This very old myth originated sometimes during the First Age and was created by the
Naurcians, at a time when they still lived in their original homeland of Old Naurcia,
Before it sank beneath the waves. Since most managed to fled their old homeland, this myth survived to this day and continues to be recounted.
Description of the Myth
The myth of the "Loup-Garou" describes a man inflicted with a magical curse that forces him to change into a wolf-like beast, on the night of a full
Veosian moon. Notably, some later retellings seem to cast doubt on the "curse" aspect of the myth, as they describe the person able to willingly change from a beast to a human and vice-versa at any time, while also staying in control of themselves, which fits the description of a modern
Wolfkin person very closely, while the original myth resembles more someone aflicted with a case of
Permanent Ikshai Possession, especialy in the later stages.
What makes this Myth so strange
What doesn't make sense is not the creature it describles, but rather the period the myth was first talked about. Indeed, in the naurcian language, "Loup-Garou" can be translated into "Wolf-Man" in the common tongue. While wolf-man is a pretty apt description of a wolfkin person, populous in this region of the continent, the mystery arises when considering the time this word was first written down: The First Age. The conventional wisdom for when wolfkins and all other
Shapeshifters species began apearing in the world places the period in the later years of the Great Spring period, that came right after the
The Long Winter and just before the Second Age began. This period lasted roughly from 1900 Bc to 1700 Bc, which is more than a thousand years after the first mentions of Loup-garous in Naurcian mythology. In other words, the myth, especialy the later retellings, perfectly describes something that didn't exist yet.
Possible Explanations
Most Scholars agree that it is probably just a coincidence, but others have advanced the idea that maybe shapeshifters and all the other varieties of
Soulbound Mages did in fact exist during the First Age, but just in very small numbers or in even more isolated regions of the world. However, this proposition goes against the assumed timeline of events in regards to magic, and isn't taken seriously. In fact, some scholars have even been reprimanded by their institution of even Arcans from their local
Solian temple for proposing what they call "Lunacy or heresy" respectively.
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