Lycanthropes

"Lycanthropy: it's never been clear if its a blessing from Lord Vosegus Donon, a curse from Lady Python Delphi, or a plague from Lord Koalemos Vejosis..."

~The Codex Stella, appendix.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A werewolf is the most "common" lycanthrope and is a savage predator that can appear as a humanoid, as a wolf, or in a terrifying hybrid form—a furred and well-muscled humanoid body topped by a ravening wolf’s head. Combined with their long, wicked looking nails, and their large, sharp teeth, hybrid forms serve as very intimidating figures. The fur coloring can vary, usually resembling the natural hair coloring of the original form, occasionally with some lightening or darkening during the change.
A werebear is a powerful lycanthrope with the ability to temper their monstrous natures and reject their violent impulses. In humanoid form, they are large, muscular, and covered in hair matching the color of their ursine form's fur. In bear form they tend to seem be larger and fiercer than the average bear. In hybrid form they retain an overly muscular humanoid form covered in fur with an ursine head. 

A wererat in humanoid form tended to be a thin, wiry individual of shorter than average height. The eyes constantly darted around, and the nose and mouth may have twitched if he or she was excited. Males often have thin, ragged mustaches. The animal form of a wererat was that of a dire rat two feet long from nose to rump. In hybrid form, the wererat was shorter than in its human form and its head, torso and tail were those of a rat while its limbs were a little more humanoid in appearance

Genetics and Reproduction

Lycanthropes reproduced in a variety of ways: Lycanthrope that contracted their condition as a hereditary trait, and could breed with other true lycanthropes to produce lycanthrope offspring. This form of lycanthropy had no cure, except occasionally a wish spell. Any offspring of a lycanthrope, may produce lycanthrope. Lycanthropes can contract their condition by being injured (usually bitten) by a true or another infected lycanthropes. Or lycanthropes can affected by a curse, either from a spell or other means, and can become lycanthropes.

Growth Rate & Stages

Werewolves are the most common type of lycanthropes in the world. They are found in all climates, both in the wild and hidden in civilization. Werewolf packs are organized similar to wolf packs, with a powerful alpha in command of the entire group. The moral and ethical outlook of the pack tends to follow that of the alpha. The pack tends to raise their young together if they are born within the pack, very similar to actual wolves. When werewolf children are born, up until the age of eight or so the appear very humanoid until their wolfish nature begins to manifest. At this point they can turn into young adolescent wolves that must either assimilate and follow the alpha or leave the pack and start their own.
Werebears were mostly solitary, living in forest near waterways on the outskirts of civilization. Like most lycanthropes there were 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 would bear 1 or 2 children in human form with the children being born appearing humanoid until they turned eight. After this point they would gain the ability to transform into large shaggy bears, and the mother would chase the adolescents away to continue the cycle. Normal werebears claimed territories between 1-4 miles in size, and felt a close bond to their homes. They possessed a natural empathy with other ursines and could bond with them more easily.
Unlike other lycanthropes: the natural born offspring of Wererats produces a ratling, a juvenile true Wererat. These ratlings grew to maturity by the age of two and had the ability to transform themselves into human children who appeared to be roughly three times their real age. After that, they can change at will as a true Wererat.

Ecology and Habitats

Werewolves typically live in the more isolated forested regions of the world. Because of the negative stigma associated with werewolves, these rare groups are often nomadic out of necessity. Staying in one place for too long could draw unwanted attention. For that reason it’s important for a pack to stay on the move and keep hidden once camp is made.


Werebears on the other hand were much more sedentary in nature when compared to werewolves. Contrary to their isolationist behavior and independent lifestyle, werebears had a strong sense of community. They never attacked each other, allowed other werebears access to their fishing zones, and defended werebears from other lycanthropes. New adolescent werebears were usually guided by older werebears. They would only pass on their curses to willing companions and associates, personally training them to temper their bestial urges. They acted as wardens of their territories, protecting the wilderness from ravagers and over-hunters and almost never entered villages outside of emergencies or to assist the forces of good, especially against evil lycanthropes.
Wererats recognized their relative weakness and congregated in numbers in the sewer systems beneath surface cities. Not only did those who live on the surface maintain their lairs for them but they unknowingly protected the wererat lairs with their fortifications, allowing the wererats to frequently leave their defenses lacking.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Werewolves and werebears are omnivorous nature, with preference for meat over vegetation however. Where werewolves may hunt and kill uninfected humans sometimes, werebears preferred having a greater sense of self-control and hunted more traditional game. The wererats though are through and through cannibals, eating uninfected humans and subsisting on what they could scavenge or steal.

Biological Cycle

What all lycanthropes have in common however, is their immunity to nonmagical weapons. They could only be affect by magic, magical weapons, and silvered weapons.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Though rare, they can be found typically hidden away throughout much of the Freelands.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Werewolves and werebears both had keen hearing and a gifted sense of smell. Wererats were weaker than normal humans and their other Lycanthropic cousins, but they were more intelligent in some respects. Wererats shared the animal instinctiveness of all lycanthropes and were markedly more dexterous than humans as well as a little more hardy.

Civilization and Culture

Common Dress Code

Wererats prefer simple clothing with dark hues, preferring black with dark blues, greens, and browns. Most of their clothing is a bit loose fitting for comfort with little in the way of elaborate features or ornamentation. They especially try to keep anything metal covered so nothing shines.

Scientific Name

Lycanthropy: Werewolves, Werebears, and Wererats

Origin/Ancestry

Humanoid, Human Descended

Lifespan

Subcentury lifespan

Conservation Status

Lycanthropes are defined as cursed or sick individuals that can spread like disease; and are distinctly different than Beastfolk races who are magically enhanced animals like Tabaxi or Lizardfolk, and different than Shifters which are Humans descended from House Setanta. As such they are hunted by the New Bloods and the Holy Order of the Light, and to be killed on sight. However, the Order of the Blood Fang has been experimenting with Lycanthropy and its potential uses with its Knights for generations.

Average Height

4 to 8 foot tall.

Average Weight

120 to 320 lb

Geographic Distribution

• Erin
• Pandemonium
• The Freelands

Related Ethnicities

• Beastfolk
• Freelancer