Werebear

Werebears are therianthropic shapechangers able to transform into a bipedal bear form. Their animal instincts guide them to protect the splendors of nature, while their humanoid minds tell them to help travelers and provide aid to the weak.

Description

Werebear humanoid forms are often large, heavily muscled, and covered in hair. Their hair is thick and shaggy with males typically having beards, and hair color ranges from brown, black, and blond to even red or ivory. Werebears dressed in simple garments that can be easily removed or repairs. Their ursine forms most often resemble a brown bear, although their human form's hair always matches their bear form's fur color, with brown being common in frozen regions. They also possess a hybrid form that resembles a bipedal bear with paws and long claws.

Behavior

They see themselves as the guardians standing between the natural world and civilization. In order to prevent themselves from harming others they control their savagery and isolate themselves. When in bear for they are irritable and moody, actively seeking out evil entities to slay. They are particularly hateful of evil therianthropes, though a small few are just as evil as them.

Combat

No matter the form, werebears have an especially keen sense of smell. Werebears typically arm themselves with weapons like greataxes or throwing axes and knives along with other weapons that ave practical utility, although they have a preference for those that allow them to use their strength. They will only use their bear or hybrid forms if they are at risk of death. When in their bear forms, werebears grow much larger, and show an increase in their ability to climb and swim. It also grants them a strong hold, grasping enemies between their paws with incredible ease.
Werebears in hybrid form can choose between wielding an axe or slashing at their enemies with their claws. Despite their strong teeth, most refuse to bite into their opponents to avoid the chance of transforming them. Like all therianthropes, they can not be harmed by normal weaponry in their transformed states, requiring silver or magical weapons to permanently harm them. They can also call any bear within a mile radius to their locations. Werebears are most likely to become rangers, druids, or wildlife priests.

Ecology

Werebears are mostly solitary, living in forests near waterways on the outskirts of civilization. Like most therianthropes there are true and infected members of the species, with the former being born and their status irreversible, and the latter being turned by another member of the species through bite. Females will bear 1 or 2 children in human form with the children being born appearing humanoid until they turn eight. After this point they will gain the ability to transform into large shaggy bears, and the mother will chase the adolescents away to continue the cycle. They possess a natural empathy with other ursines and can bond with them more easily. Transformed individuals gain an incredible boost in physical power even in their human forms.
Like normal bears, werebears are omnivores, preferring to eat small mammals and fish. They also enjoy a type of honey rich mead, although it is highly intoxicating to normal humanoids. They have few natural predators but are the enemies of evil therianthropes, primarily the werewolves of which they commonly share territory with, but also wererats.

Society

Contrary to their isolationist behavior and independent lifestyle, werebears have a strong sense of community. They never attack each other, allowing other werebears access to their fishing zones, and defend werebears from other therianthropes. New adolescent werebears are usually guided by older werebears. They will only pass on their curses to willing companions and associates, personally training them to temper their bestial urges. They act as wardens of their territories, protecting the wilderness from ravagers and over-hunters and almost never enter villages outside of emergencies or to assist the forces of good, especially against evil therianthropes.
They are largely sedentary, rarely traveling away from their homes and hard to convince to leave them. Only rarely can they be pursuaded to join adventuring parties; the young are most likely to do so, and will only act as guides for proper payment. Werebears hide their treasures in their homes, often consisting of coins, gems, and other valuable items. They also collect magical items like potions or scrolls as rewards for service, although they destroy those designed to effect bears or therianthropes so that they can not be used against them. Werebears have favored mates they will meet with infrequently, although they never actually marry. Some live in small families of 2-4, occasionally with wild bears. They prefer to live in cabins near sources of water well stocked with fish.

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Table of Contents

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Therianthrope