How Wolfsbane got its name
The Wolfsbane flower is infamous throughout Arros for its potent and deadly poison. But the question must be asked: How did it get that name? In the neighbouring continent of Enask, the flower is called, monkshood, which is clearly a nod to it's particular shape. However, its Arrosian name seems to have a much darker origin.
Summary
The invaders were fast approching. The human armies raised against them had been wiped out and left the road to their city now wide open. The leader of the Shapeshifter clan, who's name was Vilkas, knew he had to prepare his clan for battle. To save their city, and their family and friends.
Thats when an infamous foreign prince approched them. Vilkas meet him with trepidation, for the prince trully had left a horrid reputation in his wake. However, the prince reasured him, denying his actions and spoke of peace and cooperation. Persuaded by the Prince's words of peace, he accepted his invitation to a parley.
The Prince invited Vilkas and both he and his clan were welcomed into a small castle. Some entered, while other stayed outside, in large festive tents. Inside, a large feast for all to enjoy. Vilkas was invited to a private room to discuss terms, and once there, accepted the wine the prince offered as they discused terms.
Suddently, he heard a commontion coming from the other room. Confused, he tried to get up and check, but was held down by the prince's guards. He looked up at the Prince, and saw the most evil smile he had ever bore witness too. Its then he understood. He had been tricked by the prince. He tried to shift, but to his horror, it didn't work. The Prince chuckled as he pulled out a blue flower from his vest.
"Monkshood", he whispered."Or as it shall now be known... Wolfsbane".
Under the cruel laughs of the prince, Vilkas was dragged into the other room, as he was now too weak from the poison to even stand. What he saw was a scene of pure carnage. His clan had been massacred by the Prince's army. Enraged, Vilkas mustered the strenght to get to his feet and attacked the Prince.
He managed to claw at the prince's face before he was stabbed by the prince's guards and fell to the ground, bleading to death. As life left his body, he looked on at his dead comrades, praying that he would be able to see them in the Heavenly Palace. Its then that he noticed that some of the seats were empty.
He smiled through the pain and sadness, knowing that some of his friends had escaped the carnage. He closed his eyes, a tear falling along his cheek. He hoped they would tell the tale of what had happened here, so that nobody else could be as blind as he was.
Spread
Variations of the story are widespread amongst the Shapeshifter population of Arros. It even permiated into other mage communities, mainly soulmages. The general theme of this story and all its variants is to be wary of humans and to not trust them, a sentiment which is still very strong amongst many of these communities.
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Historical Basis
It would seem that this story is recounting a real meeting that happened on the year 856 Bc, in a castle about 30km south of Yarenal. This meeting was between a clan of Wolfkin shapeshifters and an Essanian Prince. The year 856 also marke the end of a large military campaign into western Arros, which ended in by the surrended of Shorai that same year. This campaign was spear-headed by that same prince.
However, many details are either missing, or added without any historical basis. For example, Vilkas's clan wasn't the only clan residing in the city of Yarenal. There were actualy two clans. One was largely made up of Wolfkins, while the other was a mix of various types.
It seems that the wolfkins were the ones at the meeting, and thus were the ones poisoned by Mookshood. However, during the attack, some managed to escape back into the city, and told the tale of what had just transpired at the meeting to the other clan. Thus, the myth was born.
Many historians believe that this myth and real meeting are the origins for the plant's particular Arrosian name. The tale of what had happened in that castle made its way into many Shapeshifter communities on the continent, and the rather evocative name stuck. It would eventualy replace monkshood as the name used for the plant even in Human litterature by the end of the Second Age.
On the other hand, it seems that the Essanians wanted to intergrate the wolfkins into their army, as they knew how fearsome they could be from their campaign in rumalia. However, the wolfkin clan and the other shapeshifters wanted instead to remain independant and neutral, like they had been before.
This wasn't acceptable to the Essanians. The clans were a formidable force in a rather strategic location. The prince reasoned that if left alone, they could endanger their hold over Shorai, which was already tenuous. So, to get rid of the threat, the prince invited them to a fake parley, poisoned them, and killed them when they could no longer proprely defend themselves.
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