Durknir The Toothless

The most sacred things in this world are to protect one's kin and to stay true to your word; to abandon them is to be no better than an animal - Norrian Elder

There have been many legends of heroes and the wicked told with their sags, respectively, that live on so long as men can speak them. Yet none of them stand out more than those forever etched in infamy than the legend of the black wolf Durknir, whose crimes were so heinous that even the gods could no longer stand by and intervene to stop him. His tale has long since been told as a fateful reminder of what happens when people let go of all values to satisfy the beast within.

Summary

Once upon a cold and terrible winter night, Berun, the god of winter and death, wandered the land to claim the dead who had perished to the cold. Yet to the god, something was off this night as the land was silent, and no creature was stirring wherever he went. So he took the form of an old man pulling an old sled, searching for a beast to draw it for him. As he traveled farther and farther across the frozen landscape, a large flock of crows began hovering over him as if he were about to die. Only to realize he had stepped into a field of bones masked by the snow, yet the moon revealed the horrid truth with its pale light. It was filled with all sorts of parts from both man and beast alike, with such sight giving a grim look upon the god of death's cold brow at what beast could needlessly take life for the cold embrace of winter could not claim so many.
It was not too long after he ventured through the snowfield of death that the crows began to speak of an ill omen that would befall the disguised god, " Be wary, be wary; the black wolf approaches, for that come across him will meet a grizzly end, for he knows not how to quell his hunger until winter's end, feasting upon all who come near his den, leaving nothing for the crows that hover above, madness has claimed him with his eyes becoming red as blood, beware for Durknir the Ravenous draws near. Not too long after, a shadow figure rose from the horizon, its form hidden by the darkness of night, walking towards the god with no sense of urgency, yet all Berun could see was a pair of menacing red eyes that gazed at him, knowing that this beast was consumed by hunger. It was not until he walked in the moonlight that a large black wolf stood before him, its long fangs partially sticking out of his mouth, the stench of blood oozing off his breath.
The wolf spoke to the seemingly harmless old man before him, asking why the old man was out here all on his own. Knowing all too well, he would eat him the moment he ran, and it was more thrilling when his food ran. Berun replied that he was traveling to his village after a long journey, but his reindeer had died during the trip and now he was forced to pull it. He then pointed to a chest that was on his sled, saying that if he were to pull his sled, he would give him some of the meat from the reindeer that he harvested. The offer intrigued the black wolf as now there was more food for him to eat since the old man would barely be enough to feed him. But knew that he would be unable to open the chest as it looked strong and sturdy with a lock on it.
So he introduced him and accepted his offer to take Berun to where he wanted, only that he would only lead him to his doom. Durknir then asked if they could stop by his den to bring some of his pack mates to help pull the sled, with the old man agreeing to it, wanting to see if the wolf's pack had fallen to his madness as well. Then after traveling some distance across the frozen landscape, they arrived at a dark cave covered with ice with Durknir asking Berun to wait for him to bring his pack back with them, the god knew better than to trust the black wolf knowing all too well that they would try and eat him. Yet to his surprise his ear began to hear cries of wolf pups in the deeper parts of the cave and decided to see what was happening, dragging along his sled along with him. The farther he went in the cries became louder and clearer as the shadow of many figures, he shrouded in shadows to not be seen.
What he saw disgusted the winter god to his core, as he saw the wolves of the pack attempting to eat their pups, who had hidden away in small crevasses of the cave where only they would fit begging for their fathers not to eat them as the grown wolves snapped their fangs at them in the attempt to snatch them. Amongst all of them who were trying to reach them was Durknir, who, with reckless abandon, tried digging his way through, demanding they come out, roaring that they come out, and if they did, then they could join their mothers. The god looked at a corner in the cave to find the bones of the puppies' mothers who had been eaten by their mates when they attempted to protect their puppies from their fathers. It was clear that Berun had seen enough of these word breakers and kin slayers and decided to reveal himself still in the form of the old and call out to Durknir on what was taking so long which stopped his attack on the crevasse and turned to the old man with the rest of his pack all looking at him with a ravenous hunger to fill their bellies.
This did not faze him as the god continued to play the fool and asked if any of Durknir's pack were join them, with the black wolf replying with a chuckle that all the would like a share of the meat that he offered, readying to pounce on the old man. It was from that response that Berun went back to his sled and brought forth the chest he carried and placed it in front of him before the wolves. His only words to them were, "Then I suppose you would like a taste of your reward" as he open chest, causing Durknir to charge at the old man wanting the first bite of him, only to look upon him in horror at the frail old man was replaced with the divine appearance of the Berun, the wintery god of death as he grabbed a hold of the large wolf with ease and shoving him into chest that contained no meat but a bottomless black pit the Berun used a carry the soul of the dead within along his travels. The other wolves seeing their leader taken by the god attempted to flee only to be sucked in by a powerful wind that drew them in with it closing as soon as all of them were caught. Yet he would not leave with just them alone; though he was the god of death, he took pity on the pups as he saw them leave their hiding place once they knew their fathers had left, knowing they would not survive for long. He would raise them all under his care and return for his mercy the pups would grow and become his most loyal companions often guarding his domain and pulling his sled whenever he traveled.
For his crimes, Durknir would be cast into the cold, barren underworld of Frusenhel, where he and his pack would forever roam the frozen land of the dead knowing no warmth, and his bloodstained fangs would be shattered from his mouth. Never to know the taste of meat again and forever hungry as he grew frail and decrepit with his pack would take bites out of him to feed themselves with nothing else to eat. This would not stop him from trying as his hunger only grew as his mouth constantly watered with saliva that would freeze from the cold air, becoming his new teeth, only for them to break whenever he took a bite out of anything instantly. There they would remain for eternity often being plagued by those that they killed as madness fully took control of them, with only the desire to feed a hunger that would never be satisfied. A reminder to all of what should happen if they allow their desires to overcome their values above all else.

Spread

Many tribes across Norria tell the tale of the black wolf as a reminder to always stay true to oneself and never abandon the values of kin and duty or become nothing more than a beast.

Related Ethnicities

• Norrian

Dishonorable Desire

by Jester%

I may be a killer, put I kill with purpose and never out of pleasure, only damnation awaits all that choose to follow that path. - Norrian Warrior

It is not uncommon for settlements across Norria to tell the tales of Durknir the Toothless and his heinous crimes as a reminder of what happens to despicable beings that cast aside everything for their own personal desires rather than protecting kin and maintaining one's honor. It is because of this that all Norrian know to never forsake one kin nor break their oath and agreements as it is often seen as deplorable. All that do so are to never to be trusted or welcomed into ones home to avoid bring shame upon themselves or murdered in the night by one that holds no values of their own. It is often common for such individuals be referred to as "Wolf Skinned" as a reference to the black wolf Durknir himself being nor better than a savage beast that only does as he wishes whenever he wants without consequence.