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# Part of Simon Phipp's RuneQuest/Glorantha Site

Glorantha is Copyright Issaries Inc, RuneQuest is Copyright Hasbro Inc
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Glorantha is a Fantasy world setting and RuneQuest is a Fantasy Game.
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Copyright © 2002 Simon E. Phipp
Created On 2 August 2002
Last Updated On 2 August 2002

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# The Wolf Head Tribe

Once there was a great warrior who rode a flying horse and shot arrows of fire from his bow. He went in search of a wolf that was eating the herds of his clan. As he was about to shoot the wolf, he heard it say "don't shoot me with your fiery arrows, take me by the tale and throw me to the ground". This he did and the wolf changed into a naked and beautiful woman who the warrior took as a wife. Together they had a son and were happy, but many of their clan were not happy that a wolf lived among them and plotted to kill the woman and son as son as the great warrior was dead. The son had a dream in which a wolf came to him and told him to leave the clan with all who would follow and leave for a better place, otherwise he would surely be slain. The son awoke and led his family and friends away with all their horses and cattle. They wandered over the land until they came to a river where they were met by several packs of wolves who walked by their sides for a long time. When they reached a great and wide valley, the wolves stopped and their leader went ahead alone. He led the clan to the end of the valley and spoke, saying "Here is the land where you must stay" and the people agreed for it was beautiful and rich. The mountains reached to the sky, the rivers were wide and fast flowing, the land was full of meadows for grazing and the forests were full of fruit and all kinds of wild animals. There they stayed, on this land that was richer and more beautiful than any other. They pitched their yurts and grazed their herds, waiting for the Sun to return. Ever since, they were known as the Wolf Head Tribe, for the wolf was their head.

After the Sun returned, the wolf's son grew large and strong, so that he rivalled his father as a warrior. He explored this new land and found a mountain in the plains that was like no other. It rose from the ground without warning and was ominous in appearance. On its foothills was a lake that was clear as dew and twice as sweet. Between the lake and the mountain top was a cave that stretched into the underworld. The warrior entered the cave and found a sleeping woman, the Queen of the Earth. He kissed her and she awakened and smiled at him. She held him on her arms and taught him the ways of the earth and he was changed thereafter. He took her as his summer wife and she remained Queen of the Earth. Their children became farmers and farmed the fields around the river valleys. He had also taken a winter wife from among the nomads and their children raised horses and cattle. Together the two sides lived peacefully and in harmony. The Wolf Head Tribe moved around their land, moving the herds between the grazing grounds and farming in the low valleys and high meadows according to the seasons. They gathered berries from the forests and hunted game. They gathered honey from the bees of the forests and grew prosperous.

Once there was a great war to the West and the nomads were forced back to the Plains. They came streaming through the Wolf Head Tribe's lands and would have killed the Tribe, but the Khan said "Do we not ride horses and move our cattle from grazing to grazing? Do we not honour Kargzant, our Lord, and drink Koumiss? We are your brothers." The nomads agreed and left them in peace. Then came the spearmen from the West, in pursuit of the nomads and would have killed the Tribe, but the Chief said "Do we not farm the land and grow honey in hives? Do we not worship the Queen of the Earth and the Sun overhead? We are your brothers." The spearmen agreed and left them in peace. So, the Wolf Head Tribe survived by being nomads and farmers at the same time, moving their horses and herds from grazing to grazing, pitching their yurts on their farming land and working the fields when they stopped.

Once there was a war to the East and a great man came to conquer us. He was born the Son of the Morning, his mother was Daughter of the Sky and he was the greatest of his people. Hyalor had said that the man who could swallow his spittle would be the greatest Khan. Many tried but choked to death, but Sheng Seleris succeeded. His brothers did not like him, so he went to live in the mountains and lived naked and without food. Once he found a stick that changed him. He became a man of forty, as strong as ten men and as powerful as a tornado. He returned to his brothers and all the Khans accepted him as the Khan of Khans. He brought the Black Cloud of Death that covered the lands like locusts. His Horde conquered all that it met and they took all our daughters for a generation so that our sons had to raid for wives. Our warriors fought bravely, but were driven back into the mountains and forests where the horses could not travel. The Queen of the Earth gave each of the new Khans a tree, a bird and an axe to show that they were our leaders and they left for the Empire to the West. The Khans left us alone as long as we paid taxes, for we were their kin. But the taxes grew heavier and heavier as the Khans became more and more like those of the Empire. At last, we revolted and fought against them. Suraman was one of our leaders. He had nearly beaten Hyalor in a race and had taken a flying horse for his own from Kargzant's Herd. He had travelled to the High Mountains and had gained the power of snow and ice. He wrapped his warriors in a shroud of snow and went to fight the Black Horde. Wherever the Cloud of Ice went, he was undefeated, for he could slip away under cover of the snowstorm and his pursuers would become lost in the blizzard. But then, a traitor told Sheng Seleris where he was and the Khan of Khans entered the snowstorm and blew it away with his own Hot Breath. All were slain except two young girls who were captured and executed.

One of our warriors raided the Black Horde and took as wife the beautiful daughter of a great Khan, the nephew of the nephew of Sheng Seleris. This Khan took an army and came to punish us, to take our daughters and leave our sons as eunuchs. His army came to our valleys, but we had fled to the forests that border our lands. The Khan was met by the warrior's brother, a sly and wicked man who offered to lead the Khan to where his brother lay with the Khan's daughter. The Kahn agreed and offered him a golden horse in return. The brother led the army into the forests and along wild and secret paths until they came to the Heart of the forest. The Brother then performed the Wood Trick and vanished into the trees, leaving the army to wander through the forests until they were killed by the elves. The brother returned to the warrior and told them what he had done. He led a Golden Horse that the Khan had ridden and married the Khan's Daughter's maidservant.

[End]