Post by The Game Master on Mar 27, 2013 18:50:01 GMT -8
Werewolves
Werewolves are creatures that one might become if they contract lycanthropy, an infection created when one with a magical affinity curses a human (or other species) to turn into a wolf. Lycanthropy is spread through bite and takes hold of the victim almost immediately, and the result is incurable save for the most powerful of rare magic.
They are tall, muscular, athletic, and very powerful. They are utterly consumed by the beast within them, and though they might be of normal size as a human, they grow to incredible sizes upon transforming, sometimes standing several heads above their normal height. The color of their fur does not seem to be standardized, and is often influenced by the color of their hair as a human, with eyes that seem to glow in the dark (which may be of varying shades between green, yellow, and red). They have enhanced senses of sight, smell, and hearing, but only as a wolf. Werewolves are capable of moving on four legs or two, but seem to run clumsily if forced to be bipedal. With their powerful back legs, they are capable jumpers, and sharp claws and strong grips allow them to climb over walls and up trees with relative ease. They move quickly, and are almost impossible to outrun, but a well-placed silver bullet or wounding with a silver weapon will be enough to stall them or fatally wound them.
Werewolves have incredible regeneration, and are generally regarded as immortal due to their resistance to wounding and aging. However, there are very specific limitations to their regeneration. Wounds inflicted by silver will heal much slower than a normal wound, and will scar over very obviously. Werewolves cannot recover from wounds that damage the brain or heart, and these are the only types of wounding that can be inflicted without the use of silver. With enough shots and blades, a silver weapon is capable of forcing a werewolf to bleed out and die. Upon dying, werewolves will return to their human form, allowing them to be identified. Werewolves can be distracted with the throwing of a stick in the opposite direction. As canines, they are compelled to fetch it and bring it back. Also bacon.
In addition, the herb wolfsbane is a useful item to have whenever one goes out into the world, due to its natural effect of deterring werewolves. Wolfsbane smells absolutely horrid to a werewolf, and they cannot stand to be anywhere near it. Carrying wolfsbane on your person therefore protects you from being attacked. The scent also seems to mask the carrying, rendering them undetectable by smell. If prepared with water, wolfsbane can be treated to become fatally poisonous to a werewolf, allowing for the preparation of non-silver weapons with properties needed to slay a werewolf - a godsend for those who cannot afford expensive silver.
Werewolves are not shapeshifters, as they have no control over their transformation or when it happens. Werewolves are often thought to transform on the full moon, but this is only one time when it might occur. The other time, more dangerous and less predictable, is by influence of sound. Werewolves may potentially react to a howl of a dog or a wolf, or some other frequency or pitch. Like their moonlit transformation, they are just as ruthless and bloodthirsty like this, though they are considerably weaker as the nighttime is their peak of power. With enough practice and self-control, a werewolf might be able to resist this particular transformation, but it strains their minds and tends to leave them feeling a little unfulfilled and irritable for the rest of that day.
Like half-breeds, werewolves (known) are shunned by the rest of society, and often killed immediately due to the danger they present to normal people. However, an intelligent werewolf might be able to lead a normal life if they regulate themselves well.
Newly infected werewolves tend to go through a very long period of acclimation. They are irritable, distraught, visibly nervous, and are often very pale and sickly. Picking out a new werewolf while human is thus a bit easy, but one will have to be very skilled at distinguishing them from humans that simply express the same features. Eventually, werewolves will get used to their situation and will be capable of masking these qualities, allowing them to appear just as any normal human does. They will still have to solve the problem of transforming on the full moon (and master a resistance to howling), but they are very much capable of existing among humans.
Typically, werewolves are loners. But it is possible for several wolves to group together in family groups, not unlike a wolf pack. They organize themselves in a similar, with an alpha at the head of the group. These packs, when human, appear as nomadic families on the roads, selling wares and supplies to passersby and offering them shelter. Be wary of such groups, and always refuse their offers if there's an evil moon on the rise.
Werewolves are extremely loyal to their pack, and they are some of the few individuals that a werewolf will not turn on when transformed.
