The Palladium Fantasy system includes the core rulebook and a number of additional sourcebooks (I believe there are currently 17) dedicated to the known world setting. Palladium Fantasy is compatible in its 2nd Edition with Rifts and all the other material published by Palladium Books so really an entire Megaverse is available the referee. Each sourcebook is a bit different from the others. Some contain new Occupational Character Classes, some have information on alien gods and additional system rules, all contain adventures and detailed descriptions and maps of an area of the known world. The Wolfen Empire book is one such sourcebook with a focus on adventure.
The wolfen or wolf people of the Northern Wilderness in The Palladium RPG's known world are one aspect of the setting which I find particularly appealing. Yes, they are just wolves walking around on their hind legs, talking and using tools with their opposable thumbs, but in the game they seem more than that. My guess is Prof. Tolkien might dismiss them, but C.S. Lewis (Narnia) might have embraced them (as referee, you are free to ignore them, change them, etc.). The Palladium Fantasy known world has many humanoid races, elves, dwarves, gnomes, giants, ogres, trolls, orcs and goblins and a unique race of kobolds which are master craftsmen similar to beardless dwarves. There are also the anthropomorphic wolfen with their expanding warrior empire located on the fringe of human civilization providing the referee with a foreign force to threaten and pressure some of the human kingdoms and provide opportunities for adventure. The wolfen and their coyle (think coyote) cousins, are at once menacing like the "wolf-man" of horror films and a bit comical (coyles, especially so).
The land of the twelve tribes is a wintry place and the Wolfen Empire Adventure Sourcebook begins with winter weather and its effects on the game. The following sections are devoted to describing many aspects of wolfen society, politics, economics, religion, interesting places, and several adventures ranging from 101 paragraph long hooks to full blown, session length adventures. A short bestiary, emphasis on wintry animals, is included as a local addition to the Monsters & Animals book. This volume is one of Palladium's newer 2nd edition products and does contain some updated material reprinted from older publications dealing with the wolfen.
Wolfen are in many ways a practical people, preferring to divide and conquer, playing enemies off one-another, making allies where possible rather than enemies. The wolfen empire is notable for its tolerance of social and religious differences among the assimilated peoples of the Empire, permitting just about any belief system as long as it doesn't preach resistance to the wolfen. In some ways the wolfen may be playing catch-up (naval power and sea travel, manufacturing), but in Empire building they seem to be taking the current lead in the known world. A lone wolfen PC may represent a renegade fleeing the Empire or an agent gathering knowledge and helping establish in-roads for the Empire.
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