Reykvargr

When the subject of the Dunwyr is brought up, one will sometimes hear of Reykvargr, the Smoke Wolf. Tales often differ regarding this mysterious creature, so it is difficult to decide which information should be provided. While all tales regarding the natures of the Immortals should be considered speculative at best, the following information is particularly sketchy, having no especially reliable sources and based mostly on rumors.

Most tales speak of the Smoke Wolf as once being among the mightiest Animal Spirits, possibly even an equal or counterpart to the Great Bear Spirit. However, as mankind continued to grow and advance, their cities and cultivation of the land began changing the untamed wilderness into a world dominated by man, destroying the forests and fields to make way for lumber mills and cities of stone. Man only found beauty in nature when he could control it, arranged into orderly gardens or groves. As this continued, the great wolf spirit mourned for the loss of the Wilds and hated the new world that was forming, where the balance was lost and Man placed himself in dominion of all else, assuming power over both plant and beast. The great spirit was overcome with anger and madness, and sought to destroy the new world Man was forming, seeking to plunge Man back into his primal state when he was still struggling to find his place in the balance along with the wild beasts of the world.

Many tales speak of the Smoke Wolf becoming somehow separated from the other Animal Spirits when she went mad with hate against Man. Some say she estranged herself from them in her crazed focus on fighting against Man, while others say the other Animal Spirits cast her out due to her madness. Whatever the case, there must be some cause for the separation, as it only seems to be the Dunwyr who acknowledge and serve the Smoke Wolf, while other druids don't include her in the traditional pantheon of Animal Spirits.

The Smoke Wolf is most often regarded as female, and is usually described as a smoky wolf-like visage with luminous eyes. There is also often mention of a pack of similar wolves that do her bidding, occasionally attributed to the souls of Dunwyr who have died and continue to serve the Smoke Wolf in death. She is said to give supernatural powers to her Dunwyr servants who prove willing to turn against their fellow man and seek the destruction of Man's dominion over the Wild.

Trivia

• It is often considered a bad omen and a sign of Reykvargr's wrath when a wolf is spotted or a howl is heard during the settling of a new community, the construction of a logging facility or a farm, and other signs that mankind is claiming a part of the Wild for themselves.
• Reykvargr is often blamed when children go missing and turn up later as "feral children", as if raised by wolves.
• The Western Coalition is thought to have earned the particular ire of the Smoke Wolf, due to the organization's concentration on development and economy which make Man greedier and more eager to process the land's natural resources in order to build himself up without considering the consequences of the damage done to the land itself.
• Some tales regard Reykvargr as the Mother of All Beasts, explaining her hatred against Man who seeks to dominate and domesticate beasts for his own uses.
• Despite the tales of the separation between Reykvargr and the other Animal Spirits, it should be noted that the Dunwyr and the Dwaedn Wyr get along relatively well - Dunwyr are occasionally spotted in Dwaedn Vil, for instance, drinking at their inn and interacting peacefully with the inhabitants. This may be because both groups prefer a simpler, perhaps more "primitive" or "wild" lifestyle and have a great respect for beasts and the animal world.