Poe

When Hallow had her very first litter, one was born frail, and weak. Yet, with her knowledge of the darkness and night, she knew he was destined for great things; she would not let him die. Yet the pack's herbalist couldn't figure out what was wrong, so she only had one other place she knew of to go...

Ravens are mysterious creatures, friendly to wolves and anyone who does them favors, but deeply malevolent when wronged. Hallow knew they could help, but it would come with a price.

In the end, the price was her son's identity.

As soon as his health began to improve, little Poe began to sprout feathers. His tail was covered in them, his ears lined with them. The ravens were cryptic in their answers, so Hallow took him back to the herbalist.

"I've never seen anything like this," Tag said, marveling at the tiny puppy. "I'm not sure I can-"

"Wait," said Sol, the retired former herbalist, emerging from behind a curtain of fronds. He was old by then, frail in his age, but sprung into action upon seeing Poe. "I know what this is."

Sol, a mystic as well as Tag's mentor, had a great deal of experience with all things strange and otherworldly. "It's the Curse of the Seven Ravens," he explained gravely. "Your pup will become one of them, with no memory of you, or his birth as a wolf."

Hallow was familiar with curses. Even as they spoke, ichor dripped from her pitch-black eyes. Yet she knew Poe was not destined to become anything but a wolf, and stood her ground.

"Is there anything you can do?"

"Yes... there is something."

He told tale of a charm, one crafted of Carnelian and raven feathers, that could halt the progress of the curse. Such things were often found among the swamp witches to the far south, able to shape objects into such trinkets with their magic. Hallow would have to find such a charm, and soon, lest little Poe be lost forever.

Hallow left him in the care of one of the pack's pupsitters and ventured out towards the swamplands. Across the river, through the prairie and desert, and she would come to find her target; her own supernatural origins allowed her easy passage into a coven's lair, where she was able to have crafted the object she sought. It was just as long a journey back... and by the time she was home, Poe was far more bird than she'd ever have wanted.

Placing the charm about his neck, Hallow could only wait and see if it worked.

As Poe grew, the feathers stopped sprouting, simply growing (and molting) along with him. He became a full-sized adolescent, and seemed to be past the worst of it. Hallow was able to breathe a sigh of relief, and, as Poe matured, tell him why he was different from the other wolves... and that he could never remove the charm.

Now an adult, Poe is a large wolf, sporting an imposing pair of black wings on his back that are actually capable of flight. He is aware of his abnormalities, and owns them to the best of his ability; while he keeps the charm on at all times, lest the curse consume him, he seems proud of the level to which said curse has advanced. He is a sight to behold, and for many, the last sight they will ever see.

He remains close to his mother, who whispers the secrets of the night to him, enamored with the wolf her son has become. He will make Nyx very proud...