Herr Amatel

The wolf spirit Herr Amatel is notoriously a vicious trickster among the beliefs of the Northmen clans and Lethos tribes. Like all spirits, he is able to change form, however his true form is known to be that of a wolf, and his human form might have wolf eyes or fangs.

Herr Amatel is both feared and respected, largely because of the brutality of his tricks. For example, he is known to trick wives into killing their husbands in order for him to steal children, among any number of treacherous methods to destroy families. These children, which he supposedly raise as his own, are the followers of the trickster wolf, known as Amatel Children or Ash Children (as they smear ash-paste on their naked skin, presumably to emulate wolf fur). These Children share in their master's delight in mischief, and are known for murdering and robbing those travelling on the roads.

Herr Amatel is not considered an evil spirit, however, as he helps the good and the bad. One of his brighter moments is the tale of Jorah the Thief, whom Herr Amatel helped escape a lair of firmelln by making the crystals sing and sowing chaos and fear among the stone spirits, allowing Jorah to leave with a sackful of precious gems.

He certainly does do wrong in the tales, with the Amatel Children being only one example. Herr Amatel loves making deals with mortals that are advantageous on the surface but end up being devastating. He loves disguises and taking part in cruel twists of events himself. He also has an affinity for magical artefacts that are cursed, like rings of power that also wither away the body, or bring madness.

Herr Amatel is hated for his role in the tale of Chief Golvard, who came into conflict with giants from the mountains. Herr Amatel helped Golvard make an alliance with the Lethos in exchange for a favour. Over a year after the giants had been beaten back the trickster wolf demanded the Chief's first born son. Golvard refused, and Amatell took the form of one of his men, attacked Lethos innocents, and initiated war. Golvard's  clan suffered, and Amatell got the child.