Howl
Howl is a large, blunt member of Silver’s druid hunting pack who greets outsiders with open hostility and skepticism, initially treating Frank’s integration into the group with mockery and doubt. Practical and combat-capable, he fights alongside his packmates through escalating conflicts, gradually shifting from a shapeshifting brawler into a dependable scout and tank as the group allies with Jason’s coalition. Candid and blunt to a fault, Howl remains guarded about trusting new leadership even as circumstances force him into grudging cooperation.
Abilities
- Ant-form shapeshifting (armored, oversized tank form used to block tunnels) — Book 5
- Fire-resistant natural armor in ant form — Book 5
Book 4.5: Unity
Howl is introduced as a large, blunt pack member who mocks Frank’s appearance and helped capture him. He gives Frank practical survival and cooking instruction while predicting he will die, and joins the pack’s consensus against Silver’s plan to abandon Frank during his trial. After Silver kills the demon Palo instead of letting it kill Frank, Howl emerges from his shelter with a finger broken from Silver’s discipline and confronts her for risking pack safety to save someone he calls worthless and unable to shift. When travelers set up camp outside Haven, Howl reacts with bloodlust and challenges Frank’s status as an outsider, submitting to Silver’s authority only when ordered. He resists Silver’s proposal to evacuate Haven, arguing to fight instead, though he wavers briefly when reminded that permanent respawn mechanics endanger his mother and sister in Haven; he later beats Frank to authenticate his cover story before an infiltration mission and joins Frank’s diversionary wolf infiltration of the player camp. During the council hearing, he backs Frank’s false claim of responsibility for the demon’s death to protect Silver.
During the Knights’ assault, Howl retrieves and returns Frank’s old armor before patrolling with Runner, and the two discover the enemy’s infiltration of Haven. He fights beside Runner defending the meeting lodge and is wounded, deferring to Silver’s orders as the battle turns dire. After Silver is incapacitated and Frank begins directing the pack, Howl openly questions why he should take orders from Frank, though he cooperates when no better option exists and helps care for the traumatized Hoot. When Frank later prepares to use the demon’s heart, Howl again opposes him out of concern for Silver’s safety, and is physically overpowered; despite his fear at witnessing Frank’s werewolf transformation, he reluctantly joins the resulting assault plan.
Status: hostile, dismissive pack member who helped capture Frank → wounded pack fighter who grudgingly accepts Frank’s leadership out of necessity
Frank: Howl moves from open hostility and mockery toward Frank to reluctant cooperation and grudging respect, while still openly challenging his authority.
Silver: Howl shifts from following Silver’s leadership without question to openly confronting her decisions when he believes they endanger the pack, while remaining protective of her.
Key quote: “You killed the demon instead of letting him eat this worthless idiot? He cant even shift!”
Book 5: Hellion
Howl is part of Silver’s pack during her standoff with the druid council; when she defies the council’s ruling, he backs her decision outright, declaring the group’s loyalty to her over the council’s authority and helping steady pack morale through humor during the transition to open alliance with Jason and Frank. He works alongside fellow shifter Runner through much of the book, coordinating perimeter patrols and voicing shared complaints about harsh conditions, from the desert march to the sweltering fire-ant tunnels. He is anxious before the Bone Borer’s underground journey and again before the group’s worm-transport rides, but manages the fear each time and stays in position. During the fire ant war he learns to shapeshift into an oversized ant form, becoming a tank capable of blocking tunnels and taking hits meant for the team, a role he continues into the later siege of Sandscrit, where he fights alongside Frank and Runner and follows orders to capture rather than kill enemies so Riley can use them for blood magic.
Howl is candid about weighing risk against reward, twice questioning whether the pack is getting enough out of the missions it takes on, from the practical value of glowing loot to the scale of resources committed to a single small group. He also voices relief and appreciation when discovering the quality of Eliza’s potion work, recognizing that the team’s support has been better than he assumed. By the later chapters he has settled into a comfortable place within Original Sin, trading jokes with Runner and Hoot about teammates’ new titles, and taking on scouting duties for the druid pack as the final battle approaches, delivering blunt battlefield reports to warn Silver, Runner, and Jason of the enemy’s approach.
Silver: Declares open loyalty to Silver as pack leader over the druid council’s ruling, cementing the pack’s break from the council.
Frank: Moves from wary camaraderie to a working combat partnership, fighting alongside Frank in Sandscrit’s defense.
Eliza: Develops appreciation for Eliza after discovering the strength of her potion work, having previously been unaware of its quality.
Key quote: “Fuck that. We’re all coming with you. As far as I’m concerned, you are our pack leader – council be damned.”