Whalewolf

Biology

Howls fill the air along the forested coastline of the non-urban area of southern Middenland. Combining a powerful canine body, with a long swaying tail and powerful teeth, the whalewolves stalk the land. It is not known how they came to be, some say they had always been there, while others claim they are the product of a particularly adventurous transmutation mage's experiments. Some even believe them to be the chosen messengers of Kydross and a prelude to disaster.

Ferocious Predators

Whalewolves are notably aggressive predators, both on land and in the water. On land they use their powerful legs and pack tactics to hunt down and tire out prey, before descending on them and tearing them apart with their large teeth. When they come upon a stronger foe or a large group, they apply hit-and-run tactics until they see a weakness. In the water, they instead use their large whale-like tail to swim around and catch fish. They are capable of breathing underwater for a significant amount of time and they use this to lie in ambush at the water surface, much like a crocodile would.

Intelligence and Social Behavior

Whalewolves tend to live in packs of anywhere between three and fifteen individuals, and they hunt as a pack. It is effectively an extended family consisting of parents, offspring, siblings, aunts, uncles, and sometimes dispersers from other packs. Older whalewolves are taken care of by the younger adults, while the pups have to be educated. They raise their young together, and they continue to play together into old age. They also care for injured pack companions, and will defend them to the last.

Leadership within the Pack

Cohesion and order is usually maintained by a single pair within the pack, also known as the breeding pair or the alpha pair. Generally there is only a single breeding pair within a pack, and they are what keeps the pack together. The loss of an adult can be devastating to a pack, and the loss of an alpha can all but dissolve the pack entirely.

Hunting Companions

While they are ferocious and far from domesticated by nature, there have been cases where individual whalewolves were trained by hunters through a combination of bribery with food and incredible patience. When trained however, whalewolves make staunch companions that are loyal to the end. They are incredibly skilled hunters and their ability to move over land and water can be a significant boon to the hunter that trained them.

Statistics

by Daarken

Geographic Distribution

• Cadena Archipelago
• Middenland

Crafting Materials

The hide of whalewolves is prized as a major component in swimming enchantments when traditional enchantments are applied to it. As a minor component when combined with other materials and more expensive enchantments, it can even provide a reflexive protection against elements of cold.
Meanwhile its bones can be used as a minor component in accessories that, while looking fearsome and primeval, can be enchanted with the ability to breathe both water and air much like the beast itself can.
Its blood can also be used as a component in potions of water breathing.