The Werewolf
General Information;
Werewolves are creatures of loyal change. They have both a humanoid and lupine form, though otherwise keep whatever traits they possessed in their former life. Packs and the urge to create them frequently rely on the naturally high concentration of empaths within the werewolf population.
Statistics;
Name:: Werewolf
Average Lifespan:: 800 years
Average Height:: 6ft/1.8m (human), 5ft/1.5m (wolf)
Average Weight:: 180 pounds
Location Found:: Abroad.
*all statistics based on averages; extremes in any direction, or found in odd locations, are always allowed.
Notes;
Creation - Bite Infection Unlike other werecreatures, the werewolf infection is very emotionally based. The bacteria that creates the infection - seen as more of a bit of living magic rather than any proper organism - grows more powerful with strong emotion, becoming increasingly more active and potent than in times of calm. Strong emotions that contribute to a bite's potency include, but are not limited to: rage, grief, lust, and fear.
The more intense the emotion, more likely a bite infection may happen. Empaths are especially vulnerable to werewolf bites, as they both may experience the werewolf's emotions and add to them, resulting in a much greater change of being Changed. When the infection occurs, there is a short period of time in which it may be reversed - but if allowed to run its course, the changes will happen in a matter of days.
In most cases, the werewolf will shift not long after the transformation is complete. This first shift is painful, both physically and mentally, no matter when it happens. An empath will shift immediately, sometimes even before the infection has worked all the way through their system, generating great pain projected to others all around them. Many werewolves will typically be brought under the wing of the werewolf who infected them until they gain more control over the shift. Some of these never leave, and form large packs of their own.
Creation - Reproduction Werewolves are also capable of reproducing, either rendering half-werewolves with their partners or purebred werewolves with others of their race. These purebred werewolves often shift for the first time just before puberty, though changing earlier and later is a rare occurrence. Purebred werewolves are much less likely to be moon-chained as well.
Inherited Abilities As many humanoid races may be bitten and changed into werewolves, there is a vast array of species-related abilities that remain unchanged when the shift from one species to another is complete. These include, but are not limited to: a xeriin's animal affinity and form; a demon's Tri'akun; a Halgian's dark-sense; and a se'athkyn's bone magic. Species that cannot survive the change include mythkin, elemental, and liniah, which are considered more living constructs which the inherently magical infection would either kill or not effect.
Moon-Chained In very rare cases, a werewolf will be unable to control their shifting at all while under the full moon. In some werewolf packs, these moon-chained individuals are considered blessed by Leartes' tears, and sometimes even by the moon itself, though it is considered a curse by other packs and non-werewolves.
The moon-chained shift to their lupine forms under the light of the full moon, and no moon-chained werewolf may resist the transformation. Older individuals will have full control of their actions during this time, though the newly turned or emotionally unstable will often be unable to control what they do or say as long as the full moon lasts. Moon-chained werewolves in Realms with multiple moons may go moon-mad and never change back if forced into a transformation too many times too often.
Due to the rarity of this condition in werewolves, they are generally viewed as more trustworthy than the other werecreatures.
Solitary Wolves Rarely, if an individual has been rejected from their pack and is without desired companionship and unable to find a pack that may take them in, a werewolf may form a pack with the fauna of the area, typically going more feral as a result. These 'wolves may grow more and more unstable until their mind breaks completely and they begin to form "packs" with the local flora. These werewolves are considered a danger to themselves and others, unable to control either their shifting or their actions, and may be euthanized for their own sake.
This decent into madness does not include those who choose to live a solitary life. Though some solitary werewolves may experience depression, if solitude is their own choice and not a result of repeated rejections, they will remain sane and stable. Lone werewolves, however, are considered an oddity and are often looked down upon by any peers made aware of their presence.
Diet This is what this species, and any variants, may eat at any given time.
Common:
red and white meat; both raw flesh from freshly-killed prey and cooked meats in prepared meals. fruits, nuts, and other side dishes; almost any local cuisine.
Uncommon:
vegetables, fish, shellfish, tubers.
Rare:
blood; the meat from sapient races; carrion.
Overview:
Werewolves as a whole are omnivores, though they prefer a diet heavy in meats of multiple kinds. In their humanoid forms, they regularly indulge in the cultural foods of their home region, or any place they may find themselves in. However, in wolf form, they may bring down and kill a prey animal, though it depends on individual taste whether the raw meat is devoured immediately, or brought back for later cooking.
Of the werewolf subspecies, worgens have digestive systems that require more meat than their diet than the average werewolf. They hover near the obligate carnivore line, whether their meats are raw, cooked, or dried. Wargwolves commonly have diets very close to their parent species, depending on form: both humanoid and wolf forms are nearly identical to the werewolf diet, but their war forms are greatly feared for an apparent taste for blood and fresh hearts.
Credits;
Species info credited to Bucketorandomness, RúneSketch, Skye Hajime, Hera, and Verridith.
In-Depth Information;
Appearance Werewolves are creatures with both a humanoid and lupine form. Older werewolves may be able to change between these two forms at will or, if moon-chained, by the phases of the moon. The information on each found below are generalizations; things outside of the norm may also be approached.
Humanoid: A werewolf's humanoid shape can resemble anything from an actual human to a dwarf, elf, or any other race of that basic bodyshape; they resemble the form they or their ancestors were before the change. Younger werewolves, and those that have chosen a more feral lifestyle, will appear more unkempt, wild, or ragged than their neighbors in human shape. Older werewolves may be completely indistinguishable (other than by scent) from their base species, and may appear as refined as any within the culture they have integrated themselves within, werewolf pack or no.
Often, they will wear an earring or simple necklace in both forms, as small jewelry is the only thing that stays during a shift. Other elements - such as non-enchanted clothing may be destroyed, unless specifically enchanted to reappear when turning back into their humanoid shape. Most older werewolves will invest in a wardrobe of clothes that are enchanted to do just this, as they see shifting back stark naked to be more of a hindrance than worthwhile spectacle.
Wolf: Werewolves in lupine form are, as a general rule, quite large; most of them range from the size of a large wolf to middling horse in shoulder height. Compared to Vystrian wolves and forestwolves, werewolves are bulkier and have broader jaws and paws; these paws are also slightly more handlike in shape, with the toes splayed more like fingers. Their pelts and eye color match that of their humanoid forms, though markings and mutations may be present that are not shown in human's shape.
Culture Primarily, werewolves are seen to be pack animals; they adhere to companionship and family, counting their familial ties as more important than life itself. They are immensely protective of those they care for, and a werewolf defending their pack is considered to be as dangerous as an angry dragon.
Werewolves may form packs with both their own race and other sapient species. If a werewolf finds itself without other werewolves to form a pack with, they might form surrogate packs with those around them. Many werewolves in surrogate packs feel a strong desire to either contribute to the pack or protect the weaker members they come to care about. However, if a werewolf is found to be without a pack against their will - being rejected from all social circles - they may suffer from various degrees of depression and hopelessness. Some of these werewolves may go feral, while others form odd bonds with plants and animals as they descend into further madness.
Frequently, a werewolf pack will use simple jewelry to indicate members, since these elements remain present in both forms. Some may use a particular stud earring worn at the members' discretion. Others may use a specific type of piercing, ring, or pendant. Still others do not use this method at all, typically in packs of multiple species or of small size. The largest pack of werewolves can be found in Felnova's Exodus Desert, found in the city of Sunfire.
Abilities The most obvious ability of the werewolf is the shift between humanoid and lupine forms. New werewolves may have difficulty controlling their shift, especially in the cases of strong emotions like anger, fear, or joy. Typically, an older werewolf will teach those newly turned or the young in the pack how to control the urge to shift even when under the influence of strong emotions. The only exception to this are the moon-chained: werewolves who have their transformations tied to the phases of whatever Realm they may find themselves in at any time.
All werewolves have the inherent magical abilities they had before the change, or the abilities they have inherited from their parents. This includes alternate shifting genes, elemental magic, and other assorted abilities. In both forms, a werewolf will have heightened senses and physical strength; 'wolves are faster, stronger, and have immense capabilities over senses of smell, sight, and hearing. Most bitten werewolves have greater stamina as well, due to their altered physical biology, though purebred werewolves are less so.
Unusually, werewolves are frequently empaths, which contributes to their ability to pack-bond with just about anything. Werewolf empaths are able to pick up on the feelings of others and deduce what they can do to assist; in battle, their empathy may help them predict when an opponent might attack, and they may counter accordingly. In day to day life, they may pick up on a packmate's distress, causing the whole to join together in solving the problems they may find. However empathetic werewolves may have difficulties picking up on multiple emotions, and focus on whichever feeling they can detect is the strongest. They may accidentally disregard the mild pain they sense in one to favor the strong pride they sense in another. This can lead to intricate social problems if members fail to learn how to communicate, and pack members may leave if problems persist. This also has a bearing on non-empath werewolves - and thus, empathic 'wolves tend to form packs only with those who share their emotional affinities.
Species Origin;
With Death still posing an extreme threat to the First Realm, Leartes, L’zayn, Gaz’in, and Fenrir met in secret to discuss creating a new species, gifted with the power to shift between a humanoid and bestial form, to aid them in their fight against the dark god. L’zayn and Fenrir proposed a dragon, while Gaz’in suggested using the form of a big cat. Leartes supported using the wolf due to its ability to work together to bring down considerably larger and stronger foes.
When the four failed to reach an agreement, Leartes left the other three, and withdrew into the forest. There, he found a strong human hunter, and blessed him with the ability to transform into the form of a wolf, and with greatly enhanced senses. Then Leartes shed two tears, and told the first werewolf to mix the tears in with his tribe’s drinks when they gathered to eat that evening.
The tears caused the rest of the tribe to gain the same powers as the first of them, though they would never be so fast, or so strong. That night, when the moon rose, they shifted for the first time. Thus did the first werewolves come into being. Working together as a pack, they became fierce hunters, reclaiming the night from the beasts that would seek to hunt them.
This Ancient First was a man that could transform into a massive wolf with a silken red pelt. He was proud and loyal, distrustful of others but putting his pack first in all things, and was frightfully strong. Gifted with control over shadows, he was a terrible hunter of both predator and prey.
subspecies
Worgen
Classification: anthropomorphic werewolf. Location: scattered.
The worgen is a breed of werewolf that stands on two legs and have much more humanoid features than do normal werewolves, though their faces generally remain entirely lupine. Average height would be about 6 and a half to 7 feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-furred, with shorter tails than their brethren. While some possess an additional human form, others do not. Regardless, many opt to stay in these forms in well-hidden 'Tribes', instead of traditional packs. These Tribes are very ritualistic, and many a worgen will be seen sporting tattoos across their chests and shoulders, fur died a deep black. Female worgens are less inclined to join these tribes, however, and many will be seen on the streets of Albronel looking for mercenary work wearing elven- or dwarven-made armor.
Wargwolf
Classification: variable werewolf. Location: primarily cold, snowy regions; though can be found anywhere.
A class of werewolf created via mutation when a werewolf and worgen breeds; these werewolves are called 'wargwolves' for the sounds they elicit from their victims. Gifted with three wolven forms instead of one, these creatures can transform into a regular, four-legged wolf known as the 'feral' form, a bipedal, worgen-like wolf known as the 'tall' form, an a bipedal, bestial form known as the 'war' form. Though specs for the other two forms may be found in both the werewolf and worgen species, the war-form is unique in that it echoes a demon's Tri'akun, only coming to light in instances of great need. They have much longer fangs and scythelike claws, are very heavily muscled, and much larger than both of their other forms. The average height for a war-wargwolf is ten feet tall, though some may grow larger, and some far shorter.
