Now, time to unveil my wolf to the others, not that wolves should have veils...
Name: Þjóstúlfr Fenrisson, Vågargandr
Personality: He trusts few, though he is naturally disposed more to wolves, as he understands them more than he does other creatures. He can be ambitious, manipulative, ruthless, bloodthirsty and calculating, though an element of kindness may lie beyond this. Of course, it seems an inherited sense of humour and mischievousness is also present, and despite pretensions about not caring, he is not one to truly desire isolation, belonging in a pack as wolves are meant. At times, Þjóstúlfr can be quiet, shy and unsure of his place in the world. Though he tries to think before acting, he can sometimes be impetuous, with a certain degree of arrogance and pride. He also has a natural curiosity, and something of an inquisitive nature, seeking to know more about humans, despite their persecution of his lesser brethren, which is something he's not exactly fond of, and he is aware that not all humans are bad. He respects hunters, and being a fellow predator, tends to have little sympathy for prey, seeing the natural order of things accordingly. Of course, this is but a facet of his personality, and it may vary considerably. On an unrelated note, he seems to be quite a good drinker, only being affected by a substantial amount of heavy-duty alcohol, so to speak, and also possessing a surprising appetite. Which is less surprising when one considers his true form is that of a rather large wolf.
Appearance: In his human form, he appears youthful and lean, with odd eyes that alternate between green and gold, and silky grey hair. In this form, he tends to wear armour, northern noble clothing, and furs. In his true form, he appears as a giant wolf, fur of the same colour, towering over many other creatures, with claws and fangs that many would consider worrying. Having an affinity with ice, the air around him is often colder, sometimes to the extent that frost, ice and snow form around him. Haven't found a giant wolf picture that I thought was suitable, so suggestions are always appreciated.
Gender: Male
Race: Jotun/giant wolf, of the ice/frost variety. (FYI, giant is misleading, since they appear in all manner of forms, not necessarily physically big, and through linguistic changes, such as the introduction of the French "geant" to replace the old English word, and other complicated linguistic stuff, the word ended up with different connotations)
Picture:
History: Þjóstúlfr was born in Járnviðr, a forest to the north east of Midgard, one of the many sons sired by Fenris and an unknown giantess, thought by some to be Angrboða, though he was somewhat smaller than his more famous older brothers, Sköll and Hati. With his mother often preoccupied, and his father to become indisposed until Ragnarok, he had little choice but to fend for himself as a pup. Travelling much, he would come to hunt well, sometimes joining packs and learning how to take out prey strategically, working alongside others.
Journeying around Midgard, and sometimes other worlds, he would learn much. He took a liking to Jötunheimr, as well as Niflheimr, among others. He developed a disdain for humans in Midgard, and the way in which they often hunted wastefully, as well as how in many places, they fiercely sought out and wiped out wolves, even when such creatures kept to themselves and avoided humans and their livestock. Though the wolves he travelled with were often little more than normal wolves, whilst he was a Jotun wolf, he nonetheless developed a certain kinship with them.
Though he may not be too fond of humans, with the manner in which his lesser brethren are thoroughly persecuted by them- especially farmers and shepherds, he was also curious about them, and often sought to try and understand how they worked, among other things lacking an understanding of why some of their kind sold eachother. Accordingly, from time to time, he became used to taking upon a human form, after soon learning that humans tended to attack or run away from a giant wolf looming over them.
Þjóstúlfr was also apt from time to time, to prey upon humans and their livestock, sometimes leading wolves to terrorise areas on the outskirts of society or civilisation, sometimes attacking villages, and occasionally, towns. He came to realise that attacking more populated areas tended to result in bigger reprisals, with soldiers and great hunts orchestrated in attempts to wipe out wolves. In one northern town, Vågar, he decided to indiscriminately attack the humans living there, resulting in a mass slaughter, buildings turned to rubble, and not long later, the epithet of Vågargandr, or the monster of Vågar. At the time he had chosen, he was strongest, with a fierce winter forcing many of the humans to stay indoors, and stock up on furs and firewood. Poorly built structures, especially wooden ones, were also not too difficult for him to barge into, to deal with those inside.
Sometimes seen as a harbinger of winter and dangerous times, various myths would begin to crop up about him in places, occasionally being viewed as a minor god. As well as more negative portrayals, other actions would lead to more positive ones, such as his sometimes alternatively helping humans from winter, including one village that was suffering greatly as an unexpected blizzard arrived from the mountains to the east of it. Of course, often, these events were attributed to separate beings. Once or twice, he even came to grow a little attached to a few humans, such as a female travelling merchant and author, who had written several books on various things. Inevitably, though, these journeys came to an end, and the mortals would as ever, show their transient and temporary nature. Unsurprisingly, this would make Þjóstúlfr wary of establishing attachments to others.
Though he was not directly involved, he was aware of events as they transpired in Asgard, including Loki's takeover of the throne, and the slaughter of the previously established Æsir elite that had been in power before him, the death of many gods and those who fought with them. Not committing to either side despite his parentage, he had decided to await the outcome instead, though he may have been pleased that the gods who had bound his father till Ragnarok, and the one who had bespelled two of his older brothers, had fallen.
At some point later, he became a Jarl in a nation of Midgard, utilising intelligence and wealth to get to this upper tier of society. Among other places, he came to possess a mountain fastness surrounded by forests. In that residence, he came to store all manner of things acquired over time.
Combat: Cunning, thoughtful and patient, he chooses the time to unleash a wolf's savagery when he is in the most advantage, rather than blindly charging in. In human form, he wields bladed weapons well, such as swords and axes, preferring melee weapons to distance-based attacks that are more unfamiliar. In wolf form, he is more at ease, and often more aggressive, confident and quick to act.
