Deerwolf
Picture from Midjourney (AI)
Deerwolves are Alven's huge mountain cats. The most powerful feline to live on the continent of Alven.
Deerwolves are one of the most formidable predators on the set plane.
Feared from time immemorial by the clansmen who came from Hearth, their name conjures up grace and power.
It is not then surprising that the Deerwolf has been the animus or totem animal for many Alven clans over the millennia.
In present-day Alven, only one clan has the distinction of having the deerwolf as its emblem: Clan Deerwolf, an ancient and respected northern clan in the region of Farden.
Its present shield and chieftain is Flor Carheen-Winstance, widow of the late Myst Winstance.
Deerwolves are denizens of Alven's northern mountains.
Before humans arrived in Alven, deerwolves used to be a lot more common.
Deerwolves were common in the green valleys of the The Farden Mountains.
At the present time, they can only be found in greater numbers in The Farside Mountains.
The Farside mountains are one of the wildest places in Alven.
Many of its peaks and valleys are still to be explored. In this frozen wilderness, the deerwolf reigns supreme as the top apex predator.
When Myst and Flor took over the leadership of Clan Deerwolf, twenty years ago, they put in place a policy of protection towards the species.
The Clanbearers of Clan Deewolf were worried that the species was bordering on extinction within their clanlands in the Farden Mountains.
There is an old prophecy (The Last One Prophecy) that ties the fate of Clan Deerwolf to the number of mountain lions on the Clanlands.
Shield Flor Winstance went so far as to ask the The Clan Bursar to exonerate the shepherds who had lost sheep, goats and/or cows to the mountain cats.
Traditionally, clan farmers have moved their flocks and herds to the green valleys of Farden during Midsommer and brought them back down the mountains before the first snows of winter.
Midsommer is when the hunt for deerwolves usually took place, the clansmen defending their animals from the dangerous cats.
In Denholm Keep, the ancestral seat of the Deerwolf Chieftains, visitors can admire a stuffed specimen, killed 200 years ago by Shield Miriel Winstance.
The male deerwolf preserved by taxidermy, is bigger than the norm and has been measured to be over 10ft in length.
Over the years, the deerwolf has gathered a few nicknames. One that has stood the test of time is 'Deedee'.
Myst's grandmother and current Clan Dowager, Fern Winstance, as a child of five, could not pronounce the word Deerwolf, and shouted 'Deedee' whenever she passed the stuffed mountain lion.
A few centuries ago, it was the norm for the Clan chieftains to sport a deerwolf cape - made of the luxurious white fur of the animal.
Some capes are still kept within the keep, and come out for formal occasions when the Clan Shield or Chieftain needs to dress for rites and rituals.
The deerwolf pelts are some of the most prized possessions of the clan and their upkeep is the responsibility of the clan Housekeeper, Ember Greatfen.
In general appearance, a deerwolf is a much bigger and stockier version of a lion.
Deerwolves' fur is pure white in the winter, but it turns a more fawn colour in the summer as the fur grows back somewhat shorter.
Males are slightly bigger in general than females but not by much.
A female deerwolf's head is smooth and a male's will sport longer hair on their face and on the collar.
Deerwolves usually have amber-coloured eyes. Some deerwolves have very pale, nearly white-coloured eyes, and like a cat, deerwolves' eyes are luminescent at night.
Deerwolves are known for being able to jump over long distances.
Their powerful hind legs let them spring into the air easily, and they have been known to jump the breadth of small rivers in one, clean jump.
It is to be noted that the giant mountain lions use jumps as their main means of attack when hunting prey.
The cats hunt on their own or in small groups.
Once a prey - usually a deer or a goat - is cornered, surprised or tired out, the deerwolf can jump on top of it to bring it down for the kill.
Their long tufted tail, helps them to balance.
Many Alvenish myths and legends featured deerwolves.
One of the most common oral tales, still told in Farden to this day, tells the story of a famous hero, Maslin Stern. Mastlin was part of the now-lost Clan Wodent of Farden.
In the story, Maslin finds the three kittens of a dead she-deerwolf, and brings them back to his home.
The three kittens grow up to become three beautiful female deerwolves that never leave his side.
No one can come close to the mountain lions except Maslin whom they have accepted as part of their pride.
Maslin named the three mountain lions after the three most beautiful trees found in Farden: Oak, Ash and Rowan.
At the time, Clan Wodent was at war with their neighbours to the north, Clan Ramsteel.
Fast forward another 500 years or so and Clan Wodent and Ramsteel would merge to become the powerful Clan Ramshead, one of the most northern clans of Alven.
It is said that on a dark and frozen night of winter, Clan Ramsteel decided to attack Mildhom Keep, the Wodent Chieftain's hold under the cover of a starless night and surprise the sleeping clansmen.
As the Ramsteel warriors approached the keep, they were surprised and attacked by three giantesses all dressed in white fur.
As the legend goes, their assault was so ferocious that only a few Ramsteel clansmen made it back to their own keep to tell the tale.
When Mildhom Keep woke up on a beautiful and frosty morning, they saw the devastation in front of their gates but no sign of who had saved them from their assailants.
No one knew who or where the three giants had come from, but Maslin, that very morning, saw Oak, Ash and Rowan's snowy fur coats with many blood-stains.
What is a Deerwolf?
Deerwolves are Alven's huge mountain cats. The most powerful feline to live on the continent of Alven.
Deerwolves are one of the most formidable predators on the set plane.
Feared from time immemorial by the clansmen who came from Hearth, their name conjures up grace and power.
It is not then surprising that the Deerwolf has been the animus or totem animal for many Alven clans over the millennia.
In present-day Alven, only one clan has the distinction of having the deerwolf as its emblem: Clan Deerwolf, an ancient and respected northern clan in the region of Farden.
Its present shield and chieftain is Flor Carheen-Winstance, widow of the late Myst Winstance.
Where do they live?
Deerwolves are denizens of Alven's northern mountains.
Before humans arrived in Alven, deerwolves used to be a lot more common.
Deerwolves were common in the green valleys of the The Farden Mountains.
At the present time, they can only be found in greater numbers in The Farside Mountains.
The Farside mountains are one of the wildest places in Alven.
Many of its peaks and valleys are still to be explored. In this frozen wilderness, the deerwolf reigns supreme as the top apex predator.
When Myst and Flor took over the leadership of Clan Deerwolf, twenty years ago, they put in place a policy of protection towards the species.
The Clanbearers of Clan Deewolf were worried that the species was bordering on extinction within their clanlands in the Farden Mountains.
There is an old prophecy (The Last One Prophecy) that ties the fate of Clan Deerwolf to the number of mountain lions on the Clanlands.
The Last One Prophecy,
envisioned by Seer Fresne Mainstye in the Year 1412 NE
'And we are the Last Ones,
the last ones to hunt
in the green valleys.
And as our dens grow cold
under the snow and the stars
so will yours under the sun.
Shield Flor Winstance went so far as to ask the The Clan Bursar to exonerate the shepherds who had lost sheep, goats and/or cows to the mountain cats.
Traditionally, clan farmers have moved their flocks and herds to the green valleys of Farden during Midsommer and brought them back down the mountains before the first snows of winter.
Midsommer is when the hunt for deerwolves usually took place, the clansmen defending their animals from the dangerous cats.
A Special Kitty
In Denholm Keep, the ancestral seat of the Deerwolf Chieftains, visitors can admire a stuffed specimen, killed 200 years ago by Shield Miriel Winstance.
The male deerwolf preserved by taxidermy, is bigger than the norm and has been measured to be over 10ft in length.
Over the years, the deerwolf has gathered a few nicknames. One that has stood the test of time is 'Deedee'.
Myst's grandmother and current Clan Dowager, Fern Winstance, as a child of five, could not pronounce the word Deerwolf, and shouted 'Deedee' whenever she passed the stuffed mountain lion.
A few centuries ago, it was the norm for the Clan chieftains to sport a deerwolf cape - made of the luxurious white fur of the animal.
Some capes are still kept within the keep, and come out for formal occasions when the Clan Shield or Chieftain needs to dress for rites and rituals.
The deerwolf pelts are some of the most prized possessions of the clan and their upkeep is the responsibility of the clan Housekeeper, Ember Greatfen.
What does a Deerwolf look like?
In general appearance, a deerwolf is a much bigger and stockier version of a lion.
Deerwolves' fur is pure white in the winter, but it turns a more fawn colour in the summer as the fur grows back somewhat shorter.
Males are slightly bigger in general than females but not by much.
A female deerwolf's head is smooth and a male's will sport longer hair on their face and on the collar.
Deerwolves usually have amber-coloured eyes. Some deerwolves have very pale, nearly white-coloured eyes, and like a cat, deerwolves' eyes are luminescent at night.
Deerwolves are known for being able to jump over long distances.
Their powerful hind legs let them spring into the air easily, and they have been known to jump the breadth of small rivers in one, clean jump.
It is to be noted that the giant mountain lions use jumps as their main means of attack when hunting prey.
The cats hunt on their own or in small groups.
Once a prey - usually a deer or a goat - is cornered, surprised or tired out, the deerwolf can jump on top of it to bring it down for the kill.
Their long tufted tail, helps them to balance.
Myths and Legends
Many Alvenish myths and legends featured deerwolves.
One of the most common oral tales, still told in Farden to this day, tells the story of a famous hero, Maslin Stern. Mastlin was part of the now-lost Clan Wodent of Farden.
In the story, Maslin finds the three kittens of a dead she-deerwolf, and brings them back to his home.
The three kittens grow up to become three beautiful female deerwolves that never leave his side.
No one can come close to the mountain lions except Maslin whom they have accepted as part of their pride.
Maslin named the three mountain lions after the three most beautiful trees found in Farden: Oak, Ash and Rowan.
At the time, Clan Wodent was at war with their neighbours to the north, Clan Ramsteel.
Fast forward another 500 years or so and Clan Wodent and Ramsteel would merge to become the powerful Clan Ramshead, one of the most northern clans of Alven.
It is said that on a dark and frozen night of winter, Clan Ramsteel decided to attack Mildhom Keep, the Wodent Chieftain's hold under the cover of a starless night and surprise the sleeping clansmen.
As the Ramsteel warriors approached the keep, they were surprised and attacked by three giantesses all dressed in white fur.
As the legend goes, their assault was so ferocious that only a few Ramsteel clansmen made it back to their own keep to tell the tale.
When Mildhom Keep woke up on a beautiful and frosty morning, they saw the devastation in front of their gates but no sign of who had saved them from their assailants.
No one knew who or where the three giants had come from, but Maslin, that very morning, saw Oak, Ash and Rowan's snowy fur coats with many blood-stains.
Art by Lupas-Devas
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