«Plot»

[Zesha]

This is the beginning...

Welcome to ancient Scandinavia, a time of Norse mythology and wonder. Most humans at this time are Pagan, the old religion of world.

In this day and age, wolves are still plentiful around the world. They are said to have a connection with humans--or did, until a war broke out between them, and they separated.

Both wolves and humans are given special powers, though the powers of the humans are unknown to the wolves now that an entire century has passed and the legends have stopped being passed on in such detail. Now, it is only known that their once upon a time partnership is over.

These wolves live in packs, where they are raised by the alpha male--usually a "messenger" or an "immortal father"--and the alpha female, the "immortal mother." When they are ready, the young messengers, usually males, travel to a sacred place. This place is called the World Tree, or Yggdrasil, and connects the heavens and earth (or in Norse, Asgard to Midgard.)

In the beginning, there was a chasm, Ginnungagap, that separated Niflheim and Muspell, the land of eternal ice and snow and the land of eternal heat and flame. When fire and ice met, they created the first ocean. This gave birth to the first creatures.

This newly born world was devastated by the struggle between the two elements, and so there was a guardian for each species--one white, one black. They were to keep the order of their race, and the shades of grays in it.

These two are born and reborn over and over again, continuing the cycle of life.

The two guardians of this world are Skoll and Hati. There is a legend of these two, one I'll tell you now...

" Hush now, for it was foretold by the Norsemen ages ago. The wolves Hati and Skoll chase the sun and the moon across the heavens each day, but it shall not always be so. The time of the Ragnarok will come, the time of the Gotterdammerung, when the world shall be plunged into a winter as it has never known. This is the Fimbulvetr. There shall be three such endless winters, winters of unspeakable cold that will freeze the hearts of men and gods alike, for this is the beginning of the end. The wolf Skoll shall devour the sun and his brother Hati , the moon. The world will know no light. Yet, there is a wolf still more terrible, and he is called Fenrir.

For it shall come to pass, that the Earth itself shall tremble,and all the terrible beings that the gods have imprisoned and fettered within the bowels of Earth shall be freed. Fenrir shall be freed. Heimdall shall sound his trumpet summoning the Gods to the final battle. So great is Lord Odin that he shall engage Fenrir in combat, though he knows his end. Fenrir shall seize Odin and swallow him up. Then the blood revenge will swell in the veins of Vidar, Odin’s son. Vidar shall grab Fenrir by the jaws and with his bare hands rend him in twain.

It is only then that Surt will rain fire upon the Earth, burning all and everything. In the end the Earth will sink into the sea. The fires will be extinguished, and all light will be gone from the nine worlds. The time of the Gods and of men shall pass forever.

Yet, Norsemen comforted their children, assuring them that this is not truly the end, for the world shall be reborn, and a new age will dawn. It shall be an age of great bounty, where men and gods shall dwell together in peace. The descendants of Lif and Lifthrasir shall inherit the Earth."

You are a dire wolf. You have been chosen by the Gods. And you make the decisions in this life. Make them well.

... Begin your journey now.

This RPG is a combination of three web comics: The Blackblood Alliance, The Gods' Pack, and Off White. You do not have to read these to play, but it might help you understand a bit better. Info on Skoll and Hati can be found here.