Pack Name: Sawtooth Pack Territory: from the Den site south to the Crossroads Alpha Male: Nagogth (snake killer) Alpha Female: ? Heirs: Beta Male: Beta Female: Delta Male: Delta Female: Gamma Male: Gamma Female: Omega: Stu'oqe'e (mouse hunter) Pups:
Pack Name: Storm Cloud Pack Territory: around the Yew Lich Ruin Alpha Male: Kajika (walks without sound) Alpha Female: Hipamika (sharp teeth) Heirs: Rudedi Beta Male: Beta Female: Delta Male: Delta Female: Gamma Male: Gamma Female: Omega: ? Pups: Rudedi
Hunters report the appearance of a breeding pair, making a den in the cave North East of the wolf village. Kajika and Hipamika have been establishing a pack, driving out all the loner wolves from their territory and taking game very successfully. We should stick to hunting bear in that area and not disturb their den unless approached first.
Stuocqe'e (mouse hunter) has started hanging around the Wolf Village, begging for scraps and getting himself in trouble. We believe he is a low ranking Omega, but from the Sawtooth Pack. We have not yet spotted the breeding pair of this rival pack. Before the end of winter, we suspect that they will make a den in the cave West of the village and be seen hunting to the South. It will be interesting because that cave is currently occupied by a Grizzly Bear family.
Nagogth the Sawtooth Pack alpha, has finally been sighted. His pack has driven the Grizzly Bear family out of the cave to the West of our village and made it their new permanent den site. Though Nagogth has proven to be very elusive, Stuocqe'e is quick becoming a fixture around the village, even leaving gifts of his kills of small animals around the gate.
A wolf pup called Rudedi has wandered into the village. He is still young and shows the pelt spots that are part of the natural camouflage that sheds in about two months. Two Wolves first led him to the Sawtooth Pack den site. He sniffed around, but did not seem comfortable there. Next stop was the Stormcloud Pack's den. There he took off running around inside then snuggled down in the back next to a crevice in the natural rock formations. But were were the siblings and the parents? He chewed up some rats on the way over, but still looked a bit scrawny. So, I took him out hunting to see if he could tackle something bigger like goats or sheep. That is when I got a shock. While showing him stalking a great hart, he suddenly took off after it and ripped the throat out on his first pass. The large deer fell immediately to the phenomenally powerful attack. He was able to tug the hide off and I butchered the rest on the spot quickly before any other predators showed up. He ate his fill and I carried the rest of the meat on the return trip as he waddled trailing behind with belly distended. Well, this little fellow showed me he did not need a lesson in self reliance. Never the less, I returned him to the village to wait there for the return of Kajika and Hipamika. I think there is little danger to him from Stuocqe'e.
Rudedi was reunited with a happy Hipomika. During the past few days at the village he has made many friends. Anytime somebody sits around the central fire pit, Rudedi jumps right up on their lap. The recent vermin infestation has unusual rat spawn appearing in the forest near the Stormcloud Pack den site. Wolfmother took Hipomika and Rudedi to see the hole near the side of the mountain where they are coming out. It is only about three or four leagues from the cave were they call home along the edge of the same mountain range. The wolves bristled at the first sight of these newcomers, ratmen and giant rats. Wolfmother wanted to alert Hipomika to the danger so that she could warn the others. She also wanted to see if the wolves were going to be able to defend themselves effectively. The wolves circled and attacked these foes in unison, whenever they turned hostile. At times there were quite a few, then Wolfmother would weaken them with "ttoc leet cewa hoesta" (Kal Vas An Flam), a withering cold frost. Later they encountered one variety of rat with monstrous strength that gravely injured Hipomika and nearly killed her. That brought the expedition to a rapid close. On the way back to the village, sounds of fighting could be heard coming from the Sawtooth Pack den. It seems that Nagogth has reappeared and is asserting his dominance. Some fur may fly, as Stormcloud members are now frequenting the Wolf Clan village - previously Sawtooth territory.
Rudedi has been scarce since his first run in with Stuocqe'e. There was a half blind old sow (female bear) digging roots near the village who was inadvertently killed by Stuocqe'e while trying to drive her off. Rudedi nearly got his nose bit off by putting it in where Stuocqe'e was tearing off what meat there was. Stuocqe'e chased him around the village a few times, but on each pass Rudedi would steal a bite - not enough to feed, just to leave his mark. I thought they would get on better, but next time maybe there will not be a kill between them. Recent events have brought new, more terrifying forces than the vermin invasion into the region. We will miss them, but have hope that the wolf packs have the sense to lay low for a while.
Rudedi heir to the Stormcloud Pack was causing trouble again - by tormenting the omega from the Sawtooth Pack. When he encounters Stuocqe'e around the Wolf Clan village, where the two Pack's territories overlap, he bits Stuocqe'e's tail till pursued then tears off. Somehow Rudedi ran clear out of their territory, through a moon gate. The two ended up on the moon Luna, in the banking district. The chasing was replaced with searching for a whiff of the familiar and a way back home. Scenting indicated the presence of many kinds of cooked meat and Rudedi started diving into the packs of delirious vagrants and stabled beetles and coming up with a gold mine. The throngs of riders and pedestrians teaming in the streets there seemed to take no notice of wild wolves darting about, sniffing, whining, quarreling, cowering, howling. Not till Escapade and Thea Zera got news and went to Luna to tackle the tricky task of getting wolves to do what they wanted, simply to help them home. The initial attempts were dodgy at first, but these two were persistent and learned how to speak the wolves language... food. Not tame by any stretch, but accustomed to taking meat scraps and begging villagers; the wolves were able to be lured with cooked hams. The problem is, when you lead a wolf into a moon gate who knows where he will come out.
Attempting to use the Luna moon gate again for the return trip, this time the wolves got separated. Rudedi made it back to the Britain Gate, but it took some time and leg work to discover that Stuocqe'e landed in Moonglow. Stuocqe'e had wandered off but was found nearby harassing some Priests of Mondain. The search party was joined and started battling the priests. Eventually the carnival atmosphere settled down and it was decided to use gate travel over several hops instead of the more direct, but unpredictable public moon gates. Once in the upper floors of the central fortress of New Darkwood, Thea was having considerable trouble calling to Stuocqe'e to follow her through the final Wolf Village gate. In a brilliant stroke, she showed Stuocqe'e a bit of cooked ham, then set it down far side of the portal. When Stuocqe'e ran for it, he found himself back in his home territory, but still hurrying trying to sniff out where the treat landed. So as to not tease cruelly, Thea Zera did toss Stuocqe'e a bit of fish stake before departing. He leaped on it and chewed it to pieces but try as he may, he was simply stuffed to full to eat any more. So, it all worked out, but now maybe the wolves see the moon gates as food gates and will not mind so much getting lost again. Recently I have made two observations that may be disturbing when viewed together - Brigands inside and outside their camp with wolf-sign in the wounds and bloody paw prints on the ground. That and I suspect Rudedi has taught Stuocqe'e of his discovery of a vendor courtesy gate near the edge of the Sawtooth Pack territories where they have been entering to pilfer food. There may be a hazard here of the wolf or wolves who have become blooded, mixing in a densely populated area like Luna. The gate vendors have no idea what they may have opened the banking district up to by making a portal into these wild areas.
It has been over eleven months since we first sighted Rudedi and in that time he grew ferociously through adolescence into a large, young adult. Typical heirs would be working their way up the social hierarchy to gracefully replace the alpha pair in their dotage. Rudedi would have already become the Beta Male, but for his prolonged absences hunting and marking in the Saw Tooth Pack territories. From what it appears, Rudedi is baiting a confrontation with that elusive and grizzled veteran of many battles Nagogth, the Saw Tooth alpha. From the incredible power I have observed in Rudedi in lone hunts, my bet is on him. Rudedi may be able to take control of his families rival pack at a young age. This does not mean that they will merge or even that the boundary dispute around our village will be settled. The ultimate outcome for the Storm Cloud Pack may be a threat to their own survival.
