Marko Theron, a young Varasian, married Dreasha a Kellid, when they were both sixteen. Marko moved Dreasha out to a cabin deep in the wilds near the hungry Mountains where they lived a frugal, but happy life - save only for the fact that they could not conceive. Finally after fifteen years they bore a son, but Dreasha was taken grievously ill after giving birth and the snows made the trails back to civilization and aide impassable.
Desperate Marko did the only thing he could think of, he took his wife to the pack. The werewolves turned her and wary of Marko's silver weaponary allowed the two to leave, but they had a claim on her, Dreasha was now part of the pack. Over the next few weeks Dreasha's personality changed, she healed quickly, but she lost herself to the wolf and fled to join the pack before she could hurt her beloved husband or her babe.
And so Wesh grew up without a mother, far from any other children, and with a fiercely possessive and strict father who alternately smothered and neglected him. Marko took to drink pining for his wife, and took to hunting the wolves whenever he could with silver and a fierce hatred. Wesh took solace in his innate kinship with the animals around their isolated home.
Eventually Wesh as he grew Wesh began to spend most of his days roaming the wilderness. He occasionally glimpsed a strange woman, or wolf watching him, and that together with his father's drunken ramblings told him the truth of his mother's disappearance.
Three summers ago he discovered an ancient stone circle, to which he felt curiously drawn. And within the circle he found a young male cougar, badly injured from a fight for territory. Over the course of a week of bringing the wary cat food, Wesh crept slowly closer, earning the creatures trust. The young male cougar had a badly broken forepaw and clearly could not hunt on his own, and Wesh resolved to nurse him back to health. He found a nearby cave and after a few minor maulings managed to persuade the cat to allow itself to be carried there.
Wesh named the cougar Ramon (mighty in Varisian) and the two became fast friends. Eventually Wesh found he could even converse with the big cat. He found himself mumbling strange words in a language that seemed to fall fully formed from his tongue, and found that he could do some small things that seemed magical. He spent more and more time in the stones, feeling a great affinity for them which he did not understand.
Wesh had only been to the stone during daylight, spending his nights either at home with his drunken father, or occasionally in company with Ramon. But one fateful night while styaing in the cave he was awakened by a piercing howling, and made his way down to the stone circle. Within it he saw a number of werewolves in their terrible hybrid forms. Between them was a beleaguered man, looking curiously out of place and like nobody Wesh had ever seen - his experience of humanity being limited to grizzled trappers, and occasional overwhelming trips to sell pelts in the nearest towns.
Carefully the young man crept forward observing the scene, his scent fortunately concealed by the biting wind. The old man was saying something about only seeking knowledge, and understanding - which sounded alright if faintly silly to Wesh. But the werewolves were having none of it.
Wesh wished he could do something to help, but he had no illusions that he could take on a pack of werewolves alone - he had learned enough from his father to know them to be formidable. But he found himself speaking, and the plants answered his call writhing around the wolves and binding many in place. Seeing his chance the old man ran, but two wolves were still free and gave chase.
Knowing it to be foolish Wesh hurled himself into the fray, and possessed of his father's formidable strength, knocking one beast from its feet and sending it sprawling into the writhing undergrowth. Then the other wolf was upon him all unnatural power and flashing fangs. But just as it was about to tear his throat out it recognized him and growled, "Wesh..."
Dreasha flung herself from her son and turned snarling on her pack giving Wesh and the old man time to flee. Wesh took Professor Lorrimer up to Ramon's cave and too excited to sleep the two spend the night talking.
It was from the Professor that Wesh learned about the druidic traditions to with which he possessed such a natural aptitude. Lorrimer told Wesh about the things he had seen druids do and with experimentation they discovered that Wesh could perform many of them. Over the next couple of years the Professor stopped of to see the young druid a couple of times, and sent more letters - much to the surprise of Marko.
Really the Professor was Wesh's only human friend, so the news of his death struck the young man hard. And though the journey to civilized lands was terribly daunting Wesh resolved that he must undertake to fulfill the old man's wishes as best he could and set out with the now fully healed Ramon in tow.
