The First Den
A Place Deeply Touched by the Spirit Realm
Janet Horne was the last witch to be burned in Scotland in 1727. It was the end of a two-century-long period of witch hunts in which hundreds of people were executed for the crime of diabolism in accordance with the Witchcraft Act of 1563.
Though the trials themselves did not directly affect the werewolf populations, reports were often made of witches working together with beasts, sometimes large wolves. The packs could claim no association with these witches, real or imagined, and so while they retreated deeper into the wilderness, they were not directly targeted.
Scotland was at unrest, however, and as Scotland trended toward another Jacobite uprising, the Scottish werewolves were restless. Increasing numbers of human soldiers made camps in their territories, and with the threat of burning at the stake for the crime of "being supernatural" was still fresh in their minds, the Scottish werewolves made the decision to break for the New World.
Though they were not the first werewolves to make land in the Americas, the founders of the First Den in the Hidden Valley of Tennessee are the most well-known early community of werewolves to set foot on American soil. Seeking freedom from discovery under the guise of religious freedom, they settled in the Smoky Mountains.
Today, werewolf oral tradition claims that this was the first American werewolf pack to settle in the New World. (While technically correct, Viking werewolf populations had settled previously in what would become Canada centuries later.)
When they arrived and settled down, the werewolves made a pact with the spirits of the land that they would continue to protect the land's spirits in exchange for sanctuary from human forces.
It was here that the old world Clan structure of Scotland and Ireland first became the American Pack structure, which is unique to the Americas. They were able to blend their own traditions with the local traditions, creating a system which not only honored the ethnic ties of the clan, but also the closer familial ties of the pack.
Sacred Elements
- Natural hot springs where the first rituals were performed
- Ancient trees marked with the original clan symbols
- Stone circles where the first territorial boundaries were established
- The first and original Heart Stone is located here
- The "Echo Cave" where pack laws were first spoken and still resonate
Modern Significance
- Pilgrimage site for newly-made Alphas and spiritual leaders
- Neutral ground for resolving the most serious inter-territorial disputes
- Only High Fangs know its exact location
The First Den is hidden by both natural camouflage and spiritual wards. Humans and even most werewolves can't find it without proper guidance. Anyone visiting is brought under a spiritual cloaking which prevents them from returning without guidance.
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