Most Ancient of Bears

The Most Ancient of Bears is a story that exists among the Gurahl that tells of a werebear whose life began in the first days and who still walks the Earth from time to time, keeping vigil over Ursa's children.

Biography
No one can verify the existence of the Gurahl known as the Most Ancient of Bears, but werebears of all tribes and places tell of mysterious encounters with a wandering Gurahl who seemed to possess incredible powers and an uncanny knowledge of the past.

Though Gurahl lorekeepers have amassed an arsenal of legendry about the Most Ancient of Bears, no two stories are alike. Some tales depict this ancient Gurahl as male, others as female. All the stories have one thing in common: the Most Ancient of Bears appears in times of great need - to rescue Abandoned Cubs and lead them to a teacher, to intervene in the wholesale slaughter of bears or to save a group of beleaguered Kinfolk from starvation or persecution.

Tales place the Most Ancient of Bears in almost every century, depicting him (or her) as a warrior in the War of Rage, a savior during the time of the Inquisition, an explorer to the New World and a harbinger of the Storm Eater's presence in the Savage West. The most common story relates how Gaia blessed one Gurahl with the gift of ten thousand years, but cautioned her favored one not to use them up all at once. Because of this, the Most Ancient of Bears spends long periods of time in hibernation, waking briefly every decade or so to assess the situation of the Gurahl and of the Earth itself.

Many werebears believe that in the final days, the Most Ancient of Bears will awaken and remain awake and active in the world until the very outcome of the Apocalypse. Some think that the increased number of rumors concerning encounters with this revered, possibly mythical figure, portend the imminent arrival of the great confrontation with the Wyrm - but only the Most Ancient of Bears knows the truth.