Wolfcult

The Wolfcult is a mysterious organization that is predominantly found in the Grizzly Hills of southern Northrend and is primarily made up of the region's local human trappers. It is led by none other than the Shade of Archmage Arugal, who had previously adopted the worgen of Silverpine Forest in northern Lordaeron as his children and was once a part of the unrelated Wolf Cult.

The original Wolf Cult
Originally a respected patriot of Gilneas, Arugal eventually became a member of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran. However, after the Scourge destroyed Dalaran and most of its populace, he fled to Shadowfang Keep above Pyrewood Village. On the orders of King Genn Greymane, Arugal used Ur's research to summon the Worgen from what was later known as the Emerald Dream to help defend against the rampaging Scourge. The feral wolf-men slaughtered not only the Scourge, but quickly turned on the wizards themselves. The worgen sieged the keep of the noble Baron Silverlaine. Situated above the tiny hamlet of Pyrewood, the keep quickly fell into shadow and ruin. Driven mad with guilt, Arugal adopted the worgen as his children and retreated to the newly dubbed 'Shadowfang Keep'. He resided there, protected by his massive pet, Fenrus — and haunted by the vengeful ghost of Baron Silverlaine.

Eventually, he created his own worgen cult, under the guidance of his master, by spreading the worgen curse to places like the Deep Elem Mine and Pyrewood and using his magic to keep the worgen under his control. Soon, he had worgen packs such as the Shadowfang pack and the Moonrage pack to do his bidding. Arugal and Alpha Prime's cult sought to find the Scythe of Elune and use it to free the worgen still trapped within the Emerald Dream. His activities, however, eventually drew the ire of the Forsaken and he was later assassinated by Horde adventurers.

The Scourge's Wolfcult
After Arugal was defeated and beheaded by agents of the Horde, Arugal's headless body was buried at the foot of the path leading up to his former stronghold of Shadowfang Keep. At the behest of the Lich King, the San'layn princes Keleseth, Valanar, Theraldis and Atherann resurrected Arugal in the service of the Scourge and sent him to the Grizzly Hills to subvert the trapper communities. Arugal crafted a second Wolfcult under the Scourge's command, entirely separate from the one he had made under orders of Alpha Prime.

Arriving at Solstice Village Arugal was quickly able to convert the population into worgen and later did the same in Silverbrook. According to Anatoly, the trappers joined the cult because they believed that everyone would inevitably come to serve the Lich King and that it was better to do so as a worgen than by becoming an undead. With the majority of the trappers willing joining the cult and the resisters killed or (as in the case of the workers of the Hollowstone Mine) cursed to undeath Arugal settled the Wolfcult's base of operations in Shadowfang Tower on the Bloodmoon Isle, off the Eastwind Shore.

Until the Alliance sent emissaries to ally with the locals in Silverbrook, the Wolfcult operated in secrecy; however, the Alliance eventually discovered the truth behind the trappers. By contrast, Conqueror Krenna, leader of the Horde's Conquest Hold, seems to dismiss any talk about worgen as "nonsense", though her sister Gorgonna recognized that the worgen were a threat.

With the aid of Ruuna the Blind and the trapper Sasha, whose father Mikhail was killed by the Wolfcult, adventurers learn about Arugal's resurrection and discover that the Wolfcult are agents of the Lich King. After this revelation, Sasha becomes more determined to uncover the whereabouts of her sister and journeys to the White Pine Trading Post. After adventurers successfully captured and delivered Anatoly to her, she was able to rescue her. At the same both Sasha and the adventurers learned that about Arugal's locations. Eager to see the madness of the Wolfcult end Sasha enlisted adventurers to end the Wolfcult leadership.

Quickly arriving onto Bloodmoon Isle adventurers killed Arugal's lieutenants Varlam, Selas, and Goremaw. With the secondary leadership of the Wolfcult dead, adventurers moved into the tower, and in a ferocious battle the Lord of the Wolfcult is killed.

With the leaders of the Wolfcult dead, it is possible that the cult disbanded and its surviving members went off into hiding.

Members
These humans have the ability to transform into a worgen at will and are not forced to change at night. When they are killed they transform back into humans, ending their curse. However, there are some that have changed into a full-fledged worgen, these do not change and will remain as a skinnable worgen after death.

🇨🇴

Wolfcult leadership
🇨🇴

Wolfcult members
🇨🇴

Speculation
In the Lands of Mystery, it is detailed that the Grizzly Hills was an area that was outside the range of the Scourge' domain and was firmly in the hands of the furbolg with no notable human presence. However, as Valgarde grew, its residents forced the Drakkari and furbolgs back into the Grizzly Hills and beyond, making the region safe enough for farmers to till the land. It is possible that the human villages in the Grizzly Hills were a result of this.

This would also explain how the Scourge managed to get a foothold in the Grizzly Hills; the invading humans broke the power of the furbolg that kept the Scourge at bay.