understanding the curse of the wulfen

[hendrik]

Inspired by the bran redmaw topic it's clear there is quite some confussion and a lot of different views on the curse of the wulfen. in an effort to understand the curse better myself aswell as getting it more known with the public i'm starting this topic.

the purpose will be to collect as much quotes as possible about the wulfen, be they one 1 sentence or 20. and each time with some discusion of how they can be interpretated.

 

i'll be plunging into wolf's honour again later this night since it contains quite a lot of information but don't contain every book about space wolves out there so hereby i launch this crusade for knowledge about the wulfen!

 

if you make a quote please always specify what book and page it's from.

 

hendrik out

[Kassill]

Probably one of the best descriptions we have in the codex of the Wulfen is on page 10 in the section called "The Test of Morkai"

[Forté]

There's good reference to it in Battle of the Fang too. One of the Bloodclaws. Found it useful.

[hendrik]

wolfs honour, p.24

It had been a long time since Ragnar had heard such a cry from a brother wolf. Every space wolf had to contend with the beast within. The gifts Russ gave to his sons were double-edged, like everything else about Fenris. The strenght and ferocity of the wolf could not be tamed, but constantly tugged at its chains, testing the will of its master, and made no distinction between friend or foe. To the wolf, there was only the hunt and the joy of the kill.

 

 

wolfs honour, p.26

Then Hogun... he began to howl,' Bregi said, and a haunted look came over him. He hurled himself at his foes,slaying half a dozen monsters with every sweep of his axe. It was...terrible to behold.'

Ragnar nodded grimly. I know of what you speak. What happened then?'

Hogun fought like a wild beast,'Bregi continued.' The xenos filth couldn't stand against him. He killed everything he could reach, and then, when there weren't any monsters left to kill, he took to hacking up the corpses. We... we tried to stop him, tried to calm him down, but when Erdwulf and Halvdan laid hands on him he turned and split Erdwulf's skull.

...

Hogun lost his helmet in the fight, and I saw the look on his face.' Bregi looked up at Ragnar.'He was wolf-bitten, lord. I saw it in his eyes. He's been lost to the wulfen.

 

What we can learn from this is that once a brother loses the fight with his inner wolf he indeed makes no difference between friend or foe. It should also be noted that no specific description is given of how his body might have changed or anything. the only features that gave him away were his exesive agression and his eyes that had changed.

 

wolfs honour, p.274

Angry howls and bestial cries shook the air. Dark shapes rushed at Ragnar from all sides, and he glimpsed huge,swift forms in gunmetal grey armour with luminous, lantern yellow eyes. Lightning flickered across the empty sky, revealing shaggy heads and blunt, toothy snouts. Long, black talons glinted as the massive wolf-men lunged for Ragnar.

 

wolfs honour, p.278

The young space wolf paid Haegr no mind, staring instead at the huge wolf-men patrolling around them. 'They're all wolf-bitten' he said,'even Thorvald. He has the mark of the wulfen in his eyes.'

...

(then Ragnar questions their purpose and loyalty)

The older wolfblade rose abruptly to his feet.' Besides, we're not exactly unblemished ourselves.' Ragnar watched, bemused as Torin stalked away. Haegr shook his head and rose to lumber after his long-time friend. The young space wolf turned to Gabriella, a questioning look on his face. "What did Torin mean by that?' The navigator looked at Ragnar for a long moment, and then reached out and lightly touched his cheek. 'It's your eyes,' she said, a weary sadness in her voice, 'they're yellow-gold now, just like Torvald's.'

Note: Thorvald is a 13th company runepriest,serving under bulveye. As said before the thing that gives one away for being wolf bitten are the eyes. Apparantly yellow-gold eyes as described by Gabriella. Note this contradicts with fluff from the current codex that says as a space wolf ages his eyes become yellow aswell.

[hendrik]

wolfs honour, p.282

The wulfen, no less then fifteen of them, Ragnar was shocked to discover, loped along easely beside the warriors. They moved with a swift, fluid gait, clawed hands swinging and shoulders hunched, their wolf like heads held low as if to sniff for signs of danger. Their armour was dented and scarred from centuries of hard use, and Ragnar saw that many of their suits had been patched with scavenged parts. He couldn't be certain, but some of the repairs looked to have been taken from the suits of slain chaos marines. Their strenght and speed were incredible, but there was little intelligence in their golden eyes save for the fierce cunning of a predator.

 

wolfs honour, p. 285

'How does a man come to be wolf-bitten, Sigurd?'

The wolf priest shot Ragnar a sharp look, but abruptly relented as he met the young space wolf's golden eyes. He considered the question for a moment before he replied. All of us have the wolf in our blood,' he said. 'It sharpens our senses and gives us the glad rage of the berserker in battle, but like any wild thing it tests its bonds constantly, waiting for the chance to break free.'

Sigurd stared thoughtfully at a pair of wulfen loping silently along beside Harald's pack. 'It is a constant struggle between man and wolf,' he said, 'and not every soul is strong enough to keep the beast at bay.' The priest laid a hand on the iron wolf amulet at his breast. 'We bind the beast with sacred oaths to Russ and the Allfather, and we of the priesthood purify our battle-brothers with rituals and devotions to strengthen their resolve. For most that is enough.'

'Yet not enough for Bulveye and his warriors.' Ragnar expected a pious retort from the young priest, but when Sigurd spoke, his voice was surprisingly compassionate. 'It is not our place to judge these warriors,' he said with conviction. 'Even the ancient Dreadnoughts must sleep between times of war, lest they succumb to their feral natures. How hard must it be to keep one's soul intact after thousands years of war, much less ten?'It is a testament to their courage and honour that they have endured as long as they have.'

The young space wolf nodded thoughtfully. 'But...is there no way to restore them?

Sigurd stiffened slightly. Ragnar was straying into the proscribed territory of the priesthood. 'The transformation is a gradual one,' he siad guardedly, 'but once begun the proces is inexorable. As the wolf within gains power, it exerts physical changes on the body.' He gestured to the wulfen nearby. 'Much depends on the will and the faith of the warrior. The degradation can be halted, sometimes indefinitely, but it cannot be undone.'

 

 

...(continious speaking with Sigurd)

 

'The process begins slowly, but accelerates as the wolf gains power.'

...

'The curse usually strikes initiates hardest, because their minds are still adapting to the changes taking place within them. Once a warrior becomes a full-fledged battle brother...the curse takes years for the transformation to take hold.'

'Years?' Ragnar exclaimed. 'But i felt nothing before I returned to Fenris, just two months ago!'

'That's not possible,' he said. 'Even with an initiate, it takes at least a year for the first changes to make themselves known.'

 

This is in my opinion the most valuable piece of fluff to gain knowledge of the wulfen. not only do we now know that once a space wolf turns into a wulfen it is impossible to return to his human shape but we also learn the first signs usually show up atleast a year before any changes occur. This might be why the bloodclaw in 'battle of the fang' warned his pack members to get away from him. The wolf priests might have already spotted the first signs of the wulfen inside him and told him how to strengthen his will.

 

 

wolfs honour, p.304(this dialogue takes place between ragnar and bulveye after the bloodclaws had turned into wulfen and ragnar almost turned aswell.

'Leman gave us the blessing of the wolf so that we would never be defeated by our foes,' he said, 'but his gifts come with a price. As we are born to battle, so are we called to prove our worth time and again, through strength, courage and guile. War within. War without. War unending. That is how we live, little brother. That is who we are.

 

wolfs honour, p.305

but then he heard a bestial snarl off to his right, and saw that not everyone had been as fortunate as they. Harald and his bloodclaws, all of them little more than aspirants, had suffered the worst under the sorcerous onslaught. Their faces were distended, already lengthening to form wolf-like snouts, and their skin was darkening with a fine pelt of fur. They crouched like beasts, snapping and snarling whenever the older beasts drew too close. Many of the warriors had tugged their gauntlets free and slashed at the air with thick, curved talons.

[skoll]

we see in the quotations several times, that the wulfen posses wolf like heads , and during the morphing "their faces were distended, already lengthening to form wolf-like snouts".

 

It surely gives me the image of a werewolf.

[Skarvald the Troll-faced]

There is a lot of Wulfen-talk in the book "Thunder From Fenris". Unfortunately I think it's only available as an audio book. In it, a Wolf Guard riding a Thunderwolf succumbs to the Curse of the Wulfen and is descried as having lupine features, growing our of his armor to the point where just a few pieces were hanging onto him. And although incredibly feral and savage he was also very, very cunning and smart.

Throughout the entire story he was setting traps and avoiding his Wolf Brothers who were hunting him down, by making them continue the chase until he led them to the source of evil they had been looking for (a Nurgle Daemon). He was capable of creating traps, smart enough to taunt the Space Wolves to charge at him across thin ice, very patient and an expert at lurking.

It also meant that he COULD distinguish between friend and foe.

Perhaps it all depends on a few factors?

Space Wolves spend all their lives with their packs. They get promoted together as their pack decreases in numbers.. so maybe as this relationship grows a Wulfen might be able to distinguish his friends even when he turns, if for a while.

Maybe the "level" of transformation depends on the age and will of the Space Wolf. For example, a Wolf Guard or a Long Fang would be more feral and have more wolf-like features because their Canis Helix is older. It is known that as they age, Space Wolves develop more and more wolf-like features (their teeth grow longer for example) so maybe that has something to do with Wulfen appearance. A Blood Claw for example would be just a very shaggy Blood Claw with claws. An older, more experienced Space Wolf would be more of a werewolf, with a werewolf head.

Maybe it also depends on how long one has been a Wulfen?

[skoll]

that sounds quiet reasonable from the information we've been given.

[Wulf Vengis]

i must have missed that part in prospero burns, could you cite or give a page to make sure you're not refering to just fenrisian wolves?

 

as for the battle in the fang. as you said he was fighting the 1000th sons and note he hadn't turned wulfen completly yet! in a last effort to save his packmembers he orders them to flee because he knows what will happen once the wulfen takes over completly.

 

note that the constant struggle against the wulfen is a struggle every wulf has constantly! if bran would turn wulfen every 5 seconds it doesn't make him as strong headed as we though, in fact, it would mean his willpower and control over the inner wolf is really below par...

 

Prospero Burns pg 370

He (Hawser) saw the wolf.

Half-saw it. It was just a shadow. A wolf-shaped shadow. A shadow-shaped wolf. Vast and ominous, like a blood-dark midnight sky; spectral and malevolent like the final whispered curses of a dying lunatic.

Eada was wearing armor before this in this specific scene but its mysteriously gone?

 

pg 371

The almost-wolf had something in its jaws...

Read on a bit here and still no armor strange no?

 

pg 374

"It was Eada that was touched by the maleficarum."

Helwintr to Hawser. Indicating that demonic invasion of the mind can cause the slip as a last form of defense perhaps?

 

pgs 374-375

The ragged, pained breathing slowly became a deeper, panting, huffing noise. He heard skin and sinew stretching, he heard the phlegmy click and gurgle of cartledge and joint fluid. He heard bones protesting as they deformed, and organs bubble and slosh as they realigned. He heard the stfled agony of something enduring extreme physical transmutation.

Pretty decent description of a rapid transformation to me.

 

pg 375

The almost-wolf that had been Eada Haelfwulf roared in frustrated pain.

 

pg 375

...the almost-wolf was twice the size of the Astartes.

 

pg 376

It swung its massive snout around to face Hawser... All Hawser could see was the shadow of it, lika piece of night cut out and pasted onto daylight. At the heart of darkness, the huge teeth glimmered like icicles.

No descriptors here except for big teeth.

 

pg 377

He looked out at Hawser and the wolves, imploring, ashamed, knowing what he had done, what he had BEEN. Clear fluid, viscous, wept from his nose, mouth and tear ducts, matting his beard and drying like glue on his bare flesh.

Emphasis by me.

 

pg 378

"A little of Eada Haelfwulf yet remains," he said... "Too late," said Ogvai.

Wyrdmake to Ogvai about Eadas "humanity".

 

Apparently Haelfwulf saw a vision during his transformation. He reveals to Ogvai that Horus will cease to exsist as the wolves know him. However no one really takes this premonition seriously as the Rout dont trust their brothers who fall so thoroughly to the Wolf within. Yet they have an entire Great Company of Wulfen at this point in "future-history", the 13th company is all Wulfen lead by Jorrin Bloodfang.

 

OK so I stand corrected, the beast was described as an "almost-wolf", but it also shows that Eada Haelfwulf reverted back to a human form.

 

From my recent Bran Redmaw post.

[hendrik]

i think we can clearly make a division between the wulfens:

first you've got the becoming a wulfen by a lapse of will, the "normal" wulfen so to speak. As said in wolfs honour these seem not to have changed so much bar for their eyes, possibly claws but they will continue to change if they don't manage to shackle the inner wolf.

here's what i think this process goes like:

 

stadium 0: the space wolf starts to show the first signs of the wulfen (this happens atleast 1 year before turning wulfen stadium 1) and usually gets detected by the wolf priests. we can only guess what they do then but i believe the wolf priests then start a program for the space wolf to improve his inner will etc. think sneep teaching harry potter to protect his thoughs from voldemort-style :lol:

stadium 1: extreme agression and no difference between friend or foe+ yellow-golden eyes+ claws

note: in this stadium the inner wolf can still be shackled if helped by an authority such as a wolf lord or wolf priest.

stadium 2: the face starts to show the first transformations aswell does the body. a small fur starts to develop. think the 13th company wulfen miniatures. returning to human shape is impossible and the inner wolf has won the fight. only a small part of the former space wolf remains

stadium 3: the curse is complete, the spacewolf is now inrecognisable as being human once. his head is almost completly lupine like and his hands are outfitted with huge black talons. think 'van helsing werewolf'

note: how do their legs look?

 

 

then there is the resistance against chaos wulfen, a more extreme and swift change into the wulfen. As mentioned both in prospero burns and wolfs honour these changes are bigger, leading to a 'van helsing style werewolf' immediatly as a defence to the evil magics bestowed unto the space wolf.

 

agreed?

 

now come the contradictions:

 

wolfs honour: reversing is impossible

prospero burns: Haelfwulf changed into a complete wulfen state by chaos magic, yet reverted into a human shape. (i think into a wulfen state 1 at the least?)

 

second contradiction:

a wulfen makes no difference between friends or foe, unless it's an authority such as a wolf priest (and even then it's unsure).

this gets supported by wolf's honour, prospero burns, battle of the fang (in a way),

Yet a wolfguard that turned into a wulfen in thunder of fenris clearly makes a difference between his pack brothers and the enemy

thoughts?

 

 

third contradiction:

a wulfen is lacking intelligence save for the fierce cunning of a predator. this is supported by wolfs honour and the eye of terror codex (which mentions them unable to use their former boltpistols and chainswords.)

yet the same thunder from fenris has a wulfen set traps etc for his packbrothers.

could you give some more informations about the traps skarvald? and what wulfen stadium was the wolf guard in?

 

thoughts?

[Max_Dammit]

there was a free download book, i think called 13 wolves? dedicated to a story about turning wulfen

 

I'm not at home now will look in to that for something intresting

[Eirik_Xenobane]

In the IA book, Redmaw (once transformed) knows the scent of his Brothers, seeing them as fellow pack-members with himself as their alpha. He engages an eldar wraithseer which is destroyed by a runepriest, the following is described: (IA11, page 49)

 

First bit:

 

"The Redmaw no longer recognised the men he had commanded, just their scents. To him they where just part of his pack, and as alpha male he was driven by the urge to kill what threatened them"

 

Confrontation with the Runepriest:

 

"The creature Bran Redmaw had become howled in fury that his prey had been taken by another, his piercing red eyes focussing on the new challenger to his status. The Redmaw's instincts urged him to attack and as his senses swiftlt worked upon a way to reach it, something from deep within made him pause. His wolf-spirit had sensed something familiar in the eyes of this new creature, something that had stilled his fury for the briefest of moments. The desire to rip it's throat quickly faded and hearing the sounds of the enemy off in the distance, the Redmaw bolted off in search of new prey."

 

It strongly suggests that the full wulfen becomes an animalisric, feral creature that recongnises his Brothers as packmates but will challenge any threat to their position as alpha. In effect the Wulfen becomes a Wolf i outook and behaviour, depending on how srong willed the wulfen is, he can put aside this instinct and seek other threats till he reverts back to proper form or is lost completely to te curse.

[Niiai]

While there are a lott of speculations (did the eperor detail plan every aspect of the wulfen?) I do not want to speculate withouth the facts.

 

The contradictions that are pointed out could just be abbarants of how the wulfen work?

 

However, for me personaly there are 3 questions that I am wondering:

 

1: Is mark of the wulfen just representing people who are on theyr way to become wulfen? Do the space wolves try to keep this secret, like what happens to the death company of the blood angels?

 

2: Does the Redmaw change back into a man, or is that me missunderstanding it?

 

3: Is a primary or bi-efect of the mark of the wulfen a channeling of chaos taint\warping to "only" change them into wulfen\wherewolves, countra making them survive?

[Eirik_Xenobane]

My understanding of the curse is that of an unfortunate side effect.

 

Space Wolves have a resistance to the warp due to their canis helix. However exposure to the warp can cause the curse, sort of like the way bee stings can create an alergic reaction due to the body's immune system working on overdrive.

 

Over time, as a Space Wolf fights he can become more exposed than is safe and triggering the curse. Like bee sting alergies, this is not universal and only effects a select few. Back in the day these few where gathered into the 13th company.

 

This is my understanding of the curse anyway.

[Max_Dammit]

The story is twelve wolfs

 

The Space Wolf was an Astartes no more. In fact, he appeared as nothing that could once have

been a man. A bestial countenance overcame him, and the winds howled as if Fenris herself was recoiling

in disgust. Talons grew from his fingers. His armour warped and split as his body deformed, shoulders

broadening and spine hunching over in the aspect of a beast.

 

The beast charged and butchered men with every stroke of its

gory claws. It tore open the hulls of their tanks and ripped out the men inside. In its frenzy it feasted on

them, and strips of bloody skin and meat hung from its inhuman fangs.

 

‘Look!’ cried one Space Wolf. ‘Someone yet lives! He is clad in the armour of a Space Wolf and

yet he is not one, for see, his bearing is that of an animal and his face bears no trace of the human we all

were before becoming Astartes.’

 

The figure in the centre of the battlefield indeed wore the power armour of an Astartes, but split

apart and ruined as if rent from within. He crouched panting in the cold, as if fresh from a hunt. His form

was not that of a human, but of a beast.

‘He is touched by the Wulfen,’ said the pack leader. ‘The Thirteenth Wolf of Fenris has walked

here, and its inhumanity has found a place to dwell inside this Blood Claw. Some flaw in his geneseed

went unnoticed during his novicehood, and now it has come to the fore in this place of bloodshed.’

 

‘What Space Wolf could turn on his brother?’ they asked.

‘Mark well the path of the Wulfen,’ said the pack leader sternly. ‘His is the way of deviant and

frenzied bloodshed. He cares not from whom the blood flows as long as the hunting is good. This ill-fated

Long Fang is testament to that – when this Blood Claw ran out of foes to slay, under the Wulfen’s

influence he turned upon his brother.’

 

 

the end of the story tells of the wulfen being locked in a cell in the fang

[hendrik]

1: Is mark of the wulfen just representing people who are on theyr way to become wulfen? Do the space wolves try to keep this secret, like what happens to the death company of the blood angels?

 

in general when they mention one as marked by the wulfen they mean wulf bitten. as mentioned this is generally indicated by yellow-golden eyes.

Do the space wolves try to hide it? absolutly. figure what would happen if imperial guard command found out what really happened to commander atheltane (she was murdered by our battle leader that had turned wulfen, he slaughtered the entire imperial HQ and some space wolves as well.

Not to mention logan and ranek interogate ragnar after the incident and have him swear upon the spear of russ that he would never tell another soul about the 13th company, or the wulfen for that part.

 

in fact, on the last page ragnar brings hogun, a wolf guard that had turned wulfen back to sigurd and while hogun knows that he is wulf bitten and has lost the fight to the inner wolf it is clear besides that he has no kowledge of the curse, or what his possibilities are.

 

2: Does the Redmaw change back into a man, or is that me missunderstanding it?

he has to, why? well otherwise it would be the end of bran redmaw. Even if he could shackle the inner wolf and keep his hand from killing one of his own logan could never take the risk to have an outsider, let alone an inquisitor even take a glimpse of him. If the public ever got aware of the wulfen even the high lords of terra could not deny we would need to be examined, tested for our purity and even then our faith would be unsure. afterall, what possible humanity could still linger in such a monster?

 

which also brings us to the problem of the redmaw, if bran is able to change back this would suggest not only an extremly strong will, but also the impossible since not even during the great crusade did we had the knowledge to undo the curse of the wulfen (or did we not want to undo it?...). Every source so far has stated once the proces has begun it cannot be undone (unless there's chaos involved but such evil sorcery should never be trusted anyway).

 

3: Is a primary or bi-efect of the mark of the wulfen a channeling of chaos taint\warping to "only" change them into wulfen\wherewolves, countra making them survive?

the general consesus is that when chaos energies build up (be they through a directed spell, an enhancement etc) the canis helix it's defence systems kick in. Instead of allowing the space wolf to get influenced by the evil warp energies he becomes a wulfen. note that our runepriests have found a way to interact with the warp through the use of totems etc and seem to be relatively safe from turning wulfen when using their powers.

[Wulf Vengis]

Codex: Space Wolves pg 16

The sign of the bloodied hunter is associated with those withe the Mark of the Wulfen, and indeed there are many in Bran's Great Company who bear that peculiar curse - some even whisper that Bran has been seen to take on a different form when caught up in the hunt.

So it would seem that Bran (at least) does have the will or ability or whatever to reign in the beast and revert to human form. This may rquire the aid of a Wolf Priest or Rune Priest, or perhaps both. Since his company has so many wulfen within it I would assume that he is accompanied by a number of priests both Wolf and Rune in order to keep his company "civil".

 

It would be my guess that to transform fully into the beast (in mind and body) and allow it to control one without fighting its influence is what makes the reversion process impossible. While to give in partially or to allow the beast to guide one on the hunt, or perhaps even to master the beast and be able to use its strength and form whilst retaining control is acceptable.

[the jeske]

thoughts?

remember wulfkin are mutants of an already highly geneticly modified space marine. Even among the space marines the changes work different some become huge [ranulf was bigger then Russ] other look almost like humans . Two wulfen will never be or act the same because they are mutations . One aspirtant may change in to something what we [not the people in the w40k world] name a werewolf , while other turn in to huge wolfs [which isnt something special considering humans managed to changed themself in to centaurs etc in the w40k univers] others on the other hand seem to be in control or partly in control and go only through changes that one could call "cosmetical" [compering to changing in to a wolf] .

[wulfric_1066]

Can you return from being a Wulfen? It depends on what you mean by 'undoing' or 'reverting'.

 

If it is (to use a real-world equivalent) like alcoholism, then you can. You are always an alcoholic (a Wulfen). It is always there, but by strength of will and good friends, you can hold it in check. Every so often, it might get away and take you over, but it is possible to suppress it.

 

So, a Space Wolf is always at risk of succumbing to the curse of the Wulfen because of his genetic make-up. He holds it in check through his will. Once it has taken over once, it can do so again, but that does not mean it always will in every circumstance. However, his body now knows that it is capable of becoming Wulfen, and it may decide to do so in times of stress when the will is weakened. And the more often it happens, the easier that pathway is.

 

Bulveye's wulfen have reached the end of the line - they have transformed so often that their natural state is now the wolf. The wulfen in a Grey Hunter pack are at the other end of the scale - it has happened once or twice, they are holding it together with the strength of their will and a close eye from the Wolf Priests. Maybe it will never happen again, maybe it will, but they are still fighting it.

 

So, I think that you can go Wulfen and return from it - it isn't a one way street. But even when you look like you are pure astartes, you are still cursed with the Wulfen and just taking it one battle at a time...

[hendrik]

well all sources so far have made it clear one can never fully return to what he was. all sources state they eyes had changed,becoming golden-yellow. basicly it's like virginity, once you lose it it's gone to use a real world comparison. the smae aplies to the wulfen, once a space wolf becomes wolf-bitten (eg,loses the fight to the inner wolf) for the first time he stays wolf bitten

[Wulf Vengis]

So some aspects of the wolf remain, eyes at least, some hair, slightly elongated facial features and perhaps smaller claws then when fully transformed. But it would seem that the overall appearance returns to a more human form. The lupine features of the arms, legs and torso seem to be the most noticeable.

[Max_Dammit]

not all can return to a normal state, the 12wolvesstorry tels of him being locked in his cell in wulfen state where he remains longing for the hunt

[Durfast Spiritwolf]

Personally I like incomplete and contradictory fluff for much the same reason as I enjoy medieval history. The gaps allow for some personal interpretation and flair.

[Orphus]

Personally I like incomplete and contradictory fluff for much the same reason as I enjoy medieval history. The gaps allow for some personal interpretation and flair.

Same here! And anyway, Games Workshop's own fluff allows for uncertainties to take place. If I can diverge off topic for a moment and say that in the rule book, the quite frankly depressing story about the astropaths on Earth recording all the information should not make fluff uncertainties a surprise. Also I hardly think those recording what would be happening to Space Wolves who succumb to the curse would want information released.

 

Personally I always thought the Wolfen curse was a defense against the ruinous powers.

[eyeslikethunder]

Children of the Night: The Space Wolves 13th Company

 

 

Origins

 

Legend states that, many centuries ago, the Space Wolves numbered 13 Great Companies. To this day, a place is reserved at the feasts held in the Hall of the Great Wolf

 

for a Lord who has not attended his liege since the time Russ himself led his sons into battle. Tales of this Company are vague and often contradictory, but one fact

 

is known: the men of the 13th Great Company were marked apart from the rest of their Chapter, for every one of them bore the Curse of the Wulfen.

 

The origins of the 13th Great Company lie in the dawn of the Age of the Imperium, when the Primarchs were reunited with the Emperor and their Legions. The Space Wolves,

 

the 6th Legion, were the genetic progeny of Russ and carried within them a unique gift: the Canis Helix, the Mark of the Wolf that sets the Space Wolves apart from the

 

Space Marines of other Chapters. The Canis Helix invests the Space Wolves with the acute predatory senses of the wolves native to their home world of Fenris, but

 

this gift comes at a price: the Curse of the Wulfen. Those brothers who succumb to the Curse degenerate into savage, malformed parodies of their brethren. In most

 

cases, the Curse manifests during training, but in others, the effects of the Curse become apparent many years later in the heat of battle. The Space Wolves' harsh

 

induction regime generally ensures that these individuals perish at an early stage in the process. However, at the time of the Great Crusade, when the Emperor and his

 

Legions were conquering vast swathes of the galaxy in the name of Mankind, those brothers touched by the Curse were banded together into the 13th Company, where their

 

feral ferocity could be brought to bear en masse and contained for the safety of the whole Legion.

 

 

From the Saga of Jorin Bloodfang

 

 

In time, the ranks of the 6th Legion

swelled to a great host.

 

And many bore the Mark

[FRAGMENT MISSING]

 

And so Russ banded them all into

one Great Company.

 

And to Bloodfang fell the honor

Of leading them to laurels and glory

In the name of Russ and the

All Father.

 

Bloodfang named [FRAGMENT MISSING]

Grail, Orkbane, Sigurd, Thorbrand,

and Grafield.

 

To each a retinue was granted.

 

And as a band of brothers the

13th Great Company

Reaved across the stars.

 

Neither xenite, or Apostate,

nor Fiend

Could stand before [FRAGMENT MISSING]

the Were was upon them.

 

But at the Gates of [FRAGMENT MISSING]

did Bloodfang rage

And plunge headlong into

[FRAGMENT MISSING]

Neither kin nor Master could

restrain him.

 

And beyond the Gates did the

Wulfen-kind pass.

 

At Asaheim, the Wolves did cry for

one hundred nights

To mourn the passage of their kin.

 

Valerian

As you asked for Hendrik