The wolf is perhaps the most feared mammal in history. It is a large predator that hunts in packs, capable of killing prey much larger than itself. Its livestock depredations, reputation for attacking people, and eerie howls have led to its villification in folklore and legend. It is now nearly exterminated worldwide, although some populations remain to eke out an existence in wild and uninhabited places. There are relatively few reliable records of actual attacks on human beings by wild wolves, but this is likely a relatively recent change that came about with the advent of firearms. While a pack of wolves would be reluctant to attack a heathly well armed party, conditions could change if they caught sight or scent of a lone character at dusk who was injured or exhausted.
Wolves live in packs of 8 to 12 closely related individuals. These cooperate in hunting in order to surround and rip apart prey that would be too formidable for a single animal. On catching sight or scent of their quarry, wolves begin the chase, running their prey to exhastion before catching it and eating it alive. Their jaws are quite powerful, capable of ripping flesh and crushing bone, and thus make short work of anything unfortunate enough to be caught by the pack. Even the skin, bones, hooves, and horns will be eaten.
For all their ferocity, wolves are tender and caring among themselves. They will help their sick and injured, and all cooperate to feed the young. Highly clanninsh, they extend this courtesy only to members of their own pack - wolves from other packs are either driven off or ripped limb from limb. Wolves have a strict dominance hierarchy within a pack, and only the dominant male and female are allowed to breed. Competition for the spot of top male or female wolf can be fierce. Wolves keep contact between pack members with erie howls. These howls also act to keep other wolf packs aware of the territory boundaries. Territories are also marked by urination.
There are a number of species of Canis which can be treated as wolves, many of them currently extinct.