King Barchel of the Canim
In ancient times, the Canim were divided into small tribes called packs, with a hierarchy based on power and merit. These packs were territorial and constantly fighting amongst themselves. Barchel, The First Claw, then the pup of a pack alpha, lost his whole pack to a raid from a neighboring pack. He escaped and fled, fearing being found and killed by another pack of Canim. He went on an unprecedented journey, exploring corners of the world previously unknown to any of his people. He learned the ways other peoples run their nations, trained in combat arts from far away lands, and collected books, scrolls and scraps of knowledge on craftsmanship, magic, and architecture.
Retracing his steps across sea, mountain, forest and frozen waste, he returned to his homeland. He proceeded to challenge alphas from small packs to combat for leadership, and using his swordsmanship, won again and again, building the largest pack the country had known. He then chose those who had been loyal to him, and alphas whose lives he had spared, and shared his knowledge. They began to build castles, breed horses, forge arms and armor, all using the skills and technology he had learned in his travels. His kingdom spread until, a mere few years before his death, he had unified the Canim.
Alas, over 1000 years ago, Barchel died. During his burial, his high priest went into a trance and dictated in Barchel's voice, that he would return, being reborn among the Canim people, and resurface to take the throne in a moment of dire need, returning the Kingdom to it's former glory. Additional details vary depending on the source, most often including identifiers for the reborn king.
He had numerous children, and between them and the previous Alphas, the kingdom fractured. There are now numerous Canim Kingdoms, each claiming some tie to Barchur and a legitimate claim to leadership. Some seek only power, while others truly wish to reclaim the glory of the Barchelian Age.
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