Dire Wolves

Oversized Wolves of the Forest

Roaming all places of the north except where the Dragons call home, Dire Wolves are the largest predator in the northern reaches, roaming throughout the Elven Forest and the Neither Tundra as they see fit. Nothing dares fight against such a creature, instead choosing to skirt its path, staying as far away as possible from the large teeth that fills its maw.

These creatures are far larger than other wolves, weighing often more than two hundred pounds and standing nearly as tall or taller than a Halfling at the shoulder. It is believed that one of these wolves could consume an entire Aelinor Elk within minutes, cleaning the bones completely.

Even so, these creatures are majestic and have come to be a symbol of various groups throughout the north of the Elven Forest. The most notable of these being the Knights of Yggdrasil who were once graced with the presence of a great dire wolf alongside their leader many years ago.

— Appendix C of the Yllvalion Codex, Flora & Fauna of the Elven Forest

Dire Wolves are considered the fiercest predator of the northern areas of Vóreios. Possibly influenced by the magic of the Elven Forest, these creatures have grown larger than standard wolves and have no predators to speak of, although they are highly afraid of Dragons. In some areas, Dire Wolves have become a nuisance, but are difficult to track and remove from an area.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dire Wolves are extremely similar to other wolves that roam the area, but these creatures are much larger, often dwarfing other creatures in the north. In most instances, Dire Wolves are six to 10 inches longer and taller than other wolves, weigh almost twice as much, and have large skulls that can reach up to twelve inches in length.
The teeth of these creatures are larger and more robust than other wolves, allowing them to attack prey that other predators may not. Larger prey animals such as Tatanka could easily be taken down by a Dire Wolf due to their size as well as their large, sharp teeth.

Ecology and Habitats

The most common habitat of these creatures is the northern areas of Vóreios, often on the fringes between the Elven Forest and the Neither Tundra. Here, the landscape allows these creatures to hide their large figures as well as supports the larger prey animals that these wolves often feed on.

Additional Information

Domestication

Dire Wolves are not commonly domesticated as their size makes this rather difficult. They are considered one of the most dangerous predators in the northern reaches of Vóreios and are meant to be skirted around quietly if met. That being said, there have been a number of instances throughout history of members of the Knights of Yggdrasil domesticating these creatures and keeping them as pets. The most famous of these creatures is Ylmari the White who assisted during the final battle of the Giant Wars.

Dire Wolf

Wolf by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

Dire Wolves are extremely large creatures that live in the northern areas of Vóreios. They often frequent areas with large amounts of prey and cover, allowing them to hide their hulking forms while they hunt.

Scientific Name

Canis dirus

Lifespan

14 years

Average Height

38 to 42 inches at the shoulder

Average Weight

200 lbs

Average Length

69 to 73 inches

Geographic Distribution

• Elven Forest
• Neither Tundra

Related Ethnicities

• Northern Culture

Storybook System Creature Sheet

Name Dire Wolf

Form Quadruped

Type Beast

Size Small

Location Spine of Kallex, Neither Tundra

4

Might

7

Agility

0

Magic

20

Heroism

20

Heroism Points

10

Stealth

15

Observation

Speed

Land 5

Climb 2

Swim 1

Fly 0

Jump 2

Strengths & Weaknesses Dire wolves are immune to the following conditions: None.

Dire wolves are large predators that can be extremely dangerous due to their hunting tactics, speed, and strong jaws. While normally hunting in packs, dire wolves are still dangerous as singular creatures and will stalk their prey for hours to wear it down before finally striking with teeth and claws. Endurance is often the best course of action against a determined dire wolf.

Skills Roguish Movements - When a Dire Wolf successfully dodges, it may move 1 space in any direction and will not receive any passing swipes.

Run to Fight Again - While fleeing, Dire Wolves will always take half damage from ranged weapons. This only applies if they have decided to flee the fight entirely.

Exceptional Senses - Dire wolves possess exceptional hearing and smell. Even if a threat is being quiet, it can often be detected by other means. When using hearing or smell, a dire wolf's Observation Rating doubles.

Predator Stealth - Due to the color of their fur, it is possible for dire wolves to hide in areas of low cover in the various tundras of the world. When hiding in their natural environment, Dire Wolves' stealth will triple.

Canine Howl - Dire Wolves raise their heads to the moon and release a loud howl that will cause anyone that hears it to be inflicted with the Shaken condition. The resist rating is equal to its Heroism stat, plus 5 for each additional Dire Wolf joining in on the howl.

Thick Fur - Dire wolves possess thick fur that covers their entire body, staving off the cold and weather. This creature is not affected by cold weather and snow as others might.

Behaviour Highly territorial, packs roam in a small group but can have as many as 60 adult members in a given area.

In thickly forested areas and mountain terrain, Dire Wolves make their home and hunt in large packs. These creatures are strategic hunters that are resilient to the cold, possessing thick fur and quick wits. They are most often found in the wild, very rarely in domestication, and often worry travelers throughout the Spine of Kallex. They are considered dangerous at night due to their tactic of quietly surrounding a lone campsite or traveler and attacking at intervals all night long. Hunting these creatures requires strict attention to be paid to the terrain as they will use areas of limited vision and mobility to take options away from a threat before slowly wearing it down.

Dire Wolves often have a set area of a dozen or so square miles that they frequent, hunting and creating a small number of dens that their pack can use for shelter. They often affirm the area and reach of their territory by howling at night, if you can hear the howl clearly enough to get a shiver down your spine then you are in their territory. For the most part, Dire wolves will be active during the evening, night, and early morning not caring much to hunt during the day.

During combat, Dire Wolves will surround a target to try and isolate it from anything else that it might use to try and escape or fight back. They will take turn lunging, feinting, and looking for an opportunity to knock their target to the ground. Once their target has fallen, they will all rush in together to go for the kill.

The typical method of attack for a Dire Wolf is to lunge with its jaws at a target and then pull away. If a target begins to look haggard then they will set their bite hard and try to pull their target to the ground. Dire Wolves are intelligent enough to understand their injuries, unless they have a reason to make a stand they will leave a fight to heal from their injuries.

Actions

Attack

• Dire Wolves use Agility to attack. A Dire Wolf jumps forward from a nearby position to attack with its jaws. Then it will jump back to its original position, they will not receive any passing swipes.
• A Dire Wolf will try to impose the knocked down and grappled condition on a target that has lost half their hit points. The resist rating is equal to the attack roll, they can only grapple one limb at a time, roll to resist each condition separately.

Block

Dire Wolves will favor dodging because they are faster than they are strong.

Dodge

A Dire Wolf will always dodge attacks unless there is no other option.

Difficulty Difficulty Level: Medium (somewhat difficult for a party of 4 Tier 0 Characters)

To Increase Difficulty: Increase the number of Dire Wolves and add a Dire Wolf Alpha. Add a Dire Wolf per party member in addition to the Alpha for best results.

Possible Encounter Ideas: Dire Wolves are often used as encounters for traveling parties or individuals that have gotten lost. They are almost always combat encounters but could be engineered as social encounters.