Lupo

A breed of wolffolk warriors, from close-knit tribes that have settled in different lands all across Mayhaos. While the looks and customs of the Lupo vary from tribe to tribe, some beliefs are consistent. These include reverence for strong youth and wise elders, a deep connection to the land and animal kingdoms to which they each belong, strict defensiveness of their territory, and worship for their ancestors, who they believe offer them advice from their dreams.

Basic Information

Growth Rate & Stages

Childhood and Adolescence: 0-10 years Early Adulthood: 10-20 years Prime Adulthood: 20-30 years Late Adulthood: 40-50 years Ancient: 50+ years

Civilization and Culture

History

The Lupo’s evolution from the wolves of Na Dhorn is credited to be from prolonged exposure to the nature energy of the Emerald Heart, and/or fae magic. Now an intelligent sentient species, the Lupo have still held onto many primal laws of nature, and aggressively tried to expand their territory across the continent. Their great strength and mastery over the environment and its magic was initially too great for both the local Green Elf and Dwarf clans, who had to put their differences aside to fight a war against this new race.
The Lupo would lose this war, and when the Elves and Dwarves redistributed land across the continent, the Lupo were only given small, isolated territories across both countries, and the groups that would live in each became the different Lupo tribes. On top of this, the Elves and Dwarves forced half of the Lupo to leave Na Dhorn, and resettle elsewhere, and these Lupo would form their diverse tribes overseas.
While the Lupo have held on to many of their harsh ‘pack laws’, they have lived mostly in peace in Mayhaos, many becoming respected druids of the Emerald Heart. This more balanced existence came through their adoption of religion, subscribing to an old Moon God of the Frostkyn.
This religion did cause them strife however, after the Northern Gods, including this Moon God, went to war with the Beast Gods of the Solen. The Northern Gods slayed all but one of the Beast Gods, the Ibis God Thorah, who adopted the position of Sun God in direct opposition of the Moon God. He channeled energy each time the sun rose, and insisted upon his followers, the Solen, to slaughter as many Moon Priests as they could, which led them to hunting down and killing many Lupo, and eventually the Moon God would too be destroyed by Thorah.
The tenth Creature of Mayhem, Skipan, used his newfound connection to and powers from Alpha to become the first Prime Alpha of all Lupo, lead a counterattack the Sun cultists, and kill the Solen Pharaoh. However the Creature of Mayhem who succeeded him would be the Pharaoh’s son Kah, who would later kill Skipan in turn with the same powers. The druids of the Emerald Heart would use the power of the Dreaming to ascend Skipan's soul to godhood, and since then he has been the God of the Moon and Dreams, an important deity for all Lupo, as well as druids. A new branch of druidism began in the Emerald Heart from this, called Dreamwalking. The thirteenth Creature of Mayhem, a Victri named Lazarus, would help negotiate peace between the new Prime Alpha Koro, and Kah, and the Moon and Sun worshippers worked together to stop the Dark Elf tyrant Celath.
After enduring the Era of Horrors and Era of Rebellion that followed, the many Lupo tribes are now able to enjoy their simple life attuned with nature during the Era of Peace, continuing their traditions, including the worship of Skipan.