Wæl-Bærnd, Ancient One of Hunting and Beasts, a corrupting primordial entity whose influence has twisted both nature and the inhabitants of Gnossienne, spreading grotesque, werebeast-like mutations through parts of the city like a virulent plague. These mutations, mostly resembling monstrous werewolves, are sometimes non-Euclidean in form, their bodies defying natural geometry. Initially offered as a “gift” from Wæl-Bærnd to his cult, the Helwyr, the curse spreads further: those bitten or scratched by the transformed, if they survive, have a fifty percent chance of mutating themselves. The Helwyr, his cult of mostly hunters and butchers, ritually offer meat, sacrifices and do hunts of animals, monsters and humans alike, celebrating these mutations as blessings and marks of favor. Wæl-Bærnd himself is a terrifying apex predator: a massive, werewolf-like creature with light gray fur, hands and feet corrupted to black with the taint fading upward into his natural fur. His head is shark-like, bearing two sets of three eyes in a row on each side, three rows of jagged teeth within his mouth and three long, sharp, prehensile tongues. A mane of sharp, bristling quills covering his head and run along his back, while each hand bears three black claws and a thumb. Every aspect of him radiates predatory menace, raw power and the violent thrill of the hunt, making him both a revered and feared force of mutation, carnage and primal dominance within Gnossienne.