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The Wolf Folk While many types of shapeshifters, wolves and otherwise, both visit and dwell within Barbary Grove, there is only one pack that can be said to be original to the area, and they, secretive in nature, prefer to live in the woodlands and outskirts of town. This is not to say that they live their entire lives as wolves out in the forest, but their homes, whether shared or individual, tend to be intentionally hard to find. Their group has no dressed up name or designated leader. They are simply, 'The Pack', and generally, if you mention 'The Pack' in Barbary grove to a member of the supernatural community, they'll know exactly what you're talking about. Secretive as they are, the Wolf Folk of Barbary Grove certainly make their presence felt. They tend to be hedge-witch types, or those with even stranger natures, and it's not unusual to feel many eyes on you if you venture too deeply into their territory uninvited. The Wolf Folk venerate an entity known as The Grandmother, a massive wolf spirit from which all of them draw their gifts. This relationship isn't quite worship-- they consider Grandmother actual family rather than some unknowable deity. There's still an undeniable sense of mysticism around the whole thing, and while The Grandmother doesn't tend to show up as much as a physical presence as some others might, she has been known to speak through her followers from time to time when the need is great, or when she's particularly annoyed about something. |
 Origins The Wolf Folk, separate, but not dissimilar from werewolves, are governed by the moon and can take wolf shape at will. They are not typically bipedal like many werewolves, except for on nights where the moon is full. During that short time, they gain access to an in between state for a short amount of time. Instead, they resemble your typical specimen of Canis lupus, though the subtype may vary depending on the shapeshifter's origins and nature. They tend to be twice as big as normal wolves, however, and possess abilities that no natural wolf ever has. Legend has it that Grandmother was once a human woman, or many human women, who had terrible crimes visited upon them in their mortal lives. After death, the rage, and the hunger to seek justice for what was done to her transformed her spirit into a terrible beast that rampaged along the country-side until she had devoured each and every one of the wrong-doers. Her pain and fury threatened to destroy the innocent too, and so the forest took her into its heart and soothed her rage until she slept. If Grandmother leaves the forest, she risks becoming destructive again, overwhelmed by the evils of the world, and so she stays, instead drawing others to her who have experienced similar hurts, transforming them and giving them the teeth and claws to fight back against their oppressors. Most of the wolf folk in Barbary Grove are women, as that tends to be who is most drawn to Grandmother's nature, but that isn't a requirement, only that the souls who come to her are touched by similar pain, and a hunger to hunt the unjust. |
Powers & Weaknesses
As mentioned above, the Wolf Folk can take on the shape of massive wolves, though only during the full moon can they transform into a hybrid shape between their two forms. They are strong enough in all of their forms to rip a car door off its hinges, can sprint up to 40 mph in short bursts, and are nearly deathless.The Wolf Folk's regeneration abilities ensure that, as long as they can expose the wound to moonlight, they can heal almost any injury. Without moonlight, the injury heals at a normal rate, but Wolf Folk can take on much more damage before succumbing to death, and even then, if left in the moonlight for long enough, the wolf's body will resurrect itself, though this is not recommended.
Each time one of the Wolf Folk returns from death, their primal natures and internal rage grow stronger within them. With enough deaths, they become the ravaging monsters of folklore, and a danger to all that they love. The only way to permanently kill one of the Wolf Folk is to completely destroy either the heart or the head. Similarly, moon-metal, or silver, will not directly kill the wolf, but will cause wounds inflicted with it to heal at a normal rate, even when exposed to moonlight.
Wolf Folk can transform back and forth at will, but it is a muscle that needs to be developed over time. Newer wolves can transform once or twice within a period of 24 hours. Upon transforming back, their bodies will demand a long period of food and rest to recover. More experienced wolves can shapeshift more within that time without becoming tired, but both parties will make themselves ill if they push their limits past what their bodies can handle.
Shapeshifting during the new moon tends to be more difficult for all parties, and remaining within one’s wolf shape for more than a day or so risks losing oneself to the wolf, and forgetting one was ever human at all.
The Moon
The moon is one of many things that connects woman to the wolf, and so it is little surprise that the Wolf Folk are swayed by its power.
When the moon is full in the sky, Wolf Folk are capable of taking on a form halfway between human and wolf-- and in fact, many feel that during this time, they must. The transformation is not uncomfortable if not resisted, but if one fights their inner nature during this time, their transformations may become twisted and terrifying studies in body horror, reflecting their inner demons in ways that they cannot possibly avoid.
Emotions tend to run high during these nights, and the deep forests are not always a safe place for unwelcome guests while the moon is full in Barbary Grove.
Ghosts of the Past
All of the Wolf Folk are capable of connecting with the past of a place in some way. Some can see and talk to ghosts, others feel impressions from people, objects, or landscapes, while some others yet simply feel an irresistible tug to where they must be.
What they see and are drawn to tends to differ depending on their reasons for seeking Grandmother out to begin with, but each one tends to feel a pull to right those wrongs forever more, a sense of justice like a hunger that must be fed, and the longer they fight it, the more it grows into an obsession that they can't stop thinking about, night and day.
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