by Carolyn McBride
Creation
They have a legend that says their first ancestors were created by dark and forbidden magic. The story goes that one of the first true wizards, Danteerius, was searching for a way to make a beast that would serve him without question. (Golems hadn't been created yet) Danteerius had already figured out how to blend two other species, but the young had not been strong enough to survive past a few days. Somehow, the legend says, he created a spell to allow a female bear to receive a male wolf. While today, some would regard such a pairing with horror, but in those days there was no one to hold Danteerius accountable for meddling in dark magic. So his "experiments" continued unchecked. Or so the story goes.
The legend tells us that the offspring of this first pairing was strong, and all survived. Danteerius began to train them as beasts of burden. He continued his experiments, devising spells that would increase specific traits and diminish others, such as aggression. He also found a way to give his creations the power of speech.
By the time he had created, raised, and trained four unrelated "litters", he named them Wolar and declared his experiments a success.
Years after his first experiments, one of the Wolar pledged himself to learn at Danteerius's elbow. The wizard, who was by then getting old, succumbed to the Wolar's compliments and charm and agreed to teach him. Danteerius named him Balkin and taught him a great deal. Except how to work the dark magic that had created the bear/wolf hybrid.
By that time, some of the Wolar had paired off, mated and had young of their own. The adults were increasingly refusing to work for Danteerius alone. He raged and threatened, but it had become apparent that his magic was beginning to wane.
One day, all of the Wolar, including Balkin, refused to work one more day for old Danteerius. He raged and threatened to chain their young into small boxes unless they did his bidding.
His ranting was cut short when Balkin beheaded him from behind. His body was tossed into the river and his head was buried somewhere secret.
From that day forward, the Wolar served no man under duress. They formed a community, taught their young how to hunt, and how to care for the Elder Wolar with respect. Over time, they developed a culture they were proud of. They were masters of their own futures after that. Or so the legend of their creation tells us.
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Anatomy
Wolar resemble wolves from the shoulders up. Their ears, floppy when they are young, usually stand up off their heads when individuals are considered mature.
The males are broad at the shoulders and typically have darker hair than the females. Both genders are long-limbed and strong. The claws on their feet are naturally sharp, and the ones on their hands are retractable. Normally, their eyes are a golden yellow, but once or twice in an age, there will be an individual born with blue eyes. Those individuals have been gifted with great Elemental Magic.
All Wolar individuals possess exceptional hearing and sharp eyesight. Because of this, they are skilled hunters and trackers. But they are also sensitive to their impact on their environment, never hunting for more meat than they need.
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Volume 2 can be found
here
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