Wolves and The Great Wolf

The primary god/deity or whatever you want to call him/her/it is the Great Wolf. A common misconception is that the Great Wolf is male, this isn't true, and the Great Wolf can appear as one or the other, as well as young/old or even indeterminate age. The Great Wolf can be likened to the Native American spirit that's prevalent in many of their mythologies and tales, in Ashirion terms he represents the creation force of the planet and through him the world was given life.

The first to come from such an entity were the Shakari, the wolves of Ashirion. Those beings were just like the many wolves that you might encounter in Alaska or Canada/the US (or if you're lucky a decent sized wolf sanctuary) - intelligent but not gifted with the powers of speech, nor true understanding. Over time they were put upon by the sentient races, even the elves. The Great Wolf took a dim view of this and gave his children a new shape and powers of communication, this wasn't enough.

It was decided that they would be given the ability to shift at will, between men, wolf and a terrible battle form that the Shakari often wear as a means to distinguish themselves from both human and wolf creatures. That form is often used when diplomacy fails and is terrifying to behold in battle. Your average human woman may stand at five feet tall, but when a Shakari human woman shifts, they become twice that of the human height plus two more feet.

Not all wolves are intelligent however on Ashirion; there are numerous non-Shakari wolves that are found in the wild. The chances of seeing a wild wolf in civilised areas such as the City of Ruatha is very slim indeed and most folk will immediately know that the wolf in question is either one of the Shakari or some other kind of wolf being. It is a known fact amongst the citizens of the Broken Sphere that wolves are considered somewhat of a holy creature and they are to be protected.

Those who seek to study the teachings of the Great Wolf are quick to learn that he has many eyes and ears, when he's not walking the world on four paws. He is a particularly nosey creature and delights in visiting his creation several times over a period of years. Most of the Gods of Ashirion are like this, they resemble the meddlesome Greek Gods in that respect.

Most notable of his heralds is a being known only as the Seeker, the Seeker is the spirit of a long dead wolf that wanders Ashirion acting as the voice of the Great Wolf in times when the god does not wish to wander the world, or he is busy with other matters. The Seeker has also aided the Broken Sphere's people in their times of great need, rescuing them from Shadoen, Risen and Void attacks when all seemed lost.

Lastly the Great Wolf appoints a being upon Ashirion as the ruler of the world, known only as the White King. This appointment is never done lightly and it has always been someone of great worth. The most recent White King was Eydan (Ronin) who gave the mantle back to his brother Whitewolf because rulership never did sit easy upon his shoulders. Whitewolf remains the White King and whilst both the Great Wolf and the White King would prefer Ronin, the man is so stubborn and bloody minded it's unlikely to change.