Great Wolves

The Great Wolves, born with Creation itself, represent fundamental aspects of the world. From the sun's golden light to the moons or tides, they are the sources of wyr and reality's only Source beings (at least, the only Source beings in public knowledge). In the old days, the Wolves freely wandered the earth, but they have seemingly vanished after the Endwar. Yet the mortal races keep them fresh in their minds, for each mage has a Wolf talisman that keeps their Wolf nearby.

Wolves' Protection

Aspects of Reality

The Wolves are not tame beasts. They represent all the beauty, power, and ferocity of nature. And they are dangerous. Old records tell us that encountering a Great Wolf was always life-changing - and terrifying. To meet Imber is to stare at a tidal wave and face down an avalanche... but also the first rains of spring and the joy of the first snows. They are creation. They are destruction. They answer to no mortal.
When the world was newly formed, the raw magical power flowing across the surface created wild weather patterns and horrific beasts, assaulting the mortal races from every direction. Seeing this, the Wolves blessed a select few humans and ikayal with wyrcores - points in their bodies through which wyr could be drawn and then channelled. These became the first mages in history; their power not only allowed them to defend themselves, but imposed order onto the flowing wyr and reduced the appearance of aberrations. In this way did the Wolves tame their power and give strength to the mortals.
Each Wolf is an embodiment of a Wyrpath - one of the seven fundamental aspects of the world. All of Wyral's mages and wyrbeasts are only connected to one, for if even the Wolves do not control several, how could their beneficiaries? These gifts are usually concentrated within a single, smaller subdivision: one earth mage might specialise in growth and healing, another in stone-shaping and forging, and a third in gemcrafting. Just as important are the ideals which seem to lie behind their power: justice, the twin sides of truth, stability, control... these things may be the true reason that one person becomes a mage, and another does not.

Exaltation

In their wanderings, the Great Wolves sometimes came across mortals with truly exceptional tenacity and willpower. These people, human or ikayal, survived or prevented disaster, or showed incredible love for those around them. When a Great Wolf encountered such a mortal, they would Exalt them - granting the hero immortality and a shard of pure power, that they might reign alongside the Wolf.
Aside from the fact that it is unclear how exactly the Wolves accomplished this - the very few Exalted who still interact with mortals refuse to answer such questions - the specific things that made them 'worthy' of Exaltation in the first place are unclear. After all, Wolf talisman holders are known for their aspiration, and often make great changes to the world without ever becoming Exalted. So why does a chance encounter make one worthy of becoming immortal, and how do the Wolves decide?

The Vanishing

While there are plenty of stories of the Wolves wandering the old world, not a single confirmed sighting has occurred since the Lirustime. Despite this, widespread trust in them still endured, as most still-living Exalted were created during this time.
However, the youngest Exalted, Axhal, ascended not long before the Endwar, and since then all evidence of the Wolves' existence has vanished. Unlike the Exalted, who participated in the Endwar, the Wolves were totally silent, even as the world threatened to crumble into blackness. Numerous theories have risen as to why this occurred. Some speculate that the Wolves somehow melted into the flow of wyr, losing their selves in the process; others believe that they have simply fallen asleep. The latter has been the prevailing theory for many centuries.

Additional Information

Domestication

Don't try it.

Average Intelligence

High

Scientific Name

Lupus rex

Average Physique

Wolflike