the setting

[Forte]

Welcome to the Valley.

Spectrum is set in a large, isolated valley (commonly called "the Valley") hidden deep in a vast expanse of tall mountains. The wolves here are influenced by strong magic ("Valley Magic" or, simply, "the Magic") that has had a significant influence on the entire valley.

Due to the Magic, many different climates and habitats persist between the high mountains, from jungle to plain to desert to canyon, within very short distances of each other. Many of these places have magical qualities. Still more are entirely unique on Earth.

The Magic has just as strongly affected the creatures that inhabit the Valley. Though many species roam here, the main predator is the wolf, and the Magic appears to have favored them above all other animals. The Valley wolves are not like their cousins from beyond the mountains: Most of these wolves have strangely-colored coats or eyes, mutations, or even magical abilities of their own. Many have a combination of these traits. In a few wolves who live nearest the center of the Valley, physical features and magical abilities are even known to change throughout an individual's lifetime. This has become the norm among the Valley wolves.

The real anomalies are the "normal" wolves, with naturally-colored fur and no mutations or magic. Most of these individuals have come through an underground tunnel or mountain pass from outside the Valley. Over time, the Valley Magic is likely to alter their physical features, but no outsider has ever gained magical abilities from living in the Valley, even near the center their whole lives. Each generation spawning from an outsider is further altered by the Magic, until the outsider's descendants are indistinguishable from all other Valley wolves (this can take as few as three generations). Very rarely, "normal" wolves are born spontaneously to magically altered parents. These wolves are not affected by the Valley's magic throughout their lives, as if they are immune.

The source of all this magic has not been positively identified, but it is widely thought to be a large meteorite, rock-like in appearance but made of some sort of metal, partially buried in mud at the bottom of a perfectly circular pond near the center of the Valley. This spot has been observed to have the strongest magic of any known site, even changing the colors of some non-wolf animals. With wolves, the most susceptible to the Magic's influence, it borders on the dangerous. Many who have drunk from the pond never wake up, or, worse, lose their minds. A small number have gained powerful magical abilities. Still others have been mutated beyond all recognition. The effects of the meteorite's magic in this area are drastic and utterly unpredictable.

The strength of the Magic seems to lessen the further from this pond. The most amazing phenomena are generally located nearer the center of the Valley.

Humans are not present in the Valley, and never have been, as far as anyone knows. Only wolves from the outside have seen them, but there is nothing to suggest that they might discover the Valley anytime soon.