Urdaggar Dire Rider

Howls greet the Wolf Tribe as they echo around the plains north of the Moonsshadow Mountains. They sound from the rocky northern slopes north to the woodland home of the Stag Tribe and east, where they strike fear into the outlying clans of the Lion Tribe. These barren grasslands are the home of the Wolf Tribe, the close-knit families of expert hunters and relentless trackers.
A Dire Rider specializes in patrol and rapid onslaught. Their yips and howls are enough to keep most intruders out of their ancestral lands.
The Wolf Tribes have always kept wolves; these beasts represent their god walking among them. In the cold and endless plains between the Moonsshadow and the Great Northern Mountains, the tribe found giant Dire Wolves roaming wild and knew their totem was with them.
When the Krai Jan poured over the mountains, intent on conquering the northern plains, they were driven back with the help of the dire wolves that had lived and hunted there since time immemorial. The Wolf Tribe interpreted this to be a sign from their god. They claimed the land as theirs and sought to befriend the dire wolves that brought an end to the pursuit of the Krai Jan.
Though the Wolf Tribe uses the Dire Wolves to patrol, hunt, and fight, calling the beasts tame would be underestimating how ferocious and wild a Dire Wolf truly is. None but the Wolf Tribe have any chance of communicating with and riding the Dire Wolves. This ability is said to be a gift from their god, Besadev. Not all members of the tribe are worthy to partner with the beasts, and many tribespeoples are turned into a meal when trying to approach a Dire Wolf.
In fact, only a few, even amongst the Wolf Clan, will try to befriend the giant wolf. These riders are said to be marked from birth as part of the Dire Wolve's pack. Wolf Mystics try to identify these children by their affinity with the wolves that the tribe keeps or by the presence of the Dire Wolves at milestones in the Tribesperson's life.
After a warrior's proving, they choose what warrior path they will take. It is a memorable day in the life of the warrior and the tribe when a young warrior becomes proven and makes this choice.
Most Wolf Tribespeople pick up the greatsword and tread the path of the Wolf Warriors, while others take the course of the rightly-feared Berserker. Still, others will take up the mantle of Adevkal or wolfkin and lead the tribes' wolves into battle.
Those that choose to become Dire Riders face unique trials, as it is not just training that they must overcome. They must have the trust and friendship of the dire wolf, something the weak-spirited can never attain.
The Dire Rider's journey begins with finding their mount. A warrior will travel alone into the wastes of the northern plains. A dire wolf pack will find them, and one member will choose the warrior as a bond partner. Dire wolf packs tend to lend their members to one clan over the years, and a partnership and understanding develop between the Wolf Tribe clan and the wolf pack.
Some clans, such as the Whitepaw and the Longtooth clan, cherish this bond and pour their identity into it, strengthening the bond by leaving gifts for the pack. These groups have such a strong bond that the dire wolf pack and the clan live and hunt side by side. These clans have the favor of Besadev and ride to war almost entirely mounted on their ferocious friends.
The warrior becomes a pack member and is held responsible for the safety of the dire wolf. The dire wolf becomes a member of the clan. The two live, hunt, and fight together for the rest of their days.
Dire Riders tend to take on their companions' relentless, ferocious nature. The more they are cornered, the more desperately they fight. They fear nothing, attacking with a foolhardy tenacity.
The Dire Rider is also a great hunter. Wolf and rider's sharp eyes can often spot hidden prey or enemies before others. This is why Dire Riders are usually sent to patrol the vast spaces of Wolf Tribe territory.
For many reasons, the Wolf Tribe enjoys its reputation as unrelenting hunters and savage fighters. The tip of their spear has been and will always be the Dire Riders.