Hoarfrost

In a land of nearly eternal winter, there is a pack of exceptionally large and highly aggressive wolves.

Tales of shapeshifting dire wolves replayed in the back of your mind as you approached the treeline, you had no choice but to walk through the frozen biome if you wished to return home.

You remember your pack elders telling you about them, how they have lived here for many years, numbers spreading as their reaches grew farther and farther beyond the icy mountains they still call home.

Tyrants.

Demons.

Monsters.

The Hoarfrost.

Their alpha, an unforgiving black wolf who walks on two legs like a human but stands as tall as two of them stacked high.

Legend has it that he was cursed for betraying his mother's new mate after the loss of his father, the wolf secretly being a deity of sorts, sent to test the pack's morals and faith, and when Blue failed he was doomed to live his life out as a shapeshifter, eternally hungry and afflicted by this curse.

Unforgiving, angry with the deity and forever famished, Blue would prowl the frozen wasteland he was banished to in search of more wolves to share in his affliction, refusing to be alone in his torment.

To make matters worse, his homeland is essentially permanently frozen with ice covering the ground for several feet, the grass beneath long asleep and snow piled above even higher, the only thing that has not permanently frozen is the river that cuts through the middle of the woods, rapid and churning- Hauling thick chunks of ice and streams of frozen slush and mud down the mountains.

The territory is treacherous, the slopes are slippery and one wrong footfall could cause even the most avid of canine hikers to slip and fall into the icy rivers or end up stranded on the rocky crags with no realistic way back up.

To make matters worse, there is the slightest bit of thaw in the spring and summer months, while it is not enough to melt the thick layers of ice coating the ground, it's enough to melt some of it and create atrocious amounts of mud which could bog down even the tallest of bison.

There is barely any plant life except for stubborn shrubs, evergreen trees, shoots that never make it through the winter to truly bloom, and the half-frozen grass that crops up by the riverside.

The Hoarfrost is rumored to have lived here for over 100 winters and will continue to remain for however more, constantly in search of those who share their affliction and aggression.

While he won't directly confirm or deny some of the tall tales about him, most of what is said about Blue is true, however his side of the story is a little bit different.

He was born this way, in truth, from a line of many shifters- and truth be told, he's not sure exactly how they came to be, whether it truly is the curse of an angered deity or some type of genetic mutation, but he has been this way for as long as he can remember.

Blue's father also passed before he was born, his mother finding a new mate who cast him out when the two disagreed over the actions he was taking and whether or not he truly had the pack's best interests in mind.

Angry at his step-father's betrayal and infuriated by his banishing, Blue claimed a large piece of territory for his own in an area that would be nearly impossible for mortal wolves to thrive in, fending off the local packs and claiming their territory and much of their belongings, those who wished to join him would have to earn his trust through trials and even the smallest of mistakes could have them searching through the barren arctic looking for a new place to call home.

Contrary to this, his pack has now grown exponentially, their numbers climbing every year, and his lust for power, vengeance and control knows no bounds. Travelling wolves are warned to avoid the northern tundra at all costs, lest they themselves fall victim to an ambush from these walking wolves with no sense of mercy.

In feral form they are known to be stocky, sturdy, almost bear-sized with double coats of thick, water-proof fur and webbing between their toes.

They are highly aggressive and any form of empathy or compassion for their own kind or their own descendants have left them long ago, some say they are the furious spirits of those who didn't make it through the winter, others claiming they are frost demons or somehow turned to be this way by Blue himself.

They are known to snatch both feral and walking wolf pups and raise them for their own, adding to their numbers even more, some say this is so that Blue may have an army to fight the deity that cursed him, others say that he does this for the best chances of his pack surviving the harsh areas surrounding him. Whatever the reason, however, travelers are advised to hide their children or disguise them lest they become the newest member of this cold-hearted pack.

The Hoarfrost fight valiantly to defend their territory and their members, should anyone think they are easy to take from, they are sadly mistaken and will find themselves surrounded from as many angles as possible, though typically from behind as the pack isn't exactly known to play fair- They are masters of camouflage and seem to have selectively bred for white, black or grey-toned fur to blend in with the tundra, they are also ambush predators and aren't afraid to use this tactic when defending their home either.

Their dens are also camouflaged, typically hidden between rocks, covered in snow and ice or in abandoned dens from other predators such as bears, snow leopards and even other wolves who decided the freezing temperatures were simply too much to bear.

Recently, however, they have discovered that just below the summit of the mountain, towards the cold oceans below, are a series of ice caverns left over from prehistoric times, which have made wonderful homes for them as they are just narrow enough for the wolves to squeeze through, but not much else, and can be blocked off easily from the inside.

These wolves and shapeshifters are known to be strong and have high stamina and an extreme tolerance for cold weather and water, though they are not exactly agile or quick- they do make up for it in tenacity and size and aren't ashamed to use their strength to their advantage.

A rare few, however, have been met with mercy, though they do not gloat about it. These packs have earned the respect of these dreaded warriors and have gained their protection, finding that an alliance with them is strategically better for their chances of survival, these packs may tread in the tundra territory, though they need bring no outsiders.

Those who know the kindness of the Hoarfrost are warmed every winter, and find themselves in times of little need or want, offered food, shelter, protection, water and a safe place to raise their young, which only raises one question.

Will you join the Hoarfrost? Or will you too steer clear of the howls and footfalls in frozen woods?