Pumori of the White Fang

Pumori, Alpha of the White Fang. Art by Kanyiko

Pumori of the White Fang (Livegnet, 24 April 2424 a.a.H - disappeared September 2513) was a half-werewolf Alpha of the White Fang, adventurer, slave and officer of the Demonic Dark Legion during the Second War of the Power and councilmember of the Werewolf Council.

Centuries after her disappearance during the final stages of the Second War of the Power, she would become an iconic figure of the Werewolf Emancipation Movement in modern age Degoland.

Early Life

Family and Childhood

Pumori of the White Fang was born on the 24 April 2424 to Fergal White Fang and Lindsey in the settlement of Livegnet in White Fang territory in Mondwargh, Polforia, shortly before the settlement was destroyed. She was the eldest daughter of four children born to the pair, her younger siblings being Fenris and the twins Laria and Qven. Born the daughter of a werewolf and a human with mixed elven ancestors, she was a half-breed with a faun-like configuration, with a human upper body, and werewolf lower body.

Pumori grew up rather isolated on the farm where her mother Lindsey's parents had been born. This farm was among the last remnants of a failed colonisation attempt of Reivelin by the Grey elf/human state of Erenian. The farm, once part of a small settlement, now was a lone place in the Polforian wilderness, surrounded by the decaying ruins and graves of the failed colony which were slowly succumbing to nature. Pumori grew up in a rather limited world, surrounded by her father and mother, her aunt Freya White Fang, and her Quag cousins. Because of her half-werewolf nature, Pumori was a fiercely independent child, who often wandered far away from her family home.

Infanticide Attempt

As Pumori grew up and began wandering ever further off her home, news about her existence reached her estranged grandmother and Fergal's mother, Hel the Oathbreaker. Hel, then-Alpha of the White Fang Werewolf pack, had banished her son Fergal from the pack years before, after she had learnt that he had fathered an "aberration" with a human slave. When she learnt where her banished son was living, probably after he was recognised by a White Fang scout or hunting party, Hel traveled to the farm to see for herself. She was disgusted by the thought of a (former) werewolf of her pack living with a human as mate, and even more so when she found out about the survival of his daughter Pumori. She was especially incensed by Pumori's unusual appearance as a wolf-girl who had neither a normal humanoid, or wolf, or even a proper 'wolfperson' form. In order to hurt her son and permanently 'erase the blemish on her pack's honour', Hel attacked Pumori when she had wandered into the woods to play and left her for dead, thinking that she'd killed the little girl.

Hel didn't have time to do a 'proper' job of killing her grandchild, and left quickly before she could be challenged by the powerful Fergal. With a great deal of fortuitous medical aid from Centaur beast-people neighbors, Pumori survived with little or no lasting physical problems as a result of the attack. It happened so fast that no one was aware who did it, nor did Pumori remember much about it, and the memories of the attack itself largely faded as years passed.

Travel With Bog

Pumori was not always an obedient girl. She resisted clothes even when cold, as werewolves rarely need them

Despite this attack, as a few years went by, Pumori took to the wilderness around the farm and often preferred being in the woods than helping do what farm work she was allowed to do. Her family was fairly permissive of this behavior, perhaps feeling that it was for the best for her.

During one of her lonely expeditions, in the spring of 2430, Pumori encountered the adventurer Bog and decided to follow him: but while doing so, she got herself lost, and was unable to return home. She continued following Bog, which proved to be the beginning of her first adventure. For well over a year, young Pumori would follow the strange adventurer as he wandered throughout Polforia. As the sidekick of the adventurer Bog, Pumori would see many lands within and outside of the huge geographic land of Polforia. She would meet werewolf packs and walk into towns, saw miracle-like scenes, and meet all sorts of people and races for the first time.

Bog foolishly didn't realize that the young girl no longer knew how to return home. When he finally and belatedly discovered this, the pair's adventure would then change from Bog's irresponsible wanderings to become a true quest of trying to take Pumori home when neither could no longer say precisely where her home was. Bog would visit the werewolves south of Fronhost in the ominous sounding woods of Wildnacht to learn what he could from them regarding the werewolves of central Polforia. He was warned that the half-were child might belong to the White Fang and to be wary of them, as they had a grim reputation even amongst other werewolves.

Aunt Freya

Unknown to either one of the two odd travelers, the half-were girl's aunt, Freya White Fang was actively trying to locate Pumori. As Freya had a late start, she was never able to catch up, but she believed that the girl had been kidnapped and would follow aggressively and desperately as a result. Numerous encounters, some of which violent, would occur as a result of this search.

Bog's Daughter, Bogilla

Pumori meets Bogilla Sybill'innu for the first time

Along the way, Pumori would have to learn to mind Bog as her guardian, she would meet the Half Elf girl Bogilla Sybill'innu who was on the run and happened to encounter her father Bog against all odds. The two had met before, but neither knew that they were father and daughter. They encountered Bogilla without proper winter clothing in mountainous regions in a caravan. Bog had taken a job to protect the caravan, and would find that protecting Bogilla would prove more challenging. Bogilla was sought by knights from Fronhost for killing a soldier in an act of self-defence, when he had tried to rape her.

Bogilla was a teen village girl who was helpful as a 'big sister' to Pumori, helping to teach her certain finesse in matters that Bog could not. After Bog had gradually realized that Bogilla was his daughter, the teen was both angered and horrified as she did not much like Bog, despite his many - albeit often clumsy - attempts to help her. But the exuberant Pumori would attempt to establish the older girl's relationship with her father, and wanted to lead her onto an adventurer's path. The young Pumori ended up saving Bogilla from a small goblin attack that occurred during their crossing of the mountain path..

Unknown to the now three companions, Pumori's frantic aunt Freya's search would eventually lead to Bogilla's previous 'guardian', the owner of a tavern and brothel, named Ugrunt, and she injured him severely. Bogilla had gotten in trouble by injuring a soldier with a fork when he attempted to rape her. She had ran away with the help of her mother, the soldier later died. The attack on the owner of the establishment by a werewolf would even further confuse the situation regarding Bogilla with the authorities of Fronhost.

Length of the Adventure With Bog

The adventure with Bog took place well over a year in time, probably nearly 18 months. This adventure took place during the years of the spring of 2430 to the autumn of 2431 a.a.H. when Pumori was 6 to 7 years old.

Pumori would cover a distance of thousands of kilometers, from central Polforia, to lands of the Northern Nohalion Mountains not a great distance from the east coast, south to Wildnacht, and to Mondwargh, close to where she began. Her father, Fergal White Fang, would then take her another great stretch west and south, over the southern Dargoina Mountains, into the land of her mother's people, Erenian, on the west side of the continent.

Years later, even as an adult ranger, traveling far afield in war, Pumori would not outdo the traveling she did as a young girl.

Hel the Oathbreaker

Eventually, Bog managed to take Pumori to her family's pack, the White Fang, and by doing so, accidentally led to the fall of its tyrant ruler, Alpha Hel the Oathbreaker. He and Pumori never realized that Pumori's father Fergal had been banished from the White Fang Pack years before. Despite hearing warnings about the dangerous White Fang, Bog hoped that restoring the lost 'half-were wolf cub' to her clan would ensure his safety. He and his two young charges would remain at a Kanov farm of a friend of his named Dutvkkar that lay close to the border of White Fang territory.

After pondering the problem, Bog traveled into the White Fang territory and found the stronghold known as the Howling Keep. Hel barely restrained herself to listen to him, and then decided to allow Bog to go, claiming to be eager to accept Pumori again. Instead, Hel was livid as she had tried to kill Pumori years before, and had believed her dead. Now she was determined to finish the job, and she and a werewolf war pack departed surreptitiously following Bog, to ensure that Pumori and Bog would die. The pack omega (lowest ranking) werewolf bitch named Anyiko White Fang left the stronghold to return to where she knew the ruins of Fergal's farm was located, hoping to find him.

Hel's Attack on the Kanov Farm

Hel and her werewolves would indeed be successful in trailing Bog for three days to Dutvkkar's farm. Hel's warriors raided the farm, intending to kill all who were there, and to take what they wanted as provisions in their fortress for the coming winter. The attack besieged the farm, but failed to reach the main family or Bog and Pumori (or Bogilla). Hel's impatience led her to break into the main family structure, a sort of long house, and bring the fight inside, along with two other werewolves of her pack that just preceded her. However, the remaining members of the attacking war pack remained outside to observe.

Bogilla stood up before Hel to protect Pumori and would be lightly wounded by Hel's claws. Bog himself would stand before Hel and would gravely wound her with his sword. Hel found that her remaining werewolves failed to follow her into the close confines and were content to watch her fight. They had long been disaffected by her tyranny and growing unpredictability, and left her to fend for herself. Hel escaped from Bog, frustrated in her attempt to kill her granddaughter, but now desiring vengeance against her treacherous Pack even more.

The Fall of Hel

Despite her serious wound to her torso, Hel would quickly make her way back to the Howling Keep, she may have thought that she would find her betrayers there. Instead, she was the only returnee, the other werewolves who betrayed her were too afraid to face her despite her injury. Having lost all sense in her return to the stronghold, and feeling herself dying after her unadvised exertions following her injury, she attacked the innocents left behind in the stronghold, the cubs and aged and infirm. She would kill several challengers and many more of those who were not able to fight at all with perhaps about a dozen deaths or more on her hands.

In the aftermath of all this, some hours later the werewolf Omega bitch known as Anyiko White Fang, Fergal, and Fergal's sister and Pumori's aunt Freya, would wander onto the scene of the fortress. Freya would choose to confront her mother alone, and entered into the keep, and successfully kill her after an exchange of blows. Freya would soon become the new Alpha of the pack after this encounter.

War on the White Fang

Hel was dead, but the White Fang would pay a further price for Hel's raid beyond her territories. Dutvkkar had lost many people under him, including his brother. He summoned his extended family and neighbors to help him gain vengeance, and his appeal to his liege lord Ruthkarnd the Bear was answered. Ruthkarnd was tired of the threat of the White Fang and thought that they had gone too far to be ignored. He summoned many of his vassals and their fighters to the scene. They would also be joined by another lord named Burdovarr the Kinslayer and his own fighters as well. In addition, mercenary monster hunters including one Gunn Oddsdottir would be contracted as well so as there would be no slinking away by the werewolves. Bog and his two child companions would join this throng of over three hundred as they journeyed into White Fang territory towards the Howling Keep.

Parley

Freya was now acting as the new Alpha of the White Fang. She was advised to negotiate with the Kanov force, as the White Fang was actually far weaker than they appeared to be, especially after the raid on the farm which had turned into a debacle in terms in killing and scattering some of the best warriors the clan had. Indeed, most other White Fang fighters were with sub-packs elsewhere in the territory. so disorganized were the werewolves that the small army of Kanovs approached and remained undetected until only hours before they arrived at the Howling Keep.

Freya demonstrated that the previous alpha, Hel the Oathbreaker was dead. She resolved to give up some of the White Fang's territory in a peace treaty. Bog was able to act as an interpreter, Ruthkarnd was ready to listen, and the selfishly motivated but wily and canny Burdovarr the Kinslayer was eager to negotiate so as he could get much of the land in the agreement. Burdovarr's presence probably kept the campaign of war from going forward. Likewise, Fergal White Fang and Anyiko White Fang kept the often short-tempered Freya in check, councilling her every move.

Additionally, the treaty that was created established a system of conduct and tribute with the Kanovs. This arrangement helped build links with the White Fang's Kanov neighbors, and they seemed to have a big effect on the young Pumori who was reunited with her father Fergal, and aunt Freya during these negotiations. The unexpected return of Pumori from a lost state where she was given up for dead had also helped improve the mood of conciliation. Pumori would honor and enhance her commitments in the future as she felt that they made problems go away without violence.

Pumori's Family Had Left Polforia

As the family farm had been destroyed in a Goblin attack during her absence, about five months after she had left, Pumori would be returned home to her family's new home to the southwest, over the southern arm of the Dargoina Mountains in a country called Erenian, that was largely inhabited by Grey elf, human, and Half Elf people. This was the land that originated the colonists that founded the failed colony of Reivelin. These were the grey elven. half elf people of Pumori's mother, Lindsey.

Life in Erenian

Following the conclusion of her adventures with Bog, Pumori joined her father on the journey back to their new home in the Grey elf colony Erenian. There, Pumori would lead a relatively quiet life for approximately the next thirty months, growing up for the first time in a civilised settlement, among numerous other people. Even though Pumori learnt a lot during her time in Erenian, and even got to befriend some inhabitants, she never really felt at home in the Grey Elf settlement. It was here that, for the first time in her life, Pumori really experienced that she was viewed as being 'different', and that she experienced difficulties over her physical differences. Despite Fergal and Lindsey's best efforts to protect her, Pumori found herself occasionally bullied by some of the local youths, an experience which led Pumori to doubt her place among 'humans' and humankind. However, worse was to come.

Pumori Enslaved

Capture

In the spring of 2434 a.a.H., Pumori was kidnapped by opportunistic slavers, and when her mother tried to intervene, she was stabbed and apparently killed in front of Pumori's eyes. After a long and arduous journey that involved her switching hands a number of times, the half-were girl ended up in the city of Roccasone where she would be enslaved for the next three years. Considered to be an unusual curiosity, Pumori was presented to the king and prince of the city.

Roles as a Slave

During her captivity, Pumori endured many humiliations in her years in Roccasone, which would have long lasting effects on her, both physical and psychological. Most of what happened to her is unknown, though records surviving from Roccasone show that she was at times used to demonstrate the 'inferior and immoral nature of the Demon races' in public displays to 'educate' (and entertain) the people of Roccasone. She also suffered abuse at the hands of the Royal Family of Roccasone, and as a result of this, Pumori would become pregnant and give birth to a daughter (Puri White Fang) in early 2437 a.a.H., the infant being taken from her not very long after birth. She would be told later that the infant had died.

Her last and most famous role as a Roccasone slave was that of gladiator, fighting death matches in an amphitheater that had been converted for use as a fighting pit, rather than for the performance of plays as the theatre was intended. This difference of design would allow Pumori to launch a rebellion.

The "Pumori Slave Revolt"

In the year 2437, using the messenger 'ponies' of Roccasone (see Horses of Roccasone), to carry illicit instructions for the slaves as well, the means of a revolt were put in place with Pumori serving as its visible head as she had become known in the city. The revolt was successful, in due to planning, and also due to the presence of the mercenaries Bog and Gunn Oddsdottir who chose to aid the revolt.

The slaves gained nominal control over much of the city, except for the citadel and highest level of Roccasone which remained in control of the king Tibal I de Roccasone. There was no real way to complete the revolt and hold the city before the army arrived, but this had never been the goal of Pumori's revolt to begin with. Instead, Pumori led away the slaves she managed to convince before reinforcements arrived to crush the revolt. Most of the slaves who stayed behind thinking that they could run the city either perished when the newly arrived reinforcements met up with those troops left in the upper circle of the city, or were executed afterwards in a public display to dissuade future slave revolts.

Alpha of the White Fang

Pumori Decides to Remain in Polforia

Having escaped into the vast region of Polforia, feeling damaged in mind and body, having witnessed her mother's apparent murder before her eyes, and never having felt fully accepted amongst her mother's people in Erenian, Pumori decided against trying to go home, but instead returned to the lands of her childhood, the ruined grey elf colony Reivelin, and then found her way to White Fang territory.

Freya's Reasons for Accepting Pumori

Her aunt Freya White Fang welcomed her, and her werewolf followers, and did not return her home as the White Fang was in the midst of a war, or became so not long after Pumori arrived. Further, Pumori would come to believe that human civilization, and perhaps even the grey elven civilization of her mother, was inherently wrong. The situation of unusual demihumans in Sargos dominated territories like Erenian had not improved in the time Pumori was gone either.

Freya herself had searched fruitlessly for Pumori in Erenian, having to content herself with only punishing her niece's initial enslavers. Freya would have had no desire to return Pumori to the land where she was enslaved in the first place.

Followers

Of the various slaves that followed Pumori out of Roccasone, almost all had attempted to return to some other lives in Polforia. But several werewolves remained by her side, perhaps to live in the now wilderness land of Reivelin, or to attempt to join the White Fang. As Pumori was the niece of the White Fang alpha, it might have seemed a good place to go, despite the White Fang's long running isolationist ways and fearsome reputation.

Speculations: Pumori's werewolf followers might have been the ones to convince her to abandon the region of her childhood home in Reivelin for a larger werewolf society? It is also possible that the area had fallen under some other large pack's territory? Or else Pumori might have wanted to investigate the situation before going directly to the White Fang? Certainly seeing if Freya was still in charge would have likely been a wise precaution.

Pumori became a leader and scout in the pack despite her disabilities as a werewolf

Rising Up From an Omega

Pumori would start her time in the pack as a lowly omega, and gradually learned how to function in a werewolf pack. It was not easy, given her unusual configuration, but her time wandering and hunting as a child had helped ensure that she was well used to the outdoors, able to track and kill some game, and her time with Bog had taught her new ways of doing things (such as using archery). Her time with her mother's elven people had taught her more, as did the steely discipline, determination and aggression she learned as a slave and gladiator.

Overcoming Limitations

Pumori had a difficult time becoming a pack member as she was 'disabled' relative to the werewolves, but the lessons she had learned in life allowed her to adapt in unusual ways to make up for her small body that didn't transform. Her archery skills would eventually make her a good hunter, and her time as a slave and helping to coordinate a slave revolt taught her about teamwork and leadership. Eventually Pumori would excel in hunting and in leadership in innovating useful new strategies of teamwork.

First Among the Omegas

The presence of her werewolf followers who were also now omegas helped Pumori rise. They would remain fiercely loyal to her, and were, in many cases, deficient in wilderness knowledge themselves. They would form an inner core of support for Pumori within the White Fang. Freya seems to have tolerated this arrangement, and indeed, it may have been useful to her in the end as these several omegas were loyal to each other, loyal to Pumori, and in effect, loyal to Freya. Political support was something Freya needed.

The Dark Legion of Demons

Sometime circa 2436, the Dark Legion werewolf knight Rippien the Tasteless entered into essentially one sided negotiations with the White Fang. Later, from 2437-2439, Rippien would often be on hand as an observer and Dark Legion officer, ensuring that the White Fang was serving the interests of the Dark Legion, While Freya could not possibly have enjoyed having an overseer essentially commanding her and observing the White Fang's actions, she had learned through a dream-quest in the Dreamworld of the werewolves that this was the correct choice for the survival of the White Fang.

Despite Rippien dealing with the alpha, Freya White Fang, he seemed quite interested in Pumori. Perhaps he was interested in her as a sexual partner, or he or his own masters saw her as a useful tool as she was an escaped slave from Roccasone. Roccasone was a petty mountain kingdom that was nonetheless well fortified that the Dark Legion needed to destroy before attacking the Five Kingdoms of the Northwest. They wanted the human kingdom of Roccasone to preferably fall quickly than to have any extended siege as they wanted to storm through the Degoland Pass that the kingdom stood in front of, and the city guarded.

Speculation: Pumori as a former slave and abused young girl was still deeply hurt emotionally, and was liable to lash out, at Rippien as well, but this did not dissuade him, and perhaps convinced him that Pumori would make a good fanatic for leading operations against Roccasone? As the Dark Legion wanted the White Fang to become their enforcers in Mondwargh and beyond, they might have focused on Pumori for that reason as well? That she might be eager for real vengeance against the humans and willing to whip the tribes-folk into joining the Dark Legion?

In any case, Freya did decide for the White Fang to act as the enforcers for the Dark Legion, and so the White Fang would convince all the disparate tribes of Mondwargh, Kanovs, orcs, beast-folk, and other werewolves to join the Dark Legion. Or they would use violence to ensure that they did. As a result of this, the White Fang would spend perhaps three years at war to unify the tribes and force them to join into legions of soldiers committed to the Dark Legion of Demons.

Battle of the Cauldron

Late in 2438 a.a.H., Pumori and the White Fang, together with Rippien and probably with some of Rippien's own werewolf forces of his own Dead Moon clan, and components of other werewolf clans that had joined the Dark Legion, fought and defeated the remaining "Free Clans" of the holdouts in the Battle of the Cauldron, in south Mondwargh, in the Southern Dargoina Mountains. The battle took place in the territory of the Silver Moon clan of werewolves, and they took a major part in the battle and suffered heavy losses.

Rippien in the battle's aftermath was hoping that Pumori would join the Fallen Knights as his squire. Pumori at one level was easily manipulated by her anger of humans; however, as she saw even the demon mockery of knightly orders as emulating humans, she was not interested in the offer. Nor did she really much care for Rippien or the fighting of other werewolves and orcs, kanovs and beastfolk when she wanted to fight humans, particularly the kingdom of Roccasone. Putting up with Rippien and the Dark Legion and these battles of unifying Mondwargh under a Werewolf Council was a painful and brutal means to an end for her.

Becoming an Alpha

In 2439 a.a.H., Pumori had risen to become the "Beta wolf" under her aunt Freya. Pumori was chosen to be the successor of Freya White Fang, her aunt, after Freya suffered crippling wounds, the clan needing a new leader for their forces in the new demonic war of their overlords.

At the time of the Battle of the Cauldron, Pumori was the Beta wolf, but acting Alpha, as Freya had been recently severely injured in either a negotiation that was a ambush and trap, or a negotiation that devolved to fighting. Exact circumstances are still unknown, but may have occurred just days or even hours earlier.

Second War of the Power: The Campaign of Sargos

The Fall of Roccasone

In the autumn of 2439 a.a.H., no more than thirty months after her slave revolt and her escape, Pumori would return to the small, mean kingdom that had enslaved and tormented her. This would unnerve the human inhabitants greatly, as Pumori had become something of a 'legendary monster' to the people for her devastating slave revolt and her escape and disappearance in the aftermath.

Scouting and Raiding

Pumori would lead the White Fang werewolves in the opening moves of the war against the western nations by taking a large White Fang warpack to the Western Dargoina Mountains and scouting and brutally raiding the eastern lands of her enemies, the people of the small kingdom of Roccasone. Working closely with the werewolves at this time was Pumori's half sister Pumne, leading an Ozcura Orc raiding party from Billiboncea. They would cooperate in raids on the farms and villages in the mountain valleys within the Dargoina Mountains.

Vengeance on the Royal Family

Near the end of 2439 a.a.H., Pumori would later be recruited by the Soul Shard succubus Laisha for a secret mission within the city of Roccasone due to her familiarity with the city and her heroic status in the great slave revolt there a few years earlier. So, Pumori was infiltrated into the city itself by succubae along with six small werewolves. They would help the agents of the Dark Legion to prepare the city for takeover by arranging a new slave revolt to correspond with an attack of the Dark Legion and the sabotage of the main gate. The actions that they took during the Dark Legion's attack included the decapitation of the State by the assassination of King Tibal I de Roccasone and his possible successors Valerian de Roccasone and Alex de Roccasone, and assisting in the taking of an upper gate house.

Reuniting with Her Lost Daughter

Unexpectedly, Pumori would rescue her own lost daughter Puri White Fang who had been left behind when she had fled the city after the earlier slave revolt in 2437 a.a.H., as Pumori believed her dead. The White Fang would gain some wealth in the spoils of the city of Roccasone that would be sent to the head quarters of the White Fang, the fortress of Howling Keep.

Dreamquest

The Abbey

After the Fall of Roccasone, Pumori would depart the city, renamed by the new Succubus Queen Laisha as Skallgard, and she, her daughter, and her tiny invasion force, was flown by succubae to meet up with her warpack on a recently abandoned abbey that the White Fang occupied as a temporary quarters in captured territory amidst the Dargoina Mountains. Presumably the abbey was located somewhere near the Degoland Pass, although it might have been recessed a few to several kilometers into a mountain valley. It was a fairly peaceful period where the warpack took a break. The White Fang warpack had been engaged in warfare and raids since the autumn of 2439 a.a.H., through the winter, and into the next year, this after the travel to get to Roccasone territory, and savage battles in Mondwargh for perhaps two years before to unite the tribes into the Dark Legion.

Pumori was very successful, and happy to be reunited with the daughter that she believed to be dead; but she was sick of warfare by this time. Particularly the werewolf leader was disturbed by all the little villages and farms that she raided in Roccasone territory in the previous fall and winter, dooming many innocent inhabitants to enslavement or mostly death due to violence, hunger or cold. Also, the Fall of the hated city of Roccasone itself resulted in deaths and enslavements in numbers that Pumori had never experienced before. Pumori hated Humans, but her mother was half-human as well as an ethnic Half Elf, and she also had met many humans in her childhood travels with Bog. As a result, Pumori was caught in a moral conundrum of her hate and compassion.

Pumori Nearly Overthrown

The wise-woman Azik White Fang was present in the warband, presumably to treat injured werewolves. She was also able to allow Pumori to go into long lasting sleep trances into the Dreamworld in search of an answer. This would be seen as a sign of weakness and an opportunity by those dissidents in the warpack that wanted to remove Pumori. Particularly a werewolf named Rocco White Fang led this insurrection and nearly succeeded but for a handful of werewolves and the human captive Vince White Fang who was instrumental in preventing the attack from killing Pumori as she emerged from her dreamquest. This event, as much as her dreamquest, gave Pumori her practical answers.

Early Injured Sent Home

Vince, Puri White Fang, some injured werewolves who couldn't travel at speed, and a few young able-bodied werewolves sent back to protect the group and to hunt for food, returned home to the Howling Keep. Pumori and the rest of the warpack left the abbey after their 'time off' and headed south to Erenian.

Speculation: It would be logical for Pumori to have aided the general and Bazrrod demon lord named Vortigern by scouting for him as his vanguard force pushed through the Degoland Pass. In effect, the White Fang had already helped him by preparing the way, but while it is possible that the White Fang spent some time helping Vortigern's army, there is no evidence that they ever served directly under him.

Despite the relative swiftness of the fall of the fortified city, Vortigern's army would be delayed for some days due to the sacking of the city and sorting of its inhabitants. Getting his army reorganized and pushing through the Pass would take Vortigern longer than planning originally allowed. Help from other forces, probably specialists, were required to force the pass. Attacks from mountain valleys attacking Vortigern's flanks and rear were probably also hazards to deal with. 'Cleaning out' valleys of armed humans, and sieging fortified positions were time consuming.

The White Fang might have aided with this, but evidence suggests that they were 'on vacation' in the several days following the fall and sack of Roccasone, and that they probably departed for Erenian shortly afterward. It is possible that initially their help was not thought to be needed, and that they were sent south to help get the southern army moving up into Degoland? As Pumori had once lived in Erenian, perhaps her demon superiors believed that she would have some knowledge of the region?

Return to Erenian

Sargonic Resistance and a Slowed Dark Legion Advance in the South

Pumori and her warpack were sent to the south into the land of Erenian where Pumori had lived for a time as a child with her family. The land was wartorn as a large Dark Legion army had gone the long way around the Dargoina Mountains to the south, but at least some components of that army had gotten bogged down in Erenian.

Possibly this delay was mostly due to sacking and a lack of supplies that turned into a looting free for all and loss of cohesion to the army. The exact reasons aren't known, but it would seem that the Erenian humans, elves and half elves and other races fought to defend themselves with Sargonic and Degolandic support from the north, hoping to halt and contain the dark legion army. The interior of Erenian was probably also defended with the support of the Knight and Fluvial military Order of the River Guard.

Sargonic Rangers and the Silver Moon Werewolves

As Pumori was on the invading side of the war, she probably didn't seek out her family at this time? However, this period is rather undefined. It would seem that Pumori would run afoul of Sargonic rangers and alchemists (possibly a special division of the River Guard?) while in Erenian. These Sargonic special forces were adept at ambushing other light rangers, even werewolves, with the help of an alchemical scent neutralizing agent, probably a lotion. The White Fang forces would encounter these special enemy forces in a rescue of the werewolf warpack of the Silver Moon and their acting alpha of Claw Silver Moon while they were being savaged by an ambush by these Sargonic Special forces.

Speculation: The alchemists who made the lotion might have been using actual magic and might have been elves or Half Elfs native to Erenian?

Against her will, her Dark Legion superiors would combine the nearly destroyed Silver Moon warpack with her own White Fang warpack.

Speculation: Pumori has a history of cooperative efforts. But it is possible that she didn't trust these new werewolves, particularly their alpha, Claw Silver Moon, in the beginning? It is important to remember that she was fighting a war and didn't want any command issues or a potential rival. The Silver Moon clan had been bitter rivals who had suffered heavy losses in the Battle of the Cauldron little over a year before, so Pumori had good reason to be suspicious of them, even after saving this Silver Moon war-pack. Also, Pumori had survived a coup attempt by members of her own warpack just weeks earlier, so she might have worried about these new members? She also had a strange sense of Claw Silver Moon that she didn't know what to make of, and that made her suspicious.

In any event, weeks after this attack by the special forces and their alchemist 'scent neutralizing cover', the combined warpack using cooperation of Pumori and Claw would successfully track down and destroy the Sargonic Special Forces that had successfully survived for a time, playing a part in frustrating the Dark Legion army in Erenian. The alchemists and their developments were destroyed as well.

Orcs in the Second War of the Power watching the fortified elferie of Pointu Orielle in the Osorio River between Sargos and Erenian in Aels

Pointu Orielle Capture and Destruction

Pumori is also noted for her capture and destruction of the fortified Elferie island of Pointu Orielle, which was an important means across the southern Osorio River and a base for the River Guard that was preventing the Dark Legion from crossing of the river. Pumori would gain fame and infamy for capturing the island town, apparently putting most of the inhabitants to death by a slow form of hanging, and allowing the means for the Dark Legion to cross the Osorio far south of the Sargonic capital of Millbridge.

In actuality, most of the surviving inhabitants of Pointu Orielle are believed to have been sent to Skallgard as White Fang war booty.

West of the Osorio River

Defensive Screening

The combined White Fang and Silver Moon unit would operate in northeast Tardos and southern Sargos for some weeks until the general retreat of the Dark Legion was called after 'The Miracle' of the Battle of the plains of Sargos. They would seem to have been operating as scouts so as to kill enemy scouts, and to detect and possibly fight any reinforcements from going to the north, or refugees from going to the south. It would seem that they may have fallen loosely under the command of General Vortigern, a Bazrrod and duke of Dark Legion. Vortigern's army assigned to the south so as to protect the flank of the grand army of the Dark Legion to the north as they overran nearly all of the Osorio Valley and to have a decisive battle against the combined army of the Five Kingdoms of the Northwest.

General Vortigern

Pumori would be called before the nearby Bazrrod General Vortigern to answer questions related to the Fall of Roccasone. Vortigern was infuriated that the Soul Shard succubus known as Laisha, a demoness he had long known and had served over, had effectively enslaved the Soul Stone of her true master, and had set herself up as Queen of Skallgard, Skallgard being the renamed fallen human city of Roccasone. As Pumori was a hero in the fall of the city (from the perspective of the demons), Vortigern wanted to question Pumori so as learn certain details that he hoped to raise against Laisha after the campaign. Pumori, however, was both frightened and annoyed by Vortigern and this waste of her time.

Vortigern himself had made an attempt to recruit Pumori and win her loyalty, but was likewise annoyed at Pumori's passive non-cooperation with his entreaties. He also effectively accused her and her unit of 'vacationing' in the forests to the south of his army.

Speculation: While he didn't specifically refer to it, Vortigern might have been annoyed by the White Fang warpack leaving the Degoland Pass early in the year as he was trying to force his way through it? He might have belatedly realized that they might have sped his passage through the pass while they were 'on vacation' before heading to Erenian?

Retreat

The Messenger

Raisi informing Pumori of the White Fang of the General Retreat

For the most part, this was a fairly pleasant time for the White Fang as little of the war was touching them in the woods at this time. In a sense, they were 'occupying' the forest so as no human or Grey elf forces would be able to sneak through it as cover. However, a few days after her unpleasant meeting with Vortigern, news reached Pumori and her company of the great disaster to the Dark Legion at the end of the Battle of the plains of Sargos and of the general order to retreat following the disaster befalling the enormous central Dark Legion army. This news and order would reach Pumori from a lone Draak Harg messenger named Raisi who arrived injured with the dire news.

Pumori was actually quite sick of the war but understandably had ambivalent feelings about retreating. She did not trust Vortigern for his questioning of her; nor did she forgive him for not being the one to send word of the retreat to her warpack. Instead, she would have been abandoned and ignorant of the retreat but for the sole messenger who came south in increasing risk to inform the southern units.

Raisi, himself, would be noted for remaining associated with the White Fang for some time afterwards.

Rescuing Pumne

Pumori had a long way to travel northeast until she could escape through the Degoland Pass, but her light warpack could travel quickly. She caught up to Vortigern's retreating army and aided in its escape by striking at the baggage train and encampment of a human army embattling the rear of the diminished Dark Legion force. Otherwise, she avoided revealing herself to the demon lord or his army and continued on ahead of him. Pumori would be doubly glad for avoiding Vortigern in that she also came to the timely rescue of her half-sister Pumne and her Ozcura Orc force before it was wiped out by knights harassing the retreating force.

Encountering Ks'nbosh

Pumori and her half sister would also join the retreating army and orc and multi-race settlers headed by the talented orc warlord and shaman Ks'nbosh. She would become allied with Ks'nbosh although would be rather disturbed by his use of human slaves which would be another element in her internal journey to dealing with humans and her hate for them.

Pumori would join forces with the warriors of Ks'nbosh to surprise and destroy the large contingent of knights that were a dangerous harassing force for the retreating throng of Ks'nbosh and other orc groups. This little army of knights were the same ones that had sent the force that had nearly destroyed Pumne's Ozcura Orcs.

Aiding Queen Laisha

In Skallgard, Pumori would come into conflict with Queen Laisha as Pumori no longer agreed with the Succubus Queen's plans for humans, and rejected the queen's attempt to enlist her aid against the coming human army. Pumori was more interested in going home sooner rather than later, and was as sick of demon manipulations of her and the White Fang. However, Pumori ultimately did aid Queen Laisha against the treachery of General Vortigern resulting in the dis-incarnation of the demon lord. Pumori would take the slave boy Archon and his fellow 'street rats' (Rats of Skallgard) and their surviving families with them into Mondwargh and the White Fang base of the Howling Keep as an act of compassion and forgiveness.

Pumori and Claw

Introduction Amidst War

During the Sargos campaign of 2440, Pumori's White Fang and the Ozcura warband of her half-sister Pumne happened upon a Sargonic ambush as it was taking place. As such, the combined pack/warband managed to defeat their Sargonic opponents and rescue the victims of their ambush, namely a group of Silver Moon werewolves. Despite the rescue, the group of Silver Moon werewolves had suffered severe losses, with most of the surviving members of the group being injured. As a result, the Werewolf unit was no longer capable of fighting on its own, and the Demon overlords decided to merge it with the larger White Fang group.

Claw as the Mate of Pumori

At first, Pumori opposed this decision. Not only was she angered by the undesirable intervention of her demon overlords, but she was also unnerved by the young (acting) Alpha of the Silver Moon pack - Claw Silver Moon. Despite this, the two packs worked side by side for the remainder of the campaign, and gradually Pumori started to warm towards Claw. Before the Sargos campaign was truly at its end, Pumori found herself pregnant with her first litter of Claw's.

Upon their return to Howls following the Sargos Campaign, Pumori officially proclaimed Claw as her mate in a ceremony, which also saw Claw adopt both Puri White Fang (Pumori's child by Prince Valerian de Roccasone) and Khogah White Fang (adopted by Pumori upon Rocco White Fang's death). Eventually she would give birth to her first litter with Claw on Christmas Eve 2440 A.a.H., a litter consisting of two girls (Silver Tail and Mussa) and a boy (Grey Streak).

Alliance With the Silver Moon

As a result of the losses incurred during the campaign, Claw's pack, the Silver Moon, found its position weakened among the greater alliance of Demon people. In order to counter this, Pumori reached an agreement with Grim, the elderly Alpha of the Silver Moon and Claw's father, for a permanent alliance between the two werewolf packs.

Councilwoman

Leader of the White Fang: Reforms and policies

Freya as Alpha

Freya White Fang was a far less brutal leader than Hel the Oathbreaker to be sure. Although she was well accustomed to living by her own terms outside of a complex pack structure and was known to be impatient and uncompromising. Ironically, a big first step towards reforming the White Fang came about due to being forced into it by the Kanov invasion of the White Fang territory back in 2431. She was forced to deal with the Kanov warlords on their terms rather than her own, which was only accomplished by negotiators at her side more than herself. Still, it was a big first step, and one that she maintained, true to her word, even though, ironically, such a parley was not in her nature.

It is not surprising that very little changed external to the White Fang mega-Pack beyond the deal made in the parley. Internally, the White Fang no longer had to contend with a reign of terror such as imposed by the former alpha, Hel the Oathbreaker. This improved the functions and population of the White Fang considerably. One big reform that Freya made on her own was the recovery of many of the White Fang exiles along with some new blood of mates and offspring that came with them back into the White Fang clan.

Still, Freya was no reformer. Pumori's rapid rise from an 'omega' to a beta directly under Freya came from Pumori's innovations. Werewolves would come to see the value of tactics and strategy they hadn't used before, or hadn't used for generations. They would start to learn archery to attack from a distance, and use other senses beyond scent and hearing in detecting and positioning themselves in war. These innovations in tribal war, and perhaps a need for loyal support, would cause Freya to raise Pumori up so rapidly?

Pumori became a deadly fighter. She had to sometimes fight other werewolves who were against her

Incorporation of Multiple Peoples into the White Fang

As Alpha, Pumori, would first be involved in the Campaign of Sargos, and the Fall of Roccasone. But, as a result of war, she would bring Grey elf, Half Elf, and human slaves with her as war booty back to the Howling Keep. Many of these people would become a part of the White Fang society beyond slavery and the White Fang would become much more technically sophisticated and even literate as a result.

New Treaties

Pumori would also build on Freya's early treaty with building closer relationships with the Kanov groups that bordered White Fang territory. This was probably necessary as the White Fang had acted as Dark Legion enforcers and recruiters in the lead up to the Sargos Campaign. The White Fang had warred against many tribes of peoples in Mondwargh and beyond, and bitter feelings had to be dealt with, particularly those close to home.

Due to military organization and familiarity, Pumori would have close relations with groups much further away, such as the Silver Moon Pack of werewolves, and the Ozcura Orcs of Billiboncea. Both groups Pumori served closely with at one time or another during the Sargos campaign, and would continue to have relations afterwards.

Urbanization

The White Fang was also the nominal head of a legion in Mondwargh, and Dark Legion soldiers would become familiar in White Fang territory, and even administered from the Howling Keep, which would need to become literate and sophisticated as a result. This would spur the urbanization of the Howling Keep from just a little half-ruined castle into a fortified town called Howls.

Appearance and Character

Attributes

Pumori was the child of a werewolf (who had some blood from actual wolves) and a half elf/human. She had multiple siblings who essentially looked like Half Elfs and had no or no apparent ability to transform. Pumori could not transform either, but she had a sort of a feral wolfish appearance in many of her bodily attributes:

• Hind legs that were wolf like and furry
• A furry wolf tail
• Fur on otherwise humanoid arms and shoulders
• Pointed Wolf ears with presumably wolf hearing
• Secondary, smaller sets of breasts and nipples

Less obvious, despite having an essentially humanoid face and mouth, her jaws and teeth had stronger biting capacity than a human's. Her spine and neck were also more capable of quadruped walking and running than most humanoids, although her arms and hands were ill suited for that mode of travel. Pumori's hind legs and spine were perfectly functional for propelling her forward both as a quadruped and for bipedal walking and running, and for holding her body upright.

Also, despite having an apparently humanoid sized and shaped nasal cavity, Pumori had an enhanced sense of smell more akin to a wolf's.

Pumori was never very large, even as an adult, being both short and slight relative to most werewolves who tended to be large and muscled humanoids even in their humanoid configuration. Much of this could be traced back to the abuse she suffered as a slave in Roccasone.

Nudist

Perhaps because of her unusual form, and her father, Fergal White Fang who remained in "wolfman" form almost continuously in her young childhood, Pumori would identify with being a 'wolf' and aspects of that were living outdoors and exploring often alone, and avoiding clothing. This propensity towards nudity would be reinforced by werewolves rarely using clothes as clothes get in the way of their transformations and they are most often furry, rarely taking on their humanoid forms.

Even as an adult, Pumori would only wear furs in winter.

Personality

As a Child

As a child, Pumori would have a curious, fun loving personality, and would be gregarious to those she would meet, despite her penchant for being alone. The farm of her family simply not being able to confine her interest despite being in a ruined Grey elf colony that was returning to wilderness. This wanderlust would find expression when she went on her childhood adventure with Bog. She would prove to be friendly, observant, intelligent, and loyal in her first long adventure towards Bog, Bogilla Sybill'innu, and many of the people that they would meet.

The deadly and unexpected conflict that arose between her mentor, Bog, and the Kanov people that she briefly lived with, against the werewolves of the White Fang would confuse and traumatize her for a time. The resolution of a parley and her reuniting with her father Fergal White Fang and aunt Freya White Fang may have helped favorably predispose negotiations in her mind?

While her life in the Grey elf land of Erenian was still quite rural, it was hardly the wilderness that she had grown up in. In particular, she could no longer come and go as she pleased, and needed to comport herself differently amongst the Grey elf populace. Her friendship with Bogilla Sybill'innu and journeys to various towns in the east likely helped her adjust, but it was a very jarring experience. She was now faced with prejudice based on her appearance despite her mother being a Half Elf. This was a beginning of feeling that she didn't belong in this society.

Gladiator 'Celebrity' and a Cooperative Survivor

As a slave, Pumori demonstrated a trial by fire that proved her will to survive and for her spirit to remain free. She also had the toughness and flexibility of mind to kill fellow gladiators in the arena, but also to deal with them and other slaves to plotting her part in a slave revolt. Her profile as a well known gladiator would make her the visible face for the revolt. Clearly she had powerful charisma and leadership abilities that came out at this time.

Continuing Need to Prove Herself

After her enslavement, Pumori was a very angry individual. If she thought that she'd be more readily accepted by the werewolves of the White Fang, who were ruled by her aunt Freya White Fang, she would be disappointed. She would have to struggle hard to fit into a werewolf pack and find acceptance. She was aided in this by her childhood years giving her wilderness experience and other ways of detecting prey, and also by her time as a gladiator toughening her up and giving her combat skills, and learning how to cooperate and deal with people who might be competing against her. She would find this most valuable in climbing the hierarchal rungs in werewolf, pack-based, society, and her fellow pack members would soon discover that the diminuitive girl was hardly a weak cub.

As a Commander

Her efforts in the early stages of the Second War of the Power would use all her skills as both a ranger and infiltrator, and also in cooperating with allied groups of warriors. The rigors of warfare would give her a dark and bleak reputation as she raided humans and often executed or otherwise doomed them amidst the backdrop of a mountain winter. She would be a prime factor in the fall of the Roccasone Kingdom and the enslavement of many thousands of humans. Yet this violence would cause her to question some of her assumptions and to give up much of her anger towards her enemies.

After the Sargos Campaign, and even during it, much more of her gregarious and curious self would come forth again in matters beyond surviving and warfare.

Influence and Legacy

Leader of the White Fang for most of the Second War of the Power, Pumori's decisions as alpha of the White Fang would prove to be crucial for the White Fang recovering its status as the greatest and most powerful of the Werewolf packs of Mondwargh, and as well, being the first clan to accept non-werewolves as clanmembers.

Because of her policies of racial integration and expansion of the clan and of alliances rather than petty differences between the bands of werewolves, centuries later during the Werewolf Clans the Werewolf Confederation would end up using her as an icon.

See also

• White Fang
• Hel the Oathbreaker
• Fergal White Fang
• Freya White Fang
• Puri White Fang
• Khogah White Fang
• Anyiko White Fang
• Pumne
• Claw Silver Moon
• Second War of the Power
• Bog
• Rippien
• Gunn Oddsdottir
• Azik White Fang

Creator

Pumori is a character by Kanyiko.