Note: The mythology and lore featured below has nothing to do with and is not based off of any human mythology. It was my own creation and any similarities to any real legends, religions, etc. is entirely coincidental. Though I use the name Kali and use her as a goddess, she is not at all related to or based upon the Hindu goddess Kali. It was simply a name I had discovered that I liked. And at the same time it happened to mean "Dark Goddess". I later discovered that there is an actual goddess named Kali.
The End and the Beginning
The First Wolf
The Birth of Evil
The Gift
The Return of Ze'ev
The Sacrifice
Balance and Creation
The Packs
The End and the Beginning
Years after the old world was destroyed by the past evils and the new world was rebuilt by the hopes of all things good, life began to, once more, inhabit the Earth. It was a second chance for all... Even humans, who had been the prime cause of the destruction.
Gaia, the Mother of Earth, had saved a few of each creature just before the world was destroyed. Only the purest at heart and soul were chosen, while the rest were allowed to be destroyed with the Earth. After Earth was rebuilt and the land was as lush and fresh as it had been at the time of it's Birth, Gaia released the pure hearted creatures back to their home, bidding them to live peacefully and prosper. There was no need to tell them to be wary of evil, for evil had long been destroyed. And even if it hadn't all been banished, surely they would learn from the past and resist evil if it should come.
But it was not the case. Gaia had forgotten about Kali, the Goddess of Darkness who had been responsible for the introduction of evil in the first place. Kali had not been destroyed for, like Gaia, she was immortal and could not be. However, Kali was weakened by the Earth Goddess, and had vanished during the destruction... But not for long.
The First Wolf
During this time of prosperity and happiness, one creature stood apart from the others: Ze'ev, the wolf. Unlike the other creatures, she seemed troubled and distant. This was natural, the others thought, for not only was she now the First Wolf, but she had also been the Last Wolf.
This was partially true, for Ze'ev felt very much alone. The other creatures had partners and friends of their own kind. But Ze'ev did not. This, however, wasn't the only source of her anxiety. She couldn't help but feel a deep sense of foreboding danger, something the other creatures didn't seem to sense. They were too happy and busy with their new lives that they had no time to give thought to anything like she did.
However, when days turned into months and months turned into years with no sign of danger, Ze'ev put her worries out of mind and set out to get on with her life and do something about being the only wolf on Earth. She created more of her kind, using her own flesh, blood, soul, and the elements of Earth around her. And in the end, she had created four wolves, male and female, and from them came all other wolves.
Ze'ev felt her lonliness dissipate and all worries exit her mind. This had been the source of all her problems, and she was happy once more. She even took a mate, and from them was produced many litters of healthy pups.
The Birth of Evil
This era of peace and prosperity went on for a good many years, enough time for the creatures of Earth to forget about the past. Ze'ev had long since died a natural death, but her Wolves lived on.
But among Ze'ev's wolves, one stood out among them. Tala. Unlike the other wolves, she was very distant, shy, and unsocial, much like Ze'ev had been at first. Unlike Ze'ev, though, Tala prefered to live alone, and she thus became the first Lone Wolf. Many misunderstood her, thinking she was conceited, but in truth Tala was one of the kindest wolves to ever walk the Earth. She just prefered the freedom that solitude gave her.
But most all things come with a price. Tala, after living for eleven years, came to the end of her life. In wolf years, eleven years is quite old, but if a wolf is part of a pack, chances are he still has a good many years to look forward to. But to a Lone Wolf, who has to provide for his self, eleven years is about it. Yet, as Tala lay dying, a voice in her ear offered to grant her Life, and thus prevent her from dying. But the offer was not without cost. The speaker requested half of her soul.
Of course, Tala did not want to die, and so she gave in foolishly. She did not know the speaker was actually Kali, the Dark Goddess. (For the full story, click here) Tala was thus changed from good to evil and made a servant of Kali. Her name was changed to Darkfate, and evil was reborn in the world.
Through Darkfate, Kali was able to convert other creatures to the ways of evil and Darkness. It was a time of chaos. The unsuspecting creatures of Earth fell victim to Darkfate easily, and many were convinced--And forced--To do the the bidding of Darkness. It was a sorrowful time of death and evil, which had been thought to have been banished for all time.
The Gift
At this time, the creatures of Light were extremely vulnerable. Unlike the creatures of Darkness, they possessed no magic, for when Gaia took them away from the dying Earth and were placed back on the new Earth, their magical abilities had been stripped of them. They were meant to live naturally.
But when Kali took Darkfate, the wolf was given a great deal of magic to do Kali's Dark will and, as more creatures came to the side of Darkness, they, too, were given magic. It was the gift they recieved for their loyalty, and with this gift they set out to destroy all things Light and Pure.
Gaia saw this happening, saw that her precious creatures were being destroyed since they had no way to defend theirselves against the powerful magic, and so she did the only thing she could do. She granted the creatures of Earth who were still loyal to the Light magic of their own. But this magic, Gaia warned, could only be used in self defense and for good. If any creature were to use it for it's own purposes or to hurt another creature who had done nothing to it, it would be doomed to turn Dark.
The Return of Ze'ev
Great battles began as the creatures of Light and Dark found that they were now equally matched. Many lives were lost, and the Earth was in a state of chaos. While the creatures of Darkness killed and fought simply for the thrill of it or in the hopes of attaining dominance over the other side, the creatures of Light fought and killed only in self defense or in an attempt to knock some sense into their one time friends.
But neither side was getting far and both sides suffered heavy losses. The Goddess of Earth feared that in the end, both sides would destroy each other. She knew something had to be done, but it was not within her power to stop them. As she thought of what she could possibly do to return peace to the land, a thought crossed her mind. It was the Wolves who had experienced Darkness first, since Kali's first target was Tala. And since it was a wolf who had birthed Darkness unto Earth, only a wolf could detroy it. But that wolf would have to have no loyalties toward Light or Dark and possess a pure heart and soul. None of the Wolves present on Earth possessed thses qualities. They were all tainted in one way or another and sided against each other. There was only one wolf who matched the qualifications, and she was dead. Ze'ev, the Daughter and Mother of Wolves.
So Gaia ressurrected Ze'ev. She created Ze'ev's mortal shell in the same fassion that Ze'ev had created her Wolves, and then she returned Ze'ev's soul back to her body and granted her life. When Ze'ev's eyes opened, she immediately saw the state that her home was in, and was saddened immensly. But when she saw the state that her Wolves were in, her heart became even more heavy with grief and she cried out, "Why, Mother Gaia, did you bring me back once more?" She asked, watching the battles from afar. "To let me see my home and children in ruins once more?"
But Gaia only replied, "Because only you can save them, all of them. A wolf birthed evil, and so a wolf must destroy it. Only you have that power, Ze'ev."
Ze'ev was at a loss. She had no idea what Gaia meant. She called out to Gaia again and again, pleading for guidance, but Gaia did not respond. Ze'ev was alone again.
The Sacrifice
Ze'ev was still musing over how she could possibly stop all this chaos when she found herself in the center of another battle, one that had kindled around her without her knowing. She was that deep in thought. Alarmed, Ze'ev did what any sensible creature would do and tried to get out of the crossfire. But she found that there was no place to go... And she found that wolves, her wolves, were dying around her.
She barely felt the razor claws, burning like fire, searing through her flesh as she stared helplessly as a young wolf was torn to shreds by two others. It made no difference to her what side they were on... They were her children. But the feel of warm liquid dripping down her face and the sound of an icy cold voice made her turn, and she found herself face to face with one of her own biological children. The look in his eyes told her that he knew who she was, but still, he continued to slash and claw at her as though she were some prey animal. Behind him, Ze'ev saw Darkfate, the very minion of Kali who had started it all, laughing mirthlessly at the sight. But Ze'ev did nothing. She just stared into her son's eyes sadly.
"Why are you doing this?" She asked him, standing her ground firmly even as she felt her strength fading. "Why won't you fight back, Matrika(mother)?" He snarled in return. Ze'ev shook her head. "Because I can't. I love you, all of you, too much, even in your corrupted state. I would die for you..." Ze'ev replied, unfeeling, even as her son delivered her a fatal blow. I'm so sorry, mother Gaia... I'm so sorry, my children. I have failed you all... Ze'ev thought as she lay dying. I could have done more. I could have helped. But I let him kill me. I couldn't fight back... I couldn't...
Balance and Creation
But to Ze'ev's surprise, this seemingly useless feat made all the difference. Before Ze'ev's dim eyes, the creatures stopped fighting, shaking their heads like ones who had just come out of a trance. When they saw what they had done, all the bodies littering the ground, deep regret showed in their eyes. Some cried. Others were too shocked to cry. But despite the varying reactions, it was clear that they all felt a deep remorse for what had happened. And they knew it could never be undone.
But this new Light did not show it's self in all the creatures. Darkfate was one of them, and with many followers she slinked away and vanished, probably to regroup and regain her strength and the strength of her followers. It is now known that she and her followers established their own pack, the Nightmares, from which the Wolves of Darkness spawned.
Ze'ev died that day, but with happiness in her heart. Her sacrifice had saved her wolves and her Earth, and she had no regrets, even though not all of the wolves had been restored. But this also gave her and the others a new understanding. Evil could not be prevented entirely. It could only be kept in check. As long as neither good or evil got too strong, the Earth would be in a state of balance.
And it was because of this understanding that the Packs came into existance...
The Wolf Packs
The Windsong Mountain Pack: The oldest pack(aside from the Nightmare Pack). It was formed right after Ze'ev's sacrifice and was the only pack for a long time. It served as a neutral pack and helps to keep balance in the land since it is neither Light nor Dark. The wolves, for many years, were refered to as the "Peacekeepers" because they lived in peace and prevented battles and disputes from occuring. At one time, the pack was spread throughout the land. In fact, there were many packs, but all of them considered themselves Peacekeepers. Yet, as time went on, wolves began to rebel against the seemingly "old ways" and left to form packs of their own... Including ones dedicated to the cause of Darkness. The Peacekeeper's numbers diminished, and they retreated to Windsong Mountain to live in peace and watch over the land. Not much is known about these wolves.
The Nightmare Pack: The first Dark pack formed. It is said to have been formed by Darkfate and her followers. The wolves there are dedicated to the cause of Darkness and are determined to spread it. It is also rumored that they are the ones responsible for tainting many unicorns, horses, dragons, and other creatures--Including wolves--With Darkness today. The Nightmare wolves have an alliance with the Wolves of Darkness and are skilled in the magical arts.
The DreamCatcher Pack: The first truly Light pack created. They are dedicated to the Light and determined to defeat Darkness. They are also skilled in the magical arts and have an alliance with the Wolves of Light.
The Wolves of Darkness: Like the Nightmares, they are dedicated to the cause of Darkness. They were spawned from the Nightmare Pack and are thus the youngest pack(along with the Wolves of Light).
The Wolves of Light: They are the same thing as the Wolves of Darkness except they are Light.
Back to Legends and Lore
Back to Spirits of the Earth
