The Rokawa

The Rokawa are humanoid wolf-like creatures created by the nature god Athos. Their city of Golan lies in the northeast at the edge of the mountains. Positioned near a rich copper vein, the city became rich mining and selling the precious metal to the nearby city of Zarnath.

golan

However, disaster struck the Rokawa when the ruling family vanished and wildlife began disappearing from the woods. Hunters would spend many days in the woods searching for deer and elk, only to find bare skeletons, the meat stripped from their bones. To make matters worse, a devastating plague struck the city killing many of the residents and causing widespread panic. Facing disease and starvation, many of the residents of Golan fled south toward Esturia in search of food, sparking a war between Esturia and the Rokawan refugees. Ultimately, Esturia succeeded in driving the Rokawa from their lands and most of the refugees perished either from war, starvation, or exposure to the harsh northern winter.

Among the Rokawa who remained in Golan was a young man named Hafgrim, who was given a vision by Athos. In this vision, the god revealed that he had cursed the city and its ruler for defiling the mountains and forests with their mining operations. Athos had transformed the ruler and his family into a terrible monsters. Antlers grew from their heads, the skin fell from their faces, and their teeth transformed into long jagged knives. The beasts were overcome with an insatiable hunger and in his visions Hafgrim watched as they devoured any creature that they came across. When Hafgrim awoke, he knew that he must hunt down the monsters  in order to remove the curse that plagued his land. So Hafgrim took the hide of a deer and went into the forest disguised as a wild animal. There we waited for five days until the terrible creatures emerged from the forest and descended upon him. Hafgrim drew his axe and, after a long battle, he slew the creatures. He then returned to Golan where he was elected to become the new jarl. Hafgrim’s first action as ruler was to close the mines that had brought so much destruction to his people. The plague was lifted and soon life returned to the lands around the city.