Appearance: Luviens are an uncommon species of large winged wolf. On average, they stand between 50-56 inches at the shoulder and can weigh up to 500 pounds, although some eyewitnesses have claimed to see alphas even larger, but this has not yet been proven. Their fur comes in any of the coat colors seen in other species of wolves (with different grays and russet blends being most common) but their feathered wings can be quite striking.
Often they mimic patterns seen in the raptor community, but can be solid colors as well, and usually compliment their coat well. Depending on the size of the wolf, their wingspans can stretch upwards of 25 feet wide yet fold down surprisingly compact for maneuvering in overgrown environments. Their eyes may be blue, brown, green, or an amber hue like most other species of wolf. Their muzzles are broad and blunt, with a muscular jaw that gives them their incredible bite force.
Habitat: These wolves are believed to originally hail from Southern Idalos but have found their way to every region of the world, particularly in areas with large mountain ranges and forests. A single pack can have a territory that spans several thousand miles, which is necessary in order to provide enough food without driving other species to extinction.
While they have been known to dig large dens they prefer to find secluded mountain caves, often only accessibly by flying up a ridge unless one is a master climber. Since they require a large amount of food and water, they are not found in particularly arid environments, be they hot or cold. If seen in these areas they are likely rabid or starving and should be avoided at all costs.
It is expected that there are more roaming Idalos than what has been seen, but eyewitnesses currently only account for four packs. One still remains in Southern Idalos near Desnind, with another living in and around the Heart of the World. Yet another claims the entire island of Scalvoris and the surrounding waters as its territory, and one more group has been spotted roaming the Eternal Empire.
Lifespan and Development: Due to the availability of food and having only a small number of natural predators Luviens tend to be relatively long-lived. Although no one has yet raised any from pups in captivity, it is believed that they can survive well into their thirties or forties in the wild. Litters are born every three arcs in late Ashan, after a gestation period of almost an arc. Luvien pups are born approximately half the size of a common wolf, and on average, three or four pups are whelped at a time. It is common for up to half of them to die before maturity from fighting with their litter mates.
Their young are precocial; born with their first full set of teeth, almost completely mobile in a few breaks, and with full control of their senses. The only thing they lack is the ability of flight, which is something they must learn as they grow. They are normally able to glide after two cycles, with basic flight skills at one arc of age.
By the end of their second arc the surviving young are their full size but do not reach sexual maturity until their fourth arc. Packs have the same general social structure as any other wolves, with an alpha pair followed by betas, other subordinates, and one or two omegas. These groups are rarely larger than 6 individuals simply due to the amount of competition required for enough resources.
Diet: Luviens are technically omnivorous like other canines, but only in the sense that they can eat certain plant matter without getting sick. Otherwise these animals receive all of their nutritional needs from fresh meat and digestive organs. They must eat large quantities of food every trial, and in order to meet these requirements can be found hunting proportionately enormous game.
Luvien are extremely efficient hunters and can work together in a cohesive unit to take down just about anything that crosses their path, save particularly large or dangerous predators like the Sohr Khal (and others), which can be a challenge. Most animals are beneath them on the food chain and therefor fair game. Cattle, flocks of sheep or goats, elk, moose, even small whales if they find themselves near the coast. Their favorite meal, although uncommon, are large Bruxen bulls.
They hunt both on land and in the air, though they are not as graceful as birds and rely more on outnumber or outsmarting aerial prey than land prey. They seem to prefer a combination of tactics in order to surround their target, with some of the pack coming down from above while the others tire their prey on foot.
Most Luviens require approximately 10 pounds of food per trial to maintain themselves, although in lean times are capable of devouring almost 40 pounds in one sitting. With a pack of 6 or more, this can be devastating to the local fauna if they linger too long in one area. Due to their flight capabilities they burn fat at a faster rate than exclusively land-based mammals.
While most wolves are capable of going weeks without food, Luviens are unable to starve themselves for more than 6 or 7 trials before they start to shut down. To remedy this, if they are able to gorge for several trials, these wolves can rapidly gain a layer fat similar to birds. With a large enough fat reserve, Luviens are able to go as long as and sometimes longer than a fortnight without eating again.
Temperament: These wolves are aggressive and territorial and should be treated with extreme caution, particularly near the end of the Rebirth Cycle when dens have young pups in them. Few of these animals have been tamed not only due to how dangerous they are but also because they are notoriously elusive. If they choose not to simply kill those that make the mistake of coming too close, they are almost impossible to catch if they take to the air.
Once a Luvien has out-competed its weaker litter mates they are not as aggressive toward others of their own kind and either find a suitable place among their pack or go off in search of a different group. New individuals are not usually welcomed warmly, but rarely are they killed unless a challenge is made against a more dominant individual.
It is rare that two different packs cross paths in the world due to their strict borders. Somewhat akin to being entirely different countries, on the off chance that two packs meet near the fridges of their territories, a sort of parlay is held where all the wolves decide who has crossed the line. Eventually one of the packs will be chased back to their land, battered and bruised and very unlikely to trespass ever again.
Most Luviens carry with them an innate fear or fire similar to other species of wolves, and while this keeps most settlements safe from an otherwise troubling threat, these wolves are not afraid of the people themselves and will hunt them if they are unfortunate to stumble into the area of a hungry pack.
Abilities: Their fur and skin is tough and thick, with protective properties that are a similar equivalence on par with hard leather armor. Arrows and bolts are often stopped by the thick hides before they are able to puncture organs or vulnerable flesh, except when fired from particularly powerful weapons or by extremely skilled archers.
Luviens are formidable both on the ground and in the air, with the ability to surround their prey on all sides and drop unexpectedly from above. They are incredibly fast in bursts, making them extremely dangerous at close range, and can hold an efficient ground-covering pace while on foot for most of a trial. This helps them to maintain their expansive territories and migrate regionally in search of food.
They are also excellent swimmers which aids them in hunting in water. They are capable of diving onto large mammals and fish near the surface from the air, not unlike a sea bird. Most packs will work together to take down sea creatures and share the kill after its been drug back on shore.
Although capable of carrying a rider if tamed, it is easier for them to do so on the ground, though possible to fly for several breaks before needing to rest. While they could hold more than one rider on foot, due to their own mass they would be unable to do so in the air. The training for this would take several arcs, on top of the rigorous challenge of gaining the animal's initial trust and respect. While theoretically it would be easier to rear a pup for this purpose, these is not yet any report of anyone surviving such an endeavor.
Despite their aggression and stubbornness, adult Luviens are thought to have a level of intellect similar to that of a 5 arc old human child. They are able to problem solve and think on their feet, even using the environment to their advantage such as rolling rocks onto an enemy or feigning injury as a lure.
Credit: Ellen'wyn
