factors. For instance, it's not uncommon for them to point out embarrassing details to a rival based on scents they can find upon them, such as if they have recently relieved themselves.

Breath of Ice

Winter Wolves alone among Wolf-kin possess a breath weapon. Winter Wolves can breathe a cone of ice at a foe that can be as deadly as some Silver or White Dragons. This ability, unlike with most breath weapons, does not stem from a sac in their biological structures. Instead, it is more manipulation of the elements, specifically the water in the air. This ability is unable to be used if the surrounding air is particularly dry, and the Winter Wolf is also dehydrated.

Habitat and Home

Wolf-kin live in anything from artic to near-tropical climates. Heat is a difficult problem for many of the larger breeds; thus, only smaller wolves can survive in warmer climates.

  • Wolves - The smallest and thus more adaptable Wolf-kin have breeds that can reach as far as sub-tropical environments. While they are most known in temperate climates that experience both hot summers and cold winters, wolves will often hide from the heat of the day in warmer climates by living burrows or more cooling cave systems.

  • Dire Wolves - Due to their massive sizes, Dire Wolves live in much colder climates. While not exclusively in artic areas, they can only go as warm as temperate climates. Often in summer months, they will undergo massive molting and thus may look even more feral with falling out patchy fur. Dire Wolves only make small beds of brush, even bramble, as their thick hides prevent any damage a thorn can cause.

  • Worgs - Found exclusively in temperate climates Worgs roam the plains and forests finding what mayhem and fun they can have. While they are not fond of heat or extreme cold, they mostly follow humanoids they work with or wolf packs. Worgs live in a nomadic fashion and usually sleep in the dirt. They are not particularly clean and do not smell very clean either.

  • Winter Wolves - Winter Wolves are named as they live in arctic environments comfortably and favorably. They can travel as far as temperate climates during winter, even before the first meltings of Spring they will return to colder regions. Winter Wolves are attuned to nature itself in some ways and are very comfortable even in arctic temperatures. They construct small snow structures or wooden huts out of branches in snow-free environments. They prefer privacy.

Life Cycle

Wolf-Kin all have the varying amount of life-spans depending on their kind. Everything from the short life-span of wolves to the eons that Winter Wolves exist showcases the difference in life-style that each member possesses in this unique family of canines.

  • Wolves - Wolves only live between 6 and 8 years. In this short amount of time, compared to a human, at least, a wolf will have contributed to the production of 3 litters of puppies, usually about 4 in a litter. With gestation periods of only 70 or so days and reaching maturity in under 9 months, wolves can easily keep stable populations even in harsh living conditions. As one of the smallest predators after larger prey, its amazing that wolves have a chance in our world.

  • Dire Wolves - Dogs seem to survive longer the smaller they are, but it seems this is the opposite for a wolf. It must be a product of the harsh competition between creatures such as Owlbears, Griffons, and other super predators roaming the wilds. Dire Wolves live between 15 and 20 years on their own. Not many other creatures tend to go claw to claw with a dire wolf, as they are more significant than many other beasts roaming the wilds. Despite their longer time alive, they have similar times of gestation and growth as wolves. Population booms can occur at times, although, thankfully, more dangerous predators exist to prevent this from happening. Thankfully?

  • Wogs - Smarter and stronger than wolves, Worgs can live somewhat long on their own. Well, if they weren't in such dangerous campaigns usually. Naturally, a Worg can live as long as 60 years, but with their usual dealings, the expected life of a Worg is generally closer to 25 to 30 years. Often in wars and violent lives, Worgs end up being killed rather quickly, especially with their nasty reputations and usual allies. Worgs gestate for around 150 days and mature in a little over a year.

  • Winter Wolves - Winter Wolves are the most impressive Wolf-kin in many aspects, including life-span. Living for hundreds of years and only reaching the end of their life-spans in their early 300s, a Winter Wolf outlasts many well-known creatures. However, there are few Winter Wolves alive at a time. They gestate for 2 years and take a decade to reach maturity, which for a Wolf-kin is a long time.

Intelligence and Social Behavior of Wolf-kin

Intelligence

There is no doubt that even the wolves we are more familiar with are crafty animals. However, in Wolf-kin, there are significant gaps in intelligence between the more animalistic varieties and the advanced ones such as Worgs and Winter Wolves.

  • Wolves - Wolves like many predators in the wild have a decent amount of intelligence to be able to live in competition for game. With their strategies and tactics that can vary depending on many situations they find themselves in. Wolves have outsmarted herders for centuries, tracked down and trapped unfortunate travelers, and outwitted larger predators.

  • Dire Wolves - Unmistakenly Dire Wolves are the least intelligent variety of Wolf-kin. While not entirely devoid of strategy, they mainly rely on their size, strength, and speed to tackle situations. Druids attest that despite their brutish ways, though, Dire Wolves can be valuable sources of information for as much as they roam the wilds on their own.

  • Worgs - Worgs are sentient creatures that are fully self-aware. They regularly consort with and speak with goblin kind along with Orcs. Worgs make traps, usually pitfalls, as well to trap foes or prey. While they do hunt, they prefer to be fed or use their traps for an easy kill. Their intelligence is comparable to the average human, making them usually the smartest beings in a Warband of orcs and goblins.

  • Winter Wolves - Winter Wolves are highly intelligent and well above the average humanoid. Able to communicate in many languages and learn even more Winter Wolves adapt quickly in mental facilities. They are often loners but have worked with other creatures to further their designs. Winter Wolves are also very knowledgeable about nature and how the world works around them. Despite this trove of knowledge they possess, rarely are they the right choice to ask for information as to how dangerous they are.

Communication

Communication among Wolf-kin, unable to speak, is universal. Every Wolf-kin can communicate effectively through body language, growls, and their famous howls. Lacking enough complexity for a full-blown language, they are still effective communicators. Wolves and Dire Wolves have many ways of expressing themselves to others of their kind. Howls, their most infamous means of communication, are an interesting form of self-expression that could use a whole study in of itself.

  • Wolves and Dire Wolves - both Wolves and Dire Wolves mainly communicate among each other with growls, barks, and most of all body language. Among each other, they can be very affectionate and playful with their actions, stances, and even tail positions. Howling is mostly in the joy of the night or successful hunts. There are also howls of profound sadness. If a listener pays attention to the energy of the howls, the difference is quite distinguishable.

  • Worgs - Worgs are interesting in their communications. They do not like to speak much and often in simple words or phrases. Long conversations bore them and avoided entirely. Worgs can speak their own language, Worg, and others such as Common, Goblin, Orcish, and Elvish. Their understanding of many tongues comes in handy as to how connected their life-style is with other humanoids. Despite their vast ways of words, they use very little.

  • Winter Wolves - Winter Wolves do not speak much as well. This unfamiliarity more comes from isolation rather than a distaste for conversation. They can speak Worg, Common, Jotun (Giant Speak), Goblin, Orc, Gnoll, and even obscure languages of creatures around their territories. While they may not speak to many humanoids in their vast regions, they listen to many conversations with their excellent hearing to know of the happenings around them. Winter Wolves tend to be rather rude in discussions prefer to get to the point of communication with little small talk. This rudeness also stems from their immense egos.

Howling

Howling is ubiquitous to all Wolf-Kin. While already mentioned, there are different uses and howls they identified in a few different categories.

  • Celebratory Howls - In times of a particularly enjoyable or fun hunt, the wolves will howl in celebration of the kill. Often full of adrenaline and endorphins, the wolves will howl out of excitement. This phenomenon can also be observed when the chase is on.

  • Mournful Howls - This is a usually a sad and emotional howl. An expression of loneliness is the most common use. However, loss of a loved one, dire situations, or even depression in Wolf-Kin have produced this howl long into the night. Rarely this is a shared howl and is singular to individual Wolf-Kin. When the cry is shared, it is usually only at the loss of a pack member through death.

  • Full Moon - Wolves are known to howl at the full moon as well. While this howl can sound like the Celebratory Howls, it has a different energy. Druids have described the voice as dark or violent. Theories as to the origins of Therionthropy come from the effect the moon as on wolves alone. Lycanthropes or wolf hybrids are the most common Therianthropes and may actually be the first ones to occur.

Pack and Family Structure

Wolf-Kin are well known as pack hunters. They live in family structures of adults working together to take down larger prey. Alpha male and female pairs lead their packs. This strategy is all well-known to us all, but what makes Wolf-kin unique among other predators is their use of synchronous teamwork.

  • Wolves - The most communicative and aligned hunters of all Wolf-Kin are that of the wolves themselves. In their packs, the alphas call the shots for the hunts to ensure a singular goal when hunting. Packs of up 15 wolves, of various members of the family, all work towards their goal of survival with only a small amount of infighting.

  • Dire Wolves - Dire Wolves are much larger and don't need as many members in a pack to hunt. Dire Wolves still live in packs, although they usually only consist of up 6 adult members. These smaller groups are of various sexes, and breeding is open to any mated pairs. The roles of an Alpha is less defined in Dire Wolf culture. It might be hard to place an Alpha until feeding time.

  • Worgs - Worgs also live in groups of up to 8 members with mated adult pairs. However, their distinction is that there is only 1 Alpha, whether male or female, in a group. The alpha has a mate, but all decision making for the group lies upon one Worg's shoulders. Whereas most social structures would vie for power, most Worgs treat their position as a burden and would most likely gladly hand it over. Their duties are usually more for speaking for the pack, among other sentient creatures. Since talking is boring and not fighting, it's not a favorable position.

  • Winter Wolves - Winter Wolves don't have much of a pack like other Wolf-Kin. While they can work with one another, their egos often get in the way, and thus they end up being on their own most of their lives. When 2 wolves do end up having a litter together often, the father leaves early in the pup's lives to live on his own. Once the puppies are closer to maturity, the job of parenthood is passed from the mother to the father. During this time, the pups are almost adults and learn more about their more supernatural abilities and connections to the elements. After they have mastered their skills, the Winter Wolves then forge their path in life. They most often do not see either parent again.

Finding a Mate

Finding a mate among wolves is a rather quick process. Often a mate is for as long as either survives, then the remaining mate finds a new one. Every Wolf-Kin finds their mate through smell. Males can smell a female in heat from miles away and will seek out a female if they do not already currently have a mate. Despite the courtship being quick, each Wolf-Kin has its ways.

  • Wolves - When a pair of wolves come together, they will leave their families to form a new pack. During this time, they will raise their children, creating a larger pack. Only the Alphas will mate.

  • Dire Wolves - For the most part, Dire Wolves follow the same practices as their smaller brethren the Wolves. However, they do not consist of family members in their packs. Once a male Dire Wolf is old enough, he leaves into the wilds. These new Dire Wolves are what are primarily considered the "Lone Wolves" of the worlds. Males will join the female's pack. What keeps the numbers down is the low survival rate for Dire Wolves.

  • Worgs - Worgs are logical communities with similar goals. While there can be family members working together often, it is groups of Worgs working towards a common goal of comfortable living. When children are born, they are raised but often sold, given, or exiled to keep the parent's lives more simple. Thus Worgs often do not have a strong sense of family or community and tend to stick together in more of a sense of chosen community rather than family.

  • Winter Wolves - As mentioned, Winter Wolves are true loners. They due have as it is said "baser needs," from time to time. Thus they will mate and stay together for a short time. Winter Wolves have no sense of community, only a sense of self. Any idea of parenthood is to keep the species going and satisfy their physical desires on occasion. Even with long times for birth, Winter Wolves only produce 3 to 4 pups in their life-span.

Wolf-Kin Attitude to Each Other

Wolf-Kin are not entirely friendly to their kind. Wolves will have a dispute over territories frequently with other wolf packs if either one doesn't decide to back down. Since each group of Wolf-Kin sare so different, they have varied interactions with each other.

  • Wolves - the smallest and most friendly to other Wolfkin are wolves. Often a pack will treat a Worg, Dire Wolf, or even a Winter Wolf as their alpha. However, they will have a "sub-Alpha" pair. The sub-Alpha couple will have the right to mate. Otherwise, in leadership, the wolves will follow the more physically superior Wolf-Kin.

  • Dire Wolves - Dire Wolves hang around wolves but tend to ignore both Worgs and Winter Wolves. Worgs seem unbothered and tend to ignore a Dire Wolf or manipulate it if there are opportunities. Winter Wolves are somewhat put off by a Dire Wolf's aloofness as their pride demands attention and reverence. Dire Wolves see all Wolf-Kin as wolves. It seems there are things to be learned even by some of the most unrefined creatures of the world.

  • Winter Wolves and Worgs - Winter Wolves are fond of Worgs. However, Worgs tend to be afraid of Winter Wolves. On occasions where a Winter Wolf finds a Worg pack, they will take over as the alpha. With a new leader, the Worgs initially tend to enjoy handing over the responsibility of leadership. Winter Wolves are far more ambitious and require much more out of the pack as the Worgs tend to find out soon.

Interactions with other creatures

Game and Prey

Wolf-Kin are all predators. They all tend to eat larger prey, such as Deer and Bison. While a meal can feed even a Winter Wolf for many days, they all keep an eye, or more likely, a nose on their next meal. Herds are carefully watched and even protected from other predators. Wolf-Kin are also known only to kill what they can eat. Excluding Worgs, as they slay for fun and can devastate a herd if left unchecked.

Bears and Owlbears

Wolves are often at odds with other predators in their forest homes. Bears and Owlbears are the most common rivals when concerning big prey. While the slower stalkier bears can't chase a deer, they can fight off a pack of wolves for a meal. As a result, wether this is biologically learned, or from experience, Dire Wolves tend to attack bears and Owlbears on site. Worgs and Winter Wolves tend to be careful around the dangerous and unpredictable creatures but have no issues fighting one if the need comes.

Other Large Predators

Wolves are not very confrontational with other predators unless they are directly going after the same target or herd. Griffons, Bullets, and other larger predators in the forests and fields of the wilds can overlap territories with Wolf-Kin. Most often, the smaller wolves keep a distance from larger predators and stay away. Worgs and Winter Wolves rarely see such predators as they spend little time around their prey. Dire Wolves are prone to attacking any such creatures quickly, though. These battles can be lethal to either side, keeping both populations in check at times.

Druids and Fey

All Wolf-Kin are considered part of the natural order and actively protected by druidic circles and the courts of the fey. However, both Worgs and Winter Wolves fall outside of that protection. Worgs are considered sentient and evil by most conventions. Druids often will keep Worgs away, not wanting a pack of wolves to join forces with a "bad influence." Winter Wolves are part of the Winter Court of Fey themselves. Although being part of the Winter Court belies a darker side that most do not see in nature, even Druids.

Goblins and Orcs

Goblin-Kin and Orc kind both have strong ties to wolves. Many orc tribes revere wolves with great respect showing them in war banners. Worgs, Dire Wolves, and smaller wolf packs are kept by both Goblin and Orc society as allies or the latter as pets. Worgs and Dire Wolves are used as mounts for more sizable orcs. Goblins favor the smaller wolves, although a goblin wolf rider is a rare sight.

Winter Wolves hold no love for either Goblin or Orc society. They consider them base and uncouth. However, this doesn't stop them from allying with either culture to further their plans for an area. If a pesky human settlement needs eradicated, orcs are an excellent tool for the job.

Other Humanoids

Wolves and humans have long histories of conflict, especially in rural farming communities. Everything from lost livestock to slain children has bred a healthy fear and hatred for Wolf-Kin. Wolves have started to retreat from human settlements in a losing struggle for territory. Dire Wolves and Worgs follow this trend as well as most humanoid communities have become very violent quickly to any Wolf-Kin.

Elves have always lived alongside wolves, and even Dire Wolves and have no issues with a coexistence. However, due to their culture's propensity to hate Goblinkind, they do not extend that hand of friendship to Worgs and especially not to Winter Wolves. The overly ambitious and selfish ways of the smarter Wolf-Kin don't sit well with Elven cultures.

Wolf-Kin regard other humanoids like Halflings, Dwarves, and Gnomes as easy targets until they quickly learn how crafty and dangerous the smaller can be. Like with humans, Wolf-Kin territories have started to recede from humanoid civilizations. This receding has begun to create a further resentment for the humanoids by Worgs and Winter Wolves. Thus Wolves and Dire Wolves, who are less familiar with humanoids, are more likely scared and prone to attacking humanoids in the wilderness.

Hyper Predators

Hydra, Dragons, Behir, and other super-predators are avoided all-together by most Wolf-Kin. Only Winter Wolves will dare to be in the presence of such creatures. Winter Wolves have large egos but not enough to jeopardize their existence with such powerful monsters. This healthy caution doesn't stop a Winter Wolf from making schemes with or against such creatures. Often a Winter Wolf will know of a few dragons they keep a nose on.

Battle Tactics

When in a fight with another creature Wolf-Kin across all kinds often employ the same tactics. The pack will surround a foe or attempt to encompass a group with growls, howls, taunts, or nips to keep an opponent's attention forward. Once the flanking wolves feel they are safe enough to attack, they will leap in, leading with claws and fangs quickly to kill their foe. Once the flanking wolves jump in, the forward wolves will then pounce and attempt to overwhelm.

If a fight starts to go south, and members of the pack begin to get hurt most often, they will back off and safely retreat. However, this rarely marks the entire end of confrontation as they will bide their time to strike again.

Dire Wolves are less likely to back off and often will fight much longer, risking personal injury. Winter Wolves will often lead with their breath weapons as well and blast a foe whenever possible.

Variations

As with all life, Wolf-Kin adapt to their surroundings and environments. Wolf-Kin are on a decline with society becoming larger. Their retreat to more remote areas has put them in direct competition with other larger predators that will either break or build up Wolf-Kin as time goes on. Here are some of the various adaptations of Wolf-Kin broken down by groups.

Wolves

  • Grey Wolves - Also known as the forest wolves, Grey Wolves make up the majority, and oldest kind of wolves. They are usually no larger than 2 and 1/2 feet at the shoulder but occasionally can be as large as 3 feet. With various shades of grey, white, and even black, they can look very different on coat color alone.

  • Arctic Wolves - White and only slightly larger at 3 and 3 1/4 feet tall at their shoulders, they are very similar to their Grey Wolf brethren. These wolves are often found with Winter Wolves and could share the common ancestor with the Winter Wolf in their evolutionary tree.

  • Desert Wolves - The smallest of wolves, at only 1 to 1 1/2 feet tall, are the desert wolves. Brown, grey, and even reddish in hue, these wolves live in warmer climates. While they can live in hot deserts, they are exclusively nocturnal and hunt in the colder desert nights.

  • Tree Wolves - While they don't live in trees, these wolves at 2 feet tall can run up the softer trees in the subtropic areas. They are brown with green flecks in their fur to blend in with lush sub-tropic jungles. Their primary prey is that of Monkeys and has devised advanced hunting tactics that involve loudly announcing their presence. At the same time, other pack members scramble up a nearby tree and knock the distracted monkeys down.

Dire Wolves

  • Runners - the most common and easily known Dire Wolves are runners. They are an ancient branch of Wolf-Kin and more closely related to the Wolf-Kin root specie than any other Wolf-Kin. They are called runners for their incredible speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Despite their immense sizes of up to 6 feet tall. They are most often dark greys or blacks.

  • Diggers - The smallest breed of Dire Wolves are that of the diggers. They are 5 feet tall at the shoulder and more slender in build. While their tactics of hunting are not changed, they are known for having dug extensive cave networks with various chutes in which to ambush prey with running starts. If you see a giant wolf staring out of a cave, most likely it's a digger.

  • Hell Howlers - These are the most dangerous variety of Dire Wolves known to exist. Hell Howlers, named after the 3 toned howls they produce, are just as monstrously sized as Runners. Their howl is powerful enough to be concussive and even damaging to threats or prey. While they primarily hunt the same as other Dire Wolves, they will howl with their supernatural ability to knock a running deer down and finish the job quickly. Hell Howlers are bright red with vibrant green eyes. It must be another one of nature's merciful warnings, like poison frogs.

Worgs

Worgs do not possess many physical variations like other Wolf-Kin. Instead, they have more social structure differences primarily based on which races they tend to interact with the most. Their customs change not only to fit their needs but also to survive in an often very hostile existence.

  • Wolf Friends - Worgs who stick to the wilds are "Wolf Friends." While they can speak to both wolves and other creatures, they are far shyer than other Worgs. Most scholars believe this is how all Worg-kind started, closely tied to their ancestors, the wolves. They get along well enough with Druids and Elves but sadly are the least common society of Worgs.

  • Goblin Friends - More accustomed to the lives of scavengers and warmongers, Goblin Friend Worgs tend to be vicious and conniving. They work with Goblin tribes raiding villages as both can benefit from each other. Despite their close relations with the Goblins, they think themselves far superior and keep to the Worg pack when at rest. They will allow Goblin riders, but only if they find a Goblin that truly impresses them, which is exceedingly rare.

  • Orc Friends - While these Worgs don't consider themselves equals to orcs, they do have some respect for their culture. With having no concept of religion, the often zealous rituals of orcs are watched for amusement by Orc Friend Worgs. Orc and Goblin friend Worgs do not tend to mix in groups even though they may interact the most between any 2 different breeds of Worgs. Orc Friends tend to ally with a race, whereas Golbin Friend Worgs tend to think of themselves as the bosses of such creatures.

  • Winter Worgs - Referring to their position as a pack led by a Winter Wolf, Winter Worgs are more wild dwelling Worgs. Often Winter Wolves will take a pack of Worgs working with Goblins and adopt the Worgs as their own. These Worgs are loyal to the Winter Wolf for many generations. Often they act as bodyguards, lookouts, and scouts. While most bemoan the responsibilities, the Winter Wolf will foster and encourage the more ambitious members. The Winter Wolf is not above killing a Worg who as disappointed it either.

Winter Wolves

  • Snow Wolves - The most common Winter Wolf is as white as snow and 6 feet tall. They are notoriously vindictive, territorial, and cruel. As agents of the Winter Court of Fey, it's a wonder they have such a connection to nature that they can produce a near purely magical breath weapon. Although, I have to admit the designs of the Winter Court are often lost on many of us, including myself.

Snow Wolves often make plans to conquer large areas of cold regions of their home planes and drive out any creatures unwilling to listen to them. While this can be easier to drive out humans and elves, dragons and giants are another story.

  • Crystal Wolves - Clear and cold are the near see-through Winter Wolves. No better in demeanor, these nasty Winter Wolves are exclusively in frozen areas. They are quite adept at hiding in icy areas and often quieter as they act as silent witnesses. It's not uncommon to find a Crystal Wolf living in the ice-covered lair of a White Dragon, keeping tabs on it. Crystal Wolves are often self-proclaimed dragon slayers.

  • Black Ice Wolves - The largest of any Wolf-Kin, Black Ice wolves are massive assassins. They do not tolerate any creature in their territories who do not bend to their will. Thankfully they only rarely make their way to our Material Planes. These massive 15 foot tall black Winter Wolves mercilessly use their abilities and size to bring even giants under their control. Most often, they are known to appear in more feral planes of existence and the Para-Elemental Plane of Ice.

DM's Notes

Wolves are a classic foe. Works like Tolkein have popularized the more fantastical Worgs and made them bestial mounts for more bestial humanoids. D&D has had a long history with all 4 of the Wolf-Kin, and I hope you can use this material to use them in your adventures. I like to throw Winter Wolves as secretive bad guys in more northern settings as they are the more powerful and lesser-known Wolf-Kin. Besides, as much as people love wolves, they should be in more campaigns!

Thanks for Reading

Thanks for reading my 58th ecology!

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