Granvulf

The granvulf is a large canine native to the House. It is the largest species of canine in the House, but the granvulf is the rarest of the canines due to widespread poaching by Imperials. All populations of the granvulf exist solely in Fae lands, particularly those of the Winter Clan.
Granvulves have a long history of interactions with humans in the House. Freestaters and Unionists tend to avoid interacting granvulves that stray from the Fae lands. Imperials view the granvulf as a symbol of power due to its association with the legend of Cola the Founder, but despite this connection to the Empire's founder, granvulves are hunted for their pelts to use in court clothing. Older granvulves are sometimes seen as omens of disaster.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Granvulves have the basic canine form. There are minor differences in the length of muzzles, ears, and tails between populations of granvulves, though the heights and weights tends to remain consistent across populations. 
They are digitigrade creatures.
Granvulves are known for their powerful jaws that are capable of crushing bones.

Ecology and Habitats

Granvulves inhabit a variety of habitats, including mountains, forests, and grasslands, and have been found even in marshlands and other wetlands. 
Packs have been known to create shelters in defensible places to allow for safe rest.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Granvulves are omnivorous, though most of their diet is comprised of meat. Their strong jaws allow them to crush bones, and packs have been known to completely utilize the carcass of a prey animal. 
Adult granvulves are pack hunters. A pack will separate into smaller groups to hunt prey, and these smaller groups have higher success rates compared to a whole pack. Although large prey animals may provide enough food to feed a pack for days, most prey animals are smaller and pose little risk to the granvulf. 
When hunting larger animals, granvulves must chase after its prey and confront it in order to disable it enough to start feeding. It utilizes its strong jaws to inflict severe injuries on its prey before inflicting a fatal blow to its skull or spine. A granvulf may prefer to wound a prey and rest while the target weakens from blood loss; this reduces the chances of injury to the granvulf.

Behaviour

Granvulves are social creatures. Packs form around a breeding pair and their pups, though sometimes several pairs will form a single large pack to share rearing duties. Several generations of granvulves will live in the same pack, working together to raise pups and hunt prey. Pack members will care for injured members while they recover.
One behavior unique to granvulves (compared to other wild species) is the tendency to adopt orphans of other non-prey species into their packs. Packs of granvulves have been found to have adopted Fae or human orphans, though often these orphans die shortly after adoption.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The granvulf are seen as a symbol of power by the people of the Ivory Empire. The highest ranked members of the Imperial Court use the pelts of granvulves to decorate their clothes, and the amount of fur and the purity of the color correlates to the rank of the individual. This association with power comes from the tale of Cola the Founder, who was said to have been raised by granvulves and rode a particularly large granvulf into battle. 
This use of granvulf pelts has spurred a large industry of poaching granvulves. Attempts to breed granvulves in captivity have failed with reports of misshapen puppies and impure coat colors. With few populations near the territory of the Ivory Empire, poachers have to travel far abroad to find packs. Numerous poachers and hunters have been killed in an attempt to kill a granvulf, and several individual granvulves are known as mankillers in response.

Average Height

63-76 inches

Average Weight

900-1150 pounds

Average Length

130-150 inches