The Ulvsjael descend from the mortals who drank the blood of Ulvma, the wolf-mother who fell in the war against Hykravones, the Shattering, alongside the dragon Nagatayora and the lion Shara Bolasi. The other two fought apart from the armies. Ulvma fought inside them. She ran with the mortal ranks and fought the way a wolf fights, by the pack and never alone, until she was brought down still among them. Her blood ran out where the warriors stood, and they drank it, deliberately, reaching for whatever strength was in it. It changed them, and the change bred true into their children. The Ulvsjael are the only one of the three lines whose ancestors chose the gift instead of merely being marked by it.
What they took from Ulvma is more than the wolf-shape they can call up. They took her terms for living: the pack holds together or it dies, the weak are made strong or culled out, and loyalty a wolf has earned is owed without limit. Every Ulvsjael culture rests on that hard bargain, though they read it in very different ways.
Vitals
- Size: Medium
- Height: 5.5-6.5 feet
- Weight: 130-220 pounds
- Max Age: 80 years
Aspects
- The pack endures
- Prove your worth or perish
Heritages
- Ulvskyn (True Blood) — Pack-devoted Ulvsjael who practice ancient rites and maintain strict meritocracies where contribution alone determines rank. See Ulvskyn.
- Ulvsein (Lone Wolf) — Solitary Ulvsjael who become legendary scouts and trackers, believing self-reliance makes each wolf stronger and the pack stronger still. See Ulvsein.
Game mechanics
Wolf's Blood Awakening
Major ability. You may channel the blood of Ulvma, transforming into a wolf-like form. Your head morphs into that of a wolf while your hands sprout functional claws. This transformation lasts until you spend an action to return to your human form. While transformed:
- You gain A2 on all skill checks involving scent or hearing
- Your jaws and claws count as light piercing and slashing melee weapons respectively
- You cannot wield weapons or shields, nor manipulate fine objects
- Your movement speed increases by 20 feet
Ulvskyn (True Blood) — Pack Hunter's Instinct
Passive ability. Your dedication to pack tactics grants supernatural coordination in battle. Whenever you and an ally are adjacent to the same enemy, you both add 1d4 to attack rolls against that enemy. This bonus increases to 1d6 if three or more pack members (you and allies) surround the same target.
Ulvsein (Lone Wolf) — Predator's Pursuit
Passive ability. Your solitary hunting has honed your tracking abilities to supernatural levels. You have advantage on all checks to track creatures, and you can identify any creature by scent if you've encountered it before. You leave no tracks unless you choose to.
Additionally, while transformed via Wolf's Blood Awakening:
- Your movement speed increases by an additional 20 feet (40 feet total with the base transformation)
- You may take the dash action as a free action once per round
- When you move at least 20 feet toward an enemy and make an attack in the same round, add 1d6 to your attack roll
- You have advantage on initiative rolls as your predatory instincts alert you to danger