Gnaw wolves are required to tuck their tail in and always show submission to higher ranking wolves.
A gnaw wolf is the lowest-ranking member in a wolf pack and clan. They are malcadhs, cursed, deformed wolves, who have survived after being abandoned by an Obea at a tummfraw and made it back to their clan. They are then given a name and put in a pack. Gnaw wolves also are skilled in the art of gnawing bones with intricate designs, therefore giving them their name.
They must sleep off pack boundaries, eat last, and endure endless abuse. They are subject to regular bites, kicks, punishments, and verbal abuse. Most of the abuse they receive is unjustified, and are given to them for no significant reason, except for the fact that they are considered "cursed ones".
Many malcadhs that return to their clans turn out to be extremely talented wolves, such as Faolan, Edme and Hamish.
Gnaw wolves are similar to omega wolves in the now-debunked alpha theory, which were said to usually suffer abuse by others in the pack.
Description[]
Gnaw wolves are malcadhs, who somehow, survived their tummfraw and made it back to the clan. They are also scratched and bruised from the negative attention, with both words and nips; they suffer. Gnaw wolves are the lowest-ranking wolves in the entire clan, although they are important in the wolf society as they write down important events in the pack on bones.
One-eyed wolf
Three legged wolf
Treatment[]
Gnaw wolves must submit to higher ranking wolves.
Gnaw wolves are subject to regular bites, kicks, punishments and verbal abuse, but the worst of these is the gnaw bite. Their deformities mark them as a living symbol of bad blood, and somehow the clan rids itself of the bad blood through the mistreatment of gnaw wolves. They are lowest-ranking wolves in the pack.
When approached by higher wolves, such as the pack leader, they are required to show the submission rituals of respect, having to:
- Go down to their knees.
- Lower their heads.
- Lay back their ears.
- Grind their face in the dirt.
- Roll over onto their back.
- Flash the whites of their eyes.
- Tuck their tails between their legs at all times.
- Slouch.
- Never show dominance to any other wolf.
- Be respectful of the other pack members.
Gnaw wolves gnaw on bones. Hence the name "Gnaw Wolf"
.
The pack gives them bones on which they gnaw important events that take place in the pack or simply just to practice their gnawing skills. Despite their low rank, they are usually still valued in their packs, mostly due to the fact that they are the ones to keep records of the important events that occur in a pack.
Practices and Traditions[]
Gnaw wolves must sleep off pack boundaries, eat last, and endure endless abuse.
Gnaw Wolf sleeping in the snow by itself
They are subject to regular bites, kicks, punishments, and verbal abuse. Every several years or so, a gaddergnaw happens. This is a competition to choose the best gnaw wolf to join the Sacred Watch. Gaddergnaw activities include the gnaw wolves gnawing their own story bone, and hunting and taking part in a byrrgis. In the end, only one, rarely two, gnaw wolves join the Watch. If two gnaw wolves are chosen, they are never from the same clan. After winning, they must find their tummfraws on their Slaan Leat, or journey towards truth. After joining the Watch, these wolves are considered some of the highest ranking wolves in the Beyond.
A gnaw wolf receiving a gnaw bite.
During hunts, not including the byrrgis in the gaddergnaw, gnaw wolves have the task of searching for the prey's urine or scat to identify the condition of the prey, instead of joining in the byrrgis. This rank is called a sweeper. They are not allowed to join in the howling, known as gaddergludders, or in the kill rush and they must eat after the rest of their pack does.
