Lycanthropy (Ly-can-thruh-pee)

One of the most ancient and feared of all curses, lycanthropy can transform the most civilized humanoid into a ravening beast. In its natural humanoid form, a creature cursed by lycanthropy appears as its normal self. Over time, however, many lycanthropes acquire features suggestive of their animal/hybrid form. In animal form, lycanthropes resemble a powerful version of a normal animals. On close inspection, their eyes show a faint spark of unnatural intelligence and might glow red in the dark. In hybrid form, lycanthropes resemble a humanoid version of their animal form. Evil lycanthropes hide among normal folk, emerging in animal or hybrid form at night to spread terror and bloodshed, especially under a full moon. Good lycanthropes are reclusive and uncomfortable around other civilized creatures, often living alone in wilderness areas far from villages and towns.

Transmission & Vectors

A humanoid creature has the chance to be afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy after being wounded by a lycanthrope, or a 100% chance if one or both of its parents are true lycanthropes. Much like a disease, the most common way of contracting lycanthropy is through the transmission of fluids. Either saliva that enters the bloodstream through a wound, exchange of blood, the eating of a lycanthrope, or any other such contact can further spread the curse.

Symptoms

Someone infected with lycanthropy has three forms: a normal form (looks as they looked before contracting the curse), a hybrid form (a humanoid version of their animal form), and an animal form (a larger more vicious-looking version of a normal animal). Throughout all of these forms, the infected are afflicted with a desire to harm, especially those who are close to it.
A lycanthrope can either resist its curse or embrace it. By resisting the curse, a lycanthrope retains its normal personality while in humanoid form. It lives its life as it always has, burying deep the bestial urges raging inside it. However, when the full moon rises, the curse becomes too strong to resist, transforming the individual into its beast or hybrid form and forcing them to go on a bloody rampage. When the moon wanes, the beast within can be controlled once again. Especially if the cursed creature is unaware of its condition, it might not remember the events of its transformation, though those memories often haunt a lycanthrope as bloody dreams. Some individuals see little point in fighting the curse and accept what they are. With time and experience, they learn to master their shapechanging ability and can assume beast form or hybrid form at will. Most lycanthropes that embrace their bestial natures succumb to bloodlust, becoming evil, opportunistic creatures that prey on the weak.
Lycanthropy brings with it a tremendous resilience to most forms of damage, that was generally seen and known to be surpassable only by magic and silvered weaponry. This weakness can vary among the different types of lycanthropy.

Treatment

An infected lycanthrope can be cured with great difficulty. On a full moon when the lycanthrope loses themself to the curse, a skilled enough spellcaster can cast remove curse with a very small chance of curing the curse. A true lycanthrope cannot be cured of their lycanthropy as a human cannot be cured of being human. The only exception to this is their condition may be able to be cured by a wish spell.

Affected Groups

There are different types of lycanthropy. These different types create different lycanthropes, as seen below (there are additional types not listed but all start with the prefix of "were"): 

Wererat

Werebear

Wereboar

Weretiger

Werewolf 

Classification

• True lycanthrope: Lycanthropes that contract their condition as a hereditary trait are considered true lycanthropes. This form of lycanthropy had no cure, except occasionally a wish spell. Two true lycanthropes will always produce a true lycanthrope child.
• Infected lycanthropes: Lycanthropes that contracted their condition by being injured (usually bitten) by a lycanthrope are considered infected lycanthrope. Infected lycanthropes only have two forms, their normal form, and either an animal or hybrid form. Which second form an infected lycanthrope gets is random. An infected lycanthrope can be cured of their condition with a remove curse spell during a full moon while transformed. Two infected lycanthropes have a 50% chance of producing a true lycanthrope child and a 50% chance of producing a normal child. An infected lycanthrope and a true lycanthrope have a 75% chance to produce a true lycanthrope child and a 25% chance of producing a normal child.
• Induced lycanthrope: Lycanthropes that contract their condition by the effect of a magical item are considered induced lycanthropes. Induced lycanthropes are unable to pass on the curse of lycanthropy, though are similar to infected lycanthropes in other regards.

Type

Magical

Origin

Divine

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired & Congenital

Rarity

Rare