The Curse of The Lycean

Summary

Often told around campfires to entertain and startle young children, the Curse of The Lycean almost always begins with the story of a man or a young boy being cursed by The Goddess for a misdeed. The exact nature of this misdeed varies largely from storyteller to storyteller (often reflecting the lack of a specific value the teller is attempting to emphasize). In the past most cases told the story of a man doing a despicable and unforgivable act : killing a sibling, betraying the trust of his lord, consuming human flesh, rape, etc. However in other cases the act is much more mundane, and even forgivable, such as disobeying his mother, or telling a lie to an authority figure. In the latter cases the story is often being told to children, and with it the story dances around some of the more visceral details of the man's transformation. But regardless of his crime the punishment is the same: the man is cursed to transform into a hideous wolf like monster whenever The Twin Moons of Alwaus are both full - losing his mind and control of his body as his skin painfully splits and his bones snap into new shapes. When the transformation is complete the main lets out a howl of pain that fills the air around him and strikes fear into all who hear it. Lost in pain in bloodlust the man is confused by the need to consume the flesh of man. Able to sniff out the sins of any man, woman, or child - the Lycean will not rest until he can no longer smell the stench of sin around him. Most sinners who cross the path of a Lycean are brutally torn apart and devoured by the beast - never to be seen again. But the most wicked sinners the Lycean will not eat - as even their sin disgusts him - and instead he takes a single bite from them before setting them free. But those spared by the Lycean are forever cursed by The Goddess - destined to turn into Lycean themselves on the next set of full moons - where they too will join the first Lycean in his unending hunt.

Historical Basis

In actuality, the Lycean "curse" does not exist. Instead, Lycean are merely a seperate species that closely resembles that of humans. Mysterious and elusive, the age and origins of the Lycean species is unknown, as is their exact number or location of any settlements. Believed to be a small, nomadic, and solitary population - Lycean seem to prefer being left alone and avoid human settlements in most situations. Lycean are able to transform into great wolf-like beats, however they can do so at will and have no known interaction with The Twin Moons of Alwaus. In their beastial form, a Lycean grows considerably in size, and becomes a formidable warrior, however they have no known immunities or uncommon resistances to conventional attacks. In the event a Lycean was to bite a human, the human should treat the wound like any other and ensure the wound is treated with Medical Care just as another bite would be. Despite the Kaldari legend, there has not been a single document case of a human displaying traits of lycantropy after being bitten by a Lycean. Lycean has been mostly absent through the recorded history of Alwaus, however there was rumors of Lyceans serving as close guards to The Traitor King, Marcius Lesnar during The Inheritance War, however these rumors were never confirmed by offical imperial investigations after the war.

Spread

The legend took quick root in early Kaldari culture, spread mostly as campfire stories in rural towns before eventually taking root in the urban centers as they began to develop. With each area and teller the story has its variations, most commonly in regards to the original sign that caused The Goddess to curse the first Lycean, and well as the emphasis on the Lycean's alleged fondness for abducting children. In reality the story was originally served as a way to harmlessly scare children into not wandering away from home at night and obeying their parents, however the exact role the real Lycean played in the stories origin in spread is anyone's guess. Despite it's lack of any reality, the legend still persists in the Kaldari psyche, with the disappearance of young children in urban cities like The Port City of Rystanburg still attributed to Lycean even today - despite the likely truth of the children's disappearance being far more sinister. Stories of the Lycean's abiltiies in battle tend to change form time to time as well, however most stories agree that Lycean are ferocious creatures empowered by the sin around them - growing even more powerful as the sin around them grows. Lycean are ussualy said to be immune or resistant to conventional weaponry, with only powerful arcanists and silver-edged weapons being able to pierce their matted fur.

Related Ethnicities