Wolves+across+the+water

//This is part of the Hangover city, Liverpool, uk setting// =Wolves=

There's a ferry across the Mersey, but beware. There are wolves on the other side.

On 902AD the long boats of Ingimund warriors arrived on the Wirral peninsula. They established a community and set up a thing (Viking Parliament) at Cross Hill. This gentle bowl in a flat English field the saw the first democratic debates in the U.K. and operated until the area was over run during the Norman conquest. Despite the William's forces destroying their political power, the viking community were well established and the people remained and thrived. A recent genetic studies it was revealed that 42% of the current population of the wirral are of Viking descent. Many years later, the football ground of Tranmere Rovers was built on the site of the thing and they remain the only football league team with a Norwegian Viking name. The wolves have never been sure what to make of the Rovers part, on one hand it speaks of the ancient wanderings of their people as they searched for a new home land, which is an important part of their history, but on the other it is, well, a bit 'doggy' and embarrassing. However it does given them a nice warm place to 'do their thing.'

Amongst Ingimund forces, and Olaf's who followed after him, there were a number of highly regarded warriors that acted as his shock troupes. Essentially these were the equivalent of modern day special forces units, and they were treated with great respect; given the best cuts of meat and the first choice of the women. They were also Lyncanthropes, which may go a long way to explain why everyone else was so nice to them. (That 42% is beginning to look a bit more significant now isn't it?) However as the community settled into a more peaceful farming based way of life on the rich soil of the peninsula, having rage powered killing machines was less of an advantage than it had been. There was pressure on the berserker descendants to exhibit a little more self control. Years of researching magics, praying to the gods and divining the burning leaves for insight have allowed the wolves to take the next step and actually transform into the beasts they admire and gifting them true were-forms.

Although it is still the most common, not all of these forms are ‘wolf’. The Wolves also have a fair number of werebear and wereravens (two animals highly regarded in the Viking saga) There was a small community of Werehares but they moved across the Dee and into Wales after one was caught an burnt as a witch in Chester in 1656. Even amongst those who are ‘wolf’ in their form, 1000 years of civilisation has had an impact and most of the shapes are more ‘canine’ and ‘lupine’. Still packs of feral dogs running through town centres are far easier to explain away that a full wolf pack, so Ream believes this to be no bad thing. It is not like the claws and teeth are any less deadly.

Lycanthropes still arise in the community, but they are now treated in much the same way the victorians treated people with Downs syndrome or similar learning difficulties. Lycanthropes are kept away from the sane for their own good, and are taught methods to control their rage. It is seems as shameful amongst the wolves to have a lycanthrope child; they are a throw back that has not truly mastered the gift they have.

For the most part the Wolves remain on their side of the river, but they are still signed up to the Covenant, and their leader Gunnar has a place on the High Council. They have on a number of occasions turned out to help protect the city at times of crisis. A large number of Wolves helped fight the fires during the Blitz that almost destroyed the city, including a group of Lycanthropes who pulled many mortals out of the collapsed rubble before they burnt to death. By way of thanks the High Council gifted the group a small mansion in the grounds of Croxteth hall where they can leave peaceful lives free of the discrimination they suffer under the Wolves. Living with them is a small family of Loup Garou who have made a home in the city with the Lycanthropes, brought together by what they see as the mutual hatred of every one else.