Werewolf
the Wolfmen of Jerain
The most famous of the Lycanthrope subspecies, werewolves are legends across all Aldern. Most societies of Ethae will kill a known werewolf on finding one, so terrified of these monsters, and its curse, is the general population. So famous are the werewolf in folklore, the term werewolf and lycanthrope are considered by most as the same thing. Few, beyond the scholastic community, understand that there are other types of lycanthrope creatures beyond the werewolf.
Natural werewolves are native to the central forest of Jerain. They live in small packs, usually nomadic, though some have carved out territories for themselves. These creatures, born as a natural lycanthrope refer to themselves as wolfweres, to distinguish themselves from the vial cursed ones. Wolfwere communities hate the unnatural werewolves, killing them on site, often devouring them to prevent the curse from spreading. This communal hatred is so strong that wolfweres finding an infected subject will spread word and a hunt will begin for the wolfwere that created the monster. This hatred has also led to brutal encounters between wolfweres and people, as the former will hunt to slaughter any of the later they encounter to prevent the curse from surviving and spreading. A fact that, while seeming noble on the surface, only adds to the fear of the creatures and their ruthless nature.
Those infected werewolves, as implied above, for the most part survive alone, fleeing where they were infected for fear of man and lycanthrope. This is how all werewolf encounters in Novyum have come to be. An infected person hiding in a remove village or town, inevitably transforming and attacking the innocent. In a few cased through history, infected werewolves have come together, usually by one infected others, and work as a community for protection. But this is rare.
Natural werewolves have the ability to transform at will, usually preferring to live in wolf form, which has given way to the concept that they are wolves that can transform into man. Those infected, cannot control their transformation. Though with some training, they can learn too, but finding a wolfwere to teach them is near impossible as they will usually be killed on sight. Infected transformation happens through extreem stress, and the lunar cycle, with transformations happening during the conjunction of the two moons at the beginning of each month, and one day before and after the conjunction.
Those with the curse of lycanthropy can be cured with a Remove Curse spell.
Player Characters (*only Human can be infected) infected by werewolf lycanthropy will gain +1 to their Strength and Constitution score in any form while infected. As stated above they can be trained by a wolfwere to control their transformations, however this is near impossible, as wolfwere have a blood hatred for the infected. On the 3 days at the beginning of each month the character will uncontrollably transform into a werewolf (stats below) during nightfall. During the transformation the character is controlled by the DM. At any time (not during their transformed nights) the character falls to 0 HP or below, they will immediately transform into a werewolf at full hit dice, attacking anything around them, including other players. (Note: transformations, in either direction heals all damage done. Being reduced to 0 HP in werewolf form will permanently kill the character, with no chance of resurrection.)
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