"Do not venture to the mountains' peaks, lest the Volmyr devour you whole."

Have you heard that little warning, oft said from parent to pup from mountain-dwelling packs in the same way as so many other warnings to not to venture too far out, where wild creatures- and Consumed- roam?

It is rather outdated, I think. The Volmyr would much rather swoop the pup up to their grand and lofty dens where they could be safe from the cold, and when the howling winds and thin air of the mountains that Volmyr seem specifically adapted to die down just enough, guide them safely to the villages at the mountains' foot.

However, the reason why the warnings exist is rather remarkable to me- and understandable. Of all breeds, only the Bracchus could try to contest the towering stature of the average Volmyr, and a Bracchus and a Kit stacked on top of each other would most likely only surpass their shoulders. As it stands, the average lorwolf could quite comfortably ride on top of a Volmyr- and possibly even fly on one.

However, having went to their territory on the top of the Icerun Mountains, I can assure you that the many rumors about the terrible atrocities various Volmyr have done are all false, or very likely warranted in some way.

The first thing I noted when I found myself in their city was the abundance of copper.

They claim it is to honor spirits of lightning and rain, of wind and devastation unmatched, and it is rather fitting, for copper is quite the conductive metal.

The second thing was just how large the buildings were. I cannot begin to tell you of how it looked to a wolf like me, for not even the wildest of imaginations could picture it. But, try to, at least- towering buildings with doors twice the height of a Volmyr, all shining copper. Places where the roads would simply disappear, as they have almost no use to a winged species.

And the insides of the buildings were much the same- platforms with no other way up other than flight, small perches placed onto walls, grand domes- some even made of glass- to let Volmyr swoop about.

They say that in old days, Volmyr lived in flocks that could blot out the sun, and they used to live in caves so massive and winding it would be hard to find one's way out even if they knew all the passageways and where they led. But those caves soon became confusing and dangerous, and there were far too few alternatives, so they moved to the peaks and built shelters from the wind.

They still, extraordinarily enough, live in some of the caves, but they are linked to halls on the surface.

Unfortunately for my flightless self, I often found myself carried between platforms, above steep droops to my certain doom.

Which leads me to my next major note: they are much more gentle than one would think with a name that translates to 'winged terror', except for in the moments where they have been angered beyond normal levels, and with strength such as their own they rip branches from the few trees of the mountains and lunge to strike their aggressor- and while they did not seek to kill, they certainly would not care for any injuries the other party would sustain...

--An excerpt from "On Volmyr", written by the scholar Samara