A Guide to SotW

A Brief History

"....." - Lightning
───────────────⊱⁜⊰───────────────

     One of the first things a whelp will learn after birth is of the history of the packs. This is taught to them after their eyes and ears have opened, through a set of hymns that their mothers will sing to them. {see: Hymns, section ?}. As their understanding of language develops, Whelp-Bringers {see: Wolf-Tongue, section ?} will begin to tell their children epic sagas that go more in depth on  historical events that took place. In this chapter you will read the simplified history of The Great Triad.

KJEGRAANDT
     Before there were wolves in the territories we know, they inhabited a land known as Kjegraandt (or Moon-Light in the old tongue). This wasn't an ordinary place, as it was far out of reach and reserved only for those borne of great power. It was also home to the Kjeran and Kjeroyll, called "Moon-Mother" and "Moon-Father" respectively. These parents protected and watched over Kjegraandt and all who lived there under their rule (called Kjewen, or Moon-Dwellers).
     Kjeran was known for her grace, knowledge, and maternal guidance. She is the deity the packs look to— the mother of the moon. Inversely, Kjeroyll was regarded for his quiet strength and unforgiving justice. Many still regard him as father of the moon. Together they were highly revered by the Kjewen.

     Kjegraandt was a place of light and shadow, perfect in every way. It's inhabitants knew only peaceful living and rejoicing. However, where there was Kjegraandt there was also Kjerundt, (Moon-Dark) Those who lived there, the Bhewen (Night-Dwellers) had been banished by the Kjewen Council as punishment for their evil doings.
     Under the command of Bheran (Night-Mother) the Bhewen, jealous of what the Kjewen had, began to invade Kjegraandt. This lead to a mighty war between the two forces. It went on for centuries. The years of turmoil had worn on Kjeran. The slaughter of her sacred people, the constant fear of further invasion, and the death of her beloved mate Kjeroyll.
     Without him, Kjeran could no longer protect the Kjewen so she gathered the wolves she loved and sent them to a land she had found, miles below Kjegraandt. It was not as perfect as their first home, but it would provide them with opportunities for food, shelter, and anything else a living animal would need.     
     They called the land Feyrundt, or Fire-Shadow, after the bright sun that kept it alight during the day. This was the old-tongue name for the land that the packs inhabit still to this day. Feyrundtsun (or Sun of Feyrundt) is what the wolves of Feyrundt call The Beginning. It signifies when their beloved deity, Kjeran, first sent them to their new homeland.

THE GREAT TRIAD
For many years wolves lived in bands and coalitions, hunting and surviving in small groups. Every wolf was a nomad, wandering with their close friends and family across a broad range with nowhere to call home. There were no laws, no packs, no territories. Because of this wolves were killed in vast numbers and often over insignificant incidents.
There were those few who saw their families suffer needlessly at the hands of one another, and came together to put an end to it. These wolves were called Orpheus, Atakan, Sutoya, and Erebus.

Orpheus was a powerful warrior, renowned for his strength just as well for his love for his children.
Atakan was known best for his hunting skills, but also for his discernment and grasp of truth.
Sutoya earned recognition through his excellent speeches and his intimidating demeanor.
Erebus caught the attention of others by his ability to disappear into shadow and overtake those who didn't deserve power.

Combining their skills and knowledge, they managed to convince most of the wolves to separate into packs and take up permanent territories. Each he-wolf claimed a bit of land and named their packs according to their morals, landmarks of their territory, skill sets, or even their coat colors.
Orpheus called his pack Fading Night. They were composed of the strongest and most loyal wolves. Atakan called his pack BloodPelt, after his own red coat and his affinity for blood. Lastly, Sutoya called his pack Maw Creek after their densite, which is located in the maw of the wolf-shaped lake that the packs all live around.

Erebus, though he had initially joined and supported the others, never truly believed in the movement. He helped only because he wished to see order, but this order was not like he imagined. For him there were too many rules. So he struck out on his own with the few that would follow him, and moved on north of the territories.
Because they lived outside of laws and had nowhere to defend or call home, over time they died out. The last of them wander about aimlessly solitarily with only one intent: survival. The packs call them Loner-Wolves or Lone Wolves.

And so Orpheus, Atakan, and Sutoya became known as The Great Triad. Over time their stories were continuously told and their names became legend. Many Whelp-bringers will tell their children stories of wars and battles and how the packs came to be even to this day. Many are unsure if these ancient stories hold any truth, but even those who doubt still believe wholeheartedly in Kjeran— their Moon-Mother, and her nemesis Bheran.