Anthology of the Realms, The Werewolf King

Enter The Great Hall...

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Our past defines our Greatness, our Greatness designs our future.
---TWC---

Théoner gazed up at the exterior of the antiquated building.  The architecture exquisitely detailed and rich in memory of bygone times.  The Great Hall is a monument of history, a proud dwelling even amidst the visible signs of decay.
The stone bricks once golden in hue, now bleached of life and stained from the elements.

Eleven Alphas from the eleven Werewolf Packs of the Realm, the original bloodlines, are honored in statue by ornate stone carvings, still in impeccable condition, set high on the facade of The Great Hall.

When the Supernatural Realms Untied in solidarity against the Human species, the Great Hall was built in tribute to all wolves who fought and lost their lives in battle....battles against the other Supernatural Realms and the Human Realm.   The laws governing the Werewolf Realm were discussed, agreed and passed by an elected council founded in this archaic hall.

The Grand Master and his Pack are the "keepers" of the Great Hall and it is their duty to uphold the laws passed centuries before.   The Grand Master is appointed by traditional Werewolf custom....a fight to the death, winner take all contest.

Werewolves are brutal creatures defined by strength and the ability to protect what's theirs. Pack life may seem unfair to outsiders but to a wolf, it's a secure and happy way to live.   Every member of the Pack knows their position and place.   Every Pack member understands their role and contributes to the group accordingly.

Everyone is accountable for their actions...there is NO excuse.

Stale and dank were the aromas that greeted The Reythyra Pack as they ascended the aged limestone steps, black with rot thanks to years of exposure from lashings of wind, sun and rain as they passed through the hulking doorway and into the ancient Hall.

The walls of the Great Hall were heavily decorated with murals, pictures and paintings depicting The Werewolf Realms past.   War battles, victories and victors dominated the scenes.

Gold and burgundy colours were the Great Hall's favour....dark and extravagant the style.    The lofty ceilings were adorned in outdated ceiling roses, yellowed from time....out of reach and forgotten.

The Great Hall was old and full of history, it resembled more of a museum now than a Pack house.   The architecture was ancient, grandeur and unquestionably beautiful, that the building itself demanded respect.

Alpha Théoner and his Pack were lead by Brinn down a long passage way towards the central meeting room.   Théoner's well-worn leather boots did not need to be reminded of the way as they walked on heavy woven floor runners, covering chiselled stone tiles....he'd been here before.

The council is made up of the eleven Packs that occupy The Werewolf Realm.   The Alpha, Beta and security team from each Pack convened the council each year.  The Packs all vary in size and in beliefs but they all co-existed harmoniously.   The one common thread that binds them, the one belief they all share, the one law that can never be broken, is their hatred for the Human species and to never allow a Human into the Werewolf Realm...alive.

Alpha Théoner barged his way past Brinn impatiently, sending him crashing into the ornate wall as he pushed open the vintage panelled doors to the meeting room, it wasn't natural for him to follow a Beta.  That, and the very idea that the Grand Master had a Human here and that he was, for whatever reason, protecting this pathetic creature, fuelled Théoner's urgency to get into the room and demand answers.