Currently i am in the midst of doing a basic map of the land, but for now i have decided to talk about in detail one of the important cultural areas that the main characters follow in this world. Some points here (like the Black Forest and Drunes) are not explained here but will be in another post.
Land of the Wolf-Men is a large area that covers the north-east side of the land and is one of the last areas of land that touches the Black Forest (the large forest the Gods hide in). The main town/city in this land is called Lleuadau Udo (Howling Moons). There are a couple other large towns and a number of villages and other settlements in the area. There is a long line spawning the breadth of the land of watch towers, manned 24/7 to watch for hostile creatures and any activity in the Black Forest.
In the Land of the Wolf-Men, the people living there are known as Wolfmen [Wolf-mun] and have their own set of rituals, tradition, ideals and belief that's separate from the rest of the world.
Thousands of years ago, when man had started to form, a man was out hunting when he was attacked by a Thunderbird. With only a spear in hand he could not be victorious in battle. He was flung against the rock side by a flap of the Thunderbirds wings. He was sure he would soon be taken away by this giant creature within its claws. But then, as swift as its howl was, a wolf leaped down from the rock side and proceeded to speak to the huntsman. The wolf said that there, beside the huntsman was a large and long piece of the rock face. He should quickly pick it up and wrap the bottom in cloth for him to hold. The huntsman did this with haste; he had now created the first sword in existence. The wolf spoke again, saying that he would fight by the huntsman's side and together they could survive this. The Thunderbird moved in with his giant beak for the wolf, the huntsman leaped forward . The wolf too jumped up to push the huntsman upward and with one giant and powerful blow, stabbed the Thunderbird in eye. The Thunderbird shrieked out in pain, staggering backward moving away from the huntsman and the wolf. With one last cry of pain, it flew away defeated. The huntsman thanked the wolf and was astonished it could talk. The huntsman asked the name of the wolf who said it had none. The Huntsman proceeded to call him Cadmon meaning Wise Warrior. The huntsman asked the wolf to give him a name. The newly names Cadmon called the huntsman Anmire meaning Great Lord. Together they formed a bond of friendship and of warrior blood. They started the current culture and tradition followed in the Land of the Wolf-Men.
Wolfmen warriors or hunters have their partner wolf that is given to them at the age of 13, the age a child hits puberty. The wolf is a pup and the child must care for this wolf by themselves. The pup is chosen for the child by the local Druids, a spiritualist. They look into when the pup and child were born, their signs, their psychic lines and a prediction made about the child and pups future. This is then followed by a blood ritual. It is crucial that they spend countless hours training together to build the close bond. If there is any sign of neglect towards the wolf, then the wolf is taken away from its human partner which brings shame to that persons family. They spend every waking moment together; a wolf and wolfmens bond is unbreakable.
A Wolfmens choice of weapon is a sword. There are archers, but they always have a sword on hand. Some hunters have even been known to dual-wield swords, but these are slightly smaller and lighter than a regular sword used. Even those who are not trained warriors (farmers, teachers, druids) are taught how to fight and always carry a dagger on hand so that they are able to protect themselves. Only warriors and hunters have a wolf partner.
Wolfmen are not only warriors and fighters, but also artists. To further unify the personal bond between human and wolf, they each wear at all times, a wooden emblem It is normally worn as a necklace/collar but can be attached to clothing. On the wooden emblem, there are symbols carved by hand by the human that relate to the individual wolf and human and their bond. Symbols found are their star signs, the month they were joined, their type of personality, the house they belong to etc. This is carved out when the two are officially warriors of the Wolfmen. This is granted when the two survive from a dangerous encounter, a victorious attack from a creature or human or from a giant act of bravery. E.g. if a a young pair are out scouting in a wood and are met by a bear that attacks. The Drune and Lord of the Land makes the decision to grant the title.
Both Amelia and Caleb are Wolfmen. Caleb lives in Lleuadau Udo and has done all his life. In comparison to Amelia, he sticks very close to tradition. Amelia lived south of the Land of the Wolf-Men. Her father was a Wolfmen and her mother was a Drune (explination in another post). This explains why she has a wolf partner and why she duel weilds axes, not swords.
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