Ulfhednar

The Ulfhednar (Wolf Warriors in the old tongue) are great hunters and fighters that have been blessed by Eika, the goddess of the beasts and the wilds. This blessing allows them to take the form of powerful wolves or wolf-men. The Ulfhednar are savages that live as the beasts do, free and wild. Money and possessions mean little to them beyond having a practical application, such as a good weapon or a warm cloak. They live for the hunt, the kill, the taste of fresh raw meat in their teeth. It is said that steel does little to hurt them, and magic or silver is required to bring them true harm.

Legends say that Eika created the first of the Ulfhednar, known as Ulfhednar Elders, centuries ago, granting a sliver of her savage power to the greatest of hunters whom she felt worthy of her blessing. These Elders have the ability to pass on this blessing to those who they deem are worthy simply by biting them. This form of lycanthropy is with intention, and not an accident, curse, or disease. Those who become Ulfhednar are chosen carefully, and they savor the blessing of the wild goddess. There are also tales of new Ulfhednar being born to a pair of Ulfhednar that have mated, and also of clerics of Eika being able to create them through an exhaustive and painful ritual, but these tales have never been confirmed.