The Wolf's Court

Deep in the forest, a forgotten spirit grants revenge to those who have been failed by mundane instruments of justice. Transforming her petitioners into wolves, she sends them back against those who have wronged them.

This location is written as being placed in the eastern reaches of the Provençal Tribunal, but can be sited in any part of Mythic Europe that was once part of the Roman Empire with virtually no changes needed. It requires minor adjustment to the background material to change the setting to any other location within Mythic Europe, but no substantial changes to the setting itself are needed.

The Wolf's Court is truly ancient, predating the advent of mankind in the region. The She-Wolf exists as pure revenge, a universal form that is independent of human existence. However, injustice and retribution are ultimately human institutions, and the She-Wolf gains fulfillment of her need to punish wrong-doers through the agency of mankind.

COURT OR COURTS?

It is quite possible that there is more than one Wolf's Court. The She-Wolf is an Aspect of a Daimon (Realms of Power: Magic, page 102); this Daimon resides in the Magic Realm and embodies the philosophical concept of revenge. Daimons can create multiple Aspects, which are the part of the spirit that interacts with the mundane world, each is capable of independent action. The spirit's need to dispense vengeance might cause it to create several Wolf's Courts throughout Mythic Europe.

The She-Wolf is an ancient spirit from the Magic Realm who embodies retribution. She has never sought out the attentions of humans, but they find her nevertheless, and she has been worshiped as a goddess, albeit a minor one. She finds her petitioners useful tools for furthering revenge but has no actual need for them: vengeance is a universal concept, and exists whether or not humans ask for it. She has gone by a number of names individual to those cultures that have adopted her, but it is under the name of Luperca that she achieved the most with her human tools.

The cult of Luperca is native to Rome, but not to the Roman people. Before Rome was built, another city called Pallantium was on the same site. This city was founded by Evander, the son of the god Mercury and the Cumaean Sybil Carmentis. He had come here from Greece, and he brought with him the Greek pantheon, the rule of law, the alphabet, secrets of architecture and magic, and the cult of the wolf. Evander had been initiated into the wolf-cult on Mount Lykaion in Arcadia

(see Locations for the Wolf's Court, nearby), and he founded a secret society devoted to wolves and based around the lykaia rite which turned men into wolves. After Rome's birth, the survival of the wolf-cult was assured by the perpetuation of the legend that its eponymous founder Romulus was suckled by a shewolf along with his brother Remus. Romulus and Remus later argued over the precise site of their new city, and Romulus slew his twin in revenge for the insult he offered. This fratricide may have been to appease Luperca, or it may have instead sparked her interest in the wolf-cult; either way the cult found a niche within Roman society.

The rites of the cult were managed by a college of priests called the luperci, or the brothers of the wolf. Originally the luperci were drawn from the equestrian class — Marcus Antonius was a former chief priest of the luperci — but by the fifth century the cult was entirely plebeian. Each year the cult staged the two-day festival of Lupercalia, commencing on the Ides of February, to honor the shewolf who had nursed the sacred twins. The luperci would run naked through Rome, whipping those they came across with wolf-skin thongs; people would deliberately get in their way to assure luck or pregnancy. The festival was eventually abolished in the fifth century by Pope Gelasius I, but this only removed the public face of the cult. Unknown to all but its innermost initiates, the cult of the wolf was more than just a fertility cult. Through their interaction with Luperca, the cult guarded the Roman people against evil spirits attracted to envy, spite, and injustice. The cult taught that if an evil-doer escapes justice, the community in which he dwells is ritually polluted by his crime and the failure of the people to purge it. This moral pollution results in infertility and ill luck. The luperci purified a community by adopting the form of a wolf and taking bloody vengeance on evil-doers. This lifted the curse of barrenness, and empowered the luperci to grant fertility to the community during the Lupercalia.

What You've Heard

Rumors indicated in this section are true unless indicated otherwise; or unless the storyguide wishes to incorporate them into the story. All rolls are made using the Area Lore: Narbonnais Ability.

What is Known by All

• There has always been a problem with wolves in the Auvergne, and particularly in the County of Gévaudan.
• The woods are very thick, and it is easy to get lost. The locals avoid the denser parts altogether; of those who have entered, not all have returned. No nobleman hunts the woods.
• Wolves with short tails are werewolves. (False)

Widely Known

• Wolves normally prefer livestock to humans, but Gévaudannais wolves seem remarkably bold, and have entered villages and even houses to kill people.
• Some of the men and women killed by wolves were involved in disputes with their neighbors.
• There is a witch who lives deep in the mountains who can cast a spell that marks someone out for wolf attacks. (False)
• A local family trains wolves to hunt their neighbors. This family can speak the language of the wolves, a gift from their Satanic master. (False)

Uncommon Knowledge

• The wolves in the forest have man's ability to reason. (mostly False)
• If a man fails to get justice from human authorities such as his manor court or the curial court, he can appeal to the Wolf's Court. A man approaching the Wolf's Court needs a stout heart and a clear head; their justice is swift and brutal, but may fall on the petitioner's head if his crimes are greater than those for which he requests judgment.

Lost Secrets

• There was once a temple nearby devoted to a spirit of vengeance. -> A secret cult exists nearby that captures and executes those who escape justice; this cult serves the Wolf's Court.

As the boundaries of Rome's territories expanded across Mythic Europe, the conquerors encountered native cultures and religions. As part of the process of bringing all tributary people under the yoke of Rome, the gods worshiped by them were subjected to the interpretatio romana, or 'Roman interpretation'. The priests of the Roman state examined the attributes of each barbarian deity, determined which Roman god or goddess they matched most closely, and co-opted the native name and rites into their own cultus as a means of controlling the natives.

When Roman pioneers came into the Auvergne in southern France, they discovered a shrine deep within the woods dedicated to a wolf goddess. The interpretatio romana identified the local deity with Luperca, mostly because they were both depicted as a she-wolf. The irony was that this native 'Luperca' was approached principally to gain vengeance upon the invading Romans, and she was adopted as the patron of the guerrilla fighters who opposed the invaders. Rome prevailed, and the shrine was abandoned and forgotten by most.

Luperca was not wholly abandoned, however. Those in whom vengeance burned like an ember would hear stories that the wolves could provide the satisfaction of raw, savage retribution. A few would be guided deep into the forest, hounded by wolves toward the ancient temple. There they would meet Luperca, and strike a deal with her. Vengeance would be satisfied.

Most of Mythic Europe was occupied or influenced by the Roman Empire, but the storyguide may wish to go outside Roman mythology to flesh out the origins of the Wolf's Court. This section gives a few alternate options. Note that these may not be true variants; the She-Wolf is merely an Aspect of the Daimon of Vengeance, and she may have a manifestation several different regions simultaneously.

• The myths of a she-wolf who turns men into wolves is as old as civilization itself. The goddess Ishtar worshiped in ancient Babylon was the patron of both love and war, and she was known to punish unfaithful lovers and straying husbands by transforming either the petitioner or the perpetrator into wolves.
• In Thrace, Artemis Lykeie ("Wolfish Artemis") prowled the wilderness, and was known for tearing the sacrilegious limb from limb. Although Artemis is a faerie, the spirit may have been worshiped under her name. Elsewhere in Greece, the fearful Erinyes or Furies were three sisters born of the primal powers that created the universe, and were the instruments of retribution for the most heinous of crimes such as violence done to family members, oath-breaking, and treachery. Even the gods had to bow to their authority. The Furies were wolf-headed women with snakes for hair, coal-black bodies and bats' wings.
• The Irish annals speak of the three unnamed wolf-daughters of Airitech, who dwelt in the Cave of Cruachan on the northern side of Bricriu's Glen. They emerged from the cave once a year to slate their hunger on sheep, but they were equally partial to the flesh of criminals and traitors. The faerie hero Cas Corach was said to have killed the daughters of Airitech, but it is possible that they were merely transformed instruments of vengeance, and that Airitech herself is the spirit of retribution who still waits in the Cave of Cruachan.
• In the frozen lands of the North it is said that a frightful giantess lives in the mythical Ironwood to the east; there she is breeding an army of wolves and witches. This nourisher of wolves has many names, but her most famous is Gullveig, the Jotun of Witchcraft and patron of the Muspelli (see Rival Magic, Chapter Four).

Variants: Other Locations for the Wolf's Court

The Wolf's Court can be placed in any heavily wooded area, preferably around mountains. The population density should be quite low: scattered hamlets occupying cleared areas within the greater forest is ideal. The region should be known for wolves, which in Mythic Europe could be just about everywhere. Despite the legend that King Edgar rid England of wolves in the 950s, he must have missed a few, for wolves are still very much a problem throughout Britain and Ireland in the thirteenth century. Only the lands immediately bordering the Mediterranean Sea are either devoid of wolves or have them in low numbers. In Iberia, the central plains of Leon, Castille, and Grenada are free from wolves, as is the southern portion of Italy. There are very few wolves on the islands of the Aegean sea, but mainland Greece has them aplenty.

There are a number of places in Mythic Europe that are specifically associated with wolves, which might make good sites for locating the Wolf's Court. The storyguide could easily draw inspiration from these places if none of them lie near the characters' covenant.

The region around Ansbach in the Holy Roman Empire (Rhine Tribunal) is another site strongly associated with wolves and wolf attacks. In the past, unpopular mayors of the city have been parodied by dressing up the corpse of a wolf in a wig and gown; this serves as an indicator that they have lost the support of the town, and they should leave before violence is done to them. This might be a hold-over of a previous rite or event that has been lost to time.

The city of Gubbio in Umbria (Roman Tribunal) has been terrorized by a man-eating wolf, even holding the city under siege by waiting at its gates. However, Saint Francis of Assisi has recently tamed the wolf, making it promise not to attack humans or animals again. That is not to say that the Wolf of Gubbio does not have family still within the Umbrian mountains.

A secret rite called the lykaia used to take place in ancient times upon Mount Lykaion in Arcadia (Theban Tribunal). Plato records that the youths of a certain clan would gather on the mountain slopes every nine years, and partake of a ritual meal sacred to Pan Lykaios; one portion of which would include human flesh. The individual who ate it would transform into a wolf, and could only become human again if he avoided tasting human flesh again until nine years had passed.

In Bulgaria (Transylvanian Tribunal), the vultchi praznitsi (Wolves' Holiday) are seven days in November (from the 14th to the 21st) where sinners are frightened to leave their houses lest the wolves catch up with them and make them pay for their crimes. The worst day of all is the last, called Koutzoulan, which commemorates the day that a lame wolf first tasted human flesh. On this day, no work involving sharp or pointed implements should be done, for the wolf spirit can take control of them and exact its revenge. The Wolf's Court might have to be approached during the vultchi praznitsi.

The Wolf's Court is located deep in the Majarida Mountains in south-central France. The name is Occitan, like the people who live here (in French these are the Monts de la Margeride), although they are under the nominal suzerainty of the French crown through the Bishop of Mende, who is also Count of Gévaudan (or Gavaudan in Occitan). The Majaridas, covered in dense woodland and deep valleys, are rich hunting grounds for wolves. The mountains themselves are virtually uninhabited; just a few trappers and poachers have (mostly temporary) residence here. The surrounding hills are sparsely populated since the soil makes for poor agricultural land.

The forest in which the Wolf's Court lies is most likely a broad leaf forest with a dense understorey. There may be paths that connect the hamlets to one another, but these are infrequently traversed, and usually by travelers in groups for protection. Game trails lead deeper into the forest, but these soon peter out.

The Wolf's Court itself is situated in the most inaccessible part of the Majarida Mountains. To reach it, one must traverse untamed wilderness, cross treacherous rivers in deep deep gullies, and climb steep hills. It is not the sort of place that one can easily come across by accident, even for magi who sometimes search the strangest places for vis.

Encounters in the Forest

Getting to the Wolf's Court is difficult for characters, and the storyguide can play this up as much as she desires. If they are intended to visit this place more than once, then it is perhaps best to save some encounters for future visits.

Forest inhabitants: Very few people would choose to live away from the safety of a hamlet, but there are three groups of outcasts that one might expect to meet in this forest. The first are charcoal burners: a strange, clannish profession whose members almost seem a race apart. Charcoal burners are at the very bottom rung of society's ladder; they often speak a rough dialect of the local language, and are the subject of many strange tales. The second group of inhabitants are outlaws; unable to claim protection from a community thanks to a crime in their past, or current criminal behavior. The forest might also be home to a witch or hedge wizard; it is up to the storyguide as to whether she is a simple herbalist, a folk witch, or something far more sinister. Note that it is widely known (see Insert: What You've Heard) that a witch lives in the forest; she may or may not have the abilities that rumor claims she has, and she may or may not know about the Wolf's Court. Despite living off the forest, all three of these groups stick to the fringes of the true wilderness.

Difficult terrain: Most of the forest is virgin woodland, never or barely visited by humans. It is exceptionally easy to get lost, since external references for navigation such as landscape features are hidden by the trees and terrain. The mountainous countryside is rife with narrow gorges, ravines, and sinkholes that could trap the unwary; escaping from such pitfalls is doubly dangerous in the rain. The mountains are the source of many small springs and streams that feed larger lowland rivers; these wear caverns into the rock. While these could provide protection from inclement weather, they are not safe, but prone to sudden collapse. Hostile at any time of year, in winter the danger is multiplied, with thick snow making accidents more likely, combined with the risk of exposure.

Wild animals: The most obvious danger to characters spending any time in the forest are the wolves. At least one pack (and maybe several) live here, and they have little fear of humans. See later for details of wolves and their hunting strategies. Wild boar are nearly as dangerous, particularly if they are startled or with youngsters. Adult red deer, the principle prey of the wolves, can also be dangerous at certain times of the year. During the rut in the fall a group of characters could find itself caught between competing stags. Wolves do not usually tolerate bears within their territory, but outside of Britain and Ireland (where bears are extinct), one might stray into the region in search of food or a cave in which to hibernate.

Supernatural creatures: The Wolf's Court may not be the only supernatural location in the forest, although it might be best if it is the first that the characters encounter. Depending upon its size, the forest could be home to any number of faeries, magical denizens, or demons. Both faeries and demons tend to stick close to humanity's side, feeding off the vitality or sin that they produce. Magical creatures are less constrained, and they probably utilize scattered pockets of Magic auras or caches of vis to avoid Acclimation.

The Wolf's Court itself is situated in a Magic aura of 5. This is concentrated around the ruins of a shrine, which are mostly buried beneath centuries of moss and ivy. The shrine was originally built in a clearing, but the trees have since encroached on the sacred space, and their stately columnar trunks add an air of majesty to the location. The light filtering into the glade is dappled by the overhead canopy.

Within minutes of entering the Wolf's Court, the characters get the impression that they are not alone. The She-Wolf that dwells here prefers to form a corporeal body out of sight of mortal eyes, allowing people to mistake her for a magical creature rather than a spirit entity. She then strolls into the clearing and jumps up onto one of the ruined walls, forcing the characters to look up at her. A meeting with the She-Wolf often does not involve words: she gauges the worth of her petitioner with her powers, and takes action without discussion or negotiation. However, she can speak using her Voice of the Wolf power whether in material or immaterial form.

The She-Wolf is the only permanent inhabitant of the Wolf's Court. She is an Aspect of the tutelary spirit of retribution and vengeance, and as such she is utterly opposed to injustice. She places little emphasis on the magnitude of the crime committed: to her, there is little difference between a thief who absconds with a loaf of bread and a man who has murdered his own children. If either goes unpunished, then the cosmic scales of justice are out of kilter, and she uses mortals — often those wronged — to redress the balance.

The She-Wolf only occasionally has visitors seeking vengeance. At other times she runs with the wolves of the forest and trains them to serve her. The strongest male from the largest pack is her devoted companion, and usually dens with her at the Wolf's Court, with the rest of their pack nearby. Her Master of Animal Creatures Virtue (Realms of Power: Magic, page 46) allows her to train unintelligent creatures whose Might is aligned to the Animal Form, and she uses this to exert control over the magical wolves in her forest.

Note that because the She-Wolf is a spirit who creates a material body with a power, if she is close to death she can dismiss the body and use the power again in the following round to create a fresh uninjured body should she so desire. Additionally, the She-Wolf is an Aspect of a Daimon (Realms of Power: Magic, page 102) that resides fully within the Magic Realm. If the Aspect is destroyed, the spirit can send another to the Wolf's Court after a day has passed. The Aspect of the She-Wolf is vulnerable to Acclimation (Realms of Power: Magic, page 52), but all effects vanish if the Daimon forms a new Aspect for any reason. By using her powers on mortals in pursuit of retribution, the Aspect avoids Acclimation most years, but granting Virtues or Flaws to mortals erodes her Might score in any case.

When planning encounters with the She-Wolf, remember that she provides the tools for vengeance, but is not a direct antagonist of the player characters. If they are the target of her powers it is because she has been asked to provide justice not obtainable otherwise. She levels the playing field, allowing peasants to get revenge against knights, bishops, or even magi. Characters who try to destroy her may well succeed, and if she is justly slain, the Daimon holds no resentment against the characters and its next Aspect does not wish them harm. Anyone giving the Daimon itself cause for vengeance (such as repeatedly slaying the Aspect as a source of vis) should be warned of the foolishness inherent in antagonizing the Universal Form of Retribution. The She-Wolf is just one incarnation of an even more powerful being, and its other Aspects are unlikely to be so passive.

The She-Wolf

Magic Might: 40 (Animal)

Season: Autumn

Characteristics: Int 0, Per +2, Pre +2, Com +1, Str +1, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +2

Size: +1

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Spirit; Daimon, Magical Champion; Animal Ken, Inoffensive to Animals, Master of Animal Creatures, Piercing Gaze; Hatred (unpunished villains); Animal Companion, Obsessed (vengeance)

Magical Qualities and Inferiorities: Greater Powers, Ritual Powers x8, Improved Abilities x3, Improved Attack (trip), Improved Characteristics x2, Improved Powers x2, Lesser Powers x3, Minor Virtue (Puissant Hunt), Personal Powers

Personality Traits: Vengeful +6*, Wolf +4*, Scrupulously Fair +3, Greedy +1

* this is an Essential Trait, and cannot be altered with magic (Realms of Power: Magic, page 54)

Reputations: Goddess of Retribution 1 (Local)

Combat:

Teeth: Init +2, Attack +8, Defense +7, Damage +4

Trip: Init +2, Attack +12, Defense +7, Damage n/a*

* see Hunted by Wolves

Soak: +3 (thick fur)

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-6), -3 (7-12), -5 (13-18), Incapacitated (19-24), Dead (25+)

Abilities: Animal Handling 4 (wolves), Animal Ken 4 (wolves), Awareness 6 (within regio), Bargain 3 (petitioners), Brawl 4 (trip), Civil & Canon Law 4 (ancient laws), Dead Language* 4 (local dialect), Hunt 6+2 (oath breakers), Intrigue 6 (vendettas), Leadership 4 (wolves), Living Language* 4 (local dialect), Magic Lore 4 (magical animals), Penetration 5 (Scales of the Heart power), Philosophiae 4 (moral philosophy)

* vary by region, the Dead Language could be Latin or an extinct tongue spoken by former inhabitants.

Powers

Confession of the Penitent, 3 point, Init Qik –6, Mentem: Imbues the target with the desire to confess. This power may cause someone to admit to a crime different to the one requiring vengeance; it is usually the most burning crime that is blurted out. If the target is not given the opportunity to confess immediately after this power is used, the desire passes. ReMe 20 (Base 10, +2 Voice) Lesser Power (20 levels, –1 Might cost)

Doning the Corporeal Veil, 0 points, Qik -1, Animal: Produces and animates a physical body in the shape of a she-wolf for the spirit. This body may be maintained indefinitely, but is subject to aging, fatigue, deprivation, and damage. The spirit can recreate the body anew at any time. Cr(Re)An 25 (Base 5, +1 Touch, +2 Sun, +1 requisite): Greater Power (25 levels, –3 Might cost, +2 Init)

Endow the Servant of Retribution, 10 points, Init Qik –20, Vim: Imposes the Spiritual Pact Major Virtue (Realms of Power: Magic, pages 88–89) upon a target. The effects of this Virtue are reprinted in a nearby insert. No Hermetic equivalent. Ritual Power x 2 (50 levels)

Gift of Silver Fur and Red Teeth, 5 points, Init Qik –10, Vim: Imposes the Skinchanger Minor Virtue (ArM5, page 48) upon a target. The character must discard his clothing and turn his skin inside out to effect the change, since the wolf fur grows inwards rather than outwards. To revert to human form he must take possession of his human clothing once again; if it has been hidden or destroyed he is trapped in wolf form until he can retrieve them, or until he has spent nine years in wolf form, whichever comes first. No Hermetic equivalent. Ritual Power (25 levels)

Inescapable Sense of the Quarry, 0 points, Init Qik –8 Corpus or Animal: The She-Wolf can sense an individual person or animal to which she has an Arcane Connection. Each use of this power gives her a feeling of the direction and approximate distance to her target. InCo(An) 20 (Base 3, +4 Arc, +1 requisite) Lesser Power (20 levels, –4 Might cost, including three points from Improved Powers)

Scales of the Heart, 1 point, Init Qik –6, Mentem: The She-Wolf can determine whether a petitioner believes he has a just or unjust desire for vengeance. An unjust desire for revenge might include someone who has received justice in a mundane court, but still wants revenge on his victim. InMe 15 (Base 10, +1 Eye) Lesser Power (15 levels, –2 Might cost)

The False Gift of Revenge, 5 points, Init Qik-10, Vim: Imposes the Delusion Minor Flaw (ArM5, page 53) upon a target. The target believes wholeheartedly that he can transform into a ravening wolf, and acts in a manner that fits his perceptions of how a wolf acts. He strips naked, crawls around on hands and feet, and attacks anyone in sight with his teeth and nails. No Hermetic\nequivalent: Ritual Power (25 levels)

The Shape of Vengeance, 6 points, Init Qik –20, Vim: Imposes the Lycanthropy Major Flaw (ArM5, page 55) upon a target. The character changes shape immediately, and remains that way until the sun sets; from then on the transformation takes place as normal on the nights of the full moon. No Hermetic equivalent: Ritual Power x 2 (50 levels, –4 Might cost from Improved Powers)

Virus Lunae, 7 points, Init Qik -20, Vim: Imposes the Greater Malediction Major Flaw upon a target. The target can now temporarily transmit the effects of the Lycanthropy Flaw (ArM5, page 55) to anyone he causes even the slightest of scratches using his natural weapons (nails, claws, teeth, etc.). He need not be a lycanthrope himself. Against an opponent in partial or no armor, assume that a successful strike causes a scratch even if it does not cause a wound. Against an opponent in full armor, the target must inflict a wound to transmit the curse. The curse must Penetrate any Magic Resistance using the She-Wolf's Penetration Total for this power. If transmitted, the target undergoes a transformation at the next Full moon, as described under the Lycanthropy Flaw. If the curse is transmitted during the night of the full moon, then the target's transformation occurs immediately. and the werewolf probably attacks the character who gave him the curse. Once the full moon passes, the effects of the transmitted curse disappear, although the original target of this power still infects others until he loses the Greater Malediction Flaw. No Hermetic equivalent: Ritual Power x 2 (50 levels, -3 Might cost from Improved Powers)

Voice of the Wolf, 0 points, constant effect, Imaginem: The She-Wolf can produce an audible illusion of her voice at any point within 15 paces of her actual position. This permits her to speak to material beings in animal form or in her immaterial form. Crlm 15 (Base 1, +2 Voice, +2 Sun, +1 intelligible speech, +1 constant effect) Personal Power (15 levels, -2 Might cost)

Vis: Eight pawns of Animal vis in the heart. If the She-Wolf is slain in any form, her remains only contain vis if the Daimon desires it (Realms of Power: Magic, page 101).

Appearance: When physically manifest, an oversized wolf; about six feet long and standing four feet at the shoulders. She has a grizzled coat with dark markings around the eyes and light patches around her mouth and chest. She has remarkable, human-like blue eyes. In spiritual form she has a similar appearance, but is only perceptible to those with Second Sight.

How the She-Wolf Grants Revenge

Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

- Genesis 49.27

The She-Wolf is driven by her Essential Nature to secure revenge for those who ask it of her. Those who come to the Wolf's Court are confronted by the She-Wolf, and she uses her Scales of the Heart power to determine whether their desire for vengeance is justified. She needs eye contact to use this power, so she must confront them in physical form to do this. Note that this power does not determine guilt or innocence, only whether the character approaching the court genuinely believes he has has a right to vengeance. For the powers that grant Virtues and Flaws, the She-Wolf can decide whether to bestow the effects permanently or temporarily. If permanent, the power is a ritual-like power and costs points from the creature's Might score as well as Might pool. If temporary, the power lasts until the She-Wolf dismisses it, but the Might points spent on this power are not recovered while it is ongoing.

The She-Wolf has a number of ways in which she can provide a character with the means of his revenge. Most of these involve using her Ritual Powers to grant Virtues or Flaws to the character.

If she determines that a character has been wronged by another, her normal method is to use The Shape of Vengeance to turn the petitioner into a ferocious wolf. As mentioned in the Flaw description, lycanthropes still recognize enemies, and unfettered by morals tend to hunt down and attempt to kill those who have wronged them. In the first instance she uses this as a temporary effect. She watches her agent in spiritual form, and if justice is done she withdraws the effect. If the petitioner misuses the power, she uses the power again to inflict it permanently. Those who seek a higher justice rather than revenge for a personal slight are granted The Gift of Silver Fur and Red Teeth. For those whose vengeance requires a greater investment from the petitioner — someone wronged by many others — the She-Wolf might use Endow the Servant of Retribution to allow the individual to recruit others to achieve her aims.

For petitioners who attempt to mislead her, she uses her The False Gift of Revenge and Virus Lunae powers. The character believes he becomes a terrifying wolf, and attacks the object of their hatred at the full moon. The true curse of lycanthropy is then passed to the character's victim, who then transforms into a real werewolf and likely kills the false petitioner. If the petitioner manages to escape, he will continue to transmit the curse to others until he is killed by a vengeful community. The She-Wolf might use Confession of the Penitent to cause him to admit his crime to those he has wronged. The She-Wolf never grants the Virus Lunae as a permanent Flaw, for fear of it running rampant. She normally dismisses the power after the full moon.

The Ritual of Passing on the Power

When the She-Wolf accepts a petitioner and decides to grant him or her one of her powers, she enacts a ritual to solemnize the endowment, preferably just before the full moon. Under her instruction he must gather certain herbs and grind them to a paste with his own blood. This must be smeared over his naked body. She then takes his name from him, insisting on a birth name rather than a baptismal name since this has nothing to do with Christianity. She licks him clean of the ointment while he suckles milk from her teat, like the depictions of Romulus and Remus on the stones about her. Finally, she gives him a new name, a name of vengeance. He is told that this name must be kept secret; it is the source of his new power. The names she grants relate to the savage nature of wolves: Bloody Tooth; Killer-by-Moonlight; Throat-Tearer.

This ritual is not strictly necessary, but it provides an appropriate amount of mystery and formality to the seeking of vengeance. It is also a useful way for the She-Wolf to gain both an Arcane Connection (his blood, which she regurgitates later) and sympathetic connections (both his birth name and a new name) to her supplicant.

The nature of the She-Wolf could vary if this location is put into a different Tribunal, as discussed earlier. However, another variant would be to change the She-Wolf from an Aspect of a spirit of retribution into a creature belonging to a different supernatural realm.

Variant: The She-Wolf as a Faerie

Possibly the easiest variant is for the She-Wolf to be a faerie. As written, the She-Wolf has already been worshiped as a goddess; for her to be a faerie requires her to desire that worship and take steps to actively encourage it. A faerie She-Wolf gains vitality from both worship and acts of revenge. Because a faerie is intimately connected to the emotions of humanity, a Faerie She-Wolf would probably actively recruit new worshipers; the region close to the Wolf's Court might be home to a secret pagan cult that worships the SheWolf. This cult is directly involved in the maintenance of social order, and believe it is their right to correct travesties of justice. Wrongdoers who escape justice may be subjected to the vigilante actions of the worshipers of the She-Wolf. The Holy Vehm (Guardians of the Forests, page 76) is an example of this type of society, known for kidnapping its victims, holding midnight trials, and executing summary justice.

Variant: The She-Wolf as a Demon

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7.15

Vengeance is a dark emotion, and the She-Wolf could easily be a demonic force seeking to corrupt mankind through the sins of envy and wrath. Most men denied justice seethe with anger but do not act on their evil thoughts; at worst a venial sin. By offering the tools to obtain much needed revenge — and the ability to get away scot free, the demonic She-Wolf tempts men to act on their murderous thoughts, and damn their soul with mortal sin. Of course, the hue-and-cry arising from a man-eating wolf in the region ensures that the werewolf is dispatched before he can obtain absolution for his spiritual crime.

Variant: The She-Wolf as a Divine Instrument

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord Romans 12:19

As a Divine servant, the she-wolf becomes a tool of justice rather than revenge. She may be the form taken by an angel, or else a Divine creature. A Divine variant of the She-Wolf would not grant a human the power to commit a sin; as the quote from Paul's Letter to the Romans states, God reserves the right to enact retribution on behalf of Christians. In this variant, human petitioners would approach the Wolf's Court and present their case. Once the Divine She-Wolf was satisfied that an injustice had been committed, she would then take vengeance either personally, or through her pack. The perpetrator of the crime is torn apart by wolves, and at the same time his crimes are laid bare to the community so that they know why God's justice had paid a visit. The She-Wolf would need to be careful to limit her activities; it does not usually serve God's plan to scare humans into avoiding sin for fear of worldly punishment. To save one's soul, a person must choose to be good without coercion.

New Virtue: Spiritual Pact

Major, Supernatural

The character has made a pact or agreement with a powerful Magical spirit, and in return for loyal service is granted access to that spirit's power. The pact serves as an Arcane Connection to the character of indefinite duration, which the spirit can use to make itself aware of the current location and state of health of its servant.

The character can channel the power of the spirit by spending a Confidence Point. Make a Presence + Magic Lore + stress die roll: this is the amount of Magic Might Pool that the character acquires from his spiritual master. The Might points acquired are always less than the current Might points of the spirit, regardless of the roll's result. On a botch, the character loses all current Confidence points. This action is equivalent to spellcasting in with regards to the concentration it requires. The character can spend these Might points on any of the spirit's powers. Penetration is calculated in the usual way for magical creatures using the initial Might Pool in place of Magic Might, and including the character's Penetration Ability, if any.

The character using this power does not have a Might score, just a Might pool. She does not gain Magic Resistance from the use of this power, nor does she leave behind vis if she is slain. She cannot be affected by Vim spells (or similar magics) that target the Might score of supernatural creatures. Without a Might score, the pool does not replenish; once the character has spent all of his Might points this power ends. All powers used have their duration lapse when the character uses her last point of Might Pool. If this power is evoked again whilst the character still possesses Might Pool, then the new points gained replace the points left over; the two pools do not add. The points acquired by the character are lost from the spirit's Might pool and cannot be returned by the character, but the spirit regenerates the spent points as normal.

While the connection to the spirit is active, there is some visual manifestation of this, which makes it clear that some supernatural effect is taking place. For example, if contacting a fertility spirit, fruits and grains might spring from around the character's footsteps. In contact with a war-spirit, a character might appear to be clothed in ghostly armor. When the character is actively channeling the spirit, he acts as an Arcane Connection to the spirit of indefinite duration, although this connection lapses when the Might Pool is exhausted.

The storyguide should decide upon the powers of the spirit. With the agreement of the troupe, this Virtue could be used to channel the power from a spirit of a different Supernatural Realm; or from a group of closely related spirits, such as a small pantheon of pagan 'gods', but care should be taken not to grant the character too much flexibility with this single Virtue. A character can only have a single pact.

(first appeared in Realms of Power: Magic, pages 88 – 89)

Werewolves in Mythic Europe

Modern werewolf lore describes afflicted humans transforming into hideous creatures that are half-wolf, half-man on nights of the full moon. Such creatures are not part of the werewolf legend in most of Mythic Europe; rather they stem from a variety of vampire called the vukodlac (see Against the Dark: The Transylvanian Tribunal, page 118), and stories of them do not permeate into the rest of Europe until the eighteenth century.

Werewolf legends abound throughout Mythic Europe, but they feature men and women who can transform into wolves — albeit often exceptionally large and vicious ones. In English, such a man is called a werewolf or werwolf, possibly from wer meaning man, literally "man-wolf." This becomes Währwolf in High German, werawolf or ghierwolf in Low German, and garwulf or garulf in Norman. The French loup-garou derives from garulf, with a redundant prefix loup meaning "wolf" — a loup-garou is a "wolf man-wolf." Other Romance languages have variants on the same: loubérou in Occitan, lobombre in Castillian, lupo mannaro in Italian. In Brittany, a werewolf is called a bisclavret. In Basque they are called brouch, and in Ireland fáelad. In the Transylvanian Tribunal, a man who can become a wolf is called a varcolac; when he dies he will become one of the horrific bestial vampires mentioned above. There is no Latin cognate of "'werewolf." The most common term used is versipellis, meaning "a turning of the skin"; based on the concept that a werewolf has fur on the inside of his skin, and turns it around to change form. The Greek term lukanthropos is also Latinized to lycanthropus.

As described earlier, the luperci were a secret college of Roman priests of Luperca who guarded their communities against ill fortune and barrenness by extirpating unpunished sin. This priesthood still exists as a Mystery Cult, and its members make occasional visits to the Wolf's Court. The court is a sacred place to them, a site where they can perform their Initiations, and the She-Wolf is magical patron for the cult as a whole. The location becomes a literal court on these visits, since the luperci bring individuals here to face the justice of the She-Wolf.

The extent of the Wolf Brothers is up to the storyguide. They may be a continuous tradition reaching back to the days of Pope Gelasius, or instead a modern recreation of an ancient tradition. The storyguide should determine whether they are a purely local tradition, or whether the cult has a presence on a national or even Europe-wide scale.

The Luperci

The Wolf Brothers have a simple mandate: to punish the guilty when the usual methods of justice fail. It is incumbent on the luperci to uncover proof of wrongdoing before they exact the wolf's judgment. The traditional means of dispatch is for the guilty party to be killed by a wolf, either a natural animal or one of the brotherhood in wolf form. It is sometimes necessary to restrain the guilty individual first. For more information about Mystery Cults and Initiation, see The Mysteries Revised Edition, Chapter Two.

The Mystery society is divided into three grades. The most junior grade is called the lupellis, which requires an Organization Lore: Luperci of at least 1. At this grade, the postulant joins the cult through a rite invoking Luperca: he gains the Skinchanger Virtue while acquiring the Dark Secret Flaw. (Initiation Script +9 for the Major Flaw; Ease Factor 15). He is now a member of a secret cult that murders those who escape justice, which is basically a death sentence should anyone discover it. The second grade is called the lupercus, and requires an Organization Lore: Luperci of 3 or more. This grade can be Initiated just after the postulant has made a vengeance killing, and the blood is still wet on his face. The character can acquire either the Scales of the Heart or the Confession of the Penitent Power possessed by the She-Wolf as the Lesser Power Virtue (Realms of Power: Magic, page 45). The power costs one Fatigue level to use, but requires no words or gestures. It has a Penetration Total of 0 + Penetration Bonus. Some spiritual stain lingers on the person from the murders he has committed, which manifests as the Judged Unfairly Flaw (Initiation Script +9 for the Minor Flaw, Quest, and special place/ time; Ease Factor 15).

The luperci are divided into two colleges called the Fabiani and the Quinctiliani, after two genera (families) of ancient Rome, the Fabia and the Quinctilia, that ran the Luperci. Each college has its own magister luperci, which is the third and final grade of the cult. There are only ever two magistri at any time, and a character must have an Organization Lore: Luperci of 5 before being considered for this rank. A prospective magister undergoes the lykaia rite at the next Lupercalia: he consumes a meal tainted with human flesh, and must remain in wolf form for at least nine seasons (symbolic of the nine years in the original rite), dwelling with the She-Wolf's pack. If during this time he withholds from eating human flesh again, he can resume human form and become magister. The magister acquires the Spiritual Pact Virtue (see earlier), but uses his Organization Lore: Luperci Ability in place of Magic Lore when invoking the power. This Virtue can be used to invoke the She-Wolf, or other Aspects of the same Daimon of Revenge. This rite attract the attention of the Daimon, who sends a creature of judgment to watch over the new magister's actions and punish him when he acts inappropriately, amounting to the Plagued by Supernatural Entity Flaw (Initiation Script + 18 for the Quest, sacrifice of time, Major Flaw, and special place/time; Ease Factor 21). The magister is the mystagogue for all Initiations within his college. If the cult is an extensive one, then all members in a given region are members of the same college.

The Luperci as a Hermetic Mystery Cult

The Luperci could be replaced by a Hermetic Mystery cult. Nothing prohibits magi from joining a non-Hermetic cult, but they gain no special rank because of their Gift. As a Hermetic cult, however, only magi are eligible to join the Luperci. The crimes that they avenge are those committed by magi who are subsequently found innocent by a Tribunal of a Hermetic crime through politics, subterfuge, or through a legal loophole. The Dark Secret Flaw gained during Initiation represents the fact that the character knowingly flouts the Hermetic Oath every time he participates in inflicting the wolf's judgment. This punishment usually takes place in a cave that has been prepared with an Aegis of the Hearth, limiting the condemned magus's ability to fight back. The power to dispel curses is usually weaker than Hermetic Perdo Vim magic, but can affect a Boundary without needing to cast a ritual spell.

Unlike unGifted characters, Gifted individuals do not have to take an Ordeal at every Initiation, and they can benefit from previous Ordeals (Hedge Magic Revised Edition, page 14). A Hermetic Mystery cult may have different Initiation scripts to those detailed here to account for these differences. The same is true for a non-Hermetic cult that recognizes Gifted characters as different from the unGifted, perhaps in having their own tradition of hedge wizards.

THE LUPERCALIA

Each year all the luperci of a region participate in the festival of Lupercalia on the 13th–15th February. During this rite, they can attempt to dispel any curse laid on the community or its members. The power for this comes from the Daimon of Revenge behind the She-Wolf and the Luperci cult as a whole. To evoke this power requires a Communication + Organization Lore: Luperci + stress die against an Ease Factor equal to the level of the spell that generated the curse (or 5 x the Supernatural Ability used to lay it). This roll is made once per curse by the most senior member of the cult present, and it receives a bonus of +3 for every individual who has been brought to justice in the last year.

The mountains have one or more packs of wolves, depending on the amount of woodland available. Each pack requires anywhere from 25 to over 100 square miles depending on the richness of prey and the size of the pack. The nucleus of any pack of wolves is a breeding pair, and it may contain five to twenty other individuals. The biggest packs are found in northern regions where the main prey is moose; those those that subsist on deer average around ten to twelve. Wolves do not tolerate other packs in their territory, but there is usually a zone of overlap between territories about half a mile wide which is common ground for both packs; these often contain deer yards where prey congregate in winter.

The breeding pair are usually the leaders of the pack's two hierarchies, one for the males and one for the females. The leading male rules the pack, but is not entirely autocratic, much as a king listens to his council of advisers.

Amongst the Majarida packs are one or more Wolves of Virtue, animals aligned to the Magic Realm that express the essence of what it is to be a wolf. A Wolf of Virtue is often (but not always) the leader of its pack. These magical wolves have been trained by the She-Wolf (using her Master of Animal Creatures Virtue), placing her at the top of the hierarchy of all wolf packs in the region.

It is likely that characters investigating the Wolf's Court will at some point be hunted by a pack of wolves. Wolves are very adaptable predators, able to modify their hunting strategy to account for different varieties of prey. Humans are not usual prey for wolves, but those of the Majarida are unusually bold, and may also be guided by the She-Wolf. A hunting pack normally consists of three to twelve individuals. A wolf hunt has five main phases: the stalk, the encounter, the rush, the chase, and the kill.

The Stalk

Unless a wolf pack has a chance encounter with a prey animal, all hunts begin with the stalk. The wolves generally walk in single file, with the lead animal tracking and the others confirming the lead's findings. They rely on direct scenting and tracking. A Perception + Awareness roll is needed to find tracks, and a Perception + Hunt roll is needed to follow them. The Ease Factor is usually 9, but this can be modified by factors making it easier (e.g. snow) or harder (e.g. dry conditions) to find and follow a trail. Groups are easier to follow (subtract 3 or more from the Ease Factor), but intelligent prey can deliberately obfuscate its trail if traveling alone (add its Stealth Ability to the Ease Factor).

As the pack closes the gap to their prey, the wolves become excited but are kept restrained by the pack leader. This restrained approach is important; the wolves need to get as close to the prey as possible. The distance at which the prey is first sensed directly is variable: in open grassland the prey can be sighted over 500 paces away; whereas in dense woodland the prey could be first heard or smelled as close as 15 paces. The wolf pack should make a Dexterity + Stealth roll; the Ease Factor is the Perception + Awareness roll of the prey. Pack animals that habitually stalk prey need to make just one roll for the whole pack; other creatures unused to pack hunting need to make individual rolls. Each success made by the pursuers allows them to creep (10+Qik) paces closer to their prey. A failure makes the prey alert, preventing the stalkers from approaching without being seen; two consecutive failures or three failures overall spook the prey, and the hunt enters the encounter phase. Likewise if a pack of wolves gets within ten paces of the prey it stops stalking and moves directly to the encounter.

The Encounter

The encounter is the point where the prey and predators confront each other. This is usually the time that the prey first senses the wolves. If the animal holds its ground, the wolves abandon all stealth and prepare for the kill (see later). The animal usually only holds its ground if the pack has managed to get within ten paces of it. If the animal flees — as it nearly always does then the wolves initiate the rush (see later). During the encounter wolves attempt to break up groups of prey, preferably isolating one or two from the rest.

The Rush

The rush is the most critical part of the hunt. If the wolves fail to get close to their quarry during this stage, the prey runs off at its top speed, and the predators may never get close to it. A four-legged creature can run at 6 x (10 + Quickness – Encumbrance) paces per round; depending on the distance at which the encounter occurred and the speed of the prey, the wolf pack may be able to go straight for the kill. Humans have a disadvantage, in only being able to run at 4 x (10 + Quickness – Encumbrance) paces per round; see Lords of Men, page 120.

In the rush phase, each round lasts the usual six seconds. The starting distance between predator and prey is that determined by the success of the stalk. Each round, make a Quickness + Athletics – Encumbrance stress roll for each side. If the pursuer rolls higher, then the distance between predator and prey closes; decrease the distance between predator and prey by (10 + predator's Quickness – Encumbrance) paces. If the prey rolls higher then the distance opens; increase the distance between predator and prey by (10 + prey's Quickness – Encumbrance) paces. Once again, two-legged creatures are at a disadvantage; they can only modify the distance by (6 + Quickness – Encumbrance) paces. For every round of the rush, both pursuer and prey must make Stamina + Athletics – Encumbrance stress rolls against an Ease Factor of 9; failure indicates the loss of a Short Term Fatigue level. Note that wolves have the Long-Winded Virtue which helps on this roll.

Rush Total: Quickness + Athletics – Encumbrance + stress die

Change of distance for winner (four legs): (10 + Quickness – Encumbrance) paces

Change of distance for winner (two legs): (6 + Quickness – Encumbrance) paces

Rush Fatigue roll: Stamina + Athletics – Encumbrance + stress die against Ease Factor 9

If the distance between pursuer and prey is reduced to zero paces, proceed to the kill (see later). Otherwise, the pursuer may end the rush phase whenever it desires and move into the chase phase (see later) or else break off pursuit altogether. Wolves typically abandon the rush for the chase when they lose a Fatigue level, or when the distance between them and their prey exceeds 100 paces.

The Chase

If a chase ensues, the wolves try to catch up to their quarry and attack. Wolves rarely expend energy on a long chase; if they fall behind they give up quickly. This said, a hungry pack might occasionally chase a large prey animal to exhaustion, relying on their superior stamina. Attacking an exhausted animal is a safer strategy for the pack, but there is still danger unless the wolves can gain an advantage, such as driving the animal into a snow-drift. Each round of a chase lasts five to thirty minutes, depending on the terrain: chases are quicker on flat open ground than they are in thick snow or heavy woodland. Every round, both pursuer and prey must make a Stamina + Athletics – Encumbrance roll of Ease Factor 12 or lose a Long Term Fatigue level. Again, remember that wolves have the Long-Winded Virtue. Where groups are chasing or being chased, make a single roll for the whole group based on the most fatigued individual. However, wolves are efficient at the chase, taking it in turns to be in the lead, so they make their rolls based on the least fatigued individual. Then, calculate a Pursuit Total for the wolves and an Evasion Total for the prey. If the Pursuit Total is higher then the wolves have won this round, otherwise the prey have won. On a tie, neither side has won. If the prey wins four rounds (which need not be consecutive) then it has escaped and the hunt is over. If the wolves win four rounds they have cornered the prey, ready for the kill.

Chase Fatigue roll: Stamina + Athletics – Encumbrance roll against Ease Factor 12

Pursuit Total: Perception + Hunt – Fatigue penalty + Pursuit modifiers + stress die

Evasion Total: Dexterity + Athletics – Fatigue penalty + Evasion modifiers + stress die

The Pursuit modifier is –3 if the pursuer is two-legged and the prey four-legged, and +3 if the prey is two-legged and the pursuer four-legged; it is zero otherwise. The Evasion modifier can vary from –6 to +6 depending on the relative knowledge of the terrain between pursuer and prey. If the prey has never been in this terrain before but the pursuer knows it intimately then the modifier is –6, if the situation is reversed then the modifier is +6. If it is the home territory of one party but the other has only passed through occasionally, then the modifier is –3 or +3 accordingly.

A Large Wolf

Characteristics: Cun +2, Per +1, Pre –2, Com +1, Str +2, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik +1

Size: 0

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Large, Puissant Brawl, Improved Characteristics x3, Ferocity (when leading a pack), Long Winded; Compulsion (killing), Infamous

Qualities: Aggressive, Hardy, Keen Sense of Smell, Pack Leader, Pursuit Predator, Sharp Ears, Thick Fur, Tough Hide, Vocal

Personality Traits: Brave +3, Cowardly +3

Reputations: Bloodthirsty 4 (Local)

Combat:

Teeth: Init +1, Attack +13, Defense +10, Damage +3

Trip: Init +1, Attack +9, Defense +8, Damage n/a*

* see Hunted by Wolves

Soak: +5

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, –1/–1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (6–10), –5 (11–15), Incapacitated (16–20), Dead (21+)

Abilities: Athletics 5 (distance running), Awareness 2 (smell), Brawl 5+2 (teeth), Hunt 4 (track by smell), Leadership 5 (wolves), Survival 3 (winter)

Appearance: Much like a normal wolf, but up to twice the weight, and appearing even larger due to its thick fur. Wolves of this size are usually the leading male, using its superior size to gain the top spot.

The wolf gains a +3 bonus to all rolls involving the senses of smell and hearing.

A Wolf

Characteristics: Cun +2, Per 0, Pre –2, Com 0, Str –1, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik +2

Size: –1

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Improved Characteristics x2, Ferocity (when hungry), Long Winded; Compulsion (killing), Infamous

Qualities: Aggressive, Hardy, Keen Sense of Smell, Pack Animal, Pursuit Predator, Sharp Ears, Thick Fur, Vocal

Personality Traits: Brave +3, Cowardly +3 Reputations: Bloodthirsty 4 (Local) Combat:

Teeth: Init +2, Attack +11, Defense +9, Damage 0

Trip: Init +2, Attack +7, Defense +7, Damage n/a*

* see Hunted by Wolves

Soak: +4

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, –1/–1, –3, –5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: –1 (1–4), –3 (5–8), –5 (9–12), Incapacitated (13–16), Dead (17+)

Abilities: Athletics 5 (distance running), Awareness 2 (smell), Brawl 5 (teeth), Hunt 4 (track by smell), Survival 3 (winter)

Appearance: The wolf has erect triangular ears, a narrow muzzle, and a coat of shaggy fur; his eyes are usually yellow and have a steady, unsettling gaze. His color may be any shade from pale gray through dark brown, often with lighter patches on the sides of the face and around the eyes. The wolf is known for its eerie, piercing howl.

The wolf gains a +3 bonus to all rolls involving the senses of smell and hearing. If a wolf is a pack leader, increase its Communication by 1 and add Leadership 5 (wolves) to its Abilities.

The Kill

Once harbored, the pack goes in for the kill. Wolves typically attack the rump, flanks, or shoulders of a prey animal. Some of the hunting wolves (the exact number is determined by the pack leader's Leadership Ability) attack as a trained group with the pack leader as the group leader; the remainder cut off any routes of escape for the prey. The leader can exchange any of the attacking wolves in the trained group for any of those in waiting by making a roll of Communication + Leadership + stress die against an Ease Factor of 9; the pack can still attack in that round unless the wolf exchanged is the vanguard of the group.

Every few rounds a wolf breaks away from the group and attempts a trip maneuver (ArM5, page 175). The wolf makes a Brawl Attack against the target's Defense. If the opponent is running from the wolves or unaware of the attack, then it can only use a Brawl Defense or an Evasion (Qik + Athletics – Encumbrance – Size + stress die, see Lords of Men, page 125). If the Attack Total exceeds the Defense Total by three or more, then the target is tripped and must take an action to stand back up again, during which time his Defense total is just equal to his (Qik – Encumbrance + stress die). This is usually the point at which the pack leader applies the Group Advantage to the Attack Total and moves in for the kill.

A Wolf of Virtue

Magic Might: 10 (Animal)

Season: Spring

Characteristics: Cun +3, Per +2, Pre +1, Com 0, Str -1, Sta +3, Dex +1, Qik +1

Size: -1

Confidence Score: 1 (3)

Virtues and Flaws: Magic Animal; Magical Monster; Ferocity (when hungry), Inspirational, Lesser Immunity to Exposure, Long Winded, Puissant Brawl, Puissant Hunt, Wilderness Sense; Greedy; Infamous

Qualities: Aggressive, Hardy, Keen Sense of Smell, Pack Animal, Pursuit Predator, Sharp Ears, Thick Fur, Vocal

Magic Qualities and Inferiorities: Improved Abilities x4, Improved Attack (Trip) x2, Improved Characteristics x4, Improved Powers, Lesser Powers, Minor Flaw (Restricted Power — Transfix fails to work if target sees wolf first), Reduced Might

Personality Traits: Brave +3, Hungry* +3, Wolf* +3, Brave When Seen -3

* these are Essential Traits

Reputations: Rapacious 4 (Local)

Teeth: Init +1, Attack +10, Defense +8, Damage +1

Trip: Init +1, Attack +13, Defense +9, Damage n/a*

* see Hunted by Wolves

Soak: +4

Fatigue Levels: OK, 0/0, -1/-1, -3, -5, Unconscious

Wound Penalties: -1 (1-4), -3 (5-8), -5 (9-12), Incapacitated (13-16), Dead

Abilities: Area Lore 1 (prey), Athletics 3 (distance running), Awareness 3 (food), Brawl 4+2 (trip), Hunt 4+2 (track by smell), Leadership 3 (wolves), Music 3 (wolf-songs), Stealth 3 (woods), Survival 4 (winter), Wilderness Sense 2 (weather)

Powers:

Transfix, 2 points, Init +1, Corpus or Animal: While the wolf maintains eye contact with its prey, the prey is unable to move, including being unable to speak. Note that because of the wolf's Restricted Power Inferiority, this power fails to work if the wolf is spotted by its target before it makes eye contact. ReCo(An) 20 (Base 5, +1 Eye, +1 Conc, +1 requisite) Lesser Power (20 levels, -2 Might cost, +4 Init, including Improved Powers).

Vis: 2 pawns of Rego vis, in eyes

Appearance: A perfect expression of wolfhood, this lithe but well-muscled wolf has dappled gray fur and amber-colored eyes.

The wolf gains a +3 bonus to all rolls involving the senses of smell and hearing. Note that as a magical animal, the Wolf of Virtue does not need to eat (or drink, or breathe), but true to its lupine nature, it is always ravenously hungry. In a pack with a strong leader, a Wolf of Virtue might take a subordinate role, as an obedient and loval pack-member is as much the perfect wolf as a cunning leader. When with a pack of wolves, the Wolf of Virtue's Inspirational Virtue can make them braver, more loyal, or more prone to taking risks. The Wolf of Virtue has seven points of Flaws and an equal number of Virtues: it can be personalized by taking more Flaws in exchange for Virtues; or by taking Magical Inferiorities with which to buy more Magical Qualities.

The She-Wolf is less of an antagonist in herself, than she is a way in which antagonists are created. Most characters do not possess the powers of a magus and thus have little recourse when denied justice by mundane authorities. The She-Wolf redresses that imbalance through her powers, and magi might see her as a threat because of this. Her very nature makes her exceptionally difficult to stop, and she is more akin to a force of nature than an enemy to be defeated.

There are three basic ways that the Wolf's Court can be introduced into a saga. First, the characters might be asked to look into attacks by a wolf, and during their investigations encounter evidence that the attacker might not be a natural animal. Shapeshifters and their ilk are hardly unknown in Mythic Europe, but a rash of them in one place might arouse suspicions. Research might reveal local legends of the Wolf's Court, leading characters to approach the site. Once reaching the Wolf's Court, the characters might be tempted to simply slay the She-Wolf, but if they do not initiate violence she explains that the transformations she wrought were requested by the "victims," and done in pursuit of vengeance.

The second method to introduce the Wolf's Court is as a supplicant. A character (probably a companion character, but not necessarily so) might be seeking justice for a crime committed against him. This might form part of a Story Flaw (Enemies or Feud are most appropriate), or the situation might have arisen during play. As part of his quest for retribution he hears about the Wolf's Court, and seeks out an audience with the She-Wolf.

The third method of involving one or more characters is as the target of revenge. This is a good way to get a magus involved, since they seem to be outside the jurisdiction of manorial and canonical courts, leaving the common man few avenues for obtaining justice. A werewolf is probably no match for a magus, but the player character may become curious as to how their opponent obtained the power to change form — thus leading them to the Wolfs Court.

A curious incident occurred recently in a village near to the woods. A man, Baudouin, claims to have been attacked by a wolf, which he managed to kill. When others arrived at the scene drawn by the commotion, there was a naked human corpse on the floor instead of a wolf's body. This was identified as Guillot, Baudouin's brother, The only other witness was a local maiden Odette, who was present when Baudouin was attacked. She supports Baudouin's story. Common gossip has it that Guillot and Baudouin were in competition for Odette's affection. The local lord does not believe Baudouin's story about a wolf (and the testimony of a woman is inadmissible in court), and he stands accused of murdering his brother. A player character could be related to Baudouin and Guillot, or to Odette, and asked to investigate on behalf of their relative. Alternatively, the characters could be friendly with the lord, and hear of the curious story and decide to investigate.

A year ago, an important nobleman (perhaps a king) gained a pet wolf. It was encountered on a hunt when it greeted the nobleman like an old friend. It is a gentle, noble animal, so it is a great surprise when it savagely attacks a knight. The wolf is penned, and the nobleman consults some wise men (the characters) for advice. He is loathe to destroy his loyal pet, but feels he cannot trust it if it is going to attack his vassals. The wounded man is clamoring for its destruction.

The wolf is actually a loyal vassal of the nobleman. When he discovered that a brother knight was intent on seducing his wife, he approached the Wolf's Court. Granted the power to become a wolf, he sought out his opponent. Unfortunately, his faithless wife knew something of magic, and was able to trap him in wolf form by stealing his human clothing. With her husband gone, his wife married her lover — the man that the wolf attacked at the nobleman's court. The betrayed knight can assume human form once more if his clothes are restored to him; his ex-wife has them hidden, fearful of what might happen if she burnt them.

This story seed is a reworking of Bisclavret ("the Werewolf"), a lai (Breton folk tale) retold by Marie de France in the twelfth century. The author is keen to make a distinction between a savage werewolf (for which she uses the Norman word garulf) and one with a human intellect (denoted by the Breton bisclavret, also used as the hero's name). In the original story, when the king visits Bisclavret's former lands, the wolf attacks and disfigures his wife, forcing her confession. She is outcast with her lover, and their daughters are born without a nose, a sign of their mother's faithlessness.

This story places a magus as the victim of a werewolf attack. It requires the character to be responsible for the death of a man in a way that could be considered unjust. The man's wife — or other relative — approaches the Wolf's Court for vengeance. Most magi are law-abiding individuals, but this is where the She-Wolf's dispassionate concepts of retribution could come into play. For example, the characters could have been tracking down a villain for several years. He could be responsible for several heinous crimes, and a powerful hedge wizard to boot. When they finally encounter him, he is killed in a climactic battle by a magus's spell. This is not an uncommon resolution to a story. However, the magus had no judiciary power entitling him to commit this act; in effect he has committed murder. No matter that the victim was a notorious criminal, the fact remains that he was not put on trial by the laws of the land, nor legally executed by the mandate of the court. The She-Wolf looks favorably on a petition from the dead man's wife; she is now bereft of a husband thanks to the illegal actions of the magus.

When the player character defeats the werewolf that attacks him, the creature turns back into the shape of the woman. The character might recognize her, or else have to discover her identity through other means. The Wolf's Court is the source of her power, and he might be interested enough to investigate this phenomenon.

The main repository of information about the Wolf's Court is the peasants who live close to and within the forest in which it is sited. Much of their knowledge is contradictory, fabricated, or mere rumor, and teasing out useful facts takes a lot of patience.

Details of the Roman history of the She-Wolf can be gleaned from books on the history of the city of Rome, although the focus tends to be more on the festival of Lupercalia rather than her involvement in vengeance-taking. The best source for this is Ovid's poem Fasti ("Festivals"), which is a summa on Organization Lore: Roman Empire of Level 3, Quality 8.

Amongst the writings of Tytalus the Founder is a discourse on Daimons, particularly those representing emotions he admired — rivalry, victory, force, persuasion, and so forth. His Prosopopoeia is a Summa on Magic Lore of Level 4, Quality 9. It mentions the She-Wolf as an Aspect of Poine, the titan of vengeance and retribution and mother of the Erinyes. He may have been wrong about the specifics, nevertheless there is useful information here about the nature of the She-Wolf. Characters with Magic Lore may also divine that the She-Wolf is an Aspect if she is slain and yet returns unharmed.

There are always more crimes to be avenged, so there are always ways to bring the Wolf's Court back into a saga.

Characters may decide that the Wolf's Court is an undesirable location so close to them, and seek to limit its use or destroy it altogether. Needless to say, the She-Wolf does not take kindly to attempts to limit people's right to her form of justice. After all, if the characters are being bothered by her powers it is likely because they are acting unjustly. If the characters try to prevent people approaching the Wolf's Court, they find their efforts foiled — or at least made more difficult — by packs of wolves acting in an unusually intelligent manner. Each pack is lead by a magical wolf trained by the She-Wolf. The remnants of the Roman fane of vengeance are not essential to the Wolf's Court, and if the characters destroy it, the She-Wolf may simply move to another Magic aura. These attacks, if unprovoked by actions of the She-Wolf herself, may push her into direct action.

After first encountering the Wolf's Court, the characters themselves have a need to gain the power granted by the She-Wolf. A player magus has made an enemy within the Order of Hermes. He might know that the magus is guilty of a crime, but have no evidence to bring to a Tribunal. With his opponent's allies he is unlikely to secure a conviction on just his testimony, which could be declared suspect or in error. The opponent is too powerful to be challenged to Wizard's War without help — help that could be provided by the She-Wolf if the character has a legitimate cause for retribution.

Becoming a werewolf won't grant the character sufficient power on its own to allow the character to win a Wizard's War, but the She-Wolf can offer other resources. She has centuries of experience in planning revenge, and her knowledge could be invaluable. She has packs of wolves at her beck and call, and has trained the court's magical wolves.

If it suits the story, the She-Wolf might be able to manifest as a different Aspect, offering different powers suitable to helping a magus attain revenge. Alternatively, a different Aspect of the Daimon might already have just the powers needed by the character; but he will have to approach this Aspect separately.

Members of House Bjornaer are possibly very interested in the Wolf's Court. It can serve as an Ancestor Site (Houses of Hermes: Mystery Cults, page 25) for that House, a place strongly resonating with shape-changing and the Magic Realm. The focus on a single shape meets with the approval of the House, although it is granted by magic and not innate power. It maybe that amongst the wolf packs in the forest is a Great Beast: a magus with a wolf heartbeast who has passed into Final Twilight. Further, the house has a vicious feud with a Shapeshifter Cult (the Pomeranian Witches), and the She-Wolf might grant them the edge they need — assuming that their enemies have not already obtained her assistance.

A Bjornaer magus who reports encountering the Wolfs Court to his house will be tasked with approaching the She-Wolf on behalf of the Bjornaer Council. Unfortunately, the She-Wolf doesn't receive embassies; she has no interests outside facilitating vengeance. To get her attention, the character may have to acquire one of the gifts of the Wolfs Court by obtaining revenge on one of his enemies.

Characters who have pursued an enemy and are close to capturing him might feel dismayed if the Luperci get to him first. Discovering the link between the Luperci and the She-Wolf, the characters might travel to the Wolf's Court to confront the Luperci, especially if the enemy they were chasing had knowledge or plunder that the characters need.

The Luperci are likely to develop into an enemy — or at least a hindrance — to the player characters. The Order of Hermes is founded on principles of fairness and equity, and the concept of a vigilante group is likely to be repugnant to them.