#I've always wondered how the wolf in the story knew when Ivan should try to sneak in

[franticbindings]

The Volkovs

(Illustration for the Fairy Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird, and the Gray Wolf, 1902, Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin)

There is a traditional tale about a prince who sought a firebird for his father, and the shapeshifting wolf who helped him in his task. The version I am familiar with ends after the prince is wed to a princess and his wicked brothers are punished for their crimes. The Volkov family tells a similar story, and the story of what happened after; the wolf took a man’s shape to stay by the prince’s side when he became king, used his magic to help him rule, and in time began a family of his own - some say with the king that he loved, and some say with a courtier. They say that when the king died and it seemed the people would turn against the wolf and his children, he led his family across the water to settle in Town, where they would not be considered so strange.

I don’t know if they’re descended from the wolf from the story I know, but the Volkovs bear the marks of a similar heritage in their features and their magic. Most of them only have a touch of the wolf in their appearance - something like yellow eyes, sharp teeth, elongated ears or fur on some of their body; occasionally one has all of those and more, or is even born as a wolf and needs magic to take a human shape. Unlike the Tenko, many people find their features fearsome or intimidating rather than cute or aesthetic. They’ve got their admirer’s though.

You can find them out in the Walking Fields where there’s room to run, and you can hear them howling on clear nights. If you meet them you might be intimidated at first - they’re big, a little wild, and standoffish around strangers; but they’re the kind to offer more help than you’d expect, especially if you’ve a noble heart or a fool’s nature. If you have both of those, don’t be surprised if you end up with one or more Volkovs interested in you, romantically or otherwise. Many of them are proficient with the shape changing magic of their ancestor, and can be seen roaming in groups on two legs or four. More rarely, some of them have an uncanny sense of timing and the knack of foreseeing danger; people in the Walking Fields say that if a Volkov gives you advice or a warning you should listen. Their word is gospel when it comes to when to plant and when to harvest; since they came to Town, the Walking Fields has almost never lost a crop that could have been saved by planting later or harvesting earlier. They keep records about what they’ve divined about the future - not so much a list of prophecies as a catalog of opportunities; perfect moments for a task that one of them thought was worth doing.

They’ve taken it upon themselves to oppose the Riders who come to hunt and kill in the Walking Fields, whenever they can. Their magic means that they’ve got a knack for only getting involved when they’ve got a chance at winning, so they do better than you might think against such terrible foes. If you find yourself running from the Great Hunt and you see a wolf - follow it! 

(Superior) Wolfkin

The Volkov’s connection to their wolven heritage extends to the flesh and blood of them, and this skill covers the ways they are like wolves.

Wolfkin 0: You are not even a little wolflike. 

Wolfkin 1: You are touched by your heritage in subtle but noticeable ways. You have a wolf-like physical feature such as yellow eyes, sharper teeth, pointed ears, the ability to make canine vocalization or fur on some of your body. Your hearing and sense of smell are sharper than a human’s. 

Wolfkin 2: The mark of the wolf is blatant upon you. You likely have most of the features described in Wolfkin 1 and might even have a tail, blunt claws instead of fingernails or a posture that can run on all fours without discomfort. You’re enough stronger and faster than a human that this skill is worth 1 edge when that matters. Your hearing range extends high enough that you can listen to Fortitude Rats talk secretly amongst themselves and sensitive enough you can hear things a mile away. Your sense of smell is 25 times stronger than a human’s.

Wolfkin 3: You have the body and senses of a wolf. Your hearing range extends even higher and further, out to 6 miles in a forest or further without obstructions. Your sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a human’s, enough to track something across a forest, or smell something miles away when the wind is in your favor. You’re not capable of human speech, and have paws instead of hands. 

I’m not sure what Wolfkin 4 or 5 looks like!

This skill also serves as a mundane skill for doing wolflike things like running, hunting, smelling and listening. It can sometimes grant part of its edge when doing things in concert with other people with this skill; Wolfkin working together to hunt something probably get their full edge; playing a team sport probably tops out at 1.

Hunter's Magic

Almost all of the Volkovs I know have a little bit of their magic, and being more proficient isn’t uncommon. They’re usually more skilled in one of the two different branches; the more common one is the ability to take on other shapes, most typically that of a wolf (or a human, if they’re normally a wolf) but they can take other shapes as well. Some of them are more proficient with their gift for foresight, which doesn’t tell them what will happen but when to try something and what to watch out for. 

Non-Magical Techniques [Obstacle 0] Understand canine body language. [Obstacle 0+] Communicate without words.  [Obstacle 1] Recognize nobility.

Transformation Magic [Obstacle 1] Make yourself more intimidating, impressive or commanding. [Obstacle 1] Sharpen your senses. [Obstacle 1] Speak with a human voice while in a form that normally can’t. [Obstacle 2] Take the shape of a wolf or change back to your human shape. [Obstacle 3] Take other human or animal shapes.

Planning Magic [Obstacle 1] Learn if it is an auspicious hour for a specific task. [Obstacle 1] Learn if there is some unknown danger facing a specific task. [Obstacle 2] Learn in a general sense when the next good time for a specific task is. [Obstacle 2] Gain a useful hint about an unknown danger that faces a specific task. [Obstacle 3] Learn the best time for a specific task, and why.

Bonds

If I’ve wronged you, I’ll move heaven and earth to make it right. I’m drawn to the foolish and the noble. My senses are sharp.* I’m stronger than you.* I’m faster than you.* Sometimes I forget what shape I’m in. I wear as little clothing as I can get away with. I avoid speaking if at all possible. My dinner has to include something I caught myself. I put off doing things until the perfect moment. I can’t use my magic to learn about things I’m going to do myself. I worry excessively about the future. I like to give piggy back rides.

Afflictions

I give really good advice. I don’t make empty threats. I turn into a wolf at night. I turn into a wolf if I get too scared or angry. I heal very quickly.* My fur protects me from the power of the outside.

Credit to Jenna Moran for the starred bonds/afflictions, which I borrowed from the Vampire writeup in the Fortitude book.