Dire Wolf

'When the Dire Wolf howls, both the Voidsea and Realmlands listen.' - Bestiary of the Ironwilds

Dire Wolves are a Faunakinde, originally from Verdrasil. Though they originally went extinct, they were brought back into existence via de-extinction programs that the Kin underwent in their ancient history. As the ages have passed, they have evolved further, becoming more intelligent, resilient and adaptable. They are found all over the Voidsea and the Realmlands.

Pack based master hunters, Dire Wolves are capable of rising to the very top of the food chain on many Void Islands, Coves, and Islets - And have done so. Worlds such as Nythera, Codebane and Velmorad are examples of worlds in which the Dire Wolf is considered one of it's apex predators. One world, Nox Aera, is home to an estimated hundred-thousand packs. And the world of Xundus is also home to them, despite the locals trying everything in their power to eliminate the population.

The Kin have a close relationship with the Dire Wolves, similar in nature to their bond with the Argenravis, and were one of the first to develop such a bond to such a widespread degree. Culturally, Dire Wolves are considered to be Kin, and are part of a symbiotic relationship. They are common as, companions, war-hounds, numerous other applications throughout Kin society. The implication that a Dire Wolf is a 'pet' is often considered an affront, both to the Dire Wolf, and their Kin companion.

Many Kinde are capable of forming bonds with Dire Wolves, not just the Kin. There have been Elvendritch, Xauri, and others whom have bonded to Dire Wolves before. However, this bond is most pronounced with the Kin, as it is on a societal level.

A point of confusion is that there are many reports of Dire Wolves existing on worlds which have no recollection of them being present beforehand, such as Iroshara. Many would normally attribute this to them traversing the Realmlands, but they have also been found in worlds which do not have a connection to it, or those that monitor Realmlands travel very closely. Far more have myths of creatures akin to Dire Wolves.

How this has come to be is a complete mystery to most.

Within the Voidsea

Due to their relationship with the Kin, Dire Wolves are now widely spread across the local Cosmic Tide.

Dire Wolves are often introduced to new worlds that the Kin wish to settle: The reason for this is to aid in gathering information about the local wildlife. Dire Wolves are more resilient than Kin, and are able to deal with many of the horrors of the Voidsea worlds better than Kin can. The information gathered allows the Kin to better understand threats, where their settlements should be settled, and due to the introduction of a new predator, tilt the scales of the local environment in their favour.

Due to various instances of interbreeding with other Dire-Wolf like Kinde, there are now many variations of Dire Wolves, but the original breed remains numerous and widespread.

Within the Realmlands

Packs of Dire Wolves are common within the Realmlands. Typically, they are more territorial than Voidsea Dire Wolves. They are also more vicious, having to content with all manner of monstrous creatures that the Realmlands both creates and allows to traverse throughout itself. They are often considered a threat to settlements. How they are dealt with depends on the settlement.