The Center Cannot Hold: Lupa, the Wolf Mother

Lupa, The Wolf Mother

Titles: The Huntress, Imperial Wolf, Urlupanae

Areas of Concern: Animals, Nature, Ursyklon Society, Warfare
Favored Animals: Wolves, Any Animal
Holy Symbol: Crescent Moon
Worshippers: the Ursyklon, Druids, Barbarians, Rangers, Tacticians, Lycanthropes
Domains: Animal, Wolf, War, Earth, Nobility

The Sacred Imperial Wolf taught the Ursyklon the secrets of Nature, mastery over the paths and classes of Druid, Ranger, Barbarian and Bloodrager.  Hers is the lesson of Nature's savagery in Warfare.  Practicality.  Fury.  Foresight.  Hers is also the rage and fury for the wild places, protecting against the spread of city and progress with bared teeth.

Ursyklon claim that the first two members of their race scuttled at Lupa's teat.  She raised them in the ways of the Pack.  In this, she forged a covenant with their race.  The Ursyklon have continued to remain loyal to Lupa, adapting her ways even in the least wild or natural of settings.  Each Ursyklon remembers the debt they owe her, and they pray to Lupa to forgive them for their weaknesses.

Often Lupa is often portrayed as a gigantic she-wolf, her fur silver and eyes glowing red.  Her symbol is that of the crescent moon.  Many Ursyklon claim that Werewolves and other lycanthropes are her wayward children, cursed by the Wolf-Goddess for forsaking her and committing the worst sin (to them) possible: weak self control.  Most lycanthropes do pay her homage, however, convinced that they learn more self-control in her name than without it.

Druids and Clerics of Lupa reflect different sides of their church, not necessarily different aspects of their goddess.  Druids are central of a ancient Lupanite tradition, the Urzahad.  The Urzahad can perform the Urzahadi, a sacred rite through which followers of Lupa can take on the form of a Wolf and experience directly the noble fury of their goddess directly.

The Children

Lupa is the core of her church, but she isn't the only figure worshipped.  There exist a number of her Children, half-Wolves and beasts of a many kinds.  Her many vassals, these lesser figures all are worshipped in their own unique ways.  They still cling tightly to the core tenets of Lupa, although creating their own unique cliques within the greater faith.

Many Lupanites consider other faiths to be outgrowths of the same cliques, only that they've forgotten their mother faith.  The Twins and others are seen as being false in the sense that they fail to recognize Lupa as the mother of all Gods.

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