War of Beasts
The War of Beasts, also known as the Beast Wars, was an ancient war fought between werebeasts, specifically werewolves and the other therianthropes. It is said to have occurred sometime after the Deathless War.
Overview[]
The war was fought between lycans and other werebeasts. According to Caspian, the aggressor was an ancient and tyrannical werewolf known as Azog who sought to make himself and his kind the kingship of all beasts and force the other werebeasts to submit to their sole rule.
History[]
Background[]
In ancient times, the werebeasts, having acknowledged one another's existence, would create a cross-species alliance dubbed as the Beast Courts. Overtime, however, relations between the werebeasts were beginning to grow strained due to territorial strife, contests for the best breeding stock or herds, or simple reasons like pride and spite. Some of the more pacificistic members of the species sought to create a peace treaty between their kind but this would be no minor feat as there would be only discussions and silent threats.
The perpetrator behind this ongoing strife between the werekin was an old and diabolical werewolf named Azog who is one of the earliest descendants of Lycaon's sons. According to wall carvings that were archived in ancient dwellings once belonging to their ancestors, Azog would instigate animosity between each fera, often leading to accusations such as harboring secrets that would benefit one another's kind, a show of arrogance in refusing their tokens, and mismanagement humanity's livestock to feed themselves.
War of Beasts[]
Some of the wolf tribes tried to remain neutral, but were used by both werebeast and other lycans for their own agendas. Things only escalated when they began to encroach on each other's territory, feeding on their livestock, desecrating their spiritual dwellings, and even killing lone werekin that were without a pack or tribe. With the pieces set and in play, Azog would make his move, having fanned the flames of various lycan tribes that now hold nothing but contempt and hate for the other werebeasts and wish to see them eradicated to establish themselves as the dominant werekin on Earth.
With the other werebeasts fighting amongst each other and weakening their forces and armaments, Azog would move his armies upon them, picking them off one by one. It is said that those who did not submit to Azog's ideals were either killed or tortured into submission. The werebeasts that maintained strong numbers and resources fought back against Azog and his armies. Tribes that have defected from Azog and even those that wanted no part of the war were forced to engage, some linking it to an oath made between two tribes as a form of kinship. The war raged on between werekin throughout the continents, particularly in regions like Africa, North America, and Europe.
Bronze Age Flood[]
The war grew so out of hand that werebeasts were targeting humans to use as a means to replenish themselves and even raid their settlements or empires for their weaponry to gain an advantage against each other. Eventually, it forced Zeus himself to take action as he saw the atrocities committed by the beasts continuously harming Gaia. With agreements from the Council of Godheads, Zeus initiated the second flood. So, he shut Boreas up in the cave of Aeolus, and let the wet and rainy South Wind loose, while Iris drew up water feeding it to the clouds. Poseidon contributed as well, for he assembled the river gods, and they, after receiving permission and instructions, broke all bounds and overwhelmed the open plains. And so, the waves started to sweep away houses and shrines until the water covered the highest towers.
Thus in very short time the whole world was turned into a wide sea without shores. Lycans, Werebears, Sarrukh, and many others were carried away by the waves. The Rokea, due to their native territory being the sea, have not been affected in great numbers by the Beast Wars nor the flood, but did fight against some of the lycans that traversed across their territory.
After the waters receded, the werekin society collapsed, and while some of the tribes and species managed to survive, they suffered tremendous losses and would take millennia to recover what they lost. The alliance between the werekin was irreparably shattered as many have been scattered throughout the world. In addition to the aftermath of the Deathless War, the Beast Wars created a crisis of refugees, the decline of art, literature, science, and technology; an event later known to historians as the Late Bronze Age collapse after the flood waters receded. Also, despite what many believed and hoped, Azog survived but was sealed off with the remnants of his army in a massive cavern from the flood. However, it is prophesied that Azog would eventually return when the world rises from fire.
