Winged Wolves
Information is copied directly from Alair Wolfkeep, as she'd know more about it than me.
The winged wolves are simply – wolves with wings. Add the ability to speak and a few magical powers and they’re a bit more then just wolves with wings! Each species of wolves have different traits that set them apart from the rest and thus why they are divided into sub species. Over all appearance is the same for each species, however. The winged wolf, also called fralamar or fralamaraz(plural) in Alskyr, are based on the gray wolf, the largest earth species. Some may be more slender or long legged; others have different wing shapes that define them. Or it is there magical or special abilities that set them apart.
There are five known species of wolves in the Nexus that are represented here. Alskyrian, Reririan, Pernese, Elruvian and Canese.
Alskyrian wolves tend to be more common and much more sociable then the other breeds. This is due to the fact that they were created to protect humans on Alskyr before the second settlement of that world. They are limited in there abilities but are more powerful then the Pernese strain that was started with Alskyrian wolves. There telepathic powers match the dragons of there world. No winged wolf has gained the ability to use magic like the gryphons, however. Recently, the wolves of this world have become more dependent on humans then in the past. Once, under the leadership of Norc, these wolves were fiercely independent and stayed that way until Alynn become there over all leader and brought them out of the mists of time to present day Alskyr. Because of few numbers, many wolves left pack life to seek safety from the Ants with humans who were once again protected by the dragons. Because of this, Alskyrian wolves have a higher bonding rate then the other wolves. Being genetically created, they differ in appearance then the other types. Their legs and tails are longer and seem to have more of a coyote look to them. Their wings are also larger and tend to be shaped like that of eagles or hawks.
More magical then the first type, Reririan wolves come from a dimension of Rerir and differ from the wolves that may eventually end up in novel form. Currently in the beginning of that story, the true nature of the Seer, Emger Ronan is not known to the characters at this time and remains as a wolf. These wolves also have large wings. It is said they do because of the Gift that was bestowed upon there founding Ancestor who came across a dying pegasus who gave the wolf his wings as a token of remembrance for his kind. Being from a larger beast, these wings have not seemed to shrink just because the wolf was smaller. Magic also defines them and the type they use. All Reririan wolves use magic and are the only race in Rerir to be so. Not all are trained as mages but those that are make up the most powerful army in the world, lead by Alynn Easal. They are not as lean as the Alskyrian wolves and without wings would appear like a normal gray wolf from Earth. Humans they avoid when possible and they tend to keep to themselves. Those that bond can be a great ally to they befriend. Currently, Alynn has his pack stationed in and around Khayr Rukan in hopes to make human relations stronger in years to come.
Perhaps the least powerful and noted type is the subspecies of Alskyrian wolves that have become the Pernese wolves. Descendents from Alskyr, they have slowly lost much of the power that there ancestors once had. They’re T-Power rarely ever reaches above 5 in level. Little is actually known about this species save that they share the natural instinct to be close to humans and protect them. Though they have no way of aiding humans from Thread on Pern, they enjoy hunting tunnel snakes and a good sized pack of wolves are quite capable of pulling down the cats from the Southern Continent. Holds and Weyrs alike enjoy adding wolves to there defenses and when drums and other ways of relaying messages are unavailable, the 30 miles radius of a wolf’s howl will often do the trick in sending a message. Falas Weyr currently has enlisted an entire pack to help keep things running smoothly even if only one of those wolves is a true Pernese. They tend to be as sleek and wiry as the Alskyrian wolves if not more so.
Wolves of Elrion have no human interaction to begin with but have been noted to adapt to living with them quite well. Coming from a world where humans did not exist at all and the only war going on was with a Darkness that could not be located from its source, they are still very careful and wary in situations they do not deal with naturally. There magic is more complex then the Reririan wolves and they are divided farther into Kindreds of Elemental types. Fire, Snow, Ice, Desert, and so on all form individual packs throughout Elrion in certain locations. Some are more elusive then others, such as the Weather Wolves. Depending on there Kindred depends on there powers. Half-breeds are rather uncommon. Dark Wolves is a Kindred that relies on manipulating other types into using there magic for evil purposes. These wolves are sleek and beautiful in an unearthly way. They seem to be a race of winged wolf that surpasses the beauty of the others. Perhaps it is because they are yet untouched by all the troubles that the others kinds have had to deal with.
Lastly, Canese wolves hail from a small world called Cani where there is a strong boundary between light and dark. Eastern wolves are the powers of good and light, there feathered wings distinguishing them from the demonic breed that roams freely in the West. The powers of the Canese wolves have yet to be completely understood but there powers tend to revolve around the elements as well as other supernatural powers such as shapeshifting, illusions, seerism, mind control, and others. It has been said by a certain Reririan Seer (aka the only Reririan Seer), that the wolves of Cani could be the most powerful type of magical wolf if they were allowed to train to their full potential. Because demons hunt them using their magic trail most wolves train little and those that do train farther often end up dead. Away from Cani their powers dim and thus are not able to reach full potential yet because they can train farther without fear, are powerful nevertheless. These wolves are more gruff in appearance and much smaller, only around the size of an average timber wolf, with narrow, long wings. Humans they fear as the human domination has pushed them farther east.
Marl is the dominate language of Rerir and Alskyrian wolves. It differs in both worlds as the Reririan Marl is based heavily off Elvish while Alskyrian Marl is not. Elrion and Cani also have languages (that I do not include translations for). Pernese wolves tend to speak the same language as the people of Pern.