A common warg, being ridden by Ur Dur goblin raiders
Warg
A warg is a supersized wolf like animal that can be vicious and frightening with lethal jaws and the strength to break through barriers. Despite their grim reputation, they are social animals and can be half-tamed. They are widely used as tamed cavalry for goblins or orcs in the continents of Aels and Zarhuy. Wargs are animals that are used extensively by the Demonic Dark Legion.
An Antorian Mounted Warg has an enormously strong build and can carry even an Antorian Orc rider
Description[]
In Aiers, the wargs are highly wolf like in appearance and behavior, with similar grey coats. Wargs are of a closely related species to wolves, and they differ primarily in having bodies of a greater scale, and being much more heavily built than an equivalent wolf. They have considerable strength from this size and build, that allows them to carry a rider if tamed to be a mount. Wargs are a serious threat when a pack should cross paths with humanoids. They might represent something far worse when they are tamed mounts with hostile riders.
Three Known Types of Wargs[]
There are three types of wargs that are known to exist. It would be logical that there are more than these three. The three types are:
- Common Warg
- Antorian Warg
- Antorian Mounted Warg
Common Warg[]
This is the warg that is found in Aels, and may be native to Hieyoks and northern Zarhuy as well. Usually wild, this warg has been tamed and used by goblins for centuries. They are about three times the weight of wolves, (estimated 120 - 150 kg) and are able to be mounted by a light rider for short distances.
- Tamed: It is almost certain that a properly tamed, bred, riding version of the wild common warg exists.
Antorian Warg[]
In the vast, semi-arid plains of Antor, in southern Zarhuy many species survive by being fewer in number, but becoming larger. This phenomenon has made the warg native to Antor considerably larger than the common variety. Possibly by more than twice the weight of the common warg (estimated 275 - 325 kg).
- Tamed: The Antorian Orcs of the region have long had a close relationship with these wargs, and have tamed them to act as hunters and guides for them in search of prey, and even as pack animals dragging small amounts of supplies behind them.
Antorian Mounted Warg[]
These are tamed and bred Antorian wargs that have been bred for further increased size, strength and to accept heavy riders. These wargs are again, over twice the weight of their wild or smaller hunter counterparts (estimated 700 - 750 kg), and are well fed to reach maximum size and endurance. Their shoulders and backs are especially strongly built and arched to support great weight. These wargs are of a larger size and strength than most riding horses as they must be ridden by Antorian Orcs that might weigh some 150 kg, plus the orc's armor, gear, and supplies.
Use of Wargs[]
Early[]
It is speculated that Green Goblins began taming wargs thousands of years before the Apparition of Humanity. Because goblins never formed a stable society, the process never resulted in 'warg-dogs', as tamed wargs would merge back into wild packs, some descendants being tamed again by later generations of goblins. These wargs would be used to hunt prey, and to carry or drag supplies. The light weight green goblins would eventually come to mount their tamed wargs and use them to extend their reach and offensive capabilities. The Antorian Orcs may have independently duplicated this process, they began much later, but their breeding techniques and close relationship to wargs made their wargs much more 'dog-like' and malleable in appearance.
Later[]
The Demonic Dark Legion would make use of warg cavalries as a result of using Green Goblins as troops in their early wars. Early in the second millennium a.a.H., this largely meant using warg cavalry when they would use green goblin riders. Later, they would supply tamed wargs to smaller orc riders as well, and their own bred Ur Dur goblins.
Quags[]
A werewolf in wolf form that is successfully bred to a warg results in a Quag. The Quag being a warg like creature that cannot transform, or verbally speak, but had most of the intelligence of its werewolf parent. Quags made superior mounts, and were considered superior in value and rank to their Ur Dur goblin riders, and Quags were able to organize tamed wargs, or even wild wargs and wolves, to act in the interest of the Demonic Dark Legion.
Hence, warg cavalry would remain as valuable auxiliary forces, even as less valuable goblinoid minions were being phased out, thanks to Quags. Other than cavalry, wild wargs might be found in times of war suddenly attacking human or elven settlements in mass, or preying on individuals in a terrifying tactic that cost the Demonic Dark Legion little to instigate.