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the Shadow of the Mountain

the primary Rivals of the Player Characters

The Pack Members

• Augustus Valen (Ithaeur, Bone Shadow) is a quiet Atlanta boy who has always known that he was something other than normal and destined for greatness. Very much a "geek" in High School, "Auggy" spent most of his time playing Dungeons and Dragons and writing bad science fiction stories. He had a certain dark temper, though, which usually kept him from getting picked on too much. He took to his First Change very quickly, accepting his destiny and leaving behind his old life in favor of achieving the greatness that he knew awaited him. The great success he's had is perhaps surprising, except to himself and those he's convinced of his vision for the future.
• ''William "Billy" Scott (Irraka, Blood Talon) grew up as a redneck high in the mountains of Cherokee County where he learned to track, shadow and hunt before he even hit puberty. The son of an archconservative Baptist Minister, Billy lived up to his fathers wishes in every way but one. He was friends with everyone, a hunter and woodsman, and had a huge truck -- but he was a homosexual, and the arguement that followed that revelation resulted in his First Change and the death of most of his family. Frightened and confused, Billy fell in easily with Augustus, growing to respect the Bone Shadow's natural command of his nature.
• Melissa Norran (Elodoth, Ghost Wolf) was just a normal girl growing up in the small mountain town of Dahlonega, a member of the well-liked and powerful Norran family. Much like most of her peers, she liked listening to music and held dreams of being a model or a fashion designer when she got older. Some three years ago, all those dreams were dashed under a Half Moon, when Melissa underwent her First Change and discovered that more than anything she just wanted to be normal. She rejected her family, the Tribes of the Moon, and lived on the very edges of the Crown Mountain Wolves' territory while trying to ignore what she was as much as she could. Until, that is, she was approached with Augustus and inspired to come back into the society she had forsaken.

Territory
The Shadow of the Mountain keep most of their territory in the North and Northeast portions of the town, and along the northern stretches of Interstate 19 (up to Vogel State Park), but their ultimate goals involve taking over the entire land, including Crown Mountain itself. The edge of the packs territory, near the college campus in the South Edge of the town, is swiftly becoming contested. Augustus was content to let Shelly have a bit of territory when he was convinced she'd come running back, but now that she's a rival, he has no mercy at all. The old location of Fort Dahlonega, and its long-dormant wound, is perhaps the most contested bit of territory. Shelly and Augustus both seek to claim responsibility for guarding over it, and the Crown Wolves haven't exactly given up their own claim to keeping watch over the location either.

Totem
A potent Wolf Spirit of Fenris' brood, White Shade Walker is a good match for the Pack. Relentless and unforgiving, White Shade Walker can stalk his prey for days and never gives up until the battle is won. Even in death his jaws would clench at his enemies throat, and once angered he knows nothing of mercy.

History of the Pack

The society of the Forsaken can be very cutthroat, with packs constantly maneuvering for advantage and looking for ways to expand their territory at the expense of their neighbors. It was just this tendency that lead to the current state of affairs in Dahlonega. Augustus Valen and "Billy" Scott were both ambitious and fierce Uratha, and like many young werewolves they had dreams of lording over vast and impressive territories. Similarly, they also found the territories immediately available to them somewhat less than they would have preferred. They could claim territory in Atlanta, being small fish in a rather large ocean, or they could head into the Blue Ridge Mountains in hopes of claiming some scrap of land as yet overlooked by any other.

Then, Elizabeth Cross died.

Augustus was in Dahlonega only a month after the howls of mourning started to die down, testing at the edges of the Crown Mountain Wolves territory and claiming some scraps of land within their larger territory. It's likely that the Storm Lords would have batted down the young cub more forcefully, except that his early efforts managed to reveal a few threats that the older pack had overlooked and allowed to take root. Somewhat chastised and convinced my Miriam that perhaps it was time to thinking about passing on their responsibilities to younger and more driven Uratha, the Shadow of the Mountain began to take root in the mountain city.

The first several months of the new packs existence was quite grand. The pack grew in size, found recognition from the Lunes and the People, and accomplished no few important deeds. The new members, in particular, were a vital resource for the Shadow of the Mountain. Melissa Noran, having long dwelt on the edges of the Crown Wolves' territory with their tact approval, was lured back to the People by Augustus. The second new member, a young freshly changed Cahalith called Shelly Long, fit in less well and constantly found herself at odds with Augustus. Yet the pack stayed together for a time, even binding White Shade Walker as their totem.

It is likely that, with only a bit of patience, Augustus could have earned the territory virtually untested and with the good will and support of the Crown Wolves themselves. Shelly, especially, noted that the old Wolves had much to share and a good amount of lore to pass on. All they wanted was a bit of dignity and a bit of respect, and Augustus wasn't really interested in offering them either of those things. In his eyes, the Crown Wolves had failed in their duties and were on the verge of losing the wolf entirely. What did they have to offer him? The sooner he could wrest the territory away from them, he felt, the better for all.

This approach accomplished two things: It managed to erode much of the support that the pack had earned from the Crown Wolves, and it alienated the less extreme members of the pack. Melissa found this attitude, especially as it applied toward her great-uncle, to be most unappealing. However, her respect for Augustus and her desire to remain a part of the pack kept her from making too big a fuss over it. Shelly Long, on the other hand, argued at length and even attempted to take over the pack at one point. Augustus didn't even allow her the opportunity to challenge, as she was the runt of the pack and had no expectation of leadership. Maybe, he noted, she could make such decisions once she was more experienced in these matters.

After Shelly left the Pack, most of them figured that she would either slink off on her own eventually or come crawling back to the Pack begging forgiveness at some point. Instead, she ended up gathering a pack of her own around her and preparing to make the Shadow of the Mountain fight for their claim...